The other day I temporarily put on my second set of Speedplay X/3 clipless pedals (from the recumbent) onto Carrie the Cannondale so I could go out for a night ride using my Speedplay-cleated cycling shoes. The unfortunate thing was the left pedal was so bone-dry of lubricant that with every revolution it would squeak like a mouse that was just about to become a house cat’s lunch.
Thankfully, Speedplay’s minimalistic design allows for easy servicing. Continue reading »
For most organized bike rides, a map is provided. This map is often handy, if not essential, for making sure you stay on course. However, it is inconvenient to be checking it often if it remains in your bicycle jersey all the time.
The solution is to have your map located where you can readily see it: on your handlebars. I have seen several riders do this in my 9 years of riding, but never could find a suitable map holder. Finally, after several episodes this year of losing maps (lost 2 during the 2002 World’s Toughest Century) or losing time while pulling the map out of my jersey pocket, I decided to make my own. It only took about 10 minutes, and it worked fabulously. Here’s how I made it. Continue reading »
[Note: this is just one way to get a pre-2001 9-speed Campagnolo shifting system to work with a 9-speed Shimano cassette. There are other — perhaps better — solutions now including using a JTek Shiftmate or using a post-2001 9-speed Campy shifter cog (in the Ergopower lever) in conjuction with a pre-2001 Campy rear derailleur. See this excellent in-depth article by the UK’s National Cyclist Organization for more info.]
In ‘99, I made the switch to a Campagnolo shifting system (Ergopower levers, crank, derailleurs, etc.), but wanted to retain my wheels with Shimano hubs. There were two reasons for this: (1) wheels are somewhat expensive ($200 for my set of Mavic CXP33 rims and Ultegra hubs), and (2) Campagnolo cassette freehubs are LOUD! This is one area where it is my opinion that Shimano has the edge: while coasting, my Ultegra hubs are virtually inaudible. Continue reading »
A seemingly not-too-uncommon problem encountered by bicycle enthusiasts is a stuck seatpost. This is almost always a consequence of not putting grease (or, better, anti-seize compound) on the seatpost before inserting it into the seat tube, and over time, the seatpost virtually “fuses” with the seat tube via oxidation. Continue reading »
In October of 1999, I ordered a handcrafted recumbent of George Reynolds’ design (this became Reynolds Wishbone #35). While George welded up the frame, I procured and built up the rest of the components. George then shipped me the recumbent frame without a finish, and I did the final prep work including “smoothing” out his welds using bondy. Then I had a local automotive body shop shoot it Porsche Guards Red. Click on following images below to enlarge them. Finally, I modified other items like the seat assembly and assembled everything together. Continue reading »
