tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-47343633623991644302024-03-12T20:41:55.414-07:00Commuting Cyclist Blogpedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-32072816290254770912014-01-06T10:42:00.001-08:002014-01-06T10:43:49.824-08:00Novara Transfer stolen.Sad post to start of the new year. The Novara Transfer, which I reviewed in my last post, was stolen from a bike noodle. I didn't have a U lock on it, but it was a pretty robust cable lock that is shaped like a U lock. This lock is a small, thick rubber encased cable and not like the traditional cable locks that are sold in your Xmart stores. <br />
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I filed a police report today at lunch. The officer who took the report said he was going to look at some security cams that may have filmed the bike being stolen. Yay for living in one of the cities with the most security cams in the world! Also, I posted a "bike stolen!" post on Craigslist. And, I'll check on CL frequently to see if anyone is selling a Novara Transfer. Hopefully, I'll report some good news on this in the future.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-29236427311998414192013-08-13T13:04:00.008-07:002013-08-13T13:08:45.584-07:00Another commuter added to stable: Review of REI’s Novara Transfer.<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MSRP=$799</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Price Paid=$639.20 (used REI 20% off coupon)</span></div>
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBfTLc31geI/UgqPfSJLl2I/AAAAAAAAAXo/t9XenzwWY2E/s1600/IMG_0627.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uBfTLc31geI/UgqPfSJLl2I/AAAAAAAAAXo/t9XenzwWY2E/s320/IMG_0627.JPG" width="320" /></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Picked up another commuter that will get extensive use as a
short range commuter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Basically will use
it to get to the subway station and/or for trips to the grocery store.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>First, this is a steel framed commuter, which
gives you a more comfortable ride vs. an aluminum bike with no suspension.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>REI really thought this bike out to give commuters
a lot of necessary bells/whistles.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Likes:</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Upright ride. The design of this bike allows you to 1) sit
upright and 2) let your elbows fall comfortably at your side.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The result: you get to ride and see the world
around you.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is so much better that
being hunched over the handlebars.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
drawbacks of an upright ride are that you won’t obtain an “aero” position and
won’t go superfast.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But that’s not what
a city commuter bike is meant to do.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">IGH (internal gear hub).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Again, the great benefit in having an IGH in a commuter is you can downshift
gears while at a stop.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is easier on
your knees!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Has a nice range of 7 gears
in the included Shimano Nexus hub.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I had
had an issue with an earlier Nexus 7 hub that kind of froze up when I left this
bike out in sub 32 degree weather.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>That
issue was not duplicated when I used a Shimano Alfine 8 speed hub, though. We
shall see if this Nexus hub freezes up like the old models.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Generator powered light. This light works when you pedal. It
is not a bright light by any means, but it helps cars see you when you are
coming towards them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The brand of the
light is “Basta” which has a good reputation in Europe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Perhaps I can replace the bulb when it gives
out with an LED light.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>LEDs give you
more light using the same battery as a basic bulb that you have in flashlights,
for example.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Chainguard.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I’ve
mentioned before, to attract bikes to the masses, you need to make bikes
friendly to everyone. That means being able to ride bikes in everyday
clothes.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>You can safely wear pants to ride this
bike with the chainguard!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>No need to
wear spandex or even rolling up your pants legs so that they won’t get
caught in the chain.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dislikes:</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Fenders. I like that this bike came with fenders.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Fenders are great when riding in the rain as
they prevent rain splatter from going up your back as you ride in the rain. But
REI put on some steel fenders on this bike.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That may have been a mistake. I recently chipped the front fender and
there is some rust forming on there (see pix).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Perhaps, they should have installed some aluminum or plastic fenders to
avoid this.</span><br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-toi9HCVu2F0/UgqPhXC80HI/AAAAAAAAAXw/vjI94mPaPnE/s1600/IMG_0628.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-toi9HCVu2F0/UgqPhXC80HI/AAAAAAAAAXw/vjI94mPaPnE/s320/IMG_0628.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Cork handgrips.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
will sometimes leave this bike outside at a bike rack and exposed to the sun
and elements.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After I left it out one
time, I came back to it and found that the cork grips were sticky. I’m not sure
if the sun did it or a little bit of rain, but the cork seems to be
releasing some goo.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t feel good t</span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">o ride
and have some sticky residue left in your hands after you dismount.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The cork grips look cool and are very
aesthetic, but a better choice would have been to use rubber.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Summary. This is a great commuting bike and outfitted
nicely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some quibbles don’t
distract from the fact that it is an excellent short-range, city commuter.</span></div>
pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-86024478514911088362013-04-03T12:50:00.000-07:002013-04-03T12:50:16.671-07:00Floating style chainguard.
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sorry I haven't posted in so long. Still bicycling/commuting. Not as much
due to work and family but I can’t give it up! </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">So I bought this chainguard from a local cyclist that was
selling his on craigslist. Pretty sure it’s this OGK chainguard by Soma
Fabrications:</span></div>
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<a href="http://store.somafab.com/ogkchainguards.html"><span style="color: blue; font-family: Calibri;">http://store.somafab.com/ogkchainguards.html</span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The only hangup was that the seat tube was a little thicker
than the downtube.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So, I had to use a
larger hoseclamp for the thicker tube. The included tube wraparounds weren’t
long enough.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I couldn’t get it to set
flat and upright. It kinda juts out in the back, but since your pants go up when you pedal, it doesn’t get caught.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Gotta
be careful when you bring you straddle the bike, or you could hit it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Kinda “floats” over the chain. Pretty
cool.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Working well so far.</span></div>
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkmrfpeOm78/UVyHUcuQsBI/AAAAAAAAAW4/5KN8W3CwfnE/s1600/IMG00718-20130323-1203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-PkmrfpeOm78/UVyHUcuQsBI/AAAAAAAAAW4/5KN8W3CwfnE/s320/IMG00718-20130323-1203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H5xqxPO4EuI/UVyHYM3_afI/AAAAAAAAAXA/8U3SuqiNe1M/s1600/IMG00719-20130323-1203.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-H5xqxPO4EuI/UVyHYM3_afI/AAAAAAAAAXA/8U3SuqiNe1M/s320/IMG00719-20130323-1203.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-19162968229931961812012-02-13T10:59:00.001-08:002012-02-13T11:08:21.790-08:00<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AV8-JaRTyVQ/TzleJb0vZpI/AAAAAAAAAWs/oD8i7IkdpV4/s1600/alfine.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 213px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5708697518849615506" border="0" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-AV8-JaRTyVQ/TzleJb0vZpI/AAAAAAAAAWs/oD8i7IkdpV4/s320/alfine.jpg" /></a>So far we’ve had very mild winter temperatures. This weekend, however, we had a cold blast that came down from Canada and dropped our temperatures to below freezing. I think yesterday’s high was around 31 and Saturday was a little bit colder. Thus, I left my bike outside rather than in the comfort of my garage to try an experiment.<br /><br /><div><br /><div><br /><br /><div>This morning (temp 25 degrees) I rode it after it sat outside the whole weekend and it shifted fine. I had a prior problem with the Nexus 7 that seemed to not shift during prolonged subfreezing temperatures. For the Nexus 7, the indicator showed that I had downshifted or upshifted, but the gear inside the hub did not move. I can only attribute this to subfreezing temperatures since it shifted fine when things warmed up. Maybe the Nexus 7 uses a more liquid-type grease in there (?). So count this as an advantage for the Nexus Alfine.</div><br /><div><br />I realize that our cold temperatures are laughable to some of you in colder climes, but there you go. Maybe if average temps are the in the teens or single digits, it could affect the Alfine, but we haven’t gotten those this year. And, I don’t know if I would have any desire to ride in that kind of weather, lol.</div></div></div>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-50187054761674026702011-11-28T08:26:00.001-08:002011-11-28T08:27:38.135-08:00Paid $60 for this Dahon on Craigslist!<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BemH_HRUlt0/TtO2Uarm_tI/AAAAAAAAAWI/GSrset5ltaw/s1600/IMG00327-20111021-1204.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 240px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5680084016920198866" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BemH_HRUlt0/TtO2Uarm_tI/AAAAAAAAAWI/GSrset5ltaw/s320/IMG00327-20111021-1204.jpg" /></a>Picked up this Dahon Vitesse 3 speed on CL recently. It was actually $100, but the guy threw in his El Bolso bag with it. The El Bolso hadn’t even been used! Well, I sold the El Bolso for $40. Thus, my net for the Dahon was $60. I don’t know what I’ll do with another bike, but at this price I couldn’t pass it up. I’ll post a review later.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-55148168404134740682011-09-27T12:49:00.000-07:002011-09-27T12:51:35.663-07:00Another Dollar Store Find.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImLNKsUK7KQ/ToIpP8j3NkI/AAAAAAAAAVo/1tQjb65KhFs/s1600/airhorn.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ImLNKsUK7KQ/ToIpP8j3NkI/AAAAAAAAAVo/1tQjb65KhFs/s320/airhorn.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657129435862087234" border="0" /></a><br /><meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" 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mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p class="MsoNormal" style="font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:100%;">Found this at the Dollar Tree.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Anyone who commutes in an urban area could really use this air horn.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">I carry one of these by mask taping it to my handlebar.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">When you’ve expended all the air, just tear it off and do it again.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Masking tape leaves very little, if any, sticky residue. </span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">Or you could always carry it on our waist or backpack. Also, helpful to scare away dogs.</span><span style="font-size:100%;"> </span><span style="font-size:100%;">For $1, it’s a steal.</span></p>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-33625587743264950902011-07-07T13:08:00.000-07:002011-07-07T13:20:10.781-07:00Re-lubing, Re-conditioning the Downtube front suspension fork.As I posted <a href="http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2010/12/downtube-front-fork-swap-out.html">earlier</a>, I found that my stock downtube 8H front fork did not have as much travel as my Full suspension downtube. I ended up buying an earlier downtube front fork from J. Monti. It did have more travel. The fork worked well, but I could detect a little grittiness coming from the fork as I bounced it up and down.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGtDv0iomrU/ThYS2gLmYNI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/6idT-T90-KQ/s1600/shock.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BGtDv0iomrU/ThYS2gLmYNI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/6idT-T90-KQ/s320/shock.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626705512006836434" border="0" /></a><br />So, I undertook this project to recondition, or relube, the front fork so it could have freer up/down play. Tools needed:<br />*Socket extension bar (I think mine is 9” or 10”)<br />*5mm socket<br />*Cheap Automobile grease (I used Coastal hi-temp grease)<br />*Skintight nitrile or other surgical type gloves (to keep your hands clean)<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_Ho5kwf4eU/ThYTXP6HTyI/AAAAAAAAAVY/dEPO9_x-KUc/s1600/shock2.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-5_Ho5kwf4eU/ThYTXP6HTyI/AAAAAAAAAVY/dEPO9_x-KUc/s320/shock2.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626706074574212898" border="0" /></a><br />It is a straightforward job. You undo the Vbrakes, remove the wheel. Remove the protective caps on the top of the suspension fork. Insert the socket extension until you feel yourself gripping the screw head. Then, just turn counterclockwise. The fork will separate from the bottom part when you fully loosen the screws. And, the bottom fork bars will slide down.<br /><br />As you hold the bottom part of the fork, turn it over. The springs will come out. There are some rubber (?) inserts/bushings at the top and bottom of the springs (see pix).That’s pretty much it.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSsXAhgUDJw/ThYTiKCS0nI/AAAAAAAAAVg/wSnEAwp_U4I/s1600/shock3.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oSsXAhgUDJw/ThYTiKCS0nI/AAAAAAAAAVg/wSnEAwp_U4I/s320/shock3.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5626706261976470130" border="0" /></a><br />As I suspected, the springs were dry. Some dirt may have penetrated there contributing to that gritty feeling. I lightly cleaned the springs with a cloth. You can be anal and dip the springs in gasoline or some other solvent, but I didn’t do that. Then, I just liberally slogged the grease on the springs all over. I guess the springs looked like tree branches after freezing rain (only with grease not ice). Then, I dropped the springs in the bottom part of the fork, connected it to the top part, and rescrewed. Finally, attach the wheel and brakes.<br /><br />Much better. I now have a front fork that “gives” much better than it used to. This is a job you can do if you want more play or, I guess, if you have too much play, you can remove some excess grease and dry up your front fork a little. I was afraid that there would be some sort of complicated spring mechanism that I would have trouble putting back together. It was nothing like that.<br /><br />This guide doesn’t have to be limited to DT bikes, but other MTB-type bikes esp. with cheap suspension forks. You’d just need a longer extension (maybe) or a different size socket.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-27628754715753848032011-06-28T10:54:00.001-07:002011-06-28T10:59:44.047-07:00Folding bike at COSTCO!<meta equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8"><meta name="ProgId" content="Word.Document"><meta name="Generator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><meta name="Originator" content="Microsoft Word 12"><link rel="File-List" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cjdimas%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_filelist.xml"><link rel="themeData" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cjdimas%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_themedata.thmx"><link rel="colorSchemeMapping" href="file:///C:%5CDOCUME%7E1%5Cjdimas%5CLOCALS%7E1%5CTemp%5Cmsohtmlclip1%5C01%5Cclip_colorschememapping.xml"><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml> <w:worddocument> <w:view>Normal</w:View> <w:zoom>0</w:Zoom> 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line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoPapDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; margin-bottom:10.0pt; line-height:115%;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.0in 1.0in 1.0in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style><!--[if gte mso 10]> <style> /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:10.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:115%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;} </style> <![endif]--> <p style="font-family: times new roman;" class="MsoNormal">Spotted this folding bike yesterday when I was at the COSTCO.<span style=""> </span>This model looks like those old Hummer/Montague folding bikes of yesteryear. Price was $399.99 USD. <span style=""> </span>Bike had 26” wheels and had an impressive looking air rear suspension.<span style=""> </span>It is also equipped with disc brakes and front suspension.<span style=""> </span>I noticed that the rear derailleur was “Altus”. <span style=""> </span>Model of the bike was “Cam Rock”. The box said the company was “Kent Bicycles”, which are not known for providing quality bikes.<span style=""> </span>COSTCO usually stands by their products so perhaps this is different.<span style=""> </span>
<br /></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: times new roman;">Anyway, I got excited to see a folding bike at a well-known retailer like COSTCO.</span><span style="">
<br /></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7TW2Cr-n49U/TgoVr6tfoFI/AAAAAAAAAVI/RCgGwLcKO3w/s1600/camrock.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-7TW2Cr-n49U/TgoVr6tfoFI/AAAAAAAAAVI/RCgGwLcKO3w/s200/camrock.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5623330928964116562" border="0" /></a></p> pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-34037554436113499662011-04-28T12:59:00.000-07:002011-04-28T13:08:58.928-07:00A Request for Bike Tube Manufactures: Put the Seams Away from the Center!I've repaired my share of flats in my day and 9 times out of 10, the puncture is at the center of the tube. And, it's usually right next to the joining raised seam of the rubber tube. For repairing a flat, you have to ground down the area around the h<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y_MNbevXkFE/TbnJCSz01PI/AAAAAAAAAU8/PRHOZCpE1dA/s1600/tube.jpg"><img style="MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; FLOAT: left; HEIGHT: 200px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5600728652858053874" border="0" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-y_MNbevXkFE/TbnJCSz01PI/AAAAAAAAAU8/PRHOZCpE1dA/s200/tube.jpg" /></a>ole with that mini scraper. With the puncture next to the seam, it makes it harder to grind away most of the raised joining seam. Sometimes I've had unsuccessful flat repairs because I didn't prep (i.e. grind down the seam) the area around the hole enough.<br /><br /><br /><div>I was wondering why bike tube manufacturers don't put this seam on the sides or at another place where punctures don't usually happen. Or, how about putting the seam on the inside of the tube (and inverted seam tube!)? I don't know if this is even possible with bike tubes but I thought I'd post about my gripe.</div>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-21869496970780909442011-03-07T09:08:00.001-08:002011-03-07T09:10:30.353-08:00Best shoes for casual riding: Leather and cheap.As I’ve mentioned, I don’t clip in anymore. My short trips and urban riding make it much easier to just wear everyday shoes and platform pedals. That usually means dress shoes for commuting to my subway stop. Or nicer, dress casual shoes for dress-down days.<br /><br />When I do errand running or long weekend rides, I tend to wear tennis shoes. These shoes most always feature leather uppers. It’s amazing what kind of hits and dings your feet take when biking. When stopped, I tend to rotate my pedals to a 1 to 3 o’clock position. This enables me to pedal off quickly when I have to go. I bring up my pedals with the top of my shoes to get to this position. Jagged or sharp platfor<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_UkDNJwMhs/TXURNTV1gNI/AAAAAAAAAUs/HiR5BtoYA70/s1600/IMG00148-20110224-2139.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-I_UkDNJwMhs/TXURNTV1gNI/AAAAAAAAAUs/HiR5BtoYA70/s320/IMG00148-20110224-2139.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581386233423429842" border="0" /></a>m pedals can scuff your shoes as you do this. Using shoes make of synthetic materials i.e. running shoes means that they will scuff quickly and could tear. Try to go for leather uppers instead. I prefer them to be white in color. Darker colors tend to heat up quicker in the sun.<br /><br />I’ve found that leather tennis shoes are really great in cutting out the scuffs and dings. And, there are so many manufacturers of these types of tennis shoes that it’s easy to find them relatively cheap. I think I bought the two shoes in the pix at Marshalls or Ross discount apparel stores. I just picked up the Fila’s at the top for $19.99 (!). Read the label on the inside of the tongue to make sure you get leather uppers. Manufacturers are legally required to put the content of their shoes on the tongue. There are many shoes that look like leather, but in reality are synthetic.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-59353286975531547252011-02-07T10:53:00.000-08:002011-02-07T10:55:48.514-08:00Falling is easier on a folding bike.Add the above to the benefits of riding a folding bike. This morning I took a tumble over some black ice. I went around this little puddle, which I could see was glazed at the top. Turns out that the radius of ice surrounding the pond was greater than I thought. I went around it and my Brompton fishtailed from under me. I landed on my hands ok. My only scrape was my back heel, which was probably caught under one of pedals. Did not tear any of my clothing and my gloves didn’t even get wet.<br /><br />I was not going that fast so that probably helped. I’m thinking that the small dimensions of my bike allowed me to straddle over it enough to land on my hands. Also, the small wheels probably keep you closer to the ground. I keep thinking that if I was on my full size bike, it would have been a bad fall. I think I could have ended up on my side with a bruised shoulder or maybe even a broken collarbone. <br /><br />Anyway, I’m glad I’m ok and will give such puddles plenty of clearance in the future. Be safe out there.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-42664381321047557162011-01-05T20:05:00.000-08:002011-01-05T20:07:04.150-08:00Rolling On The Floor Laughing (ROTFL).<object width="640" height="390"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/uSPp6nniTM8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowScriptAccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/uSPp6nniTM8&hl=en_US&feature=player_embedded&version=3" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowScriptAccess="always" width="640" height="390"></embed></object>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-41011919256597471532010-12-30T21:15:00.000-08:002010-12-30T21:19:03.807-08:00Downtube front fork swap out.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TR1nu3H8KkI/AAAAAAAAAUg/i3puqeitwGw/s1600/dtfork.JPG"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 214px;" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TR1nu3H8KkI/AAAAAAAAAUg/i3puqeitwGw/s320/dtfork.JPG" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556711570013956674" /></a><br />I may have mentioned this in one of my earlier posts that the 2009.5 Downtubes have a different front suspension fork that earlier ones. You can tell because there seems to be less travel in the new fork than the old ones. If you look at some pictures of new DT bikes, the shiny inner part of the fork seems to be a few centimeters shorter than the older ones. I like my bike to have a cushy front fork (i.e. more travel).<br /><br />After a long search, I found a guy that had a front fork from an old Downtube (Thanks, Joseph Monti!). I paid $35 for his fork shipped. In addition, it’s kinda hard to find compatible forks for Downtube. They have to be 1 1/8” diameter and threaded. And, as I understand it, all threads are not alike. They’re supposed to be standard, but I’ve heard of some threads that do not match. I asked some LBS guys about buying a non-threaded fork and have them “cut” threads for one. They were wary about the threads matching and recommended against this.<br /><br />Sure, you can buy a new fork on the DT site, but I was afraid I’d get one of the newer lesser suspension forks. After I got it, I immediately compressed it by hand on my floor and was confident it would work because it ‘gave’ way more than the old one. (BTW, Downtube has some fancy suspension adjustable forks on their site, but they are about $1K. That’s more than a new Downtube bike!)<br /><br />The swap was fairly straightforward since everything matched. It was more time-consuming to move the brakes to the new fork and dial those in. The result: yes, my DT does have more cushiness, but some of the grease inside this replacement fork may have dried up. It could be better. Also, the color of the fork is dark blue so it doesn’t match my red bike (minor negative). I’ll probably have to take the fork apart and relube it. That will be a subject of a future post.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-89861887176238910212010-11-25T22:23:00.000-08:002010-11-25T22:45:13.520-08:00Brompton Assembly Video.Recorded this snippet from a TV show on how the Brommie is made. Pretty cool stuff.<br /><br /><object width="400" height="300"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=17207491&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=17207491&server=vimeo.com&show_title=1&show_byline=1&show_portrait=1&color=00ADEF&fullscreen=1&autoplay=0&loop=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="300"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/17207491">Brommie Assembly.</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/user5029565">jo dimes</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-51391203399129051222010-11-11T20:17:00.000-08:002010-11-11T20:20:47.030-08:00Cateye Vectra Wireless Speedometer Quickie Review<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TNzAb61aj_I/AAAAAAAAAUU/xTZ9EHvPcis/s1600/cateye.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538513227641163762" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 200px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TNzAb61aj_I/AAAAAAAAAUU/xTZ9EHvPcis/s200/cateye.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>I ran this Cateye Vectra first on the Brompton then on the Downtube. I bought it in February 2009 and just recently it started messing up. I could hear the magnet clicking on every turn of the wheel, but it would not register as a revolution on the main unit. At first I thought it was the battery so I replaced that (both on the main unit and the wheel sensor). That didn’t solve the problem.<br /><br />I thought maybe that my cell phone was interfering with the signal transmission, but a few rides without my cell proved that theory wrong. I finally figured out that the unit had to be closer to the wheel sensor. The main unit needed to be nearer about an extra three to six inches. I don’t know why this Cateye started putting out a weaker signal all of a sudden.<br /><br />Needless to say I couldn’t bring the unit closer to the wheel sensor unless I brought the handlebars down considerably. Or, install some 12” wheels on the Downtube, ha-ha.<br /></div><br /><div>I can’t recommend this Cateye Vectra. It lasted about 1 year and 8 months. Cateye supposedly makes good quality units. It was pricey, too. MSRP is/was $40 but I paid $35 for it on sale.</div>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-74020330199482846282010-10-19T20:13:00.000-07:002010-10-19T20:19:10.197-07:00Primo Comet Tires on Downtube 8H.<div>I was getting a little tired of the sluggishness from the Kenda Kwests that came with the Downtube 8H so I picked up some Primo Comet tires. These tires have gotten some good reviews on the Bikeforums community. They are smooth tire with just a very slight line pattern.<br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TL5fNqrlHFI/AAAAAAAAAUE/K63yTGDNQts/s1600/primo.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529962080857562194" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TL5fNqrlHFI/AAAAAAAAAUE/K63yTGDNQts/s200/primo.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, the tires are a big improvement over the Kendas, but I wouldn’t say it is like night and day in terms of change. The tires roll better than the Kendas, but I still detect a little hugging or grippishness (is that a word?) of the road. I think they could be a little nimbler. Another positive for the Primo comets are that they are 100psi tires. This is probably what makes them roll better than the Kendas. The Kendas max out at 60psi.<br /><br />A caveat is in order, though. I continued the pattern of having a fatter tire in the back vs. the thin one in the front. The Kendas were 20x1.75” rear tire vs. 20x1.5” in the front. The Primos I went with are 1.90” for the rear tire vs. 1.50” for the front.<br /><br />Why did I do this? I guess I “drank the koolaid” in that Downtube puts a wider tire in the rear for various reasons. I quote from the DT site:<br /><br /><em>Q Why do you have different front and rear tires on some models?<br />A This is one of the best features of our bikes. Note the forces on the front wheel are push based, and pull based on the rear. Pushing is "harder" than pulling, hence more energy is wasted up front. Hence we thinned the front tire. Additionally, the seat tube is angled back more weight is distributed towards the rear of the bike. Hence we put a wide rear tire for traction. This configuration is highly efficient, and very safe.<br /></em><br />I believe some other bicycle experts also have recommended this, maybe even the late Sheldon Brown, but I’m not 100% sure on that.<br /><br />Maybe I should have just kept a 1.5” Primo comet in the back (?). In addition, I couldn’t find a 1.75” Primo comet tire for the rear. The next closest size was 1.90” so I went with <a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TL5fZV6VuWI/AAAAAAAAAUM/VJMCmR1YERI/s1600/primo2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5529962281440754018" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TL5fZV6VuWI/AAAAAAAAAUM/VJMCmR1YERI/s200/primo2.JPG" border="0" /></a>that. Maybe I installed too fat of a tire.<br /><br />Another surprise is the weight of these tires vs. the Kendas. I weighed the Primos and the front one weighed 12.5 oz and the rear weighed 20oz. Both of these tires weigh just a little over 32oz, or 2 lbs, together. The Kendas weigh right around 1 lb each. The front Kenda tire was just a smidgen lighter than the rear. Therefore, you’re getting better performing and higher PSI tires for the same weight.<br /><br />Bottom line: a nice upgrade over the Kenda Kwests, but still could be better. The best rolling tire I have found for a small wheeled bike is the yellow tag Brompton brand stock tires. Those roll very well and are 100psi tires.<br /><br />Tag: Primo comet tire review.</div>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-26005810967290466422010-09-16T11:19:00.000-07:002010-09-16T11:36:17.464-07:00Bike locker.<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TJJg5EcrGEI/AAAAAAAAAT8/M-CRYwC5h0I/s1600/IMG00044-20100826-0912.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517579027045095490" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TJJg5EcrGEI/AAAAAAAAAT8/M-CRYwC5h0I/s200/IMG00044-20100826-0912.jpg" border="0" /></a> Thought I’d post a pix of my bike locker. I’ve been renting out this bike locker from our transit authority. Cost is $87/year (although they are going to jack up the price to $200+ due to budget shortfalls). The locker is right on my subway stop. Thus, all I do is ride to my stop, put the bicycle in the locker, lock it up and get on the subway. Also, the space in the locker is like a triangle. You are supposed to “back in” your bike (handlebars will be towards the front). <div><div><br />Great things about a bike locker:<br />-Bike is protected from the elements<br />-You can commute in an expensive bike w/o fear of it being stolen<br />-You can leave expensive lights, speedo, and other pricey accessories on the bike w/o fear of the<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TJJgaXtdfqI/AAAAAAAAAT0/ojAKdqmyfRA/s1600/bikelocker.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5517578499639836322" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TJJgaXtdfqI/AAAAAAAAAT0/ojAKdqmyfRA/s200/bikelocker.jpg" border="0" /></a>m being ripped off (literally). See my earlier post: <a href="http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2008/12/wanton-vandalism.html">http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2008/12/wanton-vandalism.html</a></div><br /><div>Cons:<br />-Yearly cost. Ok, nothing in life is free. </div><div>-My bikes are "average" sized so they fit fine in the locker. However, if you have a large-sized bike I think that they may be too tall for this particular locker style.<br />-Spiders and other insects seem to like living in adjacent lockers and sometimes hang out in mine.</div><br /><div>The first photo is my own bike locker when I rode the brompton one day. The second is a picture I found when I googled the phrase "bike locker". It is the exact same model as mine. I can also fit the brompton (folded) and a regular size bike in one locker. </div></div>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-57164837964740736432010-08-26T10:21:00.001-07:002010-08-26T10:24:23.893-07:00Cars slow down. Bikes don't have to.My fair city/county (Arlington, VA) has got these neat speed bumps that have 2 grooves for bikes to go through. This is a great idea! The one I posted in my pix below is on a downhill, so I especially zoom down this incline.<br /><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/THai6c11wTI/AAAAAAAAATk/CMe2AZ8fMV4/s1600/bumps.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509770319192506674" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 200px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 150px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/THai6c11wTI/AAAAAAAAATk/CMe2AZ8fMV4/s200/bumps.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />I don’t think cars can cross the double yellow line in order to bypass these bumps (both wheels over the cut-outs). My neighbor told me that the local cops were ticketing cars that were doing this (I haven’t seen this). Rather, they should let the left wheel take the cut-out and right wheel go over the bump (on their side of the road). Hooray for traffic calming!pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-11138787743814883022010-07-23T18:16:00.000-07:002010-07-23T18:20:42.858-07:00Upgrades to Downtube 8H.Hey all. Wanted to post a picture of some upgrades I’ve done to the Downtube 8H and explain them. Really enjoying the bike thus far. No problems yet. Still looking for a replacement front fork. Like I mentioned before, the Zoom fork doesn’t give as much as I’d like. It’s more of a road dampener.<br /><br />Here’s the pix and what I’ve done.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TEo_RUM7jdI/AAAAAAAAATE/gAyU4ynkIro/s1600/dt.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5497275861872381394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TEo_RUM7jdI/AAAAAAAAATE/gAyU4ynkIro/s320/dt.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />New front ring: Ended up swapping out the front ring for a 38T ring (it came with a 46T front ring). I think the stock gearing on the 8H is a little high. There are some steep hills in my area that I need some help with in the form of a lower gear. If I lived in a flat area, I wouldn’t have done this upgrade.<br /><br />Chainguard: You know I use my bikes for commuting in dress pants and khakis. Thus, I consider a chainguard a necessity. The stock 8H comes with a bashguard chain cover ring, that is ok. But as you ride your bike, the wind WILL whip your pants into the chain giving you some stains. The chainguard eliminates these problems. The chainguard brand is SKS. It fits front rings up to 40T. Also, the rear part of the chainguard expands and contracts so you can adjust it to fit. Also, you have to remove the bottom bracket to loop this chainguard around the front part.<br /><br />Fenders: As I mentioned, the 8H comes with a rear fender only. And, the stock fender gives you 25% or so in coverage for the rear wheel. In the rain, this will give you some coverage, but not as good as a 50% coverage fender. I got that in the Planet bike 20” recumbent fender. The front fender is a Planet bike 20” front-wheel recumbent fender. The Planet bike fenders also have a very cool looking rubber slightly upraised flaps at the ends.<br /><br />Pedals: Swapped the stock Wellgo folding pedals for some BMX-type pedals. The pedals are slightly lighter in weight (they are clear hard plastic) than the Wellgos and are wider which gives you more area to put your dogs on them. They also have upraised nubs that give you traction.<br /><br />Rear rack: I took off the stock rack because it rides too low and close to the rear wheel. This causes heel strike if you use side pannier bags (which I often do). I installed an old “Performance Bike” rack that rides higher and eliminates the heel strike problem. I had to bend the rack extensions somewhat. A plus for the 8H is that it has plenty of holes to add another kind of rack. In a way, I hated to do this upgrade because the stock rack is custom designed for the 8H and is very aesthetically pleasing.<br /><br />Reflective strips: Added some reflective strips for nighttime visibility. Although you can’t tell from the picture, the strips are red. The camera flash made it look a different color. I got these strips on ebay. They are plentiful there in all the colors you can think of. Shipping is low for most of these reflective strips since sellers can just put them in an envelope and ship them to you for the price of a stamp. I may have paid $2-3 total for these strips and had some left over.<br /><br />That’s about it. Let me know if you see an old Downtube front suspension fork. I'm looking for one.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-55881531118410081292010-06-19T19:05:00.000-07:002010-08-14T13:22:06.773-07:00Keeping Your Toes Protected in Summer: Keen Newport Sandals<em>8/14/10 Update. I've gotta pull my recommendation of these sandals. The reason: foot odor. Mind you I don't have a foot odor problem, but my feet smell with these sandals. The inner soles say "anti odor anatomic footbed" but that doesn't prevent my problem. I don't understand why since these Newports are pretty well ventilated. The only time I've had a foot odor problem was when I wore some waterproof (and non ventilated) Rockport shoes. My feet got really hot in those, which caused the foot odor after a while. Since I didn't buy these at REI, I'll have to keep them. I'll wear them while bicycling, but I'll try not to walk with them so much.</em><br /><br />Summer's here and I doing more casual riding. By this I mean going to the grocery store, ATM machine, ice cream or coffee shop. I had been doing this with my running sneakers, but when you ride in the summer your feet can get hot quickly. This made me look for some sandals so I could get some air circulation/coolness in my feet. However, all the sandals I saw provided inadequate protection for my toes.<br /><br />Basically, all sandals "expose" your toes. They all come with some straps around the other parts of your feet to keep them in place. And, I'm not about to wear flip flops because they look and feel flimsy. I'm kinda sensitive to protecting my toes since I severely mashed my "index" toe while riding a cruiser with flip flops as a kid.<br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TB14C2lueII/AAAAAAAAAS8/KAsvV9WsCHc/s1600/keens.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5484671911615953026" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 320px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TB14C2lueII/AAAAAAAAAS8/KAsvV9WsCHc/s320/keens.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />I was familiar with Keen Newports but I had dismissed them a few years ago because they were a little fugly. I never saw them as a biking shoe/sandal. As I thought more protecting my toes, the only sandals that seemed to offer what I was looking for were the Keen Newports. They have this really strong rubber toe box/cap, which I like. The sandals offer plenty of cross ventilation. They look very well made as their stitching looks strong.<br /><br />The negatives I have with them are that: 1) they're still not that strong in the looks department, 2) The insoles are hard; I wish they had cushier, softer insoles and 3) they're slightly heavier than your basic sandals. There are some reviews out there that say that Keen Newports are the most comfortable sandals ever made. I wouldn't go that far, though.<br /><br />Anyway, if you're looking for some summer sandals that can protect your toes while biking, I would consider the Keen Newports. (Tag: Review of Keen Newport Sandals)pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-184459211452269172010-06-10T08:44:00.000-07:002010-06-19T19:14:44.694-07:00Avoid This Cheap Chinese SpeedometerEvery once in a while I come across an apparently smoking deal on a bike item. Knowing how expensive bike stuff is generally, I usually jump on these deals just to save a few bucks. Such was the case when I found out about this Speedometer from Meritline and/or Dealextreme.<br /><br />I think I paid about $4 shipped (from Hong Kong, I think), for this speedo. Meritline/Dealextr<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TBEJLa7gRaI/AAAAAAAAASw/UyR_cRezQ5c/s1600/speedo.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5481172313298716066" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/TBEJLa7gRaI/AAAAAAAAASw/UyR_cRezQ5c/s320/speedo.JPG" border="0" /></a>eme will often offer % off codes like SAVE10 or SAVE20 for an additional percentage off.<br /><br />For 2-3 months or so, it worked well. It had an annoying habit of cycling through a variety of functions like cadence, distance, time etc. That was ok since all I care about is tracking of my mileage.<br /><br />Then, the problems began. First, the display would fade when I left the bike out in hot sunny days. In addition, the rain would somehow penetrate the display and you could see water beading inside it. To dry it out, you had to leave it out in the sun (!). I bought 2 more units and I figured I could swap one out when one needed to dry out. With about $12 invested, I figured it was a fair tradeoff. Wrong. All the units developed the same problem. Pretty soon, they all stopped working. After a few months, I had no more reserve units.<br /><br />Below is a link for this product (which may be defunct by the time you read this)<br /><br /><a href="http://www.meritline.com/14-function-bicycle-lcd-odometer-speedometer---p-35788.aspx?source=s2010">http://www.meritline.com/14-function-bicycle-lcd-odometer-speedometer---p-35788.aspx?source=s2010</a><br /><br />I can’t believe how cheap it is to ship something from the Far East. I’m sure the cost for the labor and parts for this unit must run in the pennies with the rest of the balance being the cost for shipping. Welcome to the global economy!<br /><br />Moral of the story: Get yourself a nice branded speedometer/trip computer like a Cateye from a bike shop. You won’t regret it.pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-36254116004921405812010-05-12T21:49:00.000-07:002010-06-19T19:16:01.547-07:00Can A Folder Make It As An Everyday Commuter? Review of Downtube 8HThat is the question. The answer: we’ll see.<br /><br />Ok, I’m transitioning to this Downtube 2009.5 8H as my everyday commuter. That means I’m selling the Novara, which is a great bike but it’s a little too big for me (sniff-sniff). Anyway, I bought this 8H for 3 reasons: it’s lightweight (26.5 lbs), has a front suspension fork and an IGH.<br /><br />I’m intrigued by commuting on a light(er) bike and seeing if that makes any difference in my speed and tiredness (or lack of it). A lighter bike, and in this case a folder, may wear down quicker as it piles up the miles, though. We shall see.<br /><br />In terms of the front supension fork, I sought out a bike with this type of fork because of my non traditional commute where I drop curbs, cut through parking lots and generally have more of an urban assault commute rather than a pastoral bike path ride through the countryside. You know my fondness for IGHs on bikes so I won’t go into that here. The 8H seems to have all these covered.<br /><br />I’ve got about 50 miles on this bike and here are my likes and dislikes.<br /><br />Agility: I guess I knew this from riding my Dahon Yeah and Brompton, but these small 20” wheeled bikes make a difference in making quick direction changes and avoiding obstacles on your ride. This is a definite plus. There are a couple of times on my commute where I have to cut in and out of this heavily trafficked<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S-uHbfIgY3I/AAAAAAAAASo/_acUwYaUZB4/s1600/8H_Red_Standing_small[1].jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470615078654993266" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 223px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S-uHbfIgY3I/AAAAAAAAASo/_acUwYaUZB4/s320/8H_Red_Standing_small%5B1%5D.jpg" border="0" /></a> street and the small wheels help as I dart in and out.<br /><br />Fitability: Not sure if that is a word, but you can adjust this bike to fit you more than other folding bikes. The front stem slides up and down. I think you can invert the handlebars in if you are stretched out too much (I have not done this, but I know this could be helpful for some shorter people I know). The handlebars are adjustable so you can tilt them up for a more upright ride or down for a more MTB like position. I heard some people complain that they could not ride a Brompton because they felt somewhat cramped. A DT should be better in this regard.<br /><br />Ride: Like my first Downtube full suspension, this bike provides a very stable ride. Not sure if the bike has a longer wheelbase and whether that has something to do with it, but the ride is not twitchy like the Brompton.<br /><br />IGH: The Sturmey Archer 8FR is a solid IGH thus far. Not as good as the Alfine on the Novara, but still good. The Alfine allows you to downshift while pedaling, while this one does not, for example. The range is plenty adequate. In terms of the stock gearing, the bike is a little too high geared for me. I live in a hilly area so I try to have a bike with a low gear so I can tackle the hills here. I’m thinking of swapping out the front ring for a smaller one.<br /><br />Front fork: This is my major dislike of the bike. I was expecting a more mushy front suspension fork (like on my other Downtube FS), but this one is different. It is a Zoom transarch adjustable fork. That means you can turn a screw in it and it should give you a cushy suspension or a stiffer one. The problem is that setting it at its cushy setting causes it to bottom out. I’ve played with the various settings and I still can’t get it to “give” the way I like it (and rebound back). Putting it at midrange or stiff gives a little bit of give, but not at what I would like (there’s no bottoming out at midrange or stiff). If the bike came with an identical preloaded Zoom fork like my first Downtube, I would not give this a negative.<br /><br />I’ve already emailed Yan Lyansky (owner of Downtube) about this and he suggested that I send it in for warranty repair. I won’t do this, because I think that the fork works as intended and would probably be a waste and time and postage. I’m trying to see if anyone has an old Zoom preload fork that they can sell to me (Yan said they don’t have any more). If anyone out there has one, let me know. I’m also going to look into kids MTBs with suspensions to see if those would work for this bike.<br /><br />Fender: The bike came with this quarter fender for the rear and nothing for the front. Come on! The rear fender will not do enough to prevent road spray up your back and you get nothing up front(!) If you commute, you WILL ride in the rain (unless you live in Death Valley, CA). Get yourself some full coverage fenders. I will.<br /><br />Tires: The bike comes with the basic Kenda Kwest tires. Ok, but you can probably get more zippiness by upgrading to some Marathon’s or another high quality tire. If I end up gashing one of these tires, I’ll upgrade asap. Until then, I’ll keep these on.<br /><br />Rear rack: The included rack fits well, but sits too low if you want to do side panniers. I encountered a problem with heel strike (back of my heel hits my bag as I pedal) with the included rack. I have already installed a taller rack. With bag riding higher, I don’t have that problem anymore.<br /><br />Saddle: The saddle is some sort of light “Velo” saddle. It is lightweight. That’s about all it’s got going for it. It doesn’t agree with my sit bones. Will upgrade to something different soon.<br /><br />All in all, I’m pretty satisfied with this 8H. The problem with the fork can be overcome with a new one. I’ll be riding it hard the next few months and maybe it’ll soften up. Except for the fork, the fenders, tires, and rack are minor quibbles that I would usually have with any bike.<br /><br />Pros: lightness, IGH, agility, stable ride, fitability<br /><br />Cons: front suspension fork, fender, tires, saddlepedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-44925125100443905082010-04-19T22:03:00.000-07:002010-04-20T07:34:37.433-07:00Fenders When You Have No Clearance.As I posted earlier, I bought these Big Apple tires to see if they really give you a full suspension ride<a href="http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-apple-tires-do-not-give-full.html">http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2009/09/big-apple-tires-do-not-give-full.html</a>. Well, they didn’t, but I did leave them on my Dahon Yeah because they are way better than the stock Kendas it came with.<br /><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802DPr2DYI/AAAAAAAAASI/IKSdZw0NvEQ/s1600/mud.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462081352448216450" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802DPr2DYI/AAAAAAAAASI/IKSdZw0NvEQ/s320/mud.JPG" border="0" /></a><br />One problem: I was not able to refit the stock fenders that came with the Yeah. The Big Apples are so big/wide that the tires just clear the forks. Regular fenders won’t work with these Big Apples. You know I love fenders because they allow you to ride in the rain and keep your clothes dry.<br /><br />I found these fenders sold here: <a href="http://www.suntekstore.com/black-plastic-bicycle-front-and-rear-mudguard-set.html">http://www.suntekstore.com/black-plastic-bicycle-front-and-rear-mudguard-set.html</a>. These items come and go so I also saved a .pdf of the page for reference <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802M6IC39I/AAAAAAAAASQ/_WnaEaecsAo/s1600/mud2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462081518459609042" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802M6IC39I/AAAAAAAAASQ/_WnaEaecsAo/s320/mud2.JPG" border="0" /></a><a href="http://mysite.verizon.net/vzet7ek9/suntek.pdf">http://mysite.verizon.net/vzet7ek9/suntek.pdf</a>. The price was pretty good, too, around $5 shipped.<br /><br />I actually bought two pairs of fenders. I used the 2 of the smaller mudguards to cover the front wheel. The larger one worked on the rear. I had a larger one left over. I cut a small hole in the back one so that the reflector post would fit through the fender and “lift” away from the tire. Again, it would have rubbed the<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802YVRdpoI/AAAAAAAAASY/ZF7hanjDmpY/s1600/mud3.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462081714725430914" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802YVRdpoI/AAAAAAAAASY/ZF7hanjDmpY/s320/mud3.JPG" border="0" /></a> tire if I had left as is. I thought about hack sawing that reflector post from the rear rack but I’m glad I didn’t.<br /><br />I know the front one looks kinda funky. But this is for function not fashion.<br /><br />Aside from turning the screws to go the other way, it was a fairly easy procedure. The screws <a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802pTV9skI/AAAAAAAAASg/YWgG-q7hNUI/s1600/mud4.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5462082006265213506" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S802pTV9skI/AAAAAAAAASg/YWgG-q7hNUI/s320/mud4.JPG" border="0" /></a>pointed toward the tire and they rubbed the tire when it rotated. I can’t wait to try these out in rain conditions!pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-24232492703258273372010-03-29T21:14:00.000-07:002010-03-29T21:21:45.366-07:00Shimano Alfine Review.<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S7F7J_9MpaI/AAAAAAAAASA/XangIqXRwj8/s1600/alfine.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5454276035439535522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S7F7J_9MpaI/AAAAAAAAASA/XangIqXRwj8/s320/alfine.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Here is my first impression (about 500 miles) review of the Shimano Alfine hub, which my Novarra has. It is the best internally geared hub that I’ve ridden. My comparisons to the Alfine are the 3 speed Sturmey Archer, which is on the Brompton, and the Shimano Nexus 7, on my old Fuji Kyoto.<br /><br />First, it is possible to shift while pedaling. This is different from the Sturmey Archer, which requires you to stop pedaling, and the Nexus 7, which gave you a little bit of resistance if you tried to do this. Of course, it’s easier to downshift when pedaling. You feel a little more resistance if you upshift when pedaling.<br /><br />Second, I did ride this IGH during the winter (even a couple of -32 degree commutes), and I encountered no problems in shifting. I had read that the grease in the hub tends to freeze up during cold commutes. Not so in my experience.<br /><br />Third, it is quiet. The Sturmey Archer gives you significant clicks in the lower gears. A little less in the high one, but still audible. The Nexus was in between the Sturmey A and the Alfine in terms of noise. </div><div><br />Finally, the range is very adequate for a city commuter. The ratios are:<br />Gear Ratio 1 0.527 Gear Ratio 2 0.644 Gear Ratio 3 0.748 Gear Ratio 4 0.851 Gear Ratio 5 1.0 Gear Ratio 6 1.223 Gear Ratio 7 1.419 Gear Ratio 8 1.615.<br /><br />I don’t have 3K miles by which to give you a fuller review of durability, but so far count me as impressed. Again, if you do a lot of stop and go riding in urban environments, you really should make the investment in an IGH equipped bike. It is more expensive than a derailleur equipped bike, but after getting used to downshifting in stops, you will not want to go back.<br /><br />My alfine is the SGS-501 model (written on the hub).</div>pedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4734363362399164430.post-36507172693613111422010-02-25T06:02:00.000-08:002010-02-25T06:11:13.512-08:00Brompton Rolling Wheels Upgrade, Pt. 2As you recall, I upgraded the original rolling wheels that come with the Brompton to roller blade wheels as covered here: <a href="http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2009/03/roller-blade-wheels-upgrade-for.html">http://utilitycyclist.blogspot.com/2009/03/roller-blade-wheels-upgrade-for.html</a> In that post, I mentioned that I was looking for some larger diameter wheels because the roller blade wheels did not allow you to roll the bike. Well, I finally found some reasonably priced Razor Scooter <a href="http://www.razor.com/">http://www.razor.com/</a> 98mm wheels that<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S4aD_xwUpZI/AAAAAAAAARw/NBzyO82yipc/s1600-h/wheels.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442182331434837394" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S4aD_xwUpZI/AAAAAAAAARw/NBzyO82yipc/s320/wheels.JPG" border="0" /></a> I installed on the Brompton. I paid $3 for them. You can also get them at regular price at a toy store like Toys R Us for around $10.<br /><br />The installation was pretty simple. Each of the Razor wheels come with two bearings. You simply remove one of the bearings since the Brompton screw is not long enough to encompass both bearings. I did not tighten the screw too much.<br /><br />How did the upgrade work? Good. I am now able to roll the bike via the fully extended saddle seatpost, but only by pushing it forward. I had visions of pulling the bike like upright luggage with pull-out handles, but that doesn’t work. Pushing it forward also has its quirks as the bike wants to lean one way as the load is not evenly balanced. It helps to hold the saddle with two hands as you push forward so you can control it from tipping to the right. As with the other roller blade wheels, there is no interference with heel strike. <a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S4aEH6YxrpI/AAAAAAAAAR4/WezbK66SFdg/s1600-h/wheels2.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5442182471190949522" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; WIDTH: 320px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 240px" alt="" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_EqgpUrE0IEs/S4aEH6YxrpI/AAAAAAAAAR4/WezbK66SFdg/s320/wheels2.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Overall, I’m satisfied with the new wheels. Pushing the bike forward saves you from lifting the bike say across a lobby or tight spaces where you can’t or shouldn’t ride. Looking at the wheels takes some getting used to since they are bigger and a lighter color than the old ones. Maybe I’m not used to them being on the Brompton. They just look huge.<br /><br />Here’s the bottom line with this upgrade:<br /><br />Pros:<br />1) Able to roll the bike (only by pushing forward, though)<br />2) No heel strike issues<br />3) Low cost<br />4) Wheels can be found most everywhere<br /><br />Cons:<br />1) Bike wants to lean one way as you’re pushing forwardpedaling foolhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03870993417437182473noreply@blogger.com0