Oh the things I will do to it. Nasty, nasty things.
Last week, I ran into an issue when changing the gearing on my Pure Fix Zulu. It is rare, and that is why businesses have warranties. Got a new wheel today (and a few other things I had planned on getting anyways) today, and got it installed. Now, the new wheel didn't come with a tire or tube, which makes sense. As I removed the ones from the old wheel, I thought to myself, "When you replace a tire, you put a new tube in it. I wonder if that holds true for the wheels too..."
Short answer, "yeah....."
I had the wheel, with tire on, sitting in the doorway to the room I do my repairs in, aired up, looking good, and I was getting the bike cleaned up. (I should have done that yesterday, but I hadn't gotten around to getting to the store to buy baby wipes, so I was using Simple Green. The smell brought back memories of working at Chuck E Cheese.) BANG. I didn't even jump at the sound. After the trauma of last year and the week with 6 tubes in the KHS, I got good at changing tubes. I thought this one had gone decently well, although the valve didn't come out as far as it did on the old wheel. (The new wheel does look nicer, but a hair deeper rim on it.) I hadn't though much of it, but yeah.... I don't know if the LBS has the right tubes, since they were 60mm valves, and I hadn't gotten around to picking up a spare tube yet. (again, 60mm valves, not as easy to find.)
On the plus side, I wasn't planning on riding today anyways.
The bike was upgraded after this, since not having the tire ready didn't really have any bearing on the other stuff. I was able to switch the handlebars to a nice pair of white bullhorns, and added a rear brake. The brake came with some nice little black shimano clamps, which were great except one of the screws had the screwdriver slot poorly formed. It's just a normal screw, so I should be able to grab one from Home Depot or something for less than the gas to drive there. Really, installing the rear brake was really not that hard, it might need some tweaking once I have the tire on the wheel again though.
I do need to grab some handlebar tape still, which I had planned on getting white (The glow in the dark tape never seems to be in stock...) but with the bars being while already, I am not sure if I will go with white, black, or maybe a black/white camo combo.
(I am glad I mounted the wireless computer mount to the frame, I didn't have to find more zip ties that way.)
I really owe a lot of thanks to Pure Fix, it is rare to find a company that is easy to work with when it comes to warranty stuff. I can't wait until I get the new tire on there and can go out for a spin, even it that means using the trainer.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Clean the stable?
Right now, my stable has 3 whips, along with 3 of my wife's bikes, and the kids' bikes. I am not sure if my oldest son's bike is in the house or not, and I think my youngest's is outgrown. There is also a kids fixie (with training wheels) somewhere around here, but it is something like a 12" tire size. (Solid, not pneumatic.) On top of this, my mother-in-law's bike is in the house too, after a crash last year. I do have an aluminium Cannondale at the local bike shop, it has issues. Good components, but it might need a new fork and stem. Really, I plan to sell it off, it isn't a benefit to me at this time, nor do I see it becoming one.
I found out that I can order Pure Fix frames from Bicycle Stop in Springfield, which is only about 45 minutes away, give or take. Bicycle Stop isn't my favorite shop, personally, but when I next plan to get a new jersey, they will be the first place I'll go. (Depending on my need, I have go-to bike shops in various order, starting with Parker's in Piqua for almost everything, Carty's in Sidney for older Schwinn parts, Family Bike Shop (Troy) and Tipp Cyclery (Tipp City) for random other things. I don't like ordering parts for the most part, and half of the tools I have bought at random, from a variety of the above places. (Last time I bought parts at the bike store in Huber Heights, the shop guy seemed annoyed that I was going to do the work myself, so I avoid there unless I need a water bottle, or I am taking my wife's car to the repair shop next door.
(I should mention Countryside Bike Shop over in Greenville, nice little newer shop, only been there once to pick up a new BB for my KHS. They had it in stock, which beat Performance Bike who didn't have it in stock. (That was a fun few days, I had to have the threads on the KHS redone at Carty's, and he didn't have the BB in stock. Arty (Parker's) was on vacation that week, and I hadn't gotten the Pure Fix yet, so I did some driving that week.
Springfield is a nice bike shop, and in a lot of ways, it rivals Performance Bike. It does have the downside most local shops have though, were you are not quite taken as seriously or as well taken care of if they don't recognize you as a real cyclist, and not somebody who will just say screw it and go to Walmart. Now, being that most of the bike shops around here know me, most to the point of knowing my first name on sight, I don't have that issue locally. Springfield is just far enough that I may only be there once or twice a year, and usually I am in the area for other reasons. (It doesn't help that they are closed on Sundays, which is the usual time I go to Springfield.)
Still, I am excited that I can get the Pure Fix frames (and the bikes...) from them for MSRP. This is great, even though sales tax is involved, because shipping is expensive, and I never have the money when the sales are going on directly from Pure Fix. I've had my eye on Pure Fix's Dual tube frameset for a while now, and the cost isn't bad. The problem was shipping here would be about half the cost of the frame. Now I can drive to Springfield, and give them $100 bucks, and pay the rest when it comes in a week later. (The rest being $10 because the frames are $110 and whatever sales tax comes up to. My county has the lowest sales tax in the area, but I think it would be another 7 bucks or something. They said I could just do half down and the rest later, my mind likes thinking in rounder numbers though.)
After that, the only big cost is the wheel set, and I have a few options for that. Still, I am running out of room in the house for more bikes, so I am thinking that I might have to sell another one, which sadly means that the vintage green Schwinn Varsity may have to go. Nice bike, decent upgrades, and not sure I want to sell it. Makes me wish I had a garage to put my bikes in...
I found out that I can order Pure Fix frames from Bicycle Stop in Springfield, which is only about 45 minutes away, give or take. Bicycle Stop isn't my favorite shop, personally, but when I next plan to get a new jersey, they will be the first place I'll go. (Depending on my need, I have go-to bike shops in various order, starting with Parker's in Piqua for almost everything, Carty's in Sidney for older Schwinn parts, Family Bike Shop (Troy) and Tipp Cyclery (Tipp City) for random other things. I don't like ordering parts for the most part, and half of the tools I have bought at random, from a variety of the above places. (Last time I bought parts at the bike store in Huber Heights, the shop guy seemed annoyed that I was going to do the work myself, so I avoid there unless I need a water bottle, or I am taking my wife's car to the repair shop next door.
(I should mention Countryside Bike Shop over in Greenville, nice little newer shop, only been there once to pick up a new BB for my KHS. They had it in stock, which beat Performance Bike who didn't have it in stock. (That was a fun few days, I had to have the threads on the KHS redone at Carty's, and he didn't have the BB in stock. Arty (Parker's) was on vacation that week, and I hadn't gotten the Pure Fix yet, so I did some driving that week.
Springfield is a nice bike shop, and in a lot of ways, it rivals Performance Bike. It does have the downside most local shops have though, were you are not quite taken as seriously or as well taken care of if they don't recognize you as a real cyclist, and not somebody who will just say screw it and go to Walmart. Now, being that most of the bike shops around here know me, most to the point of knowing my first name on sight, I don't have that issue locally. Springfield is just far enough that I may only be there once or twice a year, and usually I am in the area for other reasons. (It doesn't help that they are closed on Sundays, which is the usual time I go to Springfield.)
Still, I am excited that I can get the Pure Fix frames (and the bikes...) from them for MSRP. This is great, even though sales tax is involved, because shipping is expensive, and I never have the money when the sales are going on directly from Pure Fix. I've had my eye on Pure Fix's Dual tube frameset for a while now, and the cost isn't bad. The problem was shipping here would be about half the cost of the frame. Now I can drive to Springfield, and give them $100 bucks, and pay the rest when it comes in a week later. (The rest being $10 because the frames are $110 and whatever sales tax comes up to. My county has the lowest sales tax in the area, but I think it would be another 7 bucks or something. They said I could just do half down and the rest later, my mind likes thinking in rounder numbers though.)
After that, the only big cost is the wheel set, and I have a few options for that. Still, I am running out of room in the house for more bikes, so I am thinking that I might have to sell another one, which sadly means that the vintage green Schwinn Varsity may have to go. Nice bike, decent upgrades, and not sure I want to sell it. Makes me wish I had a garage to put my bikes in...
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Glitches like me
So, the switching of the rear gear didn't go quite as planned. I really don't want to go into the fine details, but that is why warranties exist. Being something the LBS had never even seen before, so it does fit in near perfectly with my habit of having problems with the bizarre when it comes to bikes. At any rate, new parts are inbound, due to great service at Pure Fix Cycles. I would say the entire thing, from me finding the issue to getting it resolved, was really fast. I called them at 3:59 in the afternoon, and the email with the shipping info for the part was sent at 4:56 that same day. (To be fair, this was between 1 and 2 in the afternoon at Pure Fix's California HQ, and I am in Ohio.)
So today looked to be a great day to go riding, but with Glowie on the stand for a few days, and my cold weather gear still in the drier, I mounted the KHS onto the trainer. This took me about 5 minutes to adjust it, since I had it set for the fixie. I got in just under 3 miles while playing Mortal Kombat on the PS3, but since I hadn't played that game in about 2 years, or since before I replaced the PS3 two years ago, all the fun stuff was locked and I couldn't really remember how to play. (I bet it may have been more fun if I had set the trainer up in front of the PS2 and played Need for Speed...)
Still, I have not been on the KHS since I got Glowie back in October, though between a flat on the KHS where I had to patch the tire (not the tube, I may have to replace the tire which I just got last summer) and the 28 tires on the fixie feel more stable in the Ohio winter we have had so far that the KHS's 25 tires. This made getting on the KHS, while on the trainer, something surreal. The fit is a little better for me, but the seat is horrible, and the wires for the brakes, shifters, and computer just look like a mess. (I have a wireless computer mounted to the top tube of Glowie.) I am almost tempted to put the KHS road bike up for sale, though I don't know if doing the Double Donut 64 mile race would be sane on a Fixie. Then again, sane is not often a word associated with me...
I did move the saddle position on the Fixie to closer match the KHS, I will have to switch the stem again back to stock, but next weekend, I expect to have the Zulu dialled in near perfect.
(Then again, I could sell the KHS, and if I can sell the Cannondale that is surplus, I might be able to afford a Ti frame... or maybe an Oscar. That thing is shiny.)
So today looked to be a great day to go riding, but with Glowie on the stand for a few days, and my cold weather gear still in the drier, I mounted the KHS onto the trainer. This took me about 5 minutes to adjust it, since I had it set for the fixie. I got in just under 3 miles while playing Mortal Kombat on the PS3, but since I hadn't played that game in about 2 years, or since before I replaced the PS3 two years ago, all the fun stuff was locked and I couldn't really remember how to play. (I bet it may have been more fun if I had set the trainer up in front of the PS2 and played Need for Speed...)
Still, I have not been on the KHS since I got Glowie back in October, though between a flat on the KHS where I had to patch the tire (not the tube, I may have to replace the tire which I just got last summer) and the 28 tires on the fixie feel more stable in the Ohio winter we have had so far that the KHS's 25 tires. This made getting on the KHS, while on the trainer, something surreal. The fit is a little better for me, but the seat is horrible, and the wires for the brakes, shifters, and computer just look like a mess. (I have a wireless computer mounted to the top tube of Glowie.) I am almost tempted to put the KHS road bike up for sale, though I don't know if doing the Double Donut 64 mile race would be sane on a Fixie. Then again, sane is not often a word associated with me...
I did move the saddle position on the Fixie to closer match the KHS, I will have to switch the stem again back to stock, but next weekend, I expect to have the Zulu dialled in near perfect.
(Then again, I could sell the KHS, and if I can sell the Cannondale that is surplus, I might be able to afford a Ti frame... or maybe an Oscar. That thing is shiny.)
Friday, February 21, 2014
New parts
Glowie is going to be going under some mods this week, as I just got a new part in the mail today, a 14t Fixed Cog.
Since the Pure Fix fixies ship out with a 16t rear gear, this will give me a bit more power to the bike. Also, it was cheaper to buy a new rear gear than a new front gear... this will give me a 44:14 (22:7 or sorta Pi ) ratio instead of the original 44:16 (11:4 or 2.75) so I think that is about a 14% increase in speed per the same cadence, which means the cadence for 10 mph becomes just under 11.5 mph.
The gear itself was on the Pure Fix site, but I had a coupon, so it was free (not counting shipping.) I think next might be some bull horns, which will probably need some bar tape as well.
I will probably switch the gears out tonight, not really looking forward to finding the new sweetspot for the rear wheel.
I haven't been on my KHS in months now, I patched one of the tires, but still weary of it. I probably will have to put new tires on it, or at least 1 new tire. Oh well, could be worse I guess.
(I also picked up a small backpack like bag for a buck with my order from Pure Fix, they are handy enough for some of the things I do. I think this is the same material as the reusable grocery store bags...)
The gear itself was on the Pure Fix site, but I had a coupon, so it was free (not counting shipping.) I think next might be some bull horns, which will probably need some bar tape as well.
I will probably switch the gears out tonight, not really looking forward to finding the new sweetspot for the rear wheel.
I haven't been on my KHS in months now, I patched one of the tires, but still weary of it. I probably will have to put new tires on it, or at least 1 new tire. Oh well, could be worse I guess.
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