• About Me

Cycle Seattle

~ Posts on bikes

Cycle Seattle

Monthly Archives: February 2011

Snow Commuter

25 Friday Feb 2011

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bicycle commute, brooks, commute, knobby, schwalbe, snow, snow commute, studs, thumb shifters, tires, v-brakes


I had built a set of snow stud tires a few years ago after a particularly long spell of snow in Seattle.  I hadn’t gotten a chance to use them in last year’s mild winter, and put them away.  In the meantime, I got a new “old” frame that I swapped out all my MTB components on and made a new winter bike.  The problem is that my new bike wouldn’t fit the snow stud tires.  I ended up rebuilding the old mountain bike frame into a dedicated snow beast.  I finished it earlier this year, but too late to test it in the early winter snow we had.

Well – I got my chance on Wednesday.  It was forecast to be a rough commute home with 2-6″ of new snow.  Needless to say, I rode the bike in, and home on dry pavement (figures), and discovered a few things I had learned a long time ago.

  1. Commuting on a mountain bike is no fun.
  2. Thin handlebars with plain old cotton tape is not too comfy – I prefer cork tape overwrapped with cotton for a added girth.
  3. I really like thumb shifters and v-brakes!
  4. A non-leather hammock seat (in this case a WTB) modern seat is not comfortable to me – I developed hot spots on the “cushy” seat after only a few miles.  I’m sticking with Brooks.
  5. Studded knobby tires are a waste of time unless you are on deep snow.  I went through more snow on Schwalbe Big Apple road tires with little problem earlier this year, and they were definitely less work.

I hate to say it, but this bike will quickly be sold, or just become a dedicated mountain bike again.  Sometimes what appears to be bitchin’ is really just lame…

Taking a riding break

14 Monday Feb 2011

Posted by Stonehog in Uncategorized

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

a. homer hilsen, albatross, bicycle, Chilly Hilly, nitto, randonneur, rivendell, tendinitis


I’ve had a bout of tendinitis for the past year or so, and I’m going to try laying off the biking for a few weeks. I picked the perfect week as it was just hailing, and blowing way too hard today! I may try a few things to help the healing – like finally finding a good masseuse or physical therapist. I am also in the process of a house move, so it will help to not be too tired to paint.

I do plan to ride in the Chilly Hilly on February 27th, so I may put the Nitto Randonneur bars on my Hilsen and try drops one more time (no luck with noodles). I give it a 40% chance, but I like the traditional look, and have Albatross bars on the other bike.

Porteurs leaving at long last?

Dyno = Good!

08 Tuesday Feb 2011

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling, Uncategorized

≈ 4 Comments

Tags

bicycle, Busch & Muller, Clinometer, commute, CYO, dynamo lighting, dyno, hilsen, homer, IQ, rivendell, Shimano, Toplight


Steel Dyno Commuter

I’ve biked in the dark for years using battery lights.  Over the past few seasons I’ve used various Planet Bike lights, and put up with the  fading light on my hour commute home.  I was contemplating getting a lithium-ion rechargeable that a friend had recommended (Exposure Toro), but a nagging little voice kept bugging me to try a dyno and be free of the battery mess.

I finally picked out a Shimano/Mavic dynamo hub/rim combo from Universal Cycles for a buck 50, and called Peter White for some lights.  I went with the B&M IQ CYO RT

B&M IQ CYO RT Headlight

and Toplight Line Plus.

B&M Toplight Line Plus Taillight

As the wheel came with no instructions, I had to dig them up on the web.  I found the manual in the Shimano docs.

The only tricky part was figuring out which wire was ground (white stripe) and where it goes on the hub connector (the side with the little graphic).  I mounted the light to the fork crown.  Once that was done, I just zip tied the front light wire to my fork, taped the tail light wire under the top tube, zip tied it out the rack and up to the tail light that I mounted on the back of a Wald Large basket.  I used a couple large washers to hold it to the rack wires, and it turned out solid and lined up well.

Wald Washer Mount for Taillight

I left all the extra wire to the tail light and just looped the excess under the rack so I would have it if I ever mounted it on another bike.  I coiled the extra front light wire around the fork by the connector for the same reason.

Extra wire near hub

On my beam alignment first ride, I found that the perfect beam happened when I had the face of the CYO at exactly 90 degrees.  As it’s also a reflector, I figure this is just due to precision engineering.  I also found that my iPhone app, Clinometer, has become one of the most effective tools to have in the bike kit.

Reflections

For what it’s worth, I ride between 12-17 mph on my commute, but there are large sections where I’m doing under 9 mph on hills.  I haven’t over-run the light yet on my 30+ mph downhill blasts, but most of my fast downhill sections are well lit streets.

I’m sold.  I will now be adding this same lighting setup to my A. Homer Hilsen next season.  It’s super great to not have to worry about batteries, and I find myself going to my “rain” bike just so I can ride this light combo home at night.  It’s much better than the 2 watt Planet Bike Blaze (at over twice the price…) I’ve used now for 2 seasons.  That light tends to have a poor definition, and the B&M has such great focus, it truly cuts off at waist level when riding, so it’s not blasting folks on the trail coming towards me.  I get much better close field light, and there is noticable light to either side in front of me. It’s also always the same!  No more of the guessing if the batteries are starting to die.  Just consistently bright light.  Love it!

Alternative Commuting

03 Thursday Feb 2011

Posted by Stonehog in Cycling

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

bicycle, commute, cycling, hilsen, homer, rivendell


Back from a winter ride

I’ve been a bike commuter for about 20 years now.  Not full time, but a few days a week most of the time, and my bike time has gotten more involved as I get older.

I believe that biking to work/school/errands will make you healthy, happy, less stressed, and more energized.  This is all based on my personal experience, however.  You may be a “different” type of person who finds it to make you sick, sad, and stressed out.  You either need to give it more time (do it for 3 months), or perhaps you should just take the bus.

Either way works for me.  Now I just need to figure out how I can manage to do this until I die.  It’s that big a deal.

Flickr Photos

BH-19.jpgBH-18.jpgBH-17.jpgBH-16.jpgBH-15.jpgBH-14.jpgBH-13.jpgBH-12.jpgBH-11.jpgBH-10.jpg
More Photos

Archive

  • August 2020 (1)
  • March 2018 (1)
  • January 2018 (1)
  • July 2017 (1)
  • June 2017 (1)
  • May 2017 (1)
  • February 2017 (1)
  • December 2016 (1)
  • November 2016 (1)
  • August 2016 (2)
  • March 2016 (1)
  • January 2016 (6)
  • December 2015 (2)
  • November 2015 (1)
  • June 2015 (5)
  • May 2015 (1)
  • April 2015 (1)
  • March 2015 (2)
  • January 2015 (2)
  • December 2014 (2)
  • November 2014 (2)
  • October 2014 (2)
  • September 2014 (2)
  • August 2014 (1)
  • July 2014 (1)
  • June 2014 (1)
  • May 2014 (2)
  • April 2014 (5)
  • March 2014 (4)
  • February 2014 (4)
  • January 2014 (6)
  • December 2013 (1)
  • November 2013 (2)
  • October 2013 (2)
  • September 2013 (1)
  • August 2013 (1)
  • July 2013 (2)
  • May 2013 (6)
  • April 2013 (1)
  • March 2013 (6)
  • February 2013 (2)
  • January 2013 (7)
  • December 2012 (5)
  • November 2012 (2)
  • October 2012 (2)
  • September 2012 (3)
  • August 2012 (3)
  • July 2012 (1)
  • June 2012 (4)
  • May 2012 (7)
  • April 2012 (1)
  • March 2012 (1)
  • February 2012 (4)
  • January 2012 (5)
  • December 2011 (6)
  • November 2011 (4)
  • June 2011 (2)
  • May 2011 (4)
  • March 2011 (2)
  • February 2011 (4)

Enter your email address to follow this blog and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 95 other subscribers

Blog at WordPress.com.

  • Follow Following
    • Cycle Seattle
    • Join 95 other followers
    • Already have a WordPress.com account? Log in now.
    • Cycle Seattle
    • Customize
    • Follow Following
    • Sign up
    • Log in
    • Report this content
    • View site in Reader
    • Manage subscriptions
    • Collapse this bar
 

Loading Comments...