Schwinn 853 Peloton: First Ride Report

So, the build-up of course did not go as smoothly as possible. The 68x113 ISIS bb I ordered online ended up being too short. I couldn't get the chain onto the granny gear. Went to the shop, they gave me what they said was a 68x118 ISIS bb. It ended up being a 68x118 Giga Pipe bb. The spindles on a giga pipe are the same, however, thanks to the external bearings, the spindle length of a 118 giga pipe are different than an ISIS. So, that didn't work out.

Thankfully, Golden Bear had a 68x118 ISIS so we snagged that. Saturday night, with the help of a much more experienced brother-in-law, everything got dialed in. I was having some issues with the rear derailuer that I thought were hanger-related, but it turns out it was the chainline with the too-short BB. A quick adjustment to the FD mount position and generous playing with the RD got everything dialed in.

Sunday morning after a breakfast burrito we headed out from Broomfield to Carter Lake. This is a pretty close approximation of our ride, +5 miles or so.

http://www.mapmyride.com/ride/united-states/co/louisville/191338339694

It was a great ride. The bike felt really good, responsive, sharp, but comfortable and the steel really soaks up the chip & seal roads. Longest day of the year, longest ride of the year (so far).

And, finally, pictures.

Schwinn Peloton: Frame pics

I promised pictures...

 

 

Parts started arriving in the mail today, so perhaps there will be a whole bicycle by the end of the weekend!

Paying for gas

I've probably said this before, but I meticulously track our expenses in Quicken. I was thinking this week about the lack of gasoline purchases I've had in the past few years, and got curious. I wanted to know when the last time was that I put gas in the Cutlass (which we no longer own).

So,

3/15/2008, $17.76
8/9/2007, $19.99

Those are the last two transactions for gas for the Cutlass. I basically did not drive it from 8/07 - 3/15, and put gas in the car in March before I sold it before we moved.

Pretty awesome, coming up on two years since I really drove the car.

Fw: League of American Bicyclists

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikeadvocacy/

The text below is copied directly from the League's webpage: take a look:(begin League of American Bicyclists content:)Proposal to End Federal Funding for Bike Projects(6.05.09) A proposal by House Republican leaders to slash critical federal funding for bicycle and pedestrian projects was branded as “short-sighted and out of touch with reality” in a short statement issued by the President of the League of American Bicyclists, Andy Clarke. “House Republican leaders have chosen once again to scapegoat bicycling and walking programs, proposing to end the popular and successful Transportation Enhancements and Safe Routes to Schools programs and to terminate four non-motorized pilot projects mid-stream. These programs are hugely popular with communities across the country and address numerous challenges facing our nation – such as climate change, obesity and oil dependence. We know that State Departments of Transportation have reluctantly implemented these programs over the years despite overwhelming public support, and will not support them independently. To suggest ending these programs is short-sighted and out of touch with reality.”

In addition, the League notes that:the Transportation Enhancement and Safe Routes to Schools programs are routinely oversubscribed by a factor of three or more whenever States request applications for funding under these programs.More than 40 percent of all trips in the United States are two miles or less and that almost three-quarters of all car trips are two miles or less, suggesting that most travel is local, regardless of mode.A 3 percent reduction in vehicle miles traveled in 2008 resulted in a 30 percent reduction in congestion in metropolitan areas around the country, suggesting that demand management strategies such as increasing bicycling and walking are extremely effective in addressing congestion and other traffic-related issuesand subsidies given through tax breaks to drivers to pay for parking at work cost the taxpayer almost as much per year ($4 billion) as Boehner’s and Cantor’s proposal to slash support for bicycling and walking would save in five years.“We will be asking the White House to reject these proposed cuts out of hand,” continued Clarke. “At a time when we are struggling across several fronts to tackle pressing national concerns related to oil dependence, obesity and the costs of physical inactivity, climate change, air quality and economic competitiveness, it seems inconceivable that we would gut some of the few modest programs that encourage and enable people to walk and bicycle for everyday trips.”(end League of American Bicyclists content:)

WRITE YOUR REPRESENTATIVE TODAY, and help make sure this doesn't happen!

Schwinn Peloton buildup!

Wish I had pictures, but yesterday I got my new-to-me Schwinn Peloton. It's circa 99 or 2000, Reynolds 853 tubing with an aftermarket Ritchey carbon fork and a carbon seatpost. For being 10+ years old, it is a beaut. I'm really, really happy with the condition of the frame. A few paint chips as expected but no rust, it's been well taken care of, even the BB housing is pristine.

The plan is as follows:

Wheels from my current road bike, FSA 400's
Crank: FSA Gossamer triple
Shifters, brakes and RD: Campy Daytonas from the brother-in-law
FD: Campy mirage from ebay
Bars, stem, BB, tape, cables and housing from ebikestop.


If the wife hadn't taken the camera with her this weekend I would have pictures. Soon! I am excited to have a nice, quick, comfortable bike at a reasonable price.

Quick Update

So, not a lot new. Just got back from a couple of trips and getting back in the groove. Missed about 10 days of riding while traveling, so Wednesday's commute was really nice. It's amazing what some rest can do for your legs! Right before I left for my trip(s) I stopped by Alpha Bicycle to have them give the Surly a quick once-over. She is doing great, just tightened up some cable stretch. I estimated that since last July when I got her she has about 3500 miles, so it's about time for a new chain to say the least. Always good to talk to other people who love LHTs and their stories about their rides.

Rumor has it I may have a new road bike frame on Saturday, so you might want to stay tuned for pics. More details if the rumors prove true.

Oh, and I finally picked up a copy of 'Traffic: Why We Drive The Way We Do' at the library tonight so I'll try to give a summary of that when I finish it. I've been looking forward to it for a while. Since I'm a bachelor for the weekend, I may just have some time to read it.

Sharrows in San Francisco

In 2004, the city of San Francisco paid Alta Planning & Design to conduct a study on the use of sharrows in the city.  (For those of you unfamiliar, this is a sharrow:)

 

 

The city was having high incidents of 'dooring', as well as cyclists riding on sidewalks, against traffic, and motorists demonstrating aggressive behavior.  The goal of the study was to determine which markings were most effective, and how they should be used.  The really neat part of this study is how it was conducted.  The group used before-and-after video footage to determine the effectiveness of the sharrow.  They tested two versions of the sharrow; the 'Chevron style' shown above and the 'Bike-In-House'  version here:

 

They looked for cyclist positions relative to the curb or a parked car, as well as passing motorist traffic positions relative to the cyclist.  In short, what they determined is that ANY sharrow improves cyclist and motorist positioning.  Sharrows created a buffer between cyclists and parked cars, as well as between the passing cars and cyclists.  They did a good job of evaluating variables, and in the end concluded that sharrows can be an effective solution to improve cyclist safety and both cyclist and motorist behavior.

I really like Sharrows, for a number of reasons. I think they do convey to motorists that cyclists have a right to lane, and a right to be on the road.  They also create a 'mental space' that helps drivers provide a buffer to cyclists that they may not otherwise give.  They are much more cost effective than full-on bike lanes as well.  I think bike lanes can be useful, but in my opinion they convey a sense that 'bikes belong in bike lanes' and in Denver and the surrounding areas, there simply aren't enough bike lanes for that to be realistic.

The complete study can be found here:

http://www.sfmta.com/cms/uploadedfiles/dpt/bike/Bike_Plan/Shared%20Lane%20Marking%20Full%20Report-052404.pdfhttp://www.sfmta.com/cms/uploadedfiles/dpt/bike/Bike_Plan/Shared%20Lane%20Marking%20Full%20Report-052404.pdf

The study isn't terribly long (26 pages) and is definitely worth reading!