Another Classic Schwinn Shows Up

 The Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective has a few missions, but the original idea for this collective focused on one thing. That was keeping bicycles out of the landfill. 

To that end the non-profit Collective has gathered donations of bicycles from the community since 2014. There have been thousands of old bicycles kept out of the local landfill because of the efforts by the Collective. The mission has expanded since those early days and now we do advocacy, education, events, and we facilitate putting people in need on bicycles for their transportation needs. 

As I've said here before, it is very rewarding work. But sometimes a bit of the old cycling nerd gets brought out when an old, unusual bicycle gets donated to the Collective.  This happened this past week. We received two old cruiser bikes, and one of them had a couple of features I had not seen before. 

It is a green Schwinn American cruiser style bicycle which would have been a youth model in the Schwinn range at the time. Schwinn called it a "middle-weight" range bike. If we are describing the bike by weight, I would hate to have to heft a Schwinn "heavy-weight" bike in a stand because this bike probably weighs about 40- 50lbs. 

From doing some online research, I found that Schwinn named the model "American" because every part of the bike was American made. Wow! Imagine that today. Every part from the USA? Tires, tubes, chain....everything? I cannot imagine it. But there you go. At one time it wasn't unusual. 

 The next thing I learned was that this bike came with a two-speed lever action shifter and hub. The Bendix lever was in low gear, as you see it here. By pulling in the lever you shifted to a high gear. Flicking the lever back out gave you the low gear again. Note the original Schwinn logo grip. 

The cable operates a typical clevis/shift rod arrangement similar to a Sturmey-Archer 3 speed hub. The hub works and the gears can be selected but it needs a good cleaning, lube, and possibly a little adjustment to the cable. 

The Schwinn American came into Schwinn's range in 1955. It ran for three years and then was dropped until 1962, according to a page I found on the internet about Schwinn Americans. When the American model returned it had a kick-back style, color-banded rear hub, and not the lever action shifter. This version of the American was in the range until the late 1960;s. Near as I can tell this is a 1957 model which was donated to the Collective. The American was offered in four colors in the 50's: Opal Green, Blue, or Red. and a Black enamel. Along with the lever action two-speed Bendix drive train, the checkerboard seat tube decal was also only found on these 1950's Americans. 

 While most folks think of the two-speed kick-back hubs, which had ridges in the hub shell and colored bands, this Bendix two speed hub is rather plain and unadorned. I read on another site that this hub is finicky as far as cable adjustment goes. Perhaps this was one of the drivers for Schwinn to ask for a kick-back style 2 speed hub which would not rely on cable actuated shifting. It may also have been done as a cost-saving measure, but I am only speculating here.

The cantilever front brakes are clamped around the classic Schwinn flat, forged steel fork legs. The cantilevers pivot on a plate which is part of the clamp. The cable is most unusual as it resembles the type of split cable you might find on a 20" trick bike with a detangler set up. Interestingly there is no exposed cable in this design. The brake works effortlessly, by the way. 

Does this reflector have "BIKE" spelled out or am I seeing things which are not there?

The images show the bike as it was when it came into the door. I did inflate the tires and so far, they hold air. I am pretty certain this bike is 100% original, and for a boys bike from 69 years ago, that's pretty outstanding. I thought it was unusual and perhaps some of you might find this bicycle interesting. It certainly is a fine example of a Schwinn from the company's heyday. 

I'll probably get it all cleaned up and rideable this Winter and yes - it is for sale, along with our other two Schwinn cruisers, a 1963 Schwinn Typhoon with a two speed kick-back hub and a 1959 Jaguar three speed.  Call the Cedar Valley Bicycle Collective on Mondays and Wednesdays from 3:00pm to 6:00pm or on Saturdays from 8:00am - Noon. 

Friday News And Views

BMC URS LT One (Image courtesy of BMC)

 Will Gravel Bikes Have Suspension?:

Yet another stab at making gravel bikes into ultra-short travel MTB's has been unveiled by Swiss bicycle maker BMC. Their newest gravel bike, the URS LT One, has 20mm of hydraulically damped front suspension and a short travel elastomeric based rear suspension. 

The bikes are made in carbon fiber and feature rack and fender mounts along with a 45mm maximum tire clearance. The front fork is routed for a dynamo hub as well. The two versions of this bike offered will be quite expensive with the top of the range being 7K+. 

Comments: BMC dubs this suspension concept "Micro Travel", and at a mere 20mm of movement, I'd say that is pretty spot on marketing. I would also say that it is pretty useless to have the amount of complexity required to achieve such minuscule amounts of movement. The FOX AX fork I have ridden, with 40mm of travel, wasn't capable enough, in my opinion, to make it worth the extra weight and complexity. But this BMC deal is certainly lighter, yes? 

Actually, no, it isn't. Another report on the bike I have read claims that the BMC fork weighs about the same as the Fox AX. Really? And at half the travel? Wow..... Plus it is proprietary to the frame? Ah.....thanks but no thanks. Let's remind ourselves here that a Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem has 20mm of effective travel, weighs 260-300 grams ( depending upon length), and can be put on any bike with an 1 1/8th steer tube at a cost of $160.00. Plus, if you get tired of your ShockStop equipped bike, you can move on to a new bike and keep the stem. 

The ShockStop is easily tuned, has minimal moving parts, and almost zero maintenance. If I am going for 20mm of travel, the price of 160 bucks sounds a lot better than 7K+. Just my opinion.....

So, to answer the question which led this section- No. Not this way, at any rate. 

Oh! And One More Thing About That:

Just the other day. "Velo News" mentioned that "Another retired European road Pro jumps into the US  gravel scene". (Story here) His name is Paul Voss, and he states in the "Velo News" article that he came over to try out gravel racing because of the over-all feeling that it was closer to 'true sport' and that it seemed to have a more relaxed set of rules for participation. He specifically called out the camaraderie amongst riders who were willing to stop and help those that had crashed, had a flat tire, or other issues. 

We've heard this before from former Pro roadies who heard about gravel racing and dropped in to check it out. People like Ted King, in particular, have really understood and exemplified the 'gravel culture' as it was formulated in the Mid-West. But now all this would seem to be something akin to window dressing, at least amongst many of the Pro/former Pro road riders who are doing gravel events now. I reported here last Saturday that some dissatisfaction has been expressed by certain Pro riders over the lack of formal road racing style rules, especially "... if there's money on the line for the win...." 

And one more thing that I will add here- This UCI nonsense really should have zero effect upon the 'gravel scene', as it is mostly having to do with Pro rider issues and money. What they are about is not gravel racing. It's just more and more looking like Pro Road racing on a different surface. Hopefully Mr. Voss won't fall under that spell again.  

Oh yeah....The UCI is also doing a similar series and World Championships for fat bikes too. You're welcome.

Rangefinder Deore 12 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces New Rangefinder Models:

Yesterday, no doubt, you saw the new Rangefinder models from Salsa Cycles. Sporting four different spec types across six different colors, (two colors for each level with Deore 10/MicroShift Advent sharing colors), the new models are Salsa Cycles entry level hard tail MTB's going forward. 

Interestingly, Deore MTB components can be had now in 10, 11, or 12 speed variants. You'll also note that an alternate MicoShift Advent 10 speed choice is available at the same price as the Deore 10 speed. Prices are $1599.00 for the Deore 12, $1399.00 for the Deore 11, and $1099.00 for the Deore 10/Advent 10 speed models. 

Comments: Interestingly, the press release I got had zero information as to spec. Prices are going up, but the entry level Rangefinder holds the line at $1099.00 which is what the 2021 model was. However; I cannot compare the spec, so...... 

I think people are going to be shocked at what a "real" MTB is going to cost in 2022. Sub-grand MTB-looking bicycles are not going to cut it anymore, and let's be honest, they haven't for many years. But I feel this benchmark is going to be ending up well above 1K, more like $1200.00 to $1300.00 now for a "just okay" hard tail that will get you by.  

Specialized Buys Michigan Retail Chain:

After several years of Trek news breaking about the company buying up retail outlets, now it seems Specialized is also turning down that road as well. The news comes from "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" who reported that McClain's Cycle and Fitness has been sold to Specialized.

Specialized hasn't really pursued retail outlets run direct by the company up until this point.  Although, it has long run a few retail stores, mainly in SoCal.Trek, meanwhile, has been on a retail store buying spree over the last several years to the point that many industry insiders reckon that Trek is the largest specialty bicycle retailer in the U.S.A. now. 

In cases where Specialized has lost its footing due to Trek retail store chain takeovers, they have resorted to 'delivery operations' which fulfill online customer orders. But now it would appear that they are being a bit more aggressive in going toe-to-toe with Trek in the retail sector. 

What does it all mean? Time will tell, but it would point to more Brand specific stores, much like single brand car dealerships, in which consumers would then have no choices but for the brand that the store is owned by. This is not new in the bicycle industry, as anyone older can attest to. Schwinn tried the concept starting in the early 1960's and had the nation covered in "Authorized Schwinn Dealerships" by the early 1970's. When the mountain bike came into being, Schwinn failed to capitalize on its popularity until it was too late, which contributed to the company going bankrupt in the late 90's. This- and other factors - ended the 'Schwinn Approved' dealership model. Now it would seem that we are on the verge of seeing this revived in some form by Trek, Specialized, and who knows who else. 

That is all for this week! I hope you all get some riding in and have a safe weekend.

Friday News And Views

BMC URS LT One (Image courtesy of BMC)

 Will Gravel Bikes Have Suspension?:

Yet another stab at making gravel bikes into ultra-short travel MTB's has been unveiled by Swiss bicycle maker BMC. Their newest gravel bike, the URS LT One, has 20mm of hydraulically damped front suspension and a short travel elastomeric based rear suspension. 

The bikes are made in carbon fiber and feature rack and fender mounts along with a 45mm maximum tire clearance. The front fork is routed for a dynamo hub as well. The two versions of this bike offered will be quite expensive with the top of the range being 7K+. 

Comments: BMC dubs this suspension concept "Micro Travel", and at a mere 20mm of movement, I'd say that is pretty spot on marketing. I would also say that it is pretty useless to have the amount of complexity required to achieve such minuscule amounts of movement. The FOX AX fork I have ridden, with 40mm of travel, wasn't capable enough, in my opinion, to make it worth the extra weight and complexity. But this BMC deal is certainly lighter, yes? 

Actually, no, it isn't. Another report on the bike I have read claims that the BMC fork weighs about the same as the Fox AX. Really? And at half the travel? Wow..... Plus it is proprietary to the frame? Ah.....thanks but no thanks. Let's remind ourselves here that a Redshift Sports ShockStop Stem has 20mm of effective travel, weighs 260-300 grams ( depending upon length), and can be put on any bike with an 1 1/8th steer tube at a cost of $160.00. Plus, if you get tired of your ShockStop equipped bike, you can move on to a new bike and keep the stem. 

The ShockStop is easily tuned, has minimal moving parts, and almost zero maintenance. If I am going for 20mm of travel, the price of 160 bucks sounds a lot better than 7K+. Just my opinion.....

So, to answer the question which led this section- No. Not this way, at any rate. 

Oh! And One More Thing About That:

Just the other day. "Velo News" mentioned that "Another retired European road Pro jumps into the US  gravel scene". (Story here) His name is Paul Voss, and he states in the "Velo News" article that he came over to try out gravel racing because of the over-all feeling that it was closer to 'true sport' and that it seemed to have a more relaxed set of rules for participation. He specifically called out the camaraderie amongst riders who were willing to stop and help those that had crashed, had a flat tire, or other issues. 

We've heard this before from former Pro roadies who heard about gravel racing and dropped in to check it out. People like Ted King, in particular, have really understood and exemplified the 'gravel culture' as it was formulated in the Mid-West. But now all this would seem to be something akin to window dressing, at least amongst many of the Pro/former Pro road riders who are doing gravel events now. I reported here last Saturday that some dissatisfaction has been expressed by certain Pro riders over the lack of formal road racing style rules, especially "... if there's money on the line for the win...." 

And one more thing that I will add here- This UCI nonsense really should have zero effect upon the 'gravel scene', as it is mostly having to do with Pro rider issues and money. What they are about is not gravel racing. It's just more and more looking like Pro Road racing on a different surface. Hopefully Mr. Voss won't fall under that spell again.  

Oh yeah....The UCI is also doing a similar series and World Championships for fat bikes too. You're welcome.

Rangefinder Deore 12 (Image courtesy of Salsa Cycles)

Salsa Cycles Announces New Rangefinder Models:

Yesterday, no doubt, you saw the new Rangefinder models from Salsa Cycles. Sporting four different spec types across six different colors, (two colors for each level with Deore 10/MicroShift Advent sharing colors), the new models are Salsa Cycles entry level hard tail MTB's going forward. 

Interestingly, Deore MTB components can be had now in 10, 11, or 12 speed variants. You'll also note that an alternate MicoShift Advent 10 speed choice is available at the same price as the Deore 10 speed. Prices are $1599.00 for the Deore 12, $1399.00 for the Deore 11, and $1099.00 for the Deore 10/Advent 10 speed models. 

Comments: Interestingly, the press release I got had zero information as to spec. Prices are going up, but the entry level Rangefinder holds the line at $1099.00 which is what the 2021 model was. However; I cannot compare the spec, so...... 

I think people are going to be shocked at what a "real" MTB is going to cost in 2022. Sub-grand MTB-looking bicycles are not going to cut it anymore, and let's be honest, they haven't for many years. But I feel this benchmark is going to be ending up well above 1K, more like $1200.00 to $1300.00 now for a "just okay" hard tail that will get you by.  

Specialized Buys Michigan Retail Chain:

After several years of Trek news breaking about the company buying up retail outlets, now it seems Specialized is also turning down that road as well. The news comes from "Bicycle Retailer and Industry News" who reported that McClain's Cycle and Fitness has been sold to Specialized.

Specialized hasn't really pursued retail outlets run direct by the company up until this point.  Although, it has long run a few retail stores, mainly in SoCal.Trek, meanwhile, has been on a retail store buying spree over the last several years to the point that many industry insiders reckon that Trek is the largest specialty bicycle retailer in the U.S.A. now. 

In cases where Specialized has lost its footing due to Trek retail store chain takeovers, they have resorted to 'delivery operations' which fulfill online customer orders. But now it would appear that they are being a bit more aggressive in going toe-to-toe with Trek in the retail sector. 

What does it all mean? Time will tell, but it would point to more Brand specific stores, much like single brand car dealerships, in which consumers would then have no choices but for the brand that the store is owned by. This is not new in the bicycle industry, as anyone older can attest to. Schwinn tried the concept starting in the early 1960's and had the nation covered in "Authorized Schwinn Dealerships" by the early 1970's. When the mountain bike came into being, Schwinn failed to capitalize on its popularity until it was too late, which contributed to the company going bankrupt in the late 90's. This- and other factors - ended the 'Schwinn Approved' dealership model. Now it would seem that we are on the verge of seeing this revived in some form by Trek, Specialized, and who knows who else. 

That is all for this week! I hope you all get some riding in and have a safe weekend.

Townie Refurb

My Mid-80's Schwinn High Sierra townie.

 The longer term readers here will maybe remember this bike. It's literally been years since I've posted anything about this bike though, so if you are not familiar with this, let me introduce you to my townie. It is a 1986 Schwinn High Sierra mountain bike. 

This bike came to me not long after I'd gotten back into the bicycle business again in 2002. I'd guess it was probably around 2003 or so when I still was working some night shifts at the shop. One particular evening, a gentleman came in and asked if we could dispose of a couple of old bikes he did not want anymore. My boss affirmed him that we could do this. The man then wheeled the first bike in, and it was this bike I am showing today, only it did not look like this then! 

It had about three coats of spray-bomb paint jobs on it back then but otherwise it was a straight, as sold component-wise bike. The tires were flat and the cables were a mess. My boss looked at it and suggested that I take it home if I wanted as it looked like it would fit me. So, I did that, and I got to stripping it down to the bare frame. Then I scraped off most of the paint with a paint scraper and sent it to a local business that did powder coating via a mutual cyclist and then customer of the shop. He was told by me to just use whatever was in the machine for the day, and so I got this 'army green', matte finish which I happened to like a lot. 

Anyway, I set it up 1 X 5, (way ahead of anything being 1X), and started off by putting an old rack on it so I could use my ancient Jandd Mountaineering panniers. The very same panniers I used for both of my self-supported tours which I have documented here. I ended up using the original wheels off the old Mongoose 26"er touring bike from those days which are nutted axle, high flanged, and the rims have cut-outs, much like a fat bike rim would have. (That was a 'thing' on early BMX bikes, and Mongoose being from BMX did this on their early MTB's) 

Looking livelier than it had been when it was an ashen grey color!

The saddle I got in a trade, but I cannot recall how or for what. It's been years ago now! Anyway, the old Brooks Pro seemed comfy enough, so it stayed on this bike. Then I put it to use as my errand bike. It was always in the garage, ready to go get milk, diapers, butter, or beers. Then life changed and the garage roof started leaking and the next thing ya know I have a nearly destroyed Brooks Pro and a big mess to clean up in regards to the bike. 

The ol' Brooks took a hit, but a liberal application of Proofide has seemed to liven it up again. I may have to apply a bit more here and there, but I think it is going to survive. Anyway, this ol' Schwinn is pretty much bullet proof, but for a small issue with the roller cam brake in the front. I think the brake bosses need to be reamed true and round again. There was a tool back in ancient bike times that was made to do this job, but as you probably know, roller cam brakes are pretty much rare antiquities and tools to work on them are rarer yet. So, I just get by with a bit of a funky front brake for now. 

The bike rides really well. It is heavy, but it is nimble! I recall reading somewhere that Charlie Kelly, the Marin mountain biking pioneer, said that if you wanted to know what a first generation, purpose-built mountain bike rode like from the late 70's, well then just buy any Schwinn MTB made up until the late 80's as they pretty much mirror the same geometry and steel tubing sizes. If that is true, then those bikes must be a hoot to ride. It is a totally different vibe than MTB is now. Laid back, touring, ripping corners, hopping up and over stuff, and generally just crawling along anywhere, this old Schwinn seems to not be bothered with much of anything I throw at it. I suppose that with a knobby set of tires swapped in for the Continental Winter Contacts, it would become quite a fun trail bike. But that ain't a gonna happen 'round here! Nope! Maybe I'd do a gravel ride or tour with it if I swapped out the drive train to a triple 3 X 7. 

But enough of that. It's a townie now, and that is good.

Townie Refurb

My Mid-80's Schwinn High Sierra townie.

 The longer term readers here will maybe remember this bike. It's literally been years since I've posted anything about this bike though, so if you are not familiar with this, let me introduce you to my townie. It is a 1986 Schwinn High Sierra mountain bike. 

This bike came to me not long after I'd gotten back into the bicycle business again in 2002. I'd guess it was probably around 2003 or so when I still was working some night shifts at the shop. One particular evening, a gentleman came in and asked if we could dispose of a couple of old bikes he did not want anymore. My boss affirmed him that we could do this. The man then wheeled the first bike in, and it was this bike I am showing today, only it did not look like this then! 

It had about three coats of spray-bomb paint jobs on it back then but otherwise it was a straight, as sold component-wise bike. The tires were flat and the cables were a mess. My boss looked at it and suggested that I take it home if I wanted as it looked like it would fit me. So, I did that, and I got to stripping it down to the bare frame. Then I scraped off most of the paint with a paint scraper and sent it to a local business that did powder coating via a mutual cyclist and then customer of the shop. He was told by me to just use whatever was in the machine for the day, and so I got this 'army green', matte finish which I happened to like a lot. 

Anyway, I set it up 1 X 5, (way ahead of anything being 1X), and started off by putting an old rack on it so I could use my ancient Jandd Mountaineering panniers. The very same panniers I used for both of my self-supported tours which I have documented here. I ended up using the original wheels off the old Mongoose 26"er touring bike from those days which are nutted axle, high flanged, and the rims have cut-outs, much like a fat bike rim would have. (That was a 'thing' on early BMX bikes, and Mongoose being from BMX did this on their early MTB's) 

Looking livelier than it had been when it was an ashen grey color!

The saddle I got in a trade, but I cannot recall how or for what. It's been years ago now! Anyway, the old Brooks Pro seemed comfy enough, so it stayed on this bike. Then I put it to use as my errand bike. It was always in the garage, ready to go get milk, diapers, butter, or beers. Then life changed and the garage roof started leaking and the next thing ya know I have a nearly destroyed Brooks Pro and a big mess to clean up in regards to the bike. 

The ol' Brooks took a hit, but a liberal application of Proofide has seemed to liven it up again. I may have to apply a bit more here and there, but I think it is going to survive. Anyway, this ol' Schwinn is pretty much bullet proof, but for a small issue with the roller cam brake in the front. I think the brake bosses need to be reamed true and round again. There was a tool back in ancient bike times that was made to do this job, but as you probably know, roller cam brakes are pretty much rare antiquities and tools to work on them are rarer yet. So, I just get by with a bit of a funky front brake for now. 

The bike rides really well. It is heavy, but it is nimble! I recall reading somewhere that Charlie Kelly, the Marin mountain biking pioneer, said that if you wanted to know what a first generation, purpose-built mountain bike rode like from the late 70's, well then just buy any Schwinn MTB made up until the late 80's as they pretty much mirror the same geometry and steel tubing sizes. If that is true, then those bikes must be a hoot to ride. It is a totally different vibe than MTB is now. Laid back, touring, ripping corners, hopping up and over stuff, and generally just crawling along anywhere, this old Schwinn seems to not be bothered with much of anything I throw at it. I suppose that with a knobby set of tires swapped in for the Continental Winter Contacts, it would become quite a fun trail bike. But that ain't a gonna happen 'round here! Nope! Maybe I'd do a gravel ride or tour with it if I swapped out the drive train to a triple 3 X 7. 

But enough of that. It's a townie now, and that is good.

Utility Bike Dreams

It ain't much, but it gets the job done!

Here's my Xtracycled Schwinn Sierra circa 1987 or so rig that I use for errands. It really isn't anything all that amazing, excepting that it is maybe the most versatile bike I have in the stable. It hauls about anything I've a mind to try to strap to it, but that's not really what makes it so useful for me.

It is perhaps the only bike, aside from my rat-rod fixie Raleigh, that I would leave unlocked anywhere around here. The thing is too ungainly, ugly, and weird for most folks here, so it provides me with an easy solution to just hop on and go down and get some milk, a pint of beer, or whatever. I have Ergon pedals on it, which I've used barefooted, (although I don't recommend doing that regularly!), so no special footwear required here. I don't hardly ever wear a helmet when I ride it, so no special head gear required. It's got some minimalistic tail lights and a head light, so I can go out at night anytime I want to run and do something quick.

So why would I want to change that? Oh........I dunno! Maybe I'm just being a bike nerd. I really should just leave well enough alone. This thing is nearly maintenance free, I got the donor bike for free, and the Xtracycle kit I traded an old touring bike for. I bought some cables and housing, used my old rear wheel from my '92 Klein Attitude, and bought a rear tire for it for under $20.00. The front tire was a cast off from my buddy Jeff Kerkove, who was sponsored by WTB about ten years ago. It's an "EpicWolf" tire, by the way. The model that Specialized made WTB change to "ExiWolf".

Maybe someday.....

So, the old Xtracycle doesn't owe me a thing, and it just keeps on keepin' on. Still, there are times when I feel like a newer, slicker rig would get me to think about using a cargo bike more. Maybe a "real" cargo bike like the Big Dummy, which I could swap my stuff over to and what I don't have, I could source from the parts bin.

Would it really be "better"? I suppose it would function better, but then I would have a bike that I wouldn't feel comfortable just parking outside the convenience store unlocked either. Hmm.............maybe not so convenient? I would have a rig that would handle heavy loads better, with better brakes and better stiffness. But I don't hardly ever use my current rig in situations where those things come up. Maybe I don't need that level of bike?

And then if I do go with a Big Dummy, I have an old, unloved Schwinn Sierra. That's not a good thing, but you know......I suppose I could find a good home for it!

Utility Bike Dreams

It ain't much, but it gets the job done!

Here's my Xtracycled Schwinn Sierra circa 1987 or so rig that I use for errands. It really isn't anything all that amazing, excepting that it is maybe the most versatile bike I have in the stable. It hauls about anything I've a mind to try to strap to it, but that's not really what makes it so useful for me.

It is perhaps the only bike, aside from my rat-rod fixie Raleigh, that I would leave unlocked anywhere around here. The thing is too ungainly, ugly, and weird for most folks here, so it provides me with an easy solution to just hop on and go down and get some milk, a pint of beer, or whatever. I have Ergon pedals on it, which I've used barefooted, (although I don't recommend doing that regularly!), so no special footwear required here. I don't hardly ever wear a helmet when I ride it, so no special head gear required. It's got some minimalistic tail lights and a head light, so I can go out at night anytime I want to run and do something quick.

So why would I want to change that? Oh........I dunno! Maybe I'm just being a bike nerd. I really should just leave well enough alone. This thing is nearly maintenance free, I got the donor bike for free, and the Xtracycle kit I traded an old touring bike for. I bought some cables and housing, used my old rear wheel from my '92 Klein Attitude, and bought a rear tire for it for under $20.00. The front tire was a cast off from my buddy Jeff Kerkove, who was sponsored by WTB about ten years ago. It's an "EpicWolf" tire, by the way. The model that Specialized made WTB change to "ExiWolf".

Maybe someday.....

So, the old Xtracycle doesn't owe me a thing, and it just keeps on keepin' on. Still, there are times when I feel like a newer, slicker rig would get me to think about using a cargo bike more. Maybe a "real" cargo bike like the Big Dummy, which I could swap my stuff over to and what I don't have, I could source from the parts bin.

Would it really be "better"? I suppose it would function better, but then I would have a bike that I wouldn't feel comfortable just parking outside the convenience store unlocked either. Hmm.............maybe not so convenient? I would have a rig that would handle heavy loads better, with better brakes and better stiffness. But I don't hardly ever use my current rig in situations where those things come up. Maybe I don't need that level of bike?

And then if I do go with a Big Dummy, I have an old, unloved Schwinn Sierra. That's not a good thing, but you know......I suppose I could find a good home for it!

Make Believe

You'd best have a dialed bike for this!

When something starts to smell like "money", it is amusing to see what some marketing departments will do. This was all brought home to me this weekend when I came across THIS from mtbr.com.

It's a "double-whammy" of marketing hoo-hah. You get the 27.5"er wheels on one introduction and the term "gravel grinder" on the other. The fact that it comes from Schwinn, who  is said to be looking to increase its independent bike shop dealer presence, makes this stand out even more. Clearly, both bikes are purely exercises to cash in on what Schwinn marketing sees as trends.

The hard tail can be seen as "just another hard tail". Really- 27.5"er wheels are not going to really make a hill of beans difference here. However; the other bike is flat out hilarious. The YouTube clip will show you that not only do the marketers feel that "gravel grinder" is marketable, but "adventure bike", and "versatile" carry as much weight or more. Don't forget that the name of the model has "CX" in it!

It must be said: Yes- you could use this bike on gravel roads. As I have said, you can ride any bike on gravel roads. You can also ride a road bike on single track, but that doesn't make that bike a "mountain bike", or a "touring bike", or anything but a road bike that's being used on dirt. Is there a better bike for that? This is the question a potential buyer has to answer for themselves.

However; this "gravel grinder" term that is being affixed to any bicycle that has larger than 25mm tire clearance and/or disc brakes, drop bars, and 700c wheels is nothing less than "make believe" and consumers had best be careful of the snake oil being purveyed as a cure for your dirt road disease.

Make Believe

You'd best have a dialed bike for this!

When something starts to smell like "money", it is amusing to see what some marketing departments will do. This was all brought home to me this weekend when I came across THIS from mtbr.com.

It's a "double-whammy" of marketing hoo-hah. You get the 27.5"er wheels on one introduction and the term "gravel grinder" on the other. The fact that it comes from Schwinn, who  is said to be looking to increase its independent bike shop dealer presence, makes this stand out even more. Clearly, both bikes are purely exercises to cash in on what Schwinn marketing sees as trends.

The hard tail can be seen as "just another hard tail". Really- 27.5"er wheels are not going to really make a hill of beans difference here. However; the other bike is flat out hilarious. The YouTube clip will show you that not only do the marketers feel that "gravel grinder" is marketable, but "adventure bike", and "versatile" carry as much weight or more. Don't forget that the name of the model has "CX" in it!

It must be said: Yes- you could use this bike on gravel roads. As I have said, you can ride any bike on gravel roads. You can also ride a road bike on single track, but that doesn't make that bike a "mountain bike", or a "touring bike", or anything but a road bike that's being used on dirt. Is there a better bike for that? This is the question a potential buyer has to answer for themselves.

However; this "gravel grinder" term that is being affixed to any bicycle that has larger than 25mm tire clearance and/or disc brakes, drop bars, and 700c wheels is nothing less than "make believe" and consumers had best be careful of the snake oil being purveyed as a cure for your dirt road disease.

Re-Cycling

This is the story of a cast off Schwinn Sierra mountain bike. Vintage: 80's. It ain't much, but I like it.

The story begins with Captain Bob and I talking about how we should get a bicycle to check this whole 650B thing out. That was at least three years ago. Well, Captain Bob found, got given to him, or paid little or nothing for- this Schwinn. 

It had a freewheel, horizontal drop outs, and the brakes......well, we'd figure that out sometime. Captain Bob parked it in some shed somewhere and well, it got pretty much forgotten.

Then Captain Bob was cleaning house to make way for a major remodel at his casa. "Did I want the Schwinn?", came the question one day. I said, "sure", and he brought it over one day to my place in its dusty, spider ridden condition. I parked it in the garage, where- you guessed it- I forgot all about it, again.

Well, it sat out there, like a lot of bikes across the nation and like this particular bike probably had, for most of its existence. Such a shame. I mean, there are a lot of people that would cherish this bicycle, really! (Don't be a snob!) I knew that, and I sorta figured one day I'd meet that person and I'd pass it along.

Then "A-Lo" came into the picture. He used to work with me, and now he spends his time hanging around in "The Mitten" working at Velocity U.S.A. and going to seminary. Well, he wanted my old Schwinn Voyageur, and he had an Xtracycle Free Radical kit to trade for it. Cool! I immediately thought about the old, red Schwinn. I sent the Voyageur to A-Lo, and he dropped off the Xtracycle kit. (Read about A-Lo's Voyageur here)

While A-Lo went the whole hog route, and restored the Voyageur to glory, I went the "re-cycled" route. I used as much stuff as I had laying around as I could. Let me tell ya! It wasn't easy, as I divested myself of most 26" stuff a long time ago. Fortunately, there was enough stuff to get the job done with minimal cash out lay.

I found an old rear wheel, which was necessary because the Schwinn was a 130OLD standard frame, and the Xtracycle uses the now standard 135OLD spread. The wheel is definitely worthy: Suntour Grease Guard hub laced to a Ritchey Vantage Comp rim with double butted Wheelsmith spokes. Yepper! One of the last bits o kit from my '92 Klein Attitude I once had. I also dug up a linear pull brake, and got a Problem Solvers "Travel Agent" to make that work with the old style motorcycle-like levers. I bought a new Bontrager commuter tire for the rear from their Eco range, and found an old cast off WTB "Epic Wolf" tire from Jeff Kerkove's old stash he left behind for the front wheel. A little bit of cables and housing, and I was rolling.

Now I look for reasons to use this rig. My son loves to joyride on the snap deck, so we go out for liesurely cruises, or run errands for "Mrs Guitar Ted" when we can. I gave some neighborhood kids rides on it once, and last night, I ran up to the convenience store a mile away in the dark with my lights blazing just to get my Lady a Diet Coke.

It was an amazing evening outside, by the way.

Remember when I wrote that I would pass this bike on to someone who would cherish it someday? Well, I did.

I just didn't know it would be me!

Re-Cycling

This is the story of a cast off Schwinn Sierra mountain bike. Vintage: 80's. It ain't much, but I like it.

The story begins with Captain Bob and I talking about how we should get a bicycle to check this whole 650B thing out. That was at least three years ago. Well, Captain Bob found, got given to him, or paid little or nothing for- this Schwinn. 

It had a freewheel, horizontal drop outs, and the brakes......well, we'd figure that out sometime. Captain Bob parked it in some shed somewhere and well, it got pretty much forgotten.

Then Captain Bob was cleaning house to make way for a major remodel at his casa. "Did I want the Schwinn?", came the question one day. I said, "sure", and he brought it over one day to my place in its dusty, spider ridden condition. I parked it in the garage, where- you guessed it- I forgot all about it, again.

Well, it sat out there, like a lot of bikes across the nation and like this particular bike probably had, for most of its existence. Such a shame. I mean, there are a lot of people that would cherish this bicycle, really! (Don't be a snob!) I knew that, and I sorta figured one day I'd meet that person and I'd pass it along.

Then "A-Lo" came into the picture. He used to work with me, and now he spends his time hanging around in "The Mitten" working at Velocity U.S.A. and going to seminary. Well, he wanted my old Schwinn Voyageur, and he had an Xtracycle Free Radical kit to trade for it. Cool! I immediately thought about the old, red Schwinn. I sent the Voyageur to A-Lo, and he dropped off the Xtracycle kit. (Read about A-Lo's Voyageur here)

While A-Lo went the whole hog route, and restored the Voyageur to glory, I went the "re-cycled" route. I used as much stuff as I had laying around as I could. Let me tell ya! It wasn't easy, as I divested myself of most 26" stuff a long time ago. Fortunately, there was enough stuff to get the job done with minimal cash out lay.

I found an old rear wheel, which was necessary because the Schwinn was a 130OLD standard frame, and the Xtracycle uses the now standard 135OLD spread. The wheel is definitely worthy: Suntour Grease Guard hub laced to a Ritchey Vantage Comp rim with double butted Wheelsmith spokes. Yepper! One of the last bits o kit from my '92 Klein Attitude I once had. I also dug up a linear pull brake, and got a Problem Solvers "Travel Agent" to make that work with the old style motorcycle-like levers. I bought a new Bontrager commuter tire for the rear from their Eco range, and found an old cast off WTB "Epic Wolf" tire from Jeff Kerkove's old stash he left behind for the front wheel. A little bit of cables and housing, and I was rolling.

Now I look for reasons to use this rig. My son loves to joyride on the snap deck, so we go out for liesurely cruises, or run errands for "Mrs Guitar Ted" when we can. I gave some neighborhood kids rides on it once, and last night, I ran up to the convenience store a mile away in the dark with my lights blazing just to get my Lady a Diet Coke.

It was an amazing evening outside, by the way.

Remember when I wrote that I would pass this bike on to someone who would cherish it someday? Well, I did.

I just didn't know it would be me!

Wednesday News And Views

Bike Shop Tales: So yesterday was Tuesday, but it probably felt like Monday to a lot of you, so today I'm putting an abbreviated "Bike Shop Tales" up for your reading pleasure.

Back in 1995, I bought an old, used Schwinn Voyaguer from Advantage Cyclery that I had convinced a fellow to trade in on a new Bianchi. That Schwinn was then sold to a fellow that did one of the "big" self-supported tours I wrote about in my "Touring Tuesdays" series a year or so ago. (You can enter "Touring Tuesdays" in the search box to read some of those posts)

Anyway, the blue beauty shown here is what has become of that bike. For more on how an old, beat up maroon Voyaguer became this beauty, see my old co-worker "A-Lo's" blog here for "the rest of the story".

Getting It Dialed: The Origin 8 Scout dumped me last weekend and I figured part of the problem was me, part was the conditions, and part of it was the set up. Well, I could do something about the set up!

I swapped out the Origin 8 stem for a longer stem, lowered that stem on the steer tube, and tweaked the "attitude" of the Carnegie's Bar. Bingo! I rode it again Monday afternoon and I could feel a big change to the positive in the handling. Now with some weight on that front wheel, I'll be good to go in that department.

Some readers may also remember that I had problems with the tensioners coming loose and the wheel getting wonky on me. Well, I believe that issue was solved with a Ny-loc nut on the threaded tensioner screw which is acting as a jamb nut against the front of the drop out. So far, so good. The test ride went well. The bike is comfortable, handles well with the new set up, and did what I expected of it. Only one downer: I took the saddle's nose in the "nether regions" and suffered a bit of intense pain for a while. Not unlike biting into a habanero, only "down there". Yeah......

Wha-Ohh!: I was riding the XT Dyna-Sys equipped Specialized yesterday. I decided to roll down to Lower Hartman on my way home for a quick bit of twisty single track. The drop in to Lower Hartman is paved, but it is pretty steep and does a nice right hand to left hand curve in the middle where you gain a ton of speed.

On the way in, I saw another cyclist, and that thing I despise about myself kicked in. You know- I just had to pass this guy. I hung back about 50 yards, following him into the approach to the downhill. Then I saw that he braked going into the right hander. That was it. I never touched the brakes. I caught him and dropped him like he was standing still. I flew the rest of the way down, made it on to the gravel road, and dove into the grass trail.

I didn't realize it until later, but I was in the big ring, so I carried a lot of speed into the single track. It felt good. I was getting a little too cocky though, and I ended up getting served my just desserts.  Around a sharp left hander I saw a huge blow down blocking the trail. I was startled by it, and I stabbed my brakes. Well, XT brakes are not very forgiving! I locked the front up, and the tire slid out, knocking the bead loose from the rim. This being a tubeless set up, I lost all the air, and really hit the deck hard again.....you guessed it- on my left knee and shoulder. Three times in the span of a week!

They say bad things come in threes, right?

Well, it wasn't all over yet for me. I had a tube, I had a pump, but I didn't have a way to loosen the overtightened Presta valve nut on the tubeless valve stem. Rats! I sat in the bright sunlight thinking. Frogs leapt about all around me, I was so quiet and still as I thought. I fiddled with a couple of ideas but to no avail. Then, in a last ditch effort, I searched my cavernous messenger bag again. 

Bingo! I found a tiny end cutter tool. I applied pressure very carefully, and got a good purchase on the nut. I was victorious! Ha ha! (Funny how such a little thing can become such a huge mountain, and when you remove it, you get all euphoric.)

Well, the tire got repaired, and I made it home, albeit about 45 minutes later than I should have. Mrs. Guitar Ted re-dressed the wound I biffed again, and life was good.

But I gotta get this crashing outta my system!

Wednesday News And Views

Bike Shop Tales: So yesterday was Tuesday, but it probably felt like Monday to a lot of you, so today I'm putting an abbreviated "Bike Shop Tales" up for your reading pleasure.

Back in 1995, I bought an old, used Schwinn Voyaguer from Advantage Cyclery that I had convinced a fellow to trade in on a new Bianchi. That Schwinn was then sold to a fellow that did one of the "big" self-supported tours I wrote about in my "Touring Tuesdays" series a year or so ago. (You can enter "Touring Tuesdays" in the search box to read some of those posts)

Anyway, the blue beauty shown here is what has become of that bike. For more on how an old, beat up maroon Voyaguer became this beauty, see my old co-worker "A-Lo's" blog here for "the rest of the story".

Getting It Dialed: The Origin 8 Scout dumped me last weekend and I figured part of the problem was me, part was the conditions, and part of it was the set up. Well, I could do something about the set up!

I swapped out the Origin 8 stem for a longer stem, lowered that stem on the steer tube, and tweaked the "attitude" of the Carnegie's Bar. Bingo! I rode it again Monday afternoon and I could feel a big change to the positive in the handling. Now with some weight on that front wheel, I'll be good to go in that department.

Some readers may also remember that I had problems with the tensioners coming loose and the wheel getting wonky on me. Well, I believe that issue was solved with a Ny-loc nut on the threaded tensioner screw which is acting as a jamb nut against the front of the drop out. So far, so good. The test ride went well. The bike is comfortable, handles well with the new set up, and did what I expected of it. Only one downer: I took the saddle's nose in the "nether regions" and suffered a bit of intense pain for a while. Not unlike biting into a habanero, only "down there". Yeah......

Wha-Ohh!: I was riding the XT Dyna-Sys equipped Specialized yesterday. I decided to roll down to Lower Hartman on my way home for a quick bit of twisty single track. The drop in to Lower Hartman is paved, but it is pretty steep and does a nice right hand to left hand curve in the middle where you gain a ton of speed.

On the way in, I saw another cyclist, and that thing I despise about myself kicked in. You know- I just had to pass this guy. I hung back about 50 yards, following him into the approach to the downhill. Then I saw that he braked going into the right hander. That was it. I never touched the brakes. I caught him and dropped him like he was standing still. I flew the rest of the way down, made it on to the gravel road, and dove into the grass trail.

I didn't realize it until later, but I was in the big ring, so I carried a lot of speed into the single track. It felt good. I was getting a little too cocky though, and I ended up getting served my just desserts.  Around a sharp left hander I saw a huge blow down blocking the trail. I was startled by it, and I stabbed my brakes. Well, XT brakes are not very forgiving! I locked the front up, and the tire slid out, knocking the bead loose from the rim. This being a tubeless set up, I lost all the air, and really hit the deck hard again.....you guessed it- on my left knee and shoulder. Three times in the span of a week!

They say bad things come in threes, right?

Well, it wasn't all over yet for me. I had a tube, I had a pump, but I didn't have a way to loosen the overtightened Presta valve nut on the tubeless valve stem. Rats! I sat in the bright sunlight thinking. Frogs leapt about all around me, I was so quiet and still as I thought. I fiddled with a couple of ideas but to no avail. Then, in a last ditch effort, I searched my cavernous messenger bag again. 

Bingo! I found a tiny end cutter tool. I applied pressure very carefully, and got a good purchase on the nut. I was victorious! Ha ha! (Funny how such a little thing can become such a huge mountain, and when you remove it, you get all euphoric.)

Well, the tire got repaired, and I made it home, albeit about 45 minutes later than I should have. Mrs. Guitar Ted re-dressed the wound I biffed again, and life was good.

But I gotta get this crashing outta my system!