Labels

Visits

Week 7 Weigh In

Posted by Dutchman Saturday, October 31, 2009 0 comments

Total loss for the week: 1 pound.

Where is Jillian when I need her?

The colorful part of autumn is just about over. The photo shows the last of the leaves falling. We've had high winds and rain the last couple of days, which is making quick work of those remaining.

Time to get the skis waxed.

Something to Do (Part 9)

Posted by Dutchman Friday, October 30, 2009 0 comments

Crankset Installation

Following theShimano instructions, I began the installation of the XT bottom bracket and CS-770 crankset. First, I needed to determine the width of the Sanner bracket shell. As per the directions, a 68mm bracket requires two 2.5mm spacers on the drive side of the crank, and 1 on the left. I greased up both sets of the Hollowtech external bearing cones and threaded them onto the shell. These were tightened to the specified torque. I inserted the drive side single piece crank and axle and used a rubber mallot to push it through the bottom bracket. The left crank arm was mounted, 1.5nM of torque was used to load the bearings, and the cross bolts were tightened to complete the installation.








Something to Do (Part 8)

Posted by Dutchman Thursday, October 29, 2009 0 comments

Headset, Fork, Stems and Handlebars

My front cable hanger finally arrived, so I'm ready to install the fork. First, I greased the bearing surfaces and placed the lower bearing on the fork crown. The fork was then placed up through the headtube. The top bearing is next, followed by a bushing, thin washer, and top cover. The top cover has an o-ring inside to keep moisture out of the headset.

The angle of the cable hanger interfered with the top cover, so I had to place a 5mm spacer below it. Above the cable hanger, is the first stem. It is a Ritchey Pro of 110mm placed with its 6 degree angle downwards. Following this, is another spacer and finally the Ritchey Pro 100mm with upward angle of 30 degrees. I know the use of two stems seams weird. I'm testing an idea I discovered on the Crazy Guy on a Bike touring website.

Most tourers like to have a handlebar bag for their maps and items they wish to have handy while riding. In addition there is the need to mount such things as computers, GPS units, LED lights, and interrupter brakes on the handlebars. This is a problem as all these items can interfere with brake and shifter cables as well as require space on the bars that are at a premium. One solution is to add the second stem, with a short piece of PVC pipe or sawed down handlebar that can add attachment space below and away from the handlebar.

Links: 
http://www.crazyguyonabike.com/doc/?o=RrzKj&doc_id=1834&v=1H
http://mgagnon.net/velo/potence-double.en.shtml

I purchased a used Specialized handlebar from eBay, sawed the ends off with a hacksaw, and painted the exposed ends. I left the ends a little long, so as to allow for attachment space. Once I complete and test this setup, I may shorten the bar if necessary. I intend to attach a Topeak Tourguide bag. The drop handlebars on the upper stem will have Cane Creek Cross levers installed.

Once the full "stack" was in place, I marked the steerer tube in preparation for cutting it down to the necessary 3mm below stack height. This allows the top cap and bolt to have the proper clearance needed to preload the headset bearings. Of course, that means disassembling everything so that the tube can be cut with a hacksaw. I purchased a Nasbar Star Nut installer, which allowed for quick and easy placment of the nut, at exactly the proper depth. Everything was re-assembled and the bearings were loaded. I mounted the two handle bars so that I could make sure the stems were straight. Then the stems and the cable hanger were tightened with a torque wrench, working from top to bottom. Below are photos of the installation. Like I said, kind of weird, but we'll see how it works. I can always go back to the standard configuration by removing the lower stem and cutting down the steerer tube.




Nasbar Star Nut Tool

Something to Do (Part 7)

Posted by Dutchman Wednesday, October 28, 2009 1 comments

Odds and Ends


While I'm waiting for additional components to be delivered for my touring build, I installed a bottom bracket cable guide and Lizard Skin chain stay guard.




















I also installed the rear set of Cane Creek SCX-5 cantilever brakes. I used the middle spring retainer hole on the brake boss, but had to use a small file to remove some of the paint that had filled in the hole during painting.

A little Phil Wood grease was applied and the brakes slipped on easily.




Something to Do (Part 6)

Posted by Dutchman Monday, October 26, 2009 0 comments

Headset Installation

I ordered a Cane Creek S3 Headset for the Sanner. After having the headtube reamed and faced at a local LBS, I pressed the bearing cups with a Park HHP-3 after first coating the inside of the tube with Phil Wood grease.

I had read on the internet that one could seat the crown race on a 1 1/8 inch steerer tube by using a 1 1/4 inch PVC pipe. So, after a run to the nearby Home Depot, I returned with a 24 inch section for the total cost of $2.07 including tax. I compared the O.D. of the race to the I.D. of the pipe, and discovered the fit was perfect. The pipe would touch the outside surface of the race, but not the actual point where the sealed bearing would make contact. I greased the race and crown, and slipped the pipe over the tube. A quick rap with a rubber mallot, and the race was perfectly seated.

I am still waiting on a Tektro cable hanger for the front brake cable, so won't be able to install the fork until it arrives.








Something to Do (Part 5)

Posted by Dutchman Saturday, October 24, 2009 0 comments

Wheel Preparation

I'm now waiting on two key items to be delivered. One is the bottom bracket and crankset and the other is the headset. Most of the other components have arrived, but can't be assembled until the headset and fork are installed. Meanwhile, I'll set up the wheels.




The first thing to do is to tape the rims. After checking to make sure there are no metal burrs around the valve stem and spoke holes, I ran 10mm wide Velox tape around the inside of the rim.



Following this, I mounted one side of the tire. The tires I'll be using are 32mm Schwalbe Marathons. These are not as puncture resistant as the long distance tourist favored Marathon Plus tires, but they are much lighter, and a good compromise for the type of touring I'll be doing. I chose 32mm, which should be good for the occassional rail trail or dirt road riding, yet the rolling resistance won't be too bad for paved roads. As you can see from the photos, they have a reflective strip on the sidewall that should add a safety factor for low light riding.





 
Lastly, I used Park tools to install the Shimano XT 11-34 tooth cassette.






Week 6 Weigh In

Posted by Dutchman 0 comments

Pounds lost this week:  0.  FAIL AGAIN!

Guess it is time to start exercising.


.

Something to Do (Part 4)

Posted by Dutchman Wednesday, October 21, 2009 0 comments

Frame Preparation

Before starting assembly, I'm going to coat the inside of the steel tubes with JP Weigle Frame Saver.



I plugged the tube ends with paper towels to reduce over-spray and then shot a 3-4 second stream down each accessible tube. The frame was then rotated for a couple of minutes to allow the spray to flow around the tubes. Following a day of dry time, I'll  clean up the frame, and polish it.




Now, I'm just waiting for delivery of all the ordered components (see the components list in the right sidebar). Then the fun part begins.

Next...headset installation...

Something to Do (Part 3)

Posted by Dutchman Tuesday, October 20, 2009 0 comments

Today, my frame was delivered. It is a Sanner (of Palo Alto, California) custom frame, built especially for long distance touring. It is steel lug construction of double butted Dedacciai Italian tubing. It includes cantilever brake mounts, 3 bottle mounts, and eyelets and bosses for fenders and racks. The frame is powder coated in a dark mettalic green with beige head tube, fork crown, and accents.



It seems common these days for shippers to deliver packages in a somewhat poor state. Such was the case with this frame. There was a larger puncture hole in the side of the box, that had been taped over. Whatever punctured the box, managed to find the small seam in the cushioned wrap that was around the drive side chainstay. It chipped the paint off in two places.




I don't blame Sanner Cycles for this, as every square inch of the frame was covered with foam tube wrapping. It was one of the best packing jobs I have seen. However, there is only so much one can do to protect an object from poor handling by a shipper.
I like the frame too much and received too good a deal on it, to complain or ship it back. Rather, I'll touch up the two chips with enamel. Normally, I cover the drive side chainstay with Lizard Skin or a similar product to protect it from the chain, and this will cover the flaw anyway.
Other than the shipping issue, the frame shows the builder's expert workmanship. The paint job is excellent.

Next...frame preparation.



Fevers, Pills, and other Stuff

Posted by Dutchman Monday, October 19, 2009 1 comments

My son Tyler came home from school on Thursday complaining of a sore throat. It was bad enough, that he didn't want to eat, as it hurt to swallow. Later in the evening, he developed a fever of 102 degrees. I recommended a couple of Tylenol, but that is where the trouble starts.

He would almost rather be sick for a week, than take a pill. Ever since he was a baby, he has had trouble with medicine. He has a natural "gag" reflex to any medication, no matter the type or flavor. When he was very young, there were a number of times we had to "force" the medicine down. Many times we watched expensive regurgitated medicine go down the drain. Often we weren't sure how much of a dosage actually stayed in his stomach. Even now, at the age of 13, taking a pill is an ordeal. You must keep an eye on him, to be sure he doesn't toss the pill, tablet, or capsule down the drain. Yet, if he thinks you are watching, he gets very nervous. He will stand at the sink, with a glass of juice or Gatorade, and look at the pill for minutes on end. He has to prepare himself mentally, which can take several minutes. When he finally makes an attempt, the pill returns to his hand or the sink, about half the time.

Week 5 Weigh In

Posted by Dutchman Saturday, October 17, 2009 0 comments

This week's weight loss. 0 pounds. FAIL!

Something to Do (Part 2)

Posted by Dutchman Wednesday, October 14, 2009 0 comments

I'm starting to accumulate components for the bike build. First to arrive were wheels secured from Rocky Mountain Cyclery via eBay. They are 700c Mavic A119 rims with Shimano Xt hubs. The hub spacing is 135mm. These are not the A319 or A719 rims that I would have preferred, but at the price, I didn't want to pass them up. I payed $142.



I also secured a set of Shimano Dura-Ace SL-BS77 Bar End shifters. They should arrive any time. I paid $59.97 for these. I am not sure yet, if I will be using these on the build or not.

Stay tuned...

Something To Do (Part 1)

Posted by Dutchman Sunday, October 11, 2009 1 comments

It is autumn. All the activities of spring and summer are over. Pretty quickly, the leaves will be falling, and the cold wintery weather will commense. Unlike the Dirt Road Bicycle Commuter, who is busily converting his blog from 2 columns to 3, and who also has commuting to work on ice to look forward to, I have little coming up that will keep the boredom in check. So, I propose to build a new bicycle for next year.


I built up a road bike for myself as well as one for my older son Zach, last fall. I ended up with a Cannondale SR500 all ultegra, and he has a Fuji Team, all ultegra. I think my project for this year will be a touring bike.

I have a vintage Fuji Touring IV, which I purchased in 1985. It is one of my very few possessions that survived all the moves from 1987 until 1999 when I ended up here in Oxford. Because it is old, it could be pretty troublesome to replace any broken parts occurring on a tour, should I decide to ride it. The 27" tires, tubes, and wheels would be hard to find, and the Suntour drive train would be hard to replace. So, I've convinced myself a new bike is needed.

I will use this blog to record the build as it progresses. On the sidebar, I will include a link to a spreadsheet showing the parts list, as I accumulate items from eBay or other sources. Prices will be included, so you get an idea of the cost of such a project. I'll slowly gather the components of the bike as I find good deals.

Stay tuned...

Weigh-in Day Week 4

Posted by Dutchman Saturday, October 10, 2009 0 comments

Today's weight is 229, for a loss this week of 1 pound.

| edit post

Growing Up

Posted by Dutchman Wednesday, October 7, 2009 2 comments


I've been single parenting for seven years now. That means Zach and Tyler were 7 and 5 years old when their mother left. Your world revolves around them when they are that age. But now they are both in their teens, and they are on that inevitable quest for independence.

Back in the spring, Tyler and one of his friends came up to ask "Can we go to the movie?".

"Of course" I replied. "I wouldn't mind seeing that".

Tyler and his friend exchanged troubled glances. "Uh well..." he stuttered. His friend added "well it's just not cool to go to the theater with a parent".

Ok, I get it. I had to drive them to the movie and then pick them up afterwards.

Then last night, Tyler got me again. He and I were attending the "Eigth Grade Camp" informational meeting at his school. They announced that parents wanting to chaperone should fill out a form, so I asked Tyler if he wanted me to attend. He looked at me with one of those "are you kidding me" looks and simply said "no offense, but ..."

All those early years, you would like to have had an hour or two to yourself. Now, you discover that "time to yourself" is something to which you will have to become accustomed.



.

Four Days Off

Posted by Dutchman Monday, October 5, 2009 0 comments

I had some vacation days left to use up by the end of the year, so I took two last Thursday and Friday. It's fall and there isn't a better time to be off. So, I spent four days cleaning.

When there are three guys living in a house, your priorities are a little different than what they'd be if there was a woman about. Things tend to pile up during the summer, when the boys are out of school. They have all day to create their messes. When it comes time to clean them up, baseball, bicycling, movies, and anything else we can come up with, are all rightfully higher on the priority list. But, now they are back in school, and it was a cold rainy weekend, so what better to do than clean. Besides, we were running low on spoons. That is to say, every time you looked in the silverware drawer, there were no spoons available. Just as the ranchers out west have to herd their cattle in off the open range prior to winter, I had to go on a roundup to locate all the spoons. We eat, we watch TV, we head out to our activities, and the spoons generally fend for themselves out in the vast hinterland of the upstairs bedrooms and basement entertainment room. There is a bonus for every spoon you round up, as usually they are sitting in a bowl or on a plate, that also need to return to the "corral" in preparation for the long winter.

All is good now. We are ready to enjoy the coming fall colors, cold nights, and warm evenings in front of the fire.

Just A Saturday

Posted by Dutchman Saturday, October 3, 2009 0 comments


A typical Saturday at Bachelor and Sons, started out with breakfast at the Big Boy, followed by haircuts (except Tyler who is grounded until he gets one).

Then had a quick trip to the bike shop and listened to the Michigan vs Michigan State football game, where State won, of course. After that we joined some friends to see "Zombieland" at the local theatre. Hilarious.

Then Zach headed off to the Homecoming Dance (that's him in the photo).

Weigh In Day

Posted by Dutchman 1 comments

Weighed in at 230 for a 1.5 lb loss for the week. Total so far is 7.5 lbs.

About Me

My photo
I'm a middle aged divorced father living with my two sons. We like to canoe, bicycle, fish, camp, play baseball, and spend money when we want and where we want, without permission from anybody. HA!

Followers

Misc. Links

Parenting Blogs Dad Blogs - BlogCatalog Blog Directory