I’m doing a sell-off of some stuff from the shop.

Item 1: Saris Thelma 3 hitch bike rack: best design I’ve ever used, clamshell clamps the front wheel, so unusual frames are no problem. Fits a 1-1/4" hitch, carries up to three bikes, and I have extra parts. $250

Item 2: H+Son Track Wheelset: custom made by 718c in Brooklyn; black SL42 H+Son rims black laced (double butted) to Soma hubs (black front, gold rear) though note the fixed side of the hub has some damage, so you run this as a freewheel on the other side or replace the hub. Basically throwing the wheel in with the front. $140

Item 3: Origin 8 Track Wheelset, all white: white on white on white. Unmachined front so you can see some brake smear but very lightly used all around. $75

Pick up if local to the SF Bay Area, otherwise shippable.
Contact me however you can, via comments, PM email etc

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2. Tyre Day and thus the Thickslicks

I hate changing tyres. At least I used to. You have to understand, this comes from twin unpleasant scenarios: too many field tyre changes that usually involved two or three tubes due to pinch flats or valve collap; and home changes where I fought with deep, tight road wheel clincher rims and kevlar bead tyres until my fingers fell off. But a few weeks ago, I went to switch out front wheels on Crook, and it went so smoothly that I decided to take on another wheel with some issues, and that went well too. So, it appeared like my curse was lifted. So last night, I went to town on ALL my remaining wheel projects, while BBQing ‘Honest Dogs’.

Step 01: Beverage. It’s been an unseasonably warm weekend (and new week) here in Northern California, and I spent a lot of it outdoors with the kids, though not riding. So I was in a cool, refreshing drink mood. Hence, sangria for the people.

My tasks were pretty straight-forward: New rear wheel on Crook, so new rubber going on that one; replacing the rubber on the front wheel to match, because I’m a matchy-mcmatch dork, which sort of goes against fixie-hipster science; pulled the white tyres off of the white track wheels, and the black/white Everwears off of the black wheels, because I was inspired at 3am to go white on black, and not in a SugarDVD capacity. Necessarily. Lots of taking off of one rim and applying to another rim, lots of opportunities for exploding tubes and mayhem. Also, kids running around, alcohol and open flame. And a knife. And ladybugs, which are in mating season.

One area in which Lung and I differ is the aesthetics of the THICKSLICK tyres that were released by Freedom last fall. He doesn’t like the big lower case goofy font branding. I actually like it, because it evokes the fat tires of drag racers I saw as a kid (well, saw on TV or whatever) where they had similar lettering. I think it’s cool that the lettering works it’s way down to the contact area of the tyre. I love love love slicks. And after beating myself up skidding on Gatorskin Hardshells (the super-beefy kevlar contis I swear by for distance riding on road bikes and on this bike, even beefier than normal Gatorskins) and basically wasting them, I thought I’d have fun with a fire-and-forget skid tyre.

ThickSlicks are interesting. There’s more there there than I originally thought. I assumed these were cheap rubber tyres like Vittoria Randos that are so soft you can draw on the sidewalk with them on hot days, right. But according to folks I know around town, even the basic model (the Sport version I’m using, vs the beefier kevlar Elite model) lasts forever, even skidding. It’s the principle of mass and how they built the section up. It’s a thick tyre. Noticeably so. And much heavier than others, as a result. They went on pretty easily (after muscling my nearly new Gatorskins off) and look great. And, as of this morning, I can tell you they skid even BETTER.

This was the other project: I took the black Chukker wheels that Joe at 718c made me for the baby bike, Rapscallion, and put white track rubber on them. That bike is getting repainted matte black to match the original frame for that project (the Mixte) so i thought it would be a neat look. They look pretty boss to me.

No explosions, no lacerations, no deaths. Big deal, some tyre swaps. But this is an area in which Chiaramonte’s Misfortune Principle generally applies in quantity. So yay.

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The Surly Moonlander is just one of many ‘FAT BIKE’ offerings. 80+mm rims, anyone?

I thought my 29er felt bug…

http://surlybikes.com/bikes/moonlander

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it’s been a long time since i’ve put a process log up on this bike (formerly called "bianchiWhite"), and in that time, i’ve gotten a lot done. in fact, i got everything done except for wrapping the bars and installing pedals and a chain. but i couldn’t really do much of that until i got to the big scary part. scary in that i’ve never done it before — mounting the tubular tyres.

as you may or may not remember/care, i’m trying to keep this bike MOSTLY vintage. it’s got a modern saddle on it, as well as a modern crankset (which will change to vintage one day), and modern hubs. but everything else is vintage or NOS. this is why i chose to go with tubular tyres. but tubulars, while much lighter and arguably stronger than typical road clinchers, require a lot of technique and madness to install. they have no inner tubes and they’re glued onto the rims, then held in place by the pressure you pump into them. the glue is pressure activated, so the higher the tyre pressure, the tighter they are.

anyway, it’s a fucking toxic affair, requiring latex gloves and a painter’s mask and messy glue and sandpaper and all manner of bullshit waiting around for shit to dry or not completely dry or whateverthefuck, but i got both tyres mounted over the weekend and it looks BALLER. over the next couple days i’ll string the chain and wrap the bars, then install pedals some time next week.

stoked!

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As you may have read in my previous posts, I was bouncing around a bit on my future Kid Carrier Cargo Bike, also known as the Team Lope Junior Squad Project. I settled on an Xtracycle conversion for maximum flexibility, and then decided further that the cost of a new entry-level bike would be less than the cost of the necessary components and frame mods for a conversion on one in my stable. I had planned on pushing the whole project out until the summer when I would actually need to carry two kids, or at least when the second kid was nearing ride age and the first kid was heavier, but I found a bike I really liked and had a great deal ON it, thanks to a combination of discounted price (on a small set of these the shop got in from their supplier, qty: 4) member discount (offered for members of gyms, 10%) and cashback on the card used (5% more)… so that, combined with the relative scarcity of this bike (Cannondale doesn’t allow their bikes to be sold through internet sites, only local shops, apparently, though I think you can get around this by walking in, or using a proxy, to make the sale locally and then having them ship) and my general distate for most factory bikes, I pulled the trigger.

I haven’t ridden a mountain bike of my own since 1998, and of any kind since about 2001 (actually, precisely 2001, as Monkeybiktes and I were on a mountain bike adventure when the Twin Towers were attacked) so I caveat my comments in the following ways: I’m not an avid mountain biker, I’m not buying this to ride mountains, and I haven’t purchased a factory bike since what, 1999-2000 (Toro)… so I am justifiably impressed with the value/quality/economy ratio these days, on at least some bikes. This is a future cargo bike. But I rode it this weekend for a test run, and this is what happened.

SICK!

Now, I caveat further that I spend 90% of my time on fixies and 10% on a road bike, so even knowing that I was hopping on a heavier bike with rolling resistance, upright riding position, suspension and low gear ratio, I was nonetheless very aware of these differences. The Cannondale Trail SL 29er 4 is second from the bottom in Cannondale’s 29er series of bikes, of which there are two models. As you go up the line, you get different frame materials, different componentry, and as a result, different weight. I liked this bike for the general look of it, the strange color, the minimal, subtle branding second only to none at all, and the feel. It retails for $900. So, setting aside any discounts or sweet, sweet deals, we’re talking about a fully rideable, aesthetically pleasing mountain bike with the big wheels, for under a grand. I really didn’t anticipate, prior to my research, anything being available under $1500, with whatever might be available before that being department store generics. So, right off the bat, super impressive what you can get for your money today.

Weight: This is not a light bike. Being contextually aware, no mountain bike is going to be ‘light’ by my standards from my other rides, and the big 29er wheels only make this more so. However, I polled a friend who rides under Mt. Tam Bike’s colors and his sweet, high-grade 29er was approximately 23 pounds. Cannondale reviews seem to bring this bike in stock between 29-30 pounds depending on frame size. It is an aluminum frame with a 21 speed groupo and front shocks, big 29er rims and giant knobby tyres. You could thin it up considerably by changing components and of course, aim at the wheels, offering heavy rotational weight. But here’s my thing: it’s a cargo bike. two kids plus groceries? Weight becomes meaningless, as long as you have gears.

Ride: So, first of all, on a mountain bike you’re upright more than you would be on a road bike and most fixie riding positions. With the bigger wheels, I feel even more upright than normal, because I remember how it felt to ride my old mountain bikes. You feel like these wheels are like pennyfarthing beasts, even though technically? 29ers are 700c rims, just like road wheels. Just much wider. But the mountain bike standard is 26" and it’s noticeable. I decided on a 29er instead of a regular mountain bike because liked the idea of more power at the pedals, but really that just means power to the pedals similar to what I would generally expect from all of my 700c bikes, right? But you hop on a 26" wheel mountain bike and you notice the difference. So, on this, you’re upright, but you’re comfortable. The front suspension offers 80mm float, which is sort of in the middle for this general grade of component, which could be down to 50mm or as high as 110mm from what I’ve seen in an unscientific poll. This is important for mountain riding, less for cargo bikery, but even on the road, the suspension is a magical thing coming from years of purely suspension-free riding. Sure, it sucks your power, but on the other hand, the cushion! I like the turning and the maneuverability of the bike. Normal MTB people criticize cornering issues with the bigger wheels, and most critics AND marketers of 29ers point to bigger wheels as being an entry-to-mountain-biking feature, offering more forgiveness when hitting obstacles and holes, at the expense of cornering and handling that a skilled MTBer would expect. But I don’t really know if that is measurable in a meaningful way. I’ve read plenty of those claims and plenty counter-claims. Maybe of note to you. For my use, no. There’s also micro-suspension at the wheelstays.

Look: The color ‘saffron’ is unusual for factory bikes, and the subtle branding especially so. Look at Cannondale’s range of MTBs and it’s the only one like it, and this is the variant of the main SL 29er 4, which is garish. It’s the thing they do with some of the variants on the CAAD road bike line, too. You can’t peel the graphics, but you can easily ignore them. And that’s before stickerbombing. The rest of the bike is black hole black. Pretty gorgeous.

Components: entry level to just above. If you look at department store generics or special discount bikes like through Performance, many times you’ll see a tier below the bottom level for the name factory bikes and well-known component groups. In previous years, Cannondale did use some less-familiar generic components on the SL 4 and SL 5 but for 2012 the group is Shimano and Cannondale-branded (in the case of the brakes). I assume entry level in weight, but functionally smooth. I would also assume that another factor in MTB components is durability. Entry-level components being more prone to being smashed to atoms by rocks and such. Dunno. So far, so good.

Braking, Special Category: This is not so much specific to this bike, but in general, my reason for using this type of bike was disc brakes. I wanted the additional braking power for the heavy weight of the bike when loaded, and while I know there’s lots of arguments about true braking capability of calipers vs cantis vs disc in all sorts of scenarios, it just made me feel better to upsize to hydraulic brakes, and thus, I did. And yes, they stop on a dime. Or rather, would if you didn’t sweep the back out on a skid, ha.

Reviews have suggested that this is the best value in its class (the $1000 aluminim hardtail 29er) but I can’t say anything of the sort, with no personal experience with any other bike. I can say, however, that it suits me just fine!

Specs:
http://www.cannondale.com/2012/bikes/mo … er-4-20758

Into it!

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So, when I first started planning the bike capable of carrying 2 kids plus groceries, it was between a Metrofiet, CETMA, and an Xtracycle Conversion. The CETMA was the most awesome, the Xtracycle the most reasonable. I settled on the Xtracycle. In Team Lope Junior Squad Project Version 1.0, I imagined building out of a mountain bike, specifically a 29er, giving me the option of breaking free and riding it if I wanted, in a conventional mountain biking scenario. I waffled a bit between the 29er and a 26" MTB standard, each offering advantages and disadvantages. Then, this past week, I started plotting the conversion of Rapscallion INTO the cargo bike. Sure, it’s a fixed gear, but why not? The Xtracycle has a derailleur mount, grab the extra parts needed, and run with it!

Over the last few days, though, I did more research. For one thing, I was really hot for using disc brakes on this project, for some added stopping power with that rear load on these hills, as I plan to ride said hills. Nay, I plan to RAHHHHDE them. That would require a fork with disc brake mounts, and a new front wheel. Plus disc brake system, front and rear. Next, I’d need a second brake and brake lever, both of which I have in the shop. Next, bigger tyres for stability, keeping within the size limitation of the Xtracycle Free Radical frame. Next, full drivetrain (front and rear deraiileurs, new rear wheel with cassette. So, basically, almost a full kit. Then, Lung advised I check rear dropout spacing, and sure enough, even with the 700c Free Radical kit, I’m 10-15mm short on the fixie frame.

Hm.

So I did some more research, went and did some field checks, and I think I have the new solution, Version 2.0, which is basically Version 1.0. I gave it a new version number because technically Version 1.5, the fixed conversion, slipped in there. I think I still like the 29er configuration. Little bit less maneuverable at low speeds, but much higher rolling speed per gear and easier over rough terrain. I spend all my time on road and fixed bikes anyway, so the 29er (the MTB industry can’t say 700c because, you know…) is a comfortable size for me. I tested the bike I was interested in today, and it felt VERY comfortable. I did the math: using a new bike was cheaper than a conversion. By a mile. I found the bike I was interested in, in my size, on sale, and test rode it. THis never happens to me, mind you, because I haven’t bought a built bike at a shop since what… 2000? Wow.

So, the new-old plan is thus:

Cannondale Trail SL 29er 4 in ‘Saffron’
Disc brakes, front suspension, 21 speeds, wide rims.

Xtracycle Free Radical Family Kit, with 2 seats, flight deck board and side panniers.
(I’ll get one seat first, the second in later summer)

And for tyres, switch out for sweet sweet Schwalbe Kodiak slicks.
I need the narrower tyre for the Xtracycle clearance, and I’m generally not planning single-track off-road rides with the kids and a bag full of eggs.

On track!

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At the time these photographs were taken, I built up Carpetbagger, the Coupled travel bike, almost entirely over the course of an evening, stopping as seen above, with only a steerer tube cut, brake stringing and chain away from ride-out.

When I went to install the headset, I had some trouble because the home-brew headset cup press I made was mere centimeters too short. It drove me nuts trying to finagle it, so I eventually put it down and took it in to Tam Bikes, where MASH’s Dylan pressed them for me quick-snap. Actually, he admitted there was some difficulty with them, but he got it up IN there.

Back home, I dropped the bottom bracket in that night and built up the bike as you see it above. A note about that: I’m using a Sugino 75 kit that rode to LA as part of Team Hype’s Magnus’ Cinelli X MASH build. He kept it in pretty good shape, so I took it off his hands when he was liquidating before leaving for Japan, at the same time Team Lope pal Ryan was grabbing his frame. The Sugino 75 cranks can use a conventional sealed BB but he had a nice 75-stamped cup and cone and I took that too. Unlike the cup and cone BB’s I restored on Wrongbike and Ye Blacke Death, this wasn’t thirty or forty years old. I won’t say the others weren’t smooth, but this was like butter. The crankset and BB are noticeably lighter than the Messengers I used on several other bikes. I’d love to compare them to my Dura Ace cranks on Villain. Frankly, the specs are out there. But as someone who counts pizzas, not grams, it’s unusual for me to worry about weight on a build. But since Carpetbagger is intended to be a travel bike, I wanted it light, and so the rims and the cranks, my two heavier components usually, are much lighter here.

Side note: when I was up on the deck trying not to lose headset parts or let my daughter get all greeeeeazzy with her probing digits, I noticed some damage to the frame. Now, I will admit that at one point she waltzed over and drop kicked it onto the BBQ. But I think that accounts for a to-steel scratch on the seat tube. However, there’s a dent in the top tube and another lower on the seat tube, both under paint. Frankly, I think my pwdercoater isn’t very gentle. Remember, same crew that warped Wrongbike’s forks until they were about 14mm too narrow!
But forewarned is forearmed.

Again, another unfortunate defect: a powdercoating fail on the head tube! Fortunately, the scratch on the seat tube and the fail onthe head tube would ultimately be covered by custom vinyl, and the dents? Well, realistically, this is all just new-build glamor consideration. Once the bike is packed and shipped a few times, I’ll be amazed it there’s any paint LEFT on it. Travel bikes don’t stay pretty for long, even protected by tube insulation.

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I recently pulled Ghostal apart, after offering up it’s last rites. I really loved this bike, but in the interest of streamlining the Hangar and making room for other projects, this was the bike I selected to be disassembled.

I had initially hoped to sell it built-up, but the reality is that even when you work from a budget frame as this Origin 8 was, if you use new, reasonably good components, you’re not going to be able to recoup that investment on a cold sale. People spending a good amount of money on a fixie want it either to be custom built to their specs, or super cheap, or incredibly rare. I can dig it. I don’t want to buy complete bikes, and unlike 718c’s haunts, we aren’t as fluch with freshly-minted-hipsters looking for fixed-gears ready made out here in Marin. Anyway…

I didn’t put a ton of miles in on this bike, but really the only wear and tear was the front rim, which shows the streaking from the brake pads on the painted, non-machined rims, which will have to be cleaned off before sale.

Man I still love this collage of skulls used to cover up all the Origin 8 graphics that were dodgily located UNDER the clearcoat. Custom design!

And now, the frame and a few other parts are ready to be sold off. Sort of looks kidnapped…

Anyway, most of the components migrated to the new build, so overall, it was a good recycling. But I’m still nostalgic for the Ghostal as a ride. Steel, solid, supple even. It was just smooth. I really enjoyed it.

Pour your sip out!

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I was reading a thing about the ‘M40′ carbon tubular rim Thor Hushovd’s team is using (it’s deep, but rider than some, which helps on cobbles) and came across a photo that answered my duh-obvious question about carbon rims: how you create a braking surface without destroying the carbon. The answer appears to be an applied finish. That is all. Nothing earth-shattering here, I just wondered if the carbon was bonded to a titanium or other lightweight metal perimeter rim… apparently not. I’m no spring chicken, but I weigh approximately 33 of them, so carbon rims will never be for me…

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/03/ … t/mavic2-3

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The latest Flor catalog features a single-speed, looks like maybe a Republic or similar factory build… by the looks of the rims, well-used, perhaps one of the staff’s?

I choose to believe it belongs to the wearer of these hot hot heels…

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