Strumey Archer Hub. At Last.

Needless to say I have had the hub in place for quite some time. For those who remain interested, here are my thoughts.

It is a two-speed, kickback hub. It looks like a single-speed but isn't.  You need either horizontal drops, or a chain tensioner. I am fortunate that the Pake has drops that work as I do not prefer the look of a tensioner.

The Pake allows flexibility for either geared or single-speed. Great frame - I think I need to get one of these for my daughter. It's a lot like a Surly Crosscheck but for about half the price.

You can see the chain drooping a little in this picture. I'll be removing a link and resetting the wheel accordingly. Means I need to realign the brakes as well but that's the "price" I pay for having a fixed hub.

 

 

 

 

Commuting.
This is my overall primary function as a cyclist.  My commute is 17km each way, year round. There are no hills between my home and office, and I prefer a simple, if not minimalist look to my bicycle.  Therefore this hub really fits the bill.
I appreciate that there are no cogs to deep-clean on those oft messy days (especially in the winter).
The gear ratio is perfect for my purposes, although when there is less overall environmental resistance in the summer months (less wind, no slush) I do wish I had a higher gear to use. Note too that I replaced the cog it came with for a smaller one (32 tooth chainring and a 20 tooth cog).
The fixie look is pretty hot right now so I can fit into that crowd if I want to (even though I am cheating with two speeds)!
I have found "chain stretch" to be a new issue (for me).  I sometimes drop my chain and its not always a quick fix without a derailleur.

There are other posts and videos that mention the sound of the hub, that is, you can hear what gear you are in.  While this is true, I have found that when commuting I wouldn't count on being able to hear anything over the wind in your ears of the traffic.  It's worth mentioning because when you are heading down a slight slope with some speed it's difficult to determine whether you in in your higher or lower gear. More on that in a bit.

Racing.
I actually took this through the Paris-to-Ancaster race in late April.  The hub is not designed for off-road, gravel-grinding but I felt it actually performed well.
Again, I received lots of "wow, he's doing the race single-speed," which is nice, but we're all whizzing by too fast to try and correct the bystander who is trying to compliment my effort!
The hub dealt well with mud and other kinds of junk that sunk my wheels well past it. 
Given that there were lots of hills in the race, I found that the ratio (same as mentioned above) was just about perfect.
I don't think I did any damage to the hub but I guess time will tell. It's possible that all kinds of things got in there and since I don't have the expertise to open it and clean it I guess I'll take a wait and see attitude. I figure if something in there is grinding away at the mechanism it'll make itself known. Otherwise, so far so good three months later.

Hills & Shifting.
You shift from one gear to the other by giving a slight backpeddle.  It works predictably about 60% of the time, depending upon a few things.  If you are peddling under load (read: hills) then be cautious. The least thing you'd need to worry about is losing momentum on a hill if it won't shift, but the worst thing would be to actually fall over while climbing. Note that I do climb some very steep and long hills almost every weekend as a part of my weekly countryside tour - but I really appreciate the workout the two gears give me (don't expect to keep up with friends though).
Going down a hill has its own consequences too.  If you cannot shift higher as your speed increases be ready for some mighty fine spinning!
Even if you are not peddling under load don't always trust the timing of the internal mechanism (could this actually be damage from my off-road racing?).  It may not shift "just when you want it to." That makes it awfully awkward at stop lights and in traffic or when there is another cyclist right behind you.  Needing to backpeddle several times to get the gear isn't always convenient but will eventually work.
Finally, yes, it does ghost shift.  It is ironic that sometimes it won't shift when you want and it does shift when you don't want it to.  Sometimes (actually often during my commute) it is a very, very subtle backpeddle that changes the gear. When I come to a stop I can almost always be assured that once I start peddling again it will be in the "other" gear.  This could be a big issue for some, but it really isn't for me because I've learned to anticipate this, and as I have said, my commute is pretty flat (so I'm not usually in any danger because of the wrong start-up gear).

If you are in my category - long commute, all season, not hilly, minimalist, utilitarian -  then this hub is a great pick. It's no heavier than a regular, geared set-up in the end, and looks really clean and slick.

You'll learn to deal with its quirks and you'll have equipment that not likely anyone else in your crowd has.

Hope to post again before several months pass. Please leave your comments and questions.

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.

A Morning at the Cannon

A friend flew in from Edmonton and wanted to meet up so I recommended the Cannon.  He's quite a coffee connoisseur and gave their pour-over-style the thumbs up.  I wish I had taken a shot of our breakfast sandwiches - they were pretty decadent as well.

I got the GoPro rolling for the ride home and went a bit out of my way to have some fun.  Not too many days like this left.

If I was trying to make time I would have headed south right away, instead I headed east to the Red Hill expressway and it's parallel gravel path.

At times, the highway isn't very far away (immediately to my left in the photo below).

Then back into traffic once I hit Queenston, and from there, Highway #8 and home.  This fellow came close and his mirror even closer!

Whereas this bus driver left his rightful lane in order to give me space.  Thanks HSR!

The new bike lanes on Highway #8 are nice. Let's see if they keep them plowed in the winter.

Overall observations. It's now officially cold on the hands in the morning and not much better by noon.  The Kenda Small-Block 8's needed a bit more pressure today but should (as always) prove excellent once the weather really turns.  My brake hoods are beginning to feel like they stretch me out a bit too far so I might need to look for an alternative, shallow, handlebar that can get them in a bit closer.

I'm also beginning to think that I should look into a 58" frame. Wondering if the 60" is too much for me. Perhaps that's part of the issue.

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.

A Peaceful Trail

Not a lot of people out today.

This route returns me to the scene of last week's endo.  The scene of the crime.

This time I navigated the downhill with experience and without mishap.

It's a short loop that took me down to the waterfront and then back home.

The blossom on the cherry trees were at their best about two days ago.  This orchard is about 300 feet from my house.

As it stands by bike is not in proper shape to tackle the Hilly Billy Roubaix (but then again, either am I).  The cranks keep loosening every 5k and I need to stop and tighten them, I need some padding on the bars if my wrists have any hope of survival, my gear ratio is completely wrong for the hills I anticipate, once again I will need to figure out a workable solution for pedals and there's a lot I don't know about the proper nutrition necessary for a 100k race. Sigh.

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.

Riding in Ottawa - it's not 1983 anymore

I always felt secure on my bicycle while growing up in a quiet west-end community of Ottawa.  I no longer live in Ottawa but my parents do, and on my last visit I rented a Salsa Beargrease and toured about the city.
Some reactions were positive, others not so much.  Since I don't have any photos for this post I shall keep it brief.

The Negative: I got stared down by a guy driving a ParaTranspo Bus, I got honked at twice (not the just-a-friendly-toot-to-remind-you-that-there's-a-car-here kind, but the GET OFF THE ROAD kind), and there were at least two times that a car seemed to pass me intentionally close.

These kinds of things don't seem to happen in Hamilton.  I wonder why?  I wonder which is a more realistic expectation for a vehicular cyclist?

The Positive:  People all over were staring at me (the good kind, I think.  Remember, I was on a big, fat-tired bicycle), I heard "that is the coolest bike I have ever seen" from three different teenaged boys on school trips, I had two city workers approach me grinning ear to ear eager to have their questions answered about the bike, I had a truck pull up alongside me (while in motion) and the fellows in it (also grinning widely) give me the repeated thumbs-up.

I have to say, I felt special riding this thing. It was a real ego-boost. In other words, since I didn't actually get hit by a car, the positives well outweighed the negatives.  I'll do it again one day but for now I will put this "thread" to rest. Cheers.

Walking the Bear - my day with the Salsa Beargrease

Having rented such a wonderful bicycle for the day, I set out to fully enjoy it.  That meant some trail riding, but mostly it meant retracing the routes I commonly took growing up in Ottawa.

Although the paths of my youth would look much different covered in a foot of snow, and some 30 years later, they absolutely succeeded in resurrecting a lot of good memories.

Starting from the far east, the route traces back to itself counter-clockwise.  Turns out the route that took me four hours (including a couple of rests) was only 27km long - but it sure felt a lot longer than that.  I would equate the workout to doing 60km, full-out, on the road.

Soma Clarence Bar

Since I really began bicycling again a few years ago, I have always "suffered" from tingling in my hands.  No matter how I adjusted the cockpit, time and distance always exposed this area of discomfort.
I do not have it completely solved, but I will suggest that the Clarence Bar, by SOMA Fabrications has significantly helped.

I got these online, on sale from a reputable US dealer. They arrived quickly and intact.
I have been using them now for two months and the bottom line is, I can recommend them.
Being a more upright bar, at first I was worried that they weren't "sexy."  A redonkulous notion on my part, but I'm pretty sure it counts for at least 10% of consideration for anything I purchase.

Perhaps a better shot to see the anodized red highlights of the Paké.

While they do put me in a more upright position, I have found that it is easily worth the decrease in hand pain, neck strain, and my back feels much better once I arrive at work.
I think there is still some adjusting to be done, and perhaps there is a new saddle in my future (there is! I will BLOG about it soon). But for now, I believe I have one part of the equation solved. I don't see the Clarence Bars being replaced anytime soon.

One caveat, or drawback, I used a grip shift mechanism. The shifter, brake and grip do not fit on the bar.  As a result I am trying a thumb shifter (from Chain Reaction Cycles in the UK). As well, it's really just a matter of time before I switch to the Sturmey-Archer S2 hub, which will negate the need for any shifter whatsoever.

I realize that by not posting as regularly I have risked losing some readership. The way I figure things, my BLOG is a bit of an escape and if I have not needed that escape in the lasts month that is likely a good thing.  Thanks for your patience everyone.

Things I Like - Comfortable Handlebars

Handlebars are a contentious issue for me because I have never had a comfortable set.  I am not even certain how to find the right ones.

My daughter's SWOBO bars were intended for my PAKE but they never made it.
She loves them, so that ship has sailed.

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 Items

Picked up a couple of things for the Pake build.
A MOWA headset.  These seem to be decent enough.  I don't know much about headsets in particular.  I tend to shop by price comparison.  In other words...

"Hey there's a headset that costs $15 but appears to retail for $70, therefore it must be a good headset, especially for the money. I shall buy it."  I am a regular fount of Vulcan logic.

Yup, that's my secret to shopping for some bicycle parts. 

The red will contrast nicely with the frame colour though.

I realize the photo is "flipped" but I am too lazy to set it right!

And I also got a 9 speed short-cage rear derailleur that I am excited about.  Great price, decent shape.  Since I am going with a single ring up front I am told that a short-cage will suit nicely.  Had thought I would go with an IGH but instead I will do that with my aluminum frame, making it even more winter-suitable.  The Pake will be for everything else.

Really all I need now are forks and I am away to the races (figuratively).  Have my eye on the All-City Nature Boy set, which I think will bring things together nicely.

This build should have happened over winter...oh well...its back on the burners again.

Frame is on order

After about a year of thought I arrived at my frame of choice.
It's on order and I wanted to wait until it arrived before I announced it but frankly I just could not wait.
The company is called Pake (pronounced pah-kay) and the frame is a "c'mute."
You can have a look at it here.
I will post pics of mine when it arrives but I do expect it to be a few weeks yet.
I wanted steel.
I wanted a unique name brand (in these parts Surly, Soma, Civia and Salsa all qualified).
I wanted room for a slightly wider tire, but above 35c wasn't necessary.
I wanted the frame to be adaptable with lots of braze on choices.
I wanted the frame to fit.

In the end I went with the Pave Mint colour in the 60cm (largest) size.

It's certainly an affordable frame (I needed to consider that) that is also supposed to be modelled after the success of the Cross-Check.  I haven't yet learned if the "c" in "c'mute" is hard or soft so I don't know if its a "K'mute" or a "See'mute."  Something I'd like to find out.

I hope I won't be disappointed with it.  I am making this purchase after a lot of research but no actual experience with the frame.

Power Grips

For about two years I was searching for a good pedal system.  I landed on the idea of going back to clips and straps and I was fairly happy with that.  However, winter presented a problem because my heavier shoe/boot just felt terribly awkward in there.

I was in a neat shop called Phat Moose Cycles when I first came across these.

The shop guy told me that they were very popular with local couriers.  Apparently "Power Grips" have been about for quite a while, but they were new to me.  For my purposes, they work on a lot of levels.

1. Not very expensive.  Really they are just straps and some hardware so you think they'd be dirt cheap - but they're not.  I have seen some sites where folks complain about the price and have taken to making their own versions out of leather belts and such.

2. I can wear normal footwear year round.  I do have a nice cross shoe that I use for commuting because my commute is somewhat long and the stiffness of the shoe helps with energy transfer (but that's for another time).  I can wear winter boots or I can wear a cleated shoe - any option will work.  This is particularly useful when I am just jumping on the bike to goto the corner store.

3. There's still a decent feeling of security in the pedal but it's easy to get your foot free if it needs to get out fast!

4. You can buy them in extra large lengths if you have bigger feet, or perhaps are using them for the aforementioned winter footwear.

5. I think they look kind of cool.

6. Made in America.

As for the cons,

1. Phat Moose didn't have the black ones available so I had to get these cream-coloured ones with a diamond print pattern.  They only come like this or the black.  Take the black if you have a choice!

2. You need to have the proper pedal.  Took me a while to find something I liked.

3. Figuring out how to install them took a while.  Their old website wasn't really helpful and neither were the package instructions, but I understand that both are now vastly improved.

4. The trick to them is a combination of stiffness and flexibility.  Because I accidentally continue to step on and crush the one on my right pedal, the stiffness has decreased and the flexibility increased.  Essentially that means it's breaking down a bit and that it tends to flop a bit when I am trying to get the right side in.  Ideally this wouldn't be happening.

In the final analysis I can say that I have used the same set for over 18 months now, including a full winter of commuting and they are otherwise (see #4 above) holding up very well.

Next time I am in Ottawa I will be looking for the black set.

All in all I recommend these to you if you want to wear street shoes or other normal walking footwear, like simplicity of design, want a device that lets you in and out easily, and like me, need something other than an open pedal.