May 8, 2012 in bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs, Misc, Uncategorized, VeloReviews by Shane Russell
Here is a diagram identifying the components of a road bicycle. Please note: for some reason I didn’t list brake and gear cables to the diagram.
Apologies to readers for the Australian spelling and to Rapunzel for my spelling of “derailler” ;)
For all the mountain bikers here I will post an identification sheet asap :)
April 29, 2012 in Health / Fitness / Training, Member Blogs, Misc, Training, VeloReviews by Shane Russell
Today was it, the day I start riding again and I forgot how many things I had missed, and the not so missed :)
I had missed the sounds of cycling, like when your cleat “clacks” into the pedal, the snick as you shift gears and your derailleur’s work their magic (hopefully), the sound of wind passing you by and the sound of vehicles keeping their distance :)
I had missed the feeling of wearing knicks and a cycle jersey, gloves and a helmet, drinking water from a bidon whilst riding along and looking ahead at the path my bicycle should follow.
I hadn’t missed the feeling of turning after 15km to find a VERY strong headwind for my journey home, the legs having NO strength from not training in over a year and those little rises seem like mountains now :) I haven’t missed THAT!
Overall though the ride was fantastic and I am back riding. In saying that I have organised a mountain bike ride for tomorrow afternoon and now I know how much that is going to HURT! :) All in good fun though.
For those that care about stat’s the numbers for todays ride were;
Distance 30.46km/18.93mi
Ave speed 23.7kph/14.73mph
Ride time 1hr 16.54mins
In a few weeks I may look for an event or something for me to aim for once the fitness improves, probably offroad :)
April 29, 2012 in Bikes as a lifestyle, Member Blogs, Uncategorized, VeloReviews by Shane Russell
Here is a long winded version of events with photo’s from our trip through Western Europe, from March 10th to April 14th this year. We saw some amazing sites and took in much culture whilst travelling. Found a few bikes and bike shops along the way :)
Hope you enjoy!
Europe 2012 An excellent adventure.
April 22, 2012 in bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs, Misc, Uncategorized, VeloReviews by Shane Russell
After coming back from our European holiday very motivated, I decided to do a couple of things to my bikes to get them ready for riding.
The Cannondale you see here is a 1989 R300 I picked up (some say stole :) but I disagree) from a gent who had it advertised on ebay for $200. Couldn’t pass that up as my first decent roadie was a 1990 Cannondale 3.0series crit frame with Campy gear. I had some Shimano RSX shifters etc from another bike that was an insurance write off so the old girl has received an upgrade to sti shifters and 7 speed rear. The bike is in great condition for its age and with new tyres and cables she is waiting patiently, much like me. Check out the original store sticker on the top tube, pretty cool.
Now to my favourite pursuit, mountain biking :)
This is my latest incarnation and after 20+ years of mtb fun and madness I still love riding hardtails.
I have gone back to chromoly framing as I have loved the way it feels since the first bike I bought in 1990. Up until 2009/10 I was riding a carbon hardtail which was my training and racing bike and after it developed a crack and noises it was sadly time to put it to rest.
The MTB is a Charge frame with mostly Shimano XT components and Rock Shox Reba SL forks.
It will be awesome to get back to some regular training once this flu disappears and it will be nice o get to the same levels I was at hopefully, then the decision to race again OR not? Mmmmmmmmmmmmmmm :)
April 19, 2012 in Bikes as a lifestyle, Member Blogs, Witticisms... or not. by JustAnotherCyclist
There is a rather large and growing collection of humours, self-deprecating, but often true songs and music videos that folks have made regarding cycling. Usually these poke fun at some of the more eccentric aspects and stereotypes of the cycling culture. I thought it was about time someone put together a list of the best of them. Of course, this is just my opinion, and is therefore fact…
Obstensibly a bicycle saftey piece, but we all know that no one listens if we talk about bike safety seriously. So lets try it with a little humor:
Just try and make it past the Cliff Shot slurping scene in the beginning…
The first entry from Robin Moore – the only guy to make my list not once, but three times. This video probably would have ranked higher if he had chosen a better wine.
After poking fun at the euro crowd, Robin Moore goes after the MTB set. Truth be told though, you may want to hold off on watching this one until you’ve watched the rest of the list. There are references in this video to the number one video on our list.
Something about making fun of anger is hysterically funny to me – and a heck of a lot better than actually being angry. Warning – if you would be offended on a Juniur High School camups by the language, you should skip this video…
Yes. They swear. A lot. But again, making fun of anger is just too enjoyable. Yes – this is the genesis of that famous “Tour de F*** You.” Nearly every stereotype of urban cycling culture is in here. In truth it was a very hard decision to decide the actual order of the top two. Ultimately it came down to seniority alone.
Ooooh – and it is in HD!
For me this is the first and still best bicycle music video. The third entry from Robin Moore. If you do nothing else in your cycling life, get this stuck in your head on your next ride. Eminently quotable – ‘Cause its all about performance…
And speaking of quotable, one final thought:
March 3, 2012 in bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs, Uncategorized by Shane Russell
Today I will run through how to lubricate the gear/shift cables on your bike.
This is a fairly simple process involving no tools :) I here you asking “how can I service my gear/shift cables with no tools?” Well, read on and I shall enlighten you :) or refresh something you may have forgotten.
The simplest way to lubricate your gear inner cables is to do as follows;
Shift the rear gears/derailleur up to the easiest/large gear cog nearest the spokes, (unless you have a rapid rise rear derailleur on your bike, which requires you shift the rear derailleur to the smallest, outer most gear cog )
Now while the chain is sitting nicely on the easiest/largest cog release the shifter as if to shift back down to the smallest/hardest gear BUT DO NOT MOVE THE CRANKS OR TURN YOUR REAR WHEEL. You will notice that this frees up a lot of cable which should allow you to remove the outer casing from the frame stops on your bike.
Once you have the cable outer free from the frame simply slide the outer casing to expose the inner cable/wire and wipe the inner cable/wire clean.
Next you can apply either a light oil or grease to the inner cable/wire and refit the outer casing to the frame.
Do this for any section of inner cable/wire that is normally running through the gear outer casing. While you are at it you should check the condition of the outer casing to see if the metal strands are starting to pull through.
If there is evidence of the metal strands coming through as shown above I would suggest getting your outer casing replaced at your local IBD.
Now you have successfully lubed the rear gear inner cable and outer casing refit all cable housing back into the frame. It is best to now shift the shifter lever back up toward the easiest/largest rear gear cog and then pedal the bike to set the chain where the shifter will set it. IF YOU HAVE MISSED FITTING A SECTION OF OUTER CASING INTO A FRAME STOP DO NOT PANIC, just turn the cranks as you would normally when pedaling and CAREFULLY push the rear derailleur up into the easiest gear, release the shifter again allowing you to refit the cable outer into the frame stop.
Now it is onto the front derailleur cable and you will follow the same principle as for the rear derailleur cable.
Shift into the biggest front chain ring and then WITHOUT MOVING THE CRANKS release the shift lever to free up the cable. Remove the outer casing from the frame and clean/lubricate and refit as you did for the rear derailleur cable. Remember to check the condition of the cable inner and outer casing.
As a side note for any gear inner cable/wire always check for fraying of the cable. Below you will notice part of a gear/shift inner cable/wire that has frayed (notice how the strands have started to unravel before snapping) before snapping completely. During many bicycle services this is what we have found can happen to the gear inner cable, especially on the right/rear shift lever on Shimano 9 speed units. I suggest that when you service the gear cables on your bike you look for any type of fraying near the gear shift lever as if the cable snaps as shown below and wedges in your shift lever unit THE CONSEQUENCES CAN BE CATASTROPHIC FAILURE FOR THE LEVER. Better to check while lubricating the cables and if you notice any fraying then have the cable replaced at your local IBD.
Hope this has helped with your regular maintenance :)
Shane at SR Bike Works
March 2, 2012 in bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs, Misc, Uncategorized by Shane Russell
After putting some thoughts together regarding road brake maintenance I thought I should even the ledger and chime in with something for mountain bike brakes :)
If your MTB has v-brakes you can pretty much follow the advice for road brakes posted earlier, if it has disc brakes then read on my friends and hopefully I can enlighten you some what?
When servicing disc brakes there are a few simple things that when done regularly keep the brakes performing better.
Something I advise anyone looking to buy or who already has an MTB is NEVER EVER use spray oils, spay polishes or spray cleaners on your disc equipped MTB (IE when lubricating the chain etc or when cleaning your bike). The reason for this is most newbies (and some experienced riders) are never told of brake contamination. This occurs when oil or cleaning products get on to the disc brake rotor and when the brake is applied this is transferred to the brake pads :( This leads to brake contamination and if severe can lead to replacing brake rotors and brake pads (shops love this as it is big $$$$) I had one customer who after racing a 24hr adventure race, cleaned her bike nicely. The bike started to show signs of corrosion on the steel brake rotors so thinking she was doing the right thing she sprayed oil all over the disc brake rotors :0 :0 :0 OMG NOT GOOD. This led to new rotors and brake pads front and rear $$$$.
How do I know when my brake is contaminated I hear you asking? Well the tell tale signs are if the brake SQUEALS like a little piggy :) when applied and/or if when you wipe the brake rotor with a clean rag/cloth there are traces of oil. The traces of oil will normally leave black smudging on the rag/cloth. (and ALWAYS use clean rags/cloths on disc brakes to avoid contamination from dirty rags/cloths)
Cleaning pads and rotors. I find the easiest way to clean brake pads and disc brake rotors is using either a commercially available auto disc brake cleaning product (keep it away from your bikes paint though as it can do nasty things) or using isopropyl alcohol or rubbing alcohol.
The easiest way to clean your rotors and pads is by removing the wheels from the bike. Just remember not to pull on the brake levers if you have hydraulic disc brakes as the pistons can stay out. If you or someone else does apply the brake lever when a wheel is out just find a tool or something of a similar thickness to the rotor and wedge it in to re-open the pads. I like to use a hub cone spanner as they are almost the same thickness as the brake rotor, you can also use a large flat bladed screwdriver and push it up between the brake pads. NB do not twist the screwdriver to open the pads as you can/will damage the brake pads. Just push it up between the pads to open the pad spacing.
This tool from Park Tools works a treat
The unique shape and size of the PP-1 is perfect for compressing the hydraulic piston by pushing the brake pads apart to speed service and pad replacement
Slide the polished, wedge shaped tool between pads to expand the gap and pre-set the pistons into the caliper
Useful if you have accidently pulled the brake lever without your wheel and brake disc in the bike
Reset the pistons without disassembling the caliper or removing the brake pads
Do not be concerned if you open a little wider than the rotor thickness as the pistons will reset the correct spacing when you re-apply the brake with the wheel installed.Then apply the brake cleaner/rubbing alcohol to a CLEAN cloth/rag and rub the disc rotor, see that black stuff coming off, that is what you want to get rid of :) Keep applying and clean both sides of your rotors until there are no signs of contaminants coming from the rotors.
For the brake pads you can fold a CLEAN cloth/rag over a few times to make a thickness similar to the thickness of the rotors, apply cleaner/rubbing alcohol to the rag/cloth and then run it up and in between your brake pads.
When servicing brake rotors and pads I like to remove the rotors and pads from the bike and clean thoroughly as above, then I give the rotors and pads a light sand with sand paper to roughen the surfaces up a little and get rid of the shiny brake pad surface. This generally eliminates brake pad squeal :) If you are unsure as to what is involved with removing the rotors or pads then I suggest getting a brake service done by the local IBD.
If when refitting your wheels the brake drags on one side you will need to re-center the brake caliper to the rotor. This can be time consuming depending on the brand of brakes you have. The best thing to try first is to loosen the top caliper mounting bolts (the two bolts you can see when looking down at the brake caliper) that hold the caliper to the brake mount. Then apply the brake and lightly tighten the same bolts. Spin the wheel and see if there is no rubbing? If there is still rubbing or brake drag, loosen the bolts a little and move the caliper a fraction with your hand, retighten and check again. This can be a little time consuming on some brakes.
If a rotor has a bend in it there are tools to straighten the rotor. I would suggest you let the mechanic at the local IBD have a look at this for you as you can easily warp a disc beyond repair if not careful.
As for lever maintenance and hose maintenance there are a couple of things you can do. Lubricate the brake lever where the lever pivots in the lever body and if need be you can adjust the feel of the brake lever by either turning the adjuster(if you have certain Avid or Shimano brakes) or by dialing in the allen key adjustment that adjusts the lever position.
These adjustments will either pull the lever closer to you or push the lever further away. You can periodically wipe around any hose fitting to see if there are any hydraulic fluid leaks. If there are signs of hydraulic fluid then it is off to the local IBD for you :) For a cable disc brake equipped bike follow the same instructions for lubricating the cable as in the road blog I posted and to align a mechanical brake caliper I find the following advice works best.
Loosen the cable tension and the top caliper mounting bolts; align the brake caliper as close to the cable housing side of the rotor as possible with no brake rotor drag and tighten the caliper. Next I wind the other pad adjuster in enough so that the pad nearest the spokes isn’t quite dragging or touching on the rotor. Then I set the cable tension and tighten the cable adjustment bolt. This should give the best feel for cable dis brakes :) An extremely good method of adjusting Avid brakes can be seen here;
http://bluecollarmtb.com/2006/10/30/how-to-dial-in-avid-bb5-mechanical-disc-brakes/ this will work for most if not all cable disc brake setup’s :)
Another thing that is rarely considered is the brake lever position relative to the rider. Correct position for your brake levers should be so that when you apply the brake your hand sits naturally on the handlebar and brake lever. Too many bikes are left set up in the factory position with the brake and shift levers set hard against the handlebar grips, this makes braking awkward as the wrist has to be turned out to allow the index and third fingers to pull on the brake levers. Another consideration is the brake lever angle which theoretically should be in line with your arm in a straight plane allowing your fingers to go straight to the lever when braking. If the lever is too high you need to cock your wrist back to get to the brake lever and if set too low you need to over reach to use the brake lever.
This article from www.bikeradar.com explains all this and more http://www.bikeradar.com/gear/article/workshop-setting-up-the-cockpit-on-your-mountain-bike-20662/ of particular interest to us is the brake adjustment section.
I hope this article helps and stay posted as I hope to add a few more tips regarding bike maintenance/servicing as time passes. I will be away from March 10th-April 15th so no posts during that time :)
Cheers
Shane at SR Bike Works.
by Jack Bulkley
February 16, 2012 in Bike Advocacy, Member Blogs by Jack Bulkley
Big news. I am going to the National Bike Summit from March 20 to 23 in Washington, DC. The summit is sponsored by the League of American Bicyclists. Basically there are some meetings to help define the message. Then you go with a group of people from your state and visit your Senators and Representatives and explain that there are ordinary people who care about bicycling for transportation and recreation. This could be very timely because the transportation bill is being proposed and amended with a potential vote just after the summit. I have never done anything like this. It should be very interesting.
Another cool part is that I am going to be representing VeloReviews.com. Mostly that means it will say VeloReviews.com on my badge, I’ll wear my cap when appropriate and I’ll be posting during and after the conference.
I plan to take my commuter bike on the train from Raleigh to DC and ride in DC while I am there. At this point I am planning to stay at the William Penn House, a Quaker hostel, unless someone wants to suggest something else like letting me crash at their place, even on the floor is OK with me.
So let me know if there is anything you want me to try and find out while I am there.
by Jack Bulkley
February 10, 2012 in bikes and more bikes., Member Blogs by Jack Bulkley
Our fearless (he must be fearless to wear that facial hair) leader, Ross, is organizing reviews of iPhone and Android bicycle apps. Those are certainly interesting because a smart phone is easy to carry on your bike. But today I want to share two iPad bicycle apps. They are not for use on the bike, but I like both of them. In fact these two of a very few apps I have ever spent money to own.
The first is Bike Repair HD. This is solid guide for basic bicycle maintenance. It gives step by step instructions for many repairs and adjustments on your bike. There are iPhone and Android versions but I like viewing this on the larger format of the iPad. (Add your own Jack is old and blind jokes in the comments). I like to review things I don’t do too often, plus sometimes I help someone that has a different style of brakes, etc than I do.
The second app is completely different. If you had a collection of over 200 bicycles and you wanted to share the 100 best with the world, what would you do? You could hire a photographer and create a coffee table book. But if you are Michael Embacher you would also hire programmers and create an incredible iPad app, Cyclepedia. This shows the bikes in way no coffee table book can. Each bike has a picture that can be rotated 360 degrees and others that you can zoom in to inspect details. You also get an interactive timeline showing the bikes made from 1922 to 2010.
You also get 261 pages of original brochures, user manuals, plans, catalogues and contemporary stills. The only thing cooler would be riding these bikes.
So when you stop pedaling, you don’t have to stop looking at bikes. Yep there is an app for that.
by Jack Bulkley
February 8, 2012 in Bike Advocacy, Bikes and the law, Cycling Law, Member Blogs by Jack Bulkley
It’s funny how just a few words can change your opinion. My favorite bike magazine is Bicycle Times and also enjoy Momentum Magazine. Both of these magazines focus on everyday riding with only a rare mention of racing. As a member of the League of American Cyclists I also get a subscription to Bicycling Magazine. But since it focuses so much on racing, it doesn’t normally resonate as well with me. But while I was reading an editorial entitled Mad Men by editor Peter Flax in the latest edition of Bicycling I read a phrase that really resonated with me.
Peter was describing an all too common encounter with an angry motorist. This is not the only story I have read or heard about lately. Byron of BikeHugger.com recently documented an incident he had with a driver in Maui. This reminded me of an incident David Bernstein discussed on the FredCast last summer. In my own experience I have been honked at and yelled at but most of the time that seems to be teenagers trying be tough rather than drivers angry that I am on a small part of their precious road.
All these stories have made me want to be ready to react properly if and when I run into an angry driver. Surely I want to defend myself. And surely I want to protect myself. But escalating a confrontation is probably not the best plan. But now I have a guideline for any action thanks to Peter Flax. I want to have a levelheaded sense of outrage during and after any incident. To me this means staying calm, keeping safe, collecting information that can protect me in the long run and not escalating any situation. It occurs to me that this attitude would help with interacting with not just drivers, but also the police if needed.
I need to spend some more time thinking of specific actions that fit the idea of levelheaded sense of outrage. But also I will keep reading Bicycling Magazine and hope for help preparing for the world we ride in.
Pedal happily.
