The Goblin

The weather was tolerable and I was feeling a bit sluggish after the mass food consumption yesterday so I decided to take a nice long ride today.  The loop I took had so many freaking hills I thought I was going to die (where gears could come in handy).  Anyway I snapped a few pictures of the whip and my new Profile Design Aquarack and Mash SF water bottles by Specialized which are awesome!  I can't believe temperatures have stayed in the mid forties this long, the weather has been awesome!  Global warming at it's finest.  I hope everyone had a relaxing holiday.

Dominik Raab: Vienna 2011

Dominik Raab - Vienna 2011 from UMF Bikes on Vimeo.
Spotted on The Rise

Let me preface this post by saying that I know little to nothing about mountain or trials biking.
With that being said I think every aspect of cycling is awesome in it's own respect and I try to stay at least somewhat informed about all styles. The first time I watched this video I was floored. No matter what part of the sport you participate in, whether it be bmx, velodrome, road, tri, etc., you have to admire this dude's bike control.  Every single trick is so solid AND he makes it look easy.  The stair part starting at 1:23 is so huge, I don't even understand.  Plus the accordion guy at the end is awesome.  I highly recommend putting this in HD and giving it a thorough watch.

Horn Bike Case by Bone Collection

Spotted on Freshness

Although it might not be the most aesthetically pleasing case ever or even the most efficient, it is definitely an interesting idea.  Working similarly to that of an old phonograph the Horn Bike Case, by Bone Collection, is meant to more clearly project, and amplify, whatever is coming out of your iPhone speakers.  According to their website,  the horn can increase phone volume up to 13 decibels without any type of power source.  The Horn Bike is a safer alternative to headphones while riding, allowing the rider to more clearly hear surrounding traffic and pedestrians.

Plus it looks like aliens made it.

It's Funny Because It's True

Spotted this gem on Backyard Blam a few days back and I must say, it is a winner. If you have ever been pulled over on a bicycle by an officer in a car (which I have), it is much easier to relate. If you haven't, watch it anyway because it's FUNNY.

For more fine work from Kyle Kinane you can check out his tumblr

Landlords Cycling Swag

A few weeks back when I was at the Philadelphia Bike Expo, I happened upon a table covered in sweet Colnago/Merkx sticker recreations and an eclectic group of track bikes and components, including a radical Pogliaghi Pista rusted to perfection (later featured on Prolly Is Not Probably).  Another of the old pistas that they had with them was adorned with an awesome Cinelli style "Philly" sticker on the downtube.  I contacted the guys of Landlords and a few weeks later, here I am with some swag of my own.  Thanks again dudes, the stickers are already being put to good use!

Although I am still not exactly sure what the Landlords Cycling Club is all about, I feel like the first edition of their Videozine gives you a pretty good idea. Keep up with the Landlords crew on their blog loaded with more crazy content.

Colnago Dreams

Is it weird that I spend more time on Pedalroom and Velospace than I do checking emails and looking at facebook?  Maybe, but when I'm not out riding my own hunk of metal, drooling over bikes on the internet is just unavoidable; before I even know what's happening I'm typing p-e-d-a-l-r... into the URL bar.  Most recently I came across velopsace member and fellow blogger, Hrrundel's unbelievable collection of pristine track bikes.  Specifically these three Colnagos really stuck out to me, the Molteni is just awesome and the geometry of the pista TT is back breaking.  Keep up with Hrrundel on his wordpress and check out a treasure trove of rad photos on his Flickr.

Honestly one of the most unbelievable collections of mint and restored pistas I have ever seen.

1983 Raleigh Lightweight Series Catalogue

This time of year is always the worst, balancing life and obscene amounts of school work means not so much time for Crank It.  But anyway I"M BACK and I was digging through a stack of papers in my basement over Thanksgiving break and came across this rad 1983 Raleigh Lightweight Series Catalogue that came with my dad's 1983 Raleigh Olympian.  I was looking through the catalogue and it is really awesome to see how some of the older parts and frames are still in such high demand.  The special order 753 with aero breaks, Of Mega crankset and campy deraileurs is simply out of control.  Only 100 of these bad boys made in '83  Steel is real!

If you have any specific questions about anything in the catalogue feel free to email me.