Stolen Bike Database

I have fortunately never been the victim of bicycle theft (knock on wood!) but I just came across this really cool link on Craigslist:

http://sfbikes.tk/

Now it only covers the San Francisco Bay Area as far as I can tell, but it offers a forum in which to post details of your bike should the worst happen. The site also has links to websites that offer tips on how and where to properly lock your bike and what to do if you should become a victim of theft.

A few obvious pointers:

• Take pictures of your bike.

• Write down your serial number.

• Invest in a good U-lock.

• If you have a roof rack, use a fork mount with a locking skewer.

• If possible, store your bike indoors both at home and at your office if you commute.

• Register your bicycle with the National Bike Registry (see link at right - a small fee to register, but worth it)

• Don't use your full XTR, Full Fox suspended, titanium rig as your daily commuter! If you can afford all that, you can afford a lower end "beater" bike

A few observations on http://sfbikes.tk/

Some people list parts that have been stolen (wheels, seats, pedals). I see some pretty high end bikes listed there as well (Mikkelsen custom, Rock Lobster, Specialized Roubaix) - ouch!

Stay safe and may you never become a victim of theft!

DIY Bike Painting Part 2

DIY Bike Painting Part 2:

Sanding and Primer

In my last post, project NRS1 was disassembled and all of the paint stripped off chemically. Here is the frame after stripping and a thorough washing with water.

The stripper gets most of the paint off, but it still leaves little bits behind. You'll notice bits and pieces in the welds, the cable guides, and in my case, the rear shock mount.

I used #00 steel wool and 600 grit sandpaper to remove the last few bits of paint. This part took me a good 2 hours worth of elbow grease to get all the little bits off. I also took the time to give the frame an overall sanding to remove any oxidation. The frame parts had been sitting on my deck for about a week and I didn't want to take the chance that the primer wouldn't bond correctly.

The primer that I used is Duplicolor self etching automotive primer. I also picked up a handy spray can handle. Both set me back about $11. I didn't bother making an elaborate paint booth as this primer dries in 30 minutes and has a recoat time of 1 minute.

Before painting, I masked off the headset and stuck a cardboard roll in the bottom bracket. It took about 3 coats of primer to get full coverage on the pieces. The finish on the primer is pretty rough, so it definitely will need to be sanded down so the finish coat is smooth and glossy.

Coming soon: final paint design, and graphics and decals for the frame.

DIY Bike Painting

Most of us amateur mechanics don't have too much problem tearing a bike apart and then putting it back together. This time I figure I'd try something a bit more ambitious.

DIY Bike Painting.

Before I go further, be aware that a project such as this has pros and cons.

I'll start with the negatives. This is a messy, potentially toxic, time consuming, requires some some special space considerations, and time consuming project. Unless you are meticulous about your work, more often than not, you may end up with a paint job that doesn't look good. Costs can get out of hand as well if you're not careful. Perhaps you are restoring an old frame and need special decals, or maybe you want to go with powdercoat. For these reasons you may want to get your frame professionally painted. Yes it costs more, but you don't have to worry about any of the above problems.

On the other hand, DIY painting offers some serious financial incentives. Custom paint jobs seem to start around the $300 mark, while doing it yourself may only cost a few cans of spray paint. The real benefit is not financial. You get full creative control over YOUR project, and that is priceless.

There are a smattering of articles here and there on DIY bike painting. Most give a pretty good overview of the process, but they don't dive too deeply into specifics. Ride BMX Magazine posted an article a week ago that does a fantastic job explaining how to paint a frame (they don't strip their frame though).

For my DIY bike painting project, I'll be working on a Giant NRS1 full suspension bike frame. I got the frame on ebay, and although the paint is in good condition, the yellow and silver I can do without.

Start out with disassembly first. This frame had quite a few bushings, bearings, pivots, and screws to take apart. I put all of the hardware in a ziploc baggie. I don't have a headset removal tool, so for the time being, I'm leaving the cups in place.

Here is the the frame after disassembly. I'm left with 3 major parts to strip (clockwise): the front triangle, the seatstay, and the chainstay.

I used 2 products to strip the frame. I found this spray on paint remover at my local Kragen auto parts store. It works OK, but it doesn't work too aggressively. I got about half my frame stripped before the can ran out. I know you're not supposed to sniff it, but it smells like Easy Off oven cleaner. Actually, oven cleaner might work for a job like this. Plastic scale modelers sometimes use oven cleaning spray to strip paint from old models.

A better product (IMHO) is Jasco gel paint stripper. I bought a can from Home Depot. You have to brush it on, and it's messier than the spray. It works very quickly too (less than a minute).

No matter which product you use, you'll see the paint start to peel and bubble. Wearing gloves, I used steel wool and scrapers to remove the loose paint. Some graphics on the frame are decals under the clear coat. After the first round of stripping, I had to peel away the newly exposed decals then apply a second coat of stripper.

After a thorough washing with a hose and nozzle, I am left with a clean bare frame. In the next phase, I'll get the frame sanded and primed.

I'll also need to start finalizing a paint scheme for the NRS1. To aid with the design process, I came up with a template that I can print and sketch out various designs. You are welcome to download it for working on your own DIY Bike Painting project.

Coming soon: frame prep and priming.

Stumpy Gets a New Pair of Shoes, er New Legs?

I've owned my Stumpy for a good 12 years. The singlespeed conversion has put new life into it, but there remains one part that just hasn't aged too well. Those would be the original Rock Shox Judy XCs. We're talking the old gold colored ones with the elastomer springs, cartridge dampener, and a whopping 63mm of travel!

12 years is a very long time for shocks. My Judys are by and large in good shape, but compared to modern shocks, they've definitely got me wanting something newer. Parts are really hard to get for a rebuild, stiction is a problem, and they flex during cornering.

If you look at the picture at the top of the page, you'll see a picture of a 1997 Stumpy that I picked up at a great price. The frame is a bit too large for met, but it did come with some decent parts that I will be using on various upcoming projects. The fork is a 2002 Manitou Black Elite Air. Not the newest fork, but it does come with technology that is 6 years newer than the Judy. 80mm travel, air/oil, much plushier, less stiction, and little flex.

Armed with my trusty 5mm allen wrench, the old Judys were quickly removed, and the Manitous installed. Because the headsets were the same on both Stumpys, I didn't bother to switch the crown races. The Manitou has a longer steerer, but I was too impatient to bother cutting it down. I just ended up installing it with extra spacers on top. The front V-Brakes needed a bit of adjustment

All in all, the "new" Manitou Blacks make for a much plushier ride. Because they have more travel than the Judys, the Stumpy sits higher than it used to. This does relax the steering a bit in theory but I can't tell the difference.

This was an easy and fun upgrade that took me about an hour (while watching TV). It was way cheaper than a brand new fork and it's a great project for the DIY home mechanic. In the future, I'll trim down the steerer tube and replace the mini boots, but that will be another post.

In the meanwhile, Stumpy's got a new pair of shoes!

Singlespeed Conversion - Linux for Bikes

Singlespeed bikes are like Linux.

Eh?

A bit of background: I'm an IT administrator in my day job. I generally work with the usual suspects, Windows and MacOS. But being the geek that I am, when I want to try something different, I load Linux. Or, perhaps I'm working with an older and slower computer that I want to repurpose, again, Linux. Linux can be free, or if buying some prebuilt boxes, it can be quite expensive.

Sounds alot like singlespeed bikes right? Want to try something different than your geared bikes? Have an older bike that you want to fix but don't want to put much money into? What are the really cool kids riding

 these days? Singlespeed!

Specialized Stumpjumper Comp FS Singlespeed Conversion

Singlespeed conversion projects can range anywhere from free, to very expensive. I opted to keep my project as low cost as possible. My total conversion came out to just over $60. Here is a list of steps I went through to convert my Stumpy.

Tools:

chain whip

Shimano cassette lockring tool

chain tool

various allen wrenches

wire cutters

crank puller

Parts:

Performance Forte Team Brake Levers $14

Performance Forte grips $4

Performance Forte singlespeed conversion kit $25

SRAM singlespeed chain $11

brake cable and housing $4

short chainring bolts $5

I bought most of my parts from Performance.com using coupons and buying stuff on sale. The short chainring bolts I purchased from my LBS.

Determining your gear ratio:

Before disassembling anything, you will want to determine the gear ratio that you will be using. I didn't use any charts or fancy calculations. Instead, using my 32 tooth middle ring up front, I rode around and shifted around until I found a rear cog size that worked all around. In my case, I chose to go with the 16 tooth rear cog. Once you take your bike apart, you won't be able to do this so plan accordingly.

Once this step is done, you're free to start the disassembly of your bike. You'll likely be removing all of the cables, derailleurs, shifters, cassette, grips, and possibly barends. Since my cassette, derailleurs, and shifters are in great shape, I'll be using them on another project.

Crank:

My Stumpy came with the older style square taper bottom bracket. After loosening the bolts, I used my trusty crank puller to extract the cranks. After removing the inner and outer chainring, I reassembled the crank using the short chainring bolts. If you're really strapped for cash, you could grind the bolts 1-2mm. I opted to mount the chainring on the inner position, but depending on what type of hub you are using, you might have to mount the chainring on the outer side. After assembly, I reattached the crank to the bottom bracket.

Rear Hub:

In an ideal world, I would rebuild my rear wheel using a dedicated singlespeed hub, but since my existing wheels are still in great shape, I opted to use a Forté singlespeed conversion kit for use on Shimano hubs. The kit consists of various spacers, 3 cogs (16, 18, and 20 tooth), a locknut, and a chain tensioner.

Build quality seems pretty good, although I wish the package came with a greater variety of spacer sizes instead a whole bunch of small ones.

Using your freehub tool and chain whip, unlock and remove the old cassette from your rear hub. Now would be a good time to inspect and clean it.

Using the spacers, you will want to line up the selected cog so that it is in line with the front chainring. In my case this turned out to be about 2/3rd down the freehub.

Next you'll be installing the chain tensioner in the derailleur hanger. The Forté kit includes a way to adjust the horizontal position of the pulley.

The Chain:

Originally I reused the same Shimano 8 speed chain on the Stumpy conversion. Although I'm getting a bit ahead of myself here, I found that due to either improper chain length or wear in the chain, I was experiencing chain skip under high load. Rather than continue to fiddle with the existing chain, I opted to go with a brand new SRAM singlespeed chain. Your bike will be different than mine, but you'll want to get the chain as short as possible while at the same time allowing you to detach the rear wheel. As you can see from the picture at right, I was able to get the chain pretty tight, with the chain 

tensioner taking up the rest of the slack. In addition, I wanted to make sure that the chain wrapped around the rear cog enough so that a third of the teeth were being engaged. Incidentally, I have seen other bikes where the chain is parallel top to bottom. Mine was originally so, but as previously mentioned, I was experiencing chain skip.

Chainline:

After your drive train is assembled, you'll want to make one final check to see that your chain line is straight. If necessary, you may have to move the chainring to the outside, or move spacers in order to keep the chain line straight. You may also need to adjust the horizontal spacer on the chain tensioner as well. Remember, one of the advantages to riding singlespeed is the fact that your drivetrain is simple and efficient. If the chain is not straight, you'll cause premature wear and add unnecessary friction.

Brake Levers:

Originally I was going to use an old pair of Suntour brake levers to replace the old combination shifter/brake levers. I found out quickly that the Suntour units were not made to actuate V-type brakes (i.e. they don't pull enough cable). If I braked, I would end up hitting the grip with the levers. Once again I turned to Performance for a set of Forté Team levers. These are made to work with V-brakes and in my opinion, are constructed pretty well. All in all, they feel like my old XT levers, with just a slightly higher spring tension.

Conclusion

I must confess that when I first rode this post conversion, I suffered from phantom shifting syndrome. Coming from a 24 speed bike to a singlespeed is weird! The bike rides great, the drivetrain is much smoother. It's also alot lighter too.

So what's next for the Stumpy? Unlike the singlespeed purists out there, I won't be putting on a rigid fork. I did get a hold of a used Manitou Black fork though. I'll be putting this on in the coming weeks. In the meantime, I leave you with various links that I used for my research.

-Shel

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html  (I just happen to have the same first name! Great reference)

http://www.cyclofiend.com/ssg/ (good reference photos)

http://forums.mtbr.com/forumdisplay.php?f=46 (you'll have to dig, but there's lots of good info)

Who's a bike wrench?

In the  summer of 2008, I was fortunate to land a job that allowed me to commute to work by bike. After years of not riding, I quickly rediscovered the joys of cycling. And along the way, I also rediscovered the immense fun that comes with being an amateur bike mechanic.

A bit of history...

I really got into bikes in my college days. My first mountain bike was a Specialized Rockhopper that I got in 1992. It was all black, with this strange reddish pink writing. It came complete with Shimano Exage components (with those awful push-push shifters), Biopace rings, and steel everywhere. Out went the old rings, stem, handlebars, and the shifters, and in came lighter alloy rings, new Zoom stem and bar, Onza barends, and newer STX push-pull shifters. And because this was the nineties, I had to put the obligatory blue anodized brake calipers and skewers! I loved this bike, but eventually sold it few years later.

My next bike was a Trek 8500 carbon/aluminum bike that I got in 1993. I remember it came with Suntour components complete with thumbshifters! Over the next few years, the rigid fork was replaced with the original RockShox Mag21, the Suntour components replaced by LX shifters/deraillers, the rear wheel replaced with a Shimano freehub and cassette, barends, and more blue anodized parts. As much as I tinkered with this bike, I never really liked the feel of the bike. I think the rear triangle was just way too stiff. I ended up selling the bike in 1996.

The Trek was replaced by a Stumpjumper Comp FS in 1996. This bike was loaded to the gills with good stuff. M2 Aluminum frame, full Shimano XT, funky rainbow anodized Mavic 217's laced to XT hubs and butted spokes, original Rockshox Judy XC forks, and some pretty decent Specialized house brand components to round out the rest. In the years that I've owned the bike, the only thing that I've added were a pair of barends. With the quality and caliber of the components, I never felt the need to upgrade anything. And due to the demands of work, I never really rode the bike much.

Fast forward to today...

After years of not being ridden, my Stumpy needed a bit of work to get it back into fighting trim. I ended up digging up all of my bike tools, and gave it a much needed tune up. Once the bike brain got fired back up, I thought about all of the modifications I could do to get it more modern. New shocks? Newer drivetrain? Disc brakes?

The possibilities are endless, and in just a few short months, I picked up a Giant NRS1 frame, and another Stumpjumper for parts.

The Bike Wrench is back!

-Shel