I’ve been pretty slammed with work – so I’ve had a lot of stuff to blog about, but haven’t had the time to sit down and write. Over the past few weeks, I’ve built two bikes, sold two and gone on a few sweet adventures. And since I can’t really group all my ramblings under one creative title, I’m just going to call this “Ride Reports and Ramblings Pt.1″ with Pt. 2 to come later (tomorrow perhaps?).
Ride Report: Team Social Pace up Kennedy
The usual suspects got together on the weekend of Jan 21st. to do a neat climb up Kennedy Trail in Los Gatos, Ca. Kennedy isn’t anything special in terms of technical fun, but for cardio and climbing endurance it’s a good place to put in work. I usually don’t go out that far since I have Almaden Quicksilver trail for a wide fire road exercise, but since a handful of my buddies were doing it, I decided to go out.
Cleared the whole thing without a problem on the CX bike – even stuff I had to walk before. Traction was very sweet due to the light sprinkling we had in previous days and it even started to come down a bit while we were riding. As always, the ‘cross bike was sketchy on the loose rocks and wash-board bumps – and everybody on MTB’s dropped me on the descend down.
I had the opportunity to ride Leopold Porkstacker’s fat bike for a bit and it was incredibly smooth and comfy. The fat tires didn’t feel like too much of a hindrance and I’d love to try that bike up a technical climb. I’ve always been intrigued by fat bikes and it was pretty cool to give one a try.
Robert and Newton grunt up the ascend side-by-side
Leopold Porkstacker (Brett) throws a fat tire in yo’ face!
A small, but brave, group.
New Build and Ride Report: Giant Cypress DX
When I stumbled upon Bryan from CL’s listing (he’s a guy who is always listing something for sale or trade) of a Giant Cypress DX frame for $45, I had to wonder what was wrong with it. I’ve dealt with him before, did some trades and such, so I knew he was a traveling parts bin (in a van). But I also knew that aluminum frames have a short lifespan, and from my experience, discovering hair-line micro cracks on a used frame is not fun.
After e-mailing him and discovering he needed a 9 speed derailleur and cassette, I knew we had a trade win. I met Bryan at a parking lot, looked over the frame and did the trade.
Now, here was the dilemma: How could I get away with building this trade score on a SUPER low budget? I didn’t want to go “cheap”, but I also didn’t want to spend more than $100 building this thing up. Most of the parts, I already had, but I did need wheels, brakes, a stem, headset, seat and grips.
I scoured the pages of Craigslist looking for these things, when I found somebody selling his wheels and brakes for $60 in Hayward, Ca. I jumped on that right away, and felt good about my budget-friendly find. However, upon arriving home and taking a very close look at the rear wheel, I discovered that it was completely oval – which did not read when I spun it and looked to see if it was out-of-true. Somebody cased it bad, and there was no saving it. I also noticed that the front brake disc bridge was missing, so I had to order that, as well.
The interesting thing about this whole experience was that I got to lace my first wheel. Although it was simply replacing a rim, it was a good experience and gave me the confidence to do another if I had to. The rim was an eBay find for $22.
Finally, after my integrated headset arrived from China (ugh…), I finished the build. I went with a 1X8 set-up for the reliability and smooth shifting and opted for a 36t chainring up front; chain jump is eliminated with a Paul Chain Keeper. With 26″ wheels and 1.5″ commuter tires, the 34t cog and 36t chainring gives me enough granny to get up anything in the urban environment. Fenders, racks, two water bottle cages, lights, and a comfy seat make this bike just a joy to ride. It isn’t the lightest thing on the planet, but I don’t really mind. This bike is well suited for weekend jaunts with the Mrs. and long, lazy strolls. The Giant Cypress DX has VERY relaxed geometry, so you sit low in the frame with little pressure on wrists and hands. It isn’t fast, but peppy: I found myself spinning on the flats at a steady 17mph, 20+ with the help of a downhill. Not a contender to hang in the peleton by any means.
This frame is a disc version and is normally seen with 700c wheels, and if you’re wondering why I went with 26″ wheels, it was mainly due to what the touring cyclists were saying on multiple forums – the 26″ tire/tube is the most common size in the world. So, in an emergency situation, I could pick up a spare tube at, say, any drugstore or hardware store. I enjoy the disc brakes, but are definitely not needed on this bike.
First Ride
I took the Giant on a 30 miler, 1,300 ft. of elevation gain out to Los Gatos, Ca. and back. 5 miles of the ride was on a dirt road, and the low(er) pressure commuter tires worked great, for the inexpensive Forte’ brand they are. Of course, this bike didn’t get up the hills very quickly, but that was to be expected.
This bike is so comfortable, I found myself in a dreamy, riding state… relaxing, and doing a bit more sightseeing. I could easily see myself taking this bike on a long, long ride at a mid-pace on rolling hills and exploring gravel roads. I am, in fact, considering putting on flat pedals just for convenience.
I really like this build and considering the price I paid to built it up, it was well worth it. I don’t intend on flipping this unless I absolutely have to, and it’s a great, faster alternative than my beach cruiser. Don’t underestimate these “comfort” frames – I quickly fell in love with the chilled out feeling of hybrid/comfort geometry and can understand why somebody would gravitate toward something like this.
I learned a valuable lesson in buying used stuff, though… especially take-off bike parts. Always inspect EVERYTHING very closely when buying used, and don’t make a 40 min. trek to save $10.
Build Report: Beach Klunker Gets a Brake
After doing a few grocery store runs for the wife on this thing, I realized how sketchy a coaster brake can be if that’s all you have. Plus, if you’re like me and you like to dodge cars and old ladies, the coaster brake just doesn’t cut it. After digging in the parts bin, I pulled out a v-brake bolt-on adapter and a Shimano XT v-brake (best v-brake I’ve ever used). I slapped that puppy on the fork and had-at-it.
I don’t know what came over me, but I decided to climb Bernal Rd. – a 800ft. ascend, on that bike. I have the gear inches at 67″, so it isn’t hard, but it also isn’t easy. After grunting up that hill with my cargo shorts, flannel and beanie, I got this pic at the top of the hill. Of course, coming home was a trek and the ride ended up being 18 miles in total.
Ride Reports and Ramblings Pt.2 coming soon!
