NYC Journal

Phil_F_NM said:
Those Middleburn cranks have a LOT of corrosion marks, including bubbling from galvanic action around the inner drive-side part of the spider, and the aluminum is flaking around the pedal threads. What is up with the discoloration and corrosion on the non-drive-side crankarm? It looks like what happens to a forged crank when we have to torch it to remove it from a bottom bracket. Some ham-fisted idiot has been using a screwdriver on that spider lockring as well, instead of finding the right tool. Some of those marks on the inner drive-side right next to the BB spindle taper look like the same idiot removed the cranks with a screwdriver or a punch. That's not chain-suck. Good luck with those, I would have run away, personally.

Phil Forrest
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Phil,

There are other Middleburn cranks listed, and some are rather hammered pretty badly as you describe. The ones that were used for trials are beyond hammered.

The ones I purchased early this morning are no longer listed, and they are kinda clean and unused to the extent that the chain rings might still be good, but I bought them for the cranks.

On my cranks the non drive has some shoe rub on the crank arm but nothing near the square taper. Pretty much I bought them because they were rather clean and remarkably fresh. I suspect that the chain rings are the first original ones ever mounted, and like I said they don’t seem to be worn.

There is a set of cranks listed that the seller says is good, but zooming in shows a stress crash in the corner of the square taper on the drive side. Much of the cranks listed to me were beat.

What I find interesting is basically people can sell junk. Sadly, things must be bad in England I suspect.

Cal
 
Phil,

I looked on EBAY and saw the cranks I think you are writing about. What a horror.

Very sad.

Did you look at some of the Trials cranks that are hammered for a laugh?

Anyways, know that the one’s I bought are just the opposite in condition. I would even use the word “fresh” to describe them. I think a lucky find.

I think in today’s world what demand would there be for a triple, but for me, an old man, more gears and wide range is better.

I just want to keep riding.

Know that the painted Ti Basso road bike has a bead blasted frame that has a blue fade in Imaron and was then clear coated. It is a handsome and pretty bike, but the style is soooo 1980’s and retro. It is a pretty bike that stands out so the hardware also has to be good looking.

The Newsboy is polished titanium which is labor intensive. Pretty much only early Ti bikes had polished frames like the Newsboy. Then they figured out that bead blasted titanium was fast, cheap, and easy.

Cal
 
Cal, I looked at sold auctions and found a set with those 48/38/28 rings, sold today, in Sunderland, UK. The cranks pictured aren't beat from use, they are beat from a person not using the correct tools, and also being exposed to seawater, possibly. The photos in the auction I mention show that the large and middle rings are getting towards shark finned and are going to float a new chain. The 28t ring is probably fine. I'd be really concerned about the discoloration and "shoe rub" (dark corrosion marks) on the non-drive-side. If these are the cranks you purchased, good luck. I would have accepted them for the cost of shipping, but not more. I've seen too many cranksets taken off with hammers and pickle forks, with a healthy amount of heat. At my old shop, we used to cut up then recycle any crank that we applied heat to, didn't matter what it was, we didn't want to re-sell it used then get sued when it broke. Hopefully they work out for you and you get a decent life of them without any catastrophic failure.

Phil Forrest
 
jszokoli said:
OK, I'll bite, whats so special about Middleburn cranks??

Totally beat up sets going for $200??

Joe
Click to expand...

The same reason anything that has cachet to the name and small production is expensive. People pay untold amounts of money to buy crystals of the fourth most common element in the universe, but it is actually cartels which make them "rare." Middleburn has low production numbers and a fun, modular way of attaching chainrings; they also stand behind their product for the lifetime of the original purchaser, but not for purchased used cranks and spiders.
Back before Ringle was owned by Sun, I employee purchased a set of the original Bubba hubs. I paid a good sum for them because they were low production and they had the cachet of being the hubs that the Yeti team was riding. I blew up the freehub body on my second ride. Unlaced my new wheel, sent the hub back, they warrantied it and gave me a direct replacement within a week. Built up the wheel and destroyed the freehub body again. Unlaced it, got the warranty replacement, sold the new hub and the front hub for a profit and built a set of XTR wheels and never looked back. Had those from 1996 - 2013. I'll never voluntarily ride a bike with an alloy freehub body because they are garbage, regardless of the manufacturer. King has the cool "swarm of bees" sound but if a bearing gets worn AT ALL, then the freehub dogs and pawls will grenade in the hubshell, leaving me stranded. White Industries has a problem with freehub bodies developing longitudinal stress cracks at the bottom of the splines. It's just too much shear force and torque to put on a soft alloy.

Phil Forrest
 
Phil_F_NM said:
The same reason anything that has cachet to the name and small production is expensive. People pay untold amounts of money to buy crystals of the fourth most common element in the universe, but it is actually cartels which make them "rare." Middleburn has low production numbers and a fun, modular way of attaching chainrings; they also stand behind their product for the lifetime of the original purchaser, but not for purchased used cranks and spiders.
Back before Ringle was owned by Sun, I employee purchased a set of the original Bubba hubs. I paid a good sum for them because they were low production and they had the cachet of being the hubs that the Yeti team was riding. I blew up the freehub body on my second ride. Unlaced my new wheel, sent the hub back, they warrantied it and gave me a direct replacement within a week. Built up the wheel and destroyed the freehub body again. Unlaced it, got the warranty replacement, sold the new hub and the front hub for a profit and built a set of XTR wheels and never looked back. Had those from 1996 - 2013. I'll never voluntarily ride a bike with an alloy freehub body because they are garbage, regardless of the manufacturer. King has the cool "swarm of bees" sound but if a bearing gets worn AT ALL, then the freehub dogs and pawls will grenade in the hubshell, leaving me stranded. White Industries has a problem with freehub bodies developing longitudinal stress cracks at the bottom of the splines. It's just too much shear force and torque to put on a soft alloy.

Phil Forrest
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Phil,

On my old retro White Industries hubs what you say is true because the free hub bodies were originally made of aluminum. I know because I own an early version that came with spacers so the hub could be set for 130mm (road) or 135 (mountain bike).

The new hubs have a titanium free hub body so there is no problem.

I can see how heavier riders or guys who have mucho torque could carve over the hub splines, but my old hubs that date back when Ronald Ray-Gun was President still allow me to wiggle a cassette on and off with just my fingers.

Cal
 
jszokoli said:
And Cal your so light that you could use anything and not break them...
Joe
Click to expand...

Snarky Joe,

How true, but if you like to stand on the peddles to use all your weight and your body as a lever when riding stiff cranks are an asset.

There is a big difference between the White Industries ENO cranks I just bought for the Newsboy, and the very light weight and flex Grafton retro cranks.

I can see how people that are bigger and stronger than me breaking Graftons.

Cal
 
jszokoli said:
OK, I'll bite, whats so special about Middleburn cranks??

Totally beat up sets going for $200??

Joe
Click to expand...

Joe,

Stiff and strong. Favored for tandem use and Trials use as well as downhill. No flex.

Then there are the Hard Coated chainrings that no lie last about twice as long.

In my case I like that I have a stockpile of not only chainrings, but also spiders. Pretty much I can use a double or triple spyder to adjust chain line, and it makes it EZ-PZ to say convert in a modular way say on my Ti IBIS to a single speed, a 1x11, or a 2x11 using the same cranks. Very modular and adaptable. A Park tool and a big adjustable makes changing chain rings assembled on a spyder EZ-PZ. I can even do a triple in 94 BCD 5-hole, or 104 BCD 4-hole. I also have Duo which is a direct mount double, but I’m limited to a 42/32.

I even have a red Pro Trials bash guard that I had on the steel IBIS that can mount up to a 24T. I used 20T with a 16 freewheel for a 30 inch trials gear.

Truth be told I’m amazed at the prices. People selling used chain rings?

Because of the steel IBIS I bought a set of new Middleburn cranks, I had that bike set up with a 48T with a 16 tooth freewheel for a 72 inch gear. This was before I learned that normal people push a 63 inch gear, but I could really honk on that gear and did a loop from Williamsburg to Astoria, then Flushing, then Douglaston, somehow Forest Hills and then down Grand and Metropolitan back to my loft in Williamsburg.

Then I bought another set of Middleburn cranks. My friend Alex in Georgia has a specialty shop that built and sold tandems, and Alex was the Middleburn dealer in North America.

A few years ago I loaded up the truck with chainrings and spyders.

So the answer for me is to be practical and for utility.

Also know three out of my 4 bikes will have Middleburn cranks. 3 out of 4 will use Shimano XTR 11-speed, and I also have this stockpiled, chains cassettes, an extra rear derailleur just in case I snap one.

I have a 48/26 and a 46/24 kitted out to use with the 11-34 XT cassette for really great gearing.

The other work around was buying another new White Industries ENO cranks and then buying a VBC set of chain rings, but now we are talking of spending close to $500.00.

Let’s see…

Cal
 
In the middle of October the cranks from England should get delivered. I guess then I’ll find out how bad the damage is.

I can say this the shoe rub is typical wear on Middleburn cranks. Both my cranksets are black and they both display shoe rub pretty much in the same area in the middle of the cranks.

So the question is if the square taper is damaged from probable prying. This is always a gamble with used cranks… EBAY is a gamble, so lets see if I’m lucky. The lock nut I already have a black version in stock to replace the one incoming.

There are other difficulties that have to get resolved. The front derailleur hanger looks to be too high for the smaller chain rings I will use; both 9-speed and 11-speed XTR front derailleurs are too bulky to fit as the rear tire sits way close to the seat tube, but I might be able to utilize an old XT 8-speed mountain bike version. I might also be able to use an aftermarket derailleur hanger to relocate the mount.

At best I might have to divert an 11-42 cassette and just use a 42T on the mountain bike Graftons to have a 1x11 with big jumps and limited gear range. I get a 1:1 28 inch gear and a 106.9 inch gear high, but the jumps in gears will be big and will call for hammer time or dropping down and spinning, not necessarily a bad thing, especially since the bike will be lighter.

Anyways for me dropping down in gears usually means loss of speed and momentum and going slower as I tend to rather push bigger gears and grunt up a hill.

The 11-34 and 9-speed XTR could fall into Ti IBIS use for a 2x9 or even a 3x9 with mucho gears. Maybe I would just get another XTR 11-speed right hand shifter which is all I need with my stockpile of parts to build another 11-speed bike…

If it were more straight forward I just would of bought into another White Industries ENO crankset new, but even that is a bit fraught because of these other variables and difficulties.

I definitely like and prefer stiff cranks, and the Graftons are not.

I guess my life is boring because my problems are kinda self inflicted. Call me a drama queen.

Also I think it would be cool to get some track wheels, use a 20T White Industries freewheel I have on hand, and build out the Ti IBIS road as a 3x1 using 46/34/26 for 64.4/47.6/36.4. If the Middleburn cranks work out for a 3x9, then this also is a possibility. Could be fun.

Cal
 
Looks like today might be the day to set a new 52-week low for the S&P 500. About a half hour till close…

They say the inflation rate in the Eurozone is at 10%. WOW.

Already they are saying that the 30 year mortgage rate will be going up to 7%. Pretty much the glide path: 6.29%; to 6.7%; and now even a few days after 6.7% was reached and they are saying 7%. Double WOW. Pretty much the increment is 0.3%, but also the adjustments are speeding up.

Rents are crazy, and there still is a shortage of both homes and rentals. One report says if home prices moderate and come down 15%, then so what, no real crisis because the prices are still so high.

So my question is when and if the 30 year goes to 10% will that kill the housing market? Maybe not. So many recent purchases and refi’s at record low rates kinda enforce many-many current home owners to stay put, because selling and then buying will cost mucho money. What I’m saying is people like me that enjoy low rates, or especially record low rates kinda are locked into a good situation.

Meanwhile inflation effectively reduces the debt burden for home owners, but then renters suffer adversity and are priced out and are forced to pay inflated rents as punishment. Kinda brutal I say.

Been trying to contact my high school friend Billy who lives in Clearwater near Tampa. Billy is the 6’2” German that in a blink of an eye gave him a left and then a savage blow with my right when boxing with 16 ounce gloves. Then I lost control and almost went in for the kill, but I caught myself.

Anyways I hope he and his family are all alright.

I always say, “The world is not so big.” In my search for Billy’s contact info I called my friend Vince, and I learned that his one year older brother George is running for office as the Queens DA. George was a New York Supreme Court Judge in the Bronx after being a Lawyer for the NYPD when Giuliani was Mayor. Then he got poached into Queens, and now currently is trying to become the Queens DA.

So don’t tell anyone, but George at times is an arrogant jerk, but his platform is against the recent prison reform where it is almost like criminals in NYC get a permanent “Get out of jail free card that does not expire.” Guys that should be in jail rate killing cops: no lie.

So as a person George would not get my vote, but if I were still a resident of NYC and could vote for him I would.

BTW Vinny is a really nice guy: George kinda isn’t.

Back in the 70’s when I was in art school I had keys one summer to a loft on Broome Street. It was being built out and my mentor/college professor wasaway for the summer. Ed asked me if I knew any electricians, so I called Vinny. Vinny met this artist who did plumbing as his day gig, and pretty much Vinny got called so much that it became a business.

Dave the plumber was somewhat a performance artist. He showed me a picture where he scaled one of the pyramids in Gaza with a step ladder, and then set up the ladder at the apex, and then proceeded to stand on the top step.

He had a photographer with a telephoto lens create a rather large montage out of 5x7’s that encompassed the top of the pyramid, the ladder and him standing, but the coolest aspect was the motion blur of his arms that were moving to keep his balance. Pretty crazy and breath taking, also a mighty dumb thing to do. Imagine the long roll down a pyramid. Ouch. That might hurt a little.

Anyways this was during the times when someone scaled the World Trade Center using suction cups on the glass.

Anyways, I’ll see if I can dig in and find more about Dave. Also know that Dave was a Vietnam Vet who was missing part of his foot as a result of the war. He was a Sargent of a platoon, a southerner, and the only white guy in the platoon.

Cal
 
Yesterday we had breakfast at The Freight House Cafe in Mahopac. The building dates back to 1872 where ice and sawdust kept milk cold before being transported to NYC. There use to be a New York Central and Hudson River branch that brought freight and passengers from Golden’s Bridge to Grand Central Terminal that ran for 50 years.

So now it is a cafe that is kinda hidden away off Route 6 in a manner that you pretty much have to know it is there because it is tucked away behind commercial buildings.

Today the rail line is a Rails To Trails, and of course the path is kinda level or without any steepness.

After breakfast we ran errands and traveled around. We stopped by the antique shops in Newburgh, and it seems that they amped up the Brooklyn vibe which I kinda think is funny. Newburgh is right across the Hudson from Beacon and a bridge connects the two cities, but Newburgh is the larger city with of course more problems and poverty. The population is just under 29K so it is just a little larger than Peekskill (population wise- Peekskill has around 25K), but Peekskill is smaller as far as area at only 4 square miles.

What I see in Newburgh is potential in its abandoned buildings because there are lots of them, but crime, poverty, and the amounts of them might forestall a long time redevelopment or gentrification. Certainly there are affluent and wealthy beautiful sections, but the vast part of the city is rather poor and ghetto. Very divided the haves and have nots in a way like NYC, but in the Hudson Highlands.

Anyways, it would be mad money and pretty much a long term investment that is so speculative that it may not ever happen even though I see it as a workspace place for artists in Beacon. Lots of bordered up spaces…

Anyways, a crazy idea…

Cal

Post Script: In my fact checking I discovered that yesterday three people were shot after a high school football game. Yesterday we drove past that school where the football game was held.

Understand that Newburgh is a tough area 90 miles north of NYC.
 
Today I remembered that I must start filing for Medicare and also for a pension that I must begin at age 65.

Meanwhile it seems we are getting more involved with helping “the Creature” and taking care of the grand kids.

The “Creature-Junior” is a handful alone, but the newborn is mighty mellow.

I started up the heating system today, and I will have to bed the radiators. Pretty much I am told it is like bleeding the brakes on a car where you bleed the closest radiator and then work towards the furthest from the furnace.

Then I have to assemble a loft bed for the Creature Junior at her house in Cartland Manner not far away.

So retirement is actually a busy time.

Cal
 
ptpdprinter said:
Don't I know it. I had to trim the bushes yesterday. I got in trouble with my wife because she said one of the bushes I trimmed was her porcupine topiary. I'm still not sure if she was being serious.
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PTP,

”Maggie” wants me to stop mowing the lawn to allow the roots to get better established, as so she has read.

I use an unmotorized push mower, so if I slack off the lawn pays me back with a harder job. Anyways in the fall the grass goes through a pretty big growth cycle…

The lawn needs a trim already, and know I got yelled at for cutting it last time…

Anyways there is a reason why men have shorter lifespans. LOL.

Cal
 
Calzone said:
I now have to raise the blades to a 3 inch cut from a 2 inch setting, and I’m allowed to cut the lawn one more time.

Because I’m a lazy slacker I might wait a few more days so this might be the last cut for the year.

Cal
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This mowing stuff sounds like my parents. My dad got his little sit on tractor mower rebuilt by Honda last year. In the mean time my mom got a hand push mower that she used to make paths in the high grass. It looks pretty cool. My dad though is sitting on his hands waiting for permission to fire up the Honda, and trim it all down. When I was young they never had this problem because they had a goat who kept the grass short and shitty.

Note: **** = merde
 
Here is my pocket sized darkroom.
between the sink, table top, and another rolling table i have under the sink, i should be good doing 16x20 prints. Shall see, so far i did 11x14 comfortably..

PXL_20221004_032103653.jpg
PXL_20221004_032117794.jpg
 
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