Welcome to My "Country Bike" Web Page.
650B Rocks !




I think I'm "finished" with the build now and have things the way I want them.


Click on the image to see "Louis" from his other side.
Click here for a picture of the Bruce Gordon tail lights. I used two so I could have one on steady and one blinking. This required the manufacture of a special stand-off for the drive side.
Click here for a picture of the Albatros handlebars
Click here for a picture of the tail lights from the other side as well as the kick-stand.

Here is where I will discuss my recent interest in bicycles classed as "Country Bikes", and what I am doing about that interest. My daughter, Paige, recently purchased a Rivendell Custom and excessed her Bridgestone MB-6 which I happily took off her hands and brought to San Diego to live for a while. The Bridgestone was named "Black Betty" because of her paint color and after the work song "Black Betty". Click here for my Black Betty page.

I have been riding a Haluzak recumbent for several years and Betty was my chance to give upright, diamond-frame bike riding another chance. We have beeen seriously thinking about making time to ride some of America's Rail-Trails and the recumbents are not well suited to that kind of riding. After riding Black Betty a while, I found that I like this style and would like to have a Country Bike as an alternative to the recumbent - *NOT* - as replacement. I love my Haluzak for many reasons, not the least of which is the extreme comfort. I'll also continue to ride the Wizwheels TerraTrike because it's different and it is a lot of fun.

RAGBRAI has been a serious passion for several years. I did the ride across Iowa three times on a Giant Kronos and four times on my Haluzak Horizon. There is no doubt in my mind that the Haluzak is *THE* bike for this kind of ride. Kay has done the ride ten times - once on a Schwinn LeTour, three times on a Peugeot, four times on a Cannondale R1000, once on the TerraTrike, and once on her Haluzak Hybrid Leprachaun.

Black Betty was an experiment to see how a Country bike and I got along. She is quite a bit too small for me but did allow me to learn that such a bike should be part of my stable. At just about the same time I came to this realzation, I read the Rivendell announement of the Bleriot, a new lower price point in the Rivendell Bicycle Works line, in the Rivendell Reader # 37. I knew that that was the bike for me. Black Betty's frame has now been reconstituted as a utility bike after being robbed of parts needed for Louis. Time will tell what service she will see.

The following links are Bleriot project files and images. This collection will grow as the project reaches completion. Visit often to witness progress.


Click here to see Rivendell's Bleriot brochure.
"Louis" as he appeared at the beginning of our first ride. Louis was elivered to my LBS by QBP on 5/17/06, I didn't take delivery until after return from vacation on 5/26. I almost finished the build by 5/29 - enough to take the first 5 minute test ride just before midnight. On 5/30 we headed out for the first real test ride. It was a great success! What was left to do? Tape and wrap the bars, install the kickstand, install the Honjo fenders and do a little final tweeking. All but the fenders were finished on 5/30. The following links are to six photos taken in the garage: Picture 1 Picture 2 Picture 3 Picture 4 Picture 5 Picture 6
Louis is sufficiently complete now that I can consider him "my ride". I will not give up my Haluzak Horizon recumbent for it has a large set of very admirable features that continue to attract me. Louis, however, has his own fascinating personality. I'll ride him a lot and enjoy every minute. Louis climbs better and handles with greater ease in traffic. He also is expected (but not yet proven) to be a champion of the "Rail Trail" scene. I'll get my changce to prove that when we actually get out and on a trail that is not hard surfaced. Will Louis and I do a RAGBRAI? Time will tell. It is really nice riding across Iowa on the recumbent as if I were just sitting back and relaxing in a lawn chair.

Rivendell's Bleriot announcement as read in RR#37.
A built-up Bleriot with a set of Nigel Smyth bags as published by Grant P.
Bleriot Frame as pictured in the QBP 2006 catalog.
Bleriot QBP built whole bike as pictured in the QBP 2006 catalog.
Cyclofiend's Bleriot page.
Frameset as seen at Interbike, October 2005.
My Bleriot Project spreadsheet of build parts and tools needed for the build.
Gain-Ratios calculation as I will build my Bleriot.
Gear-Inches calculation.
Bleriot frames at the builder after painting.
My kickstand taped and twined as a practice for doing my Albatross bars - I'll probably keep it this way.

Bleriot Badge: Photo courtesy of Grant Peterson.
Bleriot Seat Tube Decal: Photo courtesy of Grant Peterson.
Bleriot Down Tube Decal: Photo courtesy of Grant Peterson.
Bleriot Front View: Photo courtesy of Grant Peterson.
Bleriot Frame Side View: Photo courtesy of Grant Peterson.

Click here for pictures and specs for JimD's built Bleriot photos and specs.

Click here for a picture of Stephan Vance's Rivendell built Bleriot.
Here , on Sheldon Brown's Interbike 2005 page, are some more Bleriot pictures and a link to a PodCast of an interview with Grant Peterson about the Bleriot his bike philosophy.