Jim Langley's Bicycle Beat

How to Install and Position Clipless Pedal Cleats

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Thu, 06 Jan 2022 23:27:00 +0000

It's a new year and right off my friend Tim asked the great question, "How do I position the cleats on my new shoes, Jim?"

That subject is perfect for anyone just getting into cycling in 2022 or someone who has upgraded to clipless pedals or who just needs to install cleats on shoes, like Tim. To help, I wrote this article and made the video below in this blog post.

Please note that if you're reading this blog post in your email, you will not see the video. You'll need to go to my blog to see it or click this link to go to my YouTube channel to view it.

My video - How to Install Clipless Cleats

Clipless pedals - one of the most important cycling inventions

I can't help but reminisce when thinking about clipless pedals and setting cleats. Before clipless we used toe clips and straps. In case it's not obvious, the "clip" in "clipless" comes from toe clips.

Toe clips and straps worked but had issues. The straps could cut off the circulation to your feet. Your toes could hit the toe clips. The straps and clips would chafe and wear your cycling shoes. New riders could crash using toe clips and straps because to get out required a double motion involving lifting and pulling back the feet. When you were not riding in the toe clips and straps the pedals would hang upside-down and the toe clips and straps could rub and scrape on the pavement; or worse they might snag on something, even stopping the bike and causing a crash. This was more a problem off road than on.

All these issues had many cyclists including me! looking for alternatives. Cinelli had made their M 71 pedals in the 1970s introducing the concept of clipless. But while they were indeed clipless, they actually locked the feet on the pedals with removable pins. So most of us felt they were risky for use on the open road.

A company named AeroLite (still in business today) came out in the 1980s with a clipless pedal that solved the problem of locked-in feet. The AeroLite pedal was a round spindle. The cleat was a plastic piece with the perfect cutout to snap onto the round cylindrical pedals. To get in you stepped down and to exit, you rolled your ankle to the side which extracted the cleat from the pedals.

A couple of us at the Bicycle Center used these pedals for several years. They were superlight, gave ultra direct power transfer and we all loved them for riding. However, there was no float in the system at all so if you did not get the cleats attached in the perfect spot you could hurt your knees. The only other issue was if you tried riding on the pedals in sneakers like to make a coffee run at work, your feet would slip right off - pretty funny the first time it happened, but dangerous, too.

Hinault comes to San Francisco with the first Look clipless pedals

Then in 1985 the first two stages of the Coors Classic came to San Francisco along with 5-time Tour de France champion Bernard Hinault and teammate Greg LeMond who would go on to win 3 Tour de Frances. On the right is my signed poster from Greg.

Besides competing, Hinault was also there to introduce Look's new clipless pedals to bicycle dealers attending the race and the owner of the Bicycle Center, Roger Sands received a pair.

Here's a great page on the Look website about the history of their products including clipless pedals and information on Hinault and LeMond, too.

When Roger came back from the race he gave that first set of Look clipless pedals to me. I immediately put them on my bike.

Right away I knew Look had developed the perfect clipless pedal. They were SO easy to get in and out off and boosted your pedal power like the AeroLites. I was so excited about them that for my Technicalities column in California Bicyclist magazine back then I wrote the first review of clipless pedals covering the AeroLites and the new Look pedals. That ran in the September, 1985 issue shown below.

Tolerance for bad knees

I wish I had waited to write that review because I had a chance to really test the new pedals in the 1985 World's Toughest Triathlon a little later. I was the biker on a coed relay team out of Santa Cruz sponsored by Reebok.

Amazingly, when our swimmer Judy Scovel came out of Lake Tahoe, she was just seconds behind the first place swimmer (sorry I forgot his name - I do remember he was an Olympian from a famous swimming family). And as Judy gave me the tag to get on my bike and take off, the other swimmer did the same to his biker, who was none other than Greg LeMond!

I remember thinking, 'wow, I'm actually racing Greg LeMond,' which was stupid because within 30 seconds he was out of sight.

It's impossible to find much about that race online but I am pretty sure Greg did the 120 mile extremely hilly bike leg in under 5 hours. I came in in about 7. We still got 3rd place thanks to Judy's great swim and Marty Kruger's epic marathon. The incredible Scott Molina won the race overall. He went by me on the bike like I was standing still. Which I almost was because the air was so thin on Monitor Pass that I literally could not breathe.

Back to the Look pedals, the thing that I noticed using them in that brutal triathlon bike leg was how they let you find and hold different foot angles to relieve any knee pain. It really was a game-changer because it meant that even if you didn't get your cleats perfectly aligned you could still ride comfortably on the pedals. I wish I had been able to explain that in my review. It was a great innovation and it wasn't too long before another French company, Time, introduced clipless pedals that had actual free float in them to protect the knees even more.

Still riding clipless and Look

Wrapping up, I've loved riding in Look pedals ever since those early days. I have tried lots of others from Campagnolo to Speedplay to a bunch of brands no longer around. But, I'm mostly on Look Keos now except for off road where I run Shimano SPD pedals and cleats. And I put clipless pedals right up there with the great cycling inventions for how they improved comfort and safety.

Thanks for reading and enjoy your bicycle in the new year!

Jim

Two Videos for Fixing Bike Noises like Clicks, Ticks and Clunks!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sun, 07 Nov 2021 00:57:00 +0000

Here on these pages, I've offered many common and not so common bike noises and how I and you have fixed them. To go back in time and see all the weird and wonderful noises and fixes for them, simply type in the search button the word "noise," and you'll find plenty to read and lots of ideas.

Recently, I've created two videos about noises. Since I have a library of bicycle wheel videos, I decided I needed a video all about common noises that come from bike wheels. Then, after I wrapped that up, I received a great comment reminding me of another very common noise-maker.

This one is a tick or click that only happens when you're pedaling. Most riders hear it and think - since it happens when you're pedaling - that it's coming from the drivetrain components. Which can lead to a lot of work trying to track the noise down in the pedals, cleats, crankarms, crankset, chainring bolts and bottom bracket.

And what can happen is that none of these things are the problem. Instead it's a dry seatpost binder bolt or clamp or the seat clamping hardware. It's about a 2 minute job to spray some lube on these areas. And often that little spritz will stop the tick or click.

Since it's so easy and such a time saver for fixing what is a highly frustrating noise, my second video is all about that and how to deal with it.

Here's the YouTube link to watch my Wheel Noises video:

https://youtu.be/sA62X1AXN7s

Here's the YouTube link to watch my Quick Fix for a Click or Tick when Pedaling:

https://youtu.be/ziQKB5bUIuk

Here are the videos (you won't see them in your email - you'll have to click the link to this blog to view them here - or click the links above to watch them on YouTube.

Thanks for reading and watching and here's to nice quiet rides!

Jim

Addendum to Premiere of How To Build Bike Wheels Video

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 16:07:00 +0000

Real quick, since this confused me - if you read my blog in your email, the videos will not display and play in emails.

Instead you'll probably see no preview or a black box (like on my iPhone - see photo). The video only displays and plays on my blog and on YouTube.

If you click the title on the previous email I sent, that will open my blog where you can watch the video.

And, here's a direct link to the video on YouTube:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XUqul03hbZ8&t=1745s

To choose from all my video's here's my YouTube channel

Watching on YouTube is best because you can make it full screen to really see details.

Thanks for reading and watching!

Jim Langley

Premiere of my YouTube video How To Build Bicycle Wheels

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Wed, 05 Aug 2020 05:11:00 +0000

Cycling friends,

If you're a YouTube fan, maybe you noticed that I'm trying my hand at filmmaking with some how-to's, product reviews, vintage bike features and favorite ride highlight amateur videos, plus some on subjects of interest outside of cycling. While I've been a cycling editor and journalist for most of my life, getting my John Ford on has been equal parts challenging and fun.

Well, the latest project, the one this post is about was way more challenging than fun. First, after many days of setups and filming (I do everything myself), my PC crashed and I had to start over.

Then, multiple times when I thought I was finished, I realized there was more needed in order not to leave rookie wheelsmiths guessing how to proceed - and this video of mine is specifically designed to help first-timers turn out a nice set of wheels - so I wanted it right.

But, challenging is the way it goes with explaining wheel building. There's a lot to it and it's easy to get confused. I believe from teaching it at bike shops and as a college instructor, and also from writing about it on my website and in Bicycling Magazine, that there's a way to make it easy for beginners.

That's what's in this hour-long step-by-step video. The full backstory is later in this post (along with a couple of cool wheel theme ads from my collection), but in case you just want to start watching the show - maybe you've got some rims and hubs you're ready to lace up! - then, here it is:

The backstory to my How To Build Bicycle Wheels the Easy Way

Bicycle wheels are amazing things. They've fascinated me since I first started working in bike shops. With just a handful of spokes, a hint of a hub and even the most humble hoop, the vast majority will easily take anything even the strongest pro can dish out and often outlast the components on the bike.

Incredibly tough

Once after a race, the team piled into my VW van and I drove smack over a wheel Rick had forgotten to put in the back with his Olmo. It lifted the van’s right rear wheel off the ground.

When we realized what had happened - and stopped laughing, we retrieved the wheel expecting to find a pretzel. We were all stunned (well, Rick was delighted), to see that the only damage was a bent quick release. The rim, spokes, hub and axle were unscathed and there wasn’t even the smallest wobble in the wheel.

Wonderfully resilient

And, bike wheels aren’t just strong, they’re resilient, too. Had Rick’s wheel been actually “pretzeled” - bike jargon meaning bent sort of in the shape of a potato chip (sometimes riders say “potato chipped” or “taco’d”) - I could probably have made it at least rideable again by simply standing on the wheel to push the largest wobbles back in place. Or with other forceful techniques (all hugely entertaining to execute and observe).

In the case of modern carbon rims, which don’t bend, I’ve had riders hit things so hard they cracked the carbon. But, the wheel didn’t even go out of true so they had no idea there was an issue and just kept riding. Only when they brought it in to me did we discover the hole in the carbon - sometimes thousands of miles later.

A yearn to learn

My interest in wheels at that first bike shop I mentioned, led me to start begging the more senior mechanics to teach me how to build wheels before I even knew how to fix flats properly. It doesn’t work that way, they told me. I had to master the basic stuff first.

I only worked at that shop the summer before I left for college. So, when I went to work in another shop near campus, I again immediately asked the head tech when he could teach me how to build wheels. And, again, I got the you’re-not-ready lecture.

I worked at that shop for several years and still couldn’t get anyone to teach me wheel building. So, fed up, I pulled a beat-up wheel out of the trash one Saturday at closing and took it home to figure it out myself on my day off.

That was 47 years ago. Ever since that home study I have been learning all I can about wheelsmithing, building wheels for customers and myself, and have remained passionate about it. I never kept track of all the wheels I built going back to the beginning. But, I can tell you that in the last four years, I have built 476 wheels in the wheel department at Praxis Works here in Santa Cruz. Talk about a dream job.

Others want to learn, too

Interestingly, it turns out that wanting to learn wheel building is not unique to me or green pro bike mechanics. I got asked so many times by customers in the shop to show them that I started teaching it with night classes in the store. It was great for rim, hub and spoke sales at the shop. And, I made a good chunk of change working after hours.

It’s super satisfying lacing up a set of wheels, getting them true and round and tight. Then the big fun is when they’re carrying you down the road at mach speed and you look down and admire your handiwork.

Plus you know that should they come out of true, you can fix them. And, anytime you want to build another pair or upgrade to a different rim or hubset, you can. Your new skills will make you the hero on group rides when you fix wheels for your buddies, too.

Paying it forward

While I don’t work retail anymore, I still get requests to teach people how to build wheels. Since 1999, I’ve had a couple of fairly long how-to’s on my personal bicycle website that show all the steps. I typically have pointed folks to these stories as a way to learn. They’re popular pages and I know they’ve helped lots of people build wheels.

But, wheel building is a detailed process and it’s easy to get lost in long mostly text documents. So, I decided some time ago to try to capture it on video - essentially everything I taught to my beginner students at the shop and class back when. I believe the way I teach it is a relatively easy method to learn to build wheels. Plus, because I actually show you with my hands and you can watch over my shoulder you will get it once you try it.

Today I’m happy to share with you the final video. It’s the result of over 60 hours of work and includes every tip and trick I know to make the job doable for anyone. It’s about an hour long so a lot to watch. But, as a YouTube video it’s watchable however and wherever you want (on a cellphone in your home bike shop, for example). And you can pause and rewind as needed.

If you’ve always wanted to learn to build bike wheels, I hope my video lets you do that. And, as I say on camera, I’m happy to help if you need it. Enjoy the show and please let me know how your wheels come out if you build a set!

Good luck!

Jim

Rare Tools: Campagnolo Bicycle Assembling Stand

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Mon, 25 Feb 2019 01:41:00 +0000

The Holy Grail of Vintage Repair Stands Found!

The following is all true as far as I have been able to determine...

Debuting in their 1967 Catalog #15, Campagnolo's Bicycle Assembling Stand held mythical status in the USA bike shops where I worked. A photo of it was right there in their catalogs, but no one had ever seen one or found one for sale.

We mechanics assumed it was only available in Europe, or perhaps reserved for race mechanic use and not meant for everyday shop wrenches like us.

We could buy copies from other companies, such as Cinelli, but even only from the catalog photo, it was obvious that Campy's was a precision, highest quality tool, just like the gorgeous presses, cutters and gauges in their full toolkit.

I mentioned how hard the stands were to find while commenting online about one that turned up back east. And, because of that comment, I finally have a Campy stand (part #1102) in my collection. I'm so happy to have it that I'm telling you a little more about it and sharing some photos here.

Czech Olympic Coach Jaromir Zak's stand

I purchased the stand from a man in Czechoslovakia, who read my comment online and knew I'd be interested. After agreeing on a price and paying him, I asked if he would be willing to tell me how he came to own it.

He told me the following somewhat amazing story - this is as he wrote it in his email to me:

"I am glad you interest about story of this stand. I don't know where was this stand purchased. I had it from my neighbor, Mr. Jaromir Zak. This man was the coach of Anton Tkac, Olympic Winner 1976 Montreal and three times the World Champion in sprint. He was too Czechoslovakia state trainer of track representation and at this times he has access to plenty of cycling material. I am cycling enthusiast and I meet very oft this older man as he walking with his dog.

Once, when I met him on my first self build fixie on old Favorit steel frame, he told me he has maybe something for repairing and setting my bike. Hi took me in his greenhouse and there was the stand. He told me, if I want I can have if for my workshop.

I took it (I didn't know how rare it is) and enjoyed for repairs on my Favorit bike. One year ago I purchased for my fixie the State Bicycle company frame, tubes of this frame are too thick for it and I haven't use for the stand. I decided to offer it someone, who appreciate it. And the next you know.

It is very likely on this stand were repaired and adjusted bikes of Anton Tkac and other Czechoslovak cyclists in seventies. It is all I know. This is maybe better story, than something about insignificant workshop in my garage, isn't it?"

To learn more, all I had to do was search for Anton Tkac, which brought me to his racing accomplishments and also mention of his coach Jaromir Zak. Now, every time I look at or use the stand I imagine it in service trackside at the Olympics or World Championships. Incredible.

Cleverly designed and built for hard use
Campy designed the stand to come apart quickly into three pieces, the base, the upright and the tool tray. There are thumbscrews for speedy disassembly. Taken apart, the stand lays nearly flat to fit in a small travel case, or easily in the back of a vehicle.

The tripod base is stable and the bottom bracket support and down tube clamp hold a bike at exactly the right height for easy repairs. The bottom bracket support and clamp have leather attached to protect the frame when clamped.

Besides using the stand for working on bicycles, it's an elegant and safe way to support a bike for display, too. It holds it where you can easily see the bike and walk around it. Plus, the stand itself is pleasing to the eye. I sometimes use it this way for my Masi.

There are two swingout arms built in below the clamp that keep the front wheel from swinging side to side. The large tool tray can be positioned at just the right height to clear when you're pedaling for checking adjustments.

At the bottom of the legs are little welded on feet to provide a little more grip. The entire stand is made of steel. As far as I can tell, everything is original - not repainted or repaired in any way. You can see from the chipped paint and corrosion that it was used a lot. I hope you enjoy the stand and history.

I would appreciate learning more about Campagnolo's Bicycle Assembling Stand. Please get in touch if you have anything to share.

In cycling,
Jim

Unboxing Park Tool's Amazing BX-3 Rolling Big Blue Bicycle Mechanic's Tool Box

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sun, 30 Dec 2018 18:55:00 +0000

While not everyone needs a race mechanic's toolbox, I've gotten spoiled from using one as a pro mechanic at races and cycling events. I still find it important to have a full assortment of bicycle tools available when I go racing, and also when I'm on the road in our Lazy Daze RV - since our camping friends bring bikes that often need tuning and repair and I love to help.

I've been using an old Plano drawer-style plastic toolbox, which has worked fine for over 25 years. Recently, though, the handle broke. Then one of the latches failed. Inspecting the rest of the box I noticed that the plastic has become brittle and appears ready to crack in other places.

I started searching for a replacement and that's when I found that Park Tool just came out with a new mechanic's case that looks exceptional. It's called the BX-3 Rolling Big Blue Bicycle Mechanic's Tool Box . I liked it so much that I ordered one. Here are some observations and first impressions in my video below.

A brilliant redesign of the traditional bike race mechanic tool box
Park's BX-3 is significantly larger and has more features than I’ve ever seen in a pro-wrench box. NOTE that you only get the box - tools are sold separately. When I get this beauty all organized with my tools, I'll share how I set it up, so please watch for that.

The story behind the new design is that Park reached out to professional race mechanics to come up with a wishlist of features to design an all new pro-mech toolbox. I remember when I attended the debut USA Cycling Race Mechanic’s certification clinic in Colorado Springs in 1989. That clinic has taken place almost every year since.

And, who led a good part of the instruction back when I went and still today? None other than Park’s Calvin Jones, who probably had much to do with the making of this terrific new toolbox, drawing on the friendships he has going back decades with mechanics around the globe for ideas and inspiration.

Built-in wheels and pull handle plus much more capacity
Park’s due diligence shows in the details. This is the first travelling toolbox I’ve seen with built-in wheels and an extendable pull handle. No longer do mechanics have to lug heavy boxes around from shuttles to check-in or carry a separate folding rollercart to put their box on.

And, Big Blue really is big, allowing bringing along to races and events even larger tools, such as frame alignment, wheel and headset tools. There are workaround ways to perform almost every repair, however with full size tools you can work more quickly and usually more accurately, too.

To make repairs more efficient and save more time, the BX-3’s pallets boast 70% more surface area than those in its little brother the BX-2.2. This means having more tools within easy reach. While multiple pouches provide more room for bringing along additional small repair parts. There’s nothing better than having everything needed to do your best work.

Heavy-duty and built to take it
Besides holding your tools and providing easy access, a toolbox needs to withstand massive abuse, too. Even if a mechanic uses the box as carefully as possible, just the act of setting up “shop,” and removing, using and replacing tools, wears the box and tool holders. Park addresses this with rugged materials, quality stitching and connectors throughout and reliable closures.

A clever feature is rubber grommet-lined holes in the pallets. They’re for turning the pallets over to access tools on the other side. And when your hands are greasy, you only slime the easily cleaned rubber, not the pallets.

Turning to the case, it’s molded from thick, impact-resistant polypropylene with reinforcements all around. There are also four oversize spring-loaded latches, two stout carry handles and the beefy built-in wheels and extendable pull handle. To open the latches, you just pull out with your finger and they pop out and up releasing the lid. And, because they “hide” in-between the reinforcement ribs built into the box when they’re closed, they can’t be accidentally opened when the box is in transit.

Inside the box there are gas struts on either side to help open the top when weighed down by tools. A tray with slots for dividers reinforces the bottom. And, the toolbox is dust and water resistant thanks to its interlocking lid and rubber seal. There’s even an air pressure compensation valve for protection during air travel.

Professional box at a professional price
All this innovation and upgrading comes at the lofty price of $514.95 versus the BX-2.2 at $304.95 (which has also been updated for 2019). If you’re a home bike mechanic who doesn’t bring tools to bike events, you probably don’t need a box like this and you might find the price tag exorbitant.

But, hold on a minute. There are plenty of home mechanics who pay much more for professional quality rolling drawer-style toolboxes for their garages - think Snap-on. They don’t really need them, but they appreciate owning and using fine things.

I think some home bicycle mechanics are the same way and will appreciate having fine tool storage like this that actually can be be taken with you to important rides and races, too. There’s also a lot to be said for being able to hold all the bike tools you need in a toolbox that’s easy to store in the smallest apartment

And, for professional mechanics who rely on their tools, I bet Park’s Big Blue will become an overnight sensation.

Features
Heavy-duty impact-resistant polypropylene
Side and end foldaway carry handles
Extendable pull handle
Smooth rolling integrated wheels
Oversize spring-loaded latches, 2 front, 2 side
Dust and water resistant
Air pressure compensation valve
Custom designed tool-holding pallets with loops and pockets
Gas assisted lid struts for easy opening
Dual-sided upper and mid level folding pallet wings
Front tool pallet that stores safely inside during transport
Bottom tray with grooves for dividers
70% more tool surface area than Park’s BX-2.2 Blue Box Tool Case

Nominal dimensions & weight
Length: 23.4 inches (59.5cm)
Width: 17.3 inches (44cm)
Thickness: 9.3 inches (23.5cm)
Weight: 21.6 pounds (9.8 kg)

Q&A: Dealing with disc brake rubbing and bent rotors

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Tue, 02 Jan 2018 18:39:00 +0000

A couple of questions about common disc brake issues came in recently. With discs on so many different bicycle types today, it's a good topic to kick off 2018. Happy New Year!

Q: "My gravel grinder road bike has a dragging disc brake. I don't really feel it when riding. But, if I pick up the bicycle and spin the wheel, it's obvious the pads are rubbing because the wheel stops. This has to be costing me energy and speed on rides, so it's frustrating. I've had a few mechanics try to fix it. But, no one can seem to stop it rubbing. Can you help?"

Yuri

A: The type of rubbing Yuri describes can be missed when riding because it’s slight. But, as he mentions, if you lift the wheel that’s rubbing off the ground and give it a spin, you’ll realize straight away that the rotor (the metal disc attached to the wheel) is slightly rubbing, because the wheel will stop spinning much more quickly than the other wheel (unless it’s rubbing, too).

This isn't the type of rubbing caused by a bent rotor. That creates a major rub that’s easy to see because the rotor wobbles when the wheel is spinning. For information on fixing bent rotors, see the second question (below this one).

The type of rubbing I’m explaining how to fix here happens on straight rotors. It’s highly annoying because, while it’s only slightly dragging, it’s constantly slowing you down and wasting your energy. You can try squeezing and releasing the brake lever repeatedly, removing the wheel and reinserting it, gently flexing the rotor to try to push the rubbing pad away, even loosening and repositioning the caliper – but the brake will usually still rub as soon as you brake again.

Fortunately, there’s a fix for this problem that almost anyone can do. All you need is the right wrench to remove the brake caliper from the frame and an ordinary business card. Don’t worry. You do NOT need to disconnect the brake hose/cable from the brake caliper or change any brake adjustments.

Tip: When working on disc brakes it's best to keep all oils (even from your hands), greases, lubes, etc. away from the brake pads and rotors. Lubes can contaminate and ruin the braking. If you make this mistake, to fix it, you may need to replace the brake pads and super clean the rotors.

To fix the rubbing, follow these 5 easy steps.

1. Remove the rubbing caliper from the frame by loosening and removing the two bolts holding the caliper in place (turn the bolts counterclockwise).

Before taking the bolts all the way out, be sure to note (take a photo) which one goes where and the order of any parts between the bolt head and the brake caliper. There may be washers or locking washers and one bolt may be different than the other. Be 100% sure you know exactly how the bolts and any parts go back on so you can get it right when you reinstall the caliper.

2. Now, hold the removed caliper in your hand. It’s still attached to the brake hose/cable, but there’s room to work on it.

Next, fold an ordinary business card in half and slip it inside the caliper as shown in the photo below. Depending on the size of the card, you might need to cut it down to fit.

3. Once the card is sized right and in place, wiggle and push the caliper back over the rotor so that the business card is in between the rotor on both sides and the brake pads, too (they’re tucked inside the brake caliper).

While keeping the caliper on the rotor, turn the wheel so that the caliper lines up to the bolt holes in the frame. Then, put the bolts back through the caliper, using care to put the bolts in the right place and any washers or tension devices in the right place, too. Refer to your photo. Screw the bolts clockwise until the caliper is loosely mounted back on the frame with the business card still in place inside the caliper.

4. Now, squeeze the brake lever and keep it squeezed while tightening both brake caliper bolts fully. If you're working on the rear brake, you might not be able to reach the bolts while holding the brake on.

So, ask a friend to help, or wrap something around the brake lever that keeps it firmly squeezed, like a toe strap or strong elastic band - the Bike Brake is handy for this.

5. Now that the caliper is back on the frame and tight, release the brake lever and squeeze it a couple of times as if braking.

Then, turn the wheel while holding onto the edge of the business card and the card will rotate with the rotor and come out. Once the card is out, you should find that your brake works nicely again with no more annoying rubbing!

Note that, instead of removing the caliper, you can try just loosening the caliper bolts. Then, removing the wheel and folding the business card over the rotor and reinstalling the wall and following steps 4 and 5 above.

The only thing is that it can be tricky on some bikes to get the rotor back into the brake caliper when the business card is on it - and to keep the business card in the right place on the rotor so that the card ends up exactly between all 3 things (rotor and both pads). You can do it if you're patient and careful but if you're not, you could get the card in the wrong place or even knock a pad loose.

In comparison, when you push the caliper over the rotor you can see what you're doing, the card will stay were you put it inside the caliper and it's less likely you will damage anything. But, both ways can work.

----------

Q: "Jim, not sure how this happened, but I bent my disc brake rotor. I know its bent because I can see the wobble and it wasn't like this when it was new. Is there a way to straighten bent rotors or do I need to have it replaced?"

Charles in the UK

Great question, Charles. Let's look at how rotors get bent first.

Causes
Rotors are the round, thin metal plates that attach to the wheel hubs. When you’re braking, the brake pads inside the brake calipers squeeze the rotors, providing excellent all-conditions slowing and stopping power.

If you’re lucky, your rotors will remain almost perfectly straight and you’ll never have to worry about them until they’re worn out, which can take a long time. But, if you’re unlucky, many things can bend the rotors.

For example, you could have a stick come up, get stuck in and bend the rotor. Or, on a long descent, you might hold your brakes on too long and heat a rotor enough that it warps. Another one is having someone at a rest stop mistakenly lean their bike against yours without realizing that their pedal is going to slam into your rotor when they let go.

Fortunately, these types of bends are usually fixable. What’s required is straightening the rotor. It’s a good skill to have because it’ll save money and let you keep riding instead of having to shop for new parts.

Tip: You can always replace bent rotors with new ones if you can’t or don’t want to try straightening them. They aren’t overly expensive. Just be sure to do your homework and get the same type you had.

Inspecting rotors
Before assuming a rotor is bent, check that there aren’t other problems causing it to only appear bent. Rotors are held on with lockrings or bolts. If these loosen, a rotor can wobble and look warped when all that’s needed is tightening the rotor bolts or lockring.

You might also have a wheel that’s not fully tightened in the frame. Check the quick release or through-axles to make sure. Or, a wheel might be off-center in the frame or fork, which can make the rotor look too close to the brake, causing you to think it’s bent. In that case, all that’s needed is loosening and centering the wheel.

Another glitch that can make a rotor wobble when it’s not bent is loose wheel bearings. To check for this, grip the wheel near the fork or frame stays (rear wheel) and push and pull gently sideways.

If the wheel bearings are correctly adjusted, the wheel will not move side to side when you do this test. But, with loose bearings, a wheel will move, and sometimes a lot. The cure is to remove the wheel and adjust the bearings to eliminate any play.

When inspecting rotors, if yours has a compound bend, or is bent so badly that it almost has a crease or fold in it, it is probably beyond repair. The bends that are fixable can be significant, but only smooth bends, not actual damage to the rotor. So, if you see twisted or folded or crunched rotors, you should replace them because they’re likely beyond straightening.

Straightening
Once you’ve determined that you for sure have a bent rotor and not a seriously damaged one, you can try to straighten it – or you can say “true it.” It’s a trial-and-error process that takes practice to master. It’s not difficult, but it can be frustrating and require patience and a good eye.

You can true rotors while the wheel is on the bike. For a tool, I use and highly recommend Park Tool’s DT-2 Rotor Truing Fork (about $20). You can see in the photo how this tool has two ends that slip over the rotor for excellent and precise leverage.

Park’s tool is heavy and fits perfectly so as not to damage the rotor even when you pry on it pretty hard. That’s usually what it takes to get a wobble out. If you’re new at it, you’ll get a feel for how you have to bend the rotor well beyond where you thought it would go straight to get it to improve, because the metal wants to rebound more than it seems it would.

You can slip the top of the tool over the top of the rotor to pull out or push in to remove a side-to-side wobble. You can also use the end with the short horizontal slot to remove a twist in the rotor by slipping that notch over the twist and pulling or pushing the tool as you hold it 90 degrees to the rotor. Another use of the horizontal slot is to slip it through the rotor and onto one of its “legs” to straighten lower bends.

Don’t rush it, and pay attention to the changes you’re making, and you can get good at straightening rotors. If it helps, you can mark the bent area of the rotor so you can keep track of your progress. Just be sure not to use anything that’ll compromise the braking surfaces.

Sighting the wobbles
One of the challenges of straightening rotors is seeing/finding the wobbles. With the wheels on the bike, you can sometimes sight through the brake and watch the rotor come through. If so, you’ll be able to see the rotor move left and right in relation to the brake pads, and be able to stop the wheel at that point. You then rotate the wheel to bring the wobble outside the brake so you can straighten just the right spot.

If you’re having trouble seeing the wobble through the brake, try putting a piece of white paper in your line of vision behind the brake caliper – or have a friend hold one up. Another trick that can work is holding a flashlight just so, to light the inside of the brake so that you can spot the bends.

Reading further, you’ll learn about the only tools I’m aware of specifically designed to make rotor truing much easier and super accurate. They’re great tools. But if they’re beyond your budget or needs, you could maybe copy how they work and rig up a pointer on your fork or frame.

Something as simple as a pencil for the pointer and a rubber band to hold it in place might do the trick in a pinch. If you come up with something that works well, please comment below and share it.

The gold standard in rotor truing tools
If you’re straightening rotors on a regular basis, you can save yourself a lot of time and do an even better job truing them with one or two more cool tools from Park, their DT-3 Rotor Truing Gauge (about $40) and DT-3I.2 Dial Indicator for DT-3 (about $40). See the photo.

Note that in order to use the DT-3 and DT-3I.2 Truing Gauges, the wheel with the bent rotor is removed from the bicycle and placed in either Park’s TS-4, TS-2.2, or TS-2 Professional Wheel Truing Stand ($230 - $372), which are all pre-drilled for the gauge to bolt onto.

If you have another brand of truing stand, it might be possible to drill it to accept Park’s gauges.

With the wheel held securely in a truing stand with one or both of Park’s gauges attached (the photo shows both), there’s no need to try to sight through the brake caliper. Instead, you locate the wobble with the gauge’s indicator and straighten each wobble with the Park Truing Fork.

It still takes time and patience to find and true wobbles, but because the indicator shows you exactly how true the rotor is becoming, the trial and error is greatly reduced. It’s super satisfying when you end up with nice true rotor and a disc brake that works perfectly again.

Here’s an excellent video on rotor truing with Park Tool tech whiz Calvin Jones

Here's hoping your disc brakes work like a champ from here on,
Jim

PRODUCT REVIEW - Wheel Fanatyk Mitutoyo Digital Spoke Tensiometer

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Mon, 06 Feb 2017 18:41:00 +0000

Wheel Fanatyk Tensiometer Sets a New Gold Standard

A few months back, in my RoadBikeRider.com Tech Talk column, about fixing wheels on which all the spokes loosened, I mentioned I would look at some of the new cutting edge tools today’s wheel builders and wheel companies are using to make better wheels than ever.

Wheel Fanatyk’s Mitutoyo Digital Tensiometer, that I review here, is one of these tools.

I needed an accurate spoke tensiometer because I’m now building carbon and aluminum wheels for a local components company (over 60 pairs to date). One of the requirements is hitting the tensions specified by the engineers designing each wheel model.

I’ve used a Wheelsmith Tensiometer since 1988. It’s a nice tool, but has never been recalibrated. And, I’m not sure how accurate its readings are any more. Note that Wheel Fanatyk recalibrates Wheelsmith tensiometers.

Comparing the Wheel Fanatyk gauge to my trusty Wheelsmith's (photo below), you can see that the Wheel Fanatyk provides a digital readout in hundredths of a mm, while the Wheelsmith shows spoke deflection on a vernier gauge.

In the example shown, the two lines closest to lining up are almost at the 50 mark, which means the deflection of the spoke is somewhere past 45.

If you compare readings on both tools on the same spoke on a wheel (note that the photos above and below are on different wheels), you appreciate right away having an exact number to 1/100th of a mm, and not having to estimate spoke deflection by estimating where the lines align on a vernier gauge.

The right tension makes a good wheel
Nothing is more important for the integrity of bicycle wheels than spoke tension. Too loose or tight and wheels are unstable, or worse, they may fail. In an extreme example, a pair of classic Ghisallo wood-rim wheels I over-tensioned as a wood-rim newbie in the 80s - before owning a tensiometer - rode fine for a couple of weeks and then imploded when both rims broke to pieces.

It's not easy feeling for correct tension with your hands. Spokes can feel very tight and still not be anywhere near tight enough for a wheel to remain tight and true over the long haul. And since rear wheels and now front wheels with disc brakes are built with uneven spoke tension on the left and right, it's more important than ever to ensure the spokes are tight enough to make a great wheel.

To explain, if you have no way to measure the spoke tension accurately, you could be fooled into thinking the spokes are tight enough because the dished spokes feel tight when squeezed (the "dished" spokes are on the right side for rear wheels and on the left side for disc front wheels). However, if the dished spokes actually aren't tight enough, the non-dished side spokes will be too loose. And those are the ones that usually loosen when ridden causing the wheel to lose tension and go out of true on the road/trail.

Because Ric Hjertberg is a longtime friend, who owned Wheelsmith and now owns Wheel Fanatyk, I decided to look into his newer and superior tensiometer. Ric sent me the Mitutoyo Digital along with the optional Foot Pedal Data Output System to try out. Let’s look at the Tensiometer first.

A Jobst Brandt design
The Wheel Fanatyk Tensiometer was designed by the late Jobst Brandt, a bicycle God and engineer who worked for Porsche, Hewlett-Packard and Avocet during his career (Brandt was the genius who designed the first cyclometer that accurately measured cumulative elevation gain in the Avocet 50). Brandt also wrote the best book on wheelbuilding, The Bicycle Wheel.

What makes the Wheel Fanatyk Tensiometer so accurate is that Brandt’s design is barely affected by spoke thickness variance. Spokes vary due to material, how they’re manufactured, and plating and painting can affect them, too. Ric explained, “The Wheel Fanatyk is unique among commercial spoke tools because it does not measure across the spoke thickness, it only detects deflection.”

Jobst Brandt in 2005 (Bill Bushnell photo)

Brandt’s tool bends the spoke between three points with a constant low spring force. Bearings on either end of the tool minimize friction where they rest on the spoke. A Delrin (a hard nylon) “anvil” pushes the spoke against the gauge’s probe for tension readings. There’s a button on the gauge to zero it if needed before taking a reading on the next spoke.

Holding the tensiometer is impressive. It’s a weighty 311 grams (11 ounces) and obviously built of quality materials throughout (Ric hand assembles each one). There are laser-etched nameplates; one with the serial number. The jewel is the Mitutoyo gauge from one of leaders in measuring instruments since 1934. It sits protected inside the tool’s triangular profile and displays reading in 10mm tall numbers on the large LCD screen.

Using the Tensiometer

SpokeService tension charts

It took a little practice to get the knack of holding the Tensiometer on the spoke just right to not get incorrect readings on the gauge. If I put any hand pressure on the tool, it flexed the spoke and messed up the reading. With more use, I learned to just rest the tool on the spoke and completely relax the hand for accurate readings every time.

Once I got the technique down to gently rest the meter on spokes, it was simple and fast to go around wheels taking readings. You measure the right and left spokes from the same side of the wheel. There’s no need to switch the tool to the other hand or reverse the wheel.

While you can zero the reading for each spoke, most of the time the gauge reads zero once in position on the spoke. And, I realized that even if it starts with a reading, that number is so low that if you don’t want to zero the gauge before taking the reading, it’s not a significant discrepancy and easy to subtract in your head.

Watch this video of the Tensiometer in action.

Converting deflection to tension

Tension chart

Once you have a few readings there is one last step because the gauge shows the distance the spoke deflects in tenths of a mm. Wheel designers and engineers, however, specify tension with kgf (kilogram-force), so that’s the number needed to be sure wheels are tight enough.

In order to “translate” the deflection to a tension reading, you refer to a chart that comes with the Tensiometer (photo). By looking at the column showing the type of spoke on the wheel you’re measuring you can find the reading shown for the spoke and see on the chart what the kgf reading is.

For example, if the gauge reads .30 (the spoke deflects .30 of a mm), the chart shows a kgf of 119 on a spoke with 1.8mm thickness.

Using the Foot Pedal Data Output System
The way the Foot Pedal Data Output System works is by plugging into the Tensiometer and a computer so that you can easily record the tension of each spoke in a spreadsheet. The free online place to do this recommended by Ric is SpokeService

As you take each tension reading with the gauge, you step on the foot pedal and the tension number magically appears in the chart plus the cursor moves to the next cell. Once you’ve measured all the spokes on both sides you can view a wheel map showing the tension highs and lows around the rim. You can save and/or print the wheel’s specs to put with the finished wheel, too.

If you don’t have the Foot Pedal system, you can still enter reading by hand into the online utility. A screenshot of the SpokeService charts is above.

While most cyclists may never need a spoke tensiometer as accurate as Wheel Fanatyk’s, it does set the gold standard for wheelbuilders. If you’re a hobby wheelman or want to learn, this tool is the ultimate for getting tensions right. It’s also the best tool for checking new wheels you’re considering buying, which is why it’s used by major wheel makers. This helps ensure the highest quality builds, which is a great thing with all the new wheel components and new wheel specifications coming out all the time.

Price: $348 for Mitutoyo Digital Tensiometer. $98 for optional Foot Pedal Data Output System (There is also a Mitutoyo Dial Tensiometer: $280).

Bike Video: Bicycle Culture by Design

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sun, 01 Jan 2017 00:25:00 +0000

Recently, I've been listening to and enjoying TED Talks podcasts. So far, I haven't heard one about bikes or cycling, so I had the idea to search for them on YouTube and found what I think is an excellent talk.

It's presented by "urban mobility expert" Mikael Colville-Andersen. It's only 15 minutes long and I think you'll enjoy what he has to say...

If you're reading this post in an email (rather than on the blog) you'll probably need to click this link to watch the video https://youtu.be/pX8zZdLw7cs

To better road designs for cycling everywhere,

Jim

Happy Holidays!

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Wed, 07 Dec 2016 20:56:00 +0000

Happy Holidays cycling friends!
In celebration of this joyous time of year, here's some Christmas-themed vintage art to inspire you. With a little creativity, you can use it to make your favorite into a printed or digital card to send.

My favorite here is either the December 12, 1942 The New Yorker cover from my collection (think you could bring home the tree on your handlebars - I doubt I could?), or the Western Auto window shoppers reacting to the Western Flyer ("the most beautiful bike in town").

If you're shopping for cycling gifts, don't forget to visit your local bicycle shop in person and/or online. Be sure to ask them for suggestions, too. They'll know what's popular right now and what others are buying for gifts, too.

Wishing you a wonderful Christmas and New Year,
Jim

Be a Bicycle Vampire Hunter this Halloween

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Wed, 26 Oct 2016 22:42:00 +0000

Happy Halloween!

In the spirit of the season, and with all due respect to Roman Polanski’s classic 1967 spoof The Fearless Vampire Killers, I'm sharing some simple tips to help you hunt for, find and terminate your bicycle vampires.

Unlike the fanged variety, two-wheel ghouls constantly suck your energy by making your bicycle harder to pedal. And like Dracula, they’re apt to appear at any time and can be hard to find. In fact, it’s rare that cyclists ever notice a vampire while riding or even rolling their bike.

To help, here’s an easy and fun 4-step check to perform about every 90 days during riding season (or a few days before any major ride or event; which gives you time to mend problems). Finding and fixing a vampire is one of the most satisfying repairs you can make. Start with the drivetrain since that’s bicycle vampires' favorite hiding place.

Note: I’m assuming your bicycle and components aren’t abused or worn out. If so, more inspection and repairs will likely be needed than covered here.

1. Chain check
Perhaps the most common energy-sucker is a dry chain. Few lubes last long if you ride regularly and in all weather conditions. And many roadies end up with not enough lube and a chain that’s stiff and dragging.

You can identify a dry chain by its shiny rollers and metallic sound when turning the pedals. Don’t let the chain ever get like this. Keep it adequately lubed for how and where you ride. I'm partial to Pro Gold Pro Link chain lube. Another favorite chain lube is Boeshield T-9.

Park Tool's article on derailleur pulleys

2. Pulleys check
The two pulleys on the rear derailleur are the second hardest working wheels on your bike. Even if you keep your chain nicely lubed and apply a little to the pulleys, too, moisture can make its way inside and bind or even freeze one or both pulleys.

Check for this by lifting the chain away from each pulley and flicking them with your finger to see if they spin freely and smoothly. If not, you can usually restore them by simply disassembling, cleaning and lubing all the parts.

Bottom brackets require special tools

3. Bottom bracket check
The bottom bracket (BB) is the bearing mechanism that the crankset spins on so it influences every pedal stroke. To check yours, shift onto your smallest chainring and then lift the chain off the ring and rest it on the frame.

Now, hold one crankarm (not a pedal) and gently and slowly turn the crankarm feeling for tightness, roughness and smoothness in the BB. It should turn freely with a slight hydraulic resistance from the grease inside. If it’s tight, dry or rough, you probably need a new bottom bracket (or a bottom bracket overhaul if yours can be serviced). Follow this link and first figure out what type of BB you have and then look up the service procedure.

A cartridge bearing hub

4. Wheels check
Like the bottom bracket, the wheels spin on bearings, which when bad become vampires. It’s almost impossible to feel bearing issues with the wheels in place on the bicycle. So, to check if yours are failing, remove both wheels.

Then hold each wheel’s axle (not the quick release - wheel clamping mechanism) between your fingers and turn it. Like the BB check, the wheel axles should turn freely and smoothly with a slight resistance from the grease inside the bearings. If the bearings feel tight, rough or dry, you need the hub bearings serviced. Follow this link and first determine which type of hubs you have and then look up the service procedure.

Here's hoping these tips are like garlic for your bike - and they keep those vampires away. Trick or treat!
Jim
All photos courtesy of Park Tool.

PRODUCT REVIEW: Pedro's Super Prestige Professional floor pump

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Tue, 04 Oct 2016 19:44:00 +0000

Pedro’s Professional Pump performs up to its name

I like Pedro’s Super Prestige Professional Floor Pump (about $65) so much I bought two of them. One is in my home bike shop and the other lives in our new Lazy Daze RV. I’ve been using these pumps for a couple of years now and they still perform like new. I actually have a compressor in the shop, but these pumps work so well, I usually reach for them.

I like to point out good floor pumps because the most common maintenance task is topping off your tire pressure. And, unfortunately even many so-called “shop-quality” and expensive models perform sub-par and wear out surprisingly soon.

Common problems include difficulty achieving a leak-free fit between the pump head and valve - or having to change or adapt the head to fit a different valve; needing to push excessively hard to pump your tires fully; and ‘blow-back’ - which is when you push the pump handle down and it pops right back up with enough force and speed to explode out of the pump - in a worst-case scenario.

Nearly effortless pumping
There are no such issues with the Super Prestige. It features a heavy-duty steel base for stability, a wide ergonomic soft-grip handle and a small diameter, long steel barrel, which all make for nearly effortless pumping up road and mountain bike tires of all types and pressures.

Ultimate pump head

Instant airtight seal on all valves

The Super Prestige's best feature is the automatic pump head that you simply press on whatever type valve you have and then flip up the thumblock lever to lock the head on with an airtight seal. Pump heads are a common point of failure.

I’ve never had the Pedro’s let me down and I’ve used it on dozens of different valves and valve extenders and adapters (for example, an adapter is required to inflate disc wheels - my favorite disc wheel valve adapter is Silca's Hiro).

Presta or Schrader valve, you attach Pedro’s pump head and it holds fast and doesn’t leak.

Convenient long hose

Another sweet detail is the 39-inch (99cm) long hose. This comes in handy if you’re working on a bicycle in a repair stand and if you’re trying to inflate tires while bikes are up high on a rear vehicle rack, etc. The hose actually attaches to the pump beneath the top-mounted gauge rather than at the bottom where most other pumps attach them. That adds to the hose reach.

Pedro’s also includes a built-in hose holder to their pump that really works. Lesser pumps have holders that let the hose fall to the ground, which can lead to failure.

Super visible top-mounted gauge

The top-mounted gauge is close to you to read it more easily and has a knurled ring with a pointer that you turn and place on your target psi. Also, this stellar pump has a small button on the head that lets you bleed air to get the pressure just right.

All in all, if you’re looking for a great inflator, you’ll find it in Pedro’s Super Prestige. Here it is on Amazon though they have the wrong photo - it shows an older model.

Happy pumping!

Jim

Q&A: Saddle positioning when your seatpost won't cooperate, and a wheel from my past surfaces

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Mon, 05 Sep 2016 19:33:00 +0000

Greetings from Santa Cruz, California where we just updated our always popular county Bikeways Map. Click the link to download and print a copy if you're headed here with your bikes, and you'll get around our busy beach town much more easily.

Here are some of the interesting bicycle technical questions that have come in since last we met, with my replies.

Q: "I just bought a Trek Madone 5.2 from a bike shop in California. I live in Florida. It was to replace my Madone 4.3 that got stolen last year. Long story short, without having the old bike to take measurement from for seat height, I figured them both being 47cm would make it the right size for me.

Well that was mostly true except the 5.2 has a seatmast not a seatpost that limits the height the seat can be lowered.

I need to drop the seat about 3cm to get comfortable in the saddle. I already have a low-profile seat with little room for lowering there without compromising comfort. I could do smaller cranks, I guess, but that would only drop me .5cm and that still leaves 2.5cm to go.

Trek said that I already have the shortest mast available. Any suggestions to get those last 2.5cm? Surely I can't be the first person to have this problem."

Joyce

A: Thanks for sending the photos of your Trek and its seatmast showing the design, and your saddle and how it's attached (above).

You're right that there's no easy way to lower the seatmast and since this is the shortest one Trek offers, you can't replace it either (I suppose you could have a custom one made but it would probably cost a small fortune and end up not matching the finish of the bicycle, either).

Another option might be to modify the seatmast in some way, such as cutting out a section, but that would be a job for a carbon repair company, such as Calfee Design - and might cost a fair amount, too.

But, luckily, there's another way to lower your seat. It's an old 'trick' mechanics have used forever. It works on almost all types of saddles that fit on seatposts via a certain type of clamp. That type of clamp has to be capable of being mounted upside/down.

Not all clamps will do this, but many will, including yours, as your before and after photos, show. Thanks for sending the photos after following my advice, so I can share them!

The key thing to look out for if you're inverting your seatpost clamp to lower a seat, is to check that when a person's weight is fully on the saddle, that the seat doesn't compress so far that it bottoms out on the clamp or seatpost. This can happen in some cases and you never want to have your seat bottoming out when you hit bumps because coming down against a solid piece of metal like that could hurt or even injure you. The saddle is designed to suspend you from impacts for comfort and protection.

Note that one of the most common uses of inverting seatpost/saddle clamps is on children's bicycles. Sometimes a child is too big/tall for one size bicycle but when you look at the next size, it's a touch too large. If that's the case and you can make the too-large bike fit by inverting the seat clamp, they'll be able to ride the bike safely and grow into it, too.

Keep reading for another seating issue you might run into...
Jim
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Q: The following is an email back-and-forth between a roadie named Phil and myself. Phil started the thread with this question: "After three years on my wonderful Lynskey R230, I have finally decided the seat (Brooks B17) should be further back. I switched to a 25mm setback seatpost (I used to have a zero setback Lynskey seatpost) but I still want to push the saddle back a bit more.

At this point I’m sure you are saying, “Phil, you should have bought a Large instead of a M/L Lynskey frame.” Yes, probably - but I did not, so here I am.

The problem, of course, is that the rails – like most rails – on my Brooks saddle narrow as they approach the saddle nose. The bracket (i.e., the platform which grips the rails) is wider than the rails (note – this is Lynskey seatpost does not use the Enve inserts).

Solution? Or out of luck?
Phil

A: I replied: "Usually there’s a way to increase the setback but it often involves compromise. By compromise, I mean that you may need to change to a seatpost with more setback and you probably won’t find a seatpost with more setback that’s a nice as the seatpost you have.

You also might need to shim the seatpost to get it to fit in your frame. Here are Cane Creek's seatpost shims, for example.

With a really quick search I found an example of a seatpost with more setback just to show you, the Nitto Lugged seatpost, which has a 40mm setback (photo).

Yes, this is a very old-school seatpost, but if it proved a huge improvement, you would at least know what setback works best for you and you could go in quest of a seatpost that provides it.

I haven’t done an exhaustive search for seatposts with extra setback, but there should be a few others out there with any luck. You might also ask Lynskey if they’d make you one with the setback you need – though I don’t know if they make custom components like that. Some framebuilders might.

Another option, though it means switching saddles, is trying to find a seat that’s longer or has longer rails or rails that allow putting the seat in the right position to provide the additional setback you require. So, for example, if you found a saddle that was an inch longer in the back, that might solve the problem, assuming you could sit on that seat of course. An example is Fizik's Arione.

Since bicycle shops that specialize in fitting people often run into this issue, they can be a good resource for the seatposts and saddles like this. However, it would need to be a large shop that carries a good inventory and fits lots of people. (The photo shows an SR "super-setback" seatpost that was around in the 1980s, and which you might find today on eBay.com.)

Hope this is helpful and you find a good solution.

To which, Phil answered, "Thanks. Hate to get rid of my Brooks saddle but that may be the best solution. That Nitto seatpost looks really weird.

Wonder if there is a way to adapt the front half of the seatpost platform to the narrow portion of the rails on the Brooks saddle. Don’t want to go much further as I worry about the stability of the saddle."

And, I wrote back: "Yes, definitely weird. I have never seen an adapter like what you describe, however, I think one could be made with a little ingenuity. Today it’s much easier to design things like that with 3D printing.

If I was doing it, I’d look for a machinist that has the technology and likes to solve problems and has worked on bicycle components. Machinists will usually discuss projects for free so you know what you’re going to have to spend up front.

I would think, though, that it wouldn’t be too difficult or too expensive a part to design and make."

And, Phil then said, "Yes. Plus, although I have never looked at rails on saddles very closely, I just don’t recall seeing a saddle with “straight” rails – i.e., that don’t curve inward as they culminate in the nose of the saddle."

Summing up, I replied, There have been all kinds of bizarre saddle shapes and designs going back to the dawn of cycling, Phil. But, the traditional road saddle has the narrow nose and the rails that follow its shape.

There's at least one reasonably new saddles that has an I-beam running down the middle that requires a seatpost of the same design - both made by SDG (if you look closely at the photo, you'll see there are no rails, instead an I-beam runs down the center of the saddle). On these you can move it forward and back more, so it might be worth a look.

Hope you find the fit you're looking for,
Jim
----------------------------------------------------------

Q: I'm sure you get this all the time, Jim, but today while volunteering at the Bellows Falls, Vermont bike project I came across a wheel I'd been looking for, a Weinmann 129A 27-inch rear wheel.

Even better, it was equipped with a SunTour Pro Compe 6-speed 14-34 freewheel, which is about perfect. By itself this made me happy.

But after clearing off the years of grime I found this little sticker which made it even more exciting. Any idea when you were using these stickers as I doubt you would remember when/who it was built for?!

Thanks for your time,
Christopher C. Purvis

A: Thanks for making my day, Christopher! In 1978 I left the famous Andy’s Cycle Shop in Keene, New Hampshire and went to work for West Hill Shop, now in Putney, Vermont. At that time Neil Quinn the owner (retired now) had opened a second store in Brattleboro, Vermont.

I was managing that shop and working sometimes in Putney, too. Later, we closed the shop in Brattleboro to focus on our busier Putney location. I missed the wonderful cheese danishes I used to have every morning from the bakery next door to the Brattleboro store.

That’s my long way of saying that I probably built that wheel you found in one of those stores – and it would have been before 1982 when I left for California where I’ve been ever since. [Bonus: if you're hankering to build some wheels, click on the vintage Raleigh photo for my bicycle wheelbuilding step-by-step.]

Unfortunately, while I had the good idea to have stickers made for my wheels, I was not smart enough to record my wheelbuilds in a notebook, or use serial numbers, so I can’t tell you who I built those for. And, I’m still using the same stickers on my wheels because I bought way more than I should have when I ordered them from the printer back then. So I'm still using them on new wheels I build.

It’s very nice of you to send me the photo of that long lost wheel. I hope it’s still reasonably true and rideable! Just for laughs, here’s one of my favorite photos of back then. In case you don't recognize it, I'm in my Tour-yellow Richard Sachs T-shirt, back at West Hill in Putney building a wheel on the classic Var Atomic jig.

Enjoy that vintage Jim Langley-built wheel!
Jim

Be sure to also read my weekly column Jim's Tech Talk on RoadBikeRider.

Bicycling Across and Around the USA plus Around the World

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sat, 04 Jun 2016 00:53:00 +0000

Happy 40th Birthday Bikecentennial!

Here are a couple of informative and entertaining videos you'll enjoy if you are thinking about packing your bike with all your possessions and hitting the road for life-changing adventures. The first film is about the great cross-America ride to commemorate the USA's bicentennial in 1976, called Bikecentennial, which saw 4,000 people pedal across the nation. There are some fun events planned to celebrate their 40th birthday this summer.

And, here's a helpful Adventure Cycling Association primer on how to get started with bicycle touring. Anyone can do it on any working bicycle. Like the amazing Lloyd Sumner who pedaled over the horizon with $5 in his pocket, stopped and worked to earn money as needed, and ended up circling the globe. Adventure Cycling also has route maps that make touring a lot easier than guessing how to get from point A to B (which is how I did it).

Free 115-page photo eBook!
Speaking of around-the-world cycling and bicycling around the world (as in how people of different lands use their bikes and cycling), I just learned of the beautiful free photo eBook 'Bicycling Around The World'

Quoting the photographer, Paul Jeurissen (the writer is Grace Johnson),

"‘Bicycling Around The World’ celebrates bike travel and culture around the globe.

In 2010, Grace and I set off on a multi-year bicycle tour covering four continents. Wherever we go, we search out bike culture, dramatic landscapes and remote places.

So come pedal with us through the icy Himalayas, the barren Pamir highway, tropical East Africa and the chaos of Dhaka in search of unique cycling images.

We also show you glimpses of bicycle culture via painted rickshaws, overloaded cargo bikes and even two wheelers piled high with cotton candy.

By the end of this book, we hope you’ll agree that the world is best viewed from a bike saddle." Get the eBook here!"

Note that the link takes you to Paul and Grace's Bicycle Traveler International Magazine on Bicycle Touring, which has other free eBooks about bicycle touring subjects; a great resource.

Thanks, Paul!

2016 North American Handmade Bicycle Show Report (NAHBS)

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Fri, 25 Mar 2016 19:11:00 +0000

2016 NAHBS Report

With spring comes great riding and quite a few bicycle shows!

Last month I attended my second North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS), which took place February 26 through 28. It was the 12th edition, and attracted a whopping 179 exhibitors and 6,500 paid attendees (I paid $22) - the largest NAHBS yet.

Here’s the NAHBS website and NAHBS Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/nahbs/

The person we have to thank for coming up with the idea of NAHBS is founder, president and Kentucky framebuilder Don Walker of Don Walker Cycles https://www.facebook.com/DonWalkerCycles.

Don has created a fine thing in NAHBS, a unique show that changes locations every year, is open to the public and designed for makers of custom bicycles, products and the suppliers who support them to display their wares (like tubing and framebuilding tool makers).

Also unique is that you can even place orders and buy products from many of the vendors and I overheard some builders were happily taking full advantage. Keep in mind that many work in small - almost secret - shops and mostly make sales online or via the phone.

This year the show took place in California’s capital city, Sacramento at the Convention Center downtown. Along with its rich cycling history and famous bicycle club The Sacramento Wheelmen - of which I am an honorary member (don’t miss their Sierra Century April 16th!), Sacramento is where you can pick up the splendid 32-mile American River Bike Trail, also known as the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail

The convention center was an intimate setting very different from crowded bigger shows you’ve probably been to. And it’s always exciting to walk into an entire hall full of bicycles, products and accessories most of which are almost impossible to find at the retailer level. That’s because so much of it is special order or custom built for consumers. And then there are the one-off eye-candy pieces made to win the best-of-show awards.

Mark Di Nucci's work was the talk of the show

I was only able to attend the show on Saturday - nowhere near long enough to cover everything there. But, you can see lots of photos and read some excellent behind-the-scenes on the bike judging by my friend Patrick Brady over at Red Kite Prayer. He did a wonderful 4-part story with lots more to enjoy such as Mark Di Nucci's artistry (photo).

I hope you get to go to one of these NAHBS sometime. Maybe next year when it travels to the Salt Palace Convention Center in Salt Lake City, Utah on March 10-12. If you do get to the show, I want to share a secret with you. Don’t spend all your time gawking at the bikes and products. Instead find the bike builder whose booth it is and ask them to show you what’s cool. One of the awesome things about NAHBS is that the builder is usually in the booth and if you just ask, you can meet them and they’re delighted to talk to you. Here's some of what I learned doing that in Sacto.

BikeCad software (my Best of Show pick)

BikeCAD is my best of show

My NAHBS 2016 started when I met BikeCad Bicycle Design Software’s guru, Brent Curry. He was standing in a booth with a little signage and a computer on a table - no shiny eye candy here to attract the crowds. Because I’m toying with the idea of framebuilding again, I recently stumbled upon BikeCad so I walked over and introduced myself.

BikeCad is free online software that lets you design bicycles and lots more. In order to fully design and use the plans to build your bicycle(s) from, you’ll need to pay for the Pro version, which is $500 Canadian. This gets you some amazing capabilities as Brent demonstrated on his PC. First he put in body measurements to create a giant cyclist almost 8 feet tall and 300 pounds. Then he mocked up a crazy-small bicycle putting in its measurements. Immediately the rider and bike were rendered on the screen with this behemoth squashing an itsy-bitsy wheeled bike.

“But wait, said Brent, watch this!” And he started making changes. Very quickly the giant started looking like he was on a custom fit bicycle. Next, Brent clicked the mouse a few more times and the bike became a mountain and then a triathlon bike showing what the fit was on those. He also showed how when you were happy with a frame design you can even print out templates for marking frame tubes for cutting perfect miters even with hand tools.

The more Brent showed me, the more applications I thought of for BikeCad. For example, anyone can use it to plug in their body and bicycle dimensions and see a perfect animated representation on the screen. Then, by experimenting, you can see right away how you’ll look with a longer or higher stem or a different seat height. Previously, the only way I knew to do that is through video analysis on a trainer and the time consuming process of changing parts/positions.

Since returning from the show and thinking about it more, to me BikeCad was my favorite product at NAHBS. And, while it might not be a bicycle, frame or component, it’s definitely a handmade product so if I was giving out the awards it would be top of the list.

Wheel Fanatyk’s amazing bike tools

After visiting with Brent, I hustled across the show to the Wheel Fanatyk booth. I’ve only seen photos of their beautiful wheelbuilding tools and I just had to lay my hands on them. Husband and wife team Ric and Donna Hjertberg were working the booth. You might know Ric from his years owning the celebrated Wheelsmith bicycle shop in Palo Alto, California, or from his spoke brand Wheelsmith.

As the supreme wheel and spoke guru, I knew Ric would be busy talking to 5 people at once, which he was. I gave him a wave and asked Donna if I could play with their toys and she was happy to let me. I most wanted to see how the handmade dial indicators on their P&K Lie truing stands function. P&K call them “clocks,” which should tell you how sophisticated they are (photo).

Unlike standard dial indicators that swing wildly and are difficult to read, P&K’s make it a complete no-brainer to see how far out the wheel is both laterally and radially. Which means that you can exactly see the effect of every turn of a nipple to quickly true wheels. And, if that’s not enough, the stands are designed and constructed so extraordinarily they’re works of art, too.

Donna also let me try out the $2,900 Morizumi Spoke Machine. It cuts and threads spokes, which solves the problem bike stores/mechanics have of keeping on hand the right length spoke for every possible wheel. Wheel Fanatyk offers other ingenious tools for wheel lovers and a lovely wood display stand by Ric’s brother and woodworker Jon.

Two trick bikes

Back on the show floor one of the busiest booths was English Cycles. By the number of people surrounding it, I was drawn to a bare-steel road bike on a pedestal. English Cycles is Rob English’s company but he wasn’t near the bike to talk to. The person who was there told me to pick it up, which I did.

To my amazement, the STEEL bicycle (silver fillet-brazed Reynolds 953 tubing) weighed just over 9 pounds. English has made a name for himself by thinking outside the box and also for proving that his bikes work by racing and winning on them. So, it’s likely if you’re up his way in Oregon you’ll see him on this stunner of a roadster (note that UCI rules have weight restrictions but not the races in Oregon Rob competes in).

With gravel bikes and road disc brakes all the rage, I next took a look at Calfee Designs’ Adventure model. It has received rave reviews and I like the concept of a 650B wheeled go-everywhere carbon bicycle.

The fat tires provide a super comfortable yet still fast ride and the carbon frame could care less about rain, snow and slop. Plus for overnighters or even credit-card touring with a small load, you’ve got the control, power and minimal maintenance of discs.

Spurcycle Bells

You may have already seen Spurcycle bells because even at $49, they have taken the noisemaker market by storm. At NAHBS they were actually assembling the bells to show how much handcraftsmanship goes into each one.

The thing that makes them unique is their tiny footprint, which leaves plenty of handlebar real estate for all your perhaps more important accessories. They also make the perfect ping to grab attention yet not startle. And, they’re built of brass and stainless steel and even guaranteed for life.

Here's another very interesting new bell by Knog, the "Oi."

Rocket7 handmade shoes

At $1,450, you may think you’d have to be crazy to order a pair, yet seeing the Rocket7 custom shoes in the flesh would probably convince you that it would sure be fun to try a pair - because it did me. After you make a mold of your feet following their instructions (or have them do it - they’re holding a clinic in Northern California in May), they build custom shoes for you.

They use the lightest materials such as their Ultralite Carbon, which they say can build a size 42 at 125 grams! And they can customize the fit and feel of the shoes many ways for perfection.

No wonder so many pros choose Rocket7s, including Tom Boonen and Greg Van Avermaet. There are also stock models starting at about $495.

Eroica California

After NAHBS, the next big festival for those who love handmade things is Eroica California, taking place in Paso Robles April 8, 9 and 10. They had a nice booth at the show manned by Wesley Hatakeyama who runs the event and who brought a couple of his beautiful vintage rides and a display case full of super-rare goodies, like one of the first Campagnolo quick releases, circa early 1930s.

How rare? Enough that none other than Mr. Campagnolo himself, Valentino, walked over to meet Wes and see his rarities. Rumor has it that there’s now a possibility that Campagnolo might get involved in Eroica at some time in the future - a perfect match. There’s still time to register to ride Eroica, too. https://www.facebook.com/eroicacalifornia/

Final notes

Other highlights for me in no particular order included, SRAM’s eTap wireless electric shifting, which was just as cool as at Interbike and which I will be reviewing soon (rumors at the show were that Shimano has one in the works but their booth staff denied it); Honjo’s prototype titanium fenders(!); Silca’s Hiro adapter (photo) for those hard-to-access valves; Abbey Tools’ carbon/ti pro-mechanic superlight hammer; and Caletti Cycles best-in-show-winning artist-painted matching bicycle, shoes and helmet ensemble.

To learn more about these products and to find out a lot more about the 2016 NAHBS hand-makers, I’ll leave you with this excellent reference that provides the names, websites and social media links for all the companies that were at the show http://www.2016.handmadebicycleshow.com/exhibitors/

You'll also enjoy these extensive interviews with the builders.

If you see me at Eroica, be sure to say hi. Look for me on a fire-engine red LEJEUNE.

Jim

Help Identify Jeff's Strange Wooden Bicycle From Italy

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sun, 15 Nov 2015 23:24:00 +0000

My friend and fellow bicycle aficionado, Jeff, sent me these photos with the note,

"Take a look at the bike I picked up. It says Made in Italy on the seat cluster. I'm calling it the broom stick bike. Looks like a one-off to me as I've never seen anything like it. If you can share the photos maybe someone will have some ideas."

Happy to help, Jeff. Take a look readers, and if you can offer any information, please let me know and I'll pass it along to Jeff. If you're interested in wood bikes, Calfee's Bamboo Bicycle has lots of fans. And here are the famous Italian Cerchi Ghisallo bicycles, rims and handlebars. Or get a gorgeous wood display stand for your bicycle with Wheel Fanatyk's Wooden Bike Stands.

L'Eroica California Ride Report in Photos

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Tue, 14 Apr 2015 01:45:00 +0000

The first American L'Eroica ride took place April 11 and 12, 2015 in Paso Robles, California, and I feel lucky to have been there. Here are a few photos and captions from what should become an essential annual event for anyone interested in celebrating cycling history with classic bicycles, fun people and epic riding.

I should say heroic riding, because that better relates to the Eroica name, and the accomplishment of completing the rides on a vintage machine. Though there are no bike-checks, official L'Eroica Italy rules require riding a pre-1987 (or facsimile) racing bicycle (I chose a 1974 Peugeot PX-10 kind of like this).

This means riding in toe clips and straps, using friction shifters, relying on old brake designs and pedaling up steep, long, dirt climbs on way-too-difficult gearing - or climbing off and walking, which many of us had to do.

L'Eroica celebrates the romantic days of cycling when many roads were dirt, you rode for hours without seeing a car and you could stop in cafes out in the country to break bread and enjoy a little vino-fino with good friends before pedaling on to your destination.

As celebrity ride leader, Andy Hampsten told me (Andy owns Cinghiale cycle touring company in Italy), L'Eroica is designed in part, to help preserve our classic backroads and hopefully prevent them from all being paved over and turned into highways.

The Paso Robles L'Eroica began on Saturday with a cycling festival. The banner event was the concours d'elegance bike judging, which was followed by a dinner. On Sunday, the rides took place. We had short, medium and long course options of about 40, 65 and 125 miles.

I opted for the medium ride and rode with my Spokesman teammate John Pollard in our vintage style Santa Cruz Wheelmen wool jerseys. John brought his custom 1980s Peter Mooney. Among the other unique aspects of this ride was vineyard reststops, complete with wine tasting and even wine-filled bike bottles to take along!

Enjoy the photos and captions and say hi if you make it to next year's event!

Jim

The meet & greet Saturday morning

Concours d'elegance judging about to begin

Judges with clipboards scrutinzing

Bianchi had a nice booth at the show

A couple of Brian Fessenden's Pogliaghis

Lovely Jo Routens

Reinforced bottom bracket

Hellenic stays and piercing cable routing

The Jack Taylor area in Classic Rendezvous tent

Double front brakes

Super badge

Retro ride rig

Carminade - a rare French marque

All the way from Utah in style

Like those photo booths at arcades

A genuine gonfleur on a 1938 Bianchi

Andy arrives to lead us off

We were on the dirt 75% of the ride

Not a car in sight & almost all day

It wouldn't remain flat for long

First vineyard reststop - complete with wine tasting

Trying to keep pace with Andy (in Giro pink)

Caught up with him at the reststop

A photo out of the 1950s

L-R: Tom, Keith, John, Jim & Ryan

More Eroica CA photos
And more

New resource: 1991-1999 Bicycle Specifications Archive

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sat, 27 Dec 2014 22:24:00 +0000

Just in time for a new year, I'm pleased to announce a handy resource for buyers of used road and mountain bicycles or those needing information to keep one on the road or dirt. It's Anthony ("Tony") Alsberg's collection of bicycle specifications.

From 1991 until 1999, in our Bicycling Magazine West Coast Editorial Office (which was located in Soquel, California - photo), Tony disassembled, weighed, reassembled and recorded the specifications (specs) for over 100 road and mountain bicycles we were testing and reviewing in our pages.

Many of these bicycles are from famous brands still around today. But, others are from companies now out of business, like Bridgestone bicycles. So, these specs can be helpful for finding how the bike was originally equipped and for learning more about the bike design. Also, if you're restoring a classic old bike, having the original specs is a huge help in finding the correct replacement parts.

For each specifications sheet, there is an accompanying road test and photograph(s) in my library somewhere. All I have to do is find it!

Enjoy these specs from the 90's,
Jim

Jim's Last-Minute Cycling Gift Guide

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Wed, 10 Dec 2014 20:59:00 +0000

Happy Holidays and happy the-time-of-year-no-one-knows-what-to-get-for-their-favorite-cyclist (which might be YOU!).

Here are a few sure-to-please cycling gift suggestions - well, if you count my last tip, it's more like many thousands of bike gift ideas, so keep reading! (And be sure to share this, so that you get the gift you really want!)

Your Home Bicycle Workshop e-Book ($19.95)
Let's start with a suggestion dear to my heart: my very own Your Home Bicycle Workshop e-book. It's the only book of any type all about setting up the perfect place for your loved one to work on all your bicycles. And you can download it right away so it's the ideal last-minute gift. It's in the RoadBikeRider e-bookstore where you'll find many other great cycling reading gifts available right now.

Bicycle Quarterly Classic Bicycles Calendar 2015 ($15)
Every year about this time I start searching local bookshops for a nice, new bicycle theme calendar for my office wall, and to give as a gift. But, I almost never find anything. So, I was happy to discover the magazine Bicycle Quarterly’s Classic Bicycles Calendar, that features 12 studio-quality photos of famous road bikes and a short history about each one, too. They'll also love receiving Bicycle Quarterly magazine next year ($36 for a year's subscription in the USA).

Pedro’s Super Prestige floor pump ($65)
All roadies need a good floor pump because it’s the one essential tool for keeping tires fully inflated so that they always enjoy great rides. But I’ve found that lots of riders use their pump for so long that it barely works anymore. If your loved one has been using the same pump for eons like this, they will be delighted to receive a huge upgrade in the form of Pedro’s Super Prestige. Its best trick is being able to grip Presta and Schrader valves every time with an airtight seal and without having to change the pump’s head in any way. It’s also easy to pump, has a nice and very visible gauge, a long hose and is built to last.

Boa Closure Cycling Shoes ($varies)
This gift idea is for a somewhat-new technology that many road riders love when they try it: shoes with Boa Closures. It’s a system that uses tough, thin wire/filament laces that you tighten and loosen with a ratcheting dial. This allows fine-tuning the fit along the entire length of the shoes simply by turning the dials. And the result is even more comfortable shoes and power transfer. To buy this gift, you’ll want to give them a gift certificate to a bike shop that carries shoes with Boa Closures so that they can get the right fit and features. Here's a page showing the many shoe brands using Boa Closures.

Specialized S-Works Evade road aero helmet ($250)
A new helmet is always a great gift because with use, helmets become less effective. And new helmets continue to improve offering more protection and comfort. Plus, in the case of Specialized’s S-Works Evade, you’re actually also giving them the gift of free speed because it’s a wind-cheating aero helmet proven to reduce drag and save them energy on every ride. There are other companies making road aero helmets, too, such as Giro's new Synthe ($250).

Keep On Kovers for Speedplay pedals ($16 to $20)
Keep On Kovers make a great stocking stuffer for anyone riding Speedplay road pedals (look for lollipop-looking pedals on your giftee’s bike). They’re rubber cleat covers with a great trick: they go on and stay on (unlike all the others that you have to put on and take off every time you stop/start)! These covers don’t interfere with pedal entry/exit one bit and they fully protect their Speedplay cleats and even keep the screws in should they loosen. Even better, they won't lose them or forget to bring them along on rides because they stay on their shoes!

Bike Mechanic Tales from the Road and the Workshop ($24.95)
I just received this new book from VeloPress and I’m reading it every chance I get because it immediately jumps you behind the scenes of professional racing and puts you in the team car and pits with the mechanics. These are the overworked guys in charge of keeping everything running, from the bikes, to the cars and trucks, to organizing the pits, to even helping dress their riders and care for them during races. If they have any interest in the nuts and bolts at the pro level of our sport I’m sure they’ll be as taken with this book as I am. The many photos alone are worth the price of admission.

Camelbak Podium bottle ($10 for 24 ounce)
Every roadie needs new, clean and high quality bottles, so you can’t go wrong gifting them a Camelbak Podium bottle or two. They’re so easy to drink from and leak-free and tasteless, that they’ve become my favorites. They’re also available in different sizes and insulated versions, some with custom graphics, too, so you can get whatever you think best matches their bicycle or kit. This is an inexpensive gift with high value to your rider.

Grease Monkey Wipes ($9 to $20)
A clean bike is a happy bike - and rider! You can make it super easy for them to keep their baby showroom clean by gifting them a supply of Grease Monkey Wipes. These handy towelettes are saturated with a citrus cleaner so they simply wipe to clean their frame and components - even greasy drivetrain parts. They’ll be as amazed as I was how much easier these make bike cleaning. They come in the handy packets shown (easy to take along on rides) or in canisters, too.

Etsy cycling gifts (all price ranges)
Type "bicycle" in the hand-made gift resource/community Etsy and you'll bring up tens of thousands of ideas. That's how I found BryansRebicycling's Silver Infinity Spoke Bracelet shown, a super-cool recycled bike-part gift idea, and hand made, too, for only $14.98 plus shipping! But there are almost endless other choices, so happy searching and shopping!

Velo Orange Porteur Rack ($165)
This beautiful front rack has been out of stock on the Velo Orange site for some time, however, it's such a nice porteur rack - a type kind of hard to find - that you might want to give a gift certificate for it and just let them wait for the shipment to arrive. Porteur racks have a wider platform than standard ones, so they're ideal for city bikes that carry larger loads (French newspaper deliverers used these racks). Velo Orange's is made of polished stainless steel so it adds class along with versatility to your around-town ride. The rail is removable.

Last, but not least, in case you're wondering what I want for Christmas. It's this P&K Lie Special250 Truing Stand. Might as well dream big, right?

Here's hoping you have wonderful holiday,
Jim (aka Santa)

PRODUCT REVIEW: Giro's 2014 Air Attack Shield Helmet

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sat, 04 Oct 2014 00:21:00 +0000

Every time I wear it, riders are still asking about my helmet so I thought it would be helpful to rerun this review that ran earlier this year on RoadBikerider.

There's a Giro video about their development of this new helmet at the end

Good rides!

Jim

An Every-Ride Aero Helmet For Roadies

I received this Giro Air Attack Shield (about $200, 360 grams) last winter (2014) and liked it so much right out of the box, that I was tempted to give it a great review after only a few rides and races.

However, it was mostly chilly back then and I wanted to see how it handled the heat. Last week, I finally got my chance when we hit 100 degrees, a record high for us, and perfect for helmet testing.

It was important to hammer in the heat in the Air Attack because its unique design includes a fuller-coverage body, only 6 narrow vents (you can barely get a finger in to scratch your head) and a full wraparound faceshield (there are three slit vents in the faceshield, too).

I suffered a minor concussion crashing and hitting my head hard while wearing an ultralight helmet not too long ago. So, I like how the Air Attack covers more of the head and its seemingly fuller and tougher In-Mold polycarbonate shell that resembles a BMX-type lid rather than a road-racing model (I say ‘seemingly’ because I haven’t crashed to test this - and hope not to!). It does feel stronger on your head though.

Full, crystal-clear faceshield
The other obvious difference of the Air Attack is its full, wraparound faceshield. This polycarbonate, tinted lens attaches to the helmet via three powerful magnets, which means you can quickly and easily remove, invert and reattach the faceshield upside-down to expose your full face to the wind.

I haven’t had this happen, but it’s possible to drop the faceshield if you fumble while removing and replacing it. That wouldn’t be good for it, however, the magnets are so strong, that even if you only get it close to the helmet, they’ll grab and hold the faceshield tightly and it won’t drop.

The faceshield is tinted just the correct amount for my vision. It features Carl Zeiss optics for exceptional clarity and I’ve experienced no distortion or eye fatigue. I also find it to be exactly the right shape for full protection whether I’m sitting upright or in a full tuck. There’s a nose protector built in, however, it doesn’t come close to touching.

Most impressive, and among my favorite features of this helmet, is that the faceshield provides excellent protection and coverage and is also far enough from your face that you rarely get sweat on it. This means it doesn’t become blurry forcing you to have to clean it on rides the way glasses do. In fact, so far, I have only had to clean the faceshield about weekly.

It’s also great not having glasses resting on your nose and ears and not having to deal with fogging issues. Or having to put the glasses somewhere safe when they’re not working. I’ve damaged or lost many expensive pairs of glasses that way.

Handling the heat
On one of those hot days last week, I pushed hard for three 20-minute repeats up a sun-baked climb to see if I would overheat in the Air Attack. I felt warmer than in my standard Giro and Specialized helmets, but I didn’t have any overheating worries after the hour’s worth of intervals.

I credit Giro’s Roc Loc Air system and airflow design. Even though the helmet isn’t riddled with large vents, and even with the full faceshield, you feel air coming through the helmet and over your head at climbing speeds (a lot more on descents).

It’s because the harness holds the helmet slightly above your head. A dial in the back and sliding mechanism let you both tighten and raise/lower the harness for a custom fit.

Also, there are large exhaust ports in the back of the helmet and channels built into the inside that suck air through to help keep you cool and dry. Complementing the fine fit and venting are Giro’s antimicrobial and moisture-transferring X-Static comfort pads (removable for washing) and soft straps and Slimline buckles that you barely feel against your face.

The Air Attack fits me fabulously and I bet you’ll agree if you try one on.

Aero advantages
I was most interested in trying out the Air Attack’s full faceshield and having what might be a tougher lid. But, on my first rides with friends, someone asked me why I was wearing an aero helmet. Ditto, when I wore it during my first race this year, the Madera Stage Race.

This caught me a little by surprise, because the Air Attack is hardly an aero helmet when you compare it to my rocket-ship-shaped time trial lids. It’s round and blunt and those are so long and pointy they look ridiculous. But those helmets are among the fastest things you can add to your time trial setup, so they’re essential.

Since everyone thought I was cheating the wind, I started paying attention to downhill coasting speeds and air noise (the quieter the helmet, the less wind resistance, in my experience). And low and behold, I started seeing higher speeds in my Strava PRs and on my computer. And the helmet was quieter at high speed, too.

That’s another excellent reason for wearing the Air Attack. By cheating the wind and making you faster, it’s also saving you energy, which is a great thing. And, if you’ve already upgraded to an aero road bike, this helmet is the icing on the cake.

Giro’s Air Attack Shield has a unique look, is slightly heavier and is warmer in really hot weather. It’s also sure to attract attention on rides. This all means that it’s probably not the right lid for all roadies. Yet, if you want a super-comfortable helmet that helps you ride and lets you ditch your eyewear, plus could provide more protection, you might love it just as much as I do.

The Air Attack Shield comes in sizes Small/Medium/Large (51-55/55-59/9-63cm) and colors Black/Red, Black/Silver, Blue/White (shown), Fluorescent Orange/White Matte Black and White/Silver.

BIKE RESTORATIONS: Making a René Herse-style decaleur

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Fri, 21 Mar 2014 01:05:00 +0000

Before brazing

To share this fun little project for the René Herse randonneuse I'm refurbishing, and to say thanks to my good friend and framesmith Paul Sadoff of Rock Lobster Cycles who brazed it for me, here are a couple of photos of my just-completed homegrown Herse-style decaleur (quick-release handlebar-bag holder).

If you visit this page of the website with the best archive of Herse bicycle photographs, and if you look closely at how the handlebar bag attaches to the stem, you can see an original. There's also an illustration below that shows how cleverly it works.

If you are looking for a modern version, you should visit this page on Compass Bicycles to see their decaleurs, which are Japanese-made and beautiful quality.

My bicycle was missing this crowning touch for the front of the bike. I purchased the Compass Bicycle version and it worked great. But then I saw the photo I linked to above, of the genuine Herse decaleur and I couldn't stop thinking about it and decided I had to have one like it on my bike. A couple of months later I have one.

To explain how it attaches to the bicycle, It mounts beneath the custom Herse stem on its twin bolts. You can just see the holes in the second photo. They're covered by masking tape in the first photo.

I'll somehow mark it so no one thinks it's an original piece, probably by etching some text beneath the plate that mounts to the stem bolts. I may use a vibrating writing-on-metal tool. Or, maybe I'll just write beneath the flat piece with a Sharpie and make it easy!

After brazing

Without any type of official tubing bender, the most difficult part was bending the chromoly tubing. I made a form to bend it over by hand.

It's not easy bending small-diameter quality tubing without crushing it. I had to buy several different wall thicknesses and ruin some tubing before I figured out what worked. I also built several different bending jigs and tried a couple of tubing bender tools before I made something that worked.

I would like to have seen how they did it at the Herse shop. There are some wonderful photos of the shop during the period my bicycle was built and also of Jean Desbois who made my frame in Jan Heine's new and outstanding book on René Herse.

Too bad they weren't making decaleurs while those photos were being taken!

I tried several ways to make the U-shaped finishing front upright piece that you put into it to seal the open ends for riding without the handlebar bag (the other half of the decaleur is bolted to the handlebar bag - see photo links above).

Ready for cleaning

I finally found an easy way to do it and you might be able to figure it out if you look at the finished decaleur photo closely. Hint: there's something slightly different about that piece.

Keep in mind that it won't be in the decaleur most of the time because the bag will remain on the bike mostly. So it's only for sometime and temporary use and I didn't feel it had to be perfect because of that, though I still wanted it to look almost perfect.

Those pieces that appear silver/gray in my photos above are just aluminum holders that aligned and kept the tubing in position for brazing. The two curved pieces had to be kept in position or else they had a tendency to twist.

The other challenge was getting the ends to line up with each other perfectly. Luckily I had purchased the Compass Bicycle decauleur so I had the key piece that attaches to the handlebar bag with bolts and lets you slip the bag into the decaleur in seconds to mount and remove the bag.

Sanded and ready for chrome

Since that part fits tightly into the two open ends, it was the other essential that held the loops aligned for brazing. The aluminum alignment pieces have been removed in the photos below.

Scroll down past the text and you'll see how my decaleur looks ready to be mounted on my René Herse. The chrome plater did quite a nice job and amazingly turned it around in only 4 days!

Hope all your projects are going great, too,

Jim

Ready for installation and use!

How it goes on

BIKE BOOK REVIEW: Park Tool Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair, Edition 3

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Thu, 06 Feb 2014 15:47:00 +0000

Readers, since it's winter - typically when bicycles need more maintenance - here's a rerun of a recent Jim's Tech Talk column I wrote for RoadBikeRider all about a helpful new guide to bike repair.

As bicycles get more sophisticated, what with advances in carbon frames and components, electronic drivetrains and hydraulic-disc brakes for the road, not to mention the myriad of new bottom bracket and headset configurations - it’s pays to keep on hand an excellent up-to-date bicycle repair manual.

Enter, Park Tool's 3rd Edition Big Blue Book of Bicycle Repair by Calvin Jones ($24.95; available in bicycle shops, bookstores and online/the link above).

While there are lots of things to like about this 241-page softcover book packed with color photos, among my favorite features is that it’s for all bicycles. So, this one book tells you what you need to know to fix all the bikes in your stable from your favorite road bike(s) to your kids’ cruisers or mountain bikes, to your spouse’s everyday get-around machine.

Both older bikes and modern ones are covered, too. And, there’s even a section on internally geared hubs, which are found on many city bikes - a type of road bike growing in popularity as our commutes get more traffic choked and frustrating.

Also, because this book comes from one of the world’s leading, oldest and most innovative bicycle tool manufacturers, the step-by-step procedures and tips and tricks are explained with detail about using tools, too. And, because Park has extensive bike repair help on their website where all their tools are explained, the book refers you to their excellent online sections for even more information.

Trivia: Park Tool’s roots go back to 1956 and a small fix-it shop in St. Paul, Minnesota called Hazel Park Radio and Bicycle. When they became a tool company, they dropped the rest and simply went with Park Tool Company.

I think you’ll also like the clear and simple directions. Some repair manuals are over complicated, which can lead to confusion or simply being afraid to tackle something well within your ability but that appears overly difficult because there’s simply too much information to digest.

Park’s step by steps and procedures - even on high-tech, newer adjustments like setting up Campagnolo EPS and Shimano Di2 electric shifting, or fine-tuning those hydraulic discs I mentioned - are short and sweet and to the point. And when more information is helpful, Jones points you in the right direction.

Tip: Keep in mind that besides this bike repair book and others you might own, there’s an increasing wealth of information on component makers’ and some manufacturers’ websites. There has to be because the companies are producing new designs so quickly that the paper and ink publishing world just can’t keep up. So you’ll want to supplement any repair book’s recommendations with what you find out online.

But there’s plenty in this book to keep your wrenching going smoothly, from charts of recommended torque settings (all-important with carbon bicycles/parts), headset standards, tool lists for setting up your home and on-the-road workshops, a nice glossary so you get your terminology correct talking to your mechanic at the shop and even a fun section all about dealing with breakdowns on the road and trail. I’m sure you’ll be very happy you have a copy in your home shop.

From Park’s website, here are a few more details: 17 chapters; extensive table of contents for easily finding what you need; through-axle systems; tubeless-tire conversion systems; SRAM XX1 11-speed freehub removal/installation; Campagnolo Power Torque cranksets; Specialized S-Works cranksets; BB30 crankset system; PF30 bottom-bracket system; BB86 and BB92 bottom brackets; 11-speed chains/ 11-speed Campagnolo chain installation; 11-speed derailleurs; Shimano Di2 electronic shifting; Campagnolo EPS electronic shifting; Shimano 9000 derailleur adjustments; Shimano and SRAM clutch-type rear derailleurs; SRAM Red derailleur adjustments; Tektro hydraulic brakes; headset standards and SHIS standards, and more.

Tip: For more tool and bike repair tips, check out Calvin’s Corner where Park Tools’ Calvin Jones, the author of the Big Blue Book, offers tales and insights from his work at Park and as a professional USA Cycling mechanic and instructor for USA Cycling’s mechanics' program and Park Tool’s shop-mechanic training program, too.

To successful and enjoyable bicycle repairs,
Jim

PRODUCT REVIEW: Kuat NV hitch 2-bike rack (2-inch hitch model)

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sun, 10 Nov 2013 20:18:00 +0000

The NV on the Roadtrek Agile SS Sprinter RV

A few months back I wrote this review of Kuat's NV hitch bike rack ($549) for my Jim's Tech Talk column. I'm still using and thoroughly enjoying the rack, and regularly get asked about it when we're on the road.

So, to help others looking for a bicycle hitch rack - and especially if you're trying to fit one on a Sprinter-type camper-conversion RV van, I thought I'd post the review here, too, with a few more observations from using it more, and also with their informative video.

If you're looking for a great hitch rack for a car, truck, van or Class-B RV like ours, I think you'll like the NV as much as we do.

A few details
The NV sells for $549 (as of 2013).
The NV rack carries 2 road and/or mountain bikes (accepts all adult-bike tire widths and sizes and kid's bikes down to 20-inch wheel sizes).
By attaching Kuat's $389 2-Bike Add-On, you can carry 4 bikes. But only for their 2-inch hitch/reveiver NV.
Kuat also offer the NV in a model for 1.25 inch hitches/receivers.
Kuat uses aluminum for many parts in the NV, so it weighs a relatively light 49 pounds, making it easier to handle than many hitch/receiver racks.
In order to install the NV on the back of our Sprinter RV, which has a spare tire, we needed an 11-inch hitch extension. We purchased the Heininger 6000 Advantage Adjustable.
One of my favorite features is Kuat's built-in Trail Doc bicycle repair stand.
Kuat Racks
Kuat NV hitch rack

Carrying bicycles in style
A couple of years ago at the Interbike bike show, I was introduced to Springfield, Missouri-based Kuat Racks (say “Koo-At”) and was impressed by their innovative designs and features. I made a note to keep them in mind should I need a rack in the future. So, when we recently purchased Roadtrek’s smallest RV, the Agile SS, which is built on a Mercedes Sprinter chassis with a 2-inch hitch on the back, I checked Kuat’s website and saw that their NV model would fit the bill.

Would the NV fit the RV?
It wasn’t quite that easy. The Sprinter has two doors on the back and the RV has a spare tire holder blocking the left door. So, there needed to be enough clearance for the rack to fit behind the spare tire. And, I wanted it to move out of the way for access to the right rear door to get into the back of the van. Plus, I needed the rack to be easy to remove so I could open both doors, which requires lowering the spare tire holder that blocks the left door to a horizontal position. To get everything to work, I had to purchase an 11-inch long extender for the Sprinter’s hitch (details above).

Note that rack manufacturers usually warn against, or even prohibit using hitch extenders on RVs. This is because most RVs position the rack well behind the rear wheels where the rack is subjected to massive forces over bumps. But, that’s not an issue on our RV, which is on the shorter Sprinter chassis (19.5 feet long).

Top view

Built mountain-bike tough
Still, since RVing and driving a somewhat oversize vehicle are new to me, I couldn’t help but worry about my bikes on the back. So, I wanted to be sure to get an overbuilt rack. The NV is actually designed around mountain bikes with up to 29 x 3-inch tires, and weighing up to a whopping 60 pounds each.

It will also carry bikes of all sizes in-between down to 20-inch kid's bikes (it comes with an adapter for these). So, I thought it would easily handle my featherweight roadsters and cross-country hardtails.

The reason it can easily carry all these different size and type bicycles is because it’s a tray-mount bike rack, meaning that you don’t have to do anything to your bike to put it on the rack except lift it and place the wheels on the tray. Also, the rack only touches your tires. Nothing holds the frame. And because the NV spaces the bicycles 13 inches apart, they can’t bump into each other or rub, either. These are both nice features for carbon road bikes bikes that can be damaged by rubbing and bumping.

It's also possible to reverse the directions of the trays in case you have interference issues with the handlebars and RV. This was the case with the Roadtrek's spare tire. It was nice to have the option to set the inside tray the other way to get the handlebars away from the spare.

Easy and fast on/off
To secure bikes to the tray, there’s a telescoping arm that ratchets down to close on the front wheel just ahead of the brake, pressing the wheel down into a pocket for it in the tough plastic wheel holders on the trays. To finish attaching the bikes you simply thread the rear wheel straps into their holders and pull down to ratchet them tight and cinch the rear wheel in place. The whole process takes about 5 seconds for each bike and it’s just as fast getting them off.

In fact, getting the bikes on/off is so easy, it’s kind of hard to believe it works. At first, I kept tugging on the bikes to see if they were really on there and pushing down on the arms and pulling on the straps. But, the connection is super solid and it holds fast. We drove 7,000-plus miles on some of the worst roads in the country, to New Hampshire and back to California with it, and nothing loosened up a bit. And that included a bone-jarring, suspension-abusing stretch of New York's abominable Thruway (never again!), plus a week of searing heat and several days of pounding rain.

No-tools rack tightening and removal
The way the bikes attach to the rack is similar to other tray-mount hitch racks, but the way the NV attaches and stays tightly fastened in the hitch is advanced and quite an advantage. Instead of the typical bolt-on arrangement, on the NV there’s a large nylon knob on the end of the rack’s main support tube (watch the video to see this).

By simply tightening this knob with your hand, a cam inside the rack presses an oversize ball bearing mounted in a pocket on the NV’s insertion end into the vehicle hitch taking up all the slack between the two and securely fastening the rack. No tools are required and though I kept checking this knob across the country, it never loosened and the rack stayed tight.

It was also easy to loosen the knob and remove the rack when needed. The rack remains tight when you loosen the knob, but once you bang the knob with your hand, the cam lets go and the rack comes right out. This is when you appreciate how much aluminum is in the NV because at only 49 pounds, it’s significantly easier to lift, carry and handle than the usual 100% steel hitch racks that are so common.

Folds up and down
I only had to remove the rack because of the spare tire holder. If that wasn’t there, I could have used the NV’s folding feature. It has a giant spring-loaded quick release lever on the bottom. You pull it open and lift or push down and the rack snaps up to its folded position behind the doors or down so that a tailgate can be opened, or in my case, my right rear door.

Being able to fold the rack up on the back of our RV meant we could still parallel park in a standard space. With the rack down and bikes on it, the RV was a little too long for that.

Built-in security
To protect your precious cargo, the NV comes with a locking hitch pin so the rack can’t be stolen from the vehicle (because we used an extension, we needed a locking hitch pin for that, too). And there’s an integrated cable lock that is connected to the wheel trays and stores inside them, too. You just pull it out, thread the ends through the bike frames and wheels and lock the ends together to secure the bikes to the rack. The keys for the cable lock and hitch pin are the same, which is nice.

Unfortunately, my cable lock developed some issue and wouldn’t close the second time I tried to use it. To safeguard my bikes I simply purchased a 6-foot OnGuard cable lock and that worked fine. Kuat quickly sent me a replacement cable lock under warranty, so the rack's built-in lock is now working again.

Kuat’s clever Bottle Lock
I wouldn’t have had to purchase the OnGuard lock if I had been smart and brought along Kuat’s $29 Bottle Lock. They sent me one to try but I didn’t think I’d need it and left it home. It’s a coiled 5-foot cable and lock built into a standard bottle so it fits nicely in a bottle cage. To lock your bike, you just pull the end of the cable and it unravels (the inside of the bottle spins, the outside doesn’t) to full length. You then lock its end into the top of the bottle. The keys are stored in a compartment in the bottom of the bottle.

The Bottle Lock does not hold water, but it’s a convenient, lightweight and cool lock I could have used on the rack and will use riding around town. It comes in Black, White, Pink and Rasta .

Kuat's Trail Doc repair stand

Kuat thought of everything
The NV’s ease of use, light weight and secure bike and vehicle attachment make it a wonderful rack to use. But it has another trick and one I had to have: it features their Trail Doc repair stand!

When not in use, this sits at the end of the rack’s main support. To use it, you remove the bikes, fold the rack up, loosen the Trail Doc’s quick release and extend it up until it clicks in place.

Voila! You have a very nicely constructed bike repair stand that holds bicycles by the seatpost or top tube and lets you work right there by your vehicle like a pro. For me, it means I no longer have to bring along a separate repair stand and one less thing in a small RV is a great thing.

Rack envy
Finally, as impressed as I am with the design, features, function and quality of the NV, I am just as impressed by its appearance. When you buy a fancy vehicle it’s hard to get yourself to put anything on it. But the NVs lustrous grey and gold finish makes it a stunner and a few people on our trip actually came up and asked us if the rack had been custom made by Mercedes for our RV. That’s quite a compliment to Kuat’s design, and perhaps why they named it what they did.

HOLY GRAILS: 1974 Masi Gran Criterium, continued

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Sat, 14 Sep 2013 01:05:00 +0000

Back To The Future

In part 1 of this great bicycle project, I reran a story I wrote for my Jim's Tech Talk column on RoadBikeRider called Basket Case, that told of my finding a quite beat-up 1974 Masi Gran Criterium, and deciding to go ahead and get it restored.

It was a tough decision because somewhere along the line it had been run into a parked car or curb buckling the top and down tubes. Plus, all the original paint and decals were gone, an awful spray-can finish had been applied and the parts had been removed and dumped in a milk crate to rust away.

Yet, the more I looked at the frame with the magical Masi M cutout in the bottom bracket, the lovely lugs that taper into the tubes, the clean dropout finish work and the extraordinary twin-plate fork crown, the more I felt I had to bring it back to its former glory.

I also had heard that that crown was sometimes a sign of a frame built by Masi founder and legendary framebuilder for the pros, Faliero Masi. This is part 2 of that story - which also appeared in my column in RoadBikeRider.

The greats rode Masis

Masis were among the most respected racing bicycles ever built and even today roadies who raced them back then will tell you that nothing compares. But, it’s the pros who won on them that really made their reputation.

Just a few of the big names include, Eddy Merckx, Tom Simpson, Fausto Coppi, Felice Gimondi, and Jacques Anquetil (note that their Masis were painted to look like the team sponsor bike brand).

My model, the Gran Criterium was also the red rocket, character Dave Stoller rode in the best cycling movie of all time (ATMO), Breaking Away - adding more fame to the Masi name.

Masi worked out of perhaps the most amazing framebuilding workshop ever, which was and is still located in the Vigorelli velodrome in Milan, Italy. Today Faliero’s son Alberto continues the family tradition building frames there, though since the Masi name was sold, his frames now go by the brand Milano 3V. Masi aficionado’s Bob Hovey and Greg Fletcher have some nice virtual tours: http://bhovey.com/Masi/MasiVisit/ and http://masi.gregfletcher.net/masi/vigorelli/vigorelli.html .

Masi USA

Faliero must have been a visionary, too, because right as the huge bike boom of the seventies was about to hit America, he came here and opened a USA Masi division in Carlsbad, California. And, the fact that Masi was here in 1974 and not in Italy, meant that my frame might also have come out of that shop.

All these things and the desire to be able to own and ride such a famous marque (the frame is a 57cm - the perfect size), made me decide to send it off to an expert who could help me decide whether it was worth saving.

The Masi goes home

That would be Joe Bell of Joe Bell Bicycle Refinishing http://www.campyonly.com/joebell.html, because Joe has restored lots of Masis to perfection and his work is concors d’elegance level.

I called Joe first to see if he was interested in the project and he said that not only would he love to repaint the frame, but he would also show it to Brian Baylis, who was helping build Masi frames in those early days in Carlsbad, where mine was probably built.

That’s all I needed to hear and I boxed up the frameset and sent it off to Joe’s Southern California shop.

Only two days later Joe called to say he had already received and opened the box, inspected the frame and shown it to Brian.

I next expected to find out whether it was worth saving and how much it would cost. So, I was surprised when Joe told me that he and Brian had already decided the frame had to be saved and even more surprising, that Brian had already taken it back to his shop and started repairing the crash damage

See Joe's note and sections of the replaced down tube in the photo!

Great news

Joe went on to explain that in their estimation the frameset was built in early 1974 in Carlsbad and that Brian himself might have helped build it. Equally exciting was that Brian believes the fork was probably raked by Faliero Masi himself, who was training the other builders in his new shop at the time how to build his frames.

With this news, it was a complete no-brainer for me to send Joe a $1,000 deposit to commence the restoration (with frame repair, paint, chrome, decals, a Silca pump painted to match and Joe's super-careful packing and shipping, the total cost was $1,890).

[A quick aside: yes, I realize that I might have been able to find a rarer or better Masi for the same money. But it wasn't about the money or finding a better one. This Masi found me. I felt the same responsibility to rescue it that Joe and Brian did. There's tremendous satisfaction in resurrecting a survivor like this and that's what I was interested in, rather than trying to buy the ultimate Masi, which would be an entirely different thrill.]

I’ve included a few photos that show Joe and Brain’s fabulous work. I’ll finish the Masi restoration story when I get it fully built and back on the road - hopefully with some riding impressions.

I’ve already located 1973 Campagnolo Nuovo Record components and vintage road bike expert, Bob Freeman up at Elliott Bay Bicycles in Seattle, was kind enough to sell me a pair of the especially rare Martano rims, which were what it had when new.

Visit Bob’s site and scroll to see some of his impressive restoration work http://elliottbaybicycles.com/restoration/

In the front view photo you can see the twin-plate crown, which requires more skill to build with since it’s comprised of multiple parts. A standard crown is a single piece that the fork steerer tube and blades fit into. This twin-plate crown has a top and bottom plate and the blades and steerer pass through the bottom plate before the steerer passes through the top one and the blades fit inside the top plate.

There are also two reinforcing tangs on the inside of the blades that also extend through the twin plates (the yellow dots are decorative braze-quality check holes in these tangs).

Even if you've never built a frame, I think you can appreciate the challenge of getting that many pieces assembled, aligned and brazed together correctly. Especially since, on many of the best steel road bikes back then, which had the much more basic crown design, you would see misaligned crowns (very noticeable when you're riding and looking down). The Masi's is perfect.

One of the reasons I sent the frame to Joe Bell is because I've seen how he lays down an impossibly thin paint finish. It's extremely high quality, durable and lustrous yet what jumps out at anyone who loves handcrafted frames is how he keeps it so uniformly thin.

In fact, sometimes framebuilders choose to paint their frames with see-through clear coats to ensure you can see their brilliant craftsmanship. Joe gets this and gives you the best of both worlds: a stunning finish with all the originality of a new 1974 Masi but the ultimate coat that reveals the framesmith's exquisite detailing, too.

You don't want to just look at this bike, you're drawn in to inspect it closely and end up running your fingers along the joinery marveling at the artistry.

The frame is made of double-butted chromoly steel, probably Reynolds 531 because Masi had a falling out with Italian tubing make Columbus or so I’ve read. I've never actually ridden a Masi Gran Criterium in my frame size, but I'm going to savor every step of the build and not rush it.

Thanks to my friend and fellow Masi lover Chuck Schmidt of Velo-Retro filling me in, I've rounded up most of the correct parts to build mine close to original.

I'm in need of the right saddle, though, a Cinelli Unicanitor #3 would be good, I believe. If you have one you'd part with please let me know. Maybe I have something you need for one of your projects.

I'll close with a photo of the signature M cutout in the bottom bracket, neatly highlighted by Joe in yellow. When the Campagnolo BB is installed its translucent plastic sleeve should accentuate the cutout nicely. Masi sometimes used similar cutouts in the chainrings, also edged with yellow, and I've seen Masis where the ends of the top-tube cable clip bolts were highlighted with dots of yellow paint and other yellow details, too, to make the bicycle that much more special.

Thanks for reading!
Jim

SHOPTALK: Making a bike workshop toolboard

noreply@blogger.com (Jim Langley) — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 19:49:00 +0000

My toolboard

For you mechanics out there, here's a popular subject I covered in my Jim's Tech Talk column in RoadBikeRider. It's on toolboards and tool organization, so it's great for dialing in your home shop for more efficient bicycle maintenance and repair.

It came to mind as a good topic because recently I was working in our remote office instead of my home office here in Santa Cruz, California. I was there to set up a bicycle workshop.

Over the years in that office we collected a good basic assortment of bike tools, and those that fit are neatly stored in a variety of different size toolboxes. For a workbench, we’ve been using a giant oval table made for staff meetings. It’s plenty big enough for any bicycle project but not the best approach since it has to stay clear for meetings and office work. We have a few bicycle workstands.

Fortunately, we found a corner to turn into a pro bicycle work area and I got to design it. This was one of my responsibilities at the bike shops I managed and also at Bicycling magazine, so I enjoy it. Self-promotion alert: I even wrote a popular e-Book that’s sold in RBR’s bookstore about how to create your own shop at home titled Your Home Bicycle Workshop.

Advantages of toolboards
As I was building our new shop I was thinking how useful even a basic toolboard is, and thought I would explain more how to make one. Step-by-step instructions follow. But first, let me list a few reasons why so many bike shops use toolboards.

Convenient and efficient bike repair: a good toolboard holds frequently used tools right at hand; you never have to search to find the right one

Helps prevent lost tools: as long as you put them back, your tools are always right there, and at a glance you can tell what’s missing and go look for it

Keeps the workbench clean: again, as long as you put the tools back, your bench stays available for whatever you’re working on

Protects tools: bike tools can be costly, and hanging them on a board prevents them from getting beat up by other tools in a box or a sliding drawer

A nice toolboard impresses your cycling buddies: just beware the tool borrower - better to fix it in your cool shop than let them take your tools with them

Concept and location
A toolboard is just a place to hang your tools. Common materials are plywood and pegboard, and anything that makes it easy to hang tools. You only need a size large enough for your FUTs (Frequently Used Tools). The rarely used items should stay in a drawer or toolbox so as not to clutter your board, making it more difficult to select the right tool and/or take up all your space.

Typically, your toolboard will be placed on the wall close to where you work on your bike. Or, if you have a work surface, table or workbench, it can be attached to the wall above it. It’s best for it not to be any taller than you can easily reach, and not too long, to avoid having to walk, or stretch, or stand on something to reach the tools. Remember, these are FUTs, so you’ll be retrieving and replacing them often during your bike work.

Plywood is my preference
For materials, I much prefer plywood to pegboard. With plywood, you hang your tools on 6-penny finishing nails that you drive into the wood wherever it works to hang and space your tools.

With pegboard you buy the appropriate pegs and tool holder gizmos to hang your tools. Plus, you have to follow the pegboard spacing, which means you can’t end up with perfect spacing for oddly shaped tools, which nicely sums up many bike tools.

Note that the step-by-step instructions below assume you’re using plywood and nails, but I do describe at the end how pegboard differs.

Making your toolboard - by the numbers
Anyone can make a toolboard and benefit from having one. You don’t need to be an expert mechanic or even have lots of tools. This approach to toolboard design will work for anyone. If you don’t have lots of tools to hang right now, you can easily follow these directions to update your toolboard as your tool collection grows.

1. Lay it out. Place a large piece of sturdy cardboard on top of your table/bench (even if you only use a makeshift table as a workbench, it will work for this step). Most bike shops will give you a bike box, and cutting one side off will work for this. Or use what have you. It only needs to be large enough to lay out the tools you own currently (read on).

2. Find and lay out your tools. Dig through your garage, basement, car, bicycle bags, etc., and find all the tools you use for your bike. This includes bicycle-specific tools and regularly used household tools, like pliers, screwdrivers and scissors. For now, lay these tools flat on the piece of cardboard you placed on your workbench/table.

3. Try it out. Over a few days/weeks, do some bike repairs/maintenance using the tools on your cardboard-covered bench. As you work on your bike(s), pay attention to which tools you use, and how often you use them. Refine your tool selection by removing any that you never use and moving tools that you use together near each other (like pliers next to cable cutters, adjustable wrench next to cassette lockring remover, crankarm remover next to bottom-bracket tools, etc.). Also, place the tools and groups of tools used together -- that you find you use most often -- toward the center of your workbench. For example, 4, 5 and 6mm allen wrenches or a folding allen wrench set should go toward the center, since allens are used so often on modern bikes.

4. Commit to it. Once you know what tools you like and feel good about how you’ve organized them on the cardboard, take a little time to lay them out so they’re spaced nicely. Then think about if the cardboard was held against a wall, where nails would need to be driven for the tool to hang straight and not fall off. You can hold the nail and try the tool on it and figure it out pretty quickly. Once you know, mark the nail locations on the cardboard to hold each tool. Then, either draw a quick outline around each tool on your cardboard tool template, or take a photo of the entire cardboard toolboard with tools in place, to refer to later.

5. Finish your toolboard. All that’s needed now is to remove the tools from your cardboard template. Next, hold the template against the plywood piece that’s to become your toolboard. It needs to be secure because you’re going to drive nails into it. Now, simply drive the nails through your nail marks in the template, pull the template off your plywood toolboard and follow your digital “map” or look at the tool outlines on the template to hang your tools in the right places. So that you know where every tool hangs, you can outline them with a marker on the plywood toolboard now. Or just refer to your photo. (I prefer to memorize mine to keep the toolboard cleaner looking.)

Tip: A simple and handy tool holder can be made from a section of 2 x 4 lumber. You can see these in my toolboard photo on the right and left. Drilling different diameter holes across the edge lets you easily hang tools that don’t hang well on nails, like pliers, ratchet handles, individual allen wrenches or sets, etc. Notice that I also use the front of the 2 x 4 to hang 3 1/4-inch drive ratchet handles with a 4mm, 5mm and 6mm allen sockets, respectively, since those tools are so frequently used.

Pegboard notes: If you choose pegboard, you don’t need to drive any nails through your template. Instead, use it as a reference for figuring out where to place the pegs, and which types of pegboard holders to use to place the tools on the pegboard where you want them. I find that pegboard and pegs/holders for it take more experimentation but you can always get it right eventually. You can also use custom holders on pegboard, like my 2 x 4 special holders mentioned above. So think outside the box and don’t feel restricted by what’s available from the pegboard makers.

What to do if you don't have room for a big shop and toolboard
Not everyone has the space for a full bike-repair station. Take, for example, RoadBikeRider owner/publisher John Marsh. I envisioned him enjoying a spacious workshop in the 3-car garage of his Georgia plantation. But, no. It turns out he has neither a plantation, nor a garage!

John emailed: “I’m completely jealous of you and all other riders who have a good spot for a workshop. I have a carport, not a garage, and a too-small shed in my backyard, at least 100 feet from my back door. I do my maintenance in my office, where I keep my bike. Not at all ideal, but it’s the best I can do.”

Alan’s toolbox approach
Another RoadBikeRider author, Alan Canfield wrote me about his space crunch. He said, “As an amateur woodworker, I appreciate good tools and tool organization. I've unfortunately covered the garage wall space with shelves and have to keep my bike tools in a small Craftsman drawer toolbox that’s packed full!

I appreciate the suggestion for using plywood and nails to maximize the spacing on tools. I might try to adapt and make a plywood toolboard that spans the back of my workbench below the overhanging shelf.”

Toolbox tips

Alan’s use of a toolbox for a tight workshop is one way to work efficiently in a small space. It also lets you easily move the tools if your workspace is constantly changing. That’s essentially the setup pro mechanics use at races. So you can use some of their tricks to make working this way even more practical.

Here are some toolbox toolkits that get you started with a box and an assortment of bicycle tools:
Park Tool Home Mechanic Starter Kit
Park Tool Advanced Mechanic Kit

The pros often use a special electrician-type suitcase for toolboxes. These actually have miniature toolboards inside called palettes, and usually two or three of them on top of each other. You slip your tools into the holders on the palettes and they stay organized and easy to access. Larger tools go in the main toolbox compartment in the bottom.

That's Park Tool’s Tool Case in the photo.
Here's Pedro's Master Tool Kit, a mechanic's case packed with tools.

Color coding
To make a drawer-type toolbox more efficient to work out of, I recommend marking the drawers and tools. First, organize your tools the way you would for a toolboard, putting tools that are used together in the same drawer, putting the most frequently used ones in the easiest to access part of the toolbox and making sure every tool is easy to get at and put away (don’t jam the box so full it’s hard to open/close it or the drawers).

Once everything is in the box, mark each drawer with a different color and then each tool that goes in the drawer the same way. I do this with colored electrical tape, putting a strip on the outside of the drawer and then I wrap a band of tape around the tools. That way, after even the most complicated repair, it only takes a minute or two to put every tool back in the right drawer. Plus, you quickly learn which tool is in which drawer, which makes working with them easier.

Tip: I love those monster double-wide, almost ceiling-high toolboxes the TV car guys have, like Edd China's on Wheeler Dealers, but they take up a lot of space, cost a small fortune and are much larger than you need for bicycle repair tools. I recommend sticking with a toolbox that fits your space and that you can carry when it’s full of tools.

Smaller toolboards
If you commit to a toolbox for some of your tools, you can often design a small toolboard that’s just right to keep your most commonly used tools readily at hand. It can be tiny and still provide a nice workspace that looks professional and makes it more fun to work on your bikes.

At one of my bike shops, I had more mechanics than workbenches, and I had to put one of them in a corner in the attic (she liked it - honest!). For this, I used one of those butcher-block-top rolling kitchen carts for her bench, attached a piece of plywood to the back as the toolboard, and put a small toolbox on the bottom shelf of the cart for larger tools. Park Tool makes a folding portable workbench that's handy when you can't leave your home shop setup for long and for when you want to take your shop on the road to bike events.

There are all kinds of ways to fit toolboards in small spaces like this. I’ve seen some that slide or fold out of the way, for example. This isn’t hard to engineer since the tools and board are almost flat, and the tools will stay in place as the board is moved. So think about your space and be creative to find a fun solution.

Tom Anderson’s workshop
Speaking of creative solutions, here are a couple of photos Tom Anderson of Portland, Oregon, shared of his compact workshop and toolboard.

Tom explained, “I live in a high-rise condo building so there’s no workshop space in our garage. However, each unit has a storage room on the top floor, which is where my workbench is located. The rest of the limited space is jam packed with years of accumulation and resembles Fibber McGee’s closet on steroids. See the second photo.

The workbench is a 4.5-foot-long Sears metal bench with a fiberboard top. I doubled the height of the metal pegboard section. The white foam block contains small flat, Phillips, and Torx screwdrivers that are color-coded by type.

“I mostly work on my own bikes (six and counting) and occasionally bikes of friends and neighbors. I got a mechanic certification from UBI several years ago and worked summers in a friend’s bike shop for four years. I also volunteer at a local non-profit shop, the Community Cycling Center. We just had our annual Holiday Bike Drive where we provide 500 helmets and refurbished bikes to kids from low-income families.”

Thanks for sharing your workshop tips, Tom, and great job fitting such a fully functional shop in such a cramped spot, and volunteering your skills to help out your community.

Masi bicycles' setup
In closing, here's a photo of Alberto Masi's workbench, of Masi bicycles. No toolboard here. Instead there are only the tools and lubricants needed; laid out for easy, fast access. Note the drawer's beneath the bench for stored and organized tools used less often, but still right there, nearby. On another bench is a Campagnolo toolbox with more tools neatly organized and stored. I assume that his shop is organized in stations, with separate benches and tool assortments for each step of the bicycle build process. So, this bench is probably for final adjustments and another is for frame preparation, etc.

This photo is from the vintage road bicycle website Classic Rendezvous.

Alberto Masi's tidy tool layout

Have fun!
Jim