Tuesday, December 10, 2013

The Bicycle CURRENTLY Known As "Prince"

   I’m so glad that I forced myself to get out on the road on those days I didn’t feel 100% like riding, now that the weather is refusing to cooperate in letting me wrap up the last few miles of my 4000 goal. I don’t normally do sub-40° rides, but I might not have much choice if things don’t improve in the next couple of weeks, before 2013 comes to an end.

   Incredibly, when I sold back the Campagnolo Super Record components that I didn’t need, I ended up making $60! If you remember the discussion I had with the eBay seller from whom I purchased the Colnago, I had pointed out to him that it is much more profitable to sell vintage parts individually, knowing that there are builders who are willing to pay just a bit more for that one needed component to complete their restoration project. I don't think any further proof is needed to make my case, considering I kept three of the nine components included in the set and still made such a nice hunk of change!
   Budget-wise I am doing amazingly well on my Colnago – along with the selling of the mismatched parts that came on the bike and the partial refund from the seller from the mysterious missing pieces, I am still nearly $100 under the original price for the bicycle. I just found a crankset, a 1983 model perfect for the bike, so all that remains of my search is a headset, a braze-on front derailleur and pedals. I will also have to purchase some appropriate bar tape and cables/housing, but there really isn’t any search involved for those parts.


   Another vintage builder filled me in on some interesting and very useful information when I was looking for the correct crankset for my Nuovo Mexico. One can identify the year a Campagnolo crankset was made by looking for a stamp on the back of the crankarms. Starting in 1973, a code consisting of a diamond or circle (early ‘80's) with a number in the center denotes the last digit of the year of manufacture. For example, the cranks I recently sold (photo above) have the number eight in a diamond, meaning the cranks are from 1978, while the ones I just bought have the number three in a circle, for 1983. Strangely, "11" in a rectangle means 1985, "22" means 1986 and "33" means 1987, which was the final year of production for Super Record components. 

   As promised last week, I’d like to introduce an additional bike project I've started, which was another case of an eBay seller with an attractive frame that I had seen listed for an extended period of time. When looking for bikes to work on, I’m always conscious of purchasing those with a frame in the 55-57 centimeter range, knowing that these are the most common sizes. I also keep in mind, that in an “emergency”, if one of these bikes wouldn’t sell, I know someone in my family could ride it! This frame was a 57, so it fit within my limits.


   This Pinarello Prince is of a similar era and design as the Orbea I just finished for Sue’s principal, with an aluminum main triangle and carbon stays and fork. These frames were unfortunately notorious for poor decals which would flake off, as was the case on this Pinarello.
   The big advantage this auction had going for it, besides it being for a desirable Pinarello Prince, was the presence of so many of its original parts. I wasn’t too thrilled with the outdated Shimano Octalink bottom bracket, but what made up for it was the inclusion of the headset, stem, bars, seatpost and fantastic embroidered Selle Italia saddle, which was unused.


   I had seen this bike off and on for almost a year, and although I really liked the bike, it was still listed at a price a bit higher than that in which I wanted to invest. Additionally, at those moments the listing reappeared, it seemed I always had plenty of other things to keep me busy. This time around I decided to take a shot at it, and inquired if the seller would be willing to take $50 off, and sure enough, the deal was done!
   My plan is to outfit the frame in high-quality, lightweight components. I have already collected some Campagnolo Chorus carbon parts, as well as a set of new decals, and I’ll fill you in as progress is made.


Tuesday, December 3, 2013

When Goal-less Is a GOOD Thing

   Now that I’m only one relatively short ride away from reaching my goal of 4000 miles, friends and relatives are asking what I am going to do next. I have thought about it a lot while riding this year and how sometimes just “putting in the miles” took away from the basic enjoyment of being out on the road. Too many times I was focused on what the cycle computer told me at the end of a ride, and I wasn't really even collecting the information to track my fitness.
   I think my solution next year will be to go computerless - and I don’t mean disconnecting the mounts, etc. from all of my bikes, I’m just not going to pay any attention to the miles or worry about the pace at which I ride. For the past couple of years I have entered every mile I’ve ridden on MapMyRide and recorded my personal best times for my regular routes. From now on, I’m doing none of that – I’ll keep the maps so that I have a way of telling Sue where I am going, but no more mile totals and no more average speeds!
   Having the computer available will still be useful in order to tell the time of day, how far I have left for some of the longer rides and maybe, if I'm occasionally curious, how fast I'm going. I have noticed how little I actually look at the computer when I’m riding, and it’s amazing how my average speed still ends up within my “comfort zone” around 18 mph. I’ve grown to have a really good feel for tempo.

   Down in the shop, I finished up the Orbea conversion, which was pretty straightforward. I did have some difficultly with the front derailleur that was for triple chainrings. I have found that setting the cable in the middle ring position and making adjustments from there is most effective, but it requires a third hand (Sue’s in this case) to tighten the mounting bolt while holding the derailleur cage in place and the cable tight over the bolt. It seems that with some brands of components, this is the only method that works to achieve smooth shifts and eliminate as much chain rub as possible.


   Mark had a chance to take the bike out for a spin the other day and expressed how much riding a correctly-sized frame made a difference. I expect the excitement of having a new toy helped put a little jump in his legs as well!

   The Colnago project has seen a bit of progress in that I purchased a (nearly) complete Campagnolo Super Record component group, or gruppo if you want to sound like a pro “wrench”. It unfortunately did not come with a headset or pedals, which of course have been the most difficult to come by at a reasonable price! There are a couple pieces that don’t quite match up with the era of my bike, but I intend to sell those back, hopefully make some money on the exchange and buy the appropriate part for my bicycle.


   The brake levers and front derailleur that came with my Nuovo Mexico were not Super Record, so I welcomed the correct versions with the group I purchased. Unfortunately the derailleur was a clamp-on type, and my bike requires the braze-on mount version, so the hunt for one of those continues.
   I also found a Selle San Marco “Rolls saddle, which is still currently in production, but I wanted a vintage look and found an original. Nuovo Mexicos came with these saddles or with a Concor model, but I think the Rolls is more aesthetically pleasing with its brass fittings.


   I also lucked out (didn’t have to mortgage the house) on a 3T stem with the Ernesto Colnago autograph engraving, which would have been original to the bike as well.


   I took the opportunity to install a few things and take some pictures. Note all of the decorative elements on the frame, such as the ace-of-clubs logos on the downtube above the shifter levers...

...and on the rear brake mounting bracket.


   You can also see the club-shaped cutout in the location of the bottom bracket, before I installed the part. This was not just a decorative feature; it also allowed moisture to escape the seat tube. This portion of the frame is usually a rusty disaster, but thankfully the person who owned the Colnago previously must not have ridden in the rain much, if at all!


Here is the bottom bracket installed - notice the white-filled “Colnago” stamping on the chain stay. The chromed stay has similar stamping on the side away from view.


This final pic shows the Super Record rear derailleur.


Next time I’ll introduce an additional project that will keep me occupied over the winter.


Tuesday, November 12, 2013

Winding Down

 The title word rhymes with "finding" - not to be confused with the unwelcome weather condition, which we are always dealing with during the autumn months. I can't complain too much about the temps, though, because until recent days I've been able to head out on rides without having to put on any serious cold weather gear. I've been able to hit the roads consistently enough that I am closing quickly on my 4000 mile goal.

   Not a lot has been going on in the shop lately, which would pretty much be the norm for this time of year, but in this case, my projects have just been on hold during my patient search for parts. The Campagnolo Super Record components needed to complete my Colnago are fairly rare and usually on the expensive side, and to this point I have been repeatedly foiled by last-second "sniping" bids on eBay. I am determined to keep costs at a reasonable level in order to maximize my resale funds!
   I have another short-term project to keep me busy, with my wife's principal wanting to upgrade to a lightweight frame. He had actually been riding on a bike that was a couple centimeters too big, and was looking to improve his riding comfort as well. We had been searching all summer long, tempted by many sweet looking products, but wanting to stick to a reasonable budget.
   Mark and I had been shooting emails back and forth consistently, sharing opinions on the frames we found available on eBay and craigslist. There was a cool blue and silver Orbea Lobular frame that was sitting around for more than a month, at the same price level with no bids. It had an aluminum main triangle with carbon stays and fork, plus the original Zeus stem.


   I contacted the seller, telling him that I had seen the multiple re-listing of his auction without any luck. I then told him about our prospective plans for the frame and what we were looking to spend. Fortunately he was eager to sell, accepted the offer, and I have had it in my basement for a few weeks. Mark still wanted to be able to ride as many of the last few nice autumn days as possible, and didn't want to be left without a bike.
   However, tomorrow Sue is picking up the bike he has been riding, and I am going to swap parts to the Orbea. I'll let you know how it turns out.

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

Ready To Ride

   To my surprise, when I arrived at Bikesport Friday morning to pick up the Atala after it was packed for shipping, the Colnago AND the Tarmac were also ready to go! I was very excited to get home and start putting things together.
   The first step was to install the new seatpost clamp, replacing the one that was fairly mangled on the bike when I purchased it. This had to be done first so that I could use the seatpost as location to clamp the bike into my work station.
 
 
   Next came the installation of the drive train, starting with the bottom bracket and crankset. The large chainring provided a height reference to locate the front derailleur. I then added the pedals.
 

   I followed up with bolting on the rear derailleur.
 

   I needed the rear wheel and cassette on the bike to fit the chain and adjust the derailleurs, so I mounted the brake calipers at the same time and centered them. At this point I also set up the front wheel and brake, and while I was up there, I put on the handlebars.
 

   Next step was sizing the chain (method covered in an earlier article) and then feeding it through the derailleurs and connecting the master link. I actually had all the derailleur housings pre-cut from another project and installed these next, along with some cables I keep in stock. I made all the necessary adjustments and clamped everything tightly.
 

   The last few steps included cutting the brake cables and housings then adjusting the calipers. I found a good method to do this is holding the calipers closed against the rim and locking in the cable. Since new cables stretch a bit, I then squeeze the lever hard, which usually leaves enough clearance between the pad and rim. Finally I wrapped the handlebars to complete the project.
 

   Bob was thrilled when he came home from work, and I met him with his “new” Tarmac. He was also delighted to find out that we kept the whole project under $850. Patiently searching for needed parts, setting prices and sticking to them with smart bids goes a long way!
 
 

Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Communications Breakdown

   The Atala bicycle I finished rebuilding this summer finally sold to a nice Greek gentlemen who now lives in Chicago. He told me he used to ride a bike just like it back in his homeland. This sounds like the perfect home for a beautiful bike that I enjoyed working on!


   Unfortunately, the Colnago project at this point has proven not to be so fun. After discovering the missing parts and damaged handlebars, I contacted the seller to explain my disappointment. I also mentioned the packaging tape issues, and how some of the decals were affected by removing the adhesive.
   To his credit, the seller was very apologetic at first and said he would accept a return, if a solution couldn’t be found. He said all items should have been in the box and mentioned that he was rushed preparing for a business trip, which made me think some carelessness may have been involved. I mentioned how I have in the past absentmindedly left something out of a nicely-wrapped package, only to have to undo all my worked in order to insert the missing piece. I explained that the gaps in the box seams would not have allowed larger items like a saddle or pedals to slip out easily.
   From my past experiences browsing and buying on eBay, I feel that I have a good grasp on the value of vintage parts, but not wanting to scare off the seller in my attempt to have my money partially refunded, I actually set the bar a bit low when mentioning prices to replace the individual parts that were missing. I felt bad that if indeed someone tampered with the package, that the seller was now on the hook for what was missing, and I told him that I wouldn’t include the shipping costs for the replacements.
   Despite what I thought was a reasonable proposal, he apparently didn’t like what he was hearing, because his tone became accusatory, with talk of filing police reports. He insisted that he would “find out if it was me or a FedEx employee involved in this theft”. He became more adamant about the return of the bike, which I thought might be a case of his new understanding of the true value of the bicycle, but I had no intention of sending it back. I had invested a good deal of time researching the bike and had already ordered some parts in anticipation of building it up.
   The seller then attempted to bring up the cost of the frame, which he learned from me was incorrectly listed as a “Super” and was really a “Nuovo Mexico”, a potentially more valuable frame. I mentioned that he didn’t have to accept my offer, but he did, and the real issue is that everything included in the auction was not delivered to me. I went into a detailed description of each part as I would conduct a search for them online, and included the prices, inviting him to do a bit of research as well.
   The next few exchanges became frustrating, as the seller kept switching between his repeated expressions of disbelief that the items were missing and his estimations of value for the missing items, which were WAY off. I told him in a friendly manner that I would really love to know where he shops, but instead of arguing in circles, I told him that I would provide receipts for anything I paid and return any money that I overestimated.
   I don’t think he understood the value of “piecing out” a bike for resale – in other words, selling off individual parts, instead of a complete bicycle. People will often buy a frame, new or old, and choose to outfit them with their favorite components. When dealing with vintage bicycle restoration, you are dealing with items that wear out and just aren't available anymore. If someone needs a specific detail - large or small, simple or complex - they are willing to pay much more than normal for that rare piece to complete their project. High-end Campagnolo parts are a gold mine! I knew ahead of time that one of the brakes on this bike was missing the barrel adjuster (see red circle in photo on left), a part which can be found on eBay from anywhere between $20-60. OH MY GOD!
   After yet another request for a return of the bike, I called FedEx to see I could find out what the original shipping weight of the package was. I then put all of the packaging materials in a bag, grabbed a large box from the basement and stood with everything on the bathroom scale. Subtracting my weight, I found that the materials were three to four pounds lighter than the package shipping weight – something had definitely been removed in transit!
   Sharing this information with the seller seemed to change his attitude a bit, and although it was only about two-thirds of my dollar amount, at least he made a reasonable partial refund offer. I was then caught up in a circle of misinformation, with very little help from the seller, involving eBay and FedEx policies and who was responsible for filing a claim. Finally, after several phone calls, I had all of the details straightened out and received final word that the seller had to file the FedEx claim.
   Reminding him that the damaged handlebars were still involved in this discussion, I accepted a partial refund of $180 dollars. I have a feeling the seller is going to use my value estimates when he files the claim with FedEx, but I’m not going to worry about that. I’ll just be happy when (if?) I get my money back.

   When I took my Atala over to Bikesport today to have it professionally packaged for shipping, I also gave them the Colnago frame to have the Dura-Ace headset cups popped out. I don't have the tool to do that, and I can't justify the expense of getting one, since headset cup removal isn't a process I undertake very often. I also needed the aid of their conditioned mechanic muscles to remove the fixed-side bottom bracket cup. I feel somewhat guilty when I take troublesome tasks to them, but when those jobs are specifically for me and not a client of mine, I feel a little better. By the way, while I was there, I found out that one of the barrel adjusters from the Tarmac bike project has been completely cleared out - whoopie!


 

Wednesday, October 9, 2013

Not So Super?

   No news is bad news, as far as the Tarmac project goes, since that means the guys at Bikesport are still picking the pieces out of the rusty barrel adjuster mounts. I informed Bob of the situation: “I have everything waiting in my shop – I could have it ready for you tomorrow, if only I had the frame!” Well, maybe it would take me a couple of days to assemble everything, but he got my point.

   In the meantime, I can introduce you to a more long-term project that I’m going to work on during the autumn/winter, as funds allow. If you are a frequent reader of the blog, you may recall my discussion on Colnago bikes and my love for new or vintage models of that bicycle build. I have a saved search on eBay for Colnago bikes, just to browse through when the mood hits me. My brother-in-law also directed me to a fairly new internet site called If This, Then That, with which I can plug in details that will alert me to new Colnago posts on craigslist.


   A few weeks ago I saw an auction on eBay for a Colnago Super Saronni, which refers to a vintage machine modeled after the bicycle on which Italian Giuseppe Saronni (pictured above with bike) won his 1982 World Championship. The bike is distinguished by its wine red color, which I’ve heard is done by applying an undercoat of black with a translucent red topcoat – very much the color of a real candy apple, not the color people regularly call “candy apple red”.
   Colnago also started regular use of the World Championship rainbow stripes on their frame decals to celebrate Saronni’s win, even adding them diagonally behind their trademark Ace of Clubs logo (photo right) on their bicycle headtube badge.
   The bike up for auction wasn’t complete, but it featured a mixed bag of components, including Campagnolo front and rear derailleurs, aero seat post, pedals, brakes and brake levers with hoods, Cinelli handlebars and stem, a Dura-Ace crankset, headset and bottom bracket and a new retro-look Selle Italia leather saddle. Someone had obviously built up this frame with high-quality parts, but in my mind I was already selling off the mismatched stuff and returning the bike to its original all-Campagnolo glory!
    I was aware of the bike’s value, but I wasn’t willing to invest the $900 the seller asked with the “Buy It Now” feature, but he also had a “Make Me an Offer” button on the page, and I punched in $700. I was a little disappointed to see the auction end later in the week, but just a few days after that, I received a Second Chance Offer at my price when the original buyer backed out.


   Aware that the bike required a signature for delivery and that Carrick’s class schedule might not allow me to be at home when the FedEx truck came by, I requested the bike be left at the Collegeville FedEx office for me to pick up. On the way home from Wednesday's class, we picked up the package, which was obviously a do-it-yourself job in a U-Haul box. The box was not particularly well-sealed, with some of the seams split open a bit, but nothing from which I immediately thought any of the larger parts could escape.
   The large box wouldn’t fit into my Honda Civic, so Carrick and I unpacked everything and put it in the back seat. The contents were in a big, taped-up cluster of  what I thought was pipe insulation tubes used for packing protection, but upon closer inspection, I think the seller just split a bunch of those floating foam noodles kids use in the pool. There was no way Carrick and I were going to undo this in a parking lot, and with our empty stomachs begging for dinner, we decided to wait until we were at home to attack this mess.
   Sellers often use free shipping as an incentive to buyers, and unfortunately some people go the "do it yourself" route. I am used to receiving bicycles professionally packaged, especially because it involves partial disassembly of the bike and some experience arranging the parts in the box efficiently in order to protect the valuable bicycle – skills usually beyond the average person. I was very annoyed when I saw the packaging tape was all over the paint and the vintage decals, which (unlike modern vinyl decals that sit under a clearcoat for protection) do not stand up well to any type of handling, let alone adhesives!
   I was somewhat glad that the paint had no issues with the packing tape, but I wasn’t happy to spend hours removing all the torn pieces and rubbing off the tape residue left behind. With some assistance from Sue, I kept damage to the decals to a minimum, but this shouldn’t have been a problem at all, if the seller had a clue what he was doing.
   After the unwrapping was complete, I assessed what was in front of me. The nasty “splash” bar tape immediately stood out, and, as most people know how much I hate that crap, it was the first thing to go! I was disappointed to find someone had drilled holes in the beautiful Cinelli bars, apparently to allow for internal cable routing. The real problem, however, was that the seatpost, saddle and pedals were missing!
   I quickly ran out to the car to double-check that we hadn’t left anything in the back seat, but unfortunately it was empty. I then sent a quick note to the seller to inquire if he had accidentally left these parts behind, and after the time he spent on his tube/wrap extravaganza, I wouldn’t be too shocked to find out that was the case!

This posting is getting a bit lengthy, so next week I will let you know about the (painful) exchange of messages with the seller to try sort out this deal and any progress I’ve made on either of these projects.

Wednesday, October 2, 2013

Slow On the Tarmac

   Throughout the summer I kept an eye on craigslist and eBay listings for a large carbon fiber bike frame for my 6’3” neighbor Bob. In late August I contacted a man in Doylestown about a 61 cm 2005 Specialized Tarmac Comp. The bike was missing the major components, but had the original Specialized seatpost and saddle, as well as a new Easton stem. A nice pair of wheels built with Shimano Dura-Ace hubs and Mavic Open Pro rims, was also included, but I was warned ahead of time that the rear hub was cracked.


   The seller was asking $400 and explained that he had bought the frame for the high-quality SRAM Red components, which, except for the bottom bracket, he had stripped from the frame. I told him about my intentions for the frame and that I had seen some newer Tarmac frames listed for not much more than he was asking for this eight-year-old version. I also asked for a close-up picture of a couple noticeable scratches.
   I was surprised when he countered with a $250 offer, and considering all the parts that were included, I quickly arranged to take a look, with cash in hand! Since my son Carrick has class at the community college’s new cooking school in Lansdale, I was about halfway to our planned meeting on a Wednesday afternoon. As stepped out of my car at the "neutral site" parking lot, Mike said he knew I was the right guy when he saw the Colnago decals on my car windows.
   The Specialized frame is an interesting aerodynamic shape, and the paint job of black with silver accents looked pretty slick. I noticed the seat post clamp was a bit chewed up and would need to be replaced, but the scratches were fairly minor and were already touched up adequately with black paint. Mike pointed out rusty barrel adjusters (you can see one of them in the picture above, just below the downtube to the right of the "D") that he thought would be easy to loosen with some WD40.
   We shared our disappointment in the beautiful Dura-Ace rear hub being so damaged and wondered how the previous owner may have done it, considering how unaffected the rim and spokes appeared to be. I told him how my wife and I both managed to destroy wheels (incidences separated by nearly 20 years) by propping them against the rear bumper while loading our bikes, then forgetting to retrieve the wheel and backing over them. She wrecked the rim and spokes, but my damage was very similar to what we were seeing on this wheel.
   Mike told me that he had picked up the bike in downtown Philadelphia and ridden it back (despite the damaged wheel) down the Schuylkill Trail to his car. Considering he was about my height, Mike must have been stretched out quite a bit on this huge bicycle frame! He made me very comfortable about buying the frame by sharing as much information as he could and clinched the deal by telling me that if I had any problems, I could contact him for a refund.
   Bob was excited to see the frame, and I told him that if he was hesitant to buy in any way, I would be keeping it myself to build up and sell. However, he was happy with what he saw and the low price. He liked the prospect of looking for higher quality parts to customize his ride, since we were well below his budget so far.


   Finding a set of Specialized handlebars and a nice set lightly used Look pedals was relatively simple, but I was surprised at the short time it took to come up with a component system. Only a week later, we found a full Shimano Ultegra group (picture below) that was a take-off from a new bicycle. We liked the idea of the stealthy image the black parts were going to give the Tarmac, and I set out on a bit longer search for a replacement wheel.


   In the meantime I visited the local Specialized dealer to order a new seatpost clamp and bought a couple new barrel adjusters while I was there. However, Bikesport is my go-to shop for repairs, and I dropped off the frame there to have them work on removing the rusted parts, since (despite Mike’s prediction) they would not budge after I soaked them in WD40 and attempted to extract them myself.
   The wheel situation didn’t turn out much better, when I discovered upon further inspection, a hairline crack around one of the spoke holes. I removed the rim tape and found the crack was even worse on the inside. Open Pros have been a standard racing rim for years, and I was disappointed to miss out on the funds we could reclaim by reselling the part.

   During my somewhat fruitless search that following week for a matching Dura-Ace/Mavic wheel, I saw the high prices on similar items and found it might be possible to sell the one good wheel and to buy a complete wheelset of very good quality. Eventually I was able to sell the remaining front wheel for close to $100, which allowed me to purchase a wonderful set of Mavic Aksium wheels (photo left) with a very good set of tires already installed!
   I have been having conversations with Peter at Bikesport, and I am getting the impression they are having a frustrating time with the rusty barrel adjusters. The hollow bolts (because the cable feed through them) sheared off during initial attempts to remove them. Peter is alternating picking at the broken pieces with a set of jewelers tools with sessions of soaking the parts in solvent to help loosen the tiny shards of metal. He said there is light at the end of the tunnel, but because of the head tube being in close proximity, getting into the right angle is difficult - a lot of knuckle scraping has happened, apparently. Hope he doesn’t charge by skin loss!

 So that is where things stand, in limbo, for the time being.

  

  

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

The Big Build-up

   My neighbor Bob is a regular customer of mine, bringing his or his wife’s bicycles to me for tune-ups or solutions to the occasional mechanical problems that are beyond his capabilities to remedy. He has often expressed a bit of envy when he sees me effortlessly swing one of my lightweight bicycles out the side door with one hand.  Bob’s 6’3” body requires a large-framed bike that is going to weigh a bit more than the average cyclist’s machine anyway, but his 25-year-old aluminum Trek is considerably heavier than a bicycle made with today’s modern materials.
   Bob is in his sixties, but you can find him out on the roads and trails fairly often, either on relaxing rides with his wife Janet or more up-tempo workouts with a couple of friends. At least once a year he also enters one of the longer fundraiser rides in the area each year, at which time we are usually tweaking something on his bike in preparation for the event. During one of these pre-race sessions, we struck up a conversation on modern bicycles.
   He knew about the incredibly low prices I'd paid for my bicycles, mostly through patient searches, and he casually asked what he might be able to get for under $1200. While Bob is computer savvy and didn’t mind doing some research, he just didn’t want to put the time into browsing listings that some bike-crazy person (like me) would. I told him that I would get back to him with some samples from recent listings on eBay and craigslist.
   I quickly found that pickings for 61 or 62 centimeter frames were slim, compared to a common sized 56 cm frame for which an average-height guy like me would be looking. I also discoved that because those frames were harder to find, they were also more expensive. Of the few early examples I presented, Bob did express an interest in the Specialized frames and their modern sloping geometry. I told him to buy a bike he was excited about and wanted to show off, because it would make him want to ride more often!
   A side story to this prospective purchase that I found amusing was the conversations Bob had with Janet about the bicycle. She initially told him he could only have his classic Corvette (for which he rents a space in our large garage) or a new bike, but although she was definitely joking, I got the sense this comment was always going to be in the back of his mind. In fact, when the time eventually came to start acquiring parts, Bob would say to me, “I’ll take this from the Corvette maintenance fund.” To add to the fun, whether she really cared or not, Bob would show each part we were considering to Janet and ask, "What do you think?"
   He definitely wasn’t in a hurry to buy, which was ultimately a good thing, but I did feel a bit frustrated when I thought we had a really good lead, and he was a bit indecisive. Ultimately, it was his bicycle, and I had to keep in mind that the most important factor was Bob's satisfaction - aesthetically and financially!
   After thinking about it a while, I came up with an idea to stretch out the payments and keep costs down. I was finding reasonably priced framesets available more often than complete bikes, and approached Bob with the idea of building up a bicycle. This way he could pay me as we gathered all of the parts, instead of taking the one big hit to the wallet for a ready-to-ride bicycle. Patient searching would allow me to find lightly-used parts that were much cheaper than brand new, and I also told Bob that he wouldn’t have to pay me for the assembly, since making all of the purchases on his behalf would cause a nice accumulation of (cash-back incentive) Ebay Dollars in my account.
   I really enjoy this kind of “work”, Bob’s being the fourth bicycle I’ve brokered this year, although I wish I actually got paid to do it. I would probably find it easier to complete transactions if I wasn’t depending on my “clients” providing timely feedback on the products I come up with in my searches. Of course there aren’t many people that have the kind of freedom that being a stay-at-home dad allows, so I can’t imagine what this process would involve without email and Facebook to aid communication!
   I had an even greater appreciation for the electronic age when my parents had coinciding health issues that had me away from home for the better part of two weeks. Although I acquired the frame and a few pieces before leaving, I unfortunately had to inform Bob of the impending delay. I was, however, able to conduct my parts hunt during some of the down times between hospital visits/errand-running and make some significant progress.

Next week I’ll talk about the frameset we bought, and some of the little snags that have become a fairly major annoyance in the attempt to get our project underway.

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

"Senior Citizen" Prevails!

   I took a little break from writing lately, mostly because my mind and time has been occupied by other things, namely the health of my parents. For the last couple of weeks I have been spending significant time at my folk’s place in Bethlehem, dropping in for visits at the hospital and helping around the house as they recover from their respective ailments. 

   During the down times I took in as much coverage of the Vuelta a EspaƱa (Tour of Spain) as I could, since it proved, once again, to be the most exciting of the pro cycling season’s stage races. I believe this is the case for a number of reasons: 1. the quality of the Spanish teams (or those teams led by a Spanish rider) wanting to win on home soil, 2. the desperation of the teams who have missed out on a big prize as we near the end of the season, and 3. Team Sky doesn’t mark this event as an important goal on their calendar, so they don’t bother taking the starch out of the peloton with their usual high-tempo, race-excitement-killing pace.
   The race was riveting, with the lead changing several times in the early days of the race and unexpected winners coming from outrageous breakaway attempts. Giro d’Italia winner Vincenzo Nibali eventually gained control, by virtue of consistent finishes near the front and two solid time trials. The real surprise unfolded when American Chris Horner (photo below), who turns 42 in a couple of weeks, started taking chunks out of Nibali’s lead with brutal mountain attacks to which the Italian, and the other contenders, simply could not respond.


   Nibali may have been a bit fatigued after a long season trying to hold peak form, but with perhaps the strongest team on paper, the overall victory still seemed very likely. However, in the later stages, as the Euskatel, Katusha and Movistar teams turned on the gas in order to launch their team leaders into attack positions, it was a shocking to see Nibali’s teammates shed out the back, leaving their leader isolated with no help to cover moves. Indeed, as Horner took the red leader’s jersey for good after stage 19, expert analyst Sean Kelly was heard to say, “I would have put all of my money on Nibali holding onto this Vuelta title”.

   Horner has been a solid climber throughout his career and was a valuable teammate to Lance Armstrong during his Tour “victories”, however, when given opportunities to lead on his own, the Radio Shack – Leopard rider has had incredible bad luck with crashes and injuries. In fact, he had missed most of this cycling season with a knee problem, so perhaps Chris was just fresher than the top cyclists going into the Vuelta.
   For years the ever-smiling Horner has been known as a really likeable guy in the pro peloton, and similarly, he has always made himself very available to the press. I like to think maybe he is one of those guys who suffered competing against the dopers at the top level in the past and now he is getting an opportunity to shine. It is a bit sad that it had to come so late in his career, but I bet there are a lot of young pro cyclists who wish they were in his condition!

   I have some cool projects planned for the upcoming months, the most immediate being a build-up of a carbon fiber Specialized Tarmac frame for my neighbor Bob. I also recently purchased the “guts” of an early 1980s Colnago Super Saronni bicycle, which I am going to restore to as-close-to-original condition as I can. Stay tuned…

Monday, August 26, 2013

Remember Arthur Treacher's?

   This fast(sea)food franchise used to be fairly common in our area, but now is down to about a dozen total restaurants throughout the mid-Atlantic states. When I see road signs announcing the application of “Oil and Chips”, the ONLY thing that makes me smile is the thought of the restaurant sign with the obscure actor in the jaunty riding cap. Since the road sign doesn’t signal the coming of anything edible, I’m just left with the frustration that another one of my favorite cycling roads is getting messed up by that half-assed road resurfacing technique.
   Besides saving the Department of Transporation money, I always think it is really a subtle speed limit enforcing method. When driving on those treated roads, who can ignore all those ticks and clinks of gravel you hear and the thoughts of what they must be doing to your car’s paintjob?
   I get the same feeling when riding my bike over these roads, except the dust is also accumulating all over my rims and frame, not to mention fouling up the nice, clean lube job on my chain. When the sporadic piles of loose gravel clear off the road surface in a few months, I’m then left with a slow, bumpy ride, instead of the fast sheet of worn asphalt that used to be there!

   Sue and I found out Saturday that a large section of the Shore Fire Century route that we enjoyed so much last year was ruined by chips and oil as well. It didn’t seem to bother us as much as the constant wind that came out of the northeast. The 100 mile course through the flat farmlands of central Delaware had very little shade, and the sun was beating on us throughout the ride, so I admit that the breeze kept the temperature very comfortable, but the pedaling effort in those conditions left us pretty wasted, beyond what we had experienced in previous rides at a similar distance.
   After the 45 mile mark, the riding was almost exclusively to the north or east, so the wind was either right in our faces or just off a shoulder. With our regular “teammates” unable to join us on this year’s ride, we missed taking turns pulling on the front and then getting a bit of rest in the paceline. I took it upon myself to lead out most of the way, but Sue was struggling to even hold my wheel, and expended too much energy yo-yoing back and forth.
   The ride otherwise was very enjoyable, with an excellent choice of lightly travelled roads that weaved from Middletown down to Smyrna, west just across the Maryland border, then back east through Dover, skirting the wetlands of Delaware Bay and looping back. Although I don’t expect gluten-free miracles, and I supply myself accordingly, there were otherwise well-stocked food/rest spots about every twenty miles, with very friendly folks to encourage you along the way.

   At one particular stop I returned to my bike to find a married couple checking it out. They were admiring the Saeco/Cannondale paint job and reminiscing about the great sprinter Mario Cipollini. All right, real cycling fans! We talked about our respective collections of machines, which were surprisingly similar in number and manufacture. Sue was getting that glazed-over look from listening to our talk for too long, so I took the hint, wished them a good ride, and we were off again.
   Sue admitted later that she hadn’t eaten enough and probably drank too much water, which really threw her system off. Much like the latter part of the MS ride last autumn, I was just tired of being in the saddle and really wanted to pick up the tempo to be done with it! With about ten miles left, we were among a handful of riders with whom Sue could pace, so she told me “I’m done – you go ahead.” I asked if she wanted me to return with the car, but she said, “Oh no, I’m finishing - just at my own speed.”
   Truth be told, after fighting the headwind all day, I didn’t have a whole lot left in my legs, and there were some minor hills approaching the end of the course that discouraged me from going very hard at all. It wasn’t too long of a wait until Sue came along, and we enjoyed some ice cream at the finish area, then headed for the nearby Wawa for a large Coke! 

   

Monday, August 12, 2013

70 Miles On the Erie Canal

   Sue and I are planning to do a century ride in Delaware this month, and we’ve become frustrated trying to find areas with enough flat terrain on which to train. Not that we mind hills in general, but doing the hills in combination with the 100 mile distance is a lot to ask for two non-professional cyclists!
   Repeated rides of the out and back route on the Schuylkill Trail have become quite boring. Cycling at the shore is fine, but we’ve already done much of the Stone Harbor/Cape May area, and it is almost always windy in one direction. We thought maybe a mini vacation to an area with a rail trail might provide level riding and some interesting scenery, so my travel-agent-wannabe wife went web surfing.
   I had thought of the Erie Canal towpath in the past, but Sue found that the Bicycle Route 5 of the New York State’s Department of Transportation provided a signed, on-road route that paralleled the canal from Buffalo to Albany. She then tried to find a portion with the desirable profile, and she came up with a long stretch heading east from Verona to Little Falls.
   We have never been the type of folks who need posh lodgings, but during our family travels across the U.S. and Europe, Sue has shown an incredible knack for finding hotels or apartments that were true diamonds in the rough. She has come up with some places in which I have almost felt guilty about staying, since a bed and a shower was pretty much all we needed - we were intending to spend most of our time out of the room anyway!

   Of course I’m talking about being in locations that are beautiful in their own right, but two wonderful accommodations immediately come to mind, in Milan and Venice, but my favorite of her “finds” was in Paris . I remember talking to a gentleman from North Carolina while we were standing on the Champs ƉlysĆ©es, taking in the final stage of the 2009 Tour de France. He was astounded to hear that we were paying as much for a week in a fantastic apartment in Montmartre as he was for two nights in a downtown hotel (photo on left is SacrĆ©-Coeur, just around the corner from our apartment).
   Certainly I am not trying to compare the Herkimer Motel in any way with the worst hotels in France or Italy, because it would take me a split second to choose the latter locations, sight unseen, but I wanted to acknowledge Sue’s efforts. The motel was just what we needed, with very friendly staff, continental breakfast, internet access and a nice pool, although the unexpectedly mild temperatures made swimming unnecessary. The room also had a small refrigerator and a microwave, so that we could store and prepare some meals, since there was no guarantee of gluten free food for me anywhere nearby.
   I know this wouldn’t appeal to everyone, but an added perk for me, the railfan, was that the former New York Central (now CSX) mainline ran right behind the motel. By simply stepping out our door and walking out a few feet I could witness a regular parade of freights, or an occasional Amtrak train, passing on the bridge over the nearby street. The average motel customer was glad that the railroad was completely separate from grade crossings, so all you would hear was the low engine rumble, no air horns!
   In the days leading up to our departure, Sue was concerned about changing precipitation percentages in the forecast, but I reminded her that the weather in this region is always erratic, since it is affected by the Great Lakes. I remember vacationing in the Finger Lakes region many times as a child, and it seemed we always had swings from day to day, sunny or rainy. Sue booked a couple of days in Herkimer to give us a chance of at least one nice day for cycling.
   Tuesday ended up being absolutely perfect, with white fluffy clouds and temperatures in the high seventies. It had actually gotten down into the forties the night before, so we waited for it to warm up a bit, and started getting ready around 11:00. Our plan heading west sounded rather exotic, reaching towns named Utica, Rome and Verona, but the majority of towns in this area have seen better days economically, and much of the urban areas were quite sad.
   The prettier sections were in between the towns, with the idyllic Erie Canal nearby, lush farmlands lining its banks and steep hills edging the Mohawk River valley to the north and south. We had initially thought of riding our cross bikes on the combination gravel and paved Canal towpath, but we were glad we went with the road route and the variety of sites it provided, good or bad.



   Because of my interests in railroads and architecture, I try to visit and take pictures of train stations all over the country. My “collection” numbers over 500, and I took the opportunity to see some along the way, which we used as little breaks for our legs and butts! Some of the smaller stations were in a bit of disrepair, but the buildings in Utica (photos above) and Rome (photos below), which are Amtrak stops, proved to be very impressive inside and out.



   From a cycling standpoint, we both handled it well, and but for a bit of a headwind on the return leg and a couple of thigh-burning rises late in the ride, we held a very good pace throughout. We spied a soft-serve ice cream joint that advertised 24 different flavors, and thought about stopping, but we made an agreement to drive up after dinner. I had a large piƱa colada, and, because she couldn't decide on one flavor, Sue had a small each of blackberry and peach. Hey, we had burned around 4000 calories earlier!
   We had considered just lazing about on Wednesday, but we ended up being antsy and decided to get back on the bikes for a little ride east. A little fatigue was in our legs, but it went away fairly quickly as we made our way toward Little Falls, NY. There was a very unwelcome hill early in the ride, but it was measly compared to some of the regular slopes we encounter climbing out of the Schuylkill Valley at home, so we made quick work of it.
   Little Falls is an attractive, small city that lies in a narrow, rocky gorge on the Mohawk River. The city has an interesting railroad station and a neat business district down by the riverside, apart from the main city up on the hillside. Nearby is the Erie Canal’s Lock 17 (photo below) which, at the time of its completion in 1916, boasted the highest raise/lower of boats in the world at 40.5 feet. We were lucky to arrive in time to see the lock in action, as a canal maintenance boat was making its way east towards St. Johnsville on the Mohawk River’s more navigable sections.


   After a tricky walk over the lock’s bridge, carrying our bikes down a couple flights of metal-grated stairs, we weaved up a long access ramp to the canal path. We weren’t sure what the surface would be like, but despite an older, bumpy paved surface for the first couple hundred yards, we enjoyed a pristine sheet of asphalt on the brand new trail for about two miles, until the path abruptly ended on Route 167. The highway rolled up and down considerably back towards Herkimer, but we were happy to find the downhills were much longer in that direction.

   Later we were glad to have found the motivation to get off our butts and see some new things, but more importantly we hoped the ride would aid our recovery from the long trip on Tuesday and improve our conditioning for the BIG RIDE later this month.


Friday, July 26, 2013

It is NOT uphill both ways!

The information from this blog series on the trips my father and I took to complete the 333-mile journey from Washington, D.C. to Pittsburgh, PA, has been published in a book:



Instructions for purchase of the book in hardcover or via Kindle will be coming soon!


Monday, July 15, 2013

Trail etiquette...or LACK thereof

   Sue really wanted to put in some miles yesterday in preparation for a century we are doing in August, so she joined me for a ride into Philadelphia. The 50-mile out-and-back route was mostly on the Schuylkill Trail from just outside Phoenixville, but near Manayunk the trail is unpaved, so road cyclists take a detour on the streets, which include some hills that are quite challenging for the less experienced riders and some tight traffic situations within the Main Street shopping district in that part of the city (photo below).


   This on-road section of the ride used to be our least favorite, but we may be starting to change our minds with the lack of courtesy shown on the trail by joggers, walkers and, most surprisingly, by fellow cyclists. I know we are travelling faster than the average person getting in touch with nature out on his/her cruiser bike for the weekend, but we are very conscious of giving notice that we are “Passing” or “On your left”.
   However, it’s difficult these days to tell if someone is even listening to a warning, with people listening to music on earphones or, my personal favorite, having a conversation on the phone. The trails on the weekend are simply too congested to be in your own little world. I will only wear headphones on very isolated trails, where interaction with other cyclists, etc. is infrequent. The Schuylkill Trail also has the added danger of several road crossings that make earphone use unwise.
   If you don’t know by now, I HATE cell phones and vow never to use one unless it’s an emergency - if I’m not at home, I really don’t want anyone bothering me. I think that for most people, cell phone use is a convenience that has become an addiction; there is no reason to be talking on the phone if you are out exercising, unless you have collapsed from said exercise!
   There were numerous walkers who didn’t bother to acknowledge my voice when I came up behind them, and other than a couple of old folks, cell phone use was the primary reason. I lost my temper a few times when I saw someone riding by while on the phone or better yet, texting. Really, you must have a transplant donor trying to contact you with that new brain!
   I don’t want to leave out mentioning the people who just have a bad attitude towards cyclists. We were coming up behind a pack of people walking across the trail, and I yelled out to alert them. They didn’t move very much, and Sue repeated a warning, which was met with a whiny, “Okay, okay, we heard you the first time.” I generally refuse to respond to such comments, but I certainly thought, “Maybe if you had moved more than an inch we wouldn’t have thought you were deaf!”
   I must admit that parents have improved in their responsibility to watch out for their cycling kids and remind them not to swerve all over. If children are holding a reasonably steady line, sometimes sneaking quietly by them, instead of giving verbal warning, seems like a better strategy. God only knows what they’re going to do if I yell “On your left!” They usually just panic completely, but I imagine their little minds racing with “Whose left? Wait, which direction is left?”

   I only wish the parents would improve their action, such as the couple riding their mountain bikes side by side on a particularly narrow section nearing Boat House Row. Again, they didn’t budge a bit when we called out! We were then met by the new Scourge of the Schuylkill, the rental pedal car, with two grown men badly completing a U-turn right in the way of oncoming cyclists in both directions. I won’t share with you the words that Sue and I muttered, but remember that we are fluent in “French”.
   My all-time favorite trail etiquette story while riding the trail near the Art Museum could include people of any size, shape, sex or race, but to provide a perfect mental image, I will tell you that three wide-hipped black teen girls were walking side by side, with absolutely NO ROOM for us to pass by. I gave plenty of warning without any result, and then reworded my phrase, “Passing, please”.
   I slowed to a standing-on-the-pedals crawl and said, “Excuse me.”  One of the girls responded by turning slightly so that I could squeeze by. Understandably annoyed, I turned and said, “The trail is here to share, girls,” to which one lovely female answered, “SHUT UP! 

   I had no response – really, what do you say to that?