42 Bikes

42 Bikes: Life, the Universe and Bikes

Moving towards standardisation of Bottom Brackets :-)

Leave a Comment Posted by on February 14, 2012

So I think I am making some good progress on resolving incompatibilities.

I have 3 bikes that get used every week. My Bullitt Cargo Bike, my Trek Pilot 1.2 and my Pearson Touché Fixie. Until recently they had three incompatible cranksets & bottom brackets.

The Bullitt uses the Shimano Hollowtech II standard and it is by far the easiest to work with. It also appears to offer the best bearings as they are external to the bottom bracket itself and so the bearings are larger and the axle is larger – both are good things :-)

As noted in my post Bike maintenance frustrations it proved cheaper to use a spare Hollotech II bottom bracket in my Trek and buy a new Tiagra chainset than simply buy new chainrings.

That leaves my fixie all on it’s own. However, by a coincidence it also needs a new bottom bracket. By another coincidence I also have a spare Hollowtech II chainset (Shimano Alfine from when I switched chainset on my Bullitt to get a smaller chainring for Hebie Chainglider compatibility). So if I can find a chainring the right size for my fixie (thicker chain and larger chainring than I have at the moment) I can then standardise on a common Bottom Bracket standard.

One advantage of that is that I can choose a really high quality Bottom Bracket and do some swapping around so that my Trek (as the bike used for the longest distances gets the best quality).

Another nice thing is that I can buy a a high quality Bottom bracket that is made in England, lovely! So I am looking at a Hope Ceramic Bottom Bracket for smooth running, local job creating,  long lasting, loveliness :-)

Bike bits

Back to normality with 35 ordinary miles cycled

2 Comments Posted by on February 14, 2012

Yesterday marked a welcome return to normality after 10 days of disruption (caused by snow/ice and a non bike related injury). I have ridden a bike everyday but the total miles last week was way down on normal.

So yesterday was nice. It started with no choice of bike. My Trek was awaiting parts (the new chainset arrived 30 minutes ago :-) ) and I awoke to find my Bullitt Cargobike had a flat front tyre (and anyway it has studded tyres on at the moment and the snow had cleared). So it was an easy decision to use my lovely fixie :-)

The first ride was 4 miles through Watermead Park for our weekly staff meeting, after that I continued into Leicester for some errands which included grabbing some lunch and calling in at Staples on the way home. Total 13.4 miles.

Then a quick change into clerical shirt and off to East Goscote & Queniborough for some visiting. Total 5.2 miles.

Finally, through Leicester to Oadby to visit my Mother-in-Law before returning to Syston for a Bible Study group and then home. Total 16.9 miles.

So 35 miles, all in normal clothes (only cycle specific items are gloves and my waterproof) that included some rain. Very normal, very easy and yet according to our British transport culture somehow impossible or impractical.

transport

You know your bike is properly run in when …

13 Comments Posted by on February 12, 2012

Despite some frustrations yesterday, in the end I was quite pleased with progress on a major refurbishment of my Trek Pilot.

  • Both derailliers have cleaned up very nicely, the rear one even has nice new Tacx jockey wheels.
  • I have fitted the new brake and gear cables. Also adjusted the brakes.
  • The new cassette is fitted to a very clean looking back wheel
  • I have a new seat collar (the head of the nut was getting rather worn on the old one
  • The new bottom bracket is fitted.
Still to do
  • handlebar tape
  • fit new chainset when it arrives
  • fit new chain
  • fit new pedals (the old ones are ok but I am trying Speeplay Frogs for the extra float for my knees)
  • adjust the gears
  • Put some more wax on my Brooks saddle

I was reflecting on the whole process last night while riding with my studded tyres crunching through the ice. I was wondering how long it has taken me to spend more on upgrades and maintenance than I paid for the actual bike. Obviously that will come sooner for a cheap bike but this wasn’t (at the time we bought it, it was the most expensive 2 wheel bike we had ever bought – I think around £600).

So far I have bought the following for it:

  • Two sets of Schwalbe Marathon Tyres
  • Three chains
  • Three sets of brake pads
  • Two replacement handlebar tape
  • Two back wheels (both the older wheels still available. The first was an emergency replacement when away and no bike shop close for repair. The second was an upgrade to a heavier duty wheel to cope with heavier loads)
  • Three rear cassettes
  • New mudguards added using new bolts for the brakes
  • Two racks (started with a basic one, upgraded to a Tubus Locc (which has a carrying point for an Abus U-Lock)
  • At least 4 bottle cages
  • 3 sets of pedals (basic SPD/flat, then Shimano A520 SPD/Flat, now Speedplay Frogs
  • new Bottom bracket
  • new chainset
  • new Saddle (upgrade to a Brooks B17 Select)
  • 2 new brake cables
  • 2 new gear cables
  • new seat post collar
  • I have used 3 bike computers (basic Cateye, Garmin 705 and now Garmin 800) – the Garmins are used on multiple bikes
  • I guess about 6 inner tubes
  • Several front lights before settling on an Exposure Strada
  • Several back lights before settling on a Cateye TL-LD1100 (I had to buy a special mount for the back of the rack).

Note that the bike has been shared between our middle son and me (although to be honest he has not ridden it that much, but I have put thousands of miles on it).

So anyway is a new bike properly run in when

a) the value of upgrades & replacements exceeds the original value of the bike?

or

b) more than half the current total weight of the bike is non original parts?

All these things are part of the reason why I am interested in low maintenance bikes :-) This is a lovely road bike but the parts do wear out when it is used a lot (especially when the use includes lots of British cycle paths/National Cycle Network).

If I had to pay someone to do all this maintenance then I guess it would have economically sensible to have replaced the bike at some point rather than refurbishing it. However, environmentally at least that would not be the best solution.

Bike bits, exercise, touring, transport

Bike maintenance frustrations

7 Comments Posted by on February 11, 2012

I have been having a frustrating day.

I am trying to do the sensible and right thing by repairing my Trek Pilot Road bike. It is coming up for 5 years old and so far I have only replaced the very consumable parts (brake pads, chain, rear cassette). Even then one of the times I replaced the chain and cassette was because I broke a spoke while overloaded on a 90 mile ride to a retreat and the only “easy” fix was a new wheel, cassette & chain :-(

Anyway the present frustration comes from my front gear cable breaking, I had to continue for 12 miles or so with the rear mech in top gear and the front mech in bottom gear, that twisting meant that the chain also broke – fortunately only a mile from home.

I am still trying to prove to myself that I can use this bike for the Lands End to John O Groats ride this summer (despite the temptations of nice Carbon Fibre Bikes). So I decided to get things sorted out now for the summer.

That meant a bit of a spending spree, I can see why people decide to simply buy a new bike every few years as the costs soon mount up (although partly because I needed some new tyres for other bikes as well).

So this morning I cleaned the bike and removed all the bits needed replacing or properly cleaning. In the process I noticed that it was not going to be worth cleaning the chainrings as they are all very worn and if used with a new chain will wear that out quickly. Now comes the really time consuming part. Things have moved on in 5 years and so finding replacement chainrings is not so easy. For example Wiggle had inner and middle chainrings that were suitable but not a matching outer.

Bizarrely in the end it has worked out cheaper to install a spare Shimano Hollowtech II bottom bracket (left over from my attempts to fit a chainglider to my Bullitt cargobike) and buy a new Shimano Tiagra Chainset for it. I’ll be able to collect that from Rutland Cycling before Wednesday.

Until then I have two derailliers to clean, new cassette to fit, new brake & gear cables & new handlebar tape.

I am also going to try Speedplay Frog pedals instead of my Shimano A530′s, they won’t let me ride in normal shoes but will give a lot more float and I am hoping that will prove knee friendly as I have been having some problems with my right knee recently.

I’ll let you know how I get on.

Bike bits, LEJoG

Tempted by carbon

9 Comments Posted by on February 4, 2012

Today I tried a couple of new bikes and am now suffering from the onset of severe temptation. We went to both Rutland Cycling shops (north and south shores of Rutland Water)

I tried a Trek Madone 3.1 (and also a 4.5 as they didn’t have a 3.1 in the right size). Also a Giant Defy Composite 1 (although it is the Defy Composite 2 that I would be looking at).

I decided against trying a Specialized Roubaix (paying an extra £100 and yet moving to a lower spec drivetrain didn’t really appeal). Also against some of the other makes such as Willier and Eddy Merckx.

Both the Trek Madone and the Giant Defy are beautiful as well as light and comfortable. It would be hard to choose between them if we decide that there is any possibility of spending this much money.

The Giant has two main advantages.

  • It uses SRAM Apex drivetrain components. The key advantage is a much wider gear range, especially at the bottom. Even with a double chainring this should give a lower bottom gear than my current Trek has using triple chainrings. Nice that unlike the Trek the whole drivetrain including brakes is all the same model range from the same manufacturer.
  • The frame comes with a 10 year warranty

It also has one key disadvantage. It has an aerodynamic seat post that is nothing like round. This will make it impossible to fit things to the seatpost (light, saddlebag).

Both these would be faster and more comfortable than my Trek Pilot, however, they would also be limited to Sunday best rides (for me normally on a Friday) and could not carry much at all. So they would not actually replace my Trek Pilot.

With the recent breakages on my Trek Pilot it’s reliability for Lands End to John O’Groats is worrying me a little. The problem is that when I use it for loaded tours (such as to Launde Abbey this week) I tend to load it fuller than it is really designed for. At the same time I expect to be able to strip it down in weight for faster rides. So long term maybe dividing and conquering makes sense. As I have several options for loaded touring (Bullitt cargobike for very heavy loads, Trice XXL recumbent trike for medium and the Trek Pilot for lighter loads) maybe it would make sense to retire the Trek Pilot from lightweight long rides.

And yet I wonder just how much faster and more comfortable these £1,500 bikes would be than my current Trek Pilot if it were stripped down a bit (no rack, no mudguards, lighter tyres, lighter back wheel). Maybe I just need to grow up and put the temptation of a new bike behind me.

Any suggestions welcome.

Bike bits, sport, touring

Beware of bikes with long ears!

1 Comment Posted by on February 3, 2012

It seems my Trek Pilot 1.2 has long ears. After working faultlessly on Monday’s 100 mile ride and 45 miles over the next three days today it took revenge for what it thought it had overheard.

As you will see in another post I went and test rode a couple of other bikes today (considering possibilities for Lands End to John O’Groats). Clearly this was unpopular.

So this evening as I was rushing into Leicester (for a vigil prior to the planned visit to Leicester by the EDP tomorrow) the cable to the rear derailleur snapped. That left me in 9th gear at the back. I was therefore forced to use the small front chainring most of the time which produces a poor chain angle and some chain rub on the front derailleur. The net result was that the chain broke on the way back 1 mile from home.

So be very careful what you let your bike overhear!

Bike bits, transport

Actual London Route

Leave a Comment Posted by on January 23, 2012

I didn’t go quite the route I had expected from Methodist Church House to the Wembley Premier Inn.

Instead I did this route.

I’ll try and get the other route onto the Garmin for the morning, I must have accidentally saved the GPX file from the balanced route.

Anyway it was fine, despite taking it gently I still arrived at the same time as some who had taken the tube (and that was a direct route with short walks and only 2 stops).

transport

Off to London by bike

3 Comments Posted by on January 23, 2012

Later this morning I am off to London for a meeting of the Methodist Council. Riding my bike will make the journey much nicer (and because I am combining it with the train it will also be gentle).

Some is easy and obvious. I have time for a leisurely route from Syston to Leicester Station and so will go through Watermead Park (despite it being 50% further it is a lot more pleasant than the direct route down the Melton Road).

When I get to London St Pancras the route to Methodist Church House uses the only almost reasonable cycle route in London along Tavistock Place. Thanks to CycleStreets.net for planning it.


View Larger Map

We are staying at the Premier Inn at Wembley tonight, so CycleStreets.net has planned a route. Nice in parts (along the Grand Union Canal) but includes a bit of the North Circular (hopefully with a separated cycle path).


View Larger Map

In total it should be about 20 miles and on Tuesday I’ll repeat it in reverse with the added bonus of an evening meeting in Birstall which will add another trip through Watermead and an extra 6 miles.

Leicester, transport

Lands End to John O’Groats ride schedule and preparation

10 Comments Posted by on January 22, 2012

In Lands End to John O’Groats route planning I listed the draft of the route I plan to take this summer. Now to flesh it out with dates and planned preparation:

The ride plan

0: Drive to Cornwall on 17th June 2012 after the morning service

1: Lands End to Tywardreath 62.82 miles on 18th June 2012

2: Tywardreath to Taunton 99.11 miles on 19th June 2012

3: Taunton to Monmouth 84.45 miles on 20th June 2012

4: Monmouth to Melverley 97.39 miles on 21st June 2012

5: Melverley to Eccleston 86.25 miles on 22nd June 2012

6: Eccleston to Threlkeld 95.09 miles on 23rd June 2012

7: Threlkeld to Sanguhar 100.9 miles on 24th June 2012

8: Sanguhar via Arran to Whitehouse 79.7 miles on 25th June 2012

9: Whitehouse to Fort William 100.33 miles on 26th June 2012

10: Fort William to Tain 102.36 miles on 27th June 2012

11: Tain to John O Groats 100.05 miles on 28th June 2012

12: Drive home to Syston, Leicester on 29th June ready for a wedding on 30th June

Total 1,008.45 miles in 11 days which is an average of 91.7 miles per day.

Training

My basic training consists of two continuing elements:

  • Ride my bike everyday. This is now a pretty well established daily habit after 448 days in a row
  • Ride an average of just over 15 miles per day to reach 5,500 miles in the year. That is just over 105 miles per week and I have managed that for the first 3 weeks of the year

Beyond that I want to get as many 100 mile rides in as I can. I have only done a couple so far and want to get a lot more used to the daily distances that I will be riding on LEJoG. So far I have the following planned:

  1. On Monday January 30th I am hoping to take a long route to Launde Abbey for our district retreat. By default it would only be about 14 miles so I have created a more roundabout route, sadly I have to be at Launde by 4pm so it will be an early start as I will be carrying fairly full panniers and it is a pretty hilly route. I won’t be particularly surprised or worried if I need to shorten the route somewhat.
  2. Although I have an evening meeting when the retreat finishes I have realised I can still try fitting in a 100 mile ride on Thursday February 2nd. We finish after morning coffee so I’ll combine an extended route home with finishing off the extra miles after my evening meeting (obviously very weather dependent).
  3. On Saturday 1oth March I am going to a lunch and then afternoon celebration worship in Market Harborough (celebrating 5 wonderful people from our Methodist Circuit who have completed an 18month course in Mission Shaped Ministry) . Currently I plan to ride almost straight there (say 35 miles) and then take a longer route home to make a total of 100 miles.
  4. I am going to the Methodist Council Meeting at the Royal Holloway College between 24th to 26th March. So I can repeat something like last years ride there on Friday 23rd March (that was my first ever ride of over 100 miles in a day).
  5. Obviously I can then ride home from the Methodist Council when it finishes at lunch,time on Monday 26th March. That will also be a repeat of last year but with some better routing and much better nutrition.
  6. On Thursday April 12th I am taking a day’s leave to recover from Easter week with a nice gentle 100 mile plus ride. Maybe something like Skegness and back (something like 160 miles).
  7. On Friday May 18th I am going to use my normal day off to ride another 100 mile plus ride, my last before LEJoG.

So 7 attempts at rides over 100 miles in the next 5 months combined with something over 2,700 miles of ordinary riding.

Will it be enough?

Any thoughts on what else I should do to be sure I can complete this challenge?

Oddly enough if I succeed then this training programme will put me well on target for the craziest challenge I found for 2012 and so I can’t help wondering whether I’ll find some other excuses to do 100 mile rides after June.

exercise, LEJoG, touring

Easy Family friendly miles

2 Comments Posted by on January 13, 2012

I managed a few family friendly miles this evening, although sadly that was at the expense of our green credentials and the environment.

We had decided to go out for a meal (makes discussing GCSE options more congenial) so I put my bike in the car and we went to TGI Fridays in Nottingham. After the meal, I cycled home. Just under 22 miles mostly using the route chosen by my Garmin 800 (A60 until nearly Loughborough, then through Priesthood, Barrow, Sileby & Cossington).

You can see the route and details on Garmin Connect. In summary 21.86 miles at an average of 14.1mph - fuelled by Nachoes, 1/2 rack ribs & popcorn, brownie sundae :-)

It was getting a bit cold. I saw -3.7 on the Garmin at one point when I swapped from my SPD’s to my winter trainers cos of cold feet. If it had been a bit warmer I would have added a few more miles but by the end my feet were very cold. Think that is the coldest ride this year, any colder and the Bullitt is much nice to ride as the cargo box keeps your feet out of the wind and so much warmer. By the way when I say cold I want to point out that by the time I got home the water in my water bottles had started to freeze enough that it was impossible to get a drink :-)

As far as the route goes although I would not generally chose as major a road as the A60 in fact it was pretty good, wide enough for nearly all cars to be sensible and give me plenty of space.

Anyway a nice evening. Amused that our son thought I would have beaten them home, some way to go in increasing fitness before that is likely! ;-)

exercise , , ,

← Older posts

Newer posts →

Follow

Get every new post delivered to your Inbox.

Join 619 other followers