I'm Back.

Once again, things at the RTP household have been a bit hectic, and once again, I have neglected by blog friends. Sorry about that. Here's something I meant to post last week but wasn't able to get around to it.

Sometime early last week I made my way over to Trinity Bicycles and asked if they had any touring pedals on hand. I walked out of there with a pair of Grip Kings. So far I like them.

I've been needing a pouch for my Kindle. I've got some left over cotton duck that I though would work for the exterior. I just needed some padding and a soft fabric for the interior of the pouch. I rode over to the closest fabric store to pick up the materials.

I forgot my lock so I leaned my bike against the window where I could keep an eye on it. I then shoved my jacket through the spokes between the fork and basket stays in the hope that it might slow a thief down long enough for me to run outside and grab hold of him.

I took my time browsing through the sewing gadgets and accessories (I believe they are called notions but I refuse to use that word, it's kind of girly).

I laid everything out and got to work. It didn't take long for things to go down hill. Sewing padding between two layers of fabric is a real pain in the rear. Everything kept bunching up no matter how many pins I used. I ended up with a pouch but it can't be described as attractive. I will make another attempt at producing a functional and presentable pouch this weekend.

I picked up this sewing awl at Tandy Leather Factory after reading about a similar item here. It should come in handy for repairing all kinds of gear.

Trinity Bicycles to the Rescue

A few days ago I mentioned that bloggers, and cross country bike tourists Russ Rocca and Laura Crawford (The Path Less Pedaled and The Epicurean Cyclist) will be riding into Fort Worth sometime in late March or early April. They have been doing photo and video presentations all along their route and are interested in doing one here. After some brainstorming about venues with the BABBLE folks I decided to contact Trinity Bicycles and see if they would be interested in teaming up. Trinity Bicycles haven't opened their doors yet, that will be sometime late this month, but they do have their website and Facebook page up and running. I received a very positive, enthusiastic response from Bernie Sheffler, one of the shop's owners. He said that they would be willing to use the shop for the presentation. If the shop isn't large enough they may be able to obtain a larger facility in the area. Bernie was also excited about the group ride idea. Whats great about Trinity Bicycles is that their shop at 207 S. Main Street, will literally be just around the corner from the T&P train station. This should make it very easy for Dallas cyclists to hop on the train and attend. Things are shaping up nicely.

Trinity Bicycles will be focusing quite a bit on the commuter market with same day repair service, showers, indoor bike parking and commuter friendly hours. I'm really looking forward to their grand opening. The photo below (stolen from Fortworthology) is their new building, the renovated Sawyer Grocery Store. I had the opportunity to take a quick look around the shop this morning. I've got to say, judging from the contact I've had with the owners, Trinity Bikes will be a great addition to the local bike scene.