Way back in April I tried to fix a 9-speed Dura Ace STI shifter. Didn’t work as there was a crucial part that was damaged and the cause of the shifting problem. When I was trying to fix that one, I also took apart one of mine to have a side-by-side comparison of just how […]
Filed under: Working on bikes
Instead of lengthy comments on a comment, I figured this could be its own post. Rich Kelly, from Interbike, commented on the previous post. First, thanks for reading, Rich. Second, as I was writing the original post, I was thinking “well, really how different is my blogging from twittering?” I would say it’s quite a […]
Filed under: Rant
As a twist on the famous quote by Timoty Leary, I propose turning off, tuning out, and going for a bike ride. I recently had an e-mail exchange with another bike shop owner in Texas. He had generously sent me some brake cable housing of a color I could not find through any of my […]
Filed under: Rant
This super cool old Phoenix came in for a tune-up. This is the kind of bike that just “shows up” for service out here in West Marin. The owner of this bike bid on a tune-up I donated for a charity auction. The Phoenix is likely my all-time favorite riding frame. WTB nailed the design […]
Filed under: What's in the stand
Maybe the most asked question by customers in a bike shop, after “how much does it cost?” is “how much does it weigh?” It doesn’t matter if the bike in question is a $300 comfort bike or a $3000 road bike. “How much does it weigh?” Weight, within reason, is irrelevant. The more appropriate question […]
Filed under: Industry commentary
Closed up shop yesterday and headed over to Napa to hang out with Gordon and his friend Bjorn and watch the Single Speed World Championships. To say it was more fun than watching a NORBA race is an understatement. Spectators set up several “feed zones” on course. Feed zones in a NORBA race is the […]
Filed under: Uncategorized
Welp, looks like I’m going to head over the hill to partake in the festivities that are the Single Speed World Championships tomorrow. No, not racing, viewing. I don’t think I could actually ride a single-speed off-road with all the pulling on the bars that is needed with my rotator cuff in the condition it’s […]
Filed under: Uncategorized
Dammit. I’ve seen this round of tag go through several of the blogs I catch. It was interesting to see it make the rounds from one to the next. I thought I lived in a sort of anonymity-ville, but I guess not. Thanks to Marty over to The Prairie Peddler, I’ve been tagged so I’ll […]
Filed under: Uncategorized
I probably really should be finishing up the Fox fork rebuild and disc brake piston replacement, but this’ll only take a few minutes. I read two pieces this morning that prompted this impromptu diatribe on focus in the bike industry. The first one was a bit about the Trek dealer launch of their ’09 bikes. […]
Filed under: Industry commentary, Rant
A long time ago, I learned that brake spring tension should be just enough so the arms return to open. The feel at the brake lever should be snappy, but not tight. Squeezing a brake lever shouldn’t be like squeezing one of those spring loaded hand grippy things that all high school kids used to […]
Filed under: Working on bikes
I picked up this old Merlin bike recently. Full complement of WTB Grease Guard bits (hubs, headset, rollercams, bottom bracket) and size XL made the decision pretty easy. Not often in find such a rare bike and even rarer parts in my size. After I cleaned it up a bit, I went to raise the […]
Filed under: Working on bikes
Big is in. First VeloNews had a review of big, cushy sew-ups just after Paris-Roubaix. Now, in the issue I just got today (I wrote this a while back…), Greg Bagni, marketing guru, was asked “What’s the coolest product you’ve seen recently?” His initial reply was the CrankBros. wheels. When asked if there was anything […]
Filed under: Uncategorized