Sturmey-Archer Work Finally Underway

I will need to do a post on how intimidating I am finding the cold this year (getting old?!). Thus my lack of input for my beloved BLOG.
Nevertheless, I hope for inspiration from my new weather-proof hub (weather-proof means coming home and being able to more-or-less quick-wipe my bike and come inside instead of staying in a freezing garage, soaked in sweat and cleaning the drivetrain everyday).

Once around the horn. 3x to go. My Discraft BUZZZ also getting in on some action.

Um. There shouldn't be extra nipples should there?

Laced but not yet trued-up.

Sturmey-Archer S2 Duomatic

I have been coveting the Sturmey-Archer S2 Duomatic hub for two years. I love a streamlined look, and I have a less-is-more attitude for most things.

An internally geared hub seems to meet the criteria. 
While I will not be able to use this Sturmey-Archer set-up for races like the Paris-to-Ancaster, or the Hilly Billy Roubaix, it should serve me very well for my flat, rural-urban commute.
I hesitated to make the purchase sooner because I was scared off by spending more on a bicycle that is already perfectly functional. However, my hesitation did cost me in the end as the price increased from $100 to $150 over that period. I suppose the consolation is that the hub was also improved over the same time.
I ordered from Downtown Bike Hounds and it arrived a week later. I went with black. So far I enjoy holding it and staring, but before long I will muster up the energy to build it up.
With the winter on our doorstep, I am feeling like this will be a slick, efficient purchase with minimal wet-weather maintenance required. It would be ideal to add a Gates Carbon Drive but there is no split in the frame to allow the option.
My older aluminum Diamondback frame makes sense for a winter commute because it's aluminum, but I must use my nice, steel, Paké because of the drops.

Downtube Shifters On - Paké C'Mute Ready

Now that it's all assembled I can start training in earnest - with only 18 days to go before the Hilly Billy Roubaix (Morgantown, WV).

The Proud Father.

The Tektro brakes work really well. Lots of stopping power.

I always use a single ring up front so I only need one shifter.  Anyone wanna buy a downtube shifter for your chainring?

Never have invested in an expensive derailleur but they always work just fine.

Just missing the egg-beaters and eventually, the Brooks B-17.

I am so intimidated by what I've signed up for I almost want to back out.  I won't, but I am pretty nervous.  I can see the headline, "Local Bicycle Commuter Breaks Legs in Race He Had No Business Entering."

The overall geometry still needs adjustment.  The Paké feels a little road-bike-ish and not too responsive.  I will need to improve that for gravel grinding.

Tektro RL520 Have Arrived

It seemed less expensive and fidgety to purchase the Tektro RL520's than it would have been to convert to cantilever brakes on the Paké.

At one time I would not have dreamt of using my newer Paké C'Mute build for a gravel race, but I have changed my mind.  In fact, I think I can build it into an all around ride - including my daily commute.

I had changed my position on the C'Mute to a more upright one because I thought it would make the daily grind more comfortable.  Strangely, it does not.  For some reason my back, neck and arms do better over a long haul when I am slightly hunched into a "racing" position.

That means I am willing to try drop bars again, and I needed brakes to go with.

I had to order these from Vancouver because it was the only place in Canada I could find that stocked them.  It's taken two months of shipping-by-Greyhound-mixups but they finally arrived.  I don't get home from work until about 10:00 tonight which means they won't be going on this evening.  But I cannot wait!  The reviews I found are basically all stellar - so now I get all the stopping power of V-brakes with hoods on! An unusual combination to be sure.

I didn't know what colour hoods I'd be getting but black was my first choice!

There are two or three more components to add and I will be bike-ready for the Hilly-Billy Roubaix on June 22.

Spooked

In a few short days I will be suffering through the annual Paris-to-Ancaster race for the second time.  Competition is a funny thing that way - it's both exhilarating and painful.  At kilometer 50 I will be asking myself (aloud, I'm sure) why I do this, but 20 minutes after its over I will be jonesin' for the next time!

As a bicycle commuter I usually feel quite out-of-place among the spandex set, but once the horn sounds we are all equals in our suffering. Besides, I'll be wearing spandex too! (stupid, sexy Flanders!)

I am significantly more anxious this year than last. There are many reasons I feel like this.

First, I just finished building my bike for this.  Its the same one I used last year (my aluminum Diamondback), and it performed well.  However it's set up differently this year, I only rode it for the first time this morning, I installed a speed pedal system which I've never used before, and I'm not convinced my posture/geometry is going to be comfortable enough for 70km.  There's a brake issue too, but I'll tackle that in another post.

Another drawback is that I am not in good "cycling" fitness.  I have been runnning a lot (for a few 5km races I'm entering) but its absolutely not the same kind of fitness.  It's been a cold, cold spring here in Oh! Canada and that has chased me off my regular commute.  Admittedly, I have been a fair-weather commuter these past two months.

All this adds up to actual nervousness!  I am trying to get into the mindset that I'll just pace myself (vernacular for "I'll be going slow" without having to actually say that) and enjoy, but I know that once that start pistol goes my competative nature will fully engage.

Wish me luck!

Resurrecting the Diamondback.

I'm trying a SPD pedal for the first time.

I re-built this just in time for the race. I don't like front derailleurs so I'm fixed in the smallest ring for maximum off-road-ness!

I don't have enough gears to choose from for this race.  Oh well.

Race Preparation 2013 - P2A

This will be my second Paris-to-Ancaster race in as many years.  Other than perhaps trying my luck at a triathlon sometime again, it is the only bicycle race I will do.   It's not precisely a gravel-grinder but its the closest thing we have around here.

With exactly a month to go I find myself without a bicycle. And that brings me to my next rebuild.

I've never experienced the catastrophic failure of an aluminum frame.
Maybe this is the year.

I am taking my old Diamondback aluminum frame and cannibalizing parts from my Pake commuter  to make a machine that "may" survive the rigours imposed upon it.

The bottom bracket makes an occasional crunching noise but for the life of me I can't seem to get the caps off!  So, no new bearings this year.  How bad can it be, right?

The gear-ratio is not great for the amount of climbing I'll have to do.  The cassette is too limited in range but (21 in the back and 28 in the front) its the only one I can find that will work with my shifter set-up.

The handlebars are originally from my daughter's Peugeot.  They are small and obviously rounded at the front so I thought they would do well to miss trees and branches throughout the wooded areas of the course.  However, I can't figure out how to get road drops on v-brakes so I'll need to go back to a flat-bar.

I should have this bicycle on the road by the end of the week, so I'm not too worried about that.  It's my fitness level that's hurting.  In fact, they added an extra 10km to their traditional 60 km course. As memory serves, I had lost my legs at about 50km last year and struggled to finish with any dignity at all.  70km through mud is daunting.

I registered for the fifth (read: last) wave.  In theory I could arrange to be the final person out of 3000 to enter the course.  It's a thought.  If I did depart last there would be no expectations and every time I manage to pass someone I could view it as a small victory.  On the other hand, I think there is a "Lantern Rouge" in this race, so you never know.

Raising them up in the way they should go

I may not get out on epic rides very often, but today's small sojourn with my girl was glorious.
Even the breeze was warm today - decidedly not a normal January day - but most welcome for a Saturday.

First we went a few k's down to Lake Ontario.  Hallelujah brought her Audubon birdbook just in case.

I was wayyy too layered and overdressed for this.

Next we made our way over to 50-Point Conservation Area.  This is always a favourite stop to explore and enjoy the lake.

There's Hallelujah's Peugeot build that I did a couple years ago.  Still LOVE her Sturmey-Archer 3-speed hub and still looking for ways to take it back and put on my own bike!  Hallelujah is also pretty keen on her SWOBO handlebars (I'll let her keep those).

When we got back to the bikes the wind had done its work.  No damage or anything but lots of mud to be cleaned out of the brake lever's.

This is as nice a day as one could hope for.  Tomorrow its supposed to be warmer, but with rain.

I hope that I have, or will, instill a permanent love of cycling in my little girl.  She still seems pretty shaky and unsure when we're on busier roads but hopefully that will pass in time, without her losing the respect necessary to show passing cars.

~ Wilson
 

Pake build is in a temporary state of ride-ability

My trusted aluminum Diamondback was being cannibalized for the last three weeks to help me finally make one ride-able bicycle.  All that time I have been without any bicycle at all and its been killing me!

Although not in its final form (I am still building the wheels at one heck of a lazy pace) I have finally christened the new Pake.

The last piece was the single crank - but I finished assembly at my folks cottage last weekend and took it on a quick 20km gravel grind to check the geometry.

What a huge difference between steel and aluminum.  I will have more to say on this in a later post. 

There's more work to be done but I like what I have so far.  One interesting note is that I am using a 6-speed twist shifter with a 7-speed hub on a 9 speed derailleur.  The range falls to the lowest denominator - that is - right now I have 6 speeds.  They are a bit on the high side but that will be remedied.

My portable shop.  I used my car's bike carrier for a stand and it worked really well!

Dirty Kanza 2013, here I come!

Slow but sure...

I'm slowly building up my resume of capability when it comes to wrenching.  It's an exciting thing. 

The other day I was working on my bike at the local co-op and a "customer" came in to get some tips - and they asked me.  So I answered and I must say I think I passed pretty well as someone who knew what they were talking about!

I'm learning things because of my own building adventures.  For example, I've never, ever installed a threadless headset.  I didn't know how a month ago.  And I'm not saying that because I've done one that I am an expert.  I'm just suggesting that when its learning about something you love this much it does tend to stick.

I purchased a red Mowa headset at pinkbike and some nice no-name black forks from a west-coast dealer.  Not sure if the photo captures it but the black is the secondary colour on the bike and I love the small red touches I'll be adding (starting with this headset).  There will also be red in the grips, the valve caps and perhaps the drivetrain somewhere.  I just think its good looking.

Wheel Building Advice

...make sure you begin with the correct spoke length.  This time, I did not.  After 4 attempts I realized my error.  Frustrating? Yes.  But I'm new to this and when I was at my breaking point I quit and cut the lawn.  I guess that'd be my second piece of advice.

Cheers

"Hoops, there it is!"

Hoping to give myself some direction for the build I have landed on a fixed gear/single gear setup. Thus, I made a trip to the co-op for some subsidized purchases.
I really wanted to set my aluminum frame up this way instead of my new Pake, steel frame but the aluminum has vertical drop outs (don't really like the look of a tensioner). I bought two Alex hoops, and a rear hub to suit and will spend the day tomorrow once again building a rear wheel.

 It's a deep-V hub so that's a first.  I heard they're a bit more frustrating.  Guess we'll see.

Build is complete

Almost done the rebuild

Adjusting the gears on the Sturmey-Archer 3-Speed was actually kind of tricky because the frame didn't accept the cable sheathing.  Nevertheless, with a bit of tinkering I got things going.  I'll tape the handlebars, add a bell and a rack and that's it!
Here's a cost breakdown.
Peugeot bicycle - $7 (its the frame I was after but I also used the bottom bracket, cranks, rear rim, entire front wheel and the stem)
New tires - $15 (didn't get the fat ones yet)
New tubes - $5
Sturmey-Archer hub - $90
Spokes - $10
New bearings - free
Bell - $9.00 (struck me as expensive but it supports the LBS)

Since I had everything else in parts, didn't go with the new powder coat, and did the work myself the grand total of a fantastic bicycle for my daughter is $136.  You'd get a lot less bike for that around these parts so I think I did pretty well.

Pics of the final product next.

I built my first wheel!

I am pretty excited, let me tell you.
Last night I got the spokes and nipples for the wheel build and I figured it would make a fun weekend project.  Well, I pretty much couldn't help myself so I laced the wheel last night, and then trued it up the rest of the way today.

Here's the wheel...

Other than that the Sturmey-Archer three-speed hub is quite heavy and made things awkward, the whole build was actually not that difficult.  I expected to get a lot more frustrated.

At first I kind of messed up the lacing.  So I sat and stared at the pattern for about 20 minutes until the answer just came to me.  Like the guy in "A Beautiful Mind" it was like I suddenly saw the pattern.  I had the series slightly out of order.  Thankfully the fix was easy and didn't require me to disassemble the whole thing.

I originally wanted to use brass nipples but the LBS doesn't have any to spare right now, so I used stainless.  For my daughter's purposes I am pretty confident this will do just fine.  Perhaps one day she will rebuild her rebuild and switch them out.

The lads at my bike co-op loaned me a Park wheel true stand.  They're always a big help.  Cheers to them.

I must say that this is quite addictive.  I am certain that I will need to engage a new build as soon as this one is done.  Maybe I'll just volunteer more hours at the co-op.

Anyhow, won't be long now before I have the finished product.

Sturmey-Archer Hub is finally here

The co-op got their order in and my hub was among the schwag.  I brought it home with me just so that I could show my daughter.  She will be excited and this is the missing piece of the puzzle.  Now, with the assistance of the fellows at the co-op I can begin to build the wheel.

I am glad I went with the coaster brake.  For a ten year old (my daughter) I think that this will be a more solid and reliable stopping option.

It is heavy, probably 5 lbs., but it's a cassette, derailer and brakes all in one little, slick package.