Author Archives: 16incheswestofpeoria

About 16incheswestofpeoria

Former bicycle mechanic, current peruser of books, feeder of birds.

Into the wind with Marie Kondo

Posted on August 11, 2019

It’s a short ride for some but not for us. Not today. We leave with the wind in our faces. We return with the wind in our faces. The math of these two statements cannot be denied; we pack the … Continue reading →

Posted in Co-Motion tandem, Report from the road, Uncategorized | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Design fail: uphill bicycle rack

Posted on July 16, 2019

When my friend Mike Honnold lived in Peoria, he created an online database of greater Peoria’s bike racks and encouraged people to add their finds to the site. Well, I found another rack but haven’t submitted it for consideration. The … Continue reading →

Posted in Bianchi, Infrastructure, Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Goodbye, N + 1

Posted on June 14, 2019

N + 1 is the formula to calculate the number of bicycles one should own. Have one bicycle? The right number to own is two. Have 15 bicycles? The right number is 16. There are at least three reasons why … Continue reading →

Posted in Bianchi, Bike Friday tikit, Dahon, Fisher, Giant, Paisely, Schwinn Corvette, Schwinn Sports Tourer, Sekai 2500 | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Coffee first

Posted on May 10, 2019

Everyone’s inside today, but the only thing I need to add to my work clothes is a light jacket–and a double Americano. Came too late for a cookie, though.

Posted in Bike Friday tikit | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Rack and fender attachment

Posted on March 10, 2019

Two nifty design ideas from my friend Dave Atkinson. First: the mono-stay connecting the front of Blackburn rack to the frame of this old Schwinn mixte. It’s curved to match the shape of the wheel and painted to match the … Continue reading →

Posted in Becoming a bicycle, maintenance | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Nitto Technomic handlebar stem

Posted on February 24, 2019

This isn’t my first go-round with the Technomic. Continue reading →

Posted in Equipment, maintenance, Trek | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

Wolf Tooth Pack Wrench – ultralight 1″ hex and bottom bracket wrench

Posted on February 14, 2019

If you work on your own bicycles, you know the allure of purpose-built bicycle tools. The right tool simplifies the job, whether it’s a spoke wrench shaped to fit the hand as well as the nipple, or a threaded-headset wrench … Continue reading →

Posted in maintenance, tools | Tagged , , | 2 Comments