NYC Journal

Took the grandson to the library for a kid’s event. Afterwards in the playroom made friends with an actor on strike who’s wife is also WGA writer is also on strike.

Lives just outside of northern Peekskill. Has two small kids.

Bob saw us yesterday at the Jazz Feastval.

Cal
 
Slacking the head tube angle and decreasing fork rake will bring steering down to manageable levels.
I rode to and from work on Thursday and I saw a few folks who looked uncomfortable riding bikes with the new fad of a super wide handlebar. Yes, there is something to support wider bars for increased control, to a point though. Once the bar gets wider than a person’s strength can handle, then it actually works against the rider, since the wider bar provides more leverage for the wheel to impart into the rider’s arm. The optimal bar width is two hand widths wider than what is comfortable for a person to do a pushup. If you attempt to do a wide arm pushup and aren’t conditioned nor strong enough, you’ll not be able to lift your body. I see this fad all over the place and what the noodle armed riders are often forgetting is that they aren’t professional athletes, who have the upper body strength to handle the wide bar. This was why John Tomac was able to crush opponents in the early 90s riding a MTB with a road drop bar, he optimized the width of the bar to his strength and also had the aero profile.
I read a discussion this morning about marketing hype and how a cassette of a SRAM 1x12 costs more than the whole drivetrain of a 3x8. Fun times.
Phil
 
Phil,

I agree with you about bar width. Many people don’t have the upper body strength. My Ti IBIS has a 27 inch wide FatBar, but I also have long arms with narrow shoulders.

I figure after “Maggie’s” bike all will be good.

The bike has a nice history and certainly will have a novel appeal.

Do a search on North Shore Betty. I stumbled into this short film about a 73 year old woman mountain biker from British Columbia.

Cal
 
Yesterday the White Industries 44/34 ENO chainring set arrived, and last night I installed them. Had to break out a new chain to add two links. The idea here was to make my gearing a bit taller than the 42/32 I was running, but still have UBER low gearing to spin up long climbs.

The Newsboy is dialed in now, but the takeaway is that the White Industry cranks are a bit heavier than the Middleburn cranks they replaced. There was a slight weight gain, but the Newsboy still weighs under 20 pounds, even with a bottle rack and now a bike computer.

Now it seem I have the gearing I wanted, and in today’s field testing and tuning I found it also shifts wonderfully between the two chainrings. Chainring jumping is really a really important feature when charging rolling hills because of the large changes in gearing. Useful to me and part of my style.

I am very pleased with the results and pretty much a dream come true. Took a while, but now I am satisfied. What a great-great bike for epic rides.

I also moved a Duo spyderless 42/32 that was on the Newsboy to the Ti IBIS because it is a lighter assembly than the traditional double I was using. In this case the shifting suffered. The traditional setup has a different tooth profile and the ramps definitely are more aggressive which translates into more violent shifting between the chain rings.

Tonight I will shift back to the traditional set of chainrings for better performance. Oh-well…

Had a pest control visit (exterminator). We had wasp and Yellow Jacket nests, and a bit of an ant problem. Seems that an unintended consequence of our mulching and organic manner we groom our property makes us a sanctuary of sorts because our neighbors use pesticides and fertilizers. In other words we get more than our fair share.

Somehow a bit of a meet-up happened with our neighbors right in our front yard (tiny). I inquired about the last sightings of Grampy, and it has been weeks…, but one neighbor reported that the last time he saw him was down the block. He could still be alive but residing up the hill.

Cal
 
There are more bike developments happening here as well. I won’t mention anything specific, but a new, and quite uncommon, bike may be joining the herd.
The temps are finally letting up and I’m getting to ride more. I may ride to work tomorrow, we’ll see.

Phil
 
Phil,

I have a calm and boring life: give up the smut.

I’m anxious to get the Yo Betty frame. I discovered that I have so many parts to recycle, and that pretty much all I need are brakes, a seat, and likely a stem and bars. In this process I’m kinda cleaning up the basement.

Also I can borrow some parts from my other bikes to just get things rolling so we can tweak in the fit. For example I can borrow the riser bars off the Ti IBIS or the BMX style carbon bars off the steel IBIS To dial in the stem. I’ll leave the cables a bit long and then trim them in as we finalize and tweak in a nice fit.

I expect the small frame, 3 pounds 7 ounces should be a fairly light bike and with an UBER short wheelbase under 40 inches it will have some quick handling, even though the head tube angle is only 71 degrees. Certainly the CG will be low though. I expect using a 23-24 inch wide bar will work for “Maggie” an old school width.

Cal
 
My friend Craig, the tree surgeon, dropped off some more tree brush as clean fill.

He has invited me to come see his wood stockpile, and he asked if I have any big construction projects planned. I mentioned building two 8x8 carriage house doors on my garage, and I mentioned that at Dain’s lumber, the oldest lumberyard in Westchester, that they sell reclaimed Douglas Fir.

I got some smut from Craig that the fir that Dain’s is selling likely is not reclaimed lumber at all, and in fact might be old growth lumber from trees that Craig has sold to Dain’s as logs. Craig suggests that the wood being sold as “reclaimed” is actually from logs that Craig has harvested and sold to Dain’s. Know that Dain’s has sawmill capabilities, and is the biggest lumber yard I know of.

I was just minding my own business and I get the smut. Then again Craig wants to cut me a deal. This fir is available in 12 inch wide planks and 7 inch wide planks and costs $12.00 a board foot. Getting wide planks is not so easy… Also I noticed in the Dain’s samples I received that there were no signs of nail holes and that it was clear lumber. Hmmm..

I speculate that Craig got finished lumber as a barter trade for raw logs. Hmmm. Am I a big smut queen? How did I run into these kind of deals? Why me? Could I save 33% and get the same lumber for perhaps $8.00 a board foot? If Craig is a really good friend maybe even a 50% discount, and $6.00 a board foot.

Of course no sales tax…

Know that a high quality insulated pair of 8x8 garage doors costs about $7K-$8K. To me this is a rip-off. The doors presently on my garage are very sad.

Don’t tell anyone the inside story.

One of my neighbor’s knows we bike and mentioned wanting to start biking again. We mentioned the Empire State Trail. Seems like a group ride could be forming…

All my fault. LOL.

Excited to field test the Ti IBIS again after I restored the 104 BCD double chainrings. The shifting between the chainrings is so precise and rapid that I could describe the action as violent. There are very serious and aggressive ramping, unlike other chainrings. Wonderful for charging rolling hills where you kinda want to skip through the range of gears between climbing and accelerating down descents. Bam-bam… and Bam-bam again.

Especially useful on the Ti IBIS because it climbs and accelerates like a MoFo. Oh what fun. This bike loves standing and pushing big gears.

Cal
 
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BTW Craig suggested in the past replacing the rotten wooden bed in my 1966 C-10 with some of his hardwood lumber he has stockpiled.

I can also see me and Craig doing a business and making kits for pickup vintage truck beds. There are kits available already in pine and red oak, but not in Fir, Cherry or some other crazy hardwoods.

Of course this would be a fine tuned specialty market…

Seems like the word is getting around. My exterminator told me yesterday that he sees me walking around Peekskill all the time. The same with my UPS driver. I guess I am starting to stand out as a local wack-job.

Cal
 
Devil Dan,

You are my inspiration for going crazy. “Crazy is good,” I say.

I expect that eventually photography and printing will become the mainstay of my creative life again. I’m enjoying the break. I don’t think I will have the infrastructure you possess and built out ever, but that’s alright. What you have is truly crazy, and in the way it is like Disneyland.

Of course going crazy takes both time and money. Trying not to waste either.

On the modeling front, a friend of “Maggie’s” from Vancouver wants to gift and style some eyewear for me. Pretty much free frames, but I will have to pay for the prescription lenses locally. Our friend we met up with in Seattle about 5 or more years ago on vacation.

I have all these high end retro glasses from over the decades stored in my basement, but I can’t find the box. Pretty much treasure and all notable brands like Gucci and Prada. Somewhere in my house are some original Oaklies from the 80’s.

How cool is that?

Anyways somehow I am getting widely known even though I am trying to stay under the radar. I guess I really stand out in a crowd I figure.

My life is relaxed and calm, but also mucho exciting.

Cal
 
Cal,
I don’t want to jinx the deal or risk other bike nerds finding out about it, so I’m keeping wraps on specifics until it is shipped. Let’s just say it’s kind of like finding a Leica IIIG at a yard sale, and getting it for $100.
Phil
 
Been looking at short 1 1/8 inch stems. Not so common…

I think I found one that would be cool; short; with a rise; and with the letter “B” to accent the Yo Betty.

Not a lot of money so it would be a bonus. Why spend money if you don’t have to. Very cool.

Cal
 
Cal,
I have a collection of 1-1/8” threadless stems if you find a length and rise you need, let me know. The nicest is a Salsa Chromoly 90mm 10 deg rise. Single bolt stem and double bolt handlebar clamp which allows for a bar swap. Very svelte and quite lightweight.This is the stem I had on the Breezer during the first build iteration when it had the Judy fork.
I have others which are more modern MTB chunky stems but they work and have the ability to do bar swaps easily.
On my heavy commuting bikes, I went with Redshift ShockStop stems which are downright ugly but they essentially eliminate road vibrations as well as some of the most common bumps. It’s not quite suspension like you get in a good fork, but it reduces fatigue and allows for much more time on the bike.
Still waiting to close the deal on the bike I mentioned earlier. Just eagerly awaiting that shipping quote.

Phil
 
Phil,

Good luck with sealing the deal.

It seems the IBIS Avion SS was a mistake that turned out to be a great deal. All the changes/upgrades came from my closet with no cost to me.

It is stories like these that you can’t make up. It is as if a mountain bike fell from the sky into my lap. Kinda like an act of divine intervention, an additional one of those stories where good things happen to good people.

The 1 1/8 Salsa stem would be cool, but the 90mm length might still be too long for a woman. A 10 degree rise is welcomed. Also might I ask what color it is? Might it be black? She wants to stress the black to match the black lettering on the frame.

The aluminum Bontrager has this “B” on the front and I think if I remember right it is either an 80 or 85mm with a rise. “Maggie” likes these Answer carbon bars that are narrow by today’s standards at 23-24 inches wide, and the nice thing about these is they have a 1 1/2 inch rise and a comfortable sweep for her. Also on hand and in stock. They once graced the Newsboy with a Ringle stem.

Would be great to recycle what I already have.

I still have that Ringle 1 1/8 stem, it is black, but a long 140mm length. Could you use it? If it were mucho short Maggie could use it and it kinda would be period correct.

The easy bar change is important because I would like to use a riser bar instead of spacers on the steerer tube. Also know I prefer the dampening of steel over aluminum. Like you say the micro bumps add to fatigue.

The head tube angle is only 71 degrees, but I expect the bike could be kinda twitchy because the wheelbase is so short: 39.2 inches. Because the frame is so small it also has the potential to be kinda crazy light in weight.

Keep us informed.

Also I need some expert advice. I have a spare set of cranks that go back to back in the day. They are either Graftons or Cook Brothers, but I suspect more that they might be Graftons. They are 94 BCD for Micro Drive, but my more modern CD sized granny chainrings seem to have a slightly larger BCD.

Looking for a 24T that fits. I have an old 20T that fits perfectly, but the modern grannie’s have a slightly larger bolt circle.

What gives?

Cal
 
Cal,
If I’m reading correctly, it sounds like you have a crankset with a 94/56 BCD. Those cranks should take the same granny gears as a Suntour. If they are slightly bigger, that is the 58BCD Shimano standard that dominated mountain biking after the demise of Suntour.
Tonight I’ll try to get a photo or two of the Salsa stem and also next to a ruler.
Phil
 
Phil,

Many thanks.

What you say makes sense. The XC Pro cranks you now have were replaced with these Graftons I bought off a friend, and I had them on my Ti Basso known now as the “Newsboy.”

The Bontrager aluminum stem is a “Race” stem and in fact is an 80 mm with a rise.

BTW the Zooka Ringle stem I have is a 1 inch and not 1 1/8th. Sorry for the confusion. Black with I think yellow lettering.

My problem is that I have a pretty big stockpile as far as chainrings go. Mucho selection of the 58 BCD you mentioned.

BTW the White Industries VBC chainring set I secured (44/34) does shifts remarkably well on the Newsboy. Perhaps the only downside is that the cranks and chainrings are a bit heavy, but how can I complain for a reasonable overbuild. These cranks are mighty stiff and well made.

The Newsboy is mighty good looking.

Some cool MoJo is happening with all these vintage retro parts. The 1 1/8 fork I’ll be using on the Yo Betty is a Koski clone, but it has an axel to crown length of 16 1/2 inches: 1 1/2 inches longer than a pre-suspension vintage Koski fork.

The Yo Betty was first produced in 1996 with a 1 inch steerer; but then in 1997 until 2000 Yo Betty’s were 1 1/8 steerer. Certainly these frames were designed for suspensions and the longer forks. How cool is it that I have a fork in the closet to use?

Cal
 
I have to confess that strength training gets hard as you age.

Today I did 55 pushups in one set; then I did a second set of 55 hours later; lets see if I can do at least 50. If I can do another 55 I think I will be impressed.

Let’s see…

So I was able to do 55. Know these are “fast” pushups, meaning I do them as fast as I can.

Anyways I have to tell you it took a while to get here. Initially I could do 50, but then only 40, and then 30, even with long rest, but after that struggle and laying off strength exercise for a good amount of time the numbers got to 55-50-45 without hours of rest in between.

Next goal would be to compress the rest.

Never took so much rest to get to this point, but I think there is a lot less muscle tearing now and pretty much tomorrow I can do pushups again instead of waiting a few days for tares to mend.

Did you ever hear of this exercise called “burpees?” Pretty much a combination of a squat thrust and a pushup. This old guy who works for the NYC MTA taught me what he did for his strength training: burpees. He basically does as many as he can in each set and does sets whenever he can throughout the day.

Easy, but then again not so easy…

I bet this helps develop explosive power especially if you jump at the end of the squat thrust.

”Maggie” had a hip replacement over 15 years ago. Saturday we are going to get a series of X-rays before going to an orthopedic specialist in September. We want to know the condition of her replacement, and also don’t want to do anything dumb. No trail running for her.

I’m not putting on a lot of mileage on the bikes because basically I’m coaching her on the bike to just build out at least three months of long-slow-distance just to build a base and to learn how to ride and control a bike. This would never of happened without the safety of the Empire State Trail.

Anyways with our fitness routine she already has lost about 6-7 pounds (now 5’2” 118 pounds). I say if she gets to 110 she will be a skinny bitch. All we are doing is pumping blood. Speed and strength will come later…

Before bed I think I will see if I can do another set of 55 pushups, and then I’ll see if I feel it tomorrow when I wake up.

Did you know that Arnold Swartenager had a 5-year plan. Basically he had two goals: he wanted to be rich; he wanted to also be famous. In an interview I heard him said that every single day he did something to make it happen, and of course his plan worked.

I’m kinda following the every day routine, but of course proper rest is part of it. Don’t want to overtrain… I’m looking to have a good quality of life as I age.

The bikes I own I expect to use for many more decades. How cool is that? My steel IBIS dates back to the late 1980’s. I have spent lots of money on these bikes, but I got my money’s worth out of them. They taught me a lot about myself, and my body.

Do a search on “North Shore Betty.” Watch the Patagonia Documentry.

Let’s see if I can do 55 more.

Cal
 
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