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notes : JUNE
VARIOUS MUSINGS
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June
8
Why do I sell Bianchi? Because they make great bikes. Because they
make every road bike a person is likely to need. Take a look at their
catalog; racing bikes, sport bikes, touring bikes, three cyclocross
bikes, two track bikes, steel, titanium, carbon fibre, aluminum, scandium,
composites. Campagnolo or Shimano, Italian or Taiwanese, many models
in nine sizes. We won’t be adding another brand in the near
future.
To convert an old tubular wheel to clincher, first tape your new rim
onto the old wheel and move the spokes over one at a time. Don’t
tighten the nipples very much; just a few revolutions to hold them
in place. When you’ve finished the hoop replacement, un-tape
the old rim and set it aside. Look at the new wheel from the side;
see where pairs of spokes cross each other one last time before continuing
on to their respective nipples? That’s the third “cross,”
and the only “lace” (on most wheels, when the spoke leaves
the hub, it goes over two other spokes and under the third). Remove
the nipples from those two spokes and put one full twist at that cross,
then send the two spokes back to their original rim-holes. Do that
all the way around. Now, instead of each spoke going over-over-under,
it will go over-over-under-around-around. That full twist will take
up the extra length of the spokes and will give you a super-cool,
fairly stiff wheel. I have found this to work with fairly normal-profile
clincher rims, such as a Mavic MA3, and have two such wheels in regular
use with no problems. Some rims may perhaps require 1-1/2 turns. Good
Luck.
June
12
An old 16-speed Merckx I’m working on needs a new chain, jockey
wheels overhauls, the tape has come unraveled, broken spoke, dirty,
etc., etc. Lots of miles since the last tune. The front derailleur
cable has a tail which hangs out about an inch beyond the derailleur
clamp, and ticks on the right crankarm when in the small chainring.
The crimp on the end has actually worn a groove on the end of that
crankarm!
June
16
There are so many ways a derailleur can be out of adjustment. Of course,
the “adjustment” ways, like barrel adjusters and stop
screws. But also adjustments like hanger straightness and chain wear,
both of which are actually “repairs.”
Even on a new bike, even after it’s been adjusted, maybe even
broken-in, cables will fall out of adjustment. You have a hundred
little things that can go beyond adjustment and repair. What about
dirt? Corrosion?
Paint inside a welded-on housing stop will crack and compress, maybe
even chip and fall out. That’s going to effect cable tension,
perhaps suddenly or in 1000 miles of use. But it will happen.
The cables running under the bottom bracket get dirty; bathe them
in wax. It will clean, lubricate, and seal in one application/wipe.
Dry Prep like a fly fisherman uses (wax dissolved in solvent) works
pretty well, and there are commercial preparations available. Always
use a little extra, and wipe off that extra carrying away the smut
dissolved in it.
Make sure cable housings are cut and filed exactly flush, otherwise
the pointed end will break up the housing end (expecially on plastic
ones), maybe point a hole through it and effect the frame stop somehow.
Also it could send the cable off-center, which results in too much
friction.
When you clean a chain while it’s still on the bike, finish
by polishing the outside of the chain. First, shift into your highest
chainring. Using a dry, clean, rag, work directly on the outside plates
of the chain as they lie on that largest chainring. You can get right
up close, even push on the rag a l ittle, and get it really shiny.
Oooh.
June
21
If you want to clean up quick after a bike ride and don’t have
the time or facilities for a shower, use baby wipes. Stash a box in
your desk at work, or carry a little ziplock bag in your pack or pannier.
You can get practically an entire bath out of one disposable packet.
Today’s words to combine:
Pick a word from group 2 to modify a word in group 1:
1
Conservative
Liberal
Progressive
2
Ultra
Extreme
Moderate
Neo
Such as, “Neo Progressive.”
Or, “Moderate Conservative.”
Or, “Extreme Liberal.”
Remember, name calling is one of your basic fallacies. Ad Hominem,
“To the man.”
I sure hope
goodwill is brought to a neighborhood by a bike shop. It seems like
a place for people to talk about their ambitions, their hopes and
dreams, to use an old colloquy... We are all on our way somewhere;
through parenthood, or vacation, or career, travel. And bicycles help
us get through that in numerous ways; the cycling of seasons, day
and night, miles and hours. These are the rhythms of life, which are
embodied in the circular motion. Cycling.
I have an old rebuilt Kawamura/Nishiki with old tubulars on, friction
6-speed, etc. I’m a little afraid to ride it possibly because
of the tubulars but also because the bottom bracket is hanging out
on the right side about 5mm. And it’s got sorta trashed threads
on the driveside, Alumininmin, cup. So I can probably count on it
coming apart on the first or second ride. Sheesh.
June
25
It occurs to me: that if you do someone a favor, and exact payment
by requiring that person to do a favor for someone else sometime,
you could start a chain reaction that might go on for quite some time.
You could change the world with just one small gesture. An object
in motion will stay in motion unless acted on by an opposing force.
June
27
Some poser in an SUV told me this morning, "the sidewalk's right
over there."
Duh. I pulled up to his open window and said, "the sidewalk's
for pedestrians, get it straight."
I wanted to
say more.
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