The Things We Used To Do

Found this image on Facebook Marketplace. Boy! Did that remind me of something!

 Sometimes you kind of forget how things used to be. I often try reminding you all here that we didn't always have social media and smart phones. That there was a time before the Tech that has infiltrated every aspect of life these days. 

I'm not trying to say "those were the days", or that any of that was better than any of this. (It is a LOT more complex than a simple maxim could ever convey.) I am saying that we shouldn't forget our past, and the lessons learned, which could benefit us today. 

Here's one example of that and how children did some things in the past which has elements of foolishness and elements of something good wrapped up into one picture. This is an image I found on Facebook Marketplace which took me back 50 years ago when we, as elementary school-aged kids, did some "street engineering" to make our ordinary bicycles something extraordinary. Both in a good way and a bad way! 

In our example, back in Charles City, Iowa, we had experienced an F-5 level tornado in 1968 which killed 14 people and forever changed our lives. But as a kid, it created something which was a bit of a positive, in my view. That storm tore through a lot of homes, and in the process, it tossed a lot of stuff into wild corners around the town where people didn't care to look, and therefore were never cleaned up. 

Specifically, there were bicycles to be had! We children would scour the edges of town, poking around in the woods along the Cedar River, and we would pull out bicycles, almost as if we were picking strawberries in a thorny, overgrown strawberry patch. Many times these bicycles would have minor damage, or no damage at all, and be perfectly serviceable. Of course, since they did not 'belong to anyone', these prizes from the overgrown and neglected areas of the town were ripe for experimentation. This cherry picking of bicycles actually lasted well into the 70's, as I recall.  

I don't know who got the idea first, but it spread like wildfire once someone did the modification on their "Sting Ray" style bike. You would find a Schwinn, or Vista branded bike which typically had flattened steel fork blades. Cut them off with a hacksaw, and then you'd cut off your bike's drop-outs, and stuff the flattened blades into the round fork blades. Even it all up lengthwise, bolt in your wheel, and - Boom! Instant chopper bike! 

You could do this with tapered, round forks too, it was just harder and those tended to come apart! But most importantly, this tomfoolery was responsible for my interest in bicycle repair and maintenance. The flip side of this was that most of our Fathers had jobs and we couldn't get them to guide us through the steps necessary to learn stuff, (not always was this the case, but most times- yes), and therefore I had to really think my way through things. And it is why that kindled my innate sense of how mechanical things worked. 

So, while you might think that image above is a really stupid and dangerous thing to do, (and it certainly was, which was why it was so interesting and fun), it is why I got started out on this path I am on these days. 

And now you know.......

The Things We Used To Do

Found this image on Facebook Marketplace. Boy! Did that remind me of something!

 Sometimes you kind of forget how things used to be. I often try reminding you all here that we didn't always have social media and smart phones. That there was a time before the Tech that has infiltrated every aspect of life these days. 

I'm not trying to say "those were the days", or that any of that was better than any of this. (It is a LOT more complex than a simple maxim could ever convey.) I am saying that we shouldn't forget our past, and the lessons learned, which could benefit us today. 

Here's one example of that and how children did some things in the past which has elements of foolishness and elements of something good wrapped up into one picture. This is an image I found on Facebook Marketplace which took me back 50 years ago when we, as elementary school-aged kids, did some "street engineering" to make our ordinary bicycles something extraordinary. Both in a good way and a bad way! 

In our example, back in Charles City, Iowa, we had experienced an F-5 level tornado in 1968 which killed 14 people and forever changed our lives. But as a kid, it created something which was a bit of a positive, in my view. That storm tore through a lot of homes, and in the process, it tossed a lot of stuff into wild corners around the town where people didn't care to look, and therefore were never cleaned up. 

Specifically, there were bicycles to be had! We children would scour the edges of town, poking around in the woods along the Cedar River, and we would pull out bicycles, almost as if we were picking strawberries in a thorny, overgrown strawberry patch. Many times these bicycles would have minor damage, or no damage at all, and be perfectly serviceable. Of course, since they did not 'belong to anyone', these prizes from the overgrown and neglected areas of the town were ripe for experimentation. This cherry picking of bicycles actually lasted well into the 70's, as I recall.  

I don't know who got the idea first, but it spread like wildfire once someone did the modification on their "Sting Ray" style bike. You would find a Schwinn, or Vista branded bike which typically had flattened steel fork blades. Cut them off with a hacksaw, and then you'd cut off your bike's drop-outs, and stuff the flattened blades into the round fork blades. Even it all up lengthwise, bolt in your wheel, and - Boom! Instant chopper bike! 

You could do this with tapered, round forks too, it was just harder and those tended to come apart! But most importantly, this tomfoolery was responsible for my interest in bicycle repair and maintenance. The flip side of this was that most of our Fathers had jobs and we couldn't get them to guide us through the steps necessary to learn stuff, (not always was this the case, but most times- yes), and therefore I had to really think my way through things. And it is why that kindled my innate sense of how mechanical things worked. 

So, while you might think that image above is a really stupid and dangerous thing to do, (and it certainly was, which was why it was so interesting and fun), it is why I got started out on this path I am on these days. 

And now you know.......

You Can't Do This

You aren't seeing those wheels on this bike. Really.

As a bicycle mechanic, you learn pretty quickly that there is an unspoken tradition of doing things you aren't supposed to be able to do. Components deemed not compatible being used together successfully, techniques for doing things that sound incredibly questionable, and "bending of rules" that would be frowned upon by manufacturers, brands, and marketing firms.

I have tons of examples, and many of those things are also done by consumers. So, mechanics aren't the only ones, but we tend to be the most successful at things of this nature. Take for instance my use of 80's era Shimano aero brake levers and Avid MTB BB-7 disc brakes. Technically, this is a no-go. Impossible. You cannot make it work at all. But I rode my Karate Monkey with that exact set up for years and had great braking. Tricksy, it was. I've done the long cage Ultegra 11 speed derailleur with an 11-36T cassette for years too. That's another no-no. Cannot do that! But.......I do all the time. 

 I guess we mechanics just like to see what we can get away with. Now to be sure, some of these tricksy, false things don't work perfectly. A customer would never put up with the functionality of some things we do. But mechanics seem to know when to over shift a hair, or when you have to do something a "certain way" to make it "work". I'm not saying any of this is a good thing, mind you, but it happens. Experimentation. Tinkering. Basically being a mechanic means you have a proclivity for this sort of behavior.

So, today's example- Wrong wheels with tires not rated for the bike because "they do not fit and screw up the geometry", and a cassette from Shimano on a SRAM 1X chain and rear derailleur. It's not supposed to be. You aren't seeing this. It does not work at all. You cannot do this.

Except when it does for me........but I am a bike mechanic, after all.

You Can't Do This

You aren't seeing those wheels on this bike. Really.

As a bicycle mechanic, you learn pretty quickly that there is an unspoken tradition of doing things you aren't supposed to be able to do. Components deemed not compatible being used together successfully, techniques for doing things that sound incredibly questionable, and "bending of rules" that would be frowned upon by manufacturers, brands, and marketing firms.

I have tons of examples, and many of those things are also done by consumers. So, mechanics aren't the only ones, but we tend to be the most successful at things of this nature. Take for instance my use of 80's era Shimano aero brake levers and Avid MTB BB-7 disc brakes. Technically, this is a no-go. Impossible. You cannot make it work at all. But I rode my Karate Monkey with that exact set up for years and had great braking. Tricksy, it was. I've done the long cage Ultegra 11 speed derailleur with an 11-36T cassette for years too. That's another no-no. Cannot do that! But.......I do all the time. 

 I guess we mechanics just like to see what we can get away with. Now to be sure, some of these tricksy, false things don't work perfectly. A customer would never put up with the functionality of some things we do. But mechanics seem to know when to over shift a hair, or when you have to do something a "certain way" to make it "work". I'm not saying any of this is a good thing, mind you, but it happens. Experimentation. Tinkering. Basically being a mechanic means you have a proclivity for this sort of behavior.

So, today's example- Wrong wheels with tires not rated for the bike because "they do not fit and screw up the geometry", and a cassette from Shimano on a SRAM 1X chain and rear derailleur. It's not supposed to be. You aren't seeing this. It does not work at all. You cannot do this.

Except when it does for me........but I am a bike mechanic, after all.

Being A Teacher

I've never been one to shy away from public speaking. (Image by someone at T.I.v4- Thanks!)

So, about every year this time I end up teaching a mechanics class for the shop where I work. It is a small thing, only two sessions, and maybe eight to ten folks get in to it total. It isn't that big of a deal. Not too intimidating, well.....for me, anyway. I can't speak for anyone else.

Ironically, back in my youth, I was strongly considering becoming a teacher. I likely would have ended up becoming an art teacher, although back then I wanted to do Industrial Arts. Then I got into college without any clear plan, found out about beer and bands, and that I could skate through school without much effort. I didn't think anybody cared, so I left the whole teaching thing behind.

I probably wouldn't have made a very good teacher anyway. Not one a "school system" would have liked, at any rate! But that's all old news and water under the dam now. One thing I always did have going for me was a willingness to "step up to the mic". I remember when I kind of realized this about myself.

It was on a group ride very early in the Spring one year when the snow wasn't melted yet. A TV crew was talking to people about the break in the weather, and they asked some of our party to talk. They all came running back to where I was, asking the rest of us if anyone of us would talk to the TV people. No one really felt like doing it and were in "cowering mode". I thought they were all just being silly, and I said, "I'll go do it! They are just people, ya know!"

Anyway, so that was when I realized I didn't mind speaking in front of a camera, mic, or to a big crowd of people. Whether or not I am "informative" and give folks value for their money spent to take a mechanics class is anyone's guess!

Being A Teacher

I've never been one to shy away from public speaking. (Image by someone at T.I.v4- Thanks!)

So, about every year this time I end up teaching a mechanics class for the shop where I work. It is a small thing, only two sessions, and maybe eight to ten folks get in to it total. It isn't that big of a deal. Not too intimidating, well.....for me, anyway. I can't speak for anyone else.

Ironically, back in my youth, I was strongly considering becoming a teacher. I likely would have ended up becoming an art teacher, although back then I wanted to do Industrial Arts. Then I got into college without any clear plan, found out about beer and bands, and that I could skate through school without much effort. I didn't think anybody cared, so I left the whole teaching thing behind.

I probably wouldn't have made a very good teacher anyway. Not one a "school system" would have liked, at any rate! But that's all old news and water under the dam now. One thing I always did have going for me was a willingness to "step up to the mic". I remember when I kind of realized this about myself.

It was on a group ride very early in the Spring one year when the snow wasn't melted yet. A TV crew was talking to people about the break in the weather, and they asked some of our party to talk. They all came running back to where I was, asking the rest of us if anyone of us would talk to the TV people. No one really felt like doing it and were in "cowering mode". I thought they were all just being silly, and I said, "I'll go do it! They are just people, ya know!"

Anyway, so that was when I realized I didn't mind speaking in front of a camera, mic, or to a big crowd of people. Whether or not I am "informative" and give folks value for their money spent to take a mechanics class is anyone's guess!

Fixing What Ya Broke: Part 2

Iowa license plate recycling project- Or in other words, fixing my bicycle part with what's at hand.

The repair of my BarYak "wings" is complete now and I thought I'd show you all what I did here. You may remember my post from a couple days ago where I give you the story on the back ground and inspiration for this repair using some old Iowa license plate I had lying around here.

So, if you reference the image here, you might be able to follow along with this. First off, the carbon fiber material you see here is simply ornamental. It serves little, if any, structural purpose for the design. The "wings", arm rests really, attach to the BarYak extensions via two bolts which pass through at the corners of the "wing" piece of the arm rest. This is what tore through when I crashed last October. The backing material here is a dense foam material which doesn't hold up well to the shearing type forces I applied to it when I endoed.

My theory for the repair was to place some sort of an "end cap" over the edges of the "wing" part and drill two holes into the cap to accommodate the bolts. The end cap would be metal, harder to tear through, and be tougher and especially be able to provide a better clamping surface. However; as I contemplated the design, I realized that the foam material the "wing" was mostly made of would want to compress much easier than the metal end cap. So, I formed a 2/3rds cap. essentially what you see here, and the separate "back plate" would allow for compression of the foam bit.

I have not field tested this yet, but I expect it to perform as I expect and the reinforced bolt holes should give my Bar Yak System new life. Stay tuned for an update later into Spring after this has been tested.

Fixing What Ya Broke: Part 2

Iowa license plate recycling project- Or in other words, fixing my bicycle part with what's at hand.

The repair of my BarYak "wings" is complete now and I thought I'd show you all what I did here. You may remember my post from a couple days ago where I give you the story on the back ground and inspiration for this repair using some old Iowa license plate I had lying around here.

So, if you reference the image here, you might be able to follow along with this. First off, the carbon fiber material you see here is simply ornamental. It serves little, if any, structural purpose for the design. The "wings", arm rests really, attach to the BarYak extensions via two bolts which pass through at the corners of the "wing" piece of the arm rest. This is what tore through when I crashed last October. The backing material here is a dense foam material which doesn't hold up well to the shearing type forces I applied to it when I endoed.

My theory for the repair was to place some sort of an "end cap" over the edges of the "wing" part and drill two holes into the cap to accommodate the bolts. The end cap would be metal, harder to tear through, and be tougher and especially be able to provide a better clamping surface. However; as I contemplated the design, I realized that the foam material the "wing" was mostly made of would want to compress much easier than the metal end cap. So, I formed a 2/3rds cap. essentially what you see here, and the separate "back plate" would allow for compression of the foam bit.

I have not field tested this yet, but I expect it to perform as I expect and the reinforced bolt holes should give my Bar Yak System new life. Stay tuned for an update later into Spring after this has been tested.

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

Fat bike in a hotel room

Feelin' Crusty: 

This week was dominated by the after-effects of  the Triple D Winter Race. I was tired and lethargic all week. Having my birthday on Wednesday didn't help matters any! Cold, cold weather didn't help any either. That will eventually pass, but I must have burned a few matches last Sunday.

Next up on the list of things to look forward to is the Renegade Gents Race. That will be in early April. It is a team gravel road event, and I will definitely need to be hitting the gravel roads again here soon. I have the new, (to me), Vaya frame to get built up and if that pans out well, it could be the rig I ride in the event.

But first I need to start getting back into the swing of doing some regular riding again. the Triple D training was a success, and the strategy used worked all right, but I see some room for improvements on both fronts. Hopefully this year will see better strategies and results throughout the coming months......

Penny, the shop dog does a final inspection.

Going Far:

The other big deal this week was getting a titanium Fargo built for local rider, Mike, who is going to attempt Tour Divide this summer. (Talk about your strategies and looking for results!) Anyway, it was a joy to work on some fine components and bolt them to such a beautiful frame. I'll have more on the bike and frame on the bandit shop blog, but what really gets me about doing jobs like this is how I sweat all the fine details.

I don't build it like I would for myself- oh no. If that were my bike, I wouldn't have cleaned and inspected every component that came off the old Fargo. I woulda bolted that stuff on dirty! But I went beyond what I would do for myself. I also worry about how it is going to work. I guess maybe I am a bit of a worry wart, but even with my own builds, I am rather cautious the first few times I ride a new build, because I don't trust the bike just yet. Is that weird or what? I mean- it's a freakin' bike! Either it will work, or it won't work. It doesn't have "evil intentions", despite my own misgivings about such things!

So when a new rig goes out the door, I kind of feel like a bomb might go off at any minute. I shouldn't. I double check everything. I test ride the bike, but I guess I have a weird superstition about that. I mean, I've seen weird stuff go down before, so maybe that's where I get that from. Who knows. Probably just me.....

What's In Your Toolbox?

I Am A Mechanic:

Over on the Black Mountain Cycles blog,  proprietor and opiner at large, Mike Varley, sent out this salvo recently on his take concerning the differences between a "tech" and a "mechanic".

Well, you could go there and read that and my commentary, or read the following.....

Essentially, I feel that there is a tendency for some folks to "throw parts at" the problem, or just accept that "there are no user serviceable parts inside". Maybe some out there can't find the time to be creative, or to modify something to work for a certain purpose. Mechanics do not do any of the above. Ever.

To me, a mechanic knows enough about the basic workings, (rules if you will), about a machine to know that moment when creativity, a bit of digging, or extra time can make something work, and when it is time to throw in the towel and start with a new part, or entire bicycle sometimes. It is a fine balance between getting paid, making the money the shop needs to stay afloat, and servicing the customer in the best possible way too. It also may entail doing diagnostic work on the fly, while a customer is there, to better manage customer expectations.

In other words- it ain't easy. You actually have to be good at not only fixing and adjusting a bicycle, but you need to be a good salesperson, not a clerk. You need to be willing to think outside the box sometimes, and you need to be efficient, consistent, and reliable. Anyway, I do not believe a "tech" person is any of those things. Being a mechanic is complex, it requires a skill set beyond knowing how to turn wrenches or write up a repair ticket. I'm not sure it can be taught to someone from a book, or online either. I'm pretty certain it can not.

Well, that's my take, for what it is worth, and I've been doing mechanic work in various settings for almost 29 years. If that means anything......

Have a great weekend! Hope ya get outside for a bit!

Friday News And Views

Fat bike in a hotel room

Feelin' Crusty: 

This week was dominated by the after-effects of  the Triple D Winter Race. I was tired and lethargic all week. Having my birthday on Wednesday didn't help matters any! Cold, cold weather didn't help any either. That will eventually pass, but I must have burned a few matches last Sunday.

Next up on the list of things to look forward to is the Renegade Gents Race. That will be in early April. It is a team gravel road event, and I will definitely need to be hitting the gravel roads again here soon. I have the new, (to me), Vaya frame to get built up and if that pans out well, it could be the rig I ride in the event.

But first I need to start getting back into the swing of doing some regular riding again. the Triple D training was a success, and the strategy used worked all right, but I see some room for improvements on both fronts. Hopefully this year will see better strategies and results throughout the coming months......

Penny, the shop dog does a final inspection.

Going Far:

The other big deal this week was getting a titanium Fargo built for local rider, Mike, who is going to attempt Tour Divide this summer. (Talk about your strategies and looking for results!) Anyway, it was a joy to work on some fine components and bolt them to such a beautiful frame. I'll have more on the bike and frame on the bandit shop blog, but what really gets me about doing jobs like this is how I sweat all the fine details.

I don't build it like I would for myself- oh no. If that were my bike, I wouldn't have cleaned and inspected every component that came off the old Fargo. I woulda bolted that stuff on dirty! But I went beyond what I would do for myself. I also worry about how it is going to work. I guess maybe I am a bit of a worry wart, but even with my own builds, I am rather cautious the first few times I ride a new build, because I don't trust the bike just yet. Is that weird or what? I mean- it's a freakin' bike! Either it will work, or it won't work. It doesn't have "evil intentions", despite my own misgivings about such things!

So when a new rig goes out the door, I kind of feel like a bomb might go off at any minute. I shouldn't. I double check everything. I test ride the bike, but I guess I have a weird superstition about that. I mean, I've seen weird stuff go down before, so maybe that's where I get that from. Who knows. Probably just me.....

What's In Your Toolbox?

I Am A Mechanic:

Over on the Black Mountain Cycles blog,  proprietor and opiner at large, Mike Varley, sent out this salvo recently on his take concerning the differences between a "tech" and a "mechanic".

Well, you could go there and read that and my commentary, or read the following.....

Essentially, I feel that there is a tendency for some folks to "throw parts at" the problem, or just accept that "there are no user serviceable parts inside". Maybe some out there can't find the time to be creative, or to modify something to work for a certain purpose. Mechanics do not do any of the above. Ever.

To me, a mechanic knows enough about the basic workings, (rules if you will), about a machine to know that moment when creativity, a bit of digging, or extra time can make something work, and when it is time to throw in the towel and start with a new part, or entire bicycle sometimes. It is a fine balance between getting paid, making the money the shop needs to stay afloat, and servicing the customer in the best possible way too. It also may entail doing diagnostic work on the fly, while a customer is there, to better manage customer expectations.

In other words- it ain't easy. You actually have to be good at not only fixing and adjusting a bicycle, but you need to be a good salesperson, not a clerk. You need to be willing to think outside the box sometimes, and you need to be efficient, consistent, and reliable. Anyway, I do not believe a "tech" person is any of those things. Being a mechanic is complex, it requires a skill set beyond knowing how to turn wrenches or write up a repair ticket. I'm not sure it can be taught to someone from a book, or online either. I'm pretty certain it can not.

Well, that's my take, for what it is worth, and I've been doing mechanic work in various settings for almost 29 years. If that means anything......

Have a great weekend! Hope ya get outside for a bit!

Bike Shop Horrors: Doin' Some Mechanikin'!

The part of being a bicycle mechanic that I love the most is when I get to do some "creative fixing". The kind of job that doesn't have a ready made solution. I have to invent one. I have fun with this.

So we got this custom made trike in the other day. The guy that owns it rides a lot and wanted fenders.

Uh............fenders? On THAT?!

Well, I got to thinking on it. Typically I will grab some bits and pieces and start playing around with them to get ideas. Trying to see what might work from the vast inventory of bike part images in my brain. I piece things together mentally first. Then when I arrive on a possible solution, I go off in search of parts.  Well, as you can already see, I came up with something.

Here is a closer look. The trike had an odd kingpin arragement that made use of a threaded steer tube and was capped off by the thick, almost ahead set looking aluminum chunk on top of the normal spacers which in turn were on top of the head set lock nut and adjusting nut. I removed the spacers, and I replaced them with a cable hanger meant for a 1 inch head set placing it upside down. This piece was heavy chromed steel and was there to give the rack strap I placed under a longer top cap bolt some support. This was all the structure I would have to hold a fender in place above the wheel. The rack strap and head set brake hangar were tied together with a normal brake anchor bolt which had the usual "D" shaped key which fit perfectly into the brake hangar. I had to space out the area between the rack strap and hangar where the hangar was recessed with a Presta valve nut. So, I had a solid foundation to mount a fender from and it turned with the wheel since it all was spinning with the head set.

Here is a view backed away from the previous pic showing my upper mount for the fender. I made this from a rack strap custom bent with a vise and hammer. I bolted through the straps to two orphaned, and matching Bontrager plastic front fenders. The fender was placed over the top of the rack strap and the bolt was run through from the bottom, allowing maximum tire clearance. The nut on top was a linear pull brake pad nut, chrome, and tapered, which looked nice.

My intentions were to provide the fenders the customer desired without going to custom fenders, or great expense. All the parts used were orphaned, used parts, with the exception of the two chromed matching steel brake hangar spacers. My goal was to also allow the fenders to move if they were bumped, or crashed into without breaking any of the mounting structure. All the parts are common bicycle parts. So if anything did get bent beyond repair, or lost, it could easily be replicated by the shop I work at, or another shop. I also had to make sure the fenders cleared the steering bars and other cables and what not. I think I managed to do okay, given the parameters.

It may look like a "Frankenstien-fix", but I had fun with it, at any rate!

Bike Shop Horrors: Doin' Some Mechanikin'!

The part of being a bicycle mechanic that I love the most is when I get to do some "creative fixing". The kind of job that doesn't have a ready made solution. I have to invent one. I have fun with this.

So we got this custom made trike in the other day. The guy that owns it rides a lot and wanted fenders.

Uh............fenders? On THAT?!

Well, I got to thinking on it. Typically I will grab some bits and pieces and start playing around with them to get ideas. Trying to see what might work from the vast inventory of bike part images in my brain. I piece things together mentally first. Then when I arrive on a possible solution, I go off in search of parts.  Well, as you can already see, I came up with something.

Here is a closer look. The trike had an odd kingpin arragement that made use of a threaded steer tube and was capped off by the thick, almost ahead set looking aluminum chunk on top of the normal spacers which in turn were on top of the head set lock nut and adjusting nut. I removed the spacers, and I replaced them with a cable hanger meant for a 1 inch head set placing it upside down. This piece was heavy chromed steel and was there to give the rack strap I placed under a longer top cap bolt some support. This was all the structure I would have to hold a fender in place above the wheel. The rack strap and head set brake hangar were tied together with a normal brake anchor bolt which had the usual "D" shaped key which fit perfectly into the brake hangar. I had to space out the area between the rack strap and hangar where the hangar was recessed with a Presta valve nut. So, I had a solid foundation to mount a fender from and it turned with the wheel since it all was spinning with the head set.

Here is a view backed away from the previous pic showing my upper mount for the fender. I made this from a rack strap custom bent with a vise and hammer. I bolted through the straps to two orphaned, and matching Bontrager plastic front fenders. The fender was placed over the top of the rack strap and the bolt was run through from the bottom, allowing maximum tire clearance. The nut on top was a linear pull brake pad nut, chrome, and tapered, which looked nice.

My intentions were to provide the fenders the customer desired without going to custom fenders, or great expense. All the parts used were orphaned, used parts, with the exception of the two chromed matching steel brake hangar spacers. My goal was to also allow the fenders to move if they were bumped, or crashed into without breaking any of the mounting structure. All the parts are common bicycle parts. So if anything did get bent beyond repair, or lost, it could easily be replicated by the shop I work at, or another shop. I also had to make sure the fenders cleared the steering bars and other cables and what not. I think I managed to do okay, given the parameters.

It may look like a "Frankenstien-fix", but I had fun with it, at any rate!