Monday leftovers: Random bike porn and commentary

I love my Stumpjumper FSR, which being three years old now, is beginning to look a bit like a '55 Chevy compared to today's models. I like the way they've flattened the lines. I don't like the way they've gone all dizzy high end with carbon-tube nonsense and wheelsets that cost more than a small pony. (By the waY, nice article here, from the Blue Collar folks, regarding spendy bikes.) But because Specialized is hands-down the best designed stock bike company in full suspension territory, and because I fall in love all over again every time I point and shoot the old garden weasel down the singletrack... this is what my bike would look like with a face lift and a boob job and a Brazilian wax. She'd certainly look better in my basement, but I'm not sure she'd ride any better. She's mine, I love her, and I'm not trading her in.



Now I'm still working on converting the old Indie Fab into a singlespeed, but in the meantime I noticed that IF has reintroduced the LUG! 'Course, it's in connection with this insane carbon/ti concoction, but look at those friggin lugs. I've always dug the cartoonish Somerville Castle, IF crown, and the Outcast-style logo. Now they've taken the crown motif into the laser-cutting room. They seem to be taking a few pointers from Bob Brown-- that's his astonishing "dragon fly" custom lugged bike below.



Bob Brown's custom lug work:



Now, about that "erectile dysfunction" we were talking about earlier...