Archive for the ‘Easy’ Category

Pelican Frames

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Posted 15 Aug 2008 — by Gabe E
Category Buying Guide, Easy, Happening(s), Moderate, People, Products, Sweet

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Hey everyone.  I am writing to say that today Friday, August 15th I am temporarily capping orders.  Ahren is getting really backed up and we need some breathing room.  I want to extend a thank you to everyone who has asked questions, shown interest, and/or ordered a frameset.  By no means should folks stop asking questions.  I will open up orders again hopefully in October.

Sometime around November or December the shop will be taking  shipment on a size run of Pelicans!  It will be nice to actually have the frames here in the shop for folks to look at and purchase.  Currently they can only look at and test-ride either Dan T’s, John P’s, or mine if we are here and you are 5′10″ or taller.  Also, my friend Brian has graciously left his 58cm frame here for us to hang in the window while he has been training for some Marathons.

Stay tuned for an update on the Box Dog Bikes “Rally Cat” mixed terrain race.  We will give full details soon.  It is going to be near the end of September.  The photos were taken on the pre-ride.

This Sunday I am riding an SF Randonneurs 200k.  I am really excited about this ride.  No chance of rain and it goes through some really pretty country.  I will try and take some photos and hopefully get a ride report up next week.  Thanks everyone!

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Is that a Cruiser?!?

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Posted 14 Aug 2008 — by Stynes
Category Advanced, Buying Guide, Easy, Expert/Difficult, People, Products, Sweet

No, it’s not. It’s John Blackwell’s Retrotec singlespeed mountain bike. Believe it or not, we are into more than just townie bikes, track bikes, and road bikes. Some of us actually got our start in bikes with mountain bikes. John’s Retrotec is hand made in Napa by Curtis Inglis. If you’ve not heard of Curtis’ bikes, you should check them out. He makes some of the nicest, most original custom bikes out there. John is going to tell you a little more about his bike and why he built it the way he did:

I was first introduced to the wonders of Retrotec when Curtis Brought his own personal singlespeed Twin into the Bike Peddler for some maintainance. I instantly went head over for the curvey tubed masterpiece. I placed my order shortly after and began spending every penny I had on my dream one speed trail machine. I was lucky enough to be the Spectrum designs ginny pig for the NAHBS in 2007, basically getting the surprise paint job of a lifetime. Here is a list of the build that finished this puppy off.

  • Thomson post and stem
  • White Ind. BB and Eno crankset
  • Chris King HS, Chris King singlespeed hubs
  • Mavic 717 disc rims
  • Paul brake levers, Avid BB-7 mechanical brakes
  • WTB Rocket V Saddle
  • Ritchey WCS Carbon h bar
  • White Bros. Rock Solid carbon fork
  • Gear ratio- 34:19 for most races and 36:19 for playtime.

Keep an eye out for the young Box Dog MTB, Cyclocross, and Street team!

Retrotec

Used Bikes

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Posted 14 Aug 2008 — by Stynes
Category Buying Guide, Easy, Products, Sweet

Only one new used bike from last week with more in the works for this weekend.  I promise.  Come into the shop and see the ones that didn’t make the blog post deadline.

49cm Windsor Lady- $350

  • New Cranks
  • New Tires
  • New Chain
  • New Freewheel

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Mt. Tam 100k with a Pelican and Ebisu

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Posted 08 Aug 2008 — by Gabe E
Category Advanced, Easy, Expert/Difficult, Happening(s), People, Products, Sweet

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Last Monday John B and I took my Pelican and my Ebisu out on a pre-ride for a mixed terrain race/ride we are doing for the shop.  It was cloudy and cold in SF, sunny and warm up on the mountain and in Marin.  Actually, it was hot as balls on Old Railroad Grade.

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We started in Fort Mason, wound our way to Mill Valley and then hopped onto Old Railroad Grade up the mountain.  On the way we met a fellow SF Rando rider, Patrick, who spotted us far off due to the shine of the Honjos.   We got stopped at the Double-Bow-Knot while the park service was grading the road (which now makes all the really crappy parts for road bikes super smooth).  While we were waiting we met a mtn biker who could not understand our bikes at all..they aren’t mtn, road, or cyclo-cross…huh?

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After that we went on up to East Peak for water, then down on to Bolinas-Farifax ridge road,  then onto the Alpine Dam road into Fairfax.  There we stopped at the brewery for beer and fries. Then the home stretch back to the cold ass city.  Keep posted for more news on the race/ride to come!

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As I have already found, the Pelican climbs dirt spectacularly.  With the lower rake it allows you to pick your lines with minimal steering effort and then holds it where you want the bike to be; even over rocky hummocky surfaces.  John, who is used to his Serrota road and Retrotech Mtn. had a blast riding the Pelican on both roads and dirt.  He says that it handles very intuitively without wanting to wander on climbs or on fast descents.   It gets his seal of approval, which is nice to hear.

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On the Pelican frame front I am only taking pre-orders till next Friday (8/15) and then I need to cap them for a bit.  I need to get frames for the shop in now.  Thank you everyone for the interest.  It has been great thus far.

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Now it’s off to clean my Ebisu for the Randonneurs USA’s 10th anniversary 200k in little over one week, YEE-HA!

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Used Bikes!!!!!

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Posted 07 Aug 2008 — by Stynes
Category Buying Guide, Easy, Expert/Difficult, Happening(s), Products, Sweet

Sorry about the missing used bike blog post last week.  I took a four day weekend for my birthday.  Anyway, here they are, in all their glory, our used bikes.  As you know, don’t sleep on these, they go fast.  See you at the shop!

53cm Marin Verona- $899

  • Columbus Thron Tubing
  • Full Shimano 105
  • Alex Xero Lite Wheels

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53cm Cresent Fashion Line- $475

  • Mixte Mania
  • Shimano Groupo
  • New Chain and Freewheel

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57cm Centurion LeMan- $525

  • Suntour ARX Group
  • Handmade in Japan
  • New Chain and Freewheel

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61cm Schwinn Paramount- $650

  • Shimano 105 Group
  • 105 Hubs to Campy Rims
  • New Vittoria Rubino Tires
  • New Chain and Freewheel

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61cm Cannondale SR800- $625

  • Full Shimano 600 Group
  • New White Vittoria Rubino Pro’s
  • New Chain and Freewheel

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San Francisco Bay Guardian Rates Box Dog Bikes on Maintenance Class

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Posted 05 Aug 2008 — by Dan
Category Easy, Happening(s), People, Sweet

Last week was the annual  SFBG Best of the Bay issue and here’s what they had to say:

BEST DIY DEMYSTIFICATION

They say that once you learn how to ride a bike, you’re pretty much set for life — until the tire pops, your bar tape frays, and the shifting gets a little funky. A bicycle repair class can be a daunting thing, but Dan Thomases’s “Bike Maintenance in Three Parts,” offered every three months or so (BDB edit: Every Sunday Night), clears an essential path toward demystifying your rock hopper or 10-speed. The three-part series is run out of Box Dog Bikes, a Mission shop co-owned by Thomases, and takes you from repairing flats to replacing cables and trueing wheels. The Sunday-evening classes are cheap, and more important, small — making for lots of individualized instruction and talk therapy between you, Thomases, and your bike. Thomases says he was inspired by his dentist dad, who schools his patients on preventative maintenance. “I’m hoping the classes will give people an idea of what it takes to be responsible for your bike.”

You can check out who else is the best of the bay:   http://www.sfbg.com/bob/2008/

And now for another description of the class.

The bike maintenance classes at Box Dog Bikes are hands on.  We ask that everybody bring their bike in order to learn the specifics of maintaining their own bicycle.Here is the current offering of classes:

Know Your Bike:

* Learn the parts of the bike, know your bike

* Learn how to replace a tube (aka flat fix)

* We also talk about the importance of bike cleanliness:  we clean the drive chain and refurbish the braking surfaces of the brake pads and rims.

Brakes & Gears:

* We learn about the braking and shifting systems of the bicycle.

*We replace a cable on your bike in each of these systems.

* We learn the basics of adjusting brakes and gears.

Your Bicycle Wheel

* We learn the basics of adjusting hubs and get some practice in trueing rims and tensioning spokes.

* The classes are 2 hours, offered on Sunday and Tuesday evenings @ Box Dog Bikes.

* The classes can be signed up for individually at $35 each or take all 3 for $90.

Students must bring their own bikes. Necessary supplies and all tools will be provided.

Prepay is required as spaces are limited.

Call us for more details (415/431-9627) during our open hours: Monday-Friday 11am-7pm Saturday 10am-5pm & Sunday 12pm-5pm.

Sign up now!

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