The Continuing Story of Radar Love

So I got this wicked awesome post card from an old friend acquaintance and I wanted to share it with you.

Dear Jason:

I haven't seen you around in so long I figure you finally gave up on you last job and took on another gig so, good for YOU! Are you still writing that stupid blog? What's it called? Like... "everybody's wrong" or something like that? Anyway I hope you finally gave up on that toilet baby... what a train wreck! Anywhore, since you stopped checking in on us shit has just gotten worse, just check out the pictures I emailed you... 

I mean, the gang's all here but we have seen some better days, that's for sure!
-Don't tell Huffy this, but I am not sure this relationship thing is going to work out. I just feel like I am being suffocated! Also, I am not sure who that new ass hat on the end of the rack thinks he is, but if he keeps locking his rear wheel to the frame and nothing else, he's going to get pinched.

Well, this is getting to be a lot of text for the sake of the post card joke so maybe I should let you get back to your "readers" or whatever. 

-Raleigh 

Awe... what a sweet guy.

 He's right about the lock thing though. That TREK is begging to be stolen.

And if my math holds up, that Raleigh has been "locked" to that rack by its front wheel only, for a solid 16 months where it remains to this day.

Someone PLEASE go put him out of his misery. 

The Huffy has already keeled over as you can see so it's really lights out for her as well. That wheel... that sad, lonely wheel... 

Someone make it stop.

  

Derailleur Cables and Why You Break Them

Recently it seems that bike crap is happening at lightning speed. I heard that bikes have disc brakes even shift electronically now.

Maybe I come from a simpler time, but I seem to remember when cables were all we had and damn it, that was good enough for us! Now they are using the Wi-Fi or whatever and it's folks like me who are becoming a rarity. That is, the mechanical stuff is still around and someone has got to know what the hell they are doing when it comes to fixing it! So rare I may be, but contrary to what the internet would have you believe, I am still very relevant. 

Making a cable actuated system "sing" is a thing of beauty and from a simplicity stand point, is field serviceable. Done correctly, it requires very little care or maintenance but perhaps once a year.

One of the most basic things that can be done on even the most expensive bicycles is changing cables once a year yet, a large majority of riders I encounter have difficulty with this simple ideal because to them it is not broken so "why fix it?"

If you have ever had a rear derailleur cable snap off inside a Shimano shifter then you have likely heard this story before. If you have not well then you are one of the lucky ones. Take notes, as the story begins like this:

A grasshopper walks up to the bar and the bartender says "you know they have a drink named after you?" To which the grasshopper replies "they have a drink named Irving?"

A Fred walks into the shop with his Fred Sled and says

"It won't shift."

I see.

Well, there's your problem. When was the last time it was in for service?  

"oh, it couldn't be more that 5 years."

Holy fuck! MORE?! It shouldn't be NEAR 5 years! 

-This is the point at which I take out my chain checker and it drops straight through the chain (which means his cassette is toast as well).

 -Now it is a very different conversation, but I digress...

 This particular Fred was lucky. I mean, he still paid for it in the end because his really expensive bike was really worn out but at least that cable head did not bust off in his shifter. That would be a more serious problem because Shimano shifters are not "serviceable," which means they cannot (or at minimum SHOULD NOT) be disassembled. 

Shimano shifters, while excellent at their jobs, are not infallible. Indeed, the industry is well aware of this particular issue and, since the earliest 7 speed STI shifters, has worked to rectify it. While they still have not yet fixed the issue entirely, they have certainly made the shifter more "approachable," that is to say that in the newer shifters, it is much easier to remove a broken cable head should you need to. 

So there's that.

The trick is catching it before it fails.

If this is happening inside you shifter you will feel it. The cable splintering like that creates massive drag and what amazes me is that people will continue to ride it like that! Sure, they might not know that it looks like that inside there, but damn it, if all of the sudden your shifting performance drops off dramatically, it's a pretty good sign that something is up. Why a rider would continue to put up with poor shifting is beyond me. But hell, when I see other, obvious cable failures, it baffles me in the same way.  

"yeah, it just stopped shifting"

I keep broken cable heads to show customers, I educate them endlessly about regular service intervals, I hold their hand through life's most difficult choices;

"What's the best tire size?"

"What pressure should I be running?"

"What would YOU choose?"

...still, they fail to listen.

As I live and breath, I shit you not;
While I was typing this very post another one came in the door...

 
 Any technician worth a piss will look this customer right in the eye and lay it out pretty bluntly:

 "This could get costly"

So first, we have to explain why this happens
 

 A) Because the cable head is being rotated on a small barrel back-and-forth and fatigue sets in, splintering a couple of the wires, they "unwind" inside the mechanism until they all break. That is where the drag comes from.

oh, and
B) Because you touch yourself at night.

Really though, even Shimano knows it was a bad design  
design flaw and has since "fixed" it with "improved cable routing"
 through the body of the shifter. Now, I call bull shit for two reasons here which are;

One) The original design had very low drag which made Shimano ten speed
(and even 9 speed) models like, Ultegra and Dura Ace shift with little effort yet still offered a crisp feel at the lever. The ONLY problem was the cable breakage. Again, a problem which can still be avoided on those older shifters by simply replacing a $3 cable.

Two) The "improved" routing may have fixed (about 90% of) the breakage issue, but added about 60% more friction (100% if it is a stupid internally routed frame) to the shift mechanism. What then? They introduce a $25 (TWENTY FIVE DOLLAR) shift cable to "reduce" drag.

They fixed nothing. 

 

...and that is why they want to sell you Di2
 

"Let's Put This Thing to Bed:" songs by Issac Hayes

Yes it has been a while since the last update but rest assured the stupidity continues to run rampant within the cycling community.

You remember this, right?

As it turns out, installing an adapter-style rear derailleur is rocket surgery and someone in this town is clearly NOT a rocket surgeon, or at the very least... a really shitty one.

(well, I can make a rocket "work...")

Now, while I can assume that this came from [Name Redacted Bike Shop] I cannot be sure. That said, it certainly looks like some shit that they would do. While I can make assumptions all day about where it came from or complain at length at the fact that there are assholes in this town taking peoples money for shoddy workmanship I suppose I should, in the interest of educating rather than lambasting, explain once and for all EXACTLY how this thing is supposed to go. Seeing as I have already done this twice before, I expect that it will once again go over like a led zeppelin but regardless, this issue needs to be addressed so pay attention.

First, why is this one above incorrect?

Glad you asked. (First, scroll up and look again) 

From a technician's standpoint it is obvious that a part is out of place and another part has been added to take up space; a job I might add, it did terribly as it is clear that the hanger has been bent during installation. Upon further investigation I find myself asking "why did you bother with that fastener and spacer anyway? I mean, if you just removed them both wouldn't the hanger at least sit flush to the frame? ...and would it not be just as "hard as fuck" to align the derailleur, the frame, and the axle... all at the same time?

...dumb ass?"

When I began this post, this was a point that I easily missed to be honest. Given the sort of jackassery I was looking at, my feeble mind could not begin to comprehend how to incorrectly correct the mistake that was made by someone doing it incorrectly (read: you're doing it WRONG).

Anyway, I am only here to help so with that in mind...

You have these three parts. They only go together one way*. The big one is called a rear derailleur and the big claw looking thingy on the end of it is, for lack of a better term, the derailleur hanger (there is a difference in both vintage and modern types, but that amount of technical speak can only be covered in my forthcoming novel entitled "What's the Difference? - Derailleur Hangers and YOU."

*important shit

Then you have the other two parts; they go together like peas and carrots. So much so that when combined with the third part, they make sweet, sweet, music together. (Seriously, click that link, then read on at the same time, this might get a little sexy)

Bringing up the rear in this Menage a Trois is this female threaded piece which has a rounded end that fits so perfectly in this dropout, you could only describe metaphorically using two spoons.

You cannot unsee this... I have tried

The filling in this Double Stuff Oreo is the hanger, not only does it hold the damn derailleur on the bike but aligned properly, serves as a guide for the insertion of the wheel's axle. If it's crooked, it just won't go in. 

A)....*important shit, and 

B) That's what she said!

The money shot.

This one steps in and WHAM! This literally... {innuendo redacted} and makes the whole thing happy. Seriously, you put that bolt into that nut and these steps can save you time and resources (considering this build had ALL of the required items but was STILL somehow, fucked up) and not to mention a headache.

With it securely in place...

It goes like this 

Every time. 

...Even if some ass hat drilled a hole in your frame. 

...and Isaac Hayes is still singing, isn't he? 

lol...

JK

...but seriously
 

On the Defensive

It is at this point in the game that I am beginning to see the ill-effects of the industry's constant attempts to sell you more shit. It seems as though every bike shop in America has become nothing more than a store front for Bicycling magazine.

The Golf Digest of cycling

This unfortunately, is EXACTLY what every customer who walks into a bike shop sees and it is slowly but surely alienating every single one of them. Given my background dealing in high-end bicycles I can tell you this; catering to the social elite and their constant need to consume what the industry tells them is rapidly pushing out anyone who does not want the same for themselves.

Because your inventory consists of bicycles that start at an average of $1,000 and up, customers find themselves shopping by price rather than getting what they actually want.*

When your customer has to state aloud that "I'm not a racer or anything..." it is clear that they already feel like they do not belong.

I hear this all the time and I get it, but I really don't want to hear it. I know that you "aren't an avid cyclist" it is clear by your tremendous gut and dust-covered bicycle that you don't often ride and your labored breathing from the walk in from the car tells me that you are "just getting back into it..." I am aware of these things yet I am still met with the awkward exchanges as I have to explain that even the cheapest tires are $20 because this isn't 1975, which happens to be the last time they were on a bike. 

"Whoa..."

"I just need a tire man, I'm not a Racer or anything."

-I know, that's why I am selling you a 20 dollar tire. I am only trying to help you, I promise.

*In my experience, the customers around here are split into two groups;

One wants an affordable, practical bicycle that offers an upright position and a comfortable seat and if they can get it in a certain color, they will buy it every time. 
 

Probably the Best selling bike in the shop right now.
 
The other group wants exactly what they see in Bicycling or under their favorite Pro Tour rider. They don't care what it costs and if the color is the same as the "Team" edition, then that's all the better.

There is a problem with both of these groups however, as even the most moderately priced bicycle with all the features one may desire may still be out of their budget. They turn to internet retailers and often end up with a shitty, overpriced, and heavy bicycle that is half the price but almost litterally, half the bike. 

 They deserve better.

The other group, however has "fuck you" money and is not afraid to use it.

He, unfortunately thinks he knows what he wants because he was "reading on the internet" but still needs me to tell him. 

...He won't listen. Ever.

In what may be the single most classic case of Fredom, this example spells out perfectly what happens when you let them make choices for themselves.

 

  This Fred Sled is wrong on so many levels starting with the fact that the $3,500 custom frame (1) with a top of the line drivetrain (2) was is too big for the rider which is why the saddle is so low (3). That on its own is not that big a deal as a larger frame helps even out the relationship of the bars and saddle however, his saddle being "slammed" forward on the rails to get a shorter "reach"

 

in addition to his ridiculous cockpit setup (4,5,6) leads me to believe that he has the "fuck you" money of group the second group, but wants an upright position like those in the first group. There are a host of problems that arise when a road bike is set up in this way but a simple back of the envelope calculation would suggest that his group should be riding one of these

at less than a quarter of the price and subsequently eliminate most of those issues.
 

...and therein lies the heart of the matter. None of you are racers nor should you try to be by. When you tell me that you want "X,Y, and Z" but then go and buy the A, B, and C because the industry told you to or because your friends will make fun of you, the bike will be wrong for you and you can't say I didn't warn you. As an industry, we have to do more keep this from happening but as long as shops continue to go high-end, they will continue to grow further from their customers and sell you what they have and not what you need all you have to do is let go of the idea of what you think you want and let me help you.

Remember, Hybrids need riders too and you likely need one.
After all, you're not a racer, remember?

#killtheDenali

Breaking News (if you like news from a week ago)

In John Oliver fashion, I am delivering news to you that is more than a few days old. News which is really only relevant to those within earshot of my voice or say, my BookFACE page but sadly after what looked like a hopeful future for the event the organizers of Bike the Bend have decided to cancel it. 

  

The story goes something like this: The Lady Organizer decided not to pay a portion of the money owed to the police department for their overtime after what she basically described as laziness on their part at last year's event. [Read the whole story here] 

Then they were encouraged by the local FOP to give up the overtime pay they would have received to work at the event and were asked not to support it to send a message to said Organizer. The message was clear enough, as I eluded to in a previous post yet volunteers stepped up in a big way to make up for the lack of Police participation. 

So the event went well, I thought, no one got hurt and I got to take my wife around the city on her first 30 mile ride! 

Then they cancel it. My first response was one more genuine curiosity than it was bewilderment. 

"Really?" 

I understand both sides to be honest but I would have to say I side with the Police on this issue as they were promised a level of pay which the other party did not deliver. The "over worked" argument is bullshit if you ask me and likely a thinly veiled attempt at making a stand without coming right out and saying "Hey Lady, you screwed us, so screw you." 

That aside, its just bad business and bad Karma. So she's getting the proper level of disrespect here is all I am saying but I still cannot wrap my brain around how easy it was for them to just give up on something that is good for our community. It doesn't cost the city a dime, not one, and it promotes the city itself by taking you to and even through some of the best places it has to offer. 

 Four Winds Field - Home of the South Bend Cubs

What's more is that the Mayor of South Bend really just sat back and let the Chief of Police (both are cyclists I might add) hammer it out on his own rather than taking an active role in helping both parties put aside their differences. That is the saddest part to me; the Mayor has done great things to improve the attitude and overall life style of his city and has done so with very little resources. For an event like this to simply be discarded because of bad blood is disheartening. It says to all of those who fight for bicycle advocacy; "if you don't get your way, give up." What does that say to the kids that love this event because it is the one day a year that they get to ride bikes with their family in a safe atmosphere? 

"Tough shit kid. Suck it up!"

They'd have had a year to figure this out but instead they simply said "fuck it." I just cannot get over that.

For now, I just hope that someone is working feverishly to restore the event in one way or another so we don't lose this opportunity to come together and play bikes.    

From the Frame, Up

So Bike the Bend was great. Everyone had a great time and only some pride was hurt as a few riders found themselves Walking the Bend on the uphills. The Police presence was more than expected but still not what was needed. Volunteers stepped in to help. This meant that you had individuals, families, and even older kids themselves, giving up their time to help out at intersections and make sure everyone got safely across. Over all it was a good time and everyone is grateful that so many people helped. On the same note: I had happened to pick up my own Fly 6 tail light/camera the day before so I took it for a test ride on the 30 mile route. 

More of that to come in a later post where I hope to review the product thoroughly, but that will have to wait because this is more important.

Yuck :P

Trust me when I say; If your bicycle is growing hair, you are doing it wrong.

 Seriously, whatever you are doing, STOP doing that, and do the opposite.

Remember this guy?

 

 The only difference here is that the TREK in the top picture is aluminum and cleaned up very nicely all things considered but the Jamis...

Nah, it's done for. Steel IS real and it will rust in a heart beat if it sits on a damn trainer under some sweaty ass dude with a high pH. That stuff wreaks havoc on your small parts and stops moving parts dead in their tracks. 

That derailleur is stuck in the "Big Ring" because he drinks high fructose corn syrup and pours buckets of sweat down his seat tube. 

If you want to own a steel bike then it starts at the frame and how you treat it.

As I would with any of my steel bikes, I immediately applied frame saver to this frame in order to protect it from corrosion. This Velo Orange Polyvalent frame is taking the place of my beloved commuting bike as it will allow me a better wheel size and even more carrying than I currently enjoy.

 That means it will be subjected to inclement weather, potholes and the like, on a daily basis and it likely won't get cleaned much. It will however, get lubed when needed in between major service intervals every two years. 

So where did I get this lovely Bicycle? I am glad you asked ;)

Our shop recently became a Velo Orange dealer which made me happy as a clam because now I could afford to replace my frame! So I chose the Polyvalent because of its low-trail design and 650b wheel size.

With 50mm fenders, I am able to fit a 42b tire which ends up being wider than I had on my Hard Rock! 

The wider tire inspired me to go wider on the rim and I am glad I did. At 45 psi, the bike is plush and stable due in part to these Velocity Cliff Hanger 650b rims.

Velocity really hit a Home Run with these rims. They built up extremely well and have a tight bead hook which is great for keeping the tire on at low pressure. 

The front wheel I built uses a generic alloy high flange hub and the rear is a Deore with a feehub body. The tires are by Compass.

For the most part, I built this bike with things I had laying around. Mostly to get it on the road but also because another bike was not really in my budget. I had some help from a friend who is in to the same style riding, so he had some parts to lend in the mean time and honestly, this all started because I had a set of PAUL cantilever brakes that I got for free from a good friend and thought 

"Now I need a bike to put them on!" 

I used a VO 1" threaded headset and basic Shimano bottom bracket because I had a Deore triple crank set laying in a bin. The derailleurs could have gone any way. Originally, I wanted to transfer my Campagnolo 9 speed stuff from my Hard Rock yet a friend tried to convince me that this bike was "screaming for down tube shifters." I wasn't having that so I compromised when he offered up his SunTour bar cons. That basically allowed me to spec it with what ever I had laying around and believe it or not, the Shimano 600 front derailleur (has a unique up-sweep when it pulls) shifts dead-on through all three chain rings.

For the rear I used a NOS Shimano 200GS (of which there is surprisingly little info) that was itching to be used on a wide range triple.

Sprinkle in an assortment of sundries such as a Brooks B17 Imperial (with titanium flask holder), a Nitto front rack with a Velo Orange Champagne Bag, 50mm Hammered Snakeskin fenders, my favorite bell, and my front and rear lights and you have got yourself a bike.

It will likely go through many changes like any good bike does so I may keep you posted but for now, at least I can ride it. 

...and the ride is awesome.

Bike the Bend or Die Trying

Bike the bend is tomorrow and let me tell you, motorists are PISSED!

For those of you who do not know what "the Bend" is, it looks like this...

And you bike it like so;

A family bike ride that celebrates the use of the bike and shared use paths that our cities have built, and for one day pretends that anyone gives a shit about cyclists.

The Motorists are still having none of it. Seriously, I am going to spare you the details because the end of the story is better than this part, but you know me as an honest guy, right?

So you are just going to trust me here as I have none of this documented except the links you click. Regardless, this is me talking. ;)

Bike the bend is kinda cool. You and your friends, and yes...whole family, can ride about 30 miles on streets unencumbered with the help of local law enforcement keeping cars at bay from 6:30 am to 11:30 am on a Sunday morning. Problem is, Only four cops signed up to do the event, and some people are a little concerned. 

As they should be.

On a post that has since been deleted, a local news affiliate reported via the Book Face, the same thing I just told you and the very first damn comment was some jerk who spouted off some anti-cycle speak which I can paraphrase thusly...

"well, ya shouldn't be on the God damned roads to begin with! You don't even pay wheel tax..."

Well first of all, you kinda sound like this Bitch

Two; 

I pay wheel tax on three cars ass hat, how many fucking times do I have to say it?

I wish I could say that it ended at that but sadly it did not.  See, cyclists are not fond of being called out for simply riding bicycles and are no more happy when you tell them to "get on the fucking sidewalk." At which time the motorist made sure we knew that he would be using those "blocked" roads that were sans Officer to get where he was going and that we "better watch out."

I kid you not that one person (anti-bike) actually threatened physical violence upon another (pro-bike) to the point that several people began wondering if their safety was in jeopardy.

Truly unacceptable to say the least, but the whole thing can be summed up like this: for a couple hours on a Sunday, they close some of the roads so people can explore the city by bicycle.

The money raised helps build more infrastructure but it also pays almost $10,000 dollars to local Police officers for the event yet no one wants to do it. Now they argue that they are overworked, etc... what with the South Bend 150 festivities and all but are you really saying to me that you do not want more double time hours directing traffic for bicyclists for 5 damn hours? Shit, you could still be home in time to drink beer and watch the NASCAR race!

Where do I sign?!

 

This event in itself is meant to bring awareness but all this advocacy means NOTHING if I still get yelled at on the road. Secondly, it gives me little hope for what type of awareness we are creating here if this ride is the kick off of "Bike to Work Week," and before we put foot to pedal we are already being threatened by drivers. You have heard me tell stories about "BLOWING" red lights, but you will be happy to know that I now follow ALL rules and regulations relating to myself as being considered "traffic" when I ride in the road. Not only for my own safety but to further bring awareness that cyclists need to follow the rules of the road (as much as it kills me to say that). That means that by law, I am to use the roadway like a car when on a bike.

Unfortunately, one of the dick turds that did not get the memo ran up on me during my commute home last night and it did not go so well.

 Let me paint for you a picture;

(literally Microsoft Paint ;)

You have me, riding at about 25 mph and then sitting up to coast towards the red light at the intersection. Using the whole lane to come to a stop like traffic would (as I have begun doing since this has been happening more and more) it was then that a fuck stick in a KIA Soul thought it wise to cross the center line to go around me to which I responded, "Fuck You" and went back around him just as stopped traffic began to move.

Not one to be deterred, he waited until we were back up to speed before passing me again, this time from the left hand turn lane whilst screaming "find a fucking bike lane ASS HOLE!"

This was the first and so far only time that I have actually threatened a motorist with physical violence. Not only did this jerk off put me in danger but he committed a moving violation to do it at a relatively high speed putting everyone around us, who wasn't aware of what was unfolding, at risk as well.

Without thinking I sat up with both middle fingers flying and "asked" him to "get out of the fucking car mother fucker" (or something like that) and I meant it. Not only is there NOT a bike lane any where near my route;

 (remember?)

but really, ass face?! You want to go there with ME? REALLY?!!!

  

Well, needless to say I was a bit more than furious and while I have had the evening to simmer down a bit, I still wish I could have pulled him out of that shit box and broke my foot off in his ass. 

Rest assured that I will be looking for that same KIA Soul on my commute yet this morning and the week to follow because nothing make a person want to "Bike to Work" more than revenge.