2 Wheels Maybe

Mae Simmons Park Part 1: The Joy If you're like me, at times your right-hand fingers tingle. Sometimes that means you need a medical checkup. Other times, though, it means your fingers are itching to build something. For me, it's a little of both. (And those fingers have been buzzing lately.) A few weeks ago I spotted this pic in a local ad - old Huffy frame $15. A week later I was (joyfully) riding this thing around Clapp Park. In between the before and after pics my fingers buzzed less, but my brain took up the slack. I started scheming and planning and digging through leftover parts. I dismantled a dumpster-bound donor bike and transplanted the parts onto the Huffy frame. As the bike came together the buzzing turned into something else - satisfaction. It felt good to turn two unwanted things into one wanted and useful thing. And with each ride and each tiny upgrade, the satisfaction grows. No, I'm not saving the world, and the bike isn't going to win any races or bea...

A lot going but not a lot of posts lately, so I figured a little update and let you know what you might see in the future. I rebuilt my first wheel. This one needed a new hub, so I replaced the old one with a disc-compatible hub. After watching three youtube vids, I spent about 90 minutes lacing it up. The next day I spent an hour straightening, truing, and tightening it. It may sound weird, but it was one of the most satisfying and calming projects I've tackled in quite a while. I can't wait to tackle my next one. (Spoiler alert, it will either be a rear hub motor or a front drum brake into a 26" rim. Stay tuned!) Farewell, Old 9917 The black Worksman klunker unexpectedly found a new home. (Remember - lock up your bike - even at your local coffeehouse. I hope it went to someone who needed it.) A new Worksman to build! (Woohoo!) So, I purchased another frame from my favorite seller on Rat Ride Bikes . Coincidentally, it came with a terrible paint job that matches the reb...

Klunker #1 Look, Ma - no cables! Two Days ago saw the maiden voyage for another Mesquite Hugger klunker. I'm stoked - this one is fairly legit by OG klunker standards: well-used frame, single-speed, coaster brake, and most parts sourced from other junky old bikes. Yes, I feel hip or hep or something like that! The frame is cool for a couple of reasons - it's a Worksman INB - one of those oh-so-rare made in America (New York!) industrial bikes. This particular bike was (very well) used to get around a warehouse. It still has all the scars, stickers and tags from that former life. Production! Love the tag! The other thing that makes it cool is that it feels big when you ride it, and comfortable. It feels like the bikes I rode as a kid. It makes me want to learn to wheelie again! I've been wanting a 26" BMX bike, but now there's no need. And, honestly, it's ugly enough that I can't imagine anyone wanting to steal it. Win, win, and win! Klunker #2 A nice surpri...

The Sodium, the CSC, and the Sondors  Before we get to the bikes - two explanations. First, I've been drinking coffee with motorcycle guys lately, and I'm jonesing more than usual for an electric motorcycle, so I may over-do-it with this post. Second, for an around-town motorbike, I've established my acceptable speed/range/price and examine all new bikes through that filter. I've landed on 45mph/40mile/$3,500. As much as I love being on two wheels, I don't have a big desire or the time to travel hundreds of miles per day burning up the highway. I just want a bike I can hop on and scoot about town as part of daily life. Now, let's get those wheels rolling! Sodium Xubaka (50mph/37-50miles/over $7,000) Click pic for Xubaka link So, let's start with the weirdest of the three - the Sodium Xubaka (I hope that is the French spelling of "Chewbacca". If so, they should offer a furry brown seat and a bandolier as options.) The coolest thing about the Sodium ...

Yes, I know it's been a while. 2WheelsMaybe has been on a hiatus, but I've still been riding and gathering info for future posts. For those of you who've been hungry for more 2WM content, here is my first attempt at a mountain bike trail video. Enjoy, have fun, and keep pedaling, amigos! (All three of you!) I hope to see you again soon. Click here! May you be well and have a much better new year!

After two years of hauling my less-than-svelte behind around, the Juiced has earned an upgrade in the stopping department. [I wasn't planning on writing about this, but Jim from Jim's Obsessive Cycling Disorder asked if I'd share my results from this cheap caliper swap and I figured I'd just share it with everybody. Thanks, Jim!] See Jim's Brake upgrade here I've been commuting on the OceanCurrent  for two years now. Other than cable adjustments and switching to thorn-resistant tubes, it's been an impressively maintenance-free bike. But the brake pads are almost gone and I wanted to upgrade to hydraulic brakes before winter sets in. So I started looking at ready-made hydraulic brake kits like this: But e-bike brake levers have a built-in electric switch that acts as a motor cutout when you apply the brakes, so the set pictured above won't do the trick. I had to find another solution or pay a much higher price for an e-bike specific set of brakes. A litt...

I recently had the opportunity to make an e-bike video for the National Solar Tour. Over the course of a weekend I shot a few hours of video and edited it down to just over five minutes. (It was great fun and took a whole lotta time!) The hardest part was all the info that hit the cutting room floor. I had a writing professor once tell me that editing meant that I had to get used to killing my babies. That's how I felt with this, even if most of my babies were boring, long winded, and poorly filmed. The same professor told me to write [or create video] about what I know, so I made a video about the e-bike I've been commuting on for two years now - a Juiced OceanCurrent. It's a bike I would happily recommend to anyone; however, it was discontinued two years ago. Find all the South Plains entries here In its absence, here are some bikes that are very similar in specs and price in case you're looking for such a thing: A  sampler of simple e-bikes for commuting (under $1600...