PSA: Change Your Drop Bar Tape (More) Often

This is a roll of handle bar tape. You need to get used to seeing this more.

There is a strange undercurrent in the bicycling world where cyclists seem to want to be frugal and not spend money on maintenance when in reality it is in their best interests to do so. I could name several areas of concern, but possibly one of the most concerning is where people insist on making their handle bar tape last, well.......apparently forever. 

This isn't just me saying some cyclists have poor taste, (although one could make that argument here), no- It is much more than that. It is unsanitary, and potentially unsafe from a catastrophic failure standpoint. Let's take a closer look......

When you ride, you sweat. That sweat goes .......somewhere. It either evaporates into the air, gets absorbed by your clothing, or it drips off on to several different places. One of the most common places on a drop bar bike that sweat ingresses is at the hoods/handle bar area. Your bar tape absorbs this sweat, generally, and keeps that sweat trapped against the (usually) aluminum bar where it starts to corrode the bar. This causes what is known as "crevice corrosion" of the aluminum. If left unchecked, this corrosion can cause catastrophic failure of aluminum handle bars. What happens when your handle bar suddenly fails? You don't want to find out. This is especially troublesome with those who use indoor cycling training apps and ride stationary for much of the cooler weather months.

Recently N.Y. Roll had his bike worked on and it required that he have his bars unwrapped. This revealed some nasty corrosion, and in fact, his bar fell in two pieces during this unwrapping! I actually saw the bar and it was about the thickness of a pop can at the point where it had corroded away. N.Y. Roll was lucky, and I bet he will be wrapping his bars more often now.

So, why do people get upset when their handle bar tape doesn't last two years? (Unless they ride only a couple hundred miles a year, then, yeah) I don't get it. Cheapo handle bar tape is actually not too bad these days and you can get a set of rolls to cover your bars for less than three fancy IPA's at a bar. I dunno..... I just don't see the logic in trying to make it over a year on one roll of tape. It just isn't sanitary, (think of wearing the same underwear for a year!), or safe. Why take the risk?

Oh, you say you can't wrap your bars? If you want to learn, it isn't that hard to do. Don't want to bother? Have someone you know that has the skill do it, or, ya know.....your local bike shop could do this. But at any rate, just don't run the same tape for more than a season. It's gross if you do and potentially not safe. Besides, you can change up the look of your bike, use different colors, or, ya know, just be the same-ol-same-ol and use black. Whatever you do, change that bar tape more often!

PSA: Change Your Drop Bar Tape (More) Often

This is a roll of handle bar tape. You need to get used to seeing this more.

There is a strange undercurrent in the bicycling world where cyclists seem to want to be frugal and not spend money on maintenance when in reality it is in their best interests to do so. I could name several areas of concern, but possibly one of the most concerning is where people insist on making their handle bar tape last, well.......apparently forever. 

This isn't just me saying some cyclists have poor taste, (although one could make that argument here), no- It is much more than that. It is unsanitary, and potentially unsafe from a catastrophic failure standpoint. Let's take a closer look......

When you ride, you sweat. That sweat goes .......somewhere. It either evaporates into the air, gets absorbed by your clothing, or it drips off on to several different places. One of the most common places on a drop bar bike that sweat ingresses is at the hoods/handle bar area. Your bar tape absorbs this sweat, generally, and keeps that sweat trapped against the (usually) aluminum bar where it starts to corrode the bar. This causes what is known as "crevice corrosion" of the aluminum. If left unchecked, this corrosion can cause catastrophic failure of aluminum handle bars. What happens when your handle bar suddenly fails? You don't want to find out. This is especially troublesome with those who use indoor cycling training apps and ride stationary for much of the cooler weather months.

Recently N.Y. Roll had his bike worked on and it required that he have his bars unwrapped. This revealed some nasty corrosion, and in fact, his bar fell in two pieces during this unwrapping! I actually saw the bar and it was about the thickness of a pop can at the point where it had corroded away. N.Y. Roll was lucky, and I bet he will be wrapping his bars more often now.

So, why do people get upset when their handle bar tape doesn't last two years? (Unless they ride only a couple hundred miles a year, then, yeah) I don't get it. Cheapo handle bar tape is actually not too bad these days and you can get a set of rolls to cover your bars for less than three fancy IPA's at a bar. I dunno..... I just don't see the logic in trying to make it over a year on one roll of tape. It just isn't sanitary, (think of wearing the same underwear for a year!), or safe. Why take the risk?

Oh, you say you can't wrap your bars? If you want to learn, it isn't that hard to do. Don't want to bother? Have someone you know that has the skill do it, or, ya know.....your local bike shop could do this. But at any rate, just don't run the same tape for more than a season. It's gross if you do and potentially not safe. Besides, you can change up the look of your bike, use different colors, or, ya know, just be the same-ol-same-ol and use black. Whatever you do, change that bar tape more often!

Failure Mode

That long silver line on that bar is a crack. Found on MG's personal rig recently.

Failure is a topic that many of us that ride bicycles don't like to speak of. It is "negative", so you just do not speak of failure in terms of your performance. However; there is another kind of failure that we do not speak of much either. Failure of components and frames and forks. It is a very real possibility every time you ride your bicycle.

I was tipped off to a very good article covering a wide array of the topics related to parts failures on bicycles by a Twitter/blog reader contact I have. The article is by "Cyclingtips" and can be found by clicking this link. It is well written and broad based in scope. So, I feel it is a good primer on the subject for any cyclist.

I am going to take a look at this from a mechanic's/rider point of view. The above link does a good job of pointing out a little bit of the following, but like any broad ranging topic, there just wasn't room there to flesh out the subject. Not from a point of view such as mine, which includes being a mechanic for over 20 years.

In terms of parts and frame failures, we see a lot more crash related failures than we do the type of failure that happens from "life span" issues. Generally speaking, you can chalk that up to what the linked article points out where bicycles are sold then never really used. Crashes can constitute a lot of examples. The obvious is where there is something catastrophic, where bodily injury was inflicted, or there was obvious violent contact with something. (Roof mounted bike into a garage door, as an example.) However; I feel the most commonly found failure is due to a crash that did not seem to be a big deal at the time, but resulted in a failed component later.

Things will last only so long, then they die.....

This can be hard to pinpoint because most of the time people file away little biffs and dings in their mental recycle bin never to be retrieved again. However; it can take only one fall to precipitate a crack in a handle bar, as a for instance, that could lead to a "catastrophic failure" later. See MG's handle bar above. He dumped his bike in a corner, then later found this crack. Had he not seen that, the bar could have "given away all at once", or so it would have seemed. The reality was that the damage was already there waiting to fail the rest of the way.

I like to think of these things in terms of something that happened back in my youth when I was a jeweler. We worked on fine jewelry and manufactured custom designs which required lots of polishing to bring the fine metals up to their highest glow and sheen. To clean everything up, we used an ultrasonic cleaner, then a hot, high pressure steam bath. We would use these heavy stainless steel "tweezers" to hold the items as we blasted them with shots of steam. After we were finished, we would nonchalantly toss the tweezers into this heavy glass container we kept on the back drip edge of the sink. One late night, after one more of probably hundreds of thousands of tosses of tweezers into that glass, I sat down after cleaning something up to file it away in its envelope and move on to the next task. It was maybe 3-5 minutes later when the glass exploded into thousands of tiny crumbs.

I like to think of that last tweezers toss as the final crash that "broke the camel's back", as it were. The glass continued doing its job for a few more minutes, then it "just failed". In reality, every toss of those metal tweezers was building up stress in the glass which finally resulted in the glass exploding in spectacular fashion without seeming to have any "input" to make it do so.  Our bicycle parts, frames, and forks are also subject to these stresses that can eventually lead to a part failure, like the wheel I have shown here. That pulled through spoke probably had a crack next to it to begin with before it actually failed completely. Had the owner of that bike seen that crack beforehand, he could have replaced the wheel before it completely failed.

Considering that most riders almost never inspect their bicycles for cracks or loose fasteners, it is a near miracle that we don't have more catastrophic injuries related to "JRA" (Just Riding Along) incidents. Consider also that hundreds of thousands of bicycles get infused into the marketplace every year. The sheer numbers of bicycles waiting to fail must be astronomic in total. That isn't to say that efforts should not be made to improve things, but we are talking about a small number compared to what it could be, in my opinion.

Fat bikes, in particular, have had a rash of fork issues since becoming widely available.

Another thing that has been a noted issue with failure, but not a high frequency thing, is the advent of rigid fork fat bikes. The forces at work which exert stress on different parts of a fat bike are far greater, or different, (or likely both), and have caused forks to be recalled. We've seen some subtle and some not so subtle redesigns of fat bike forks which we have replaced under warranty. Obviously, this will sort itself out, but missing the mark on design is another way we've seen failures on parts.

Even less likely is the rider who refuses to repair, or replace an obviously compromised part. While this is admittedly a smaller fraction of possible failures, I see this far more often than I do the flawed part that just falls apart. At any rate, these types of situations concern me the most. In fact, I will refuse a job, rather than take the risk that something will continue to perform without causing injury or death. A famous example would be the various jobs I have refused because the steel fork was bent backward and the owner refused to replace it. Sure......it is steel, and as one guy said, "I've been riding it this way for 30 years!". I replied, "All the more reason I would not work on that. Your luck is due to run out at any time now.", and I wasn't about to take a bet on that one! He probably is still riding that bike, but you know, the minute I work on it, guess what would happen....

Finally, there is the misuse of parts and bicycles. We see this a lot! Stems and seat posts extended beyond their intended insertion points, quick release levers used incorrectly, trailers loaded with cargoes way in excess of what brake and wheel systems on the bicycles that pull them were rated to. Racks affixed to carbon fiber seat posts, bags installed incorrectly, and the list goes on. It is amazing to me how much of this people get away with without catastrophic failures. So, there are another group of potential failures just waiting to happen.

The point is, "life cycle" product limitations may be something worth pursuing, but don't for a second think that this will solve the potential issues with failures. There are far more modes of failure than that.

Failure Mode

That long silver line on that bar is a crack. Found on MG's personal rig recently.

Failure is a topic that many of us that ride bicycles don't like to speak of. It is "negative", so you just do not speak of failure in terms of your performance. However; there is another kind of failure that we do not speak of much either. Failure of components and frames and forks. It is a very real possibility every time you ride your bicycle.

I was tipped off to a very good article covering a wide array of the topics related to parts failures on bicycles by a Twitter/blog reader contact I have. The article is by "Cyclingtips" and can be found by clicking this link. It is well written and broad based in scope. So, I feel it is a good primer on the subject for any cyclist.

I am going to take a look at this from a mechanic's/rider point of view. The above link does a good job of pointing out a little bit of the following, but like any broad ranging topic, there just wasn't room there to flesh out the subject. Not from a point of view such as mine, which includes being a mechanic for over 20 years.

In terms of parts and frame failures, we see a lot more crash related failures than we do the type of failure that happens from "life span" issues. Generally speaking, you can chalk that up to what the linked article points out where bicycles are sold then never really used. Crashes can constitute a lot of examples. The obvious is where there is something catastrophic, where bodily injury was inflicted, or there was obvious violent contact with something. (Roof mounted bike into a garage door, as an example.) However; I feel the most commonly found failure is due to a crash that did not seem to be a big deal at the time, but resulted in a failed component later.

Things will last only so long, then they die.....

This can be hard to pinpoint because most of the time people file away little biffs and dings in their mental recycle bin never to be retrieved again. However; it can take only one fall to precipitate a crack in a handle bar, as a for instance, that could lead to a "catastrophic failure" later. See MG's handle bar above. He dumped his bike in a corner, then later found this crack. Had he not seen that, the bar could have "given away all at once", or so it would have seemed. The reality was that the damage was already there waiting to fail the rest of the way.

I like to think of these things in terms of something that happened back in my youth when I was a jeweler. We worked on fine jewelry and manufactured custom designs which required lots of polishing to bring the fine metals up to their highest glow and sheen. To clean everything up, we used an ultrasonic cleaner, then a hot, high pressure steam bath. We would use these heavy stainless steel "tweezers" to hold the items as we blasted them with shots of steam. After we were finished, we would nonchalantly toss the tweezers into this heavy glass container we kept on the back drip edge of the sink. One late night, after one more of probably hundreds of thousands of tosses of tweezers into that glass, I sat down after cleaning something up to file it away in its envelope and move on to the next task. It was maybe 3-5 minutes later when the glass exploded into thousands of tiny crumbs.

I like to think of that last tweezers toss as the final crash that "broke the camel's back", as it were. The glass continued doing its job for a few more minutes, then it "just failed". In reality, every toss of those metal tweezers was building up stress in the glass which finally resulted in the glass exploding in spectacular fashion without seeming to have any "input" to make it do so.  Our bicycle parts, frames, and forks are also subject to these stresses that can eventually lead to a part failure, like the wheel I have shown here. That pulled through spoke probably had a crack next to it to begin with before it actually failed completely. Had the owner of that bike seen that crack beforehand, he could have replaced the wheel before it completely failed.

Considering that most riders almost never inspect their bicycles for cracks or loose fasteners, it is a near miracle that we don't have more catastrophic injuries related to "JRA" (Just Riding Along) incidents. Consider also that hundreds of thousands of bicycles get infused into the marketplace every year. The sheer numbers of bicycles waiting to fail must be astronomic in total. That isn't to say that efforts should not be made to improve things, but we are talking about a small number compared to what it could be, in my opinion.

Fat bikes, in particular, have had a rash of fork issues since becoming widely available.

Another thing that has been a noted issue with failure, but not a high frequency thing, is the advent of rigid fork fat bikes. The forces at work which exert stress on different parts of a fat bike are far greater, or different, (or likely both), and have caused forks to be recalled. We've seen some subtle and some not so subtle redesigns of fat bike forks which we have replaced under warranty. Obviously, this will sort itself out, but missing the mark on design is another way we've seen failures on parts.

Even less likely is the rider who refuses to repair, or replace an obviously compromised part. While this is admittedly a smaller fraction of possible failures, I see this far more often than I do the flawed part that just falls apart. At any rate, these types of situations concern me the most. In fact, I will refuse a job, rather than take the risk that something will continue to perform without causing injury or death. A famous example would be the various jobs I have refused because the steel fork was bent backward and the owner refused to replace it. Sure......it is steel, and as one guy said, "I've been riding it this way for 30 years!". I replied, "All the more reason I would not work on that. Your luck is due to run out at any time now.", and I wasn't about to take a bet on that one! He probably is still riding that bike, but you know, the minute I work on it, guess what would happen....

Finally, there is the misuse of parts and bicycles. We see this a lot! Stems and seat posts extended beyond their intended insertion points, quick release levers used incorrectly, trailers loaded with cargoes way in excess of what brake and wheel systems on the bicycles that pull them were rated to. Racks affixed to carbon fiber seat posts, bags installed incorrectly, and the list goes on. It is amazing to me how much of this people get away with without catastrophic failures. So, there are another group of potential failures just waiting to happen.

The point is, "life cycle" product limitations may be something worth pursuing, but don't for a second think that this will solve the potential issues with failures. There are far more modes of failure than that.

The Answer

No one got it right.

Last Friday I posted this image and asked anyone that wanted to try and figure it out. Well, no one got it completely right, but that's okay. That wasn't the point anyway. The point, for me, was that this represents a victory in terms of fixing a problem. Here's the back story and the answer will become evident as we go along here.....

The ticket was for a Beargrease rear wheel which the customer had blown up the SRAM XD free hub body on. When I say "blown up", I mean as in the state of the freehub was that it was demolished. The bearings had even fallen out which caused the cassette, an XX-1 10-42T 11 speed one, to just wobble around. The lock ring teeth, which the tool needs to interface with to remove said cassette were 80% sheered off. Gone. It looked pretty grim.

So, after some thought, I decided the course of action here was to separate the free hub driver/cassette as a unit from the hub. Then the customer would have to buy a new XD driver and cassette, but hopefully the hub would be salvaged. I set out to disassemble the hub axle, hoping that I could pull the part off the drive side of the axle through the cassette. Conveniently, the sheered teeth, which would have allowed me to separate the cassette from the driver, actually helped here as that made the "hole" bigger so I could extract the axle end after unscrewing it. Then I used a mallet, pounding the non-driveside axle end, and in turn punching out the driveside bearing in the hubshell. This pushed everything off, including the cassette/XD driver, and then I could extricate the axle from the driver body. There! After reassembling the axle, the hub will be as good as gold with a new XD Driver and X-1 cassette.

So, the final bit was getting the inside bearing race for the XD driver off the axle shaft, which it was jammed on. (Yes, the XD driver had basically exploded into two bits- the main driver body and this race.) I opened the jaws of a vice just enough, covered them with a terry cloth, to avoid marring the axle, and carefully tapped the driveside of the axle, using the vice jaws as a bearing press, and drove the bearing, and subsequently the inner XD driver bearing race, off the axle shaft with no damage.

The image shows the axle, drive side bearing, and the separate XD inner bearing race.

The Answer

No one got it right.

Last Friday I posted this image and asked anyone that wanted to try and figure it out. Well, no one got it completely right, but that's okay. That wasn't the point anyway. The point, for me, was that this represents a victory in terms of fixing a problem. Here's the back story and the answer will become evident as we go along here.....

The ticket was for a Beargrease rear wheel which the customer had blown up the SRAM XD free hub body on. When I say "blown up", I mean as in the state of the freehub was that it was demolished. The bearings had even fallen out which caused the cassette, an XX-1 10-42T 11 speed one, to just wobble around. The lock ring teeth, which the tool needs to interface with to remove said cassette were 80% sheered off. Gone. It looked pretty grim.

So, after some thought, I decided the course of action here was to separate the free hub driver/cassette as a unit from the hub. Then the customer would have to buy a new XD driver and cassette, but hopefully the hub would be salvaged. I set out to disassemble the hub axle, hoping that I could pull the part off the drive side of the axle through the cassette. Conveniently, the sheered teeth, which would have allowed me to separate the cassette from the driver, actually helped here as that made the "hole" bigger so I could extract the axle end after unscrewing it. Then I used a mallet, pounding the non-driveside axle end, and in turn punching out the driveside bearing in the hubshell. This pushed everything off, including the cassette/XD driver, and then I could extricate the axle from the driver body. There! After reassembling the axle, the hub will be as good as gold with a new XD Driver and X-1 cassette.

So, the final bit was getting the inside bearing race for the XD driver off the axle shaft, which it was jammed on. (Yes, the XD driver had basically exploded into two bits- the main driver body and this race.) I opened the jaws of a vice just enough, covered them with a terry cloth, to avoid marring the axle, and carefully tapped the driveside of the axle, using the vice jaws as a bearing press, and drove the bearing, and subsequently the inner XD driver bearing race, off the axle shaft with no damage.

The image shows the axle, drive side bearing, and the separate XD inner bearing race.

Friday News And Views

What is it specifically?

What Is It?

Okay folks, today I am putting out a challenge to you who are mechanics or "bike saavy" out there. The challenge is to identify specifically what these three parts are in the image. One might be easy for some of you, one might be a little tougher, and the last may be the stumper of them all.

I think the general idea of what two of these parts are is easy, but the third may need a hint to help you out. Here is the only hint you get.....

One part here is manufactured by SRAM

That's all yer gonna get outta me.

No prizes, just a fun way to waste part of yer day on this Friday if you are stuck at work. The parts identities will be revealed on Monday, and I will give you the back story. If you work at Europa Cycle & Ski, you are disqualified from this friendly competition. (So yeah.......Andy, you cannot answer this one!)

Speaking of work, the RAGBY takes place starting Sunday, and we're all good on repairs for that, so I am pretty happy to have that behind us, (mostly) now. Typically this is the zenith of activity in the shop, so now a slow roll down to less and less to do until November when I will likely have cleaned my toolbox for the umpteenth time looking for something to do. That's the way the ball rolls in the shop when you are a bicycle mechanic in Iowa. Oh.....and all you RAGBY riders have yerself a good, safe ride. Okay?

The mosquitoes almost carried me away!

Jungle Love:

The other day I did a "dirt home from work" ride. It was the first I'd done in months. I kinda knew what I was in for, since it is July in Iowa. That means big vegetation and mucho mosquitoes. As in lots of undergrowth with lots of blood-sucking vermin.

The trail is the one along the Cedar River between Lower Hartman and the 218 bridge over the Cedar River on the Southern/Western side of that river. It's new-ish to the scene and fits in with my direction home bound from work, so I like to hit it up from time to time. The other thing is that since it is newer than much of the other local stuff, it hasn't gotten widened out, short-cutted, or been "dumbed down" with removal of rocks, etc. It is wearing in though, and that is something you cannot change. If you were ever wondering what the old school trails were like "back in the day" around here, this trail is about as close as you'll ever get to those times. So, yeah......I kind of enjoy it, despite its lack of elevation change.

I'd tell you the name of the trail, but it doesn't matter, since they aren't marked and only a handful of folks even know the "names" of these trails anyway. That's a whole 'nuther story.....

Anyway, it was classic July conditions out there with the green only being broken up by tree trunks and the sliver of dirt clear enough to pilot your bicycle down it. I stopped to grab the image here and the 'skeeters were out in force. They jumped up outta that greenery faster than lightning and were buzzing me something fierce. Now, if you were somebody that is prone to being bitten by these critters, you'd be in a world of hurt out there. Me? I have been blessed with flesh unsavory to 'skeeters, for whatever reason, so they are a huge nuisance to me, but I almost never get a bite. Anyway, the only way to get outta that brown insect fog was to keep moving and quickly! That I did and eventually made it out without further incident.

So, once again I get reminded why I usually wait until September to start riding single track locally. Vegetation and insects. I guess I could buck up and put up with that, but there are too many other great rides out there to do so I don't see the sense in doing the jungle rides unless I'm desperate for some single track and I'm short on time. That's just me though......

The GTDRI won't be anywhere near this flat!!

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational Update:

With a little over a week to go until this little no-drop gravel group ride, I have some tidbits for ya'all that might be thinking this over to chew on.

First off, the ride start is at Backbone State Park where the main East-West park road goes across the Little Maquoketa River. We'll be taking off at 5:30am, and if you want to show up to ride, you are welcome to. There is parking right to the North of the meet up place along side a North-South road that has an intersection with the aforementioned road on the West side of the bridge. There is also camping available at the Park which is a very short bicycle ride away from the meeting/ride start.

Plan on a very long day in the saddle with frequent stops and scenic views. We will be going through Strawberry Point first. It isn't far into the ride, so I don't expect we will stop there for anything.....this time. The route then will go West, then North, around the hills surrounding St. Sebald Church, and then down into the picturesque valley of Volga. We won't likely stop there either, as it doesn't have much on offer. We will then follow along the Volga River a bit, then out into more hills as we work our way over to Wadena, and our first resupply stop.

Leaving Wadena West then North, we will work our way over some rollers towards the Turkey River Valley just East of West Union, then a long stretch East along the river to Elgin, and then to Elkader. We will stop for sure in Elkader to eat at "Two Mits" hamburger shack, (or wherever you'd want to grab grub there), and sit down for a bit. You'll need every minute of respite because the East and then Southward trek to Garber will severely test your legs. After dropping into the Turkey River valley again via the infamously rough Impala Road, we will go through Garber where we can resupply if necessary. After this, it will be a super-scenic, but super tough slog over some mighty hills to pass just East of Edgewood and finally to a significantly smoother stretch of road leading us back once again to Strawberry Point. There we will have one last chance to grab some water or treats before the final few miles back to the cars in Backbone State Park.

I figure it at about 118 miles and it should take all of 12-14 hours to get 'er done if we don't kill ourselves with a high pace. Of course, the weather could play into that as well. Speaking of which.....

If it looks as if it may rain at some part of the day, I will still be going. Bring any rain gear if you still want to ride. I only will call this off if it looks to be severe, or if there looks to be some lightning for the day. Stay tuned to weather and be attentive to the blog Friday the 24th for any updates in case of possible weather related cancellations.

I have promises from two new folks to this ride to show up, and I think a couple "veterans" are showing up as well. There are always surprises when it comes to folks showing up for this, so who knows? I'll be glad to have anyone else come that has a mind to.  Questions? Hit me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

And for now, that's a wrap. Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!

Friday News And Views

What is it specifically?

What Is It?

Okay folks, today I am putting out a challenge to you who are mechanics or "bike saavy" out there. The challenge is to identify specifically what these three parts are in the image. One might be easy for some of you, one might be a little tougher, and the last may be the stumper of them all.

I think the general idea of what two of these parts are is easy, but the third may need a hint to help you out. Here is the only hint you get.....

One part here is manufactured by SRAM

That's all yer gonna get outta me.

No prizes, just a fun way to waste part of yer day on this Friday if you are stuck at work. The parts identities will be revealed on Monday, and I will give you the back story. If you work at Europa Cycle & Ski, you are disqualified from this friendly competition. (So yeah.......Andy, you cannot answer this one!)

Speaking of work, the RAGBY takes place starting Sunday, and we're all good on repairs for that, so I am pretty happy to have that behind us, (mostly) now. Typically this is the zenith of activity in the shop, so now a slow roll down to less and less to do until November when I will likely have cleaned my toolbox for the umpteenth time looking for something to do. That's the way the ball rolls in the shop when you are a bicycle mechanic in Iowa. Oh.....and all you RAGBY riders have yerself a good, safe ride. Okay?

The mosquitoes almost carried me away!

Jungle Love:

The other day I did a "dirt home from work" ride. It was the first I'd done in months. I kinda knew what I was in for, since it is July in Iowa. That means big vegetation and mucho mosquitoes. As in lots of undergrowth with lots of blood-sucking vermin.

The trail is the one along the Cedar River between Lower Hartman and the 218 bridge over the Cedar River on the Southern/Western side of that river. It's new-ish to the scene and fits in with my direction home bound from work, so I like to hit it up from time to time. The other thing is that since it is newer than much of the other local stuff, it hasn't gotten widened out, short-cutted, or been "dumbed down" with removal of rocks, etc. It is wearing in though, and that is something you cannot change. If you were ever wondering what the old school trails were like "back in the day" around here, this trail is about as close as you'll ever get to those times. So, yeah......I kind of enjoy it, despite its lack of elevation change.

I'd tell you the name of the trail, but it doesn't matter, since they aren't marked and only a handful of folks even know the "names" of these trails anyway. That's a whole 'nuther story.....

Anyway, it was classic July conditions out there with the green only being broken up by tree trunks and the sliver of dirt clear enough to pilot your bicycle down it. I stopped to grab the image here and the 'skeeters were out in force. They jumped up outta that greenery faster than lightning and were buzzing me something fierce. Now, if you were somebody that is prone to being bitten by these critters, you'd be in a world of hurt out there. Me? I have been blessed with flesh unsavory to 'skeeters, for whatever reason, so they are a huge nuisance to me, but I almost never get a bite. Anyway, the only way to get outta that brown insect fog was to keep moving and quickly! That I did and eventually made it out without further incident.

So, once again I get reminded why I usually wait until September to start riding single track locally. Vegetation and insects. I guess I could buck up and put up with that, but there are too many other great rides out there to do so I don't see the sense in doing the jungle rides unless I'm desperate for some single track and I'm short on time. That's just me though......

The GTDRI won't be anywhere near this flat!!

Guitar Ted Death Ride Invitational Update:

With a little over a week to go until this little no-drop gravel group ride, I have some tidbits for ya'all that might be thinking this over to chew on.

First off, the ride start is at Backbone State Park where the main East-West park road goes across the Little Maquoketa River. We'll be taking off at 5:30am, and if you want to show up to ride, you are welcome to. There is parking right to the North of the meet up place along side a North-South road that has an intersection with the aforementioned road on the West side of the bridge. There is also camping available at the Park which is a very short bicycle ride away from the meeting/ride start.

Plan on a very long day in the saddle with frequent stops and scenic views. We will be going through Strawberry Point first. It isn't far into the ride, so I don't expect we will stop there for anything.....this time. The route then will go West, then North, around the hills surrounding St. Sebald Church, and then down into the picturesque valley of Volga. We won't likely stop there either, as it doesn't have much on offer. We will then follow along the Volga River a bit, then out into more hills as we work our way over to Wadena, and our first resupply stop.

Leaving Wadena West then North, we will work our way over some rollers towards the Turkey River Valley just East of West Union, then a long stretch East along the river to Elgin, and then to Elkader. We will stop for sure in Elkader to eat at "Two Mits" hamburger shack, (or wherever you'd want to grab grub there), and sit down for a bit. You'll need every minute of respite because the East and then Southward trek to Garber will severely test your legs. After dropping into the Turkey River valley again via the infamously rough Impala Road, we will go through Garber where we can resupply if necessary. After this, it will be a super-scenic, but super tough slog over some mighty hills to pass just East of Edgewood and finally to a significantly smoother stretch of road leading us back once again to Strawberry Point. There we will have one last chance to grab some water or treats before the final few miles back to the cars in Backbone State Park.

I figure it at about 118 miles and it should take all of 12-14 hours to get 'er done if we don't kill ourselves with a high pace. Of course, the weather could play into that as well. Speaking of which.....

If it looks as if it may rain at some part of the day, I will still be going. Bring any rain gear if you still want to ride. I only will call this off if it looks to be severe, or if there looks to be some lightning for the day. Stay tuned to weather and be attentive to the blog Friday the 24th for any updates in case of possible weather related cancellations.

I have promises from two new folks to this ride to show up, and I think a couple "veterans" are showing up as well. There are always surprises when it comes to folks showing up for this, so who knows? I'll be glad to have anyone else come that has a mind to.  Questions? Hit me at g.ted.productions@gmail.com

And for now, that's a wrap. Have a great weekend and keep the rubber side down!

The Word Is.....

Well......maybe not EVERYTHING!

Lately I've noticed that people that have brought in noisey bikes to the shop where I wrench have been missing something. Namely, grease. Grease is more than a word you heard in a movie's song lyrics. It is more than the stuff dripping from your hamburger. It is peace of mind while you ride, it makes things quieter, and it allows you to disassemble parts when you want to without breaking a sweat, (or parts), along the way.

When I was but an apprentice bike wrench back in the early 90's I had a great mentor. Tom was patient, willing to share his knowledge, and wanted to see me succeed. He taught me a lot of basic mechanical knowledge that serves me well to this very day. Tom always had a smile and a unique way about his teaching that really connected with me. One of the mantras he impressed upon me back then was the following:

All Threaded Parts Get Grease Or LocTite. Nothing Goes Together Dry!

I know that many may disagree, or find weird, isolated instances where this doesn't fit, but for 99% of bicycle repair and maintenance, it does fit the bill. Grease or thread locking compound. Never connect something with threads and a fastener dry. Why and which do you use?

Metal parts on bicycles have a unique function. Be light as possible and strong too. Many times this means that you use aluminum female threaded parts and steel male threaded parts, or the threads themselves are so fine, that any corrosion that occurs will easily freeze the parts together. Dry fitted parts are also prone to making noises, because of the microscopic movements between fittings that occurs, which resonates at a frequency we hear as clicks, creaks, and squeaks. Take a pedal spindle and crank, as an example. I've had at least a half dozen "noisey bottom brackets" come through this year that were actually pedal spindles with no grease on them.

When do you NOT use grease? When the two parts fitted together are parts you simply do not want to ever have come loose. Like chain ring bolts. Then I would recommend a thread locker, (although you'll hear otherwise, I've NEVER had an issue using thread locking compound on chain ring bolts.) Rack mounting bolts are another good place for thread locking compound. Just make sure you use the correct thread locking compound, like blue LocTite.

Finally, you may not want to use grease or thread locking compound on titanium fittings. Titanium has this nasty habit of trading metal ions with other titanium bits or aluminum. If that happens they can corrode together, (galvanic corrosion), in which case you may never get the two parts apart again! In the case of Ti fittings, I use GM Anti-seize compound, which is available at any auto store.  Another place this rule may not be workable is with carbon fiber parts where the use of "carbon paste" is preferred. (Which is pretty much a form of grease with tiny gritty objects infused into it to prevent carbon parts from slipping against each other and is deemed "safe" for carbon fiber bits.

But most of the time you want to grease, or thread lock everything. You won't be sorry you did.

The Word Is.....

Well......maybe not EVERYTHING!

Lately I've noticed that people that have brought in noisey bikes to the shop where I wrench have been missing something. Namely, grease. Grease is more than a word you heard in a movie's song lyrics. It is more than the stuff dripping from your hamburger. It is peace of mind while you ride, it makes things quieter, and it allows you to disassemble parts when you want to without breaking a sweat, (or parts), along the way.

When I was but an apprentice bike wrench back in the early 90's I had a great mentor. Tom was patient, willing to share his knowledge, and wanted to see me succeed. He taught me a lot of basic mechanical knowledge that serves me well to this very day. Tom always had a smile and a unique way about his teaching that really connected with me. One of the mantras he impressed upon me back then was the following:

All Threaded Parts Get Grease Or LocTite. Nothing Goes Together Dry!

I know that many may disagree, or find weird, isolated instances where this doesn't fit, but for 99% of bicycle repair and maintenance, it does fit the bill. Grease or thread locking compound. Never connect something with threads and a fastener dry. Why and which do you use?

Metal parts on bicycles have a unique function. Be light as possible and strong too. Many times this means that you use aluminum female threaded parts and steel male threaded parts, or the threads themselves are so fine, that any corrosion that occurs will easily freeze the parts together. Dry fitted parts are also prone to making noises, because of the microscopic movements between fittings that occurs, which resonates at a frequency we hear as clicks, creaks, and squeaks. Take a pedal spindle and crank, as an example. I've had at least a half dozen "noisey bottom brackets" come through this year that were actually pedal spindles with no grease on them.

When do you NOT use grease? When the two parts fitted together are parts you simply do not want to ever have come loose. Like chain ring bolts. Then I would recommend a thread locker, (although you'll hear otherwise, I've NEVER had an issue using thread locking compound on chain ring bolts.) Rack mounting bolts are another good place for thread locking compound. Just make sure you use the correct thread locking compound, like blue LocTite.

Finally, you may not want to use grease or thread locking compound on titanium fittings. Titanium has this nasty habit of trading metal ions with other titanium bits or aluminum. If that happens they can corrode together, (galvanic corrosion), in which case you may never get the two parts apart again! In the case of Ti fittings, I use GM Anti-seize compound, which is available at any auto store.  Another place this rule may not be workable is with carbon fiber parts where the use of "carbon paste" is preferred. (Which is pretty much a form of grease with tiny gritty objects infused into it to prevent carbon parts from slipping against each other and is deemed "safe" for carbon fiber bits.

But most of the time you want to grease, or thread lock everything. You won't be sorry you did.

The Jingle-Jangle Of Being A Bicycle Mechanic

Workin' It! Keep Workin' It!

I came across this "slide share" which was about the average salaries for bicycle mechanics across the United States. Okay, if you aren't in to clicking links, the slide show reveals that bicycle mechanics make, on average, about $22,337.00. The article poses the question- "why?"

I've been a bicycle mechanic off and on again since 1993. In between I was an auto mechanic for 5 and a half years. I've seen both sides of that. I was also in retail for 17 years before all of that. So, all that to say that I've learned a thing or three over the years.

In my opinion, the answer to the slide share's question of "why" bicycle mechanics don't get paid more is a complex one. There are no simple answers. However; I am going to pull a few bullet points from my experiences and knowledge which I hope will point to a few answers to this.

• Bike Mechanics Don't Do It For The Money: While this may seem like some altruistic, pie in the sky philosophic bull dookey, it has a double meaning. Yes- there are a few mechanics that just love working with their hands, love bicycles, and are willing to suffer getting paid less than a high school drop out. Then there are those who are willing to submit to the low wages to get the deals on parts and complete bikes. So, yeah......it works both ways! 
• People Do Not See Bicycles As Essential To Life:  When I worked on automobiles, I often was the one that had to "break the bad news" to clients in the waiting room. The utter fear, the blank stares, and feeble cries of helplessness, (yes- really) were shocking to me at first. Then I realized that without their cars, people's lives completely came unhinged. They couldn't function without it. They would pay anything to get it back running again in most cases. Bicycles? Not so much. Bicycles are non-essential toys- recreational amusements on the way to dinner and drinks later. A way to get to the coffee shop. If it is broken? Ehhh! Well, if it doesn't cost too much to fix, maybe.....
• Shop Owners Aren't Killing It Like You Might Think: Ever see a bike shop owner living in a ritzy neighborhood or driving a fancy car? (Okay- maybe once in a while that happens!) Trust me- the shop owners I know are doing "okay", but they aren't pulling down wads of cash and bilking consumers like some innergoogle forum nut jobs may make you think. Bike retail is some of the lowest margin business one could get into that I've been around. 
• Since Shop Owners Are Making So Much Cash- They Pay Mechanics Like Kings: (<===HA!) Obviously, if you payed attention to the above, you know that this is purely sarcasm. 
• Consumers Get What Shop Owners Can Pay For: There are endless bitch sessions and nightmare stories about bad shop mechanics and retail experiences. I agree that there is a lot of room for improvement, but there is also the fact that you, as a consumer, are getting what shops can afford. Generally speaking, that is a very transient, under-trained, under-skilled workforce. Most do not have much, if any, retail experience. And let me tell ya- working retail, and doing it well, is a darn tough thing to master. (Not to mention wrenching) Some few are endowed with the proper skill set, but most often, the high school/college kid you see at a bike shop has almost zero idea of what to do from a sales and/or mechanics standpoint, and the shops generally can't spend the time/money to train them up when that "investment" leaves in a few years or less. So......you get what got paid for. 

That's just a couple of things I can think of, but it goes beyond that. I can only speak for myself when I say that being a bicycle mechanic is a good job, and I like it, but the pay isn't good. It just is not. Heck, I made more money working retail in 1988 than I did last year, as an example.

But I am not complaining either. I wish bicycle mechanics like myself and all the others out there could make more money, sure. Why wouldn't I? But I also am very grateful for the job I have for its flexibility, the opportunity it allows me to work with my hands, and for being able to hang around bicycles on a regular basis. I have met some of the finest folks I have ever met in any job through being a shop mechanic. It is by far the most satisfying job I've had in my life. No- it does not pay all that well. But that's par for the course.

Should bicycle mechanics get paid more? Probably, yes- they should. However, I feel it will take a fundamental change in the view of what bicycles are worth to the average American before it starts to change, and I do not foresee that happening anytime soon.

The Jingle-Jangle Of Being A Bicycle Mechanic

Workin' It! Keep Workin' It!

I came across this "slide share" which was about the average salaries for bicycle mechanics across the United States. Okay, if you aren't in to clicking links, the slide show reveals that bicycle mechanics make, on average, about $22,337.00. The article poses the question- "why?"

I've been a bicycle mechanic off and on again since 1993. In between I was an auto mechanic for 5 and a half years. I've seen both sides of that. I was also in retail for 17 years before all of that. So, all that to say that I've learned a thing or three over the years.

In my opinion, the answer to the slide share's question of "why" bicycle mechanics don't get paid more is a complex one. There are no simple answers. However; I am going to pull a few bullet points from my experiences and knowledge which I hope will point to a few answers to this.

• Bike Mechanics Don't Do It For The Money: While this may seem like some altruistic, pie in the sky philosophic bull dookey, it has a double meaning. Yes- there are a few mechanics that just love working with their hands, love bicycles, and are willing to suffer getting paid less than a high school drop out. Then there are those who are willing to submit to the low wages to get the deals on parts and complete bikes. So, yeah......it works both ways! 
• People Do Not See Bicycles As Essential To Life:  When I worked on automobiles, I often was the one that had to "break the bad news" to clients in the waiting room. The utter fear, the blank stares, and feeble cries of helplessness, (yes- really) were shocking to me at first. Then I realized that without their cars, people's lives completely came unhinged. They couldn't function without it. They would pay anything to get it back running again in most cases. Bicycles? Not so much. Bicycles are non-essential toys- recreational amusements on the way to dinner and drinks later. A way to get to the coffee shop. If it is broken? Ehhh! Well, if it doesn't cost too much to fix, maybe.....
• Shop Owners Aren't Killing It Like You Might Think: Ever see a bike shop owner living in a ritzy neighborhood or driving a fancy car? (Okay- maybe once in a while that happens!) Trust me- the shop owners I know are doing "okay", but they aren't pulling down wads of cash and bilking consumers like some innergoogle forum nut jobs may make you think. Bike retail is some of the lowest margin business one could get into that I've been around. 
• Since Shop Owners Are Making So Much Cash- They Pay Mechanics Like Kings: (<===HA!) Obviously, if you payed attention to the above, you know that this is purely sarcasm. 
• Consumers Get What Shop Owners Can Pay For: There are endless bitch sessions and nightmare stories about bad shop mechanics and retail experiences. I agree that there is a lot of room for improvement, but there is also the fact that you, as a consumer, are getting what shops can afford. Generally speaking, that is a very transient, under-trained, under-skilled workforce. Most do not have much, if any, retail experience. And let me tell ya- working retail, and doing it well, is a darn tough thing to master. (Not to mention wrenching) Some few are endowed with the proper skill set, but most often, the high school/college kid you see at a bike shop has almost zero idea of what to do from a sales and/or mechanics standpoint, and the shops generally can't spend the time/money to train them up when that "investment" leaves in a few years or less. So......you get what got paid for. 

That's just a couple of things I can think of, but it goes beyond that. I can only speak for myself when I say that being a bicycle mechanic is a good job, and I like it, but the pay isn't good. It just is not. Heck, I made more money working retail in 1988 than I did last year, as an example.

But I am not complaining either. I wish bicycle mechanics like myself and all the others out there could make more money, sure. Why wouldn't I? But I also am very grateful for the job I have for its flexibility, the opportunity it allows me to work with my hands, and for being able to hang around bicycles on a regular basis. I have met some of the finest folks I have ever met in any job through being a shop mechanic. It is by far the most satisfying job I've had in my life. No- it does not pay all that well. But that's par for the course.

Should bicycle mechanics get paid more? Probably, yes- they should. However, I feel it will take a fundamental change in the view of what bicycles are worth to the average American before it starts to change, and I do not foresee that happening anytime soon.

Friday News And Views

Salsa Cycles Demo Tour:

Today is the day! At 4pm the demo starts at Geoorge Wyth State Park at the "turnaround", Lodge", "shelter", or whatever you know the "end of the road" at the park as. Just drive all the way back in- you'll find it eventually.

You'll get to ride Fargos, Vayas, Mukluks, Spearfish, and Horsethief 29"ers and maybe get an idea of what Salsa is up to next year if you ask nice.

Come on out and bring your I.D., credit card, pedals and shoes, a helmet, and sign a waiver to get a chance to test ride on dirt or pavement right there in Geo Wyth.

And don't forget- I'll be leading a Mini-Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride at 6:00pm. The ride will take about an hour and will be a modified loop that will take in parts of both sides of the Cedar River.  Hope to see ya'all there. It should be a good time.

Tragic deer suicide!

Guess He Wasn't Rudolph After All: Wednesday I was riding an errand and I took my usual route westward which leads me across an open field and then down into a "ditch" and to the Sergeant Road bike path right as it goes underneath University Avenue.

I stopped short, just before dropping into the ditch, when I saw a young buck laying on its side. I thought at first it was sleeping, but upon closer inspection, I could see that it was, in fact, dead.

I then assumed that perhaps it had been hit by a car up on the overpass, then thrown over the barricade to the ground below. However, there were no signs of an impact. An impact that would have damaged this deer severely had it occurred. I think it actually was disoriented, scared, and tried to jump off the road, only to fall to an untimely death.

I took the image here the following morning on my way to work. By the way- by the time I came home yesterday it had bloated severely, and was decomposing at a rapid rate, leading me to believe that when I saw it Wednesday, I had only just missed the actual leap of death.

I guess I'll find an alternative route for a bit until this "clears up" a little!

Crusty.....

Bio-Hazards, Dirty Triathletes, and Other Disgusting Things: I've said for a long time that folks that wrench on bicycles should get some "bio-hazard pay". Here's a great example of why I think that.

This saddle was to be replaced by the saddle next to it. The old saddle was really crusty. Did it get that way just sitting in the sun.....or some "other way"? Brrr! I don't even want to know, but I had to do the job. Old bar tape that is crustified is another good one to deal with. Oh.....and cleaning tri-bikes tops all of these. Mechanics will know exactly what I mean here.

Oh! But then there is the ancient faux-sheep's hide seat cover! You know- the one someone has been sweating on for ten biking seasons and the owner wants you to save it to transfer to the new bike? Gah! I hate that.

All these things and folks that wear helmets for years without ever washing them just freak me out a bit. (Not to mention the fact that after about 3-4 years the helmet is no good anymore anyway.) All part of the cycling culture, but ya gotta wonder if these same folks are wearing the same socks and underwear everyday, and never washing, or if they slop their food all over their homes like they do their bicycles. (At least I don't have to clean that up if they do!)

 3GR: The 3GR ride will happen from Gateway Park at 8:30am Saturday morning. I'll be doing the route we did the last time we rode from Gateway which should be about two hours or so in length.

It should be pretty hot, so bring plenty of fluids! The roads are dusty but in excellent shape now, so come on out for some fun gravel riding. NOTE: If it is windy out of the south, I have a more east-west rote we may end up doing instead. Also- if the threat of an imminent thunderstorm exists, I won't be coming, but otherwise I will be there Saturday.

Okay- that's a wrap for today. I hope you have some fun on a bicycle this weekend, and if you are local- why not come on over and check out the Salsa bikes? 

Friday News And Views

Salsa Cycles Demo Tour:

Today is the day! At 4pm the demo starts at Geoorge Wyth State Park at the "turnaround", Lodge", "shelter", or whatever you know the "end of the road" at the park as. Just drive all the way back in- you'll find it eventually.

You'll get to ride Fargos, Vayas, Mukluks, Spearfish, and Horsethief 29"ers and maybe get an idea of what Salsa is up to next year if you ask nice.

Come on out and bring your I.D., credit card, pedals and shoes, a helmet, and sign a waiver to get a chance to test ride on dirt or pavement right there in Geo Wyth.

And don't forget- I'll be leading a Mini-Fargo/Vaya Adventure Ride at 6:00pm. The ride will take about an hour and will be a modified loop that will take in parts of both sides of the Cedar River.  Hope to see ya'all there. It should be a good time.

Tragic deer suicide!

Guess He Wasn't Rudolph After All: Wednesday I was riding an errand and I took my usual route westward which leads me across an open field and then down into a "ditch" and to the Sergeant Road bike path right as it goes underneath University Avenue.

I stopped short, just before dropping into the ditch, when I saw a young buck laying on its side. I thought at first it was sleeping, but upon closer inspection, I could see that it was, in fact, dead.

I then assumed that perhaps it had been hit by a car up on the overpass, then thrown over the barricade to the ground below. However, there were no signs of an impact. An impact that would have damaged this deer severely had it occurred. I think it actually was disoriented, scared, and tried to jump off the road, only to fall to an untimely death.

I took the image here the following morning on my way to work. By the way- by the time I came home yesterday it had bloated severely, and was decomposing at a rapid rate, leading me to believe that when I saw it Wednesday, I had only just missed the actual leap of death.

I guess I'll find an alternative route for a bit until this "clears up" a little!

Crusty.....

Bio-Hazards, Dirty Triathletes, and Other Disgusting Things: I've said for a long time that folks that wrench on bicycles should get some "bio-hazard pay". Here's a great example of why I think that.

This saddle was to be replaced by the saddle next to it. The old saddle was really crusty. Did it get that way just sitting in the sun.....or some "other way"? Brrr! I don't even want to know, but I had to do the job. Old bar tape that is crustified is another good one to deal with. Oh.....and cleaning tri-bikes tops all of these. Mechanics will know exactly what I mean here.

Oh! But then there is the ancient faux-sheep's hide seat cover! You know- the one someone has been sweating on for ten biking seasons and the owner wants you to save it to transfer to the new bike? Gah! I hate that.

All these things and folks that wear helmets for years without ever washing them just freak me out a bit. (Not to mention the fact that after about 3-4 years the helmet is no good anymore anyway.) All part of the cycling culture, but ya gotta wonder if these same folks are wearing the same socks and underwear everyday, and never washing, or if they slop their food all over their homes like they do their bicycles. (At least I don't have to clean that up if they do!)

 3GR: The 3GR ride will happen from Gateway Park at 8:30am Saturday morning. I'll be doing the route we did the last time we rode from Gateway which should be about two hours or so in length.

It should be pretty hot, so bring plenty of fluids! The roads are dusty but in excellent shape now, so come on out for some fun gravel riding. NOTE: If it is windy out of the south, I have a more east-west rote we may end up doing instead. Also- if the threat of an imminent thunderstorm exists, I won't be coming, but otherwise I will be there Saturday.

Okay- that's a wrap for today. I hope you have some fun on a bicycle this weekend, and if you are local- why not come on over and check out the Salsa bikes? 

Bike Shop Horrors: Gutted Part II

Once again I take you inside a bike where you normally wouldn't go. This one is a bit unusual in that it is a part of a "tri-bike", themselves being an unusual breed of bicycle in the first place. (And many times a horror to work on for bike shop mechanics for lots of reasons.)

Down under....

Here we have a view from the bottom side of a Trek Speed Concept rig. Aero/time trial type bikes are bicycles governed by the strange rules of aerodynamics and the UCI. (Which one of those is stranger is another deal altogether.) Since they are governed by these seemingly opposing forces, we get some weird, sometimes inspired designs made to cheat the wind.

In this case, we have a bicycle which has removed the rear brake from its traditional place to underneath the bottom bracket. Gets it out of the air flow alright!

In the image here you see a cover which directs whatever air is flowing around down here by the brake mechanism cleanly. (Never mind that whirling crank set and that spinning rear wheel!)

Kinda like how Charlie would have done it...

Here we have a view with the cover off. Doesn't look like a typical road brake, does it? That's because it has more in common with a mountain bike brake from about 30 years ago than it does any road brake we know from today. And that mountain bike brake is a take off from a design used early in the 20th Century.

The two pivots are easy to find here. If you follow up from there, each brake arm cants inward to the center line of the bike until the arms terminate where you see the two small circular elements at the ends of each arm. These are pins that ride the edges of the triangular shaped "cam" plate you see which has the brake cable emanating from its top, and a bolt near its base above the spring. The bolt anchors the brake cable.

When the brake is activated, the cam plate moves upward, (as we look at the view here), and forces the two arms outward along the cam's profile, which the two pins ride on that are anchored in the ends of the brake arms. The arms pivot, in turn, and like a see-saw, they push the brake pads into the rim as the arms pivot on those silver colored bushings. When the brake lever is released, the spring attaching both arms above the tire pulls the tops of the arms back in, and the brake comes to its resting state as seen here.

It is also notable here that you can see the front derailleur cable on the right, and the rear derailleur cable on the left on either side of the brake cable above the brake itself. All cables are internally routed for better aerodynamics.

This brake is very reminiscent of the 80's "under-the-chain-stay" "Rollercam" style brakes which this looks like a miniaturized version of with a cross spring instead of the two wire linear springs that Rollercams used.

And there is your look at the "guts" of a tri-bike brake.

Bike Shop Horrors: Gutted Part II

Once again I take you inside a bike where you normally wouldn't go. This one is a bit unusual in that it is a part of a "tri-bike", themselves being an unusual breed of bicycle in the first place. (And many times a horror to work on for bike shop mechanics for lots of reasons.)

Down under....

Here we have a view from the bottom side of a Trek Speed Concept rig. Aero/time trial type bikes are bicycles governed by the strange rules of aerodynamics and the UCI. (Which one of those is stranger is another deal altogether.) Since they are governed by these seemingly opposing forces, we get some weird, sometimes inspired designs made to cheat the wind.

In this case, we have a bicycle which has removed the rear brake from its traditional place to underneath the bottom bracket. Gets it out of the air flow alright!

In the image here you see a cover which directs whatever air is flowing around down here by the brake mechanism cleanly. (Never mind that whirling crank set and that spinning rear wheel!)

Kinda like how Charlie would have done it...

Here we have a view with the cover off. Doesn't look like a typical road brake, does it? That's because it has more in common with a mountain bike brake from about 30 years ago than it does any road brake we know from today. And that mountain bike brake is a take off from a design used early in the 20th Century.

The two pivots are easy to find here. If you follow up from there, each brake arm cants inward to the center line of the bike until the arms terminate where you see the two small circular elements at the ends of each arm. These are pins that ride the edges of the triangular shaped "cam" plate you see which has the brake cable emanating from its top, and a bolt near its base above the spring. The bolt anchors the brake cable.

When the brake is activated, the cam plate moves upward, (as we look at the view here), and forces the two arms outward along the cam's profile, which the two pins ride on that are anchored in the ends of the brake arms. The arms pivot, in turn, and like a see-saw, they push the brake pads into the rim as the arms pivot on those silver colored bushings. When the brake lever is released, the spring attaching both arms above the tire pulls the tops of the arms back in, and the brake comes to its resting state as seen here.

It is also notable here that you can see the front derailleur cable on the right, and the rear derailleur cable on the left on either side of the brake cable above the brake itself. All cables are internally routed for better aerodynamics.

This brake is very reminiscent of the 80's "under-the-chain-stay" "Rollercam" style brakes which this looks like a miniaturized version of with a cross spring instead of the two wire linear springs that Rollercams used.

And there is your look at the "guts" of a tri-bike brake.

Bike Shop Horrors: Gutted

It isn't often that you get to see what is on the inside of bicycle parts, unless you are a mechanic like I am at a bike shop, or unless you are a BMX-ican.  (Because they can not live until they've torn apart their bicycle to the nth degree!)

You are one "twisted sister"!

Today's subject matter is provided to us by one White Industries Tandem Hub that suffered a defect in manufacture where-by the stamp put in the hub shell was a source for a hole/crack that developed. You can see it to the right side of the logo embossed into the aluminum shell there.

This hub was laced to a Sun rim by 40 spokes and resided in a Cannondale tandem at first, but was ultimately put to a cruel end as a loaner wheel last summer on a Co-Motion tandem.

That tandem team pulled a very loaded down trailer and the torque loading must have been pretty impressive as it twisted the entire aluminum structure, as you can see here.

Well, be that as it may, the hub was warranted, and a new White Industries Tandem Hub was sent out. So, I unlaced this destroyed hub, and figured, why not have a look-see inside o that thing!

Things that go "bzzzzzzzt"!

So, here we have the free hub body off, (you can see the cassette splines facing the table), and what you are looking at is the free wheel "pawls" and the springs that force the hardened steel pawls outward. These springs appear as flat peices of steel with curled ends that fit nicely into machined pockets in the star shaped end of the free hub body. They sit under the pawls, which themselves fit beautifully into their own machined pockets in the same star shaped end of the free hub body. Note: Neither the pawls or the steel springs are mechanically held in place. They are confined on one side by the free hub, and on the other side by the hub body, which houses the ring gear. (Coming up next!)

The blue-ish circular item in the middle is a cartridge bearing that rides on the axle, which is not shown here. One thing I find amusing, and that is all the talk you here about "points of engagement" when referencing the free turning of a hub before a pawl engages. Well, this is such a misunderstood term. Actually, there are only ever three points of engagement with this hub, because there are only three pawls. Hard to imagine all that tandem power being directed through those three hardened steel pawls, but that's how it works.

The other half of "the buzz".

 Here we see what those pawls engage into. This is the ring gear, which is another chunk of machined and hardened steel pressed into the aluminum hub body.

When you coast, those three pawls slide up the ramps, being held against the ring gear by those metal springs, and slide down off the ramps, down the vertical faces of the ring gear, and when this happens at speed, you hear the "bzzzzzt" as you coast, or the "clack-clack-clack" as you walk your bike. It's the sound of those three pawls slipping over those saw-toothed ring gear teeth in unison.

The bike is propelled forward as the gear on the cassette gets driven by the chain, and forces the pawls to rotate until the leading edge of a pawl runs against the vertical face of one of the ring gear's teeth. Since the spring is forcing the pawl outward, the pawl basically jams against the ring gear, and the force of your pedaling efforts is translated to the hub shell, through the spokes, to the rim, tire, and ultimately the ground.

How far the pawls rotate until they engage a ring gear tooth is the "free-play" in the hub that mountain bikers sometimes obsess over. It would be more accurately described in degrees of free rotation, instead of the misleading "points of engagement" that many cyclists refer to.

But at any rate, there is your inside look at the inside of a hub, and how it works!