Stewart Mountain High

Victoria is home to some great mountain biking and there is something for every riding style. Here on the west coast we sometimes ride our cyclocross bikes on trails better suited to cross country mountain bikes, but the challenge is part of the fun. However, when you want a light ride you can’t help but grin as you rip fast single track and decommissioned forest service roads on something like my new Giant Anthem X1 29er. These sometimes cyclocross sometimes cross country mountain bike were the trails I visited today.

Today was the first ride on my new rig and I wanted to do something easy to get to know my new friend. 29ers are supposed to be fast and climb well so I decided to put it too the test and climbed up Stewart Mountain. I entered the trails at the end of Bates Road (off Baker, off Highland road winding through Thetis Lake Park). The Anthem climbed like a champion and I was able to clean sections of trail I never could on a cross bike or my 2010 Giant Trance X2. The Shimano Dyna-Sys drivetrain is a major improvement over the previous 9 speed systems. Shifts are clean, crisp and reliable; the feel is more solid and gives a satisfying click. The new system pulls more cable making is less susceptible to contamination and housing degradation. This is a huge plus. As usual the Fox suspension is incredible and I was even impressed with the performance of the Maxxis Crossmark tires. After getting to the top of Munn road the only logical choice was to bomb back down the way I came and head back on Highland road. That was followed by a quick cut back to Munn road on the old Highland road trail and shooting out down to Prospect Lake Road and Home. It’s going to be a good summer of riding on the island. Tomorrow the Anthem learns some more challenging terrain at The Hartland 

Increase your mechanical advantage (getting more from your cantilever brakes)

Cantilever brakes are often sighted as the bane of many mechanics. . That the bicycle was invented in France is debatable, but one thing is certain: the cantilever brake was invented in France and is over half a century old. It is one of the original bicycle rim brake designs. Cantilever brakes can be beautiful and mysterious, just like French women (Okay sorry that is bad, but I'm leaving it)

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While there are several online articles that should be enough to allow anyone to set up their cantilevers with good results (e.g. Sheldon Brown), one intelligent cyclist has taken it a step further and produced an article outlining how the cantilever brake works (Cantilever Brake Geometry by Benno Bulhumeur). One of the clearest results, and often the easiest adjustment to make, is that lowering the cable yolk always increases mechanical advantage. While this may not be possible with the later cantilever designs utilizing a cable splitter instead of a yolk it is true for pretty much every cantilever brake made prior to 1990. This simple adjustment jives with my experience and I always set-up cross bikes so that yolk is just above the bolt hole in the stay bridge or fork crown. Often it pays to install fenders first and then make the final adjustment to the yolk height.

Sometimes cantilever brakes can have too much mechanical advantage. These are the brakes that feel really spongy and have too much lever throw. This is usually related to poor lever and brake pairing, but it can also be the brake set-up.

The article points out that the oft sighted rule of thumb of having a 90 degree angle between the straddle wire and the lever arm of the brake is not only flawed, but can be totally inappropriate for some brakes such as low profile brakes mostly used in the 1990s on mountain bikes. I believe, that low profile cantilevers are the reason many mechanics have frustrations with them. If you play with the yolk height for the low profile cantilever on the interactive cantilever set-up calculator you will see that mechanical advantage decreases rapidly as you increase yolk height. While the brake arm is static, keep in mind that the power is also related to arm position and as the pads wear the arm can become dangerously close to parallel with the braking surface in which case you loose a lot of power. For this reason the brakes should be set-up with the pad as far inboard on it’s mount as is feasible (i.e. arm is further out). This article and the interactive calculator should be able to help anyone better understand cantilever set-up and can help you choose the type of brake that is best for you. It nicely displays why the early Shimano Deore XT cantilever was one of the best. It was a medium profile design and had a fool proof set-up. Enjoy!

-VBN

Review: Mission Workshop Rondel Sneaker

If someone asked me to describe the perfect shoe for my day to day lifestyle I might have described something almost exactly like the Rondel Sneaker. My wish list would be something like this:

A casual and good looking full leather sneaker with full leather upper and a stiff sole (i.e. it must have a shank), it would fit into toe clips should I want to use them for that, and perhaps be SPD compatible.

I wouldn’t have made comfort specifications but it should be comfortable and durable.

This new sneaker from Mission Workshop, based in San Francisco meets my basic description. Indeed it has a full leather upper, it looks good, it has a shank and it can take SPD cleats. I love the concept. This is a new product and as such your expectations should not be set to high. This shoe is as much casual as it is functional. Unfortunately, they do not come in half sizes and I had to choose between too tight and too loose. I had to go with too tight as the bigger size was unwearable. There is a ton of heal slop which is due, in part, to the stretchy laces; replace immediately (Black looks better anyway). Next I noticed the left shoe was tighter, which was odd since most commonly the right foot is bigger. I checked and I fit the norm, so I checked the shoes. The sole of the let shoe is an eighth of an inch shorter in my pair, size 45(11US). I contacted the company and received no reply. The shoes are made in China and perhaps quality control isn’t the best for this first run. I also noticed that the cleat tracks were in grossly different places on each shoe. Thankfully, the adjustment in the cleat could compensate for that. Depending on your size you may also find that you have to move the cleat as far to the inside as possible for the shoe to clear the crank-arm, kind of annoying. I even had to put pedal washers on one set of shimano SPDs. The construction of the shoe could stand for some more attention to detail.

Thankfully the shoes have stretched to some extent and are bearable. The leather quality seams spotty and I treated them with neutral shoe polish immediately. It didn’t take much rain to still put a nice wear mark on the toe (one day on the polo courts). The sole is a rip-off of a classic vans slip-on and I am sceptical about how it will hold up, but seems okay so far.

Overall, I am happy with the shoe because I can finally ride to the bar or restaurant and walk inside wearing exactly what I road there in and not look like I road there. The shoes mesh with my sense of style and I am pleased with the product. However, there isn’t much competition out there. You can pick up a hiking style shoe from almost any cycling shoe manufacturer for under one hundred dollar and the quality of the sole and the construction quality will likely be superior to the Rondel, but it won’t look half as cool. And lets face it fashion is just as important as function in the urban jungle.

-VBN 

Try IGH

Most bike nerds would argee that an internally geared hub is, in theory, the ideal set-up for touring. While discussion of the exact ranges of IGHs vs. traditional derailleur systems would make this post useful it is beyond the scope of this blog, for the moment. Suffice to say, that IGHs generally do not have as much range as derailleur systems and by virtue of their fewer speeds they have larger jumps between gears. The Rohloff hub is the most advanced to date, with 14 speeds it covers more range than any other IGH. You can also skew your hub to the high or low gear range based on your cog and chainring selection. Shimano and Sram are up to 11 speeds but still do not have quite the range of a Rohloff , but they are a fraction of the price. 

Recently, I had a customer who wanted to give his 8 speed Shimano Nexus IGH equipped bicycle more range. He is riding across Canada this year and does not want to lose his high gear to by skewing his hub to the low with alternative cog and chainring combinations as he will need them to cross British Columbia. He began to ask me lots of questions about what was possible with individual parts and at first I was reluctant to entertain him. My initial reaction was that what he wanted to do was unreasonable; he would be far better off purchasing bike with derailleurs, but that was before I knew he already owned the bike. So I suggested he returned with his bike before we took it any further. I looked at his bike and ordered the parts he wanted. This is what his bike looked like to start. On chainring, one cog and an eccentric bottom bracket to tension the chain.

What he wanted to do was add multiple chainrings so he decided on a triple and I brought in a Shimano Alfine chain tensioner, a triple front derailleur and a triple crank. He came up with a Shimano MTB shifter. Everything went together surprisingly smooth. I rotated the bottom bracket to the lowest position to make his center of gravity as low as possible for maximum loaded stability. Everything adjusted and a new chain installed, it worked surprisingly well. The shortfall of this retrofit is the jump between gears remains wider than an 8 speed cassette and there are high and low gears that he will never use because they are too extreme. I am also concerned about the torque that will be generated in the extremely low gears, but he was intent on the conversion so I made it happen. It was a fun job and a cool experiment. I had to use a clamp on housing stop for the front derailleur right about the bottom bracket to make it work and I must say it all turned out pretty clean.

-VBN

Saddle Up!

The bicycle saddle is a very personal thing and there are different types for different bikes. When it comes to road bikes saddle choice is often gets very particular and people become very attached to their saddles. While there are hundreds of different saddles for each type of bike (road, mountain, commuter etc.), certain models have become more popular than others. Every once in while one manufacturer seems to hit the nail on the head and make a saddle that a large portion of the pro ranks and recreational riders find very comfortable. Let’s take a look at a few of those saddles.

 The ubiquitous Brook B17

The first bicycle saddles were made out of leather just like a horse saddle. Most people today will recognize the Brooks brand as the most ubiquitous leather saddle ever made. Brooks’ fame is for good reason. They make a saddle designed for any rider from wide saddles with many springs (who needs a suspension seatpost?) to narrow minimalist racing saddles with titanium hardware. Perhaps the most well know is the B17 standard, having been around for over 100 years it is probably the oldest saddle design still in production. This is an all round saddle that is best suited to a position which places the handlebars at or above seat height. It is designed for a slightly more rotated back pelvic position than that of a road racing bicycle. As such, it makes and excellent mountain bike, touring and commuting saddle and is enjoyed by many. It is worth mentioning that there were many other great leather saddle brands such as Wrights of England, and Ideale of France.

The Cinelli Unicanitor

The most popular racing saddle from brooks has to be the professional. The professional, or team pro, was amoung the most popular saddles in the pro peloton during the leather saddle era, which ended in the 1970s with the introduction of the plastic saddle. One of the first and most popular plastic road saddles was the Unica saddle, later renamed the unicanitor and co-branded with Cinelli (Italian manufacture of fine racing handlebars and stems). This new plastic saddle just seemed to work for many racers and it didn’t need as much break in time as the leather saddles, plus they were much lighter weight.

From left The San Marco Rolls, Concor and Regal

The 1980s saw the introduction of many new brands and styles of plastic (usually leather covered) racing saddles. Some of the most popular included the Turbo by Selle Italia and three models (Concor and later Rolls and Regal) by Selle San Marco. Through the 1990s one of the most popular racing saddles was another Selle Italia design, the Flite. I am not sure how much research went into anatomical design on these saddles but I am going to guess that it is very little. I think they just happened to do a bit of testing and luck out. I should also give a mention to the Avocet Touring series saddle which was very popular for touring and sport touring.

The Selle Italia Turbo reissue

Today there is a newcomer to the family of all time classic saddles (many of which have returned to production including the Regal, Rolls, Turbo and Concor) and that is the Arione by Fi’zi:k. Although Fi’zi:k manufactures several models, and most are quite popular, the Arione is the standard. The Arione is my personal go to saddle. I have tried many different saddles on my racing bikes, but every time I get back on an Arione I am reminded why it remains my mount of choice. Please post your personal favourite for others to consider. Remember that saddles are very personal and the best way to find the best for you is to put lots of miles on lots of saddles.

The Fi'zi:k Arione

-VBN

Wool Knickers

It is my impression that the largest fraction of utility cyclists in Victoria are home to work commuters. Then there are the cyclists who use their bike to run errands, go to friends’ houses, the market, your local apiary and the liquor store for some Driftwood Brewery products. Many are car free or just healthy, conscious people.

For commuters, dressing up in full waterproof breathable gear twice a day for, especially if it is upwards of 10 km, is totally worthwhile and even necessary. However, for the urban cyclist this can be a huge hassle. Who wants to throw on all that gear to go to the store to get Tzatziki for the falafel dinner they are hosting? Not many people. Perhaps your commute is only 3 km and getting into full kit seems ridiculous and you don’t want to spend $100 on a pair of rain pants. For me the answer is wool. Wool is still warm when wet, breathable, can look “normal” and even casual to those cycle obsessed ranks growing in North American cities. 

But wool knickers from companies like Swobo are expensive you say? Well maybe, but they’re way cooler than Gore-Tex rain pants! If you’re not into shelling out the cash, or you just don’t have it, then here is my solution; converted wool dress pants. You’ll need some basic sewing skills and a machine or a friend who has one (who doesn’t know someone with a sewing machine these days? Sewing is bad ass!). 

This is my third pair. The conversion may be a little crude but it works. The first step is to find a pair at a second hand store that fits you. I usually opt for a slightly tighter fit and let the waist out so they are a little more fitted. I like the look of non-pleated pants, but pleats can be good for additional mobility of the garment on the bike. The next step is to cut them off at your desired length and hem them up. Previously this was as far as I went. On my most recent pair I experimented. The outside of the leg was opened along the seam a few inches and I installed a snap button to make a nice tight fit below the knee. This keeps my knees warmer in the cool Pacific Northwest winters. The buttons can be purchased at most fabric stores for a few dollars and come with the necessary installation tools. I also used the left over material from one leg to install a reinforcing layer in the seat, this should help them last longer, as my first pair were retired due to tares in the butt after they became threadbare and weak.

I find these warm enough for short trips in the city, going to stores, the coffee shop and work. They dry fast and are more than warm enough for temperatures down to about 1 or 2 degrees Celsius. I’ll even wear them or longer casual excursion into the countryside. Excuse the poor self portraits to show fit and thanks to Mom for the sewing help!

Choosing a Touring Bicycle

The first step in choosing a touring bike that is best for you is determining what kind of touring you want to do. A simple definition of the various types of cycle touring is difficult as there are varying degrees of each type. However, as I see it, the 3 main types can be broadly thought of as Randonneuring, Creditcard touring, and loaded touring or expedition type touring.

Randonneuring has its roots in long distance racing over relatively short periods of time. Races such as Paris-Brest-Paris are amoung the oldest cycle races in the world. Today there are many recreational randonneurs and it is not a sport which one can make a career of. Randonneuring events are defined by their distance, such as 200kms (ranging up to 1200kms) and participants choose when and where to sleep (if at all). Randonneurs usually carry a bar bag, saddle bag or both. The bicycles have slightly more relaxed geometries than a road bikes. They are typically characterized by having a little more trail and longer chainstays (both of these contributing to a longer wheelbase). Randonneur bikes utilize all different styles of brakes and gear ranges depending on an individuals preferred style and level of fitness.

Rivendell Rambouillet courtesy of roadbikereview.com

Creditcard touring may involve long distances and can last days to months. Usually the rider carries panniers with extra clothing and gear. These tourists typically stay in hotels or hostels and buy their food along the route. The type of bicycles used varies greatly, but they should be able to handle well with a small to medium load and accept a medium width road tire (say 32mm) with fenders. The ideal bike may be similar to a randonneur or a "European style" city/trekking bike.   

German Brand Kettler makes a very practical fully equipped city bike, the like of which are rarely seen in North America

Loaded/Expedition touring is characterized by more equipment. Expedition tourists carry food, and camping gear. They must be equipped to be on the road for several days without stopping for food and they have all the equipment necesary to cook and sleep. A loaded touring bike has a long wheelbase and accepts front and rear racks. Prior to the mid-late 1990s touring bikes often could not accept a tire any larger than 32mm with fenders making them less than ideal for expedition touring in which you may be travelling off pavement. This is largely because touring was popularized in Europe where the road network is very dense. The better option for expedition touring was a mountain bike that could accept large knobby tires, fenders and had a very strong frame able to stand up to the abuse of uneven terrain. As such many mountain bikes produced in the 1980s and early 1990s came with all the necessary braze-ons for racks and fenders. Today there are many acceptable expedition touring bikes available such as the Surly Long Haul Trucker, Soma Saga, The Cannondale T-series and the Koga-Miyata World Traveller to name but a few.

Soma Saga with custom speced components equipped for trekking

Today, the old argument over which frame material is best is essentially moot. Components like shifters, wheels and tires are far more likely to fail than an aluminum or steel frame so your bicycle should be chosen based on the specification of the components and the frame features and, most importantly, fit.

Many people wishing to purchase a touring bike want it to be multipurpose. I often hear someone say they want a bike to commute on and do the occasional tour. If you want a touring bike that is multipurpose the first step is to be honest with yourself and decide how much time will be spent commuting on it with light weight, riding recreationally with no weight and touring. If, for example, you spend 90 percent of your time commuting and 10 percent touring, and you want a bike that is efficient and quick, an expedition style touring bike may not be for you. If you commute with lots of weight and do not require the bike to be fast then an expedition style bike may be a good choice and a repurposed steel mountain bike may be just as good a choice if not better. Today there are also many hybrid bikes that make excellent touring bikes, but carful attention must be paid to gearing and wheels.

For the occasional light tour, some recreational riding, picnic day rides and commuting a sport touring bike may be for you. For many years the sport touring bike was one of the most popular bikes in North America. By the 1990s as mountain bikes became popular this all purpose road bike all but disappeared. Today however it is making a come back. The sport touring bike is perfect for someone who wants a quick agile commuter and can load up for the occasional weekend camping trip or even a short one week tour. This bike is very similar to the randonneur though there all small nuances that make the two different. Most bike shops will not have a proper sport touring bike today but they will become more numerous as North Americans adopt cycling as a viable means of transportation in the coming decade. Look for models from large manufacturers such as the new Raleigh and Masi bicycles in Canada. However, many smaller companies like Soma and Surly or smaller yet custom handbuilt bicycle makers sell sport touring models as well.