Beyond Bubbles

We receive a lot of email of the LHT testimonial variety around here.  So much, in fact, that it’s neither practical nor interesting enough to post it all on this blog.  That’s what she said.  Anyway, last summer while in Japan, Fleck and I had the pleasure of drinking with a French dude named Brice Bignami, who had recently purchased a Long Haul Trucker that he was planning to ride from Tokyo to Paris.  That’s really far, and because there are large bodies of water that separate the land masses in between, potentially very wet. 

 

Over the weekend I received a link to his website, Bicycle Beyond Bubbles, which details some of his adventures so far.  Riding across China looks especially interesting.    

 

The first thing I thought of when I heard the word bubbles is what I always think of when I hear the word bubbles.

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Speaking of China, Mattias Erlandsson recently sent us this photo of him with his Steamroller, taken in Shanghai for use on a Chinese fixed gear website.

Sounds like that fixie thing is really starting to catch on.  We should probably look into it. 

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On the topic of the Steamroller, Emilié from London owns one, and took the time to write us the following:

 

I'm a rider of many different types of bike, currently residing in London, UK.

A thread on the London Fixed Gear & Single Speed forum pushed me to write this:

 

"I've had the same roller for around 5 years. It's battered & bruised, dented, the rear end crushed and coldset, has been repainted once, had a drill taken to it on two different occasions. Travelled all over for polo, I've hit the thing with mallets, crashed it into walls & people, off drops and into a river, ridden it up and over plenty of dales, had Fiddy(RIP) try to maim it on the way to Brighton. Day in, day out and in all weather. The components have been changed more times than I can remember. The forks were replaced for Carbon, then for handsome dogs and are now something different once again. Run it with GI's from 41-87. Braked, brakeless, rear brake only. On and off road. It's been my only bike, my pretty bike, the beater, the workhorse, now it's just old faithful. The seatpost has been seized in place for over a year. It has seen a snapped crank, trashed wheels, disintegrating headsets. All manner of handle bar setups. It's been past its intended use and I'm amazed it's still going.

I'd include a photograph but that would cheapen this. Any picture would be just a phase in the existence of my bike. It would never capture the true beauty of her.

The best thing about Monika, Ms Roller to you, is that the f*cking thing still puts a smile on my face every time I ride it. 

If you have ever been in doubt as to whether you should buy a steamroller. Stop. Buy the frameset and build it with whatever. You'll end up with a great bike.

 

Here's the thread; http://www.lfgss.com/thread34320.html

 

All that is left is to say thank you. I couldn't have chosen a better frame.

Forever in your debt.

 

Emilié Object

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Speaking of Japan, we received our annual New Year’s post card from our Japanese distributor the other day.

2010 is the year of the tiger.  What does that mean?  It means that this year will be sensitive, emotional, capable of great love, and must guard against being too stubborn.  I know this because I read it on a menu at a Chinese restaurant, and although I don’t have a photo of said menu I do have this:

 

Here at Surly it’s the year of the pudding. 

 

Actually, every year is pretty much the year of the pudding.