Author Vision '06 stolen!

I got an sms last night from my girlfriend. My MTB, my Author Vision '06, has been stolen from in front of our building in Turku while I've been on the ship. It was locked with both an, albeit somewhat flimsy, Basta wire lock and a Kryptonite U-lock. Dammit, why can't people just respect the property of others?

Besides from what's obvious from the pictures, it's a 19" frame, there was a Sigma Cuberider mount on the saddle post, a damaged Sigma Evo+EvoX T-bone on the stem and some damage to the gear indicator cover on the left gear levers.

Of course, it's only a bike, and when the insurance company won't cover it's full value, it's only money. Still, I just can't fathom the concept of someone stealing a bike. Oh well, off to the police station..

XT dual-control

Today I got my new '07 Shimano ST-M760 XT dual-control brake/shift levers for my MTB. I managed to damage my left lever on the bike back in september last year, while it was just about brand new. The old one still works, but I've been looking around for a decent deal on a replacement ever since. I thought long and hard about waiting until I could afford disc brakes, but there's just no room in the budget for that right now.

I'm on the ship again, working til the 14th. So it'll be over a week until I'll get to try out the new levers for real. Then I guess I'll have to take it easy for a while and accept that there probably is a learning curve to using STI off road.

On the 15th I'm joining MTB-Turku for the annual visit to Luolavuoren koulu (link in Finnish). The PTA there hosts a schoolyard event and we're invited to show the kids the joy of cycling. Last year I went on my road bike, and after a fair amout of encouragement I had a go at a small ramp. This year I think I'll stick to the MTB..

Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery

Check out Yehuda Moon and the Kickstand Cyclery, a bicycle web comic. It's hilarious and details the everyday adventures of avid commuter / bike shop worker Yehuda and his co-workers.

Yesterday I was out on my second ever mtb club ride. MTB-Turku (Finnish) holds weekly rides for beginners like me and last night I felt more like trying out the forest instead of the road. I've actually only been on one roadie ride so far this year, but I've ridden my mtb around town all winter. My first off road club ride was back in september last year..

Meeting up at Prisma Itäharju, nine riders set out towards Littoinen by way Pääskyvuori, Varissuo (Kalttasuo), Järvelä and Tehtaanmäki. The return trip had us riding through Paaskunta, Rientola and Lauste. Near the starting point, as Pave led the remainder of the group up Laukkavuori, I announced I'd had enough and headed home.

It's been fairly dry for a few days, but there were still quite a few muddy spots here and there. The terrain surrounding Turku is perhaps more suited for enduro and trail riding, not xc cruising which would perhaps be more my cup of tea. Most of the other riders were out on full suspension bikes, I can only remember seeing one other hard tail.

...

• ~2 hours of riding, short breaks
  
• 2 over-the-bars expriences
• loads of fun

New bike!

I finally did it. I'm now officially a bike addict, owning both road and mountain bikes. For quite some time, ever since my accident in may, the thought of getting a new bike has been maturing in the back of my mind. A few days ago, while out riding my roadie in Helsinki, I stopped by Best Brakes to check out their end-of-summer sale. The guy behind the counter gave me an offer that was hard to refuse, but luckily also 24 hours to think it over.

While in Stockholm the next day I finally gave in to the urge, picked up the phone and called. With the word "sold" ("myyty", in Finnish) I bought a new bike, picking it up yesterday when I was in Helsinki again. It's a 2006 Author Vision a hardtail XC vehicle, specced with mostly Shimano Deore XT and LX components, Ritchey finishing kit and a Manitou R7 suspension fork.

Today I of course had to try it out, and what better place to do it than on the small cliff right next to the Viking Line terminal here in Stockholm. With my girlfriend in tow, carrying my work camera, I made my way up the hill with my feet touching the ground far fewer times than I had expected. Having reached the top it was time for a small photo session, the result of which can be seen here.

It will probably take a while before I'm confident enough off road to join any of the club rides on offer in the Turku area. But once I get to know this bike a bit better that's what I'm going to do.