NYC Journal

[Calzone]

Phil,

Those Rhyno Lite rims are mighty stout.

I have a set of these that came with the Ti IBIS. I basically bought the bike for the frame, but the bike came to me set up as a Polo bike as a single speed. The wheels had Rhyno Lite rims and straight 16 gauge spokes. These wheels were recycled to my steel IBIS when I had it rigged as a 30 inch gear trials bike.

Mucho bombproof…

Cal

 

[pyeh]

That is one good looking bike, Phil.

 

[Calzone]

Precisely what I would call a new/old bike.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Cal,
I love building wheelsets with Rhyno Lites, they just go together so well. I have those rims on the cargo bike, the Univega touring bike, the Breezer, and the green Raleigh 20. The Rhyno Lite isn't available in a 24" 32 hole version (only 36h) so I used Ryde Andra 40 rims for the Raleigh Mountain Trials bike, which is still awaiting fork repair or replacement. The Ryde rims don't have eyelets but are rated as the strongest rims available on the planet, so we'll see. When I built those, I used a dab of copper anti-seize on each spoke hole to prevent galvanic corrosion.

I have a line on an original Breezer rigid fork, which is what I'll be replacing the Judy with.
Fun thing I've noticed about building up 20" wheels with good, stout rims is that there is little truing to be done. As long as the spoke lengths are calculated correctly, the wheel just goes together and most of what I have to worry about is tension and dish. It's such a strong rim that there is little deflection from a loose or broken spoke.

A while back I had a set of gold Mavic 217s from the mid-90s that I wanted to keep but had no use for, so I traded them with a friend for a set of Magura HS33 hydraulics. Those are the brakes that are now on the Breezer.

Rain is all but guaranteed today, and I'm working, so I can't arrive soaked. No riding to work today. I'm going to see what provisions I can make for a downpour catching me mid-ride. I could probably use one of the showers at work if needed. Of course, I can take a change of clothes. I have my own office, which I'll be sharing with a music therapist beginning in August. I'm not worried so much about getting wet, but more so about idiot drivers in Philly who seem to forget how to operate a vehicle when their windshields get wet. It was raining very lightly when I was doored in 2009, ending my racing career.

I'll get it all figured out. I definitely need to migrate farther away from automobile use, in spite of its convenience.

Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

Cars are a necessary evil at some point, but know I only put on about 7K miles a year. Most of these miles is because of “Maggie’s” need for day trips. I have no problem staying at home or being local.

The smaller diameter wheels are inherently stronger: shorter spokes flex less.

I figure 29 inch wheels have to be overbuilt to make up for the structural loads. Also disc brakes add stress to the wheel over rim brakes. IMHO the big wheels and tires on bikes are a lot like big tires on my Jeep, they act as big flywheels.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I’m in love with the new Fenwick casting rod. With the Accurate BV-500-SPJ it is a nicely balanced setup that pretty much will be my dominant rod. The shorter 7 foot heavy rod is my boat stick for cod, blackfish, and blues for boat fishing. Pretty much I just recycle the reel sharing it between two rods.

This intent of sharing the expensive reel between two rods actually worked out. The reel was over $600.00, but it is a reel that can handle a Tuna that can sustain 45 MPH.

I have all I need unless I want to do freshwater, and for that I have a 5 weight fly rod And an Orvis reel that is rated 5-6 weight.

My newest Fenwick rod is their top of the line “World Class” rod. Nano technology is used to make the rod’s weight minimal while adding a claimed 30% more strength. The rod feels about half the weight of the Fenwick HMG rod, and I was concerned about how the Accurate reel would balance since I wanted mucho line capacity just in case…

Anyways the pairing is wonderful. What a thrill it would be to catch a Tuna on 30 pound gear, and now I have a setup that could do just that with 500 yards of 30 pound braid. I don’t see a problem with a 50 pounder, but an 80 pounder would be a feat.

The rod I bought on a close out and I saved $50.00-$100.00 over other Internet pricing. The guides are micro sized and are surprisingly tiny. Much smaller than the HMG rod. The taper of the action is fast, but the tip is light. The rod is designed for lures 1/2 ounce to 2 ounces, and the line rating is 12-25 pound test mono, but this translates to 25-50 pound braid which has a thinner diameter.

I’ll be spooling on 500 yards of 30 pound test when the line gets delivered Wednesday. What a nice rod and reel setup. I am kinda blessed. I can see me bonding seriously o this setup.

Note that this Accurate reel would be wonderful on a long-fall jigging rod for possible future kayak use.

In Peekskill I have a launch when and if I get a kayak, and right across the river is Jone’s Point. Hmmm… so close to home…. West Point and the deepest part of the Hudson is just 5 miles away…

How perfect is that? I could troll at 2 1/2 to 3 MPH in the shipping channel. The best place to do this would be the sides of the channel BTW.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I installed the largest tires that can fit on the steel IBIS. The tire barely clears the chain stays,

The rear tire unfortunately is no longer available. I had to change the U-brake to fit it, and even though it is a 24 inch tire it measures 25 inches in diameter. The shoulders are square and the knobs are tall. Not the best for rolling resistance, the tire is heavy, but the beefy tread ensures better traction than the Rocket Ron a racing tire.

I figure for Blue Mountain I need every advantage with traction with the rocks.

On the front I installed a Schwable Hans Damph which is a tire promoted as a good all-rounder. It also features tall lugs and square shoulders. The size is a 2.35, but stands at or close to 27 inches tall. This tire is also heavier than the 26 inch Rocket Ron I had installed even though it too was a 2.35 in width. The 2.35 on the Hans Damph is much wider.

Overall the bottom bracket now is elevated further by a half inch so the BB height is now 12 1/2 inches for a UBER high center of gravity. This with an aggressive geometry and a short wheelbase makes for violent handling that is kinda exciting because it is unstable.

The tires hold more air and the effect is more cushion and enhanced traction. Because I’m a skinny bitch I run 20 PSI on the front and 21-22 PSI on the rear.

The ugly is that now the bike weighs 24 1/2 to 24 3/4’er pounds. This bike is kinda specialized now for Blue Mountain Preserve. I love the transformation. The skinnier lighter tires did not serve me well. The goal at Blue Mountain is not to go fast, but to stay on the peddles and make it over rocks and up climbs.

This slow speed style of riding makes it safe for an old man. Also this style of riding is more akin to trials, a skill I want to develope.

Cal the old man

 

[Calzone]

If I run into extra money I think I would buy a two-speed version of my Accurate BV-500N-SPJ for my heavy Fenwick rod. That definitely would be a great school tuna stick for 50-80 pound Tuna. Brutal…

I looked at an 7 1/2 foot St. Croix rod at Dick’s Sporting Goods today and it does not compare in quality to the Fenwick rods, especially the World Class rod. The Fenwick Heavy only cost $120.00 and I love it a lot more than the $159.00 St Croix.

I was expecting the St Croix to have the UBER quality as they are mucho favored for the Caribbean and Florida fishermen. I was surprised at the value in the Fenwick.

Tomorrow I expect delivery of 500 yards of 30 pound braid. I get a free Tackle Warehouse T-shirt that I got in a small in red. I expect a neoprene rod bag.

In my environmental restoration I think I created a chipmunk colony in my back-backyard. I see way too many chipmunks that I feel like I’m back in NYC with seeing rats all the time. I see them invading my neighbor’s yards and crossing the street.

I might have to have a hoe-down of sorts and use a have a heart trap to relocate them. It seems the ones that started burrowing in my lawn I successfully stoped by backfilling the holes with dirt laced with red pepper. Since they dig and store soil in their mouth I gave them a hot mouth.

A feud is starting…

For MFM, I made another batch of sausage and peppers for dinner. Mighty good.

Lately we have been taking care of both the grandkids. School is over.

The baby is now 10 months old today and is almost walking. The 9 year old is now out of school. Pretty much two kids is a lot of work, and the grand daughter is especially high maintenance.

I am very pleased to own both IBIS’s. The steel version is like a truck built for heavy duty use and utility. Only a 1x11 it weighs in at 24 1/2 pounds. Not the lightest bike, but not so bad considering it has a front suspension, although it has a simple drivetrain.

The Ti IBIS is 22 1/8 pounds and it has a 2x11 drivetrain with an extra shifter, a front derailleur, another chain ring. The tires are less agressive, but that’s a good thing. Perhaps this bike is more “sporty” and the steel IBIS more like a truck for hard use. Anyways, glad I have two. This is light for a bike with a suspension fork.

Soon the daycare will end. Looking forward to the adjustment because the daycare is like a full time job. Pretty much I will get my life back.

I’ll be tweaking my Ti IBIS after dinner. Need to adjust the seating position and the sweep of the handle bars. Best to max out body position as far back as possible for stability. Think of a Porsche 911.

Cal

 

[MrFujicaman]

For MFM, I made another batch of sausage and peppers for dinner. Mighty good.

The baby is now 10 months old today and is almost walking. The 9 year old is now out of school. Pretty much two kids is a lot of work, and the grand daughter is especially high maintenance.



Cal

I hate it when you tell me you made sausage and peppers!

Do you really think that Maggie's grand daughter would be low maintenance?

 

[Calzone]

MFM,

Seems like high maintenance and lack of patience is genetic.

All I can say is, “Poor Calvin.” LOL.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Morning ride to work went great. I rode the Raleigh Twenty for its inaugural long commute and aside from a few hiccups, all was good. It took 55 minutes of wheels-rolling time, which is a little slower than average but I haven’t ridden the bike to work in almost a month, so I was taking it easy. Thats the same amount of time that I take when riding the Univega, so it could be a function of rolling resistance and wider tires. I’m always 10 minutes faster on my Miyata road bike.
I can really notice the drag from the stepped planetary gears in the hub, but it’s the only way to get up a steep hill, so just keeping a cadence up is key. I geared the bike towards the low side with a 20 tooth cog and a 46 tooth chainring. This sees me topping out my downhill speed at about 27mph if I’m pedaling at a high cadence, but it really allows me to keep my cadence up when climbing up the long hill from the Schuylkill River to Einstein. It crests after about 1.5 miles, has a short downhill then an uphill turn which adds about 15 more vertical feet over a quarter mile. Then I’m on a plateau for a mile, short downhill, then the last steep uphill which is half a mile long. The 5 speed did well through the whole ride and the bike handled fantastically with about 15lbs in a pannier.
The new hub did great but I need to tighten up the detents in the shifter because it auto shifted a couple times which can destroy pawls and cause all sorts of havoc inside the shell. On the long flats and steep uphills, I find myself wanting more room to stretch out, so I may be getting a set of bar ends. Definitely great to be back out on the road at least once this week.
Hopefully the tropical conditions and torrential rain ease up so I can continue riding. Though I don't want that heat dome which is hanging out over the central US right now.
Phil

 

[Calzone]

Here in New York it seems like Friday might be without rain.

Vanessa our agent has a casting call in NYC in July. Let’s see if anything happens…

No childcare so things open up.

As much as the two IBIS’s are the same bike they are now very different. Last night’s adjustments to the bars for more sweep and moving the seat back a quarter inch radically changed things. The Ti Ibis is more stable, and the Steel IBIS with the higher bottom bracket height and higher CG is even more aggressive.

Interesting how subtle changes made such a big difference in handling.

I will mow the lawn. “Maggie” suggested added height, but IMHO it is not short enough. I will drop int down to the next setting. Seems like a woman’s job is to shorten a man’s lifespan by making work and making messes to clean up.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Ok, I don't want to cause too much arousal, but if I had the money, I would absolutely put a Schlumpf Drive epicyclic crankset on this Raleigh folder. $800 is just too much. If I find one used for half that price, it’s still too much but I may be able to rationalize that expense. People never get rid of them though.
Anyway, that’s my ultimate commuter/multi-modal touring bike thought for today.
Phil

 

[Calzone]

My days are confused. Today is Wednesday and not Thursday. In New York no rain for Thursday and Friday.

I did manage to cut the lawn. With a push mower it was a “man-killer” that required lots of upper body strength and mucho lunges to get the blades to cut.

”Maggie” read online that letting your lawn grow longer was a good idea, but after a month of trying this it seems to look ratty a day after cutting. Pretty much our lawn is now clover height and it does not look good.

So I lowered the mover and used my torque to cut the grass before it started to rain.

The local library in Montrose has these Mother Goose readings for parents, grand parents, and babies. The grandson learned to want to be a big boy so it really made him advance in standing and walking. This socializing among babies is important.

I say be an optimist and get that drivetrain. One and done is a perfect justification.

Years ago I spent crazy money on a Leica Monochrom. I still own the camera, and I surely got my money’s worth because I used it a lot. Still a good camera for me…

Also even if you went full-boat and paid $800.00, you would have something that you would use a lot, and it is a matter of health. Similarly I can justify spending $3.8K on a Hobie kayak. I am spending more than I want, but I will have a kayak that I can car-top and because it is convenient it will get used.

Don’t take your health for granted. The government is not going to take care of you. Start saving that money…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Loading up the Accurate BV-500N-SPJ reel let me know that this rod and reel combo is brutally great. I used a book with weight on top to create friction and a steady load running the line in between the pages.

Had to take my time cranking because making the thin line tight is important. Braid is so thin that it can dig into the wound spool.

30 pound braid is the thickness of 8 pound test monofilament. This is a game changer allowing huge line capacity on small reals. The BV-500N weighs about a pound.

Then the Fenwick World Class rod is both very thin and very light in weight, weighing only a few ounces.

Back in the day we fished in the shipping lanes offshore using gold Penn Internationals loaded with 100 or 120 pound test for Tuna fishing. Nowadays because of thin braid I can use light tackle.

Not that a 50-80 pound Tuna that can do a sustained 45 mph is an easy fish to boat. I was able to load all 500 yards of 30 pound braid, but a strong fish could easily strip the 1500 feet of line easily. The Tuna against light tackle has the advantage, but I have the best gear for the job, meaning light tackle in the 30 pound range.

There was some confusion whether 450 or 500 yards was the capacity. I made the 500 mark because I took the extra care to do a neat job.

Anyways Tuna are amazing fish. Nature made them hydrodynamic with no scales and recesses for their fins to minimize drag.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Last time I went fishing, I think was 2000, right after my last deployment on the Stennis. I used to fish off the stern platform for small boats when the ship was tied to the pier and I was on duty. I had a long beach casting rod which I think was 10ft, a ~7ft rod, and a little Snoopy kid's rig which I used to catch smelt for bait. One time I had that Snoopy rod in the water with a couple smelt on which I was keeping alive in the water when the tip of the rod dipped down sharp and almost went into the water. I grabbed and tugged a little and saw the ~3ft distance from dorsal to tail fin telling me that I had accidentally snagged a good size shark with my tiny bait rig. There was nothing I could do, but it was a fun fight for about 30 seconds, until the rod broke and I cut the line. Most of my catches off the back of the ship, or in the surf, were stingrays, occasionally a rock cod.

When I was stationed at Whidbey Island, I constantly requested to be sent TAD to NALF San Clemente. We provided part of the rotation of weather guessers to the airfield on San Clemente Island and there is a pier that juts 300 feet out into the channel where a deep trench provides a lot of cold nutrient rich water. I heard of fellow meteorologists going there and yellowfin tuna right off the service pier.
Another one of those dreams that came and went...

Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

The thing is that dreams can still happen. Never thought I could top my 84 Jeep Scramble, and now I have a 1966 C-10.

Never really thought I would basically live in a home that pretty much suits so many of my desires and needs.

Basically things get better and better. Today I was on the Hudson River with both grand kids, but I had the opportunity to talk with a fisherman who was fishing the shallows of Peekskill Bay near the train station. He was fishing earthworms with 8 pound test spinning gear, and was using a smal half ounce sinker. Pretty much a freshwater rig.

I was informed that depending on the tide, season and rainfall that pretty much there are a good amount of freshwater perch and large mouth bass in Peekskill Bay. Also under the right conditions salt water Bluefish in the 2-3 pound size could be in these flats that comprise the Peekskill Bay could be feeding on “Peanut Bunker” (small bunker). This would be ideal for my fly rod.

I could see a school of snapper blues herding in the flats to prey on young bunker. Lots of surface feeding and likely bird action. Exciting top water fishing. Snagging a bunker and live lining it back into a slick of feeding fish is like a fish bowl. Very good for light tackle with light lines.

My 7 foot 8 inch World Class rod is designed for 1/2 to 1 1/2 ounce casting. Hmmm… Kinda ideal for small bait live lining. Hmmm…

I was informed depending on conditions Peekskill Bay could be nearly freshwater or saltwater. BTW this fisherman grew up in Rockland County and has fished the Hudson for decades.

The flats at low tide are only about 3 feet deep, and around 7 feet deep at high tide. Hmmm.

I was also warned that in Haverstraw Bay, further south, where the Hudson is 3 miles wide the wind can make waves that would endanger a kayak. Good advice. Pretty much the narrower part of the Hudson could be safer, but of course the water is deeper and currents and the tide is more of a concern.

My new Fenwick World Class rod is designed for 12-25 pound test mono, meaning it has a rather light tip, even though it has fast action. With braid because it is thinner the pound test of the line is double, so with braid it is a 25-50 pound test rod. There is no such thing as a 25 pound test, and only a 20 lb. And a 30 lb. With the New lever drag reel I went with 30 pound braid.

Then I figured why not spool the Daiwa Millionaire Tournament with 12 lb. or 15 lb. mono for bait fishing. Since this reel is a beach reel it would have close to 370 yards of capacity with 15 pound mono, so if I ran into a good sized striper it would be a tough fight. Know I still have over half of 900 yard spool on 15 pound mono left.

The idea here is for bait the stretch inherent in mono would be an asset when a fish picks up a bait. Using circle hooks would also be an asset when using bait because they are self setting. The circle hooks are also required for stripped bass fishing because pretty much they promote lip hooking and better serve catch and release.

Meanwhile when using lures braid because of almost no stretch provides a better sensitivity and feel for when fishing with lures. Also better/faster to set a hook.

So I figured out a way to exploit what I have to suit both of my needs with no compromise. Two reels: one primary rod. Also the speed of the retrieve is exploited. I have the fast retrieve when fishing lures where there is a lot of casting, and I have the torgue of a slower retrieve with bait.

Fishing in the Hudson just got a lot more interesting. I also learned that fishing at Jones Point is illegal because you can’t cross over the train tracks. I would get arrested for trespassing. The rail road is for freight trains.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I‘m saddened because this is the last day of daycare for the grandson. He is a happy baby and has been a big part of my life. He will be gone vacationing with his parents who are both teachers for the next month.

Anyways today seems like an odd day.

I swept some concrete in between the pavers on the rear patio and on the front walk, then I watered it down to prevent any weeds from growing. Somehow I got short changed by the mason… Oh-well.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

My friend who is the service manager at my LBS is going to attempt to straighten out the steerer tube of the Raleigh Edge fork this weekend. If it doesn’t work out, I just pulled the trigger on a NOS Spinner fork from the mid 80s with the same crown lug and dropouts, which should work. I took a risk in buying it becaI don't know the axle to crown measurement but it looks like a standard 400mm MTB fork from the pre-suspension days. Keeping my fingers crossed that I may have just scored an identical fork from the same mid-80s production run. If it works, I’ll need to have the threads cut farther down to reach the headset, but I’ll leave the steered tube about 180mm instead of 165mm, which is stock; this will give me an extra 1/2” rise for my stem and handlebar.
I decided to drill holes in a 74BCD chainring to fit 56BCD. I found an old Race Face 26 tooth ring with “ears” that reach in from the current bolt holes. This will allow me plenty of space to drill into the ring and then I’ll have my 26/30 crankset with 20/16 freewheel, making it so I will be able to position the Eno eccentric rear hub at the exact same place, as there is no difference in chain length between the combination of chainrings and freewheel since they all have a 4 tooth difference. I love simplicity while retaining multiple functions, so if I pull it off, it should be really cool.
I need to find a saddle and seatpost for this ride. I should have a shop whack a mandrel into the seat tube to get the collar evenly spread out. As it stands now. A 26.2 post wont fit at all but the spec sheet says 26.4 is what they were shipped with. Granted, this is a VERY EARLY production frame, possibly #110 if I’m getting my Raleigh serial decoded right, which means the first few months of production. That said, it could have been made with the old Raleigh standard of a 25.4 post. We’ll see…

Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

Having a half inch more rise is an asset. Remember back in the day “high-rise” stems were the rage with the geometry of those times.

Also the added rise allows for the weight distribution required/needed to keep the weight over the rear wheel. Keep in mind that a back sweep on your bars is also an asset. Just rotating my bar made a huge difference in handling.

Know that weight on the front wheel speeds up the handling. The length of your handlebars also has a dramatic effect. On my Ti IBIS I have modern wide carbon fiber bars that could be used on a modern 29’er; meanwhile on the steel IBIS I have narrow bars that speed up the handling in an exaggerated manner. The Ti IBIS is a lot more stable: the steel IBIS has violent handling.

I love the idea of two-speed, but fixed gearing…

Cal