Burley Flatbed Trailer

Just got a new trailer, and I'm loving it. I got to tow around a few things today - first a few boxed bike frames to the UPS store, to ship them to paint, then some packaging materials that I purchased from LESCO in North Philly.
My initial impression: completely practical, with no frills. I've never been a fan of the Burley trailer mounts; they aren't very stiff, and result in a lag between when you apply power to the pedals to when the trailer responds to it - very irritating with heavy loads and a bit of an incline. However, this trailer definitely does things that, say, the BOB trailers don't. Eventually I'll probably try to work out a different mounting method, but for now it'll do just fine.

Chad's Do-It-All Traffic

This bike was finished this past spring, but it's been making the rounds on the internet recently. I even found it on a Scandinavian site recently. Can't tell what they're saying, but it looks enthusiastic.


Been listening to:
Esbjorn Svensson Trio - Tuesday Wonderland
Iron and Wine - The Shepherd's Dog
Le Loup - The Throne of the Third Heaven of the Nation's Millennium General Assembly
Traffic - The Low Spark of High Heeled Boys

Georgia's Bike

Another fresh commuter. Enjoy.










Been listening to:
Magnolia Electric Co. - Sojourner
Ra Ra Riot - Ra Ra Riot
Harry Nilsson - Nilsson Schmilsson
Madlib - Mind Fusion 3

New Traffic Fixie

Right out of the frying pan, this one is - and it's hot.
Keep an eye out for it in the SoCal area, its new home.


been listening to:
The Beach Boys - Pet Sounds
Pacha Massive - All Good Things
The Verve - Urban Hymns
Little Brother - The Commercial-Free EP

Dent!

Just made myself a quick chainstay denting tool. It could be a lot slicker, but has worked very well so far.

Been listening to:
Stereolab - Emperor Tomato Ketchup, Mars Audiac Quintet
Son House - The Original Delta Blues
TV On the Radio - OK Calculator (I'm hooked on these guys...)

baseball

I enjoy the game because it is a beautifully designed game; it is a beautiful game to watch. But primarily because it makes me feel American, it makes me feel connected with this culture. And, I think that there are only three things that America will be known for 2000 years from now, when they study this civilization, and they are the constitution, jazz music, and baseball. They are the three most beautifully designed things this culture has ever produced.

-Gerald Early, from Ken Burns' "Baseball, Inning 1"


been listening to:
a lot of TV on the Radio: "Desperate Youth, Bloodthirsty Babes," "OK Calculator," "Return to Cookie Mountain"
Electrelate: "The Power Out"

Chupacabra

I am pleased to introduce to you the Chupacabra, a staggering creation from Traffic Cycle Design, LLC.

Designed in coordination with Goat (David Yost) of the Riding the Spine tour, this beast has been tailored for long-distance mountain riding. It sports a stout, stiff geometry, 26" x 4" tires (with an actual diameter of 29") , disc brakes, and an internally geared rear hub. It is also compatible with the rack system made by Xtracycle, allowing its rider to carry loads in the hundreds of pounds.

It's not your everyday bike, but my opinions of it have improved significantly since I started the project. Not only would I insist on a similar steed if I were embarking on a long mountain ride, but a slimmed-down version would be excellent for doing errands around town. It could carry all the groceries you'd need for a week, and could also be outfitted with a child (or spouse) seat.

What's with the name, you say? Wikipedia has a decent article on the chupacabra, a little creature known in the Americas for killing and drinking the blood of farm animals, especially goats. With the size and mass of this vehicle, I expect it to have a similar (although more invigorating) effect on my friend Goat.

You can see more photos at my personal website, where you can also look at some of my other creations .