Settin' them up and knockin' them out

   I've pretty much cleared out my shop, other than that Pinarello Treviso project that has been lingering. I did manage to strip the paint off the fork, but it needs a bit of cleaning up before I take the whole frameset over to my painting "connection".
   The highlight of cinquebicicambio has to be the purchase of a $400 (including shipping) Treviso as a "donor bike", in order to get a fork and metal head tube badge. I sold the frame with headset and bottom bracket, and then the individual components for a total of $530! Even if I take out $130 as the price of the included wheels that I ended up using on the Bianchi, the fork and badge were essentially free.
   Of course to me those wheels are worth far more than $130, since I didn't have to pay the incredible price for the rare 9 speed Shamal set that were on the Pantani team bike! I did have a bit of a glitch when I set up the Bianchi's derailleurs and attached the chain. The close proximity of the small cog to the frame's rear stays caused the chain to jam in that tight space.
   It didn't take me long to figure out a solution - 10 speed spacers. Now the cassette is narrow enough that I don't even need that washer that I had inserted previously behind the lock nut, but I left it in just to provide some extra room. Everything works perfectly, and I'll be sure to include all the original cassette parts should the buyer want to switch to a set of wheels with a conventional 9 speed setup.
   Here are some pictures of the finished product:

By the way, this bike and others I've built are available on craigslist and eBay, but feel free to contact me directly!

   There seemed to be an imbalance between the time spent planning this multi-bike scheme (not to mention waiting for parts to arrive) and the time involved in actually working on the machines. The Pinarello Prince went together very quickly, and other than the shiny Shimano chrome parts that took the place of the black Campagnolo carbon components, the bike looks and performs pretty much the same, except at a little bit heavier weight.

   My Pinarello FP2 was last off the work stand, only because it took a while for the new cassette to arrive from England (only place I could find one that didn't break the bank). Of course I needed that part to size the chain and align the derailleurs. I wanted to make sure all was working properly before I finalized the job with bar tape and a last bit of bike bling, some chrome Pinarello bar plugs. Because of reflections, I unfortunately couldn't get a good detail shot of them when installed, but believe me, they are there!

   Setting the shifts to perform smoothly took some effort, mostly because the person who sold the cassette included a spacer that was not original and was too wide. I removed the culprit, and because it was resin, I was able to slide it over some sandpaper and knock down some of the raised surfaces that provided the extra thickness. Further adjustments were minimal after re-installation, and the shifts are nearly perfect now.
   I took the bike out for a good test ride today, and I have to say that my Pinarello is running a bit noisily. I've messed with it enough now that I know it has nothing to do with the derailleur adjustments. It may be because there is a mix of new rings and cogs with the slightly older derailleurs and chain, and if that is the case, the noise should ease a bit over time. I also suspect this cassette might require a narrower chain, but we'll see.

Cinquebicicambio - it's Italian!

   It may not roll off the tongue easily, but I like the sound of it. Pronounced cheen-quay-bee-chee-kahm-bee-oh, it’s the name I’ve adopted for the complicated "five bike swap" process I’m currently undertaking. Actually, I’ve briefly incorporated a sixth bicycle, but that was only to exchange one of the more climb-friendly 13x26t Campagnolo cassettes I’ve acquired during this massive accumulation of parts with the 11x25t version that was previously on my Colnago.

   I sent the photo below to my brother last week, along with an updated pic of the Pinarello Prince that is eventually headed his way, to give him an idea of the assembly line of components I have set up. Parts are fairly organized, ready to go as each bicycle is hung in turn on my wall clamp for completion.

   By the way, if you haven't noticed, there is a link to photos of my bicycle collection in the righthand column. As always you can click on any pictures in this blog to enlarge them.

   A couple of weeks ago I was working on a friend’s Specialized Tarmac SL3 Saxo Bank team issue carbon fiber bike, which really could be lifted with two fingers! Apart from the carbon wheelset, I was trying to get a handle on where the big weight differences between it and my FP2 were. It seemed there was added heft in the back end of my bike, and I removed the seatpost and saddle to compare the weight to the Tarmac’s respective parts.

   It turns out the MOst (correct spelling/typing of Pinarello’s in-house brand) aluminum seatpost was manufactured at an exaggerated length to compensate for modern bicycles with a sloping top tube. No one had bothered to cut the post down to the appropriate size for this bike. After making marks for needed height and also the necessary minimum length at the insertion point, I cut off about four inches with a hacksaw. I filed the edges smooth and re-installed the part, which was now significantly lighter.

   I had explained a couple of weeks ago the concept of BCD (bolt center diameter) in sizing the chainrings on a crankset. The three letter abbreviation quickly became a four letter word after I discovered yet another wonderful Campagnolo quirk while attempting to change the rings on my Pinarello FP2 crankset. I really like the red color and graphics on the MOst crankset, so I wanted to keep it and just install Campagnolo rings, but I found they would not fit.

   Again, in the company’s efforts to keep their customers buying only “Campy”, they rotated the ring so that only four bolt holes are in view and one is hidden behind the crank (see comparison photos below), which requires a special bolt. Not only that, they moved that hole out a bit, effectively making the rings 112 mm BCD, as opposed to the Shimano/SRAM 110 mm. Thanks a lot for that, Campagnolo (add sarcasm)!

   In order to keep my MOst cranks, I now had to find a Campagnolo compatible chainring set that fit on a Shimano compatible crankset. I had to laugh at that possibility, but ended up finding a prospect in FSA (Full Speed Ahead), who claimed on their website that their products do the trick. A 50/34t set is on the way!

   Although the Prince’s (again Campagnolo compatible) Fulcrum Racing T wheelset was of high quality, when I considered switching those over to my FP2, I realized that I wanted something just a bit flashier. I really like the Campagnolo Vento wheels on my Colnago, so I first looked at a set in black and red to match this bike’s scheme. Considering the funds I already had tied up in my combination of projects, I certainly didn’t want to blow a lot of money on a pricey new wheelset, so I started a casual search for a used set on eBay and craigslist. A couple weeks later, after meeting up with a nice gentleman down in Philadelphia’s Rittenhouse Square, I came away with an affordable pair of Ventos that just needed a little cleaning.

   Another bit of “bike bling” on my FP2 came about from my efforts to correct a minor cosmetic annoyance. I had inverted my stem when I originally installed it in order to take advantage of the relaxed angle and achieve a more comfortable riding position. This unfortunately caused the cat eye graphics to be upside down, which made the eyes seem to be looking backward. I did have a little room at the top of my steering tube, and realized I could move the stem up in order to compensate somewhat for the change in position. I inserted this cool red carbon fiber spacer and flipped the stem to its proper orientation and appearance.

   The MOst Wildcat F3 wheelset from my FP2 was destined for the Prince, and most of the Ultegra 9 speed component group would be a fairly simple changeover. However, I wanted to change its standard crankset to a compact, and its 11x25t cassette to an11x28t cassette, in order to simulate gear ratios closer to those provided by the triple chainring setup Craig has been riding with on his Trek. On eBay I found a chrome Ultegra crankset that included a bottom bracket and the needed cassette to complete the drivetrain – now I just have to be patient with the Postal Service!

   Craig had also mentioned some tightness in his neck and shoulders on extended rides, so I definitely didn’t want to provide any additional discomfort by overextending him with the long 130 mm stem that came with the Prince. I found the same model stem, only a couple centimeters shorter, and installed it on the flip side which provides five degrees of rise. This will make the riding position slightly more upright and relieve pressure on his arms/shoulders, as well as reduce slightly the backwards flex of his neck.

   I received all of the necessary parts for the Bianchi cassette last week and put the 16t cog in the appropriate position with the rest of the 8 speed cogs. I then replaced the 8 speed spacers with the thinner version to create my own 9 speed cassette that fits the obsolete 8 speed freehub. The only small issue was that the cassette extended to a point almost flush with the edge of the axle nut. When I put the wheel on the bike to test it, it wouldn't spin freely.

   I tried slipping a very slim washer of about one millimeter behind the locknut, which provided just that little bit of space to allow the wheel to rotate without rubbing the inside of the rear dropouts. The photo below is not from my bike because with the cassette installed, the parts were too close together to get a good shot, but this diagram gives you a good idea of the arrangement. The rear wheel doesn’t pop in and out as smoothly, but that is a very minor trade-off, considering how complicated any freehub surgery would have been!

   Next I used some fine steel wool and light oil to rub off the Torelli logos - just look (photos below) at the two different sets of wheels now! These Gipiemme wheels are really a miracle, something I just stumbled upon as a throw-in with the Pinarello "donor" bike. Beats the heck out of paying for the $800+ Shamal wheelset!

   I’m not trying to fool anyone, and I’m not going to do something dishonest like apply reproduction Campy decals. Honestly, I think the magenta logos are ugly and clash with the Bianchi colors anyway. I just wanted a really close representation of the build Pantani used on his bike. I don’t think I could possibly come up with anything better!

   I didn’t have any reservations about decals when creating my own version of the ITM BigOne stem because I actually started with the correct stem. Finding the rare (and again, probably expensive) yellow Mercatone Uno Team-version of that part just seemed like an impossible proposition, so I decided to compromise. I took some photos of the white ITM logos on the black stem, sized them appropriately and then created a monotone negative image with photo editing software. I had the local copy shop print out the images onto some blank water-slide decal paper.

   I sanded the stem lightly and applied some spray can primer and a few coats of yellow enamel that matched the hue on the Bianchi. I have plenty of experience from creating custom model railroad cars and locomotives, so the application of the decals was no problem. After a clear coat to protect the logos, this stem looks like the real thing – well, it actually is, in this case.

In the meantime the big eBay parts re-sale is going on – hopefully to put the budget(s) closer to the black! More next week…

Mama mia!

   Lately some of the complications of Italian bicycle builders have been driving me a bit crazy, and I’ll get to that in a minute, but one Italian who has done nothing but impress me is current Tour de France leader Vincenzo Nibali. His performance was amazing when the race crossed some of the same nasty cobbled sections of Paris-Roubaix (that’s him in the Yellow-ish Jersey, behind a teammate in the photo below), and he finished second at the end of a stage in which the “experts” said a lightweight climber could never excel. Regular readers will not be surprised to hear that I was not terribly disappointed when Chris Froome and Alberto Contador dropped out due to crashes, but Nibali looks so strong, I wonder if either of the former champions could match him anyway!

   I’ve written previously about some of the counter-intuitive designs Campagnolo has used over the years, such as the bottom bracket threading that can actually unscrew itself as you pedal. I discovered some new quirky features during a recent plan I developed to swap parts between FIVE bicycles currently in my shop. This wacky, but well-thought-out, scheme mainly came about in an effort to save money, but will also spare me from having to search for additional parts and reduce the time necessary to resell those not used. I definitely do not want my basement to turn into a component warehouse! Here is the plan outlined according to order of bicycle purchase: 

   Bike #1: My Pinarello FP2 was initially the object of some good-natured ridicule from my sister-in-law’s husband Todd, because he knew my affinity for (almost) everything Italian and couldn’t believe I purchased a high-quality Pinarello carbon fiber bike equipped with anything but Campagnolo! Its Shimano Ultegra group made the bike fit my budget at the time, but it was something I knew had to be changed somewhere down the line.

   Bike #2: When I started the Pinarello Prince restoration this winter, I knew there was a risk that someone looking for a lightweight racing bike would want to spend their money on something new, instead of a refurbished composite frame. However, this bike was too beautiful for me to just let sit around in someone’s garage, and to borrow from an over-used phrase by American Pickers’ Mike Wolfe, “I’m a Pinarello guy!”

   My intent was to have fun with this project by building up a light, modern machine, and if I ended up with minimal interest (which has unfortunately happened), I could always switch out the expensive Campagnolo carbon fiber gruppo with the Shimano Ultegra parts on my FP2 and “ease the pain” by creating a super bike for myself! In the back of my mind I had an alternative owner lined up for the Prince - my brother Craig, who has a Flyers fan’s affinity for orange and black. Colors aside, whether the Prince is Shimano or Campagnolo equipped, this bike blows away what he is riding these days, so I knew he’d be happy with either option.

   Bike #3: The long-term Pinarello Treviso project is coming closer to completion now that I have the last couple of needed parts in my hands, particularly the appropriate fork. That part will have to be stripped of its original paint before I am able to send it out to be painted.

   Bike #4: I am a bit surprised that collecting the components for the Pantani Bianchi has progressed so quickly. I found a very reasonably priced Campagnolo Record 9 speed gruppo on eBay, and although there were some minor issues with what I received, the seller was a very friendly person and responded kindly with a nice refund and included an additional “Campy” bottom bracket with which I will be able to offset some of my costs nicely through resale!

   Since the shiny chrome Shimano Ultegra parts from the Bianchi were in such good condition, I am going to use most of them on the Prince when I swap in its Campagnolo carbon setup. In the meantime, I found a substitute for the expensive Pantani stem, and all I needed was a set of wheels, which may have fallen into my lap with…

   Bike #5: I found a surprisingly affordable complete Pinarello Treviso (yeah, I know, another one?) on eBay, sold by someone who didn’t really know what a jewel they had in their hands. The bike was completely outfitted in Campagnolo Super Record, and the relative small amount I spent to buy it made it a perfect donor for the missing fork and metal head tube badge for my Treviso project. The frame was a bit more recent vintage than mine, and by leaving on the headset and bottom bracket, I should be able to find a home for it rather easily. I fully expect that by parting out the Super Record group for resale, I should completely reclaim the money I spent, if not make a little profit.

   The clincher (pun?) in this purchase was the Gipiemme Torelli wheelset, which is a pretty close replica of the rare and expensive Campagnolo Shamal (compare photos below) that Marco Pantani had on his Bianchi in the early 2000s. The really goofy part of the Shamal story is that it came stock with a now-obsolete 8 speed hub, which the Mercatone Uno team mechanics swapped out for a 9 speed version for their riders. Good luck finding those wheels! Actually a set were on eBay a couple of weeks ago, at around $800 when I stopped watching the auction – that’s not going to happen.

   The Italian’s strike again! The problem lies in Campagnolo’s effort to make only their parts work together and force buyer loyalty. They updated to a nine speed system by changing the shape of the freehub (see photos below) and cogs so that they weren’t compatible with other systems on the market, including their own older versions! Even if I could find an affordable 8 speed Shamal wheelset, the freehub change had to be dealt with somehow.

   Normally free hubs can be changed, but of course this one can’t because the dimensions are different. I read on a couple of forums some solutions that involved buying an additional hub to use as a donor for parts and filing down the individual pawls. Pawls are the spring-loaded, wedged-shaped pieces that create the ratcheting effect in the freehub to allow a cyclist to coast and also lock into the wheel when applying pedal power. This solution sounded complicated and costly (a throwaway Campagnolo part?) if I got it wrong, or if I decided to turn the work over to more capable hands.

   I then struck upon an idea that since both the 8 and 9 speed freehubs are the same length and the spacing between the cogs is what allows a different number of them to fit onto the hub, that if I insert an extra eight speed cog and swap in nine speed spacers, I might come up with the necessary cassette width. My eight speed cassette is 13-26t, meaning it has a count of 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 23 and 26 teeth on the individual cogs. I found someone selling individual eight speed cogs, and bought one with 16 teeth to insert in the obvious appropriate spot. I then bought a set of nine speed spacers manufactured by Miche, which are Campagnolo compatible, but FAR less expensive than the original.

   I am amazed that there have been no references to this solution, or anything approaching it, in the various forum threads I’ve seen regarding Campagnolo 8 speed hub conversion. This $65 answer to a problem that could cost multiple hundreds of dollars to remedy seems too good to be true, but faced with few alternatives, it is certainly worth a shot! 

   I have quite a bit of work ahead of me, and I’ll keep you updated as I go, including details of yet ANOTHER Campagnolo complication!  A lesser problem has been maintenance of the separate “build budgets”, what I use to determine the final value of the bicycles. Since I’m interchanging parts between projects and deducting funds from reselling parts, my head has been spinning a bit to figure out from which of the four lists the dollar amounts should be removed or added!

Somebody please turn off the giant fan!

   Although I am used to the cooling breezes that often come off the ocean when we visit the shore, and I have often experienced the struggle to ride through those breezes across the causeway back to the barrier islands, I figured that issue would only influence the last few miles of my 91 mile journey from West Conshohocken to Stone Harbor. Because prevailing winds generally go west to east, I expected to mostly be able to take advantage of those conditions when I left on the morning of June 24th.

   I had been checking the weather and was concerned with some potential thunderstorms later in the week, so Tuesday was definitely the day to go. I’m used to the way the winds swirl in the Schuylkill River Valley because the river meanders so much on its way towards Philadelphia. It is often difficult to tell exactly from which direction the wind is coming as you ride along the rocky ledges that line the eastern end of the rail trail near Manayunk, so I didn’t think too much about the occasional gust that was in my face until I reached the city.

   I was disappointed to find that, because of a malfunctioning railroad crossing gate, the access point from the Schuylkill Trail to Race Street was closed. However, after backtracking to the Art Museum area, I was happy to find an excellent green-painted bike lane all the way down the Ben Franklin Parkway to where Race Street intersected Logan Circle, and I wondered why Google Maps hadn’t suggested this route in first place.

   I suppose some people are intimidated by cycling on city streets, but my crazy wife and I once rode down 2nd Avenue in New York City, where there is no bike lane! Surprisingly, the only thing that really bothered us were the unpredictable pedestrians and whether they would pay attention to the crossing signals or just jump out in front of us whenever they wanted. We even got into a rhythm where we could roll slowly into intersections as the lights changed, keeping our shoes in the clipless pedals, and out-sprint the traffic from block to block.

   I didn’t have that experience in Philadelphia, as Race Street is a secondary street to most of the north-south traffic, and I was caught at several extended red lights as I crossed the city towards the Ben Franklin Bridge. I had a minor panic when I found the gate locked to the pedestrian crossing on the south side of the bridge with some signs about possible weather restrictions and other options to get across, but my attention was drawn to the north walkway by a loud conversation among some men heading to work, and fortunately that side was open!

   To reach the other side I had to duck under the bridge at 4th Street, which unfortunately was one way. I quickly adopted the mind-set of “Hey, I am only going ONE WAY!”, and when I found a long break in traffic upon reaching the intersection, I quickly sprinted against the grain to reach the north side access point. I know I shouldn’t have done it, but I had a bit of a bad attitude going at that point. The great views from atop the Ben Franklin Bridge helped to improve my state of mind, and I somehow even managed to ignore the buffeting wind.

   Most of the walkway had adequate width, but it seemed the original intent was for people from Philadelphia to walk out halfway and turn around. Walkway construction on the east end of the bridge seemed like an afterthought, where it tapered down to barely enough room for two people walking shoulder to shoulder. Despite some signs clearly asking cyclists to dismount for pedestrians, I factored in the awkwardness of walking on the narrow surface in my cleats and the difficultly of someone passing when I was standing next to my bike and decided to simply cut down my speed to a walking pace.

   When I happened to encounter a pedestrian, I stopped and moved over as much as I could while holding the fence/railing and let him by. The only other person I met was kind enough to squeeze behind a bridge support and wave me by enthusiastically - brotherly love for cyclists!

   I will state emphatically that Haddon and Mount Ephraim Avenues are two of the worst roads on which I have ever ridden! The long red light at every block was bad enough, but the roads had no shoulder to speak of, they were usually filled with trash and/or cinders, and the MANY sections of broken cement and potholes were poorly filled with sinking asphalt. It felt like an eternity trying to escape Camden’s streets!

   Black Horse Pike was a major improvement, but I still looked forward to getting away from traffic for a while. However, the inconsistent condition of the Blackwood Rail Trail had me looking forward to getting back onto Black Horse Pike! There were sections of the trail that were among the nicest on which I’ve ever ridden – smooth, with nicely maintained plantings and freshly-cut lawns lining the trail. Unfortunately, they were badly outnumbered by atrocious sections with broken pavement caused by tree roots that honestly felt like I was riding over that corrugated aluminum sheathing you see on shed roofs.

   Another section of about 25 yards or so was completely covered by debris from a recent clearing of trailside vegetation. With my eyes having to adjust to going in and out of the shade, I didn’t see a larger branch lying in front of me, and it exploded under my front tire, sending pieces into my legs and up into my chin! Although it did cause a sinking feeling in my stomach, I somehow escaped without any blood or flat tires or bent spokes.

   I was nearing the 30 mile mark, out of the trees and heading into the more rural areas. Now I was really feeling the wind – directly out of the south, which is not conducive to a pleasant ride south-southeast to the shore. The breeze was fairly steady at around 5 mph with the occasional gust to 12-15, leg-sapping conditions I dealt with during most of the ride!

   Routes 655 and 47 were a cyclists dream with a wide shoulder and very few traffic lights. Route 655 had some pleasant scenery with a mix of farm and forest areas, but Route 47 all the way past Millville was just commercial sprawl. In fact it reminded me a lot of Route 1 anywhere near Philadelphia, Baltimore or Washington, with strip malls galore. The difference was that most of the road was single lane and there was the consistent presence of the extra wide shoulder, which was a treat.

  The roadside was always surprisingly clear of cinders and debris, which I attributed to the clearing effect of traffic turning into the shopping areas or cars swerving around those that were making left-hand turns. I saw plenty of the swerving, but the drivers were fairly attentive, and I had no incidents except for a lumber-hauling semi that nearly brushed my left side – YIKES!

   At about 65 miles, although fatigue was starting to set in from the wind battle, I made the planned “long route” split away from Route 347, which is remote and notoriously dangerous. Later during the drive home I was especially glad I had made that decision, despite the extra distance, when I witnessed a near head-on collision from a car attempting to pass with nowhere near enough room to do so. I was imagining riding my bike next to the cars that had to swerve into the shoulder to avoid the idiot, and I know they wouldn’t have been looking for me in that situation!

   There were actually some stretches of Route 47 in this area that turned directly east, out of the wind, which were supremely appreciated. I was nearly toast and seriously considered calling Sue to head out towards Dennisville to pick me up. I fought the temptation to quit, however, and since I was in more familiar segments of the route, I used landmarks as short-term goals to finish off the ride.

   Yes, the causeway had the usual smack-in-the-face conditions, but I tucked aerodynamically as much as my achy shoulders and neck would allow and was thrilled to cross the bridge into downtown Stone Harbor. I still had the better part of thirty blocks out to the Darley beach house on 120th Street, but that part of the adventure was a blur.

   It’s funny - the number of times I said to myself “This is something I never have to do again”, the heavy legs, stiff neck/shoulders and numb hands that had to be consistently shaken out were completely forgotten a few days later, as I considered routes that might be better “next time”. Insanity?