NYC Journal

[Calzone]

Today will be an exciting day. The Yo Betty frame is scheduled to be delivered. Can’t wait.

I tell “Maggie” about the cool stem that Phil is offering, and that it is styled like the stem on my new/old IBIS Avion SS stem except with the two bolt feature that will enable using the carbon fiber riser bars that I have on hand.

Maggie yells at me that it better be a cool looking bike.

When I got up this morning I woke up stiff. My torso looks kinda ripped and defined. I think I can do pushups again today, but I deem it better to do some other strength exercise for a better return. In a ways each set I do is maxed out and could be considered HIT (High Intensity Training). Strength is what fades as we age…

I think I will only do one set today, but I will try to do 60. I’ll do another HIT set using other muscles, perhaps involving a 30 pound kettle bell. Maybe squats and lunges. 30 pounds is about 20% my body weight.

Really glad I prepped and kitted out as much as I could on Yo Betty. I have been daydreaming like a ten-year old. Don’t know who is more excited about the “Betty:” me; or Maggie.

I think I will start calling “Maggie” Yo-Maggie to put on a ghetto accent and to annoy her.

She does not realize that at Fat City they used street art and mucho loud colors in their styling. They use this loud green that rivals in brightness to the fluorescent orange I had used to powder coat the steel IBIS. My idea was to prevent getting shot by deer hunters on the narrow deer trails whe rode on in the Pine Barrens.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Cal,
I measured the stem last night and it is a 100mm. I can post a couple photos but it sounds like 100mm is too long.
Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

Thanks for the response.

That 80mm Bontrager aluminum “Race” stem is a buy for me. It could be used on “Maggie’s” gravel bike for the 10 mm shorter length and the rise. The current stem is a zero rise 90mm. Not a bad price: cheap-cheap-cheap… Not a bad item to have in my stockpile. You never know when another mountain bike frame might fall from the sky. LOL

This is for a 31.8mm bar though… and this means buying a new carbon fiber bar.

Ouch with the price for a Renthal “FatBar.” Of course this 27 inch wide bare would have to have it’s width cut down a lot. Way too wide for Maggie’s size, but the riser bar I think will work with the combined rise of the stem.

The Answer bar though has a a smaller diameter and a nice 1 1/2 rise with a comfortable sweep. 23-24 inch width. Kinda more period correct…

I have a Renthal FatBar I could “borrow” off my Ti IBIS. The modern bar width tames some of the aggressive handling of the steep angles, and short wheelbase of only 40 inches. Oddly the steel IBIS has only a 39 1/2 wheelbase, and that is when set maxed out on horizontal dropouts, meaning I can shorten the wheelbase further easily as long as I have tire/chainstay clearence.

How crazy is that?

Remember the Betty has an UBER short wheelbase of 39.2 inches. Because of the short wheelbase, more so than the 71 degree head tube angle will mean that the steering will be fast. Hopefully not too crazy like an IBIS Mountain Trials.

Kinda funny inspiration. I have a 52/40 set of new chainrings that is 110 BCD. Basically tall road bike tooth counts that fit a mountain bike cranks. I also have a Paul’s Components “Melvin” a chain tensioner. I already used the Melvin to see how wide a gear range I could build out, but the 20T max was a limiting factor. Oh-well.

The cool thing though is that this set of chainrings would make a really great two-speed mountain bike, a 2x1 of sorts with a 6. Inch gear for a low, and a big jump tall gear for hammering. Would be great for strength training and intervals. Brutal I say. I also have an extra White Industries Uno hub.

A fool frame would be nice, but of course at a great price.

I have “bike-disease.”

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I am pleased with the Yo Betty. The frame cleaned up nicely with paper towels and some Fantastic. Mucho glad I paid the premium for nice original paint. The serial number is YB 10 17, meaning Yo Betty; 10 inch frame; and number 17. Since this frame has a head tube for a 1 1/8 steerer I would date the frame to an early 1997, so I figure it is 26 years old.

I was surprised that it had a threaded bottom bracket for the cranks, but a threaded BB is welcomed. I guess I was expecting oversized tubing, but no, so this frame will be less stiff and more lively, especially with the tiny triangles.

I spent the rest of the day after childcare putting the bike together with the assemblies I had on hand. I used my custom fishing rod skills to make bushings out of masking tape to fit the fork into the head tube to enable “Maggie to sit on the bike for a trial fit. I borrowed the 90mm Paul Components “BoxCar” 15 degree riser stem and Renthal carbon “FatBoy” riser bars from my Ti IBIS to get in the near ballpark of a fit.

Seems like the 70mm 15 degree rise Paul’s BoxCar stem will be ideal, the FatBars also will work, but of course shortened to be tailored for Maggie’s small frame.

The bike with black accents that riff off the black lettering on the frame is looking kinda evil. The front fork will require mucho tall shims between the stem and headset. Know that 11 inches of seat post is exposed outside the frame and the American Classic Seatpost rides close to the limit of it’s excursion. The look of the bike is with a tall seatpost, a tall steerer tube, riser bars and riser stem, along with a deeply sloping top tube.

“Evil upon evil,” I say.

Minus the chain, the shifters, cables, brakes, brake levers, and headset the assembly currently weighs just 16 3/4 pounds. This is with a boat anchor wide gel saddle that was recycled off the IBIS Avion SS that is mucho ”bloated.” I expect the built bike will be under 20 pounds.

So now I have to scramble and order the remaining parts and wait for delivery.

Maggie nerded out and dug into the Fat City culture and realizes that Yo Betty’s are a rarity that are kinda mythical because of scarcity. She understands the cult like status and the history. She informed me that some frames made in/around the year 2000, right before Fat City went south, that some Yo Betty’s were in fact “Buck Shavers” with Yo Betty decals. Not the same, and a rude surprise that is revealed via the serial number. Ouch.

Now comes the expensive part of buying and adding more boutique parts, but at today’s prices. Oh-well. Now is not the time to “cheap-out” and I had to yell at Maggie that paying the price is worth it because I’m building this bike to last for decades ahead.

She is so enamored with “Betty” that she feels that her new Trek gravel bike will go unused and mentioned selling it.

Know that I wanted to build her a bike right from the get go, but she did not want me to spend the money. She cheaped out and if she sells the Trek it will mean taking a loss. Kinda knew this would happen. Moral of the story is think long-term, don’t be a dumb American consumer, and spend your money once to buy the best that has durability, long term value and a long future.

Maggie is still stuck in poverty mode… Mucho dumb: old habits.

My spin from growing up poor: don’t waste money; but don’t be cheap. Also I learned that I don’t need a lot to be happy.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Ordered mucho parts to complete the build out of “Betty.”

Parts could be incoming in as little as 2-3 days.

When the headset comes in I’ll visit my friend AJ’s shop to have him install the headset. Then the rest is on me.

This bike is unlike my other bikes that got built up over time. Betty is getting it done all at once, and this makes it a big deal and mucho exciting. Not an evolutionary process this time.

I compared my Newsboy to Yo Betty and it is tiny, but the handlebars are set about the same height. “Maggie” I guess wants to have a very upright position. The small frame allows this.

When I sit on the bike it fits, but it is definitely small.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Get her a proper bike fit and a good saddle, made for a woman, and hopefully she’ll stay addicted to cycling.

Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

The boat anchor gel saddle is for a trial fit. “Maggie’s” research taught me that women tend to prefer wider saddles and also tend to need a vagina like valley or cutout running down the spine of the saddle.

So far the bike size and the more upright position, nearly upright, seems to suit her well.

Meanwhile my position is more aggressive with a forward lean that allows, utilizes and exploits my upper body strength. I might not be a big guy, but I tend to use my entire body as a long lever to my advantage.

BTW thanks for the education on the 56mm back in the day granny. I have one more drivetrain that could be used: a Dura-Ace 9-speed that uses Paul’s Component “Thumbies” to harness Dura-Ace Bar-Con shifters.

I can utilize my Grafton cranks with a 42/32/20T and know I have a big stockpile of Dura-Ace 9-speed cassetes with six spare 17-19 clusters, and a spare 21-23-25 cluster to back up the 12-25T I have on hand. Pretty much I can hack a Shimano 9-speed Micro-Drive to annoy people.

Also know the 20 tooth granny I have in 56mm is a purple Ti chainring that is mucho skinny making it somewhat anti-chain suck and mud proof.

I’ll be scouting out another frame. Also these Paul Moto-Lites that are their version of a V-brake could allow using 650 wheels on a mountain bike because they are so adjustable. I think this would annoy Snarky Joe. LOL. Anyways it would make for a nimble bike. Annoying people s a bonus, and I like it.

Snarky Joe and Devil Christian say, “No one else does some of the things I do,” and they laugh about it In my face. I laughed also because it is the truth. Kinda shows I have warped thinking.

Of course I stockpiled all this Dura-Ace hardware years ago and paid little money. The big find was buying the lot of six 17-19 clusters that are the center of the cassette with the 17 tooth that will get used likely the most. A 650B wheel would also encourage mucho usage of the 19 tooth also.

Hmmm…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Today the grandson is one year old. He has been walking for the past month and developmentally he is very advanced.

He is also a very happy baby/toddler.

I’m getting a fresh water fishing license so I can take the 9-year old grand daughter fishing. I bought her an UBER light spinning rod and reel and loaded it up with 4 pound test. A small pan fish will bend the rod like a Tuna.

She caught some fish and remarked how angry and pissed the fish‘s expression was when she reeled in her lurker. She imitated his expression. LOL.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

I’m doing my usual “mental bike build iterations” while this “new” bike is enroute.
The bike lineage spans only 4 years, and there were some changes made in the last year of production, the biggest being the wheels.
Most of these bikes were produced with 597 wheels (AKA 650, AKA S6, AKA 26x1-1/4). This would be the optimal size for the bike to have when I receive it, but there is a big possibility that I would be getting a US import model with 630 wheels (AKA 27x1-1/4). If this is the case, I’ll just need to make a decision about brakes, whether to go for side-pull or center-pull calipers. The other thing, which will be happening, is that a set of new wheels will be built for this ride. I always take the original wheel sets and put them into storage to retain bike originality, and build a set of good modern working wheels. I’ll be building a set of 650B wheels and that is why I need to wait to find out what kind of wheels/brakes the bike has now. Actually, it only has one brake, but I want to either match it or replace it with a matching set of center-pull calipers.
The other issue is to build a rear wheel using my Sturmey AW Alloy hub or to put a flip-flop track hub on it and change gears by flipping the wheel. Both of these options are very enticing, and not expensive for me.
Decisions, decisions, decisions.
I also need to wait to find out what the clamp size of the stem is . In photos it looks like 22.2 but it could be 25.4mm. I really don’t want to change out the beautiful chrome stem, but I will be changing to an optional correct drop bar. I have a set of the exact GB levers which would go on this bike, so that’s settled.
Other little bits and bobs will come as time passes. I have a beautiful crankset for it, if I find I want or need to replace the original. I have a saddle ready to go.
Good thing I’m a patient person, otherwise I’d be going nuts.
Cal, you’re not going to be able to fit a 650B wheel and decent tire in the Betty, even if your brakes can make up the 13mm difference. The tire will rub on the stays and the cross braces. You could fit a 650C but you will only be able to find road tires no bigger than about 32mm. That whole evolution is just movement for movement’s sake, a non-practical proof of concept. It’s much better to stick with a standard 559 rim and a wide variety of tires available.

Phil

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Cal, one other thing is that no 650 wheel, 650C or 650B (lately AKA 27.5) will make that bike more nimble, it will do the opposite. Adding a larger diameter wheel will increase the trail of the fork which will make the bike more sluggish and possibly cause under- or over-steer depending upon the geometry. It can have the effect of adding stability if your fork raises the head angle and rake to the optimal build geometry. This is the point at which Chris Chance designed the frame to include sag-height of the original suspension fork. When people say they did a 650B conversion and it made their bike more nimble, they are coming from a 700C bike, decreasing the trail and potentially dropping a bit of rotating weight. I just wanted to clarify that.

Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

The Yo Betty will remain a 26 inch wheeled bike.

The remains in my closet present building yet another bike. I just learned how the trail will increase with the larger wheel, so I agree it is a bad idea.

The Yo Betty is getting an XTR 9-speed long cage 46/34/24 with an 11-34T XT cassette. Know I have a stockpile of 11-34T XT cassettes, and I will buy more. XT 11-34T are in stock at Jenson USA for $59.99.

This other new/old bike will be a bastard of sorts with a Shimano version of a Micro-Drive. 42/32/20 with a 12-25 Dura-Ace cassette. I’ll look for a cool frame…

Cal

 

[Calzone]

Did 59 pushups in a set, then 55, and then another 55. All within a 15 minute envelope.

I think I will see if I can do another 3 sets before bed time.

I upped my protein intake. Earlier in life I found that protein is kinda the fountain of youth for me because I have the body chemistry to be a cat like carnivore. Back in the day I used Met-Trex a protein supplement that was first devised by a MD for Cancer patients.

I was in my 30’s and riding and racing with younger riders. Increasing my protein intake helped me recover faster and to get stronger.

For breakfast I ate 5 large eggs, but with only one yoke. My neighbor gave us some garden tomatoes so I diced the tomatoes and added some scallions to make a Chinese scramble. I have a plant based protein powder that I drink daily, and then tonight I will polish off the remains of a grilled chicken. I’ll make an Udon soup with fresh spinach and the chicken

If I can do another 55 pushups I’ll try to do the other two sets, otherwise I’ll pull out my 30 pound kettle bell and do my behind the head presses. The idea will be to work my triceps in a HIT manner. A set only takes about a minute, but it is an all out effort that is maxed out.

Tomorrow I’ll likely do biceps and pull out the 30 pound dumbells. Perhaps I’ll do squats and lunges with the kettlebell. I can get this done when the grandson takes a nap.

I have powerful arms for a skinny guy.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Cal, back when I was racing, I consulted a nutritionist at the VA for dietary recommendations. I told her I was doing 60 mile endurance rides both days of the weekend, then doing CX drills in Fairmount park after school. She happened to have been a nutritionist for the U of NC sports teams and she said “you’re not eating enough, you need to triple your intake in the morning.” So I started eating 2000 calorie breakfasts of yogurt, fruit, fruit jam, peanut butter, wheat germ, and eggs. It was brutal force feeding myself but it allowed me to actually build a lot of strength and muscle. My last CX race I lapped 3 riders and placed with enough points to qualify for the Collegiate National Championship, as long as I completed one more race (didn't have to place, only needed to finish.) Then I was doored a week or two later and my racing was over.
It took me 7 months of physical therapy after my shoulder was rebuilt, to regain range of motion and over a year to be able to ride again.

Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

Intuitively I have been eating double breakfasts. Today was 5 eggs, but usually only 4 with only one yoke, two or three slices of bread to make a sandwich. Of course with three slices a double decker.

Then I cut up a banana or two, add a handful of blueberries, and then either add milk and Trader Joe’s Granola, or I add TG Granola with yogurt. For dessert I eat two small oranges.

It does not take long before I’m hungry again. I kinda snort up a package of fresh Trader Joe spinach Tortellini or one of their other fresh ravioli. I also eat these flatbreads I make with two cheeses that when folded create a “Calzone.”

I will also snack on fig Newtons or these protein bars.

For dinner I can grill half a chicken for “Maggie” and me, and I’ll do up a pot of brown rice and eat about a quart of rice. It is kinda gross the amount of food I eat. It pisses people off because I remain skinny.

Leftyover rice is consumed for breakfast. I make a fried rice with eggs and scallions.

As you know biking is a kinda eating disorder.

Too bad you got doored. From what I know you have the genes to really be competitive. I just have a high threshold of pain. My genes are for speed and strength. In high school I was really fast on my feet, and because I am bow legged (malnutrition from poverty) I was hyper agile.

In street fights I could flank an opponent and dodge punches and hit them twice with combinations. I pretty much could overwhelm guys that were bigger than me. I learned how to fight in grade school, in fact it was one of the first things I learned in kindergarten.

Three best things to bring to a fight: speed, agility, and experience.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I was only able to a fast 50 pushups. In fact number 50 was kinda lame. Oh-well… I’m cool with that.

Tomorrow is another day. I’ll use the 30 pound weights tomorrow…

Sometime in September we will have an appointment to find out the state of “Maggie’s” old hip replacement. It has been over 15 years, and we want to know the status. Saturday she had X-rays taken.

This new Orthopedic doctor will come from New York Columbia Presbyterian. He is starting after Labor Day.

Got a tracking number from Jenson USA for the cables and the headset spacers, and the carbon fiber “FatBar” I ordered. I expect more shipping notices tomorrow and deliveries starting in a few days.

AVT Bike generally is a 2-3 day delivery, and I need the 1 1/8 Chris King headset right away. AVT will also be sending me the brakes also.

Then there is the 70mm 15 degree Paul BoxCar stem, and then the Paul Love Levers.

Without the parts all I can do is mount a chain, but it would be easier with the shifters set up with cables.

Life might be boring, but then again there is progress in building a future.

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I read an article about Barbra Corcoran the real estate shark.

The takeaway from the article is that today about 30% of houses sell above the asking price, and that the average time on the market is only 20 days, meaning there is a housing shortage.

Barbra predicts that when interest rates drop say to 5% from today’s 7.3% that home prices will go up 10%-15%.

Even though this is crazy it kinda makes sense to me. This is because so many mortgages were refi’ed and so many homes like mine were purchased at interest rates below 3%. These homes that were secured at these record low rates will be kept out of the market, exacerbating the housing shortage. Simple economics: lack of supply means/translates into higher prices.

Also I stated this before: if you look at the long term, interest rates over long periods of time like decades that the average interest rate on 30 year mortgages is actually 7.49%. Compared with long term history what they say is high is still below the long term average interest rate.

BTW on Lexington Avenue and 96th Street I saw Barbra Corcoran on the street. In the wild I took notice that she in fact is a small woman like “Maggie.” She lived on 5th Avenue, and I lived a few blocks away on 101st and Lex.

The price of my house is not so far from approaching double if Barbra is right and prices go up 15%. Mucho crazy…

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Last night I was consulting another bike nerd friend of mine about the new inbound bike and he said "where does it fit in your stable?"
This brought up a few points about the "new" bike:
The base model of the bike would have shipped new in both the UK and the US with a single-speed "flip-flop" hub.
The upgraded model would have sold with a Sturmey-Archer 4 speed, some with 3 speed in the US.
US imports may have had 27x1-1/4 wheels, UK sales would have been 26x1/14 (650).
The handlebars and levers of the highest level upgrade would have been GB (Gerry Burgess) drop bars with "Super-Hood" levers (I have the levers).

I'm not even getting into the other accessories of the upgraded version, which include a Dynohub, front and rear lights, different kinds of mudguards, aluminum alloy or stainless steel rims.

So we were chatting away and I mentioned that I already have a Rudge Sports 3 speed, which is a 26x1-3/8 (650A) wheeled bike.
So my buddy says "go single-speed!" And that's what I'm going to be doing.

I'll be building a set of wheels using a pair of Normandy track hubs. These hubs are 36 hole, not 32/40 or 36/40, so I don't have to worry about either mismatched rims (a major pet peeve of mine) and I don't have to be concerned with sticking a heavy Velocity Atlas or ugly and heavy Velocity Dyad on the bike. I can go with lightweight 36 hole rims and build up a great set of light wheels to get this old ride back on the road.

I'm going to be using my oldest Brooks B17 saddle from my Miyata, on the "new" to me bike; the Miyata is getting a Brooks Cambium C17.

This ride is going to be one of the nicer bikes in the garage when it's done. I don't have any road bikes with fancy tubing and this is the classic Reynolds 531. The Breezer is Ritchey Logic tubing, but you can't compare a mountain bike and a "club racer" like this "new" one.

Phil

 

[Calzone]

Phil,

I like/love the idea of your new/old bike. Having a single speed is great for fitness and training. My guess is that you would do a flip flop and have the option of freewheel or fixed gear.

I know you are not a weight weenie like me, but it will be a light bike. Sounds like it certainly will be mighty pretty.

Might you know the date of the frame, or the era that these were made?

Cal

 

[Calzone]

I had one of those childish bike nerd daydreams that also Phil enjoys.

In my mind I thought about how the steel IBIS somehow got heavier and more heavier, as I shuffled around my pedals and tires. Today it now weighs in at a whopping 25 pounds with a Judy SL suspension fork plus many lightweight trick parts. A lot of the weight gain was mucho beefy tires that have an increased diameter because of their girth/width.

Normal tires would measure 24 inch diameter rear and 26 inch diameter front, but with my fatter tires the diameters are 25 inch and 27 inch. The bottom bracket of course gets higher by 1/2 an inch, and makes the CG higher, but this bike is being exploited as a trials bike and for slow speed riding that is mucho technical.

I have the drivetrain setup as a 1x11 XTR with a tiny 30T chainring and a 11-42T cassette for crazy low gearing.

So back to my Phil like bike daydream: I did an inventory of parts and wheels on hand, and I decided to simplify my drivetrain to a 3x1. I did this in the past, but I exceeded the max cap of the Paul’s Components chain tensioner of 20 teeth. NFG, but I came up with a 42/32/24 triple for up front that will provide a 52.5 inch, a 40 inch, and a 30 inch gear range which is kinda ideal and optimized for off-road use, and also is all I need for Blue Mountain Preserve by my house.

The 1x11 XTR drivetrain enables building say a “fitness” bike or some other bike in the future. Perhaps another bike for ”Maggie” as I groom her into a biker bitch. I’m still looking at that small IBIS Avion SS, but at an even lower price. Anyways a back burner project…

So the steel IBIS will undergo a diet. Somehow it got “bloated” and will get reinvented in an evolutionary manner. Another bonus is that it will become easier to convert to a 63.59 gear inch single speed which makes for a great hammer bike that exploits the durability of 3/16 inch chains.

So I daydream more than ever because retirement in many ways for me is reverting back into a childhood with that sense of imagination and wonder.

The steel IBIS as a 3x1 is a very cool and elegant bike that is UBER specialized. Built for heavy use, low maintenance, and simplified to only what I need. Also with so few gears a great tool for building skill, balancel and strength.

Cal

 

[Phil_F_NM]

Cal,
This “new” bike is from 1950/1951.
I’m not mentioning specifics because it’s not here yet and I dont want to “jinx” anything with the universe, UPS, whatever.
I’m going to pay attention to weight but also be respectful of the era and component group. I’ll be doing a 2 speed 16/20t freewheel on one side, and 24t freewheel on the other. I could do it up fixed gear but I don't know how my knees will like that, we’ll see. Riding fixed with front and rear brakes is fun though because of the ultimate control.
This bike had a very limited production run, with the whole line going from 1948 - 1951. This particular color, which is a bronze/orange, was only offered in the last 18 months of production. This was a slightly less expensive bicycle than a Claud Butler, Rene Herse, Batavus Champion, etc. The seller doesn’t know much about these models or the brand and is selling it cheap to someone who will restore it. That said, the absolute specifics of the hubs, rims, and quite possibly a Reynolds 531 brazed lugged stem, aren’t fully known yet just from photos on the web. I’ll know its true rarity when it arrives.
The real thing is that even including shipping from the San Francisco bay area, this bike is like finding a working dirty Leica or Rolleiflex at a yard sale, for the cost of a really good cheeseburger with fries and a shake. Like: find it in the “old cameras” bin, ask what the price is, try not to visibly explode when the seller says something really low, buy it, run away. Seriously. I’m keeping my fingers crossed that everything goes perfectly in shipping.

Phil