On Sunday, I headed up near Indianapolis to check out the annual CIBA (Central Indiana Bicycling Association) Swap Meet. The trip was successful in that I got some great deals. There were things I was hoping to find that I didn’t find, but some unexpected deals balanced that out nicely. Behold:

• SIDI Bullet 2 MTB Shoes
• Sugoi wool baselayer
• Canari short-sleeved jersey
• Brooks leather mudflap and handlebar tape (these were the best deals I found, at $5 and $20 respectively).
• Well-used, but nearly free, Zefal hpX4 frame pump

Surprisingly, everything I got except for the pump was new. But the prices were too good to pass up. If I knew more about bikes, I would’ve been able to take advantage of more used deals on components and such, but I often don’t know exactly what I would need. Alas.

I also ran into a few people who I knew and got to meet others who I’d heard of, but never met personally. There was a great crowd there. ICS, Nebo Ridge Bicycles, and other Indianapolis shops were well-represented.

I got a new tire for the Long Haul Trucker, which until now still had the stock tires on it (Continental Contact 700×37). The rear tire was getting worn, and while it still has some life left in it, the tread was mostly worn off, the tire had a few deep cuts, and I was starting to have some traction problems, especially in wet conditions. The tire had over 2900 miles on it, which seems like a reasonably good life, especially for a rear tire. Since the tire is still usable, I’ll save it for an emergency.

The Continental Contact tires have been fantastic. Over the course of those 2900 miles, I’ve only had ONE flat tire in the rear tire, and none in the front. I ride in all conditions, and on surfaces … ranging from smooth pavement to rough, debris-strewn city roads, gravel roads, fire roads, grass roads, rail-trails, and singletrack. The one flat tire happened in Luzerne, Pennsylvania, after I rode through a bunch of broken glass on the road. A large piece of glass punctured the rubber and managed to get through the protective belt.

While I like these tires a lot, I wanted to try something different. Something more supple and perhaps a little lighter. I ordered a Panaracer Pasela TourGuard 700×35. I’ve read mostly good things about the Paselas, so I’ll see how they work for me. They aren’t too expensive, but I think they’ll be a step up from the Contacts. Some people seem to prefer the non-tourguard versions, but I really wanted the puncture protection.

I moved the front Contact tire to the rear, and put the new Pasela on the front. This way I can have the best traction in the front, where it matters most. I’ll post some thoughts on the Pasela once I get to ride it a bit.

I have a “new” bike. My old commuter, which was a GT Timberline from 1994 or so, finally reached the point where it could no longer be repaired. I had been watching various possible bicycle acquisition channels for some time, and finally found something suitable, a Miyata Street Runner, sort of early hybrid, apparently from 1984 or so. I picked it up for just $40 from someone on Craiglist. Sorry about the sub-par photos, but I really wanted to snap a few shots of the bike in the living room, after I finished working on it. I’ll take some better photos soon. It’s hard to tell from the photos, but it has a nice, lugged CrMo frame.

After I bought it, and rode it a few miles, I confirmed that the frame was solid, but the components were really showing their age. I intended to try to see if I could swap some parts over from my old commuter, but I quickly realized I would be in over my head, if I tried that. So I took both bikes to a local shop and had them do it. After hearing how much trouble they had with it, I was glad I hadn’t attempted it myself. I felt they didn’t do a great job with the rack and fenders, so I tweaked them a bit myself. They’re still not perfect, but they are much improved.

I intend to take the knobby tires off soon and replace them with some slick tires, at least until we get some snow or ice.

So far, I’ve only taken the bike for one shakedown ride, but my first impression is that it’s a lot of fun to ride. It’s a bit more upright than I’m used to, and it feels a like driving a truck. A truck that likes to go surprisingly fast, given its age and weight.

It also looks like a bike that could survive the apocalypse. I’m hoping I won’t have to find out about that, but if that should happen, now I’m prepared!

I think I’ll call this bicycle The Beast.