Author Archives: naptrax

59cm IRO Mark V

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Another IRO Mark V rebuild / repaint project.  I love building up and selling these bikes, as they are one of the most solid, no-nonsense urban single-speed / fixed gear bikes out there.  They have the perfect geometry for city streets, and use high-quality steel in the frame construction.  For a fixed-gear under $500, it beats all challengers.

I got this frame as part of a trade, and I overhauled and refinished it.  Dismantled, cleaned out, and re-packed the headset and bottom bracket, added some shiny new silver deep-V’s, a Fuji Feather saddle, and a new cockpit with front & rear brakes with nifty pink housing.  Crankset is a Sugino RD 170mm with a 48-tooth Rocket chain ring, 16 tooth Dura Ace cog, KMC K710 chain, and MKS Stream track pedals.

More pics after the jump…

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Catnap – Meow Mix 4

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The latest edition of the Meow Mix takes you to the beach!  In keeping with the Meow Mix tradition, it features lots of uplifting, melodic tunes with some Latin spice and a couple classic anthems.  It kicks off with a rare live jam by BT & Danny Tenaglia called “Blue Skies,” a longtime favorite of mine.  Other highlights include funky workouts  by Herbie Hancock and War, Aly-Us’s unforgettable “Follow Me,” Pete Heller’s “Big Love” and a little Daft Punk.  Bob Sinclair, Basement Jaxx, and DJ Gregory are all in the mix, too.

***Update***  I added six more songs to this mix on December 26th, 2010.  See tracklist for update.

Alternate Download Link (right click and “save as”)

173mb /// 1 hr 15min /// 320kbps .mp3

Tracklist after the jump…

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Review: AGU AQ24 SPD Sneakers

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I recently picked these AGU AQ24 shoes up from Nashbar for just $30, and I am really happy with them.  AGU is a Dutch company that makes a cycling apparel, shoes, and helmets.  I hadn’t heard of them before, but I am impressed with the good value the AQ24 shoes present.

While not as stylish as a pair of Nike Dunks or Adidas Sambas, they do have a cool, low-key look with brown and black suede leather.  They are stylish enough for the office and after work as well.  The insoles have a strong arch in them, similar to Adidas shell toe sneakers, with fairly thin but still soles.  Removing the insole reveals a hard plastic sole.  The cleat is not quite recessed enough; it sticks out a little bit and can be an issue on hard, slick floors like polished marble or tile.  I’ve been wearing them with Time ATAC cleats which are about as minimalist  as you can get.

In terms of fit, they run a bit narrow but break in quickly.  Since they are lace-up only, you’re not going to get the kind of tight fit you’d expect from a dedicated road shoe, but it’s comfortable and acceptable for commuting.  The mesh panels breathe well and allow the shoes to flex a bit more around your foot for comfort.  I’ve been wearing them for about a week and they still look new; I don’t have any concerns so far about them falling apart or wearing out.

In summary, at $30 these are an excellent deal and I would recommend them to anyone looking for a touring / commuting shoe that supports ATAC / SPD / Crank Bros. cleats.   There aren’t any other shoes out there anywhere near this price point, and I’m already considering buying a second pair for when I wear out this set.

More pictures after the jump…

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MF Doom – Supervillain Blends

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Mmmmmmmm… FOOD!  This is some tasty stuff.   DJ Food Stamp blends tracks from Outkast, KRS One, The Game, Perceptionists, Method Man and more with MF Doom instrumentals.  Yeah, you need this.

Listen now:

Download here (right click and “save as”)

49.9 mb /// 58 minutes /// 192kbps .mp3

Tracklist:

1.Outkast-Wheelz Of Steel (MF DOOM REMIX)
2.Mc Lyte-Paper Thin (MF DOOM REMIX)
3.People Under The Stairs-Tuxedo Rap (MF DOOM REMIX)
4.Method Man-Release Yo Delf ft Mary J Blige (MF DOOM REMIX)
5.KRS-One-Mortal Thought (MF DOOM REMIX)
6.3rd Bass-Derelict Of Dialect (MF DOOM REMIX)
7.Mobb Deep-Survival Of The Fittest (MF DOOM)
8.Pep Love-Crooked Angles (MF DOOM REMIX)
9.Eminem-Any Man (MF DOOM REMIX)
10.Cocoa Brovaz-Super Brooklyn (MF DOOM REMIX)
11.Jeru The Damaja-El Presidente (MF DOOM REMIX)
12.Charizma-My World Premier (MF DOOM REMIX)
13.The Game-Wouldnt Get Far (MF DOOM REMIX)
14.Defari-Say It Twice (MF DOOM REMIX)
15.Common-Carhorn (MF DOOM REMIX)
16.East Flatbush Project-Tried By 12 (MF DOOM REMIX)
17.Perceptionists-Memorial Day (MF DOOM REMIX)
18.Lord Finesse-Soul Plan (MF DOOM REMIX)
19.II Unorthodox-Just A Little Flava (MF DOOM REMIX)
20.Outkast-So Fresh So Clean (MF DOOM REMIX)

DJ Spinna – Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye

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DJ Spinna offers this mix in celebration, which he says features

“some rare releases, B-sides, alternate versions, exclusive re-edits and remixes courtesy of myself and some legendary dj/producer friends.”

He goes on to say that:

“The whole world knows that I’m a huge Stevie Wonder, Michael Jackson and Prince buff.  But the other beast of a soul artist that I love to death is Marvin Gaye, of course! His music deeply expresses the soul of a man.  The most bewildering thing about Marvin that I’ve come to understand more in my adult years is how he was able express his life experiences so artistically despite all his traumatic upheaval. I mean, his pops was a cross dressing preacher that practically despised his own son. I’ll never forget the day I found out his dad took him out, the day before his birthday! I couldn’t understand it and I was sad as hell. But life is wild that way. All that pain he endured led to greatness.”

– DJ Spinna on his “Happy Birthday Marvin Gaye” mix

Listen here:

Download here (right click and “save as”)

61.5 mb /// 1 hour 29 min /// 96kbps .mp3 (but it sounds damn good)

Mos Def + Dub Reggae = MOS DUB

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On first listen a couple months ago, I wasn’t really feeling this mash-up album.  But after a couple re-listens, it’s really grown on me.  The tracks work well, and are reworked to an interesting degree, making Mos Dub more than the sum of its parts.  In other words, this doesn’t sound like hiphop acapellas overlaid on dub instrumentals, but a deeper and more thoughful re-working.   The creator of this mash-up, Max Tannone, had this to say:

While listening to these dub tunes, which are often heavily based on the drums and the bass, would also sound great if sampled for hip-hop tracks. Being a huge Mos Def fan (and Mos who sometimes breaks into a Jamaican patois himself), I knew he would fit well over the tracks. His lyrics are often socially poignant – a common theme with reggae music too. He is one of my favorite musicians and I hope he heard Mos Dub and enjoyed it.

If you enjoyed this mash-up, check out Tannone’s other works: Jaydiohead (Jay-Z vs Radiohead) and Doublecheck Your Head (Beastie Boys).

Download here (right click and “save as”)

Eddy Merckx 7-11 Corsa Restoration

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photo by Alan R. Tansey - alan.r.tansey@gmail.com

After several months, I have finally finished my restoration of the Eddy Merckx Corsa in Team 7-11 colors that I first acquired last year.  I started by stripping off the worn and non-period-correct Ultegra group that was on it, and sent the frame to Allan Wanta for a complete re-paint.

Allan is the real hero of this project.  His work is impeccable – from the paint to the decals, he did a truly perfect job on the bike.  It took about seven weeks from when I shipped the frame to him to when I got it back.  He was great about communication, updating me on the progress of the restoration and even sending me pictures.  The price for this work was very affordable as well – about 50% less than all the other quotes I got!  He gets my top recommendation and I will certainly send more work his way in the future.  Check out the pictures after the jump to see lots of up-close, hi-res shots.

To properly complete this restoration, I slowly collected up a complete Dura-Ace 7400 group on eBay.  Most of the group was New Old Stock, with little to no marks on it at all.  Being a fan of brifters over downtube-mounted shifters, I did drift just a little out of period by including the Dura Ace STI shifters from 1990.  The photos I’ve seen of the 7-11 team’s bikes don’t include these shifters but I’ve seen a number of other 7-11 Merckx’s using them, and more importantly I’m gonna ride this baby a lot so I wanted to go with what I like.  And it doesn’t disappoint – it’s fast and aggressive ride, with the trademark stiffness of Columbus TSX steel.  I feel like this restoration has really brought out the racing spirit of this bike.

The rest of the parts used were:

  • Modolo EVEN ergo bars
  • Selle Italia Flite saddle
  • Time ATAC pedals (Eddy Merckx Podio pedals and shoes coming soon)
  • Cinelli stem with Eddy Merckx pantograph
  • NOS Casiraghi brake cable
  • Matric ISO rims
  • Fizik Microtex bar tape

Alan Tansey was kind enough to volunteer his awesome photo skills to take a great set of pictures of this beast.  Check out the full photo gallery and specs after the jump…

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