The Super Bee is back from the painter.
Tuesday, September 30, 2008
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Fixie Cross Anybody?
Yea Plaza. The famous Plaza Fountain.
On the other side of the fountain I found this Orange Bicycle.
I know White Bikes (Ghost Bikes) are for "People" that got killed while riding their bicycle. I guess Orange bikes are for "People" that got hit on their bicycle.
On the brighter side, what's new?
Cane Creek Brake lever for my CycloCross bike. I got a set of their SCR-5 brake levers. They look like nice levers . . . and are nice for the price ($40)
The hoods are nice and big, they really give you something to hold on to. The hoods are also real tight so they will not roll around on you . . . or the lever.
Cane Creek is an American company. According to Cane Creek
On the other side of the fountain I found this Orange Bicycle.
I know White Bikes (Ghost Bikes) are for "People" that got killed while riding their bicycle. I guess Orange bikes are for "People" that got hit on their bicycle.
On the brighter side, what's new?
Cane Creek Brake lever for my CycloCross bike. I got a set of their SCR-5 brake levers. They look like nice levers . . . and are nice for the price ($40)
The hoods are nice and big, they really give you something to hold on to. The hoods are also real tight so they will not roll around on you . . . or the lever.
Cane Creek is an American company. According to Cane Creek
Most major Cane Creek components are designed and assembled by us at our
headquarters, including shocks, wheels and high-end threadless headsets. The
hands-on workmanship assures us and you of the highest quality control and also
reduces the time between a component's date of manufacture and the day it's on
your bike. We have a great deal of pride in being a US company that maintains
the highest standards of manufacturing excellence. It's another reason we stand
behind what we make
The only thing I don't like about them is lever seems to have more slop on the pivot than I would like. It's not bad. All in all I say they are the best value going. The thing is most levers have a shifting mechanism in them. If you race SS you don't need it and have to find a set of brake levers without it.
There you have it. Fixed SS CX (Fixed Gear Single Speed Cyclo-Cross) Before you could just say Fixie and single speed was implied, now Sturmey archer is coming out with a 3 speed fixed gear hub that has changed.
Mounted and ready to go.
I also have braze-ons to make this a 3 speed if I want to.
I also have braze-ons to make this a 3 speed if I want to.
Thursday, September 18, 2008
What's he into now?
I was able to find out what year my Raleigh was made. 
It's a 1970. I can only image what a boat anchor this bike was. I suspect it's all steel except for the stem, tubes, and tires. It's vintage.
However not all vintage things are not bad things, you can find some good buys on E-Bay, Craigs list, or other place if you know what to look for.
For example Suntour "Power Ratchet" shifters
So what gives these levers the POWER. It's the racheting wheel. Ahhh yes the days of Friction shifting, back in the day when people actually had to shift their bikes. The levers are designed so that when you pull back there isn't friction, all you feel is the tension of the derailleur spring. but the ratcheting wheel doesn't let the shifter shift down. Now in this respect it performs like a friction shifter.
I took mine apart to clean it and make sure nothing inside was broken.
An now re-assembled with smooth Phil Wood Grease for buttery smooth action. "Very Simple, Very Easy" (Does anybody in Kansas City remember "The Green Grocer".
Suntour's bar end shifter work on the same principle and were the king of bar end shifter for a long, long time. Suntour was not the only manufactures to make retro-friction levers.
Simplex for one. If you were a fan of the Pro peleton in the late 80's a lot of pros dumped their Campy or Shimano lever for the ones you see on the very left). They are very nice . . . Who knew I'd ever praise a french manufactured component? . . . Oh and my love for Mafac brake calipers, but I'll save that for another day.(Photo borrowed from Orange velo)
Notice the more compact and elegant designs.
I think Simplex went out of business and In the early 90's Mavic took over the design and sold it along with the Mavic component group. Campy would also make a retro-friction lever in the early 90's. Funny enough Shimano never did jump on that band wagon as far as I know. They went straight from friction to index in one swoop.
In my research to fins information on Simplex deraileurs and shifter I found this cool site on Old school derailleurs. Or are they so old I think you have to call them "Old World" shift levers.
Then visit his whole Site Tony Hadland's Links
Tuesday, September 16, 2008
My Raleigh Grand Prix
So what's this all about. I build frames so why build up and ride a bicycle I didn't build? Well it's all about compare and contrast. I want to build a randonneur/touring/commuter bicycle, so I have to have something to compare it to. If you read earlier in my blogs, you know I built my current road bike to match my Time Trial bike position. It sacrifices comfort for a more aerodynamic position.
So there you have it. A Blue 23-1/2"( 59.5 C-T, or 58 C-C) Raleigh Grand Prix.
It a heavy Steel, Lugged Frame, it's not top of the line, yet this frame has some nice features. I like the head-tube badge.
The frame and fork was built in the Carlton Factory.
The bike came with center pull brakes. I like Center pulls so it's not a problem for me, exspecially when it came with 27" wheels, I'm going to use 700c. I'm going to able to do that because I acquired a set of Dia-Compe long reach calipers, This is also going to give me a little more room for fatter tires and fenders
I love the flat crown. This gives longer fork blades and more flex for road shock.
I like the chrome fork blade to elimated chipped paint from road debris.
Ahhhhh The bottom bracket. If you know anything about this frame, you know about the proprietary threading. Raleigh used 26tpi (1 3/8" X 26 tpi), not 24tpi. I had to ream out the thread, then re-thread the bottom bracket to Italian (70 mm width, 36 mm x 24 TPI).
I also had to face the ends of the bottom bracket from 71mm to 70mm, luck for me Italian isn't 68mm like English standard thread.
A purest my cring at the thought of not keeping it original, but this bottom bracket is a lot better than the original, also it's easy to replace. The original BB is for a cottered crank. I could probably search around to find something to work, but why when I can get something together faster, better, or all together more functional?
Nice! . . . Braze on center pull cable stop
Wrap around seat stays. If you look close you will see a 72 stamped on the lug. I suspect the seat-tube angle is 72, but builders can manipulate lugs to different angles.
Now the dropouts. They are horizontal, or are the semi-horizontal? They are angled so if you move the wheel back you will not exceed the reach of the brake caliper.
(It's funny how today if you get a single speed frame the dropout are true horizontal, like those on a track frame, but remember a track frame does not use brakes . . . so are those frame putting form over function? )
And last but not east an old vintage panel paint scheme.
Tommorow I'm going to measure the frame and make sure it's alligned.
So there you have it. A Blue 23-1/2"( 59.5 C-T, or 58 C-C) Raleigh Grand Prix.
It a heavy Steel, Lugged Frame, it's not top of the line, yet this frame has some nice features. I like the head-tube badge.
The frame and fork was built in the Carlton Factory.
The bike came with center pull brakes. I like Center pulls so it's not a problem for me, exspecially when it came with 27" wheels, I'm going to use 700c. I'm going to able to do that because I acquired a set of Dia-Compe long reach calipers, This is also going to give me a little more room for fatter tires and fenders
I love the flat crown. This gives longer fork blades and more flex for road shock.
I like the chrome fork blade to elimated chipped paint from road debris.
Ahhhhh The bottom bracket. If you know anything about this frame, you know about the proprietary threading. Raleigh used 26tpi (1 3/8" X 26 tpi), not 24tpi. I had to ream out the thread, then re-thread the bottom bracket to Italian (70 mm width, 36 mm x 24 TPI).
I also had to face the ends of the bottom bracket from 71mm to 70mm, luck for me Italian isn't 68mm like English standard thread.
A purest my cring at the thought of not keeping it original, but this bottom bracket is a lot better than the original, also it's easy to replace. The original BB is for a cottered crank. I could probably search around to find something to work, but why when I can get something together faster, better, or all together more functional?
Nice! . . . Braze on center pull cable stop
Wrap around seat stays. If you look close you will see a 72 stamped on the lug. I suspect the seat-tube angle is 72, but builders can manipulate lugs to different angles.
Now the dropouts. They are horizontal, or are the semi-horizontal? They are angled so if you move the wheel back you will not exceed the reach of the brake caliper.
(It's funny how today if you get a single speed frame the dropout are true horizontal, like those on a track frame, but remember a track frame does not use brakes . . . so are those frame putting form over function? )
And last but not east an old vintage panel paint scheme.
Tommorow I'm going to measure the frame and make sure it's alligned.
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Fixed gear, 3 speed . . . 3 speeds Fixed.
I don't usually post other people's business, but I thought it was worth mentioning that Stumey Archer is developing a Fixed Gear 3 speed hub. This could be one of the greatest things to come along in a long time. I'm sure there are a lot of fixie purists out there that will say this defeats the simplicity of what fixed gear riding is all about . . . and they will be right, but this just opens up another pen in my stable for a new bike . . . not like I need it, but want it none the less
"The first batch of prototype Fixed Gear 3 speeds is finished. The new hub will be called the S3X. The hub will be made using a much stronger aluminum hubshell. Overall gear range will be 160%.
1st Gear -37.5%
2nd Gear - -25%
3rd Gear - Direct Drive
Gear step gear 1 to gear 2: 20%
Gear step gear two to gear 3: 33%
Shifters are still up in the air but we have had many requests for a bar end style shifter. Also we are still planning on the possibility of doing some anodized colors with laser etching instead of screen printed graphics. Please comment on what you would like to see in the way of shifters or color choices."
http://sunrace-sturmeyarcher.blogspot.com/search/label/%22Sturmey%20Archer%22
Monday, September 8, 2008
Sunday, September 7, 2008
The 50 Mile test
The only training I've been doing is riding to work and back, and it showed. I failed again at my attempt to break the 2hr, 30min barrier. The last time I rode my bike more than 7 miles one way was the last time I rode 50 2 months ago.
Between 25 and 30 miles is where the break down starts. however I didn't implode like last time. This time I paced myself a little better. The problem comes in a the end. The last 5 miles is about all uphill. I say that because it starts at the lowest part of the ride, and ends at the highest point of the ride. It is the stinger in the tail as they say . . . and I like it that way.
There are two varibles. It rained 1/2 way through the ride, and they are re-surfacing the road between Grandview road and 71 hiway . . . in other wards about a 1-1/2 miles were extra, extra rough. But that's the way it goes.
Between 25 and 30 miles is where the break down starts. however I didn't implode like last time. This time I paced myself a little better. The problem comes in a the end. The last 5 miles is about all uphill. I say that because it starts at the lowest part of the ride, and ends at the highest point of the ride. It is the stinger in the tail as they say . . . and I like it that way.
There are two varibles. It rained 1/2 way through the ride, and they are re-surfacing the road between Grandview road and 71 hiway . . . in other wards about a 1-1/2 miles were extra, extra rough. But that's the way it goes.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
I don't have anything new, so here's something old
Here are some pictures of my old Custom Ti-Titus Racer-X . The best Cross Country MTB I've ever ridden. Although it did handle like a bus through tight hairpin turns. When I make mine I'll go with a 71.5 head angle for my 29'r.
Later I did change the fork to a White Brothers. The WB fork had a Axle to crown dimension 10mm less. Believe it or not the change was noticable, and for the better.
Later I did change the fork to a White Brothers. The WB fork had a Axle to crown dimension 10mm less. Believe it or not the change was noticable, and for the better.
Oh Yea . . . I know your wondering. The bike as you see it came in at 25Lbs on the dot. Not bad for a 29'r. I could still cut weight, but the bike was built to have a comprimise between light weight and reliablity. For instance the stem and post are Thomson. To me Thomson equals peace of mind. a lot of people will say they are over built. So does snapping a stem feel like? I'll just tote around the extra 50 grams and not find out, or at least reduce the risk to a very small posibility.
Monday, September 1, 2008
Talk Like A pirate Day History
For the last two years NPR has run a story about talk like a pirate day.
An NPR story about Talk Like a Pirate day 2007
In 2006 NPR's story suggests your participation in my ride will actually lower global warming. See the graph.
The Music selections for Midwest Cyclery on September 19 will come from this and other CD's like it. Who amoung us doesn't like Pirate Ballads, Sea Songs, and Chanteys?
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