23 Sunday Feb 2014
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Toussaint Build, a set on Flickr.
This is how I purchased the bike – frame, fork plus! I need a different front rim, and I’m re-curving the fender line, but it will likely get built up this week. I can’t wait to ride the sweet Hetres.
22 Saturday Feb 2014
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a. homer hilsen, Babyshoe Pass, Barlow Pass, compass, cycles, extra lever, Gran Bois, Hetre, jan heine, light tires, randonneur, rivendell, supple, tires
Bigger, lighter 700C tires! Just what we’ve been waiting for, Jan! Can’t wait to try the Barlow Pass – looks like a great alternative on my country bike. Big thumbs-up on the names for the new tire range. Love the NW mountain pass theme. I have some Hetre Extra Legers going on a new bike, but I’m going to have to get a pair of the Babyshoe Pass tires for the next set.
More info from Jan – all new tires – not re-branded Gran Bois. They have been created based on all the tire testing Jan and crew have done over the years. I’m very interested in the 700c x 32mm, 38mm, and the 650b x 42s. I will have to get new fenders for the Hilsen so I can put the big guys on!
Compass Bicycles Ltd. introduces a full line of high-performance tires in both 700C and 650B sizes. The narrower 700C tires are a great way to transform the performance and comfort of a racing bike. The wider 700C tires, especially the 38 mm-wide “Barlow Pass”, will allow riders of 700C bikes to enjoy the benefits of supple, fast and wide tires. The wide 650B models provide more performance and better cornering grip than existing models, thanks to their optimized tread pattern and thickness.
Eight years ago we started the first systematic real-world tests of tire performance in recent memory. We conducted both roll-down tests and track tests with a power meter. What was revolutionary about these tests was that they were performed with a rider on board. As it turns out, the rider is an integral system of the bike, and suspension losses in the rider’s body are one of…
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19 Wednesday Feb 2014
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650b, biking, Chilly Hilly, Cycles Toussaint, cycling, low-trail, Rawland, rivendell, Seattle, Soma Grand Randonneur, stag, Velo Routier
I have been awaiting the Soma Grand Randonneur frame I had ordered a month ago, and suddenly got a wild hair to re-think the decision. Actually, I lost patience as the rando season is swiftly approaching.
Late last year, my LBS built up a few newer arrivals in the steel bike, low-trail, 650B vein. I did some test rides, and came away with a definite feel for how these bikes differ from my existing rides. In my weekly after-work stop, I was chatting with owner Kathleen, and discussing ordering a Rawland Stag (one of the bikes in this club I hadn’t ridden) when she suggested I look at the Toussaint again. I quickly dismissed it as I recalled it being a 57cm frame, and feeling that was too small. But the seed was planted. I looked up the geometry again, and noticed it was not much different from my A. Homer Hilsen – 1cm less top tube, but the same stand over. Hmmm – that’s why it felt so right when I rode it after the Soma.
After much soul searching and pondering alternatives, it sounds like the bike I’ve been looking for was the Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier that was right under my nose for the past few months. Kathleen is pulling some of the original build off it so I can use my existing cockpit and crankset. I will pick it up this week, and I can’t wait to get it built up and out on the trail. I may try to ride it on the Chilly Hilly this weekend – that would be amazing, but possible if the chips fall in my favor…
02 Sunday Feb 2014
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ballard locks, bicycle, Centennial Park, cycling, golden gardens, Myrtle Edwards, Super Bowl, Super Bowl Ride, Winter commute
I wanted to get up and do a different route to work today (had to go in on a Sunday to support Super Bowl mobile TV traffic). I thought the route would add a few miles to my commute, give me some extra hills, and maybe take a lot longer. Surprise – it was the same 12ish miles as my normal “long” route – ha! It’s amazing how deceiving route planning can be. It was a cool morning, and there were icy parts on the road, but the sun was out, and I knew it would be a good day for a ride.
I went straight west a few miles to the Puget Sound. I stopped for a few picture of the frosty beach. It was vacant at 9am on a Sunday. The mountains were trying to peak through the clouds, and we had a nice foggy inversion happening south of Seattle.
Going across the Ballard Locks (also empty but for a few runners), I noticed the 12th man flag.
The water was so gorgeous, I found myself looking for fish in the locks. Nothing today, but with more time, I would have checked the fish ladders. I’ve heard the steelhead are running now.
I found a new route from the locks to the railway cut that allowed me to miss a short, steep rise, and then it was on to the Centennial and Myrtle Edwards and down the waterfront. The sun really makes a day in Seattle extra great!
Cycle Seattle 