from:"Fai Mao"

[RBW] Re: Strange happenings out there

2013-05-22 Thread Fai Mao

I live on a small island in the middle of the Pacific. There are only two 
bike shops here; one carries Giant the other Cannondale. But the head 
mechanic at Hornet sports was incredibly supportive  when I ordered the 
Soma. I was amused at the amount of positive comments the bike received as 
I was in the shop while they were doing the assembly. Maybe it was just 
that the bike looked a lot different than the average Giant carbon frame 
bike. I say this because it seems that several years ago if you brought a 
very nice old-steel bike into a shop they sneered at you and tried to tell 
you how much faster you'd be on something else. (Often times they had to 
tell me that on the sales floor because they could catch me on an actual 
ride)

I think that things are definitely changing 

I don't know if Rivendell is the cause of that of if it just a normal 
market cycle. People like something different. After all, all carbon bike 
pretty much look alike.  I would bet that many are actually the same frame 
from the same factory with different decals. But I also think there may 
have been a bit of over reach with things like integrated seatpost and 
such. I refuse to pay 8K for a bike that I have to throw away after a bad 
crash. This goes beyond the supposed repair-ability of lugged frames. If 
you have to worry about a bike after accidentally dropping it down the 
stairs how can you say the frame is strong enough to be safe? 





On Sunday, May 19, 2013 9:24:48 AM UTC+10, PeterG wrote:

 My wife had to go out of town for the week. Bored, I decided that I would 
 spend the day riding my Hillborne and then visit a few local bike shops and 
 see what's selling out there these days. I haven't really been to many bike 
 shops in the last couple of years (Rivendell has been my go-to place for 
 most all my cycling needs lately). I ended up visiting three shops here in 
 Reno, NV. I felt like I was in a weird sort of parallel universe. All of 
 the stores had their racks filled with carbon race bikes with the 
 handlebars wa below the seats. When I asked to see bikes where i could 
 get my handlebars at or above the seat I was told at each store that they 
 don't make them that way... unless I was interested in a beach cruiser type 
 bike (single speed). It was explained to me that people want to go fast on 
 road bikes, so they need to be hunched down to prevent wind drag. When I 
 asked about seeing steel frame bikes, all of the salesmen told me that 
 steel bikes haven't been made in years.. .WOW! At the last stop I made, 
 a young kid that worked there (maybe 19 years old) whispered to me that 
 there was a local shop that did indeed sell two steel bikes, gunnars and 
 surly'sbut he couldn't remember the name of the store. Not sure if that 
 is true or not, but I give the kid credit for at least trying (his boss 
 tried to sell me a cervelo race bike two sizes too small for $7900 for 
 weekend solo riding). Is Reno an anomaly or is this happening everywhere?

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[RBW] Re: What is the Rivish upgrade from Synergy rims?

2013-05-22 Thread Fai Mao

I do not know if they are still made in the 650B size.
I do not know the width

That said - The Velocity Dyad is a world beater rim for a commuting bike

On Friday, May 17, 2013 1:47:09 PM UTC+10, Michael wrote:

 Don't want a wider rim. Same size 650b.
 What's a good upgrade?


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[RBW] Re: Riv Suggestion Box: San Marcos

2013-05-07 Thread Fai Mao

I am fighting the concept of a rack on my San Marcos as well. Mine is built 
up like such a hot-rod exercise bike with the Vento Reaction Wheels and 10 
speed Campy Flatbar stuff that Feel a rack just make it like everything 
else I ride. And then I want to stop at the store on the way back home buy 
a box of something.



On Wednesday, May 1, 2013 5:17:25 AM UTC+10, Doug Williams wrote:

 I’m looking at getting a San Marcos from Rivendell soon. Of course, I 
 would REALLY prefer a Roadeo, if only I could find another $1,300. But I 
 digress.

 As a big Rivendell fan, I have to say that the one annoying thing about 
 the San Marcos is the lack of anything (other than the very small print on 
 the chainstay) that mentions that it is a Rivendell. Well, we can’t do 
 anything about the decals (they have clear-coat over them) but what about 
 the headbadge? Couldn’t Riv put a Rivendell headbadge on the San Marcos for 
 those frames purchased from Riv HQ and fully assembled by Rivendell elves 
 with all parts purchased from Rivendell?

 Sounds petty, I know. But reading the web, I am not the only one with this 
 petty hang-up. A Rivendell headbadge could be a big incentive for people to 
 buy the San Marcos from Rivendell instead of Amazon (or wherever).

 I hear that a blow dryer will soften up the glue and allow the San Marcos 
 headbadge to be easily removed and replaced with a Rivendell one.  J  Of 
 course, I don’t know what the Riv contract with Soma might say about this.

 Doug


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[RBW] Re: derailleur install trouble on new protovelo

2013-05-06 Thread Fai Mao



On Sunday, May 5, 2013 12:06:40 AM UTC+10, jandrews_nyc wrote:

 Hi, 
 I recently purchased a Riv prototype frameset that was listed on the site 
 a few weeks ago.  I'm building it up as a speedy roady bike as my Hillborne 
 is heavy duty cargo carrier at this point.
 I'm having trouble this morning installing the rear derailleur.  The bolt 
 just doesn't want to thread into the derailleur hanger.  Has anyone 
 experienced this before.  
 It's an Sram apex rear der.  Am I missing something?  I can't imagine the 
 threads wouldn't be compatible. 
 thanks in advance for your advice

 *http://tinyurl.com/dxuvjgz*
 *
 *
 That paint looks like a Soma San Marcos


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[RBW] Re: Cycling computers

2013-04-29 Thread Fai Mao

I use and like the Cat-Eye Strata with cadence. I have both the wired and 
wireless versions. I find the wired versions to be really reliably but 
sometimes difficult to setup I seem to have a hard time getting the magnets 
close enough for the sensor to read. But once I get that figured out they 
are reliable and work well. The wireless one is really persnickety 

On Sunday, April 28, 2013 10:13:52 AM UTC-8, john wrote:

 Hi all. Thought I'd ask all of you who use computers for recomendations. 
 I've been on the fence about using a computer to track mileage for some 
 time now, but I believe I'd like to try.

 The criteria: 

 1. It has to be very simple to operate and easy to read.
 2. I don't need or want heart rate monitor or anything like altitude or 
 anything complicated.
 3. I'm just interested in tracking mileage (how far was my ride today? I 
 seldom know - which is not always a bad thing, but I get curious).
 4. I don't want to spend a lot of money. I'm thinking I can do this for 
 $30 or so?

 Thanks.

 John


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[RBW] Re: New Soma San Marcos owner and pictures

2013-04-24 Thread Fai Mao

I like the way this bike rides though I cannot yet really comment on it 
because it arrived with the wrong fork. It currently has the the fork for 
the smaller 650b frames and even though the 700c wheels and tires fit the 
lower trail makes the bike a bit of a squirrel.  Soma's customer service in 
this regard was tremendous in that all the bike shop here on Guam had to do 
was to call them to get a replacement. However, I am waiting for the mail. 
You may have heard of the Slow boat to China  Well the boat to Guam is 
slower!   So when the proper fork arrives that will have to be changed out. 
The only immediate issue with the fork is that I have to use a short reach 
brake caliper on the front and the rake looks a bit funny looking at the 
bike you can tell it has the wrong fork

I was expecting this bike to handle a lot slower than it does. Looking at 
the slack angles and low BB I assumed it would be more like a touring bike 
but that is not true at all. Maybe the shorter than normal front center is 
the reason. It has a smooth ride and despite the fork issue steers well has 
long as I pay attention. Indeed, I've a triathlon bike in Hong Kong that is 
far more squirrelly than the Soma and the Tri bike has no issue with the 
fork

Most of my components are pretty straight forward. Lots of bike have Veloce 
shifters. The only realy odd parts are the flat-bar shifters and I can 
really recommend those. They take an hour or so to get used to but once you 
figure them out they are really nice. The weird thing is that they are not 
a push/push setup where you only use your thumb but a push to go to a 
bigger sprocket/chain-ring and pull on a trigger behind the brake lever to 
go to a smaller sprocket/Chain-ring. This is kind of strange at first but 
easy to learn and now when I ride the other bike I find myself reaching for 
the Campagnolo downshift trigger. The harder thing is that you can shift 
more than one gear at a time and it takes a while to learn to push or pull 
just enough to shift only once; they take some technique. However, once you 
spend the time to get used to them I think you can shift faster (not that 
matters a whole lot to me) with them than with a push/push system.

Two other things that are notable about the shifters. First is that unlike 
Ergo versions they have no quick release so you need to use non-Campagnolo 
caliper brakes which on the Soma is not a big deal. Second Campagnolo got 
the location of the gear indicator exactly right. I have used 78-speed 
flat-bar shifters on other bikes and the gear indicator was generally 
worthless because you could never see it. By placing it in front of the bar 
rather than under the bar Campy made it useful and with 10 cogs in back it 
is nice to have the visual reference 
 
I am still a bit scared of the Vento Reaction CX Wheels. They just don't 
look like they have enough spokes but they are fairly light and seem to 
hold my weight. They are certainly light enough without being stupid light.

I've put about 200 miles on this bike in the 3 weeks or so I've had it just 
making loops around the university campus and riding to Tamuning for lunch 
on Fridays. Once I get the right fork on the bike I am planning to do what 
is called the South Island Loop which is about 60 miles around the hilly 
southern 1/2 of Guam
   



On Thursday, April 18, 2013 3:30:49 PM UTC+10, Fai Mao wrote:

 Greetings

 After a 5 week delay to get most of the parts the San Marcos is on the 
 road.

 I was looking for a less slow bike than the Mongoose grocery bike and the 
 Sam Hillborne is in Hong Kong with the family. When this contract is up in 
 18 months I'll take the Soma back with me.

 This is not a very retro build. 

 Frame and Fork: Soma San Marcos 54 CM

 Components
 Headset: Campagnolo Record
 Seat Post: Generic 
 Saddle: Selle San Marco Regal
 Stem: Dirt Drop 80 CM
 Shifters: Campagnolo Veloce Flat bar 10/speed
 Bars: Nitto flat  straight I do not know the number
 Crank: Centaur compact 170-50/34
 Cassette: Camagnolo 12-30 10/speed
 Derailleurs: Campagnolo Veloce medium cage rear QS front
 Chain KMC 10 speed
 Brakes Tektro long reach
 Wheels Campagnolo: Vento Reaction CX
 Tires: Continental Gator Skins 700X28 

 The bike weighs in at just over 22 pounds 
 At this point the only thing I'd change is to get a Campy triple up front. 
 I have a very bad knee and need a bit lower gears

 Notes: 
 1. The photos show a temporary crank that was installed until I got the 
 Campy one in
 2. The tires have also been replace with the 700X28's

 I am an awful photographer so excuse the poor pictures

 http://s10.photobucket.com/user/Phil_hk/slideshow/Bicycle/Soma




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[RBW] Re: New Soma San Marcos owner and pictures

2013-04-24 Thread Fai Mao

I forgot to add that this bike was a hoot in the shop.
Hornet Sports on Guam deals mainly in race stuff. Carbon/Aluminum - bars to 
low - tires too skinny or monster downhill type stuff. They had customers 
asking about the bike as they built it up for me. It really drew a lot of 
attention. One of the men I work with wants one.   

On Thursday, April 18, 2013 3:30:49 PM UTC+10, Fai Mao wrote:

 Greetings

 After a 5 week delay to get most of the parts the San Marcos is on the 
 road.

 I was looking for a less slow bike than the Mongoose grocery bike and the 
 Sam Hillborne is in Hong Kong with the family. When this contract is up in 
 18 months I'll take the Soma back with me.

 This is not a very retro build. 

 Frame and Fork: Soma San Marcos 54 CM

 Components
 Headset: Campagnolo Record
 Seat Post: Generic 
 Saddle: Selle San Marco Regal
 Stem: Dirt Drop 80 CM
 Shifters: Campagnolo Veloce Flat bar 10/speed
 Bars: Nitto flat  straight I do not know the number
 Crank: Centaur compact 170-50/34
 Cassette: Camagnolo 12-30 10/speed
 Derailleurs: Campagnolo Veloce medium cage rear QS front
 Chain KMC 10 speed
 Brakes Tektro long reach
 Wheels Campagnolo: Vento Reaction CX
 Tires: Continental Gator Skins 700X28 

 The bike weighs in at just over 22 pounds 
 At this point the only thing I'd change is to get a Campy triple up front. 
 I have a very bad knee and need a bit lower gears

 Notes: 
 1. The photos show a temporary crank that was installed until I got the 
 Campy one in
 2. The tires have also been replace with the 700X28's

 I am an awful photographer so excuse the poor pictures

 http://s10.photobucket.com/user/Phil_hk/slideshow/Bicycle/Soma




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Re: [RBW] thoughts on the current state of the Riv-ish bicycle marketplace

2013-04-24 Thread Fai Mao

So does a Tom Collins become a Test Pilot or something?

On Saturday, April 20, 2013 11:26:57 AM UTC+10, Jim Thill - Hiawatha 
Cyclery wrote:

 For some reason, this thread reminds me of a college acquaintance who 
 enjoyed the cocktail known as the Old Fashioned. But since that sounds like 
 something an old geezer would drink, he took it upon himself to rename it 
 the Space Age.

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[RBW] New Soma San Marcos owner and pictures

2013-04-18 Thread Fai Mao

Greetings

After a 5 week delay to get most of the parts the San Marcos is on the road.

I was looking for a less slow bike than the Mongoose grocery bike and the 
Sam Hillborne is in Hong Kong with the family. When this contract is up in 
18 months I'll take the Soma back with me.

This is not a very retro build. 

Frame and Fork: Soma San Marcos 54 CM

Components
Headset: Campagnolo Record
Seat Post: Generic 
Saddle: Selle San Marco Regal
Stem: Dirt Drop 80 CM
Shifters: Campagnolo Veloce Flat bar 10/speed
Bars: Nitto flat  straight I do not know the number
Crank: Centaur compact 170-50/34
Cassette: Camagnolo 12-30 10/speed
Derailleurs: Campagnolo Veloce medium cage rear QS front
Chain KMC 10 speed
Brakes Tektro long reach
Wheels Campagnolo: Vento Reaction CX
Tires: Continental Gator Skins 700X28 

The bike weighs in at just over 22 pounds 
At this point the only thing I'd change is to get a Campy triple up front. 
I have a very bad knee and need a bit lower gears

Notes: 
1. The photos show a temporary crank that was installed until I got the 
Campy one in
2. The tires have also been replace with the 700X28's

I am an awful photographer so excuse the poor pictures

http://s10.photobucket.com/user/Phil_hk/slideshow/Bicycle/Soma


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[RBW] Re: Suntour is back says it's keeping it real w/ old skool ideology

2013-04-17 Thread Fai Mao

Looking at the parent website
http://joy-japan.com

It appears that they are either in cahoots or one and same company as 
MicroShift which is interesting 

In fact on the joy-japan.com site the two logos a superimposed one above 
the other. 




On Saturday, April 13, 2013 2:39:55 PM UTC+10, stonehog wrote:

 Forwarding from the Rando list. Interesting from the many Rivs with 
 Suntour components...

 Brian Hanson
 Seattle, Wa

 Begin forwarded message:

 *From:* Jenny Oh Hatfield plat...@gmail.com javascript:
 *Date:* April 12, 2013, 9:36:27 AM HST
 *To:* ran...@googlegroups.com javascript:
 *Subject:* *[Randon] Suntour is back  says it's keeping it real w/ old 
 skool ideology*

 Junzo feels the time is right to re-enter the bicycle component 
 business.  As he puts it “the market is too race-centric;  carbon fiber, 
 electric shifting, full suspension, 11 speed, doesn’t really enhance the 
 enjoyment of cycling.  In the 1970’s and 80’s we cycled to be closer to 
 nature, for the environment, for our health, for the simple beauty of 
 cycling.”  For these reasons SunXCD will focus on touring and randonneuring 
 components which were the focus of SunTour during its heyday.

 Read more here https://stan-pun.squarespace.com/about/.

 Cheers,

 Jenny

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[RBW] Re: RivReader asks if aluminum bars should be replaced after 5 years?

2013-03-22 Thread Fai Mao



On Tuesday, March 19, 2013 5:50:43 AM UTC+10, Michael wrote:

 In a cool interview with Nitto exec Mr. Yoshikawa, Grant asks this 
 question. Nitto exec leaves it up to consumer. So I was wondering if 
 anything to be concerned about. Anyone know anything about aluminum bar 
 life?
 Do I need to throw away the old used set of bars I have? Don't want any 
 accidents.



I wonder about stress risers? I have an old set of Scott Drop bars that are 
on a triathlon bike. very seldom ride that bike because of the bad knee and 
it's high gears. The bars do not have many miles on them but they are old. 
They are also the only handle bars I have ever used that I can feel flex 
while riding.  

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Re: [RBW] Re: Budget Riv? Still on the horizon?

2013-03-06 Thread Fai Mao

I just purchased a Soma San Marcos. Waiting for some of the parts to arrive.

I like the Sam to commute on but I do find it a bit sluggish, I would not 
call it stiff. I am hoping the San Marcos is a bit more lively feeling.


On Wednesday, March 6, 2013 1:48:50 PM UTC+10, cyclot...@gmail.com wrote:

 650B 56 single TT has gotta be the perfect bike!


 On Tue, Mar 5, 2013 at 3:26 PM, Davidbea bead...@gmail.com 
 javascript:wrote:

 I’ve also spent many hundreds of dollars (at least) on Bridgestones, 
 Univegas, Miyatas and hybrid Bianchis not buying a Rivendell. I’ve been 
 *almost 
 *satisfied but still wanted the real thing.

 I finally decided to take the plunge and am picking up a new 56cm 650B H. 
 Homer Hilsen frame set. It’s one of the last single tube Toyo’s. Looking to 
 put this together within as tight a budget as reasonably possible but am 
 certainly excited about spring’s imminent arrival here with a new bike.

 David

 On Friday, March 1, 2013 3:14:16 AM UTC-5, Tonester wrote:

 I was fortunate enough to get an Atlantis as a gift, but I can tell you 
 I spent hundreds (thousands, perhaps) of dollars NOT buying a Rivendell. 
  Treks, Miyatas, blah blah blah.  I did the same with my Aerostich 
 motorcycle suit - instead of just biting the bullet and spending the $700+ 
 I bought countless replicas and half measures, only to finally just give up 
 and eat ramen for a couple of months and buying the real deal - which is 
 still with me ten years later.  All the other stuff is long gone.  

 If a Riv is what you want, no other scratch will cure that itch.  Do it!

 On Thursday, February 28, 2013 6:36:55 PM UTC-8, dougP wrote:

 Gernot's got the right idea.  Instead of us trying to figure out how 
 Rivendell can give us low priced lugged bikes, we need to figure out how 
 to organize our resources, expenses  priorities to afford a Rivendell.  I 
 really truly believe Grant  Co are doing the best they can to deliver a 
 quality, uncompromised product at a fair price.  Somehow people justify 
 cars costing 10X a Rivendell (it's only monthly payments).  The bike 
 will 
 be a pleasure to own long after the car is on the scrap heap.  

 When I bought my Atlantis 10 years ago, it cost 3X what I'd paid for 
 the most expensive bike I'd bought to date.  However, I told myself I 
 could 
 screw around with compromises for the rest of my life or just get what I 
 wanted  enjoy it for decades.  We're about to start our second decade 
 together.  

 Where there's sufficient will, there is a way.  I think Rivendell has 
 done their part.  

 dougP

 On Thursday, February 28, 2013 1:08:04 AM UTC-8, Earl Grey wrote:

 Here is how to get a budget Riv now (other than waiting for a used 
 deal, which could also take a while):

 Get yourself a zero % interest credit card. Get a Sam or Betty now 
 before the price goes up (get the unpainted head tube if still available 
 in 
 your size). Set up automatic payments so that you pay off the frame 
 before 
 the interest kicks in. Find a bargain older bike on Craig's List that has 
 a 
 suitable selection of parts. Move the parts over (650B wheels will be a 
 problem, though). Scrounge for the rest (long reach brakes and wheels) 
 here 
 on the RBW list and the iBob list. 

 The $400 you could save in a budget frame is a pittance even on a 
 budget if spread out over a year. Commit to cooking for your family 
 instead 
 of going out to eat, do without cable, stop drinking beer and wine for a 
 year, or juice (it's not that healthy, anyway), whatever. Or ride your 
 new 
 bike everywhere if you are now driving a car. Sell the car, buy a trailer 
 for the kids, or a front mounted and rear mounted child seat. There are 
 ways to save $40 a month if you are working and living in the US. I 
 waited 
 for years before buying a Riv because they seemed so extravagant. Buying 
 the original Sam at $1000 in 2009 felt like a super-splurge bordering on 
 the irresponsible, but I bit the bullet because it was half of the other 
 Rivs. I wish I hadn't waited so long.

 Hope I don't sound preachy, and perhaps your finances are more dire 
 than mine are/were (maxed out credit cards?), but most employed folk in 
 the 
 US can afford a Sam, especially if it can replace car trips some of the 
 time. It's mostly a matter of priorities, and perhaps overcoming fear. 

 Cheers,

 Gernot

 PS: Moving to a cheaper country doesn't hurt. :)

 GH in Thailand without a car with a 2.5 year old and an 8 month old, 
 wife's student loans finally paid off a year ago. 


 On Wednesday, February 27, 2013 7:36:21 AM UTC+7, murphyjrfk wrote:

 I love all the answers. And the what not.  But I suppose I forgot to 
 mention I don't care if the bike they come out with didn't have lugs was 
 a 
 mixte with gray primer as pain t and not a single decal.  I'm not tall 
 so 
 generally ride a 52 give or take and the thing that drives me crazy is 
 you 
 can't buy a smaller bike with a shallow seat tube.  Even the

[RBW] Re: A bike to grow old with?

2013-02-18 Thread Fai Mao

I have a Sam H. in the 52 CM size with 650B wheels. It has the single top 
tube. I am 5 foot 11 with an inseam of about 33 inches and Rivendell would 
have probably sized me up to the next size (I bought the frame from 
Renaissance Cycles). At that time none of the Sam's had the double tubes 
but I was afraid of the really long top tube length. Anyway, with the 
expanded geometry used in the Sam's I have found the bike to be quite 
comfortable and I had no problem getting the saddle high enough using a 
standard 330 mm Mountain Bike seat post though I probably show more seat 
post than the Riv, people would think is appropriate

My observations on the Sam are that it is a great commuting bike, touring 
bike (I rode from Hong Kong to Shanghai on it three years ago) and just an 
excellent bike for general riding. I love it to death and can highly 
recommend it. That said it will never be confused with a sporty bike and 
even stripped down without racks, fenders and lights it is a fairly heavy 
machine. I don't think it climbs well and I find I need lower gears to 
negotiate hills than on other bikes. It also has a turning radius similar 
to a 1978 Buick Electra Station Wagon I can't make a 180 turn at least on 
the bike trails in Hong Kong without  stopping, picking the bike up, 
turning it around and then remounting. I have found that I still like to 
have a lighter, less stretched out frame for faster, unloaded rides. If you 
are that type rider I'd look at the Soma San Macos frame.

Lastly and this is true with any Rivendell design I think, plan on buying a 
shorter crank. They have very low bottom brackets which makes them really 
stable but being a centimeter (1/2 inch) or so closer to the ground means 
that you can easily get pedal strike through corners if you aren't careful 

At least that is my observation


On Friday, February 15, 2013 8:19:36 AM UTC+10, markt...@gmail.com wrote:

 New member to the group here. Just retired last spring after teaching for 
 38 yrs and am thinking that I deserve a new bike to ride during my 
 retirement. Seeing Keven's proto-Appaloosa on the Riv website, I noticed 
 the quote that the Appaloosa was a bike to grow old with. Since the 
 Appaloosa isn't yet available, any recommendations for which other Riv 
 would be a bike to grow old with. (My kids already think I'm old, but 
 nevermind!) I like the price of the Sam, but can't get used to the double 
 top tube. Last time I checked, my PBH was 86.5 cm. 
 Thoughts? Anyone have a Riv for sale that could work for me?
 Thanks,
 Mark Taintor
 Chanhassen, MN



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[RBW] Re: Tire Choice -- 99 Years Ago

2011-02-28 Thread Fai Mao

The bike does not have much clearnce at the top of the fork is one
reason  He couldn't get a bigger tire on that machine

Second, it is a fixed gear bike and is probably made out of rather
heavy plane guage tubing. Thus weight may have been a factor since
bikes back then typically used steel hanflebars and cranks.



On Feb 28, 10:32 am, scott clankbonesh...@gmail.com wrote:
 Everyone knows that people were tougher back then.

 On Feb 27, 7:37 pm, Eric Norris campyonly...@me.com wrote:



  I was looking at my Tour de France calendar and it occurred to me that the 
  February page can teach us something about tire choice in the Golden Age.  
  The photos at the link below are from the 1912 Tour.  Remember that in 
  those days (as shown in the photo), much of the riding took place on 
  unpaved roads that sometimes degraded to goat paths in the high mountain 
  passes.

  Nevertheless, the rider in the photo (walking his bike over a summit) 
  appears to be riding tires that are about the same width as a 700x28 -- 
  maybe a 700x32.  I wonder why he didn't select a wider tire, given the 
  atrocious roads.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/35176895@N03/sets/72157626037266187/

  --Eric
  campyonly...@me.comwww.campyonly.comwww.wheelsnorth.org- Hide quoted text -

 - Show quoted text -

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[RBW] Re: Every bike has a story.

2011-02-28 Thread Fai Mao

Two years ago we moved from Hong Kong Island to the New Territories.
There is a bike path right beside my job that runs nearly to the new
domicile and I decided that I would really like to begin commuting by
bike again. I had a triathlon bike but it was unsuited to the needs of
a commuter. I thought about reworking that bike with smaller wheels
and longer reach brakes but by the time I did that I’d have spent a
far amount of the cost of a new bike and as I hadn’t bought a new bike
since 1997 I decided it was time especially since I’d wanted to do
some touring again.

To be honest, the Sam Hillborne was my 3rd or 4th choice. I was a bit
put off by the 650B wheels on the Sam and the expanded geometry was
problematic as well.  I did not have the budget to replace this bike
if it didn’t work out. So I wanted to go for the sure thing.
 When I was an undergraduate I had an old Dawes Galaxy that I bought
used and rode for probably 10,000 miles. I loved the bike and tried to
buy a new Galaxy frame. I know the new ones are welded and not brazed
but the geometry is the same and it was the logical choice for me. I
could not get the dealers in the UK to respond to an Email. My next
choice was a Thorn Nomad frame from Saint John’s Cyclery in London but
the person who deals with overseas sales there was on vacation. I
looked at a Surly LHT but there were some things about the frame I
didn’t like. I also talked to LSL Titanium in China to see if they
would do a one off frame for me all to no avail.

I have an extreme Shimano allergy. I wanted a frame and for because I
avoid anything with the Shimano name on it if I can. Call me all the
names you wish about or feel sorry for me but I’ve been that way since
the 1970’s. I hated Shimano long before it was fashionable to do so.

So, after a couple of months of searching I was reduced to a frame by
VO or a Sam Hillborne or possible a NOS generic bike from a local bike
shop that I didn’t trust.

After looking the Sam Hillborne looked like the best fit for the
budget, almost by default as the origional Galaxy was less expensive
so I contacted Renaissance Cycles from the link Rivendell’s web page.
I used Renaissance because I wanted to deviate from the build that
Rivendell would be comfortable with in some ways and didn't want Grant
to insist on a frame that I was a fraid would be too big. The bike
arrived in July of 2009. I have ridden it maybe 9000 miles since then
including a tour from Hong Kong to Shanghai last summer. It is my
primary comutting bike.

I agree that bikes take on the personality of their owners; more so
when the owner builds the machine from the frame up because they then
have the owners biases and preferences in the build. This bike’s build
is quite eccentric. Grant probably would have had me on the 56 cm
frame and wouldn’t have stocked the straight bars that I like.

Build Specs
Frame  Fork:  Sam Hillborne 52 cm
Rims: Velocity Dyad 650b
Hubs: DT Swiss 370
Tires: Maxy Fasty

Headset: Tange
Stem: Nitto Periscopa 80 cm
Handlebars: Surly 1X1 54 cm riser
Grips: Cork
Barends: Ritchey

Seat Post: Sugino
Saddle: Brooks Professional Titanium rails


Bottom Bracket: Tange
Crank Sugino XD 600 – 172.5 - 26/38/48
Cassette Sram 13-30 8 speed (I think it may be an 11-30)
Chain: KMC 8 speed
Derailleurs: NOS Suntour XC-Pro Long cage rear 31.8 Clamp front
Shifters: NOS SunTour XC-Pro 8 speed thumb shifters
Brake levers: NOS SunTour XC-Pro
Brakes: NOS Suntour XC-pro cantilevers (Now changed to Avid single
digit 7 linear pull due to a malfunction)
Pedals: VO touring with dual clips and straps

Rack: Soma Deco
Fenders: Esge
Seat bag: Generic 1.7 litre
Panniers: Brasil Briefcase
Lights: BM/Sanyo Bottom Bracket dynamo (I had to make a special mount
for this to fit as the wheel base is too long otherwise)


On Feb 28, 9:07 am, Bruce fullylug...@yahoo.com wrote:
 Jason:

  No trouble with Pari-Motos, but no room for fenders between the chainstays. 
 The
 is room at the fork, and seatstays, soa specially sculpted fender could be 
 fit.

 Bruce

 
 From: JL subfas...@gmail.com
 To: RBW Owners Bunch rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com
 Sent: Sun, February 27, 2011 2:24:57 PM
 Subject: [RBW] Re: Every bike has a story.

 Bruce,

 These bikes are nearly twins.  Are there any width problems with the
 Pari-Motos at the chainstays?  You ever run 650b with fenders on your
 bike?

 Jason

 On Feb 27, 1:56 am, Bruce fullylug...@yahoo.com wrote:





  Jason:

  Like you, my '95 Road Std came as a frame and two forks set a couple of 
  years
  ago. I saw how a prior owner had built it up, and wanted something a little
  different. Using the recently introduced Tektro 556 brakes, I converted the
 bike
  to a 650B, which lets me run bigger rubber. Also like you, I went with
 downtube
  shifters, in this case Silvers from RBW. I had a Leather saddle that was
 perfect
  in comfort but had overstretched (by a prior owner) but which was salvaged 
  by
  putting in a

[RBW] Re: New Sam Color

2011-02-23 Thread Fai Mao

Actually I think a dark maroon or orange headtube would work with that
bike. The cream on silver is too light. A black would also look very
good. I think overall the orange was better.

On Feb 23, 1:15 pm, Bill webe...@gmail.com wrote:
 If the head tube was painted a creme white to match the fenders, and
 the seat tube decal was the same creme, it would be an outta-the-
 ballpark home run.  It's still mighty pretty as-is.  The nice thing
 about neutral earthy colors is that ten or fifteen years down the road
 they stand the test of time.

 Bill

 On Feb 22, 2:11 pm, William tapebu...@gmail.com wrote:



  I like the grilver a lot.  Bidding is underway.  Somebody is going to
  get a great deal.

  On Feb 22, 9:17 am, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote:

   I really like the new color and the look of the fenders. I saw those
   fenders when I was at RBWHQ last Sept and thought they were great. The
   appeared thicker than the standard SKS and the cream color looked to
   be the actual color of the fender, not paint. Nice that they're
   longer.

   The whole bike looks great.

   --mike- Hide quoted text -

 - Show quoted text -

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[RBW] Re: Cleaning Canvas

2011-02-21 Thread Fai Mao

This would require reproofing but you might try using a foam stain
remover made for carpets

But be careful that you don't bleach the color out

On Feb 22, 9:11 am, J. Burkhalter burk...@yahoo.com wrote:
 Hey Eric,

 I've never cleaned any of my Carradice stuff, but just this past
 weekend I finally cleaned my Filson briefcase that is the tan color
 similar to the Acorn Bags.  Anyway, it's had a big splotch from some
 homemade salad dressing and another spot from a blueberry smoothie on
 it for a while.  I didn't think either would ever come out with
 Filson's wipe or brush clean only method, but after I got some fried
 eggs on the bag (don't ask) I figured it was time to give it a scrub.
 I started using a brush under running water in the kitchen sink.  The
 blueberry stain wasn't going anywhere, and the bag was too wet to see
 if the oil stain was leaving.  So, I got some Phil's Hand Cleaner and
 worked it into the fabric with the brush, and then flushed it really
 well with more water.  It took a day or so to dry, but the oil stain
 vanished and the blueberry stain is way less noticeable.

 If you do end up washing it, you can always reproof with the
 Carradice, Filson, or similar wax.  I've never done this, but I
 imagine the process might take a little while.

 Good luck,
 -Jay B

 On Feb 21, 3:55 pm, Eric Norris campyonly...@me.com wrote:



  This may sound like a silly question to those would value beausage, but 
  ... How does one clean a Carradice or other canvas bag? I took my Carradice 
  saddlebag for a ride in the rain this past weekend, and it of course got 
  soaking wet and sprayed with a fair amount of road grime.

  Is there a way short of throwing it in the wash to get it clean (or at 
  least cleaner than it is now)?

  --Eric N- Hide quoted text -

 - Show quoted text -

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Re: [RBW] Re: 700c vs. 650b, again

2011-01-27 Thread Fai Mao

Yes mine is like that and in an emergency I would. It just looks ugly

On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 9:28 PM, newenglandbike matthiasbe...@gmail.comwrote:

On Jan 27, 1:03 am, Fai Mao i.am.fai@gmail.com wrote:

When I went to Shanghai last summer I was really worried about tires and
wheels. I kind of wish I had the non-cantilever version Sam because then
I
might be able to run either 650B-650C or 700c on the frame given the
clearance by simply changing out a caliper. Being able to do that would
make
the bike really versatile but the bosses get in the way of that on the
frame
I have now.

I'm not sure if this is true of all SH versions, but on the early
green canti-mount version, you could run caliper brakes too (bridge/
crown are drilled for side/centerpulls)

-Matt

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Re: [RBW] Re: 700c vs. 650b, again

2011-01-26 Thread Fai Mao

I don't know about Russia. I do know that you can't buy 650b tires in Asia
unless you have them imported yourself. If I had it to do over again I'd
have upped my Sam Hillborne by a size to get the 700c wheel

On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 4:19 AM, NME nicolemea...@gmail.com wrote:

Thanks all for your replies and advice! I agree that it's personal
and individual, and ultimately the choice is up to me. It's
comforting to hear from you all that there's not a lot of difference
in the way the ride feels between 700c and 650b. I'm guessing that
the 54 didn't feel right to me because the frame was a little smaller
than what I wanted (forcing the stem and seatpost to be higher than
I'm used to). A lot of the perfect fit, I agree, will be getting the
right saddle, pedals, bars, stem -- the little stuff that gets tweaked
along the way.

I'll use this bike mostly for commuting, but with some longer rides
and some European inn-to-inn tours. I imagine I'll choose tires
between 32 and 38. The bike will stay on the pavement most of the
time. I'm in the Bay Area now, but getting ready to move to Berlin
soon, so I probably won't have much a chance to take it on the famed
California fire trails before I go.

I think that the 55 is probably the way to go, if only because it will
ease my paranoia about getting stuck in rural Belorussia with a broken
rim. As for toe-overlap, I'm not too worried about that, since it's
rarely been a problem for me so far.

It's good to hear that wheel size alone probably wasn't the issue.
This will be my only nice bike for the next several years, but if
the budget expands a few years from now, I'll definitely consider
adding a 650b to the line-up.

Thanks again for your help!

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Re: [RBW] Re: 700c vs. 650b, again

2011-01-26 Thread Fai Mao

Vietnam was a French colony and the 650B is a French size so I can see how
that would be especially since bikes are never thrown away in rural Asia.

Hong Kong and China were never French. Also Hong Kong is a place where
people look for the latest techno-glitzyness-gadgety stuff. 650B doesn't fit
that image. One of the nicer bike shops refused to work on my Sam because it
wasn't a carbon-fibre-dura-ace-indexed-sub 9.5kg-ego-raising-racer-wanna-be
machine. They didn't have parts that would fit it and saw no reason to order
them for me. Another one asked if the bike more than 30 years old; but he
was admiring it. The only shop that will ork with me here is Flying ball and
they are too far away from where I live and work. It is just easier to order
tires online and have them mailed. Wheels are problematic because they cost
a lot to ship.

When I went to Shanghai last summer I was really worried about tires and
wheels. I kind of wish I had the non-cantilever version Sam because then I
might be able to run either 650B-650C or 700c on the frame given the
clearance by simply changing out a caliper. Being able to do that would make
the bike really versatile but the bosses get in the way of that on the frame
I have now.

Idiot that I am I didn't think that tire size would be an issue here before
I bought the frame

On Thu, Jan 27, 2011 at 12:55 PM, Lee leec...@gmail.com wrote:

Hey Fai, I was surprised to find a lot of 650B when I was in Hanoi:

http://tinyurl.com/4p2785t

Nicole: I think a wider tire would help calm down the twitchy
handling.

Best,
Lee
San Francisco, CA

On Jan 26, 3:50 pm, Fai Mao i.am.fai@gmail.com wrote:
I don't know about Russia. I do know that you can't buy 650b tires in
Asia
unless you have them imported yourself. If I had it to do over again I'd
have upped my Sam Hillborne by a size to get the 700c wheel

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Re: [RBW] Re: California weather

2011-01-24 Thread Fai Mao

My philophical question of the month has been How come Hong Kong is farther
South than Miami but has weather like Atlanta?

It has been down to nearly freezing at night here several times and many
days the temperatue has been mo higher than 10 or 12 degrees C. That may not
sound that cold until you realize nobody has any heat in their homes or work
space.

On Tue, Jan 25, 2011 at 9:41 AM, EricP ericpl...@aol.com wrote:

At this point, I'd even take a California storm if the temps came with
it.
Put Albatross bars on my LHT and ended up with frostbite on the face
and left foot over the weekend. Am thoroughly tired of winter.

Did get me to finally follow list member Dan A's advice and now have a
new pair of Red Wing insulated boots.

Won't be taking my Sam Hillborne outside until it does start looking
like spring around here. But it is ready. Now with different stem,
bars, brakes, and bar tape. Oh, yeah, and different crankset, too.

Eric Platt
St. Paul, MN

On Jan 24, 4:50 pm, Anne Paulson anne.paul...@gmail.com wrote:
You cannot take complete credit, however. I put fenders on my Roadeo
for the Santa Cruz brevet on New Years Day. I was glad to have them
that day, and I think we might have had a drop of rain once after
that, but lately I've been wondering why I've been hauling those
things up so many hills in the bright warm sunshine. I've put
something like 600 miles on those fenders this calendar year, very few
of them in the rain. But I know that if I take them off, five storms
will come through.

-- Anne

On Mon, Jan 24, 2011 at 10:14 AM, rperks perks@gmail.com wrote:
A couple of weeks back, in an attempt to cram fenders and Jack Browns
onto the Roadeo I finally laid down my $10 and bought a set of
sheldon's fender nuts. At first glance and a hand fit, it looks like
it might fit, tight but fit. I belive that the fender nuts alone may
have been enough to trigger the end of the rains, if I contiue the
fitting of the fenders we may never have rain again. I probably can
not take full credit, but will say you're welcome.

Rob thinking about fenders in a coastal desert Perks

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Re: [RBW] What Makes the Rivendell

2011-01-09 Thread Fai Mao

I struggled to post on this thread. But I can't say what I want to say
without it sounding snarky towards people that ride other types of bikes and
I don't mean to denigrate them. So I'll just say: I wish Douglas Brooks
would post here. I miss him from the old I-Bob list

On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 1:42 AM, CycloFiend cyclofi...@earthlink.netwrote:

on 1/9/11 8:37 AM, JimD at rasterd...@comcast.net wrote:
I like looking at the 'staff bikes' on the Riv site.
Grant's bikes have a fair number of 'things' on em.
Mark Abele's bikes tend to be spare.
There's no one way.
We do and ride what we like and what works.

From Tips for Happy Riding - the version which I'd scanned from a 2006
catalog:

If you buy a stock bike, do something to it that makes it the only one
exactly like it in the world.

http://cyclofiend.com/rbw/happyriding.html

--
Jim Edgar
cyclofi...@earthlink.net

Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com
Current Classics - Cross Bikes
Singlespeed - Working Bikes

Gallery updates now appear here - http://cyclofiend.blogspot.com

I had to ride slow because I was taking my guerrilla route, the one I
follow when I assume that everyone in a car is out to get me.
-- Neal Stephenson, Zodiac

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Re: [RBW] What Makes the Rivendell

2011-01-09 Thread Fai Mao

OK, I think what makes a Riv a Riv is that they are bikes for adults who
ride like adults. My Sam Hillborne is for some someone who doesn't race,
doesn't pretend to be a racer and isn't concerned about impressing the Cat-1
wannabes. They are bikes for people who actually ride a bike because they
like riding not who ride bkes to be seen riding or to go faster than
everybody else. That said, I bet a lot of the people who ride Rivs can
regularaly out run riders on carbon fibre bikes. I know I do!

On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 12:39 PM, Kelly Sleeper tkslee...@gmail.com wrote:

Well this is the Riv Owners Group what better place to be snarky?
I say Snark on.. we aren't that thin skinned.

Kelly

Fai Mao wrote:
I struggled to post on this thread. But I can't say what I want to say
without it sounding snarky towards people that ride other types of bikes
and
I don't mean to denigrate them. So I'll just say: I wish Douglas Brooks
would post here. I miss him from the old I-Bob list

On Mon, Jan 10, 2011 at 1:42 AM, CycloFiend cyclofi...@earthlink.net
wrote:

From Tips for Happy Riding - the version which I'd scanned from a
2006
catalog:

If you buy a stock bike, do something to it that makes it the only one
exactly like it in the world.

http://cyclofiend.com/rbw/happyriding.html

--
Jim Edgar
cyclofi...@earthlink.net

Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com
Current Classics - Cross Bikes
Singlespeed - Working Bikes

Gallery updates now appear here - http://cyclofiend.blogspot.com

I had to ride slow because I was taking my guerrilla route, the one I
follow when I assume that everyone in a car is out to get me.
-- Neal Stephenson, Zodiac

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Re: [RBW] Help me figure out how many bikes I need, and how to configure them

2010-12-17 Thread Fai Mao

for the Sam, one with noodles, one with porteur
bars. Fisher is dedicated dirt bike. Disadvantage: If usually set up
with noodles, will I really want to switch cockpits just to ride to
lunch with my son? (Especially if I have to carry him in a sling while
switching bars...) Alternatively could have the Sam set up with
porteurs by default, switching to noodles only for the weekly ride.
Financial outlay: around $60 for cable splitters.

b) Figure out a way to get a tall stem on the Fisher, turn it into kid
hauler, and have the Sam be go fast and trail bike by switching tires
and mounting/dismounting fenders. Financial outlay: around $70 for
dirt drop stem, $? for steerer conversion to 1 (should be cheap here
in Thailand if it can be done at all).

c) Putting a dirt drop stem and moustache bars on the Sam, I could
perhaps make it work as a kid hauler, and also as a trail bike. It
might even work as a go fast that way, but I could set up the Fisher
as the go fast. Financial outlay: around $70 for dirt drop stem
(already have the moustache bars). Another $50 for a powdercoat
repaint of the Fisher. If I am using it a lot for fun road rides, I
don't want to ride it with its severely chipped paint.

d) Just use the tandem as the kid hauler, regardless of whether mom is
coming along or not. Since distances will be short, riding the tandem
should be fine. Sam is commuter and go fast, Fisher is trail bike. The
only issue is recreational rides with kid but without mom, but that
won't happen too often. Main drawback: Very high bottom bracket makes
stops a bit awkward, though at least the top tube is low.

So far, III c) seems the most intriguing.

Any other ideas?

Thanks,

Gernot

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Re: [RBW] Re: My first new Rivendell (ok Hillborne)

2010-11-29 Thread Fai Mao

If it doesn't rub its okay..

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Redlands, CA

*...in terms of recreational cycling there are many riders who would
probably benefit more from
improving their taste than from improving their performance.* - RTMS

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Re: [RBW] Re: My first new Rivendell (ok Hillborne)

2010-11-22 Thread Fai Mao

I'd not worry about trying put a disc brake on the bike. They stop just fine
with either a canti or liniar brake.

On Tue, Nov 23, 2010 at 12:24 PM, cyclotourist cyclotour...@gmail.comwrote:

Those orange Sams are a pretty nice gateway drug...

On Mon, Nov 22, 2010 at 7:52 PM, rcnute rcn...@hotmail.com wrote:

Nice to score the orange! Soon you'll ride it so much you'll forget
about the paint. I vote blue bar tape.

Ryan

On Nov 22, 1:51 pm, Minh mgiangs...@gmail.com wrote:
First i want to say thanks to everyone on this group, i've been a Riv
member for a long time but away for the last few years. I recently
looked at my stable of bikes and realized i didn't actually want to
ride any of them for a long period of time so i decided to solve
that. A new go-fast bike was not that appealing to me and the new
Rivendell's like the AHH or Roadeo were more then i wanted to spend.

The Hillborne looked like a good idea as i wanted to put a rack and
fenders on mine, the canti brakes were a slight turn-off (i gave up
canti's like 10 years ago!) But i got over this too, as an aside is
anyone running the old magura hydraulic brakes on an Hillborne or
Atlantis? I know this is counter to the spirit of the group but
curious if anyone has done this. I have them on a mt bike only.

Anyway i've been lurking for awhile hoping to pick up a Rambouillet,
Atlantis, Bleriot etc but nothing in my size or i was too late. I
finally picked up a Hillborne on ebay last week (yes the orange single
tt one in the box on ebay last week--sorry if you were bidding against
me, for the record his reserve price was almost his BIN price). I
just got it today and i realized that this is actually the first new
bike i've had to build up from scratch ever and it's by far the nicest
one, the thought of putting it into the work-stand for the first time
feels a little strange.

One thing i will say, i know what Grant means about not quite as nice
as AHH finish but perfectly fine nonetheless, there are some less then
perfect paint areas (one spot on the top tube looks like they got some
sediment in the paint, it's actually quite bad) it's the kind of
thing that bothers you at first but then you realize there are a lot
worse things in life but since i plan on riding this bike it's not the
end of the world for me, the sparkly paint is nice.

Sorry if there is not much point to this post, just excited to build
up my first Rivendell bicycle. I'm a little worried about the size i
got (went with 56, scared of the 60 and my PBH is low relative to
height), but i'll see once i get wheels etc on the bike and whether i
need to swap out stems etc.

Now on to the important decisions like what color bar tape

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David
Redlands, CA

*...in terms of recreational cycling there are many riders who would
probably benefit more from
improving their taste than from improving their performance.* - RTMS

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Re: [RBW] Riv Road on ebay

2010-11-18 Thread Fai Mao

Those bars were not ever sold by Riv. Look at the drop on those suckers!
Wow; you have to be Reid Richards to reach those.

On Thu, Nov 18, 2010 at 10:38 AM, Bruce fullylug...@yahoo.com wrote:

And, about the 1st half of the ad copy copy looks very familiar to
me

--- On *Wed, 11/17/10, rcnute rcn...@hotmail.com* wrote:

From: rcnute rcn...@hotmail.com
Subject: [RBW] Riv Road on ebay
To: RBW Owners Bunch rbw-owners-bunch@googlegroups.com
Date: Wednesday, November 17, 2010, 8:26 PM

I'm waiting for the official RBW name change to Rivendale.

http://tinyurl.com/255kf86

Ryan

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Re: [RBW] Re: SHOES!

2010-11-15 Thread Fai Mao

I ride in cheap sneakers.

On Mon, Nov 15, 2010 at 11:43 AM, Jeff, KC MO jeff.pe...@gmail.com wrote:

I have a pair of Axo (?, can't tell for sure from the logo) that I
bought at a bike swap meet for $10 with stiff soles and no provision
for SPD. They look like skate shoes but are perhaps the best bike
shoes I've found yet. I had to cut off nearly a foot of lace from each
shoe and re-tip them with heat shrink tubing to make them just right.

Also, I have a pair of Montrail trail runners that were too stiff for
running but work nicely for cycling. They have a flap that goes over
the laces and zips shut and snaps down, keeping the laces away from
the chainring. They came with gaiters for the really cold days.

In the summer, I wear a pair of North Face sandals.

Jeff in KC

On Nov 14, 8:01 pm, Jim Cloud cloud...@aol.com wrote:
+1 on the Sidi Touring shoes that Rivendell once sold. The last for
this shoe fits me very well (it is a 47 size), and I'm very happy with
them. I have one additional pair, NIB, in reserve when my present
ones wear out (although these shoes which use the Lorica leather
uppers seem to wear forever!).

Jim Cloud
Tucson, AZ

On Nov 14, 3:45 pm, Montclair BobbyB montclairbob...@gmail.com
wrote:

I saw mention of shoes on the pedal discussion, and decided to spawn a
new discussion... What kind of shoes do you all ride with??? (I've
recently changed my perspective on shoes.)

Since owning my Bombadil I've virtually ceased using my SPD shoes. My
pedals are Nashbar Rodeo 2 pedals, which have SPD bindings on one
side, platform on the other... Instead I ride my favorite, most
comfortable shoes, Ecco Country Walkers... I never would have
previously considered riding in my street shoes, which I now realize
is totally absurd. Riding with these shoes puts a smile on my face.
Best of all, when I arrive (wherever it is I arrive at), I'm wearing
my favorite shoes.

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Re: [RBW] AHH on order

2010-11-08 Thread Fai Mao

Phil hubs are worth it if you have the cash for them. They never wear out
and look good.
A less expensive option would be something like a DT-Swiss 370

On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 6:16 AM, dhk42 flopmeis...@gmail.com wrote:

First post!

I've been lurking here for a while now as I dithered about my
potential purchase. After a second long conversation with RHQ I placed
an order for a 71cm A. Homer Hilsen.

Immediately after I was struck by the notion that I should have
enlisted the wisdom of this list to help me decide the right course.
Well, it is too late for you to help me decide between the 71 AHH and
the 68cm diagonal Bombadil. Not that I wouldn't listen to opinions on
the topic. :-)

But hey! It is not too late to talk about components.

So let's see, what do you need to know about me? I'm a 6'7 250lb 45
year old neophyte cyclist who has never ever ridden on a bike that
fits or is set up properly. I have not owned or ridden a bike in a
long time for that reason. I plan to ride on roads, rail trails,
and dirt paths - I'm not sure how much. I'll never race. I'll never
get really serious about hard core off roading. I have no plans to do
lots of touring.

First question: Phil hubs - are they worth it?

David

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Re: [RBW] Why doesn't Riv reissue some bag classics?

2010-11-08 Thread Fai Mao

I agree with Patrick. I've thought that Riv bags were very expensive. Far
more so than I was willing to pay in most cases. I don't like having a bike
that looks attractive to thieves and a really expensive looking bag just
screams Steal me Plus, I commute on a bicycle and would rather that my
bike be cheaper than an automobile to maintain. Granted, I haven't driven a
car since 1996 so the cost of auto-maintenance may have gone up.

On Tue, Nov 9, 2010 at 4:11 AM, PATRICK MOORE bertin...@gmail.com wrote:

I wish they'd re-issue their original, cheap saddlebag made from the
original burrito waxed cotton cloth. I recently got one from a fellow
RBW-er or iBobber. Sorry, the best photo I have is here:

http://picasaweb.google.com/BERTIN753/BIKESMISCELLANEA#5522534402352991554

Sturdy, just the right size, inexpensive, no chi-chi. Needless to say,
it works very well as a small bar bag.

On Sun, Nov 7, 2010 at 10:42 PM, Eric ericwolfo...@gmail.com wrote:
I've watched with great anticipation some great older Riv bags on
eBay.

Recently, this handlebar bag fetched more than $200

Found here:
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItemitem=320611490808ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

Another Baggins style saddle bag fetched close to $180 on eBay. So
obviously there is a demand for well designed bags, as the way Acorn
bags are in stock for what seems like seconds. And I'm a more recent
Riv aficionado so I missed out on buying 'em.

Anyways, why doesn't Riv reissue these bags?

--
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Albuquerque, NM
For professional resumes, contact
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Re: [RBW] More on 7 speed...plus Bleriot finally finished

2010-10-30 Thread Fai Mao

The mechanic was boh right and wrong. Suntour shifted as well with all
Suntour parts but they were unable to control the OEM as well as Shimano and
they didn't shift without the proper chain. That is no longer a huge issue
as chains have come a long way.

I have Suntour XC_Expert derailleurs and thumb shifters on my Sam Hillborn
with a SRAM P-350 11-30 8 speed cassette on DT Swiss 370 hubs. They indexes
very well if you know how to set them up. Suntour systems shifted at a
different point in the movement of the derailleur compared to Shimano and if
you set the derailleur up like a Shimano then it will not shift right. With
Suntour psrts on a Shimano/SRAM cassette you have to get the derailleur to
pull the chain off the cog sooner. To do that turn the B screw all the way
in and move the derailleur all the way back and then adjust the shifting.
Ignore what the instructions say about lining up the upper pulley with the
cogs. You may need to back off on the B screw a bit to get it right bit it
will work and mine has stayed in adjustment. I have one shift where I get a
noticable Clunk when down shifting but I have no ghost shiting and no
chain rattle. I have well over 3000 miles on this system and am on the
second chain

Interestingly, when I take the bike into a bike shop they always mess up the
settings. I don't letthem change my derailleur cables or adjust the rear
derailleur.
On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 10:15 PM, jandrews_nyc jasonaschwa...@gmail.comwrote:

Hi
After reading with interest the previous post about going down in the
number of sprockets from 9 to 8 to 7, I decided to post and share what
I've been dealing with.
First of all, I have a 8 speed Hillborne with Silver shifters built up
by Riv that shifts perfectly...pretty much all the time.

About 6 months ago, I purchased off this list a used Bleriot frameset
and have slowly been building it up on a budget. I'm finally done but
am having some shifting issues. By the way, this is the first bike I
ever completely built up all the way from installing headset and BB to
adjusting derailleurs, etc. So it was a great learning experience.

It's built up as an old man townie 14 speed with the VO wide range
compact double cranksetthe one that's the TA ripoff.
I used a budget Shimano 7 speed cassette with the appropriate 4.5mm
spacer for the current Deore rear hub.
I am using some vintage Suntour handlebar thumbshifters that I
purchased NOS about 2 years ago and used on another bike..so they have
plenty of life left in them. The crankset is 46T / 30T and the 7
speed cassette is 13-28.
Initially I planned on using the Index setting for the shifters as
they are 7 speed, but I could never get accurate shits. I did speak
to one mechanic who said Suntours of that era never shifted well and
that's what brought them down. I don't know if I believe that.
So, since I normally ride friction, I've been content to do that.
but...
The bike slips out of gear often enough to make me think there is some
problem. Usually its in third largest cog on the cassette. and the
second smallest. I do have to do a decent amount of trimming when in
the large chainring which is what I'm in 85% of the time.
The little 30T front chainring is reserved for climbing.

Also one more thing...The VO crank and the recommended 118 BB didn't
work initially on the Bleriot. The crankarms would hit the chainstays
so I used another very long BB that I had. It's 127.5! I think the
ideal BB spindle length for this combo would be 122-ish.
I don't know if that is contributing to the shifting slipping, but it
seems to inconsequential to me when I'm riding because that crankset
is so low-Q to begin with.

Any suggestions? I am thinking of maybe taking one more link out of
the chain.

Photos below:

http://gallery.me.com/jasonaschwartz#100082

Thanks,
Jason

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[RBW] Re: Upgrading from 9 to 8 speed

2010-10-29 Thread Fai Mao

If you look around on the Net you can find some Falcone 7 and 8 speed
freewheels that are silver.
I have a couple of them and they are, surpirisingly good quality. They
evidently only export the cheaper stuff to N. America for Huffy but
mine has HG type shifting ramps and a nice chrome plate on the cogs.

I  have a 13-28 in both a 7 speed and 8 speed freewheel. They do use a
strange remover tool but that is available. The common splined one
almost works but will strip the splines if it is tight on the wheel

On Oct 30, 7:35 am, PATRICK MOORE bertin...@gmail.com wrote:
 I don't know from 50s but I mean the black ones, like that 7 sp I
 bought full lbs pop for about $30 including tax. Not only is mine not
 shiny, it is that light-absorbing matt black (or perhaps ultra-midnite
 brown, I'm a bit color blind) which is pretty or not as you prefer.





 On Fri, Oct 29, 2010 at 5:07 PM, Steve Palincsar palin...@his.com wrote:
  On Fri, 2010-10-29 at 17:03 -0600, PATRICK MOORE wrote:
  Are the very cheap black ones as durable as the more expensive ones?

  I presume by very cheap you refer to the HG50s.  AFAIK they're very
  bit as durable as the HG70s, except not as shiny and pretty looking.

  Compared to 10-speed cassettes, all 7s could be called very cheap.

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 - Show quoted text -

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Re: [RBW] Re: Bike Life

2010-10-18 Thread Fai Mao

 because you are subscribed to the Google Groups
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Re: [RBW] worlds collide

2010-10-18 Thread Fai Mao

I have some of them with a flat bar trigger shifter setup. They seem to be
really good. Though I have sense of durability yet

On Tue, Oct 19, 2010 at 11:54 AM, Seth Vidal skvi...@gmail.com wrote:

Just read grant's new post about deraillers:
http://www.rivbike.com/blogs/knothole_post/297

And I did a little looking into the microshift deraillers.

And I found this:
http://www.microshift.biz/pviewitem1.asp?sn=791area=51cat=184#

Now it's only funny to me or to others who might work in my field -
but I used to help build the centos OS and the idea of having a centos
derailler by microshift amuses me to no end.

other than that it's pretty good looking.

anyone actually used any of these yet?
-sv

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Re: [RBW] Re: perennial pants issue

2010-10-05 Thread Fai Mao

This is atually a topic I've thought about at times.
I have some semi-casual pants that I can just barely get away with at work
that have a zipper around the mid thigh. I can remove them lower leg and get
shorts. The only draw back at work is that they have cargo pockets which
look kind of dress down. I generally just wear skin shorts and in cooler
weather put leg warmers on over the shorts. I then change in the closet in
my office.
On Tue, Oct 5, 2010 at 11:58 AM, charlie charles_v...@hotmail.com wrote:

Holy cow just wear your denim pants. I wear my Key brand logger pants
with suspenders for all my cold weather riding because its what I wear
anyway. Yea they are cotton but it hasn't hurt me for rides up to 25
miles which is as far as my commute is. I rode with them in 78 degree
weather last Thursday and it wasn't unbearable. In cooler temperatures
I don't sweat as bad and they work fine. For lighter rain you just get
wet and dry out later. The fit on my jeans is trim in the ankles but I
usually just tuck the excess into my sock or wear a reflective ankle
gizmo that Riv sells. I've been wanting a chain guard but am too lazy
to order one at the moment. Plain old cotton sweat pants work good too
if you wear the suspenders to keep them from bunching up but they look
kind of too casual off the bike and I won't wear them at work
so..

On Oct 3, 6:34 pm, jim_OLP j...@landoloons.com wrote:
Every year when it starts to get cold, I undertake a futile search for
cycling pants that don't look like something from the ballet or the
circus. I mean pants, not lycra tights. And not rain pants, which
tend to be way too baggy and - if they're Rivendll - too orange. I
want nylon pants that block the wind but are trim enough so they don't
flutter in the wind, and will stay out of the way of the chain,
preferablly with some sort of cinch around the ankle. I need pockets
too.

Wool would be great, but I know that's not going to happen.

I'd buy the MUSA pants, but I can't do the blue crotch. Just too
conspicuous. Ooooh, are those bicycling pants? Where did you get
them?

It's hard to Google on this without getting 50 pages of black spandex
tights.

Does anyone else makes something just like the MUSA pants, but without
the 2-tone color scheme?

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Re: [RBW] Re: wide-Q road crankset?

2010-10-05 Thread Fai Mao

I can attest to the Stronglight Impact crank from CRC. It is a great crank
for the money I have the one that has allow outer rings and a steel inner
ring.

The only issue that you'll have is that they do not list a BB length mine
has a 107 but I think a 109 or 110 would work better as it does not like to
go to the inner ring.

You might also look at the Vitus Stag frames they have for sale there if you
need, want or could use another bike. A decent frame for less than $100.00
USD is a rare deal

On Wed, Oct 6, 2010 at 12:43 AM, Garth garth...@gmail.com wrote:

You could also get a Stronglight Impact Triple w/30/40/50 rings from
these guys in the UK. Even with shipping it's a worthwhile. This one
in particular is a Sugino XD in disguise, but has anodized black arms/
silver rings.
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=43350

I've ordered from them before and they're perfectly legit.

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Re: [RBW] Sneaker Pedals

2010-10-03 Thread Fai Mao

That sounds like it is simply loose. Try tightening the pedal into the crank

On Mon, Oct 4, 2010 at 3:55 AM, Powderpiggy keely.murd...@verizon.netwrote:

So I am a bike maintenance novicealthough I am committed to
learning to do it myself. I have been riding for 25+ years and have
logged thousands of miles, but I am embarrassed to say that the most
I have ever done to my bike is change the tires/tubes/rim tape, clean
the chain, replace the chain (though that didn't work out very well
for me) and lube the chain. Everything else I have left to the
professionals.

But I am turning over a new leaf and intend to figure it out. Which
brings me to my sneaker pedals. They are very new (i.e. less than
300 miles). But on a trip through the B.C's Gulf Islands last month,
I rode through three days of continuous rain. I live in a dry climate
and am also a newbie at crappy weather.

After that trip, every-time I ride the left sneaker pedal had
developed a super annoying clicking noise, and the more pressure I put
on the pedal the more it clicks (probably twice a revolution). I am
thinking that maybe dirt/grime/whatever got in during the rain. Not
sure what to do about this, can I take it apart and lubricate? Can you
tell me how?

Keely

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Re: [RBW] Re: Daily Ride

2010-09-30 Thread Fai Mao

Joel,

I worked at HKU in 1990. What did you study there?

On Wed, Sep 29, 2010 at 8:46 PM, JoelMatthews joelmatth...@mac.com wrote:

 I did not have a bike then, but I still have fond memories of hiking
 around Clear Water Bay and Stanley on some perfect November days back
 in '89 and '90 when I was at HKU.

 On Sep 28, 6:34 pm, Fai Mao i.am.fai@gmail.com wrote:
  Hong Kong is not known as a bicycle friendly place or a place where
  you go to see natural beauty. But my daily commute is absolutely
  stunningly pretty. You'd never know that you were in the most crowed
  city on Earth.
 
  http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/Phil_hk/Commute/

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Re: [RBW] Re: A Wonderful Antidote

2010-09-30 Thread Fai Mao

He ought to move to the NEw Territories. Lots of old men ride bikes here.
They have PVC pipes rigged to the handlebars to hold their fishing poles.

On Thu, Sep 30, 2010 at 6:56 AM, Garth garth...@gmail.com wrote:


 Yeah  I gotta get to a year round cycling climate that's warm.

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[RBW] Daily Ride

2010-09-28 Thread Fai Mao

Hong Kong is not known as a bicycle friendly place or a place where
you go to see natural beauty. But my daily commute is absolutely
stunningly pretty. You'd never know that you were in the most crowed
city on Earth.

http://s10.photobucket.com/albums/a117/Phil_hk/Commute/

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Re: [RBW] Re: Vaporizing Nitto Jaguar Bolt

2010-09-28 Thread Fai Mao

Somewhere there is a planet that has all my screwdrivers and sockets

On Tue, Sep 28, 2010 at 6:54 PM, Thomas Lynn Skean
thomaslynnsk...@comcast.net wrote:

Yeah, and I bet they still sell 80/20 Striped Sporty Shorties there!

On Sep 26, 8:55 pm, Jim Cloud cloud...@aol.com wrote:
Stephen Hawking would approve your analysis of the situation, quantum
physics is the obvious culprit (those folks in the alternate universe
must have way too many non-matching socks!).

Jim Cloud
Tucson, AZ

On Sep 26, 12:25 pm, Marty mgie...@mac.com wrote:

I can't tell you how many times that has happened to me! If you come
across it, look for the two tiny rubber O rings from the bottom of the
two old style Silca floor pumps I've restored. I think they vanished
before they even hit the floor. I'm convinced there's another
dimension, where a duplicate of me is rehabbing old bikes, and the
little bits magically appear on their workbench just as other me is
about to give up rooting around for them.

Marty

On Sep 26, 1:39 pm, Rob Harrison robha...@gmail.com wrote:

Changing out the saddle on my Saluki yesterday I dropped one of the
bolts from its Nitto Jaguar seatpost, and it vaporized. Absolutely
nowhere to be found. Tore apart the garage looking for it. Found the

proprietary washer, but the bolt itself vanished. Isn't it amazing
how
that can happen?

Anyone have a link to a supplier of Nitto parts?

Thanks!

Rob in Seattle

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Re: [RBW] finished hunqapillar build

2010-09-27 Thread Fai Mao

More generally,

Tell us how it is built up

On Mon, Sep 27, 2010 at 8:09 AM, JimD rasterd...@comcast.net wrote:

What a beautiful bike!

Here's hoping that it stars in many of your great photos.

-JimD

On Sep 25, 2010, at 7:26 PM, erik jensen wrote:

Taking a break after a day of assembly. Looking forward to tomorrow!

photo:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/bikenoir/5024265087/lightbox/

erik
--
oakland, ca
bikenoir.blogspot.com

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Re: [RBW] Re: My new Rodeo

2010-09-16 Thread Fai Mao

Especially when I am carrying something home my bike and luggage can easily
hit the 40 pound mark. A 30 something gear is a gear that I walk the bike up
1:10 hill. I need a gear at least in the mid 20's to grind up a hill that
steep however, it is a quandry because I can at that point push the bike up
the hill faster than I can ride it up the hill.

On Thu, Sep 16, 2010 at 1:39 PM, charlie charles_v...@hotmail.com wrote:

I'm with you...I must be a weakling too. I can't go up the
foothills of Mt Rainier without a small inner ring, especially after I
am all tired out. The only compact double I would consider would be
perhaps a 46x30 or a 44/42x28 coupled with a 12-32,34 or 36 cog set.
I own a classic steel race bike from the 80's with a 42x52 and a 13-23
six speed. At 21 pounds I cannot ride it on anything but gentle
rollers and relatively flat ground. It makes no difference to me that
the shifting is simple and crisp and I don't think it makes me any
faster than my normal all rounder style bike. Unless one is very lean
and very in shape, I honestly don't think there is much of a reason to
ride with a double and certainly not on a bike that will take you to
unknown areas due to its versatility and fender-ability. Three cheers
to those that can make compact doubles work..years of sit down
bench work and too many calories have done wonders to limit my
climbing abilities. I need a wide range triple and I am not afraid to
admit it !!! : )

On Sep 12, 9:43 am, Anne Paulson anne.paul...@gmail.com wrote:
Anne, a 34/36-48/50 double with a 12-27 cassette yields a low gear in
the mid-30s inches and lets you keep the crispsimple-shifting short
cage derailers. I have found even as a middle-age office worker that
mid-30 gears will get me comfortably up anything (paved) here in
Western Colorado.

I guess I'm just a weakling here. Mid-30 gears don't do it for me when
the grade gets above around 10-12%.

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My hovercraft is full of eels

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Re: [RBW] Sam first look

2010-09-15 Thread Fai Mao

I have 4 bikes. The Sam is the heavist of them but the one I ride the most
Some days I want to ride a lighter bike and the next day on the Sam I wonder
could have possibly gotten into my head? I was also wise enough, at least I
think it was wise, to make sure that I got components that will actually
WORK the way I want them to and it sifts well and gives me no problems.

The only real down side is now you have no reason to ever want another bike.

On Wed, Sep 15, 2010 at 9:17 AM, Bruce fullylug...@yahoo.com wrote:

ahh, we can do that, for sure...

Really glad that you like the bike. Can't wait to see it/ride it myself!

--
*From:* jmac jmcnair7...@yahoo.com
*

*
Bruce, you need to plan another destination ride.

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Re: [RBW] Re: B17 vs Team Pro... any direct comparison wisdom?

2010-09-12 Thread Fai Mao

I actually prefer the B17-N or any of the narrower Brooks saddles.

On Sun, Sep 12, 2010 at 7:09 PM, LF fie...@gmail.com wrote:



 On Sep 11, 5:39 pm, Thomas Lynn Skean thomaslynnsk...@comcast.net
 wrote:
  Hi!
  snip I decided to simply
  use a B17 to begin with. I like it fine. But I wonder if a Team Pro
  would be even better.

 Thomas,
 I like the B17s better than the old Team Pro's for longer rides.
 YMMV.  See if you can borrow one. BTW, I also like WTB saddles such as
 the rocket V.
 Best,
 Larry

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Re: [RBW] Re: Moustache Handlebar Setup

2010-09-06 Thread Fai Mao

Not quite a M-Bar but the Nitto Randonneer drop bar is a 25.4 MTB diameter.
It is a drop bar with a very shallow drop and flaring ends so that your
wrist can rest agains the ramp of of the bar while in the drops. They also
come back towards you on top like the Noodle bar.

Because they are a 25.4 diameter bar they should work with MTB parts.

On Mon, Sep 6, 2010 at 9:08 AM, Johnny Alien johnnyal...@verizon.netwrote:

I am not sure how I feel about the city brake levers. I am surprised
that no one makes a standard looking mountain bike brake lever for a
road bar diameter. I guess there isn't much need for something like
that. I could probably try and find an old set of bars from a
Bridgestone.

On Sep 5, 7:57 pm, Thomas Lynn Skean thomaslynnsk...@comcast.net
wrote:
Hmmm... how about

http://www.velo-orange.com/cibibrle.html

They explicitly claim to work with 23.8mm diameter bars.

Or, perhaps...

http://www.velo-orange.com/siinbrle.html

They sort of suggest they might work. However, I'll see if I can
measure the interior of my Moustache bars tonight to see if they fall
within the stated 19.6mm - 20.6mm range...

Yours,
Thomas Lynn Skean

On Sep 3, 5:02 pm, Johnny Alien johnnyal...@verizon.net wrote:

I like the M-Bars alot and am thinking of setting my next bike up with
them however I am wondering if it's possible to get a setup like a 92
XO-2 or 93 XO-3 where there are brakes and grips near the end versus
the centered road bike brakes. The problem would be width of the bar
primarily. So is it possible? Anyone do something similar?

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/bridgestone/1993/pages/33.htm

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Re: [RBW] Re: Hard Headed

2010-09-06 Thread Fai Mao

platforms with toe clips on one of my
bikes
last fall, and realized I rode it all the time because I didn't
have
to change my shoes when I left the house. So put platforms on
another
two of my bikesrode them more too...now all 11 of my 12 bikes
have
platforms and cages. The only one with clipless is my racing
(track)
bike.

Just keep telling yourself how much you love those SPD's!

On Sep 4, 12:07 am, Michael_S mikeybi...@rocketmail.com wrote:

sometimes I can be pretty stubborn. Grant espouses the wider
Noodle
bars for average sized males. ( I'm 5'11 187 lbs) After 30 years
of
riding 42-44 cm bars I thought I was pretty happy and
comfortable. The
new Ram I picked up last Saturday ( 11 hour turnaround drive
LA-SF-
LA) had 46 Noodles. Wow, was I surprised how nice they felt!
Climbing
is especially better, and I just felt much more relaxed on the
bike.
So much so I just ordered another 46cm bar for my touring bike.
I'm
sure all the other bikes will be next!

and I'm not even going to think about flat pedals... I love my
SPD's!

~Mike

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Re: [RBW] Re: MKS Touring Pedal

2010-08-31 Thread Fai Mao

I have almost 3000 miles on a set of the VO touring pedals. I can recommend
them unreservedly. They work well and are much lighter than the equivilent
MKS pedal. They do seem to be a bit wide and I can drag a pedal around
courners if I am not careful

On Wed, Sep 1, 2010 at 2:41 AM, Peter Pesce petepe...@gmail.com wrote:

My understanding is that almost all inexpensive pedals are assembled
only for ease of transport.
If you just assume you have to re-pack them with grease before
installation, they'll be fine for a long time.

I just put VO Touring pedals on my Sam. I've only got 50 miles on
them, so I can't comment on the durablity of their sealed bearings.

Do any of you use similar width pedals that are better? I don't mind
spending more money because, since I've got this bike, I'm not riding
anything else. It handles everything I ride on.

John

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Re: [RBW] Re: long low

2010-08-30 Thread Fai Mao

It looks like the whole bike so 1500 might be OK

I don't need another bike and the shipping would kill me anyway. Now, if it
were orange like the newer Sam Hillbornes, then maybe I nibble.

On Tue, Aug 31, 2010 at 6:15 AM, MichaelH mhech...@gmail.com wrote:

Hope springs eternal, but that's a lot of money for a ten year old
frame set.
michael

On Aug 30, 5:26 pm, Seth Vidal skvi...@gmail.com wrote:
I've seen this riv for sale for quite a while;

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/bik/1926067572.html

I've got no particular interest in it but I'm curious if anyone here
knows the backstory on this one. It never seems to sell and I'm not
terribly familiar with the long low in general - what was its defining
characteristics versus the same vintage rivendells?

-sv

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Re: [RBW] Re: Drop Bars vs. Non-drops

2010-08-29 Thread Fai Mao

I ride a very wide Surly 1X1 Flat bar with bar ends and a Cinelli Spinachi
aero on my Sam. I just realized several years ago that I almost never used
the drops. I spent better than 90% of my time on the brake hoods. The
argument for more hand positions is sort of moot if that is the case. I've
though about going back to drops, Randonner bars actually, but haven't
because I like my thumbshifters.

On Sat, Aug 28, 2010 at 1:45 AM, RJM rjme...@gmail.com wrote:

I actually would rather have albatross, flat bar/bar end combo or a
mustache than drop bars. I don't like using brifters and find most
drop bars too skinny, plus I don't like to ride in the drops so the
bars aren't for me. The wider the better for me.

I can't say I have ever wanted drop bars and not had them.

On Aug 27, 5:43 am, kevin lindsey lindsey.ke...@gmail.com wrote:
Greetings.
I'm doing a rebuild and am considering switching from drop bars to
something like the albatross or the dove bars, mostly for aesthetic
reasons. I use the bike (a 1973 Schwinn World Voyageur, not a
Rivendell) for longish fun rides, errands, and general purpose
riding. Question I have for the group is whether there are ever times
when you wished you had drop bars instead of non-drops. In other
words, are there clear advantages of one over the other?
I like drops, but find that I almost never move my hands from the
upper part of the bar, making me wonder whether I'd miss them very
much if I switched.
Thanks,
Kevin

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Re: [RBW] Re: Drop Bars vs. Non-drops

2010-08-29 Thread Fai Mao

Garth,

I am the same way. I tore ligaments in my right leg several years ago. It
causes me to walk with a limp, I have a permanently sprained ankle. I can't
do the triathlon thing anymore. I had to get off the bike for nearly 4
years. I was told to sit on my butt, lift the leg and let it heal. What is
funny is that it hurts to walk but not ride the bike.

Incidently, I take the Surly 1X1 bars and twist them so that the outer ends
are bent downward. The outside edge of my bars is about 2-3 cm below the
nose of the saddle but the center of the bar is level with the saddle. When
combined with barends I find this setup to be a good commuter system as it
lets me go fast enough and still allows me to see. This is the equivilent of
riding the hoods with a really wide (54cm) drop bar

I also have a set of Cinelli Spinachi on the center of the bars to help
with headwinds. I grew up in Northern Texas so I know about riding into the
wind.

I think that climbing is more about gears and physical condition than drop
bars.

I find that with drop bars I tend to stare at my front tire. That may a
technique flaw but it is one I see all to often in road riders. They only
really look about 10 feet in front of where they are going.

On Mon, Aug 30, 2010 at 5:03 AM, Garth garth...@gmail.com wrote:

Life has a way of throwing forks in the road you never knew were
there.

I used to ride all drops, except my mtb bike. I was all about
efficiency while riding trying to go as far as I could as fast as
I could. Then, something happened that I could no longer ride without
severe pain. I gave it up for 4-5 years. I had never not ridden a bike
for so long, minus birth. I went for riding 20-30-40-80 mile rides to
nothing.

I decided to try riding again one day . F the pain. Well, slowly I
was able to do 15-20 minute rides on my mtb bike, then slowly I could
do more. Something had changed though. I was weaker from the loss of
muscle and fitness, but I also appreciated riding like I never did
before. Speed didn't matter . hell ... I was riding a bike
again! . and I think it's one of the coolest things a human can
do.

While I can ride longer today, I can never forget how quickly it can
all go away. So, when I'm riding up some monster hills, or the wind is
high . . . I just think of not being able to ride . . .and how I'd
rather be here, however fast or slow I ride. Then , I can
relax. . . and just ride within my ability at the moment. It's not
going to win me a Tour De France , or help me keep up to
others . . . but that's not why I ride. . I ride because it's the
closest I can get to flying I suppose there's nothing like it.

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Re: [RBW] Re: what we need is plaid bartape

2010-08-27 Thread Fai Mao

I've used Book-mending tape as bartape before. It works great except that
have a really hard time removing it.

On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 11:54 AM, William tapebu...@gmail.com wrote:

They sell patterned 1 wide rolls of gaffer tape. Gaffer tape is like
adhesive backed canvas. I use gaffer tape as rim tape frequently.
And Riv recommends rim tape as bar tape, so by the transitive property
of adhesives, that means gaffer tape would make good bar tape. Joann
Fabric has lots of choices. I like this pattern.

http://www.joann.com/joann/catalog/productdetail.jsp?pageName=searchflag=truePRODID=xprd1025035

On Aug 26, 8:44 pm, Seth Vidal skvi...@gmail.com wrote:
I realize this is just paper tape but wow, this is what we need -
second picture down:

http://omiyageblogs.blogspot.com/2010/08/back-to-school-special-on-ja...

-sv

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Re: [RBW] Re: VO 50.4 BCD Crankset is here

2010-08-27 Thread Fai Mao

The circle distance changes depending upon what size chain ring you are
using as well. The same ratio gear but using a smaller chain wheel
effectively makes the crank longer because the smaller chain wheel brings
the chain closer to the fulcrum (Spindle)

On Fri, Aug 27, 2010 at 11:27 AM, Brad buttermyba...@gmail.com wrote:

Darn you and your geometry!

And, um, good point.

On Aug 26, 5:43 pm, William tapebu...@gmail.com wrote:
Even if you wore elevator shoes that were 4 inches thick, you still
would pedal bigger circles with longer crankarms. The radius of that
circle is the crank arm length, and has nothing to do with shoe
thickness or pedal thickness, provided your foot is actually on top of
the pedal at all times. Draw it on a piece of paper and you'll see
it. Shoe thickness will change where you might need to position your
saddle, but it won't make your crank arms feel longer (or shorter).

On Aug 26, 2:25 pm, Brad buttermyba...@gmail.com wrote:

On Aug 22, 1:30 am, charlie charles_v...@hotmail.com wrote:

Just wear some 2.5 mm thicker shoes !

Yeah, it seems like between pedal, cleat, shoe, and sock variation you
could easily have a 2.5mm variation in thickness.

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Re: [RBW] Re: Touring with 32h wheels?

2010-08-25 Thread Fai Mao

I have 32 spoke 650B Dyads on my Sam and rode it to Shanghai this summer.

On Wed, Aug 25, 2010 at 1:31 PM, Michael_S mikeybi...@rocketmail.comwrote:

MY opinion and experiences says yes. I've toured on 700c Dyad rims, XT
hubs with 32 Sapim spokes with 250 lbs with no issues. Mine were
professionaly built and I used 28mm tires. all pavement too.

Both your rims and hubs are fairly stout.

~Mike~

On Aug 24, 9:46 pm, Bob Cooper robertcoo...@frontiernet.net wrote:
I’m sure others will weigh in on this, but the numbers alone are not
encouraging.

Re: [RBW] Re: Grant discounts the value of top tube length

2010-08-10 Thread Fai Mao

Richard Sachs builds his bikes around the top tube length. However, he
assumes a 100 cm stem and a certain reach on the bar. That is why Sachs
frames have really odd frame angles with numbers like 72.454 The angles fit
around the top tube based upon a 1 meter wheelbase

On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 11:49 AM, andrew hill neurod...@gmail.com wrote:

it's a factor for me too - 84.5 pbh and 5'11 for me.

not totally sure how to compensate.. i end up pushing the seat way back and
putting the bars up high .. but i think that unweights the front end a bit
too much, and contributes to wandering handling on my Sam Hillborne.

-andrew

On Aug 9, 2010, at 8:01 PM, kps wrote:

On Aug 9, 9:35 pm, cyclotourist cyclotour...@gmail.com wrote:
Every woman I know has had a tremendously hard time fitting frames
(whatever
the maker) due to reach.

it's definitely a factor for me. i'm 5'8-1/2 or so, with a pbh of
84.45

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Re: [RBW] VO 50.4 BCD Crankset is here

2010-08-10 Thread Fai Mao

I would run a 13 - 28 8 speed with that but would rather  have a 26-38-48 up
front

On Tue, Aug 10, 2010 at 11:04 AM, Michael_S mikeybi...@rocketmail.comwrote:

 The new 50.4 bcd TA Cyclotourist copy crankset is now in stock at VO.
 Looks very nice and shiny! The stock 46-30 combo seems like it would
 work well most flatter places. Though it seems like 46t ring would get
 a lot use to me since the 30 would only be needed climbing?  What
 freewheel/cassette do most people run in hilly areas with this set?

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Re: [RBW] Re: Hillborne or Hunqapillar

2010-08-08 Thread Fai Mao

I go with the Hillborne too.

You should buy a bike that are you are going to ride not one you might like
to ride. Unless you have an actual non-supported long distance tour setup
then the Sam is the better bike. I rode mine from Hong Kong to Shanghai this
past summer and don't think that I could have done better on another bike
dispite the flooding and bad roads in China.

On Sun, Aug 8, 2010 at 11:57 AM, Thomas Lynn Skean
thomaslynnsk...@comcast.net wrote:

Hey.

I'd go Hillborne. Presuming the 10% non-road riding you describe is
*not* actual single-track, intentional-impediment, ascend/descend
barely-a-trail mountain-brand mountain biking, then the Hillborne is
well suited for your described riding.

If the 10% *is* that sort of riding, go Hunqa or Bomba, no matter how
smooth the rest of the riding is.

I'm a happy 245lb owner of a 60cm double-top-tube Hillborne. I have no
qualms about loading it with 15-45 extra lbs. I ride 700Cx38 tires
@60psi and it is light and *smooth* on gravelly rutty trails as well
as decent roads. I ride both, about 50/50. get SKS 700c 50mm fenders
and some decent flaps and you can regularly go pretty much anywhere
anywhen short of aforementioned mountain biking.

Needless to say, I don't expect to be 245lbd for long!

Yours,
Thomas Lunn Skean

On Aug 6, 10:54 pm, ewb ebons...@optonline.net wrote:
I am trying to decide whether to purchase a Sam Hillborne or
Hunqapillar.

I currently do 90% of my riding on the road without any load. However
one of the attractions of both bikes is that I can also ride them off-
road the other 10% of the time. I like the exta stoutness of the
Hunqapillar because I weigh 200+ and I it would give me more loaded
capacity if I ever need it. One concern that I have is whether the
extra stoutness of the Hunqapillar will make it more sluggish (less
zippy) than the Hillborne. Does anyone here have riding experience
on both bikes? If so could you please share your opinion about how
their ride quality compares? Please also let me know if you have any
other advice about the pros/cons of these two bicycles.

Thanks and Regards,
Ernie

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Re: [RBW] Need 650b Tires

2010-08-08 Thread Fai Mao

I like the Niffty Swifty tires. My only issue with them is the lack of
availability in Asia

On Mon, Aug 9, 2010 at 5:11 AM, d2mini d2creat...@gmail.com wrote:

 3000 miles on my nifty swiftys, tread is wearing off and plenty of
 little holes/scars.
 Any suggestions for the best commuting tire on rough and dirty city
 streets, 25 miles round trip?
 Or stick with the nifty swifty?

 Thanks!

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[RBW] Re: A tale of two Hillbornes

2010-08-06 Thread Fai Mao

My Hillborne is in the mid 20lb range without the rack and fenders.

On Aug 5, 3:53 am, William tapebu...@gmail.com wrote:
 What does the Roadish Hillborne weigh?  I imagine you could get into
 the low 20s.  It still has a B-17 on it, though.

 On Aug 4, 12:22 pm, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery thill@gmail.com
 wrote:



 http://hiawathacyclery.blogspot.com/2010/08/versatile-sam-hillborne.html- 
 Hide quoted text -

 - Show quoted text -

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[RBW] Re: Saddles

2009-09-17 Thread Fai Mao

The issue may also be the saddle width.
A standard B-17 is really painful  to me but a B-17N or narrow works much
better. The Sele Italia Rolls is another one that I find to be really
comfortable

You may just have a little narrower bone structure than other people

On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 1:10 AM, Christopher Paul zdree...@gmail.comwrote:


 Ultimately I found this a trial and error process.  I started with a
 B-17 and it was reasonably comfortable for under 50 mile rides.
 Unbearably painful over that trip wire distance.  I found the Terry
 Liberator Y to be the most comfortable all day saddle and have it on
 most of my bikes (its even more comfortable than the more expensive
 fly version).  Recently I bought a single speed bike for around town
 errands and it came with an aged B-17 saddle which is amazingly
 comfortable.  It comes with tethered lacing which actually changes the
 geometry in a very subtle way.  But the difference for me makes a
 world of difference!  All I can say is you really don't know until it
 passes the ride it all day, for 3 days test.   I tried about 18
 different saddles.  Final word, thank god for e-bay!

 Cheers,
 Chris

 On Tue, Sep 15, 2009 at 1:35 PM, avillage avill...@verizon.net wrote:
 
  Howdy. This is a bit embarassing and here goes anyway. I cycle commute
  to work each day on my Bleriot with a Brooks B-17. The saddle was
  reasonably comfortable and I thought it would break in and do the job.
  Previously, I'd ridden an Avocet O2 for years, a wonderful saddle,
  nearly as wide as the B-17, comfy, just right. They are no more, I
  think, after a long search. Anyway, I rode throughout this year
  noticing that the B-17 just wasn't that comfortable for me. Then,
  recently, I get this small knot on my butt right just in front of
  the sits bones that is not terribly painful against the saddle. Red in
  color, etc. I just returned from a hiking trip in the West and the
  knot is much smaller. Upon returning, I make a trip to the doc (not
  just for the know, but a 20,000 mile tune-up), she looks at the knot
  and believes it nothing, probably caused by the hard saddle.
 
  Ok, so now what to do...the B-17 has not been totally comfortable and
  not that bad, either and it may be causing me a physical problem.
  Maybe not. And, I don't really like saddle shopping because the
  finding the  right saddle is a function of how does it compare to
  the Avocet. I'd love to hear some thoughts on this and get some other
  saddle ideas.
 
  Thanks all.
   
 

 



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[RBW] Re: wool jerseys

2009-09-17 Thread Fai Mao


On a slightly different tact.
Please, no flames as I live in China I do buy Chinese products

I have thought that a wonderful cycling jersey could be made from
knitted silk. There is a company in Honzhou that makes golf shirts
from this and they are just the absolute max in comfort.

Silk has a lot of the same properties as wool in that is both warm in
cool weather and cool in hot weather but it is never scratchy.

If someone would make a jersey that has a collar and a front pocket,
like a square tailed golf shirt with a couple of small cycling pockets
in back, I think they could sell a bunch of them. Bicycle commuters
could wear them at work as silk, like wool doesn't stink if you sweat
in it. So for a short commute, in a semi-casual atmosphere you
wouldn't need to change.

The problem would be that these things would be really pricy. Probably
at least USD $150.00 each



On Sep 17, 8:12 am, Lynne Fitz fitzb...@comcast.net wrote:
 But then, if you have riding buddies who bought the original Or Rando
 shrinking jerseys from the aforementioned company, and their jersey
 shrank and you are smaller than they are, you've got a nice toasty
 felted jersey. (really big grin)  Of course, I'm on my second one,
 because they just kept shrinking, even with very gentle cold water
 hand wash.  But like Beth said, they've changed to superwash wool.

 Cheers,
 Lynne F

 On Sep 16, 4:16 pm, Ryan Watson rswat...@nyx.net wrote:



  I've got one of the Wabi long sleeve jerseys. It's one of the nicest  
  wool jerseys I've used. Very dense and warm, much warmer and windproof  
  than a Swobo, Woolistic, or Ibex. Overkill for New Mexico most of the  
  time, but awesome on cold winter rides.

  Ryan

  On Sep 16, 2009, at 10:09, Bill Connell bconn...@gmail.com wrote:

   Speaking of wool jerseys, has anyone tried one from Wabi Woolens?
  http://www.wabiwoolens.com

   They look great, and seem like they'd be more wind-resistant than
   most. I've been thinking of splurging on one for this winter.

   --
   Bill Connell
   St. Paul, MN- Hide quoted text -

  - Show quoted text -- Hide quoted text -

 - Show quoted text -

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[RBW] Re: wool jerseys

2009-09-17 Thread Fai Mao

I've never seen another place that had knitted silk either.

On Thu, Sep 17, 2009 at 9:53 PM, Tim McNamara tim...@bitstream.net wrote:



 On Sep 16, 2009, at 7:34 PM, Fai Mao wrote:

  On a slightly different tact.
  Please, no flames as I live in China I do buy Chinese products

 We all buy Chinese products!  It is the nature of world commerce.

  I have thought that a wonderful cycling jersey could be made from
  knitted silk. There is a company in Honzhou that makes golf shirts
  from this and they are just the absolute max in comfort.

 I have never seen knitted silk, I think.  Woven silk, yes, but not
 knitted silk.

  Silk has a lot of the same properties as wool in that is both warm in
  cool weather and cool in hot weather but it is never scratchy.
 
  If someone would make a jersey that has a collar and a front pocket,
  like a square tailed golf shirt with a couple of small cycling pockets
  in back, I think they could sell a bunch of them. Bicycle commuters
  could wear them at work as silk, like wool doesn't stink if you sweat
  in it. So for a short commute, in a semi-casual atmosphere you
  wouldn't need to change.
 
  The problem would be that these things would be really pricy. Probably
  at least USD $150.00 each

 Well, people don't expect silk to be cheap.  There's an incredible
 amount of work in its production.  But this is an interesting idea.

 



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[RBW] Re: Other Riv-ish companies of interest to us all

2009-09-13 Thread Fai Mao


Two:
Renaissance Bicycles in North Carolina where I bought my Sam should
certainly make the list.
The Wings Bicycle Compny in Hong Kong. Lots of older componants. The
old Chinese guy who owns it sings Italian Opera while he builds
wheels


On Sep 14, 9:05 am, PATRICK MOORE bertin...@gmail.com wrote:
  On Sep 13, 1:56 pm, William F. House williamfho...@gmail.com
  wrote:
   Wondering if there are other companies (not necessarily bicycle
   companies) that fellow Rivendellians appreciate.

 Walmart!

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[RBW] Re: The myth of the all-rounder.

2009-09-09 Thread Fai Mao

Yesterday I said that the all-Rounder breaks down if you use a bike for a
specific pupose like triathlon. I'd add to that today that everyone who uses
a bike for more than recreation needs a cheap bike. If my Sam is out side
then either my butt or hand is on the saddle. You don't lock nice bikes
outside.

But, I don't want to ride an errand bike 25 miles for fun

On Wed, Sep 9, 2009 at 12:46 PM, james black chocot...@gmail.com wrote:


 On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 20:27, JLsubfas...@gmail.com wrote:
  Has
  anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal?   I
  think part of the situation is that with  enthusiasts of anything the
  line between need and want gets blurry.

 Every time I'm about to start my ride and I discover that a tire has
 gone flat or a spoke gone and broken, I am thankful that I have had
 the good sense to keep more than one functioning bicycle.

 One can spend a lot of time thinking about how, if one could have, for
 example, three bikes, what's the best way to distribute their
 functions to create that most efficient Venn Diagram that covers all
 necessities. I've had the commuter UJB road bike, the fixed-gear
 folding bike, and the custom cargo bike for the last few years - these
 are pretty different from one another. But now I don't have an
 off-road bike. None of them are quite enough beater-like for me to be
 really comfortable leaving them locked up in the city. None is
 presently set up for touring, and none of them have derailleurs, even.
 Back to the drawing board? I need more bikes.

 James Black
 Los Angeles, CA

 



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[RBW] Re: Rivendell product wishlist

2009-09-09 Thread Fai Mao

How about a copy of the Suntour Cyclone or Simplex LJ rear derailleur to go
with the Silver shifters?

A 32 mm wide touring tubular for touring  or brevet riding and a rim to hold
them?

Maybe a 650B tubular rim and tire?

A Taiwanese version of the Rodeo  Maybe 1/2 a lb heavier with DT shifter
bosses


On Thu, Sep 10, 2009 at 6:47 AM, CycloFiend cyclofi...@earthlink.netwrote:


 on 9/9/09 3:34 PM, Steve Palincsar at palin...@his.com wrote:

 
  On Wed, 2009-09-09 at 14:49 -0700, daddy longlegs wrote:
  Yeah! A Tandem! Strangely, my wife and I were talking about that
  yesterday.
 
  On Sep 9, 10:10 am, Rocky B luggedsteel.fatti...@gmail.com wrote:
  +1 for a Riv Tandem
 
  Why?  What does Riv bring to the table with respect to tandems?

 Historically, Grant seems to have an active interest in them, and has
 written tantalyzingly about them periodically in various Readers. I'm not
 terribly interested in one, but the allure of a Grant-designed model would
 catch my interest.

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/gzahnd/515613230/

 http://www.flickr.com/photos/cyclofiend/507738982

 As with most of the bicycle models that Rivendell produces, I think the
 first question is what issues aren't being addressed by the other tandem
 makers that Riv could provide a solution for - a topic probably best left
 to
 a separate (and kinda-sorta definitely on the edge of OT...) thread.

 - J

 --
 Jim Edgar
 cyclofi...@earthlink.net

 Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com
 Current Classics - Cross Bikes
 Singlespeed - Working Bikes

 Get your photos posted: http://www.cyclofiend.com/guidelines

 Then I sat up, wiped the water out of my eyes, and looked at my bike, and
 just like that I knew it was dead

 -- Robert McCammon, Boy's Life


 



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[RBW] Re: Cadence Question

2009-09-08 Thread Fai Mao

Thanks Jim

That is kind of my leading hypothesis. But, I just find things like that
curious


On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 10:42 PM, Jim Thill - Hiawatha Cyclery 
thill@gmail.com wrote:


 Well, the 78-degree vs 72-degree ST changes the mechanics of your
 pedal stroke quite a bit. Now (on the Hillborne), relative to your hip
 joint, your knees and feet are farther forward, and it may simply be
 harder to ramp up to the high RPMs in that position. I'm no expert on
 biomechanics, but that seems a more likely factor than any other
 difference between the 2 bikes.

 There's also the psychological part, which somebody already mentioned.
 In the retail bike business, we refer to this cause of various
 problems and perceptions as a loose nut on the saddle.

 On Sep 7, 7:09 pm, Fai Mao i.am.fai@gmail.com wrote:
  Yes the 78 degree seat tube is correct on the old bike. It is a retired
  triathlon specific bike and is VERY upright, very short and very stiff.
 If
  you are on an aero type bar it is actully not uncomfortable because most
 of
  your weight is on your arms. But when you sit up it is like driving a
  broomhandle It is now relegated to a trainer. I also have an old
  Battaglin road bike that I still ride.
 
  The reason that I thought a longer chain might cause a slower cadence is
  because there would be more slack in the chain which causes some chain
 slap
  and that would change the feel of the bike. To prevent chain slap due to
 a
  sligtly unevan pedal cadence I might have slowed down.
 
  As to dumping the computer, it is my only cycling vice. I am probably a
  bigger retrogrouch than Grant Petersen in many ways but I like to see how
  fast I am going. It also provides the time and I hate to wear a watch
 while
  riding. I also have torn ligaments in my ankle so the cadence number is
  useful to me to  keep the ankle from swelling. If I push high gears for
 too
  long I cannot walk the next day because the right foot swells. That's why
 I
  no longer do the tri-thing because running and swimming exacerbate the
  problem.
  All of that is a long way of saying I just found it curious that I
 naturally
  use a lower cadence on the Sam than on my other bikes
 
 
 
  On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 9:49 PM, PATRICK MOORE bertin...@gmail.com
 wrote:
 
On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 10:33 PM, Fai Mao i.am.fai@gmail.com
 wrote:
 
   Several 100 miles into the new Sam Hillborne and I’ve noticed
   something odd.
 
   It seems that I now ride a lower cadence than on the old bike.  [...]
 is
   this something to do with going from a
   78 degree seat tube to 71.5 degree seat tube? Or, is it possibly a
   function of the longer chain?
 
   78 degree seat tube? Is that correct?
 
   Even if 78 is a mistake, and you went from a 73 to a 71.5, that would
   (all else equal) put you further behind the bb, and thus encourage a
 more
   powerful and slower cadence. Look at what happens when you climb: you
 shift
   backward on your saddle. But when you sprint, you shift forward.
 
   As for the longer chain, how do you figure that would slow your
 cadence? I
   can't get it to compute.
 
   FWIW, I made the mistake long ago of chasing KOPS -- knee over pedal
   spindle, the conventional saddle fore-and-aft fitting guide -- and
 ended up
   with my saddle all the way forward on the rails. Grant advised
 me to
   shove it back and bring the bars in and up, and, now, almost 15 years
 later,
   I use a rubber mallet to ensure my saddles are all the way back on the
 post
   (I use a post with considerable setback). AND, I have gone from
 spinning low
   gears fast to pushing larger ones slow, and I feel much stronger and
 more
   comfortable; in particular, my back is more comfortable even though my
 bars
   are still 2 below saddle.
   --
   Patrick Moore
   Albuquerque, NM
   Professional Resumes. Contact resumespecialt...@gmail.com
 
  --
  Fai Mao
  The Blogger who sometimes responds to comments
 



-- 
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[RBW] Re: The myth of the all-rounder.

2009-09-08 Thread Fai Mao

Where the AR type bike also breaks down is if you use a bike for a
specialized type activity.
A ddownhill bicycle and one for triathlon specific frame come to mind. My
tri-specific frame is beyond even the MCFB bikes that you see everywhere and
it is a steel frame. It was just hugely faster in a triathlon on that frame,
even without a clip-on TT bar because it was made for a specific purpose. I
tried to convert it into a commuteer and it didn't work very well. I doubt I
could have even riden it on any kind of trail and have it remain in usable
condition. Tour on it? You must be joking. But to go 110 miles at 30 mph
while staring at the front tire; you bet!



On Tue, Sep 8, 2009 at 9:56 AM, Bill Connell bconn...@gmail.com wrote:


 On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 10:27 PM, JLsubfas...@gmail.com wrote:
 
  I have always had a difficult time owning just one bicycle.  It seems
  that no matter how many times I imagine the most ideal bicycle model
  and setup I change my mind after a few weeks or months and alter the
  setup.  My solution to this is to have more than one bike, set up and
  designed for different purposes or types of riding.  There is a
  correlation with how much I enjoy bicycling and how many bikes I own -
  they seem to feed off each other and both increase because of each
  other.  This trend changed a little when I found Rivendell.  The
  versatility of their bike gives the potential for one frame to take on
  many different lives and for one bike setup to have enough crossover
  into other areas that a near all rounder status can be reached.  Has
  anyone been able to achieve a one-bike-for-everything-I-need goal?   I
  think part of the situation is that with  enthusiasts of anything the
  line between need and want gets blurry.

 I've come to think that the all-rounder situation is only possible if
 your riding is fairly limited. I consistently put over half my annual
 miles on one bike; my Surly Cross-Check. That's my main commuter and
 cyclocross racer and i'll take it on road rides that have light trail
 or gravel riding. Of course, i also ride my Redwood on roads and easy
 trails and gravel too, and it's my most comfortable bike for all-day
 rides (like today's 70-mile lunch run w/Timmac and 3 others). But
 there are lots of trails that are way more fun to ride on my mountain
 bike. I rode that mountain bike as my only bike in dirt and road
 setups for many years, but it wasn't a good road commuter. I also like
 riding singlespeed/fixed in my daily rides, but for mountain or long
 road rides i want gears. No single bike can possibly do it all, so i
 basically use four (those plus my 3-speed).

 So yeah, if you don't like to mountain bike, and want the same gearing
 options on all rides, the all-rounder is certainly feasible, but
 otherwise not.

 --
 Bill Connell
 St. Paul, MN

 



-- 
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The Blogger who sometimes responds to comments

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[RBW] Re: Pictures of the Sam Hillborne

2009-09-07 Thread Fai Mao


Growl,

Try it this way
http://hk2sh.blogspot.com/2009/09/touring-bike.html

On Sep 7, 1:47 pm, Brian Hanson stone...@gmail.com wrote:
 Fai - the link doesn't work - not open to public?



 On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 9:54 PM, Fai Mao i.am.fai@gmail.com wrote:

  My Sam is probably a bit exccentric from this groups persective. I
  like the flat bars. In the rainy season I'll use fenders but take them
  off in the dry fall.  This is setup as a fast commutter

 http://picasaweb.google.com/I.am.Fai.Mao/HongKongToShanghaiOnTwoWheels?- 
 Hide quoted text -

 - Show quoted text -

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[RBW] Re: Cadence Question

2009-09-07 Thread Fai Mao

Yes the 78 degree seat tube is correct on the old bike. It is a retired
triathlon specific bike and is VERY upright, very short and very stiff. If
you are on an aero type bar it is actully not uncomfortable because most of
your weight is on your arms. But when you sit up it is like driving a
broomhandle It is now relegated to a trainer. I also have an old
Battaglin road bike that I still ride.

The reason that I thought a longer chain might cause a slower cadence is
because there would be more slack in the chain which causes some chain slap
and that would change the feel of the bike. To prevent chain slap due to a
sligtly unevan pedal cadence I might have slowed down.

As to dumping the computer, it is my only cycling vice. I am probably a
bigger retrogrouch than Grant Petersen in many ways but I like to see how
fast I am going. It also provides the time and I hate to wear a watch while
riding. I also have torn ligaments in my ankle so the cadence number is
useful to me to  keep the ankle from swelling. If I push high gears for too
long I cannot walk the next day because the right foot swells. That's why I
no longer do the tri-thing because running and swimming exacerbate the
problem.
All of that is a long way of saying I just found it curious that I naturally
use a lower cadence on the Sam than on my other bikes
On Mon, Sep 7, 2009 at 9:49 PM, PATRICK MOORE bertin...@gmail.com wrote:



  On Sun, Sep 6, 2009 at 10:33 PM, Fai Mao i.am.fai@gmail.com wrote:


 Several 100 miles into the new Sam Hillborne and I’ve noticed
 something odd.

 It seems that I now ride a lower cadence than on the old bike.  [...] is
 this something to do with going from a
 78 degree seat tube to 71.5 degree seat tube? Or, is it possibly a
 function of the longer chain?


 78 degree seat tube? Is that correct?

 Even if 78 is a mistake, and you went from a 73 to a 71.5, that would
 (all else equal) put you further behind the bb, and thus encourage a more
 powerful and slower cadence. Look at what happens when you climb: you shift
 backward on your saddle. But when you sprint, you shift forward.

 As for the longer chain, how do you figure that would slow your cadence? I
 can't get it to compute.

 FWIW, I made the mistake long ago of chasing KOPS -- knee over pedal
 spindle, the conventional saddle fore-and-aft fitting guide -- and ended up
 with my saddle all the way forward on the rails. Grant advised me to
 shove it back and bring the bars in and up, and, now, almost 15 years later,
 I use a rubber mallet to ensure my saddles are all the way back on the post
 (I use a post with considerable setback). AND, I have gone from spinning low
 gears fast to pushing larger ones slow, and I feel much stronger and more
 comfortable; in particular, my back is more comfortable even though my bars
 are still 2 below saddle.
 --
 Patrick Moore
 Albuquerque, NM
 Professional Resumes. Contact resumespecialt...@gmail.com




 



-- 
Fai Mao
The Blogger who sometimes responds to comments

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[RBW] Cadence Question

2009-09-06 Thread Fai Mao


Several 100 miles into the new Sam Hillborne and I’ve noticed
something odd.

It seems that I now ride a lower cadence than on the old bike. Indeed,
I took the retired Triathlon bike with flat bars out and rode it on my
commute to test the hypothesis. I tend to push a bigger (In a relative
sense because I ride low gears) on the Sam at a cadence of about 85 to
90 rather than a cadence of 95 to 105 on the other bike. A cadence of
higher than about 95 on the Sam feels like I am spinning out of the
gear and I have a definite sense of bouncing on the saddle. I checked
the saddle height. I tilted the nose of the saddle up a little more
and played with the fore and aft adjustment. I still spin slower on
the Sam and ride a gear higher. However, the slower spin feels right
on the Sam though I know that is a very subjective statement.

Am I a freak of nature? Or is this something to do with going from a
78 degree seat tube to 71.5 degree seat tube? Or, is it possibly a
function of the longer chain?

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[RBW] Pictures of the Sam Hillborne

2009-09-06 Thread Fai Mao


My Sam is probably a bit exccentric from this groups persective. I
like the flat bars. In the rainy season I'll use fenders but take them
off in the dry fall.  This is setup as a fast commutter


http://picasaweb.google.com/I.am.Fai.Mao/HongKongToShanghaiOnTwoWheels?

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[RBW] I should work for NASA, they make mistakes like this

2009-09-03 Thread Fai Mao


I have been really enjoying the new Sam Hillborne. However, I couldn't
help but think Man this thing is slow when I'd look down and see a
speed of 17 kph on the cyclo computer. Good grief! I was really
perplexed at why it could be that much slower and yet it didn't take
anymore time to get to and from work.

I realized today the computer is set to miles per hour not kilometers
per hour. I am to far sighted to see the little mph rather than kph.


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[RBW] Re: Outer ring on Rambouillet

2009-09-02 Thread Fai Mao


I prefer a 48/38/24 triple.

You have to be a little carefull shifting and use a friction front as
no indexing will work with that. However, there are some steep hills
up bad roads in Southern China where I live and a little lower gear is
a good thing. I also like he 38 tooth chain wheel better than a 36.

On Sep 1, 11:23 pm, Mike mjawn...@gmail.com wrote:
 So I'm currently running my Rambouillet with a double crankset (50/34)
 and an 8 speed cassette (11-28). I really have to admit that I just
 don't find pushing the 50 outer ring to be that enjoyable. I'm
 thinking of going to a 46. I'm using an FSA compact derailer. Will
 this combo work? Would I be better off going with a 48 outer
 chainring? My Hilsen has a 46 outer ring and I really like that. I
 guess I'm just curious if it'll shift okay. Right now I have DT
 shifters (Silver) and will probably go back to bar-end for the
 winter.

 Thanks,
 mike

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[RBW] Re: Hillborne vs. Bombadil vs. Atlantis (vs. Surly LHT, but nevermind that...)

2009-09-01 Thread Fai Mao


I am 5 11 and 190 lbs. I love my Sam Hillborne. I have one of the 52
CM frames

I don't know what the weight limit on the frame is but I ride it with
the Maxy-Fasty tires on Velocity Dyad rims and DT-Swiss 370 hubs. Kind
of a fast commuter and when I tour I travel light with less than 15
lbs of gear but a credit card with a high limit. However, I am sure
the light hubs reduce the weight limit of the bike.

My other options that I looked at were inporting a Dawes Galaxy or
Thorn Nomad or Mercian King of Mercia from the UK but the currency
conversion crashed the budget. I've toured all over Asia, in some
rather difficult places and I can't really imagine a place that I
would go that the SH wouldn't handle well. Obviously, you have to know
the limits of your bicycle and riding ability.


On Aug 12, 6:51 am, Johnny Alien johnnyal...@verizon.net wrote:
 I surely did not mean to sell the Sammy H short in any way.  Beyond
 the Rivendell PDF I have been told by 2 of their dealers that if I
 planned on doing any heavy touring to heed those weight limits.  I am
 SURE that it is a tad conservative and as long as the original poster
 is looking at light touring and s24o action than the SH is probably
 way more than enough.  But if it was me looking and I was investing a
 good deal into a bike frame I would get the one that fit as many of my
 needs as possible.  If the original poster thinks that he may do any
 heavy duty touring at any point it might make sense to go with a frame
 that is designed to handle a little more weight than the SH.

 I myself own a Bleriot and am very aware of what that frame can handle
 so I have no doubts of the greatness of the SH.  One of those in
 orange is on my short list to acquire within the next year.

 On Aug 11, 6:39 pm, Tim McNamara tim...@bitstream.net wrote:



  On Aug 11, 2009, at 5:37 AM, Johnny Alien wrote:

   On Aug 10, 10:57 pm, broken_cynic broken.cy...@gmail.com wrote:
   If you were contemplating the purchase of either aSamHillborne, a
   Bombadil or an Atlantis as an all-rounder which was to be used mainly
   for commuting and the occasional weekend trail ride to start with,
   then proceeding to s24o type outings, shorter and eventually longer
   unsupported touring to include some off-road elements, which would  
   you
   lean toward and why?  At 6'1 and just shy of 200lbs I'd need one of
   the stouter frames if it is to carry myself and a load of gear over
   rough ground.  I know the right answer is to ride all three and go
   with whichever feels best, but it will a few months at best before I
   have that opportunity and the question is burning a hole in my mind
   right now, so I'm enlisting your opinions as a sort of vicarious
   contemplation.

   You actually can get the info you need right on Rivendell.  For your
   weight the Hilborne is pretty much out.  Rivendell lists the the
   weight limit on the SH as 240lbs combined for passenger and load.

  Not if he keeps his total weight below 240,.  Less than 40 lbs of  
  gear for an S24O is easy and for a long unsupported tour can be  
  done.  The 2 wheeled Winnebago mentality makes bike touring much less  
  pleasant than it ought to be.

  And, I suspect that Rivendell's weight limits are very conservative.- Hide 
  quoted text -

 - Show quoted text -

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