This bicycle has been updated - click here for the latest version

Meet "B" - short for Beatrice; My Mixte all-around bicycle Named after the svelte, lethal beauty of "Kill Bill", purchased new in 1998, this humble, steel-framed, 300 dollar Specialized Crossroads Ultra was forgotten in the garage when I came across her one day, cleaned her up, took her for a spin and we've been friends ever since. Rivendell's gorgeous Wilbury mixte was my inspiration and I have worked to make "B" into the most comfortable recreational and road touring bicycle possible. I have always loved road bikes but disliked low bars - so much so, that I used to put ape hangers on all my bikes well into my 30's. (Iām pushing 60 now). I also dismiss the standard race-oriented setups that bike manufacturers and dealers force down normal people's throats. For the vast majority of people the vast majority of the time, gearing is too high, handlebars too low, saddles too narrow, tires too slim and wheels too flimsy. Most road bikes can't take decent sized tires (B can take 35's) and you can't mount fenders on them. A melding of old style and high tech, Beatrice resolves all those issues and then some. Why a mixte? It's plenty fast for me, it can climb, it's comfortable, it's easy to mount and dismount and it offers a smooth ride. The Zoom stem lowers the bars to seat height if I want to make time or I can raise them to the sky for cruising around town with my wife. These days the bars seem to stay high most of the time. Carbon wheels! Hey, spokes are cool, so is carbon! I think the Aerospokes look great, they make the bike stand out and they provide the bomb-proof wheels I require - truing, schmuing! A very unique look, don't you think? Lots to see here, enjoy!

Wheels and tires
Aerospoke carbon composite wheels and proprietary 135mm hubs
Rivendell 700x27 Ruffy Tuffy tires
Honjo-Koken, 43mm aluminum, hammered, turtleback extra long fenders
Nigel Smythe olive plaid mudflaps

Drive Train
SRAM/Sachs PC-951 chain
LX 42/32/22 crankset
LX 9 speed shifters
LX front derailleur
Shimano 9-speed 12-34 Mega Range rear cassette - Gear Inch Range = 94 - 17 inches
XTR 2007 normal rise rear derailleur model RD-M971
971 XT brakes
XT brake levers

Handlebars and stem
Kalloy aluminum trekking "butterfly bars" wrapped in Velo-Orange hand sewn elk hide over Brooks leather handlebar tape
Zoom adjustable open-faced stem
Metal Haro bar plugs

Accessories:
Brooks B-67 pre-aged sprung saddle
No-name super-strong, super-long aluminum seat post
Rivendell-designed Mikashima (MKS) aluminum Grip King pedals
Knee Savers pedal extensions
Japanese brass bell
Strange looking beehive bell
Cateye Velo 8 cyclocomputer
Zefal HPX tire pump
Nitto front rack
Blackburn rear rack
1940ās copper flashlight with Velo-Orange mounting brackets
No-name flashing rear light
Velo-Orange handlebar bag (Bags are not shown in these pics)
Nigel Smythe Olive Plaid Country Bag
Zefal S-Cage high-tensile resin water bottle cage
Two Fish water bottle cage
2 Trek Soho Aluminum insulated coffee mugs used as water bottles
Leather chain guards
Greenfield kickstand

Gremlin Bell - (Not shown in these pics) - So the story goes; Evil Road Gremlins plague bicyclers and often attach themselves to bikes. In fact, Road Gremlins are responsible for most bikesā problems. As it turns out, they can't bear the presence of a bell. They get trapped in the hollow of the bell and the constant ringing of the bell drives them insane. They lose their grip and fall to the roadway, creating potholes when they hit the surface. The potholes are proof that Gremlin Bells do their job!

jzigurski@comcast.net

This bicycle has been updated - click here for the latest version