Team Lope Tyre Clubbe » brake

Fixed-Gear Sale: Ghostal $595

wrongrobot — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 04:57:03 +0000

Ghostal for sale. This was my first bike build on a brand new track frame rather than a conversion. It’s up for $595 obo (Price reduced by a hundy)

This is a complete build, assembled from scratch. The build is tight and true, and the bike rides very smooth.

Current Build:
- Origin 8 Del Pasado Frame/Fork with custom vinyl
- white on white pre-built Fixed wheelset
- white track tyres
- Cardiff leather saddle, white (brand new, already Proofide treated)
- Velo Orange stem and headset
- Nitto Bullhorns with Keirin grips
- Paul Comp cross lever (hard to find, brand new, aluminum)
- Shimano Ultegra brake
- Sugino cranks
- Shimano A530 pedals

The saddle that comes with the bike is the white Cardiff saddle, not the Brooks. The brake lever pictured has been replaced with a streamlined Paul Comp lever as noted. Bike is very clean; Will be sold with brake but you may sell the brake back to me for $20 if you don’t want to use one. That’s your call!

Make sure to contact me early if you want this bike. I will be in and out all weekend, so use phone: four one 5 4 six 5 272 four or email ( wrongrobot at thirdraildesignlab dot com) ASAP to set something up…

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The Fourth Hand

wrongrobot — Fri, 03 Sep 2010 22:27:11 +0000

When my guy at my LBS helped me adjust the derailleur on Villain, I noted he was using a very awesome tool, referred to as the ‘third hand’ in that shop. Obviously that’s a name you’d want to buy the tool for, regardless of what it does.

The industry actually knows it as the ‘Fourth Hand’ because it serves the purpose of two hands… just by the time you subtract a hand holding it, you’re down to three. But you COULD let it hang, back up to—-

– OK, dork out over. Anyway, it clamps the brake or shift cable in place and then locks that position, nice and tight, so you can hold a nut or clamp and allen it with the other hand.

I’ve done 3,000 brake cable adjustments now without it. FINALLY I have the damn thing.

Ironically, I suppose, it’s not needed on center-pull brakes like YBD, which constitute the most recent 2,999 of those adjustments.

But fohwahhhhhd!

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Bike Build Process Log: Ye Blacke Death – Over the Moon

wrongrobot — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 23:54:19 +0000

So, Ye Blacke Death has been ride-able for 24 hours now. I mean, it goes and it stops, both reliably.

So, while it’s not yet complete, I do have thoughts.

Test Ride 1 was the coffee run last weekend that saw most of my coffee land in and over the front rack, being unsecured, plus was the ride I learned I had both a high-gearing issue AND a baby seat clearance issue. Subsequently, I swapped out the Nitto moustache bars for big-ass moon bars. This provides the necessary clearance to ride with the baby up ON there. I also swapped out the vintage hood lever for a BMX lever and restrung the brake cable 33 more times.

Test Ride 2: Wraps Run

So the bars are on, the brake strung, seemed to be in order, so i headed out. First thing I noticed was that despite cinchin’ it, the bars still moved in the stem clamp. So I was carrying all my tools in me pockets as I do on test rides, so I was able to really muscle it more and get it tighter. Good. Second thing I noticed was that the brakes were still just a bit too soft. It’s hard to finesse center-pulls like this. You under-do it and they slip, and over-do it and the cable get s smashed and frayed. So I stopped and adjusted again. Little better, not perfect.

I also noticed that riding with moon bars is kind of awkward. It’s fun, but when you’re used to the drops or the bulls, pitched forward, this position is kind of strange. You’re pushing pedals differently too, with your body geometry changing in that position. But as far as the first real RAHHHDE of any distance, it worked. It’s smooth, cushy. LAID BACK.

I brought back some wraps and a salad using the front basket, and used my webbing to hold it down. Worked AWESOME.

Test Ride 3: Commute

So after the ride last night, this morning I was able to do some more brake adjustment (still not perfect) and a few other things, and I was good to go.

Lung warned that my gearing was still likely too high. He’s right. I came down from my accidental 300 inchgear or whatever, but my chain was broken too small now, so i couldn’t get it back up to the bigger ‘pie plate cogs’ because I don’t have enough chain. So I installed the biggest I could fit, which was an 18. That’s still a 78 inchgear. Not terribly comfortable int he upright. Doable certainly in drops, but this is different. Add the short hills to get to my house. Add 20+ pounds of Wee Z! So yep, need a new chain.

I also found that man, it’s hard to adjust to those wide hand-positions. I kept instinctively slipping down to the stem to ride more comfortably as I do on Crook, but of course with a baby seat installed that wouldn’t be possible, so I tried to force myself to stay in position. Overall, fun ride, but need to do more adjustments. Possibly a drainpipe post, as I’m feeling a little forward from where I want to be, just like with Fix-e back in the day. I just happen to have Fix-e’s old one, so we’ll see.

I headed over to the stoe to get some groceries, and to Peet’s to get my coffee. Again with the webbing, this time pushing more of the limits of the reach of the net. Worked great. My bag was about 20 pounds too, and the bike handled well. That’s a good sign. Coffee in there too, nice and snug.

Test Ride 4: Afternoon Coffee Run

Yes, that’s a lot of coffee, i know.
Anyway, this time I webbed the coffee cup vertically close to the stem-side of the basket, and it worked like a dream. Even better than my modified gimbal on wrongBike. Narry a drip spilled.
Little more used to the bars now.

Please note the sweet, sweet sticker I through on here, courtesy of TRDL R3 Lieutenant Akua!

All in all, good rides. I’m heading over to get yet another chain tonight and replacement grips. Don’t be fooled by that red wrap. That’s just the under-wrap to the cork grips. I had to break one off to get the moustache bars off, which was crumbling from some cracks anyway. So more to come.

Onward! Next ride, lower gear, proper grips, bell and BABY! If all goes well…

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Seabase in Your Face

wrongrobot — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 20:35:56 +0000

OK, so i do NOT condone helmetless, brakeless riding through the Swiss Alps. MADNESS. However, wow.

I mean, WOW.

http://cutterskink.blogspot.com/2010/08 … imsel.html

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Bike Build Process Log: Ye Blacke Death – Laid back

wrongrobot — Mon, 30 Aug 2010 21:28:26 +0000

Last time I mentioned a few logistical details prevented YBD from working as a Z transportation vehicle: brakes, gearing and ride position (you know, little details)…

I’ve been hard at work solving the brake issue, with experiments in alternate brake levers and re-stringing the brakes 33 times.

I changed the gearing. Posts to follow on those efforts.

Today my handlebar alternate arrived. While by no means as FUN as sweet, sweet moustache bars, I think this will let me sit up and out of the way of Z’s seat. Experiment tonight forthcoming!

Look at that pic. wrongbike shown for scale.

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craig passero lotek edit

ironlung — Sat, 28 Aug 2010 23:08:01 +0000

there’s only one or two big baller moves in here, but the TECH in THIS edit is insane. he’s stringing 3- and 4-trick lines together in like zero space.

my favorites are the triple stepDown nose manual at 0:30 (brakeless, note), and the 3-stair gap barspin to bench to 360 noseBonk at 1:35. INSANE.

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incredible freeman transport – locked on battery

ironlung — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 23:10:36 +0000

on my way from a work lunch thing today, i passed by perhaps the most beautiful bike i’ve seen outside the beloved team lope stable. perhaps even within the team lope stable.

it’s a coupled freeman transport, with coaster brake and raw metal finish. and it. is. incredible.

in it’s full glory.

nekkid bars and beautiful headbadge.

fucking brazed-on downtube badge and meaty 32c tyre in cream.

closeup of the top tube coupler and the brooks saddle.

coaster brake and gorgeous track dropouts.

i mean, i don’t often drool over strange bikes, even when their owners aren’t around, but this one deserves every drop i spill on it. just an amazing townie.

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Bike Build Process Log: Ye Blacke Death – Rubber Hits Road

wrongrobot — Mon, 23 Aug 2010 20:38:58 +0000

Well, Ye Blacke Death is finally finished! Finished in the since, of course, that it rolls and pedals and steers and mostly stops, not that there’s not much more to do. But this was the day that I was able to get it rolling and do some tests. Any build, I’m secretly relieved when it doesn’t explode on it’s maiden voyage. Weirder frames and pieces parts and I wonder a little more about that result. I wasn’t going to throw wee Z on here and hurtle down the hill, but I did want to get out and see what needed adjustment and how it held up.

As you can see, it came together pretty nicely. The bobike fits on a a bracket that seats on the quill, and is removable in under 7 seconds. You can pull the clamp off as well and it’s like it was never there, or leave the clamp on and use the cotter pin to remove the seat. Even on the bike, there’s no interference with the front rack.

The combination of matte black, laquered wood, leather and chrome work well together. It has an old timey vibe, but some new school details. More interestingly to me, it’s the most frankenbike build I’ve done, even more than Fix-e was, and it doesn’t LOOK like it. I think it looks like it rolled new off the assembly line of one of your vintagy commuter bike shops.
Most importantly, it came together how I envisioned it, with the black rims and knobbies, the little gleams on the chrome, the general geometry…

Wee Z even helped with spoke tension inspection. Not at speed.

So, what’s left: well, a lot. Some adjustments are required before it can really do what it was intended to do. See, I tried to hop on it and almost became a eunuch. The Bobike is low and back, so you cradle your precious cargo in your arms as you ride. But for most bikes, that means interference with your riding position. I could get between the seat and the Bobike, but I couldn’t get UP onto my seat. Absolutely no-go if there was a child up in there.

I was sort of resigned to the idea that maybe the seat wouldn’t work out (it was designed for upright commuters in Denmark with adjustable stems and that vertical clearance) and that I’d be putting the rear rack on. But I did some research last night and was reminded, thanks to www.longleafbicycles.com why i got my long quill stem in the first place. I was going about this the wrong way: I thought the clearance problem would be the seat being too much in my face, so I was pushing it farther and farther down the stem, to no avail. As it turns out, it needs to be HIGHER, which is counter-intuitive, I have to admit. That’s where the ginormous stem came in. So this morning, I raised the seat high on the stem (didn’t yet actually increase stem height) and equally-as-important, lowered the SEAT. It made all the difference, and it worked. AWESOME.

Another issue is the brake. I’m a mile from where I started: I have sticky salmon pads, a new center-pull caliper, and I spent a LOT of time stringing and restringing it, which is made more aggravating with this vintage of equipment because of having to use double- wrenches on the hanger nuts. I was too weak in stopping power on my test ride, which was after about three stringings already… and then I adjusted it and am now too tight, so i need to let out about 3mm of cable. But I’m close.

The cork handles, which were kind of an experiment anyway, were 50/50. One went on great, and one shredded like you’d expect thin, true cork to do. Wifebot(tm) suggested glue but i don’t think it’ll hold together very long, so if I keep using these, I’ll be replacing one.

The bars, which LOOK rad, once again may not work, just as has happened on my other rides.

The sweep brings you too far forward, and I think I’ll interfere with comfortable positioning when Z is on there. So i may have to switch to sway, or boulevard, bars. I’ll be looking at that tonight.

Lastly, when I set out on the test ride, I was like DAMN this is a bitch. What is UP. The gearing was higher than I anticipated. I discovered the culprit. Remember how I was messing around with different combinations of cranks and chainrings? I ended up going with a 53, not the 39 I started with. Makes a teeeny bit of difference.

I calculated the inchgear at a gruesome 101. GAH.

I’m putting a 20 on the back tonight, getting it back down to my comfortable low-70s.

All in all though, very exciting and satisfying day.

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Fixie For Sale: Ghostal $695

wrongrobot — Fri, 20 Aug 2010 19:02:17 +0000

Ghostal for sale. This was my first bike build on a brand new track frame rather than a conversion. It’s up for $695 obo

This is a complete build, assembled from scratch. The build is tight and true, and the bike rides very smooth. You have the option of Nitto bullhorn bars or Soma Walker drops, which I will mount for you while you wait.

Current Build:
- Origin 8 Del Pasado Frame/Fork with custom vinyl
- white on white pre-built Fixed wheelset
- white track tyres
- Cardiff leather saddle, white (brand new, already Proofide treated)
- Velo Orange stem and headset
- Nitto Bullhorns with Keirin grips; or Soma Walker drops with same grips
- Paul Comp cross lever (hard to find, brand new, aluminum)
- Shimano Ultegra brake
- Sugino cranks
- Shimano A530 pedals

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A Bike Braking Crooked Can Never Stop Straight

wrongrobot — Thu, 19 Aug 2010 21:59:46 +0000

So I’m finessing little things about Crook, week by week, as I rahhhhde. The current objective has been improved braking. On Crook 1.0 I had the advantage of proper brake hood leverage, so even in the mid-20s on some of those gnarly descents (which was HARD to keep it that slow, witness Lung going 35mph past me) I could really get some good clampage as needed. Wth Crook Type 3, I started with a sweet, sweet aluminum cross lever from Paul Comp, but I’m not getting enough brake torque for my preference. It mostly has to do with the angle of the cable routing, I think, as the caliper’s side-pull assembly is on the same side as my lever, being right-handed. So I’ve been playing around.

My current experiment utilizes Ghostal’s shot lever, this time mounted a little differently. I’m making good use of that flex housing as well… I played with this a bit this morning, trying a few things, and I now at least have a lot more leverage. We’ll see how this works…

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