The Catharsis of Seasonal Change

"It's over. Step away from the roadbike" I said to myself as gently as possible while watching the snow from the window. I was going to publish this over the weekend and title the post "The End." But then I decided that was far too dramatic, and that when titles like this come to mind the prudent thing to do is take a couple of days off from the blog. It's snow for goodness sake, not the end of the world. In fact, it is quite beautiful. And in retrospect I see that it has been cathartic - a resolution to a state of uncertainty. 

After a productive and well-organised December I naïvely expected to keep going at the same rate in the new year. But January started out slow and difficult, and only grew more so as the weeks wore on. After the holidays there was suddenly a pile of work due all at once, which is a situation I never handle well. And the move to the new art studio proved more effortful to organise than I anticipated (How did I accumulate so many jars of congealed ...stuff? why do I never throw anything away? and why did I need such enormous canvases, and so many of them??). In the midst of this we had a special occasion to celebrate, and some financial decisions to make. My immune system kept faltering. I felt as if I were moving in slow motion while everything else spun around me faster and faster.

It took me a while to connect this unsettled, disorganised state of mind to a decrease in cycling. Soon after the holidays the roads had turned icy, so I hadn't been riding as much as during the previous month. Of course! I was coming down from a long endorphin high, and not in the midst of an existential crisis. What made it worse, was that since it hadn't started snowing yet, I kept thinking that I could/should be cycling. I kept waiting for the idyl of December to return, not willing to put my bike on the trainer just yet, stuck in limbo. 

With the snow's arrival, the limbo finally ended and things became more clear-cut: "Right then. Bike on the trainer and you are done for the season. Now stop checking the weather obsessively, ride indoors while watching all the movies you've been meaning to catch up on, and get on with your life!" (Is it a bad sign when the snow speaks to you? No, no, don't answer that...)

This might sound strange coming from someone with a daily blog about bicycles, but I tend to downplay the importance of cycling in my "real" life, particularly roadcycling. It is my anti-athletic, anti-"jock" bias - a holdover from my teenage days as the angsty weird arty girl, for whom jocks were the enemy. Not very open-minded of me to carry that over, but at least I admit it. Cycling, important? Oh no, it means nothing to me compared to things like art and (real, not bloggery) writing. Oh this little blog? It's just some light-hearted stress relief. Hours a day in the saddle? It's just physical activity; it means nothing. But of course it can't possibly mean nothing. I need to admit to myself that cycling is important to me and that it integrates with the rest of my life whether I want to acknowledge it or not. Likewise, when I drastically decrease my time on the bike it will impact other aspects of my life. It will affect my mood, creativity and productivity. I was going through withdrawal, plain and simple.

The human mind is a funny thing, and once I became aware of all this, I felt better. Swiftly, we got me all moved into the new studio - thanks to the Co-Habitant's formidable lifting prowess and a magnificent zipcar pick-up truck. I even got a workout from carrying stuff up and down 3 flights of stairs, as the freight elevator in the building is not operational over the weekend. My calves are still hurting today from all that stair-climbing and it feels kind of nice. Maybe I should do this for fun in addition to walking and riding on the trainer, and all together that might keep me in shape till spring. Of course I could also cycle inside the studio (as demonstrated by the lovely bikeyface). Indoor mini-velodrome à la Interbike 2011? 

As I write this, the heaps of snow are already half-gone and temperatures are mild again. It is possible that the roads will clear up completely and we will have a continuation of our mild winter. But I am going to take a break from roadcycling anyhow, because all the back-and-forth and the increasing concerns about icy roads on descents are making me way too neurotic and it's time to stop. Of course, transportation cycling continues as usual. Seasonal change is good, winter is beautiful, and finally I feel that the year is off to a good start. Now, could somebody please tell me what those purple berries are?..

Snow Bike SOS!

This morning I received an email from a reader - Elise - who left her bike locked up outside a restaurant overnight, to find it covered in snow the next morning. Upon trying to retrieve the bicycle, she discovered that "all the parts were snow-encrusted" and wasn't sure it was safe to ride, so she left it where it was and took the bus to work. Of course it then snowed again, and the bike's condition only got worse. Elise is wondering how to retrieve her bike after it's been in the snow in freezing temperatures for what has now been 2 days. 

While I don't know what condition Elise's bike is in, I can share what has happened to me in the past as a result of leaving a bike out in the snow for too long, and hope that something here might be applicable: 

"frozen" wheels: Once I found that my bike did not want to roll after being left locked up outside in the snow. The front wheel would not budge, and at first I thought something was seriously wrong. On closer inspection, it turned out there was some frozen snow stuck between the fender and the tire. I cleared it out and "unfroze" the wheel. 

clogged brake calipers: Riding a bike with caliper brakes in winter, I quickly learned that getting clogged up with snow eliminates their stoping power. And since snow does seem to love settling down on brake calipers and then solidifying, it is essential to clear it out of there. Wheel rims can also get iced over and may need to be wiped down. 

icy pedals: A few times my pedals have gotten icy, to the point of making it difficult to ride the bike without my feet slipping off. When this happens I scrape them with the textured sole of my boot to break up the sleek surface, or try to rub some dirt on them. 

"sluggish" drivetrain: In freezing temperatures, it can sometimes feel that my drivetrain is slower, or not as smooth as usual. My understanding is that this is due to whatever lubricants are used on the drivetrain getting gooey from the prolonged cold. It is still okay to ride your bike like that as far as I know, but it might feel a little weird. 

Each of these things has at some point made me panic and feel that a bike was "unridable" after being left out in the snow, but they all proved to be resolvable. 

Granted, other issues may not be as easy to deal with. I've heard stories of frozen U-locks being impossible to open, and of leather saddles snapping in half if ridden when frozen. And perhaps the most common problem of all is frozen derailleurs, which I have no experience with since I do not ride derailleur-geared bikes in the winter.

Whether it's about components on the bike getting iced over, or the owner feeling that conditions are not safe enough to ride home, bikes get left in the snow - which all too often turns into full on abandonment. Any tips for avoiding this would be much-appreciated. How do you deal with a snow-encrusted bike? 

Thruster Fixed Gear Bike (Walmart) Rebuilt and Upgraded for 200.00 Total Investment?

Hello and Welcome,
I am not a huge fan of Walmart. Or at least I like to think I am not. But after hearing from a friend that they had seen exercise bikes on display there. I thought to myself, what can it hurt to look? Well after not being able to find an exercise bike that I wanted, I decided to wander over to the bicycles... Just to get a look at the latest in Department Store bicycle offerings. I had no intentions of making a purchase. Then I spotted the last thing I ever expected to see, a single speed bike with a flip-flop hub. However the brakes looked really cheap as did the crank, seat-post, pedals, handlebars and grips. But the frame looked like it could get the job done. And the wheel-set looked entry-level. But they did spin fairly straight, well the rear one did anyway. I`m thinking, this could possibly work with a few improvements. Then I saw the price tag $99.00!!

Above: Oh God forgive me! I have succumb to temptation! ok seriously, I was doing the math in my head. How much did it cost me to build the Schwinn lugged frame fixed gear bike? How much will it cost me to make this thing reliable? Then I came up with the perfect excuse. It was as if the Devil himself were whispering in my ear. "You can make this a really cool bike for under 200.00 Then you can blog about it!" Well There you have it, that is how I came to purchase this department store fixed gear bike. I am reminded of a line from the movie Tombstone when Doc Holiday said "That's what I love about Wyatt. He can talk himself into anything."

Above: A shot of the rear hub and sturdy looking 1/8 bicycle chain. The rear rim is yellow with a red tire and the front red with a yellow tire. I would have preferred they both be the same. I decided to switch the tires so they match the rims. My hope was it would give it a taller look, and to a degree I think it did just that.

Above: A shot of the "cheesy looking" front side pull caliper brake. ˈCHēzē Adjective: cheap, unpleasant, or blatantly inauthentic. Yeah! that is the word I was looking for alright. I have some vintage alloy (side-pull) caliper and center-pull brakes in the shop. I think I can polish-up something that will get the job done and look good doing it. I will not be installing a rear brake. And the resin pedals are going to be replaced with Avenir ultralight pedals with old style clips and straps. I can just see me trying to perfect my skid with my feet sliding off the plastic pedals. Did you ever notice how many other names they have for plastic?

Above: The seat-post and clamp will be replaced. In fact I just received the "your order has been shipped" e mail this morning. I think I have spent about 75.00 or 80.00 so far. The only purchase left is the cork handlebar tape. Which I now need since I have decided to make a set of flop and chop bars for the fixie. So I should be right on target when finished.

Above: I stripped the bike down to the frame and upon closer inspection the crank and threaded headset were both set too tight. But what really bothered me was some of the bicycle grease. It looked like it had been scraped-up off a dirty floor. And there were little pieces of dirt or scrap from the manufacturing process. It appeared that nothing was cleaned-out before greasing.

Above: This photograph of grease wiped off the bottom bracket bearings was an after thought. This pic by no means shows the worst of it. The little bits of grit on this paper towel are barely visible in the photograph so I have marked them for you. Basically I needed to clean all the bearings, races and cups then I re-greased everything. And of course reset the bottom bracket to the proper tightness (or lack there of). The headset was the same story just clean everything off and re grease and reassemble to the proper setting (no play/no grind)

You have seen me do enough bottom brackets and headsets on here for a while. So let`s start with the front wheel axle (ABOVE) with the free bearings. The first thing I need to do is break this over tightened axle loose.

Above: Here I am loosening the front axle using two adjustable wrenches. Once the cone nut breaks loose only one side is going to be removed easily. But that is no problem. We only need one side to be loose to grease both sides. I will hold the bottom nut (tight side)so the axle does not spin as I and loosen the top side (by hand) to expose the bearings for greasing.

Above: At this point you want to keep the exposed bearings facing upwards. You do not want these all over the floor. You also want to keep the opposite side on a table or bench-top. You also do not want the axle sliding out of there. I greased these bearings in place, buy just putting a little grease on my finger tip and packing it into the bearings. I would only do it this way with a new bike.

Above: Here after greasing the bearings I am replacing the cone/nut by hand,leaving the lock-nut off for now.
Once I screw the cone into place (snug not tight) I just wipe-off the excess grease with a paper towel.

Above: Now I have flipped the wheel over and loosened (unscrewed) the top side which is now backed-off enough for me to wipe-clean and re-grease the bearings. I am careful not to back it off so far that the opposite side cone comes off the threaded axle. With a finger on the end of the axle, I can feel when I have backed the top side out to the max. I just stop when the bottom end is flush with the axle cone-nut.

Above: Once I have wiped and re-greased the bearings I can now screw it back down into place. As always not too tight (no play no grind) Afterwards I can flip the wheel over again and replace the (thin) lock nut on the opposite side. When replacing the lock-nut I can use a cone wrench to hold the adjustment on the cone while tightening the lock nut. I suspect this is where the factory screws up and the axles end up being set way too tight. Give it a spin when finished holding the axle at each end. If it feels too tight or too loose try again. Remember "No Grind and No Play" is what your looking for. Now I am ready to move on to the rear wheel bearings.

Above: Removing the fixed gear cog`s lock-ring using a Hozan Bicycle Bottom Bracket Tool. The lock-ring is reverse threaded. So turn it clock wise to loosen it.

Above: The fixed cog is normal threaded (righty tighty - lefty loosey.) So using an Avenir Chain-Whip crank it counter-clockwise to remove it.

Above: This is not how you would want to remove a freewheel unit normally. (single or multiple cog) But there are no slots for a single cog freewheel removal tool. So I will take it apart and remove it in pieces. If I do use a freewheel unit on the bike it will be a freewheel with slots for a removal tool. I`ll save these parts but I doubt I will ever use them.

Above: The remnants of the single freewheel unit. I`m not sure why it was made this way (no slots for a removal tool) Maybe they figured it being a 99 dollar bike, it would not last long enough to ever need a new single freewheel cog. Maybe someone can enlighten me about this design. I did not bother installing a freewheel unit on the other fixed gear bike I built. I do not plan on climbing any big hills on it anyway. It only bothers me because I think it is a stupid design. So lets move onto the rear axle bearings.

Above: I loosened the cone/nuts in the same way I did the fronts. Here I have added some fresh grease and I am ready to screw the cone back into position.

Above: I am now screwing the threaded cone back into position. Like on the front I will set aside the lock-nut for now. I am now ready to flip the wheel over and grease the bearings on the free-wheel side.

Above: Again just like the front axle I will back this side out while holding the bottom side of the axle. And I will be careful not to back it out too far. In this pic you can see I have already greased the bearings and am ready to close it back up.

Above: This pic really shows how the tight side is undisturbed. When I screw this back in I am actually turning the axle. And this side is being drawn back in by the other side being tightened back up. This is why I have set the lock nut (the thin nut)aside for now on the other end. Once it is all closed up again and not to tight or loose I will then thread the lock nut back into place. And I can hold the cone in the proper position by using a cone wrench to hold the cone from tightening while I tighten the lock nut. Again like the front you will need to check this for grind or play before installing the wheel on the bike.

Above: Here is the rear wheel back on the bike for testing, the fixed gear cog is working fine. I have temporally re-installed the original crank for testing. The new crank and post should arrive in a few days. I had already ordered grips before I decided to change the handlebars. I will be wrapping the new bars. But I`m sure I will use the grips on a future project.

Above: Here I have the wheels back on with the temporary crank. Lets move on to the handlebars.

Above: I have marked the spot where I want to make my cut and locked it into the vise for cutting. I am not cutting into the vise :) I had to let go of my hacksaw for a sec to take this pic.

Above: To get the bars cut evenly I use the first cut piece as a templet to mark the other side.

Above: These flop and chop handlebars are going to save me at least $20.00 That is about the least I could expect to pay for bullhorn pursuit style handlebars. And once they are all taped-up I think they will look pretty good too. I think I will mount this front brake lever differently so I can compare the two.(this one to the Schwinn fixie)

Above: I think this looks fine, but I think it will look better if I shorten-up the reach on the adjustable lever. I just need to remember to do this before I trim the cable.

Above: A hack saw can leave razor sharp edges and burs on the freshly cut surfaces. It is best to metal file these off right away. Not only can these sharp edges cut you, they can also cut into your handlebar tape.
My parts order has not arrived yet, So I`m going to close for now. I will get back to work on the Fixie as soon as the parts are delivered. Look for the "Thrasher Fixie Finished" post within a week. Until Next Time, Please Ride Safe and Remember to Always RESCUE, RESTORE & RECYCLE Cheers, Hugh

A sincere Thank You to those of you who have been using or just checking out "Hugh's Online Bike Shop". It is pretty well stocked now and it is getting a little more organized every day. If you have not visited it yet and would like to. The link is in the top right column just below the Followers. And the Amazon Search feature is still located at the bottom of the right column. And I am in the process of adding word links to the components, tools and supplies I use everyday. The word links like Hugh's Online Bike Shop are powered by amazon.com Using any of these feature will help support this blog. Thanks for your continued support.
Cheers, Hugh

Van Nicholas: 'Dutch Bike' Redefined

Over the winter holidays I hosted a rather unusual guest from overseas - a titanium Dutch bike. Van Nicholas is a small Netherlands-based manufacturer of titanium road, touring, mountain and cyclocross bicycles. A reader suggested I try a Van Nicholas after I reported enjoying other Ti bikes, and thanks to him a test ride was soon arranged. What made Van Nicholas particularly noteworthy, I was told, is that one of their models - the Amazon - made for a uniquely comfortable transportation bicycle, combining aspects of the workhorse utility bikes Holland is known for with the special properties of titanium. Add to that a couple of fancy features afforded by modern technology (a 14-speed Rohloff hub and a belt drive), and the Van Nicholas Amazon seemed very interesting indeed.

Based on my understanding of the sizing, I asked for a 54cm bike. The bikes are customizable, and so I also asked for it to be fitted with swept back handlebars, a leather saddle and flat pedals. The American distributor (EU Cycling Imports) sent the demo model to the Ride Studio Cafe in Lexington MA, and they put the bicycle together for me. I took it home to test ride and brought it back two weeks later, after which the bike was returned to the distributor. It should be noted that the Ride Studio Cafe carries a certain local brand of titanium bicycles, which is technically a competitor of Van Nicholas. But this did not seem to bother anyone and the RSC displayed the Van Nicholas right on the sales floor along with the Seven bikes for customers to admire. It was a treat to see two different titanium brands side by side.

Van Nicholas came into existence 12 years ago and was founded as a brand in 2006. The frames are designed in Numansdorp, Netherlands, built in the Far East (I was not told which country), then finished, assembled and tested back in the Netherlands. The titanium tubing differs in thickness and composition based on the frame model and size. The Amazon is made with stout tubing, designed for touring and for supporting heavy loads. The frame is unpainted, with a brushed matte finish. The headbadge is chemically etched into the frame. Components that come standard with the build are high quality. The stem, seatpost and seat collar are also titanium, branded with Van Nicholas insignia.

The tiny titanium bell is pretty impressive. I forgot to ask whether they sell some of these Ti parts separately, because I certainly would not mind a titanium seatpost and bell.

The many braze-ons for cable routing keep the cables very neat, which is a good thing because there are lots of them thanks to the Rohloff hub. There are also braze-ons for racks, water bottle cage bosses, and everything else one would expect from a touring frame. 

The fork that comes with the bike is carbon fiber, labeled "VNT Elements" - a house brand I think. There are cantilever/v-brake bosses on it, which sort of horrifies me even though I know this is not uncommon nowadays (but how does the carbon fork withstand the force of the mighty v-brake?..).

Special dropouts that can be split apart for the belt drive and also accommodate the massive Rohloff hub, with a built-in mount for the "belt keeper" that prevents the belt from slipping in snowy and muddy conditions.

Brooks Swallow saddle with titanium rails, FSA Metropolis handlebars, Rohloff twist shifter and Brooks leather washer grips. The brown leather accessories warmed up the titanium frame and I found the combination appealing. The handlebars are a modern take on the classic upside down North Roads and this added a touch of an almost vintage look to the whole thing.

When I first saw the bike, more than anything I was overwhelmed by all its bells and whistles. A titanium frame, a carbon fork with canti mounts, a Rohloff hub and a belt drive all on the same bike? It was a lot to wrap my head around. I am glad that at this point I'd ridden several other titanium bikes, and also another bike with a belt drive - so that at least all of these elements were not simultaneously new to me.

The Rohloff hub was the one feature I had not tried before. On first impression I immediately disliked it, because it made the bicycle ridiculously rear-heavy. On a lightweight titanium frame this was especially noticeable: I'd pick up the bike by the top tube, and the rear wheel would pull it backward like a ball and chain. I am not a fan of multi-geared hubs, and anything beyond a 3-speed I usually find annoyingly inefficient. I could already anticipate the same happening with the Rohloff: At such a monstrous weight, surely the 14 speeds with the alleged 526% gear range were a gimmick that in practice would not live up to the numbers' promise.

Taking the bike on its maiden test ride, I headed straight for the hills of Lexington MA to test this hypothesis. And my hypothesis proved to be incorrect. I approached a long, unpleasant hill and was able to climb it at a leisurely pace by utilizing the 3rd and 2nd gears. I did not feel the bike's rear-heaviness whilst in motion and spun without getting out of breath or even especially exerting myself. If I lived in a seriously hilly area, I could travel to work like this in ordinary clothing without getting sweaty. Later I rode the bike to my art studio, which is also on top of a steep hill, and in 4th gear I did not feel this hill at all. The Rohloff hub is heavy and that has its drawbacks, but I found the range of gearing it provided to be very satisfactory and on par with my derailleur-geared bikes. I am wondering now to what extent the performance of the hub in this case had to do with its interaction with the titanium frame. On a heavier frame, would it still get me up the same hills? This question remains open, so please keep in mind that my experience with the Rohloff so far is limited to this specific bike.

The Rohloff shifter took some getting used to, because if you are accustomed to standard twist shifters this one functions in reverse: For a lower gear you twist toward you and for a higher gear you twist away from you. I did not manage to get used to this during my two weeks with the bike and would occasionally shift in the opposite direction than I meant to. I was very glad however that I did not have to constantly switch gears just to ride at the pace I wanted to in the city. The 9th gear was my standard gear, and unless I ventured into hilly terrain I pretty much stayed in it. The bicycle responded very well to my pedaling efforts both uphill and on flats.

It's been explained to me how Rohloff hubs work, and apparently it is like having an internal derailleur with a double crankset. So if I understand this correctly, there is a gear at which point the mechanism automatically switches not just between the internal rear cogs, but also from one internal chainring to another. A couple of owners of older model Rohloff hubs tell me that whatever gear this happens on can be problematic - either sticking or misfiring when one attempts to switch in or out of it. I tried to figure out which gear this was, and judging by the extra grunting/clicking I was hearing, it appeared to be the 6th gear - a gear I only used when going uphill. I made a point to switch in and out of it a few times and did not experience any problems in the course of my test rides. In general, neither the Rohloff hub nor the Gates belt drive gave me any trouble over the 55 miles I spent riding this bike through the hilly countryside and stop-and-go city traffic. The drivetrain was very quiet and sort of faded into the background.

While the Amazon comes with braze-ons for racks, the demo model was sent to me without any and initially I fitted the bike with a medium sized saddle bag. There were also no provisions for dynamo lighting, and I used my own battery lights.

Later we installed a Freeload rack on the bike, so that I could transport packages and my laptop pannier. Aside from one ride done for the sole purpose of testing the bike on hills and over longer distances, I mostly rode the Van Nicholas for transportation, since that was the context in which I was testing it. Its proportions work well for this purpose. The long (456mm) chainstays allow for optimal pannier clearance; the relaxed head tube angle and long top tube prevent toe overlap with the front wheel. I wore my chunkiest winter boots to test ride the bike and there was not even a chance of toe overlap, which was great.

The handlebars, despite being somewhat swept back, are set very low and you can see that my position on the bike is rather aggressively leaned over. Ideally I would prefer handlebars that are not necessarily higher but more swept back. In other ways the bicycle fit me very well and at 5'7" I was happy with the 54cm frame size. The handling felt familiar and predictable. Not like a classic Dutch bike exactly, but like something I've ridden in the past. Maybe like a Ti version of my Rivendell, were it set up as an upright bike. For transportation cycling I like this type of handling very much.   

But my favourite part of the Van Nicholas ride quality was how it felt over rough roads. If you look at the lower righthand corner of the picture above, you will notice there is a ditch in my line of travel. Unfortunately, many roads in the area where we live look like this, and often I end up riding right over those ditches and potholes, because to avoid them would be to zig-zag incessantly. The Van Nicholas was fine with this type of road surface, despite being fitted with tires only 32mm wide (the frame's maximum tire clearance is 2.35", so it is possible to fit much wider tires). I could ride through a ditch like the one you see here and feel only a distant echo without the bone-shaking feeling. As I've written before, I've noticed this same detached "echo" feeling with several titanium bikes so far, so I don't think it would be out of line to speculate that the titanium plays a role here.

On a critical note, the v-brakes were insanely strong and difficult to modulate. I was not brave enough to demonstrate this, but here the Co-Habitant shows what happens when squeezing the front brake with moderate force. We would have to mess with the brake to adjust it in a way that would prevent this, but decided to leave it alone and instead I simply used the rear brake only.

Test riding the bike briefly, the Co-Habitant also noted that he was unable to comfortably ride it hands-free (I would not know, as I do not normally ride hands-free anyhow). The frame was a couple of sizes too small for him, but I doubt this played a role. It could be that the weight of the Rohloff hub and the saddlebag made the front end too light for hands-off riding.

Me, I was very pleased with the handling and the ride quality of the Van Nicholas Amazon and would have been tempted to covet it for my own if it were not for the diamond frame. Try as I might, I am just not comfortable riding diamond frames for transportation in my everyday clothing. Yes I can do it, but I prefer not to. My long coat or skirt inevitably get caught on something as I swing my leg over to mount or dismount the bike, and I am too clumsy to handle this on a regular basis. So despite the great ride quality, the amazingly versatile Rohloffhub gearing, and the silent and maintenance-free belt drive, I ultimately feel more comfortable on my own bike. I should note that Van Nicholas does make a ladies version of the Amazon, but I find the MTB step-through frame design unbearably ugly. Looks are not everything, but the welded titanium and the carbon fork already stretch the limits of my open-mindedness and I am only human. If they managed to make a more attractive step-through or mixte option however (like this please!), I would be in trouble and would desire this bicycle very badly. Offering a dynamo lighting package would also be a huge plus on a bicycle like this - whether it is used for touring or transportation.

The Van Nicholas Amazon is a unique bicycle in that it is durable enough for year-round, all-weather transportation and comfortable on bad roads, while also being sufficiently light and versatile to handle serious hill grades over long distances. Something like this cannot be achieved without the Rohloff hub and the lightweight Ti frame, which makes its high cost inevitable. But for those who can afford it and for whom the diamond frame is not an issue, the Amazon is worth looking into.

Van Nicholas bicycles are available with both stock and custom options, and the full specs, geometry and other details of the Amazon are available here. More of my pictures can be viewed here. Many thanks to Van Nicholas and EU Cycling Imports for the opportunity to try this bicycle.