Di2 (Shiamano's electronic shifting road group) has now been extended to the Ultegra level. This by itself is not news. However for the next few weeks we will have a Di2 demo bike in the shop for people to look at, play with, etc. Come by and check it out. If you haven't gotten the chance to ride Di2, now is a great time. We also have a few Di2 certified mechainics at the shop to answer any questions you have. Limited Engagement!!

As the summer continutes and life around the bike shop is a bit hectic I find myself a bit low ideas for topics to feature on this blog. So: do you have any ideas? If you have questions, musings, thoughts on things you would like other thoughts about feel free to email them to doug.sumi@gmail.com. I will do my best to answer your questions in detail on the blog. Thank you in advance.

(After working at one of the commute stations for bike to work day this year, I noticed a troubling trend of people not using their front brakes, which reminded me of a story.)

Classic tale:

Child sees glowing hot burner, thinks it looks cool, touches the burner, burns hand, learns that stoves are hot and touching them is not a good idea. Once that child grows into an adult, they continue not touching the burner because they remember this lesson.  I have yet to meet an adult who has sworn off using the stove at all because of burning themselves as a child.  The same is true of your front brake.

Classic tale 2:

Child needs to stop bike, grabs front brake, bikes stops, kid keeps going, kid learns that too much front brake can lead to a case of FGD (face ground disagreement). Once that child grows into an adult, they often times completely give up on use of their front brake.  This is a response analogous with discontinuing use of your stove altogether.

Using a front brake, like a stove, takes a small amount of skill and awareness. However the benefits of using both can be great. You get approximatley 70% of your braking power from your front brake, meaning your bike is not stopping very well if you use  the front brake sparingly or not at all. Not only that but your pads and possibly your rims are wearing out at an uneven rate.  Take control of your adult life! Use both brakes equally and marvel at the control you get with 100% of your braking power.

Apparently the answer to that is, “yes, right now”. TRP, makers of the lightweight cross cantis favored by many a cyclocross rider has just unveiled their new hydraulic disc brake for cyclocross bikes. By mounting the master cylinder under the stem and using cable actuated plungers the brakes can be run with current integrated shift/brake levers found on current cross bikes. (For pics and explanation check out the Lennard Zinn article: http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/04/bikes-and-tech/tech-quick-look/2011-sea-otter-classic-trps-hydraulic-cyclocross-brakes_169011)

Since the UCI legalized the use of disc brakes, many racers have stayed with the tried and true cantilever despite the additional braking power offered by disc brakes.

Why?
Depends on who you talk to. Probably the most common response is weight. Disc brakes are heavier than cantis in addition to the fact that the lightweight carbon wheels and similarly light and fast carbon frames are not set up to accept a disc brake. The advantages you get from having lighter bike in addition to the advantages gained by deep section carbon rims far outweigh the extra braking power. Not to mention that for cyclocross, the extra braking power is often excessive especially on the often bog like technical courses of the northwest.

I would argue that the future of disc brakes for cross lies not with brake manufacturers, but with the other members of the industry. Will we see disc compatible zips? Will Shimano release a fully hydraulic STI? Di2 STI? Will more frame manufacturers release race caliber frames with disc tabs?

Only time will tell, but there is definitely a lot of potential inovation in the next few years. Stay tuned.

A great deal of the innovation and improvement in bicycle technology is done at the request of the top 5% of bicycle riders. While there is some technology that is created for non race related uses most is developed for use by people who get paid to ride their bikes. These top of the line products will generally be lighter, stiffer, faster, stronger, and better looking than their predecessors. However they will also come with a price tag to match. The way that companies can justify spending so much time and money developing groups that so few people will ride is by sticking hard and fast to the idea of the trickledown effect; in three years features and technology that are new and cool now, will be available for the average consumer.  And the trickle down may be working....

Sora

Sora used to be (Shimano's base line road  group) used to be....uninspired. You would see pieces of a Sora group on some entry level road bikes, usually mixed in with a few other base line components, which came together to make a bike that didn't cost very much but wasn't a great riding bike. But things are looking up. In the recent past  Sora made two very large improvements:

1)The left shifter finally got a trim click!!! (aside: a trim click refers to a half step in the shifter that allows the rider to move the front derailleur position without shifting gears in the front. This enables the use of the full range of gears on your rear cassette without the chain rubbing on the front derailleur.) Before, the lack of trim was one of the major drawbacks of Sora and one of the first thing that a new rider would notice about entry level bikes.

2) Ourboard bearing cranks!!! Originally seen on the Dura Ace group in 2004, this feature makes the cranks a great deal stiffer for better power transfer and quite a bit lighter than their predecessors.  Did I also mention that they cost less than $100 brand new? Available in double, triple, and compact double? Especially for those who need to replace existing cranks on a budget, Sora has become a go to option around the shop.

It is not to say that there are not drawbacks to getting the baseline component group. It is still 9 speed as opposed to 10 on the higher end groups and cheaper parts will tip the scale a good deal higher than their more expensive siblings. However for those who are just getting into road cycling or are otherwise budget conscious Sora has become a quality functional group at a very palatable price. Here's hoping the trickle down continues.

Winter time is fast approaching meaning now is the time to get your bike, as well as your brain, ready for the cold, wet, and dark days ahead.

Fenders

I've always said the only big downside to fenders is once you ride one rainy day with them, you won't be able to ride without them.  If you are planning on putting in some miles this winter it's worth spending $35-$45 to get a set of full coverage fenders that will keep you and your bike cleaner and dryer. If you have the chance to bring your bike with you when you buy your fenders one of our mechanics can help troubleshoot any issues you may have with the installation, or you can have us throw them on for you. A fender installation will generally run $15-$25, but can go as high as $45 if major customization is required.

Winter Preparation Service

One sad fact about winter, at least here in the northwest, is that the  condition of your  bike will generally not improve as we head  towards springtime. Thus any small issues your bike is having now could be major problems come February.

From what I understand, the torque ratings on different parts are based on the amount of clamping force that the part in question can take. Using that measurement, engineers calculate an appropriate torque for the fastener that is affecting that clamping force.  However, when torquing your parts it's a good idea to aim a little low and then increase torque if nessisary to keep the part from slipping. If you are given a torque range, I usually use the low end of the range and move up as needed. If pink is the new black, 3 nM is the new 5nM.

As carbon parts have become more common across the biking industry all mechainics have had to adjust the way that they tighten certain bolts on a bike. With other materials mechanics could follow a few simple rules of thumb, be smart about it, and no parts would be damaged. However as anyone who has cracked a carbon part can tell you, it's not especially difficult. To that end, even weekend home mechanics should add a torque wrench to their toolbox. The Recycled Cycles favorite begin the BBB Torquefix. Why?

Size: It's small. The wrench itself is only eight inches long, and even with the case and bit set takes up about as much room as a can of Fosters.

Bit set?: Yes I did say bit set. It comes with 1/4" drive bits for 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, 8mm, 10mm, and T25. Not only does this mean you don't have to go out and buy the bits to make your new tool work, but having a dedicated set of bits for final toqrue will help keep your reading accurate for the life of the tool.

Acuracy: Yes. Guaranteed by BBB to be within 4%. So when set to 5nm the highest torque possibly applied would be 5.2nm.

Price: At $100 it is one of the least expensive mini torque wrenches on the market. And it comes with bits. (Did I mention that?)

So, unless you want to spend the beginning of your next ride regaling your riding buddies with the story of why you don't still have your cool new carbon bar, add this to your toolbox.

As the winter wears on, I have gotten the privilege to work on a great number of bikes that have been ridden through all of the grit and grime that a nice Seattle winter has to offer. The roads are wet, bikes get dirty, we clean them, the job security is nice. However one thing I have noticed over the years is the general public’s tendency to over lubricate their chains. The process of lubricating a chain can be broken down into four basic steps:
1)    Wipe down chain with a rag.
2)    Apply new lube, about one drop per pivot point
3)    Pedal through a couple of times to let the lube work it’s way in
4)    Wipe off as much of the excess lube as possible

The last step is the one that is usually missed and the one that leads to your chain having too much lube on it. Basically: any lube that can be wiped off of your chain isn’t doing anything but attracting dirt. Any lube that is doing it’s job won’t come off when you wipe down the chain. By following those steps properly you will make your drivetrain last longer and you will have to clean it less often. Everyone wins.

Many bike tool makers offer a wide variety of regular tools (screwdrivers, open end wrenches, etc) that can often be more easily and cheaply acquired at your local hardware store. This is, to a certain extent, true of the new Park Tool Socket Bit Set (SBS-1). However what Park has done is created a set of scokets including just the sizes you would need to work on your bike. The set is shop quality, and includes sizes for most every fastender on your bike. As a bonus they include a 1" socket which fits most of their cassette, freewheel, and bottom bracket tools. Further: at $33 for an eighteen piece set it is affordable for even the msot basic home mechanic's kit. This set plus a 3/8" drive ratchet and you're in business. If you are starting your own home shop, or just want to work on your bike more often, you need this set.

SBS-1 (all 3/8" drive)

3, 4, 5, 6, 8, and 10mm hex bits (10mm is extra long)

T25, T30, T40 Torx bits

8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15mm and 1" sockets