Things For Sale

    This has been a project I have put off for over a year and I am finally getting started.  I have a collection of very usable components dating from the days of 5 speed friction shifting up to 9-Speed integrated brake/shifting.  I have photographed each item and am trying to describe clearly the function of each component as well as its condition.  I have done some research on the internets as to the vintage of some of these components as well as the model and pricing.  

   Regarding the listed prices, I have valued these components at what I feel is fair for the condition of the components and work I have into them disassembling, cleaning, and reassembling with new lubrication for prolonged functionality that may exceed their original performance.  I do not suggest that these components can not be found cheaper elsewhere although I think most of these components you will either not find available anywhere else or at least not for a lower price.  Other components may be listed here for a little more than what you may find elsewhere.  I really don't care either way.  I am not into price matching or bargaining or dickering or even trading.  If I don't sell something listed here, it will merely be packed carefully back into a box the next time I relocate and eventually find its way onto a bicycle I work on. 

   Should you desire to purchase anything you see listed here not in person, I will accept Paypal and an additional $20 for packaging and USPS Priority shipping.  It may take me up to two weeks to get a purchased item/s in the mail.  Still interested?  Send me an email.  

   Where did all this come from?  I have worked in bicycle shops as a mechanic for over 12 years.  Sometimes a customer upgrades and doesn't want their old components back.  One woman had a collision on her TREK 5200 WSD and wanted nothing to do with the entire bike afterwards, preferring to replace the bike and leave the old one at the shop.  Sometimes I have traded parts with other friends in the industry or purchased used parts from friends/garage sales over the years.  Other components I used myself and eventually upgraded from.  Some of the older parts I literally salvaged out of an old barn in Maine when a friend's wife was pregnant with their second child, his years of tinkering with bicycles fading into the past. 

   Liability wise, I am selling all these components as used.  Although I do have a trained eye from my years of professional experience and I have inspected each component I have listed here, I can not guarantee that anything I am selling will not fail with regular use.  When you purchase used equipment you are accepting this inherent risk that there may be damage to what you are purchasing that can not be detected by visual inspection.  The only encouragement I can offer is that I won't sell something I would not use myself on a bicycle.
   Installation/adjustments are available for an additional fee.  I will charge you half the hourly rate at the fine bike shop establishments around town and offer the same level of professional know-how with a more personal experience.  If you are interested in such services, let me know and we can discuss.
   To inquire about any of the subjects covered above or the parts below, please email me:

velowrench@yahoo.com.
  

Campagnolo Record Front Derailleur,$20

 Here is a Campagnolo front derailleur for your restoration project.  The clamp diameter is 28.6mm. According to VeloBase this appears to be a "Record 1052/NT (1978 - 1982, 3-hole narrow band)".  The best application today would be a 2-chainring steel frame bicycle with bar end, down tube, or flat bar friction shifters.  I was able to find one of these on the popular internet auction site for $59.  I'd like to send this one to a new home for $24

Suntour Vx Front Derailleur, $12

 This here is an old SunTour Vx front derailleur with a 28.6mm clamp diameter.  All original hardware.  You can see there is some chain scuffing on the inside of the inner cage plate.  It has a cable housing stop below the anchor bolt/actuating arm intended for a piece of housing to come up from the down tube and end at this stop.  It is a normal actuation meaning that increased cable tension moves the derailleur cage from the inner to the outer position.
   For those still riding a bicycle outfitted with Suntour components this could be a good replacement option rather than forgoing front shifting altogether or updating to current componentry.  You can have it for $12

Suntour Vx Rear Derailleur, $20

 This is the SunTour Vx rear derailleur that came off of the same bike as the front derailleur above.  It has a long cage to allow for a wide gear range.  This piece has been disassembled, cleaned and re-lubricated making the pivots feel super smooth.  It has also cleaned up really well and is a good looking piece that unfortunately didn't come through in the photograph here.    Use this on a friction shifter outfitted bike or Suntour indexed shifting.  Buy it for $20

Early-80's Raleigh branded brake set, $20

 This is a set of brakes manufactured under contract for the Raleigh bicycle company sometime in the early 1980's.  Be it from Dia Tech, or Weinmann or some other brake manufacturer from the time, I can not be sure.  They were on a Raleigh Marathon frame.  They are single pivot, have a reach of approximately 48-58mm, internal nuts.  There is some surface rust on some of the hardware (original brake shoe nuts, pivot adjustment nut, quick release lever) that does not effect the functionality or safety of the brake.  Buy these for $20 for the set.  I WILL NOT BREAK UP THE SET. 

BR-6500 Brake set, $35

   This is one of two sets of Shimano Ultegra Br-6500 brake calipers for sale here.  These are quality, dual pivot brakes introduced around 2002.  A website concerned with how much or little things weigh lists this brake-set at 335 grams.  I have carefully cleaned and lubricated this brake set.  I WILL NOT BREAK UP THE SET.  Buy this set here for $35

The recessed nuts and knurled washers do not appear in these photos but I will supply them with the brake calipers.  Original metal brake pad shells will accept a wide variety of Shimano and other brand road brake shoe inserts. 

SR SP-155 Pedals, Toe Clips, Straps, $20

   Here's a set of older touring style, one-sided wide platform pedals with original toe clips and leather straps.  The brand is SR, model SP-155.  In "good enough" shape.  Leather straps look as if they were never used and have never seen a rainy day. 
   I may open them, fine-tune the bearing adjustment and add new grease and an additional $10 to the price if nobody wants them in "good enough" shape for the low cost of $20

SR SP-155 Pedals, Toe Clips, Straps, $20

 Shimano Deore M591 Rear derailleur

, $30

   The Shimano Deore RD-M591 rear derailleur is still often the derailleur of choice to equip your road bike with a wider gear range for steep climbing.  It is a 9-speed generation rear derailleur from the entry level Mountain group that uses the same cable actuation as 9 and 10 speed Shimano road shifters as well as 9 speed mountain shifters.   This one is a GS or SGS model with a long cage that will allow for a very low gear.  Interested in purchasing this to get lower gearing?  Ask me how!    This rear derailleur has never been used or installed previously.  Yours for $30.

Sram Rival Front Derailleur, $25

    Next up is this SRAM RIVAL 10 speed front derailleur with a 32mm clamp diameter.  It will work with either SRAM or SHIMANO front shifters.  Not intended for a triple chainring crankset.
This is a used item but showing very little wear.  Buy it for $25

SHIMANO Ultegra FD-6500 Front Derailleur, $25

    And now a SHIMANO Ultegra FD-6500  front derailleur with a 31.8mm clamp.  This is a 9-speed double crankset compatible front derailleur.  In good shape!  Yours for $25

SHIMANO BR-6500 Brakeset, $40

   Here's the SECOND set of SHIMANO BR-6500 brakes, introduced in 2002, dual pivot, with metal brake shells that will take a plethora of Shimano and other brand brake shoe inserts.  These are in more pristine condition and thus the slightly higher price.  Buy the set for $40

SHIMANO BR-6500 brake set FRONT,

SHIMANO BR-6500 Brakeset, REAR

SHIMANO FD-M700 Front Derailleur, $25

   From the origins of SHIMANO's mountain group is this classic "Deer Head"  FD-M700 front derailleur.  31.8mm clamp diameter.  This is a bottom pull/top swing front derailleur, like a road front derailleur.
   This piece has a unique design in that it has a built in housing stop with the intention a piece of housing would come from underneath and stop below the anchor bolt.  It is not a reverse action front derailleur as some older front derailleurs are.  Increased cable tension moves the derailleur cage from inner to outer ring positions.
   As the sticker indicates this piece is "For Alpine Gearing" which means 48t or smaller large chain ring.  Buy this piece of history for $25



   That's all I have to show until I take some more pictures.  Stay tuned for NITTO stem, cranksets, hubs and hub sets, chainrings, etc. 

A Shout From Far Away

   I haven't updated this blog for a long time now, having transitioned across the country and changed my relationship to the bicycle and bicycle repair from previous times.  I have been serving as the service department manager for nearly two years now at the Bike Gallery in Downtown Portland, OR.  I started in February 2012.  My first day was the day after the store manager who had hired me was let go.  The following 6 months were a time of continuous transition and through attrition I was offered the position as service manager.   As the only other candidate was not seen as a prepared candidate I accepted the offer.  Six months after that the interim store manager whom had elected me to manager status was let go and a hiring process began for yet another store manager.  I was honored to be asked to be a part of the hiring process and it was a good insight into the vision the company had for the store.  I was the person who had been working there and could tell upper management what had been working and what hadn't.  A lot of mistakes had been made but now the store seems to be up and running fairly smoothly. 
   I have had some ideas to use this blog as a public arena to post useful bicycle maintenance tips and other ideas and new trends for those who are interested in bicycles but may not be following the culture or periodicals closely.  Be patient as I try to revive this site for 2014! 

August 12 Ride in York County

A mid week day off with no plans in the morning had me itching to ride. As I got ready to go I realized I was lacking motivation to go to any particular place. I was amped to go but without destination. I started down 103 to Haley Road, piecing my route together as I went. The result: 40 miles by way of Chases Pond, Ogunquit Rd, South Berwick, Oldfields to 101 and back. A great ride, averaging over 19 mph despite a constant southwestern breeze and a decent amount of elevation gain. Here's the ROUTE via G Maps Pedometer.

June 27 2011 Was A Perfect Day to Ride

Here in New England, we don't get many days like today, partly cloudy and 80 deg. I knew I had to make the most of it. So I woke with Eli and got a lift down to Newfields to explore some more of the area around Epping and Lee. After about 6 miles I was in new territory. After crossing NH125 in Epping there seemed to be no amount of level ground anymore. I spent hours climbing and descending the hills. Beautiful narrow roads through farmland with little in the way of traffic made for a great ride. See the route HERE:::. I got back to where Eli was working 2 1/2 hours later. We went up to the Newfields market for sandwiches. Then I got back on the bike and headed home. That was it.

For Sale

Behold, a new page where I will be adding bicycles components and related whatnot over the next few weeks, months and years. Prices DO NOT include shipping. If you're curious about shipping charges, please contact me. Generally Shipping will be somewhat like this:
Set of chainring bolts, crank bolts, toe clip straps, pedals, a chainring, $3
Crankset, hubset, handlebars $8
Wheel, wheelset, fender set, $20 - 30
Frame $40
Whole bike $60

Shiny Spokes

I'm trying out some new names as the old one is, well, not standing the test of time. For now, the URL has been changed to shinyspokes.blogspot.com. For any (is there anybody out there?) one, who still has an interest in keeping up with my occasional posts.

July 4th REvisited

Two days ago Eli and i rode to Newfields so

1) we could get a bike ride in together

2) ELi could water her client's gardens

3) So I could ride around the area.

The Daccordi hadn't quite finished molting in the cocoon, so on that day I rode the Langster fixed gear. That was fine, but I was wishing for most of the ride that I was on the Daccordi. Yesterday the Daccordi emerged as a bright new butterfly, and so today I took her out to dry off her wings. It's incredible what new cables, new chain, and thorough cleaning can do. I was pretty satisfied with how my 13 year old Campagnolo rig shifted before. But now it's almost effortless. I swear now I don't have to push the shift paddle in as far to enact a snappy, quick shift to the next gear. A couple of times during the ride I couldn't tell whether or not the shift had happened. Of course it did. But the action of moving the chain from one sprocket to the next was so effortless as to not even make a sound or change my cadence. That and the new old stock Cinelli cork tape propels the bike down the road like a rocket.

Despite the blazing sun beating down at 85 degrees, it was a great ride. Those roads between Newfields and Epping above Hwy 101 are great riding, with decent pavement (compared to York County, Maine), some pretty good climbs, narrow quiet farm roads, a lot of shade, and the Newfields Market for a rest stop before returning home. The Newfields Market has sandwiches made on bread baked there. A local artist whose work has shown occasionally at BUOY Gallery in Kittery, Sam Paolini, bakes all the sweet treats and sells posters of her colorful art in the market. Pretty perfect offerings and location, especially today because by the time I made it back there, I was pretty wrecked. I had sort of exploded. My legs didn't want to work anymore. My mind wanted to wander. My whole body was ready to recline on the couch. My feet were also starting to complain with hotspots above my Crank Bros. cleats. I stopped and sat in the shade outside while I ate half of the half sandwich they made me, with mozzarella, pesto, spinach between two thick slices of bread. It was huge. That, a yogurt, and a V8 down, I got back on the bike. My feet were really starting to kill. It was a bit of a slog home as I lost more and more steam and my feet were growing more painful by the mile. Click HERE to see the map.

FINALLY I got back to the house where Eli and I are house sitting, threw off my Specialized Mountain Pro shoes and socks, grabbed a seltzer water from the fridge, and flopped on the couch to rewatch the 5th stage of the Tour de France. Cavendish made one hell of a sprint in the last 50 meters to win the stage, definitely worth watching twice.

Romancing The Daccordi

July 4th must mean summer is here in full effect. Today brought the third stage of the Tour de France with yellow jersey bearing Thor Hushovd leading out U.S. rider Tyler Farrar for his first tour stage victory ever. It was a sweet thing to behold, Farrar who lost his team mate Wouter this spring in a fatal crash during the Giro de Italia, a symbolic victory.
This year I've taken a seasonal job at a small bicycle shop in Exeter, NH making my commute to work from Kittery Point, Maine 20 +/- miles each way. Not a bad ride, combining 4 lane 55 mph route with quieter farm roads through Greenfields and Stratham. But still weak from being tossed off my routine by last year's crash on the Memorial Bridge (see Faceplant! entry), I've left the fixed gear hanging in the garage and instead reverted back to my beloved Daccordi bicycle, a mid-90's Columbus SLX steel beauty with the frame builder's initials stamped into the bottom bracket shell. The mish mash of Campagnolo 9 speed components I put on there in 1998 are still functioning nearly flawlessly. But the frame itself is getting pretty noodily in it's older age which leads to bicycle envy. In an effort to stave off the unhealthy fixation of consumerism that cycling often leads to, I opted to pour some long deserved love into the Daccordi. New Campagnolo cable set, bar tape, circa 2002 N.O.S. Chorus brake calipers, plus a complete break down and thorough scrubbing has her shining like it was 1995 all over again.

Shifting Riding Styles

I rode 48 miles today from Portsmouth down to Exeter, over to Epping and Newcastle and back up again on the Specialized Langster I assembled last year. That bike climbs incredibly well with the combination of a stiff frame and low weight. But it akes me miss light geared bikes. The fixed gear had me feeling held back, reserved. I wanted to accelerate and keep speeds higher than I was willing to continuously pedal. And climbing later in the ride, like around mile 35 or so, became manageable but more restrictive on the fixed gear. Here's the LINK to the GMaps Pedometer map w/ elevation chart..
So I suppose my riding style might be shifting back to the more traditional geared cycling, trying to bring back some speed that I've let go of the past 4 years or so.

A year older and still pedaling.

Trying to recover some of the horsepower that I've lost over the 9 months I barely rode a bike following my faceplant on the Memorial Bridge, I peeled nearly 48 miles off today. NOT, I should ad, on the fixed gear bike. Today I took out the Daccordi. It felt pretty good to revisit some familiar roads around Mt. Agamenticus. But the roads are trashed over in that part of the county. I do not exaggerate that the roads would be smoother were there no asphalt at all. At a decent clip it's a bit treacherous when plowing through a pile of destroyed road under the shade of trees. There are some deep pits to avoid. Makes it sort of hard to advocate cycling when the best riding is over destroyed roads the county can't afford to repair. Beautiful perfect day for a ride. Click HERE for a link to the route.

Snowflakes, Unemployment checks, Winter Again

Well I've dropped the ball here now haven't I? After the bicycle accident, I was in physical therapy for 4 months, working on getting strength and flexibility to my hands. They're much better but still a bit mangled. I rehabed my knee riding my geared road bike on a stationary trainer for a few weeks. My sore hands were what kept me off the bicycle for even longer.

In September I did get out again on the geared bike to stretch my legs. I made it 12 miles before realizing I'd spent all the energy I had. I turned around and limped home. There have been a few other short rides, 25-30 miles, not much more than that. I haven't ridden the Langster since the crash. It still has quite a bit of dried blood on it.

Another autumn brought another lay off despite the agreement made with my employer that I would not accept a job up in Portland, ME but rather stay on in Portsmouth for year round employment. Sometimes I think I'm getting over it, but the anger will still rise up if I think about it. So now I'm stuck in the unemployment system of New Hampshire State, something I had hoped to avoid. I don't expect this to be read by thousands of admiring fans. But if you are reading this and are in the Portsmouth/York, ME area and need some work done on your bicycle or bicycles, please consider hiring me to do the work. I do excellent, complete repairs, I'll save you money and treat you and your ride with respect. I'll even show you how to do repairs if you wish to learn.

Otherwise, I'm looking at leaving the bicycle industry at least for the mean time. There is no other bicycle shop in this area I imagine myself working at. I also don't want to work in New Hampshire anymore.

So for now I won't delete this site. Who knows, perhaps I will have something to post over these cold months to come. Then again, there might not be much going on here either.

If you do happen to be reading this and have any bicycle related questions you'd like answered, please send them along and I'll respond in post style. Take care and keep the rubber to the road, JoshB.

Crash on the Memorial Bridge

What happened is I was riding my new bke to work across the Memorial Bridge into Portsmouth, New Hampshire. Every day I ride across the steel grating that keeps us from falling into the Piscatiqua river. Of course I walk across on the wooden walkway if the roads are wet. It is well known and accepted that the transparent gift of moisture transforms the quarter inch thick coarse steel webbing into super slick meat grinder.
This particular day, June twenty third it had rained an hour before my approach to the grating. OK. Maybe it had been fourty five minutes. I looked at the road - dry save for the wet stripe left under the car tires. The decision was made as my tire hit the steel. I went down about two thirds of the way across, just over the New Hampshire state line. In a daze I put my bloody bike in the back of a man's pick up and crawled in behind it. I was watching my blood dripping down all over my Bailey bag. I was seeing the town go by, watching people moving along sidewalks and inside of stores, going about their regular days.

I remember feeling grateful for the cool damp breeze that soothed my skin as we drove towards the hospital.  I saw the square, Cafe Kilim.  We drove past the bike shop and I saw my co workers bringing bikes outside, getting ready to have a regular day, one I was supposed to be a part of.  Instead I was headed for Portsmouth General.
   I fished my phone out of my bag and managed to call the shop.  It took me a minute or so to remember the number, not even sure I'd dialed it right until Nat's voice greeted me through the tiny speaker.  Strange to think now that calling work took precidence over calling Eli, who I called next, and explained the situation as we approached the Emergency Room entrance.
   Over 8 hours I was tested, questioned, observed, x-rayed, cat-scanned, braced, stitched and patched. Besides the obvious deep lascerations on my left knee, right index finger, and face, I had a fracture on my right index finger, and one underneath my left eye.  Thirty nine stitches, an immobilizing cast, splint. 
   This was a stupid, any day type of crash that could happen to anyone.  The nursess in the ER were saying they treat cyclists who go down on the steel grating all the time.  So if you ride, I really hope you will wear a helmet.  Once again it was the difference between writing this story now, and risking far more than a pound of flesh.  You can also look at it from a financial perspective.  My treatment and recovery is going to cost a hell of a lot less because I was wearing a $70 helmet.  

Canadians Smuggle Illicit Smoke Into U.S., Boarder Authority Powerless To Stop It

   An eerie feeling I haven't had in years, since living in the Pac NW, on a beautiful, warm day, low humidity, yet the air is thick, smokey.  This morning I thought a neighbor was burning stuff, a perfectly normal way to spend Memorial Day here in Northern New England.  Perhaps a lot of brush, or a lot of neighbors, like a neighborhood burn day, all burning big piles of brush and broken furniture.  Turns out all the smoke is from Canada, which is apparently on fire in a serious way.
   My good intentions to leave by 9am on this first day in weeks I've had time to ride, were thwarted by my efforts to install a newer generation VDO  wireless cadence computer on the Langster.  The computer was given to (the shop I was working at) in an effort to convince we at the front lines of bicycle retail, that they had taken care of all the bugs they had been known for in the past.  At least that is my excuse.  Without the manual, the confusing VDO set up proved to be a momentum destroyer.  I started looking for support instruction PDFs or whatever online for the computer.  Not finding that, I somehow ended up on Craigslist looking for all the answers to other questions.   Add talking to Tom about his trip to Missouri, making a sandwich, making another sandwich and eating it, I rolled out at quarter to noon.
   Remembering a ride I had to abandon just outside South Berwick this last winter, I decided today was the perfect day to hit it.  Out past Spring Hill, to Blackberry Hill, Berwick, Long Swamp Road, etc.  After that I was lost and can only attempt to reassemble my route looking at the maps.  I got a little too lost, running out of water lost, wondering where the hell civilization was lost.  I made a few good guesses and found myself back on School Road Rte 9 headed back towards Berwick.  A few more guesses got me to North and finally South Berwick where I knew the Nature's Way market would most likely be open.  I limped into town and sure enough the OPEN flag was flying.  I ordered a sandwich, grabbed a banana and an orange juice.  Out on the sidewalk at a table, I took my shoes and socks off and ate.  It felt so good to eat.
   With the bottles full, I headed back out towards Emerys Bridge Rd.  I was pretty beat.  Ogunquit Rd would have been easier on the legs and head.  But Belle Marsh would cut miles off the final leg.  Belle Marsh it was, climbing, dirt road, Belle Marsh.  I did not allow the bike to scream down the descents.  Instead, I held back, resisting the momentum of the pedals turning to keep things manageable.
   Turns out I just got off a 74.25 mile jaunt through the countryside.  According to the VDO, I averaged 24.5 mph with a max speed of 38mph. I know better though.  At least the cadence was accurate:  Average 75rpm cadence with a max of 158rpm. 
   Check out the route, click here!

Specialized Mondo Tires SUCK SUCK SUCK!!!

When I EP'd the Langster, I also ordered some upgrades to their not very attractive component package. Sworks post, Tarmac Expert fork, etc. I also ordered A PAIR of Armadillo Elite 700x 23c tires, the best tire I've ever rolled on. What I got was all my goodies and ONE Armadillo tire. So I swapped the Mondo cheapo tire on the rear rim for the Armadillo and figured I'd replace the other tire later. I was reluctant to BUY another Armadillo just yet because I had already ordered TWO. Why would they think I only needed one tire?
So today, my first day off since building up the bike, I went out to ride the usual roads; the dirt, the potholes, hills, and dales. I got about 7 miles from home before the front tire went flat. That's about 30 miles on that tire before it went flat, my first in over 2 years. And no, I didn't have anything to fix a flat with me. I've gotten lazy with all the non-flat luck I'd been having.
I took my Specialized Pro mtn shoes off and started the 4 mile walk home barefoot. After fuming for 15 minutes about how Specialized has fucked up the last 4 out of 5 orders I've placed with them, I realized the air was just warm enough, smelled sweetly of flowers, and it was all in all a beautiful day. So I didn't really mind a little walk. Although after just a mile of barefoot hoofing on the paved shoulder my feet were getting sore. Luckily for me, a large pick up pulled over and a nice gent leaned out to ask if I needed a lift. He got out of the truck with a Trek jacket on: one of us. A mountain biker in the past, Mike was just the rescuer I had hoped for. We talked bikes and he drove me right up into the driveway. Thanks again Mike!
If your new Specialized bike came with Mondo tires, I'm sorry. See if the shop you bought the bike from will credit you for them while they're still new and buy yourself a pair of pricey but well worth it Armadillo Elites. Trust me, worth it. I have blisters on my feet now and it's a bit late to head out again today. Rain tomorrow, I guess I'll wait until the next day off to try again.

I have found the future of Fixie Road Bars!

Previous searches for a 31.8 clamp diameter flat bar with lots of forward and back sweep ala Soma Clarence or OnOne Mary, I found the Ritchey line of 10deg. flat bars. For some reason I can not determine, carbon varieties of this specimen are not yet available through the regular channels. I was able to appropriate an older model, the Ritchey Pro alloy 10deg. flat bar.
Although superior to the regular drop bars that twist arms and make for less torque when ascending grades perched on a fixed cog bicycle, the 10 deg. sweep on these bars seems less impressive in person than did illuminated on the screen. I am even reluctant to cut them down to a respectable size from their massive 770mm width as I may just enter them into stock or offer them up on EBay.
Searching the web to see what was out there, peaking in at the various sites of the major players in the MTB handlebar market, I came across these beautiful things:

31.8 mm clamp diameter, a heafty 25 degrees sweep, carbon option on the way. Modern efficiency realized. I'll be watching closely for these to hit the streets. Stay tuned to the ever winding saga of Decking Out the Langster...

Langster Arrived

Finally my 2010 Specialized Langster has arrived. It showed up at the shop Thursday. We were wicked busy and I tried not to think about it too much, sitting in that box, waiting to be built.
Friday was my day off. I got into work at quarter to 8 am hoping to build 'er up. Only to find out somebody needed to go do 40 tune ups at Timberland company headquarters starting in an hour.
I got done at 7:15pm and headed back to the shop. I got the lights on in the shop and finally dug the box out of the pile of boxes in the garage. In the stand, I noticed the Langster and Specialized logos and in fact, all markings on the frame were sort of cheap looking adhesive decals. That was a bit of a disappointment. They had to come off. They looked so... flimsy?
I started swapping out OEM parts for my preferences. Sugino Messanger cranks off. FSA Pro Carbon crankset with Sugino Black Zen chainring, gold Sugino chainring bolts on. Langster fork off. Specialized Tarmac Elite fork on. Aluminum seatpost off. SWorks carbon post on. I'm waiting on gold spoke nipples and a track cog. EAI Gold Medal or VeloSolo gold anodized aluminum?
Pictures will follow soon...

Silent Action Ride No. 1: Sunday May 9th

Well I waited at (Bike shop previously employed at) until 9:30 to see if you'd show up. Perhaps you were persuaded by the 25+ mph winds out of the WNW to enjoy breakfast a little longer, maybe read the paper, do the crossword.
I rode back over the bridge to my studio in Kittery to dump off the Bailey bag before heading directly into the wind along Rte. 103 in Eliot. I figured this way I could take the brunt of abuse all in one lump, and then enjoy the reward of a tail wind for the return trip. When I tell people I really dig riding the fixie over dirt roads, and they think that's nuts, I reply that the dirt roads are often better groomed than the paved roads around here. See Route 103 through Eliot to illustrate this point.
And what a wind it was! Tucked down behind my flat 15 deg. bars, trying to push through. I made my way into Rollinsford and didn't intend to stop until I spotted my friend Peter in front of Black Bean Cafe with a cup of coffee. So I pulled in the reins and stopped to chat and drink a cup. While there I also ran into (previous employer) customer Terrance Parker with his daughter in for some breakfast, and SeacoastAreaBicycleRoutes member Sophia.
Coffee gone, I got back on the road headed for South Berwick and Vaughn Woods Rd. My plan worked quite well, with that same hard wind I'd fought on the way out, now on my side pushing me home at a good clip, spinning the cranks as fast as I could manage, ascending grades at over 17 mph.
All things considered it was a great day for a ride with the lilacs in bloom everywhere, the blue sky with soft white clouds floating on the current, the fields and countryside bright green with life. Sorry you missed it.
Portsmouth, Kittery, Eliot, Rollinsford, South Berwick. Total miles: 33.
Check the route details at Map My Ride.

Silent Action Rides: No Coasting!

I should have posted this earlier. Oops I guess. I'm signed on to lead a monthly fixed gear ride through (Previous employers) bike shop in Portsmouth. The intention is not to alienate any non-fixed gear riders. The idea is to get cyclists to consider a fixed gear bicycle as more than just a novelty around town bicycle, and to introduce the idea of riding fixed gear bicycles to those interested in a new adventure.
It' a blast spinning down the country farm roads on a fixed gear bike; no shifting, no drivetrain noise, leveraging up inclines and spinning like mad down the other side. Riding a fixed gear bicycle is great training with the added resistance of having only one gear for all the hill climbing while improving cadence and efficient circular pedal turning on descents.
The rides will meet at 9am on the second Sunday of each month. The first in the Silent Action series will be this Sunday, that's two days from now. We'll go about 30 miles or so to start. I intend to introduce longer rides each month. If you want to come along, bring two water bottles, snacks, flat repair apparatus, your fixed gear bicycle, a helmet.
We're not racing and we're not putzing. We'll ride a comfortable pace averaging about 15-18 mph for a couple of hours.

Narrowing The Search: Langster -vs- Capo

Studying all the options available to me for a stock fixed gear frameset, I realized something: size does matter to me. I'm referring to the head tube size, 1" versus more current 1 1/8". I'm somewhat surprised that most manufacturers making fixed gear framesets are still sticking to 1" steer tube designs, while the rest of the cycling industry has been building frames for 1 1/8" steer tubes since the late 90's. Infact, many manufacturers such as Specialized with their steel Langster, take us back even further into the Dark Ages, spec'ing bikes with THREADED STEER TUBES! My only guess as to why anybody would do such a thing, would be to appeal to a marginal segment of the cycling community: wannabe hipsters. By offering a steel frame, with a 1" threaded steer tube fork, their 2010 model Steel Langster imitates a classic road bike frame converted to fixed gear.
I myself must admit I am attracted to classic steel road bikes. My road bike is a sparkle red over chrome painted Daccordi fabricated from Columbus SLX tubing in the mid-90's. But if i'm going to buy a new bike, damnit, I want a 1 1/8" threadless steer tube with all the weight savings, carbon fork compatability, and stiff handling that comes along with it! Fashion can not trump functionality.
This brings my search for a fixed gear frameset down to two options: The 2010 Specialized Langster base model, or the 2010 Cannondale Capo 2. Both offer 1 1/8" threadless steer tube forks. Both come in low profile black finishes. Both are aluminum frames.
The biggest difference in design, are the Langster's compact style frame versus the Capo's more traditional frame with a horizontal top tube. Although more asthetically drawn to the Capo's straight lines and tight angles, after riding the Langster a few times, I can see the wisdom in the compact frame design, especially in the larger sizes. At 6'4" , I need a 60cm top tube to stretch me out comfortably. The Capo comes in a 63cm seat tube length that offers a 60cm top tube, while the Langster's "virtual" seat tube height is 60cm. And at sizes such as these, in a traditional frame design, looong seat stays are required, creating more leverage to flex the rear wheel when "givin' 'er".

Given er all she's got captain. sound bite

With a compact frame design, the seat stays stay shorter, making for a stiffer rear end and also transferring the vibration picked up from the rear wheel to a lower point below the saddle, giving more distance for the vibrations to be dissipated in before reaching the rider's tender ass.
Add that up with a carbon bladed fork spec'ed on the Langster -vs- the punishing straight bladed aluminum fork on the Capo, and it soon becomes clear that for a strictly street machine, the Langster, with it's goofy sloping top tube and all, wins out in the end. But the proof will be in the pudding. I'll be headed out for a few hours on the Langster in a few moments. This will be the first longer ride on aluminum frame I've ever done. Wish me luck....

Full On Balls to the Wall Spring In Action!!!

Well, the Defrost shoes are packed away as are the Sorrel boots and all that other winter stuff. Spring came on early and strong. I started wrenching again at (that bike shop that promised me year round employment only to fire me on election day) in late February with a set schedule starting in March. And as of late, I've been putting in around 50 hour work weeks to keep up with the volume of repairs and assemblies coming down the pike.
Every spring I get back on my beloved '79 Trek 940 Fixie and realize that it is indeed too small a frame for me. I'm 6'4" riding a 58cm frame all over the countryside. It just isn't right! I had hoped my friend Jonathan at Cascadia Bicycles would be building me a custom frame this winter. But Specialized bikes needed him more. He has moved to Morgan Hill, CA to build prototypes and other such projects for the Specialized Bicycle Co.
So I've been looking at what's available for my budget, under $1,000. Now being a shop employee and searching for a brand outside the family is definitely frowned upon. The management wants all employees to represent. But I heart the ride qualities of good chromoly. Specialized has brought in the "retro" steel Langster, trying to corner the hipster fixie market. But the chromed frame and 1" threaded steer is too much. Cinelli already has that market and they're Italian. The Langster would be alright. At least the base model has been tastefully covered in black this year instead of the '09 polished aluminum that reminds me of NEXT bicycles found at the neighborhood WalMart. But the sloping top tube is not asthetically pleasing to me. Looks sort of like a hybrid frame or something.
Cannondale is offering two models of the CAPO this year. Capo 1 is that unflattering polished aluminum. But it does come with Mavic's new Ellipse track clincher wheels! Pretty sweet. And I dig the hidden headset. The fork is gorgeous. But straight blade aluminum blades sound like a precursor to some serious back pain.
I've also looked closely at the Soma RUSH. Not too bad. Really a stripped down no nonsense basic frame. Nothing fancy, nothing shabby. But what is up with the 1" steer tube? There are not many options left for decent carbon forks when it comes to 1" steer tubes. The same is true of the Surly Steamroller, which also suffers from a reputation for super flex and seems almost frumpy these days. I don't need to run a 38cm tire. I just want efficiency, speed, and comfort. Too much to ask?
Apprehensive of the "classic track geometry" manufacturers boast for fear the ride would be too harsh for long distances, I had fit specialist Josh Pierce assist in finding the angles of my Trek 940. Originally a touring frame designed for 27" tires, I swapped the fork for a 700c OCLV fork I found in the garbage. This dropped the front end down thus steepening the angles. Turns out I've been riding on some seriously steep angles: 75.5 deg. seat tube, 74.5 head tube! These are at least a degree steeper than typical track geometry. Before finding those numbers, I was looking at the Gunnar Street Dog, a fixie frame with road geometry. Sweet Tange OX Platnum tubing, pretty slack angles. Another intersting looking bike was the Milwaukee Bicycles Cream City. Again with the 1" head tube, limiting choices for forks.
All this has led me back to home. What is available at the shop? Langster, CAPO, Cinelli, Charge, Pake, Steamroller, Rush. Quite a few options, really. Most offering 1" steer tubes, which I am ready to part with. I think all my bicycles currently have 1" steers, threaded forks. I'm ready to modernize. I'm ready for carbon blades, 1 1/8" Chris King headset, 31.8 handlebar. So now I'm down to the CAPO and the Langster. The CAPO has the style points in spades. The stand over is pretty nuts at 63cm frame size. The more compact Langster would seem to be a stiffer design and comes with a hidden headset, carbon fork.
Where will the money go, what will I be riding into summer? Stay tuned as the saga continues...