Cycling faux pas

What is appropriate kit for riding on the road these days?

If you are riding a carbon-fibre “race” bike then there appears to be a number of unspoken rules. For a start wear a good fitting set of bib & brace knicks and a matching top with sleeves. Never wear loose shorts on a road bike (unless you are commuting to work on a step-through/ mixte frame - and even then expect a couple of beer bottles to be thrown at you). Never wear mountain bike shoes on a road bike as it suggests that you walk your bike more often than you ride it. Never wear full-fingered gloves unless it’s the depth of winter and you you are wearing arm warmers as well. They should be reserved for mountain bikers who spend a good deal of time going over the front of their handlebars. If you have to wear corrective lenses then only wear the latest protective eyewear developed specifically for cycling (preferably Oakley or some other very expensive brand). And, under no circumstance should you ever be seen with a mount on your helmet for anything (light, camera, rear view mirror, any device to fend off magpies...).

Even if you ride really early in the morning and no-one sees you - one day you will be caught...

The only thing missing for full negative marks is a mojo

(which was removed as it kept falling off)

Must be time to get a skin-suit for single speed off-road riding...

Photo courtesy of www.hdimagetank.com.au who run a guerilla campaign of unsolicited shooting of everything that goes up & down the road to Mt Glorious

Frame build

David Bohm has posted more pics of the frame we built on his flickr account. Just a teaser as I (impatiently) await its passage through Australian customs...

http://www.flickr.com/photos/bohemian_bicycles/sets/72157623211710526/?page=2

3Rensho track bike

Today is ANZAC Day.

Specifically it relates to the 25th of April, 1915 when Australian and New Zealand forces (the Australian & New Zealand Army Corps) landed at dawn on the shores of Gallipoli. What was meant to be a quick strike against the Turkish forces (to open the Dardenelles for the allied navy) became a drawn-out 8-month stalemate with appalling casualties on both sides.

More recently ANZAC Day is taken as a time for Australians to remember those that fell in the service of their nation. Since 9/11 the various theatres of war have been thrown into the forefront of public consciousness. We fight to preserve the right to live in freedom (from restraint) and (the) liberty (to choose from what’s available). The more cynical will say that we fight to live in a manner we are accustomed to. And for resources that are important to us.

Whatever the slant, today is a time to reflect. And for many that reflect, today is a sad day for humanity.

This is a bicycle blog site and I dare not venture any further than a superficial reference to this important date.

Going back to the reason for this post, here is a 3Rensho (San Rensho) keirin track frame from the 1990’s. There are a number of variations of 3Rensho lug styles and this example is almost certainly made by Makino after the retirement of his master, Yoshi Konno. A Japanese bike through and through with full NJS parts (Suntour Superbe Pro, Hatta, Nitto) made for the most Japanese of bicycle sports - keirin racing.

During the second world war Japan was Australia’s greatest threat. In the 1990‘s Japan was Australia’s most important trading partner. Go figure.

San Diego Custom Bicycle Show

Well, well, my bike made it to the SDCBS. It's the bike with the blue head tube sitting behind Dave's "Uberbike" in the pic from Velo Cult. Yeah, you can barely see it on this shot but I couldn't find any better pics of it on the internet.

Kind of like being an extra on the set for Lord of the Rings...

For some great profile shots of the main actors at SDCBS take a visit to the Velo Cult website.

www.velocult.com/index.php/

Lotus Sport 110

A design icon and fast enough for Chris Boardman to win the 1994 Tour de France prologue. I prefer the BT Superbike but then again I’m Australian... And there's something special about the clean lines of a track frame... And maybe the issue of fatigue fractures seen in the Lotus top-tube...

These great pics come from a Lotus enthusiast in Melbourne, Australia and posted in a Lotus (as in the car) forum.

http://web.mac.com/robinjp/iWeb/ebay/Lotus.html

This particular bicycle was sold to another Lotus enthusiast in the UK in Dec 2006 for $7,500USD.

BT Superbike

It’s amazing what you can find when you poke around. This is a BT (Bike Technologies) Superbike developed in the mid 1990s from a chance collaboration between the AIS (Australian Institute of Sport) and RMIT (Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology).

This particular bicycle was given to its previous owner by his employer at the completion of the Olympic Games in Sydney 2000. The bike sat in his office for 10 years as a conversation piece before being passed on to me. It is almost certainly a hand-me-down from the AIS track team as evidenced by the decals which are placed beneath the clear coat (standard production frames do not wear the AIS decals). Not to mention the numerous battle scars from past exploits on the track. And this specimen clearly had a tough life.

Superbike. A name so presumptuous on a design so audacious that it’s become cool and iconic. It also helps that the Australian track team under Charlie Walsh was a tour de force whilst riding these bikes (1994-1996).

Typical for the AIS track team, this bicycle has full Campagnolo componentry albeit from a mixture of groups. With the assortment of parts, one can imagine this being a competition pursuit frame (wearing full C Record componentry and Ghibli disc wheels) that has subsequently devolved into a training bike (with Chorus road cranks and Campagnolo "Sidney" 2000 rims). The bike has been tidied up but nothing has been changed. Nice to think that maybe some rising track star has ridden these exact components...

For me this is how a carbon fiber bicycle should look. Simple, swoopy, aerodynamic lines.

Excellent information on the BT Superbike can be found through these links to the Powerhouse Museum (Sydney).

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/background.htm

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/development.htm

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/features.htm

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/testing.htm

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/manufacture.htm

http://www.powerhousemuseum.com/hsc/bike/article.htm

Monocoque bicycle frames like the BT Superbike came into being following relaxation of the UCI regulations in 1990 leaving Mike Burrows to bring out the Lotus Sport track pursuit prototype in 1991 (conceived much earlier then shelved in 1987). This subsequently became the Lotus Sport 108 in 1992 and hit the headlines when Chris Boardman won the 4000m individual pursuit at the 1992 Barcelona Olympics setting a world record of 4 min 27.357 sec, and lapping the 1991 World Champion, Jens Lehmann, in the final.

Lotus then went on to make the production Lotus Sport 110 road bike and Mike Burrows went on to design similar frames for Giant.

Lotus Sport 110

Giant MCR

It is a shame that these bicycles are now, once again, illegal under UCI regulations (current rules require a double triangle frame) but let’s leave that discussion for another day...

ADDIT: BT with Ghibli's http://campagnolodelta.blogspot.com/2011/10/revisiting-bt-superbike.html 

Mojo

mojo |ˈmōˌjō|noun ( pl. -jos)a magic charm, talisman, or spell : someone must have their mojo working over at the record company.• magic power.ORIGIN early 20th cent.: probably of African origin; compare withGullah moco ‘witchcraft.’

Mojo's were a rather big thing amongst my fellow MTB riders in the 1990's. I had Wallace (of Wallace & Gromit fame) and it went everywhere with me, even shifting across bikes as they were replaced over time. Sadly many of us have become a bit more grown up and serious about the kit we display. And mojo's have disappeared from the adult cycling population.

The perils of walking through Chinatown with spare cash in your pocket. You end up buying some of these...

Tires pumped? Check. Water bottles? Check. Spare tubes and pump? Check. Mojo? Check.

You want a piece of me?

Bring back the Mojo I say. Yeah, baby...

1978 Team Raleigh track frame

Classic track frame in TI-Raleigh team livery (1974-1983). Certainly one of the most recognisable team colours of any era and highly collectible because of it’s long and impressive race pedigree. And, in my opinion, it is simply a great combination of decals and colours. Striking and easily identified within the peloton yet not too flamboyant.

This example has been manufactured by Carlton Cycles from Reynolds 531 tubing and with rather unusual cutouts in the long-point lugs. Even though Carlton would be one of the premium builders under Raleigh’s broad umbrella it is clear that even quality production bicycles can miss out on a few details.

You probably won’t see this sort of mistake on bicycles nowadays. The seatpost has been slotted to the bottom of the lug creating a stress-riser in the seat tube when cinching down the seat bolt. This can fatigue the seat tube. (The imperfect solution is to burr out a hole at the end of the slot but this is a situation that plainly should never have arisen)

A reminder that it was not always better made “in the old days”...

Below is Warren Meade’s excellent article in Ride Cycling Review (issue 37).

Colnago Master retires

This is the last bicycle that I rode with a cycle computer (and still be happy with the stats it displayed). It’s been hanging on the wall, unused, since the end of 2008. A reminder of wonderful days spent in the saddle and an acknowledgement of how our focus changes as we age. The modern (for 2008) Pro stem and anatomic bars sits somewhat uncomfortably on the slender 1990s steel frameset. Nonetheless, it remains the best handling steel bicycle in my possession with an efficient 2008 Chorus group and competent Ksyrium wheelset.

The GT Team Carbon is the new kid on the block. Light and with up-to-date technology yet practical for the non-racer (ie eschewing the current trend for flashy carbon wheels). And not too ostentatious as to draw attention to the shortcomings of it’s rider.

GTR Team Carbon

I stopped racing in 2004 and since then I have become somewhat complacent about riding and training in general. Although I do not plan to race, I’ve decided to buy a new race-quality bicycle partly because it was real cheap on ebay (half price and genuinely “just ridden down the road”) and partly because I have aspirations to returning to proper riding. Also my cycling buddy is going overseas for three weeks with his family and it may well be time to do some secret training miles so I can kick his sorry ass when he comes back with white, skinny, untrained legs. (yes, it’s the same chap who now owns the Columbine and no, I’m no longer jealous. Well, maybe just a little...)

Only ridden up the road. Honest...

Interesting choice of pedals suggest that this bike has not been used for racing. Note the immaculate rim surface and spoke protector in-situ. Eagle eyes will also notice that the chain is inside out and the masterlink (sitting just behind the chainring) is upside down...

The GTR Team Carbon has a high spec. A full carbon frame with integrated seat post and tapered carbon fork, full Shimano 6900 Dura-Ace groupset and Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels. The ride has been described as “neutral” and “stable” (cycle speak for a bit flexible) in contrast to unforgivingly rigid like so many top-end race bikes ridden by seasoned professionals and purchased by inspired, well-heeled novices. Being skinny, weak, and of soft constitution, flexible suits my style of riding perfectly.

The world has changed a lot since my collection of steel lugged bicycles ruled the roads. Broadly speaking, over the past 50 years the focal point of bicycle and component manufacturing has shifted from Italy to Japan to Taiwan, and now to China. Materials have changed and technology has advanced. This means that bicycles are getting better (lighter, better manipulation of ride characteristics, cleaner shifting, good brake modulation etc) and so has the manufacturing process (ie the ability to mass-produce). Overall this means we get better stuff for less money.

Seat mast and fork steerer cut down to size. Just waiting for a 110mm stem to arrive from Wiggle. And all this for less coin than what the groupset and wheels would cost through the internet.

First up, this bike looks great. It carries the GT moniker which harkens back to the days when they were a force to be reckoned with in BMX and mountain bikes. In 1998 the company merged with another iconic American company, Schwinn, then they both went bankrupt in 2001. GT is now part of Dorel Industries*. What’s significant is that GT was never known for their road bikes and have no pretensions as such. IMHO pedigree carries little weight for production carbon road bicycles now that the vast majority are made in the far East regardless of the branding on the tubes**. I like the fact that the moniker this bike wears is an icon yet just a little left of centre field

That said, this example is right up to date for current, readily available technology. Internal headsets and ahead-set style steerers are lighter and allow for a more rigid front end (not to mention the tapered steerer). An integrated seat mast reduces weight and fine-tunes the ride characteristics (and looks fantastic). But better technology does not equate to better in all areas. The seat mast and steerer have to be cut down to fit the rider. Once they are cut then the bike becomes “customised”. That means that it probably won’t fit another rider unless they are my dimensions. In any case the carbon frame probably won’t last the test of time (although I suspect it would be out of date/ out of fashion before it wears out). Sure it’s my bike, but I suspect I won’t be passing it down to my kids.

GTR Team Carbon review in RIDE magazine Jul-Sept 09

As technology leads to improvements in some areas it often comes at a cost in other areas. It simply depends on what is more important to the customer. Easier to maintain cartridge bearings and the vogue for labarinthine seals means greater drag for wheels and bottom brackets. Great for our busy world where maintenance is a dirty and time-demanding word. Yet, I remember a time when Campagnolo wheels used to sell on their ability to (seemingly) spin forever. My how things have changed.

The bicycle chain is yet another example. They used to be simple, durable (I used to get 10,000 km on a well-maintained 8spd Rohloff SLT-99 chain) and weigh a ton. Now they come made for specific drivetrains with specific inner and outer sides and a masterlink to allow easier maintenance. High-tech optimization of performance parameters. Yet it is interesting to see how many of these chains are mounted the wrong way round. Not paying attention to detail can compromise performance in the setting of almost-certain technological victory. And although these fancy chains are much lighter they also wear out (stretch) a good deal quicker.

In so many ways we are better off now than we have been in the past. We live longer, enjoy a higher standard of living, possess more consumer goods than ever before, have greater access to information and education, and are able to avail ourselves to an ever expanding realm of possibilities. But in life, everything (outside of the basic necessities) comes at a cost. The most favourable improvements are selected and compromises accepted either disclosed or undisclosed. Just don't expect the next generation to necessarily hold the same values.

Who cared in 1995 when Campagnolo replaced their C Record groupset that they stopped polishing the inner crank arms (because nobody looks there) and started labelling the groupsets in the place of their winged wheel logo (to follow the successful marketing of the Japanese groupsets)? Well I, for one, did.

*http://www.fundinguniverse.com/company-histories/GT-Bicycles-Company-History.html for more details.

** Again I’m in the minority here. Take a look at all the Pinarello fans out there with their fancy and expensive rigs. The fact that they are made in Taiwan and “only” painted and assembled in Italy brings raucous protest. Actually I’m more concerned about the fact that the assembly process is done in Italy - have you ever disembarked and tried to collect baggage at the international airport in Rome? On the other hand, the Taiwanese are as good as it gets with carbon fibre manufacturing (even if the odd attention to detail gets missed...).

Bill Hurlow

Bill Hurlow, master bicycle builder and artisan has passed away this week. Worthwhile taking some time to remember some of his wonderful work.

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/British_isles/Hurlow/Hurlow.htm

http://www.classiclightweights.co.uk/hurlow.html