recent non-work reading

I read all sorts of stuff on the internets. Most of the time it is related to linux in some way or another. Last weekend, however, I found the collection of bridgestone bicycles catalogues collected by the late Sheldon Brown. The earlier ones look a lot like most bike catalogues. The last 3 years are, however, different.

The 1994 catalogue in particular has some interesting pages worth reading:

Pages 6 and 7 making things last

Page 11 beeswax – nature’s loctite

Page 20 more than I ever knew about butted tubing and how to make it

Page 26 all about the virtues of wool – something miss chang agrees with heartily

Pages 51 onward – all about how various metals are made and at what environmental cost

I was utterly fascinated by them. Of course bridgestone no longer makes bicycles, however, the people who made bridgestone bicycles in this era have gone on to found rivendell bicycle works. Look over there for some of the most gorgeous bicycles you’ll ever see.