Deliveries

It is nice to get things that you expect in the mail, so yesterday I was pleased to find out that there was a big cardboard box sitting on my porch later in the afternoon.

It was the expected repaired rear wheel for The Snow Dog from the Phil Wood & Co. Now I had the task of not only swapping out wheels, but meticulously cleaning Ben Witt's rear wheel in preparation of restoring it to him a week from today.

So, I checked out the free hub immediately, since the wheel was frozen from being in the delivery truck all day. I figured it would be a good indication of what to expect when I use it soon. It clacked with authority, unlike the way it did before. I am confident that it will work as well as Ben's wheel has been for me since he loaned it to me to use.  So, all will be restored to normal on that front soon, and I am sure I will have no further issues with that hub again. Thanks to the Phil Wood & Co. for the fast, quality servicing.

On The Way: Next up, I had confirmation of the sending out of another delivery that is expected next week. Take a look....

Picked up

Initiated      Picked up    In transit    Delivered

 

So, what is it?

This! 

The Black Mountain Cycles Cross frame and fork is going to be here probably by Thursday of next week, that is, if all goes as usual. I figure about five working days from California to my door. 

Some changes are happening as far as my original build plan, so stay tuned as I put together this rig and start riding it around the gravel roads here. Hopefully soon. 

Speaking of which, this weather has made a turn for the better here and warmer, more cycling friendly temps are on the way. It's a good thing, since I have much work to do before the Dirty Kanza 200 in June

A Question: Which brings me to a question: Should I deliver periodac updates on my Dirty Kanza 200 training, gear, and choices affecting those things here on the blog? This request was suggested to me by a commenter, but I want to hear from the readers to see if anyone might find that useful to read. I mean, it isn't like I would have any graphs and videos like this guy does. No, it would be just my own, regular way of doing things, and ya'all know I am no "big-time" athlete, so that's why I wonder if it would at all be interesting. Well, you let me know!

Deliveries

It is nice to get things that you expect in the mail, so yesterday I was pleased to find out that there was a big cardboard box sitting on my porch later in the afternoon.

It was the expected repaired rear wheel for The Snow Dog from the Phil Wood & Co. Now I had the task of not only swapping out wheels, but meticulously cleaning Ben Witt's rear wheel in preparation of restoring it to him a week from today.

So, I checked out the free hub immediately, since the wheel was frozen from being in the delivery truck all day. I figured it would be a good indication of what to expect when I use it soon. It clacked with authority, unlike the way it did before. I am confident that it will work as well as Ben's wheel has been for me since he loaned it to me to use.  So, all will be restored to normal on that front soon, and I am sure I will have no further issues with that hub again. Thanks to the Phil Wood & Co. for the fast, quality servicing.

On The Way: Next up, I had confirmation of the sending out of another delivery that is expected next week. Take a look....

Picked up

Initiated      Picked up    In transit    Delivered

 

So, what is it?

This! 

The Black Mountain Cycles Cross frame and fork is going to be here probably by Thursday of next week, that is, if all goes as usual. I figure about five working days from California to my door. 

Some changes are happening as far as my original build plan, so stay tuned as I put together this rig and start riding it around the gravel roads here. Hopefully soon. 

Speaking of which, this weather has made a turn for the better here and warmer, more cycling friendly temps are on the way. It's a good thing, since I have much work to do before the Dirty Kanza 200 in June

A Question: Which brings me to a question: Should I deliver periodac updates on my Dirty Kanza 200 training, gear, and choices affecting those things here on the blog? This request was suggested to me by a commenter, but I want to hear from the readers to see if anyone might find that useful to read. I mean, it isn't like I would have any graphs and videos like this guy does. No, it would be just my own, regular way of doing things, and ya'all know I am no "big-time" athlete, so that's why I wonder if it would at all be interesting. Well, you let me know!

The Snow Dog Update: #2- Snow Crawling

Update #2: Snow Crawling: Okay, if winter persists, you guys and gals out there are going to get sick of hearing about the Salsa Cycles Mukluk I have here that I dubbed "The Snow Dog".

Why? Because it is an awesomely fun rig, that's why. I have been going out for rides in ridiculously cold weather because this bike is so fun to ride on hard, frozen snow. Temperatures in the mid 20's on up? Well, it isn't as fun, but it still is a hoot. I just have discovered a whole new way to enjoy this bike recently, and I love it. It is soooo fun! I call it "snow-crawling". Kind of like "rock-crawling" in a 4X4, only, well......different!


Used to be that when I strolled down the streets I would get angry when I saw people's sidewalks that were un-shoveled. How rude and un-caring, I once thought. In fact, I was almost becoming a bitter man over this thing. You see, I bust my tail to keep my walk clean, and not only that, but I also clean out the parking area in the street for myself, my neighbors, and most importantly, my Lady. (Mrs. Guitar Ted) She's a Texas girl, and her and snow are not the best of friends, shall we say? Yeah, so I wasn't looking upon the lazy, non-snow shoveling heathen around me with any "warm fuzzies", if you catch my drift.

Well, now I have a new appreciation for these folks. I just love finding beaten down snow paths in areas where folks don't shovel now. With the Snow Dog, they become challenging, rough skinnies. Go off-line and instead of falling you simply sink into the un-packed snow and come to a grinding halt. Fun and I am so thankful for it now. It makes me sharpen my skills.

The other really fun thing are the berms stacked up by various plows that people have walked over to access street crossings. I get a running start in the street, and launch the Snow Dog up and over the steep pitches. If I get hung up, or blow it, I simply sink into the snow, and don't ruin any chain ring teeth or chain rings in the process. What could be better?

So, "snow-crawling" is this and more. Really skinny, deeply carved pathways through snow banks are fun, and build my skills. If I get off-line, again, snow is forgiving. Other cool challenges can be found all over town on sidewalks, alleys, and on street corners. I've gone down some pretty vertical drops of up to four feet and launched up many almost as high. All made of snow. Fun stuff!

The Mukluk is really great at this stuff too. It is almost a fat tired BMX bike, with a really slack head angle! In fact, that is my only complaint so far. Crawling at walking speeds over sketchy snow and trying to pull off a corner is really tough. I'm going to have to start practicing corner hopping! Launching the front up in the air is easier than you might think, and those big, cushy tires have mondo grip and cushion the rough patches nicely. That said, I could totally see where a front suspender would rock on a fat bike for warmer weather on faster trails. Oh yeah! That would be so cool.

Bottom line? This bike is so much fun, and I am totally blessed to have it. I know I would not be riding as much as I have this winter without it. I did an hour plus today at a double digit below zero windchill, actual air temperature of 5 above. No way would I have pulled a bike out last year- or any year before this- at those temps. That makes it totally worthwhile. Not to mention my continued commuting to work on it. (Have you noticed gas prices of late?)

Okay, I'll try not to post so much about this bike. But I really am having fun on it, so I can't seem to help it!

The Snow Dog Update: #2- Snow Crawling

Update #2: Snow Crawling: Okay, if winter persists, you guys and gals out there are going to get sick of hearing about the Salsa Cycles Mukluk I have here that I dubbed "The Snow Dog".

Why? Because it is an awesomely fun rig, that's why. I have been going out for rides in ridiculously cold weather because this bike is so fun to ride on hard, frozen snow. Temperatures in the mid 20's on up? Well, it isn't as fun, but it still is a hoot. I just have discovered a whole new way to enjoy this bike recently, and I love it. It is soooo fun! I call it "snow-crawling". Kind of like "rock-crawling" in a 4X4, only, well......different!


Used to be that when I strolled down the streets I would get angry when I saw people's sidewalks that were un-shoveled. How rude and un-caring, I once thought. In fact, I was almost becoming a bitter man over this thing. You see, I bust my tail to keep my walk clean, and not only that, but I also clean out the parking area in the street for myself, my neighbors, and most importantly, my Lady. (Mrs. Guitar Ted) She's a Texas girl, and her and snow are not the best of friends, shall we say? Yeah, so I wasn't looking upon the lazy, non-snow shoveling heathen around me with any "warm fuzzies", if you catch my drift.

Well, now I have a new appreciation for these folks. I just love finding beaten down snow paths in areas where folks don't shovel now. With the Snow Dog, they become challenging, rough skinnies. Go off-line and instead of falling you simply sink into the un-packed snow and come to a grinding halt. Fun and I am so thankful for it now. It makes me sharpen my skills.

The other really fun thing are the berms stacked up by various plows that people have walked over to access street crossings. I get a running start in the street, and launch the Snow Dog up and over the steep pitches. If I get hung up, or blow it, I simply sink into the snow, and don't ruin any chain ring teeth or chain rings in the process. What could be better?

So, "snow-crawling" is this and more. Really skinny, deeply carved pathways through snow banks are fun, and build my skills. If I get off-line, again, snow is forgiving. Other cool challenges can be found all over town on sidewalks, alleys, and on street corners. I've gone down some pretty vertical drops of up to four feet and launched up many almost as high. All made of snow. Fun stuff!

The Mukluk is really great at this stuff too. It is almost a fat tired BMX bike, with a really slack head angle! In fact, that is my only complaint so far. Crawling at walking speeds over sketchy snow and trying to pull off a corner is really tough. I'm going to have to start practicing corner hopping! Launching the front up in the air is easier than you might think, and those big, cushy tires have mondo grip and cushion the rough patches nicely. That said, I could totally see where a front suspender would rock on a fat bike for warmer weather on faster trails. Oh yeah! That would be so cool.

Bottom line? This bike is so much fun, and I am totally blessed to have it. I know I would not be riding as much as I have this winter without it. I did an hour plus today at a double digit below zero windchill, actual air temperature of 5 above. No way would I have pulled a bike out last year- or any year before this- at those temps. That makes it totally worthwhile. Not to mention my continued commuting to work on it. (Have you noticed gas prices of late?)

Okay, I'll try not to post so much about this bike. But I really am having fun on it, so I can't seem to help it!

Two Cases Of Misunderstood Bikes

Today I am posting about two bicycles. One, an influential rig in several ways, the other, a "poster child" for a group of bikes from an era that is getting misunderstood. First- The Influential one....

Bruce Gordon, (who plays a prominent part in my "The Beginnings Of The Modern 29"er: A History" story found here), has been making a model called the "Rock & Road" for more years than you can shake a stick at. Noted for its adaptability for off road trails, this 700c bike, at least at first, was the bike that sported the biggest knobby 700c tire you could get. It was oft sold as a flat bar bike as well, so this isn't necessarily a one trick pony when it comes to set up. How is this misunderstood today?

Well, some folks are saying it was/is a "monster-cross" bike. I say, no. It isn't, and here is why....

First of all, the whole "monster-cross" thing is almost laughably undefined. What some folks think is a monster-cross bike is another person's plain ol' cyclo-cross rig, and then some of these bikes are too "mountain bike-ish" for others to see any "cross-bike" in them. Some say disc brakes are a no-no, some say they are okay. Some say a level top tube is a must, some say it don't matter none.

See what I mean? And I haven't brought up the entire tire width debate. To toss the "monster-cross" tag on Bruce Gordon's fine, influential 700c off-roader would be a disservice. Did it make folks pursue the "monster-cross" ideal? Well, I seriously doubt most folks into the whole "monster-cross" scene even know who Bruce Gordon is, much less anything about his Rock & Road bike. Influential, maybe, but definitely not a monster-cross bike here folks. My take is that Mr. Gordon helped perpetuate the "adventure" side of cycling, which has been expanded upon recently, most notably by Salsa Cycles, but I digress....

Just like the Rock & Road bike isn't really a "monster-cross" bike, the 90's era 700c based mountain bikes are not 29"ers. I know lots of folks will disagree with me, but think about it: The modern 29"er gets its name from the tire diameter. (2" plus wide, high volume tire on a 700c rim = nominally 29 inches diameter). Simple enough. Okay- using that criteria, the 90's era bikes with 700c rims, (see Bob Poor's oft ripped off photo, to the left here), like the Diamond Back Overdrive, Bianchi Project Series bikes, Specialized's Crossroads, various Gary Fisher models, and others were just 700c off road bikes. Some had 28" tires, most were smaller than that.

The Diamond Back gets credited the most with being a 29"er, but, even though it had 45mm wide, true off-road rubber, it falls short by the measuring stick we use today. (Pun intended) Yes- like Bob Poor's example shown here, you could shoe-horn in a Nanoraptor with an appropriate amount of chain stay manipulation, and then I suppose you could qualify it as being a 29"er. However; it wasn't ever sold that way, obviously, and was never intended to have tires, (which didn't exist at the time), that big stuffed in there.

Once again, it took "The Tire"- the WTB Nanoraptor- to usher in the 29"er movement as we know it in 1999. These other bikes faded into obscurity before the Nano's introduction, and 700c mountain biking morphed into the contemptible "hybrid" bike of the late 90's. So, any way you look at these bikes, the most you can say is that they were slightly influential on what became 29"ers, but really, more than that they were failed attempts at big wheeled off roading, which the Nanoraptor helped fix after its introduction.

Two bicycles, two misunderstood takes on big wheeled fun. These bikes should be looked at in the context of the times they were introduced in, not through the eyes of what we understand today as "monster-cross" or 29"ers.

Two Cases Of Misunderstood Bikes

Today I am posting about two bicycles. One, an influential rig in several ways, the other, a "poster child" for a group of bikes from an era that is getting misunderstood. First- The Influential one....

Bruce Gordon, (who plays a prominent part in my "The Beginnings Of The Modern 29"er: A History" story found here), has been making a model called the "Rock & Road" for more years than you can shake a stick at. Noted for its adaptability for off road trails, this 700c bike, at least at first, was the bike that sported the biggest knobby 700c tire you could get. It was oft sold as a flat bar bike as well, so this isn't necessarily a one trick pony when it comes to set up. How is this misunderstood today?

Well, some folks are saying it was/is a "monster-cross" bike. I say, no. It isn't, and here is why....

First of all, the whole "monster-cross" thing is almost laughably undefined. What some folks think is a monster-cross bike is another person's plain ol' cyclo-cross rig, and then some of these bikes are too "mountain bike-ish" for others to see any "cross-bike" in them. Some say disc brakes are a no-no, some say they are okay. Some say a level top tube is a must, some say it don't matter none.

See what I mean? And I haven't brought up the entire tire width debate. To toss the "monster-cross" tag on Bruce Gordon's fine, influential 700c off-roader would be a disservice. Did it make folks pursue the "monster-cross" ideal? Well, I seriously doubt most folks into the whole "monster-cross" scene even know who Bruce Gordon is, much less anything about his Rock & Road bike. Influential, maybe, but definitely not a monster-cross bike here folks. My take is that Mr. Gordon helped perpetuate the "adventure" side of cycling, which has been expanded upon recently, most notably by Salsa Cycles, but I digress....

Just like the Rock & Road bike isn't really a "monster-cross" bike, the 90's era 700c based mountain bikes are not 29"ers. I know lots of folks will disagree with me, but think about it: The modern 29"er gets its name from the tire diameter. (2" plus wide, high volume tire on a 700c rim = nominally 29 inches diameter). Simple enough. Okay- using that criteria, the 90's era bikes with 700c rims, (see Bob Poor's oft ripped off photo, to the left here), like the Diamond Back Overdrive, Bianchi Project Series bikes, Specialized's Crossroads, various Gary Fisher models, and others were just 700c off road bikes. Some had 28" tires, most were smaller than that.

The Diamond Back gets credited the most with being a 29"er, but, even though it had 45mm wide, true off-road rubber, it falls short by the measuring stick we use today. (Pun intended) Yes- like Bob Poor's example shown here, you could shoe-horn in a Nanoraptor with an appropriate amount of chain stay manipulation, and then I suppose you could qualify it as being a 29"er. However; it wasn't ever sold that way, obviously, and was never intended to have tires, (which didn't exist at the time), that big stuffed in there.

Once again, it took "The Tire"- the WTB Nanoraptor- to usher in the 29"er movement as we know it in 1999. These other bikes faded into obscurity before the Nano's introduction, and 700c mountain biking morphed into the contemptible "hybrid" bike of the late 90's. So, any way you look at these bikes, the most you can say is that they were slightly influential on what became 29"ers, but really, more than that they were failed attempts at big wheeled off roading, which the Nanoraptor helped fix after its introduction.

Two bicycles, two misunderstood takes on big wheeled fun. These bikes should be looked at in the context of the times they were introduced in, not through the eyes of what we understand today as "monster-cross" or 29"ers.

Off Road Drop Bar Comparison.

So this off road drop bar comparison is about to get going here soon. I've been measuring and taking some notes along with a few images which I will share soon.

Here is a good look at a quartet of off road drop bars. From top to bottom they are:

1. The newest Gary Bar from Origin 8, dubbed the "Gary II"
2. The "benchmark" bar, the On One Midge
3. The "original" Gary Bar, which I am dubbing the "Gary Bar I" for purposes of this discussion.
4. Finally, at the bottom we have the Ragley Bikes "Luxy Bar"

Observations: It is immediately apparent that the top three bars are much more closely related to each other than the bottom one. The Luxy Bar, as I have written before, seems to be closer in overall shape to a Salsa Woodchipper Bar, but there are some big differences between those two bars, and a stand-alone comparison between these two will be made later. For now, just know that the Woodchipper and the Luxy are in a different league when it comes to these off-road drop bars.

Note also that I have arranged the bars according to drop depth. This conveniently also happened to arrange them accordingly as to their sweep and width. Pure luck that. I hadn't planned it that way. You can also discern the slope or "flare" of the drop sections, with the Gary I bar having the most severe slope of all of these bars, and the Gary II having the least "outward slope". Extension length varies as well. The Luxy winning out there with the Gary II coming in next, (albeit at a full inch shorter than the Luxy!), and the Midge having the shortest extensions.

Forward reach is the least with the Midge and Gary I, the Luxy and the Gary II have quite a bit of forward reach, actually. (Approximately 105mm and 95mm respectively)

The Midge is the light-weight king, (not surprising due to it having the least material), at a weight of 270 grams for my sample.  The others are all within 10 grams of each other at 320-330 grams. Clamp diameter for the Luxy is 31.8mm only, but the rest shown are 25.4mm. Only the Gary I is not bar end compatible.

Finally, I'll add that the Gary I is no longer available. Although I added it here since many of them are out there and may get passed on. Having them at hand anyway, I figured, "why not?"

Okay, that's all for this post. Look for more details, a Woodchipper, and more coming in later posts.

Off Road Drop Bar Comparison.

So this off road drop bar comparison is about to get going here soon. I've been measuring and taking some notes along with a few images which I will share soon.

Here is a good look at a quartet of off road drop bars. From top to bottom they are:

1. The newest Gary Bar from Origin 8, dubbed the "Gary II"
2. The "benchmark" bar, the On One Midge
3. The "original" Gary Bar, which I am dubbing the "Gary Bar I" for purposes of this discussion.
4. Finally, at the bottom we have the Ragley Bikes "Luxy Bar"

Observations: It is immediately apparent that the top three bars are much more closely related to each other than the bottom one. The Luxy Bar, as I have written before, seems to be closer in overall shape to a Salsa Woodchipper Bar, but there are some big differences between those two bars, and a stand-alone comparison between these two will be made later. For now, just know that the Woodchipper and the Luxy are in a different league when it comes to these off-road drop bars.

Note also that I have arranged the bars according to drop depth. This conveniently also happened to arrange them accordingly as to their sweep and width. Pure luck that. I hadn't planned it that way. You can also discern the slope or "flare" of the drop sections, with the Gary I bar having the most severe slope of all of these bars, and the Gary II having the least "outward slope". Extension length varies as well. The Luxy winning out there with the Gary II coming in next, (albeit at a full inch shorter than the Luxy!), and the Midge having the shortest extensions.

Forward reach is the least with the Midge and Gary I, the Luxy and the Gary II have quite a bit of forward reach, actually. (Approximately 105mm and 95mm respectively)

The Midge is the light-weight king, (not surprising due to it having the least material), at a weight of 270 grams for my sample.  The others are all within 10 grams of each other at 320-330 grams. Clamp diameter for the Luxy is 31.8mm only, but the rest shown are 25.4mm. Only the Gary I is not bar end compatible.

Finally, I'll add that the Gary I is no longer available. Although I added it here since many of them are out there and may get passed on. Having them at hand anyway, I figured, "why not?"

Okay, that's all for this post. Look for more details, a Woodchipper, and more coming in later posts.

The Three Hour Tour

Saturday we were treated to some "warm" temperatures. Warm is relative, I am sure, but for us it meant climbing out of the single digits for daytime highs upwards to the low 30's. It may as well have been declared as a t-shirt day, since we get so acclimated to the cold, that when it does "warm up", it feels like springtime is right around the corner.

I headed out of town to the northeast, as it provides the quickest way to gravel for me. On the way out, I spied a bit of snowmobile trail and decided it looked too good to pass up.

Things rolled along well at first, but the air temperatures were coming up quickly, and I started to sink in more, making it a real grind to ride on. I had to stop and strip off a few articles of clothing due to overheating. Overheating in February!



Then I hit the roads for a bit, but it wasn't long after I first hit gravel that I found another snowmobile trail that cut diagonally across a field. I couldn't resist, and before long, I was speeding downwards into the area in the middle of the field where the drainage ran through. Here the snow was too churned up by the snowmobiles to ride in. Right about then, about a dozen snowmobiles rushed by me, and I got several strange looks! After a bit of walking, the snow firmed up again, enough so that I pulled into Dewar on The Snow Dog instead of walking it!

After Dewar I was obliged to go north on blacktop another mile and right onto Airline Highway, which at that point is a gravel. The sun was bright, it was warm, and in places, the gravel was getting moist!

I stopped to grab a couple of images and headed back westwards to another "T" intersection and southwards back to the Donald Street blacktop. I rode in the shoulder where it was positively muddy. The Larry tires were sinking in, but I kept motoring on. Probably due to my sinking down to frozen terra firma though, otherwise I think I'd have been marooned on the shoulder! Crossing Raymond Road, I got back on the pavement, while mud was flinging in all directions off the Larry's.

Then it was criss-cross through city streets in Waterloo's north end back towards the house. I was getting pretty zonked by now, the fact that I took zero water or food having something to do with that......maybe! Well, I had not intended to be out much more than an hour, and after stopping out on Airline Highway, I finally took heed of the time and found out I was already two hours into the ride!

Sheesh! I ended up doing three hours plus, and having a great time. Good thing too, since today, and the next few days are going to be brutally cold. Oh well! Winter. It ain't over till its over. Even if it does get "warm" once in awhile!

The Three Hour Tour

Saturday we were treated to some "warm" temperatures. Warm is relative, I am sure, but for us it meant climbing out of the single digits for daytime highs upwards to the low 30's. It may as well have been declared as a t-shirt day, since we get so acclimated to the cold, that when it does "warm up", it feels like springtime is right around the corner.

I headed out of town to the northeast, as it provides the quickest way to gravel for me. On the way out, I spied a bit of snowmobile trail and decided it looked too good to pass up.

Things rolled along well at first, but the air temperatures were coming up quickly, and I started to sink in more, making it a real grind to ride on. I had to stop and strip off a few articles of clothing due to overheating. Overheating in February!



Then I hit the roads for a bit, but it wasn't long after I first hit gravel that I found another snowmobile trail that cut diagonally across a field. I couldn't resist, and before long, I was speeding downwards into the area in the middle of the field where the drainage ran through. Here the snow was too churned up by the snowmobiles to ride in. Right about then, about a dozen snowmobiles rushed by me, and I got several strange looks! After a bit of walking, the snow firmed up again, enough so that I pulled into Dewar on The Snow Dog instead of walking it!

After Dewar I was obliged to go north on blacktop another mile and right onto Airline Highway, which at that point is a gravel. The sun was bright, it was warm, and in places, the gravel was getting moist!

I stopped to grab a couple of images and headed back westwards to another "T" intersection and southwards back to the Donald Street blacktop. I rode in the shoulder where it was positively muddy. The Larry tires were sinking in, but I kept motoring on. Probably due to my sinking down to frozen terra firma though, otherwise I think I'd have been marooned on the shoulder! Crossing Raymond Road, I got back on the pavement, while mud was flinging in all directions off the Larry's.

Then it was criss-cross through city streets in Waterloo's north end back towards the house. I was getting pretty zonked by now, the fact that I took zero water or food having something to do with that......maybe! Well, I had not intended to be out much more than an hour, and after stopping out on Airline Highway, I finally took heed of the time and found out I was already two hours into the ride!

Sheesh! I ended up doing three hours plus, and having a great time. Good thing too, since today, and the next few days are going to be brutally cold. Oh well! Winter. It ain't over till its over. Even if it does get "warm" once in awhile!

Good News

Two bits of good news reached me recently that made my day on Friday. The first has to do with the Snow Dog.

Ben Witt's rear wheel, (which I have been thoroughly abusing, as you can see..), will finally be going back to him soon. The Phil Wood & Co. e-mailed Friday saying that the Snow Dog's rear wheel has been repaired and was to be shipped out that day.

Hopefully this means that my wheel will be back by the latter half of this coming week. This will give me plenty of time to clean up Ben's wheel so it is all spiffy and will look good when I hand it off to him when I go to Frostbike on the 18th.

The second bit of good news has to do with the BMC cross rig.....

I hear that the frames will be received into Mike Varley's shop Monday. He'll certainly have to do a bit of scrambling, what with bookkeeping, etc, but it looks like this frame will be coming out within the next week or so, I would think.

I've been perusing parts to put on this rig and it should go together rather quickly. Afterward, it will be getting a high dosage of gravel road diet whenever possible in preparation for the Dirty Kanza 200. I also will be looking at using it at CIRREM if the roads are solid and not icy, otherwise I will be looking at using The Snow Dog, just because!

Hopefully your weekend is going well and you are getting outdoors before the next deep freeze hits Monday!

Good News

Two bits of good news reached me recently that made my day on Friday. The first has to do with the Snow Dog.

Ben Witt's rear wheel, (which I have been thoroughly abusing, as you can see..), will finally be going back to him soon. The Phil Wood & Co. e-mailed Friday saying that the Snow Dog's rear wheel has been repaired and was to be shipped out that day.

Hopefully this means that my wheel will be back by the latter half of this coming week. This will give me plenty of time to clean up Ben's wheel so it is all spiffy and will look good when I hand it off to him when I go to Frostbike on the 18th.

The second bit of good news has to do with the BMC cross rig.....

I hear that the frames will be received into Mike Varley's shop Monday. He'll certainly have to do a bit of scrambling, what with bookkeeping, etc, but it looks like this frame will be coming out within the next week or so, I would think.

I've been perusing parts to put on this rig and it should go together rather quickly. Afterward, it will be getting a high dosage of gravel road diet whenever possible in preparation for the Dirty Kanza 200. I also will be looking at using it at CIRREM if the roads are solid and not icy, otherwise I will be looking at using The Snow Dog, just because!

Hopefully your weekend is going well and you are getting outdoors before the next deep freeze hits Monday!

Trans Iowa V7 Update #14: Mental Toughness

320-340 miles sounds tough enough, but ask any T.I. vet and they'll tell you, after the first 150 or so, the rest is pretty much pure will power.

This is important. It will make or break you in Trans Iowa.

First of all, how do you effectively train for a 300 plus mile, gravel road, ultra-endurance event?

Ask a bunch of folks, you'll get a bunch of different answers. Riding lots of miles? Yeah. Do that. Test your equipment? Definitely. Dial in your nutritional needs and strategy? For sure.

But don't forget about your mind.

Okay, so how do you train mentally? I think if we take a look at some of the successful T.I. finishers from years past, we'll get a clue. Hints as to "what it takes" are in their stories.

Ira Ryan: Two time winner of Trans Iowa: Ira is a frame builder out in Portland, Oregon these days, but he has some great insights on riding insane distances. Check out his thoughts published in this interview by "The Bicycle Story" blog where Ira is recounting his experiences from an event called "The Raid Race" where he rode from San Francisco to Portland:

" I raced it in 4 days with the last day being 280 miles in one sit. I slept in ditches and a post office in Coos Bay. I rode into the night and ate lots of shitty food. The last day I rode the final 60 miles on I-5 northbound so I could draft all the trucks."

Think about that for a minute. Sleeping in ditches. Eating crappy food. Just to finish a really long ride. Here's a bit more from Ira. He's giving some gravel road riding tips, and this one is right up our alley: 

"Train and refine your mental stamina for really long gravel races. If you get overwhelmed by the distance of an event, just focus on the here and now of the road. Ride at your own pace, take your time, and keep pedaling". (from "Gravel Road Riding Tips by Ira Ryan" by Daniel Berlinger)

So, what are you willing to "refine" in regards to your mental stamina? Or maybe it would be better to say, what are you willing to suffer?  

Well, let's take the case of Trans Iowa Vet, Charlie Farrow, who had a full on intestinal "rebellion" on his hands with a 100 miles to go in Trans Iowa V5. Charlie had made the decisive lead break, but fell off the pace about 150 miles in and in the middle of the night, got sick. Really sick.

Most would have "pulled the plug", but Charlie pulled over and slept! Yep! He didn't throw in the towel, he tried some rest, and was found to have finished the event, even when all looked like it was against him doing so. Mental toughness and creativity. Check!

 Finally, I'll throw in my observations of Trans Iowa winner, Joe Meiser, who during his first attempt at the event, completed it. That's amazing enough as it is, but I think that we can derive some clue as to why he did finish that first time out, and why later, that he won a Trans Iowa. He was calm.

 It struck me as odd, and different, that every time I spoke to Joe at Trans Iowa V3, he was calm, level headed, and dare I say it- serene. He was the same at mile 127 that he was at mile 330. Keep a level head. Stay calm. Keep moving.

The Trump Card: Of course, you can be supremely confident, serene, creative, and mentally tough as nails, and still fail at T.I.V7. Weather, mechanicals, and other things beyond your control can derail even the best strategy. So, if Trans Iowa V7 doesn't go as you'd hoped it would have, don't despair. It happens to the best of 'em!

Trans Iowa V7 Update #14: Mental Toughness

320-340 miles sounds tough enough, but ask any T.I. vet and they'll tell you, after the first 150 or so, the rest is pretty much pure will power.

This is important. It will make or break you in Trans Iowa.

First of all, how do you effectively train for a 300 plus mile, gravel road, ultra-endurance event?

Ask a bunch of folks, you'll get a bunch of different answers. Riding lots of miles? Yeah. Do that. Test your equipment? Definitely. Dial in your nutritional needs and strategy? For sure.

But don't forget about your mind.

Okay, so how do you train mentally? I think if we take a look at some of the successful T.I. finishers from years past, we'll get a clue. Hints as to "what it takes" are in their stories.

Ira Ryan: Two time winner of Trans Iowa: Ira is a frame builder out in Portland, Oregon these days, but he has some great insights on riding insane distances. Check out his thoughts published in this interview by "The Bicycle Story" blog where Ira is recounting his experiences from an event called "The Raid Race" where he rode from San Francisco to Portland:

" I raced it in 4 days with the last day being 280 miles in one sit. I slept in ditches and a post office in Coos Bay. I rode into the night and ate lots of shitty food. The last day I rode the final 60 miles on I-5 northbound so I could draft all the trucks."

Think about that for a minute. Sleeping in ditches. Eating crappy food. Just to finish a really long ride. Here's a bit more from Ira. He's giving some gravel road riding tips, and this one is right up our alley: 

"Train and refine your mental stamina for really long gravel races. If you get overwhelmed by the distance of an event, just focus on the here and now of the road. Ride at your own pace, take your time, and keep pedaling". (from "Gravel Road Riding Tips by Ira Ryan" by Daniel Berlinger)

So, what are you willing to "refine" in regards to your mental stamina? Or maybe it would be better to say, what are you willing to suffer?  

Well, let's take the case of Trans Iowa Vet, Charlie Farrow, who had a full on intestinal "rebellion" on his hands with a 100 miles to go in Trans Iowa V5. Charlie had made the decisive lead break, but fell off the pace about 150 miles in and in the middle of the night, got sick. Really sick.

Most would have "pulled the plug", but Charlie pulled over and slept! Yep! He didn't throw in the towel, he tried some rest, and was found to have finished the event, even when all looked like it was against him doing so. Mental toughness and creativity. Check!

 Finally, I'll throw in my observations of Trans Iowa winner, Joe Meiser, who during his first attempt at the event, completed it. That's amazing enough as it is, but I think that we can derive some clue as to why he did finish that first time out, and why later, that he won a Trans Iowa. He was calm.

 It struck me as odd, and different, that every time I spoke to Joe at Trans Iowa V3, he was calm, level headed, and dare I say it- serene. He was the same at mile 127 that he was at mile 330. Keep a level head. Stay calm. Keep moving.

The Trump Card: Of course, you can be supremely confident, serene, creative, and mentally tough as nails, and still fail at T.I.V7. Weather, mechanicals, and other things beyond your control can derail even the best strategy. So, if Trans Iowa V7 doesn't go as you'd hoped it would have, don't despair. It happens to the best of 'em!

The Snow Dog Update

<===Rolling along with a wheel on loan from Ben.

A while ago, I wrote about how my own Phil Wood hub  blew up on me and how Ben Witt of Milltown Cycles bailed me out with the loaner Phil hubbed wheel shown here.

How's it been going? Well, so far so good. The first thing I did was to remove the end cap on the axle and slide the free hub off to expose the pawls. I de-greased these and replaced the Phil grease with some red Tri-Flow grease, which is somewhat thinner in consistency. As I said, so far, so good.

Yesterday's slog was a good test. It was just above zero, and I ran into a couple of places where the torque was high, and no issues at all. Even the hint of failure was not present. In fact, it is feeling perfectly normal.

Now it is just a wait to see what Phil Wood & Co. does with my wheel. I haven't heard a peep yet, and they were to have had the wheel in hand by Tuesday. Hopefully it will hit the door here before Frostbike, because that's when I am scheduled to return the wheel I have to Ben. Hopefully his Pofahl fat bike will be readied by then, and he can start rolling on his slightly used, broken in rear wheel.

Notes From A Fat Bike Noob: So, what's the deal with these rigs? Well, first off, they are not a magic bullet for deep snow travel. Not even close. These bikes do have some amount of "float", but they have to have a compacted surface, or terrain that holds together, to traverse over without a lot of wallowing, or front wheel wash-out. Post-holed pedestrian paths through the snow, which are nigh unto impossible on any other bike, are sneered at by The Snow Dog. Not only that, but the suspension in those tires actually helps keep you from getting bounced off-line or sideways, which is what usually happens with a 29"er.

Other types of surfaces I have found working well for The Snow Dog are snowmobile trails, half-heartedly scraped sidewalks and bike trails, and "car-snow", which is easily dispatched by The Snow Dog's massive "Larry" 3.8"ers. My favorite thing to do so far is to ride in alleyways, since they usually have more fun "features" to launch off of and plow over.

<==Check out how Ben's furry rim strip sticks out of the Rolling Darryl's "windows". 
 
The "Larrys" sound like 44" Swampers on a '77 Chevy 4X4 when you run fast over pavement, which just adds to the "monster truck" feeling you get when floating down the road. Making child-like "V-8" sounds is purely optional, but adds a lot to the ambiance and experience. I recommend it!

Oh yeah- and you will get worked over riding one of these. That weight takes energy to get it moving, and then when you get into the fun terrain and situations, it only adds more rolling resistance, which burns even more cals. I suspect it will be the best early season training I've had in years, just poking around on this thing for even short rides.

The plan is to do some more poking around this weekend, and it should be good, since the temps are forecast to be pretty reasonable for this time of year.

Have a great weekend, ya'all!

The Snow Dog Update

<===Rolling along with a wheel on loan from Ben.

A while ago, I wrote about how my own Phil Wood hub  blew up on me and how Ben Witt of Milltown Cycles bailed me out with the loaner Phil hubbed wheel shown here.

How's it been going? Well, so far so good. The first thing I did was to remove the end cap on the axle and slide the free hub off to expose the pawls. I de-greased these and replaced the Phil grease with some red Tri-Flow grease, which is somewhat thinner in consistency. As I said, so far, so good.

Yesterday's slog was a good test. It was just above zero, and I ran into a couple of places where the torque was high, and no issues at all. Even the hint of failure was not present. In fact, it is feeling perfectly normal.

Now it is just a wait to see what Phil Wood & Co. does with my wheel. I haven't heard a peep yet, and they were to have had the wheel in hand by Tuesday. Hopefully it will hit the door here before Frostbike, because that's when I am scheduled to return the wheel I have to Ben. Hopefully his Pofahl fat bike will be readied by then, and he can start rolling on his slightly used, broken in rear wheel.

Notes From A Fat Bike Noob: So, what's the deal with these rigs? Well, first off, they are not a magic bullet for deep snow travel. Not even close. These bikes do have some amount of "float", but they have to have a compacted surface, or terrain that holds together, to traverse over without a lot of wallowing, or front wheel wash-out. Post-holed pedestrian paths through the snow, which are nigh unto impossible on any other bike, are sneered at by The Snow Dog. Not only that, but the suspension in those tires actually helps keep you from getting bounced off-line or sideways, which is what usually happens with a 29"er.

Other types of surfaces I have found working well for The Snow Dog are snowmobile trails, half-heartedly scraped sidewalks and bike trails, and "car-snow", which is easily dispatched by The Snow Dog's massive "Larry" 3.8"ers. My favorite thing to do so far is to ride in alleyways, since they usually have more fun "features" to launch off of and plow over.

<==Check out how Ben's furry rim strip sticks out of the Rolling Darryl's "windows". 
 
The "Larrys" sound like 44" Swampers on a '77 Chevy 4X4 when you run fast over pavement, which just adds to the "monster truck" feeling you get when floating down the road. Making child-like "V-8" sounds is purely optional, but adds a lot to the ambiance and experience. I recommend it!

Oh yeah- and you will get worked over riding one of these. That weight takes energy to get it moving, and then when you get into the fun terrain and situations, it only adds more rolling resistance, which burns even more cals. I suspect it will be the best early season training I've had in years, just poking around on this thing for even short rides.

The plan is to do some more poking around this weekend, and it should be good, since the temps are forecast to be pretty reasonable for this time of year.

Have a great weekend, ya'all!

Luxy Bar, Bike Update, And More

Another Day, Another Drop Bar! The Ragley Bikes "Luxy Bar", which started out almost a couple years ago now with some inspiration provided by me, (Really!...and others as well), is now here in my hot little hands.

The Luxy Bar is the creation of Brant Richards, who once wrought component mayhem over at On One. Yes, the very same fellow who penned the designs for the Mary, Midge, and the oft forgotten Mungo Bars. Now he's doing his own thing called Shed Fire Designs and by using his brand, Ragley Bikes, he is marketing this off road drop bar. So, what do we have here?

Well, imagine the love child of a Woodchipper and a Midge Bar, and you would have what this Luxy Bar is. Like the Midge, the Luxy has a shallow drop, and a middle of the road slope, or flare to the drops as seen from head on. Like the Woodchipper, the drop extensions have a fair amount of sweep, and are quite long. One more thing: like the Woodchipper, this bar is wide!!

If the length of the extensions turns you off, might I introduce you to a hacksaw? Easy-peasey. Shorter extensions await you if you desire. One other oddity here that bears mentioning is that the Luxy Bar is 31.8mm from where the stem clamps on all the way across to each drop, where it then tapers down to accept the brake/shift levers. Oh yeah....bar end compatible as well. Check!

I'll be seeking out one more off road drop, but in the mean time, I will start measuring and comparing for a new series of posts which will likely be over on The Cyclistsite.com. Look for the Luxy Bar, Origin 8 Gary Bar II, the original Midge Bar, the Woodchipper, and the aforementioned, as yet to be named bar, (if I can get it), to be included in this comparo.

Update On The Black Mountain Cycles Cross Rig: I received word that the frame and fork I have coming from Black Mountain Cycles is possibly going to ship sometime next week. Seems that customs thought it necessary to "inspect the shipment more closely", so I will have to wait for a bit to receive it here.

No worries though, as I will have to get a few odds and ends scraped together before I can properly build the rig.

Since I first posted about the Black Mountain Cycles frames, (go here to see the road and cross frames), I've heard from several of you that also were considering one of these steel beauties. Actually, I hear a couple of you also have a frame and fork coming as well. That's pretty cool. I can't wait to see how those get built up, and maybe someday we can all get together for a Black Mountain Cycles only ride. That'd be fun.

By the way, is it just me, or are orange bikes really popular?

So that 26"er vs 29"er shootout, that'll never get done now, eh? A long time ago, James Huang was undertaking a 26"er vs 29"er comparative test and boy howdy! Did the readers ever go nuts on that one. Such that Mr. Huang actually modified the test to better compare and contrast the bikes. However; it never was finished, and the findings were never published, to my knowledge. (If I am wrong, perhaps someone can put up a link in the comments). Well, anyway, Mr. Huang has now published a piece on tires, which I happen to agree with, and some of what is written has something to do with 29"ers. There are a few finer details, however, that are not quite right, or are misleading, that I want to point out here.

First off, Mr. Huang is writing about an independent lab that has all sorts of whiz-bang instruments that are run by some "smart folks". This is impressive, and no doubt, convincing for many readers. However; these folks are not the first to do studies in a scientific manner on these things, so a lot of what is given as "new" here is really "old", if you care to dig into it. But that's beside the point....

I want to talk about the 29"er stuff here. First off, the lab finds that 29"er tires/wheels are "faster". Hmm.....okay, that's a touchy one, but along with this, it is stated that "29" tyres don't have a bigger footprint than otherwise identical 26" ones. While the total area is the same, the shape of the patch is longer and narrower on 29ers, though."  Well, that has been something that, if you had been paying attention in about 2003-2004 on mtbr.com, was proven by several "independent riders" that conducted their own tire contact patch studies. It was concluded way back then that tire contact patch shape was the defining factor in 29"er tire performance, not the size, which was agreed upon then as being the same as 26"ers. I have written several times since then on that subject based upon those, admittedly low-brow, not-done-in-a-lab findings.

Secondly, it is touted in the piece that Mr. Huang wrote that 29"er wheels have a"lower angle of attack", something the Gary Fisher Bike company has touted for years based upon a scientific paper written at a university. Which, again, isn't an independent lab, but, ya know........

Finally, the "wider tires roll better than skinny" idea, which leads off the piece has been validated by at least two tire companies and one periodical long before this. But again.......not an independent laboratory, so....

I guess it's all in who you want to believe in. Ya know, independent labs, or not. Just like doping controls. Those "independent labs" always get things right......... right?

 

Luxy Bar, Bike Update, And More

Another Day, Another Drop Bar! The Ragley Bikes "Luxy Bar", which started out almost a couple years ago now with some inspiration provided by me, (Really!...and others as well), is now here in my hot little hands.

The Luxy Bar is the creation of Brant Richards, who once wrought component mayhem over at On One. Yes, the very same fellow who penned the designs for the Mary, Midge, and the oft forgotten Mungo Bars. Now he's doing his own thing called Shed Fire Designs and by using his brand, Ragley Bikes, he is marketing this off road drop bar. So, what do we have here?

Well, imagine the love child of a Woodchipper and a Midge Bar, and you would have what this Luxy Bar is. Like the Midge, the Luxy has a shallow drop, and a middle of the road slope, or flare to the drops as seen from head on. Like the Woodchipper, the drop extensions have a fair amount of sweep, and are quite long. One more thing: like the Woodchipper, this bar is wide!!

If the length of the extensions turns you off, might I introduce you to a hacksaw? Easy-peasey. Shorter extensions await you if you desire. One other oddity here that bears mentioning is that the Luxy Bar is 31.8mm from where the stem clamps on all the way across to each drop, where it then tapers down to accept the brake/shift levers. Oh yeah....bar end compatible as well. Check!

I'll be seeking out one more off road drop, but in the mean time, I will start measuring and comparing for a new series of posts which will likely be over on The Cyclistsite.com. Look for the Luxy Bar, Origin 8 Gary Bar II, the original Midge Bar, the Woodchipper, and the aforementioned, as yet to be named bar, (if I can get it), to be included in this comparo.

Update On The Black Mountain Cycles Cross Rig: I received word that the frame and fork I have coming from Black Mountain Cycles is possibly going to ship sometime next week. Seems that customs thought it necessary to "inspect the shipment more closely", so I will have to wait for a bit to receive it here.

No worries though, as I will have to get a few odds and ends scraped together before I can properly build the rig.

Since I first posted about the Black Mountain Cycles frames, (go here to see the road and cross frames), I've heard from several of you that also were considering one of these steel beauties. Actually, I hear a couple of you also have a frame and fork coming as well. That's pretty cool. I can't wait to see how those get built up, and maybe someday we can all get together for a Black Mountain Cycles only ride. That'd be fun.

By the way, is it just me, or are orange bikes really popular?

So that 26"er vs 29"er shootout, that'll never get done now, eh? A long time ago, James Huang was undertaking a 26"er vs 29"er comparative test and boy howdy! Did the readers ever go nuts on that one. Such that Mr. Huang actually modified the test to better compare and contrast the bikes. However; it never was finished, and the findings were never published, to my knowledge. (If I am wrong, perhaps someone can put up a link in the comments). Well, anyway, Mr. Huang has now published a piece on tires, which I happen to agree with, and some of what is written has something to do with 29"ers. There are a few finer details, however, that are not quite right, or are misleading, that I want to point out here.

First off, Mr. Huang is writing about an independent lab that has all sorts of whiz-bang instruments that are run by some "smart folks". This is impressive, and no doubt, convincing for many readers. However; these folks are not the first to do studies in a scientific manner on these things, so a lot of what is given as "new" here is really "old", if you care to dig into it. But that's beside the point....

I want to talk about the 29"er stuff here. First off, the lab finds that 29"er tires/wheels are "faster". Hmm.....okay, that's a touchy one, but along with this, it is stated that "29" tyres don't have a bigger footprint than otherwise identical 26" ones. While the total area is the same, the shape of the patch is longer and narrower on 29ers, though."  Well, that has been something that, if you had been paying attention in about 2003-2004 on mtbr.com, was proven by several "independent riders" that conducted their own tire contact patch studies. It was concluded way back then that tire contact patch shape was the defining factor in 29"er tire performance, not the size, which was agreed upon then as being the same as 26"ers. I have written several times since then on that subject based upon those, admittedly low-brow, not-done-in-a-lab findings.

Secondly, it is touted in the piece that Mr. Huang wrote that 29"er wheels have a"lower angle of attack", something the Gary Fisher Bike company has touted for years based upon a scientific paper written at a university. Which, again, isn't an independent lab, but, ya know........

Finally, the "wider tires roll better than skinny" idea, which leads off the piece has been validated by at least two tire companies and one periodical long before this. But again.......not an independent laboratory, so....

I guess it's all in who you want to believe in. Ya know, independent labs, or not. Just like doping controls. Those "independent labs" always get things right......... right?

 

Blood+Sweat+Chemo

In Minneapolis there is a rider named Andy. Check out Andy's story here. Andy's story could just as easily be any of ours.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 20th, there will be a special event held to help honor Andy and benefit Livestrong. Please consider coming. Click here for more. Thanks for considering this.

Blood+Sweat+Chemo

In Minneapolis there is a rider named Andy. Check out Andy's story here. Andy's story could just as easily be any of ours.

In Minneapolis, Minnesota, on February 20th, there will be a special event held to help honor Andy and benefit Livestrong. Please consider coming. Click here for more. Thanks for considering this.

What's In The Stand

Back in the 70's there was a phenomenon called the "Great Bicycle Boom". Scads of citizens were becoming more conscious about fitness. Running and cycling were becoming extremely popular. Getting bicycles out into the public's hands was done through all sorts of channels. Hardware stores, traditional bicycle shops, and even gas stations were selling bicycles back then. The major catalog stores of the time: Sears, J.C. Penney's, and Montgomery Ward's were also selling bicycles. This one here is a J.C.Penney's rig. A five speed urban bike. (And maybe you thought urban bikes were something new? No, they were very popular then as well.)

This particular bicycle is approximately from the earlier part of the 70's. Even for that time, this bike was using an antiquated type of rear derailleur that works pretty well, actually. It uses a "dual pull" cable set up where the ends of the cable both terminate at the rear derailleur. Look closely at the rear of the mech here and you can see two cables entering. Now look below the "w" embossed on the parallelogram. There you can see the clamp that secures both ends of the cable.

Here is the underside of the shifter. The entire grip rotates to initiate shifts, much like a motorcycle throttle. I didn't crack open the housing, but I assume the mechanism pulls cable in either direction by some means. The screw at the bottom adjusts the friction feel of the shifter.

The shifter worked flawlessly and the feel is much like a down tube friction shifter. Of course, being a city bike, having the entire grip rotate isn't a performance issue like it might be on a mountain bike.

Here is a look at the cable entry points on the crusty looking derailleur. Two adjuster barrels, and the left part of the cable makes a near 90 degree bend over to the right there where both ends of the cable terminate.


Because there are two cables running the show, there is no spring in the parallelogram of the rear mech. You don't have to rely on a spring to pull the cable back through some potentially contaminated housings. It actually is a pretty cool idea for an urban commuter rig that is reliable in all sorts of conditions.

Not to mention the five speed rear freewheel and beefy chain, which would take nigh unto forever to wear out.

By the way, this bike worked perfectly well. I'm sure its owner will enjoy the upright seated position, and the smooth ride.

What's In The Stand

Back in the 70's there was a phenomenon called the "Great Bicycle Boom". Scads of citizens were becoming more conscious about fitness. Running and cycling were becoming extremely popular. Getting bicycles out into the public's hands was done through all sorts of channels. Hardware stores, traditional bicycle shops, and even gas stations were selling bicycles back then. The major catalog stores of the time: Sears, J.C. Penney's, and Montgomery Ward's were also selling bicycles. This one here is a J.C.Penney's rig. A five speed urban bike. (And maybe you thought urban bikes were something new? No, they were very popular then as well.)

This particular bicycle is approximately from the earlier part of the 70's. Even for that time, this bike was using an antiquated type of rear derailleur that works pretty well, actually. It uses a "dual pull" cable set up where the ends of the cable both terminate at the rear derailleur. Look closely at the rear of the mech here and you can see two cables entering. Now look below the "w" embossed on the parallelogram. There you can see the clamp that secures both ends of the cable.

Here is the underside of the shifter. The entire grip rotates to initiate shifts, much like a motorcycle throttle. I didn't crack open the housing, but I assume the mechanism pulls cable in either direction by some means. The screw at the bottom adjusts the friction feel of the shifter.

The shifter worked flawlessly and the feel is much like a down tube friction shifter. Of course, being a city bike, having the entire grip rotate isn't a performance issue like it might be on a mountain bike.

Here is a look at the cable entry points on the crusty looking derailleur. Two adjuster barrels, and the left part of the cable makes a near 90 degree bend over to the right there where both ends of the cable terminate.


Because there are two cables running the show, there is no spring in the parallelogram of the rear mech. You don't have to rely on a spring to pull the cable back through some potentially contaminated housings. It actually is a pretty cool idea for an urban commuter rig that is reliable in all sorts of conditions.

Not to mention the five speed rear freewheel and beefy chain, which would take nigh unto forever to wear out.

By the way, this bike worked perfectly well. I'm sure its owner will enjoy the upright seated position, and the smooth ride.