The Friday Fix: Commuting and Mechancial Problems

While commuting to work the other day I discovered that my overly preparedness for ensuring that I have the proper tools to fix just about anything came through for me. I was about a mile from home when my chain made a popping sound and then later fell off the cogs. I should have realized what this meant, having experienced it on my single speed mountain bike last year, that a chain pin just popped. I tried to ignore and that wasn't a good idea because later down the road, the chain came completely off. I am just glad I have a hand brake because there is nothing more scarier on a fix geared bike than realizing you have no means of stopping once your chain has fallen off.

I first tried a quick link but the old Crappy Ten Speed chain I was using was just too wide for it (note to self - keep the quick links in the other pack). Now that I think about it, I think this chain came from the Raleigh. Fortunately, as I mentioned before I never ride without tools to fix just about anything and in my tool bag I had a few pieces of other chains. Only, I found I had to take the wheel completely off in order to get the chain back together due to the nature of this bike having vertical drops.

I was able to make the repair without having to unass any of my paniers. I think I lost about 20 minutes in my endeavor. Riding the rest of the way to work I took it cautiously and didn't hammer the hills, rather just powered up them while still seated. Very interesting way to climb.

Summer Commuting Fun

My spring commuting series was pretty few and far between largely in part due to our changed weather patterns. Is this a new affect of global warming, the New England Monsoon Season? Somebody mentioned at work that we have gotten rain for almost 25 consecutive days. Being the fair weather commuter that I am that explains the lack of commuting thus far.

Having not checked the weather forecast for Wednesday I kicked off the summer commuting series by riding the Bridgestone as a fixed gear first time yesterday. It was foggy in the morning but as I made my way up the Pond Brook River Valley it started to burn off and I was actually looking a little piece of blue sky which was really encouraging. Had a mechanical problem along the way but I was able to fix it and be off on my way.

The 'Stone felt good in it's new configuration with a longer stem and flat bars. Before I had a comfort stem and riser bars which had me sitting more upright but now that I think about it, I don't think it was an optimal position for getting the most power for a climb.

Comfort Stem and Riser Bars

Spring riding configuration

The configuration above was for the single speed with two hand brakes but I have come to realize that the comfort bike position is not for me. The flat bar, thrust forwards puts me in a position where I feel like I have a lot of power.

As I elluded to earlier, the New England Monsoon Season is still in effect and after checking the weather forecast at 4:45 PM when a fellow rider and sometimes bike commuter said that I better get on the road lest I want to ride home in the rain. I did a quick superman in the office and got out on the road in 10 minutes. There were dark clouds over the section of Danbury that I was in already but no thunder as of yet.

I opted not to take a distance route and just the shortest way home because I didn't want to taint my fair weather commuter status. I was prepared though, I had my rain jacket and pants in an outer pocket in the panier. Still don't have a shower cap for the helmet but do you really need one? I am already sweating profusely so if my head gets wet, who cares? As for shoes and gloves, just going to have to take it like a man.

Actually got home with probably an hour to spare. Relaxing at the BBQ drinking a PBR is when the skies got really dark and thunder loomed in the distance. By the time I sat down to dinner with the family did the Monsoon strike in full force. We'll see what happens tomorrow but the rain threw off my plans for an early RBW at Upper Paugussett.

The Friday Fix: Fixed and Burley

Finally got the Bridgestone out for a little test ride Thursday after work. It's a sweet fixed gear. I have it rigged 42:16 with a TomiCog and it's really smooth. The longer stem and flat bars are nice, too. Of course I had to pull my boys in the Burley trailer first.

Took it for a little test spin down the street and the bike is tight! Nothing rattles and it feels really good. Guess I will be riding this to work now that the kids are no longer in school and I don't have to wait for the bus.

More Bike Maintenance

With the lovely Seattle like weather we are having here on the eastcoast I have been jonesin' to ride but I can't. Instead, I did some bike maintenance. Goodie Shop in Bethel hooked me up with this flange looking thing from an old hub for the Bridgestone. I think centrifical force will keep in it place.

Garage pix don't do it justice in the photo department but I changed the bars and stem on Bridgestone. I want to use the Nashbar stem for another project. So I went with a 130mm Kalloy with a 10 degree rise. Went with some flatter bars and a new Avid lever that I got from the Goodie shop.  It's the cutest little lever I have seen.  Might be made for a BMX bike but works perfectly for an emergency brake.

Not pictured is the Fetish Fixation, I put the new tires I got from Craigslist on Friday. The bike is looking Hawt!  Special-Ed's Fast Tracks, 26x2.2s.

The Friday Fix: Bridgestone MB-5

First off, you might notice a considerable change in the organizational state of my bike shop, aka my garage, compared to an earlier post!  I spent Tuesday, after work, cleaning it up so I could start working on bikes again.  Fixed the Burley Canopy and the Fixation is back in business.  Now I am waiting for all this wet weather we have been having lately to pass so I can get out and ride it again.

I just finished modifying my Bridgestone Single Speed Commuter.  It's now a fixed gear commuter.  I am now using the wheel from my 'Horse with the cracked cassette body by mounting a 16t TomiCog in the disc rotor mount.

The only thing I am unsure of at this point is what to do with the open cavity where the cassette body would sit.  The logical thing to do is just mount it back on the axle but seeing that I misplaced it in the big mess that was my garage, that's not going to happen now.  I might pull a part off the old Bridgestone wheel that could cover this.

Since the rear wheel isn't machined for cantilever brakes I took off the rear brakes and this will be the first time riding with just one physical brake.  I have ridden this way before, as recent as last Friday when I found that the rear brake on the Raleigh needs to be tightened but this is the first time where there won't even be a lever to pull.  It's a strange feeling not having something to pull on that side of the handle bars.

First Commute of Spring

Made a few more changes on the Bridgestone and what a difference! First of all, I raised the stem an inch and replaced the flat bars with risers. I canted them forwards a little bit and then added the grips. I no longer feel scrunched while riding! The bars are now high enough so that when I climb it's like being in position #2 during spin class.

There was no chance of the Chicken Schizt meter this morning. While eating a bowl of Trader Joes Triple Berrios, I got suited up which just got me psyched up even more. It was 36 degrees out so I threw on the overbooties just to be safe. The only thing bothering me as I left is that the Edge wouldn't aquire. It finally did when I got down to Pond Brook Rd.

The Nashbar Pannier garment bag is really nice. One thing I found when riding to work is that I often forget to bring a jacket so today I schlepped an additional jacket to leave at work. It was a good ride in and quick one home. I really pushed it and got home in 40 minutes.

Chicken Shizt Meter

On Monday, I began my one day-a-week, save gas and ride to work day. It was 27 degrees yesterday morning and I was close to chickening out. However, once I got moving it was OK. Still, to get suited up for the ride was an ordeal in itself and took 15 minutes. Today I tried a fleece vest, riding jacket, fleece pullover and a Techwik T-shirt. I wore my winter riding bibs, spandex shorts, and fleece snowboarding shorts. For the feet, I finally got to test out my overshoes and they did the trick! It was the perfect combination of clothing for the temps.

I rode the Bridgestone with the freewheel single speed, 42:16, and it rocked. It was a little slow climbing but it wasn't like I had to do the walk of shame. The bike felt rock solid, if not a little on the heavy side and small. Adding to the weight was my garment bag panniers and I was carrying my laptop in a backpack. That is the only drawback about commuting on Mondays is that invariably I will be bringing home the laptop for the weekend and it means I will have to drag it back on my back.

Had one mechanical along the way, my seat clamp wasn't tight enough and the saddle shifted backwards. Had to stop and fix that before I could go any further. Unfortunately, I think the bike is too small for me. It's probably a medium, and if I do sell it I am still in a quandary about what to do with the rear wheel. I have a Surly Fixxer but I already have enough money into the bike that I am afraid to add any more.

I am using the wheel from the Fetish but since it has vertical drops it's overkill to use a bolt on hub. That leaves the wheel it came with, in which case it can only be marketed as a single speed or I could go with the Bombblast wheel I still have, which is overkill on the roads, and that way I can still get some fixed gear riding in. The best scenario is to find a 26 inch flip flop wheel, cheep, and use that.

On the way home I wore just shorts, Techwik, and riding jacket but it was too cold after a mile and a half so I threw the fleece pullover on and a hat and I was much more comfortable. Bike performed flawlessly.

Just in time for winter?

Now that winter is undwinding and spring is a mere 9 days away, what perfect timing to unveil my new winter commuter. It's a 1992 Bridgestone MB-5 that came into my position via the town dump. Unbelievable how someone could throw out a classic bike.

Below is what it looked like when I got it. In order to make it a Singlespeed I had to use a different crankset. I originally tried to get the bottom bracket off but it wouldn't budge. Took it to the shop and they couldn't make it budge either. Rather than putting a torch to it that may or may not work I decided to let sleeping dogs lie and just find different cranks with square splines. The cranks that came with it had an offset but I couldn't use them with a single ring up front becasue they all mounted in the spider at one point. Ended up finding a drive side single crank with an off set and ordered the left side through the LBS.

I got a 130 mm comfort quill stem from Nashbar with a removable face plate so that I could use my Ritchey Flat Bars that I originally got with the Qball. I was hoping to trade a friend of mine a few bottles of BBC for my FUBars that I traded to him last summer for an aero brake lever but we never connected. I have some old Avid levers, Seras ergonomic grips, and a mount for my Topeak bar bag. The cable housing upfront were a little ratty so they got replaced with some slick mauve ones.

Right now, I am using the rear wheel from the Fixation until I finish rebuilding the rear hub with a Surly Fixxer. Gearing is 42:16 with horizontal drops. Before he passed, Sheldon Brown told me the best gearing was 42:15 for horizontal drops but I couldn't get that to work with minimal chain sag. With this gearing, the sag is minimal. Right now I have the freewheel set up but when I start commuting with this bike I'll use the 16t TomiCog.

For rubber, I got some old Kenda Kross tires from the dumpster at my LBS. They were cool with it because the prior week I bought some tires from them. The seat post came from when I traded my Peugeot UO-8 for two seat posts to a French bike afficianado, which by the way I got another one the other day that I think I might build into a fixie for a quick Fix and Flip. Planet Bike fenders, that I had to shave in the front in order for them to fit in the fork crown. Crank Brothers pedals from a friend that got a new bike but only rides Shimano. I am using a San Marco saddle and I replaced the brake pads.

Just have to get a rack for panniers and it will be ready. I had one but ran over it in the garage and had to throw it out. I have a Blackburn but it doesn't have the seat stay mounts that the newers one.

Frigid Bike Maintenance

The cold snap gripping New England has had some profound affects like me not being able to ride that has left me moody and grumpy at times. Granted it's not quite nearly as cold as what Craig Barlow in Ottawa is experiencing but I think this could be the coldest temps we have had in Southern New England in the 30 years I have lived here.

To make up for the lack of riding I tried a spin class at work this week that was somewhat of an illusion of riding a fixed gear, but not quite. Feeling that I was missing something still I decided to heat up the man cave after dinner and try to find a solution for the Bridgestone.

When I fired up the Kero-sun, it was 39 degrees in the garage - I think I might get some insulated garage doors and replace the side door with something better insulated. The thermometer I have on the floor was reading 35 degrees. So, I put on a few layers of fleece and my Sears Craftsman knit hat and got to work. Still, it was so cold in the garage I could see my breath.

Earlier this week, I took the Bridgestone to the LBS to see if I could get the bottom bracket removed, because I couldn't budge it and neither could they. The LBS suggested heating it with a torch. I wasn't too keen on that idea and asked if they had any cranksets with an off set.

The only thing they had was a SR Suntour 175mm drive side crank with a 32t chainring and a bash guard. For $9 clams, I said let's give it a shot because I figured I probably have a non-drive side 175mm crank arm laying around the parts bin - but I don't. Heck the bash guard had to be worth $10 to $15 bones alone.


I took off the bash gaurd (I'll be putting that on the Fixiation) and replaced the 32t with a 42t chain ring and then put a 16t cog on the wheel but there was too much sag in the in chain. I like my chain lines tight!

I took a link out and then tried a 15t like the venerable Sheldon Brown recommended to me right before he passed away. That didn't work either. Then I tried 17t because that seemed to work with the Barney the Purple Cannondale:

From Cycle Snack

Look at that chain line. Actually, when I think about it, it was probably too tight! Finally, I tried a different chain and got it to work going back with a 16t! There is just the slightest amount of sag but I can live with that. It's better than being too tight. The other good thing about knowing that 16t works is I'll be able to use my TomiCog now. It also means that I will probably have to use my Atomblast rear wheel to get my fixed gear game on!

I could have the Bridgestone done this weekend!

Big Trouble in Fixed Gear Paradise

Switched gears yesterday and put the Raleigh aside because the wheels that I bought appear to be 700c and not 27 inch. Might hit the Bicycle Center on my way home tomorrow to see if that is the case. Not sure how to measure them to check their size. I looked up the Alexrims RP15F and from what I can tell they are not 27" rather 700c. Same with the Sunrims 6000w.

With all the great weather we are having in New England, unless I get a set of Nokians with studs, or a set of Kenda 2.5 Stick-es, I am not going to do be doing much winter riding this year. I spent all day Saturday arranging the mancave even further by adding more storage and a stereo system with tuner, 5 CD changer, and a hook up for my iPod. All I need now is a computer or laptop and I will be golden.

I decided to start working on the Bridgestone. The vertical drops present a challenge because I am stickler with chain sag. I am not sure at this point whether I am going to run a ghost chain ring on this or try for a fixed gear conversion. First I have to get over an issue discovered right off the bat, the cranks I want to use don't work.

When I stripped the bike, I left the bottom bracket, headset and brakes on and took everything else off. The cranks that were on the bike are these Shimanos where the outer ring needs the middle ring on in order to use it. I decided to use the Sugino Cranks I took off the Nishiki

However, the spindle on the BB doesn't appear to be long enough because the outer chain ring is hitting the chain stay. The cranks that came with the bike are different in that they mushroom out from the BB to give you the clearance that you need.

It looks like I have three options:

1. Get different cranks
2. Try a longer spindle
3. Get a new BB
   

I am going to try the spindle first. In fact, I am going to use the one that I took off the Nishiki to see if that helps, otherwise I am going to try a new BB. I figure the type where the bearing cups are external will give me the clearance I need to run these cranks. One thing for sure, I will be able to try out my new BB socket!

1992 Bridgestone MB-5

Sub-rural-urbia received a little dusting of snow last night and I really wanted to do a RbW (Ride before Work) this morning but I went to bed too late last night to even consider getting up at 5:30 AM to ride. Waaah! Not to mention, it was below 30 degrees this morning. Waaah! I didn't charge up my headlight battery. Waaah! Excuses, excuses. Going to try tomorrow morning regardless of temperature.

Anyway, the Dump Fairey paid another visit last night. A 24" wheeled FS big box store POS that I want to rebuild for my daughter, a ladies bike, not sure of the manufacturer, it was too dark to see what it was, mostlikely another POS, and what looked like a fairly old styled mountain bike. The last bike, appeared to be a good condition so I pulled into the garage for a closer look and it turned out to be a Bridgestone MB-5!

I have read a lot about Bridgestones and was hoping that this bike could potentially be a classic bike. From what I know about these bikes, however, upon surfing the interwebs I learned that it is unfortunately not from the Bikeforums archive I found this comment:

The MB-5 was a DeoreLX/DeoreDX equipped bike I believe and depending on the year, retailed for around US$550. A very fine mid-level bike.

I guess if it were truly a good bike such as the MB-1 or -2, the owner would have realized the value of the bike and hold on to it or at the very least put it up on CList. Alas, like the Peugeot, which at first I thought might have been the highly prized PX-10 turned out to be the more mass produced consumer US model (still made in France, if that is any consolidation) UO-8. However, it's still a nice bike and if you query the Fixed Gear Gallery for Bridgestone, you'll find a few of the MTB versions of the frames have been converted to nice fixed gear rides. So, it looks like I have my next project lined up.

Question now is, what year is this bike from? From what I can fathom, it's from 1992, according to the venerable Sheldon Brown. The catalog goes to great lengths to explain the difference between over bar vs underbar shifters and they say the 1992 MB-5 is speced with the overbar shifters. However, this bike has underbar shifters. However in a previous catalogue, they talk about how much better underbar shifters are for racing. So I guess I conclude that this bike was set up racing.