A Blog Is Born

 E-Mails and Telephones

The phone rings about sixteen times.  She always takes a long time to answer.  I’m used to it though.  At least she always answers.

“Hello?”

“Hey, Blondie!  Guess what?  That guy Roadie Ryan out in Seattle is sending me some bicycle stuff!  I just got an email.  Pretty cool, huh?”

“Didn’t he send you some stuff before?”

“Yeah, a bottom bracket and the tool but it didn’t fit.”

“Is he the one I had to go get a box and pack that lamp…”

‘Hey!  The lamp!  I forgot about the lamp.” 

“What’s he sending?”

“I don’t know.”

“Why is he sending it?  Did you write about something you needed or…”

“I don’t think so.  He says he had a vision or something that I was gonna get an old ten speed to fix up and sell, so he was sending me a starter kit.”

“That’s cool.”

“Yeah.  What happened to that roast venison you were bringing over?  I’m hungry.”

“Soon, Honey, soon.”

Ryan

Long-time readers may remember Ryan once wrote a Guest Post about a coffee run of sorts on one of his Seattle rides.  At the time I knew that he fooled around with old ten speeds,  but I had no idea how MUCH he fooled around with old ten speeds.  His work has frequently appeared over at Cameron’s Old Ten Speed Gallery (currently on hiatus, but still worth a visit.)  As all of you who have not been just skimming my stuff for the funny parts already know, I Like Old Steel Bikes and Ryan does too. 

A Blog Is Born

He likes them so much that he has succumbed to the dangerous vice of writing about them.  It was what I had planned on doing when I started this booger, but, well,  let’s just say the TPC evolved in a different direction.  Not Ryan, though.  His new Blog “Ryan’s Rebuilds” is the straight stuff about his many project bikes and the trials and tribulations of the world of the Vintage Bicycle Refurbisher.  That’s what he calls it and I am envious of his having coined a new name for a new trade doing good things with old stuff.

Here There Be Monsters

So I waited and waited in actual fear for this box of joy to arrive, afraid that one of the Whispering Pines Zombies would get to it before me;  plus I have never quite gotten over that thing from my childhood with the cereal box tops and the Woody Woodpecker hat.
As always with our transactions, e-mail took over:

me,Ryan:

Hey Ryan!  Should I have received a package by now, or was it all a dream?  I didn't want you to think it came in and I failed to say thank you.

ryan,Me:

It shipped a few days ago so I don't think you've missed out

me,Ryan

I’m just worried about the zombies.  There are zombies here.

ryan,Me:

We have them here in seattle, too, except here they’re called hipsters

 Then, the Next Day:

me,Ryan:

I got it, man!  Thanks so much!  Your generosity is overwhelming.  Now I gotta find a steed worthy of the new gear.  In the spirit of your action and thoughtfulness, the bike that will one day wear these parts will purposely be selected to NOT be a bike for myself.  It will be a refurb that will be a gift.  I'll find somebody to give the bike to...already I am envisioning a step-through...I can see it. 

 I can see some grateful college coed-type, her breasts trembling with gratitude as the tears of joy roll down her face, wetting the light cotton t-shirt...wait..ok, maybe I got carried away.  But you get the idea.

I gotta stew the free bike idea over...it sounds good, though doesn't it?  We will call it Ryan's Rides of Freedom...or, The Ryan Surface Foundation National Campus Bicycle Crusade...I'm open to ideas, here...but I've been out of booger material for a couple days, even though I have been getting in some twenty and thirty mile rides...so this will be the next post, definitely...

Is there any way you can e-mail me a picture of that lamp?  I want to show the world how my generosity compares to yours.  Actually, I really liked that lamp.  It would be really cool if every time you turned it on it played "Margaritaville..."

Thanks, Brother!

ryan,Me:

Hey glad the package finally arrived Tim Joe, and you are very welome.  Your description of the grateful coed made me laugh.

My initial thought was this might prime the pump for a little side, beer and pizza money, business for you of fixing up bikes to sell at a reasonable price and then once that was up and running you could "pay it forward" in some way, what was that you said in your post about small groups helping each other?  Coeds who pay for their very cool fixed up retro bikes are grateful too...

But of course your idea of making it a gift is a generous and thoughtful way to go.  On the third hand if a bike that fits you perfectly for the perfect price in the perfect color (Florida Sunshine Orange say) should cross your path then call it fate and build that sucker up for your own-self! 

 If you do donate the ride how about Timjoes Innovative Transport Systems?

Picture of very cool lamp attached.
Tailwinds Brother

Pro Starter Kit

So that’s it.  I got my box, carefully opened it and there it was: the perfect Refurbisher’s Starter Kit.  A pair of  27 inch Kenda gumwall tires,  new Jagwire Basic brake and shifter cables, a chain, some really nice cork bar tape that just screams out for an aged Brooks saddle, some tubes and rim strips and a full set of Crane Grey Matter brake shoes.  The inclusion of the rim strips, while the least dollar value of the starter kit, showed the most thought and care taken with this package.  More than once a wheel rebuild has been stalled because I forgot the rim strips.  This is the stuff.  Now I gotta find a new project bike.

That’s all for now, folks!  Drop by Ryan’s new site, say hello, but as always, keep coming by the Park!

yer pal,

tj

All Ryan Got Was This Lamp

Whispering Pines Trailer Park and House of Refurbishment
#103