Hatsu Nori -- First Ride on the Yamabushi

April Update:

I've decided to name this bike the "Yamabushi".  Not only do we ride over two Yamabushi Passes -- one in Chichibu/Saitama and the other near Yamanaka-ko at the top of Doshi Michi -- but Yamabushi were, according to the most definitive of sources, Wikipedia,


"mountain hermits, ascetics, and 'holy men', who followed the path of shugendō, a search for spiritual, mystical, or supernatural powers gained through asceticism. ... [They were] renowned for their magical abilities and occult  knowledge ..."

And they became highly skilled and feared warriors, fighting alongside or advising some of the most well known warlords (e.g. Takeda Shingen) in the battles to unify Japan of the late Sengoku period.  I think an appropriate name for a bike that will travel off paved roads through the mountains, and may even race through the mud and sand of a cyclocross course.

Yamabushi training at Shugendou.  Endure suffering -- withstand hot fire and cold water!

____________________

The frame is now built up into a bicycle!   I had to wait an extra 3 days to get the bracket that holds the front outer brake cable housing in front of the fork crown/headtube above the cantilever brake, but could finally fix that and wrap the bars in tape.

It is one sweet ride.

The build is a SRAM Rival groupset, Kore cantilever brakes, Ritchey stem, bars, tires and cyclocross fork, and a used Fizik Arione saddle and FSA seatpost.

I hand built the wheels (Nos. 00002 and 00003) -- Velocity A23 rims, Chris King Classic hubs, 32 DT Swiss spokes front and rear (Revolution, except Competition on the rear drive side), and Ritchey 700x32 cyclocross tires.

I love the SRAM double tap shifters.  Then again, I usually love a brand new, clean and properly adjusted drivetrain!

The canti brakes ... were chattering a bit at first, but within the first kilometer seemed to smooth out nicely.

The Chris King hubs have their trademark "angry bee" buzzing sound.  The tires ... are noticeably slower than road tires.  I'll probably use another set of wheels for in-town riding, and save these for settings when they will provide maximum benefit.

Now I just need to add some decals/graphics.

Smash and Grab Bike Theft at C Speed

Japan does not yet require bike locks that weigh more than our bikes, but even in Japan property crime does happen, sometimes serious property crime.

Please keep a look out for the three distinctive bicycles that were taken from C Speed very late last Saturday night/very early Sunday morning [CORRECTION -- Friday night/Saturday morning].  If you happen to see them around Tokyo, or Japan ... or somewhere else in Asia that a bike theft ring might ship them, contact the nearest policeman or C Speed (hiroshi@cspeed.jp).

1.  Avedio titanium bike -- Avedio frame, seat, stem, fork etc., and Campy record components and what look like Campy wheels, all in color-coordinated red accents against the silvery Ti frame.  Very expensive ... and distinctive.

2.  Nakagawa yellow steel lugged frame single speed/track bike.  Who would steal something like this -- immediately recognizable, distinctive,  ... and loses 80%+ of its value if you try to disguise the fact that it is a Nakagawa frame!

3.  Avedio Venus carbon bike ... with immediately recognizable "C Speed" labeled deep rim carbon tubular wheels.  Shimano build (Dura Ace) with FSA compact crank.  A similar black frame with red accents.

Le Velo Avec J.J. et DiDi

DiDi and J.J. at the rest area before the last climb to Tsuru Pass

Today we enjoyed a classic Positivo Espresso Spring training and fun ride on le velo.  The trip was just over 175km from my house, with the highlight being the trip up Yamanashi Pref. Route 18 from the Uenohara area to Tsuru Pass and beyond.  This road continues to be one of my favorites -- a climb through a quiet valley with a river that runs through it, and traffic limited to some locals and a very few people who need to get to and from Kosuge village on the North side of the pass.

We left my house at 8AM (actually, a bit later, as Jerome was running late), and joined James, Dominic, Shane and Tim for the ride out to Hachioji.  They were headed up Jimba Kaido toward Bonbori Rindo, while we planned to go via Route 20 and out over Otarumi.  We did not have a clear plan after that.  In classic Positivo Espresso fashion, the ride had been agreed at the last minute, with no clear goal except to go far and climb high, or at least higher than in the winter months.

Didier passes a motorcycle at the line -- hilltop finish.

At our refueling stop in Hachioji, I was able to chat briefly with Tim, who mentioned that he had been the Tokyo-based private equity coverage investment banker at a large U.S. based brokerage, before moving to the same group's commercial banking arm.   It occurred to me a bit later in the day that I met him in such capacity back in 2005, shortly after my arrival in Tokyo. ... somehow I did not recognize him with his helmet and Oakley glasses, nearly 7 years later. Not the first time I have not put 2 + 2 together when I meet someone in cycling garb after having known them in business (or vice versa).

I gave my best Euro-cyclist imitation today -- white jersey (PBP2011!), white shoes (Scott), white arm warmers and white bicycle (Canyon).  Assos cap and formerly white Assos bib shorts ...   But black leg warmers and flourescent green  shoe covers ruin the effect.

We were blessed with near perfect cycling weather -- cool, even chilly and windy at higher elevations and on the descents -- and blue sky, dry pavement, and the scent of Spring in the air.  The plum festival was on in Oume, even though the blossoms have not quite arrived yet because of the recent cold weather.

Instead of Route 18, we took an even-more-local road, bypassing Tawa Pass -- as shown to me by Steve T.  last year.  I told Jerome and Didier about the little old lady who always is out tending her field on the steep hillside below the road ... and she appeared on cue, and even responded to a wave and greeting!

A tailwind pushed us much of the way home down the Tamagawa.

Rite of Spring

The upper Daigo River -- near the forest road climb to Wada Pass

Tuesday was a national holiday in Japan, to celebrate the Vernal Equinox.  So Dominic (aka Dave), Graham and I headed for a ride in the nearby countryside.  The rest of Tokyo decided to try to visit the cemetery in the family car.  I saw many lines of traffic, standing, over the course of the day.

Dominic made it to our stop near Itsukaichi, before turning around to get home by around Noon.  Graham and I continued on and did the climb from Itsukaichi over Iriyama Pass and down to the Daigo River ... a mere stream trickling down from the hill north of Wada Pass.

Graham's and my bicycles at Iriyama Pass.  Left to Togura (near Itsukaichi).  Right to Daigo.

As Manfred was kind enough to point out in January, Graham and I took the "Bonbori Rindo" over Iriyama Pass.  At the Daigo (South) end of the forest road, Graham turned left and headed back to Tokyo, while I turned right for the climb up Daigo Rindo to Wada Pass.  Two young Japanese cyclists resting at Wada were shocked to see me emerge from the forest on the gravel path.  We chatted, and I assured them that the road was beautifully paved until the last 200 meters or so.

Hard to imagine a better way to celebrate the arrival of Spring.  Now if only we could get some Springlike temperatures!

Looking to the Northwest from Iriyama Pass.  Spring is coming!

Sunday Ride - Shiroyama, Tsukui, Otarumi

Sunday was at least dry enough for us to get a group headed out of town in the morning and up the Tamagawa.

View from above Shiroyama Dam toward the mountains around Miyagase-ko and the foot of Doshi-michi

James K and two of his friends peeled off to ride Yomiuri V Dori and then head back to central Tokyo.  Dominic and Doug peeled off at end of One Kansen Doro for the Starbucks and then a return to town.

Jerome, Didier, Graham and I went on via the "tank road", then up a hill to Shiroyama Dam, around the North side of Lake Tsukui, then back over Otarumi and home down the Asagawa and Tamagawa.   

We ducked out of the rain that started as we near the top of Otarumi for ramen and gyoza at Fujiya, the little hilltop ramen shop that welcomes cyclists.  They even had a bicycle rack, and when the rain strengthened they helped move our bikes under roof cover, and lent us a towel to wipe off the seats dry.  

It was a wet descent, but the pavement had pretty much dried again by the time we made it back to the Tamagawa.

Didier enters the steep part of the climb to Shiroyama Dam.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) is a national holiday ... and the forecast is for dry, if cold, weather.  An even better day for a ride!

Wheel No. 00002

I've finally built up one of the wheels for my cyclocross bike -- got a pair of Chris King (a Portland-based company) classic hubs at a nice price student discount while at UBI.

Velocity A23 rims, 32 spokes (DT Revolution 2.0/1.5/2.0).  Rock solid.

Still waiting on an order of spokes to build the rear wheel, and then my next dynamo hub(s). ...

Painted, Packed and Shipped

Back in Portland late last night, I picked up the frame this morning at the power coating shop (Brooker Enterprises on SE Powell Blvd.), packed it up and shipped it for home International Express Mail together with some Velocity A23 rims for wheels that I will build (under $100 postage -- pretty cheap for 3~4 business day delivery to Tokyo of a large box w/ frame and rims for 3 wheels -- the Cyclocross set and my next dynamo hub wheel).

The paint job is about what I expected for $100, knowing that the places that do work for custom framebuilders charge three times as much or more.  There are some slightly uneven spots, but it looks nice and they did manage the dark color on the stays and lighter main triangle.  Very nice for a cyclo-cross bike.  I hope some day I can build a frame that is worthy of a beautiful liquid paint job.

I still need some kind of decals or stencils.  I was thinking of "Portlandia", but I see that there already is a "Portlandia" model sold by Pilen, a Swedish firm.  And looking the Pilen Lyx Portlandia, that shopping/commuter bike is really much more suited to the moniker, having a dynamo hub, front luggage rack, fenders, etc.  The whole standard rig.  I'll need a name that is appropriate for cyclo-cross, something that evokes images of victory in mud.

And now a week later it has arrived in Tokyo!

Is this Art?

NAHBS Preview -- Oregon Frame Constructors

I stopped by the reception Friday evening in Portland before dinner to check out 11 of the bikes that will be exhibited at NAHBS by Oregon-based framebuilders.

Some impressions:

1.  I recognized a number of the bikes from the Oregon Manifest, Constructor's Design Challenge video last fall, including the winner of that competition.  Lots of cargo/utility bikes, with big fixed front racks (and appropriate rake/steering for a load off the front of the handlebars).

2.  Lots of dynamo hubs!  Mostly Schmidt & Sons but also Shimano Alfine.  (None of the DH-3N80 that I have ... but the Alfine with its metallic case is a much better aesthetic fit for these bikes).  Mostly Supernova E3 lights, and a few Schmidt Edelux as well.  I guess the Oregon builders think these things are as cool as I do.

3.  Lots of internal gear hubs, one 14-speed version called "Speedhub" that I remember.

4.  Pereira's bike that won the Constructor's Design Challenge has an interesting looking BionX electric drive -- it works with a pedal stress gauge (like a power meter) and adds power as the rider tries to accelerate.  Pretty cool.

5.  Some of these bikes are "over the top".  Ahearne's bike seemed to me the "Hummer of bicycles".  More cupholders (well, bottle holders) and racks than an American minivan, and super fat tires -- looks like a snow or sand bike!  The Vendetta Cycles bike was likewise HOT red.

All in all, a very nice event.  Some photos are here.  I will try to add some commentary later on the photos album.

It is Done

I've handed it over to a local powder coating place ... hope they do a decent job, since they are not one of the UBI recommended places and probably do as many boat trailers as bicycles.  (Spectrum Powder Works, in Colorado, is the leading provider.)  Chainstays and lower seatstays will be "midnight blue" and rest of frame will be a light greyish metallic blue "sparkling blue" ....  I got some poor photos of the paint colors when I was in the shop, under weak, flourescent light, gives the general idea.

Sparking blue.

Midnight blue.

Blue Skies and Sunsets

Cyclists on the entrance to the Steel Bridge crossing and East Side (Vera Katz) Esplanade

Today the Portland weather forecast was for partly sunny/cloudy weather.  When I opened the door to get the newspaper, it looked dry.  An hour later, I still got soaked by a sudden rain shower as I rode my rental bike to UBI.  But after that brief shower, it was all sun and blue skies.

Today, I learned that for me just about everything else about building a bike frame is easier than TIG welding.  Brazing is a lot easier.  It is also a lot dirtier.  Soot from the acetylene, acid-based flux that gets on your hands (and into the cuts and nicks we all have at this point).

Today, I prepped and brazed on my seat stay bridge, my rear cantilever brake posts, rear rack bosses, water bottle bosses, cable stays on the top tube for my rear brake, cable stay on my drive-side chain stay for the rear derailleur, and stays/adjusters on the down tube for both derailleur cables.  Plus two more bridges -- one for the rear cantilever brake cable, and one on the seat stays that has a boss for attaching a fender.  Plus drilling holes for the water bottle and other bosses, vent holes, etc., then checking frame alignment and width of drop-outs, and finishing work on the seat and head tubes and bottom bracket.  We "chased" the threads on the bottom bracket and smoothed both faces, also cut and smoothed both faces of the head tube,"reamed" the seat tube so it will actually fit a 27.2mm seat post, and punched a hole in the back of the seat tube about 20-25mm below the top.

I was done with everything except for the finishing work on the tubes by early afternoon, and emerged from our classroom/shop to find a beautiful day.

The only thing left for tomorrow is to cut a slot from the top of the seat tube to the aforementioned hole, and then sand off some of the excess silver that is brazed to the frame and do some clean up.

I am really happy with the result.  Cannot wait to get it painted (I hope while I am still here in the U.S.) and then to build it up, after my return to Japan.

Suggestions for paint schemes (2 colors max) are welcome, in the next 16 hours.

Suggestions for names are also welcome.  Maybe Portlandia?

In Portland, a stationary bicycle is a "plug out" instead of a "plug in" piece of equipment.  This building (eco FLATS; Hopworks Bikebar) has solar on the roof, so it must have "net metering" and be able to sell back to the grid.   

Progress in PDX, Beervana, the City of Roses, Stumptown and/or Rip City (pick your favorite Portland nickname)

I had another wet commute to UBI up North Williams this morning.  It is really great to be commuting on a bike path and then with wide, safe bike lanes (and special bike signals at a few intersections) every morning.  I was surprised to see that there are plans to make the North Williams bike lanes EVEN BETTER than they are now, because of perceived "bike-bus conflict" at some points.

An example of the "bike-bus conflict" on North Williams, as bus stops require crossing the bike lane.

I've experienced the "bike-bus conflict" and it is nothing like what I come up against daily in Tokyo.  But I guess it is enough to scare some inexperienced, more cautious, slower or older riders.  Portland does a great job of making bicycle commuting feel safe enough that even people who don't normally ride in the streets and who are worried about traffic will come out.  This is crucial if the city is to meet its goal of having 25% of trips in the city by bicycle in the year 2030.  Portland's 2011 bicycle count statistics were released yesterday, and year-round (including the ugly weather months), 15% of all daily travel across four major bridges was by bicycle. And apparently this number would have been even higher but for construction on one of the bridges.  Imagine what it must be like in the summer when the weather is spectacular.  80% cyclists out on the road in Portland wear helmets, and over 31% are women.

As for my frame and framebuilding class, the main welding is done ... with a lot of help on the stays from the instructors (the seat stays in particular are way beyond my competence at this point).  Tomorrow we do the braise-ons -- the seat stay bridge, cantilever brake bases, cable stops, water bottle and rack bosses.

A wheel goes in as part of checking alignment after welding the chain stays this morning, before adding the seat stays.  Everything is straight.

The seat stays were tacked and ready to weld by early afternoon.

Meanwhile, the North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) is coming up next week, and there will be eighteen (18) members of the Oregon Bicycle Constructors Association exhibiting there, according to an article in Bike Portland.  As Dominic (aka Dave) pointed out to me a few days ago, there will be a "show me yours" pre-show event in Portland on Friday evening downtown, so I may be able to see some of the NAHBS bikes without going to Sacramento ... as a few of the students in my class apparently plan to do.

Tuesday night I took my mom to dinner at an excellent vegan restaurant in her neighborhood (Portobello).  It has been open for 4 years, but she had never made it there before. All the waitresses had tattoos (quite nice ones, to the extent they were visible) and piercings and were charming.  The beet tartare was delicious.  (That's right, beet, not beef).  The restaurant was in a little row of shops that included the micro brew pub, tattoo parlor, vegan restaurant and coffee house that I have come to recognize as a kind of standard combination in this city.  Sometimes there is also a bike shop.  This time there was a hair salon instead.

Citybikes' repair shop, a coop (employee owned) shop on Ankeny Street in near-in Southeast Portland, on a major (bicycle) commuter route.  About 2 blocks away is Universal Cycles, which opens 6AM weekdays, and offers free coffee for (bicycle) commuters.  Head a bit south to River City Bicycles.  There are lots of other shops nearby.

Today for lunch I went to the Che Cafe, a food cart across from UBI, and had some very good mac cheese with chicken.  I think this was the first time it has opened up since I started to frequent the 3900 block of North Williams last week.  Maybe it was open because of the nice, warmer and partly sunny midday weather.  I still needed to slip on my rain pants for the start of the ride home today.

It is starting to look like a bicycle!

Front triangle -- welded.
Chain stays -- tacked to dropouts and ready for welding.
Seat stays -- selected.

Mike Desalvo at the horizontal mill, about to miter a seat stay at the drop-out end.  First he needs to check that the S-bend is straight up/down.  Chad (left) and Kurt (right) watch.

Tomorrow, I work on the chain then the seat stays (much harder welding than the main triangle, so I expect I will need to ask for help).  And we learn about the seat stay bridge, braise-ons and the like.  Three more days to go!

CYCLYNG

Thanks David for the kind words and the introduction of my new German "There is no "I" in cycling" blog. The idea of the name goes back to a facebook entry I have seen (and liked) recently where X stated "There is no I in happyness" and Y replied "Well, there would be if you spelled it right." I liked the intellectual concept behind that idea and scrupulously copied that for my own blog. Someday perhaps there will be a domain called cyclyng.com. But not now.

I opted for wordpress instead of Google's blogger as platform. It will take some time until I find my way around.

I will try to do in German what I have done from 2007 to 2011 on the Positivo Espresso blog. That is, connecting the dots between riding, writing and friends. My interests have slightly changed as not only riding but also mechanics has become a major topic of blogging. Opening my garage I own now four winter bikes and one for the summer. And looking out of the window from my office I see sunshine today but yesterday I had seen hail and snow. The season to ride is just too short in Bremen and besides that there are no mountains to do serious riding. In consequence some of the long winter evenings are spend restoring old steel bikes.

Please feel free to drop in and to stay in contact.
Best wishes from sunny Bremen.

ANNOUNCING MOB's New Blog - there is no "I" in Cyclyng

It is now almost 2 years since Positivo Espresso Founder, Directeur Sportif, Rad-Führer and Chairman Emeritus MOB left Tokyo to return to his homeland of Germany to take an academic position in Bremen, located in that country's far northern flatlands.  He and his family are now well settled in their new home.

And as you can see from his posts, MOB has had some time to explore the local cycling scene and culture, a culture which does not include any hill climb races, but does seem to involve spending long cold winters lusting over new-old-stock (NOS) road cycling components (Shimano Golden Arrow!) which can be used to build up vintage frames into beautiful machines.  MOB naturally wants to blog in German for his new community.

And so we announce the launch of his new blog: "there is no "I" in cyclyng", or just "cyclyng", which can be found at cyclitis.wordpress.com.

As you can see, he has ported over historical content that he contributed to P.E., so you can now access this content in either location.

And you can also find lots of newer Germany language content -- with much, much more to come.  For those of us who don't read German, if you use the Google Chrome web browser, then a plausible English translation is always just one click away.

As for Positivo Espresso, we need new members, more posts, and more members.  It is far too much becoming David L's blog, and that was never the intent.  Volunteers are welcome.

E.J.'s Trials

On Monday in my first framebuilding session, we went around the room for introductions -- each person saying where he was from, any relevant bike building or metalworking experience (none in my case), and what type of bike he was going to build ("he" in this case since there are no women in the class, in contrast to the mechanic's class being taught across the alley in another room).  One student, E.J. Jensen, said he rides "trials" and wanted to build a sturdy 29er trials bike, since he keeps breaking them.

I had no idea what he was talking about, or why he would be breaking bikes (was "trials" shorthand for "time trials" ... which don't seem likely to cause many frames to break?).  I asked him a few days later.  He said "trials" involves getting points for how you maneuver an obstacle course over a set time (2 minutes), and is sometimes called "parcours for bicycles".  He could have just said "what Danny MacAskill does" since I think most of us (well, at least 29 million) have seen this video and the ones that followed.  In any event, E.J. gets my respect.  Here are two videos of his riding, one of which also picks up on Occupy Portland, from a few months back.

On Failing Street

View from the Peruvian Restaurant next to UBI (Thursday I had their vegan Portobello mushroom and pesto sandwich -- very tasty). 

Bike Parking in the Hub Building, next to the restrooms.  A nice option on a rainy day.

North Williams -- Lodekka dress shop ... in a double decker bus (and old camper trailer on the far side of the bus).

Thursday was a tough day for me at bike school.  I came down with a cold on Wednesday, and on Thursday I was so sick that I really did not want to get out of bed.  But I did, and went to class (I figured that both instructors and one student already had a cold, so what more risk of contagion if I'm there?).

My head was in a fog as I tried to concentrate on the various presentations and to practice my welding, keeping in mind the many parameters and trying to hold my hands steady, when I really wanted to go lie down. In any event, on Thursday I did not get much done, my concentration flagged, and my welding seemed to get worse, if anything.  everything else -- the drawing/measuring, the tube preparation, the cutting, seems easy in comparison, with the guidance we are getting.

Mike DeSalvo is leading our class for Thurs/Fri and again next Mon/Tues.  At the end of the Thursday class in his wrap up presentation, Mike mentioned that the instructors will help us as much as we want ... they will fill holes we melt into our frames if needed.  They will help with mitering the tubes.  Many students want to do 100% of the work by themselves, especially those who are planning to enter the framebuilding profession.  Others (like me) have no such plans, but really want to go home with a bicycle frame at the end of week 2, and don't care if someone else helps a bit to miter the top tube, weld a tricky spot or fill a hole.  Mike has his own framebuilding business out of Ashland, Oregon, where UBI's "main campus" is located.

As I headed out to find lunch, I decided to stroll the length of the Hub Building's internal hallway.  At the far end, I came upon a jammed restaurant, with people waiting in a line outside the door.  It was Tasty n Sons.  Lots of fried food, meat, thick slices of fatty bacon, eggs, and other comfort food at upscale prices and with positive reviews.  Nothing exotic or vegan here ... but this seems to be where most of people want to eat on a cold, rainy February day.

Again, I saw only iMacs at Ristretto Roasters, where I picked up coffee.  I moved on to Cha Cha Cha for another Burrito Fundido.  Mike DeSalvo was there, so I sat down and joined him.  He mentioned that in recent years a significant number of his custom frames actually end up going to Japan, via a bike shop in Nagoya named Circles.  I noticed on Mike's website that he has won "Best TIG Welded Frame" prize at the North American Handmade Bicycle Show in 2005, 2008 and again in 2010.  Impressive.  This is what his welds look like, on the bike he is building that Ron started (for Ron's 15 year old son):

My practice welds ... look slightly different.

At least my results finally started to improve again on Friday afternoon ... so there is hope.

Friday morning, as I rode my rental bike to UBI in the rain, I passed N. Failing Street.  Would I fail at framebuilding?  Was I failing already, as others already started to cut their tubes, put their front triangle into the frame jig, and to pass the "bottom bracket/seat tube destruct test"?  (My Thursday handiwork did not pass this test, so I went back to practice more)?  Who would name a street "Failing"?  Who would want to live or have a business there?

This "jig" or "fixture" holds the tubes in place while you "tack" them with small initial welds.
You then remove the stabilized frame and complete the welding at your work station.

On Wednesday I had ridden home with Bob K., our second chair instructor, who lives out on the edge of SE Portland and so takes the Vera Katz Esplanade along the East Side of the Willamette River, as do I.  This morning, Bob came up behind me as I waited at a traffic light.  I mentioned that I had seen Mike's website and that I saw his TIG welded frames had won prizes at NAHBS.  Bob's rejoinder "I've got some of those too."  He quickly clarified:  Bilenky Cycles won the awards  ... for bikes that Bob had largely built when he worked there (as the "master framebuilder").

In any event, Friday I was feeling better, and the session went better.  By end of the day I had done my best practice welds yet, and my front triangle was cut and ready to start assembly on Monday.  On the evening commute, there were stiff headwinds, pelting rain and dark, low clouds over downtown.  But at least the fog had cleared from my head.

Add BB shell, and this will be my cross bike's front triangle!

Portland Culture, North Version

Practice welds, still ugly,
but strong

I've now completed 3 out of 10 days of framebuilding class.  Today was really fun.  The welding is still hard, but at least it now produces something that is welded, even if it is still ugly.  I feel like I am slowly getting the hang of it, as are the others in the class.  And I am learning a lot about bicycle design, materials, geometry, craft, etc., etc.

And today we made our pre-production diagrams of the frames we will build starting on Friday.  Mine will be a relatively traditional cyclo-cross frame, a level top tube, cantilever brakes and lots of tire clearance.  With this bike, I want to go up Odarumi Pass in Yamanashi, wave at the taxi drivers at the top, and keep on going onto the gravel descent into Nagano.

Not that easy to see, but there is an outline of a bicycle frame, plus rim/tire circumference,
fork rake, and other measurements

UBI's Portland campus is located at 3961 N. Williams Avenue.  When I was growing up in Portland long ago, this part of town was definitely the wrong side of the tracks.  Now it is gentrified, or at least very different.  There are a lot more younger, white people, lots of new buildings and a different feeling.

Two of the other students and, in the middle, Bob K., one of the instructors for our class.  Bob was the master framebuilder at Bilenky Cycles in Pennsylvania before moving to Portland.  He has a nice handbuilt bike with a cargo rack, Schmidt & Sons dynamo hub that drives his E3 Supernova LED light and a rear light.

North Mississippi Avenue, a few blocks over, has a trendy, hip restaurant and entertainment/shopping area. Eric P., a former colleague, likes a diner there called Gravy.  And there are Prost Brewing, Amnesia Brewing, and more beer. Of course, the food around here tends toward organic and ethnic, vegan dishes are always available and there is plentiful bike parking.  This is the culture that is parodied in the TV series "Portlandia".  It is a culture that did not exist when I left Portland in 1980 for college.

Bike parking at one end of the Hub Building

The immediate area around UBI on North Williams is similar.  Today I went one block down the street to get lunch, at Cha, Cha, Cha, a Mexican place located  in the Hub Building.  I sure wish I could get a Burrito Fundido like that in Tokyo!  Then I stopped for a 16 oz coffee at Ristretto Roasters ("RR") next door.  When I entered RR on Monday mid-morning, I was surprised to find the place packed with 20~25 people, all ones or twos.  All of them were white people between the ages of 25 and 40.  Most of them had laptops open.  Every laptop was an Apple Macbook.  They might as well put up a "Mac only, no Windows allowed" sign.  I cannot take my (Windows) laptop there.  The barrista and cashier could have traded places with any of the customers.  Culture shock.

Also in the Hub Building, there are several other restaurants, Ink & Peat (where you can get "organic bedding" and "blooming branches", whatever those are, for your garden), and a fancy yoga studio.  But the high point was a little shop in the middle of the building that Chad, one of the other students, mentioned to me. Sugar Wheelworks!  A really cool looking bicycle wheel building shop founded and run by a woman.  I almost went in and ordered a pair on the spot ....  From the shop's website FAQ page, what are the main reasons to order handmade wheels?  They are sustainable, and soulful.  I could not agree more.

The courtyard outside Sugar Wheelworks

Sweet Wheels. Nice looking shop!

To get back to class, I needed to walk by at least 5 restaurants, a couple of pubs, a patisserie, the obligatory tattoo shop, the Blue Sky Wellness Studio (acupunture, massage, etc.), an all natural clothing supplier (sewing machines visible in the window), an "Eco" apartment building (solar PV visible on the rooftop), and some other places of note.  I did not get to the Friendly Bike Guest House, on the next block up.

More microbrew.

Beer and bikes, together.  What a great idea!!!

The obligatory tattoo shop.  The 4 youngest (of 7) students in the frame building class have some major visible tattoos.

Not just apartments, eco FLATS

Natural fabrics only.

Ethnic Food -- Is Peruvian exotic enough?

I guess with all the bike racks out front, and the streams of cyclists heading up Williams on their way home from downtown as I am leaving class (and heading in the opposite direction down the next street, for my  "reverse commute" past downtown), some of these restaurants and shops might just make it.