Just lately I discussed that this Islabikes Luath 24 was up for grabs as a result of all seventeen (17) of my human youngsters have outgrown it, and I’m each completely happy and wistful to report that it has formally been grabbed:
I’m completely happy as a result of as a result of it is going to convey pleasure to a different human youngster, in addition to convey pleasure to me by releasing up a little bit more room. However I’m wistful as a result of I’ve fond reminiscences of father-and-son cyclocrossing:
I’m positive my elder son can be embarrassed if I reposted images of him racing cyclocross, so as an alternative I’ll simply embarrass myself:
Sure, I did a cyclocross race on a Jones (a number of, in truth), regardless of the very fact the tires are only a few millimeters wider than the UCI’s 33mm most.
Fortunately no one checked.
However hey, I’ve my reminiscences, and I’ve my whiskey, so what extra might I presumably want?
In the meantime, March is rising much less leonine and extra lamblike, which suggests household bike rides round city:
Favorable circumstances additionally afforded me the chance to do almost an identical back-to-back (properly, separated by a day) mixed-terrain rides on the PRJCT GRVL bike:
And the Roadini:
As with the Farbman, I’d kind of benched the Roadini when the really disgusting winter climate hit, leaving the soiled work to its extra rough-and-tumble sibling:
Additionally just like the Farbman, returning to the Roadini was a delight–for just like the Farbman, it’s a motorcycle I’ve accomplished a good quantity of fussing with since first placing it collectively on New 12 months’s Eve, 2024:
[The Roadini on its maiden voyage.]
Sure, basically it’s the identical bike, however it took me a short while to determine precisely what tires it needed, and never till this previous autumn did I notice that regardless of its curlicue lugs and genteel look it was asking me to decrease its handlebar barely and even give it a double crank. The outcome was that the bike misplaced weight with out feeling jittery:
Although I’m unsure it’s truly attainable to make a Rivendell really feel jittery, except you trip it with the entrance skewer open or one thing.
Both approach, getting again on the Roadini after a pair months of not driving it (that’s a extremely very long time to not trip what was most likely my most-ridden bicycle in 2025) was like that feeling you get after a bathe when it’s been approach too lengthy since your final bathe.
Oh, right here’s a non-drive facet photograph:
Drive-side images are propaganda from Huge Crabon, as a result of these bikes have actually ugly backside bracket junctions which the crank serves to cover, however when it’s a lugged metal bike you’d somewhat have a look at the underside bracket lug than the crank…particularly when it’s this crank:
Although I confess I’m a Hollowtech II apologist and I secretly like the best way it seems to be, even on a motorcycle like this.
Hey, the bike has loads of Silver on it already:
Sure, that’s one other prototype, as a result of I actually am that necessary:
In any case, the Roadini was greater than able to following within the PRJCT GRVL bike’s footsteps:
Even on these giant, partially-buried and intermittently-placed items of gravel:
Decrease gearing and totally different tires would chop the off-road hole between them much more, although I benefit from the Roadini as a result of it’s a ROAD-ini, which is why I progressively moved away from the triple crank and the Garvel Kign tires within the first place.
As for the PRJCT GRVL bike, I do actually take pleasure in driving it, although I feel if I have been placing collectively a full-on broccoli bike from scratch I’d take the elements from that bike and put them on an Appy Lucy or one thing:
And sure, clearly I don’t imply all of the elements. I imply stuff just like the drivetrain and the handlebar and stuff. You’ll be able to’t use dick breaks on an Appy Lucy, you’ve acquired to make use of cantilevers, or else v-brakes, essentially the most lethal of all of the brakes:
Why would a v-brake lever be extra harmful than some other sort of lever? You’ve acquired me. All I do know is that this man actually sucks at driving bikes:
In 2017, Lynch bought a “Trek Stage I street bike” and on June 29, 2022, was driving it on a South Kingstown bike path when he utilized his brakes to keep away from hitting one other bike’s again wheel. He misplaced his steadiness and fell on his proper facet. The swimsuit alleged that whereas Lynch was falling, the left lever tore a 12-inch laceration in his left thigh.
Trek Bicycle, the lawsuit alleged, additionally ought to have recognized the lever design was defective and will trigger impalement throughout a fall and “failed to examine and assess the security of the V-brake for finish customers earlier than putting in it on the topic bike.” Along with alleging negligent design, the lawsuit cited each defendants for failure to warn, and breach of guarantee.
So principally he’s a typical bike path wheelsucker.
Then once more, maybe I ought to be extra understanding, contemplating I’ll very properly have lower my head open on a pair of classic M-Frames virtually precisely like these:
Wow, that’s fairly good cash! Possibly I ought to put mine on Poshmark too.
