... with very little access to all things digital and internet. We're riding our bikes a lot, though! So all is well with us, and we hope that all is well with you too.
In the first half of August we'll be back, hopefully with a lot to tell and show you. In the meantime:
Enjoy the summer and ride safe!
Wednesday 22 July 2015
Monday 13 July 2015
Tour de France (2015 and 1983)
Well, today is the first rest day of the Tour de France 2015. If you're in the French city of Pau, you might see bunches of cyclists all around. Or not, we don't really know. But anyway, why not celebrate Tour de France with this:
masterpiece? Kraftwerk's Tour de France (version francaise), from 1983. Maybe the best pop song ever, and definitely Kraftwerk's best track ever. Sure, they have made some other great tracks, but this one... This one is something else. Really. We can still recall the first time we heard this. It was played on the radio, we don't remember when - it was ages ago - and we don't know why either - maybe someone on the Swedish public broadcasting company simply had fiilis (Finnish for vibe or feeling) and wanted to play it. Anyway we were completely blown away by it. The futuristic sound, the melody, the bicycle sounds, the lyrics about the stages in the tour, the beauty of cycling and the friendship in the peloton...
Since then Kraftwerk has made the Tour de France Soundtracks album, which we think is OK. But for some reason they included a new version of the original song on the album, which sound pretty much like the original version, only... lamer. We don't really know why, although we suspect that feelings between former and current band members might have something to do with it. Anyway, the original version is the best. Trust us.
Ride safe!
masterpiece? Kraftwerk's Tour de France (version francaise), from 1983. Maybe the best pop song ever, and definitely Kraftwerk's best track ever. Sure, they have made some other great tracks, but this one... This one is something else. Really. We can still recall the first time we heard this. It was played on the radio, we don't remember when - it was ages ago - and we don't know why either - maybe someone on the Swedish public broadcasting company simply had fiilis (Finnish for vibe or feeling) and wanted to play it. Anyway we were completely blown away by it. The futuristic sound, the melody, the bicycle sounds, the lyrics about the stages in the tour, the beauty of cycling and the friendship in the peloton...
Since then Kraftwerk has made the Tour de France Soundtracks album, which we think is OK. But for some reason they included a new version of the original song on the album, which sound pretty much like the original version, only... lamer. We don't really know why, although we suspect that feelings between former and current band members might have something to do with it. Anyway, the original version is the best. Trust us.
(We borrowed this picture from The Bike Show. Hope that's OK!)
Thursday 9 July 2015
Jean-Pierre - Peugeot Aubisque (1987-1989)
Le Tour de France is in full swing and we could write about it. For example: Which team are we rooting for? Well, since Jussi Veikkanen isn't riding le tour we're not that much into FDJ right now, even though we do feel for Thibaut Pinot. Can you believe how much bad luck he has had this far? Still, our favourite team in this year's tour is Movistar. Their team suits look really good, they ride Campagnolo groupsets and they have both Nairo Quintana and Alejandro Valverde on the team. What's not to like? Seriously, though, we think that it would be nice if Nairo Quintana would win. Currently he's in 17th place, but we expect him to show his full potential as soon as the tour hits the hills.
And we do watch the race on TV, every now and then. But there are other web pages that are both more focused on and know more about the tour, so we leave commenting on the tour to them. Probably, at least!
Instead, this post will be about Jean-Pierre. Remember this bike?
Actually, you shouldn't. I found this bike standing abandoned behind a garage row in Kalmar. At first I just noticed it because it is the exact same model as the one I found standing in a backyard here in Gothenburg. Then I noticed that it was in pretty bad condition - it missed the back wheel, the saddle and the saddle post and... Well, just look at it. And then I noticed that it was unlocked. So I took it home to my mum's, reported it to the lost property office of the police, it stood in my mum's cellar for three months... Actually it stood there for more than six months, since I only took it with me to Gothenburg this Sunday. Now I have papers from the police saying that it's mine.
If I'm going to save one Peugeot Aubisque from just becoming scrap metal I might as well save two, right? (I'm doing it anyway.) What's funny is that not only are these two bicycles the exact same model, they're also the exact same size! That means that they are too big for me, and for anyone I know that could use a bike, so I will try to find new homes for them. That is, I will sell them. Not to make a profit, mind you - just to get the money that I will have spent on them back. The other bike, which from now on will be named Jean-Luc, will need new parts for about € 71 (+ shipping). And this bike - Jean-Pierre (they're twins, right?) - will need a new backwheel, new wires and new brake pads. Fortunately I have an old Sachs-Maillard Helicomatic rear wheel hub, saddle post (fortunately since they're a really unusual size) and saddle lying around home. (Hoarder? Who? Me?!) so at least I will be able to keep costs down. But the first thing that I need to do is to give it a thorough cleaning!
Look at the pictures (and the bicycle mistreatment):
There will be more pictures, and hopefully more progress following, in time. In the meantime: Enjoy the tour and ride safe!
And we do watch the race on TV, every now and then. But there are other web pages that are both more focused on and know more about the tour, so we leave commenting on the tour to them. Probably, at least!
Instead, this post will be about Jean-Pierre. Remember this bike?
Actually, you shouldn't. I found this bike standing abandoned behind a garage row in Kalmar. At first I just noticed it because it is the exact same model as the one I found standing in a backyard here in Gothenburg. Then I noticed that it was in pretty bad condition - it missed the back wheel, the saddle and the saddle post and... Well, just look at it. And then I noticed that it was unlocked. So I took it home to my mum's, reported it to the lost property office of the police, it stood in my mum's cellar for three months... Actually it stood there for more than six months, since I only took it with me to Gothenburg this Sunday. Now I have papers from the police saying that it's mine.
If I'm going to save one Peugeot Aubisque from just becoming scrap metal I might as well save two, right? (I'm doing it anyway.) What's funny is that not only are these two bicycles the exact same model, they're also the exact same size! That means that they are too big for me, and for anyone I know that could use a bike, so I will try to find new homes for them. That is, I will sell them. Not to make a profit, mind you - just to get the money that I will have spent on them back. The other bike, which from now on will be named Jean-Luc, will need new parts for about € 71 (+ shipping). And this bike - Jean-Pierre (they're twins, right?) - will need a new backwheel, new wires and new brake pads. Fortunately I have an old Sachs-Maillard Helicomatic rear wheel hub, saddle post (fortunately since they're a really unusual size) and saddle lying around home. (Hoarder? Who? Me?!) so at least I will be able to keep costs down. But the first thing that I need to do is to give it a thorough cleaning!
Look at the pictures (and the bicycle mistreatment):
(Standard pedals? Yeah, you should be able to do what you won't as long as you're not hurting anyone else, but come on! You're hurting this bike's looks!)
(This might actually be the dirtiest rear derailleur that I have ever come across!)
(The front derailleur is quite dirty as well, but most notably it is too low. Did it even work like this?)
(Dirty and rusty.)
There will be more pictures, and hopefully more progress following, in time. In the meantime: Enjoy the tour and ride safe!
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