Rowing.....who knew?

Cycling will always ALWAYS be my true love of all things sporting but alas I have discovered a new love, one that holds no bars in terms of power, skill.....ROWING!



Two New Zealand LEGEND rowers pictured above going toe to toe! Unless you have tried it I just dont think you can really appriecate just how much strength and power and skill is involved in this sport, its incredible how much you have to concentrate and the amount of power you need to generate to go fast on the water.

Speaking from experience, you can pull the biggest numbers you want on an indoor rowing machine at the gym but until you hit the water the numbers count for nothing!

I have now been rowing for the past 3mths and it just keeps getting better and better! Apart from the sporting aspect of things the team building within the crews and club is amazing, the coaches are world class ex Olympic and World Champions dating from the 70's right through to only a couple of yrs ago!!! I have never been in the company of 1 Olympic champion let alone 3 in the same shed talking about how to row a boat, its unreal!!!

From 8's to 4's top quads, doubles and now the single scull's this sport is fantastic from start to finish!

If you have a river or lake near by and a rowing club get out there and do it, just try it, im sure you will be hooked!

Thanks to all those who keep reading, sorry for the lack of posts over the past 3mths, I will try to keep things updated a bit better in 2010!

On that note I hope you all had a great Xmas day and wish you all a very happy New Yrs and that 2010 brings you lots of fun and steel bike madness!

Ride safe....G

its ALIVE!!!

This Frame was meant for other things but on arrival I discovered that she was in much MUCH better condition than first thought! NO way could I strip her back and redress her just for the sake of it, this is one beautiful original ol school Merckx!

I had just the answer for my latest addition to the stable, Shimano Dura Ace grouppo 7402 8spd with down tube shifters, that's wright campers...DOWN TUBE SHIFTERS! ah bless!!!



With a full Dura-Ace group including seat post I was (still am) at a bit of a loss to solve the problem of bars and stem for this ride. In the end I had to just throw on the only combo I had lying around which really doesn't do this bike any justice at all but will have to do for now.

Besides there are many beautiful aspects to this bike to distract one from pointing out the bars and stem! Take the number hanger for example, how many of these do you ever see these days? Who cares if they make the frame weigh 200grams more, number hangers on steel frames are functional pieces of artwork in my book!!!



I have always found it interesting yet disturbing that SLX frames just aren't as nice to ride and are heavier than their SL brothers, the last Merckx I actually rode was a SL and it was stunning to ride! This SLX is very Very niiiice don't get me wrong but just doesn't have the same rolling smoothness of an SL.

That said its one HOT bike, ridden today for the 1st time and on a sunny CHCH morning almost every cyclist I saw turned there heads to see what I was riding. I imagine some of the younger riders have never seen a bike without STI or Ergo power shifters before!




Ya just gotta love the lines of a classic geometry steel frame, the engraved lugs and brake bridges to the fork crown, simply magic!

To be fair I'm running out of things to say about this bike, its simply a joy to ride and I love it! the pictures say it all so here are a few more....






Just want to say a MASSIVE thank you to Jason Rico and Ski for getting this bike to me from the US, wouldn't have been possible without you guys helping out so big BIG UPS to you both, Cheers G

Ride safe....G

I have a dream.......

Spin Spin

not much happening today so played around witht the "movie maker" program on comp, check out the result below.....



Ride safe....G

Misson Accomplished

Not much to say about this that hasn't already been said so below are the photo's of the completed "Campagnolo C Record 1st Gen Cranks" display project....enjoy








Ride safe....G

NEW MAGS!

Well its taken a lot of bidding and disappointment over the past few yrs but finally I have "The" set of mags I have always wanted for my "Master".






Currently on there way from the US these BAD BOYS will be laced in 36 hole C Record low flange hubs polished to perfection and wrapped in Vittoria CX rubber (never to hit the pavement either) and will be the finishing touch to my Colnago Master built with 1st Generation C Record components!

Watch this space....

Ride safe....G

come to papa!.....UPDATED

So far some careful research I have decided that this "Buy of the Year" will get the complete overhaul, Pimp my Ride retro styles and I will sacrifice the "Master" and strip it of its C Record group in order to build an exact replica of the Merckx pictured below.


Cant wait for this frame to arrive so I can start on the ultimate restoration project!

Ride safe....G

From the ground up......

The FINAL PHASE of construction is due any day now!

Today I collected the base's for my "Project" discussed in previous postings.

Highly polished Maple Bases with Gold "Campagnolo" decals will be a fitting base for each of the displays with the polished Carbon and polished C Record parts!


What I didn't mention previously was the fact I am doing two(2) different displays! The 2nd display will remain "undercover brother" until it's completed.


Had a few heart stopping moments trying to make sure the decals went on straight and air bubble free but I think I did a pretty good job for a beginner!


Can't wait to get these displays together and finally be able to have them complete and in working order after so long, still Rome wasn't build in one day was it son!

Stay turned, same Bat channel, same Bat time....

Ride safe....G

Merckx Mania

Ok...so here comes a really special Merckx project!


Just won this lil beauty on eBay this afternoon, currently sitting in Lexington, Kentucky, United States, and soon to be on its way to lil old NZ for a FULL make over, PIMP MY RIDE Merckx styles!

The plan here is to get a full strip back to the bare metal, treatment against the evils of the "R" word (rust for all those not in the know) then a full custom paint job so its a "one of a kind Merckx", new decals (some custom treats there too) and a couple of clear coats to make her shine baby shine!

Dress her up in full Shimano Dura Ace 7403 8spd STI.

Watch this space for further developments as they come to hand, until then a few more photos for the "before phase" of the project.




As you can see she ain't in the best nick but give us some time to work a little magic and this frame will look brand spanking new again hopefully in time for Xmas!
What a mean Xmas gift it will make as well.

Ride safe....G

Just cos.....

Ride safe....G

Campag - Cool

Take 1 x Canvas blocked frame, add the COOLEST Campagnolo poster ya ever seen and stir gently....





....and hang on ones wall!

Ride safe....G