So . . . last week before leaving for my trip I went to visit the local big box store where I had requested some prices for chromoly metal tubing to be used for the bike I want to build. It turns out that they cannot get a hold of the tubing.
I am going to have to find a local metal shop and find out if they can get a hold of some for me. I don't need much, but chromoly is mainly used for bicycles and for airplane building. Not that many homebuilders in this part of the world apparently. But I hear that some people use the chromoly to make roll bars for cars. There are plenty of car homebuilders in the area so I still may be lucky enough to find a shop.
For now though, I will be building an original GroundHugger (look it up). It's a pretty neat lookin' bike. It's what originally got me interested in building my own recumbent! I finally got ahold of some of the original plans from the Popular Mechanics magazine (Build PM's GroundHugger, April 1969). Not a lot of info, but the dimensions are on there and so is some of the important information needed on what parts to get. Boy that was a pain to find because a lot of the local libraries don't carry magazines that far back. I had to have them photocopied from the Naval Post-Graduate School here in Monterey.
In the article it says you can build your own rear wheel stays but it also says if you have access to an old bike, use those. So I started shopping around for beat up cruiser style bikes all over the place.
No luck!
That is until yesterday! My cousin needed a computer moniter for his pc because the one he had been using up and died on him. Well I happen to have access to a bunch that will never be used again, but still work. I grabbed a couple of them and took them to his place. He lives with his fiancee and her dad. Once there I find out that her dad is an avid bicycle collector (sort of). I told him my dilemma and he said we could trade! I had already brought the moniter over so he let me have a cruiser frame he had sitting around! KICK-ASS!!!
I now have my rear wheel stays for the GroundHugger and I believe I have the main tubing sitting in my back-yard right now from one of those attach-a-tandem kid bike thingies you can get so you can take a kid around on a half-a-bike attached to yours. I think it'll be perfect. All I gotta do is bend it. I'll have access to a torch this weekend. I'll bend it then and thus, the building will begin!
GD
Formerly of experiences of Ubuntu n00bism. Now random postings on learning barefoot form.
Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Tuesday, August 23, 2005
Sooooo . . .
Last Thursday my parents, brother, Issac (brothers friend) and I went down to Chula Vista to visit my sister who I recently wrote about having her baby. My dad didn't have a chance to go the last time so we planned the trip for this weekend.
It was a good time. Thursday, we arrived at Universal Studios and stayed there for a while. We left about 4pm and then we drove down to Chula Vista. It wasn't horribly bad, but it was trafficky. It took us a while to get there.
Friday, my parents crossed the border to TJ to visit my sister and David (my bro'), Issac and I drove around the area and found a mall. We walked around, checking out the chicas until it got a boring and went to see a movie.
The Skeleton Key is pretty good. I thought it was gonna be crap, but it was alright. We went back to the hotel and crashed for a couple of hours. The day before had been a long day. We were still tired.
At some point somebody was knocking on the door. It was my sister! And the baby! I've said it before, newborns are UUUUgly. Not this one. Somehow this baby dodged the ugly stick. My sister had brought my parents back through some short-cut that she knows about and they cleared the border in 20 minutes.
She hung out a while and then my mom and my sis' took off to do some shopping. My mom didn't get back until after 10pm.
Saturday we didn't wake up until somtime after 10am. We all got ready and decided to go check out this place called Horton Plaza. I have an uncle who won't stop harping about it, so we went to check it out.
Horton Plaza is a three story outdoor mall. Of course it works in San Diego because it hardly every rains there ( I guess). It's almost crescent shaped and it has a big movie theater there as well. As far as malls go, it's a'ight.
What we should have done is check out the Gas Lamp district. To me, that was more interesting. We left there and on the way back to Chula Vista everyone wanted to go see a movie. David, Issac and I recommended to my parents, The Skeleton Key. It's the kind of movie they like. Since my crew had already seen that one, we decided on The 40 Year Old Virgin. That one is a must-see. Go now. Skip work and go now!!!
After the movies, it was getting late. We bought a couple of pizzas and went back to the hotel and spent the night watching Cartoon Network. By-the-bye, my parent were in one room and we were in another. We went to sleep late even though we knew we had to be up at 9am at the latest.
Sunday was hellish!!! We were on the road after "breakfast" by 11:30am. From that point on, we would hit traffic all the way until after LA where all the highways and interstates merge. We weren't completely free, but it was much better than goin' 35mhp.
We didn't get home until after 8pm. I did all the driving and I went to sleep once I my bag in my room. I didn't even change.
Soooo,
See ya' tomorrow!
GD
It was a good time. Thursday, we arrived at Universal Studios and stayed there for a while. We left about 4pm and then we drove down to Chula Vista. It wasn't horribly bad, but it was trafficky. It took us a while to get there.
Friday, my parents crossed the border to TJ to visit my sister and David (my bro'), Issac and I drove around the area and found a mall. We walked around, checking out the chicas until it got a boring and went to see a movie.
The Skeleton Key is pretty good. I thought it was gonna be crap, but it was alright. We went back to the hotel and crashed for a couple of hours. The day before had been a long day. We were still tired.
At some point somebody was knocking on the door. It was my sister! And the baby! I've said it before, newborns are UUUUgly. Not this one. Somehow this baby dodged the ugly stick. My sister had brought my parents back through some short-cut that she knows about and they cleared the border in 20 minutes.
She hung out a while and then my mom and my sis' took off to do some shopping. My mom didn't get back until after 10pm.
Saturday we didn't wake up until somtime after 10am. We all got ready and decided to go check out this place called Horton Plaza. I have an uncle who won't stop harping about it, so we went to check it out.
Horton Plaza is a three story outdoor mall. Of course it works in San Diego because it hardly every rains there ( I guess). It's almost crescent shaped and it has a big movie theater there as well. As far as malls go, it's a'ight.
What we should have done is check out the Gas Lamp district. To me, that was more interesting. We left there and on the way back to Chula Vista everyone wanted to go see a movie. David, Issac and I recommended to my parents, The Skeleton Key. It's the kind of movie they like. Since my crew had already seen that one, we decided on The 40 Year Old Virgin. That one is a must-see. Go now. Skip work and go now!!!
After the movies, it was getting late. We bought a couple of pizzas and went back to the hotel and spent the night watching Cartoon Network. By-the-bye, my parent were in one room and we were in another. We went to sleep late even though we knew we had to be up at 9am at the latest.
Sunday was hellish!!! We were on the road after "breakfast" by 11:30am. From that point on, we would hit traffic all the way until after LA where all the highways and interstates merge. We weren't completely free, but it was much better than goin' 35mhp.
We didn't get home until after 8pm. I did all the driving and I went to sleep once I my bag in my room. I didn't even change.
Soooo,
See ya' tomorrow!
GD
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Bike Project update
It's been a while but at least I'm posting!
I went to Home Despot last Friday to find out if they could possibly order the metal I'm going to need for the bike.
I'm still waiting on their call!
But from the sounds of things, it looks like I'll be able to get everything I need at Home Despot. Which means I can finally use their credit card for something else other than the welder I bought a year ago! Woo Hoo!!!
I'm gonna give them a call today and find out what they can tell me.
GD
I went to Home Despot last Friday to find out if they could possibly order the metal I'm going to need for the bike.
I'm still waiting on their call!
But from the sounds of things, it looks like I'll be able to get everything I need at Home Despot. Which means I can finally use their credit card for something else other than the welder I bought a year ago! Woo Hoo!!!
I'm gonna give them a call today and find out what they can tell me.
GD
Monday, August 01, 2005
Monday afternoon update!
Last Wednesday my mom got a call from my sister in the evening that the her doctor was a couple of weeks off and she was due 7/25/2005 not 8/14/2005.
I didn't find out until I got home at 7pm. I had to pack everything, call my boss and let him know I was gonna be gone for the rest of the week (privileges of management). We left Salinas at 9pm and arrived at the hospital in Chula Vista around 3:30am. Pretty good time.
I'll update more later.
GD
I didn't find out until I got home at 7pm. I had to pack everything, call my boss and let him know I was gonna be gone for the rest of the week (privileges of management). We left Salinas at 9pm and arrived at the hospital in Chula Vista around 3:30am. Pretty good time.
I'll update more later.
GD
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