Bonehead Moves, Park Tool and Strategic Reconfiguration Phase 4

Note in the photo at right that although the bike owner has removed the front wheel to secure it to the frame and rear wheel, s/he missed the pole entirely. This turns a securely locked bike into a convenient car-trunk-sized package that anyone can carry off to work on the u-lock in the comfort of their living room (with a tasty cold beverage beside them, no less). 

I am embarrassed to admit that I actually did the same thing about two weeks ago running a quick errand at the shady little convenience store on Cedar Ave. and 47th street or so. Luckily nothing bad happened.

On an unrelated note,Lennard Zinn penned an interesting piece on Minnesota's own Park Tool Company in the latest VeloNews. I like all the Park stuff I have and I like that they are local. It's a good example of a small company that found a niche, kept quality high and was able to carve out a name for themselves through good times and bad times.

On another unrelated note, I unloaded another bike yesterday. The fixed gear is gone. Or at least the frame and crank is. I still have the wheels, which are newish and quite nice (and some bullhorns, too for that matter). I may sell those separately or may keep them to maximize operational flexibility in the future. At any rate, I am now down two bikes for the year (the Pug) and the fixed gear conversion. I found both of these to be kind of impractical for me, so I was lucky to be able to send them to better homes where they will each loved and ridden by good people.

And that makes room for the possibility of Phase 4 of the Strategic Reconfiguration, maybe. I am thinking perhaps a 650B all-arounder. Something to fill in the space left by the trusty Cross Check, which is now an Xtracycle conversion. I really think that X is going to be great, but that leaves me with a road bike that sports 700x25 high pressure tires or a mountain bike, and I am thinking something a little more relaxed with some wider tires, room for fenders, etc. might be a useful addition to the stable. 

We'll see what comes to pass.