tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-57803085815315992542024-03-05T06:43:09.413-08:00Velo CeltVelo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.comBlogger30125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-55331855690694834382017-06-25T13:50:00.002-07:002017-06-25T14:41:46.464-07:00An old Burley kiddie hauler gets re-purposedI think I literally had about 20 tabs open on my computer for the last week or so. I'm rebuilding this *old* Burley kiddie-hauling trailer into a lengthened cargo trailer to haul my telescope behind the Mundo.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuETXp5tvlTidGWaZ-OmAP3o8XAI1ujL0wY9OsoJiU3z54zQkGZriqIEtZNQpip_WJq8tuuu5hsxvI9EnVpQde4lhqcziupXhQ6zAaBZSfywDcJB6G5dMQcnYs8hi0jDou4myjir-nB4/s1600/Zhumell+Z8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1600" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWuETXp5tvlTidGWaZ-OmAP3o8XAI1ujL0wY9OsoJiU3z54zQkGZriqIEtZNQpip_WJq8tuuu5hsxvI9EnVpQde4lhqcziupXhQ6zAaBZSfywDcJB6G5dMQcnYs8hi0jDou4myjir-nB4/s400/Zhumell+Z8.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Zhumell Z8 Dobsonian reflector telescope.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
The telescope would need to be hauled with the tube close to parallel with the ground. Standing upright the scope is nearly 5 feet tall. Sitting somewhat parallel to the ground in it's stand it's still nearly 4 feet long. The trailer would need to be modified to have a lengthened bed for starters.<br />
The plan was originally to build a second 26" wheel with the same Alex DX32 rim as another wheel I had laying around, which incidentally has a dynamo hub. Cool points were the trailer would be able to power it's own taillights as well as charge accessories, and the large wheels could take 3.0 tires for extra cushioning effect to help protect the delicate telescope from the bigger bumps on the road. Only problem is, Alex doesn't make the DX32 anymore, and I couldn't find anyone with 36 hole still in stock though I found one or two places with a 32. Also, the original steel wheels wouldn't take tires any bigger than 26x1.50. Not nearly big enough to offer any cushioning effect.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sAJkFhFOaw8_IZ9d4kf0oUwhz2Qj6UgKthASBqU9LpiU9aIYCMeIbrKC4rQF6BYMbttgjwZ8kED3SDyQH6NeAQXX56o4tlxTJcZC1Wb_66jjxu2xq0we9yOOEIMXTjc0rhsHtPVVSrs/s1600/Burley+trailer+pieces.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="638" data-original-width="1135" height="223" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4sAJkFhFOaw8_IZ9d4kf0oUwhz2Qj6UgKthASBqU9LpiU9aIYCMeIbrKC4rQF6BYMbttgjwZ8kED3SDyQH6NeAQXX56o4tlxTJcZC1Wb_66jjxu2xq0we9yOOEIMXTjc0rhsHtPVVSrs/s400/Burley+trailer+pieces.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; padding: 4px; position: relative; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 10.4px;">Here's the trailer broken down into pieces as I tried to mock up the length and spacing<br />for the wheels using my spare dyno hub wheel.<br /></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Anyway, most projects I undertake like this tend to end up getting overly complicated. I start researching something and rather than keep bookmarking pages, I leave tabs open to go back and compare items. In this case I finally relented and started looking for 20" rims and tires that could replace the heavy, narrow steel rims that came with the trailer. The trailer was old enough that it was from a time when Burley was still using 100mm wide, generic front hubs to make up the wheels of the trailer. Nowadays it would seem they (and most other trailer manufactures), have switched to a design utilizing wheels that have a kind of "pop-in" axle. I digress though. So I had a LOT of tabs open. I was canvasing the web for BMX rims that would be wide enough to allow me to use some 3.0 size tires.<br />
<br />
The custom bicycle chopper crowd likes their fat rubber and so there's no shortage of cheap Chinese tires that are made to look like they could be on some sort of chopper-type bicycle made to mimic one of those ridiculous bikes from that one show on that cable channel.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPEpPL5r5CiOATjd5oRSBF5NguORr-XqUoQnmv98-ALagbBVE-pzRnzamcb-gu9mLmCL4TsSUTmwoCk5OXpMfCupC-SiZ1wtcAODrI0bJHu4ZNtVDm8uLAdNHxYeJhRvsxV6ZB1_By8g/s1600/O-C-C--orange-county-choppers-124507_500_400.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="500" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGPEpPL5r5CiOATjd5oRSBF5NguORr-XqUoQnmv98-ALagbBVE-pzRnzamcb-gu9mLmCL4TsSUTmwoCk5OXpMfCupC-SiZ1wtcAODrI0bJHu4ZNtVDm8uLAdNHxYeJhRvsxV6ZB1_By8g/s320/O-C-C--orange-county-choppers-124507_500_400.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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I really didn't want tires on this trailer with a tread that looked like flames. Just not my thing really, so I had a LOT of tabs open trying to find wide tires with a decent tread that didn't look like something belonging on a kid's Schwinn Stingray from 1977.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8d4TohtXojLE-90LCiKJ8MMGchamI0BkJrCR2w-QxeFwODq3mTmMaPMZmcpVuUkGSK4-DxtD4STn-MZso2OUIqVdpWAOuRve5TlHThKKX_z65UfH35bjQkyWxJ4AHhA4vWLnw25dUho/s1600/bmx+flame.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="1200" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC8d4TohtXojLE-90LCiKJ8MMGchamI0BkJrCR2w-QxeFwODq3mTmMaPMZmcpVuUkGSK4-DxtD4STn-MZso2OUIqVdpWAOuRve5TlHThKKX_z65UfH35bjQkyWxJ4AHhA4vWLnw25dUho/s320/bmx+flame.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This was the look I was hoping to avoid. Seriously. This offends my sense of aesthetics. </td></tr>
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Also, as eventually seems to be case, I searched and searched, and searched every night after I got home from work. More tabs, more obsessive comparison. It started to look something like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDK6ZD_E2P-dZthEEf2AjZ4VTFNvm0q0SZLUw0yGrr0TYfZaWxNae4dZNAUsXT_QhUI6TnMV53_aLrh3mCdXXGEV8mgmeEswRsblBP_nGuzr9RJi3c6mtmguoAskCm3m_t81aF43PV4U/s1600/Tabs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="67" data-original-width="1186" height="21" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFDK6ZD_E2P-dZthEEf2AjZ4VTFNvm0q0SZLUw0yGrr0TYfZaWxNae4dZNAUsXT_QhUI6TnMV53_aLrh3mCdXXGEV8mgmeEswRsblBP_nGuzr9RJi3c6mtmguoAskCm3m_t81aF43PV4U/s400/Tabs.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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And as often seems to be the case with these obsessive searches. I finally just gave up. I found a good price on rims and tires over on Chain Reaction Cycles, so I just sighed, tired of the endless circling trying to figure it all out. Everything went in the shopping cart and I threw in a basic Shimano hub, hoping it would somewhat match the 36 hole dynamo hub I'd purchased a week earlier. The flange size is a lot smaller, but pretty much no front hub has as big of a flange diameter as a Shimano dyno hub. </div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoTCKQip2FR3NlnIcFObDq9Q0INSfU5xNA0MgHL0FC_HvcLw-Rq_UBj85y3HyRhZQ7IFbtSc0VBzFmx70STg4Z1_yv2TejArk0QgkeAGFy634doHcYOWk4F1O0Lp7gswTjvYai1pGx2M/s1600/bmx+tire-COLLAGE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1054" data-original-width="1054" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBoTCKQip2FR3NlnIcFObDq9Q0INSfU5xNA0MgHL0FC_HvcLw-Rq_UBj85y3HyRhZQ7IFbtSc0VBzFmx70STg4Z1_yv2TejArk0QgkeAGFy634doHcYOWk4F1O0Lp7gswTjvYai1pGx2M/s400/bmx+tire-COLLAGE.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's a hodge-podge for sure. Two mis-matched hubs to offend my aesthetic sensibilities.<br />
At least that's not as offensive as flame treaded tires</td></tr>
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Extra bits of aluminum tubing and some aluminum right angle bars arrived earlier in the week. Necessary supplies to extend the length of the trailer of course increased the cost along with the purchase of material to make beefier wheels that would provide more cushioning. The question always remains - does building or converting something end up costing more than if you'd simply bought the item (or something close to it), outright? Lengthy searching for commercially available trailers pretty much turned up nothing. The length of the bed on most two-wheeled bicycle trailers would be too short to allow me to haul my telescope in a safe manner. There were only two options I could find that would even come close and neither one met the criteria of having wheels that would accept large volume tires. </div>
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The Surly Bill trailer with it's hell-no-the-hitch-doesn't-come-with-it, ridiculous total price of over $1000 was one option.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ehk27vlXOVyRpYsCliPBEL4T8f8pBduUX9TvfwxuxEWOyH5jHJ8gsrUII-J-U4L1w2uPQQwePqe-vBk0PfJmCgpYmX1SXbVrTCb58XtzfGSmp1eg_5GP7IMkq563OzmkKiwxUgAfC4g/s1600/surly_billtrailer_2_13_z.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="452" data-original-width="1600" height="112" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi0ehk27vlXOVyRpYsCliPBEL4T8f8pBduUX9TvfwxuxEWOyH5jHJ8gsrUII-J-U4L1w2uPQQwePqe-vBk0PfJmCgpYmX1SXbVrTCb58XtzfGSmp1eg_5GP7IMkq563OzmkKiwxUgAfC4g/s400/surly_billtrailer_2_13_z.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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The only other option was the Bikes at Work 64A model trailer. Still coming in at a spit-your-coffee-out price of $875, it was out of the question as well.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmZ3GFsQlc4DYbLG9THDKTVc0sKdNRajVd8lfpo9VkIFuHCAsc06ue3fh_-UU-_kEfmcIPoXP1gLEKNJY-qzroUsHTNds18IfhkHRtyOVtKR6kTGIWOQfV-4jzgiGWvzPfNed1sxoDJA/s1600/Bikes+at+work+trailer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="478" data-original-width="1600" height="118" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjbmZ3GFsQlc4DYbLG9THDKTVc0sKdNRajVd8lfpo9VkIFuHCAsc06ue3fh_-UU-_kEfmcIPoXP1gLEKNJY-qzroUsHTNds18IfhkHRtyOVtKR6kTGIWOQfV-4jzgiGWvzPfNed1sxoDJA/s400/Bikes+at+work+trailer.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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At least at this point I can be confident that even though this current conversion project has exceeded my initial cost estimates, it's nowhere near as expensive as the above options. Hell, what I will have put into converting this old Burley trailer will easily be a tiny fraction of the cost of either of the two trailers above and I'll have the advantage of being able to design it specifically to haul my telescope without needing to perform any other modifications to an already costly product. Stay tuned as the Franken-trailer begins to take shape. </div>
<br />Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-70366489776504467912016-04-12T11:11:00.001-07:002016-04-12T15:36:41.430-07:00Trying to buy bike parts on the cheap - A cautionary taleYa
know, I'm generally a nice guy. I try to be patient with online orders. I
realize sometimes stuff gets screwed up, and frankly, sometimes it's my
fault for going with a retailer I don't have experience with trying to
get a bargain. I really wanted to build a set of 29" Velocity Dually
wheels around some Carver hubs I bought.These new wheels, to also be set up
tubeless would hopefully save me a couple pounds over the
horrendously heavy set of wheels I'm currently using. <br />
<br />
Enter,<strike> name redacted</strike>. I've chosen <i>not</i> to "name and shame" this particular retailer. Ultimately, I had to throw down a proverbial glove to "get satisfaction" as it were. They ended up making things right, but I'm getting ahead of myself.<br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qlSvf0c9Gn4/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/qlSvf0c9Gn4?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
<br />
<br />
Online retailer <strike>name redacted</strike> had Dually rims cheaper than anyone else. A
whopping $83/rim and free shipping. The next closest competitor was a retailer I frequently use who had the rims available for $107 each. I was saving myself nearly $50 by going with <strike>name redacted.</strike> My regular retailer does price matching but in this case would not match the price from <strike>name redacted.</strike> I bit the bullet and purchased the
rims. The initial order was delayed, and delayed some more. It was only
calling in that alerted <strike>name redacted</strike> to the problem that my rims
had gone to back order and they'd neglected to tell me. Fast forward
something like another week and a half and eventually they show up.
Wrong size. I checked everything and found out it was somehow my fault.
In spite of specifically looking for 29er rims I had ordered and paid
for 26ers.<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCqqg44MIe26QeQEPOl-jZ-DB9f1kAYXomyMS8VbbvpnltXymQq-mDioLA9bVlPHmDDT24HM-bc3AF61Pam4vKZDfnZueQiHOYr7SaExQA5f1awOEiRttKUNtP48d5ctM80NwLIUuey8/s1600/20160412_124041.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLCqqg44MIe26QeQEPOl-jZ-DB9f1kAYXomyMS8VbbvpnltXymQq-mDioLA9bVlPHmDDT24HM-bc3AF61Pam4vKZDfnZueQiHOYr7SaExQA5f1awOEiRttKUNtP48d5ctM80NwLIUuey8/s400/20160412_124041.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Note - not the actual box, but a box that rims came in nonetheless. Still, two very similar boxes sat here as a reminder of my bike part purchasing hubris for something like a week. Yeah, sat there and taunted me day after day.)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
I now think sizing mistake must have had something to do with
the piss-poor "web 1.0" design of their website and shopping cart.
Still, it's ultimately my fault for not catching it in the subsequent
receipt email. So, I paid out of my own pocket to send those back. But
wait, it gets better! A day or so later, a SECOND SET of 26er rims
arrive! WTF?! So, I call in and get things sorted out. Some b.s. on
their end resulted in a double shipment. At least I wasn't double-charged. Still, it necessitated me
making a trip to opposite ends of my neighborhood because I always ship
FedEx, and of course the free return label from them was for UPS. Forty minutes of walking around the neighborhood later, and I finally dropped off the last set of rims at the UPS store and rewarded myself for an afternoon of frustration with a six pack of brewskis from the liquor store next to the UPS store.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwjVrDEylL2uE-OdlxdGKKPLFQVWh9y-awHmgIh0MKRPrQeZpOEto6as6Z8fT-6H-tMidc1je9WzYiyWyXGD8KG_tZ1L_t6Ii54MvgCZTaeKkMi1gf8Acml2NrXZDioZjDiGizHbY3DI/s1600/20160412_124853.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFwjVrDEylL2uE-OdlxdGKKPLFQVWh9y-awHmgIh0MKRPrQeZpOEto6as6Z8fT-6H-tMidc1je9WzYiyWyXGD8KG_tZ1L_t6Ii54MvgCZTaeKkMi1gf8Acml2NrXZDioZjDiGizHbY3DI/s400/20160412_124853.jpg" width="225" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">(Not actually what I bought, but those bottles have long-since been recycled. Also, I don't leave empties laying around on the counter like this. It's supposed to be humorous, okay?!)</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
On
top of mixed up sizes, double shipments and the like <strike>name redacted </strike>wasn't able to speedily do a return for
exchange, and suggested I buy the correct set outright in order to speed up me getting the right rims. I went ahead and paid out of pocket again for the correct size rims thinking I'd have my new rims inside of a week. However, it could never be that easy. At <b>17 DAYS</b> <i><b>AFTER</b></i> I placed the order for the 29er rims there was absolutely NO
INDICATION of whether I would receive them SOMETIME THIS YEAR!<br />
<br />
So, I called in yesterday figuring since it was already past noon and I was
told last Monday 4th that the rims would be in and shipped out, "that week," that it was time to get to the bottom of this once and for all. Mind you, the last time I spoke with them was over a week ago when I was told my rims were, "...supposed to be
here and will ship out this week." So, frustration level at an all-time high at this point, I called in and demanded a refund. I was
immediately asked, "Was it taking too long?" <br />
"Yes. WAY too long," was my reply.<br />
<br />
He
then tells me they may have come in that day. I told him absolutely the
<b>ONLY</b> way I was <b>NOT</b> going to persist with my request for a refund was going to be if
they had indeed actually arrived, and they would agree ship them to me to
arrive by next day air. He asked if he could investigate it and
shoot me an email later that day. I agreed and resolved not to hold my breath. The tab with the rims from my regular bike part supplier sat open in my browser window, since I figured I'd be placing that order for the more expensive rims by the end of the day. <br />
<br />
Coming in scant minutes under the draconian "one to two hour" time limit I gave them for contacting me, I had an email stating that the rims had in fact arrived and would ship that day via USPS Priority Express for arrival the following day. I still wasn't holding my breath. Seeing the rims arrive today would be the resolution I was looking for. Ninja postal workers inevitably snuck in and deposited the box o' rims and departed without so much as a peep from the buzzer. Only checking the tracking a second time since getting up alerted me to their presence. This nearly month and a half saga would not come to an end though until I opened the box, and checked the rims, examining them for signs of damage or them not being the correct item. Would they be 26ers again? Perhaps 28 hole, even though I'd specified 32 hole?<br />
<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jmAISTWqH3g/Vw0pI58P5hI/AAAAAAAALZE/hgsUXDXdR48WAY2L0dyvmapD8sdYUY5gw/s1600/16%2B-%2B1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-jmAISTWqH3g/Vw0pI58P5hI/AAAAAAAALZE/hgsUXDXdR48WAY2L0dyvmapD8sdYUY5gw/s400/16%2B-%2B1" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">It's about damn time!</td></tr>
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The box was there, the rims undamaged, and yes, even the correct size and hole count. A sigh of relief escaped my lips and a grudging email was sent acknowledging, "The rims arrived in good condition. Thanks for sorting this out. By the way, tracking shows you received the other rims. Just need to make sure you're processing that refund for the original purchase. Thanks." Thus ends our cautionary tale. Would $50 extra have been worth it to get the rims within the same week they were purchased, thus avoiding a lot of aggravation and phone calls to a less-than-responsive retailer? Maybe. However the siren call of the bargain is often hard to resist. Next time I hope I can convince my <strike>crew </strike>wife to tie me to the mast and just put wax in her ears so she won't hear my cries of, "But it's $50 cheaper!"Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-69915637874159359312016-04-08T04:28:00.004-07:002016-04-08T04:28:48.769-07:00When the POTUS comes to townMy commute to and from work is usually pretty uneventful. However, living in the home town of the POTUS sometimes can make things interesting. One more than one occasion, riding home on a path that parallels the shoreline of Lake Michigan, I was turned back by Chicago Police, stationed along the path to turn back civilians attempting to enter an area cordoned off for presidential security reasons. I live in Hyde Park, which just happens to be the neighborhood where President Obama lives, and where he received his law degree from the University of Chicago.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSja2inLzmbyLUP6RAkrUo9SnB091nn96fEZ1ClioDRTX-kyBN6n_3A_xQ4jh4Uf-Wz9hxpjyoVqvjAZl3qSJIHzXTGYdFV7odeQTea1aKlKCxADHobhYM0jwXgrqb3i_cHv63ISjFaY/s1600/Obama.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZSja2inLzmbyLUP6RAkrUo9SnB091nn96fEZ1ClioDRTX-kyBN6n_3A_xQ4jh4Uf-Wz9hxpjyoVqvjAZl3qSJIHzXTGYdFV7odeQTea1aKlKCxADHobhYM0jwXgrqb3i_cHv63ISjFaY/s400/Obama.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">President Barack Obama speaks to students at the University of Chicago
Law School on April 7, 2016 in Chicago, Illinois. Obama addressed his
U.S. Supreme Court nominee Merrick Garland as he hopes members of the
Republican party will give Garland a hearing and a vote in Washington.
(Photo by Joshua Lott/Getty Images) </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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It turned out that this evening was one of those days where the POTUS was in town and in fact had a speaking engagement at the university which is just a few blocks from my apartment. As I passed by The Field Museum of Natural History and the John G. Shedd Aquarium, I sighted a MV-22B Osprey attached to HMX-1, or Marine Helicopter Squadron 1 as it's known. Starting in 1976, the Marine Corps took over responsibility for maintaining and flying the helicopter fleet that carries the president, cabinet member, support staff, and members of the press. The Bell-Boeing MV-22B Osprey tilt rotor aircraft was adopted for a support role back in 2013. So far, due to a high instance of Osprey crashes, the president himself does not fly in any of the Ospreys but continues to be ferried about in a modified Blackhawk helicopter called a VH-60N Whitehawk, which adopts the call sign of "Marine 1" when the president is onboard.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWyPBL4nwODWU4WIaoVAJQrQPKAa-lAxdMzBZS-Nr-tF1AxVLUSmsFN2Dw9tRVTWGWuhU1tdXgwhGwqQ8PntrhBVR8QMaKb3mdXrZ-DzPOJopGcWS4IUwkY2ZKG2iNHe3QceVSP4SIJE/s1600/VH-60N_Marine_Helicopter_flies_over_the_Potomac.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjWyPBL4nwODWU4WIaoVAJQrQPKAa-lAxdMzBZS-Nr-tF1AxVLUSmsFN2Dw9tRVTWGWuhU1tdXgwhGwqQ8PntrhBVR8QMaKb3mdXrZ-DzPOJopGcWS4IUwkY2ZKG2iNHe3QceVSP4SIJE/s400/VH-60N_Marine_Helicopter_flies_over_the_Potomac.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A VH-60N Whitehawk, flies over the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Potomac_River" title="Potomac River">Potomac River</a> in Washington, D.C. - from Wikipedia</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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The unusual and loud Ospreys have become a fixture of President Obama's many recent trips to Chicago over the last few years, often attracting many a gobsmacked stare as they thunder across the sky, louder than any helicopter you could imagine. Imagine my surprise when I rounded a corner and found one of the MV-22B Ospreys had landed in a large parking lot next to McCormick Place. No police security was present, however numerous city buses lined the edges of the capacious parking lot as barriers to keep out hostile vehicles. The Osprey had touched down, and sat with it's engines at idle for a few minutes before throttling back up, taking to the air and fly back northwards the direction it came from. For a guy who still remembers being a kid fascinated by all manner of military aircraft and who built every imaginable fighter jet or WWII airplane model kit, it was quite the sight to see this amazing aircraft in action.<br />
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<br />Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-82243004353696167052015-07-22T11:06:00.001-07:002023-06-02T06:41:53.972-07:00What happened to the wreck of the Silver Spray?My daily commute to work along the Lake Michigan shoreline takes me right past an interesting submerged geological feature and the site of the only Lake Michigan shipwreck visible from the shore. For years, I saw this angular black shape poking out just a little above the surface of the water. I'd see it as I drove by in my car, and later as I started commuting to work by bicycle I got a better look at it but was still mystified as to what I was seeing. I know now that angular shape I was seeing was the boiler of the <i>Silver Spray, </i>a steam-powered ferry that ran aground in 1914 on the limestone shoal that juts into the lake at 49th street.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMAJxBboKxCchd9thQw3ot3Z3hmFgku6bWix278fEfnf7BW5ZSWXvFlMj-ZG2PM9pZqlzgmYsZTM3FiezL5CEcvU58XF83zLH1xaWNHh2mKR8rFwfEzPVeqn3RNK7fBzaDo8HnE7zcXE/s1600/silver+spray+16.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMMAJxBboKxCchd9thQw3ot3Z3hmFgku6bWix278fEfnf7BW5ZSWXvFlMj-ZG2PM9pZqlzgmYsZTM3FiezL5CEcvU58XF83zLH1xaWNHh2mKR8rFwfEzPVeqn3RNK7fBzaDo8HnE7zcXE/s640/silver+spray+16.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The boiler of the <i>Silver Spray</i> - photo by Dan Peterman </td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><br /></td></tr>
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Mysteriously though, as I began commuting to work earlier this year in late March, early April I couldn't see the dark, angular shape of the <i>Silver Spray's</i> boiler peeking above the waves. With a stormy beginning to the year, I assumed that the waves were always a bit too choppy to allow me to see the boiler as I rode past. Occasionally, when the waters were more calm, I'd look for the familiar sign post of the wreck but I still couldn't see it. More on the <i>Silver Spray's</i> vanishing act in a minute though. First a little bit of history.<br />
<br />
The Silver Spray was a 109 foot long, wooden steamship ferry that conveyed passengers up and down the coast of Lake Michigan back at the turn of the century. On July 18, 1914 she was set to pick up about 200 students from the University of Chicago in Hyde Park and ferry them down to tour the steel mills in Gary, Indiana when she ran aground on Morgan Shoal and subsequently broke up during salvage operations. Her wood hull broke up and as chunks of it washed ashore, curious onlookers burned it in bonfires that lit their parties as they spectated the shipwreck and failed salvage operation.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRHuPleNl-XmV74tdKlJignF0kD_R51DpHgwcsUdw80z-FLgmbNmjGBFKNPPsFWuuDD5X7PKDXnRU_vbGsqrr99cBwaqnRsjiPm3iE1rU0YJeEZAg0LxvhehG-Lhthv0JM5-rGq8qSeU/s1600/large+silver+spray+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjWRHuPleNl-XmV74tdKlJignF0kD_R51DpHgwcsUdw80z-FLgmbNmjGBFKNPPsFWuuDD5X7PKDXnRU_vbGsqrr99cBwaqnRsjiPm3iE1rU0YJeEZAg0LxvhehG-Lhthv0JM5-rGq8qSeU/s640/large+silver+spray+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The <i>Silver Spray</i> - photo Great Lakes Maritime Database</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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All that remains of the Silver Spray are her boiler and firebox, only a small portion of that massive structure being what is visible from the shoreline. Swimming out to the wreck, something I have yet to do, will allow you to also see a massive anchor chain, 50 foot long propeller drive shaft, and propeller that is as tall as a man. Hyde Park resident Dan Peterman became fascinated by the wreck several years ago and has become a kind of local custodian and tour guide promoting the wreck and championing it to the city in hopes that eventually the wreck and the limestone structure of 300 million-year-old Morgan Shoal will become a marine sanctuary.<br />
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During summer months, Peterman regularly leads guided tours of the wreck on Sundays, for curious swimmers. Peterman leads groups out to the boiler and around the sunken remains of the wreck and the unique structure of Morgan Shoal, itself a unique feature along the Lake Michigan coastline left over from the Great Lakes glacial creation. Due to the shallow nature of the shoal, on the calmest days the pale yellowish-brown color of the rock can make it visible even from the shoreline, and its unique structure provides habitat for numerous species of fish and aquatic plants.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigju1NrjrTk1d8E_JqXgmnTK60_zUxMvBLALBVnEz2LkPucdEltoJHyljZdftCrTkzxZN4OscGiOheuBkVt-enQFgaO2JG0MuWgUL0b6Bb5w-mataTO0tYQQBG1G4vM7OBlEJsw5V3f2E/s1600/silver+spray+3.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigju1NrjrTk1d8E_JqXgmnTK60_zUxMvBLALBVnEz2LkPucdEltoJHyljZdftCrTkzxZN4OscGiOheuBkVt-enQFgaO2JG0MuWgUL0b6Bb5w-mataTO0tYQQBG1G4vM7OBlEJsw5V3f2E/s640/silver+spray+3.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Aerial view of Morgan Shoal - photo courtesy of WTTW Chicago Tonight</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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For years I've seen this reminder of the wreck, the angular boiler peeking above the waves. Only a couple years ago did I finally come up with the right combination of internet search terms to figure out just what it was that I was seeing all these years. For the longest time I thought it was simply a large angular rock since much of the shoreline of Lake Michigan along the Chicago "coast" was stabilized by large blocks of stone and concrete rip-rap. As the water seemed more shallow in that area, I had always assumed it was simply one of those giant pieces of rip-rap that got dumped a bit too far from shore. Imagine my thrill as minor history buff, when I finally learned that it was no rock but was instead the visible portion of a boiler from a shipwreck!<br />
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Fast forward to this Spring and my commutes to work and the puzzling absence of the boiler standing proud of the surface of the lake. Recently, as there have been some days of glassy calm on the lake, I expected to be able to see the wreck again, all to no avail. There had been several very strong storms to hit the Chicago area earlier in the spring and I wondered if somehow the extreme battering waves had dislodged part of the wreck and caused it sink below the waves. Just today though, I happened to be perusing an article featuring interesting facts about The Great Lakes, when a news article caught my eye. Apparently, the water levels of Lake Michigan, and Lake Huron are at the highest they've been in 17 years! <br />
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Due to extensive ice cover the last two winters, evaporation was kept to a minimum and that coupled with higher than normal rainfall this year has led to the rising waters. Read the full text of the news article here: http://www.mlive.com/weather/index.ssf/2015/07/lakes_michigan_huron_water_lev.html#incart_related_stories<br />
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So, it would appear that the boiler of the Silver Spray, which at the best of times barely projects above the surface of the water has been submerged beneath rising lake levels for the time being. Water levels typically peak on the lakes during the summer and will subside later in the year. Maybe by Fall and early Winter, the familiar sight of the wreck of the Silver Spray will once again become visible to me as I gaze out at The Big Lake as I ride to work.<br />
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A more extensive news article about the wreck of the Silver Spray can be read on the WTTW Chicago Tonight website, here:<br />
http://chicagotonight.wttw.com/2012/09/26/shipwreck-chicagos-shore-line<br />
All photos in this blog post have been attributed to their original source and were taken from the Chicago Tonight article. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-59359323531728529602015-06-18T13:11:00.000-07:002015-06-18T13:11:46.610-07:00Slow Roll versus Critical MassLast night I attempted my first ever
Slow Roll ride. As part of Chicago's Bike to Work Week events, there was
a sparsely attended (approximately 40 riders), Slow Roll ride leaving
from Daley Center, right smack downtown in Chicago's Loop. The Daley Center is also the traditional starting point for Critical Mass
rides. Slow Roll has been going on in other communities around the country, and is supposed
to be all-inclusive and more about outreach like getting more timid
cyclists onto the road to build confidence riding with other people,
cars, etc. I guess I easily forget that I was kinda of timid when I
first started cycling in Chicago, but now I usually fearlessly take
lanes and bull my way through traffic snarls with confidence and a high
level of alertness about my surroundings. So, I guess Slow Roll may not necessarily be my thing. I was intrigued though about the possibility of a more low key group riding experience different from the raucous "Woo!!! Par-tay!!" atmosphere of Critical Mass rides.<br />
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There were some introductions to Slow Roll organizer folks, rules about not falling behind the SAG rider, or getting in front of the ride leader. Also there was some stuff about not going out past the riders on the sides of the group - I forgot what they were called. It seemed like the Slow Roll folks create this insulating cocoon around the less experienced riders and thus shepherd them through the dangerous streets of the city, all at a glacially slow pace. I mean, these folks were riding so slowly at one point that I think it was actually more dangerous than just riding faster. Try riding cheek-to-jowl with about 40 other people tottering along at 2.3 miles per hour where bikes are wiggling back and forth and weaving all over and tell me if your sphincter doesn't start to pucker when someone acts like they're about to careen right into you.<br />
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I've never yet ridden a Critical Mass where the same thing pretty much happens as the whole ride hits a bottleneck. So, Slow Roll seems to fail about as miserably as Critical Mass does in that when you pack a lot of bikes together and make everybody ride super-sloooooowwwwww, then the likelihood of accidents goes up exponentially. Every 'Mass ride I've ever been on suffers most of it's bike crashes during these bottleneck slow-downs. Eventually, I couldn't take it anymore. And by, "I couldn't take it anymore," I mean that I was less than about one mile into the ride which took about twenty minutes to cover, when I decided to bail. I saw a familiar cross-street, looked back and saw the street was clear of car traffic, and just broke out from the group and went east while they continued south.<br />
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I get the concept, and the need to have an all-inclusive ride that is less intimidating and somewhat less "douchey" than Critical Mass. However, I'd like to add that even Slow Roll must elect to blow some red lights and cork some intersections which apparently drew the ire of some pedestrians who ranted about cyclists not obeying the law by not stopping for red lights. Note, these pedestrians were not trying to cross but were walking parallel to the direction the ride was going. Still, it's a valid point. How does one introduce neophyte riders to being on the mean streets and at the same time hypocritically break some of the rules that they decry Critical Mass for doing? Anyway, I suppose someone needs to be the helping hand for more timid riders. I don't know how to do that and frankly I don't know that I have the patience. <br />
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Clearly, I'm <i>not </i>the target audience for Slow Roll, and even as a group ride I found it too "shepherded" and a bit too "directed" if you take my meaning. I've heard of a concept called "Bike Party" which sounds like it falls somewhere in-between Critical Mass and Slow Roll. Bike Party is a huge ride <i>en masse </i>like Critical Mass, but whereas Critical Mass almost seems to arrogantly snub it's nose at car drivers with it's happily sarcastic "Happy Friday!" shouts, Bike Party apparently doesn't clog all lanes of travel, or ruthlessly block intersections while riders stream through against the light. It's perhaps faster than Slow Roll, but not quite as confrontational as 'Mass. Chicago doesn't currently have a "Bike Party" ride that I know of so for the time being those who want the "riding in a crowd" experience will need to choose between the chaos, potential intimidation, and potential danger of a 'Mass ride, or select the kinder, gentler, coddled experience of Slow Roll. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-53421267426534151442015-06-11T11:07:00.000-07:002015-06-11T11:07:40.212-07:00How Lance Armstrong ruined pro-cycling for me<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCvzp6Qkaz1X-jWqw8NN6xSJKikUytftuNaSQdFSCIDG9l8vpvmGNZU-C-y9LuaeOW6ZAkntydT4NggAKat9iC91-GtwH8rTaL1Lx9gcc_na2FTzSjCp301WJ_vrJr_tHrxac-rwelEo/s1600/Lance_Armstrong-Th_3337472b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="248" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYCvzp6Qkaz1X-jWqw8NN6xSJKikUytftuNaSQdFSCIDG9l8vpvmGNZU-C-y9LuaeOW6ZAkntydT4NggAKat9iC91-GtwH8rTaL1Lx9gcc_na2FTzSjCp301WJ_vrJr_tHrxac-rwelEo/s400/Lance_Armstrong-Th_3337472b.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by ELIZABETH KREUTZ for <i>The Telegraph</i></td></tr>
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Lance Armstrong, disgraced and banned, self-confessed doper and seven time "winner" of The Tour de France, is in the news yet again. In an interview with _The Telegraph_ he wishes he'd stop being relentlessly persecuted for his crimes and worries that the US government whistleblower case could ruin him financially forever. You can read the full text of the article here:<br />
<br />
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/othersports/cycling/lancearmstrong/11666570/Lance-Armstrong-Ive-admitted-to-it-all-and-I-have-suffered-enough-its-now-time-to-draw-line-in-the-sand.html<br />
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For years, I watched professional cycling when I had the chance, bought team jerseys and proudly wore them when I rode my road bike on the hot rural roads of Georgia. I even flirted briefly in the mid 90s with mountain bike racing and later, when I went back to college to work on a second degree, I idly considered joining the collegiate cycling team, even going so far as to regularly accompany them on training rides. Throughout the late 80s and early 90s and on into the early 2000s, I saw professional cycling as the only major sport that I could follow. You see, I was raised in an environment where my father derided professional sports and where intellectual and creative pursuits were rewarded. This isn't to say my brother and I were denied the opportunity to participate in sports though. My brother played several seasons of soccer in his early teens, and I played exactly one season myself. That one season was enough to know that I'd never be an athlete, especially participating in a team "ball" sport.<br />
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So, growing up with an inherent disdain for all sports and an awkwardness that led me to continually be "the last one picked" for sports teams in gym class all through primary school, cycling was something different. I could hop on a bike and pedal fast. I could don the kit and look the part of a professional cyclist even if I wasn't. Even in those brief months where I rode a few times with the collegiate team, I was encouraged to join because they felt I was a strong rider and could contribute something to the team as a whole. I really felt as if I had a connection to the top riders in the sport. They were true competitors, I was but a pretender. However, I could ride up a steep grade, hammering on the pedals, dripping with sweat in the 90 degree heat, and thus I could feel the same sensations as those vaunted competitors.<br />
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Cruising down steep inclines, top gear maxed out, we would tuck into our "Superman poses" <i>ala </i>Lance Armstrong. We'd have sprints for the mile markers, and the rider who crossed the imaginary line first would sit up in the saddle, arms outstretched in the same victory pose that the pros would have when they gloriously finished a stage of <i>Le Tour. </i>Cycling gave us a connection to the pros in a way that no-one playing baseball or football in their backyard could have. Let's face it, most other sports fans simply participate by watching, while most cycling fans participate by watching and <i>doing. </i>For years, I watched races when I had the chance, read about them when I didn't have access to a television, and otherwise tried to follow the pro cycling scene.<br />
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Then the doping scandals began. Richard Virenque, of the Festina team and multiple winner of <i>Le Tour's </i>KOM (King Of the Mountain), jersey was one of the first to fall. Both my brother and I saw Virenque as an inspiration. Stolidly climbing mountains took amazing amounts of endurance, and in hilly roads of northwestern Georgia, it's something we could sympathize with and emulate ourselves. Later, it seemed like every time I began to appreciate a cyclist for their prowess, they'd eventually fall to doping allegations. There was<i> </i>Marco Pantani, aka <i>Il Pirata </i>as he was known because of his flamboyant gold earring and his "dew rag" head coverings. Pantani, an amazing climber was caught doping, and later was in and out of the sport. Finally, battling depression he died from a cocaine overdose. Then there was Telekom phenom Jan Ulrich. Ulrich, the gigantic young German seemed to be one of those cyclists would could excel at almost all aspects of the sport. During "the Lance years" Ulrich was one of the few cyclists who seemed able to challenge Armstrong. And yet Ulrich's time would come and he too was caught doping. All the while in those later years Lance Armstrong climbed to prominence.<br />
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As his wins were racked up, the criticism mounted. He continued to deny doping allegations, saying all the while, "I've never tested positive." In retrospect, it was as if he was taunting everyone. Refusing to come right out and say that he'd doped, but instead subtly saying he'd repeatedly beaten the doping tests. When it finally all came to a head a few years ago. I almost refused to believe it was true. How could some of the most amazing and inspirational Tour wins I'd ever seen have come fueled by doping? It became more and more obvious that Armstrong's seven year winning stretch was built on lies, intimidation, and doping. Supporters claimed that in a field full of doping what difference did it make? If the second and third place finishers were doping as well, what did it matter? Armstrong had simply been the strongest doping athlete amongst the top tier riders who were all doping as well.<br />
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For me, the subsequent scandals, Armstrong's final public admission of guilt, complete with crocodile tears, it all came to a head. For me the sport was forever ruined. Professional cycling had become tainted. Even following the blow up around the years of deceit and treachery, Armstrong's criminal empire of doping and intimidation, teams continued to test positive and bans continued to come down for riders caught doping. Today, the sport is still as broken as it ever was, with even the top leadership of the UCI (Union Cycliste Internationale), being implicated in looking the other way when it knew that doping was occurring. Even vaunted champions from cycling's earlier years like Eddy Merckx we were reminded had tested positive at one time or another for doping of some form.<br />
<br />
I began to view pro cycling as rotten to the core. I couldn't even bring myself to watch any races post-Armstrong, not wanting to root for someone only to find them being banned later on for testing positive for some form of performance-enhancing drug. Professional cycling had been ruined for me. This thing that I had loved and followed for years was spoiled. The many hours of sitting in front of the television watching the Tour, the Spring Classics, all spoiled. In a way I felt dirty for having watched and supported the riders. For cheering on Armstrong all of those years, when others like three-time <i>Tour De France </i>winner Greg LeMond cried out that he was cheating, I feel guilty. I championed him. I believed that what he did was purely because he was a supreme athlete, and I genuinely believed that he was riding clean.<br />
<br />
These days, I don't follow any professional cycling of any sort. I've grown so disdainful of the sport, that even the local amateur cycling teams have earned my ire, simply because they choose to participate in and emulate the trappings of a broken, tainted sport. I see them pass me on my commutes to or from work, riding in a pace line, usually at a high rate of speed in an area where they can't do so safely (a topic for another posting perhaps), and I shake my head ruefully. They may not be doping, because who the hell would dope to win a local race where the winner takes home a few hundred bucks? What they embody though, as they carelessly whip around slower cyclists and pedestrians, is the same arrogance as Lance Armstrong.<br />
<br />
Armstrong arrogantly thought he could build an empire on lies and deceit, and for years he did. Competition in and of itself requires a certain level of confident arrogance. It's that arrogance that I can no longer countenance. It took me years to see it, and this is what professional cycling has become. Winning at all costs. Whether it's pros doping and willing to risk their lives for a marginal edge against the competition, or amateurs out on their training rides, tooling along with blatant disregard for other trail users, it's all left a bad taste in my mouth that I don't know will ever wash away. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-86573101504900664752015-05-31T10:58:00.001-07:002015-05-31T11:01:30.553-07:00A weird metaphor<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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The idea for this entry came to me while making my usual 11.5 mile ride in to work one morning a few weeks back. I crossed a street that subdivides part of the multi-user path that comprises approximately 98 percent of my ride. It had been a great morning. I started out a little late, leaving the house a few minutes after when I usually would. The threat of being late for work had me hammering on the pedals, even into a light headwind if I remember correctly. The Yuba Mundo is <i>not </i>a light bike by any stretch, but still I managed to keep it going at a fast clip. I'd hunker down a little, grab the forward portion of my Jones Loop bars to get a little more aero and I'd crank it up a notch. I'd settle down a little, sit up with my hands on the grips and dial it back a little. I get very few commuters riding bikes in the same direction (north), that I'm riding every morning. I pass a few runners and joggers, and very occasionally a slower cyclist. </div>
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No. That morning it was just me and the clock. I made it to my usual halfway point and rolled past it with plenty of time to spare. I wasn't going to be late at all that morning. I had plenty of time to spare. I rolled across that bisecting street and looked down, seeing this little 8-bit robot-man ground into the pavement. I'd seen him days (weeks?), before crossing that strip of pavement but didn't pay him much mind. Was he some child's toy, or a sticker, or what? I have no idea, but he's now permanently merged with the pavement, forever gazing upwards with a little wry, half-grin on his face. For whatever reason that morning, I thought about him for a few pedals strokes, then turned around to go back and take a picture. Somehow, he seemed like a metaphor for what the commute is some mornings. Some days the wind is in my face and I have to pedal just to keep from being blown backwards. Some days my legs just don't have the steam and it's a struggle to turn the cranks. I realized that on those days I'm like that little 8-bit robot-man, ground into the pavement. </div>
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I know, it's a weird metaphor and I'm not sure it makes sense. But that particular morning, it seemed to make sense in light of the hell that was most of April, with headwinds and winter-like temperatures more mornings than not. That was me, ground into the pavement by the elements, just a wry little grin as I tried to keep the cranks turning over. Then, there were mornings like that one that I stopped to go back and take that pic of the little 8-bit robot-man. I had the headwind, but the legs were like pistons. I powered through and my tires soaked up bumps, and I sailed along, veritably hammering out the miles. It's mornings like that when I feel like I'm channeling Eddy Merckx. My thighs are like massive pistons, turning the cranks. I eat the miles up. Ahead, I see another rider and I dig deep, closing the distance, then I pass them. I keep pushing harder. I relax for an instant, then I dig deeper still and I open up a lead. I open a lead on who? What? Maybe it's just a lead on the clock. I'm only challenging myself. I hammer the miles out on those mornings. I'm Eddy, not a little 8-bit robot-man ground into the pavement. </div>
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<br />Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-6679295505645770562015-04-22T12:09:00.001-07:002015-04-22T12:09:20.109-07:00You're drunk Winter! Go home!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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You can hardly tell it, but the sun was trying to shine through all of that gloom this morning. Winter decided to try and overstay his welcome yet again this morning. Granted, this is Chicago and winter often persists in the form of cold temperatures even into the beginning of May, despite calendar proclamations and pronouncements from rodents about the beginning of Spring. In spite of that I just wasn't ready to ride into work on yet another day with temperatures in the low 30s Fahrenheit. I wish that figure was Celsius. So, I layered up with my mild winter gear and headed out the door. With no forecast for rain I was aggravated to see the ominous low hanging clouds, for all the world portending rain. I hadn't packed my new Showers Pass jacket, the forecast for the next several days said I didn't need it.<br />
<br />
Still, about five minutes in and I was feeling drops hitting me. But wait, not drops. Nope. Sleet.<br />
<br />
Sleet?! Really?! April 22nd and sleet for my ride in. Seriously Old Man Winter, stop being such an asshole and leave already. We're done with you. Some folks would tell you to just grin and bear it. Yeah, it might have looked like I was grinning but no, that was not a grin but was instead a <i>rictus </i>of determination. Nope. Mr. Car-free-bike-commuter-man just sucks it up and keeps turning the cranks over. Winter, you can suck it because I know that even though you keep trying to overstay your welcome, your days are numbered dude. Man I love riding my bike!Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-84866035532390382532015-04-21T12:41:00.002-07:002015-07-14T10:24:06.214-07:00Car-free, whether you're ready or not<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This was the scene about a month or so ago, when my loyal and <i>mostly </i>trouble-free Subaru was hauled off to a junkyard. Unlike those dumb commercials from few years ago, I didn't drive my Subaru out into a field in the rustic country and park it under a giant old tree, where crying hipsters could come filch parts from the rusting hulk. No, I called a bunch of random junkyards who advertised paying cash for junk cars, until I got <i>one </i>that actually answered their phone. They asked me a few questions.<br />
<br />
"Do you have the title?"<br />
"Yes."<br />
"Does it run?"<br />
"Yeah, kinda. It misfires pretty bad on cylinders two and four, but it will still start up and go."<br />
"Does it have catalytic converter (said in a thick, indeterminate accent)? Cuz if it doesn't you get $100 less."<br />
"Yeah, the exhaust is completely intact." <br />
"When you want to have it pick up? Today good for you?"<br />
"Yeah, sure. I'm home all day."<br />
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It just so happened, I was busy building the bike that was going to replace this Subaru wagon, so I wasn't going anywhere. A little over an hour later, I was $275 richer, and one car lighter.<br />
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The tow truck driver had me sign over the title after which he unceremoniously <b>yanked</b> the license plates off the car and handed them to me. "Plates still good! You can put on another car!"<br />
"No, I'm good," I told him. "I'm going to go car-free. Yeah, that's right, I'm not going to own a car anymore." It didn't seem to register to him that someone would not want to own a car, so he continued talking about various makes of cars he liked. He said he like Mercedes and BMW, and how one of his daughters who was going to go to medical school insisted on a new BMW. No used car for her.<br />
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So, how did it all come about? Well, for the last three years I've been a pretty diehard bicycle commuter. I rode my bike a minimum of 120 miles a week or more, depending on how many days I might make side trips to the grocery store or somewhere else to run errands. During that whole time, I still owned a car. As the car was driven less and less, I started to think more and more about whether it could be possible to go truly car-free. I know from reading other people's tales that it was indeed possible without much in the way of undue hardship.<br />
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If my wife and I <i>really </i>needed a car, there was always the option of rentals or some form of car-sharing service like Zip Car. Fortunately, my wife has been able to walk to work as we live mere blocks away from the university where she works. I have a relatively easy commute to get to work by bicycle, and our car was increasingly driven less and less. Things began to really gel in 2014, when the car was seldom driven more than once or twice a month. Even then, the total mileage put on the odometer in a month was typically no more than maybe 30 miles or so at the most.<br />
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What really planted the car-free seed (pun intended, as you'll see), was coming out to use the car one day last summer. In the area between the hood and the windshield there were actual tiny green plants starting to grow in the layer of humus that accumulated there. Over months of neglect, trees dropped their leaves on the perpetually parked car, and birds regularly fertilized the paint job and windshield, no doubt contributing the seeds of whatever it was that now grew from the loamy medium collected there. I laughed about it at the time and pointed it out to my wife. It was as if I'd unlocked a trophy in a game on my Xbox 360 console. <i>Bike commuter car neglect - Achievement Unlocked!</i><br />
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We had indeed talked about getting rid of the car, but it was always more me talking about it, and my wife insisting that we should still own a car, "for emergencies," even though she never actually drove it, being mortally afraid of having to drive in Chicago traffic. In all the years we owned the car, it was almost never needed for an emergency, the closest thing being a last minute need to get to the grocery store or hardware store without taking the bike on a lengthy trip, or slogging through two feet of snow for a mile round trip walk. There was also one time we needed to take a cat to the vet on a weekend. Looking at going car free, we surmised that as long as any cat emergencies were not dire, we could use a car share vehicle or call a cab if necessary. <br />
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It was the car itself that eventually forced the issue. Through neglect, things had begun to break down. The struts needed replacing and their mounts made annoying clunking sounds while the failing struts allowed the springs to groan and complain loudly. A check engine light would periodically come on, but since the engine ran fine once it warmed up, I chose to ignore it, frequently resetting the CEL with a code reader I had bought for just such instances. Finally, the car experienced a major failure of the exhaust system driving it home from work back in January. The engine was running terribly, no doubt because of a sensor now in alarm mode due to the sudden decrease in exhaust back pressure. <br />
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I parked the car in early January and never drove it again. Once the snow finally melted away enough, I walked out one day to start it up and see if it would still run. We'd decided a few weeks before to get rid of the car, briefly dithering over purchasing a used Volvo 240 wagon for $2000 from a local dealership. We decided instead to take some of our tax refund money <i>not </i>to pay for another car or fix the existing one, but instead to pay off all of our remaining credit card debt. The car we decided, we could do without. If we<i> </i>absolutely <i>needed </i>a car there would be cabs or car shares. We'd make do.<br />
<br />
So, I called a junkyard and had the car towed away. The immediate cost savings of no longer owning a car came a scant few weeks later when I was able to ignore the dire warnings to buy my city sticker for display on my windshield, or suffer late payment penalties and fines. A few days after I gleeful threw the city sticker mailing in the recycling bin, I was pleased to see street cleaning signs appear on the street. I wouldn't have to move my car from one side of the the street anymore, lest I incur an expensive ticket or a towing for impeding the operation of the street cleaner.<br />
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A few days after that, a major storm blew threw, knocking numerous tree limbs down and pelting the area with hail. Once again, I didn't need to worry about whether my car was damaged or not. Little by little, the trepidation of being <i>sans auto </i>has lessened. It's a hard thing to adjust to not owning a car, especially when you've been driving for the last 29 years and have always had a car at your disposal. Still, I think the last two to three years of driving so little had begun to prepare me. Here in America, we've been taught that getting one's driver's license is a rite of passage, a passport to freedom. With our rampant car culture we're taught to think in terms of using our cars for even the shortest trips.<br />
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As my car rolled away on the back of a flatbed truck a month ago, I felt no sense of remorse or foreboding. I wasn't losing any measure of freedom. I wasn't free because I owned a car, I was free because <i>I no longer owned a car.</i><br />
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<br />Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-64114349142311315152015-03-11T21:05:00.002-07:002015-03-11T21:25:20.146-07:00Winter - survive it with dignity and become a better personI'm going to occasionally use this space to share some good posts by fellow bloggers. Here's the first of I hope many of these shares.<br />
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The
worst of the foul weather is probably behind us for a long time. Winter
sucks the fat one. I can take the heat and a thunderous, drenching,
downpour better than I can ever take bone chilling, hypothermia-inducing
cold. Here's an interesting take on the weather and how we interact and
get along with it. These are some sage words, and I hope next winter I can
slay that shit with some real dignity.<br />
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<a class="ot-anchor aaTEdf" dir="ltr" href="http://www.cargoheart.com/the-sky-doesnt-care-how-you-feel/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://www.cargoheart.com/the-sky-doesnt-care-how-you-feel/</a></div>
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Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-33814705004689521302014-10-25T21:40:00.001-07:002014-10-25T21:40:13.235-07:00Bikes, beer, astronomy, and classical music<div class="Bt Pm" style="max-height: none;">
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Beer
and bikes seem to go together like peanut butter and jelly, macaroni
and cheese, Bonnie and Clyde, well you get the idea. Anyway, it's rather
fitting that since I resurrected one of my long lost hobbies, amateur astronomy, and combined it with bicycling, that there would be a series of beers with an astronomical theme to come along. Bell's Brewery has just released their <i>Venus</i> beer. <i>Venus</i>, the second beer in the series, (<i>Mars</i> was the first), is out on the shelves now. If you poke around you might still be able to score some <i>Mars</i>,
but I doubt it, as it was a fairly limited release beer. Bell's created
the series to commemorate composer Gustav Holst's symphony <i>The Planets</i>. The beers are being released in the same order as the movements in the symphony. I picked up a six pack of the <i>Venus</i>
and it's very good. It's blond ale brewed with honey, cardamom, apricot
juice, and vanilla. It's a nice tangy kinda beer that harkens back to
the warmer days of summer as the nights are getting colder now. Sort of a
last hurrah for the season. Anyway, I suggest if you're a beer drinker
you go pick up some Bell's <i>Venus</i>, pop in your CD of Holst's <i>The Planets</i> and enjoy a couple. Even better if you can enjoy a couple out on your back deck with a telescope and some stars. Dark skies!</div>
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<br /><a class="ot-anchor aaTEdf" href="http://bellsbeer.com/planets/venus/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bellsbeer.com/planets/venus/</a><br /><a class="ot-anchor aaTEdf" href="http://bellsbeer.com/planets/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">http://bellsbeer.com/planets/</a></div>
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http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Planets</div>
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=83J68Y7Z1nk</div>
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https://plus.google.com/communities/111015452254725190532</div>
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Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-77397207626651818992014-09-22T19:42:00.001-07:002014-09-22T21:00:36.386-07:00The recumbent grin and how I feel about century rides these days<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOkcgBKs4DL7xlWKt-CSLJ2HBcRNXzlt9Rj9D7iut7d6RrTf3iMuYIsT4bYzKicXu9MExq7cZXg5QobB_GnaQaHxt7D8lLp2mdmxdL7xSRBlEB0R7dsD-PhRDEXmv7Thhcc057B-692s/s1600/photo+4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZOkcgBKs4DL7xlWKt-CSLJ2HBcRNXzlt9Rj9D7iut7d6RrTf3iMuYIsT4bYzKicXu9MExq7cZXg5QobB_GnaQaHxt7D8lLp2mdmxdL7xSRBlEB0R7dsD-PhRDEXmv7Thhcc057B-692s/s1600/photo+4.JPG" height="400" width="298" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The "Recumbent Grin."</td></tr>
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A few months back, I jumped ship from world of the traditional bicycle into the weird and arcane world of recumbent bicycles. That grin you see on my face is what is known to aficionados of these wacky bikes as the "Recumbent Grin." It's a reaction that occurs when one realizes this weird "un-bike" they have just learned to ride instills the most joyous reaction one has probably had on two wheels since first learning to ride. Even though I've been riding my 'bent (recumbent owner slang), now for the last four and a half months, and over 2000 miles, I still get this little grin on my face every now and then.<br />
<br />
The photo above was taken by my friend Bryan during our annual trek on the Evanston Cycling Club's North Shore Century. The ride goes from Dawes Park in Evanston, Illinois, a literal stones throw away from the shore of Lake Michigan, and winds north to Kenosha, Wisconsin and back. As Bryan snapped this photo we were cruising along the Wisconsin shores of Lake Michigan heading south. The wind was finally at our backs and we were reveling in the warm sunshine and cool weather, the first hints of autumn in the air. Our conversation was animated as we talked about enjoying just rolling on bikes through great scenery, and more mundane topics like cooking for our spouses.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLcEwPW06cVFkdVnhhBgqU7HyqmobeW84V72OzsmWlgPNOE89_hpDmKaPkijzx_5FSPQFNw6ATA5dLSHB6OIIkYLS97wp6p1_HcS1F9K2TPKHlbnJYajJbr5avhtWdQouSwhKPo52CzU/s1600/photo+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvLcEwPW06cVFkdVnhhBgqU7HyqmobeW84V72OzsmWlgPNOE89_hpDmKaPkijzx_5FSPQFNw6ATA5dLSHB6OIIkYLS97wp6p1_HcS1F9K2TPKHlbnJYajJbr5avhtWdQouSwhKPo52CzU/s1600/photo+2.JPG" height="300" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bryan mugs a selfie. Lake Michigan peeps through the grass in the background.</td></tr>
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<br />
That was a Recumbent Grin born not only from the joy of a riding a bike that didn't cause me any aches or pains as previous traditional bikes had, but also a grin from the sheer joy of rolling through the country on two wheels with a good friend. I elected to ride the North Shore Century, even though I'd continued to experience some discomfort in my left hip, one of the reasons I'd been driven to try a recumbent. The story of my aches and pains and how I defected to the world of 'bents is for another time. I went into the ride not knowing whether I'd be able to complete the full 100 miles. I think I was mentally prepared for the possibility of a necessary abandonment part way through if I began to experience discomfort. Amazingly, I felt good. In fact I felt great. I battled the wind for 50 miles on the way to Kenosha along with Bryan. The lower profile of the 'bent must have conveyed at least a 15-20% aerodynamic advantage. I think I did well to maintain a 15 mile per hour average while riding a roughly 47 pound bike and at the same time keeping up with someone more than 15 years my junior riding a sub-20-pound cyclocross bike. <br />
<br />
In the past, on a traditional bike I'd have pedaled with my head down, cursing the wind and staring at the surface of the road in front of me, or even at my front wheel. Instead, I was sitting on this "contraption" of a bike able to look around me as comfortably as if I was behind the wheel of a car. In fact much better than being behind the wheel of a car because I could enjoy the sights and sounds and smells of being out in the country versus seeing it all whizzing by at 60 miles per hour. I was seeing some sights on this ride that I'd never really noticed before. I certainly wasn't riding any slower than I'd ridden the North Shore Century in the past. Averaging 15 miles per hour for the entire 107 miles of the ride was on par or better than my averages from years past riding traditional bikes. Our overall average was probably tempered by headwinds during the first 50 miles that we characterized at times as being <i>hors catégorie.</i><br />
<br />
I hoped riding the century would resolve a few things for me. My longest ride of the year before this had only been 46 miles. I was hoped that completing the full 100 miles would show me I was putting the aches and pains of the early part of the year behind me. I also hoped the ride would finally clarify some things I'd been thinking about regarding long distance riding.<i> </i>In my amateur cycling career, 2013 will probably forever be known as The Year of the Centuries. I rode three centuries in 2013, more long distance riding than I'd ever done before. I completed my second century of the year and proudly proclaimed <a href="http://velocelt.blogspot.com/2013_08_01_archive.html">here</a> that along with the North Shore Century completed the year before, I had come to love riding centuries. A little over a month later, I was riding my third century of the year, and by its finish, I was no longer so certain that I was so enamored of riding 100 miles in a day.<br />
<br />
My one and only century this year was to be a deciding factor in whether I'd make long distance riding a regular pursuit in the future. As the day wound down, the final 20 miles or so were passing beneath my wheels and I had time to reflect. Bryan had ridden off ahead to get in his obligatory "balls-out sprint" as he put it. I found myself in a rhythm of pedal, coast, pedal, coast, pedal, coast. I was still taking in the scenery, but I was checking the odometer of my cycle computer a lot more. I'd press a button and see, "85 miles". A little while later, "88 miles," and I'd think, "Alright, 90 miles is just around the corner! Probably only another 40 minutes or so of riding." The final miles and minutes of the ride became the cycling equivalent of watching the clock at work count down towards quitting time.<br />
<br />
I had finally realized upon the cusp of completing my fifth century ride, that 100 miles in a day was just a bit beyond what I wanted to do. There seems to be a rush to finish the ride within a certain time. Everything feels scheduled and regimented. There's little time to stop and take pictures, step into a little bar and grill and get some food, or stop and read historical markers. It seems like going beyond a certain distance becomes a pursuit more of the mileage and not so much the experience. The drive to get the miles subjugates the ability to stop and actually experience the landscape you're rolling through. I came to realize in those last few miles that for me, 80 miles is probably my limit for a day's riding. Just enough miles to feel as if you've accomplished something, but not so much that you don't have time to stop and savor the experience. From here on out. My longer rides will be only <i>so long</i> and they'll include a Recumbent Grin. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zEmQ8UJrlYM_WesxD7-QgvNDtBmgETuSIWME43BN7mTKFOYKPvjJp8BIy2aSAp5SMT3Djxuk2DT9kDQlogL_r2ZVXn3NuBzkL4-AO5brCtJFHFJlVAny14EyQOPGaaRbzvAZ9JK-4Ps/s1600/photo+1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi1zEmQ8UJrlYM_WesxD7-QgvNDtBmgETuSIWME43BN7mTKFOYKPvjJp8BIy2aSAp5SMT3Djxuk2DT9kDQlogL_r2ZVXn3NuBzkL4-AO5brCtJFHFJlVAny14EyQOPGaaRbzvAZ9JK-4Ps/s1600/photo+1.JPG" height="298" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Hang loose, and enjoy yourselves!</td></tr>
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<br />Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-78992072046077540562014-06-25T20:12:00.000-07:002014-06-25T20:33:02.811-07:00Out with the new, in with the old - at least temporarily<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<br />
So, my brief flirtation with Keen cycling shoes is over. My Arroyo Pedal
sandals are getting sent back to Keen for a full refund tomorrow. The
bungee lace would never stay tight, the sole around the clipless pocket
was SO thick that clipping in and out was an issue, not to mention I
couldn't run the clips all the way back as is often recommended for
'bent riders, and finally the top end of the tongue would move to the
side resulting in giving me chafe spots on the side of my foot in that
area.<br />
<br />
I wanted to exchange them for the Commuter III sandals
which have a better retention system around the ankle opening. However,
Keen has sold all of their cycling shoes out and are not manufacturing
any more. Apparently they're taking a hiatus from cycling footwear
because they focus on the commuter/touring market and feel that neither
is "quite there yet," which I think translates to, "We're not making
enough money on cycling shoes."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7lgTmDHRqx42HD91CKP5nTIR6tCVINiGl0_FrbDh73Zkkx1CiBxB1I-ltyymrwDMlJlpFmU0JR4jDC2ts-bJfXCmcivb2hzdM9_rmD5-_pLDVzHqm3lU8Xsy9pe-EJu4qvui79JfaIY/s1600/060.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEht7lgTmDHRqx42HD91CKP5nTIR6tCVINiGl0_FrbDh73Zkkx1CiBxB1I-ltyymrwDMlJlpFmU0JR4jDC2ts-bJfXCmcivb2hzdM9_rmD5-_pLDVzHqm3lU8Xsy9pe-EJu4qvui79JfaIY/s1600/060.JPG" height="428" width="640" /></a></div>
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<br />
So, my beat-to-hell Pearl Izumi All-Road shoes are coming out of retirement. They look a little worn, perhaps a little rough around the edges. They've served me well for over 10,000 miles but their days are numbered. The soles have worn so much that my cleats were protruding to the point where I was "click-clack-crunching" all the time and walking on tile floors like at the grocery store had become a roll of the dice as to whether I'd end up inadvertently doing the splits. Also, the material over the toes was becoming worn enough that very soon, my toes will be poking through the tops of the shoes. <br />
<br />
Knowing that my P.I. All-Roads still need to retire gracefully, I'm going to REI tomorrow to try
on a pair of Giro Rumble shoes to see if they fit. REI only has one pair
of size 47, which I do wear in Pearl Izumi, but of course no company
ever has shoes that match any other brand because there is no
consistency in sizing. If they fit great. If not, I'll order then next
size up or down and have them shipped to the store accordingly. I've
been thinking about clipless pedals a lot lately and how I'd hoped to do away with them in favor of platform pedals.<br />
<br />
I was sorely disappointed with the performance of my Garneau 0 Degree winter cycling boots this last year. They just didn't have what it takes to deal with Polar Vortex. It occurs to me, "you get what you pay for," so I'm going to save my pennies (it's gonna take a LOT), so I can buy some 45North Wolvhammer boots. I just can't seem to get the clipless monkey off my back. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-12559693561875453322013-09-14T14:16:00.000-07:002013-09-14T16:59:52.385-07:00Simple Errands by Bike Become Journeys of DiscoveryWith a couple hundred miles on my newly-built Surly 26" Disc Trucker, things have started to settle in. The disc brakes have needed a couple minor adjustments, new racks and bags have been purchased as others such as these have proven their lack of durability.<br />
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<br />
An infrequent yet bothersome screeching began to emanate from what I suspected to be the sealed bottom bracket. I called around hoping to find someone stocking a common Shimano UN-55 bottom bracket in 115mm spindle width. After a few minutes of calling around I found a shop that had my bottom bracket in stock. <a href="http://comradecycles.com/">Comrade Cycles</a> had the necessary part, so I had them hold it with the intention of riding over to pick up on my next day off.<br />
<br />
Comrade Cycles had come through for me before, being the only shop in the Chicago area I could find with a suitable disc brake caliper mounting bracket that I needed to complete the V-brake to disc conversion on my cargo bike when I was in a rush to get the job done before the Chicago Cargo Bike Roll Call annual picnic. I was looking forward to the ride through the city and over to Comrade. Their shop is a narrow, crowded place staffed by guys with crazy beards, tattoos, and multiple facial piercings. In other words, typical hard-core bike wrenching folks who love bikes. It's also cool that their shop is organized like a collective. I'm sure they're not making money hand-over-fist, no-one who owns a bike shop is, but at least they're all sharing equally in the profits.<br />
<br />
So, I set out to do the 26 or so mile round trip ride to Comrade with the intention of documenting the trip. I realized a mile away from home that I had forgotten to bring my camera. Oh well, maybe some other time I thought. Fighting a stiff headwind most of the way, I enjoyed the ride nevertheless. I arrived at the shop, and comrade <a href="http://comradecycles.com/?page_id=36">Bailey</a> assisted me. It also happened to be Bailey who I'd dealt with several weeks before when I needed that disc brake part. A fellow Surly owner, he came around from behind the counter to check out my bike, complimenting me on my Disc Trucker build. We talked about Crane Suzu bells which I'd been wanting to acquire for some time. The last time I'd been in, Comrade had been out of the stem mount bells with the clapper. Bailey was using one on his bike, a <a href="http://surlybikes.com/bikes/cross_check">Cross-Check</a> so I went outside to check out his bike, locked up to a rack out front.<br />
<br />
We talked about plans to tour and lamented that fact that neither of us seemed to get much more saddle time than what was involved in the daily commute. I left the shop with well-wishes to enjoy the North Shore Century, which I was intending to ride in just over a weeks time. About two blocks away from the shop, I decided to turn around and go back to get some shots. I'd enjoyed the ride over and had seen some interesting things. I thought the simple errand to could be turned into a blog post afterall, showing some of the neat sights along the way. Instead of my Nikon D200, I'd make due with my phones camera instead. I stopped back in the shop, took the phone off my Randonnerd mount and snapped a few pics. Comrade <a href="http://comradecycles.com/?page_id=40">Jesse</a> was intrigued by my phone mount so we spent a couple minutes talking about it before I hit the road. Jesse's page on Comrade's website doesn't do his beard justice. You need to go in an see it in person for the full effect. If anyone was ever rockin' a <a href="http://sheldonbrown.com/eagle.html">Sheldon Brown</a> tribute beard, it's gotta be Jesse. <br />
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You can get this design on a really cool, super soft T-shirt for $20 - well worth it, and currently one of my favorite Ts.<br />
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<br />
The shop extends around the corner into a whole other cramped back room area with more stock and several repair stations. Obviously, the cell phone camera with it's lousy sensor and incredibly lengthy shutter delay is definitely <i>not</i> the best tool for the job. Perhaps I should invest in a small point-and-shoot Nikon Coolpix for trips like this where I don't want to lug along the bulky Nikon D200.<br />
<br />
A turntable sits in a cluttered corner near the cash register. I think
it's totally cool that these guys are rockin' out to tunes played on
classic old vinyl. Kids these days don't know what vinyl is for, except
maybe ruining with their DJ turntable scratching crap. <i>Sigh</i>!<br />
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<br />
The actual reason for this trip. Hopefully, installation of the new
bottom bracket will eliminate the screeching sound. The bell with its
incredibly loud tone and lengthy sustain will work far better for
announcing my presence on the bike paths than the pitifully quiet,
facetiously-named "Incredibell" that I was using before. <br />
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<br />
The actual reason for this trip. Hopefully, installation of the new bottom bracket will eliminate the screeching sound. The bell with its incredibly loud tone and lengthy sustain will work far better for announcing my presence on the bike paths than the pitifully quiet, facetiously-named <a href="http://www.mirrycle.com/incredibell_bells.php">"Incredibell"</a> that I was using before. <br />
<br />
Heading back from Comrade, I documented many of the interesting sights I saw along the way. Making the journey from east to west across the city, I like to take Hubbard Street to get close to Comrad. Although it has no bike lane, Hubbard is far quieter with much less traffic than the similarly direct route of taking Milwaukee Avenue.<br />
<br />
Woodworkers will recognize this as the home base for Jorgensen and Pony
brand woodworking clamps. I had no idea that this more than 100 year old
staple of the woodworking industry was based right here in Chicago. <br />
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I saw these large wheel things from a half block north over on Hubbard
street. I don't know what they are but the looked interesting. One of
the Metra diesel commuter train lines runs parallel to Hubbard Street.
Its elevated tracks provide a canvas for some weird and unique murals as
well as some strange graffiti. <br />
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This section of the expressway running under Hubbard Street is known as Hubbard's Cave, for obvious reasons. <br />
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The final, (first) panel along the railway shows these murals were painted back when I was still five years old. <br />
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Passing from Hubbard to Kinzie Street I ride through one of Chicago's
first protected bike lanes which goes right by the Blommer Chocolate
Company factory which has been gifting downtown Chicago with the
luscious smell of chocolate since practically forever. <br />
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Kinzie Street takes me right by Dearborn Street where I decide to take
Chicago's latest protected bike lane, a two way path that runs through
the heart of The Loop replete with bicycle-specific traffic signals that
evoke images of similar cycle paths in Copenhagen, Denmark. The two-way
lane and signals are kind of neat but I find Dearborn to be a
frustrating way to move from north to south through the Loop. There is
no "green wave" timing of the lights, so you often find yourself
frequently waiting for the lights to change. <br />
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Dearborn goes right by Daley Plaza, dominated by an iconic Chicago
landmark, a sculpture by Picasso that is supposed to be a woman, but
instead looks like a duck to me. I never have liked anything by Picasso
anyway. I find the pigeons far more interesting. There are some neat
"splash-white" guys in that flock there. Daley Plaza is also the
assembly point for the Chicago Critical Mass ride, taking place on the
last Friday of every month, all year round, regardless of the weather. <br />
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Over on 18th Street, just before I make my way back onto the Lakefront Trail, I pass by the historic landmark <a href="http://www.glessnerhouse.org/">Glessner House Museum</a>. The Glessner House was built in 1886 and is one of Chicago's oldest buildings and has a strangely monolithic medieval look about it. Across the street is a more decorative yet still similarly old house that is the site of the <a href="http://www.ussoccer.com/about/about-home/us-soccer-house.aspx">US Soccer Federation</a>, whatever that is. Apparently there are guided tours of these buildings. I'll have to make a point to come back to take the tours one of these days.<br />
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The Lakefront Trail has numerous areas of ongoing prairie restoration
which aim to return parts of the Chicago lakefront to a more natural
state, resembling what the area looked like before European settlement. These restored prairies act as vital resting areas for
migratory birds coming through the Great Lakes area during Spring and
Fall migrations. Several of these spots along Chicago's Lakefront Trail are known
as some of the best places in the country for birding during the twice
yearly migrations.<br />
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A few more miles of this and I completed my trip, arriving back at home. Parts were installed and a celebratory beer was consumed.<br />
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Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-32903361720323406132013-08-04T15:08:00.001-07:002013-08-04T15:08:47.078-07:00How I came to love riding centuriesSo, July 27th saw me complete my third century ride ever, and my second within literally less than a month. My first brush with riding a century came during the Fall of 2011. When I had started riding my bike again, I decided a worthy goal to train for was completing a century by the end of the year. It turns out the Evanston Cycling Club hosts an annual ride called, 'The North Shore Century.' It is approximately 100 miles (ends up being slightly longer), and winds from Evanston, Illinois to Kenosha, Wisconsin and back. The route is fairly scenic and for those with more modest mileage appetites there are numerous shorter options.<br />
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That first year, I started late, it was cold and rainy, and as a result the best I could manage was 75 miles. However, that 75 miles was about 35 miles farther than I'd ever ridden in one day before then. I vowed to break through the 100 mile barrier the following year. So, 2012 arrived and with relative ease I was able to ride the 100 miles. My total time in the saddle, as I recall was something on the order of seven-something hours. I rode with a buddy and we tended to spend a bit too much time at the rest stops, not to mention we blew about 20 minutes earlier in the day waiting for a fellow rider who had bailed out without telling us. Also, we stopped to help several other riders beset with mechanical difficulties on the side of the road. This all increased the amount of time we spent over the course of day to complete the ride. At the end of the day, I completed the ride, lessons were learned, and I decided I could ride more centuries in the future.<br />
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So, 2013 rolled around and a co-worker happened to be riding a century that was going to wind its way from Chicago to Milwaukee, one way. Fortunately, this co-worker's wife was willing to play shuttle driver and so arranged to pick us up in Milwaukee following the end of the ride. I wanted to photograph and blog about that particular ride, but seeing as it was only my second century, I didn't want to be weighed down with the extra weight of my camera or the need to document the ride and constantly be having to hustle to catch up with the group. The only photos I ended up shooting from that ride were a couple shots of Lake Michigan shot from a parking lot at the Racine Zoo, in Racine, Wisconsin.<br />
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Fast forward to July 27th of this year and I was prepared to ride my third century ever, and my second within less than a month. The route for the 'Pampered Century' was to be very similar to the North Shore Century. The route was a basic loop from Evanston to Kenosha and back. A joint venture between the <a href="https://chicagocyclingclub.org/">Chicago Cycling Club </a>and the <a href="http://www.evanstonbikeclub.org/">Evanston Bicycle Club</a>. The Pampered Century was to be what I would call an average pace ride with an average speed of 15 to 19 miles per hour. Some folks will ride a century at a much more leisurely pace while others attempt what is called a Sub-5 century, in other words, riding 100 miles in less than five hours. I think with three century rides under my belt I can safely say that around 15-17 mph is a comfortable pace for me where I don't end up feeling too tapped out at the end of the ride. <br />
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Still, the pace sounded good, and having ridden the North Shore Century twice, I was confident that the route would be picturesque and mostly on streets and bike paths with low traffic volumes. The turnout for the ride was around twenty people or so. Light mechanical and sag support was to be provided for the inexpensive sum of $20. Riders were provided with cue sheets and at each rest stop, the gentleman who laid out the route would offer advice on specific things to look out for during the next leg of the journey as well as the occasional historical points of interest along the way. The mid-point of the ride was to be in Kenosha, Wisconsin at the Washington Park Velodrome. <br />
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The ride began a little after 7:00 AM at a park in Evanston, a bit northwest of where the North Shore Century typically starts. Even though I got up early enough to eat my usual breakfast of two eggs, turkey bacon, and coffee, I was running late getting out the door. I barely made it to the starting point in time to get my bike off the rack and get the rundown for the first leg of the ride along with my cue sheet. I had neglected to get cash out the night before to pay my ride fee, so I was going to have to stop at the first ATM that presented itself along the ride. This was to be a source of adventure later in the ride.<br />
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The first rest stop arrived rather quickly at a park along the way. Typical fare was available such as bagels, bananas, granola bars, and for those folks to who didn't fuel up with a proper breakfast, there was also juice and coffee. Most everyone took advantage of the bathrooms and the water fountains before saddling up to hit the road again. I informed my riding buddy Cesar, that I would need to stop to pick up some cash and thus we'd need to work together to speed back up to catch the group again.<br />
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Not long after leaving the first rest stop, I saw a gas station and a small strip mall to the left side of the road. I moved out of the pace line and bolted for the station, Cesar in tow. I hoped I could get the cash out and catch up with the group before they got too far ahead. The gas station turned out not to have an ATM but the CVS Pharmacy next door did. Cesar watched the bikes while I dashed in offer my card to the money god. Cash in hand, we hit the road again and promptly realized we were lost. We hadn't been paying attention to the cue sheet and had instead been relying on the ride leaders to take us along, our ignorance of our location increasing with every turn.<br />
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A quick phone call to the rider organizer resulted in some gentle chastisement about developing the skill of reading a cue sheet followed by being put on speaker phone while the sag driver and rider organizer consulted. We quickly figured out where we were and Cesar and I started out again, hoping at best to catch up to the group at the next rest stop. By this time we were around 10 to 15 minutes behind the rest of the riders. Consulting with the cue sheet, now affixed to the top of my front rack bag, I was able to lead us to the next rest stop. The group of riders had not dialed back their speed any, so I was pleased to learn as we rolled to a stop that the slowest riders had only just arrived as we did. I'd been afraid we'd arrive late and not have any time to rest and refuel. Instead, we were were able to relax, top off our water bottles, and have some snacks before hitting the road again. The rest of the day, I'd continue to consult my cue sheet so that I always knew were we were in case I became separated for any reason.<br />
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I managed to snap a few pictures from the saddle as Cesar and I paced our way back into the main group before attaining the second rest stop.<br />
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The ride had to stay on this bike path for a few miles through one of the communities that frowned upon large groups of cyclists riding through their streets. I was okay with this. Paths can be quite nice when available as they're often quiet and can allow you to relax and enjoy some scenery without having to be constantly vigilant about riding with traffic, even on lightly traveled roads.<br />
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Though narrow, this path was a nice, often shady corridor of green. We could hear birds and chipmunks on either side of us and with long straight sections we could keep a nice brisk pace, occasionally having to drop back to ride single file when other riders approached from the opposite direction.<br />
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After a lengthy stretch on the path, it was back onto the road. Flanked by trees on both sides that almost met overhead, it was a very pleasant change from the much less green, highly urban environment we usually have to ride in closer to cities like Evanston and Chicago. <br />
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Leaving the last rest stop before the halfway point and lunch stop, we passed by a large open area to our left which was one of the many prairie restorations being implemented all throughout northern Illinois and through areas of Wisconsin.<br />
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Rolling into Kenosha, I was riding with a guy named Bob who Cesar and I had ridden with back during our Chicago to Milwaukee century. Bob had planned on making a side trip a mile or so out of the way to the lunch stop, with the intent of acquiring some beer not available in Chicago. The plan was to purchase the beer, carry it to the lunch rest stop, and have the sag wagon carry it for us until the end of the ride. This neat older looking building intrigued me as we stopped to wait for a red light.<br />
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We detoured off the main route about a mile west and arrived at a neat establishment called Tenuta's Delicatessen-Liquors. If we hadn't been planning on lunching at the velodrome, I'd have been tempted to sample some of the mouth-watering barbeque that was being grilled out on the patio in front of Tenuta's as we pulled in. Inside was a surprisingly huge selection of beers, including New Glarus, a brew from Madison that is not distributed outside of Wisconsin. Many long distance riders who also have a taste for beer make a point of acquiring some New Glarus every time they venture into Wisconsin from the Chicago area. Luscious tasty beer stretched off into the distance. We managed to fill an entire shopping cart between the two of us.<br />
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There were so many varieties. I wished I could've taken more, but opted instead for a six pack of Dancing Man Wheat, a bottle of Strawberry Rhubarb Wheat, and a mix-and-match six pack of several different varieties including Blacktop, and Dancing Cow. <br />
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Needless to say, I had plenty of space for beer. In fact I could've bought some more. Had I not already had a sampler 12-pack of Big Sky at home, I might have bought more New Glarus.<br />
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We arrived at the lunch time rest stop just as everyone else was rolling in. Riding with Bob, Cesar and I made pretty good time, even with our side trip to Tenuta's. We relaxed, each had a bottle of Dancing Man Wheat, dropped off our beer with the sag wagon driver, and enjoyed a leisurely lunch. I partook of a ham sandwich, PB & J, some chips, and of course bananas and oranges. We took the opportunity to refill our water bottles and hopped onto the velodrome for a spin before hitting the road back to Chicago. It's surprisingly difficult to ride the highly banked track, especially on a 35 pound bike loaded with the extra weight of moderately loaded bags and panniers. Here yours truly hammers out a couple spins round the track before declaring it to be too much like work.<br />
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Sadly, this was to be the end of the road for Cesar. His expensive Cannondale Synapse bike is shod with tubular tires and he received a flat tire. In spite of my previous warnings to Cesar to sell his impractical rims and buy clinchers, he persisted in keeping them and tempted fate by not acquiring any sort of suitable replacement tires to carry on trips like this. Unfortunately, he finished out his ride in the sag wagon with his bike on the rear rack. I rode most of the final 50 miles with this group of folks, many of whom turned out to be fellow riders in the <a href="http://www.endomondo.com/campaign/national">Endomondo National Bicycling Challenge</a>.<br />
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Views of Lake Michigan as we left Kenosha were picturesque almost beyond words. The waters of the lake were a beautiful greenish blue color almost as if we were biking along an oceanside path.<br />
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For a while I dropped back with the main group, the fast guys at the front being a bit too much to keep up with. We rode on the shoulder of one section of busy road before heading into quieter country roads and residential roads.<br />
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At the final rest stop before the conclusion of the ride, we were surprised by some nasty storms that began to brew to the west. Realizing we would be caught out in some heavy rain most of the riders finished filling their water bottles, choked down a couple snacks and bolted south for Evanston and the finish. I ended up starting a couple minutes after everyone else, having dashed into McDonald's a couple minutes earlier to get an ice cream cone. I was torn between finishing my cone and hitting to road. In the end I scarfed as much as I could without giving myself a brain-freeze, threw rest away and hit the road. Minutes later, it became obvious I was going to be getting very wet.<br />
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With the the rain pouring down, I had resigned myself to a long slow slog for the last 10 miles or so back to Evanston when I heard someone calling my name from the side of the road. Bob, and a few other riders had pulled over to shelter from the worst of the storm under the overhang of a convenience store, appropriately named, "Bob's Pantry."<br />
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On the advice of one of our companions, Bernie, we chose to take a path called the Green Bay Trail back into Evanston. The Green Bay Trail runs arrow straight as it follows the Metra rail line from north back southwards into Evanston. With the rain coming down, we rode full out on the muddy gravel trail with the trees close in on either side and our blinkies glaring out in the dim light.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxZEPhOB4oqRtMB0C4hz8cTLVkRaTR_stFrIraIfGsdTfLrbApSdRD1Ns8EJ_N7pekFaNb0mp5-PhNTIFQ2qZql4BJypUGutLKdayOBMNWi4yr2-3fR8cfNAMmSLV6tOaIrGe9fj7RvQ/s1600/DSC_0252.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfxZEPhOB4oqRtMB0C4hz8cTLVkRaTR_stFrIraIfGsdTfLrbApSdRD1Ns8EJ_N7pekFaNb0mp5-PhNTIFQ2qZql4BJypUGutLKdayOBMNWi4yr2-3fR8cfNAMmSLV6tOaIrGe9fj7RvQ/s640/DSC_0252.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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We stopped under an overpass briefly to get some respite from the rain. I experienced a sci-fi nerdgasm when I realized a bit of graffiti on the wall read, "Bad Wolf." Alas, none of my fellow riders were familiar with Christopher Tennant as the 10th Doctor Who along with his lovely companion Rose Tyler played by Billie Piper.<br />
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The soundtrack for the last leg of our ride into Evanston went from Jimi Hendrix's "Rainy Day," suggested by me, to "I Can See Clearly Now (The Rain is Gone)" by Jimmy Cliff, suggested by fellow rider Yao. We arrived at the starting point for the ride, the first of any of the riders to make it back. About ten minutes later our sag driver returned, and Bob and I collected our booze and we all parted ways with hand shakes, some of us with a lengthy drive back through Chicago to get home while others still faced another ten-plus mile ride to get back to their own homes. All in all, it was another century ride under my belt and the main thing I took away from this ride was that I no longer felt daunted by the thought of riding 100 miles in a day. In fact, I think I've come to enjoy the challenge of riding 100 miles in a day. I'm even considering undertaking the sport of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Randonneuring">Randonneuring</a> which will have me participating in brevet rides of longer distances. For the time being though, I'll content myself with the North Shore Century which is just under a couple months away. Until then, I'll continue to rack up longer rides of at least 60 miles on my weekends and maybe a self-supported century before then. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-20119735030599662822013-07-29T13:41:00.002-07:002013-07-29T13:41:56.843-07:00Wherein I ponder affixing my logo to Merino wool jerseys and shirtsI'm big on Merino wool. This stuff is amazing. So amazing in fact, that I
currently refuse to spend more money on tech fabric jerseys that are
not as versatile and which stink foully within one day of being worn.
For the record, when I say "tech fabric," I'm referring to the myriad wicking fabrics, mostly based on artificial fibers such as polyester and their variants. On thing in common with pretty much all tech fabrics is that while they will perform well in the aspect of moisture control, they all pretty much have a shelf life of only being acceptable to wear for maybe one or possibly two rides, tops. I don't know what it is, but even lightly sweating in these fabrics causes them to take on a horrendous smell of armpity-stank-ness as soon as they dry out. You could have worn deodorant and not actually had your armpits smelling bad, but the jersey will reek like you hadn't bathed in days before you wore it.<br />
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Being a commuter/utility cyclist, I prefer not to have to wash all of my cycling gear on a nightly basis or even multiple times per week. I do own multiple pairs of padded shorts though, and I wash them all before they get re-worn. You have to draw the line on cleanliness somewhere. It's the shirts/jerseys though, which bother me the most. Tech fabric jerseys are too expensive for me to have to own one for
every day of the week - I'm already doing that with padded bike shorts,
and I'm not made of money. So, it comes back to a fabric that stands up to multiple days of wearing and won't stink, allowing me to extend the time frame between washings. Merino wool is that fabric. In the near future, I'll be posting a long term review of my first Merino wool jersey and how it performs in hot weather. However, this is not what I want to talk about today. <br /><br />I want more Merino jerseys or shirts, yet I want to be able to emblazon them with my own Velo Celt Cycles logo. Velo Celt started out as the name to this blog but has since evolved into my own personal brand. I don't intend to try to make loads of money marketing my own bikes or gear, but I see the brand of Velo Celt Cycles more as an idea. I see advertising my self and my website as a means to drive people to the information that I dispense through gear reviews, trip reports, and the various clever bike hacks that I perpetrate on a regular basis as I try to adapt equipment to meet my own unique challenges. All of this will help me in my bid to become a recognized writer of cycling-related articles.<br />
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So, I was pondering the question of how to go about affixing my logo to my beloved Merino wool shirts. <a href="http://www.oregoncyclewear.com/woolcyclingjerseys.html">Portland/Oregon Cyclewear </a>has a service where they will apply custom lettering or logos to their own discount priced Merino jerseys for a nominal fee. Again, I'll have more details on my impressions of their product in my forthcoming review. Suffice it say, I want to have a greater selection of shirts and the ability to have a larger, more elaborate logo. I was pondering silk screen printing as a method of putting my own logo onto Merino t-shirts but I'd read a few things about Merino being difficult to print onto. The idea I hit upon next was one that goes back over 70 years.<br />
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In World War II, allied aviators fighting in the skies over China employed "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blood_chit">Blood Chits</a>," which were silk fabric pieces sewn onto the backs of their jackets, offering the local natives a reward for assisting and returning a downed flyer to Allied lines unharmed. It occurred to me that I could buy some silk fabric and screen print my logo onto it, then sew those hand-crafted hand-printed swatches onto the jerseys or shirts as a kind of patch. The idea is still in it's infancy, but it's one I'll be researching over next few weeks. Just one of the many unique bike hacks that Velo Celt Cycles is known for. Stay tuned for future developments!Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-5608146646351074052013-06-17T14:46:00.001-07:002013-06-17T15:05:06.310-07:00Honing rusty photography skills at a local crit: The photographer's perspectiveSo, almost a couple months ago I was lucky enough to take in a few races from a criterium that was held, literally just down the block from my apartment. The University of Chicago Velo Club puts on this day of races titled, Monsters of the Midway. I spent an afternoon scoping out places to try and hone my rusty photography skills. Much of the day was spent trying to get images that went against the typical "cycle-sports-action-shot" model. Here are a few of the best from that day.<br />
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The race circled around the area of campus known as the Midway Plaissance, which was actually once part of the famous Worlds Columbian Exposition. The lovely architecture of the University of Chicago campus provided a nice backdrop for much of the days racing. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHg8VetuJJJ_0lKeQJM7WVfkYUMGR9Jucejia0deXoTle1_pjFJEi6dNq6VE65jVujoBgDbjeC9en1gLVQWotcHhLEX77ScCiX6wue9crp9lLryhI_VzjuGJ3Xm1uv4v36ZcOjtY6bmU0/s1600/DSC_0012+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHg8VetuJJJ_0lKeQJM7WVfkYUMGR9Jucejia0deXoTle1_pjFJEi6dNq6VE65jVujoBgDbjeC9en1gLVQWotcHhLEX77ScCiX6wue9crp9lLryhI_VzjuGJ3Xm1uv4v36ZcOjtY6bmU0/s640/DSC_0012+edit.jpg" width="540" /></a></div>
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I liked the juxtaposition of the flowers and the race in this shot. The bikes whizzing by the flower beds made me think of some Spring Classic race in Europe with cyclists passing through fields of tulips with windmills in the background. I shot two different versions of this photo. This one features the cyclists in focus and the flowers in the foreground out of focus.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeU7ymFzvJYgNQetCwp_B7vamcdR38vkJ6DUQQkcSwYydCFZ3qMGYIoSsQdNk0AJrvz0MbeuGQq8DAB_vBAs4huZBn0hlH_7gQBvA1KLxPEtPw8gTK0aNRwtUWTeXb1ngCQfYtH8zJeM/s1600/DSC_0111.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdeU7ymFzvJYgNQetCwp_B7vamcdR38vkJ6DUQQkcSwYydCFZ3qMGYIoSsQdNk0AJrvz0MbeuGQq8DAB_vBAs4huZBn0hlH_7gQBvA1KLxPEtPw8gTK0aNRwtUWTeXb1ngCQfYtH8zJeM/s640/DSC_0111.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The next one I went for the flowers in the foreground in focus. The riders ended up being blurred, which has the effect of conveying the speed somewhat. I'm not sure which version I like better, this one or the one above. I'm kind of partial to this one though.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CEmJlInKhrox1A2Kq35nTSXGSbroHkNb6R-z4qwuPUm28FvXmy3EsIlfnoO17PKK2tWLp5724588482ms-FgCvUwLEmfq0sJOSfrnI9xtXiJjxG_eQz48S7usHRO4SMqny0bbQqNOpU/s1600/DSC_0122+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2CEmJlInKhrox1A2Kq35nTSXGSbroHkNb6R-z4qwuPUm28FvXmy3EsIlfnoO17PKK2tWLp5724588482ms-FgCvUwLEmfq0sJOSfrnI9xtXiJjxG_eQz48S7usHRO4SMqny0bbQqNOpU/s640/DSC_0122+edit.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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This shot somewhat violates the common photography <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rule_of_thirds">"Rule of Thirds,"</a> but I like it anyway. When I shot it I was focusing on the riders. Later, when I was looking at the images, I liked the presentation of the riders crossing the geometric pattern of the crosswalk. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLvrJngCr0wZmlbTSnX38hNTCssIJNQpsJcq_BFg-0BDn6rKe9aFaK0YOaDnuthCgaphFdvnTdyha8-GNJjJWtFXjVmOujTyQ6wVEvfYWWxN3Yikzl2YW9G9rJsIGzvZyAxzBQr_Kn9Q/s1600/DSC_0149+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJLvrJngCr0wZmlbTSnX38hNTCssIJNQpsJcq_BFg-0BDn6rKe9aFaK0YOaDnuthCgaphFdvnTdyha8-GNJjJWtFXjVmOujTyQ6wVEvfYWWxN3Yikzl2YW9G9rJsIGzvZyAxzBQr_Kn9Q/s640/DSC_0149+edit.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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This comes under the category of those all too common cycling action shots, but I still like the massive church in the background, visible just through the trees, and the perspective was good. I had a good angle close down to pavement level that allowed me to get close to the riders but not too close.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN32hustdhV_TN5Ne965tMHuWOkQ1K_haccBemoS7DrHH-n-D7rA9bcNJ0oTC0cw7CYDZkL6jvGY9avLOjgmXPdv-xo6v9KBnx8AdhUtg7IAeiUHf1lzzU_ujdi2_C1DUirLjVKOR5QGM/s1600/DSC_0207.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgN32hustdhV_TN5Ne965tMHuWOkQ1K_haccBemoS7DrHH-n-D7rA9bcNJ0oTC0cw7CYDZkL6jvGY9avLOjgmXPdv-xo6v9KBnx8AdhUtg7IAeiUHf1lzzU_ujdi2_C1DUirLjVKOR5QGM/s640/DSC_0207.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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I liked the perspective of this shot as well. I was able to stand a couple feet above street level on the edge of this planter with all the flowers. I thought it was neat to get shots that were somewhat above the typical eye level of the cyclist as many shots usually are. That large church was looming in the background as well. Much more visible here without so much of the trees blocking it as in those ground level shots. Shots like these help convey a sense of place I think.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tp_eqQbKsW4BaiOkwkV-22DU_Ty4hJZ275e_D75LB8qKdfCOugLjTOyRR5WUybTbBzrK_SrhgHsyJOV4mtv9JB3ekezEBsqjKZ3EGzKv9QZEQe2mofKLrwXcBMtlraJPHInoS6uJbag/s1600/DSC_0253+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5tp_eqQbKsW4BaiOkwkV-22DU_Ty4hJZ275e_D75LB8qKdfCOugLjTOyRR5WUybTbBzrK_SrhgHsyJOV4mtv9JB3ekezEBsqjKZ3EGzKv9QZEQe2mofKLrwXcBMtlraJPHInoS6uJbag/s640/DSC_0253+edit.jpg" width="528" /></a></div>
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I like shots that also convey the atmosphere of the race versus just having a string of action shots that are pretty much interchangeable from race to race. Here a group of riders were having a confab after the race. Presumably a debriefing regarding their performance with strategizing for the future. Or maybe they were just planning on where to go eat and have a beer after the races were over.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCasuQAlrzMMHCt8gbyRGoQoNmbPe2-Nz_BAfGr8oTmniMpsFFE2eoC-xkgyXoLW1Uiyzc0KSpbmtCW648DfSdVkwmpYjuvXvCABU_QVcX8Nfv6THE7byBvRuXa_U-iLOCKVFAsolAro/s1600/DSC_0299+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgCasuQAlrzMMHCt8gbyRGoQoNmbPe2-Nz_BAfGr8oTmniMpsFFE2eoC-xkgyXoLW1Uiyzc0KSpbmtCW648DfSdVkwmpYjuvXvCABU_QVcX8Nfv6THE7byBvRuXa_U-iLOCKVFAsolAro/s640/DSC_0299+edit.jpg" width="428" /></a></div>
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Some of the women relaxing moments before the beginning of one of their races. It always strikes me how much the women racers seem to smile. Even on the course in the heat of competition, many of them seem to have a smile on their face. Not so with the men. It's all poker faces there. Maybe it's part of the manly spirit of competition to be all seriousness, all the time?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysCMZdRxWthI1C-kJprkPOeSOnpKaWGF46rsx3Ag23Z0MEE1ISiOXAueuAr8jXJ9K4Ad3JWOZnC-qZqFN09Aku4ru7KTvVvw7f6X2FF_1VRN4HGih-OI6M7ZC1AmGgUx7sXjeRBdQIoU/s1600/DSC_0323.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjysCMZdRxWthI1C-kJprkPOeSOnpKaWGF46rsx3Ag23Z0MEE1ISiOXAueuAr8jXJ9K4Ad3JWOZnC-qZqFN09Aku4ru7KTvVvw7f6X2FF_1VRN4HGih-OI6M7ZC1AmGgUx7sXjeRBdQIoU/s640/DSC_0323.JPG" width="428" /></a></div>
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Finally, one last mundane action shot with more monumental religious architecture in the background.<br />
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<br />Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-90946855585517301192013-06-17T11:31:00.003-07:002013-06-17T11:53:29.459-07:00It has been far too long since I made an entry here. I find that I spend a lot of time daily on Google +. I have a large number of people who are in my "Cycling Folks" circle, and so much of my G+ time is spent reading about other people's experiences with cycling along with their opinions, perceptions, stories and the like. Recently, I saw a post in one of my cycling communities that I read. I typed a very lengthy reply, then before I added it, I decided it had merit enough to warrant posting here in my blog instead. So, to begin with, here is the original post from the G+ cycling community:<br />
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<a href="https://plus.google.com/u/0/111574805013706006610/posts/N1gWM8vNGnb">https://plus.google.com/u/0/111574805013706006610/posts/N1gWM8vNGnb</a><br />
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Here is a link to the page the G+ poster is referring to:<br />
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<a href="http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles/"> http://www.ski-epic.com/amsterdam_bicycles</a>/<br />
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Below is my lengthy reply which I've chosen to post here instead. <br />
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This disparity between US cycling and Amsterdam has been brought up
before. It's comparing apples and oranges. In the United States, there
are almost no communities (even our best cycling cities), that equal
Amsterdam, or Cophenhagen, Denmark. Vehicular speeds are much higher
here, even in congested downtown areas, and cycling is nowhere near as
prevalent as in those European cities. Drivers here have not learned how
to coexist with cyclists yet, and there are very few communities where
they have. <br />
<br />
The original author of that page has numerous
ill-informed opinions as well. Those dynamo lights he disparages so much
are much higher quality now than they were 20 years ago, and with LED
lighting most are as bright or brighter than our often, heavier and more
cumbersome battery-powered lights, with the added advantage of never
having to worry about a light that wasn't charged up.<br />
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Secondly,
he's obviously never seen folding bikes. He has a whole section on
"bikes with tiny wheels and extra long seat posts and handlebar stems."
Duh, folding bikes - you know, for people who take the train or bus. <br />
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I
always enjoy seeing photos of how prevalent the cycling culture is in
places like Amsterdam and Copenhagen, but they're not the United States,
and one can't hope to expect that sort of change to occur here without a
major cultural shift. As more communities here in the states start
implementing cycling infrastructure, we're slowly but surely seeing the
beginning of a cycling renaissance that will, with hope, allow our communities to be the equal of those paragons of cycling and automotive cooperation, Amsterdam and Copenhagen. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-72891069216351396052013-04-14T20:10:00.001-07:002013-04-14T20:56:12.080-07:00A day at the CritsSo, yesterday marked the first time I'd viewed criterium races in more than 12 years. When I was going to school in Athens, Georgia I used to attend the Twilight Criterium every year. It was awesome to watch racers from all different classes and skill levels race at breakneck speeds around downtown Athens. Nearby Atlanta also hosted the Tour de Town each year which was held in the Buckhead neighborhood. It was also a guaranteed blast as well. For years I had watched the Tour de France, Giro d'Italia, or any other cycling event that I could find on television. Over the last few years though, the doping scandals, betrayal of the fan's trust, and a general disgust with most of professional cycling led me away from watching it anymore. I came away from watching Saturdays crits with an overriding notion in my mind. With the purses really being nothing more than maybe $125, and primes being little more than a backpack or a box of Clif Bars, I think local racing is probably the most fun and perhaps the purest form of competitive cycling. So, without further ado, here are some photos from the last four races of the Lincoln Park Criterium sponsored by xXx Racing.<br />
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These shots are from the 30 minute Cat 4 Women's race.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSWH33KWwtkRHNfykuZCHuEDmFK6b2aZeCFgyvPlK9GeklsDaUf9_Ttr0R_pUle04wQGtvKzGnraPq39ZoIMdPDRA-O3jkpN4PGFcqHG7OfJRUeeDVVeQ7owXznYncO3w6_edi_Qi0L8/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="427" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxSWH33KWwtkRHNfykuZCHuEDmFK6b2aZeCFgyvPlK9GeklsDaUf9_Ttr0R_pUle04wQGtvKzGnraPq39ZoIMdPDRA-O3jkpN4PGFcqHG7OfJRUeeDVVeQ7owXznYncO3w6_edi_Qi0L8/s640/DSC_0030.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiK8ywvDNyOPiEVRj9WqDQDKojJb76krgI3RTbkkSq22iUnsVPUr_Rin2gpjUKP-GMsk9J6pK_UTB8Aft97DOIeoGZaaCZZe-MzTymz-0nOvpPbsGAHdnfV_CWS9i-b1f8xeEJWXsrWnE/s1600/DSC_0037.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiK8ywvDNyOPiEVRj9WqDQDKojJb76krgI3RTbkkSq22iUnsVPUr_Rin2gpjUKP-GMsk9J6pK_UTB8Aft97DOIeoGZaaCZZe-MzTymz-0nOvpPbsGAHdnfV_CWS9i-b1f8xeEJWXsrWnE/s640/DSC_0037.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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This wasn't a particular dramatic shot as at this point the racers are coming up to the crest of a long gradual uphill section, but I liked how the stone of the bridge looks. It almost gives an Old World feel. A cobbled street would complete the look.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn-uGobYBjJuerv4T0ncMcTigt501102UaxDoiwobjvKMlyvl88psq-EG2U1NETeUbv98mCLqUBoM76NxL1G_ZkJYpIEpp4jw5G07FUnKPrHssnSn7IXAhkRCzETzqV03uuyLZBkQ22Q/s1600/DSC_0064.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPn-uGobYBjJuerv4T0ncMcTigt501102UaxDoiwobjvKMlyvl88psq-EG2U1NETeUbv98mCLqUBoM76NxL1G_ZkJYpIEpp4jw5G07FUnKPrHssnSn7IXAhkRCzETzqV03uuyLZBkQ22Q/s640/DSC_0064.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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These are from the Cat 4/5 Mens race.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRbZSd9mfXG3JaQZvbUaV5yIR6YoXm4vVifMPRlnnnHRB62jcqzWLcfD7i2hpoknhmyFGygRMzfsfE8AJo0L79J_IiK-O5PUCESfu3j2D-RYLMC6pEHdgwxMpzAP4gOnrYgxlwa7Y_4g/s1600/DSC_0122.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHRbZSd9mfXG3JaQZvbUaV5yIR6YoXm4vVifMPRlnnnHRB62jcqzWLcfD7i2hpoknhmyFGygRMzfsfE8AJo0L79J_IiK-O5PUCESfu3j2D-RYLMC6pEHdgwxMpzAP4gOnrYgxlwa7Y_4g/s640/DSC_0122.JPG" width="428" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-45XmPzrm-g6S2vXXkvKI1U338e41HNhUp235lJzy34qOXSCrjeSo5at8nKTOJ7EVbqwi0Ko_bMrOWMfSvuG6rE4bK2JI_F4q5zetQRv9GU1zz58Harv6Kspn5bl9MICYGQlQ2jhgeY/s1600/DSC_0129.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV-45XmPzrm-g6S2vXXkvKI1U338e41HNhUp235lJzy34qOXSCrjeSo5at8nKTOJ7EVbqwi0Ko_bMrOWMfSvuG6rE4bK2JI_F4q5zetQRv9GU1zz58Harv6Kspn5bl9MICYGQlQ2jhgeY/s640/DSC_0129.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjkKN1PPScjTNp3VA8phT9-em9vHhh3HETeYJ4rrpxrBbc10tauHdKP8_gBGFzheZkncfHN24Fu1XdX-XQ8CxfYssI5Se1au15Imhq8L9RftYdaAVpFks6_d6dvp4roWonM2gI2Gux-c/s1600/DSC_0178.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsjkKN1PPScjTNp3VA8phT9-em9vHhh3HETeYJ4rrpxrBbc10tauHdKP8_gBGFzheZkncfHN24Fu1XdX-XQ8CxfYssI5Se1au15Imhq8L9RftYdaAVpFks6_d6dvp4roWonM2gI2Gux-c/s640/DSC_0178.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Suffer face!<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaMyVEAlmn1YNoCpfUfMMT-hUXDLcYucmy6FiimGuVbUCf_6tuTLm91y35mu1sW-cGdAOSWZlOIAhdHQfy1Bh0ZH8krZgdxXjybkaKvyZx0hhj9A4v3TtPTNypBfWcOv3zsjWUxnrHh4/s1600/DSC_0224.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPaMyVEAlmn1YNoCpfUfMMT-hUXDLcYucmy6FiimGuVbUCf_6tuTLm91y35mu1sW-cGdAOSWZlOIAhdHQfy1Bh0ZH8krZgdxXjybkaKvyZx0hhj9A4v3TtPTNypBfWcOv3zsjWUxnrHh4/s640/DSC_0224.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I actually laid down on the ground with my head on the curb to get some of these low angle shots.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0VGyBTLEzarxwMTTXoVbgthJsYmM0acDll-FBnizzTDlLFJue26HApwTK-HeO3wO8ut2TOrBq1Kc1MG8abRNyaFj8Mfx5ponvJmaW3MsoQVOAiqZ32v0q4ABK413TeGtnrG5ObBfPok/s1600/DSC_0289+crop.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEid0VGyBTLEzarxwMTTXoVbgthJsYmM0acDll-FBnizzTDlLFJue26HApwTK-HeO3wO8ut2TOrBq1Kc1MG8abRNyaFj8Mfx5ponvJmaW3MsoQVOAiqZ32v0q4ABK413TeGtnrG5ObBfPok/s640/DSC_0289+crop.jpg" width="484" /></a><br />
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S U F F E R F A C E ! !<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk7w5PW275ulbQVFPiIULSC6LBpUBn9wAoDuy-g46jy_SWCQn3iuvRHWDU8tGEinNbY1qOJ4E7eD6NeIQKMBXcAX0mFlsOTX1J9RbD-l-SJ99bfMP_w4KJC6uD6bzCcuUhWWFB44nSzQ/s1600/DSC_0291edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIk7w5PW275ulbQVFPiIULSC6LBpUBn9wAoDuy-g46jy_SWCQn3iuvRHWDU8tGEinNbY1qOJ4E7eD6NeIQKMBXcAX0mFlsOTX1J9RbD-l-SJ99bfMP_w4KJC6uD6bzCcuUhWWFB44nSzQ/s640/DSC_0291edit.jpg" width="406" /></a><br />
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These shots were from the Beth Kobeszka Memorial Women Cat 1-4 race.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqjjQWs4m03watLtFdqemELMClDMEXWAEW1ZRF_3dmer0Ehw6y3hnUk5FpyKr_hU92mDMtR4WqlEHYVAa4uOzrQouqG0OqSOSAJ1-lCtAh87t1X1REN2_-yAC0MAgf03NFXRRSOIhdvk/s1600/DSC_0333+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHqjjQWs4m03watLtFdqemELMClDMEXWAEW1ZRF_3dmer0Ehw6y3hnUk5FpyKr_hU92mDMtR4WqlEHYVAa4uOzrQouqG0OqSOSAJ1-lCtAh87t1X1REN2_-yAC0MAgf03NFXRRSOIhdvk/s640/DSC_0333+edit.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFqWaBbREIbDO-0W7nHSNJXI1qLFkCEOXB_Z7yiqxZ-YZ8_13sQpX-SnvxnNOAxtm2EkrGPTBUqBvCbR4oUmsqVMoDShInC8bbplQ-KppaZ4yiSZ4e87uDiV5P0rJb4QbbFG9EXl3wlE/s1600/DSC_0370+edit.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVFqWaBbREIbDO-0W7nHSNJXI1qLFkCEOXB_Z7yiqxZ-YZ8_13sQpX-SnvxnNOAxtm2EkrGPTBUqBvCbR4oUmsqVMoDShInC8bbplQ-KppaZ4yiSZ4e87uDiV5P0rJb4QbbFG9EXl3wlE/s640/DSC_0370+edit.jpg" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwlqIiPyS3rHG7di9TAh4CkBe7SFV9y69PY1JrMYZEu2U4L1na-ZYUm3zZGYfQuCUcxDteqO39iYYxKQM9uq6kbR3vatOYQXyq71rqQKoNLeEi9yYZ6Q-FxXVXuUNmtijp3wU2zaUuWk/s1600/DSC_0427.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjZwlqIiPyS3rHG7di9TAh4CkBe7SFV9y69PY1JrMYZEu2U4L1na-ZYUm3zZGYfQuCUcxDteqO39iYYxKQM9uq6kbR3vatOYQXyq71rqQKoNLeEi9yYZ6Q-FxXVXuUNmtijp3wU2zaUuWk/s640/DSC_0427.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTbj8QvXbgeM9KtOZ_C_yZMGzshVZxVO3NhgkNrFRzCeAEwAYYwlBm9wMJ20BT-TeMgTGDsWhKDazdMcfPRedGgS8NPokqGeiIm606uYahz45e5l1vg2NtJ60Ek_KM808zGbdVngqt0Y/s1600/DSC_0433.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivTbj8QvXbgeM9KtOZ_C_yZMGzshVZxVO3NhgkNrFRzCeAEwAYYwlBm9wMJ20BT-TeMgTGDsWhKDazdMcfPRedGgS8NPokqGeiIm606uYahz45e5l1vg2NtJ60Ek_KM808zGbdVngqt0Y/s640/DSC_0433.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Rj6uEODcZfU8rqm2mvT1M8u91QJGPid7VB6kVoXJrr9Gy3E686KsbduiAv6kMaOENuWwMuLgIUv4po_tgrd4Ylu5hNuWq8CkoGvMmJ0ROxFqlwXLuWCOTQTEkB_PBFl0UJAvLck8FqY/s1600/DSC_0447.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-Rj6uEODcZfU8rqm2mvT1M8u91QJGPid7VB6kVoXJrr9Gy3E686KsbduiAv6kMaOENuWwMuLgIUv4po_tgrd4Ylu5hNuWq8CkoGvMmJ0ROxFqlwXLuWCOTQTEkB_PBFl0UJAvLck8FqY/s640/DSC_0447.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aZcp8gCq4LXLmbaaA5N4y-PIMnDAdWribPyJesf4oSqudUsljcVBJplin7Z_7fNFDEQlaY_aIaydPD2o9oyq5HlLoWD-UXmoyuBNpcIf5ok48gePd1IZrFzdF085ndOBFPHNER5LBjA/s1600/DSC_0452.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3aZcp8gCq4LXLmbaaA5N4y-PIMnDAdWribPyJesf4oSqudUsljcVBJplin7Z_7fNFDEQlaY_aIaydPD2o9oyq5HlLoWD-UXmoyuBNpcIf5ok48gePd1IZrFzdF085ndOBFPHNER5LBjA/s640/DSC_0452.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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This next sequence is awesome!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HMrShzQSQshqeEn0aLIoK-R_ktbV9Q2n5WnKUHpEHRE2720N_YjdB0-xbRnbskby67ScRrHJ0jnn_MizjLMjZt1DUvk_PpRYfYOuvRUDOh24MNCNn0-rlZ979ZDGQPM3t-quwIR2_Qs/s1600/DSC_0460.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9HMrShzQSQshqeEn0aLIoK-R_ktbV9Q2n5WnKUHpEHRE2720N_YjdB0-xbRnbskby67ScRrHJ0jnn_MizjLMjZt1DUvk_PpRYfYOuvRUDOh24MNCNn0-rlZ979ZDGQPM3t-quwIR2_Qs/s640/DSC_0460.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tPGCklv_FFo8E6jGyDu2-opP_8jGY4fgE0jM5d-D1XRH3K2ZoeXoqt_s0JjtiZAfBBuOzabc6lnC7vM7fpY7d2mSVC3hivjO5HKh3xzr3UoYnEhFWc9zWAvAZVwGQOjMoA4q92pIWJo/s1600/DSC_0461.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_tPGCklv_FFo8E6jGyDu2-opP_8jGY4fgE0jM5d-D1XRH3K2ZoeXoqt_s0JjtiZAfBBuOzabc6lnC7vM7fpY7d2mSVC3hivjO5HKh3xzr3UoYnEhFWc9zWAvAZVwGQOjMoA4q92pIWJo/s640/DSC_0461.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHABZQKE4LIKCbhFL3fIBsckesFPlf6XOuHJbROZJs8u-HyCwpRUFeFNowuto8c-1gVsxeGX7H1Xj-pvvOOPfXhLG3Sw6Aue-Hgt7sxAbaJxktWbURW0Xo3n64dMHuJAZ26zzkWZHZ1wM/s1600/DSC_0462.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHABZQKE4LIKCbhFL3fIBsckesFPlf6XOuHJbROZJs8u-HyCwpRUFeFNowuto8c-1gVsxeGX7H1Xj-pvvOOPfXhLG3Sw6Aue-Hgt7sxAbaJxktWbURW0Xo3n64dMHuJAZ26zzkWZHZ1wM/s640/DSC_0462.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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These ladies look like they're having too much fun to be racing. The few times I tried racing it felt more like work. And I wanted to puke.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhYinWq2mYupidfJqYiW9wlopmHAcVxge84nHmb_D0JlgiP8mXJcBtNX0jI6u5uP7w8wWR4-_McgQ52Isqdc6UynJWJ7hweg4CrrBr-FVFsBO0xd_CUQyPV8HCU-luPKSX-f61t5qGXA/s1600/DSC_0502.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhPhYinWq2mYupidfJqYiW9wlopmHAcVxge84nHmb_D0JlgiP8mXJcBtNX0jI6u5uP7w8wWR4-_McgQ52Isqdc6UynJWJ7hweg4CrrBr-FVFsBO0xd_CUQyPV8HCU-luPKSX-f61t5qGXA/s640/DSC_0502.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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These last photos are from the Pieter Ombregt Memorial Cat 4.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw1yN15c4SRkwd_MK0XJ8wkkkDbTCv-GOL-bWIkrfrCPxDavnl9Z9wgdkjNj6HVkJRHFAQYZt_kYeP0aisfXmXRQ1XWjcbU_1OjZGuftiEATqzD2WRbSk5NW1i1kOGNTB2DfusFz1iO8/s1600/DSC_0561.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixw1yN15c4SRkwd_MK0XJ8wkkkDbTCv-GOL-bWIkrfrCPxDavnl9Z9wgdkjNj6HVkJRHFAQYZt_kYeP0aisfXmXRQ1XWjcbU_1OjZGuftiEATqzD2WRbSk5NW1i1kOGNTB2DfusFz1iO8/s640/DSC_0561.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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This hardcore dude went off the front and stayed off the front for the whole race. Needless to say, he won.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPGQminGru8N_ui6B5AlJmarA-UxbS67LrN4IslxlBwYRhcp8fxPMWOFTaMrhn2m4uM8gfW6yy5thBzteeZYgp2dwrv31UYIntR6WG8H0AnFtjXD4J06oUaDh0BbE5sagS7dLLvNA1-U/s1600/DSC_0569.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizPGQminGru8N_ui6B5AlJmarA-UxbS67LrN4IslxlBwYRhcp8fxPMWOFTaMrhn2m4uM8gfW6yy5thBzteeZYgp2dwrv31UYIntR6WG8H0AnFtjXD4J06oUaDh0BbE5sagS7dLLvNA1-U/s640/DSC_0569.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C3c_AJO_mBNcKQreh449wD4_ONUg7D6LKgWb-mNlTRopQExKNJS7mi_HecXqoF2Mve32zRrvgnoDSZlYAa3Ix45x087byScjhNLHeDzLnXzWARf9Ycl0Kh0VACrTs4EmDyYV7wC1JFM/s1600/DSC_0572.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj2C3c_AJO_mBNcKQreh449wD4_ONUg7D6LKgWb-mNlTRopQExKNJS7mi_HecXqoF2Mve32zRrvgnoDSZlYAa3Ix45x087byScjhNLHeDzLnXzWARf9Ycl0Kh0VACrTs4EmDyYV7wC1JFM/s640/DSC_0572.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0NWDB4BSyHQ0uazH8hoOgR9S9zBRoAq5qfnxjEVq76tO81lVteM3q6HO-B655SDGEPm6HhPOPTWTtk7W2_msR9mtrVw8fK_tvtFH025gsdbXmx1I9o6KQPFrgVKJoXkzYUgRYYkj6N0/s1600/DSC_0592.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiw0NWDB4BSyHQ0uazH8hoOgR9S9zBRoAq5qfnxjEVq76tO81lVteM3q6HO-B655SDGEPm6HhPOPTWTtk7W2_msR9mtrVw8fK_tvtFH025gsdbXmx1I9o6KQPFrgVKJoXkzYUgRYYkj6N0/s640/DSC_0592.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwkBE9o0uuH1ILBUFGPZf0FggQcGEvoKyXRnu-v_ZyNVDyN0-rlMOu1Axa1mpW1PgduPSEqFDVI7WWB7MvpC9i69J9HpYSzhh4Y3d9-Am2GyikllDUslVZObzePdxY88wvPHaRdg7Hyc/s1600/DSC_0608.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwkBE9o0uuH1ILBUFGPZf0FggQcGEvoKyXRnu-v_ZyNVDyN0-rlMOu1Axa1mpW1PgduPSEqFDVI7WWB7MvpC9i69J9HpYSzhh4Y3d9-Am2GyikllDUslVZObzePdxY88wvPHaRdg7Hyc/s640/DSC_0608.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77r-GUJGWOTgK3iHiPzS4haWNR9XZwUwamG_7Jfd3vPv9qQBoKVvCG0yjQSnyAkTDLDUQV8SoH4QwlCSUtpOOACocbvSZa5mvT7rHAshcaf91hfWpLkWJeWFHtSdYUELA70r_zQiyu3U/s1600/DSC_0617.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi77r-GUJGWOTgK3iHiPzS4haWNR9XZwUwamG_7Jfd3vPv9qQBoKVvCG0yjQSnyAkTDLDUQV8SoH4QwlCSUtpOOACocbvSZa5mvT7rHAshcaf91hfWpLkWJeWFHtSdYUELA70r_zQiyu3U/s640/DSC_0617.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
And, there you have it. A fun day at the races.Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-57564823386091394632013-04-14T16:56:00.000-07:002013-04-18T15:28:59.199-07:00It's alive! How mad science in the workshop created a Franken-RadishMy first Xtracycle was fun but flawed. Mostly I didn't like the upright riding position and the fact that the donor frame was a mountain bike frame that was a bit on the small side for my 6' 1" stature. That frame was great as a mountain bike for technical singletrack, but terrible as the donor bike for an Xtracycle. My first attempt at building a cargo bike was chronicled here <a href="http://www.velocelt.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-birth-of-xtracycle-part-1.html">http://velocelt.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-birth-of-xtracycle-part-1.html </a><br />
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The original bike on one of the early test rides. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxYzBYGvwgbjc47ljJvdYMk42Lxo6CUF9UxhiqAAx2DRO-R95_E_VqrX5OBxt1I8TidGKQ2KfhlBijZxaULUZpnXxGY1dS6Uzr_Bmy-d8wZ6XhJ-nPBSZolvcQ0OTyHRBr9WAH4-MHAU/s1600/DSC_0018.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYxYzBYGvwgbjc47ljJvdYMk42Lxo6CUF9UxhiqAAx2DRO-R95_E_VqrX5OBxt1I8TidGKQ2KfhlBijZxaULUZpnXxGY1dS6Uzr_Bmy-d8wZ6XhJ-nPBSZolvcQ0OTyHRBr9WAH4-MHAU/s640/DSC_0018.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
<br />
I tried to salvage the original build by changing the handlebars from a mountain bike riser bar to a "butterfly" or "trekking" bar, to see if that would help with the riding position. Before I could even take the bike out for a test ride with the new trekking bars, the mock up in the workshop made it clear that I still wouldn't be able to achieve a riding position that would be comfortable for lengthy rides hauling lots of cargo. So, it was back to the drawing board. <br />
<br />
I began canvassing the internet looking for both used and new mountain bike frames that might fit me better and thus allow me to make a more comfortable Xtracycle. I few short weeks of looking and it was patently obvious that most mountain bike frames are now made to accept suspension, (mostly useless for cargo bikes), or more likely were not available in a size that would fit me or were lacking in the appropriate geometry. One of my searches turned up a reference to another Xtracycle builder who replaced a broken mountain bike frame with the front half of an Xtracycle Radish frame. <br />
<br />
Intrigued by this option, I went back the Xtracycle website and took a long hard look at the current version of the their ready-made longtail, the <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/radish/">Radish</a>. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6AHifMWkyVVdt2_XIJRuOnj9b_8jpjSwWVJIc3kwWGbHGuOH0nvow2GOQGIByospp6m5JX-_t2vXIHNp4byXJIPJjfvflYWEXF08wP7D5psGi1G2gmYkfsilQ4HXyw2GppovzhJ6SKw/s1600/radish2010.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN6AHifMWkyVVdt2_XIJRuOnj9b_8jpjSwWVJIc3kwWGbHGuOH0nvow2GOQGIByospp6m5JX-_t2vXIHNp4byXJIPJjfvflYWEXF08wP7D5psGi1G2gmYkfsilQ4HXyw2GppovzhJ6SKw/s400/radish2010.jpg" width="358" /></a><br />
<br />
I liked the concept of the step-through frame, which has become somewhat of a design standard in purpose-built cargo bikes as reflected by other companies offerings such as the <a href="http://yubabikes.com/bikes/mundo/">Yuba Mundo</a>, or <a href="http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/town/urban_utility/transport/">Trek Transport</a>. I wasn't sold yet though. I kept looking for what I thought would make the most suitable frame. <br />
<br />
I briefly considered purchasing a bare Surly Long Haul Trucker frame, but the cheapest purchase price I could find was $400. That would've put the cargo bike build WAY over budget and ultimately I simply couldn't justify it, even though I had photographic and blog evidence that some other folks had built Xtracycles based on Long Haul Truckers and that it had worked well for them as you can see here:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanerh/341136335/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/shanerh/341136335/</a><br />
<br />
and here:<br />
<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/26561512@N07/4312498472/">http://www.flickr.com/photos/26561512@N07/4312498472/</a><br />
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Remembering the post regarding Radish frames, I decided to call the folks out in California at Xtracycle HQ. I spoke with two really helpful guys, Robert and Nate. I told them what I wanted to do, replace my current mountain bike frame, and could I buy just the front half of a Radish, seeing as how I already had the FreeRadical cargo bit. Robert went to check the shop and returned to the phone to tell me that yes, in fact they happened to have the front half of a Radish frame there in the shop. For $250 the Radish frame could be mine. A credit card number was given and the Radish frame along with a couple <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-accessories/cargo-and-utility/wideloaders.html">wide loaders</a> were added onto the order as well. <br />
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My dealings with Robert and Nate were not over though. I called back a few days later and spoke with Nate at length regarding some questions I had about the Radish frame. I wanted to know if the frame I was getting was the one with the step-through design or the earlier one without. It was in fact the step-through. Also, the Radish as it is currently sold, only comes with a single front chain ring. I wanted to add a triple chain ring to increase the gearing capacity. Nate gave me tubing dimensions to help in purchasing anything else I'd need to build out the bike, since what I was getting was merely a bare frame and fork with no installed components. <br />
<br />
So, when my Radish arrived it was merely the frame and fork along with the special nut and bolt that attach the yoke of the FreeRadical to a welded plate sandwiched between the chainstays on the front part of the frame. The Radish is available in any color you want as long as it's a sort of creamy ivory color. Not being a fan of the cream color, and being too far over budget to consider powder coating the frame and FreeRadical, I elected to rattle-can the frame a matching silver color. I roughed up the frame and fork with synthetic steel wool so that the new paint would have something to adhere to. The paint I chose was a sparkly metallic silver color made by Dupli-Color intended for painting alloy wheels. The specific product is <a href="http://www.duplicolor.com/products/wheelCoating/">Dupli-Color High Performance Wheel Coating</a>. I applied six coats over two weeks and followed it up with another six coats of clear coat, also applied over two weeks. <br />
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The frame isn't an exact match but it's not too obvious in person. The frame ended up being a bit more of a champagne silver color. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cdXjZugPP9eO0kUYF11Zjnf7fob9pqXF9tRvuChRsjd5Qoqgg81A5xdpNPGPRYiV1O96pzq6fJeUsf7n5jnNGAPwO8GAm1tG0Bi5GkyELUSGh8iZhAAFfGMeR0VF3IpLOdBKny5qAEo/s1600/DSC_0082.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3cdXjZugPP9eO0kUYF11Zjnf7fob9pqXF9tRvuChRsjd5Qoqgg81A5xdpNPGPRYiV1O96pzq6fJeUsf7n5jnNGAPwO8GAm1tG0Bi5GkyELUSGh8iZhAAFfGMeR0VF3IpLOdBKny5qAEo/s640/DSC_0082.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The completed "Franken-Radish" in all its glory. My choice of the "Franken" moniker will become readily apparent, as this is FAR from your typical Xtracycle Radish.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_7Mufk-QxulBDq_kqydtln_OxIq5pEubZDFUMf9AvQPeWWWLgPN0h49mkMt69-auymtuZQ-9oGdY8-g7ZW6cdz-K9pWJq2WFYVCx2SWtEOq3jeaXBDNDyzk9jDU0wTERxqQeiTXGaAk/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8_7Mufk-QxulBDq_kqydtln_OxIq5pEubZDFUMf9AvQPeWWWLgPN0h49mkMt69-auymtuZQ-9oGdY8-g7ZW6cdz-K9pWJq2WFYVCx2SWtEOq3jeaXBDNDyzk9jDU0wTERxqQeiTXGaAk/s640/DSC_0023.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I gave the trekking bars a try again with the Radish frame, but they still weren't working out for me. Do those bars work for anyone? I've seen them on a lot of touring bikes, but every time I've tried them on a bike, they've given me a choice between a riding position that was too upright, too stretched out, or somewhere in between but with no access to the brakes. At this point I just decided to put drop bars on the bike and be done with it. Drop bars on Xtracycles are probably the least common choice for handlebars, but I'm determined to make it work. My choice was the <a href="http://ritcheylogic.com/dyn_prod.php?p=30-229-665">Ritchey Biomax cyclocross handlebar</a>. What makes this bar more comfortable are the shallow drops with ergonomic bend as well as a slight outward flare and 6 degree swept back tops. Ritchey apparently no longer makes the 26mm clamp version, instead selling only a 31.8mm version. As with my communter bike, I was able to find the best price on a 46cm width bar at <a href="http://www.bikewagon.com/road/handlebars-tape/26-0mm-drop-bars/ritchey-biomax-road-handlebar-44cm-26-0-clamp-black">Bikewagon.com</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOV4Gejefot4mSrSrujc9NyvZBIRlnv3oUOzM8EpLw1lAfAD806ygq8EeOFvUROFSv8lXPbX-XdG7nj5-zu6FWrnY2fs-0gQtJTdpsmhMRV51zJhMLjO2oqllDwqK34pYwYqQDIVwdMQ/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOOV4Gejefot4mSrSrujc9NyvZBIRlnv3oUOzM8EpLw1lAfAD806ygq8EeOFvUROFSv8lXPbX-XdG7nj5-zu6FWrnY2fs-0gQtJTdpsmhMRV51zJhMLjO2oqllDwqK34pYwYqQDIVwdMQ/s640/DSC_0013.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Since Xtracycles use V-brakes or disc brakes for maximum stopping power, I chose to stick with V-brakes. They're easily adjustable, and besides the Radish frame does not have a disc brake mount on the front fork, only on the FreeRadical. I used Cane Creek Drop-V levers coupled with Paul Components Cross Levers. I like having cross levers so that I can control my brakes without always having to ride with my hands on the brake hoods. Unfortunately, Paul Components is the only company making a cross lever that will work with either short pull brakes such as caliper and cantilevers or long pull brakes such as V-brakes and mechanical pull disc brakes. I say this is unfortunate because the Paul levers cost upwards of $90. This is about as niche as you can get when it comes to brakes though, so it's no surprise that a company like Tektro doesn't make a long pull interrupter lever. One minor complaint about the Paul levers - they require the use of a snap ring pliers to switch the pivot between short pull and long pull. I've no idea why they couldn't have used a simple nut and bolt arrangement. I had to spend another $20 for a pair of snap ring pliers just to change the pivots. At least now I have the pliers in case I ever need them in the future. Note the upper opening in the cross levers for the short pull option.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMx1is0Yi_qW_r8Y8Yei5G8xv4tIVwSWAXgtysvRbZd0h-7dEA9euFHJ17KI1K4GRcvhpmGuczhbnII2s_We-vSVUUdsUjRFtOsBTuwXwsGmPEuWWkl2g1qFTqgPqNVgMRsoibxsKv4bc/s1600/DSC_0030.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMx1is0Yi_qW_r8Y8Yei5G8xv4tIVwSWAXgtysvRbZd0h-7dEA9euFHJ17KI1K4GRcvhpmGuczhbnII2s_We-vSVUUdsUjRFtOsBTuwXwsGmPEuWWkl2g1qFTqgPqNVgMRsoibxsKv4bc/s640/DSC_0030.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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I used special <a href="http://www.treefortbikes.com/home#navbar=pro___333222344350___455">Tektro 857 AL</a> V-brakes with extra-long arms that allow for fender clearance. I'm a weirdo in that I like to run my right brake lever to the front brake, which is the exact opposite of how most bikes are made and built here in the United States. This coupled with the cross levers resulted in having to use the brake noodle with the sharper bend. Thankfully Tektro includes these sharper bend noodles along with the more standard 90 degree type. Note the cycle computer wires wrapped around the brake cable, helping to add to that Fraken-bike appearance. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugP6yxM4HPvD-DmXTdZk71xTiisCZPeDrWis8F80uIQg5bJfB3gn4007kvKY6O9LYBblktcFHM1tAmsZQl_J0O0ns7c3MXaB9aEw3hR_7trHe7_DVnBCXWvw3_u7c4gVvIlUShUnjOc4/s1600/DSC_0020.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgugP6yxM4HPvD-DmXTdZk71xTiisCZPeDrWis8F80uIQg5bJfB3gn4007kvKY6O9LYBblktcFHM1tAmsZQl_J0O0ns7c3MXaB9aEw3hR_7trHe7_DVnBCXWvw3_u7c4gVvIlUShUnjOc4/s640/DSC_0020.JPG" width="428" /></a><br />
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I used Crank Brothers Candy 1 pedals, same as I use on my commuter bike. I love Crank Brothers pedals because they can be completely serviced and rebuilt, a rarity among clipless pedals. You can see the cadence sensor for my computer attached to the chain stay and crank arm. One of few concessions to aesthetics, I chose a white zip tie for the crank arm instead of traditional black. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFRueOspmNs-HKrtyUiF_WN2eeRAXfJC-JG2GmlCiJYibA90ZJDqeTGOkTHo4WZTAbmIR174jWqt3tEGMTP-JofSZ-trP9hlIqwE5Sf3XEdEJ3CTDIUYDIHF30YXnzPxUIdP3WUyM2xA/s1600/DSC_0023.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxFRueOspmNs-HKrtyUiF_WN2eeRAXfJC-JG2GmlCiJYibA90ZJDqeTGOkTHo4WZTAbmIR174jWqt3tEGMTP-JofSZ-trP9hlIqwE5Sf3XEdEJ3CTDIUYDIHF30YXnzPxUIdP3WUyM2xA/s640/DSC_0023.JPG" width="428" /></a><br />
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Back on the FreeRadical end of things, you can see the use of the standard noodle for the rear brakes. Also, you can see my unicycle two-bolt seatpost clamps that were used as makeshift <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-accessories/rain-snow/whatchamacollar.html">Watchamacollars<br />
</a>. They're not as pretty as the Xtracycle version, but they get the job done and they only cost about $28, so less than buying a single set of the regular ones. Still, I had to make my own shims and add in some O-rings to seal water out. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgo0xgmEE8lBXRaum1PoE2dX1Ecvn3VOgGtDmR9wgRp5VCFGTLnCno2cdICKp4cgSOiH4pfEdjrSkRRR6TdZ3GS674NYyx7LUbujgdGUcUWP7_jYHHrgu-4FXLbE97a9jHIFieaNOYC8/s1600/DSC_0025.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCgo0xgmEE8lBXRaum1PoE2dX1Ecvn3VOgGtDmR9wgRp5VCFGTLnCno2cdICKp4cgSOiH4pfEdjrSkRRR6TdZ3GS674NYyx7LUbujgdGUcUWP7_jYHHrgu-4FXLbE97a9jHIFieaNOYC8/s640/DSC_0025.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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The Radish frame will accept tires up to 26x2.35 tires, although I tried mounting 26x2.35 Schwalbe Big Bens on my previous Xtracycle and found the clearance in FreeRadical was so tight that you wouldn't be able to run fenders. I decided to be more conservative and instead installed <a href="http://www.schwalbetires.com/bike_tires/road_tires/marathon_420">Schwalbe Marathon HS 420 tires</a> in 26x2.0 size. The Marathon HS 420 has a 130kg load limit whereas the Big Apple, tire of choice for many cargo biking folks is only rated for 125kg in the same size. The minor tread should be good enough for crushed limestone trails as well as fire roads and light off roading.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNs3On_qQ1oqUAjhRSez1QRdVoOpQ4cdon08UMxwYOKZ7q9kPu9uTVNtQyigSwn-nWBNq-lETWOXaUEGXgDy4rvoFlgaw3UX0CuvXU7pre9ZcvibQ6q-eYk5q1JGQhwEyZb8HouW8jes/s1600/DSC_0028.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQNs3On_qQ1oqUAjhRSez1QRdVoOpQ4cdon08UMxwYOKZ7q9kPu9uTVNtQyigSwn-nWBNq-lETWOXaUEGXgDy4rvoFlgaw3UX0CuvXU7pre9ZcvibQ6q-eYk5q1JGQhwEyZb8HouW8jes/s640/DSC_0028.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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Due to the much lower top tube geometry with the Radish frame, it was recommended that I buy at least a 400mm seatpost. I was able to go one better and I found the <a href="http://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=49732&category=618">Gusset Lofty XXL seatpost</a> which can be purchased in the ridiculously long length of 450mm with an awesome micro adjusting two bolt seat clamp. I topped it off with the same Brooks B17 saddle transferred over from the previous build. A Brooks B17 is the only kind of saddle I'll ever ride. Once you've drunk the Brooks Kool-Aid there's no going back to foam, plastic, and vinyl ass-hatchets. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8o0Xikkwvt4-W9nSLAh76vNtxfOpQbTkqx_p84o2uY0Ju3ZVg9uhdbxNUUW86ZLx5wM5TmJmTC5Nvm3cGSkJ4yW3vTQgZV5V6pOAJtTGFcCiNswxxjJ0VXWbuGr4GQQbWxgw79VCZpI/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhI8o0Xikkwvt4-W9nSLAh76vNtxfOpQbTkqx_p84o2uY0Ju3ZVg9uhdbxNUUW86ZLx5wM5TmJmTC5Nvm3cGSkJ4yW3vTQgZV5V6pOAJtTGFcCiNswxxjJ0VXWbuGr4GQQbWxgw79VCZpI/s640/DSC_0032.JPG" width="428" /></a><br />
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Keeping the crud off of everything are SKS Chromoplastics fenders. If I had this to do over again, I'd buy the SKS Blumells which offer the same coverage but are slightly longer and not as glossy in appearance. Still, I really like SKS fenders and find them to have the most sturdy mounting hardware of any of the fender manufacturers I've looked at. I will be retrofitting an SKS rubber mudflap to the front fender though to increase the amount of coverage and thus cut down on spray getting on the lower bits of the bike frame. Shifting is still being accomplished with the Shimano Alivio rear derailleur which made its way over from the last cargo bike. The Avid Rollamajig is still in use as well, taking care of shortening that cable run going into the rear derailleur and insuring shifts will be crisp and precise. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFOzTEsh1gMEJlHE4SRe6oOcFIitMfSGTyOMvS4MCwBkvnqWpDQDiDSW7rcC05JgxJWYPcjcHePhpM7a0TUQoWwD3CnEjCZCyxBQWdzrZsiblsD_qkrZ7vUw2g8lFQ56jN-_fOZTEMSA/s1600/DSC_0036.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIFOzTEsh1gMEJlHE4SRe6oOcFIitMfSGTyOMvS4MCwBkvnqWpDQDiDSW7rcC05JgxJWYPcjcHePhpM7a0TUQoWwD3CnEjCZCyxBQWdzrZsiblsD_qkrZ7vUw2g8lFQ56jN-_fOZTEMSA/s640/DSC_0036.JPG" width="428" /></a><br />
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The only "old" component to make it into this build are the wheels which will soon be replaced by new custom-built 36 hole wheels built around Sun Rhyno-lite rims, and this ancient, but little-used Suntour XC Pro mountain bike crankset. Peculiar cable routing issues meant my original Suntour front derailleur had to be replaced with this top-pull Shimano Alivio derailleur. Since there are no derailleur mounts or cable stops for such, I had to install a <a href="http://problemsolversbike.com/products/backstop">Problem Solvers Back Stop</a> cable stop on the seat tube to allow me to run cable to the front derailleur. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dKO7c38Pm7vcaVoEOjd-G3PEiuNrEZmYzyvc1IfP9TBz2H1dEkBTKIVI-Tcbm6dVozl8vcSeLISEEa4vGocukrPT79hPS3084cDLPEKks6e4dUQ8Y6DXvzvoxuuIlOVmmaolgCAASpI/s1600/DSC_0017.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg6dKO7c38Pm7vcaVoEOjd-G3PEiuNrEZmYzyvc1IfP9TBz2H1dEkBTKIVI-Tcbm6dVozl8vcSeLISEEa4vGocukrPT79hPS3084cDLPEKks6e4dUQ8Y6DXvzvoxuuIlOVmmaolgCAASpI/s640/DSC_0017.JPG" width="428" /></a><br />
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I chose to run Shimano SL-BS50 8 speed bar end shifters for their practically bombproof reliability and because they can be switched to operate in full friction shifting mode if necessary. Installing these shifters meant I had to have some unorthodox cable routing, particularly because there are no downtube shifter bosses and no cable stops for a front derailleur. Complicating matters was the step-through top tube design. There is a slightly asymmetrical appearance to how the cables run off of the bar ends and you can see how the front derailleur cable must run along the top tube, held in place by <a href="http://problemsolversbike.com/products/clamp_on_cable_guides">Problem Solvers Clamp-On Cable Guides</a>. The asymmetrical cable routing only slightly messes with my sense of aesthetics, but best of all helps contribute to the overall "Franken-bike," or in this case "Franken-Radish" appearance. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcaGzcg63lhNsv5UaHiFeqezp1BZOAQYeWCGXOJw7LzHjaNA1bQt_kwP2Ty2UxMQSYqn59G8UPLYaGnSzEXoqfQGIrzuiaooaF_g1FV2zWKbF2nyv1goos1AT4FX2qU4Cw5izmoRUgg8/s1600/DSC_0013.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilcaGzcg63lhNsv5UaHiFeqezp1BZOAQYeWCGXOJw7LzHjaNA1bQt_kwP2Ty2UxMQSYqn59G8UPLYaGnSzEXoqfQGIrzuiaooaF_g1FV2zWKbF2nyv1goos1AT4FX2qU4Cw5izmoRUgg8/s640/DSC_0013.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And another view of that "Franken-Radish" cable routing.<br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6-4zHI2PX3mRlPztAf9fT1I59U_ixcWEimJq2a46nOzoAhuzMtCNynsEs8C9v2edXj6C9Jf-bAER3wuCmMREy74apyLK14uEqBJCRgrufjmNu6bpS0NL-33_PYPpv_XB1IXbzhQb6Us/s1600/DSC_0014.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh6-4zHI2PX3mRlPztAf9fT1I59U_ixcWEimJq2a46nOzoAhuzMtCNynsEs8C9v2edXj6C9Jf-bAER3wuCmMREy74apyLK14uEqBJCRgrufjmNu6bpS0NL-33_PYPpv_XB1IXbzhQb6Us/s640/DSC_0014.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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And so we come to end of this terrible tale of woe and intrigue. With 60 miles of saddle time since completion, I can say that I've hit upon, what is for me, a good balance of comfort and speed and I think this bike will still do well when finally loaded with more cargo than a couple packed panniers. Expect to read more trip reports as the Franken-Radish begins its cargo-hauling duties in earnest. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDiKjbq1hD10nbtXUsFNKzTuG4haoK17it5Fs2SDR06MvOpPpVGgwqoJ9QbebhjmQfC7hkcsRlrrDT9awrK9ywTJGwnhLIzbgLnMiMe3rdEvejBW6voUdgr6_TMO_fvyspKahB4Y75z8/s1600/DSC_0043.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRDiKjbq1hD10nbtXUsFNKzTuG4haoK17it5Fs2SDR06MvOpPpVGgwqoJ9QbebhjmQfC7hkcsRlrrDT9awrK9ywTJGwnhLIzbgLnMiMe3rdEvejBW6voUdgr6_TMO_fvyspKahB4Y75z8/s640/DSC_0043.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9XY01KAeobD-BKa5ANF5GJqH8OTwhSrcKOZShCPRx0A9QPfTbcQTCCUzU5XcYXbiskEPoLeVg-kWtV8zTNl56ByY_PnAetPW6VyNQJLox2qGfxwpQxT-v11pT93NL3rgkqKap_0e7Fo/s1600/DSC_0038.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhP9XY01KAeobD-BKa5ANF5GJqH8OTwhSrcKOZShCPRx0A9QPfTbcQTCCUzU5XcYXbiskEPoLeVg-kWtV8zTNl56ByY_PnAetPW6VyNQJLox2qGfxwpQxT-v11pT93NL3rgkqKap_0e7Fo/s640/DSC_0038.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmj71aayx_BA_um7QnpgBnv-Vb2HruwJjAhwqqvty05wogK8hnx7INRwUqGjZB8IwQcjrnSxhtTa-TmUuZu2VusBipd76QytdPuAbV6AKID4Sh3hE9grmT8UvOWypJjSKSVWFgZYIBiA/s1600/DSC_0005.JPG" imageanchor="1"><img border="0" height="428" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkmj71aayx_BA_um7QnpgBnv-Vb2HruwJjAhwqqvty05wogK8hnx7INRwUqGjZB8IwQcjrnSxhtTa-TmUuZu2VusBipd76QytdPuAbV6AKID4Sh3hE9grmT8UvOWypJjSKSVWFgZYIBiA/s640/DSC_0005.JPG" width="640" /></a><br />
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<br />Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-55255112037412007172013-04-03T13:27:00.001-07:002013-04-03T13:56:37.749-07:00Adjustable stems: The Good, The Bad, and The UglyAdjustable stems. You probably either love them or hate them. If you're a gram-counter riding a sub-20-pound bike you probably wouldn't be caught dead with an adjustable stem. However, if you're searching for the perfect stem height before committing to purchasing a particular stem, an adjustable model will help you determine the best angle before you plunk down your hard-earned cash. Likewise, folks who do a lot of touring may like using adjustable stems because they allow them to modify their riding position throughout the course of a tour. One day you might want a lower position whereas the next day you might want to ride a little more upright. Having a stem that adjusts to multiple angles can allow you to achieve various riding positions with just a few turns of a hex key. <br />
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I'd never used an adjustable stem until one came already installed on my 2006 Scattante road bike. That bike frame is long gone, but I kept all the components, including the stem which has served me well in determining my optimal riding position on several other bikes. Over the course of a couple years I've had the occasion to buy a few different models of adjustable stems. Some of those stems I've tried are very good, and some are very bad. Very, VERY, BAD!<br />
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<b>The Ugly</b><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-G2kOdTyqcTcKkIhzQKooGx6_vKsJhVFDPzG4M09rmKWgxe0XQ-ikR8VIAP2dpGA0_uSbOfJ2gGThDd0Cl4uA2ng9SdSEoqV_1XK0OBcqe1grvLqCPRWeNyFaMzKfZeliWdug6p1p5g/s1600/DSC_0149.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9-G2kOdTyqcTcKkIhzQKooGx6_vKsJhVFDPzG4M09rmKWgxe0XQ-ikR8VIAP2dpGA0_uSbOfJ2gGThDd0Cl4uA2ng9SdSEoqV_1XK0OBcqe1grvLqCPRWeNyFaMzKfZeliWdug6p1p5g/s320/DSC_0149.JPG" /></a><br />
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The Zoom Quick Comfort adjustable stem retails most places for about $30, give or take a couple bucks. Available as a 1" quill stem this would seem to be the perfect compliment to an older bike in need of a new riding position. I chose this stem originally to give a better riding position to a mountain bike that was <a href="http://www.velocelt.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-birth-of-xtracycle-part-1.html">converted into an Xtracycle</a>. I wouldn't wish this piece of junk on my worst enemy. All adjustable stems make a point to state they are not to be used for any type of heavy duty or extreme riding. I get it, no dirt jumps or riding downhill dual slalom at 50 mph. Makes sense. The major problem with this stem is it uses two separate pieces with teeth that engage a central piece of the stem. The two pieces engage with the the rotating, angle-changing bit of the stem if you will. Even at sedate bike commuter speeds on flat paved roads, this stem failed to deliver a problem free ride. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9o8_DsVH67nTnNHb6g4WAeuoTUU_juAly31AV660gRjuyl3kDOKB8b4kWhHBIBGAQZP11QlIB4T7F9rv03cyvbVi0dxMvppeiEgKyVVNFo7LbzNThW6-iavZsJkehyi6-9GnDdrFheo/s1600/DSC_0150.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs9o8_DsVH67nTnNHb6g4WAeuoTUU_juAly31AV660gRjuyl3kDOKB8b4kWhHBIBGAQZP11QlIB4T7F9rv03cyvbVi0dxMvppeiEgKyVVNFo7LbzNThW6-iavZsJkehyi6-9GnDdrFheo/s320/DSC_0150.JPG" /></a><br />
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The inherent problem with this stem is that the two pieces that hold the stem at a specific angle are held in place only with a single bolt. The single bolt in itself is not the major problem, as pretty much all other major adjustable stem manufacturers use some variation of a single bolt to hold the angle. The problem is that the two toothed wedge pieces only engaged the pivoting section with two to three teeth each. It seems secure until you actually start pedaling a bike with one of these installed. No matter how much I tightened the stem down, I still felt the entire stem flexing up and down at the pivot. Once I disassembled the stem I saw what was causing the problem. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeF7sFlB-mR60zUJHH15JrhL2Jb731zeOWFzbOlgNv91I1YSOKcXrRrda68NcH822DnZHOqiFIMI9nEZ7UVhtxkLU160-hjLRLlYesuKbFqYQ0anquoesMXTkBi1wdt9b7HCztaGT_ro/s1600/DSC_0152.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfeF7sFlB-mR60zUJHH15JrhL2Jb731zeOWFzbOlgNv91I1YSOKcXrRrda68NcH822DnZHOqiFIMI9nEZ7UVhtxkLU160-hjLRLlYesuKbFqYQ0anquoesMXTkBi1wdt9b7HCztaGT_ro/s320/DSC_0152.JPG" /></a><br />
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You can see the result of this flawed design. Because it only engages on a couple teeth per wedge, galling occurs at the interface between the teeth of the wedge and the pivoting section of the stem. You can never get this stem tight enough to prevent the joint moving and thus galling the teeth. I'm sure at some point if I continued using this stem, I'd be riding along and as I pulled on the bar while climbing a hill the stem would end up ripping loose to pivot freely. I immediately removed this stem and set it aside to be kept solely for illustrative purchases. This stem at this price point is utterly worthless and I would not recommend this to anyone.<br />
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If you're in need of an adjustable stem to use with a 1" quill stem frame, I'd recommend a quill stem adapter instead. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Gs6BdpGqZgMj120Myf999TkOYm8K8s0KNlP66SiNHIDf2b2zTHTos7a20Pj267PQ_HLZcfqKdlsnpwfyiVjLgvle5UZNhxhzIIMggiI7siPqZNtgcxdcN4-Z3k8OMyBBcMTogcMUWNI/s1600/DSC_0156.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Gs6BdpGqZgMj120Myf999TkOYm8K8s0KNlP66SiNHIDf2b2zTHTos7a20Pj267PQ_HLZcfqKdlsnpwfyiVjLgvle5UZNhxhzIIMggiI7siPqZNtgcxdcN4-Z3k8OMyBBcMTogcMUWNI/s320/DSC_0156.JPG" /></a><br />
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Quill stem adapters come in several different lengths and are available for use with both 1" and 1 1/8" threaded headsets. You can find various models of these adapters for anywhere from $7 to $20. You simply install the adapter and choose the 1 1/8" threadless stem of your choice, adjustable or otherwise. <br />
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<b>The Bad</b><br />
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Your second choice of adjustable stem is not quite as bad as the Zoom offering, but is still somewhat suspect. Kalloy makes some fairly decent mid-priced components. Their adjustable stem however, leaves a lot to be desired. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkQMRsG6Q0xDBneS9GM81GFBqQKMzGGcOePgS_4DKPYZQB9_WgybJERx0wGe0iiejniU3pH-7fs-OOuMER-qgRmCdFOwUtEfAQEFeZGb2vAc22OkXyrRCUCH6n2PnvizS8dChxdA3sr8/s1600/DSC_0155.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVkQMRsG6Q0xDBneS9GM81GFBqQKMzGGcOePgS_4DKPYZQB9_WgybJERx0wGe0iiejniU3pH-7fs-OOuMER-qgRmCdFOwUtEfAQEFeZGb2vAc22OkXyrRCUCH6n2PnvizS8dChxdA3sr8/s320/DSC_0155.JPG" /></a><br />
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This stem retails most places for about $20. In design it is marginally better than the Zoom stem, primarily because it consists of two toothed wheels that clamp on either side of a pivoting center section. The toothed wheels are slightly better than the Zoom stem simply because there are more teeth engaged on both sides with the center section.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrowEFAN5yaw5sQyxJ-oZ-QYg0g_6m0K-lfsudRV_GrjJm9sgtlIirDn_F4HNSlb07TBpLLFh0YMdZTmlMcU1f7USBMBAj-lrbeu3SmDdzZOb60CZphSB3ULzOyvfZzD6sXZWKE8q_00Q/s1600/DSC_0153.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjrowEFAN5yaw5sQyxJ-oZ-QYg0g_6m0K-lfsudRV_GrjJm9sgtlIirDn_F4HNSlb07TBpLLFh0YMdZTmlMcU1f7USBMBAj-lrbeu3SmDdzZOb60CZphSB3ULzOyvfZzD6sXZWKE8q_00Q/s320/DSC_0153.JPG" /></a><br />
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The toothed wheels that clamp on either side of the pivoting center section are thin in cross section and you can see that the teeth themselves are very shallow. I never installed this particular stem. Disassembling it after receiving it, I realized that this particular design was little better than the Zoom stem. There is certainly more surface area for the clamping force, but the single bolt holding everything together is both smaller than the one used in the Zoom stem and I feel that the teeth are simply too shallow to provide a secure clamping force. This one has gone into the spares box where it will likely donate its screws to more worthy attachments. <br />
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<b>The Good</b><br />
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And so we return to that adjustable stem that came installed on my Scattante so many years ago. Bike shops often include these adjustable stems as a means of fitting inexpensive bikes to a variety of different body types and riding positions. For the reasons mentioned at the beginning of this article, adjustable stems can serve multiple purposes, and if you're going to invest in one, the Ritchey adjustable stem is well worth the money. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRV8qlAIZly8GuEQzk35kP6Lcdok3Yz9Wseuz1PXKXAzdioAqYAz6r8ZIXp0LolZ4twjKX8peL_pulMMRXuqtwipYBWUULslJgHEkazefeD030YXQbJ3g5_0ZtQfXSJnhERI1b-4RdOWg/s1600/DSC_0144.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRV8qlAIZly8GuEQzk35kP6Lcdok3Yz9Wseuz1PXKXAzdioAqYAz6r8ZIXp0LolZ4twjKX8peL_pulMMRXuqtwipYBWUULslJgHEkazefeD030YXQbJ3g5_0ZtQfXSJnhERI1b-4RdOWg/s320/DSC_0144.JPG" /></a><br />
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With the Ritchey adjustable stem, we take a major leap forward in terms of quality and subsequently price. The Ritchey stem is available anywhere from $40 to $50. This stem comes only in 1 1/8" threadless attachment style with two different clamp diameters, 31.8mm and 25.4mm. Both clamps sizes come in three different lengths, 80mm, 100mm, and 120mm all with the capability of rising as high as 45 degrees. What makes the Ritchey so much better than the stem designs from Kalloy and Zoom? It's all in how the pivoting section is designed. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9odLsZd30DnnCOoB_7KWuSr4JjscHmcqiiRE7f13jwvLHuf7h4xeGjhitSWb4vju96Zw6y0S-v2okc5de1XtW9Cq7tilOVJ4qDGvwyljsDbn8A75Z00TsUt_YUKg99GgB94tITFmgHc/s1600/DSC_0145.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhK9odLsZd30DnnCOoB_7KWuSr4JjscHmcqiiRE7f13jwvLHuf7h4xeGjhitSWb4vju96Zw6y0S-v2okc5de1XtW9Cq7tilOVJ4qDGvwyljsDbn8A75Z00TsUt_YUKg99GgB94tITFmgHc/s320/DSC_0145.JPG" /></a><br />
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The stem is composed of two major parts. The main part of the stem consists of the bar clamp and the extension of the stem proper, while the bit that clamps to the steerer tube is two separate parts joined by a stout central bolt that tightens the two sections around the pivoting area. What is different in the Ritchey stem is that you can't actually pivot the stem to change the angle. The entire stem must be disassembled, the angle chosen and then the whole thing must be bolted back together. <br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9SXmE1UDnlNXpLfyyH8UPRQawKVtkYUPphiOUd7d111hJH_zZLiaC_TAfeEql10S6tr6Wt-LlbCHA5fgLmVkyEv7MxwWNsMDBgvJQg7LQwmzbWa3MQzZLd58rlLRlzIxUuJmLvTOPck/s1600/DSC_0148.JPG" imageanchor="1" ><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw9SXmE1UDnlNXpLfyyH8UPRQawKVtkYUPphiOUd7d111hJH_zZLiaC_TAfeEql10S6tr6Wt-LlbCHA5fgLmVkyEv7MxwWNsMDBgvJQg7LQwmzbWa3MQzZLd58rlLRlzIxUuJmLvTOPck/s320/DSC_0148.JPG" /></a><br />
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A close look reveals that the adjustable bit is a combination male/female set of 36 teeth. The tolerance of fit on these two toothed sections is so tight that it takes a few seconds of wiggling, and often muttered curses to get the toothed section to come apart so the angle can be adjusted. I've found over nearly 7000 miles that my original 120mm Ritchey stem has never creaked, never loosened, or otherwise given me cause to think it would give way and abruptly change angles on me at some inopportune moment. At some point, I finally purchased a solid stem at the appropriate angle for use on my daily commuter bike, and retired the Ritchey adjustable stem to my spares box to be used on future bike builds as necessary. I have since purchased an 80mm version for use with my latest bike build as I could not find any solid stems sporting a 45 degree angle with such a short length. I'm confident that my latest Ritchey adjustable stem will serve me well for thousands of miles to come. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-32188846108504926022013-01-22T12:45:00.002-08:002013-01-22T13:08:00.085-08:00Xtracycle shakedown booze cruiseWith my <a href="http://www.velocelt.blogspot.com/2013/01/the-birth-of-xtracycle-part-3.html">Stumpjumper Xtracycle</a> almost completed, it was time for another shakedown cruise. My original shakedown cruise had occurred a few weeks earlier after much of the construction that affected rideability was completed. That test run told me that the bike was shifting fine, but that a brake cable hadn't been tightened enough. Also, I'd left the handlebars un-cut to their maximum width. I didn't like the feel of those so one of the first things I did after returning was to cut one inch off of either side.<br />
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I find the easiest way to cut bars to length is by using a plain old plumber's pipe cutter. You can find them at pretty much any hardware store, although the cheaper ones like mine will require frequent replacement of the low quality cutter blades. My blade had already gotten fairly nicked and bunged up so I had a bit of a rough time cutting the bars down to size. <br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AQQo3Jv6lYqzifVQvP1I0zAkMMWDSUpNFFnSPhYW0xZkHvNDFQeRhWSjjymmDnl_yApPkWTnAyEfZZ1vTZpbXDPnWaf4jwqXAtmTxF7uPcEfziqLbtZrdzvc_SRwSNjR5vfvfR_hD6A/s1600/DSC_0088.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5AQQo3Jv6lYqzifVQvP1I0zAkMMWDSUpNFFnSPhYW0xZkHvNDFQeRhWSjjymmDnl_yApPkWTnAyEfZZ1vTZpbXDPnWaf4jwqXAtmTxF7uPcEfziqLbtZrdzvc_SRwSNjR5vfvfR_hD6A/s400/DSC_0088.JPG" /></a></div><br />
At the best of times you'll still need to use a file to clean up the edge of the cut. I had to work it a bit more because my cutter was beyond dull. Use a flat metal file to grind down the outside edges of the bar.<br />
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After taking care of the outside you want to use a round file, like a chainsaw sharpening file to get any burrs off the inside of the bar.<br />
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Now with the bar ends fitted back in place, the bike was ready for another shakedown cruise. <br />
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So, a few days later I sent a message to my semi-regular riding buddy Bryan and asked if he'd like to put some miles in while I worked out any more kinks in the Xtracycle build. He was up for it so we elected to meet halfway from both of our houses out in front of the Columbia Yacht Club on the Lakefront Path. Alas, I got a later start than intended and so Bryan met me along the path about a mile and a half south of the yacht club. We met up in front of the 31st Street Marina, which had just been completed at the beginning of the previous summer. <br />
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Bryan walked around the newly completed Xtracycle and his practiced eye settled on the long rise to the quill stem along with the steep angle of the stem. "That frame's a little small for you isn't it?" he asked me.<br />
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"Back in the day, as you kids like to say (he's 15 years my junior), we used to run our mountain bike frames the next size down. It made for a stiffer frame and made it more maneuverable on tight singletrack and in the really technical bits," I replied.<br />
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I also replied that as I had the bike set up originally, the stem was a lot lower than the seat which was great for aggressive off road riding, but not for lengthy tours on the road, and certainly not very comfortable for the "wedding tackle" in the longterm. Next on our agenda, was a childish desire to indulge our selves in taking turns riding on the back of the bike. I started out with all 6 foot plus and 200 pounds of Bryan on the back. The bike felt incredibly wobbly and you could feel a lot of flex in the frame due to the way the FreeRadical joins to the donor bike frame. <br />
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It was a bit disconcerting to pedal the bike with an awkward, top-heavy load on the back. Next up it was my turn to ride on the flight deck with Bryan pedaling. I'd call what I experienced, something akin to mild terror. It was somewhat like riding a rickety old roller coaster at the State Fair when I was a kid. Mildly thrilling with the underlying, mounting fear that the whole flexy wobbly thing was going to collapse under you and leave you bloody and broken in a pile of twisted metal on the ground. <br />
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So, I think we easily established that the Xtracycle is not meant to support 6 foot tall 200 pound males but instead is more restricted to very small children and petit, size 0 models. We both suspect that the Xtracycle performs much better with the bulk of its weight mounted low versus upright and swaying dramatically.<br />
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We pedaled away from the parking lot and north along the path, with an aim to head over into the city and get a burger before continuing westwards to hit up the North Shore Channel Trail. Our original burger joint was to be <a href="http://www.kumascorner.com/food">Kuma's Corner</a>, but a change of plan due to my late start had us settling for merely tooling around in the Loop and parts north instead of heading out to the North Shore Channel Trail. A couple glamor shots were taken before leaving the path though.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIi0W8G7VTfXxdFA0Z8dBxuNPrljKkEiVgrGT0GY_40NRHvxr3JBSTPVvQB3ogFInuqORVUUeaSkAlg3LbbXps5aF9jlWuD-aaHQcqcJlDMj3b0xXOBp0FFm-d0YjQAZ5vdJ_yfZYAf0/s1600/DSC_0016.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGIi0W8G7VTfXxdFA0Z8dBxuNPrljKkEiVgrGT0GY_40NRHvxr3JBSTPVvQB3ogFInuqORVUUeaSkAlg3LbbXps5aF9jlWuD-aaHQcqcJlDMj3b0xXOBp0FFm-d0YjQAZ5vdJ_yfZYAf0/s400/DSC_0016.JPG" /></a></div><br />
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We made our way instead over to <a href="http://haymarketbrewing.com/">The Haymarket Pub & Brewery</a> on the corner of Randolph and Halsted. The Pub takes its name from the area of town which is also famous for the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Haymarket_riots">Haymarket Riot</a>, also called the Haymarket Affair or the Haymarket Massacre. It was one of the early defining points in the burgeoning labor rights movement. The food was tasty and the beer excellent. I meant to get a picture of our food before we tucked in, but alas hunger took over and when I remembered the desire for a photo, my plate had become a non-photogenic mess of half-eaten burger and french fries. <br />
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I have to confess, I don't go out much and I deplore the price of beer at pubs. I can eat and drink way cheaper at home. However, I was delighted to learn of the concept of the "flight" which had been alien to me until this days excursion. The notion that you could purchase a sample of tiny four ounce glasses of various beers for the price of a single 12 or 16 ounce beer intrigued me and took some of the sting out of the cost. Of course some of this is because of my frugal Scottish nature. I'm allowed to call myself a cheap bastard, you aren't. <br />
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That may have been Bryan's Acrimonius Barrel Aged Imperial Stout on the left and my Truculent Imperial Pilsner.<br />
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I resolved to seek out flights or four ounce sample size glasses where available when cycle touring brew pubs. It seems like a great way to sample several different beers for not a whole lot of cash outlay. We finished up our brews and moseyed across the street to <a href="http://www.moxmultisport.com/">MOX Multisport</a>, a bike shop, so Bryan could add some air to his rear tire and possibly purchase some CO2 canisters for his pump. MOX was a tiny little specialist shop apparently concerned mostly with the triathlon and time trial crowd. A handful of some lovely fast looking bikes but by no means a full service shop with a wide selection of either bikes or other kit. <br />
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From MOX, we wended our way further north and west alighting at the location of <a href="http://www.taticycles.com/">Tati Cycles</a>, a local purveyor of classy bikes along with classy attire. They apparently have a weird, almost non-existent schedule of actual hours when the shop is open. Alas, they were closed when we rode by. I could swear we saw someone working inside, but by the time we locked up, the apparition had vanished and the door was locked, the shop lifeless. <br />
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We ventured further north and west into the neighborhood of Logan Square, allegedly the hipster capital of Chicago. I was hoping to see some more single speed and fixie bikes other than Bryan's. I was really looking forward to seeing someone on a bike with matching gold rims and chain, swigging a PBR in their skinny jeans, giving the finger to someone in a car they'd just cut off as they ran a red light. Alas it was not to be. Apparently it was too cold for the hipster fixie crowd as we were the only people on bikes anywhere in the vicinity. <br />
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We cruised by <a href="http://www.dunlaysonthesquare.com/">Dunlay's On the Square</a>, where a buddy of ours, Erik, is the head chef or kitchen manager or something. I can't keep the professional restaurant kitchen hierarchy straight, but Bryan and Erik seem to try tirelessly to educate me on the finer points of professional cooking for other people. Feeling thirsty from our exertions, we sampled a flight apiece. <br />
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I had the Hopster, but was not sure if the pun on hipster and their location in Logan Square was intentional. Two of the beers, Revolution and Half Acre are both Chicago locals. I'd had Half Acre stuff before and liked it, but the Revolution was a first for me. I liked it better than the Rogue sample, but then again I've never really liked much of anything from Rogue, it always tastes far too piney for me. <br />
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Bryan had the Cabin Fever Reliever flight, but alas the Lagunitas selection was out so he had to substitute. I forget what his substitution was, but we ended up switching, his Lagunitas substitute for my Rogue. We both finished our beers happy and hit the road again. <br />
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We checked out a large monumental column across from the restaurant before heading back east towards the lake. Bryan tried riding up the smooth marble edging of the steps to the right of the column, only to lose traction and come down hard upon his top tube. His Facebook posts the next day regaled all of his readers with tales of a swollen testicle. Kids, they never learn do they?<br />
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We ended up back near the lakefront in a park where our ride had now seemed to take on a pose-the-bikes-by-a-monument theme. We parked them in front of a half-naked statue of Goethe, who also has a street in Chicago named after him. Although, native Chicagoans will tell you the street is not pronounced "Ger-tuh" but is instead pronounced, "Go-eth-ee." Phillistines!<br />
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Next up was Alexander Hamilton, in bad need of re-gilding I might add. <br />
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As darkness was quickly approaching, we parted ways when we hit the Lakefront Path once again. Bryan headed north while I turned south. Overall I think it was a good shakedown cruise. There was a stiff wind blowing from the south as I headed home so I really felt the wind resistance of the upright pedaling position along with the lack of good aero positions to get down out of the wind. My daily commuter is a drop bar touring bike which while not exactly fast, at least allows me to get down out of the wind somewhat if I need to. Additionally, I found that I prefer the more stretched out position that I have on the commuter. The handlebar is three inches closer on the Xtracycle when measured with the nose of the saddle as a reference point on the two bikes.<br />
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Already the wheels are turning in regards to how to change the riding position slightly to make it more like my everyday bike. I found the adjustable stem, made by Zoom, to be utter junk. The mechanism that holds the stem locked in at a specific angle is not firm enough, even with the bolt tightened all the way. As a result, the stem can move upwards a couple millimeters or more, alarmingly, especially when pulling upwards on the bar as you attempt to accelerate away from a dead stop. I'll be replacing the Zoom stem with a quill-to-threadless adapter that will allow me to use a variety of threadless stems, both in angle and extension. <br />
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Also, even though I installed bar ends I still feel a decided lack of hand positions. I find that if I don't have the option of changing my hand positions regularly enough, or that I don't have enough variety of positions available I start to suffer from aches and pains in the shoulders as well as my elbows and hands. I find that adhering to the same limited positions tends to make me want to unconsciously lock my elbows and hunch my shoulders. <br />
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So, a change from the riser bar will be in order as well. Several other Xtracycle owners utilize <a href="http://www.nashbar.com/bikes/Product_10053_10052_175533_-1___202348">trekking</a>, or "butterfly" bars and seem to like them well enough, so I think I may give one of those a try, or possibly some version of an H-bar like the <a href="http://www.jonesbikes.com/h-bar.html">Jeff Jones <br />
</a>. Either way, I need to get more hand positions and get my riding position lowered into a bit more comfortable position for me. As always, I think bikes are a work in progress, at least for me. I think that is a good thing, because it gives me a chance to tinker and I do love an evening in my shop with a bike in the stand and a beer close by. Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-57853942618808667652013-01-15T18:25:00.000-08:002013-01-15T18:52:54.037-08:00The birth of an Xtracycle: Part 3I managed to spread out the construction on the Xtracycle over several nights and weekends. A couple of the last tasks to be completed before a test ride was installation of pedals, the saddle, and a deck to attach to the P-racks. I was able to continue to use my old seatpost although I wasn't sure it would work with my new Brooks B17 saddle. I struggled for ages trying to find a truly comfortable saddle. Once I tried the B17, there was no going back. The B17 on my commuter bike has over 5,500 miles on it and was amazingly comfortable right out of the box. The Brooks saddle would end up being probably the single most expensive component to go onto the Xtracycle. <br />
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For pedals the choice was easy. I was already running Crank Brothers Candy 1 pedals on my daily commuter bike so it would be easy to switch between bikes using the same shoes. I also like that all of the Crank Brothers pedals can be rebuilt which increases their longevity and long term usefulness. I also like the Candy pedals because they have just enough of a platform that I can keep a foot clipped out while riding in tricky traffic situations, in case I need to put a foot down quickly.<br />
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The pedals of course come with cleats and shims which will go in the spares box for whenever I need to replace the cleats already installed on my shoes.<br />
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The Candy pedals install easily with an 8mm Allen wrench. <br />
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Running the shifter cable to your rear derailleur might require the use of a an Avid Rollamajig to prevent excessive cable drag from needing a huge loop of housing running into the rear derailleur. Xtracycle provide the Rollamajig in with the parts box in case your mountain bike frames cable routing necessitates its use. Because the Rollamajig uses a roller wheel, it allows essentially a 90 degree turn to the shifter cable without creating binding or drag that would happen with a regular housing bent at 90 degrees. <br />
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The Rollamajig can only be installed one direction to work correctly. Where it attaches to the derailleur it uses a small ball and T-shaped piece which goes into the barrel adjuster on the derailleur. <br />
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Next up was finding some way to affix the P-racks so that they wouldn't move or shift when going over bumps. The <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-accessories/cargo-bags/freeloaders-2010.html">Freeloader</a> bags that Xtracycle makes have straps that hold them in place and can help hold the P-racks down more securely. However, I intended to make my own bags and I also wanted the security of using some sort of clamp that will securely hold the P-racks to the FreeRadical. <br />
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Xtracycle makes an accessory that they call <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-accessories/small-parts/whatchamacollar.html">Watchamacollars<br />
</a> which can securely hold the P-racks in place. They also contain an internal O-ring to help prevent water infiltration down into the FreeRadical. At the time I was buying all of my parts, Xtracycle was selling Watchamacollars for $35 per set. I didn't want to spend $70 on them so I looked around for alternatives. Suggestions from the Xtracycle Yahoo group, <a href="http://groups.yahoo.com/group/rootsradicals/">Rootsradicals</a> led me to purchase double-bolt seatpost clamps in 25.4mm diameter. <br />
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I needed to add some shims and some O-rings to make sure everything fit securely. All told I spent about $30 to make my own imitation Watchamacollars. They're not quite as pretty as the Xtracycle ones but they get the job done. I used copper pipe fittings and a cut up old seatpost to make my shims. Originally I wanted to use electrical tape to seal the joint between the P-rack and FreeRadical. The tape didn't work too well so I ended up springing for four suitable size O-rings for $4.<br />
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Bottom shim in place with O-ring on top.<br />
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I tried to set up the collars so that the screws would be difficult to get to in case some would-be thief wanted to try to steal my P-racks and deck. <br />
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One of the last things to be installed on the bike was to be a wooden deck to go over the tops of the P-racks. Xtracycle sells their own versions for anywhere from $60 to $70. I was able to purchase a piece of Baltic Birch plywood for only $17 which gave me enough material to make the deck and a pair of running boards. However, halfway through the process of applying a finish to the boards, I got to thinking about the durability of finished wood when exposed to the extremes of temperature and nasty stuff like salt. <br />
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I inquired on Rootsradicals about making alternative decks using recycled plastic lumber. As I was searching for a suitable plastic lumber material, a Rootsradicals member offered to sell me his brand new, unused flight deck, minus the clamps that hold it to the racks. With the cost of the clamps I'd already purchased and the new, unused Flight Deck, I ended up paying pretty much the same as if I'd bought a new one from Xtracycle. C'est la vie. At this point I simply wanted to get the bike done so I was prepared to go a little further over budget. <br />
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After weeks of research, patiently buying parts, and a few nights of building here and there, the bike was finally completed. <br />
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Stay tuned for "The Xtracycle Shakedown Beer Cruise," coming soon!<br />
Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-62426545921588055462013-01-15T15:59:00.001-08:002013-01-15T16:10:21.624-08:00The birth of an Xtracycle: Part 2So, when last we met, the 18 year old Specialized Stumpjumper Pro frame had been cleaned and installation of replacement components had begun. A common theme with this Xtracycle build was to be the necessity of replacing components that turned out to be worn out or otherwise unsuitable for the new build. Unfortunately, this rapidly led to cost overruns. But, in the long run it's better trade out the junk for components that won't frustrate.<br />
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Here you see the Stumpy frame with the FreeRadical bolted in place.<br />
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The installation of components like the crankset, brakes, stem and handlebars is fairly straightforward so I didn't bother taking any pictures of that. If you've built a bike before you know that most of those components install without needing any special attention. <br />
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Here is a closeup of the FreeRadical with the rear V-brakes and Shimano XT rear derailleur installed. The derailleur was later replaced with an inexpensive but toughly-built Alivio unit. No matter how much fiddling I did, I simply couldn't get the XT unit to shift cleanly. It would seem that at some point it took a hard enough hit to push the cage out of alignment. As a result it tended to want to skip gears or shift up or down on its own. <br />
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The Suntour front derailleur ended up being one of the only original components circa '94 to remain on the bike. Even it needed a bit of attention though. At some point the cage was bent out of shape and a bit of time with some pliers was needed to get it bent back into proper alignment so that shifting of the chainrings could be done with no difficulty. Originally the bike came with a Suntour Micro Drive crankset. I still have the crank arms in my toolbox, but the chainrings, which had worn out are long since gone. This crankset was a later replacement but had almost no wear on it, so was okay to continue using for the Xtracycle build.<br />
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The original Specialized stem and handlebar had to be replaced with something that would allow a less aggressive riding position. The original stem put the handlebars almost three inches lower than the saddle. Great for fast trail riding on technical singletrack but pretty uncomfortable for long distance rides hauling cargo. An adjustable stem and riser bar would make for a more comfortable riding position. Adjustable stems can be great for finding the perfect position for your handlebars, but this particular stem, made by Zoom is junk. In spite of being tightened down as tight as can be, it still exhibits up and down movement under force. I have a Ritchey adjustable stem on my regular commuter bike and it is a far more secure design than the Zoom design. I'll use the Zoom stem on a couple more rides to be sure of my position at which point it will be replaced with a solid stem of the proper angle.<br />
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Next comes running the cables. Xtracycle provides a couple tandem-length cables for both the derailleur and rear brakes along with suitable housings and cable ferrules. I'm wearing safety goggles because I like to use a Dremel to cut my cable housings.<br />
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Using a Dremel tool with a metal cutoff wheel makes for a far cleaner cut on brake and shifter housings than even using dedicated housing wire cutters. It takes a few more minutes but it makes for a far nicer end result. Kids, always wear your saftey goggles when using power tools. Since I wear glasses, I prefer to use <a href="http://www.extremeeyewear.com/store/eyearmorsafety-p-86.html?osCsid=s63p6qd9fjidcasomlo3nnblk2">Eye Armor</a> safety glasses since they're designed to be worn over prescription glasses, and they come in their own nifty microfiber bag which can be used to clean the lenses. <br />
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Follow up cutting the housing by cleaning out the inside with a small drill bit. I use a 5/64" bit and simply push it into the housing end by hand, giving it a little twist to force it in and clean any burrs that will cause drag on the cables.<br />
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The forward most bit of the FreeRadical is anchored in place on the chainstay bridge by a little flat piece of <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-accessories/small-parts/fap-front-attachment-plate.html">metal</a> that Xtracycle creatively calls a "FAP" for Front Attachment Plate. A simple nut and bolt holds the FAP in place. Xtracycle includes a small piece of self-adhesive carpet to stick onto the FAP so that it won't mar the surface of your bike frame. I found that the carpet piece allowed the FAP to move a bit more than I care for whilst tightening the nut and bolt down, so I encased it in a section of scrap inner tube. Unfortunately, now I had a big block of metal that my unprotected rear derailleur cable was going to have to run across. I envisioned this causing not only drag on the cable but also that the action of the cables movement was likely to chew up the inner tube over time. So, I crafted a little piece of shifter housing with two ferrules to protect the cable on its run along the bottom edge of the FAP. <br />
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A couple zip ties hold the mini housing in place on the FAP.<br />
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Still to go on the build: pedals, tires, bar ends, and a spiffy wooden deck with a tale of compromise. Stay tuned for, "Birth of an Xtracycle: Part 3!"<br />
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Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5780308581531599254.post-19280496733893180822013-01-15T13:51:00.001-08:002013-01-15T14:18:06.832-08:00The birth of an Xtracycle: Part 1If you've read my earlier posts, you'll note that I had built and ridden an Xtracycle. This is the story of how this bike came to be. It all began back in what I like to think of as the formative years of my cycling career. It was the early to mid 90s and I'd recently rediscovered the childhood joys of cycling, and mountain biking in particular. My first completely brand-spankin'-new mountain bike was a '94 Specialized Stumpjumper Pro. The bike had been hanging in a local bike shop near where I lived in Atlanta at the time. Apparently, this shop no longer sold Specialized bikes and the owner was willing to make a deal with me. "I want it out of my shop. That bike has been here so long it's having birthdays," the shop owner told me. So, I was pretty stoked to get a bike that should've gone for $1400, for less than $600. This was back in '95 by the way. <br />
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So, jump forward quite a few years to the present and we now have an 18 year old mountain bike that saw some pretty heavy use for about five pretty hardcore years. During that time, the solid Tange Prestige Cro-moly frame saw upgrades of virtually every component. In it's current configuration as the donor bike for the longtail cargo bike upgrade, the only original components are the frame and the front Suntour derailleur. I'd had a lot of good times on that bike. Lots of good memories. At one point though, I'd moved to Chicago and discovered much to my dismay, that mountain biking was non-existent anywhere reasonably close to the city. The best riding to be had without a day trip was a place called Palos Hills, south and west of Chicago. I rode the trails once with a friend and found them tame by comparison to what I'd been used to riding in Georgia, and even central Illinois. <br />
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So, the Stumpy sat on a bike rack for years, collecting dust because it was simply too much effort to load it in the car for the trek to Palos, and it simply wasn't that fun to ride it along the streets and lakefront path of Chicago. Once I started commuting to work regularly on a far more recently purchased road bike, the wheels started turning (pun intended). As I became more of a cycling fanatic, a utility cycling fanatic in particular, I started thinking more about possible uses for the old dust collecting Stumpy. <br />
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At one point, I'd completely stripped almost all of the components off of the frame, intending to sell the various bits by auction or local classified ads. It was then that I somehow stumbled across my first glimpse of an Xtracycle online. It seems that these guys out in California had hit on this amazing idea. You could haul a figurative ton of gear on a bike if you bolted this weird thing to the rear of a regular old mountain bike frame. The bolt-on accessory was dubbed the FreeRadical, and the longtail cargo bike was born. An entire day can probably be lost in looking through the archives of <a href="http://www.xtracyclegallery.com/">Xtracycle Gallery.com</a> where one can see all manner of mountain bikes, cruisers and the like, repurposed into cargo carrying utility bikes. <br />
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It was plain that I'd lost interest in mountain biking and that my Stumpjumper was going to be more trouble than it was worth to sell in parts. Conversion into an eminently more useful cargo bike seemed to be a way to bring some life and usefulness back to a tired old bike. So, I began by purchasing the base FreeRadical unit and P-racks ("P" for "pannier"), from <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/">Xtracycle</a>. They offer <a href="http://www.xtracycle.com/cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-cargo-bicycles/xtracycle-freeradical.html/">several different versions of bolt-on models</a> with varying amounts of accessories. <br />
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Being somewhat cash-strapped, I decided to try to keep my build as budget conscious as possible. To that end, I decided to make my own deck instead of buying any of the ones sold by Xtracycle, along with making my own cargo bags. What components couldn't be salvaged or incorporated into the new build would be replaced with new bits, hopefully avoiding the purchase of unnecessarily expensive "high-end" or "trick" components. <br />
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So, over the next few weeks, I budgeted, searched the online retailers, and eventually purchased enough replacement components to begin the build in earnest.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GHaKV9PdAY-nXCDquEqfGsLGnlmtf1abQNNafgQHRcxUEA0xwY8rV426tusqi9EH-atMaGSWQbnSp8PhwMWm_qupcDnF91YCjDdslcukVCQwxpeD9aep9eNWzfbJeGqKUGFXlKCuba0/s1600/DSC_0027.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_GHaKV9PdAY-nXCDquEqfGsLGnlmtf1abQNNafgQHRcxUEA0xwY8rV426tusqi9EH-atMaGSWQbnSp8PhwMWm_qupcDnF91YCjDdslcukVCQwxpeD9aep9eNWzfbJeGqKUGFXlKCuba0/s400/DSC_0027.JPG" /></a></div><br />
First though, the old Stumpjumper frame and fork needed to be cleaned and prepped before any new components were installed. Imagine my surprise when I discovered nooks and crannies on the frame still harbored traces of the ubiquitous Georgia red clay, known for its tenacity and incredible power to permanently stain almost anything with a porous surface. Luckily a bit of judicious application of Simple Green cleaner removed all traces of Georgia from the frame. <br />
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Once the frame and all threaded surfaces were cleaned the first thing to do was to install a new headset. I'd replaced the original Grease-guard headset with a high tech race-quality needle bearing headset made by a company called Odyssey. Unfortunately, years of hard riding and later, neglect, had left the Odyssey Toro Pro headset with badly pitted and dented bearing races. The whole thing felt grindy and crunchy. Time of a new headset. <br />
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So, needing that new headset, I hit up a local bike shop that frequently comes to the rescue when I can't get parts quickly enough from the internet to satisfy my urges for instant gratification. So, I purchased a replacement 1" threaded headset from <a href="http://smartbikeparts.com/">Smart Bike Parts</a>. I expected something like a generic Cane Creek headset for my $25, but was instead pleasantly surprised to find that it was made by <a href="http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/headsets/vo-alloy-headset-in-iso-or-jis-size.html">Velo Orange</a>. <br />
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So, I carefully installed the top and bottom headset cups using my homemade bearing cup press which consists of a 12" piece of 5/8" diameter threaded rod along with several large fender washers and a pair of channel lock pliers combined with an adjustable wrench. It's not pretty and it can be a bit tricky to use, but it gets the job done for a fraction of the cost of the cheapest headset press out there. <br />
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Here the lower bearing cup is being installed. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ-s8KAjfhIvXaWztEQv_NR7AsLpiwUC3SQI-mMVpVBrMyT25S5UG8qm3jIQaddusGQRuHbU6jLYCW0RN1wO1Ek49ZZqFNs2uxBcxzT2d5734Mpb84l9OdjMatFfYi28_0HefbIsSHQE/s1600/DSC_0032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFJ-s8KAjfhIvXaWztEQv_NR7AsLpiwUC3SQI-mMVpVBrMyT25S5UG8qm3jIQaddusGQRuHbU6jLYCW0RN1wO1Ek49ZZqFNs2uxBcxzT2d5734Mpb84l9OdjMatFfYi28_0HefbIsSHQE/s400/DSC_0032.JPG" /></a></div><br />
You have to pay close attention as you tighten the nuts down, making sure that the cup gets pressed in evenly all around. This is the one major failing of this type of homemade tool. It works great for cheap, tough headsets, but would probably ruin any lighter weight race or performance type of headset. Here you can see me eyeballing the cup as I tighten the bolts.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FAvkepW1JqrSwikwHPwWXl_whxi36ZFYKJB4BTArnRduGmzDDPOtxmjg6oJFb9k5kX2EtEyBhCWpkrGoT_U4LPcU6iJUAFVj8NYwCHpICTSDB9NvfEiu0yKcr6GqHbIDv3cAiAIYrEI/s1600/DSC_0033.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="400" width="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8FAvkepW1JqrSwikwHPwWXl_whxi36ZFYKJB4BTArnRduGmzDDPOtxmjg6oJFb9k5kX2EtEyBhCWpkrGoT_U4LPcU6iJUAFVj8NYwCHpICTSDB9NvfEiu0yKcr6GqHbIDv3cAiAIYrEI/s400/DSC_0033.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The original stock rigid fork goes back in and the last bits of the headset are installed and tightened down. The rigid fork had been replaced by a Manitou 3 elastomer suspension fork. Luckily I still had the original fork as the elastomers had long since collapsed from age and heat exposure. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6rppl8t0LjMkyEaMl0cEE3HFRkMxWBOw9KB9b8-VBfvHVtj_7XAAQg26eFIsk7hbCXtKniCtbgWqouRPcH_huX4vKca_QMatDPQIrAGaCV9HcBVnjVQDfNQwrgIS_ZTyRi-HrmHIdpE/s1600/DSC_0035.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgC6rppl8t0LjMkyEaMl0cEE3HFRkMxWBOw9KB9b8-VBfvHVtj_7XAAQg26eFIsk7hbCXtKniCtbgWqouRPcH_huX4vKca_QMatDPQIrAGaCV9HcBVnjVQDfNQwrgIS_ZTyRi-HrmHIdpE/s400/DSC_0035.JPG" /></a></div><br />
The last bit to go on before the rest of the build is the bottom bracket. Luckily for the budget, the bottom bracket probably only had about 100 miles on it, even though it looked pretty cruddy. A bit of cleaning with a wire brush and it could be reinstalled. Those venerable Shimano UN55 sealed bottom brackets are cheap, heavy, and tough. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjQa0yY_KYIe2NlnbdWFyn7Huv1RqsIpMEZAUp77fksak-7hefDwX4fVPeB9QjRLQUW4yiuKoBh49tby8r2iGhmc51gY6dlgQ6OsKcBQ07Gz9IPUK4OujxbvD5fpxumZO44w3bus00Lw/s1600/DSC_0041.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhqjQa0yY_KYIe2NlnbdWFyn7Huv1RqsIpMEZAUp77fksak-7hefDwX4fVPeB9QjRLQUW4yiuKoBh49tby8r2iGhmc51gY6dlgQ6OsKcBQ07Gz9IPUK4OujxbvD5fpxumZO44w3bus00Lw/s400/DSC_0041.JPG" /></a></div><br />
Installed and looking nice and clean.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenSKue_6ywVFZSEtVytHuA-Qw5QR18t5r330bgHpvNiN7r7bmMfy5Uhy3x4F3Up_-5tVR_1rjafcB1ENQUIGyLDJyahbs8qKMb8YuFxJkblo3pDxBIALTsG2MMldEM-nojIuS4gogruQ/s1600/DSC_0042.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left:1em; margin-right:1em"><img border="0" height="268" width="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhenSKue_6ywVFZSEtVytHuA-Qw5QR18t5r330bgHpvNiN7r7bmMfy5Uhy3x4F3Up_-5tVR_1rjafcB1ENQUIGyLDJyahbs8qKMb8YuFxJkblo3pDxBIALTsG2MMldEM-nojIuS4gogruQ/s400/DSC_0042.JPG" /></a></div><br />
And the beautifully cheap and simple VO headset.<br />
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That seems like a good stopping point. In "The Birth of an Xtracycle: Part 2," you'll see all of the rest of the components being installed, along with a innovation or two.<br />
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Velo Celthttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13010623062893158733noreply@blogger.com0