Author: Rob

Bikes in the Garage – Rawland dSogn

My Rawland dSogn has been one of the best value bikes I have ever put together.  I was able to pick up the frame and fork as a blem in the fall of 2009 and build it up almost completely from components I had in the garage, keeping the utility to out-of-pocket cost ratio very high.  These were designed to be run as 650b mountain bikes with a heavy nod to the bridgestone Bridgestone XO-1.  Many of the bikes designed and sold by bridgestone during the 90’s were intended to be as versatile as possible and not just a “mountain bike “or “road bike”.  The sogn’s design intent was to be everything from your dirt road touring to daily commuter.  While designed for 650b x 55mm tires, the disc brakes allowed me to easily build mine up as a 700c x 42mm and still have room for fenders when things get wet.  The rest of the build settled into the following after a few changes:

Handle bar: Nitto RM013 Riv Dirt Drop
Levers: Shimano Tigra
Shifters: Shimano Bar end / Suntour Barcon NOS
Cables/Housing: Jagwire Ripcord
Stem: Velo Orange
Tape: Soma Thick and Zesty
Bell: Crane Brass (mounted to drilled and tapped spacer)
Headset: Chris King Sotto Voce
Brakes: Avid BB7 Disc Road
Seatpost: Salsa Shaft  
Saddle: Brooks B-17  
Bottom Bracket: Shimano cartridge
Crankset: Shimano Shimano LX vintage 94bcd 
Pedals: Sakae Low Fats (I have wide Feet)
Tires: Jack Brown Green – Panaracer FireCross – Schwalbe Marathon Extreme
Rims: Velocity Dyad 40h
Hubs: Whit industries M16
Bags: Carradice Nelson longflap and Carradice Hobo bag (Rivendell Prototype)
Racks: Old Man Mountain Sherpa rear and Bruce Gordon front

I have used this bike as my weekend produce hauler, after work mountain bike, 200K ride, mixed terrain bomber, commuter and rain bike.  While the ride is not nearly as lively as the Roadeo, it is still far better than either the Surly Cross Check or the Haro Mary that this bike replaced.  The steel frame is comfortable for long days in the saddle, especially with loads, and does not leave me feeling beat up. 

While not my “One” bike, this one has come close, and there are only a few tweaks I would make if it were ever to be replaced.  I would not say it is perfect, but when cost is factored in, as well as level of expectation for an off the shelf production bike it is an excellet value. 

Camera Gear – Panasonic DMC-GF1

I have been enjoying photography as a hobby for as long as I can remember, always using it as a component of other passions.  To keep the camera with me on my rides is just natural, an extension to share my experiences with others.  As the budget increased so did the quality and size of the gear.  My Canon kit fit OK in a top loading zoom case, and I hauled it around despite the size and weight.  Around the time I was shopping for a suitable chest harness rig for the trails the Micro 4/3 format was gaining momentum and I gave way to the siren song.  I started with the GF1 body and 14-45mm zoom kit and there was no turning back.

 

The new kit was less than half the physical size of my old kit while retaining most of the lens flexibility and capture quality of my older cameras.  The Micro 4/3 format cuts the height and width ratio of the standard DSLR style sensor in half and gets rid of the prism.  Thereby allowing the whole package, body and optics, to become smaller.  This camera has every thing I like about my point and shoots with the power and flexibility of my prosumer DSLR and allows me to capture RAW files.   With the addition of a 20mm prime lens and a couple of simple cases:

  • Tamrac Aero Zoom 20
  • Tamrac Lens Case Medium – MX5375
  • LowePro 1M

I am able to easily carry part of or the entire kit in my Acorn handlebar bag . Most of the time the top of both bags are open allowing quick access to the camera while in motion or stopped.  When rain threatens, the security of the camera being double bagged has never let me down.

The proof is in the results when I get home from a back road ride in the country and have been able to capture images like this:

09 Blk Frdy Ride Rawland