There's Just Something About That Truck

Sometimes something catches your eye and you just have to check it out.  This has to be the most beautiful classic truck I have ever seen and it was a couple miles away from home in Sharpsburg.  I see it every once in a while parked in the same place and I stop every time.

I saw a lady who caught my eye.  I kept on going back to visit and ended up making her my wife.

Make a New One

Whenever I start the bike, I sit back to listen and watch.  It makes funny sounds sometimes and every once in a while it drips fluids.  One day last spring I fired it up and about a minute later a steady stream of oil started flowing from the lower plastics.  Not good.

I turned it off, waited to check the oil level, and started it again.  More oil.  No ride that day so I started removing the lower plastics and pulled out the repair manual.  Turned out that an oil line running from under the crankcase to the oil cooler was leaking in the middle where the hard line joined a soft line.  I drained the oil and removed the banjo bolts at both ends.

Soft line in the middle with the spring around it.

The leak was at the right junction in the middle of the photo

I had done something like this on a car before so I knew I could chop out the soft line and replace it, but I checked for the price of a new one.  Ebay showed a couple of them for about $40 shipped.  Used.

So I pulled out the Dremel and some cutting blades.  There's a reason they sell those blades in tiny buckets of 50.  Any torsion in the blade tends to send shattered fragments flying at your eyes.  Sometimes if you look at one funny it'll break in half before you even start.

The cuts at both collars 

Two halves of a collar

Once I got it apart, it took a walk to the local auto parts store for a short length of the proper high pressure line and four tiny hose clamps.  I used four for redundancy - two is probably fine.

I cleaned the underside of the bike, installed the repaired hose, filled the case with oil, and started off for a ride.  The whole process actually took a couple of days, but still no leaks 1,000 miles later.

My Dad's sister swears that Grandpa would break or lose things just so that he could manufacture more.  Good idea.

Finger Freeze

-10* F and I'm still pedaling to work.  People call me crazy nuts, but it gets me going in the morning.

I've been wearing light knit gloves under heavy German surplus mittens with a furry interior.  My thumbs get a bit cold and I can feel the wind on the back of my hand through it all.  In the basement the other day, I came across a pair of moto handguards I used on a Honda Ruckus years ago.

Back when I was riding the Ruck at its top speed of 41 mph on a good downhill, my fingers froze.  I tried heated grips, but they kept my palms warm while the fingers were still frosty.  These extensions and the proper angle really helped.

Riveted plastic extensions

So I installed them this morning just before the ride and they worked better than a charm.  Sweaty hands!  Problem solved.

I arrived at school and they had plowed in my parking space.  Apparently no one expects a bike in cold weather.  Beautiful day.

I Found it in the Park!

Over a decade ago I was wandering a park on the Northside and came upon a snake in the grass that looked like a Dremel.  No idea how it got there, but it went home with me.  I had just received my first for Christmas so the new one went back in the box and I used the park find until yesterday.

It always had a finnicky switch, but I could always get it to work.  I was prepping a bike for brazing and the switch quit so I decided to check out the inside.  I removed the collet, the plastic collar, and the hang loop on the back.  The only tool I needed was a little torx bit that was in the back of that handy Irwin screwdriver.  I took the brushes out, but they were good and it wasn't needed for the disassembly.

A springy collar for the shaft stop pin flew out when I popped open the case.  Here's the inside.

The bearings were nice and smooth.  Everything seemed to be connected so I pulled apart the electrical connections and checked all I could for continuity.  The cord checked out so I reconnected everything and moved on to the switch.  The switch looked like it was OK, so I cleaned it and reassembled.  Nothing.  

So the Dremel I found in the park on a Northside adventure went in the box and I pulled out my Christmas present from years ago.  Always have a spare.

Science Center Bike Display

The Carnegie Science Center here in Pittsburgh had a Bicycle Display last year.  I took the boys while my wife was out of town and captured some details.

Probably not any better and it's definitely tougher to make, but it is interesting.

This is what my younger son calls a 'bici al reves' or an upside down bicycle.

I like the idea of cargo bikes with huge front racks like this since I break rear wheels.

I walked away for some good pictures.  When I came back, he had made this 

and was showing me how to run it with both hands.

I guess we should all learn how to lace up a wheel and a fender??

 Old technology is interesting - a pedaled rear wheel and a trike rear brake.

Now that's a lot of spokes.  And just a bit of suspension on the seat.

This sky bike seems to be well-designed and more usable than many I have seen.  Note the extended rear triangle, internally geared hub, and cable operated steering.  This one can also be transported since it breaks down into upper and lower halves.

I'll have to visit more bike museums.

Antifreeze after the Big Freeze

After the big freeze a few weeks ago, it warmed up and the rain washed the salt from the roads.  It was time to get on the Concours again and ride that beautiful stallion.  I went out to the back yard, took off the cover, and saw this.

Scary green puddle

I know it wasn't there before the severe cold and I was scared the temperatures had ruined the engine.  I took off the coolant cap and there was plenty of fluid so there was nothing else to do but see if it bled like Spock.  Prime, choke, and start.  It fired right up and everything seemed normal.  I waited a bit and checked for leaks but nothing seemed amiss.

So off I went.  A big loop in the cloudy drizzle.  Not a beautiful view anywhere, but that engine is great.  And those curves!  Plus the fact that the bike requires me to coordinate both feet, the fingers on both hands, the right wrist, and the left thumb, and both arms for the handlebar - it's just a wonderful experience.

The engine temperature stayed normal during the whole ride and there seemed to be no more leaks.  I can't wait until it warms up and rains again but it's supposed to be 10 below zero tonight.  Don't freeze, my fast friend.

SnowVertible

I want a convertible.  Not because it's practical, but for the wind in my hair.

I had a student teacher years ago.  Steve finished his Navy Nuclear experience with a lot of interesting stories.  He didn't think like most and that made his perspective unique and his storytelling good.

Steve had a Chrysler Sebring Convertible that didn't convert any more.  The roof broke, or so he said, and he just couldn't get it up any more.  So he had driven around with the top down for years.  He told me stories of deluges that soaked the seat foam and snow that filled the interior with drifts up to a foot deep.

It was snowing pretty hard here in Pittsburgh last night and the temperature was well below zero.  I was out in East Liberty at the Home Depot buying some totally unnecessary items just to get out in the snow when I thought of Steve.  Inspired, I rolled down the windows, turned the heat up to "Blast Furnace," and cranked up the tunes.

Incredible.  The wind was cold but I wasn't.  Well, I wasn't really cold but I was only doing about 25 mph.  Steve said he always had a hat, a full-length raincoat, and thick wool blanket.  Good idea if I want to do this often.  I went on, farther and farther from home, laughing with joy and singing the wrong words at top volume while the snow swirled past my face.

Steve, if you're out there, thanks for the inspiration.

Anybody got a convertible for sale cheap?  I don't care if the top works.

Crystals on the Crick

The boys and I were playing on the ice of the frozen creek and I came across these crystals.  Tiny and exquisite.  I found some interesting ice formations in an ice cube tray once, but nothing like these.  Sometimes I wish I carried an electron microscope for images of tiny things.  That'd be better than my eyes or these images.

I did some research and found that the extreme cold we experienced caused the water in the air to condense out and build on existing crystals.  Beautiful.

El Color de la Sangre

Did you ever wonder if the blood they use in Hollywood movies is even the right color?  I watch way too much TV and every show has a different color of blood.  Sometimes it's a huge, wet pool and sometimes it's a small, dry sample.   Sometimes fresh and sometimes old.

I jammed a screwdriver into my hand the other day while doing something dumb.  I wanted to finish the job so I just ignored it since there was minimal pain and no arterial fountain.  When I finally looked at my hand, this is what i saw.

About five minutes after the cut.  No flash.  CFL illumination from the ceiling.

I was surprised at the brilliant red color.

Also taken about five minutes after.  Dry but not old.

Now, a week later, after I installed it on a new bar.

A week later, same lighting, new color.

Interesting.  Maybe the color of blood on movies is more correct than I realized.  I'll have to watch more TV.  And I'll have to keep my shoes out of the background of the photos.

Nice Rack!

They call me "Destroyer of Wheels."  Maybe it's because I'm just too big for just 32 or even 48 spokes, but I break lots of rear wheels.

Perhaps it's time I seriously consider putting my 20 pound pack over the front wheel.  I found this monster basket parked in front of Narragansett Bikes near Grandma's house in Rhode Island.

It requires mid-blade mounts and dropout mounts along with a stabilizer strap tucked in behind the front brake.  I'm pretty sure both of my children would fit comfortably.  Maybe even a couple of neighborhood puppies we pick up along the way.

That bike shop does a pretty good job of branding.  Narragansett Bikes = NBX.  It works well on one of those oval bumper stickers and on the downtube of any bike they sell.

I could pack this thing up with bricks from a construction site and break a front wheel.

Butler Vintage Bike Swap Meet

Last Sunday I attended the somethingth annual Vintage Bike Swap in Butler PA.  Put on by a local bike shop, it's a friendly swap with a bunch of nice old bikes.  They're mostly from the 50s to the 70s but there is some really old stuff and a couple of guys selling newer cyclegear.

Here are a few pics I snapped.  The first is my favorite.

I think the sidecar is bigger than the bike.

Fake motor and tons of chrome.  Too much suspension for a Harley.

  I like that rack

  Shaft drive.  Chains weren't always reliable.  And the wooden rims are a nice touch.

 Could you see this folding bar on a Brompton?

The Y-tube junction forward of the seat tube is just a nice touch.

They also had this recumbent.

Just spending time with other cycling-focused friends in the middle of a snowy winter was good.  I need to do it more often.

How to Pack your Bike for Shipping

I just had a Schwinn 411 delivered to my door.  It's a simple bike for my commuting needs.

I figure that the manufacturers know what they're doing when they pack a bike so why don't we just copy their methods?  So I've included some pictures for your viewing pleasure.  Lots of wrapping and scotch tape and zip ties keep it from jostling around and scratching it up.

The front wheel is on the left side, away from the drivetrain and the handlebar is removed from the stem and tucked down from the right side in the space between the downtube and the fork.
The stem is loosened and rotated into a convenient location.

That is a good view of the left side of the bike.  There are plastic protectors on the hub axle ends for both the front and rear wheels and the frame is wrapped at any potential contact point.

I don't know if that last picture helps much, but I figured I'd include it for a different view.  The quick releases and the pedals are individually wrapped and placed in a separate little box that just rattles around inside.  The tires arrived completely deflated.  I would have thought at least a bit of air would have protected it more.

This is a standard bike box.  It's pretty expensive to ship it this way so last year I had to take off the rear wheel and cut down a box to reduce the price since it was priced not only by weight but by size.  Still stupid expensive, but I saved about 20% on shipping it in the size-reduced box.

Fender Mounting on a Bike with Disc Brakes

I bought a new commuter and put some old fenders on it but the mounts were below the disc brake. I thought about spacing it out around the brake, but I decided to torque the wire stay a bit with an adjustable wrench. Then I bent it again to get the fender closer to the wheel. Were I to do it again, I'd put a single bend farther out on the stay to leave some adjustment. These are Planet Bike full cover fenders on a Schwinn 411 IG5.

 It worked out well and I like the look of the bends.