on affordable bikes

 On a recent ride, several of the Insane Bike Posse were discussing how many bikes we had. The range was pretty wide: one rider has, I think, nine (Edit: I've been informed the number is five). I was the low end; I have two: the Krakow Monster, my gravel/monstercross bike, with two-inch-wide tires, built on a heavy steel Surly Cross Check frame; and the Yellow Maserati, my titanium road bike.

Knowing about my love for mechanic work, and for the beautiful lugged-steel frames, my co-riders found this hard to believe, but it’s true: I don’t have any other bikes. (We’re not counting the road bike and the hybrid that my wife has; I don’t ride those.) So the next question was about my parts collection.

I thought I had about seven wheels that were not attached to bikes (I just checked; there are actually nine, and two rims that haven't been built up into wheels yet), along with:

• Two sets of cranks;
• Three pairs of pedals;
• Four sets of shifters, including a pair of lever shifters that can be used on downtube bosses or as bar ends;
• A set of road caliper brakes;
• At least one vee-brake (supposedly a rear, but vee-brakes are interchangeable front to rear);
• Two saddles;
• A seatpost;
• Three rear derailleurs;
• Two front derailleurs;
• And various and sundry accessories I’ve picked up here and there. As well as whatever stuff I’ve forgotten to list.

None of this includes the tubes, cable, and housing that I keep for my mechanic business.

The sense of the meeting was that these do not count as an additional bike, because there’s no frame to hang them on. But it did provide a way to start this post, which has been percolating for a long time (as you'll be able to tell by its inordinate length).

I’m friends with a rider who has a collection of bikes, mostly steel-framed, all Italian, all beautiful. They are lovely machines. I could probably afford a bike like that, but, given the limited space I have, I’m going to forgo owning one.

Other riders maintain their bikes, or collections, to have the lightest bikes, or the latest-and-greatest components (these are not always the same as the lightest!), or what the winningest pros ride. Or to have bikes for every different kind of riding they do, or ever might consider doing.

Those aren’t my interests. My bikes, and the parts I’ve collected, are really about bikes that are affordable – about a balance between cost and performance.

The titanium frame I got is a brand you’ve probably never heard of (the decals were ugly and started to wear off, so I removed ‘em). My first road bike was an aluminum Giant with a carbon-fiber fork. The fork got a scratch, and, in those days, carbon fiber had a reputation for “catastrophic failure”: breaking suddenly (often without warning), possibly causing injury to the rider. (The website at "busted carbon" hasn't been updated in more than a decade, but it was scary at the time...)

I replaced the fork with a steel fork…

...and then decided I could build up a bike myself, starting with the components from the aluminum bike, and swapping out the parts bit by bit until I had the bike I wanted. I found the titanium frame for less than $1000, with geometry and measurements I could deal with (I knew a lot less about bike frame geometry than I do now; I was lucky that the frame worked out for me as well as it did) (and the frame is still available for about $1400; some of the older model are still at the original price).

The groupset I used was a SRAM Rival set, on which I got a great price. After a few years, the shifting started getting dodgy, and I replaced it with the Gevenalle set I have now, which places modified downtube-lever shifters outside the brake levers. They’re light and inexpensive, and they also change to friction-shifting mode, which I’ve been using for a few years (and they have a few other advantages, about which I’ll happily bend your ear if you give me the slightest provocation).

I’ve also tried the Sensah Empire 2x11 groupset, a mechanical groupset from a Chinese manufacturer, which I’ll put on my wife’s bike the next time her shifters need adjusting.

All of these groupsets are reasonably-priced, and they all work well. Now I see that even lower-end components for the big groupset manufacturers are going to electronic shifting. I think this will raise the entry price for bicycling… and I hate that.

All those parts I listed above? They’re mostly things I’ve tried (like the Sensah Empire set), or things I have in stock in case replacement parts for the bikes I currently have become unavailable. (My favorite saddle was a Specialized Body Geometry that the stopped making. I wore out two of ‘em, and only replaced the last one when I fell in love with the Selle Anatomica’s that I have on both bikes now. And since manufacturers either go out of business, or change models, I have a spare Selle Anatomica saddle in the box. I hate it that bike stuff just disappears.)

I’ve got no interest in upgrading to disk brakes, or electronic shifting, because I don’t want to have to buy the new frame to hang them on, and I don’t think they’ll make me a better rider. To me, they are additional expense, without improvement for the kind of riding I do.

I’ve been on more than one ride on which electronic shifting has failed due to batteries not being charged. I enjoy complaining about that, but that’s not a real reason to avoid electronic shifting. After all, I’ve also been on rides where mechanical shifters have had problems – for example, when cables have parted. My real objection to electronic shifting is the additional cost, without (as far as I can see) substantial additional benefit.

And I really have no interest in a carbon-fiber frame. I’ve been in discussion with someone who crashed on one, and who is considering having it sent for x-ray to see if there’s unseen damage that may cause one of those catastrophic failures to which I alluded earlier. I had a pretty bad crash in 2015 on the titanium bike. There’s a dimple in one side of the top tube that’s the only remnant of that mishap; I expect that the only reason I’ll have to get rid of this bike is when I’m physically unable to get a leg over it. I’ve worked on a number of other carbon-fiber frames: two of them have wear at the chainstays as if the tire had worn off the paint layer and was cutting into the plastic that holds the carbon fibers in place. Tapping with a coin does not show weakness on those frames, but I’ve not seen anything similar on metal frames. And I’ve seen what appears to be clearcoat and paint flaking off an older carbon frame. On a metal frame, this is just cosmetic damage. Are we sure that’s the case with carbon fiber?

When I bought my titanium frame, the seller said my grandchildren would ride it. He was unaware of my childless condition, but the case is still made.

It helps, too, that I like doing the bike mechanics. I don’t do that just to keep the bikes affordable (not with the amount of money I have invested in bike tools, truing stand, bike stand, various and sundry chemicals…), but it does mean I can do things for myself in order not to have to buy new much of the time.

I wrote a post some time ago about continuing to ride a bike you love. If you have beautiful bikes, and love to ride them… I hope you ride them forever and are very happy with them. If you love the latest-and-greatest gadgetry, or the stuff that the most successful pro’s use, and you have the financial wherewithal to support those habits (and let’s face it: among the people with whom I ride, many do!), then enjoy them.

But I think cycling should be available and enjoyable to people who are not wealthy (as I am not wealthy). My bikes and equipment will be affordable, based on my interest, abilities, and cashflow.

I hope there continues to be a place for them.

Edit 1/1/23: I just found (again) a post I wrote eleven years ago on more-or-less the same topic; at the time I called it "bicycle cheapskate".

last ride of the year

 

Today was predicted to be sunny, with highs in the 50's. Tom H decided this would be a good day for a not-too-hilly 40+ miles between Mercer Park and New Egypt, and he was right.

The emails went around to the Insane Bike Posse, and seven of us decided to go out. It started cold, but we knew that the day would warm up, and there was some discussion about the proper clothing for a day like this... and then there was discussion of the proper way to refer to it. "Outfit"? "Suit"? We decided "kit" was the proper appellation. Let it not be said that the Insane Bike Posse is inexact in cycling terminology.

Tom's route was mostly flat in the first half (see the ride page). Our pace allows for conversation, and it was good to talk to the other riders... especially Ricky, who hasn't ridden much after a mishap earlier this year*.

*I'm a person in recovery from substance abuse (holy bananas; that post was ten years ago), and I've more recently posted about my mental health problems. Sometimes, in order to keep going, I have to do goofy stuff because it works. I've recently started a project of writing down each day a few things I'm grateful for, and one of those things today was that Ricky was coming out on the ride. There's a saying that if its dumb, but it works, then it's not dumb... but I still feel goofy about the gratitude list thing. But I can't deny it's been beneficial.

 

We stopped in New Egypt. The luncheonette there no longer allows us to use the toilet, and the Wawa doesn't have one... so when we passed one in a local park, we screeched to our various halts so that those of us who needed could enjoy its hospitality. Ahem.

On the way back, Tom put in Hill road "the easy way" (it was tough enough for all practical purposes), and somebody was having this erected in their front yard:

The concrete rearing horse is currently supported on blocks. I suspect there's a piling that goes down beneath, because the concrete rear legs alone won't support it (and nothing might be enough to support it in adverse weather). It's certainly dramatic and arresting.

It's also a sign that someone has too much money.

We proceeded to Walnford, where...

... because of course there was.

I'm carrying a bit more holiday weight than I wish I were. I'm trying to manage that, and I think I didn't eat enough today, because a bonk threatened in the last five-or-so miles. Ricky was kind enough to give me a pull for much of that distance. It was good to ride with him again (as it was good to ride with the whole group today).

I've posted a club ride for New Year's Day. None of my favorite stops are open, so it will be a no-planned-rest-stop ride, and at a slower pace than past rides (part of an experiment). We'll see how that goes. As for you, I wish you a happy new year, with peace and prosperity, and a little fun every now and then.

lht ride post with writer's block

Tom H led a few of us on a pickup ride on the Lawrence-Hopewell Trail, and I can't think of anything useful to say.

 

Ride page.

what tiktok thinks of me

 If you go by the stuff that comes up in my "For You" page, TikTok apparently thinks I'm a lesbian socialist.

They may be right.

christmas eve 2022 wigilia

 

My sister-in-law decided I needed these socks to make it official.

To my Polish in-laws, the big celebration of the season isn't Christmas Day, but Christmas Eve, Wigilia, the Christmas Vigil. We don't eat meat that day (because on that day, the animals spoke, and you don't eat entities with whom you might be in conversation), so the meal is full of fish, cheese, and other non-meat comestibles -- and that means my soon-to-be-niece-in-law, who's pescatarian, can eat without suspicion or concern (we made sure to have Goldfish Crackers, but drew the line at Swedish Fish).

This is the first one without my mother-in-law, who was undoubtedly La Grande Dame (or whatever the Polish equivalent is) of the celebrations. It fell to The Excellent Wife (TEW) and me to host (who am I kidding? She did virtually all of the work; I was merely scullery and sous-chef). 

At dinner:

After dinner, there's the singing of Christmas carols, some in English, and some in Polish. We've got a couple of books of kolendy, Polish Christmas carols. I can read music, and can hammer through the Polish pronunciation well enough to sing along (the Excellent Mother-In-Law never really believed I didn't know the words, and was SURE I knew what I was singing, despite my protestations of ignorance). And then the opening of presents, glorious chaos.

It's both a very late night for me (who's usually in bed by 9) and over too soon. TEW and I spent the late night doing the dishes and making sure there wouldn't be general rot in the kitchen by morning; this morning I've dispatched the good silver to its storage, and we're packing up the Christmas china.

We've done our presents, and we're planning a quiet day, with another good dinner courtesy of The Fresh Market or Whole Foods or somebody (sheesh, doncha think TEW did ENOUGH cooking yesterday?), and then to a few loads of laundry and putting the house back together. Domestic life is good. One doesn't need drama and excitement all the time.

short ride on a cold day

 That was my view for much of today's ride.

The weather today was predicted to be even colder than yesterday, so instead of my usual 35-to-40 mile-ride-with-a-planned-rest-stop, I decided to list another of those shorter rides, with no rest stop planned; this route 25 miles. I only had one registrant by yesterday morning, but I had seven for today. 

They were strong riders. I was only nominally a leader; by about halfway, most of 'em were ahead of me, and by the last quarter, they all were. They were cheerful about it, and waited at turns if any of us were way behind... but, with my lower-than-the-posted-range average (see the ride page), it may be time to re-think my posted pace for the New Year.

It was cold, too; while my trunk, and even my hands, were warm enough, my feet were cold, and after I got home, even when my feet had warmed up, the tingling affected my walking for almost an hour. I may need to re-do my shoe protection for these cold temperatures, or avoid riding when it's this cold.

This is likely the last ride I'll lead for the year. I generally lead on Sundays, and next Sunday is the day we celebrate the Saturnalia and Sol Invictus, or Yule for those (like me) whose ancestry is from south of Caledonia. The following Sunday starts the new year. I got in 35 leads this year; weather and other responsibilities got in the way, so I couldn't match my record of 45 club rides led last year. But I'm close to 4,000 miles for this year, which is good for a guy who doesn't bike commute.

cold, hills, and dumb jokes

 

We have the incontrovertible evidence of experience that there are ten members of the Princeton FreeWheelers who are willing to go out on a hilly ride, on a day that started at about 35°F (and probably didn't get ten degrees warmer for the duration of the ride). AND several of them were able to be reasonably cheerful about it, if the terrible jokes we shared around are evidence at all.

You can't see the excellent green holly hairband that Heddy is rockin' in that one; the blow-up below is a bit better:

Pat B had sleighbells below the bow on her seatbag. A few times, I thought somebody's bike was about to fall apart, listening to them jingle as we rode. Below, she is so staid and quiet.

Laura wasted little time in putting us on the hills: up Province Line and Hopewell-Amwell (you can see from the ride page that she had us climbing before mile 3). And, of course:

Somewhere along the way, we came upon sheep in a field:

Pat made the obligatory "This is baaa-aaad" joke around the sheep. And then there were goats:

We proceeded to Luminary Coffee, which has occupied the space once filled by the Rojo's Lambertville location:

I liked it. There was plenty of room for us to sit down (and warm up), and the staff was welcoming, even to a cranky old man like me.

And back. On the way back, it was pointed out to me that Jim V, who was on the ride, had introduced himself to someone as, "I'm the quiet Jim". I laughed out loud when I heard it; I think we need to refer to Jim V as "Quiet Jim" from now on. It's descriptive, and (when he's compared to me) true. 

Tomorrow is supposed to be even colder; I've got a short, no-scheduled-rest-stop ride planned. I haven't many takers as I write this; we'll see how it goes.

barnegat branch recon ride

Tom H invited me (and some others in his Insane Bike Posse) on a ride to check out the Barnegat Branch Trail, a rails-to-trails path in Ocean County. It was about 11 miles of path, packed gravel surface. I took the Krakow Monster, my monstercross bike, and met Tom at his house, and we loaded up his truck for the ride to the start.

I was cosmically disorganized this morning: couldn't find my computers, and then had way too little inflation in the tires for the surface, the distance, and the wind. I was only about fifteen minutes early getting to Tom's house (people who know me, know that this is next door to being late for me).

The trail has pretty sections, and sections that are, frankly, not pretty at all; part of it tracks Route 9 (not like the Route 9 in Monmouth County, but hardly bucolic either). We also found a gap in the trail between about mile three and mile five that we had to get around (on the way back, we found a real-estate tour that was better than the main roads we followed on the way out).

At the bottom of the trail, we headed over to the bay to get some pictures.

... and got a face full of headwind as we headed back inland to pick up the trail again.

The trail crosses both forks of the Forked River. The northerly one is pretty.

Good ride for a cold day. I'm tired from the low tires and the wind. But it was a good ride on a cold day.

Ride page.

forty-ish miles on a cold day

 

Yeah, well, maybe not the coldest of days, because the temps were above freezing at the time we left the start in Bordentown...

... but I'll bet the temps didn't get above 40°F by the time we were done. 

Tom H led us on a gorgeous route.

 We stopped to see the eagle:

And, since Tom was leading the ride, there HAD to be one of these:

A number of faster riders came along, and they were remarkably well-behaved; I think because they were on roads they didn't know well, and Tom changed the route at least once. We all got back to the start, though, intact and in good spirits.

Ride page.

After years of riding in cold weather by simply layering (sometimes five deep), I've finally bought a riding jacket. It's great; it saves a LOT of layering; it's got good pockets; it's water- and wind-resistant. I HATE  high-viz yellow, so I got an orange one, on the theory that if it's good enough for the hunters, it will probably work for me. I misinterpreted the size guide, and got an XL; I think I would have liked a large better... but this definitely works (and there's room for layering that I'll never need). I expect this coat will get a lot of use by spring.