your daily bicycle log

good soundtrack to a winter wonderland ride.

I've managed to take the new bike out on a couple of gentle test rides now and I'm pretty happy with it. I managed to sort the brakes out (and they work really well compared to the side-pull ones on my old bike). I've mostly got the hang of the integrated gear levers now, but I'm still struggling a bit with changing up from the small ring to the big ring - it's a bit hit and miss. I'm not sure if it needs adjusting, or if I'm just not doing it right. I push the brake and gear lever inwards together and it starts to catch and make a noise, but sometimes it doesn't actually shift, just makes a noise like it's trying to shift, and I have to 'change down' (even though I haven't actually changed up yet) before I can have another go at changing up. Any advice? This is Shimano 105, by the way.

you need to adjust the limit screw on the front derailleur so that the cage swings out further by only a mm or so, id bet. even 105 should never be hit or miss these days. get it dialed and enjoy\

had another whiteout commute from the station today, (but with a crucial stop to by some marginal vino), with about 2 inches of wet snow on the path and roads. fenders started to pack up with snow it was sketchy fun.

"buy," "by," whatever im buzzin its snowin eh

NBS, you have to push the level all the way across to move the front derailleur enough - it's a bigger push than to change down on the rear derailleur, anyway. Do you have small fingers? Also, do you have to trim the front derailleur when moving into the big ring - this is done by pressing the lever to change down but only about halfway so you get a "click" and any rubbing that was going on is no longer going on.

Nice bike, and nice reduction. Wiggle rather alarmingly says it's 13kg but I don't think it could be if it tried!

NBS, you have to push the level all the way across to move the front derailleur enough - it's a bigger push than to change down on the rear derailleur, anyway.

Yeah, I gathered that, but I'm not sure when to stop pushing. I mean the change doesn't actually happen while you're pushing the levers, does it? It happens shortly after you release them (for the front mech, anyway). Or at least that's how it seems.

Also, do you have to trim the front derailleur when moving into the big ring - this is done by pressing the lever to change down but only about halfway so you get a "click" and any rubbing that was going on is no longer going on.

I think I encountered this, but had no idea what it was. On some of my failed attempts the sequence went like this: push both levers in, hear noise like front mech is trying to shift onto big chainring, keep riding a bit, no change happens, release levers, no change happens but noise continues, try to move both levers in again but they won't move, move just the gear lever (not the brake lever) about halfway in, hear a 'click', the noise disappears, try moving both levers inwards again, possibly have success or repeat this process again.

you need to adjust the limit screw on the front derailleur so that the cage swings out further by only a mm or so, id bet. even 105 should never be hit or miss these days. get it dialed and enjoy

I've just spent an hour slowly driving myself mad trying to sort this out with the bike on a hanger in a narrow stairway. I couldn't work out which limiter screw was the top and which was the bottom (there were no 'L's or 'H's to be seen) or which direction turning the screws would do what. I also decided that it was unhealthily noisy in certain gears at the back and after reading up on it thought I ought to play with the cable tension a bit. I've been up and down through all the gears and made a million tiny adjustments without any obvious improvements. In fact, I think I've probably made it worse: it won't stay on the 9th biggest sprocket now.

I ought to get a pro to look at it, I suppose, before I fuck it up. The thing is, you're supposed to get it serviced after 100 miles or so, and I've done about 20 on it, so I'm not sure whether to persevere for another 80 miles before taking it in.

Yesterday I saw a dude (in lycra) bite it on market street SF when his back tire slipped on trolley tracks. Looked like a brand new Bianchi Pista, he was clipped in so he had an extra grimace on his face when I saw him go down. Looked ouchey. I'm so careful on the tracks this time of year.

oh yeah, brakeless and clipless... I still don't get that style.

it's fun

did you rock that when you were bkmsgr?

y

not now, tho

u r crayZzz

i think the pista justed bucked him off for wearing lycra

hahhaha

do you guys think it makes sense to upgrade the stock wheelset on my Raleigh Rush Hour (Freedom rims and no-name hubs) for a decent set of Mavic rims and Formula hubs? The stock wheels feel pretty darn heavy, but I have no basis for comparison. Good upgrade?

how do you use the bike? if u ride in the city youll get a chance to rebuild soon anyway ime.

if you went open pros 14/15 with alloy nips i'd wild ass guess you could save between a quarter and half a pound per wheel. (75g rim, 40g hub, 20g nips, 50g spokes) thats a big difference, but if ur carrying gear and lights and stout tires, you might never feel it.

I ride in the city - daily commute on crap roads. I run gatorskin tires, which are tough but pretty sporty (25's).

My frame is made from Reynolds 520, so it's hardly light, but I'm seriously surprised when I pick up my wheels. They seem like they weigh a ton. They don't get too badly out of true though and seem overall sturdy. I dunno, I'm probably just looking for a justification to make my bike "better."

I never replace anything till it breaks, which it always does soon enough.

Third time out in a month or so, which is pretty good going for me at the mo'. Only about three hours and ten miles but it was vair vair muddy. Good ol' familiar trails around Dorking and I was feeling pretty confident, so dealt with the mud and tree roots like a pro.

its below 0 F now, and supposed to get to -12 F overnight. it was 55 deg yesterday tho and i got in a couple of hours at least.

ive never ridden below 0, and i dont plan to start.

Damn. Where are you Hunt3r?

denver. hey at 6 am its MINUS 17 DEGREES. srsly ive never seen it this cold here. i dont think ive ever seen it below minus 7 or so.

55 to -17? fahrenheit is a mystery to me. countriesthatdon'tusemetric.jpg

btw some shots i took the other week:

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3015/3092894054_af183d9cc3.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3041/3092053031_ef8411e95d.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ledgr/3092883594/sizes/m/

http://www.flickr.com/photos/ledgr/3092045991/sizes/m/

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3245/3092883594_061bea4977.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3132/3092045991_9154c0762a.jpg

okay lol @ that tandem jump

-17 F ~ -27 C

Wow. I can hardly even imagine what it feels like at that kind of cold. I doubt I've ever experienced much less than -5 C or so.

Joined the local cycling club last night and will definitely be racing to some extent next season (even if it ends in humiliation). Off work now, so had a gentle 20-mile ride this morning then went to a bike shop to ask about my gear trouble on the new bike - they reckon it's just the cables stretching and told me to bring it in once I've done a few more miles on it. So all is right with the world.

25 miles this morning. I rode over to the new Hog Hill circuit on the fringes of east London, which they've opened up as replacement for Eastway (which has been bulldozed as they're building Olympic venues on the site). I tried out the 2km circuit (there are various smaller ones you can do as well). For such a flat area it was a surprisingly hilly course: one minute I was flying down a hill at 38mph, the next I was grinding my way up a really nasty climb to the finish line at just 8mph. I thought I'd push it as much as I could and managed to average 19.5mph, but after four laps I'd had enough - the climb's OK once, but when you have to do it every three or four minutes it's really sapping. Also, I don't trust myself to ride in a bunch there - too many fast corners. I'm a dangerous descender/cornerer because I'm too cautious, so I'll be easing off, braking, and cutting right across other people's racing lines.

I didn't know about hog hill. I used to love going to eastway as a kid.

wahoo we're past the solstice come back to me sun.

probly my coldest full commute-- 7 degrees downtown. broke out the neoprene pullover booties. the only things that were cold were my legs (midweight dress trousers only) and my fingers (lobsters with lobster overshell on top).

there was a beautiful fluffy red fox hanging out in Harvard Gulch park this morning.

started ride to work again (after 2 hours on the rollers in the AM.)

every east river crossing is covered in ice. it was like a CX race on ice.

i rode my new studded tires today, as its sposed to snow, but its not snowed yet. they are very loud and make the same grindy crunchy sound as studded car tires.

i found some long patches of solid ice to ride on just to see if they work. they do!

this is encouraging! i'm planning on getting some soon, as it has been a v v snowy winter thus far

the studded tires are the cheap innova 26 x 1.75/1.95. im not clear on where the 1.95 part is- they are 1.75s, pretty narrow. surprisingly hard to mount. the casings are like as stiff as car tires. in the snowy sections i rode, it was a bit squirrely, but no worse than riding without studs.

I've been making the most of the holiday period and racked up 155 miles so far. Finally broke through the psychological 20mph/30mins barrier for my ten-mile circuit this morning, so the fitness is coming.

my fucking commute:

http://img99.imageshack.us/my.php?image=img1002tq4.jpg

for those who are not as experienced with fixed chainlines as they are derailler mechs, dont sprint on a slack chain. head swimming (that ancient helmet is basically a hardshell and thank fucking god i had it).

oh man! :/

why were you sprinting on your commute?

eager beaver

sometimes you just gotta make that light, i know

i was so momentarily happy when my wheels were still true. slike im all fucked up and shirt and jacket are shredded but wahhey! bike is oh-kizzay!

just like racing

wait i don't get what happened

i stood up for a few hard pedal strokes and threw my chain. then i landed on my back and cracked my skull like whip.

i can never make images work right anymore

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr222/Chass3ur/IMG_1002.jpg

;_; vintage 1994 team helmet complete with I VOTED! sticker ;_;

Damn, sorry to hear that. I'm glad you're OK, though.

Was the chain pretty slack?

probly less than 1cm of sag on return under tension? tho i dunno really.

happy new year. 14.5 hours on the bike this week, 290 miles.

VOLUME