Category: bikes

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NESEA / Boston


I did some booth time for work in Boston last week at the NESEA Building Energy conference. This lovely machine was parked out front, waiting to shuttle supplies to and fro for Building Green – one of the event’s main sponsors. I know BG well, from my time in Brattleboro and my time researching and working in the natural building and green building side of the construction industry. Good folks all around – both at BG and at NESEA.

The bike is a Cycle Maximus Cargo Trike, and I believe it had electric assist. Hmm… could this work in Burlington? Local food delivery from City Market? Dragging drunk college kids back up the hill on a Friday night?

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Jet Pack

The Brompton was fantastic for getting around PDX in lieu of a rental car. About 1 minute and it was folded up nice and tight, ready to roll as a shopping cart, onto the MAX, or to tuck under a table at a cafe. I did all three – and it worked like a charm. I was working at the Expo center for a home show – and the bike folded in the back of the booth was a great conversation starter. The integrated bag was wonderful for toting a load about – the low position of the bag meant that I could drag the 17″ laptop, a change of clothes, rain gear, and some literature for the expo – and still have room stop at a hardware store and fit in glass cleaner and paper towels – all with relative ease and no adverse affect on handling.






If I lived in a larger town with good mixed modes of public transportation I’d seriously consider a folding bike. I’d search out a Brompton with more options for tuning my riding position – or maybe get a BikeFriday. If I ever hit the road again for work, or perhaps even if we join the budding Green Mountain Car Share here in Burlington I’ll add a folder to my stable as it would be the perfect vehicle for mixing commutes, business travel, and utility cycling ’round town (and with the right bike – a great bike for traveling via plane and train).

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The New SUV

Our new SUV – an authentic Dutch cargo bike – ‘Bakfiets’. It handles a load much nicer than the IF with the trailer… and toting the young nephews is a treat – they sit up front and enjoy the ride as much as I do. (and toting our little one to be was also some motivation for this bike!)

I feel so strongly about utility bikes and getting out of cars whenever we can that I’ve decided to work with an importer and bring these from Amsterdam to Burlington in limited quantities. Drop me a line (or comment with your email) if anyone out there is interested. I outfitted ours with a Brooks saddle and cork grips, and updated the lighting system a bit (this was purchased used, as a demo bike and needed some TLC). The Bakfiets that make it to the states arrive with roller brakes, Nexus 8 speed hubs, fenders, lights, a rear rack, and a removable bench in the ‘bak’. Published loading is 75 pounds on the rear rack and 200 pounds up front. I’ve moved groceries, dog and cat food, and people around Burlington. I just took delivery of a traditional kid tent and hope to have it installed before the weather turns to protect our cargo from the elements.

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Pic of the Week


I made the pic of the week over at Adventure Cycling. I submitted this a long long time ago – it was nice to get a confirmation email and finally see it online. The pic is of my IF ClubRacer from the Burlington waterfront on a cold and rainy day. I took off for a long ride, but after about 10 miles in the fog and misty rain I turned around and headed for home.

Posting has been sporadic. I’m working on a bike related business and spending much of my spare time developing the website, products, and planning. More later, as I delve into a human powered endeavor.

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Snow Piles and Winter Fixed

Got out again for a quick ride on the Surly. I really like riding fixed – even with the narrowing of the roads and the unpassable bike paths thanks to the 25″ of snow we received last week.

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Fixed

I’ve been missing the simplicity of the Redline 9.2.5 that I sold a while back. I rode it as a single speed machine commuting the mile to town when I lived in Putney, VT. It was a great grocery getter, office cruiser, and bike shop errand runner. I’ve been working on my old Trek – attempting to convert it into a winter go every where do everything bike. I’ve never really been happy with the the 520 so I decided to part with the bike – returning it to its orginal configuration with a few upgrades. It is currently posted for sale online. I’m using the proceeds to offset the cost of a simple, utility minded fun bike. I opted for a fixed gear / single speed machine – and unlike the Redline 9.2.5 which was a cheap impulse buy – I’ve thought about the details in how I want this bike to work, look, and feel.

I chose the Surly CrossCheck frame as the platform. I worked with Old Spokes Home here in Burlington to configure and outfit the bike. We set the rear wheel up with a Surly hub that has the Dingle Cog on one side and a single speed freewheel on the other. With the Dingle Cog I have two options to play with as I discover what gear ratios I feel comfortable spinning. The brakes are Cane Creek, front and rear hubs are 32 hole Surly, wheels are handbuilt on Salsa rims, stem, seatpost and pedals pieced together from my parts bin, and the saddle is the Brooks Swallow that moved from the IF when the An-atomica arrived. I’ve got a few more tweaks to work out on the fit – I’m trying to get it as close as I can to my distance machine.

It was COLD at 4 deg F with a windchill of -6, but it felt like -10. The limiting factor to my ride was my toes – I lost feeling in them about half way through.

There is one major rule when riding a fixed gear bike:

Never Stop Pedaling

The rear cog is fixed to the hub – as the cranks move so does the wheel. Unlike a freewheel bike there is no coasting – as the wheel moves the cranks move. This takes a bit of getting used to – and I debated using flat pedals or going clipless. I decided to go clipless to keep my feet firmly attached to my machine. I think this is the right choice for riding fixed – and time will tell as I gain more experience with the bike.

I tooled around the neighborhood until I felt confident and then headed to the lakefront bike path. The path was was packed snow and a bit of ice – I was a bit nervous about the conditions – I rode at a conservative pace – and the knobby cross tires worked well on the crunchy snow. I covered about 10 miles, including the hill I use for climbing repeats. The climb is short and sweet – nothing like the climbs in the Green Mountains – and it tops out at 8 or 9%. Climbing fixed was interesting – there is only 1 gear – so choosing your gear ratio is a compromise based on the terrain you plan to ride in. Too high a gear and you will struggle up climbs – too low a gear and you’ll spin out on the flats and descents. I had the bike set up in a modest gear, and riding fixed I felt better at the top of my training climb than when I hammer at a faster cadence on my geared bike. I certainly climbed slower than usual – but the bike has a ‘flywheel’ effect as the cranks keep on moving around as the bike moves forward. This felt like it gave me a bit more momentum – and I suspect I’ll be able to climb a gear or two higher fixed than on my geared machine.

I really like the way fixed riding feels – my legs moving in time with the bike – and with my limited experience I can see why many FG riders talk about feeling ‘one’ with their machine. I had some challenges moving over some of the rougher snow and ice on the bike path – I had to remember the rule of riding fixed and to keep the pedals moving when standing to float over obstacles! If you forget the bike gives you a reminder. Depending on what speed you are riding the reminder will be gentle or stern – as the wheels are spinning your legs are forced to move in time. This happened to me a few times today – adjusting my glasses, headlamp, and balaclava all found me slipping into autopilot and I stopped pedaling. The bike kicked back – a slightly unnerving event – but something I think will go away with experience. As you are one with the machine I found that you need to adjust riding habits. Reaching for a bottle – keep pedaling. Approaching traffic at an intersection – keep pedaling. Adjusting your jacket or helmet – keep pedaling. This also affects how you mount and dismount and stop for traffic.

The first time I needed to stop and restart was comical. I tried to time a stop at a lightly travelled intersection so that I would float up to the intersection with enough speed to get moving again – but not too much so that if I had to get out I could. As I did this another car entered the equation, and I lurched forward while squeezing the brakes. I did this 2 or 3 more times in about 15 feet as I figured out how to detach my foot from a pedal attached to a rotating crank. After this initial trial I found that getting my first foot out of the pedal was the easy bit – adjusting my speed and timing to remove the second foot was far more challenging. The leg just wanted to keep moving along with the bike – and you need to be moving to avoid falling over – so the timing of where in your pedal stroke you pull out your first foot and its relationship to speed and the location of the second foot seems critical. With time I’m sure this will become second nature – but at first not being able to coast up to a stop as you unclip is a very odd feeling. Getting in and out has me anxious to learn to track stand – I’ve always appreciated the value of it even on a geared bike (although I can’t do it for more than a few seconds unless the road is sloping just the right way) – on a FG it seems it will be easier – and a convenient skill to have for navigating stop and go city riding.

In all my first fixed ride was fun. My speed was way down – and my cadence felt way off – it could be the shorter cranks, the cold, or just getting used to a new bike. The 10 miles felt like 20, but I’m anxious to get back on the bike for another go of it. I’m not sure I’ll be ready for a long ride anytime soon – but I’m planning to ride part of my February century fixed – maybe up to 30 miles depending on which loop I choose – and how I feel tackling more challenging terrain.

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Winter Bike

Seems I always need something to do with my hands… designing and building furniture, crafting a timber frame, or working on a bike or two. I’m converting the Trek 520 from a straight road / touring rig to an all rounder – replacing the drop bars with Nitto Moustache’s, swapping out the brake pads for some all weather grippy types, and re-cabling the controls. I’ve got a set of 35mm cross tires waiting to meet the rims, have mounted the Brooks Swift, and I’ll get that rack remounted for the Ortlieb’s. The SPD pedals will come off – I’m anxious have a steed to ride in street shoes – so I’ll mount up some flat pedals and try the Power Grips I found in the clearance bin at West Hill. I’ve taken inspiration from Kent who is always mucking around with bikes and bike stuff, and David who is ready to ride this winter with a conversion all his own. I’m hoping the Trek will be a fun all-rounder that I won’t be shy about taking out as the sand and salt hit the roads… and I have to admit that I always feel a bit over outfitted riding the IF up to the corner (complete with LOOK cleated shoes) for a quick post office, hardware store, or grocery run.

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IF Ti ClubRacer

This summer I had the pleasure of building up my dream bike. I settled on Independent Fabrications, a local (only 2 hours away from me near Boston) and employee owned company with a national reputation for building custom bicycles. I toured the shop mid summer and felt right at home – the best I can describe the company is as the love child of art school, indy rock, web design, tatoo art, an expert metal craftsman and a bicycle builder. The crew has a passion for bikes – mountain, road, touring, single speed and fixed. They work in steel, carbon, titanium and combinations of the three.

I envisioned the bike as a do all distance machine. I chose the ClubRacer frame as a platform – it is described as having the pedigree of a racing bike with the sensibility of a light touring bike. I wanted a ride specifically designed for brevets and randonneurring – being able to handle a long day (or days) in the saddle in comfort – perhaps with some lite luggage – and definitely with options for wider tires and fenders. I chose titanium as a go everywhere, do everything material – it doesn’t rust, is light, and a good designer can select tubing and geometry to tune a ride as stiff or as plush as you like. West Hill Shop (my former, most favorite LBS) helped me size the frame, and Matt from IF took over from there. On my tour of the shop we sat down in front of the computer and tweaked the design a bit – in real time using bike specific CAD software. 10 weeks later the frame showed up at West Hill and I built it up under the supervision of Daq, the WHS’s ace mechanic. I’ve tweaked the bike since – I had an intense, pro fit done at FitWerx, and finally installed the TA cranks about 6 weeks ago. I currently have the bike rigged for fall and nasty weather riding – fenders and some wide Schwalbe 28mm tires, along with my handlebar bag and lights.

The craftsmanship of the frame is incredible – the ti welds are the nicest I’ve seen – after researching Lightspeed, Seven, Moots, and Serrotta. The finish is natural Ti with a shot peen surface. I chose discreet graphics – and IF was very cool about having the bike look exactly as I wanted it. The sterling silver headbadge was “standard” on a Ti frame – and initially I was skeptical of the need or cost of the sterling – but it adds a very subtle touch to the overall fit and finish of the frame. The fork is steel – with fender eyelettes and lowrider rack mounts. I’m using the lowrider mounts for my E6 lights – and so far they are working perfectly in that location.

The bike rides like none I’ve ever owned. We designed it for the long haul – but chose the tubing and geometry to reflect my riding style – as I mix standed and seated climbing. The bike has a slightly relaxed road geometry – based on their Crown Jewel frame. The frame has wider clearance in the fork and the rear triangle for fenders and wider tires, and longer chainstays to allow heel strike clearance should I mount panniers. When rigged for brevets everything “works” – there are no temporary or rigged fixes – fenders and lights mount like they should – solidly to the frame and fork (no plastic knob fixes here!) and the bike handles well with my handlebar bag loaded with food, the digicam, and extra clothes. The day after my FitWerx appointment I tackled a century loop to Lake Placid and Mirror Lake in the Adirondacks and I was comfortable the ride through – something I cannot say for any other bike I owned. This was in part I’m sure do to sweating the fit, as well as having a frame designed for my body and riding style. The Ti ride quality feels like my steel touring bike – but is significantly stiffer in the drivetrain and bottom bracket than my previous steel and carbon road machine. Seated and standing climbing “feels” different than my previous rides – and with the TA cranks I have options to swap chainrings as I take on next season’s brevets – which are typically designed to showcase the North East’s terrian – in Massachussttes this means brutally steep little climbs with deteriorating road surfaces, and in Vermont it means mountain gaps and incredible scenery.

I really like the Jeckyll / Hyde nature of the bike. Through August I rode the bike in a minimal road configuration – riding my lighter wheels and forgoing the fenders, lights, and luggage. The bike feels every bit as snappy as my racier machine – and I really like how the bike takes to the road and handles unladen, as well as the simplicity of riding this way. As the seasons changed to fall I rigged the bike in a more typical long distance event setup – adding the lights, fenders, and luggage – and was pleasantly surprised at how the bike felt in motion. I’ve certainly added weight to the frame – but for the long haul (a 400k brevet is 248 miles) wider tires, fenders for foul weather (we always get some!), lights, and a place to carry warm clothes are a must. I like equally as much how the bike takes to the road in self sufficient – randonneurring mode. Both options “feel” right.

Independent Fabrications ClubRacer
Titanium frame and steel fork

Campagnolo Record Ergolevers (10 speed)
Salsa Bell Lap Handlebars (46 cm wide)
Shimano Long Reach Brakes (for wider tire and fender clearance)
Campagnolo Chorus Rear Derailer
Campagnolo Chorus Front Derailer
Specialities TA Carmina 94 BCD Crankset
50,34 chainrings with 175mm cranks
Phil Wood bottom bracket
Look CX-6 Carbon pedals
Brooks Swallow leather saddle with titanium rails
VDO MC 1.0+ Cyclocomputer with Altimeter

Curved chainstays…

TA Carmina cranks and chainrings…

Short Haul:
Wheels
Mavic Classics Ceramic
Mavic Hubs Front and Rear
Campagnolo 13-29 Cassette
Continental Grand Prix 4 Season 23mm tires

Ortlieb Medium or Large Seatpack

Across Lake Champlain on the Essex-Charlotte Ferry…

On the Winnooski Bike Bridge…

Long Haul:
Wheels
Mavic Open Pro with Schmidt Nabendynamo Hub 32 hole, black
Mavic Open Pro with Campagnolo Chorus 32 hole Hub and 13-29 Cassette
Currently testing Schwalbe Marathon Plus 28mm tires
Honjo Fenders, 35mm smooth

Lights
Dual fork mounted Schmidt E6’s
Cateye TL-LD1000 on custom rear mount under saddle
Cateye HL-EL410 on bars as a front “be seen” light

Bags
Ortlieb Ultimate 3 Handlebar Bag (older version, with map case)
Ortlieb Medium or Large Seatpack

Lights, fenders, wide tires…

Exploring the Green Mountains, in the rain…

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Rome, Italy

After enjoying Florence, we were on to Rome. Again, the architecture, art, and urban life did not disappoint, nor did the food. Highlights included touristy stops at the Coloseum, Palantine, Forum, Pantheon and the Vatican Museums – as well as wandering and dining the twisting streets of Trastevere.

Conversations and critique regarding empire, power, politics, and religion intertwined with our site seeing. The Colossuem, impressive as an architectural wonder turned my stomach as I read about the spectacle of the games, the exploitation and death of slaves, political prisoners, and countless thousands of wild animals. The decay of the Forum and the overlapping of history, technology, and the politics of “civilization” – dating from before the Roman Empire to long after I will be capable of wandering the ruins – raised questions of our own empire here at home – and what will become of all that has been created in the name of democracy, government, civility, and “progress”. The perceived grandeur of what was Rome, and the reality of what is Rome (in all its historic and modern beauty) tugged at my thoughts. What are we doing? Where are we going? Is our fate (the royal “our” – that of the “enlightened” and “civilized” world of the global economy and “western” ideals) to be the same as Rome, Ancient Greece, and countless other city states and empires we have created? Are we doomed to collapse, decay, and destrcution – either from within or from without?

Pantheon

Vatican Museums

Bikes were scant compared to Florence. Rome seemed ruled by the Smart car, scooter, and private auto. The streets a bit meaner, the traffic a bit faster, and walking combined with the bus, metro, or light rail seemed a bit more sane way of getting about.

Smart Car

Italian Postal Scooter

Traffic signal for cyclists

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Florence, Italy

Jen and I spent 10 days enjoying life in Florence and Rome. We planned our days around walking (and eating) tours of the two cities. Florence was our first stop – and for four days we wandered the labyrinthine streets crowded with scooters, cars, bicycles and pedestrians – a textured collision of history, technology, and life. Our days combined wandering through town and taking in city life (the market, cafes, relaxing on the piazza’s) with touristy bits of gallery browsing, architecture gawking, and sculpture sighting. Sites included the Duomo (Santa Maria del Fiore, pictured above) which is Brunelleschi’s masterpiece of architecture in Florence, as well as the Uffizi Gallery, the Museo del Bargello, and a stop to see Michelangelo’s “David” and the Academia Gallerie. The art and architecture did not disappoint – “David” being incredible to behold in person – and as I took in the both the architecture and urban design I continually pondered the human energy and ingenuity required to create the thriving city of Florence – all with lack of computers, FEA analysis, tractor trailers, and cranes.

We planned our afternoons and evenings specifically around meals. The food was phenomenal – we typically chose small, out of the way eateries – taking in traditional food from family owned establishments. The combination of fresh local ingredients, wonderful atmostphere, incredibly friendly hosts (and other diners), and traditional recipes made the trip a gastronomic delight. We’ve had an odd re-adjustment upon landing back in the states – our first desperate meal in the Philadelphia airport (for our 5 hour layover) was disheartening. Back in Vermont we’re questing for tomatoes, bread, pasta, and mozzarella (and hopefully other seasonal and local ingredients) that will do our dining memories justice.

There were lots and lots of bikes in Florence – far more than in Rome. Florentines plyed the narrow, twisty streets on all sort of steed – commuter bikes, mountain bikes, 3 speeds, and even a few road bikes. All beautiful – and all typically rigged for “everyday” cycling. Most had fenders, bottle generators, headlight and tail lights, and some means of carrying things to and fro.

Bike parking at the train station

Fuzzy bike

Commuter

On street bike parking

Pink bike

More…