New rubber and parts for my road bike

A bit of a refresh for my 1991 Diamond Back Master TG.

After being sick for much of the past week, I was finally feeling well enough to spend some time in the shop. It's fortunate that I was up for a little shop time, because my 1991 Diamond Back Master TG was in need of some work. You may remember my 20 year-old crazy pink road bike from an earlier post. Curiously, that post about my Master TG is one of the most visited pages on this site, possibly because not much relevant info exists anywhere else about these particular bikes. If you happen to be here looking for info on the short era of steel Diamond Back road bikes, I'll do my best to continue to expand the story as I'm able. For now though, on to a little shop work.

When I got the Master TG, although initially flat, the tires and tubes held air well when pumped. In fact, they've held air very well for several months now, and have carried me on several shortish rides totaling perhaps 80 to 100 miles. However, I knew the tires were dry and brittle and could become problematic any time, so new tires were in order.

The old Vittoria 22c clinchers crumbled when I removed them from the rims.

I hadn't yet taken the tires off the rims since I had owned the bike, but when I did, the casing near the bead disintegrated into dust and fragments. However, the tube inside was supple and in good condition. After a careful inspection of the tubes, they had no patches and served to support my hypothesis that this bike had only been minimally used. I decided to reuse the tubes with new tires. After all, the tubes appeared to be in at least as good of condition, if not better than tubes on many of my other bikes. I have a pile of tubes that have accumulated in my shop over the years, a few of which are at least 20 years old. Some of my older tubes have been patched many times, but seem to have more lasting power than newer tubes. Maybe they just made them better back in the old days. In any case, I have no qualms about reinstalling the original tubes on the Master TG. 

New Michelin 25c tire (left) versus old Vittoria 22c tire (right). Who knew an extra 3 mm of width would make the carcass look so fat?

I chose a pair of Michelin Lithion 2.0 25c folding bead tires as replacements, mostly because they seemed to be decent mid range standard road tires. I was tempted by some colored tires that would match and/or contrast interestingly with the frame color, but I couldn't quite pull the trigger. I decided to modestly up-size the carcass width of the new tires because I couldn't see any clear advantage of running such skinny tires on this bike, and thought I might appreciate a little more bounce.

There's not a lot of clearance between the new tire and the fork crown, 3 mm or so, but that's enough.

It's a good thing that I didn't decide on any fatter tires than I did, or else I might have had to file down the inner fork crown to fit. The rear triangle had plenty of clearance at the seat stay bridge and the chainstays, so probably 28c or even 30c tires would work on the back. The 25c tires are just fine for my purposes though.

I also decided to make some alterations to the cockpit, with a new bar and stem. I liked the original black anodized Tioga Prestige road stem, but I felt a bit stretched out along my torso when riding. This could be because I'm not recently accustomed to a traditional road bike riding posture, but I decided to install a somewhat shorter and taller stem. I swapped the original low rise 130 mm extension stem for a Nitto Technomic Deluxe 100 mm extension with a higher rise. I'm not sure that this stem will permanently stick on this bike, but I wanted to give it a try.

For the handlebar, I went with a Nitto Model 177, otherwise known as a "Noodle" bar, in 44 cm width. The original Centurion bar was 41 cm wide and felt a little narrow for me. I haven't owned a Noodle bar before, but based on the feedback of a lot of people who swear by this model, I'm now entering the test phase.

I like the shape of the Nitto Model 177 (top) better than the original Centurion bar (bottom), at least in theory. Only putting on some miles will let me know for sure.

Those who are familiar with Nitto products know that they come with a glowing satiny finish reminiscent of times gone by, when Japan and Europe exported components with buttery smooth metal surfaces. Modern components aim more for the technical wow factor of a plastic-like carbon fiber finish. I know carbon fiber parts are lighter, but for me they are diminished in aesthetic appeal by the way they feel. This is probably no small contributing factor in why I'm working on a bike that's almost old enough to buy beer. Well, that and the fact that I likely couldn't withstand the price tag of carbon fiber anything.

If the good weather holds and I continue to regain my health, I'll put my refurbished road bike to the test sooner than later.

Saturday errands

Snow capped peaks in the distance on a beautiful Colorado day.

It's always a treat to have a few errands to do by bike on a warm, sunny day. It's even better when the whole family is along for the ride, and time is no issue. Today was one of those days. We started off with some books to return to the library and took the opportunity to ramble past the museum farm along the way. Next, we took a familiar route to the center of town, taking in a spectacular view of the Front Range at the top of the hill overlooking the local business district.

Longtail family: Xtracycle and Big Dummy with Electra Hawaii stowed aboard.

We participated in a little bicycle enabled commercial activity, in particular to buy some tikka masala spices for some terrific Indian food Julie has slated to make for tomorrow. Our long tail bikes always seem to draw attention whenever we are out, but today the frequency of stares, questions and exclamations of interest by passers by seemed of even greater quantity than usual. Much of the time that the girls were inside shopping I spent talking with people who happened to walk past as I was locking up the bikes.

Apparently I emit a genial vibe, as people don't seem to be shy about approaching me when I'm around the bikes, and I always take the time to answer any questions. Even those people who appear unlikely to ride bikes seem genuinely interested, if only in that "Hey Honey, guess what weird thing I saw today?" kind of way. In any case, I feel as though I'm serving as a social intermediary, modeling good behavior while promoting bicycle diplomacy.

Bike riding is fairly good here, even on the street. We're fortunate enough to live in what was an actual small town long before it was absorbed as a suburb. This pic is for Jennie in chilly Minnesota.

While riding on the street several people in cars passing by eyeballed us, I'll assume in wonderment of seeing a small pink bike and pink clad girl riding on the back of an odd, elongated bike. This sort of attention is not an unfamiliar phenomenon for me, and likely not unfamiliar to anyone who rides a cargo bike. Even when riding on trails, only the most intensely focused weekend warriors lack exhibiting a puzzled look followed by a grin as we pass.

It was great to see the quantity of activity on the Platte River Trail, with no shortage of bicyclists, runners and walkers taking advantage of the day. However, the best viewing was of the wildlife on the river. She spotted a goldeneye duck, and there were also several widgeons and mallards feeding and bobbing around in the current. Flocks of geese flew overhead and alighted in fields nearby. Even though I didn't manage to get any wildlife photos today, upon reflection it's easy to forget how great the wild scenery can be even in a major metropolitan area.

Bikes patiently waiting while their riders fuel up.

At the apex of our ride, we stopped for an early dinner. For years Julie and I have lamented the apparent lack of a reasonably good, non mega-chain burger joint in our vicinity. It's not that we often eat burgers, but it's nice to have the possibility. While this is not a food focused blog and I'm certainly no connoisseur, Freddy's seems to fit the bill. Their burgers and fries are about the right size, aren't too greasy, and as a bonus they have great frozen custard. It also doesn't hurt that they are located just off the Platte River Trail.

Our little big girl almost finished a whole burger by herself. The photo on the wall is of Freddy as a kid with his bike, from sometime in the 1930s.

Even as the possibility of snowstorms always loom well into March and April, days like today are a little reminder that Spring is just around the corner. I can't wait.

What a difference a week makes

Windswept and covered in hearts for the morning ride.

Last week we had an arctic blast of sub-zero temperatures, but it's warmed up tremendously in the past few days. Yesterday was shirtsleeve riding weather, and the sun felt hot on exposed skin. Today was not quite as warm and was windy, which always makes me think of Spring. Punxsutawney Phil's prediction of an early Spring may be coming true.

We had a nice, but windy ride to school in the morning and a similarly windy, but warmer ride home in the afternoon. We've been practicing telling time, as she is a proud new Timex owner as of Valentine's Day. For those who might be wondering, it's a standard model with hands, of course. How else can a girl learn to tell time? Speaking of time passing, congrats to cousin Hazel on reaching big number five.

Sporting a new watch and having a snack during the afternoon ride.

Colorado Bike Summit

The Titan stands alone on Capitol Hill.

I was fortunate to be able to attend Colorado's first ever bike summit, which finished up a two day run today. It coincided with some chilly weather hovering around 0F, and a blizzard that began last night and continued into the morning. The summit attracted many of the most enthusiastic and connected bike people from around the state and the region. A lot is happening with a variety of bicycle related efforts throughout Colorado, and it was enlightening to gain a better view of the big picture.

Denver Mayor Bill Vidal was the lead-off speaker on Monday.

The first day of the summit featured several speakers including Mayor Bill Vidal of Denver, Dan Grunig of Bicycle Colorado, Tim Blumenthal of Bikes Belong, John Burke of Trek, and Randy Neufeld of SRAM Cycling Fund. Later in the day, breakout sessions focused on complete streets, safe routes to school and the power of mountain biking in your community.

Overall the content was thought provoking and the opportunity to discuss issues with new and different people contributed to a solidly positive experience. At the end of the first day I left convinced that frequent communication within the state's bicycling community would probably do much to identify common goals and facilitate projects.

A wind driven snow storm began as I returned home on Monday night.

I should take a moment to mention that I finished reassembling my Titan on Sunday evening just prior to the bike summit, with the help of my ever eager shop assistant. The Titan had dependably performed for several years during an extended period between service intervals, and is now ready for many more.

Shop assistant / bike fairy using her magnetic wand to identify objects made of ferrous materials. This grin signifies a positive discovery.

On Tuesday, the Colorado Bike Summit continued with a trip to the state capitol for constituents to meet elected officials and to ask for support of bi-partisan house bill 1092. The bill would ensure road rights for bicycles on public thoroughfares or require the necessity to provide alternative routes. The goal is to resolve Blackhawk's unreasonable bike ban, and to stem potential similar actions which might deny bicyclists from access to public roads elsewhere.

Representative Andy Kerr (D) and Senator Greg Brophy (R) are co-sponsors of the bill. After a press conference, Rep. Kerr took a spin on his bike for a photo op in front of the capitol building. It turns out he forgot his helmet, and I happened to be the only person around with one, so I loaned him mine.

Rep. Kerr sporting my trusty old helmet, still featuring the team 290 sticker.

Making sure the moment is adequately recorded for posterity.

Rep. Kerr and Sen. Brophy did a great job talking about how bicycling tourism, industries and activities are important contributors to Colorado's economy, and that arbitrary bike bans such as in Blackhawk create a negative image for the state. Kerr is a regular bike commuter and noted that although bicycling is possible here for nearly every day of the year, today was one of the few exceptions. I won't argue his point of view, except to say that I had a nice ride anyway.

Regardless of weather-related challenges, reduced traffic volume and much slower car speeds equals good riding in my book.

Fun in the snow

My girls know that the first batch of flakes taste the best.

We finally got a good snowfall. By good, I mean that it was deep enough to not just melt away quickly, and it was accompanied by temperatures that weren't bone chilling cold. In other words, perfect for winter fun. Luckily the snow coincided with the weekend, and we made it count. From about the first flake that fell yesterday, she was plotting to build a snowman. Yesterday's snow was perfectly sticky for the task, and our snowman was soon positioned to greet anyone approaching our house.

The snowman might have gotten to be a little taller, but she was just too eager to install the buttons and facial features for it to grow any more. Note the snowshoes.

This morning Oma came over on her snowshoes, so after a hearty pancake breakfast we decided to go sledding. She had gotten a new sled in early December, but to her consternation there hasn't been much opportunity to use it until now. However, the fantastic conditions on the snow hill in a nearby park made up for the long wait. A lot of other kids and families had also congregated on the hill and the routes were prime for action. It's a perfect sledding hill, wide enough for many concurrent tracks, and with a variety of angles from steep to not so steep.

Coming back up the hill with Oma after an early run

She hadn't had much experience going solo, but got the hang of it quickly. She doesn't weigh enough to really seat the sled into the snow, so she just skims along the surface and can pick up some serious speed. This is especially the case where a track has been packed down by heavier riders.

Snow rocket with a Wyoming tuque starting a run.

I was a bit surprised at her stamina for trudging back up the hill after a number of runs. I often met her halfway down the hill to pull the sled, but she was a little trooper, practically running to the top. When she eventually decided that she wanted me to pull her back up to the top, I took that as a cue that she needed a break.

I'm hoping that all the times pulling the sled up the hill will equate to an early bedtime, but I'm not betting on it.

After quite a few runs, She decided to turn her sled into an impromptu snow fort for a snow fight. She's at an age where enjoys scoring a good hit with a snowball as well as receiving one. She's got a pretty good arm, and is relentless with a fair degree of accuracy, as the adults around her were soon to discover.

Plotting an attack from behind her shield.

Making a celebratory "snow fairy" as she called it.

It was great to be able to enjoy the snow. Once we got home, we topped off our fun with a change into some dry clothes and some warm drinks and cookies. A few more flakes are starting to fall as I get ready to start a fire in the fireplace. If winter could be like this for the whole season, I wouldn't mind at all.