For show and tell this week, I present to you my pedal powered steeds.

Zeke: 

Zeke is my main ride, an Apollo Pepper. I've not done all that much modification - he's basically as new, except for the toe straps and cages (I got some decent ones after destroying the plastic cages through skid stopping and pedal strike). This bike is fast, and sexy, and I love him dearly. I've even ridden him around the hills a bit, before getting my other bike. 

Princess:

Princess is the current project bike, and what I'll do with her I'm not really sure. She has a bit of a story, and there is a reason behind the name. In December/January I stayed in Hobart for about three weeks, and we decided it'd be a great idea to get some second hand bikes, and do some real sight seeing. So we got a lift to the Hobart tip shop, which is possibly the best shop anyone has ever been to, ever. A combination of op-shop and hoarder's backyard, the tip shop has pretty much anything you could imagine. My friends picked up a couple of old-ish, but serviceable mountain bikes for about $30 each, but then I saw this, and knew I had to have it. 

This was probably the most expensive decision I made in three weeks. The bike cost me about $50 at the tip shop, but I soon discovered that the tyres were pretty old and crap, and totally unable to hold air in them for more than about 5-10 minutes.  A quick roll down the hill to the closest bike store, and I had new tyres, and new tubes (there goes another $70), and a hand-pump ($20). I caught a bus back to our digs in north Hobart, and set to fixing the bike up. 

Turns out we didn't have any tools in the house, whatsoever. An adjustable spanner set me back $20, just so I could take the almost-rusted-on wheels off, and I managed to use the rear end of some forks, rather than buying tyre levers.

Eventually, I got her workable, and I maintain that it was worth it. My $160 may seem a lot for a barely serviceable bike when compared to the $30 each my friends shelled out,  but now I had a bike that was (comparatively) fast. 

The name princess is because compared to any other options, she was the best of the bunch, but she's also been high maintenance and very expensive.

n.b. the break levers on princess are fantastic - I've not seen ones like them before, but they have the standard drop down levers, and then a second lever you can grab if you have your hands flat.

If anyone can give me some clue to the model and year of princess, that'd be awesome. (she's a malvern star) 

Bike 3 (as yet unnamed) :

this bike I ride when that strange sensation takes me and I feel like I absolutely must get into the hills. When torture and enjoyment become the same thing, this is there to facilitate my pain/fun. I got her second hand at uni (she was chained to a tree with a note and a phone number, I called, and three days later had a new bike. She's un-branded, and has an assortment of components. a little heavy, she's not quite as quick as Zeke on the flat, but then, that's not where I ride her is it. 

I've not been able to decide on a name yet, so any suggestions would be welcome.

And that's that, the three bikes I can proudly call my own.