I fight the constant battle between wanting the latest and greatest, while still trying to maintain the stable at a “healthy number.”  I know that many of us can attest to that when I say “keeping the stable down,” but I bet many of you have that soft spot in your heart to have a one favorite bike over all the others.

I’ve been posting less, reading less and trying to ride more on the weekends.  I’ve been spending some good solo-time exploring the  smaller beautiful roads, the East Bay has to offer.  While not necessarily the quickest of bikes, the Bridgestone remains true to its bulldog-sturdy stance and comfortable over the long distance.  Speed is overrated anyway.  Everyone seems to aspire to be fast these days, I say slow down and enjoy the scenery.

There you have it.  Truly spoken like an old man.

I admit that recently I’ve been working a lot and so I haven’t really had much time for bike-related goodness all together. My life is very work-eat-sleep, work-eat-sleep. I really like to build bikes, so recently I’ve been working on my latest project – an Ebisu 700c all-purpose.

If you don’t know what Ebisus are, head over to Jitensha Studio to have a look-see at what types of bike components and frames they deal. Hiroshi Imura is the owner and mastermind behind the shop. He designs the shop brand frame “Ebisu”, but they can also get their hands on custom Toei frames and Shula (a little more high end than Ebisu). Honjo fenders, LED flashlights, Crane bells, custom stems, randonneuring bags and wool knickers are just a few items in the grand selection you may find at Jitensha.

My main ride, the Bridgestone XO-1 is a wonderful bike. I often wish the top-tube was shorter (I’m already using just a 70mm stem) and I wish it had 700c wheels instead of 26″. I’ve wanted an Ebisu all-purpose for a while ever since my junior year at Berkeley, I would walk pass the store to gawk at the Molteni orange frames hanging in the window. The build just seems so practical – low trail to accommodate a little more load on the front, cantilever brakes for wider tire clearance, eyelet galore, flatbars for comfort and handling, front generator hub and hammered Honjo fenders. The ultimate practical bike for all types of terrain.

Since this is about the only big bike event going on in my life, I’m going to share the build process with all of you while I acquire more parts for it and as the days wind down till the frame arrives!

(and yes, that TA crankset is the one that has been sitting on the shelf at BoxDog for the past year!) I finally broke down and bought it!