one less car news

it was really cold here in chicago and my big u-lock had froze. when i got home from my girlfriends i locked my winter bike up outside with the mini u-lock, and brought my big u-lock inside to thaw out. my winter bike stays outside all winter long. i live in a small place with roommates and i already have three bikes in the house. i left in hurry because i saw on the news that amtrak was canceling trains because of the weather, and i needed to get to michigan to be with my family for christmas. in doing so, i forgot to re-lock my bike with my big u-lock through the frame and back wheel.

the day after christmas, derek calls and says someone stole my wheel set (it was nothing that great- a set of velocity areoheads with formula hubs and they have been through three winters). i was bummed, but what could i do? i was in michigan with the only set of keys to my lock. the next day, derek calls again and tells me whoever took the wheels must have come back, and they took my cetma rack, my spd pedals, and my fenders. this bummed me out.

while in michigan, i made a new porter box that i was really excited about, and now i can't even test it out. whoever stole all this was pretty much an asshole. if they thought it was an abandoned bike, that's bullshit- it had lube on the chain and zip ties on the wheels, plus a bike might stay in the same spot due to the holidays. oh well- i guess im going to have to rebuild.

before



after

lately i've been really into urban bikes, you know- upright position, racks, fenders, panniers, and baskets. my winter/city bike had a big milk crate on a cetma rack. the crate was black but i spray painted it for my et costume so it was starting to look like crap. i decided that i wanted to build a nice porter box. so, while i was at my parents house in michigan for thanksgiving, i made my first one. here are some pics. the dimensions are 19 inches wide x 12 inches deep x 7 inches tall. this one is made of oak with a birch bottom. i think it turned out great, and my dad and i are planning on making more of these with different woods and stain. if anyone is interested in getting one, email me cole@1lesscar.com and we can discuss it. let me know what you think. i'll post picks of it on my bike when is stops snowing out.