There was a less philosophical outcome from my unexpected test ride of my sister's bike over the weekend: I learned just how far run-of-the-mill brakes have advanced in the last 18 years.
To whit: My sister's bike is a mid-90s MTB with midrange low-profile cantilevers (if you really want to nerd out on what that means, the obvious source is the late, great Sheldon Brown). It's still equipped with the stock mid-90s Shimano brake pads on basic, non-machined rims. Some may argue that 18-year-old pads don't make for a fair comparison, but Shimano's pad compounds of that era were so awful, they work just about the same two decades later as they did when fresh. The brake adjustment is exquisite, if I do say so myself, obviously done by a skilled, attractive young mechanic with a bright future ahead of him in corporate selling-out and side-blogging.
In short, there's nothing really special about this bike's setup for its original time and place. It's the same basic collection of parts we all rode back in the day, through slop, slime, sand, often aggressively, sometimes stupidly. It worked fine then, and I never gave it much thought at the time (hard to believe from someone who over-thinks minutiae as much as I do). During my impromptu test ride last weekend, I didn't have much time to think about the brake feel or performance -- I was chasing nephews, so I wasn't too focused on reviewing the bike.
Then, I came home and rode my bike: machined rims, dual-pivot calipers, and Kool Stop pads. Still nothing fancy -- and this is a road bike, not a mountain bike -- but the difference was a revelation. My average road brakes of 2013 are hands-down, no-foolin' better than the average brakes we used in the dirt back in the halcyon 90s. Better feel, better modulation, shorter stopping distances, you name it.
Nothing scientific about this at all, mind you -- I'd get laughed out of Bicycle Quarterly if I pitched it as research. But for a self-proclaimed Luddite who'd like you to think that the Great Decline of the Bicycle began with the V-brake and the suspension fork, it was humbling to admit that yes, Virginia, there is such a thing as technological advancement.
Of course, this means I'm about ten years away from accepting (shudder) disc brakes...
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
Winged Feet Of Clay
I was reminded last weekend of one of the things I love most about bikes.
Uncle Jason had just installed a new bell on the youngest nephew's bike and a new helmet on the youngest nephew. Before I even had a chance to put down the screwdriver (for the bell installation, not the helmet), the kid was out of the driveway and down the street like a shot, test riding the new equipment.
Next thing I know, here comes the older nephew behind me, unable to resist the lure of a bike ride. So I've got a four-year-old disappearing into the distance, a six-year-old headed off in another direction, and the foot speed of a garden slug with a sprained gastropod. Remember, I have one sibling, no kids of my own, and these two little boys are the only ones she's going to make. The entire future of my family is making a break for it, and nobody's covering the deep zone in my defensive scheme. In short, I'm screwed.
So what's a bike nerd to do? I saddled up on my sister's bike (which is way too small for me, but there was no time to be picky), grabbed someone's helmet off a shelf (because even in a panic, I felt the need to be an example for the boys) and took off in hot pursuit. And as soon as I got wheels under me, my panic was replaced by calm. I was in my element. I could catch either one of the boys at will, check in on him, then circle back to the other one effortlessly. I could hold back, keeping them both in my sights, secure in the knowledge that if I needed to, I could get to either one with just a few pedal strokes. On foot, I didn't stand a chance against these tiny speed demons. On a bike, I felt like a bird keeping watch over chicks that hadn't quite learned to fly yet.
It's easy to forget that feeling of flying. After all, I'm not exactly the fastest guy on wheels either. But that brief reminder of just how clumsy and slow I am without those wheels was enough to convince me. The bicycle is a pretty amazing thing.
Uncle Jason had just installed a new bell on the youngest nephew's bike and a new helmet on the youngest nephew. Before I even had a chance to put down the screwdriver (for the bell installation, not the helmet), the kid was out of the driveway and down the street like a shot, test riding the new equipment.
Next thing I know, here comes the older nephew behind me, unable to resist the lure of a bike ride. So I've got a four-year-old disappearing into the distance, a six-year-old headed off in another direction, and the foot speed of a garden slug with a sprained gastropod. Remember, I have one sibling, no kids of my own, and these two little boys are the only ones she's going to make. The entire future of my family is making a break for it, and nobody's covering the deep zone in my defensive scheme. In short, I'm screwed.
So what's a bike nerd to do? I saddled up on my sister's bike (which is way too small for me, but there was no time to be picky), grabbed someone's helmet off a shelf (because even in a panic, I felt the need to be an example for the boys) and took off in hot pursuit. And as soon as I got wheels under me, my panic was replaced by calm. I was in my element. I could catch either one of the boys at will, check in on him, then circle back to the other one effortlessly. I could hold back, keeping them both in my sights, secure in the knowledge that if I needed to, I could get to either one with just a few pedal strokes. On foot, I didn't stand a chance against these tiny speed demons. On a bike, I felt like a bird keeping watch over chicks that hadn't quite learned to fly yet.
It's easy to forget that feeling of flying. After all, I'm not exactly the fastest guy on wheels either. But that brief reminder of just how clumsy and slow I am without those wheels was enough to convince me. The bicycle is a pretty amazing thing.
Friday, May 10, 2013
Go Read Steve
Far be it for me to drive away the few readers who stumble into these pages, but if you're here and haven't been paying attention to the blogroll over to the right, you owe it to yourself to pop in on Local Pal Steve's Zen Biking.
Steve recently completed Trans Iowa V9 (an event so worthy of the word "epic" that it would make those faux-epic Rapha punks soil their overpriced knickers), and is now documenting said adventure via blog. So far, the following chapters are available:
What I find so compelling about this whole endeavor is that if you met Steve in the non-virtual world, you'd think, "That's just a normal guy." He's got a job, a wife, and a kid. He's obviously in killer shape (anyone who spends enough time on his indoor trainer to tag it as the Gopher Wheel Lounge on Facebook would have to be) but I don't think he'd strike you as one of those hyper-obsessed athlete-freaks. Those guys don't tool around town with their wives on the back of a Surly Big Dummy, or bust out their 1939 Colson ballooners for a tweed ride.
So, congrats to Ol' Iron-Scranus, officially the 9th-place finisher of Trans Iowa V9, a swell former neighbor, a canine delicacy, and clearly a guy who knows how to grind some gravel.
Steve recently completed Trans Iowa V9 (an event so worthy of the word "epic" that it would make those faux-epic Rapha punks soil their overpriced knickers), and is now documenting said adventure via blog. So far, the following chapters are available:
What I find so compelling about this whole endeavor is that if you met Steve in the non-virtual world, you'd think, "That's just a normal guy." He's got a job, a wife, and a kid. He's obviously in killer shape (anyone who spends enough time on his indoor trainer to tag it as the Gopher Wheel Lounge on Facebook would have to be) but I don't think he'd strike you as one of those hyper-obsessed athlete-freaks. Those guys don't tool around town with their wives on the back of a Surly Big Dummy, or bust out their 1939 Colson ballooners for a tweed ride.
So, congrats to Ol' Iron-Scranus, officially the 9th-place finisher of Trans Iowa V9, a swell former neighbor, a canine delicacy, and clearly a guy who knows how to grind some gravel.
Monday, May 6, 2013
Swift And Single: A Long-Term Check
Reader feedback (I have readers? And they provide feedback?) has reminded me that it's been a while since I checked in with a report on my Swift folder, its current configuration, and how it's holding up. Here's what it looks like today, almost three years since it first crossed the threshold of the garage:
The Swift serves as my daily driver/commuter and errand-runner, 2 miles round trip on a short day, 10 on a long day. It has done time in any sort of weather the Midwest can drum up, from snow to scorching summer. Modifications from stock include:
I've been pleasantly surprised to see that the stock bottom bracket, wheels, and headset are still holding up. The hubs are slightly rougher than new, the rim sidewalls are getting thin, and the headset has a tiny bit of notchiness, but this is par for the course considering the abuse (from both weather and neglect) that my "work" bikes suffer. The bottom bracket's still spinning like new. Not bad after two years of minimal maintenance and rough use.
I'll keep banging on this little bugger and continue to check in on it from time to time. It's definitely earned a place in the fleet and proven itself as a capable performer.
The Swift serves as my daily driver/commuter and errand-runner, 2 miles round trip on a short day, 10 on a long day. It has done time in any sort of weather the Midwest can drum up, from snow to scorching summer. Modifications from stock include:
- SINGLESPEED DRIVETRAIN: When I put the studded tires on this winter (yes, there are 20" studded tires out there), I decided that a simpler drivetrain would be nicer for the slop. Swift apparently now offers this as a stock option, too. It's also fun to tell other singlespeeders that I ride a 52x16 and watch their jaws drop when they assume 700c wheels.
- DROP BARS: The conversion to drops flummoxed me for a while, thanks to the v-brakes and SRAM 1:1 ratio rear derailleur (requiring SRAM MTB shifters). The Tektro brake levers for drops have worked out nicely once I added an inline cable adjuster, and the singlespeed alleviates the shifter issues (though I did bodge around that briefly). Probably makes the bike harder to pack, but man, do I like drop bars.
- HARD-WIRING THE FOLDING MECHS: I just don't fold this thing very often, so to thwart thieves, I replaced the quick releases on the stem riser and seatpost with regular binder bolts. This may not be a Swift-approved modification (so do it at your own risk), but I haven't had any issues. I can't imagine the bolts are any weaker than the fairly cheap quick-releases that the bike comes with stock.
- WHERE THE RUBBER MEETS THE ROAD: The stock Kenda tires wore out (thank goodness) and were replaced by fairly cheap 20x1.95" BMX freestyle tires. These things are cushy and quick beyond what their humble price would suggest, and probably deserve a Hail to the Cheap shout-out. The Planet Bike fenders (another aftermarket add-on) still (barely) clear them, too.
- LOAD BEARING: I added a mini front rack and a modified Jandd rack duffel to carry my commuting load. I know next to nothing about the appropriate geometry for a front-loaded bike, so it was by sheer luck that the Swift appears to be unaffected by the weight over the front wheel.
I've been pleasantly surprised to see that the stock bottom bracket, wheels, and headset are still holding up. The hubs are slightly rougher than new, the rim sidewalls are getting thin, and the headset has a tiny bit of notchiness, but this is par for the course considering the abuse (from both weather and neglect) that my "work" bikes suffer. The bottom bracket's still spinning like new. Not bad after two years of minimal maintenance and rough use.
I'll keep banging on this little bugger and continue to check in on it from time to time. It's definitely earned a place in the fleet and proven itself as a capable performer.
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