Welding class has progressed to the point where we're actually welding things together using filler rod. It's starts simple enough: clamp to pieces of metal together on a jig in an L shape and weld them. Simple, right? Wrong. For starters, I quickly figure out that the heat from the torch warps the metal so by the time I'm halfway across your 6 inch strip of metal the two pieces no longer touch. Into the scrap heap with that one. Next up I realize I need to tack the metal at several points and then weld it. Duh. Did this several times over and eventually started cranking out some really nice tidy welds. Dare I say welds good enough looking to rival those found on bikes. Finally having some pride in my work I take it to the instructor for evaluation. He acknowledges it sure looks pretty from the outside. Then he flips it over and points out the lack of penetration. He has me hammer the piece flat along the weld and sure enough, when I hold it up to the light I see numerous pinholes. Drat. My problem is too little heat. It's tough developing the touch - too little heat yields a weak weld. Too much heat resutls in burning holes in the material. Seveal dozen L welds later I've finally got it down pat and cranking out tidy looking welds with solid penetration.
At this point the instructor has me reach higher up in the alphabet - instead of welding an L-shape now I'm going to weld an inverted T shape. Seems simple enough. I jig the work, fire up the torch and have at it. I quickly realize this is going to be MUCH more difficult. Simply changing the location of the material radically alters how the heat effects the metal. The vertical part of the T quickly heats up and begins to burn through while the base isn't even puddling. Many, many mangled pieces of metal later I finally figure out the right combination of torch angle, movement, filler rod, and oxygen/acetylene mixture.
All of this is giving me a new respect for framebuilders who have to weld numerous tubes together without distortion, too much heat, too little heat, too little filler, etc., etc. Just one bad weld can be the end of a frame. Realizing all of this I think it's something of a miracle that anyone can make a bike frame for under $500 with even the cheapest of tubing. Much as I respect the customer artisan builders I reserve even greater respect for the guys at Maxway and the other Taiwanese factories who can crank out thousands of frames in a year. It's one thing to create great welds in a small shop setting and a whole different thing to do it in a mass production capacity.
Wednesday, October 18, 2006
Thursday, September 28, 2006
Pushing the puddle....
I've done just about everything there is to do in bike repair. Everything except actually pick up a torch. I've decided to change that by taking a welding class at the local community college and then hooking up with a framebuilder to go over the finer points.
The first night was spent learning about how not to blow each other up, burn down the building, and generally not cause mass destruction. At the end of the class we were given a list of materials we'd need for the rest of the semester. The instructor went down the list naming off what was needed for the next session. Someone noted he skipped over gloves and asked if they'd be needed for our first night of actual welding. The instructor gruffly snapped back "You don't need gloves! You'll burn yourself, rinse off, and get back to work! Burning is learning." Immediately I thought of that line from the film Dodgeball: "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!" Oh yeah, this is going to be loads o' fun.
Last night was our first official welding session. We were using oxy-acetylene torches and goal was to simply lay down and nice tidy bead with adequate penetration on strips of 1/16" steel plate. The idea was that we were to simply push the puddle from one end of the metal to the other. We quickly realized this is much easier said than done. A couple of hours - and many strips later - I was able to lay down a semi-tidy bead only to find out I wasn't getting good penetration. I quickly learned that just because a weld LOOKS neat doesn't mean it's a good quality weld. Something to think about when people say Brand X bikes are better because the welds look nicer. I also developed a whole new respect for guys who can weld thinwall steel, especially TIG welding. I had a tricky time getting adequate penetration without getting too much penetration. Can't imagine how hard this is with some of the super thin tubesets like True Temper S-3.
Overall, the oxy-acetylene tool is hands-down the coolest tool you can get your hands on without joining the military! Even more fun than the tablesaw I bought last year!
The first night was spent learning about how not to blow each other up, burn down the building, and generally not cause mass destruction. At the end of the class we were given a list of materials we'd need for the rest of the semester. The instructor went down the list naming off what was needed for the next session. Someone noted he skipped over gloves and asked if they'd be needed for our first night of actual welding. The instructor gruffly snapped back "You don't need gloves! You'll burn yourself, rinse off, and get back to work! Burning is learning." Immediately I thought of that line from the film Dodgeball: "If you can dodge a wrench, you can dodge a ball!" Oh yeah, this is going to be loads o' fun.
Last night was our first official welding session. We were using oxy-acetylene torches and goal was to simply lay down and nice tidy bead with adequate penetration on strips of 1/16" steel plate. The idea was that we were to simply push the puddle from one end of the metal to the other. We quickly realized this is much easier said than done. A couple of hours - and many strips later - I was able to lay down a semi-tidy bead only to find out I wasn't getting good penetration. I quickly learned that just because a weld LOOKS neat doesn't mean it's a good quality weld. Something to think about when people say Brand X bikes are better because the welds look nicer. I also developed a whole new respect for guys who can weld thinwall steel, especially TIG welding. I had a tricky time getting adequate penetration without getting too much penetration. Can't imagine how hard this is with some of the super thin tubesets like True Temper S-3.
Overall, the oxy-acetylene tool is hands-down the coolest tool you can get your hands on without joining the military! Even more fun than the tablesaw I bought last year!
Monday, September 11, 2006
Cycles Tournsesol
This weekend I hopped across town to visit Steve Hampsten at Cycles Tournesol. Tournesol is a side project of Hampsten Cycles aimed at making bikes in the tradition of the French constructeurs.
In many ways I think they're closer to what Herse was doing in his day than anyone else in the small but growing constrcuteur market. What sets Tournesol apart is that they are technology/material agnostic. If carbon is the best material for a rider then they'll make the bike from carbon. If centerpulls work better they'll make the bike with centerpulls. He's built 650b titanium bikes with disc brakes as well as more traditional lugged steel bikes. During my visit I saw a fork built for 650b wheels with centerpull studs and even stainless guides for a dynamo wire. This was in the same shop as a titanium bike fitted with 35mm tires and a Wound-Up carbon/alloy fork with fender mounts.
This is very different from other builders who make constructeur bikes as if it were still the late 40's and ignore recent advances in components and materials. I'm no expert on the constructeurs but I'd wager good money if Herse were around today he'd be pretty excited to work with carbon or titanium. Many modern constructeur builders seem to think weight doesn't matter and this is different from Herse and his generation. Just look at the radical features of the sub 20 pound technical trials bike in the Golden Age book. Looking at those bikes and considering the weight savings to be had with more modern materials it's hard to justify paying top dollar for a bike with fenders and lights that weighs 24+ pounds. The Tournesol bikes are perhaps the best embodiement of the original constructeur ethos of maximizing the integration of the various parts of the bike in order to create a lighter and stronger overall bike.
In many ways I think they're closer to what Herse was doing in his day than anyone else in the small but growing constrcuteur market. What sets Tournesol apart is that they are technology/material agnostic. If carbon is the best material for a rider then they'll make the bike from carbon. If centerpulls work better they'll make the bike with centerpulls. He's built 650b titanium bikes with disc brakes as well as more traditional lugged steel bikes. During my visit I saw a fork built for 650b wheels with centerpull studs and even stainless guides for a dynamo wire. This was in the same shop as a titanium bike fitted with 35mm tires and a Wound-Up carbon/alloy fork with fender mounts.
This is very different from other builders who make constructeur bikes as if it were still the late 40's and ignore recent advances in components and materials. I'm no expert on the constructeurs but I'd wager good money if Herse were around today he'd be pretty excited to work with carbon or titanium. Many modern constructeur builders seem to think weight doesn't matter and this is different from Herse and his generation. Just look at the radical features of the sub 20 pound technical trials bike in the Golden Age book. Looking at those bikes and considering the weight savings to be had with more modern materials it's hard to justify paying top dollar for a bike with fenders and lights that weighs 24+ pounds. The Tournesol bikes are perhaps the best embodiement of the original constructeur ethos of maximizing the integration of the various parts of the bike in order to create a lighter and stronger overall bike.
Tuesday, August 01, 2006
Floyd - Hero to zero?
So unless you've been living under a stump - and with the news being what it is these days this may not be a bad thing - you're heard that our latest hero du jour, Floyd Landis, had a positive test at the Tour. Many people seemed stunned by this which I find somewhat amazing. Maybe it's because I spend most of my day dealing with crooks, cheaters, liars and criminals. If there's one thing I've learned in life it's that the higher the stakes are the more likely someone will cheat. Call me a cynic but history is full of examples showing I'm right: Ken Lay, George Bush, Bill Clinton, Michael Milken, Barry Bonds, etc., etc., etc. Needless to say I wasn't exactly surprised that Floyd tested positive. Does this mean I think he doped? Not neccesarily, it simply means I'm not surprised that someone in his position might dope - there's a big difference. I do think it's quite possible that he had something unwittingly administered to him by his team. The Phonak squad hasn't exactly been competing on hard training and mineral water judging by the number of riders suspended from the team in recent months.
Beyond whether Floyd knowingly took something or not is the greater question: why should I care? Not just care about Floyd but care about the whole sport of competitive cycling. I've been around bike racing for a number of years and it seems like the sport has gotten uglier at all levels in recent years. Whether it's junior racers insisting they need $70 tires to compete, Cat 4 racers blowing their stack because of something that happened in a race, sandbaggers, people competing at non-races (such as Seattle-To-Portland) or pros using drugs there's increasingly little about the sport that is appealing.
This all-consuming need for competition has even extended to what you wear and eat. Heaven forbid you go for a ride in regular clothes. No, you must wear "technical" garments or you'll have a miserable experience. Eat a banana? Absolutely not - instead you must consume a "performance product" (that's what we officially call them here at the Gorilla - I'm not making this up!) No longer is it enough to simply hop on a bike and go for a ride. Now you have to train with your heart rate monitor while wearing your technical garments and consuming your performance products. Sounds like fun, huh??
Is this all consuming need to compete really healthy? I'm inclined to think not. At this stage I really don't care too much about the future of the Tour de France or professional racing. I doubt Floyd being stripped of his title will change anything. So long as fame and millions of dollars are at stake someone will try to find an edge and it won't always be honest.
Beyond whether Floyd knowingly took something or not is the greater question: why should I care? Not just care about Floyd but care about the whole sport of competitive cycling. I've been around bike racing for a number of years and it seems like the sport has gotten uglier at all levels in recent years. Whether it's junior racers insisting they need $70 tires to compete, Cat 4 racers blowing their stack because of something that happened in a race, sandbaggers, people competing at non-races (such as Seattle-To-Portland) or pros using drugs there's increasingly little about the sport that is appealing.
This all-consuming need for competition has even extended to what you wear and eat. Heaven forbid you go for a ride in regular clothes. No, you must wear "technical" garments or you'll have a miserable experience. Eat a banana? Absolutely not - instead you must consume a "performance product" (that's what we officially call them here at the Gorilla - I'm not making this up!) No longer is it enough to simply hop on a bike and go for a ride. Now you have to train with your heart rate monitor while wearing your technical garments and consuming your performance products. Sounds like fun, huh??
Is this all consuming need to compete really healthy? I'm inclined to think not. At this stage I really don't care too much about the future of the Tour de France or professional racing. I doubt Floyd being stripped of his title will change anything. So long as fame and millions of dollars are at stake someone will try to find an edge and it won't always be honest.
Tuesday, July 18, 2006
Sky lives!!
Appears Sky Yaeger is back in the saddle again. Having left Bianchi USA Sky has now joined - brace yourself - Swobo! Why would she join a clothing company? Is she going to design jerseys? No. She's going to design bikes. Swobo bikes. No details on what the Swobo bikes will be but you can rest assured it's not going to be some generic alloy/carbon job picked from the Big Book Of Taiwanese Frames that so many other companies seem to source from.
With the Swobo name it's likely to be far more than just a bike. It will be a lifestyle accesory. I'm hoping it will be similar in concept to the Puma/Biomega collaboration (http://www.puma.com/bike/)
More details from the Sky/Swobo press conference available here. Thanks to Steve Hampsten for sending this to me (check out the Hampsten site for some great new Tournesol pics!)
With the Swobo name it's likely to be far more than just a bike. It will be a lifestyle accesory. I'm hoping it will be similar in concept to the Puma/Biomega collaboration (http://www.puma.com/bike/)
More details from the Sky/Swobo press conference available here. Thanks to Steve Hampsten for sending this to me (check out the Hampsten site for some great new Tournesol pics!)
Monday, July 17, 2006
STP
Saturday was the start of the Seattle To Portland bike ride put on by the Cascade Bicycle Club. STP more or less follows I-5 and can be done as either a one or two day ride. I volunteered to work as a mechanic at the pit stop located outside my office window here at REI headquarters in Kent. A few highlights:
1) Ritchey Torque Key: This handle little widget is single use, single setting torque wrench. It's a little larger than a very large car or door key. The one I saw fetured a 5mm bit set to the proper torque for a stem bolt. Not sure if other sizes/settings exist. This is a great tool for race/event mechanics as it's very small and easy to carry in your box. Most torque wrenches tend to be quite bulky.
2) Urago road bike: A rider rode in on a nearly complete late 50s/early 60s Urago bike. The bike featured a Simplex rod activated front derailleur and was in great shape. Only parts that didn't appear to be original were the tires and Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow grooved saddle.
3) Vintage Merlin MTB: A rider came in with a vintage Merlin MTB. This bike was classic early 90's in every way. Thumbshifters, MRC brakes, and best of all a Steve Potts/WTB steel fork. Sweet!
4) Cateye Strada computer: Hadn't seen this one yet but it looks like a winner. It features a universal mount that works on bars or stems. It also has a button less interface - to switch features you simply tap any where on the computer. It's quite small and unobtrusive looking. Has the usual standard features though these days the only ones I ever seem to use are the trip distance and clock. I'm too slow to worry about speed.
5) SRAM Force: We had a Novara with SRAM Force installed on it. While the double tap system of moving the same lever in the same direction for both up and down shifts seems perplexing it's actually suprisingly intuitive. Also have to like having the shift cable under the tape (similar to Campy). Will be interesting to see how this holds up and also if they decide to expand support to non-racing applications.
1) Ritchey Torque Key: This handle little widget is single use, single setting torque wrench. It's a little larger than a very large car or door key. The one I saw fetured a 5mm bit set to the proper torque for a stem bolt. Not sure if other sizes/settings exist. This is a great tool for race/event mechanics as it's very small and easy to carry in your box. Most torque wrenches tend to be quite bulky.
2) Urago road bike: A rider rode in on a nearly complete late 50s/early 60s Urago bike. The bike featured a Simplex rod activated front derailleur and was in great shape. Only parts that didn't appear to be original were the tires and Selle Italia Flite Gel Flow grooved saddle.
3) Vintage Merlin MTB: A rider came in with a vintage Merlin MTB. This bike was classic early 90's in every way. Thumbshifters, MRC brakes, and best of all a Steve Potts/WTB steel fork. Sweet!
4) Cateye Strada computer: Hadn't seen this one yet but it looks like a winner. It features a universal mount that works on bars or stems. It also has a button less interface - to switch features you simply tap any where on the computer. It's quite small and unobtrusive looking. Has the usual standard features though these days the only ones I ever seem to use are the trip distance and clock. I'm too slow to worry about speed.
5) SRAM Force: We had a Novara with SRAM Force installed on it. While the double tap system of moving the same lever in the same direction for both up and down shifts seems perplexing it's actually suprisingly intuitive. Also have to like having the shift cable under the tape (similar to Campy). Will be interesting to see how this holds up and also if they decide to expand support to non-racing applications.
Wednesday, July 05, 2006
Summer brevet series
The second series of brevet rides sponsored by the Seattle International Randonneurs starts this Saturday. The first one is only 100k which I'm more than ready for. Have to skip the 200k which means my next one will be a 300k. There are two 300k rides in August and I'm not sure which to do. Unlikely I'll do both. Finally, I'll be spending my birthday in September riding the 600k.
For the most part everything on the bike is pretty dialed in. Only real issue I'm having is with the saddle. The Selle Anatomica is creaking a bit. Hopefully a little tension adjustment will solve it. The Selle Anatomica Titanico continues to be the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden. Also seems to be holding up much better than my Brooks. Even with the creak the saddle is a real winner.
For the most part everything on the bike is pretty dialed in. Only real issue I'm having is with the saddle. The Selle Anatomica is creaking a bit. Hopefully a little tension adjustment will solve it. The Selle Anatomica Titanico continues to be the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden. Also seems to be holding up much better than my Brooks. Even with the creak the saddle is a real winner.
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