My Life, My Passion, My Vice. - a photo on Flickriver

So much to talk about in this image:

I hadn't ridden a bike since Ezra died. Some irony there as he often inspired me to ride, and after he got sick… well, just to live life to the max. But I've been pretty down and even resorted to driving my car to work, an activity that sucks the life right out of my soul.

Anyway, on a beautiful winter's morning I grabbed the Cross-Check and rode down to Devonport. Even after six years, this bike with it's funny drop handlebars and tall lanky frame always feels odd at first. It takes a little settling-in during that first half-hour. But after that I could ride all day and well into the night, it's just so comforable, and faster than a mountainbike. I warmed-up, got my groove back, and was loving being out in the fresh Auckland air.

I've had these VP Vice pedals mounted for some time (thank you Rob) but hadn't been able to evaluate them because of chain issues on this bike. Middle-class poverty had persuaded me to try a KMC 9-speed chain ((instead of my faithful Sram PC991), but it was a miserable experience in every respect. It was noisier from new, especially when changing gears. The master-link thingy required a sponge and a rusty spanner to remove (I challenge anyone to get one separated by hand) and the pins are difficult to push through with a domestic chain-breaker because of the mushroomed ends.
It had a sticky link (where it had never been joined) and every trick in the book failed to free it sufficiently. Out of desperation I removed that section with the aim of replacing it and discovered a manufacturing fault between the plates - a large gouge that no amount of pin-fangling, plate-flexing or lubrication was going to remedy. The final nail in the coffin was measuring the KMC against the new Sram and seeing it had elongated in a few short months as much I expect after 2-3 years of hard use! What a pile of shit, I guess you get what you pay for? It wasn't a low-end model either, and looked a million dollars.

Anyway, back to the Vice pedals… I was a little concerned the smaller Q-factor would be wasted as I don't usually have my shoe that close to the crank. I also thought they looked a bit too narrow as my sole hung off the outside edge a little (the Vice is about 6mm smaller in width than my other pedals). I got used to it pretty quickly and my feet only moved when I wanted them to - first impressions were positive.
With a new chain (Sram) on clean cogs, road tyres instead of the usual knobblies, and friction-shifting because the indexing decided to play up, the bike was all but silent. What a sensation that is, nothing but the wind and a White Industries' whir when freewheeling.

I love riding up this little mountain. I've picnicked on it, slid down the sides on cardboard, smooched, drank beer, vomited, smoked dope, proposed marriage, got married and ridden bicycles - all approximately in that order. We're talking a 48 year period of activity here.

On the ride up I chatted to a young American engineering student who had paused to photograph the amazing view. I had paused to get some oxygen in my burning lungs! In New Zealand to check-out the Christchurch earthquake rebuild he was friendly and articulate, far from loud and brash. I'm tempted to never pick up a paper or watch TV again.

I sat here, took this photo, ate a muesli-bar and breathed in the view. The fog started to lift and my head was all but clear by the time I'd scared myself stupid riding down a mountain on wet grass.

bikefriendlynorthshore.wordpress.com/2014/05/28/inspiration/

oceanaircycles.com

Taken in: New Zealand / Auckland Region / Auckland / Devonport (show map)

Taken on: June 4, 2014

Tags:

#silvervice

RX100

bicycle

bike

compact double

cross-check

devonport

mt victoria

north head

pedal

sugino

surly

vp vice

PC991

Sram

auckland

waitemata harbour « less

Sets appears in: • Surly Cross-Check

Groups appears in: • Bike Nation • .citycycling more » • Surly Bicycle Builds • Urban Velo • Back_road_bike • MomentumMag • Bicycle Addicts • Suburban Assault • Change Your Life. Ride A Bike! • Mixed Surface Cyclists • Surly Cross Check • Bike Friendly North Shore • Rough Riders International: Any bike. Anywhere. Anytime. • Cycling in Auckland • Sony Cyber-shot RX • Sony RX100 (All Versions) • Ocean Air Cycles • in explore « less

Camera: Sony DSC-RX100, f/2.0, 1/2000 sec, 10.4mm, ISO 80 (more info) (hide info)

Camera:	Sony DSC-RX100
Lens:	28-100mm F1.8-4.9
Aperture:	f/2.0
Exposure Time:	0.001 sec (1/2000)
Focal Length:	10.4mm
ISO:	80
Exposure Bias:	0 EV
Flash:	Off, Did not fire
Exposure Program:	Program AE
Exposure Mode:	Auto
Metering Mode:	Multi-segment
White Balance:	Auto
Saturation:	High
Sharpness:	Hard
Color Space:	Uncalibrated
Software:	Adobe Photoshop Lightroom 4.3 (Macintosh)
Show full info

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