108 Links, Half Inch of Stretch (Full Link)

New chain and old chain match up for while, more or less

On the left is a new SRAM chain for my Traitor Ruben, on the right is the original SRAM chain after (?) 3,000 miles (I guess). Turns out the original chain is the 1030model, which is the least expensive 10 speed chain they have (and stretches the fastest, it seems). Since my "good" road bike has a Shimano CN-6600 10 speed chain that hasn't stretched yet, after more like 5,000 miles, I was quite surprised to realize (a) that this was a cheap chain, and (b) that it has stretched a lot.


Over the full length of the chain, full link worth of stretch

The chain has 108 links (one half inch per link, when installed - total of 54 inches) plus a "power link" to hook the ends together. After however many miles I have gone, the chain is now one full link (one half inch) longer overall. Should have replaced it a while ago! To slow down this problem, I bought a better grade of SRAM ten speed chain to replace it.

It isn't the chain plates that stretch, of course, but the pins inside that bend. I don't think this caused the cogs or rings significant damage. Hmm . . .

Small Things Can Be Problems

Troublesome underseat toolbag

Over time it becomes clear that even small purchases of items that should be straightforward can be problematic. There are various choices for underseat toolbags, but they are all basically the same idea - carry an extra tube, a multitool, perhaps a flat kit as well and I also have a couple of my favorite Allen wrenches.

While the bag shown above looks fine, after I used a wrench in it last, in closing it the zipper came off. Once I open it again (it is presently stuck closed) that's the end of that. A previous bag with an Allen wrench got a hole where apparently the wrench constantly rubbed - I found the wrench attempting to escape before it got away, fortunately. Buying toolbags is getting habit forming!

A possible solution I suppose is to buy a leather Brooks Saddles Challenge Tool Bag for ~$90 or so. No, that isn't going to happen. Hmm. . .

Detour Closed; Bike Trail Restored

The newly restored bike trail, from the new approach to the Humpback bridge


Detour is closed, new routing (much like the old) is restored with new asphalt

The new asphalt already continues across the new bike portion of the Humpback bridge.

I didn't take anyone's photo, but an amazing number of people ignored the open trail in front of them and slowed to turn up the detour and couldn't figure out that all they had to do was . . . continue up the open trail in front of them. Habit forms quickly, I guess.

Riding 1982 Bridgestone Sirius

Completed Bridgestone Sirius bike in Madison building garage (where I work)

I bought the frame, fork and bottom bracket on eBay for a 1982 Bridgestone Sirius road bike. It is a lugged steel frame, size 56 cm. The frame was like 85 dollars plus shipping. The paint is in better shape than the seller's photo showed it on eBay.


Nitto Olympiade handlebars, purchased on eBay

I was not going to try to create a "PC" (period correct) 1982 bicycle - I wanted to see if I could buy and assemble a pleasing ride with components from various years for around $500 or so. (The joke was that for $500 I would put together a bike that I could easily sell for $350.)

Still, some things I did more or less PC - since the bike requires a quill stem for the threaded headset, I got Nitto Olympiade handlebars that are similar to what the bike came with (it had Nitto Universiade bars - close enough). I found someone selling these handlebars along with an SR stem (same period) at a good price (around 25 dollars for both) and stopped looking for the Nitto Technomic A stem the thing came with.


View from the rear - "flamboyant red" paint (per catalog)

I got a Shimano 1055 series 105 group, although it didn't include the cogs (in back). So the brakes, brake levers, the stem shift levers, front and back derailleurs, and cranks and rings are all Shimano 105 from 1990 give or take. Intended to work with seven cog cassette. (The bike came with a six cog freewheel and most of what is now Shimano was originally SunTour.) The cog and ring tooth numbers are completely different than what this had originally -

Before - front, 52 x 42 teeth; now 53 x 39 teeth
Before - back, 14, 16, 18, 21, 24, 28 teeth; now 11, 13, 15, 18, 21, 24, 28 teeth
So nominally this makes it faster. Also, it came with 25 mm tires and these are 23, but now of course people are all over the place as to whether narrower tires are faster or not.


Seven cogs should be enough

Some things I bought new. The Shimano HG-70 cassette (with seven cogs) I bought new. The bike was sold originally with six cogs and apparently the "standard" was to have a space for the rear wheel 126 mm wide - when the increase was made to eight cogs (and now up to 11) the typical (or "standard") width was increased to 130 mm. So I had to buy a 4 mm spacer so that the set of seven cogs don't have too long (big) a cassette space to occupy (and slide back and forth - not good!). I decided not to try to find a 126 mm wide wheel so I simply spread the 126 mm wide opening of the rear stays to force in the 130 mm wide wheel with cassette. Four mm is not a problem for this "brute force" approach, it seems. Or so people advise on the Internet. So far so good.

I also bought a new aluminum seatpost and a (relatively) cheap new seat (but in red to match the paint!). I mismeasured, thought the opening was a standard 27.2 mm and bought a seatpost that didn't fit. Had to buy a 27.0 mm diameter seatpost - it fits. Not terribly attractive, but the choices in this size were few. In fact, I was a little concerned until I did find one that there was no such thing and that for lack of a seatpost the bike was going to be unfinished.

I got a new SRAM 870 chain. This is a chain intended for use with either 7, 8 or 9cogs (which are all the same width, it seems). Compared to a ten speed chain, it looks incredibly wide, which is sort of funny (to me).


Italian cut head lug (according to the 1982 catalog)

The frame is ChroMo tubing with Tange steel lugs. The headset is also from Tange.

The shift levers look more "old school" than they really are - the right one is actually "variable" - you can choose between indexed shifting or friction shifting. I have been using the indexed shifting option and it works well. The left one is friction shifting for the front derailleur.

I found brake and shift lever Shimano cable "kits" rather than buying lots of cable and housing and cutting to length. This worked fine, which surprised me for some reason. Some Jagwire replacement cables are pretty expensive but these were less then eight dollars each.

The wheels are new - Shimano R500 wheels that I found on sale (Presidents Day holiday) for $150 with free shipping. The wheels are the single most expensive purchase made for this - much more (relatively speaking) than the frame.

Oddly the original brake caliper slots for the brake pads were longer, the brake pads with these newer 105 brake calipers just barely make it onto the wheel rims properly; I will probably file out the slot holes so that they can be moved a little to do a better job of gripping the rims. This I suppose is the problem with choosing parts from different eras in bike production practices.


The Shimano 105 rings and cranks (pedal arms)

One change for me is that my other bikes have 172.5 mm long crank arms - these are slightly shorter at 170.0 mm. 170 is more typical of a (slightly) smaller bike. I don't have particularly long legs, so perhaps this is good?


Bridgestone company nameplate on headtube

Summary - the assembly of the parts (in effect, attaching to the frame in various ways) was not particularly difficult - the complex part was figuring out which parts from which periods would work together and also trying to order only parts that would fit with whatever had been purchased already. Not sure why, but it was quite enjoyable and best of all, the bike is fun to ride and looks lovely (says I). Getting used to the different shifters is a challenge but that's OK.

Four Mile Run Floods Bike Path

Taken with new phone's camera - slightly better than previous phone camera

Four Mile Run went up over the bike trail due to heavy rain, leaving debris on trail. I stopped and pushed the worst of it off the trail - although not so clear I did anything in this photo! I was "sweeping" with a board that had floated onto the trail, so not very neat. Still, I got the big bits and pieces off the bike path.

Since this is right around a curve, someone could have a problem if they came around the corner at a moderate speed into this the way it was.

Riding in the Rain (with Umbrella)

Seen while walking the dog, Sunday morning

This fellow was slowly making his way on the sidewalk, umbrella in hand, early Sunday morning as I was walking the dog. I have seen this in photos of people riding in the Netherlands but a little unusual here. Presumably he was on his way to work and probably wishing he had a car. Some cycle riders I see pretty clearly would prefer that transportation option.

Poor quality of photo result of poor quality of camera in cheap phone, alas.


What the fellow needed, I suppose - patent application made in 1896

1896 Map of Washington "Bicycle Tours"

PDF of this newspaper page provides the best image quality and ability to zoom in. Given that this image is from microfilm of the original (that is, several times reformatted from the original paper item) the quality is pretty good. Not great, but good.

From the article below the map ~

There has never been a season when there was half as much travel on the flying wheel as there has been, is, and is going to continue to be this season.

and

Not a night passes but some gay party passes out for a run through the country. All routes are being tried and becoming better known, so that even the inexperienced, with the assistance of a map and a little information from a friend can make pleasant and health-giving trips into the open country.

The article goes on to provide descriptions of different possible excursions.



Above, somewhat more detailed view of the Northern Virginia part of the map; below, zooming in further



Already in 1896 bicycle rentals were available ~

Escape from the heat and air of the city for a few hours a day is possible to every person who cares to learn to ride and can get the small amount necessary to hire a wheel - it is of course better to own one, but no longer absolutely necessary.

Japanese Bicycles, 1896

A Japanese bike from 100 years later than the two articles below

Short article about Japanese bicycle industry in 1896, from the Morning Times of Washington DC, September 13, 1896

JAPANESE BICYCLES.
An American Says They Are Not Being Largely Exported.

D. H. Kenaga of Port Townsend, Wash., has received the following letter from a friend in Yokohama, related to the oft repeated Japanese bicycle rumor:

"I have visited the oldest bicycle factory in Japan, and had an interview with the proprietor. He gave me a printed price list of all the cycles he is now putting out. The retail prices varied from forty five to one hundred and ten Yen. He informed me that his factory is unable to supply the demand iu Japan at these rates. At wholesale he could not offer 10 per cent reduction. There is a factory in Tokio which I have not yet heard from, but owing to the large demand for wheels in this country a large number being imported from America and Europe, I believe that the Japanese are not now exporting, and never have exported cycles to America. The great danger on this side is not from the Japanese alone, but from foreigners who may establish factories for the purpose of flooding foreign markets. In a few years the country will be all opened to foreign enterprise. The Japs [sic] have the will and facilities to compete with foreigners, but they lack in enterprise, originality,
and organization. In due time these drawbacks may be corrected, but it will not be for years to come."

In 1897, the Yen was worth about fifty cents to the U.S. dollar according to a Wikipedia article. So these prices were (in theory) about half the U.S. range for bicycles at the time.

Thus it would seem that at this early period of industrial production in Japan there was a concern in the U.S. that inexpensive Japanese bicycles could or would flood the American market. (Presumably that potential flood is what is meant by "oft repeated Japanese bicycle rumor," above in bold.)

Short piece in the magazine "Cycling Life" for bicycle tradesmen, 1896

JAPANESE BICYCLES.

Yokohama, Japan, Oct. 9.—There are at present four bicycle workshops of note in Japan, two in Tokyo, one in Kyoto and one in this city. All were opened some three or four years since. Kajiuo's workshops in Yokohama and Sasaki's in Asabu, Tokyo, being the pioneers. One other big workshop is that of Morita, in Honjo, Tokyo. The output of each shop does not exceed 130 machines, 17 mechanics being employed in one, and only 10 in another. They are not adepts at the work. At present many different kinds of bicycles, are manufactured in the workshops of Tokyo and elsewhere, the price of the machines varying very much. A pneumatic tire machine of the first-class from the Morita factory costs $58.92, a second machine $49.10, but one of special make costs $73.05 The pneumatic tire being difficult to repair, is not in favor with Japanese riders, who prefer substance to fashion. They like the solid tired bicycle, which costs less to keep in repair The latter sell for a first-class machine at $51.50; second class, $46.64; third class, $39 GS and fourth class at $34.39. The high, thin tired machines, though much more in vogue formerly, are not now so popular. Their price is comparatively low, a first-class machine costing $31.15, a second-class one $27 and a third-class one $22. Both the Tokyo shops are patronized by the post office and one is under the patronage of the metropolitan police. Generally speaking, bicycle riding is not so popular in Tokyo as in Yokohama riders of that city being confined to employees of mercantile and banking corporations, head clerks of large shops and school teachers. In Tokyo the home-made machine and foreign makes are closely balanced in point of numbers. With the increase of riders the patronage accorded to Japanese machines is on the increase.

This author does not seem concerned about imports of Japanese bicycles to the U.S. but rather interested in trade heading the other direction. From time to time Cycling Life would report export figures of bicycles to different countries, including Japan, although by today's standards the figures would generally seem modest, Japan was generally in the top half.

Cycle Path in Qatar

What one usually thinks of when (rarely) thinking of cycling and Qatar - the Tour of Qatar race event

Web announcement (with mocked up photos) of a proposed 35 km bike path in Qatar to promote the health of the local over-wealthy, under-healthy population. Some of it seems unintentionally funny.

. . . problem is the fact that Qatar's climate is intensely hot and humid. The project group therefore came up with the idea of cooling the entire cycle path using cold ground water.

and

The American consultancy firm the Rand Corporation has been leading in advising the Emir on the realisation of his goal of getting Qatar's population to cycle.

Oh, the Rand Corporation, consulting on bike paths! That's . . . absurd, actually. But they are probably quite happy to take the money. And involving consultants like Rand gets you a proposal to make the thing 35 km long when a more reasonable start would be to see if anyone uses a cycle path that was 3 or 5 km long - but the longer the trail, the more it costs, and the more the consulting fees presumably are.

Another blog post refers to it as being "air conditioned" but in fact it just has a mister - like riding in the vegetable department of the grocery store. Sorta.

The Velomondiale announcement has a photo at the bottom of four "trendsetters" - cyclists in Qatar today - but these look like guest workers who can't afford other transport and not the target audience the Emir has in mind. Strange.

Video "Me and My Bike" (from Kenya)

Short article about the video that was produced as part of a contest to create one-minute advocacy videos in support of the environment. Besides being energetic, gives a good street-level view of that part of the world. (Uganda looks much the same - I have not been to Nairobi.)

The video apparently won the contest (http://www.1minutetosavetheworld.com/)

Cycling "Round the Clock" in the Netherlands

Found this on a blog I just saw for the first time, A View from the Cycle Path" about cycling in the Netherlands (by a non-Dutch long term resident).



18 million bikes for less then 17 million people. And on a typical work day, five million of them take more than 14 million bike trips.

Wow.

Church Leaders & Morality of the Wheel (Bicycle), 1896

Article from the Washington DC Morning Times, August 9, 1896.



The illustration with the article provides the idealized view of the situation - bicycle as means to get to church on Sunday

This full page article looked at "the moral, the physical, and the commercial effects" of the "craze." Firsthand opinions of church leaders were gathered and presented as evidence ~

The clergy men whose views on the moral side of wheeling are given below were selected at random, the only object in view being to secure opinions to secure expressions which would represent the various denominations.

Their opinions are practically in accord, and, as will be seen, form a strong verdict in favor of the bicycle for both men and women, Practically the only point of difference among them is the question of Sunday riding.


REV. GEORGE LUCCOCK, D.D., Metropolitan Presbyterian "As I ride a wheel myself, I naturally approve of the invention, of course it can be used to an immoral end, like everything else. It's greatest abuse, to my mind is using it as a means of desecration of the Sabbath, but this in not the fault of the wheel; it is due to the ungodliness of the riders."

In other words, this minister assumes riding bicycles as a Sunday activity is in competition with church attendance but otherwise fine. He doesn't mention the compensating possibility shown in the illustration of cyclists using their wheels to get to church.

REV. I. J. STAFFORD, of St. Patrick's "I have given the bicycle subject no thought. I, therefore, have nothing to say for the present."

Well, that's clear enough!

REV. THOMAS CHALMERS EASTON, Eastern Presbyterian. "So far as the immodesty of dress is concerned, I believe every gentleman will admit with me that the decollete dress of ladies in the circles of fashion are more suggestive and imprudent than the a la bloomer costume of the wheel."

"I endorse the wheel and regard it as healthful exercise, which can only be made a means to licentiousness where the tendencies are already immoral on the part of its patrons. Unfortunately, I have not a wheel of my own, and no doubt I would be a greater enthusiast for its use if I possessed the 'flying iron steed.'"

A number of the ministers focused on the morality (as they saw it) of women's cycling attire.

REV. W. R. STRICKLEN, pastor Hamline M. E. Church, Ninth and P streets Northwest. "As Washington is the wheelman's paradise, no minister who propose to do his whole duty should be without a bicycle. Mine is as much a facter in my work as my study. By its aid I have gone through a hard season's pastoral work with comfort and delight. I would not part with my faithful companion under any consideration. All hail to the ever increasing army of wheelmen!"

So there you have it - Washington DC, in 1896 a paradise for cyclists!

These are just excerpts from the statements in the full article of ten representatives of different denominations whose opinions were mostly positive - which isn't too surprising since judging by the content of typical articles in the Morning Times at the time it seems to have been trying to attract cycling Washingtonians as readers.

The GW Parkway Bike Trail Detour - Enhanced!!

Looking up - new asphalt "speed bump" covers the previous ruts

So, I had this email address for a fellow at the Park Service who is a manager for the GW Parkway and I wrote him over the weekend saying that the bike path detour seems rutted and dangerous - I got a reply today and he said he would send some fellows out to look at the situation although he wasn't sure if the Park Service had jurisdication. I wonder if this is the result . . .

Anyway, in order to solve the rut problem, which I guess someone thought was the most important, they have put in soft asphalt "speed bumps" with nice yellow stripes on them. The one on the top end is already (after less than a day) a wreck since the narrow bike tires have cut through it, creating a mess. The one at the bottom seems to be holding up better - assuming that is what one wants.

The main virtue of the previous iteration was that it was a wide detour, but that has been "corrected" with a new fence - now it is narrower. I can't imagine why they did that. Perhaps they will come back and fix it some more??


Rider prepares to navigate soft aphalt bump at top

This isn't one of those "instead of making it better, they made it worse" situations but more like "instead of making it better, they made it different - and still bad."

Previous Post on this topic.

Encouraging Fashionable Cycling Attire (1896)

An article on August 30, 1896 in the Washington DC Morning Times anticipates colder weather with advice on fashionable attire for women riding in the coming winter.


"Winter Bicycle Girl" with her fashionable boots (rather than leggings)

The article starts off in a whimsical tone ~

Bicycle Girl of Winter - She Has Solved the Problem of Wet Weather - Jaunty Cold Day Suit.

The bicycle girl is spinning up the high road of favor and Fortune, on her wheel, leads the way.

When an oracle more dyspeptic than Delphic howled forth the prophecy that the wheel was not the sphere for woman, somebody blundered-but it wasn't the bicycle girl.
She knew she was right, and Dave Crockett himself could not have surpassed her in the art of going ahead.

She is no longer an innovation but a fact, and collectively considered, such a vast and ever-increasing fact that her disapproving sisters, cousins and aunts, who only a little while back flung criticisms at her in the same spirit that boys stone frogs, now find themselves, to their astonishment, figuring as exceptions rather than as a rule. Only a few days ago one of those uncompromising creatures who have a fiendish fancy for adding the world's affairs into figures that nobody can deny, made the announcement that for every woman between fifteen and thirty-five years of age who walk the streets of a city there are two such women who wheel.

At the strictly present time the bicycle girl is spinning all over the country in nondescript skirts that are too long to suit her and too short to satisfy her friends. It is hard work serving two masters, but the fashion-plates are hurrying to the rescue, and the bicycle girl's last trial the uncertainty of what to wear and how to make it will banish with the coming of the fall.

The article continues at length, including an imagined conversation between several young women of the fashion options available, such as the choice between leggings and boots.

Poor Bike Trail Detour, GW Parkway

I took some pictures of this yesterday and Washcycle has a blog entry using them.


New "cut through" detour near south end of 14th St Bridge

The photo doesn't convey the difficulty of riding this particularly well - the construction people followed the natural contour of the hill so the lower section is shallow and then it quickly gets pretty steep for most cyclists. When riding up this, about one in four cyclists gave up part way through and dismounted. Even though it is quite wide, many riders have difficulty focusing on both the difficult surface straight down and other riders and pedestrians.

In the photo above, the old-timer recumbent rider was able to pedal straight up the incline; the other fellow ahead of him slowed down and stood up to make his way to the top. Of course, when he stood up to pedal he immediately slowed down and the recumbent is practically running into him.


Loose gravel at bottom - similar ruts are at top

In addition to being steep, there are these ruts to navigate successfully.

My thought is that if they do nothing else, there should be "walk your bike" signs (much as I don't like those). I contacted the Park Service management for the GW Parkway here to suggest there was a problem at this location that needs correction or people may well get hurt. No reply so far.

Idaho Rolling Stop Law Video

Excellent video about the Idaho "Rolling Stop" law for cyclists for use in Oregon as an advocacy tool.

Bicycles, Rolling Stops, and the Idaho Stop from Spencer Boomhower on Vimeo.

Makes it clear how the law operates in Idaho and what is allowed - and prohibited. Also, points out that this law increased the fines for violations.

Growth of Cycling - 1891-1896

Article in the Washington DC "Morning Times for June 21, 1896, describes the phonomenal growth from less than 1,000 to 30,000 plus in 1896, with a graphical representation of this growth.

There are several places in the city at which the bicyclers meet unconsciously in the great afternoon tours which are usually taken to the north into the lovely suburbs. One or these places is on Capitol Hill, Second street and Pennsylvania avenue southeast. A writer from The Times took the pains the other afternoon to watch the stream or bicyclers as they passed that point, some going down the grade toward the Botanical Gardens, others north toward new Library Building, and all heading for points west and north. He counted the flyers for forty minutes, and found that the average was nine per minute. This, of course, does not mean all day, but in those, at present, delightful hours of the after noon, when the Departments are closed and the prospective tourists have dined well.

and

INCREASE IN SALES. Another measure of the phenomenal increase of sales is had from the records of the dealers. The record of one of these is as follows: In 1892 he sold 12 machines; In 1893, 80; In 1894, 124; In 1895, 200; and 633 so far in the present year. He expects to make a record of 1,500 sold for the whole year 1898. [Well, 1898 was not so good, I expect]

and

The police bicycle squad is doing good work. Although comprised of but three officers and organized less than one month ago, the silent riders have made nearly 100 arrests for reckless riding and other offenses against the bicycle regulations. Scorching- has now become the exception, where heretofore it was the rule. This city, with its smoothly-concreted and splendidly shaded streets and avenues is a paradise for wheelmen and a standing inducement for speedy riding. There are thousands of bicyclists In Washington, and while manly of them are careful and cool headed, there are others who are reckless to a degree bordering on criminality.

Riding on Arlington Streets - WebCam View

East on Wilson/Clarendon Boulevard from Mark Blacknell on Vimeo.

This isn't my video, and it isn't the kind of street riding I do much of in this weather, generally - the motorists around here don't tolerate bikes so well in the best of weather but in winter conditions . . . their tolerance falls off, it seems to me. Mostly I can stick to trails to get to and from work, so that's what I do. Although as we see in the last few seconds of the video, below, the trails can have some issues too.

Cold Ride Blues

Washington DC is south of the Mason-Dixon line and is supposed to be warmer than this in winter, or so it seems to me. Even last year when it snowed quite a bit, there was more up-and-down variation in the winter temps than this year when it seems as though it has been more consistently below freezing at night (and during the morning bike commute). I am tired of it. (Poor poor me . . . )

Winter Biking Primer from Streetfilms on Vimeo.

Anyway, then I found this video (above) on another local bike blog and I'm afraid it had the opposite of the intended effect for me - instead of seeing how easy riding in winter is, I was reminded of various aspects of winter riding that I have been finding annoying, like how long it takes to get all the winter stuff on and off. The "model" in the video has her clothes put on in double time yet it still takes her a while to get on all the layers. Oh for summer and a pair of shorts, a shirt, socks and shoes . . . And not to mention dealing with ice hither and yon on the bike trails.

Of course, it could be much worse for clothing, like this getup my daughter wore when we lived in Russia more than ten years ago ~



Is there a child in those clothes??

Soviet Time Trial Bike (Unusual Design)

Found in Flickr - a Soviet bicycle design from the 1980s. The "Takhion," (Tachyon in English) - used by Soviet Olympic teams among others.

(I had a different photo from Flickr, but it disappeared, so I have substituted this one from user Anders.)

An article translated (by Google) from cyclepedia.ru, a Russian site devoted to cycling (in Russian). The translation is a little wonky, but you can get the basic idea and see more photos. Since only 400 Takhion cycles were made of various types, they are pretty rare!

As noted in several sources, it isn't a Russian bike design but from Kharkov, in the Ukraine. The designer's name was Vorontsov and his signature is on this card in the upper left.

Bicycle Messenger 1896

Nice photo of a bike messenger in New York in 1896 from the Library of Congress Prints & Photographs Online Catalog.



Item's record with details. This was taken by Alice Austen, a photographer who did the photographs of a woman rider for Bicycling for Ladies also published in 1896.

More about her photography is available at the "Friends of Alice Austen House" site.

Wheels of Change - Women Cycling 1890s

Wheels of Change is a brand new book about the liberating influence of bicycles on the lives of American (mostly) women in the 1880s and 1890s.

The bicycle craze swept the nation and allowed women to ride into a new world full of all sorts of freedoms.

Dust jacket blurbs often resort to hyberbole, but this volume really does include "an astonishing number of primary source research gems" that I have been enjoying.



The author, Sue Macy, has her own author site where she uses as part of her web design the picture I have above, so I know we have been looking at some of the same stuff that is out there!

I suppose this is intended for a teenage audience, but I find it excellent.

To be a Russian Wheelwoman . . .

(Scroll down the above image if you wish to see text in original - lower right of page). Under "Wheelwomen in Europe" in the February 1901 issue of L.A.W. Magazine we read ~

In Russia everything is managed "by order of the czar," and cycling is no exception to the rule. Before a woman can possess a wheel she must obtain royal consent, and as this is granted quite sparingly there are but few wheelwomen in Russia.

Can this have really been true???

Self Defense for the Cyclist (1901 article)

Self-Protection on a Cycle is an article in a 1901 issue of Pearson's Magazine, a British magazine. I found reference to it (albeit a bit obscure) in a Russian web site (where some of the illustrations have been posted).



The article covers the following~

How you may Best Defend Yourself when Attacked by Modern Highwaymen, Showing how you should Act when Menaced by Foot-pads, when Chased by another Cyclist, and when Attacked under various other Circumstances ; Showing, also, how the Cycle may be used as a Weapon.

explaining that

Self-protection awheel is an art full of possibilities. The cyclist who is a skilful rider, who possesses pluck and dash, who has mastered the elementary rules of defence on a bicycle, and who is armed with a knowledge of how to use a machine to the best advantage as a weapon, may rest content that he is able to defend himself perfectly when attacked under the majority of likely conditions.

The article then goes into considerable detail, with photographs of the "tactics," on how to achieve the best defensive results.

Rocket Scientists Think Cycling is Safe (Enough)

NASA pulls injured shuttle astronaut off flight (Associated Press item)

An astronaut who crashed his bicycle last weekend won't be taking part in space shuttle Discovery's final voyage next month.

. . . . .

To cut down on preflight injuries, NASA has a whole list of prohibited activities for astronauts assigned to space missions. Among the banned high-risk sports: motorcycle riding, skiing, parachuting and acrobatic flying. Bicycling is not on the list.

More Ice on Bike Trails

Taken this morning, on the way to work - looking south although I was heading north - I just liked the sign (note icicles) and it was a place to prop the bike for the photo. Near Route 1 around the south end of Nation Airport. Entire trail covered in ice.

Trails were covered in bumpy ice with temp hovering around freezing. As far as I am concerned, impossible conditions if you don't have studded tires (which this bike does). However I did ride along briefly with a guy who was managing without studded tires - but I was able to go quite a bit faster so I left him behind.

At the overpasses I simply walked the bike for 100 yards or so - the ice was too much on the downhill sides even with the studs.

The trick (with the studded tires) is to ride at a measured pace - no sudden braking, no quick acceleration. Gentle . . . . . easy does it. Where there is trail with grass on both sides, one can get up to 10-12 mph and ride off onto the grass if problems arise. Some of the way I simply road on the icy grass, since then falling is no longer an issue - but it is more exertion but requires less focused attention.

Wouldn't want to ride like this all the time!!

It has certain fun aspects - near Shirlington several people walking their dogs simply gawped - "if I'm falling down with my boots, how can he ride . . . a bike?" is clearly what they are thinking. Well - it's (stud) magic! Ya just gotta be careful not to push the boundaries.

1982 Sirius Bridgestone

As I mentioned in my preceding post I have bought a frame (+ headset + fork + bottom bracket) on Ebay.


The 1982 Bridgestone Sirius as shown in the 1982 Bridgestone bicycle catalog

I am apparently a terrible librarian - I should have done various research before I bought the thing, but instead am doing most of it after. So far, no particularly surprising (unpleasant or otherwise) discoveries.

The bike is double-butted 4130 Chromoly (CrMo) with Tange lugs and Tange headset. The 23 inch (or 56 cm using today's usual metric) size was listed at 23 pounds, which is fairly good. Made in Japan. . . it is the same "Bridgestone" that makes tires for Toyota etc. It was the top of the line for Bridgestone at that time, but that doesn't really mean too much - they were not yet a very serious builder.

Apparently some time not long after Bridgestone made the Sirius (and other spacey-named bike models) a fellow named Grant Petersen started running the Bridgestone bike division and the Bridgestone road bikes produced under his leadership are considered rather special - "Bridgestone bicycles are something of a cult item now" per Sheldon Brown. However he means ones made after the one I just bought. Still, this is a classic Japanese-built steel road frame and should be very nice to ride.

Research on such things is interesting. Sheldon Brown has an entire separate page on the subject of Bridgestone bikes (again, focusing on 1985 forward) as well as digitized Bridgestone bicycle catalogs from 1985 through the 1990s. These digitized catalogs are quite interesting (well, it depends on what turns you on) to look at, but of course the selection generally via the Internet is completely random depending on someone having them and then decided to digitize them. (Many such catalogs, particularly from 1989 on, are in violation of copyright, but one can assume the relevant company wouldn't care, up to a point. The catalogs before 1989 for the US market that aren't marked with (c) or the word "copyright" with a date are probably in the public domain. Maybe.)

At any rate, a simple Google search on "1982 Bridgestone bicycle catalog" brought up a site where someone has the full 1982 catalog in PDF - I'm not going to link to it since it is slow to load; it is over three megs. Very nice to have that, if only to confirm that what I bought in fact is an '82. There is another article about Bridgestone bikes that gives some further background.



The above beautiful randonneering bike was built up on the same frame I purchased (which is available in two color schemes - this is the less gaudy one). It is from a Flickr group devoted to Bridgestone bikes. The randonneering approach with fenders and so on is not the direction I am planning to go in but it is nice to see someone investing that kind of money into this frame.

Building Up a Bike - Getting Started

Having completed the "Park Tool School" (for bike mechanic basics) a while ago I am interested in seeing if I can bring together all the (used) parts of a bicycle, assemble them, and have something ridable. Well, something even fun to ride, actually. I have started by buying a old-ish steel frame on eBay (above). I liked the looks of it, a lugged frame, that includes the bottom bracket and (the thing the pedals attach to) and a fork.

So now I have to acquire all the stuff that bolts to the bike - and make sure I get the right stuff for this frame (where it matters). Much of that is what is known as the "gruppo" or group - gear shifters, brake levers (or integrated brake levers/shifters), brakes, front and rear derailleurs, a bottom bracket, a crankset, a chain, a cogset and a freewheel (or cassette). One small problem is that I already have a bottom bracket but near as I can tell, people selling older groups on eBay often don't include that. It is an interesting puzzle to sort out what would work with this frame (and what won't).

My first puzzle is with crankarm length - that is, how long the arms that have the pedals on them are. (This iscertainly not the only or most important thing to figure out but the one I have bumped into first.) Various lengths are available, but most road bikes come with 170 or 172.5 mm. I believe my two road bikes have 172.5, but I realize I would have to measure - it isn't in the technical details supplied with one of them and the other was rather short on such info generally.

I have already found a detailed bicycle crank length discussion that suggests that the Shimano 105 group I have located with 170 mm cranks would be fine (assuming I can successfully purchase it).

Of course a more reasonable question is why Shimano 105? Hmm...

Winter Commuting & Studded Bike Tires (Again)

So, Tuesday night it snowed again, setting up a slick commute (so to speak) for Wednesday morning, and a bit beyond as it turned out. In an earlier post I said I didn't see much point in studded bike tires, but I realize now I was thinking mostly of heavy snow conditions like we had last winter (where the problem was pushing through snow and not ice at all).

Tuesday's freezing rain followed by an inch or so of snow set up conditions where bike tires with studs are pretty good to have - and since I have a set, I used them (although I took the picture above of some other rider during my commute - the pictures below are of me + the bike).



This is an old Giant that belonged to one of my sons - I have an extra set of wheels that I equipped with some not-very-expensive Nashbar-branded Kenda tires that have studs. They work great in icy conditions. In the image below you can see, if you look closely, some of the studs.



It got up to 38 (F - say +2 C) during the day and it was windy, so much of the snow melted by the time I rode home, but there were enough icy patches that I didn't mind having the studs. Really, it is on icy spots (rather than on snow of any depth) that the studs are amazing - it is possible to proceed at a decent stable pace, say 12-14 mph, and not feel any slipping, although one needs to be sensible - the studs aren't so numerous as to be relied on for quick stops, for example. When traveling on dry clear pavement one can hear them clicking away and I assume getting slowly less pointy (flattened out). If you brake hard on dry pavement you can simply pull individual studs out of the tires.

So Thursday, having decided that mostly the trail was clear, I went back to my cyclocross bike (no studs). I reduced the tire pressure to 50 pounds per square inch but that does zero for grip on ice. Using the cross bike meant lots of speeding up, then slowing down when I had to go over icy areas plus making sure I was paying attention 100 percent of the time so as not to end up on ice at the wrong speed. On the way home on a overpass made of concrete (which thaws much more slowly since the jurisdictions where the bike trails are don't do anything to speed that up), I screwed up and fell, dinging my left shoulder pretty good but not breaking anything. My head hit the left concrete sidewall of the overpass but not too hard and anyway that's what helmets are for, to keep one from getting hurt (and it worked). Nonetheless, OW!

So I'm a little embarrassed, frankly. I could have and I guess should have ridden the "ice bike" with studs one more day in order to avoid this. It would have been 9.5 miles of studs and heavy mountain bike on clear pavement and some 100s of yards on snow and a little slippery, dangerous ice. And I'm pretty sure I would not have fallen ~ hmm. Have to think about this . . .



I should have spent one more day on the studded tire bike.

Advice to the Cyclist - "How to Behave" (in 1896)

Given recent discussions of the Washington Area Bicyclist Association and its resolution that cyclists should "do better" I was amused to see that such advice has now been with us for over 100 years.

A small article in the June 28, 1896 issue of The Morning Times (of Washington DC - the article is at the lower left of this full newspaper page) has the following ~

HOW TO BEHAVE - Some Rules Which Wheelers Can Follow Most Implicitly.

The following rules or suggestions for rules have been approved by a number of experienced wheelmen, and will be found to cover the more important questions of conduct on the road.

In the first place, remember that too much care cannot be exercised for the safety of pedestrians as well as wheel people. The carriages, with the assistance of the new lamp ordinance, will be able to lookout for themselves. If you have the misfortune to run down a pedestrian do not hasten away, but stop to give what help you can.

This seems to cover the essential advice, at least comparing our practices today with the advice that follows ~

Never pass by an accident without dismounting and inquiring what the trouble is and whether you can be of any assistance, but remember that any service you may render to a wheelwoman does not entitle you to her aquaintance without the usual formal introduction. It is always proper to speak to a wheelwoman who may be in need or assistance. Humanity requires this.

If you go to the page itself and read the item further, much of the advice relates to how wheelmen should interact with wheelwomen (if they want to do so correctly) rather than avoiding accidents, although there is some further guidance in that department, including the protocol for ringing a bell (and ringing your bell in response, naturally).

Still, there is some good practical advice that hasn't changed ~

Many of the accidents we read of every day could be avoided if the riders would regulate their pace according to their skill in managing the wheel under difficulties.

and

Do not ride in the middle of a path or driveway. You are liable to meet with an accident, and cannot recover for damages to your wheel unless you observe the rules or the rood.

As a bonus, this newspaper page, despite being an image produced from microfilm, has this lovely representation of cyclists traveling from Washington to Baltimore~



And this ~



A final quote ~

Always preserve your dignity and pay no attention to small boys or dogs, both of which are perfectly harmless to the average wheelman.

Metal Crud in Bike Brake Pads

One bike mystery for me is where these little bits of metal come from that regularly get embedded in my brake pads (see above) and cause an unpleasant noise when braking, not to mention less braking action and more rim wear. Are some of these metal flakes from the rim itself? It seems likely, somehow, but also puzzling and troubling - why would that happen?

The above pads are only the second set I have installed on this bike - they are stock Shimano DuraAce/Ultegra pads. (The first set lasted around 4,000 miles - I don't ride in the rain on this bike.) Many folks recommend Kool Stop brake pads rather than Shimano - one forum entry even specified that Kool Stop would reduce this metal-flakes-in-brake-pads problem! So I guess my next set of brake pads will be some of these.

The pocket knife is the device I use for removing the small bits of metal. It may be the easiest bike maintenance task there is, but I don't much care for it.

Studded Snow Tires for Bikes

On Thursday (January 6) the weather folks predicted snow possible overnight, continuing into the morning. I decided to wait and see before making a choice of bike to ride - "bad weather" or "good weather" bike.

Friday morning, I looked out - no snow, and I could see stars. Didn't look much like snow. The Washington Post site, however, said "light snow falling in Washington." I decided to ignore and ride in the good bike - the chance of show at that moment was like 20 percent according to weather.com and zero in the afternoon.

On the way in from Arlington to Washington I passed exactly one bike - I guess the weather forcast had put off some people, although Friday's have fewer commuters generally (since a lot of people telework or have compressed work schedules). I could hear the guy's tires as I came up on him from behind - he had studded bike tires! Well, that seemed like overkill to me, since we hadn't even seen a flake.



I have a set of mountain bike studded snow tires but I haven't used them much in recent years - in my view, they aren't terribly useful here. I don't think the studs help one go through snow, they only contribute to staying upright on icy surfaces. There just hasn't been enough ice to get me interested in switching my approach from riding a cyclocross bike with 25 mm tires with the inflation dropped to ~50 pounds (the alternative being an old hardtail mountain bike with the much much wider studded tires).

The studded mountain tires I have are Kendas, by the way, but not the model available now, it seems, the "Klondike." As I recall, I only paid like 25 bucks each for them about five years ago from Nashbar. Thought it was a pretty good purchase at the time. . .

The Early "Coaster Brake" (1900)

.

The full page of the 1900 Columbia Bicycle catalog is here.

COASTER BRAKE — This device enables the rider to stop pedaling on down grades, or at any time when a sufficient degree of speed has been attained, the wheel continuing to coast along while the feet are held stationary on the pedals at any convenient position. We have experimented for many months with coaster brakes of various types and designs, and now have the pleasure of announcing that we shall be able to supply a coaster brake which has stood the most exacting tests of hard usage on rough roads and which we know to combine effective operation with great durability. The clutch in the rear hub is simple, positive in action and designed to avoid all wedging of the parts and all hurtful shocks in their engagement. The brake is of the outside type, acting upon the rear tire.

A slight backward motion of the pedal from any position throws back the oscillator seen in the cut and draws the brake spoon against the tire with a force easily graduated and controlled according to the needs of the situation. Upon relieving the backward pressure, the wheel coasts on with entire freedom, or the forward pedaling may be resumed. All of the apparatus except the brake spoon and its connecting rod is contained in the rear hub. It will be furnished to order on any Columbia bicycle for 1900. Price, $5.00.

So, unlike a modern coaster brake, the braking action comes from an external "spoon" that is actuated by a rod that runs from the rear hub to the front of the rear tire. The major advantage here is that the bike coasts when you stop pedaling, such as descending a hill. Previously bikes had "direct drive" and when you stopped pedaling, you didn't coast, you stopped! (Like a modern fixed-gear bike.) But if a typical fixed-gear bike set-up is converted to being able to coast, there is no ability to stop! So a brake was suddenly essential.

A similar "spoon" type brake was also an additional option for the front tire, actuated by a hand lever.

The Model Year Conundrum - 1896 and Today

With the new year, one is reminded of the "model year" aspect of bike sales, which isn't (as it turns out) a new thing.

From the September 17, 1896 issue of Cycling Life

DISPOSAL OF SURPLUS STOCK.
Probably the bicycle trade has now outgrown the necessity for a sharp distinction between models of one year and models of the following year. As a stimulant for new business this distinction has played its part, and a considerable part, in creating and holding the public interest in mechanical improvements and in [bicycle] shows.

Perhaps more a plea from the retail sellers' point of view, it would seem, than anything else. Already in September they state that ~

The large surplus of finished and half finished stock which remains on the hands of our manufacturers labeled with the numeral of 1896 brings the question of the best disposal of the same to the forefront and with it the question of price and production for 1897.

My own "good" (carbon fiber with Ultegra components - shown above) bicycle is a "2006 Scattante CFR" (carbon fiber race) that I bought on a "year end clearance sale" in February of 2007 at what seemed like a good price. While there were some (very slight) changes in the design of the 2007 models, I was really more interested in the Ultegra components that were unchanged (since 2005, I believe). I do confess to some level of awareness that my now (apparently) four year old style of road bike is woefully out of keeping with present road bike designs but these days I'm looking more back, at older steel frame designs, than forward.

The Cycling Life writer was vexed by the model year situation ~

To accentuate a new year's model as such, so as to rouse the public's curiosity by loud emphasis on the recent date of its design, was among the adequate means for booming the entire cycle industry in its infancy; it was a resource open to all makers alike and of no more benefit to one than another. . . . . . In order to arrive upon a safe and sound basis for the bicycle industry it seems necessary to surrender all fealty to this idea of a fashion-plate regularity in changes . . . . .

I suspect however that the writer was giving far more credit to the introduction of new models with new features in stimulating demand than was accurate - the bicycle boom of the 1890s was driven by a certain segment of society deciding that they wanted bicycles - and could also afford to buy them. The real problem in 1896-97 was that this market was becoming saturated. Unless the prices dropped considerably many who wanted to own a bicycle, or at least a new one, were probably unable to act on this desire. (The issue of the used bicycle market in those days is a topic for another day.)

As an aside, I am once again amused by the prose style of Cycling Life.