Bicycling On-the-Road

jonwb · « **Reply #800 on:** 3 Sep 2011, 04:31 am »

Quote from: Levi on 3 Sep 2011, 04:11 am

I appreciate the info. Thanks Jon!

No problem Levi

Hopefully you can get better in time to enjoy some more warm weather riding yet. (then again, do I recall seeing pics of you riding in very cold weather last winter?)

Lyndon · « **Reply #801 on:** 3 Sep 2011, 04:35 am »

Levi,
Had shoulder surgery two weeks ago, not the dreaded rotator cuff, but it hurts like a son of a gun and the doc said the bone spurs most likely came from 25 years of bicycle touring. I always lead and lean on my left. So, I am dusting off my Bacchetta recumbent to doctor's orders, and then we'll see if I can outfit my touring and road bike with more upright 'bars. But please no 'old man's bars'.

Lyndon
Had the gall bladder taken out this spring as well. No knife like scars. Very small.

Levi · « **Reply #802 on:** 3 Sep 2011, 04:44 am »

Thanks for the well wishes Jon. I ride all-year-round. It will be long sleeves season by the time I get on my bike. During my hiatus, I have cleaned and polished my bike(s), spin the wheels once in a while so I can hear the ratchet.

Lyndon, get well soon!

jackman · « **Reply #803 on:** 3 Sep 2011, 03:05 pm »

Hey guys, I hope you both get well soon! I'm going for a ride in about ten minutes but it's going to be 95F today and I don't know how far I will get. Keep us posted on your recovery!

Levi · « **Reply #804 on:** 3 Sep 2011, 05:44 pm »

Thanks Jack. Enjoy the nice warm weather.

Riding immediately after the Retul fitting gives me the impression of speed and power. I had been using the wrong groups of muscles for awhile. Hopefully, when I get back on the saddle that I can start working on the new muscle groups.

Here are a few pictures of the Retul fitting.

Levi · « **Reply #805 on:** 7 Sep 2011, 05:16 am »

If you are into DIY and want to extend the life of your ceramic bearings, then we are probably in the same camp. ;D

Bottom bracket like any other bearings in our bicycle requires some maintenance after several hundred hours of use. That is if you want them to continue working smoothly and quietly. Servicing your bottom bracket is a simple process that can be easy and rewarding with the correct tools. It requires removal of outboard bearing cups and extraction of bearing from the cups. That is all there is to it.

Tools and supplies that I used for this simple project:
Park Tool BBT9 - Bottom Bracket and Crank Arm Tool
Degreaser
Rags
Enduro Bottom Bracket Tool
Torque wrench(s)
Jewelry cleaner
small pick (to remove bearing seals)
Lightweight bearing grease

Here is also an excellent link from Park Tool on servicing external bottom brackets

Once the outboard bearing were removed from the bike, the Enduro bearing puller can be used to extract the bearing from the cups

Bottom bracket inside the tool

Bearing extracted

Remove bearing seals and put them in the jewelry cleaner for thorough cleaning

Bearing cleaned and ready for re-assembly

Re assembly of bearing

Installation is the reverse of removal.

Once you have completed servicing the bottom bracket bearings, rest assured that you will have many more hours from your bearings.

By using the correct tools, servicing your bearings can be fun and rewarding.

jonwb · « **Reply #806 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 02:48 am »

That was an interesting read Levi. Thxs!

I've never pulled apart a bottom bracket. I'm sure both my bikes could benefit from some TLC in that area.... I maybhave to give that a shot. I don't think I'll find any ceramic bearings on my bikes tho!

Levi · « **Reply #807 on:** 10 Sep 2011, 03:57 am »

Thanks John.

Just an FYI, Shimano uses 25x37x7 bearings. If one is to upgrade hint ceramic, Enduro 24x37x7 (Enduro MR2437) bearings is the upgrade.

The difference in 1mm in this tight tolerance provides outstanding advantage compared to the stock Shimi bearings.

That is correct, regular cups can be retrofitted with ceramic bearings for stealth look and savings. Unless you want a different colored bottom bracket.

Shimano printed DO NOT DISSASSEMBLE on their cups.

Upon DISASSEMBLY, no explosion or smoke...it sure looks like any other bearing.

JoshK · « **Reply #808 on:** 12 Oct 2011, 04:20 pm »

Toronto is a relatively bike friendly city with lots of city installed posts for locking your bikes to and a growing number of bike lanes. There are a very large number of bike commuters I have found. Toronto is also relatively flat. However, bike theft is a real issue. I did not want to lock up one of my nice bikes and invite such.

I recently picked up this guy:

Trek's Earl, steel single speed urban bike. Perfect for hopping over to my local pub, running an errand or cruising through the neighborhoods. Its pretty fun to ride.

Æ · « **Reply #809 on:** 12 Oct 2011, 05:40 pm »

Quote from: Don_S on 16 Apr 2010, 04:55 pm

I ride on the American River bike trail in Sacramento. It is a green belt and flood plain in an urban setting. The trail runs 30+ miles and the upper terminus is a man-made reservoir that receives the three forks of the American River. The area between the forks is wild and extends to Desolation Wilderness in the Sierra Nevada mountains by Lake Tahoe.

Greetings, I live in Sacatomato and I ride the American River Bike Trail too. The official name is the Jedediah Smith Memorial Trail, 32 miles long. Typically I ride from Arden to the fish hatchery and back. I was looking at your ride, what groupo is that? I can tell it's Campagnolo, but beyond that I don't know.
My most memorable animal sightings are deer, including some big ones that like to come out in the evening. I came across a rattlesnake once. Felt like running it over, but was unsure if it would be a good idea or not. No sense messing up some straight rims. LOL

Æ · « **Reply #810 on:** 12 Oct 2011, 05:52 pm »

Quote from: Levi on 7 Sep 2011, 05:16 am

If you are into DIY and want to extend the life of your ceramic bearings, then we are probably in the same camp. By using the correct tools, servicing your bearings can be fun and rewarding.

You certainly do a thorough job. One wouldn't absolutely need a "Jewelry Cleaner" to get the job done. I soak and scrub all my dirty greasy parts in a plastic oil drain pan. I use mineral spirits and a brush. Rinse and repeat as necessary, then blow the parts dry with an air compressor. An oil drain pan has the advantage of accommodating larger components such as a chain or crank.

JoshK · « **Reply #811 on:** 11 Nov 2011, 12:09 am »

Have been enjoying the Earl. Its fun getting around town on the SS. Get a bit of exercise and don't have to worry about parking.

Josh

Levi · « **Reply #812 on:** 11 Nov 2011, 12:32 am »

Hey Josh, nice to hear from you. Glad you are still riding despite the impeding cold weather.

Don't forget to install bike lights.

JoshK · « **Reply #813 on:** 11 Nov 2011, 12:34 am »

its been pretty nice here...went mountain biking last weekend and plan to this weekend if it doesn't rain.

Levi · « **Reply #814 on:** 19 Dec 2011, 05:21 am »

It is 26deg F here. That is without wind because we are in the woods.

Levi · « **Reply #815 on:** 27 Dec 2011, 07:59 pm »

Not sure if I like it...Beyond black scheme. Happy New Year!

jackman · « **Reply #816 on:** 27 Dec 2011, 09:35 pm »

Not sure if you like it? Are you crazy??? That bike with the Zipps is the sex! Of course, I'd look silly at the back of the pack with such a fast looking bike!

I've been bad but I'm back on the trainer doing my CTS intervals. It's murder but I'm trying my best to get back in the pack. My group got very fast and I got slow and lazy. That's a story for another day.

Congrats on the nice wheels. They are my favorite. Comp cyclist had the 404's on sale earlier this month but I passed. I don't deserve those wheels!

Cheers and happy holidays.

Jack

Levi · « **Reply #817 on:** 27 Dec 2011, 09:59 pm »

Good to hear you are back in the saddle Jack. Me and Phil are doing the Gran Fondo New York so had to keep riding. Well not that I had to, just want to.

How's the weather in Chicago?

jackman · « **Reply #818 on:** 27 Dec 2011, 10:58 pm »

It's pretty nice for December. My group had been riding every day. I put my trainer tire on the bike and I'm too lazy to change it.

Your bike is looking good. It looks fast standnig still, like a Ferrari.

Levi · « **Reply #819 on:** 28 Dec 2011, 12:26 am »

Thanks. Too bad I don't have a Ferrari legs and Lungs.