(sub)Urban Exploration II

Our grrrl really enjoys getting out and checking out the hidden and forgotten-about areas near our home. Last October the two of us explored the drainage ditch that separates our neighborhood from an adjacent one.

Since it had been six months since our last journey - and since it's now still light out well after dinner, we pedaled the HellBetty up to the top of the 'hood to do a little recon.
Even if I'm providing 90% of the power, it's still great to share a bike with Celeste. Even if she's soft-pedaling, her right thumb is super-busy ringing the Electra "ding-dong" bell repeatedly at any living thing within a half-mile radius.

And off she goes "C'mon, Daddy!"
We didn't find too much on this trip. Some flowers that were so big and perfect that they almost looked fake;
A turtle:

complete with a spot of bird poop on the little guy's shell

And some California poppies growing in the cracks of the concrete.
Run run run...
Found a couple of tennis balls for Juno. Now to find a way to carry all the goodies back home.

Lime Tree Update

Sweet days of April, the lime tree's in bloom. Tons of fragrant flowers and a few developing limes. Should make for great margaritas this summer.

San Diego Custom Bicycle Show

I spent last Friday, Saturday and Sunday down in San Diego's Town and Country Resort and Convention Center, helping to man the Electra booth that we had set up for the second annual San Diego Custom Bicycle Show.

Since we don't make "custom" bikes by their definition, we were primarily showing some of our new components and accessories that were greatly influenced by classic European bicycle parts of the 1940s-60s.

Overall it was a great show for Electra, we opened a lot of minds of show-goers as well as builders, many of whom only really thought of Electra as a Cruiser company. In fact we were so busy over the course of the show that I hardly had a chance to escape the confines of our 10 x 10 to check out the very cool bikes on display from other builders - I only took about thirty pix all weekend. Here are a few of the highlights.

Front rack from a super-cool Bruce Gordon lugged titanium/carbon fiber frame. Carbon fenders coupled with a titanium rack and hand-made titanium cantilever brakes;
nice light too!

Stunning in it's simplicity, a Mark DiNucci single-speed road bike;

smoove!

another cool light setup

I wasn't familiar with Victoria Cycles prior to the show, but every bike they had on display exuded class and was topped by beautiful paint jobs from Spectrum Powder Works. The owners are also unabashed Electra fans and spent as much time telling me about the two Cruisers in their personal fleet as they spent talking about their own masterful creations.

wooden chainguard

sweet take on a classic twin-bar "Camel-Back" frame on this steel 29er

raised dragonfly headbadge

650b wheel size rigid MTB

I love this execution of a cantilever-style frame, paint is supposed to emulate the color of a Guinness stout

Keith Anderson was showing off an unbelievably-cool 24" wheel kid's bike;
Stunning paintwork and wooden fenders and chainguard too!
Unfortunately Johnny Shaky Hands didn't get a good shot of this Wolfhound Cycles 29er, but the amazing brazing on the chainstay helps demonstrate how much time he spends sweating the details.
Here's an unpainted Wolfhound:

Simple and pure was this Bohemian rigid single-speed 29er;
As well as this titanium DeSalvo;

And speaking of purity, I've always liked Soulcraft's line of TIG-welded steel bikes;
Exquisite luggery was all over the hall, the pinnacle of which was likely this vintage Brian Baylis:
And lastly, I hope you like snakes. We had a visit by Lola the green tree python. Owned by one of the builders who's name escapes me, she blends in great with the Electra Ticino 18D that we had on display.
I think she'd make for a great security system.
HISS! Maybe next year I'll have a chance to walk the show a bit more.

And Now A Word From Our Sponsors

This week's posts are brought to you by the 1987-89 Subaru Justy 4WD.
As I mentioned in a post a week and a half ago, my first car was an '88 Justy DL shitbox. However, only front wheel drive for me. But that certainly didn't stop me from trying (horribly) to emulate the Group B rally stars of the day once the snow flakes fell. Or when I would drive out to the gravel farm roads a half an hour or so south of my parent's south suburban Chicago home.

I'm not sure what magazine this was ripped from, but it appears to be an especially-lame edition of Bicycling Magazine where they ran a story about bicycle-related vanity license plates.
I bet they also had an eyeglass mirror shootout (comparison test).

Vintage Lake Geneva Postcards

Today you're getting a two-fer. Why? Because these two have never been mailed and have boring, blank backsides.

Both are from Wisconsin's second deepest natural lake, Lake Geneva. Sitting just across the border from Illinois in South Eastern, WI, the Lake Geneva area has been the "Newport of the West" for generations, with many Chicago business leaders calling this lapis jewel home during the summer months. Families such as Wrigley, Sears, Swift, Harris, Pinkerton and Schwinn all have or once had mansions on its shores.

Plenty of summer camps also existed on the shores of Lake Geneva, including Olivet Camp as featured below.
I've spent many days playing on or around Lake Geneva, but I don't know the lake's natural and man-made features as well as I know those on Green Lake. However, I'm pretty sure this camp was on the north shore, towards the western edge of the lake. I like the canoe and other boats pictured, along with the oh-so-modest bathing suits.

A few camps are identified on the next Lake Geneva postcard, but not the Olivet Camp.
My great grandparents had a place near the Harvard Club in the southwest part of the lake. My Great Grandpa Finer built a stout field stone cottage a few hundred feet from the shore, a great place for my dad to experience growing up, spending summers sailing and swimming. The home still stands, I'll have to get my mom to send me a couple of shots of the place.

Sorry About The Lack of Posts...

...but I've been especially busy with the San Diego Custom Bike Show and have been working 12+ hour days the past few days.

Grandpa Oldaker Would Be Proud

I should really stay away from Bring A Trailer. Because when I visit I always come away wanting cool old and/or odd vehicles like this International Harvester Travelall.
Built shortly after Grandpa retired from Harvester, this beast would make a fine highway cruiser (if you don't mind getting about 8 MPG). Handsome in an oh-so utilitarian way, eh?
Just needs a big-ass chrome roof rack up top with some vintage Samsonite luggage tied down with cotton rope.
In-car entertainment? Many stations on that AM dial to choose from. Just don't expect to be able to hear anything if seated in the back.
But that's where you load your dogs, and they don't care about the radio. Just roll down the windows for sniffs galore. The only thing that'd make it better would be if it was painted in IH's signature deep red color.

I'm just a sucker for old IH trucks. Frankly I'm surprised that Grandpa didn't have one himself as a Scout would have been a great vehicle at his Green Lake home. Four wheel drive for getting into town during the winter, yank the boats out of the water at the end of the season and hose out the cargo area after his beloved yellow labs went for a ride.

on board the FloteBote®, Green Lake, WI, sometime in the late 1960s
L-R, my Uncle Steve, Aunt Ginny, mom, Grandma O., (cocktail), Grandpa O.

But he was an Oldsmobile man. I remember these two in particular:
1977 Toronado. His was dark blue, sadly no epitome-of-the-1970s T-top. But it was really Grandma's car.
1975 Custom Cruiser. With the still-cool "disappearing clamshell tailgate" - the glass slid into the roof while the door slipped under the cargo floor. His was pea-green with the walnut siding shown above. Plus lots of dog hair in the cargo area. Being an odd car geek/wagon dork, I really wanted this car when I turned 16. Even though it was the aforementioned pea green/walnut siding with whitewalls, skirted rear wheels and an underpowered but over-displaced 455 cu. in. V8. Heck, I still want one.

If anyone feels like buying the Travelall and donating it to me, here's a link to the eBay auction.