My Bikes

If I'm not riding one of my bikes, the next best thing is talking (or, in this case, writing) about them.

My #1 ride is an Independent Fabrication Crown Jewel, black cherry metallic color, with black/white/clear decals. Functional sculpture. IF makes custom bikes, and around seven years ago I splurged. The IF fits like it was made for me, because it was. The shop took measurements like for a custom made suit, asked about how I rode, and put it all together. It's a racing frame, but the shop lengthened the chain stay and slackened the headset angle to make for a less "twitchy" ride. The frame is steel -- "steel is real" still for me -- with carbon fork and handlebars and a full Ultegra drivetrain. After many, MANY thousands of miles -- three RAGRAIs, numerous Sea Gulls and other centuries, etc -- it's still my dream bike. Check out IF's website -- www.ifbikes.com.

Some of you may say, carbon is lighter, why not go with something modern? When I bought the IF, I test road the Trek Postal Service team bike. A bit lighter, I suppose, but the ride was sterile compared to the IF. So, I decided that if I was worried about the extra pound and a half, I SHOULD LOSE WEIGHT !!!

My #2 bike on the Eastern Shore is a late 1970s Basso road bike that I assembled myself, with parts I bought on eBay. Cherry red metallic; down tube shifters; chrome fork, lugs, and chainstays; all Campy/Cinelli. It's an old school steel racing bike -- narrow cassette 10 speed -- which makes it rough on hills but perfect for the (flat) Eastern Shore. This is my "styling" bike, which I use for shorter rides.

Sometimes, folks ask me, "How many bikes are enough?" The answer: "One more."