Urbanus Magnus

Many cyclists who surf the web know about the cycling comic Yehuda Moon.  And, as most of those know, the comic paused on September 12th of this year - when the last comic was published.  Much speculation surrounded whether this would be a permanent end or just an interruption in the comic's life. Although hinted at previously, today we know for sure; Yehuda Moon won't be making a come-back like before - at least, not in the same way.  I had come to look forward to the mornings when I would log on the the ol' computer and check the new yehuda comic, and I'm sad that the tale of the oddball cap-wearing utility-cyclist and his band of merry men at the Kickstand has finally drawn to a close. But, I have to give a great big, "Thanks!", to Rick Smith for all the work he has done. You can see his parting message here  by scrolling down the page.  

Lets get to the picture first: I'm on the left; O'Malley is on the right. Pay no attention to the photo-bomber in the back.  Explanation: With the parts removed from my old blue GT Vantara frame, it was simply sitting around, and with a rusted chain stay that proved troublesomely flexible on the Peugeot UE-8 frame of my friend  (the "$33 Touring Bike"  ), we thus decided to swap all of his parts over the Vantara.  I am lending the GT frame to my pal (under the condition that he guard it well), and so was stuck with figuring out how the get the Peugeot frame home with him riding on the other bike frame. Quite quickly, this freak was born. First, the front wheel was removed from the Peugeot, and the rear chainstays (which, remember, were too  flexible) were bent to fit the front hub. The front wheel was slipped onto the back of the frame, and the fork was zip-tied through its eyelets to the other bike's rack. A bungee cord was added for good m...

I wanted to see how fast this bicycle would go when it had on more road-oriented tyres, so I pulled off the hulking CST Critters and pumped up my discount Nashbar buys - the now-discontinued "Transition" line of tyres. They are basic commuter/ touring tyres, with a 35mm tread. I picked them up after I had a terrible streak of annoying tire flats on crummy $5 rubber. These Nashbar models feature a layer of kevlar protection, just under the tread; it works - no flats to date, and these year-olds have been tried on >350kms of glass-covered city streets. I give the thumbs up to Nashbar for this one, but I have a sneaking suspicion these are re-branded Panaracer models (if one looks carefully, it has a  "Panasonic" hidden on it). The rear tire is the Nashbar, the front is a 23mm Hutchinson road offering... Anyway, they are a ton faster than any bulbous mountain tire could be, as anyone should expect. I'd say average rolling resistance for its width, due to t...

All is well on the bike front, and I've now made it up to the 200km mark. I know, not a lot of riding in three weeks, but I've been completing the final push of school into exams (I finished my Chemistry exam today, yay! Only physics left, which is tomorrow). The tires are wearing well enough, but the compound of the CST Critters is fairly soft, so even gravel skids have worn the rear tread down a *weensy bit*. Just enough so that the "herringbone" pattern imprinted on each of the knobs is barely visible. The Herringbone pattern is wearing away quickly... the skid spots are worse than the above picture. So far, here's what I'm liking: - Off road handling - On road handling! - Overall weight - Load Capability - Comfortable seat/steam/handlebar height and position - Top Tube length is good - Rolling resistance ( Speed!) - Gear range (it hasn't been changed from before ) After about 125km offroad (light trails, gravel, a bit of chip seal road...

Without further delay, I present to you the Origin 8 CX700-framed-all-rounder: Origin 8's Cx700 frame allows me to run 29er tyres, yet doesn't look out of place running skinny rubber. The specs: - Origin 8 CX700 Cyclocross/Touring/All-Rounder frame, 56 cm * - CST Critter 29 x 2.1" tyres * - Mountain Equipment Co-Op Alloy Seatpost (rebranded Kalloy Uno) - 27.0 mm * - Brooks B17 Standard, Honey - Nitto B-115 - 40cm/25.4 mm clamp - RSX 3x8 Brifters - Avenir adjustable threadless stem w/ Origin 8 Spacers* - FSA "The Hammer" 1 1/8 in Headset * - Shimano BB-UN26 Sq. Tpr. * - Alivio 22-32-42 Crank - Victor VP-196 Pedals w/toe clips (VP-565 Platforms shown in pictures) - SRAM 12-32 7-Speed Casette - Alivio F. Der, 31.8mm clamp  * - Alivio R. Der - KMC Z-Chain * - Wheels: Alivio hubs laced to 36h Araya PX-35 rims - Jagwire "Basics" Cables + Housings * - Tektro 720 Cantis         A "*" means bought new. All other parts are scav...

The new frame has arrived - after a mix up with the sizing - and the parts should be here in the next few days too. Initial Impressions: -Frame = fairly light, porbably ~5-6 lbs though. Still, lighter than before. -Very sturdy feeling; seems good for off-road + touring - Assembly quality a bit lacking; 2 screws missing, most quite loose (but easy fix...) - Frame welds are looking really nice - but the fork welds are spotty. They look like they'll take the abuse, but its not that pretty... - Fork also pretty heavy; 2.5 lbs is my guess *Edit* - Measured frame + fork together: actually very light for its purpose; 6.83 lbs frame AND fork together (56cm size, uncut steerer). This compares favourably, as even the 56 cm Surly LHT is 7.25 lbs, and the Cross Check weighs in at 7.07 lbs. All in all, pretty good for its versatility/ price.  I'll be doing an in-depth review if the frame by this weekend, so stay tuned! Pictures will be shown then too.

Well, I now have to wait a few weeks longer to get hold of that cx700 frame - a mix up during shipping meant I got the wrong size frame; 50cm as opposed to my order of 56cm. Oh well. Such is life in Moscow. Erm, Toronto. I meant Toronto. I give 'er the run down when that frame arrives. Wish me luck!

I had been looking at frames for a while, when I stumbled upon this: Credit where credit is due: Picture stolen from <www.team-bicycle.webpowered.com> That, my friends is the new Cx700 frame offered by Origin 8. From what I've heard, it is pretty awesome. Here are some of the highlights: - Triple Butted steel - ~5.6 lbs, frame +  fork - Canti/V-brakes or  Disks - 2.1 in tyres in 700c size - this is what I'd be willing to call a "29er"! - All the touring braze-ons you'd ever need Don't get me wrong - this is by no means an endorsement/promotion for Origin 8; I just happen to love the idea of a go-anywhere, do-everything frame. This is one of the first  frames I've seen that can be full touring/cyclocross/road or offroad with just a change of tyres, other than the Surly Karate Monkey (can be finiggled into "light touring" mode), the Salsa Fargo (an off-road tourer), or the Rawland Drakkar frameset (like a more off-road version of ...

Many thought it impossible; to construct a fully-fledged loaded-touring bike for under $500. I have gone to the "possimmpible" - the land beyond impossible, to a place where the possible and impossible meld and intertwine. Reality must then surely be warped, I can hear you all saying, if I was able to build up a touring rig for under $50 dollars!  It all comes down to the fact that many people in Canada, especially the now-ageing baby-boomers, want to get rid of   (*gasp!*)  their old bikes cluttering up their sheds/yards/garages/evil laboratories, and so can be had for free most of the time, sitting sadly by the roadside of many suburban residences. No, I did not lick out and find a nearly-complete touring bicycle that I used $35 dollars on to refurbish. But, I did the next best thing, which was to convert an old 70's Peugeot UE-8 frame and wheelset to touring quality! I must correct myself; for there are those Peugeot junkies here on the interwebs that are ...

It has been quite the while since last post. School has been busy, so I offer no apologies. What I do offer is my take on the now "outdated" 7-speed drivetrain. That is, 7 in the rear, as I am an avid lover of double/ triple (especially triple!) cranksets for any mult-purpose machine - they help a lot for loads and/or hills. What with 8, 9 and 10 speeds all commonly available from Campy, SRAM and amongst the ubiquitous Shimano offerings, I hear many call 7 speed dead. I say, far from it! Its still here, baby, as strong as ever! Actually, probably even more so, although in low-level groupsets available like Tourney. Why do I like this drivetrain so much? Not all for the performance, for sure, or I'd be rocking a 10 speed Dura-Ace'd bike, but rather I feel that 7 speed has a good balance of availability, low pricepoint, durability, and yes, performance in there too: Advantages I see: -7 speed freewheels can be retro-fitted to an ol' ten speed (provided a washe...

I was wrong - the city is actually making pace with construction down by the bluffs. In fact, they currently have finished the  path connecting to Gates Gully.  I'm quite surprised at the speed with which they are progressing every day; after visiting the construction site a few times, they seem to mark progress with posts, which (by my measurements) average 4m of new road each day! At this rate, including all weekends and holidays, the 1.5 km segment remaining between Bluffers Park and Gates Gully should be finished in roughly one year from now. I accessed the trail via the Guild Inn, just as the last of the dump trucks and Toronto and Region Conservation   authorities were packing it in for the day. That's right - from what I can tell, this project seems to be planned from a "parks and rec" as well as "watersheds protection" angle, not so much for cyclo-commuting (insert sad emoticon of your choice here). But, I didn't really expect that it would eve...

I have other loves in life other than cycling - some of them being electrical projects. I've been working on this baby for a while - but, only recently has it recieved its power transformer. I pulled the transformer from an old ceiling fan; 120v to 24 volts, with ~ 1/3 amp supply capability. And that voltage happens to be *almost* exactly what I need for the heater filament of the single 25EH5 tube that comprises the amp. However, measuring the wall voltage at an actual level of 126 volts, the voltage coming out of the transformer is actually above  25 volts (ie. 120/24=5, 126/5= 25.2 volts). This is well within the 10% tolerance of  the vacuum tube's operational voltage range, being only .9% off of ideal. Right now, until I find/build a proper wooden cabinet for it, the entire amp resides in an old margarine container. Fire hazard: kids at home, never  mount a transformer to anything using tape. Even if the tape is electrical tape. The...

For any of those who don't know, the Sport Check in the Scarborough Town Centre is going out of business... and so they are having a closeout sale. No, this is not a promotion for the store - I simply saw a 7 speed wide-range cassette on sale at that store for 30% off, dropping the price to $15. Knowing that my bicycle's gearing is a bit high for fully loaded touring up big hills (I'm not super strong, either), I took the opportunity and bought the SRAM 12-32 gear cluster to customize my ride. Unboxing  I didn't have what one would call a "high" low gear before this upgrade - with 700c wheels, an 11-28t cluster in back and a 22-32-42t front crankset allowed for a lowest gear of  21.5 in, and a high of 104 in. I almost never used that high a gear, bust still had some trouble up hills with that low gear (especially on tour/ with load). The new 12-32 casette drops a little high-end, in return for a greater low-end; a gear of 18.8 in to 95.6 in. Strangely eno...

Because of all the punctures I've had to patch, I came up with a use for the beyond-use tubes I have lying around.... I made them into new patches! Turns out you can use strips of the butyl rubber from old inner tubes to patch other inner tubes quite reliably. The extra stretch compared to regular patches may also be a bonus for high-pressure tubes, or for tubes in really wide tires. At the current price of $2.50 for a patch kit with 10 patches  and two tubes of rubber cement, that's $.25 every time I patch. However, the glue usually lasts longer than the ten patches, and so I can use about 10-15 more strips of inner tube as patches, halving the cost to ~$.12 per patch. Complete inner tube first-aid kit However, if I were to buy just the glue and inner tubes, the price would drop further. Rubber glue is ~$2 for a large tube, and a whole inner tube is $3.00 at my LBS, meaning I could patch about 50 tubes  for $5 dollars. I estimate each inner tube would make ...

I'm putting the snow studs to rest (for now) for two reasons: 1. There be no snow/ice on the roads as of late, and its > 5 degrees outside 2. They keep popping inner tubes! Despite my best efforts, and lining each tire with 3-4 layers of duct tape, the occasional screw would be able to wear through the protection and put a cut into the inner tubes. Its quite unfortunate, as they were really quite amazing ice tyres. The only way I can thing of salvaging them is buying a few rolls of Mr. Tuffy or some other tyre liner and completely covering the insides to protect the tubes. They really only seem to pop in hard cornering or trail/ off-road riding. I was caught out the other day up to my ankles in mud, where I had to change a tyre. I was not happy, needless to say, when I ran out of patches from how many punctures there were.

'tis time to rejoice - a four-day weekend is here (for me, at least), and I plan on lots o' biking around. An interesting thing I managed to build up is a little do-hicky for fine-tuning my front derailleur; with a lack of down-tube stops, I had to get a little more creative. I took the adjustment screw from the mounts that came with my RSX shifters, and attached a nut to it, et voila! a 2-cent in-line barrel adjuster: It does its job, even if it ain't pretty. It mounts on the side of the shifters, where the derailleur cable leaves. I've already been on a few rain rides, and it hasn't shown any signs of rust, so the long-term prospects seem good.

It's Sunday night... I've returned from a winter camping trip this weekend, near Acton. On the drive up, the window got stuck in the down position - so, I had a  very  breezy and chilly ride. 1 foot of snow when I got up to the site, and another foot fell on Saturday night, making the tent sag a bit under the weight. Quite great weather for a winter camp! Unfortunately, while cutting some wood, I sustained a nasty gash on my knuckle; I was able to see the bone!! Needless to say, I had to get patched up with some gauze, and then head to the hospital for a more permanent 'fix'. I wasn't really injured that badly - the blood wasn't pouring out - so the 2.5 cm cut was held together with 3 stitches. I guess I'll see how it holds up to swimming tomorrow!

While not strictly pertaining to the object of this blog, it's here anyway: Finally: A book costs more in the US than Canada! Looks as if someone didn't take care to check for punctuation, which, as we can see, makes all the difference. This is the back of my copy of "Love in the Time of Cholera", which we had to read for school. Look - the proof's on the paper...

I've done it - the bike is completely finished, and it has been distance-proven; I took it for more than 40 km of wintery riding over the past two days. All the riding and abused has allowed me to 'dial in' all the settings of the bike: the Brooks saddle has been moved foreward, the derailleur cables have stretched/settled and been adjusted, the handlebars have been positioned, the STI levers have been re-positioned, and more than all these other combined, the new brakes have been worn in and re-positioned. Ta daaaah! Hells yeah - 'Standard' That's right; new brakes. Those old Shimano low-profile cantis are gone, and are replaced with one of the widest-of-wide profile brakes; some Tektro 720s. They really have cleaned up the problems, so now there is about 1/2 cm of clearance each side of the rims and more than double the braking power. The quality of workmanship is superb - they come with 6mm allen key fixing bolts, a stainless-steel bushing, both sides ...