Lost Wages

So this week is Interbike and thanks to the glories of the internet and digital cameras there's little need to waste your time and money heading out to Las Vegas. I've been surfing around looking at what's on show and for the most part there's nothing really Earth shattering. More carbon, more suspension, more yawns. Have seen a few things that really caught my attention:

1. Park Tools: The boys in blue always come out with something nice and this year is no exception. My faves: a lighter repair stand, a Mavic truing tool that will fit the slots on most case pallets, and a backpack for carrying tools. All welcome new to race/event mechanics everywhere! Details already posted on the Park site.
2. Cannondale Lefty tool: Cannondale has come with a nifty multi-tool that slides into the empty headtube. Yeah, the French did this years ago but nobody has done it recently. It's a good idea and one I've already been tinkering with.
3. Rivendell/QBP Bleriot: An affordable 650b bike. Rivendell style, QBP availability. What's not to like? Hope it sells like hotcakes at lumberjack camp.
   
4. Jeff Jones: This guy makes the most fantastic titanium bikes out there and also the best off-road handlebar.
5. Reynolds 953: Steel's not dead! Yeah!
6. Wool: The marketing people are finally embracing it which means soon the sheep (consumers) will be wearing real sheep.
7. FSA: Finally someone has pulled their head out of their backside and realized that most people don't ride fast enough to gain any real benefit from aero wheels but could benefit from reduced bearing friction. VeloNews said it best: "Remember when we used to care about bearings and how freely our wheels and drivetrains spun?" Ahmen! Sealed bearings are great for mechanics - when they get cruchy you just punch 'em out and replace them. Unfortunately, all those seals create quite a bit of drag. FSA has gone ceramic and apparently the results are impressive.
8. LED lights: They're getting brigher and smaller. Who really needs a HID system on the road? Seriously, unless you're trying to signal the space shuttle it's overkill. It's also annoying as all get out on bike trails where you end up blinding anyone heading in the opposite direction. Also nice to see dynamo hubs coming back into fashion.
9. Surly Pugsley: If you thought the Karate Monkey was a niche frame just take a gander at this beast! 3.7" tires and as little as 5 psi could make this the ultimate winter trail bike. Kudos to the Surly crew!
   

Another shot

Here's what I'll be looking at as I ride. Makes me happy I spend the big bucks on the lugged stem.

Show and tell time!

Here's a side shot of the bike. Specs:

• DuraAce cranks w/ 48-38 rings
• 105 front derailleur and BB
• Ultegra 10s rear derailleur and chain
• DuraAce 10s downtube shifters
• DuraAce seatpost with Rondine saddle
• Rivendell stem, Nitto Noodle bars, bar-end lights, Specialized BarPhat tape/pads (I don't like wearing gloves)
• Eggbeater pedals
• Mavic Cosmos wheels with 28mm SOMA steel bead tires
• Campy carbon brake levers
• IRD B-57 brakes
• FSA headset
• Delta stainless bottle cages
• SKS fenders
• VDO computer

Weight is a hair under 20.5 pounds. Not bad considering it has steel bead tires and fenders!

Rivendell Reader #36

Got my first Reader since renewing my loooong lapsed membership. Highlights:

• Photos of Nigel Smythe bags. Not sure how I feel about plaid bags.
• Ritchey Breakaway review
• A "the French invented it first" type article from Jan Heine with some great pictures of obscure parts.
• Details of an inexpensive 650b bike. Availability is early next year, made in Taiwan, and lugged. Grant writes that it's "designed within half an inch of where I'm sitting now". He doesn't say where that's at but it kind of sounds like it might not be a Rivendell offering.
• Richard Schwinn interview.

All in all, another fine reader.

What are we buying?

I work for a major outdoor goods retailer. I'm not going to say who but suffice it to say we're best known for our initials. Today we were given the opportunity to purchase some of our house brand gear for next to nothing prices. They do this twice a year both as a thank-you to the employees and also because they know it's a great way to sell more gear (employees in any industry sell more of what they personally use)

I'm looking through the mini-catalog they sent out announcing this sale and one thing that stands out in regards to the clothing is the heavy use of words to describe clothing that I would not normally associate with clothing. Words like "technical", "performance", "laminate" and "welded". Just what am I buying: a jacket or a racing car?

Since when did a jacket need to "perform" and why does it need to be "technical"? Correct me if I'm wrong but we're still talking about fabric. Granted, the fibers are different as are the production techniques but at the end of the day it's still a series of strands woven together into a sheet that is then cut and assembled into a completed garment. It's certainly not technical on the same level as say an iPod, jet engine, or camera so why pretend it is? Maybe I'm getting old (highly unlikely) or way out of touch with the Average American (very likely) but when I'm looking at a jacket I'm more interested in words like "warm", "cozy", "dry", "comfortable". Have we become so dependent on technology and gadgets that these words are no longer appealing?

Fortunately, there is hope. Turn one page from the jacket with the subtitle "Technical fabrics combine for peak performance" is....WOOL! Nice, 18 micron Merino wool at that. The subtitle for the wool top reads "A natural way to add warmth, wick moisture" Now you tell me, which of those descriptions sounds more inviting?

Wish List

First, let me start by saying I think the bike industry is, on the whole, doing a better job of serving a greater variety of cycling interests than at any time I can recall (and I've been at this since the early 80's)

That said, there are some things I'd love to see brought to market or resurrected. Here's a short list, in no particular order:

1) Hite-Rite.
Anyone remember these? A simple spring designed to help off-road riders quickly raise/lower their seats. Useless for fire road riding in Marin but mighty handy on twisty, up and down singletrack. I did see someone is offering a seatpost that can be adjusted with a remote switch. Same concept but way more expensive, complicated and heavier. I can't figure out why more trail riders haven't resurrected this one.

2) 110/74 bcd aluminum crankset for modern bottom brackets.
Interloc is working on this but no promises of when it will arrive. Rivendell is also trying to import the Sugino Alpino. Sugino already makes a great 110/74 crank - the XD - but it's square taper. Shimano is coming out with a 110 crank but it's a double only and uses their outboard bearings. Plus the current generation Shimano cranks look too much like spaceships and not enough like crankst, IMHO.

3) Cinelli Unicanitor.
A plastic shell attached to the rails. Like a Brooks, the comfort comes from the shell flexing rather than from padding. Simple and cheap. Also impervious to wet weather making it a winner for rainy day commuters and cyclocrossers alike. With titanium rails it would be very light.

4) A Brooks saddle that works.
Every Brooks saddle I've ever seen on a reasonably modern bike is shoved as far back as possible. Even then they're often still too far forward. Why Brooks has their saddle rails in a totally different configuration to the rest of the industry is a mystery. John at Rivendell says a solution is in the works but can't give a date. Keep your fingers crossed on this one.

5) Good looking yet affordable bags.
Cycling bags fall into two categories: handsome hand-made models that cost more than a set of wheels or affordable models that look like cheap plastic. Why can't someone take nice materials (canvas and leather) and have them made in Taiwan? How hard can this be? OK, it probably is hard.

6) Lightweight bags.
Why are all good quality panniers so overbuilt? Most cyclotourists are not traveling for months on end through third world countries but you'd never know it from their over built gear. People have hiked the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails using ultralight sil-nylon backpacks. Why can't someone make sil-nylon panniers for people to use for light and fast trips? While purists may sneer down on the credit card touring crowd there is no denying they exist.

7) Loops on saddles and saddle bags.
Every non-racing saddle should have saddle loops and every bike bag maker should make a saddlebag. Period. A large saddlebag easily beats a set of panniers for commuting, centuries and credit card touring while also allowing you to quickly strip the bike down for speedy, short weekend rides. With panniers you still have a big ugly rack on the bike when you remove them. Not a look.

8) Affordable aluminum fenders.
Honjo fenders are striking in both appearance and price. Much of this is probably due to the high labor costs in Japan. Why not make them in Taiwan? While we're at it, make them as easy to install as SKS and Zefal fenders.

9) A brake/shift lever in which the brake lever and shifter are separate parts.
True, Campy Ergo be rebuilt but realistically the number of man hours it takes makes it impractical. Instead I'm thinking of a shift pod that attaches to the brake lever. This would make upgrading from 9 to 10 to 11 speeds more affordable. Would also be great for cross racers. Modolo attempted this a few years back but didn't quite pull it off.

10) Wool jerseys that fit Americans.
Is it just me or does it seem like most wool jerseys are made for tall skinny guys with no shoulders?? I've got woolies from several makers and most of them are too long in back and have sleeves that are too short. Really odd thing is some of them come from companies that also make plastic jerseys that don't have these fit issues. What's up with that??

Yippeee....

The last piece for my Soma arrived. Spent the night finishing the bike off. It's still not 100% where I want it to be and there are several parts I'm hoping to get such as Honjo fenders, different wheels, and Rolly-Polly tires. Still, it's together and can be ridden. Going to snap some pics tonight and try to post them on this page.

My beef with Brooks

So my Soma Smoothie ES is coming together nicely. Went to mount the Brooks B-17 saddle only to discover that it won't work. I'm using a DuraAce seatpost which has a pretty fair amount of setback and yet even with the saddle slammed all the way back in the clamp it's still a good 10-15mm too close to the bottom bracket. Yes, I could simply use a longer stem but that's a really poor way to compensate. Rule 1 of bike fit is to not tinker with the relationship of the saddle to the bottom bracket. You don't compensate for reach by moving the saddle forward/backward which is basically what I'd be doing by mounting the Brooks. I took off the Brooks and put on my Fizik Rondine. The Rondine fit just fine with the seatpost clamping the rails more less smack dab in the middle. Tried a few other saddles and they all fit more or less in the center of the rails. It's definitely the Brooks. A seatpost with more setback might help but I'm not aware of any seatpost that has at least 10mm more setback than the DuraAce post.

So my question is this: why has Brooks chosen to ignore the changes in frame geometry that have occurred in the past several decades? The rails on the Brooks are perfect if your bike has a 70-72 degree seat tube angle. If your bike has a 74 degree seat tube angle (as most bikes do these days) it's more than likely you won't be able to achieve the proper amount of setback because of the peculiar design of the Brooks' rails.

There's really no excuse for this. Brooks has introduced new models in the past decade and also produced titanium rail saddles. This gave them ample opportunity to modify their design to better accommodate today's frame geometries. So why haven't they? I've e-mailed Brooks and hope they will respond.

Park PRS-15 Repair Stand Review

So my 10+ year old Ultimate repair stand finally bit the dust. It had a long, hard life and served me well through more events/races than I can remember. It will be missed.

I searched around for a replacement and finally settled on the Park PRS-15. Really, it came down to two models: The Park PRS-15 Professional Race Stand and the Park PRS-20 Team Race Stand. The PRS-20 is a Euro-style stand the holds the frame by the front or rear dropout and bottom bracket. This is much more stable and also saves you from having to clamp around potentially fragile carbon seatposts. Downside is you have to remove a wheel to mount the bike. At a mass ride where you may perform dozens of repairs a day that extra step could get to be a real pain so I opted for the more conventional style Park PRS-15. Plus at 'cross races you can quickly hang the bike from the clamp arm by the saddle nose while you hose it down between laps - something you can't do with the PRS-20.

Overall, this stand weighs a fair bit more than my old Ultimate. Set-up was a bit more involved than with the Ultimate. With the Ultimate the three legs are connected together and spread out simultaneously. On the Park stand you have 4 legs that are not connected which makes it a tad more difficult to unfold and set up. Mind you, I'm not saying it's hard to set-up, just saying it's less easy. Once in place the Park stand does feel much more solid thanks to the 4 footed base. 4 feet are always more stable than 3 feet - this explains why goats, mountain lions, and other critters tend to be quadruped. Also the two rear feet have adjusting knobs to help maintain stability on uneven ground.

The main mast of the Park is a hefty chunk of airfoil shaped metal. This is much better than round mast on the Ultimate which could rotate under pressure. Like the Ultimate it can be raised or lowered by the flick of a quick release.

The clamp has nicely padded and narrow jaws that shouldn't have a problem clamping onto most seatposts even when a seatbag is fitted - no need to modifgy them with a hacksaw. One nice feature is the quick release mechanism. You unwind the main clamp handle a copuple turns and then hold down on the quick release and slide the clamps open. Very quick, very simple.

Overall, the Park is a professional level piece of equipment that no race mechanic should be without. It is an improvement over the Ultimate stand and I haven't seen any other stands on the market that feature this much stability and portability. There are other stands that are more stable (the Pedro's Rockstand being the current champ) but they're not nearly as portable. Many other stands are lighter and more portable but I wouldn't feel secure cranking on a bottom bracket cup with them. Is it expensive? Absolutely, but so is any piece of professional equipment. They're not throwing the word "Professional" into the name for nothing. Home mechanics should stick to a less expensive stand (like the PC-9). Park did everything right on this stand which is exactly what we've come to expect from them. My Ultimate stand lasted more than 10 years and I suspect this Park stand will last even longer than that.

Ripping on the Big S...

So why do people so passionately dislike Shimano? I got to thinking about this while I was installing my DuraAce 10 speed downtube shifters. Sure they come out with new and improved products every 2-3 years and keep switching standards but Campy does the same thing. Yet people adore Campy and loathe Shimano.

Traditionalists seem especially hostile to Shimano which doesn't make much sense. Shimano is currently the only major component company producing downtube shifters. Campy has dropped theirs. Shimano also still producers bar-end shifters in both 9 and 10 speed models. Campy now only makes 10 speed. Furthermore, Shimano's bar-end and downtube shifters both still have a friction option which Campy lacks. If you're building a traditional style bike Shimano is the only major company still cranking out shifters.

Then there's the issue of spare parts. People like to claim that Campy is superior because you can rebuild their Ergo shifters. This is a hollow claim. Yes, technically it is possible to rebuild the shifters. However, as a practical matter it's so time consuming that having a shop do it would probably cost you more money in man hours than simply buying a new shifter. There's also the issue of spare parts availability. I was recently looking for some Cane Creek/Tektro brake levers and was calling several local shops to track them down. While I was at it I also decided to see which was easier to find spare parts for: Campy or Shimano. I asked stores if they had Shimano and Campy spare chains, chainrings, and cassettes. Of the 6 shops I called all had Shimano spares while only one had spare Campy parts (and they cost twice as much as Shimano!) Mind you, these are common spare parts that need to be replaced on a regular basis, assuming you actually ride your bike.

By no means am I picking on Campy. In many ways I still prefer many Campy items. The hoods on the Campy Ergo shifter are far more comfortable for my mitts than the STI levers. I also believe Campy has a much better range of cassettes and especially like their century-friendly 13x29 cassette. Shimano only goes down to a 27 tooth cog and there are times when us non-racing types could go for a lower gear. Campagnolo also beat Shimano in recognizing the validity of compact gearing in the front and even created a compact specific front derailleur.

I just don't understand the whole anti-Shimano mindset. I think much of it is simply because Shimano is the biggest kid on the block and there are certain people who will always hate the biggest kid on the block no matter what. I really don't get that mentality.

Rivendell Lugged Stem

The Rivendell Lugged Stem arrived! This is easily the best way to class up your bike for under $100. When I pulled it out of the wrapper I actually thought it was the wrong size. I'm so used to looking at aluminum threadless stems that the thin walls of the steer clamp actually made the stem look like it was for a 1" steer. This stem just screams elegant (assuming something can scream while still being elegant!) I know some might think "Lugged steel? That must weigh a ton!" I put the stem on the scale and it clocked in at 180 grams for a 95mm. As $80 stems go that's considerably heavier but then again most $80 stems are made for racing and won't last nearly as long as this stem nor do they look nearly as nice. Basically, it weighs about 2 ounces more than a high-end aluminum stem. 2 ounces isn't a whole lot and you could probably save that much by chopping off excess seatpost length. Plus it's a real safe bet that this stem is considerably stiffer than any 120 gram aluminum stem and stiffness can be just as important in climbing as lightweight. There's no reason you couldn't mount this on a race bike. If anything it would probably be a good choice for cyclocross and criteriums where crashes and sprinting are more frequent.

There are some very minor quibbles that potential buyers might want to be aware of. First, some of the finish work around the lugs is just a teeny-tiny bit rough. It's on par with what you saw on Japanese lugged steel frames back in the 80's. If you're looking for or expecting the crisp lines of someone like Richard Sachs or Vanilla look elsewhere. Of course this stem costs less than 1/2-1/3 what many customer builders charge for a lugged stem so it's more than worth the tradeoff. Finally, the polished finish is almost too polished as finger prints readily show up when you handle the stem.

Overall, I'm so happy I popped the extra $40 and picked this stem. It's worth every penny. My day job allows me to order direct from Quality Bicycle Products and many other bike vendors. While a great perk it's also a bit of a necessity since people in the outdoor retail industry make substantially less money than people in other industries. Anytime you see someone in the industry pay full retail for a product you know it's got to be great.

My brake lever hunt has been a bust. Tried several local shops and nobody has the Cane Creek/Tektro levers in silver. QBP is out of the Tektro models but do have the Cane Creek version in "pewter" which sounds too grey for me. Rivendell is also out of stock. I could use some Shimano levers I have but I really don't like the way the Shimano levers feel in my hands. Looks like I'm going to have to "settle" for using the Campy Record carbon brake levers. They might be black but at least they're Campy. Plus I suppose they will nicely match the carbon blades on the fork.

It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas...

Actually it's looking more like Hanukkah: new gifts everyday for a week!

Today saw the arrival of a 12x27 Ultegra 10 speed cassette, Ultegra 10 speed rear derailleur, Ultegra chain and DuraAce 10 speed shifters. I know what you're thinking: "I thought you were going the traditional route?" Well, I am. The DuraAce shifters are downtube shifters! Yes, Shimano still make downtube shifters. It's funny how people like to rip on Shimano because they keep changing things and yet Shimano is the only major company still doing downtube shifters. Campy appears to have dropped theirs from the lineup. Furthermore, Shimano downtube and bar-end shifters still feature a friction option. I chose them simply to be different and also to go old school. As crisp as DuraAce STI shifters are they don't come close to the precise, snappy feel of downtube shifters. The one odd thing is that the front shift lever doesn't rotate all the way forward. Tradtional downtube front shifters would lay flush with the downtube when you shifted into the small ring. The Shimano models stop about 30 degrees above the downtube. Shimano claims this improves operation of the lever. Odd thing is the right lever for the rear derailleur still lies flush with the downtube. Go figure.

Another day, another part

One of my goals in building the bike was to maintain a relatively traditional appearance and a big part of that is using silver parts. As you may have noticed, these days it's getting really hard to find silver seatposts, stems and cranksets. While carbon fiber parts are naturally black aluminum parts are not. Companies paint aluminum parts black for one very simple reason: it's cheap! Polishing a crank arm, stem or post is time consuming and time is money. I was able to narrow down my stem choices to a few options:
1) Interloc. Interloc offers two silver stems. Both are reasonably priced and well made. The Prestige model is the more expensive ($80) but also the lightest at 120 grams. Normally I'd be leery of something that light but it's made by Tange and I trust them.
2) Oval Concepts. Biggest selling point on these stems is the reverse threading on the stem cap. The removable cap is threaded and the bolts go in backwards. Overtighten and strip some threads and all you have to do is replace a cheap cap instead of the whole stem. A very clever design and one of those "why didn't I think of that" things.
3) Rivendell lugged threadless. Heavy, wildly expensive ($80), and a single bolt clamp which makes it extremely difficult to change stems or bars. Also by far and away the best looking.
4) Nitto UI-5GX. Very rare but reasonably priced ($55). Weight is claimed at 170 grams which is in the light-but-sane category.

After much pondering I finally decided on the Rivendell. I can't believe I'm paying $80 for a stem! I work in the industry and can order direct from a number of vendors. People think this is a great perk but that's because they don't know how little the bike business pays! If it wasn't for pro-deals most industry folk could never afford bike parts. Also helps that Grant is one of the nicest people in the bike biz so I'm always happy to send my hard earned dollars his way.

It's here.....

The SOMA Smoothie ES arrived today from my old shop in San Francisco (American Cyclery). Yeee-haaaaa!!! The frame clocked in at 4.6 pounds for a 56cm. While not light by today's standards that's still a very respectable weight. I doubt anything Eddy raced weighed much less!

Also included in the box were a pair of Interloc B-57 brakes and an Interloc headset. Brad was also kind enough to toss in some American Cyclery bottles and t-shirts for old times sake. The Interloc brakes are easily on par with Shimano's long reach brakes. Might actually be better finished. The headset is made by Tange for Interloc and it's hard not to like anything from Tange.

Also arriving was a set of 46cm Nitto Noodle bars and some yellow cloth tape. The Noodle bar bends just right in all the right places. Even off the bike I can see why people like this bar. The tape is a nice shade of yellow. Somewhere between mustard and Homer Simpson yellow. I plan to wrap it over some Specialized Bar Phat pads. This will give me the grip and looks of of cloth but with enough padding so I don't have to wear gloves. Plus I have big hands and like the way thicker tape feels.

Still waiting on parts from QBP. Tonight I need to measure the frame and figure out what size stem to order. Still have many decisions to make. Do I go for the sleek, light polished Interloc stem or the artistic boat anchor Rivendell stem? Hammerton Honjo fenders, carbon Berthoud fenders or stainless Berthoud fenders? Do I spurge and get the lighter Schmidt dynamo hub or do I save $150 and get the heavier and less expensive Shimano model that probably works just as well? Just happy these are the sort of tough questions I'm burdened with! Life could be a whole lot worse.