Crank Fever 1.0
...putting your dreams in motion
...putting your dreams in motion
09.15.06 - Build of the Day - Petra
Ladies and Bents, meet Petra, the 2nd Spin Custom build full of
Alba road flavor, recapturing some old school roadie hotness
with a touch of CF modernity. Geoff also got in on the action : )
We also gave Leo's mid-80's lugged Hetchins DF some
component love, and "Cloe" should be completed shortly.
Petra's Spec's @ 23lbs:
- Raw alloy Zenetik Tour frame
- Shimano Ultegra drivetrain (10spd triple, FD, RD)
- Shimano R440 levers, and Delta skewers (ala Howard's Tour)
- Shimano Dura Ace bars on chromoly Albatross bars - flipped
- Vuelta Starlite 700c's with Michelin tires.
- SRAM Force road brakes - simply gorgeous
Ladies and Bents, meet Petra, the 2nd Spin Custom build full of
Alba road flavor, recapturing some old school roadie hotness
with a touch of CF modernity. Geoff also got in on the action : )
We also gave Leo's mid-80's lugged Hetchins DF some
component love, and "Cloe" should be completed shortly.
Petra's Spec's @ 23lbs:
- Raw alloy Zenetik Tour frame
- Shimano Ultegra drivetrain (10spd triple, FD, RD)
- Shimano R440 levers, and Delta skewers (ala Howard's Tour)
- Shimano Dura Ace bars on chromoly Albatross bars - flipped
- Vuelta Starlite 700c's with Michelin tires.
- SRAM Force road brakes - simply gorgeous
09.09.06 - El Diablo...slain again
Took the raw alloy 700c disc Zen, formerly up Mt. Diablo to the
Ranger Station 1/2 up and put her through the paces...or was it
the the other way around. Ergo's were perfect for me, with Alba
bars, and the tall riser, but I would like to drop the gearing from
30T to 24-26T on the triple crank for even more mountain
goat-ability.
It was great to be back on the mountain with some new friends,
and I'll certainly look forward to climbing Diablo again soon...with
more tweaks and refinements to these stellar bikes.
Took the raw alloy 700c disc Zen, formerly up Mt. Diablo to the
Ranger Station 1/2 up and put her through the paces...or was it
the the other way around. Ergo's were perfect for me, with Alba
bars, and the tall riser, but I would like to drop the gearing from
30T to 24-26T on the triple crank for even more mountain
goat-ability.
It was great to be back on the mountain with some new friends,
and I'll certainly look forward to climbing Diablo again soon...with
more tweaks and refinements to these stellar bikes.
09.08.06 - 12 Hours of CF Madness
Built custom Fusion "Charlie" this morning w/ a Cruz disc fork,
Velocity disc wheels, and it she looks stunning...rides nice to.
Next was a raw alloy frame project that I have been waiting to do.
"Crystal" went from just a loose frame to a 700c disc beauty in about
3 hours total. I weighed most of the parts and the final spec. was
25.5lbs w/ pedals. She got Velocity rim wheels with XT disc hubs,
Maxxis Detonator 25mm tires, Avid BB7, Chromo Alba, tall riser, FSA
Orbit X headset, Truvativ crank, Tiagra FD, Sram SX5 RD and
shifters, and Tektro levers, and most of these parts were stock
"take-offs" from other custom builds. The final pricing should be
very attractive.
Mid day Leo and I stopped working and went for a ride with friends
and family around the Brentwood hills.
Upon return and after refuelling, Leo and I completed "Crystal" and
then snap the evening pics in the amber light. Leo's bubble-wrap
pancho saved him from getting too cold, and was a perfect match for
his bubbly personality.
Built custom Fusion "Charlie" this morning w/ a Cruz disc fork,
Velocity disc wheels, and it she looks stunning...rides nice to.
Next was a raw alloy frame project that I have been waiting to do.
"Crystal" went from just a loose frame to a 700c disc beauty in about
3 hours total. I weighed most of the parts and the final spec. was
25.5lbs w/ pedals. She got Velocity rim wheels with XT disc hubs,
Maxxis Detonator 25mm tires, Avid BB7, Chromo Alba, tall riser, FSA
Orbit X headset, Truvativ crank, Tiagra FD, Sram SX5 RD and
shifters, and Tektro levers, and most of these parts were stock
"take-offs" from other custom builds. The final pricing should be
very attractive.
Mid day Leo and I stopped working and went for a ride with friends
and family around the Brentwood hills.
Upon return and after refuelling, Leo and I completed "Crystal" and
then snap the evening pics in the amber light. Leo's bubble-wrap
pancho saved him from getting too cold, and was a perfect match for
his bubbly personality.
09.03.06 - CF Ride NorCal West Coast
Thanks again Howard for pulling together this CF gathering. I
certainly was neat to see how several riders had adapted their bikes
to there particular needs. I'll he streamers and daisy basket on
Howard's bike takes roadie humiliation to a new level :)
Karen's custom painted raw alloy frame set 700c conversion looked
fantastic, and the Ti epoxy paint was a stunning choice.
Roll call:
- Howard - Zenetik Tour, w/ Alba bars and Vuelta Chromelites
- Randy - Zenetik Tour w/ Vuelta Chromelites
- Geoff - Disco Cruz with Alba treatment
- Karen - Tenetik Tour 700c raw alloy frame set conversion
- Patty - Zenetik Tour
- Marc - 2007 Dynamik alloy (Thanks Randy for the early preview:)
- Neville - Fusion demo bike
- George - Dynamik 700c X-cross Alba demo bike
- Vernon - V2 Formula 700/20, w/ fairing
- Pierre - Dynamik Duo...stoker
- Nanda - Dynamik Duo...captain
A great time was had by all, and I look forward to
the next event.
Thanks again Howard for pulling together this CF gathering. I
certainly was neat to see how several riders had adapted their bikes
to there particular needs. I'll he streamers and daisy basket on
Howard's bike takes roadie humiliation to a new level :)
Karen's custom painted raw alloy frame set 700c conversion looked
fantastic, and the Ti epoxy paint was a stunning choice.
Roll call:
- Howard - Zenetik Tour, w/ Alba bars and Vuelta Chromelites
- Randy - Zenetik Tour w/ Vuelta Chromelites
- Geoff - Disco Cruz with Alba treatment
- Karen - Tenetik Tour 700c raw alloy frame set conversion
- Patty - Zenetik Tour
- Marc - 2007 Dynamik alloy (Thanks Randy for the early preview:)
- Neville - Fusion demo bike
- George - Dynamik 700c X-cross Alba demo bike
- Vernon - V2 Formula 700/20, w/ fairing
- Pierre - Dynamik Duo...stoker
- Nanda - Dynamik Duo...captain
A great time was had by all, and I look forward to
the next event.
08.13.06 - John's Custom Zenetik Tour "Mellow Yellow"
Spec's":
- RANS tall riser w/ flat bar, rear rack, and H20 cage
- Rivendell wheelset 36 spoke, LX hubs, w/ stock Zenetik tires
- Shimano 105 brake calipers
- Sram X9 rear derailleur
- Shimano Ultegra front derailleur
- Sram X0 shifters
- Sram PG990 11-34T cassette
- 26T granny gear
- Greenfield kickstand
Spec's":
- RANS tall riser w/ flat bar, rear rack, and H20 cage
- Rivendell wheelset 36 spoke, LX hubs, w/ stock Zenetik tires
- Shimano 105 brake calipers
- Sram X9 rear derailleur
- Shimano Ultegra front derailleur
- Sram X0 shifters
- Sram PG990 11-34T cassette
- 26T granny gear
- Greenfield kickstand
08.11.06 - Contra Loma morning ride with Alba-Dynamik w/ WTBs
Rode again with morning with Maurice, Leo, Dave and Rebecca who is
a real trooper. We both had to walk a couple steep short sections, but
it sure beats sleeping away through such a beautiful sunrise.
I am still fine tuning the Dynamik, and this time I tried some WTB 700 X
32 Terrainasaurus tires, that were a big improvement at higher speeds
in the loose sand then the stock Kenda Komforts. The versatility of the
Dynamik makes is shine, and I rode it about 7 miles from home then
did the loop, and rode her home, after re-fueling at Jamba Juice.
Enjoy the pics of this mornings run, Wed. Diablo 5:15am Diablo
assault, and Tues. Fusion and Duo demo with Steve and Annie from
Oregon., and Rick's demo.
Rode again with morning with Maurice, Leo, Dave and Rebecca who is
a real trooper. We both had to walk a couple steep short sections, but
it sure beats sleeping away through such a beautiful sunrise.
I am still fine tuning the Dynamik, and this time I tried some WTB 700 X
32 Terrainasaurus tires, that were a big improvement at higher speeds
in the loose sand then the stock Kenda Komforts. The versatility of the
Dynamik makes is shine, and I rode it about 7 miles from home then
did the loop, and rode her home, after re-fueling at Jamba Juice.
Enjoy the pics of this mornings run, Wed. Diablo 5:15am Diablo
assault, and Tues. Fusion and Duo demo with Steve and Annie from
Oregon., and Rick's demo.
08.05.06 - Geoff n' Karen, and Michael get Alba-nized
Saturday, Geoff and Karen came out for a visit to drop off their mint
original Fusion (which is madly growing on me) for a warranty buy
back from Randy for a fused seat tube issue. We rode our
"Taste of Brentwood" 25mi demo loop on a "Burro" Fusion,
and the Alba-nized Dynamik and Zen Pro, and fortunately the
weather gods were kind to us.
Michael from SLO couldn't take it any more, and came up for
a quick visit to see if the CF's were a bunch of Alba-lone or not.
Saturday, Geoff and Karen came out for a visit to drop off their mint
original Fusion (which is madly growing on me) for a warranty buy
back from Randy for a fused seat tube issue. We rode our
"Taste of Brentwood" 25mi demo loop on a "Burro" Fusion,
and the Alba-nized Dynamik and Zen Pro, and fortunately the
weather gods were kind to us.
Michael from SLO couldn't take it any more, and came up for
a quick visit to see if the CF's were a bunch of Alba-lone or not.
08.01.06 - Albatross Zenetik Pro
Here is a look at our 2005 Interbike
Demo Zenetik Pro with the alloy
Rivendell Albatross bars, Vuelta ChromeLite
wheel package, with a SRAM PG990 11-34T
cassette and of course a brass Incredibell.
Here is a look at our 2005 Interbike
Demo Zenetik Pro with the alloy
Rivendell Albatross bars, Vuelta ChromeLite
wheel package, with a SRAM PG990 11-34T
cassette and of course a brass Incredibell.
07.21.06 - Disco Cruz, Disco Tour
Disco Cruz, Velocities, BB7's,
Schwalbe Marathon Racers, Maurice
Disco Tour 26
Disco Cruz "Rapide" 700c
or does
Disco Cruz Rapido sound better?
LED's pedals, our standard ped.
another satisfied CF'er, Perry
from Arcata who I home de;ivered
to on Sunday on my way back
from camping in Trinity Lake eh.
Disco Cruz, Velocities, BB7's,
Schwalbe Marathon Racers, Maurice
Disco Tour 26
Disco Cruz "Rapide" 700c
or does
Disco Cruz Rapido sound better?
LED's pedals, our standard ped.
another satisfied CF'er, Perry
from Arcata who I home de;ivered
to on Sunday on my way back
from camping in Trinity Lake eh.
06.28.06 - Randy's Vuelta ChromeLite Wheelset hop up...they slice and dice
Finally catching up on all the website updates. This installment is actually
from the night before the Hays trip @ Randy (our 1st Tour customer :) from
SJ's place, hopping up his beloved Zenetik Tour with a Vuelta wheelset. As
an early adopter or as we like to say a "Spinsider," we love to assist these
folks with modifications and fair pricing on upgraded parts.
Also, we are launching a new program called "Crank It Forward" where
donor parts from our customers upgrades will be outfitted on raw alloy
frames and given to select people in our communities that truly deserve
a stellar bicycle, but may not have the means to obtain one. These bikes will be home delivered as every bike is to
the chosen individual, along with a simple certificate with a list of the donors first name, last initial, and the parts
they've contributed towards the project. If you happen to know of an outstanding individual that would qualify for
such a program, please contact us with more information.
Finally catching up on all the website updates. This installment is actually
from the night before the Hays trip @ Randy (our 1st Tour customer :) from
SJ's place, hopping up his beloved Zenetik Tour with a Vuelta wheelset. As
an early adopter or as we like to say a "Spinsider," we love to assist these
folks with modifications and fair pricing on upgraded parts.
Also, we are launching a new program called "Crank It Forward" where
donor parts from our customers upgrades will be outfitted on raw alloy
frames and given to select people in our communities that truly deserve
a stellar bicycle, but may not have the means to obtain one. These bikes will be home delivered as every bike is to
the chosen individual, along with a simple certificate with a list of the donors first name, last initial, and the parts
they've contributed towards the project. If you happen to know of an outstanding individual that would qualify for
such a program, please contact us with more information.
6.30.06 - Howard's upgrades to his Zen Tour
Popped over to Howard's place on the return home from Marin to the East
Bay, and was surprised and happy to see that he was steadily make the new
Zenetik Tour his own. The Shimano R440's are a nice addition, and their
silver color compliments the overall scheme. The Shimano 105 brakes are
certainly nice, and probably offer a bit stiffer operation then the stock Tektro's.
And I delivered him a 175mm Shimano 105 Triple since he has longer legs.
This crank set was used in my carbon stick bike project which you can see
in the Mind Bank section. I've long abandoned that design, the day I first laid
eyes on a Force 5 XP, and haven't looked back. Congrats Howard on your custom Tour touches, and thanks for the
stock bits that I will "recycle" onto a budget CF frame set project build up, for a future select customer.
Popped over to Howard's place on the return home from Marin to the East
Bay, and was surprised and happy to see that he was steadily make the new
Zenetik Tour his own. The Shimano R440's are a nice addition, and their
silver color compliments the overall scheme. The Shimano 105 brakes are
certainly nice, and probably offer a bit stiffer operation then the stock Tektro's.
And I delivered him a 175mm Shimano 105 Triple since he has longer legs.
This crank set was used in my carbon stick bike project which you can see
in the Mind Bank section. I've long abandoned that design, the day I first laid
eyes on a Force 5 XP, and haven't looked back. Congrats Howard on your custom Tour touches, and thanks for the
stock bits that I will "recycle" onto a budget CF frame set project build up, for a future select customer.
06.15.06 - Crank Flavors
Looking into the Crystal Cog, there are several flavors of Crank Forwards that we'd like to build:
2 - Dynamik Patrol, glossy black 700x35c Police package, Freddy fenders, rack, panniers, lights, piercing horn etc.
3 - Fusion Speed Pro Disc, all dolled up Fusion, to see if it can challenge the Zenetik Pro.
4 - Ness Cruz, handle Arlen Ness's crew a raw frame and full bike to play with and see what they come up with.
5 - RivenRANS, a Tour or Fusion similarly equipped to Grant Petersens beautiful bikes.
Looking into the Crystal Cog, there are several flavors of Crank Forwards that we'd like to build:
2 - Dynamik Patrol, glossy black 700x35c Police package, Freddy fenders, rack, panniers, lights, piercing horn etc.
3 - Fusion Speed Pro Disc, all dolled up Fusion, to see if it can challenge the Zenetik Pro.
4 - Ness Cruz, handle Arlen Ness's crew a raw frame and full bike to play with and see what they come up with.
5 - RivenRANS, a Tour or Fusion similarly equipped to Grant Petersens beautiful bikes.
El ZenSpeed nude frame rested this weekend, on a rack in the garage next
to his new girl friend a Blue Trance Stratus Classic. Spoke to the new acct's
Rep. with Cane Creek last Friday, and Dougliked what we were doing, and
where we are going as a fledging Co., so a dealer kit is on the way. Once
approved we will have a steady stream of 700c disc wheels, both the Zonos
and the Stratos, depending on your level of Rubenesqueness eh. Monday,
I put a call into Bike Man to discuss tapping their line-up of Cyclocross bits
and widgets. Funny thing is the Winwood Dualist Carbon @ $271.95 and 640g,
has a equal match with the Dimension Cross Disc steel fork @ 57.95 and 626g.
All's I can say is "what the fork," so I ordered 4 Dimensions, and 2 Dualist just for
those the need more bling in their life eh.
06.07.06 - And Mark said...let there be lite
Following Marks lead on the cf board, I drafted up a sample build with prices and weights. Cane Creek
makes lots of nice bike bitz, so it is just a matter of locating the right supplier. The estimate weight of the
build is close to the Zenetik Pro, but does not take into account the seat system and handelbar setup.
Following Marks lead on the cf board, I drafted up a sample build with prices and weights. Cane Creek
makes lots of nice bike bitz, so it is just a matter of locating the right supplier. The estimate weight of the
build is close to the Zenetik Pro, but does not take into account the seat system and handelbar setup.
06.07.06 - Raw materials
Well, after Randy's west coast visit
he graciously shipped me a frame
to play with, and let my imagination
crank wild. After much deliberation I decided today post
to www.crankforward.com and see if there were any
dreamers in our midst. Sure enough several folks let
their mental juices flow, and I figured we need some
place to watch our Chea Pet frame grow.
This will be the first of several installments as we water our imagination and see what we can
collectively produce. Here is a link to the cf.com message thread, where you are free to add
your ingredients to this "Crankfordial Soup." -nh
Well, after Randy's west coast visit
he graciously shipped me a frame
to play with, and let my imagination
crank wild. After much deliberation I decided today post
to www.crankforward.com and see if there were any
dreamers in our midst. Sure enough several folks let
their mental juices flow, and I figured we need some
place to watch our Chea Pet frame grow.
This will be the first of several installments as we water our imagination and see what we can
collectively produce. Here is a link to the cf.com message thread, where you are free to add
your ingredients to this "Crankfordial Soup." -nh
08.11.06 - Contra Loma morning ride with Alba-Dynamik w/ WTBs
Rode again with morning with Maurice, Leo, Dave and Rebecca who is
a real trooper. We both had to walk a couple steep short sections, but
it sure beats sleeping away through such a beautiful sunrise.
I am still fine tuning the Dynamik, and this time I tried some WTB 700 X
32 Terrainasaurus tires, that were a big improvement at higher speeds
in the loose sand then the stock Kenda Komforts. The versatility of the
Dynamik makes is shine, and I rode it about 7 miles from home then
did the loop, and rode her home, after re-fueling at Jamba Juice.
Enjoy the pics of this mornings run, Wed. Diablo 5:15am Diablo
assault, and Tues. Fusion and Duo demo with Steve and Annie from
Oregon., and Rick's demo.
Rode again with morning with Maurice, Leo, Dave and Rebecca who is
a real trooper. We both had to walk a couple steep short sections, but
it sure beats sleeping away through such a beautiful sunrise.
I am still fine tuning the Dynamik, and this time I tried some WTB 700 X
32 Terrainasaurus tires, that were a big improvement at higher speeds
in the loose sand then the stock Kenda Komforts. The versatility of the
Dynamik makes is shine, and I rode it about 7 miles from home then
did the loop, and rode her home, after re-fueling at Jamba Juice.
Enjoy the pics of this mornings run, Wed. Diablo 5:15am Diablo
assault, and Tues. Fusion and Duo demo with Steve and Annie from
Oregon., and Rick's demo.
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |