Bike gear notes

[rebeccmeister]

What criteria do you use when selecting bike gear? For me, it mostly has to do with comfort and durability. Weight isn't an issue. *evil laugh* (I'm never trying to go that fast) Most of the ad copy written about bicycling gear is targeted towards some other mystical demographic (male roadie or le femme cruiser), so it has taken me a while to settle on the things that work well for me. In the past year or two, I've started trying to keep a more comprehensive list of things so that when stuff wears out, it's less fiddly to replace stuff.

I just coughed up a chunk of money for three simple items: A set of Speedplay Frog Stainless pedals + cleats, another Selle Royal Respiro so I can swap out the disintegrating one on the Jolly Roger*, and a new u-lock. I can get the cylinder on the current OnGuard to turn 99% of the way...but something's wrong with it and it won't open, even after applications of graphite and three-in-one. At least it failed at a point when the bike wasn't locked up! I've been using Shimano SPD's for clipless pedals up until now, but the Speedplays come highly recommended from multiple randonneuring parties, so now that the Shimano pedals are biting the dust it's time to try something new. J and I are going in for bike fittings next Saturday, so I'd like to get fitted with the Speedplays.

Some day, when I have infinite amounts of money, I'll buy a whole new set of bike bags from Swift Industries. However, in the meantime, my Overland panniers are still going strong (16 years and counting). By contrast, as previously mentioned, the Novara-pannier is almost completely trashed, and some sort of backpack-containing device is in order. Either that or I have to start hoofing home, hoofing back to work, and THEN going on post-work bike rides. I've been daydreaming about attaching some Arkel hooks to the front of my Borealis backpack somehow, or maybe building some equivalent of scrottie's frame pack (something like this, but that hooks on a bike like a pannier). But at that point, I might as well just track down a more durable solution to the Novara pannier setup anyway, as that would have more versatility.

Oh, with the infinite money, I would also upgrade the Jolly Roger to a Schmidt SON generator hub with Edelux headlight and Busch and rear Muller Toplight Line Brake Plus. Peter White Cycles is THE source for this stuff in the US. In the meantime, I'm most pleased with the Fenix LD20 flashlight fit into a TwoFish Lock Block. I'm less pleased with that fickle Cygolite I photographed and wrote about not too long ago (on the left in the photo; the Fenix is next to it). The PlanetBike SuperFlash still deserves a shout-out as a nice combination of cheap and flashy for a taillight.

The Jolly Roger's basket is getting to be seriously worn out. I got the original one from Velo-Orange, but they sold that one when the owner met the guy making them and bought a bunch on a whim. I *think* I still have the contact information for the Amish guy in Wisconsin who made it and the replacement, but I'm not positive. If I go that route again, I'm going to ask for a couple of feature modifications: hinges on the front of the basket, buckle on the left side close to the handlebars so I can open/close the basket while riding. I've also long pondered ways of incorporating a u-lock holder into the deal, and I would need to think about ways to cut down on long-term basket rattle. It was less of a problem in the Phoenix area, where the pavement was generally in fantastic shape.

Bike projects. They never end.


*I had moved my "current" one onto Froinlavin and swapped on the saddle that had been on Froinlavin, but due to the stuck seatpost on the Jolly Roger I had to dig out an older, dying Selle Royale and put it back on the JR. Froinlavin's old seat was too short. I'll put the brand-new one on Froinlavin and return the previous one to the JR. Why would I bother putting a brand-new seat on the JR when it sits out in the sun and rain every.single.day?

Comments

[manintheboat.livejournal.com]

We have this thing once a year called veloswap, the world's largest bicycle swap meet.
http://veloswap.competitor.com/

"What criteria do you use when selecting bike gear?"
-Do they have it for cheap at Veloswap? No? Then you can't have it. Try again next year.

Speaking of which, I can't find my burnt orange arm and leg warmers??? (goes with nothing, only $10)

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

Burt orange arm and legwarmers are the best! I have hand-knit stripey/patterned ones instead.

If there are any swap meets in my immediate area, I have yet to hear about them. There's some startup company trying to make a local sports equipment buying/selling site, which might serve as an online equivalent, but who knows. The options here are pretty limited - otherwise, I would go to a local bike shop for most stuff.

Veloswap looks awesome - I would have to save up my spending money for that.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

I've heard loads of good things about speedplays, unlike, say, eggbeaters.

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

Yeah, the randonneurs have good things to say about them, so that was recommendation number two. Recommendation number one came from the bike shop that made Froinlavin. So that's TWO highly reputable recommendations...we shall see how they do. This is the best time for me to do experimenting and tweaking of my randonneuring setup because we're a good year out from the next Paris-Brest-Paris.

[randomdreams.livejournal.com]

Speedplay gets extremely high marks for the ease of getting out of them, for people with osteoporosis, and they appear to be easy to fix/maintain. (New eggbeaters are apparently impossible to even take apart, much less fix.) I've heard a lot of complaints about the shoe part of the cleat but mostly that's because people are trying to walk about in them and comparing them to low-profile cleats.

Bicycling Lights

[jamesfduncan.livejournal.com]

Hi Rebecca,

FYI Compass Bicycles in your hometown, Seattle, also now has the SON and Edelux; just saying. Jim Duncan

Re: Bicycling Lights

[rebeccmeister.livejournal.com]

Thanks for the hint, Jim! I've never been over to visit Compass Bicycles...I should look them up the next time I go up there.