A Belated Happy Fathers' Day, and Other Things

As this was my dad's weekend to get to do whatever he wanted, I spent it back home mostly drinking beer and making various food items.  There was also a Fathers' Day Bike Ride involved, which reminded me that 95 degrees is less than optimal for doing anything involving brain cells.

In local news, San Mateo County is closing part of one of the bike trails for construction for about ten weeks (which started June 3rd).  It seems like this is going to be the section that is being worked on, though supposedly construction is only 8AM to 5PM...whether or not that means it will be open for commuting aside from that, I don't know.  There are other routes, thankfully, but it still sucks for anyone directly affected.  

Brooks today announced that the new Cambium saddle is on sale in limited quantities, and the few reviews from the testers so far are pretty positive.  To be honest, I'm not sure I like the color or look of the Cambium, but I'm still curious to try one out and see if what everyone is saying is true.

Regarding the Takhion Headset Caps, I'm speaking to another company right now that has the capability to print a more rubbery material that might work better.  Still in the prototyping stages, but I'm hoping to have something available soon to anyone that's interested!

Helios Bars have been getting attention lately, and while I like the concept I can't say I like the execution.  There are too many measurement factors with stems and bars, and the turn signal nubbins sticking off towards the rider are just a recipe for stabbing if you happen to have a bad crash.  If they offered these in a plethora of measurements and changed the design a bit, I might consider them (because hey, GPS), and maybe they will now that they've passed their funding goal.

I have to give Chainlove a shout out for having some of the best customer service I've ever dealt with.  In my idiocy I thought I had a damaged spoke on the front wheel, and it turned out to be the rear.  They had new wheels out to me before I even woke up the next morning, and were awesome about the whole exchange.  To date, I have both wheels in good shape and they recieved my return with no problems.

And finally, a belated Happy Fathers' Day to any dads out there (who hopefully got to get out and take a nice ride this weekend)!  I wonder if there are any official Fathers' or Mothers' Day rides out there...I could see Fathers on Fixed Gears being a thing.  Or Moms on Mamacharis!

The only photo I managed to grab on my heat fueled ride.

Takhion Headset Cap: The First Prototypes

The very first prototypes of my Takhion headset cap recreation project have arrived, and, well, there's good news and bad news.

Since these were just meant to be prototypes and I was expecting some issues to occur, it's no big loss, but it is still a bit of a drag to have to go back to the drawing board.

Lets start with the good.

Batch number one.

Surprisingly, the dimensions appear to be correct and everything fits well - the cap fits in the frame, and the bar ends fit nicely in the bars.  Everything printed *mostly* okay, with the detail of the Takhion logo coming through nicely.  There are a few small differences between the main cap that I modeled from and the print, but that might now entirely be my fault.

I'm shocked that it worked, to be honest.  Though I also definitely didn't order white, so there's that.

Before I submit these for another print, there's minimal work that I have to do to fix them.  So, there's at least that for good news.

These came out rather well considering I pulled the design mostly out of thin air.  They look a big big because the bars aren't wrapped, but I still might shrink them a bit anyway, just in case.

And, onto the bad.

Shapeways described the material as a "strong and flexible plastic" but it feels and behaves more like sandstone.  The rough texture isn't a problem, but "flexible" isn't a word I'd use to describe this material in any way.  Unfortunately it doesn't at all resemble the original material, and though it fits the frame isn't flexible enough to remove or rubbery enough to properly seal.  

Second, apparently my designs weren't subdivided before being printed, which is a bit surprising to me.  I'd expect a 3D printing company to print at a higher subdivision level by default, and there was no instruction or notification anywhere stating that it should be one or the other.  This is why these pieces appear jagged and polygonal instead of smooth, and I can't take truly accurate measurements comparing this print to the original.  I'll admit this is more my fault than anything, and I should have asked prior to printing what the standard is. 

Lastly, the quality varied too much to ensure each piece would work.  Of the two bar caps that I received, one was very clean and detailed, and the other was poorly defined and pretty bad looking. 

The left one isn't as nice as the right.  I'd need better quality control on these for them to work.  

For fixes, I accidentally flipped the Takhion logo upside down on the headset cap.  This is an easy fix, but it was still a pretty stupid mistake on my part.  At least it's the only major issue.

This is why I can't have nice things

I'll cross check the new cap as best as I can with the old, but in the meantime I need to find a different printing method that will get me something that can withstand being in a frame.  

Onto take two!

On Caltrain Tags

I had some things come up this weekend, so I wasn't able to grab any photos.  Instead, here's a PSA on Caltrain tags.  

Watching people on the train, you'd think that organizing bicycles was something along the lines of rocket science.  Apparently, "group all bicycles going to X" is a difficult concept for some people to grasp, and it's made even harder by the staggering number of bikes that lack Caltrain bike tags.  

A standard tag looks like this - simple and effective.  Image from here.

If you're a regular on the train, you know (or should know) that all bikes have to be tagged with their destinations so that they can be grouped together.  Though the grouping system that Caltrain uses is pretty terrible to begin with, when all of the bikes have tags it makes it just a little easier to navigate the madness.

From here.

All said and done, it makes life a whole lot easier to have a train tag.  For the few people that I've met who have used the excuse that Caltrain is either out of tags or the standard tags "are too ugly," here are a few ideas that you can use to give your bike a tag and make everyone happy.

Expert Mode:  This guy decided to go all out and make not only a tag but a top tube protector as well.  It's big, it's visible, and it keeps his bike safe from the insanity of Caltrain.  Definitely the coolest type of tag I've seen.

Super clever!  Image from here!

Classy:  If sewing usually results in you getting needles in various body parts, this might be more for you.  In fact, this person will even print them for you and basically make the entire tag!  I like these because they stand out and add a bit of personality to your bike, but without needing to be permanently attached or too over the top.  Plus, it's easy to change your location if you need to!

Image from here!

Permanent:  Lots of people use labels on their top tubes, usually made of vinyl, to show their destination.  These are nice because they're permanent (meaning they can't be stolen), weatherproof, and also inexpensive.    Occasionally people overlook it, but more often than not I get people asking about it.  Places like Vinyl Disorder sell these for about $2 each, and you can do almost any color and font.  

I have mine on either side of my top tube.  

Tried and True: The regular tags work well enough, and people often take an old luggage tag and make their own.  The only issue is they can be stolen and are not weather proof so touch them up every once in a while.

I don't think I know that transfer point.  Image from here.

If nothing else, a post it note, a piece of tape, or lines paper wrapped around your top tube will all do the trick and let people know where you're going.  And really, if you're too lazy to wrap some paper with your destination scrawled across it in ball point pen across your top tube, you might want to step back and reevaluate your life.  

I Fixed It: More Musings of a Fixed Gear Belt Drive

After a few months of kicking around on my belt driven fixed gear, it's time for a follow up to the original entry.

Since the original post didn't include a lot of technical details, I wanted to address some of that here for anyone wondering about chainline, specs, spacing, etc.

If you're looking for a good belt drive bike, single speed, geared or fixed, there's a plethora to choose from.  Currently there are a few fixed geared options on the market, but when I converted this one there were only CDC options and there was also some debate regarding the CDC verses CDX system being used fixed, with some people arguing that the CDC system could slip and had to be run at too high of a tension.  While I don't know if this is fact, I have both systems and have never had a belt slip, so I would assume that like every bike, proper care and maintenance probably makes a big difference.  In short, I mostly went with the CDX system because of the part availability.

Anyway, lets get to it.

I've been asked if this is my drift charm.

Ratio: I'm running 55:21 right now, with my other options being changing the belt rings in increments of 5 (and also changing the belt).  Right now I'm at about 70 gear inches, which I enjoy for general road use.  As far as threaded fixed cogs go for belt drives, 21T was my only option when I laced my wheel, and to my knowledge this is still the case.  White Industries now makes a thread on belt cog freewheel though, so flip/flop is an option!

Chainline: My District is a bit of a special case.  The rear spacing is 135mm, but the original wheels were made to work with a road chainline of 47.5mm.  Although I replaced the cranks, I kept with the road spacing and decided to maintain that throughout.  With the CDX system, chainline has to be precise.  Belt rings are also not available in 144 BCD, so many standard track bottom brackets won't work unless you change out the axle.  

The dropout system.

Crank: I swapped out the stock 175mm monster with more adequate 165mm Sugino RD cranks to give me the proper chainline (and proper BCD) and also a bit more spinning power.  Plus, I'm a bit short for anything longer than 172.5.  Again, track cranksets are not an option because of the BCD, so make sure you get something with 130mm and not 144!

Rear Wheel: Since I have wonky spacing and wanted wheels that matched my bike, I had to lace a Surly Hub to a Velocity B43 rim.  Instead of using a 135mm Surly Hub which would through off my chainline, I used a 130mm fixed/free hub with some spacers and a bit of tweaking to the dishing to get what I was looking for.  I'm sure this isn't the best method, but it was such a slight adjustment and this was initially only a test.  So far, it's working fine and my chainline is perfect, so for the time being I'll stick with it.

Frame:  The Trek District was originally meant to be more of a relaxed road frame, so it's by no means a track frame, nor is it a fixed gear for the road frame.  Nonetheless, it's a nice ride that isn't overly aggressive and does well on longer jaunts, but doesn't have geometry that's entirely set back so I can still ride a bit aggressively if I want to (I believe the angle of the seat tube is around 73.5 on this model).  My caveats are the longer top tube that I need to compensate for with a shorter stem and I'd prefer the frame to be steel over aluminum, but that's a different story.  The frame itself separates at the dropouts, which is how the belt is changed out.  

No more rear brake.  I decided to keep this one solely fixed. 

Maintenance: It seems like there's a lot of people very apprehensive about dealing with the belt.  Granted, the first time you work with it it might take a while to adjust tension and get everything lined up, but with the district and CDX system once the dropout placements are set, removing and replacing the wheel is just as easy as a chain, minus the grease.  I can remove the wheel, change a flat, and replace it in about five minutes.  I haven't had to retension yet, with the exception of when I switched from the CDC to CDX system.  It's just like tensioning a chain on a regular fixed gear, really!

Wear and Tear:  I don't hit many extremes here in California, but I do ride about 20 miles daily along the bay, which includes salt, sand, and some lovely road grime.  I have yet to need to replace a belt...in fact, I've yet to have to do more than routine cleaning and maintenance to the bike, and I think the only thing I've done to the belt at all is a quick wipe down.  It hasn't stretched, and consequently the cog is also still in good shape.  Things are still fairly new, but by this time on any other bike I'd have re lubed the chain more than once. Also, this bike survives a daily beating on Caltrain, which includes everything from kids with spikey BMX bikes to ladies with massive Dutch style tanks that all get basically thrown against each other.  This bike has seen some things, and has survived.  

Part Availability: If you're dreaming of a Phil Wood belt driven bike, you might want to reconsider just a bit.  Though Phil did make these parts, they aren't making them right now, and the backorder is months long.  If you already have the parts in hand, then you're lucky, and your bike will be fantastic - and also CDC.  Gates and White Industries are the main suppliers, and generally stock is good on all of the parts needed, though the 21T cog was quite popular for a while and took me a few weeks to track down. It's not like hunting for an ultra rare group though, so getting parts isn't a hassle - though they are a bit pricier than a standard drivetrain.  All parts that I have come across have been high quality and well made, so for the time being there really isn't the chance of getting a low end belt group.

Overall Parts Changed:  I changed out the entire CDC system to the CDX system, which was a huge overhaul (cog, belt, belt ring).  The crank was also swapped, as were the handlebars for my more preferred pursuit bars.  With the handlebars I also changed the brake levers to SRAM TT levers (or a SRAM TT lever, I should say).  The saddle was switched to something nicer (Specialized Ruby, which I highly recommend to all you ladies out there), but it's rare that I keep a stock saddle anyway.  I had to lace the rear wheel in order to get something that would work with the thread on fixed cog, so there was the rim, hub, and the spokes.  And, of course, cables, but that's easy.  

There was also the vinyl addition of both reflective striping and the Caltrain Tag, but that was a minor upgrade.  

Ride Quality: Smooth.  Buttery smooth.  And quiet.  Rides like, well, a fixed gear, but a fixed gear with a perfect chainline.  The belt really doesn't feel any different from a chain as far as stretch goes, but I do find it just a bit nicer.  I'm also probably quite biased.  Anyway, it accelerates just as fast as a chain, and resists just as well.  I don't generally skid stop, because I enjoy my knees, but it does seem to lock up fairly well during the rare times I do (actually, this is really where the CDC vs. CDX debate came head to head - if you primarily skid, go with CDX just for the extra security).  It truly is a fun ride, and lots of people ask about the belt, so you get to have some good conversations and meet new people, if you're into that.  

Conclusion: If you came here looking for info on a fixed gear belt drive because you're curious, here's my two cents: if you were planning to get a fixed gear for commuting/the road and want to spend a little extra, go for the belt.  If you have a current bike that you're perfectly happy with and have no problems with a chain whatsoever, it's probably not worth it to switch unless you really have a harsh environment (or, if you really want to!).  If you want a fun project and have a frame that would be capable of taking a belt though, it is pretty cool to learn a new system and have a belt driven bike.  Basically, it's not for everyone - certainly not for the velodrome or someone who likes to change ratios frequently.  But, if you want something fixed and durable (and perhaps want to eliminate a chain snapping or the Cat 6 Tattoo) I really do think it's worth it.  

I'd be happy to answer any other questions or point you in the right direction if needed!  

Ride on!

I've got the 2001: A Space Odyssey monolith song in my head

There was a seriously amazing moment when I put these next to my frame and saw how they'd look together.  I may have screamed like a little girl.

They match my cheerful color scheme.

It's a bit too dark at the moment to take anymore decent shots, but I'm going to do a full inspection this weekend to make sure they're in perfect shape (the packaging was way less than ideal) and I'll grab some photos then.  The boxes certainly weren't damaged, but I want to check the spokes and ensure they're true.  

Hopefully this bike will be complete in time for me to take it to the Levi's GranFondo, or at least complete soon enough that I can register.  We'll see.

Things From This Week

Just a couple random tidbits and cool things for today.

After a momentary setback involving the scale being about one tenth of what it should be, it seems that Shapeways has successfully sent these guys for printing.  There was a lot of initial swearing when I got an e-mail saying my items were unprintable, but once I fixed the units and had the caps be more than 3mm wide, things were good to go.  Really excited to see how they turn out.  Even more excited that now the size is right I can get them in cool colors.

Strangely enough, I also received a letter from San Mateo County today, and was pretty psyched to find out they had sent me a $40 REI Gift Card as part of their commute.org incentive in which you pledged to take alternate transportation to work at least three days a week during April and May, and then you go online and fill out a survey telling them that you did.  I figured I would be entered in a drawing of some sort, but apparently everyone who did the survey got one (and were then all entered into a drawing for a free iPad or something).  How easy is that - ride to work, get money for REI stuff (or Clipper Card/some other commuter thing, I think).  

Today the unthinkable happened and my dream wheelset for my YFBS Bike showed up on Chainlove.  Meaning that now I have everything for that bike with the exception of the drivetrain, the pedals, and a few other small bits and pieces like tires and one more bottle cage.

Ridership on Caltrain is increasing quite a bit, and if you find yourself being a victim of getting bumped, please, please report it here!  Caltrain does look at these reports, and they tend to switch out cars (if they can) if cyclists are repeatedly getting left behind.  And if you don't have a tag already - for the love of whatever you feel is holy, tag your damn bike.  If you can't get a free tag from the conductor, make one.  At the very least, sit near your bike and tell other people where it's going.  And if you leave your untagged bike to be surrounded by bikes heading to a different destination and then you have to dig your bike out and inconvenience everyone, you really have no right to be angry.  

Photos of the headset on the YFBS bike coming this weekend!

Takhion Headset Cap Recreation: First Attempt

Being that this was one of the first weekends I've been home BOTH days, I actually had some time to accomplish a few things I've been meaning to take care of, all while drinking copious amounts of caffeine.  There was a project I've been itching to tackle, and while it's bike related it's a bit different from anything else I've done.

Many of the Takhions that I love so much came with a cap to cover the special headset, protecting it from the elements and offering a nice seal that can be easily removed to service the bearings.  

One the caps I've seen in better condition.  This one still fits properly and it's too beat up.

Lots of these caps are either missing or damaged, some to the point where they are no longer functional.  The cap on my Takhion Temp has seen some seriously better days, and falls out of the frame every time it's put in.  Many more of the Takhions I've come across has no cap at all, exposing the headset and allowing the elements to get inside the frame.  

Pretty sad state. 

To make a long story short, I had wanted to figure out a way to make some new caps.  A mold wouldn't work since the caps I have aren't in the nicest condition anyway, and I would need the right material.  Suddenly, a coworker of mine started talking about 3D printing, and I realized that with current technology it might be the perfect medium to replicate these caps.

So I set to work last night with more caffeine, some calipers, and terrible modeling skills with an attempt to recreate the cap in correct scale.  I won't go into the 3D modeling details, but a few hours later, I had something.

No wireframe, because it's shameful and it's not being deformed anyway.

I cleaned up the geometry according to Shapeway's specs, and submitted the model hoping it would pass the initial tests.  To my surprise it did, and also to my surprise, I had the option to print it in black, flexible plastic - a material that very closely resembles the original.  

Feeling optimistic, I grabbed the calipers again and did another design.

This one was much easier.

It's a bit difficult to tell, but it's a handlebar end cap for the original Takhion bars.  I don't know if it was actually a thing (I have sort of a vague memory of maybe seeing these sometime back), but I figured it would be nice to have some.  If these work, I'll modify them and make some that work with brake cables.

The models go through one more test to make sure they are printable, and then will be printed and delivered...hopefully looking good.  Most likely I will have to make adjustments to the measurements and tweak a few things, but it would be awesome if this worked.  

You've seen happier times.

These should be shipping out sometime in mid June, so more updates then.

Any Araya Experts Out There?

I'm usually pretty okay at tracking down info and history of parts, but this one's got me stumped.

Tell me your secrets.

It's an old Araya disc wheel that has come to live with me, and that's about all I know.  It also needs a new tire, and I believe it might be made of aluminum.  

Aluminum...honeycomb?

I do remember reading about aluminum disc wheels some time ago, but I can't find the article or any info.  It has a Dura Ace Skewer though, so that's nice.  

Other side.

Any one have any history on this wheel?  I'm not sure if I want to hold onto it or not, but I'd like to know at least a decent amount about it nonetheless.  

It's shaping up to be a lovely weekend.  Ride and enjoy it! 

A Chico Ride

The road where I was staying up in Chico was one of those roads that was just screaming to be ridden, so that's exactly what I did.

There were lots of other cyclists out on most days, but I ended up going out during a slight drizzle, which here in California causes most people to go into panic mode and give up leaving their houses and driving anywhere, let alone riding.  It was cool, quiet, a little wet, and beautiful out on my ride.

Also I found a waterfall.

I'm always shocked at how much more I notice when I ride a bike instead of sit in a car - my family and I had been up and down this road more than a few times with all of the graduation madness, yet this was the first time I noticed things like this little waterfall.  Or the rocks that someone had neatly stacked in small piles.  Or the super crazy hyper religious signs that plastered the lawn of one house in particular (Jesus is apparently very pissed off at the "lebrals").  The road twisted through the woods with views of the buttes (you read that as butts) and the bubbling of the creek, and then it opened up to something else entirely.

Now this is how you mark a bike path.

A bike path that connected to the road I was on was very clearly marked with a rather clever entrance (and the same exit, as I later found).  The chainrings were even marked with the number of teeth!

Looks like they didn't opt for a compact crank.

Upon closer inspection, it appeared to be in memory of a local cyclist.  He seems like he was a pretty cool guy, and seeing something like this done in memory of someone gives me a lot of respect for this town.

My ride continued until I got to a point where I realized that I was about to get lost, so I turned back to our little cabin in the boonies.  Around this time I remembered that I do, in fact, have Strava, which I turned on, and then proceeded to stop and take more photos like I always do so my average speed is nothing short of terribly embarrassing.  I really should stop doing that.

Not quite 130 BCD.

During this little jaunt of a ride I was on my fixed gear, which I'm really falling in love with.  There were hardly any climbs on this ride, just a tiny bit of elevation change, so it was the perfect bike to take.  Its silent drivetrain also let me hear the rain and the sounds of the forest as opposed to a hub, which made the ride all the more zen.  

There were a lot of cars sharing the road with me, so my obnoxiously orange wheels helped me be seen a bit too.

I also saw some excellent prints when I was out walking around town, but the store selling them had closed for the day.  Despite that, I grabbed a few photos through the glass - I would love to own these prints, so if anyone know of the artist's website, please let me know!

EDIT: The artist is Jake Early!  His process is pretty neat, check it out here.

I would have loved to have done more rides, but time just didn't allow for it.  Perhaps next year I'll give the Wildflower Century a go - I've wanted to do it for a while, but finally riding up in Chico made me realize how lovely it would be.

And alright, I wasn't really in the boonies.  I was 12 miles outside of town.  I'll stop complaining now.  

There Is No Internet In The Boonies

I didn't know that I would be sans wifi until I got up to Chico, but on the bright side I was mostly too busy to write anyway.  

I went up to Chico for my sister's graduation, but since Chico is pretty big into cycling I got to see a lot more than just caps, gowns, and drunken parents celebrating the end of paying lots of money to send their kids to school.

I'm going to split this into two posts since it's late and I require a massive amount of sleep to be viable during the day, but the coolest thing that I saw when I was there had to do with the fact that Chico State University decided to commemorate their 125th anniversary with their very own bicycle.  I like Chico just on its own as a town and a school, but I have to give them props for doing this.

I grabbed some photos of the display bike.  There are plenty more under the cut.

The Wildcat Cruiser itself. It was designed by Felt, with the logos designed by a graphic design student.