Old Spokes Home

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Marcy

This is a group of old spokes found among a huge lot purchased at a going-out-of-business sale from a bike shop that had been in business for more than fifty years. I’m guessing there must be collectors out there that would be interested in these NOS spokes either to add to their collection or to put into use in a restoration project.

If you have interest in any or all of these spokes send me an email. If I don’t sell them, I may just display them in some fashion in my home or shop. Does anyone know anything about the Giuseppe & F. Redaelli brand spokes. I have no idea whether these spokes are still made nor the approximate age of them. The spokes are in fabulous condition, are beautifully swaged (double-butted) and if the way they’re wrapped is any indication, appear to be somewhat old. Again, if anyone knows the history of these, I would love to learn about them.

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Velocity Chukker Rims

Posted on December 19, 2011 by Marcy

When I set out to build a new set of wheels for my Surly Long Haul Trucker commuter bike, my main objective was to create a solid set of wheels that would be rugged enough to withstand Seattle’s, often, rough roadways.  Anyone ridden westbound down Ravenna near Cowan Park lately? Over the last seven years, I’ve ridden that stretch of roadway pretty regularly and the poor conditions there haven’t improved during this time. Can I designate my tax dollars be spent on this spot specifically? Okay, I digress and this subject is for another post.

Anyhow, I’m a larger rider so I require a solid rim. Since my wheels are 26″, Velocity’s Deep V was not an available option. Of all the 26″ options, the Chukker seemed to tick all of the boxes. Originally called the Deep V ATB, the Chukker is wider making it stronger and able to accommodate larger tires. During the past year, I have run everything from a 1.25″ slick to a 1.90″ studded tire on these rims. The versatility of this rim makes it a great all around rim. It is a heavier rim that won’t interest the weight conscious, but since the first place I would look to reduce overall bike-rider weight is at myself, this is not a concern.

After the initial re-truing (approximately 200 miles ridden) about a year ago, I hadn’t touched the wheels so I took them off the bike just last week to check them out. To my amazement they were still as true as could be. Seriously, no tweaking necessary whatsoever. These rims held true even though rider, gear and full saddlebags range from 220 to 250lbs and have been jumped off curbs, pounded on rough roadways and  slammed over root-destroyed sections of the Burke-Gilman trail. I’m not a big fan of the term “bomb proof”, but I would say these rims are just that. Having such a solid, reliable set of wheels provides great piece of mind while riding and reduces the maintenance workload. If you’re looking for a great, durable rim that won’t give you reason for an upgrade anytime soon, the Chukker is a superb choice.

Posted in Components, Components & Gear, Rims, Surly Long Haul Trucker, Wheels | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Get a Grip

Posted on November 30, 2011 by Marcy

I love cork grips for their cushy comfort and classic good looks, but I have had to give them up in order to get a better grip. I have decided that cork grips are simply not practical for the Seattle rainy season. Not only do cork grips, and especially the cork-foam composite type, absorb water and soak my gloves once I grab hold, they also become extremely slippery when wet.

cork grip

Definitely not desirable qualities in a bike grip. Applying shellac to them will keep them from absorbing water, but then they become stiff and no longer cushy. So until dryer days, I have swapped out my cork grips for some rubber grips with non-slip texture and vibration damping properties. I rode with my new grips yesterday and they were very grippy, almost tacky, even when it was raining.

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NOS Beauty

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Marcy

Beautiful NOS Suntour Superbe Pro Hub-set paired with bright silver Velocity Razor rims.  I recently built these up for a client and I must say these are some nice older hubs. They spin for days…seriously some of the smoothest, longest running hubs I’ve ever spun in the stand. The skewers alone are a thing of beauty.

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Open For Business

Posted on June 3, 2011 by Marcy

At this time, I am operating out of my garage part-time, by appointment only.  I intend to do this for several months while I grow my business. Hopefully, in a year or so I will find an optimal retail space,  quit my part-time ”day-job” and have a full on bike shop, but for now, I have a really great garage space and I’m fortunate to be in a great Seattle location.

 

The Ride Happy Shop

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The Corporal

Posted on May 13, 2011 by Marcy

Just wanted to share some pics of an awesome bike that was built up by my new friend, Tom Atkinson.  Every component except the frame and fork (1986 Schwinn LeTour) is brand new. The bike is showroom ready, has zero miles and is up for sale. A real beauty!

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Obsession and Perfectionism

Posted on May 4, 2011 by Marcy

When does a passion become an obsession? When does doing a job to the best of your abilities become perfectionism? I’m sure many wheel-builders have asked themselves these questions. I’ve always been a perfectionist by nature and in my work as a pharmacist for more than twenty years, I’ve generally considered this a positive trait. Medicine and health care are not areas where you ever want to say, “good enough”, but in wheel-building one must say this at some point. I know that even the best hand-built wheels will have some imperfections in lateral rotation and roundness. It is, though, sometimes difficult to say enough is enough.

When I begin the process of truing, I often like to work on a wheel and bring it to a point where I’m mildly satisfied with it and then walk away from it for awhile. I’ll come back to it later with fresh eyes and tweak it some more to come up with the finished product. If a wheel that I’ve built hangs around the shop long enough, however, I might just walk by it sometime and be compelled to give it another spin in the stand just to see if perhaps it can be even further improved upon. Is this perfectionism or obsession or simply the madness that comes with building wheels?

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Way Into Wheels

Posted on April 4, 2011 by Marcy

I love wheelbuilding. It suits my personality to a tee and I enjoy the zen-like nature of the work. I just improved my workbench area with additional lighting and mounted my truing stand onto a portable base. My stand had been mounted in my vise and although that worked fine, it positioned the stand too high to sit on a stool and work. It also meant that when I needed the vise for other jobs, I first had to move the truing stand. The new base will also allow me to move the stand anywhere I want within my shop.  Although my base doesn’t offer the tilt feature that the Park tools base offers, it is a much more solid, stable base that doesn’t wiggle around. Also, my workbench is at an optimal height for me that tilting doesn’t seem to be necessary.

The Setup

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Days Like These

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Marcy

We were fortunate last week here in Seattle in that we had some fantastic Spring weather, albeit for only a couple days, but I will take it. It was so nice to be able to ride without being so bundled up. I felt so free riding in my shirtsleeves. It’s also fascinating how with improving weather comes improving moods. On the sunny, warmer days I found, in general, much happier people and many more smiling faces…mine included. We have definitely had a long, dark and wet fall and winter here and are really ready for spring and summer.

Now, I know some of you endure much harsher winter conditions than we Seattleites do, but unless you’ve lived in the Pacific Northwest you have no idea the toll that so many grey days can take on a person. After awhile, no amount of coffee consumption is enough to overcome the grey funk in which you find yourself. I am, essentially, a Washington native and for many, many reasons I do not desire to live elsewhere in spite of our weather. I used to think that our grey weather had no effect on my mood, but now I feel very differently. I’m not sure whether my awareness of it’s affect has changed or if it is indeed having a greater affect on me now.

I guess because we don’t see the sun as often as some regions, that when we do, we feel we have to capitalize upon those days by getting as much done as possible. So, typically by summer’s end I am so ready for some grey, rainy days so I can hunker down with a book or a movie guilt free. I relish being in bed and hearing the sound of the wind and the rain and the feeling of coziness that comes with it. And now at the end of March I am ready to get out of the house and be in the outdoors. I’m ready to clean up my yard and refresh my plants, wash my bikes, wash windows and decks. I’m ready for t-shirts, shorts and flip-flops. The warmer days we enjoyed here last week were just a tease, but it won’t be long before we have more days like these.

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Bike Expo Fun

Posted on March 14, 2011 by Marcy

I thoroughly enjoyed myself at the Seattle Bike Expo on Saturday this past weekend. I spent the better part of the day there perusing all the various displays, talking with vendors and feeling merchandise. It’s always such a good feeling to be surrounded by so many fellow cyclists and to be able to talk with people who are as passionate about bikes as I am or possibly even more so.

The Lost Cyclist

For me, the highlight of the show was meeting David Herlihy and listening to his presentation about his book, “The Lost Cyclist”.  I found Mr. Herlihy to be a most delightful man and a very wonderful speaker.  I could have listened to him for hours. I have been reading this book and I’m nearly finished with it so I thought I might not learn anything new about Frank Lenz, the cyclist who disappears, but Mr. Herlihy presented some additional details of the life of Frank Lenz and photos not included in the book.

As I mentioned, I have been reading “The Lost Cyclist”and I must say this has been a great read. I have really enjoyed learning, not only about bicycling and bicycle travel in the late 1800′s, but also gleaning some knowledge of world history. I recommend it highly. BTW, several copies are available through the Seattle Public Library.

I also listened to a presentation by Mitey Miss (her Momentum Magazine moniker), Ulrike Rodrigues, entitled “Adventure Lite”. I hadn’t planned on listening to her since traveling abroad is not one of my interests, but the timing was such that I felt like having a seat and hearing what she had to say on the subject of international travel by bicycle. She gave an enjoyable presentation that included some lovely slides of places she has traveled. Much of her discussion was about breaking down the fears that people have concerning traveling with their bikes such as how to handle mechanical failures in a foreign country or getting lost or not having a place to sleep, etc. She suggested that these things can also happen at home so why worry about it abroad? Well, because I speak the language at home, for one. I’m just not sure this is a valid argument. She also talked about accepting rides from people, dining at their homes and being invited to stay with them. She explained that without taking these risks she might never have met such wonderful people and had such fabulous, memorable experiences. This is all true, but it also seems rather imprudent as a single woman to be doing these things. Just call me Cautious Connie, but I’m just a little concerned about this message. I feel like if you embark on this type of journey you need to be more prepared and self-sufficient so you don’t need to rely on strangers and, potentially, put yourself in harm’s way. Okay, enough on that rant.

I also really enjoyed the German acrobatic cyclists and the mountain bike trials rider, Ryan Leech. Their bike handling skills are incredible. I was enjoying watching the looks on the faces of the children at the show as they watched these performers. I was so happy for them to be able to see people doing what they love and enjoy. All in all a great expo.

 

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