All About the Looks

As recounted in previous posts, I am frequently approached by strangers who are drawn to my loop frame bicycles. It is not a matter of how expensive the bicycle is, and it is not a matter of whether the bike is new and shiny or old and crusty. But something about that elegant curve - combined with the dress guards, chaincase, and wide cream tires - seems to make these bicycles visually irresistible. Most of the time it is women who approach me, and most of the time they are not cyclists. Their attraction to my bicycle is purely a matter of looks. Upon learning that I actually ride for transportation, the ladies will typically enumerate all the reasons why they can't possibly ride a bike - all the while staring at mine with a longing that I can tell is normally reserved for jewelry store window shopping.

Having gone through this type of interaction more times than I can count, I cannot help but believe that aesthetic attraction alone can make people want to ride a bike, or at least try. And while that motive has been mocked by some, I personally find it fascinating. Just think about what this means: The natural beauty of the classic transportation bicycle is so powerful, that it can make even those who are not interested in cycling wish to do it.

Although my reasons for cycling were never based on looks per se, looks certainly played a role in pushing me over the edge from an ambivalent "it would be nice, but..." attitude, to the enthusiasm that led to the start of this blog. The Co-Habitant and I had talked about getting bikes for a couple of years, but when it came down to it I just could not imagine myself riding. Then one day, I spotted this bike in the neighbourhood and suddenly I could imagine it perfectly well. The design of the bicycle suggested that cycling could be done in a way that is easy, safe, and not in the least bit sports-oriented. While initially the extent of our cycling ambitions was to ride on the trails together on weekends, my growing fascination with the bicycle led to the research that made us view it as a viable option for transportation. And although this was never, ever our intent, two years later we stopped using our car entirely.

While I am not suggesting that every woman who thinks my bicycle is pretty is likely to follow the same course, I do believe that looks are important. And it is not so much a matter of beauty, as it is a matter of engaging the imagination - of the person being able to picture themselves riding the bike. There are multitudes of people out there who do not cycle, because they do not view it as something that is "for them." Setting eyes on a bicycle that appeals to them could change that in a matter of moments.

Removing Surface Rust using Brass Brushes

Hello and Welcome, There may be no more important tools in my shop/garage than my selection of Brass Brushes. I have known about using (fine) brass brushes to minimize scratching to chrome for a long time. So long in fact, I do not remember who taught me that. I suspect it was my father. I can remember him using brass-wool on an old Winchester 32/40 half round in about 1968. The barrel of the old Winny had been shortened in about 1905. So cleaning off the old patina at that point really did not matter.

Left Click on Images to Enlarge. Use Back (<) Button to Return

Above: Removing the surface rust from a chrome seat post using a fine brass wheel-brush mounted on a 18 volt rechargeable drill. Originally I used a 4&1/2 inch angle grinder with a brass wheel brush. But the drill being much slower seems to be mimic hand brushing the chrome better than the high-speed grinder.
And the drill is also much safer, a lot less brass frag flying around.

Above: After brushing I used the Turtle-Wax Chrome Polish and Rust Remover. Then I touch it up with the brush then buff (again) with a rag. As you can see the old seat-post really pops now!

Above: As you can see, the brass brushes come in a variety of sizes. I mainly use the wheel-brush and the detail brush (smaller wood handle brush). But on deeper or heavier rust, I`ll use the bigger hand brushes as well. I also have a tiny brass brush attachment for my Dremel type tool. But honestly I don`t use it much.

Above: Pedals are where the brushes really shine. The wheel-brush will do most of the work. But the detail brush is a must for the inner surfaces.

Above: The same two pedals after brushing and polishing. I also used the Turtle Wax Chrome Polish and Rust remover on these.

Above: Sometimes it is something as simple as this seat-post collar bolt and nut. As you can see it looks pretty shabby.

Above: The same collar bolt and nut after just a few minutes with the brass wheel-brush. It is the details that will take your restorations to the next level. What a great chemical free way to clean-up a nasty looking small part.

Above: A section close-up of a handlebar from a bike I am currently restoring. This is a perfect job for the brass wheel-brush. I sometimes leave the stem attached and use it like a handle. This also allows me to leave the vintage grips alone. Thats a big plus when the grips are in excellent condition.

Above: The same handlebars after brushing and polishing. I was able to loosen the brake levers, slide them out of the way. Then after brushing, polishing and buffing the area I just slide them back into place. I was also able to wheel -brush the levers while they remained on the handlebars as well. And of course the whole assembly got the Turtle Wax treatment too. I did remove the shifters for cleaning and polishing.

Above: A close-up of a section of the front wheel on the same ladies bike I am restoring now. (along with the Giant and the Parliament) I hand brushed these rims. I think it is easier to damage the rims with the wheel-brush attachment. And when the rims are boarder-line as to being savable or not, the hand brush just works better for me. I am more likely to use the wheel-brush on a higher quality chrome steel wheel. (like an old Schwinn) This wheel belongs to a Free-Spirit.

Above: The front wheel after brass brushing and polishing with Turtle-Wax. The fender struts were also brushed and polished as were the hubs and flanges. The spokes were cleaned (one at a time) with Armor-All cleaning wipes.(twice) A few of the spokes might get touched-up latter with fine wet sanding paper. Any spokes that get sanded will also get polished with spray detailing wax on a rag.

Above: Probably the most important part of this post. I position a fan to blow the dust away as I am brushing. I also have a exhaust fan in the gable that comes on automatically when the lights are turned on. I position the fan so that it blows the dust in the general direction of the exhaust fan. The floor fan does not have to be set on high, mine is usually on low. I know this works well because I have Asthma. If it did not work I would be the first to notice.

Above: The rack and struts and saddle springs. 25 years of storage has left them with a light coat of surface rust. Not bad at all considering.

Above: The same area after brushing and polishing. The rack and saddle were removed for brushing. I took the saddle hardware apart (except the springs) for brushing as well.

Above: A before shot of the rear brake caliper. The brake calipers were removed for brushing and polishing too.

Above: An after shot of the rear brake caliper. I did not take these calipers apart completely. First I scrapped the old brake shoes. Then I just released the return spring and brushed them with the detail brass brush. Then I polished the calipers with Turtle-Wax.

Above: I Do Not Brush Alloy Components. These calipers were removed, taken-apart and cleaned and Polished with Mother`s Mag and Aluminum Polish. Mothers works on straddle cables too.

I hope you found something useful here. The Giant is pretty much finished, I will be posting it soon. Also, about the Parliament. I just had the original rear hub serviced by my friend Joe in Pontiac Mi. He is the only one who still had the correct removal tool for the free-wheel. He has been at the bike shop for as long as I was in Masonry, which is about 32 years. He has been a big help to me on more than one occasion. So if your ever over near Wide-Track and Perry in Pontiac Mi. stop in and say hello. There are not many around like Joe anymore. He reminds me of the guys at Powers Schwinn in RoyalOak Mi about 45 years ago.

Until Next Time, Ride Safe and Remember to Always.. RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE
Cheers,Hugh

Selle AnAtomica: My Impressions

[Edited to add: This review is of the older generation Selle Anatomica Titanico; the review of the current model can be found here.]

Some time ago I bought a red Selle Anatomica Titanico saddle, initially to go with a vintage bicycle I had at the time. But when I was loaned a Seven roadbike earlier this summer, the Selle Anatomica migrated onto it instead: It promised to be more comfortable than the bike's native racing saddle and was a perfect match for its red decals. This is how I had the saddle set up on the bike, and I put about 700 miles on it.

Founded in 2007 by the now deceased avid cyclist Tom Milton, Selle Anatomica is a small American manufacturer of leather saddles. The company is now run by the founder's sister, Meredith Milton Evans. Notably different from the other leather saddles on the market, Selle Anatomica offers several potentially attractive selling points. One is the long "anatomic" cut-out, which they claim allows the two sides of the saddle to move independently, thus relieving pressure on soft tissue. The other is the "watershed leather," which refers to the saddle's treatment with a waterproof top layer. The saddles are available in a variety of colours, and there are separate versions rated for heavier and lighter riders. You can read more about the design and specs here.

I purchased my saddle in Spring 2011 and since then a couple of changes have been made that I find somewhat confusing but will try to summarise. Selle Anatomica now advertises being made with cro-moly rails, so I am not sure what the rails on my saddle are made of. They also changed the weight criteria, so that what were formerly called the "Clydesdale" saddles and recommended for persons weighting over 180 lb have now become their regular saddles and are recommended for persons over 140 lb. If I understand these changes correctly, then what is now called the "Titanico" model is a slightly different product from the saddle I own, and the version I own is more comparable to what is now called the "Titanico Legacy." However, based on my conversations with the manufacturer I am not entirely certain of this, and I hope that she might clarify in the comments.

My impressions of the Selle Anatomica underwent several stages. Initially, the saddle felt so comfortable that I could hardly believe it. The tension of the leather was just right, there was no pressure anywhere, and the cut-out slot worked as advertised. The leather was softer, more pliable and more "hammock-like" than other leather saddles I'd tried and I could feel it moving with me, as opposed to my body moving against it. There was no chafing or soreness what so ever, and there was no breaking in period. It was almost too good to be true.

Then, after about 100 miles, I began to feel a sharp pinching pain in my "soft tissue." The pain would come and go, seemingly at random, and felt as if someone took a pair of pliers to a fold of skin along my crotch. Eventually I realised that the slot somehow began to close in at its narrowest part, pinching my skin right through the padded bicycle shorts. Soon after that I also noticed that (after only 150 miles), the saddle had sagged dramatically. At the time we were unable to determine whether it was the actual leather that sagged, or whether the bolt controlling the tension had unscrewed. But in retrospect it seems to have been the latter, because once we increased the tension and screwed the bolt in tightly, it did not sag again nearly as much.

We assumed that tensioning the saddle would also solve the pinching problem, but the occasional pinching persisted. We tried bending the leather inward in the part of the slot where it pinched, but that did not help. After some investigation, it turned out that a few others reported this same problem with Selle Anatomica saddles, and the recommended solution was to use a knife to enlarge the slot in the spot where it pinched. Just as we were debating whether to do this, the pinching suddenly stopped on its own around mile 400. I kept waiting for it to return, knife at the ready, but it did not. With no explanation, the saddle suddenly felt as good again as on the day I got it. For the remaining 300 miles I rode on the saddle, there has been a gradual and slight loss of tension, but no further problems.

Having ridden with this saddle in the rain multiple times on a bike with no fenders, I can confirm Selle Anatomica's claim that the saddle is absolutely waterproof. The rain just rolled right off without getting absorbed into the leather. However, the "watershed" layer eventually began to wear off - not from the rain, but from my contact with the saddle. You can see this in this picture, which was taken after 400 miles. On the manufacturer's website, it is suggested that the top layer could wear off over time as part of everyday use, and that eventually the owner may need to send the saddle back for re-waterproofing (which is done for an extra fee, as far as I understand). It is not specifed for how many miles the "watershed" leather is designed to last before the top layer needs to be reapplied.

Overall, my impression of Selle Anatomica is a positive, but somewhat frustrated one. If the tension remains as it should and the slot does not pinch, it is the most comfortable saddle I have ridden on. If the watershed layer remains intact, it is the most maintenance-free leather saddle I have experienced. However, neither of these factors has been stable for me, and so I would describe the saddle as high maintenance and rather unpredictable. With its price on par with mid-range Brooks and less than Berthoud, personally I would buy Selle Anatomica again and would be willing to fuss with it just to achieve the level of comfort I know it is capable of giving me. But be aware that this is an unusual saddle, and that user experiences tend to be varied - even more so than with the other leather saddle manufacturers. I hope that Selle Anatomica remains in business and continues to streamline its product. With its unique design, it is a welcome alternative to the other saddles currently on the market.

Within My Grasp, Yet Out of Reach: the Evasive Century Ride

Once a cyclist begins to ride longer distances, it is inevitable that they will hear the siren call of the Century - the 100 mile ride. While 100 miles is as arbitrary a number as any, it has an undeniable cachet to it. It is a three digit number, a round number, and impressive number. Put simply, 100 miles is unambiguously "a lot." It is often considered a marker of seriousness when it comes to long-distance cycling.

Although I never set it as a goal for myself to complete a century, to tell the truth I thought that surely I would have done it by now. Distances of 30, 40 and 50 miles were so easy for me almost from the start, that I assumed 100 miles would inevitably follow. However, it is now my 3rd summer of cycling and somehow I still have not managed it - 65 miles being the longest distance I've covered so far in one go. One obstacle has been lack of time. As someone who gets annoyed when others tell me they don't have time to cycle, I can't believe I am using the same excuse. So maybe I should rephrase: My time management skills have been inadequate. I try to set a day aside for a century ride, but something inevitably comes up to make it impossible. Shorter rides are easier in that sense, because they do not require taking an entire day off. The other obstacle has been finding places to ride to. While the countryside outside Boston offers excellent cycling, I am having a hard time mapping out routes that exceed 65 miles and are still within my comfort zone when it comes to car traffic and elevation changes. And doing repeat loops just to cycle 100 miles is not appealing.

While on Cape Cod last summer, I thought that surely a century would finally be completed. Our plan was to gradually work up to it, but in the end we did it too gradually: Just after the 65 mile ride I got sick, and by the time I felt better it was time to go home. This summer, the inability to reach the 100 mile mark is becoming almost comical. Now that we are on Cape Ann - with both the time to do it and the perfect location - weather and other factors have intervened to foil our plans repeatedly. 50 miles along the coast has been the longest we have managed so far, and with half our stay over and more storms predicted for this week, it's possible that a century is simply not in the cards during this trip either.

It is becoming clear that, while I am accustomed to fitting rides into my life "organically," the century may necessitate a different approach. If I am serious, then I will need more careful planning, stronger determination, and a willingness to do it in poor weather conditions or along a route that I am not entirely comfortable with. But frankly, that just doesn't seem like much fun. When I finally find the time to do a 100 mile ride on my terms, it will be fantastic. But to approach it as a grimly goal-oriented undertaking for the sake of saying that I've done a century would defeat the purpose. As far as endurance goes, I am fairly confident that I can handle the mileage, so it's just a matter of an opportune situation presenting itself. I am sure someday it will.

GIANT "Attraction" Re-Assembling the Bottom Bracket and the Three Piece Crank

Hello and Welcome. The heat-wave has finally passed and things are now returning to normal. Unfortunately I had to keep the outside work to a minimum while it was hot. So this week I have been busy getting the property cleaned-up. I did manage to get some shop/garage time in this week as well.

Above: The parts are de greased and ready for re-greasing and assembly. Pictured are the bracket, the drive side bearing cartridge (by itself) and the left side cup and bearing cartridge together. Also shown are the lock-ring and the crank-arm retainer nuts. I used the White-Lightning "Clean-Streak" to clean these up. I used my home made parts cleaning station. Notice: The drive-side of the bracket is longer than the left side. Sometimes the difference is not this noticeable. Might be best to mark the drive side end of the bracket.

Above: My home-made small parts cleaning station. Basically a cheap pot and strainer. I place dirty paper towels in the bottom of the pot, that speeds up the evaporation or drying process of the cleaner. It will evaporate by it self, but it does smell bad. This way I can dump the mess into a trash-can right away and be rid of the stink. There is never a shortage of dirty paper towels around here.

Above: The first thing I like to do is smear some grease on the drive-side cup which is still in-place.

Above: Now I lightly grease the bracket itself including the middle part to protect it from corrosion. After I grease the bearings I slide the drive-side bearing onto the drive side end of the bracket so that the exposed bearings surface are facing the cup (or out-wards). After I insert the bracket I turn it a few times to make sure the drive-side bearings are rotating smoothly inside the drive-side cup. Now that I know everything is feeling smooth I pack the left side bearing cartridge with grease and slide it onto the bracket with the exposed bearing surface facing out. (as seen above)

Above: Now I grease the inside of the left-side bearing cup. I slip the cup into place and thread it into place turning it clock-wise. But before I do that I have something else I want to do.

Above: Before I screw or thread the cup into place I wrap it once (counter-clock-wise) with Teflon Tape. If it were loose I could wrap it two or three times
without a problem. And I would also cover the entire threaded surface if I was not not convinced the threads were tight enough. But in this case it is being done to improve the seal and prevent possible creaking. The reason I wrap the tape counter clock-wise is so that as I thread the cup in (clock-wise) the tape will not bind up.

Above: Just like a head-set I tighten the cup until I feel the bearings grind a little, then back it off a hair. Also just like a head-set I don`t want to feel any grind or play. Note: It may never feel quite as smooth as the head-set, these are larger bearings. Once I am satisfied that is is not too tight or too loose, it is time to thread the lock-ring into place. Notice: I hold the threaded cup in position with a wrench while tightening the lock-ring. This will prevent me from accidentally over tightening the bearing cup.

Above: Here I have wiped-off the excess grease and I am now ready to install the left side crank-arm. Look closely and you will see some of the Teflon has made it`s way to the outer edge of the threads.

Above: I have slid the left side crank-arm into place. It will not slide on all the way. It`s ok, that is what the retainer nut is for. I normally start the retainer nut by hand to ensure it is not cross-threaded.

Above: Pretend my left hand is on the crank arm (it is actually holding the camera) this helps me get more leverage while tightening the retainer nut. Quick-Tip: Do not use an extension on the ratchet and do not use a deep or long socket. Keeping the set-up short will make it easier to keep the socket on the nut when tightening. After this, just screw the center dust cap into place and you are finished. (on this side anyway)

You might want to turn the bike around on the rack now. The chain-ring or crank side goes on the same way. Only one problem, this crank is a mess. I`ll have to take it apart for a good cleaning.

Above: The chain-rings cleaned-up easily using bio de greaser (the green stuff). I noticed a slight dent or bend in the bash-guard. No worries the chain-ring guard is thin and should be easy to straighten out.

Above: The chain-ring re-assembled and mounted, look at that baby spin! That went real well, or so it seemed. Once I got a chain on it, I found that not only was the bash-guard bent. The whole unit was bent. It kept throwing the chain right off the big chain-ring. Oh brother! What happened was this. The original chain was rusted badly. So I cut it off and tossed it and never spun the crank to see if it was straight. "My Bag" Well Thank God I never throw any good part away. I had another generic crank "same size" ready to go.

The replacement 3 piece crank works fine. It could use a little touch up on the flat satin black paint. I want to dig around first and see if I have a nicer 3 piece crank stashed around here somewhere. If not, then maybe I will re-paint it.

Above: This is me using the brass wheel-brush attachment on the rechargeable drill to clean-up the seat-post. I`m going to do a post in the next day or two about the brass wheel brush and how wonderful it works. After which I will post the finished project. Yes it is finished. And I think you are going to like it.
But right now it is late and I`m dog tired. So till next time RIDE SAFE and Remember to always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE !
Cheers,Hugh

Traveling by Bike

As you may have noticed, we are staying on the coast for a little while - our annual working vacation. This is something we've been doing at the end of every summer for the past six years. When we lived further North, we used to go to a place in Maine, and after moving to Boston we began staying on Cape Cod. I've been writing about that for the past two summers, and it's funny how over time our trips became increasingly bicycle-oriented. Two years ago we went by car as usual, but for the first time took bikes and cycled around a bit during our stay. Last summer we arrived by car again, but got around entirely by bicycle once there and attempted some high mileage day-trips. This summer we no longer have a car and really did not want to rent one just for the trip. So after discovering that Cape Ann was accessible by commuter rail, we decided to come here instead and do the whole trip on bikes. Another reason for choosing Cape Ann, is that it is a popular starting point for long rides up the coast of Northern New England. There are no decent routes north directly out of Boston, and what cyclists often do is take the commuter rail up here before proceeding north. So that was the plan: To arrive on our bicycles, to get around by bike, and to cycle up the coast as far and as often as possible in the course of our stay.

Our main challenge was figuring out how to transport our belongings. This is not a bicycle-specific trip, so we needed more than a change of cycling clothing and rain gear. We are living here for two weeks and doing all the same things we do at home - including work-related stuff. We needed our regular clothing and footwear, personal hygiene products, bedding, towels, laptops, a variety of electronic devises, some necessary books and documents, and our camera equipment - in addition to the cycling clothing, tool kits and raingear. And all of that we fit into the luggage you see here.

For a number of logistical reasons, we decided the most practical course of action would be to turn one person into the pack mule - and since I already had a front rack and a large handlebar bag on my bike, it made sense that this would be me. I had planned to eventually get a touring-specific rear rack for my Rivendell anyway, and so that is what I did. Between the two of us, we packed a total of five bags for the trip - four on my bike and one on the Co-Habitant's.

The rear rack on my bike is a Nitto Campee with removable lowrider panels, to which we attached a set of Carradice panniers, while using the rack's platform to support a Sackville SaddleSack. These bags plus the Carradice saddlebag on the Co-Habitant's Surly contained our clothing, bedding and laptops. My Ostrich handlebar bag contained camera equipment, electronics and various other miscellaneous items. Everything was packed very tightly, and I estimate that my bicycle weighed around 100 lb when all was said and done.

The ride to the train station from our house is 4 miles through some of the busiest parts of the city. I have never ridden with my bike loaded up like this before, and the prospect of trying it for the first time in Boston traffic was nerve-wrecking. Overall, the bicycle handled fine. Once it got going, I could not feel the weight at all, and the heavy handlebar bag did not affect steering. But at very slow speeds - especially when starting and stopping - there was a fishtailing effect in the rear that took some getting used to. Also, with so much weight on the bike, the brakes were less effective than usual, which I had to keep in mind when stopping on a downhill. The frame itself had an interesting feel to it  - as if it was "yielding" to the weight (mildly flexing?). The resulting ride quality was in some ways nicer than with the bicycle unloaded. Having survived this ride in traffic, loaded touring on the open road does not seem in the least daunting. Going slower than usual is, of course, a given - but the reduction in speed was not as drastic as I thought it might be. Even cycling uphill (which I got to experience once we arrived to Cape Ann and rode from the train station to the place we are staying!) was not as difficult as I expected. Thanks to a helpful reader after my description of our previous commuter rail experience, we were able to board the elusive bike train, which made the trip more pleasant still.

Once we arrived and settled in, we removed the lowrider panels from the rear rack, transforming my bike from a full-on pack-mule into a lighter ride that could still carry food and equipment when necessary. I will write more about this particular rear rack in a separate post; it is pretty neat and versatile.

The place where we are staying is somewhere between a cabin and a shack on the architectural spectrum and is the size of a small garage. It is situated on a rocky cliff overlooking the ocean, and there is a beach down the road. Despite the stormy weather, we love being here - just the two of us and our bikes. Yesterday the sun finally came out and we did a 50 mile "warm-up" ride, hoping for more soon. And it feels great that we were able to drag all of our stuff up here without needing a car. It was important to us that this did not feel like a compromise compared to the previous times we've gone away, and it most definitely does not. We were able to fit everything we need into our bicycle bags, and not having to deal with a car here feels extremely relaxing. I highly recommend giving traveling by bicycle a try!