Ruminations

Since I've only been at this for a couple of months, and not so seriously/regularly at that, I'm not going the standard "Best of" route. Instead, I just have a couple of random thoughts that I'm going to lump into a post.

1. For being a government organization dedicated to public health, the Baltimore City Health Dept (where I work) sure doesn't go out of its way to make bike commuters feel welcome. There are two of us who bike regularly. I usually get in about three days a week, and Caroline is a five day rider. Where do we lock up? On a couple of old police barricades (one apparently "borrowed" from the NYPD) and an air conditioner stand. Now, I'm not saying that nicer facilities would mean more bikers, but a token actual bike rack would be fantastic.

2. Reflective tape is great. The picture is a before/after using the flash to show how brightly the tape shows up. In this case it is made evident with the camera flash, but from experience I can say that car headlights have a similar effect. A great, passive (in other words, no batteries or bulbs to die on you) way to make extra sure you're visible during a night commute in traffic. Note: passive is fine as a backup to active lighting, not as a replacement.

3. Convertible gloves, also great. First saw mittens similar to these a few years back. Those were wool, like the hobo gloves in a previous post, and when I moved to Baltimore I picked up these fleece ones from REI. They've got the windstopper stuff, so they don't let in the breeze and being able to flip the flaps down while riding (they're teeth-friendly) means I can head out with my fingers free to work the brakes and cover them up if it's too cold for exposed extremities.

That's about it for now. I'll end the year with a shot of the parking lot at work when I headed out this afternoon. If you look really carefully in the upper right corner, by the exit, you can see the bike area.

New toys, part 1

So the trainer came in yesterday and I was a little too lazy to put it together. Well, not exactly. The trainer is all put together and ready to go, but I haven't replaced the rear skewer on the Raleigh to get it ready to use. Hopefully I'll get to that tomorrow, so I can start playing. Still waiting on the rest of the order (rollers, balancer for the front wheel for the trainer, different balancer for the rollers) to show up, which might be tomorrow. We'll see.

Rain

Ignoring the threats of rain from both the iGoogle weather tool and the WUG prediction I rode to work this morning with none of my rain gear. That, of course, guaranteed that it would rain for my ride home, which it did. In my defense, it was a 30% chance, and I was willing to gamble.

I don't normally carry a lot of rain gear. I have a reflective jacket/vest from PI that I use for night or rain riding, usually without the sleeves, and a pair of motorcycle goggles that I keep in the pocket of the vest. If I'm expecting heavy rain I'll toss in my snow-camping rain pants. Today, I had my do-rag, hobo gloves (see pic if you're unfamiliar), and pea coat because of the cold, but nothing for wetness. Thankfully the ride home is short and it wasn't raining too hard. I did learn a few things though.

First - wool is great. I rode, as I usually do, in my work clothes. This meant wool slacks, long sleeved cotton/poly shirt, and a tie. My legs got wet (thighs primarily) but didn't get very cold even though it was all of about 35F. I also discovered that ties make decent rain protection. The hobo gloves (also wool) kept my hands warm although again, wet.

Second - the drum brake on the front hub was a fantastic investment. The rear brake slipped, as it always does because of the stainless rim, but the front worked like a champ. Add to that the fact that I had full lighting from the generator on a day I probably wouldn't have carried lights with me and you have the reason I laid out more money for the front hub and lights than for the rest of the bike.

All in all, I was glad to be riding but more glad to get home.

Catching up, again

It's been a little while since I've written, mostly because nothing much has been going on. More commuting, finally got the Schwinn almost complete (have a tire liner for the rear to put in this weekend) and the weather has not been friendly to long rides. On the plus side - I just ordered both (yeah, I'm indecisive) rollers and a trainer. Hopefully they'll get here soon and I'll get to start playing. Expect a post on each when I try them out, and probably some pictures of damage when I try the rollers and crash.

Three in a row

Today, for the first time I can remember in a long time I have made three consecutive days of bike commuting. We're in the middle of some sort of freakish almost heat wave (low 50s) so last night and this morning I rode with my coat in the left basket.

Last night I took a longish detour from my normal ride to have dinner with some friends at Kooper's in Fell's Point. The place was a weekly destination for many of the people in my MPH program last year because of their half-price burgers on Tuesday nights. The other bit of significance for fans of Homicide (the show, not act) is that Kooper's is across the street from the Homicide station house and now houses the case board from the show. After dinner we had some gelato at a nifty little place and then I rode home. It was my first opportunity to test out the new lights in actual darkness rather than just dim.

The first part of the ride was extremely dark, since I had parked at a friend's house and headed right up the alley (unlit) rather than going out to the street. I now know that the lights I have work great into very low light, but if I was having to do any distance in a totally unlit area, like I used to in CA when I rode along the edge of a shipping company lot in Alameda at 4:30 AM, I would probably need a second front light to get better visibility. I might be able to change out the light I have for something with more punch. If I move somewhere that I am either commuting significantly earlier/later or on unlit trails I'll have to look into it.

Commuting again

The last three weeks have been sparse for riding. Too many commitments away from work to commute by bike, time off for Thanksgiving, a friend from college visiting...you get the picture. On top of that I haven't ridden for three weekends because of Thanksgiving, the friend, and a house party this past weekend. Added up, it has been far too long and I was glad to be back on the Schwinn this morning.

I had a meeting in the afternoon, but the state health department is only 1.3 miles from my office and a friend lives right next to it, making it easier to bike and park the bike than drive. Total distance today was about five and a half miles and it was chilly (visible breath) but not too cold. I was glad to get home and get the pea coat off. I did have to spend a few minutes in the garage before heading home to strip and rewire one of the wires for the taillight, which had come disconnected. The way the lights work with the hub generator there is a little leeway in the front light to handle running without a taillight, meant to tide you over if the bulb blows, but I didn't want to chance it. Before I go to sleep tonight I'll have to wrap it with duct tape since I don't have anymore heat shrink tubing for it.

The Stable

It's about time I got around to posting information about the bikes I have, which will be followed (probably) by some regular posting about bikes I want. As it is often stated on the Bike Forums discussions (especially in the Commuting forum): the perfect number of bikes is one more than you currently have. That being said I do have a few specific other bike I would like to get my hands on, but will probably wait until I relocate to a more bike-friendly area (and a house with a garage) first. My current stable is two bikes and a touring bike frame.

The first bike, the one I ride most often, is my commuter - a 1974 Schwinn Speedster. I got it from a Craigslist post as a replacement for my previous commuting/general riding bike which was stolen from the back of my truck. I just finished replacing the front and rear hubs on the Schwinn, but prior to that (as far as I can tell) it was all original parts. The only other work I've done to it is to add a NOS Schwinn-brand rear rack and a couple of Wald collapsing baskets. The baskets are handy for commuting since I can toss my stuff in without needing to use a bag. The only real downside to this bike I have found is that it uses Schwinn-specific tires in an odd size (26 x 1 3/8) which makes it a little tough to find replacements. I would love to get some reflective sidewall tires to increase visibility on the commute but they don't seem to be made in the right size for me. I do have some whitewalls on order. That, paired with the lights I recently installed and the reflective tape strips on the fenders should make me nice and annoying to drivers.

The next is my road bike, a mid 70s (I haven't been able to narrow it down) Raleigh Supercourse. It was another craigslist find for me. The bike which was stolen was one I used for both commuting and weekend/pleasure rides and needed something for fun rides that were longer and more difficult than the three speed allows. When I bought the Raleigh it had downtube shifting, which I have had changed to bar-end. Other than that (and pedals) I've kept the bike, like the Schwinn, as original as possible. I've completed two metric centuries on it so far (the Civil War and Seagull). One of the things I like the best about it is the style that it has with the lugs and even interesting looking chainring.

Finally, I have a Surly Long Haul Trucker frame which I hope to get built up for loaded touring. I was able to score the original, Gang Green color frame, rather than either the red or blue that they currently sell. This winter I'll be working with Larry and the other guys out at Mt. Airy Bikes to get the parter and have the bike built up. My goal is to put it together for loaded, primarily on-road touring, but I do want to be able to do trails like the C&O Canal with it as well. That being the case I'll either get two sets of wheels built (probably not) or get it built with MTB wheels and use mainly narrower, commuting-type tires (more likely). The other advantage to using MTB wheels on it is that I have a couple of sets of tires left over from my old mountain bike. I have figured out a few things I want to have (bar-end shifting) and the gearing that I want, but most of it is still up in the air.

Well, that's a look into my slowly developing stable. As I mentioned, there are a few other bikes I'd like to have. A new mountain bike (probably an older, rigid like the Trek 930 I used to have) would be nice, or maybe a mid-range 'cross bike. Also I want to get a bike to build-up with an Xtracycle FreeRadical. I haven't decided if I want to retrofit a bike or get one of the Xtracycle compatible frames like the Surly Big Dummy. The last new bike I'd like to have just for kicks is a unicycle, not because I can actually ride one, but I think it would be a lot of fun to learn. Or maybe I'll get one of these...

Grrr

Having decided to do the family thing for the holiday I'm stuck in Las Vegas, and have been since Wednesday. Too many people and no bikes to get away from the crowds with. I suppose somewhere around is a place to rent a bike but I didn't bring any shorts, just jeans, so a decent ride is out of the question. I may still try to cram a ride in this afternoon if I can.

It's that, or go crazy.

I (heart) my drum brake

Today was my first 'wet' commute since installing the new drum brake and lights, and the brake worked like a charm. The rims on the Schwinn are old and I believe they are stainless. Whatever material they are, when they get wet the brakes don't work. Last winter I got to school with numb hands and forearms from gripping the brake levers with all my strength to try and slow down. Basically, I had to hold the pads tight enough to the rim to dry everything off through friction/heat and then the brakes would catch. When the rims are wet from snow slush you can imagine how long it takes to dry them in that manner.

It's not actually raining today but more of a heavy mist. Heavy enough that I had to stop at a light and pull out my goggles so I could ride without squinting. Since it was a light traffic day I decided to test out the new brake. On the first hill I tried to slow with just the rear (caliper) brake and it slipped as I expected. When I tried the front it worked great. It was a little pricey to get the generator hub with the brake, but it was well worth it. Anyone building a new wheel for use in bad weather commuting should really consider using one of the drum brake hubs. They're common on tandems, which means the hubs are out there.

Almost finished

I thought I was done with the Schwinn repairs, but I was wrong. Now, I'm 95% there. I was slowed down by having to get a new trigger shifter after the shifter that came with the new hub didn't fit on my bars. This morning I went ahead and hooked it up. After getting it in place I went out for a test ride and it didn't shift quite right, but a little adjustment to the cable tension and I once again have my Schwinn fully functional.

The damage - more money than I feel like listing and WAY too much time off the bike.

The results - new front hub which includes a drum brake (weather-proof) and generator, lights (front and rear) powered by the generator, new 3-speed internal rear hub, all new spokes on both wheels and one new tube. Also, the cables for the front brake and the shifter are new.

The only thing I need to do now is get a pile of zip-ties and anchor all of the cables in place and it'll be all done. As it stands I can ride, it's just a little squirrley not having the cables tied down.

"That's a nice bike"

I love my little Schwinn. It's simple, durable, and has all the functionality I need. Sop rats like my little Schwinn. It's old school and has the type of character that tools develop when they're over 30 years old. Little kids - don't normally love my little Schwinn. It's not flashy and looks a little odd next to modern bikes. All that being said, can you imagine how excited I was when this evening, as I was unloading the baskets so I could collapse them (won't fit through the door otherwise) a little girl who couldn't have been more than 10 years old walked by and said "That's a nice bike" and clearly meant it.

Maybe there is hope for the younger generation.

Fantastic

I try not to post from work, mainly because I don't have access to pictures, but wanted to celebrate getting back to bike commuting. The ride in was great. Cool but not freezing, just about dawn so there was plenty of light but no glare. New lights worked great and the new wheels feel good. The rear seems to be in third gear, so the climb going home is going to be a pain, but other than that I can't wait to get back on the bike. Some time in the next day or so I need to stop by a store and pick up some small zip ties, all the cables are being held in place by twisties that I had around the house and it looks a little lame. I'll add a pic when I get home.

Three days

Three very frustrating days. That's how long it's taken to get the Schwinn back on both wheels and almost ready to ride again. Friday I went back to Mt. Airy and picked up the rear wheel. Saturday morning when I woke up I had the bike, both wheels, the new lights and all the other parts to put it back together. I thought.

First - the rear. I discovered after starting to assemble the rear wheel the rest of the way (which involved putting the cog and lockring on, putting the old-style rubber rim strip back in, and putting the new tube and old tire on) that the nuts on the hub made it too wide to actually fit between the chainstays on my bike. After poking at it for a few minutes it became clear that I needed tools I did not have - namely a second open end adjustable wrench - to get the nuts off. Also, I had no real idea if both (there were two on each side) were important, so I left the rear and moved to the front.

Second - the drum brake. I ride in most weather, so I figured the generator hub with built-in drum brake was a good way to go. Drum brakes are protected from the weather, and the generator seemed like a handy way to run lights for commuting. Well, the cable supplied with the brake was a little too long and I didn't have a decent pair of wire cutters to shorten it. Alright, I decided to mount the lights.

Third - mounting lights. I was approaching frustration at this point. I'd been "working" for about an hour and had nothing to show for it except a partially assembled rear wheel and an understanding of how the drum brake cabling was supposed to go. When I tried to mount the lights I discovered that 1) the front would go on the bolt that had secured the caliper brakes without a problem, except that it was too long and 2) I would need to drill holes in the rear fender to mount the light properly. At this point I gave up and figured I would wait until Monday and drive back to Mt. Airy and see if they could help me.

They could and did. I was in the shop for about and hour and had almost all of the problems dealt with. The only thing left is to get a new trigger shifter (the shifter that came with the new rear hub won't fit on my bars and the old one is shot) and I'll be good to go. I was able to take a quick putter up and down the alley behind my house and saw that the lights work and the rear standlight is great. I will try to ride tomorrow, but don't know what gear the bike is in and shifting is difficult if not impossible. Worst that happens is I'll have a hard time getting back home.

The important thing: tomorrow I will be back on my Schwinn.

FINALLY

After what feels like forever (but is really only a week or so) I got back in the saddle. My commuter (the Schwinn) is still wheel-less, having a new one built up for it by the guys at Mt. Airy Cycles, but since I had a couple of meetings up at the Johns Hopkins School of Public Health I decided to ride the Raleigh.

Ordinarily I don't like to ride the Raleigh in street clothes, it's just a hassle, but it takes the same amount of time to bike over the Hopkins as it does to drive, and costs significantly less to park. The school has a great bike parking area in the tiny garage under the building, which is at street level and has a security guard all day. It was one of the things that was great about working on my degree there.

Today was chilly, high 30s/low 40s, so I had to wear a do-rag to cover up the bald under the helmet and my wool hobo gloves. When it gets colder I'll switch to the convertibles (fingerless gloves with mitten finger covers taht fold into place). It's a good thing that most of my day is at my desk, because the combination of SPD shoes and slacks is a little strange, but I didn't feel like carrying a bag and had nowhere else to put my work shoes. When I get back into the habit of riding most days I'll just leave the work shoes in my office.

Older bikes

I have two bikes that I'm currently riding. Both are about the same age as me. Most of the time that's great, I've got bikes with history and character, and in the case of the Raleigh, really cool lugs that newer bikes don't have (unless you've got the money to go with something from Rivendell or Vanilla). I don't have that kind of money, so I went old school to get bikes with character. Sometimes, it isn't so great.

Case in point - last Wednesday on my morning commute I hit a staple and killed the rear tire on the Schwinn. No big deal. I've patched tires before. Since I don't have a pump on the Schwinn (which is dumb and will soon be remedied) I waited until I drove to work and brought the bike home to work on the tire. After patching two holes in the tube (from the staple) I tried pumping it up. It wouldn't hold air. I had been dealing with a slow leak in the tube almost since I'd gotten it, so I figured that was the problem. I resorted to the way I learned to fix tubes as a kid (fill the sink with water and look for bubbles) and was astounded by what I saw. I only ran about 25% of the tube through the water, but almost all of the section I looked at was bubbling. It looked like the seam was bad.

So how does this relate to having an older bike? The Schwinn is an old three speed, similar to the Dutch bikes which are so in vogue. Because it's old (1974, going by the date stamp on the S-A hub) the wheels are an odd size, which makes getting new tubes a little more of a challenge than normal. That, and the fact that I live in a bike-unfriendly place like Baltimore, means it will be a few days before I can get the Schwinn back on the road. That leaves either stuffing my clothes into my messenger bag and riding the Raleigh or driving.

Connection issues

I've been without a non-work internet connection for the last 10 days or so, which is why there have been no updates. I'm back online and will be posting more after I finish repairing a popped rear tire. It fell victim to a large staple gun staple and left me having to walk the second half of my morning commute in a light rain/heavy mist yesterday.

Housekeeping

I will probably post one or two items a day, in the afternoon or evening when I get home from work. Also, I have comment moderation on and will be approving any comments at the same time as new posts. It might seem like a bit of a pain to deal with the character recognition tool and comment moderation, but my hope is that this will be something worth reading and commenting to and one way to help with that is to limit the spam comments. Finally, yes, I am a libertarian and a firm believer in the First Amendment, but in this case that applies primarily to me. If you want the flame comments or just be a pain I will censor you. Please don't make me.

joel

Why?

I like being on my bike. If I could have things my way I would have a job and live in a place where I could just walk out when the mood takes me and go for a nice ride. Unfortunately I work for, and live in, the city of Baltimore. That means that I have to work the traditional eight hour day, and getting to a decent place to ride can be a little bit of a challenge. So instead, I ride vicariously by reading about cycling and chatting with cycling friends. This blog is intended as an extension of that same idea.
I ride both for pleasure, on a mid-70s Raleigh Super Course, and as a commuter/utility cyclist, on a 1974 Schwinn Speedster three speed. I also have a Surly Long Haul Trucker touring frame which I plan on having built into a rig for loaded touring over the winter. I will be talking a little more about my stable in the future, including some detailed information about the LHT build as it progresses.
In addition to the cycling (to paraphrase Dave from The FredCast, I'm a cyclist not a biker) I will undoubtedly find places to thrown in posts about politics (I am a "small l" libertarian) and Buddhism. I also will take some time in a later post to explain why I named it as I did.
That should be enough to give you a good idea of what you can look forward to here over the coming weeks. If you have any thoughts please email me with the link above. I look forward to having a semi-one-sided conversation with you over the time ahead.

joel