NYC Journal

Cal,
My old racing CX bike was a Haro CXR from the early 90s. It was a Haro rebadged Kinesis CX frame with a Kinesis CrossLite alloy fork. The bike was light and extremely stiff, unforgiving, but that is cyclocross. I outfitted it with a 2x8 Dura Ace group, save for the front wheel which was a Suntour Superbe Pro track hub. Rims were Mavic GP4 tubulars, with Vittoria Cross tires glued on. I still have the saddle from that bike, the rest has moved on. That was the era when I had numerous tubular track wheelsets and a seemingly endless supply of sew up tires. I think most of the 2009 school year I was riding tubular tires, even on my commuter bike. This was also when my road race training bike (sunday driver) was a Vitus 979 that weighed just over 17lbs. That was full Campagnolo, mostly Triomphe which turned out to be their lightest group besides Super Record. The rear derailleur didn't have a barrel adjuster, so it was limited to friction and only short cage, so the biggest cog was a 26 tooth. I was rolling a 6 speed freewheel on that bike. It was 100% polished aluminum and looked fast just standing still. A lot of the Saturday B riders loved that I was riding a late 80s racing bike with championship heritage. Sean Kelly won numerous races on a Vitus 979, the big one being the Vuelta a Espana. I was always bucking the norm of riding the lightest road bike available back then by finding cheaper true racing frames then working my butt off to be able to compete. I always approached racing, and even training, with the following mantra: "pass the rider in front of me" which worked well for me. I used to be tucked in "relaxing" and decide to breakaway then push an extra 300 watts for maybe 30 seconds and then I'd be 4 riders ahead of where I was. Wash, rinse, repeat. I was never good at being in front and setting the pace, I always needed someone to chase. (I made a rhyme).
When you get your new aluminum wonder, check it with a magnifying glass at every weld and wherever there is a scratch, take a soft bronze brush to it to remove any powdered oxide, then seal the paint chip with a good hard paint, like refrigerator epoxy or the paint used for alloy Corvette heads. I've brushed away inches of weld bead with toothbrushes on old aluminum bikes, especially Cannondales, then told the owners to never ride them again because they are dangerous and WILL fail. This is just how the northeast as well as some mountain states, treat the roads which eats away metal. Colorado uses potassium chloride for road salt which will eat an aluminum frame in one season.

As for my bike journey, the LBS had a supply issue and the cog I ordered is no longer available, so I went with a different distributor and ordered two 19 tooth cogs by the same company, which is ending production in 2024 (<--- industry smut) Not sure if there will be any fire-sale or if there will simply just be absorption of remaining stock then trickling it away piecemeal.

I'm going to start doing some math to see what kind of singlespeed/fixed gear spread I can get away with using existing frames with long horizontal dropouts (Raleigh TI bikes, Campagnolo 1010 dropouts, things with about 2" of movement.) Next one may be a crazy frankenbike, we'll see. A winter project, maybe.

Phil
 
Phil,

Thanks on the advice about aluminum corrosion. I will inspect the frame closely. This is my first aluminum bike.

Always good to have some project on the back burner. It took many years to catch up and build out the bikes I have. The Yo Betty came as a surprise, as well as the IBIS SS.

One more set of kettelbell presses behind my head for my shoulders, and I think I will call it a day. I see bulk building, I’m not looking so skinny, and I wonder if I’m gaining weight due to muscle buildup.

There are some suspension corrected forks available that can have me avoid a disc brake. In Blue Mountain there is Montrose Station Road, but it basically is a gravel road that is a closed off abandoned road that crosses the preserve. A really good place to do high speed interval training. Going east it is a climb. Parts are washed out though.

Cal
 
It is never good getting woken up with a phone call 5:30 AM in the morning. The grandson’s doctor told the mom to take the kid to the ER. He has a cough and is having difficulty breathing.

”Maggie” says he likely needs a steroid shot and a nebulizer.

I dropped of Maggie and I’m home waiting for progress. I am also glad and happy that great first rate medical care is nearby right in my small city. Kinda strategic.

I kinda expect a backlash from all the mask wearing and social distancing that was because of Covid and the pandemic. Now that things have opened up our grandson is more vulnerable.

Cal
 
Bike Smut: So why was I compelled to buy another frame to build yet another bike excuse. For a $245.00 offer that was taken I got the legendary geometry that exactly replicates the geometry of the original IBIS Mojo a bike that came out in the mid 90’s.

The Mojo basically replaced the IBIS SS a bike I love that fell from heaven that I bought by accident. The evolution of the Mojo was because 1 1/8 aheadsets were now the standard as well as bike geometry that changed due to front suspensions becoming prevalent.

So kinda cool having an IBIS rigid and an IBIS front suspension geometry..

Then consider that my Ti IBIS basically has the front triangle of the ultimate top of the food chain Ti Mojo, but has the small rear triangle of a Mountain Trials with its hyper short wheelbase.

Kinda interesting that my IBIS SS, the Ti IBIS Mountain Trials, and the IBIS Alibi all are 17 inch frames.

The Ti IBIS now has a Rock Shox XC on it that has been tricked out, overhauled and upgraded, but I also have a 16 inch long IBIS Type II fork made by Steve Potts. This fork replicates the geometry of the straight bladed fork that came on my steel IBIS, but is not fully suspension correct to a 16 1/2 length. Understand that an 80mm suspension fork is 17 inches fully extended and a suspension corrected fork generally is about 16 1/2 to simulate “sag” from loading.

My 16 inch Type II fork because it is a half inch shorter kinda steepens the head tube angle about half a degree to effectively make it about 71 1/2 degrees instead of the 71 on a Ti Mojo. The effect is more responsive steering that some riders wopuld call twitchy. I’m cool with that because the steel IBIS Mountain Trials has a head tube angle of 72 degrees.

To sum things up the slightly shorter fork speeds up the steering, but it is still a bit slower than my steel IBIS Mountain Trials.

If I use a 2.35 wide tire on the front the diameter of the wheel increases by an inch and basically I add a half inch to the fork length effectively. Also the aided air volume offers Cush and is like a small very limited travel suspension. The idea here is to make the Ti IBIS a full rigid to free up the Rock Shox XC fork so that it could be utilized on the Alibi.

I’m cool with making the Ti IBIS a full rigid and it will be a mighty cool bike. Could be mighty stupid light in weight and likely easily under 20 pounds with a 2x11 drivetrain.

Then the Alibi becomes a front suspension bike which is period correct and saves me the hassle and expense of a disc front wheel, fork and braking system.

First Alibi build will be as a single speed, then as a 1x2. I could do a hill-billy 3x9 12-25T 42/32/20 Dura-Ace. I have Paul’s Thumbies for use to adapt the 9-speed bar-con Dura-Ace shifters In my stockpile I have mucho 12-25T cassette capability, and I even have a titanium 12-26T cassette that would enable maintaining a 20 inch gear low even with a 2.35 wide tire that has a 27 inch diameter.

For Snarky Joe, know that the Alibi and Mojo both have a short 41 inch wheelbase.

Also I kinda discovered why I love “Maggie’s” Yo Betty so much. It has an UBER short wheelbase of only 39 1/2 inches. This is mucho short and happens to be the same wheelbase as my steel IBIS. In studying dirt jump bikes and bikes especially made for pump tracks the small frame and short wheelbase is for this style of riding. Pretty much the Yo Betty has a crazy short wheelbase, especially for a bike with two 26 inch wheels.

I guess I have some BMX blood in me even though I have no BMX bikes or BMX experience. How did that happen?

Cal
 
“Maggie” reports some pretty big flooding in NYC.

She showed me some video of what appeared to be likely Metropolitan Avenue in Williamsburg Brooklyn to have knee high water in the streets with waves from cars. This section of Williamsburg is inland and not by the Hudson River. Kinda close to the Italian section further east.

Cal
 
The Ti IBIS Mountain Trials is now set up as a full rigid and it weighs 19 1/2 pounds with a 2.25 wide tire on the front wheel. If I change to a 2.35 wide for Cush I’ll add about 3 1/2 ounces, but still sub 20 pounds. Not bad for a 2x11 XTR.

I really-really love this bike.

The tricked out Rock Shox Judy XC weighs 3 3/4 pounds, while the IBIS Type II is only 1.85 pounds.

I dropped of the hubs for A.J. to build out a set of light weight wheels for the IBIS Alibi. He also will be ordering me in a Thompson 28.6 seatpost.

NYC got flooded pretty bad. Mayor Adams response was poor. I’m so glad I’m out of the city.

Cal
 
It seems like some things like some seatposts and forks of old are somewhat time limited and are getting phased out. New parts to build out old bikes is getting a bit harder.

I asked A.J. about 28.6mm seatposts, and he mentioned that today they are rare, but I told him that I can still buy a Thompson seatpost for $114.00 new. He was surprised at the availability.

He suggested that when stock gets sold out that it might be it. Maybe he is wrong, but it does make sense that market share will only get smaller, and eventually what A.J. suggests will eventually happen one day.

I do kinda understand that I’m in borrowed time, and that the Alibi could be my last new/old bike.

With the V-brake forks I don’t want one from China, and the NOS has kinda dried up for suspension corrected forks. So disc brakes… and then added complexity and expense to go modern.

A.J. thinks that the more standard higher end seat posts will cease to be produced and will become rare. Only cheap ones will be available as dropper posts are becoming common. Basically I guess the market to support old bike technology is diminishing. Perhaps this is most pronounced in my area of interest: old mountain bikes.

Anyways what I am saying is that making new/old bikes is getting more challenging, and perhaps not to far away it will become harder to do.

I’m kinda happy that I got this far, but pretty much I see it not being so cost feasible to build out bikes the way I do.

So I understand that I’m at a point where the next bike to consider might be a new full suspension 29’er. This would be for specifically Blue Mountain where I am seriously underbiked. It kills me that I have such a resource so close to home and that I can’t really exploit it.

Cal
 
There are plenty of old components out there, you’re just going to have to buy used. A seatpost is a seatpost. There are 7/8” clamp type straight posts, and more modern “micro-adjust” posts. They aren’t a wear item like a chain, cog, cable, housing, etc. Even a used post can work just as well as a new post. My Miyata uses a 26.7mm post which is truly unavailable now, so I bottle brush honed the seat tube over a decade ago and now it fits 26.8mm. I was using a truly rare XTR post on that bike for years then when I found the Breezer used a 26.8, I knew the XTR had a new home and the Miyata needed a new-to-me post. I found a good condition used SR copy of the Campy Record micro-adjust post and couldn’t be happier. Both bikes have proper posts and I barely spent anything on the used SR. We all have to suck it up sometimes when we cant find the parts we want anywhere on earth, then we’re forced to buy the perfectly adequate, not too heavy, Kalloy Uno. Thats what the Raleigh Mtn Trials got because it’s a 25.8mm which is a very odd size. It’s a seatpost, it just works. The clubman takes a 25.4mm and I chose to use an ancient American Classic instead of the usual heavy chrome post with 7/8” clamp. Thats the compromise I made. I wasn’t willing to put on a Kalloy Uno either, and I ma never see an original Reynolds post which the bike had originally, so I accepted compromises. Either that or I had no seatpost. If it comes down to a $30 Kalloy Uno or not riding, then the choice is obvious. The best part is that used things like seatposts are nearly free in comparison to all the other trappings of a bicycle, only one is needed to be purchased once, and when appropriately lubed, lasts as long as the bike. Just save the money.

Phil
 
Phil,

I guess I’m experiencing what you have gone through many-many times. I’m not use to scarcity, yet I own a lot of rare things.

No doubt though eventually things are getting less abundant and more costly as they use to be as time goes on.

I have a NOS chromed 1 1/8 Tange “Big Fork” but it is threaded. It would look great on the Alibi which has a metallic light gold color called “Warm Beer.” It is not suspension corrected and the shorter length of the legs would speed up the steering angle I figure by about a degree.

The angles on an IBIS Mojo and IBIS Alibi are the same: 71 degrees head tube; and 73 degrees seat tube. The Tange Big Fork would be just so evil. The wheelbase on a 17 inch frame is only 41 inches…

I figure also that it will be a bit difficult getting a short stem which was not so common back in the day. Hmmm.

My second thought is to keep the Rock Shox XC capability dedicated to the Ti IBIS and set up this fork with a V-brake. On the rigid fork I have a set of Paul’s Neo Retro brakes. The straddle cable length I use is long and this increases the leverage on a brake that was designed for tandem use. Effectively it has the stopping power of a V-brake.

This Neo Retro brake though on a RS Judy XC does not allow for a long straddle cable and this great brake becomes muy lame. A ”Duplex” brake lever I have on hand allows me to change the pivot and convert the pull from short to long, allowing me to save money and recycle an unused part that is kinda trick.

Basically the IBIS Type II and the RS Judy XC would be modular with the brakes and brake levers exchanged with the forks. I really love this idea. I’m cool if the Alibi remains just a radical/hyper single speed or 1x2. Pretty much this plan saves ammo (money).

I kinda know the effect of mounting a suspension fork on a pre-suspension bike and how the chopper like effect slows down the steering. I would expect the opposite effect with a shorter fork on a frame built for suspension. BTW the steel IBIS Mountain Trials has a 72 degree head tube angle with the stock rigid fork that measures 16 inches axel-to-crown. Of course a suspension fork slows the steering down with a longer length.

Also know I have three sets of springs: one set is the original Speed Springs for very light riders; and the other two are Steed Springs that are light and medium weight riders. I gave an assortment to easily tune my two RS Judys with mix and match. The full medium set is near lockout for me because I have a long torso and have a very rearward position.

Cal
 
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Cal, if you want to keep the new Alibi suspension correct, threadless and also want a rigid fork, look for Specialized "Direct Drive" forks. My old employer had about a dozen of these and they were color matched to the 1994-95ish Stumpjumper and Rockhopper frames. They are Tange Prestige tubing. It looks like the Alibi optionally shipped new with a Tange Big Fork, you'll just need to see how much that affects your trail and if you get wheel flop from it. Too low and it becomes a dangerous caster.
What length quill stem are you looking for? I'll keep my eye out.

Phil
 
Phil,

One thing that got me excited about the Tange Big Fork is that I saw a black version mounted on an Alibi that had a repainted frame with decals that was orange. I didn’t know it was an option.

I already have an aluminum Syncros stem that is a zero rise and 130mm. I wish it had a rise because it could work. I kinda have stubby legs and an UBER long torso. That is why I have an odd style of using my entire body and using strength to ride. I tend to use my upper body more than anyone I know. That would explain why I am so cut and muscular at the same time being a skinny bitch.

Shorter with more rise would be even better.

I’m also still considering a more modern disc fork, but this of course is the expensive route. I might have an in here because of A.J. If I use something he has laying around, a take-off, or even a friendly discount.

The golden Warm Beer metallic with a chromed fork and black accents would be mighty-mighty evil. BTW A.J. Is 5’9” and around 165 pounds, no fat and pretty much all muscle. He races motorcycles (Enduro) also. Pretty much a wack job. Anyways he kinda goes bonkers over my bikes.

I’m off to look for a direct drive fork.

Cal
 
Wednesday frame delivery expected.

Boy NYC was a mess. 8 inches of rain at JFK Airport. Pretty widespread flooding: Brooklyn, Queens, and Madhattan.

I can hear the diesel train on the Metro North Hudson LIne from my house, yet according to my GPS in the Audi I am 75-80 feet above sea level depending on tide.

My homeowner’s insurance sent me a notice today with an update that our insurance no longer covers damage from mudslides. I’m cool with that. I‘m at little risk of either flooding or mudslides.

Dickey Brook just beyond my back-backyard would have to become a rather large river and would have to fill a rather wide/large valley to flood my street. For now I feel safe, and yes we have had some big storms that caused flooding elsewhere, but records are kept being broken.

”Maggie” and I spoke of how strategic was my thinking of avoiding living in a flood zone. When I lived in NYC I lived either in a flood zone proper or right on the hairy edge of one.

I mounted a 2.35 wide front tire on the Ti IBIS. The increased diameter of the wheel, 27 inches, not only adds Cush, but also adds a half inch to the front end to effectively be totally suspension corrected. The 27 inch front wheel with the 24 inch rear is aggressive looking.

Weight is now exactly 20 pounds.

Cal
 
Thanks to Phil I found a 1 1/8th Specialized Direct Drive fork on EBAY for $75.00, minis shipping and tax. Shipping was a bit expensive, but still an reasonable deal. A great thing is that the steerer is 9 1/4 inches long, and more than I need.

The color is maroon and the fork displays mucho chips in the finish. I have a scotch-bright wheel that I can use to basically polish off the paint to bare metal for a refinish likely in plain black. The frame is Warm Beer meaning a lite gold metallic. The scotch bright wheel is a tool that I got when I worked at Grumman meaning free.

I might just stick with an all black accent, but I can also go silver and black for less of a stealth look for the brake system.

I also secured an IBIS leather saddle with Chro-mo rails for $25.00, minus shipping and tax. Cheap-cheap-cheap, but also UBER high quality for “no-money.”

I’m seeing a reasonable deal on IBIS carbon fiber handlebars that are basically “take-offs” that are basically new without the packaging. Anyways less than half the price of a mucho expensive FatBar. The clamp diameter is 31.8 mm so I need a modern stem.

A likely possibility is that I will use the 90mm Paul’s Boxcar stem off my Ti IBIS that has a 15 degree rise so I can replace the Boxcar I removed with a 70 mm Boxcar that also has a 15 degree rise like on “Maggie’s Yo Betty. On a stem a 10mm difference is kinda significant.

So I’m not doing too bad with curbing costs, but also I’m not cheaping out and cheating myself. Not a cheap bike, also not an expensive one, but should be rather light in weight and high performance. I find that with single speed bikes I wander the most, explore a lot, and also have the thrill of adventure.

A single speed also promotes my style of standing and using my entire body as a lever for strength training, and of course this is most exploited on a full rigid bike for its stiffness. Really great for interval training and getting bloodshot eyes from O2 deficiency from anaerobic training.

Cal
 
I looked through my stockpile and I think I might have a 1 1/8 stem and carbon bar combo on hand that might be great.

The stem is a titanium Titec zero degree rise. The lack of rise is alright because I have a 9 1/4 inch of steerer length and I can control stem height with spacers. EZ-PZ. The length is 135 mm which is a bit long, not too long, but also promotes an aggressive flat position that requires a mucho strong core. This is likely great for the intended type of riding I intend to do.

The handlebars are surplus that once were on the bike now known as the Newsboy. They are Answer carbon fiber Protaper bars. The Titec stem has a two piece clamp and this allows the mounting of bars that are not flat that have a rise. These bars have a one inch rise. These bars are kinda retro, are light, and are also stiff.

No money required. Ha-ha. I love it.

Cal
 
Monday I will have my first colon exam. I have a two phase laxative that will begin tonight, then I have to do the second early Monday morning. This laxative is known to give cramps. My neighbor the “Monster” had this ill effect and so did “Maggie.”

About 50% of the time this exam reveals polyps and they go off to a lab to see if they are Cancerous. Cancer does not run in my family, and basically if I get the all clear then the next time I have to do this procedure is in ten years. I hope this is the case.

I should of had an exam more than a decade ago when I turned first tuned 50. Oh-well…

One of the things I can do to minimize side effects is to hydrate big time. I’m already fasting and drinking clear liquids. They say I can have a light breakfast today, but my thinking some toast is not going to satisfy me, and the purpose is to empty my bowels totally, so go all the way.

Did you know that your digestive system and metabolism involves about 80% of your brain’s use. Pretty much without this drain you can think faster, be more alert, and even feel eventually exhilarated. The longest I fasted was 5 days. It was an interesting experiment, but is not for everybody.

I’m spending the day doing lite work to make the most of a wasted day. I Knotweeded the table and the terrace. I pruned back the brush and added it to the mulch and tree clippings my friend Craig gave me as clean fill.

With this years fall harvest of leaves I should have the slope filled up to the height of the chain link fence that I illegally installed without a permit. Basically I’m using the fence to form a stabilizing retainer, and eventually in time it will get totally buried. Some of that I expect to happen this fall as the fence will kinda form a small cliff of sorts.

What I learned is that the composting of leaves only takes about a full year, and the creation of loam is so vast that I kinda have an abundance of worms, so much so that perhaps I have a worm farm. These worms are well fed and also get my vegetable kitchen waste like coffee grinds, orange peels, banana skins and of course egg shells. They are like small snakes.

It may take some time, but I can see eventually enough space expanding where I might have enough space to build a backyard pump track. My two IBIS Mountain Trials somewhat resemble BMX bikes, and BMX bikes do well on pump tracks.

A pump track is a series of “rollers” where you pump the bike and shift your weight like on a kid’s swing to gain momentium. Of course this is not random and involves timing. Then there are banked turns to loop you back to another set of rollers to help you maintain momentium, with the track looping around so you can repeat and keep building speed.

Pretty much the seat is set as low as it can go because you need to be able to shift your body weight unencumbered.

A pump track, if built correctly requires no pedaling, and pretty much is a pure strength workout that utilizes your entire body.

I saw plans available for a pump track that was as small as 20x32 feet. Then I can always annex some of the dead end. I also saw where someone built a portable pump track that was built like a deck out of wood.

Don’t tell Maggie.

I think I will use the push mower and do the lawn. Gentle exercise today.

Cal
 
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I had my procedure. It took longer than expected because the patient before me had mucho polyps that had to be remove, and this set back my turn about 2-2 1/2 hours.

My hope that I would not have any was just wishful thinking, in fact I had three. So it will be likely I will need to repeat this procedure every 3-5 years instead of every ten. Oh-well. A life saving screening.

I asked a nurse and she said it is more than 50% that have polyps.

So because of the delay I literally have not eaten anything for two complete days.

I’m happy that it is done, but I should of started these screenings years ago. Not pleasant, but life saving…

They say get your first one at age 50. Don’t put it off like I did.

Cal
 
BTW the last time I was in the hospital it was because of cellulitis. That was pretty recently, and before that maybe a decade ago to make sure I didn’t have a detach retina.

The eye episode happened during a routine checkup, and I was advised to go to the ER at the Eye, Ear and Throat Hospital nearby. I reported in another post how an elder son had punched his father and evidently broken his nose.

This happened about a decade ago of more, and it was pretty dramatic because blood was all over the ER waiting area, and this poor immigrant Chinese family and all the drama and dynamics completely told the story.

For added drama I was in an exam room being evaluated when the father was receiving treatment and screaming out in pain as if tortured.

The father ended up leaving without treatment to spite the son who struck him against the wishes of the doctor and all the staff. I felt like I was in some third world country instead of NYC.

So the point of all this is since the eye episode and the Cellulitises event I had not been in the hospital for perhaps 6 decades.

I do realize that now I do need good healthcare, and it was foolish of me to take my good health for granted. Healthcare becomes more important as we age. Stay on top of it.

Cal
 
Incoming deliveries starting with the IBIS Alibi frame Wednesday. Then the Direct Drive fork expected Saturday.

The IBIS saddle perhaps on the 10th or Tuesday.

I still need a headset and bottom bracket. No rush.

Also after eating I feel so much better. I think the hunger was worse than the laxative which is not pleasant.

Cal
 
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