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.