Wheels Wheels Wheels

 It’s was wheels night Friday at cyclingWhidbey. 

I lost a spoke Friday. I was only down the hill and  around the corner when heard a ping. Suddenly it felt as if the rear brake was engaged. I stopped and dismounted and realized right away I had broken a spoke. I’m not sure how it happened. One other time i broke a spoke on this same wheel. A thrown chain was the cause that time. Luckily I had an extra spoke and fixed it with no issues.

I built a set of rims a few years ago. 

I was using them quite a bit there for a while.  I eventually broke a spoke on the rear wheel. I took them off the bike and put the Campagnolo wheels back on. I put this wheel set aside. I intended to repair it soon. Time passed by. I’m embarrassed to say how long. When I needed to pull the trueing stand out to repair the Campagnolo wheel I figured it was time to fix the other wheel has well.

I have two sets of wheels now.  

Happy Marmot says

"The wheel is mankind's greatest invention."

Making ready for the Indoor workout season.

 It’s mid October the rain and wind are making it difficult to get a ride in. Soon the darkness will be upon us and I will be forced to workout indoors. 

I always have great expectations for the indoor workout. Building strength and flexibility, working on the core and spinning on the rollers. I have those expectations this again winter.  

My biggest enemy is boredom. I always start out enthusiastic, looking forward to the Indoor season. However, by the middle of January I’m done with it and want to get back out on the road. Maybe I’ll do a little road riding this winter. Come on who am I kidding. I say that every year at this time.  By January it’s cold and wet, the roads are full of tree debris. If it has snowed then the road has a layer of fine sand on it that is as hazardous as the the ice it was put on. I'm starting to sound pessimistic.

Happy Marmot says:

"Be patient it's a long winter."

Changing out brake levers.

 I pulled the brake levers off of this bike and are going to put them on my casual bike. 

This bike is vintage. It has some old technology on it. It has a bad past so I’m pulling things I want off of it. I’m want the brake levers.

They were made by a manufacturer I have not heard of before. Chang-Star. Found out on the internet Chang-Star is a Taiwan bike parts manufacturer.

Here are the levers I have been using. 

They are plastic and old. Found them at a garage sale at the school in Coupeville. 

I have them on the casual bike. They look and feel great.
  

Had to do a little adjusting on the brakes; nonetheless, the effort to change these levers out was well worth it. These levers look and feel better than the plastic ones.  

Riding in style now. 

Happy Marmot says "There are three ways to get better on your bike."

1. "Ride your Bike"

2. "Ride your Bike"

3. "Ride your Bike"

 

Tire Decision Dilemma

 Hey there bicycle enthusiasts. This is my first post in a while. I thought I would try the blogging waters again.

I'm having a hard time deciding which tires to buy for the up coming outdoor season. I've tried several bands the last few years. Vittoria, Schwalbe and my latest set Michelin. I liked the Vittoria Rubino Pro

 tires they looked, good especially with the red sidewalls. They handle well, long lasting and were very puncture resistance. The Schwalbe tires I had I was not too impressed with. They were not all the things the Vittoria tires were. I used them a long time ago and I think they were not Schwalbe's best. I should probably give Schwalbe tires another try before criticizing them too harshly. The Michelin tire performed  very well. They were fast, comfortable and puncture resistance. They looked good too with the red side walls. However I have been using them on my rollers this winter and the rear tire is starting to come apart. 

I normally get an outdoor season, and an indoor season, and sometimes part of another outdoor season out of a set of tires. So I can't really say that the Michelin tires were long lasting. At least not this particular tire.

What am I looking for in a tire? I want a fast comfortable long lasting puncture resistant tire at a good price with red sidewalls. My first problem is finding tires with red sidewalls. My second problem is I'm not sure what a decent tire prices is. I don’t want to buy the cheapest tire but then again I don’t want to pay a an exorbitant amount for a tire either. After all I'm a summer time speedster not a member of the pro peloton.

I've been looking at the Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires.

 I have Continental tires on my casual bicycle. I didn’t choose them they came with the bike when I bought it.  I really like them. They look good, perform well and have held up well to all the abuse I have dished out. 

If only the Grand Prix 5000s had red sidewalls.

Maybe I'm looking too early for tires. Will there be tire sales in the spring?

I would appreciate any advice or wisdom my fellow bicycle enthusiast have. Please leave a comment sharing any insight you may have about tires.

Happy Marmot says for the best rides of your life ride Whidbey Island.

Donna's Route 🔁

 Today's ride was wonderful. The weather was sunny and warm. My legs where well rested and pumping out wattage like a finely tuned machine. 

Introducing Happy Marmot. 

The Up Date Post

 I put blogging on the back burner for awhile. This is the up date post. 

This is the first ride after the May Climbing Challenge. I was riding with no thought of climb hills for the sake of getting elevated feet. It was relaxing not having the pressure of trying to complete a challenge.  

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This ride was short. I'd like to say it was because I was short on time. That's not true. I was short on energy.

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This ride I was felling a lot better. My time on Swede Hill is the best of the year. 

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I hadn't been out to Freeland in awhile. 

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Here again short on energy resulting a short ride. 

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Campbell’s Glendale Triple Loop

 This route is the queen’s stage for the May Climbing Challenge. It has 28.56 miles and 2478 feet of climbing. With six serious hill climbs including Campbell road, Humphrey road climb, Heggenes and Scatchet Head road this ride is brutal. I was hoping to cap off the climbing challenge with this ride putting me over the top. However, because of gout and the weather, I didn’t get in enough rides to obtain the necessary vertical feet to receive the May climbing badge for my trophy case. Although I am slightly disappointed I feel the climbing challenge was a success helping me find my climbing legs early this season. If you are inclined to try this route or any part of it do so pronto because they will be paving the road surfaces soon.

Great Climber.

Julian Alaphilippe