tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87376480679266866192024-03-13T15:57:38.083-04:00Fuji Otakurobatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.comBlogger226125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-73185506314431802002014-10-05T21:26:00.000-04:002014-10-05T21:26:03.443-04:00Up McKenzie Pass on the Estate Bike.I rode up to McKenzie Pass the other day, starting at McKenzie River Ranger Station. <br />
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You can park there in the overflow parking. Route 242, the way to McKenzie Pass, is a mile or two up the road. <br />
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This area around here is damp rain forest, judging by the side of the road verdant moss quotient. <br />
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This is where the McKenzie Pass Highway officially starts at its intersection with 126. There is a parking area here as well. <br />
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The first ten miles are rolling, but rising, and mostly a green tunnel. <br />
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Around mile 10, the character of the highway changes, becoming consistently uphill for about 7 miles, no flats sections whatsoever. <br />
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Despite the climbing, one can help but noticing all the natural beauty. <br />
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Still on a consistently uphill stretch at 3k, I'm wondering if I can make the remaining 2.3k. <br />
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Hitting 4k was a morale booster. <br />
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The shoulders on the road were often precarious. There were sections a lot worse than this, but these are the only photos I got. <br />
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Some fall colors, but evergreens predominate on this route.<br />
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Higher altitude arid forest. <br />
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Some of the very impressive lava beds that went on for miles. <br />
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5k? Practically done. Actually, after about 4300 feet, the ride became somewhat less steep, sort of a pleasant roll along the top of the mountain for about 5 miles before reaching the pass. <br />
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At last. <br />
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It was around 2pm when I got to the top and the weather was brilliant and short sleeve warm, actually a lot warmer than the shaded forest coming up or going down. I hung around up top for about an hour, munching clif bars and enjoying the view. <br />
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Then it was time to go back.<br />
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<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-22055775080028974172014-10-02T22:29:00.001-04:002014-10-02T22:29:59.951-04:00Royal Enfield Bullet 500 SpreadLong term readers of this blog may have noticed a slow drift in Fuji Otaku. What originally began as strictly vintage Fuji bicycle content has veered significantly into other bicycle marques and, recently and alarmingly, even motorcycles.<br />
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Maybe the blog is having an identity crisis. One should expect to continue bicycle/motorcycle content, as generally the philosophy around here is two wheels good, four wheels bad. But even that is not a promise, since the Otaku stable includes original ownership of a 2001 Toyota Tacoma 4x4 that is a compelling artifact. <br />
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Anyhow, I emerged from my high-rise redoubt in downtown Eugene and nearby was this Royal Enfield Bullet 500 waiting to pose for a photo shoot. Royal Enfields were never my bag, Triumph/Norton were the extent of my exposure to British brands growing up.<br />
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But it was very attractive and maybe some readers know a bit more about this bike. Very impressive horn as well, always a good thing.<br />
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robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-67354654398759069922014-08-24T15:59:00.001-04:002014-08-24T16:00:41.372-04:00Eugene and BMW K100RSQuite a bit has happened since I last posted to this blog. To some extent, this is an experiment to see how much audience remains.<br />
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Long-time readers know that my family (wife/son) recently resides in Japan while I split my time between there and the U.S. Recently, I moved our U.S. homeport, so to speak, from its 17 year tenure in Washington DC to Eugene, Oregon.<br />
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This was an epic undertaking which including towing a trailer of possessions coast to coast. I've only sort of got settled in here in Eugene a week or two ago. Given that Eugene is one of the great bicycling cities of the world, it would be remiss of me not to take note of this in the Fuji Otaku blog.<br />
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So here I am, at least a bicycling provincial capital of the world, and the first thing I do is run out and land this:<br />
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A 1985 BMW K100RS.<br />
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More to come....robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-87179413491297847152013-09-25T05:33:00.001-04:002013-10-21T19:49:16.054-04:00UpdateSome time back, I posted the draft of a story about my encounter w/a
notorious serial killer. I didn't leave it up for long because it was a
draft and various people said I should get it published in a
conventional magazine.<br />
<br />
So I finished the story and then worked with Orange Coast Magazine to edit it to their liking/usages.<br />
<br />
My title for the story was "The Crack Of A Twig", but we decided on a different name for their version of the story.<br />
<br />
Orange Coast Magazine just published the web version of the story <a href="http://www.orangecoast.com/features/2013/09/23/center-of-the-universe">here</a>. It is a strange, dark tale. <br />
<br />
I've been cycling a bit here in Japan. I brought my wife's Trek 720 to Japan and managed to promptly wreck it.<br />
<br />
I have made a lot of observations about cycling in Japan, I'll share them when I get more time.<br />
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In happier news, my little clan went to Azuchi the other day, rented some cycles, went riding through the town and countryside.<br />
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<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-30031320000757387512013-02-28T23:54:00.002-05:002013-03-01T00:00:38.160-05:00A 520 By Any Other Name Would Ride As Sweet - 1986 Trek 500 Tri SeriesWell, it is turning into a veritable Trek-fest around here. I got intrigued enough to buy this 1986 Trek 500 Tri Series.<br />
<br />
It is a bit of an unusual animal - when I think of tri bikes now, my image is something as scaled back and as pared of fat as the triathletes themselves are.<br />
<br />
I ran some triathlons back in the mid 80's, I just remember using whatever race bike we had at hand. Trek seemed to think, in 1986 anyhow, that a Trek 520 touring frame, but with caliper brakes instead of cantis, was the ticket.<br />
<br />
If you check <a href="http://www.vintage-trek.com/images/trek/86TrekCatalog.pdf">the brochure on the Vintage Trek website</a>, you'll see that the two frames have identical geometry and tubing materials. <br />
<br />
The Trek 500 Tri Series even has fender eyelets. So despite the name, it actually has the makings of a nice sport-tourer, which for me and my purposes these days is the ideal bike.<br />
<br />
I'm even thinking that this could be a good 650b candidate, although the bottom bracket drop is a bit largish at 7.2 cm.<br />
<br />
The look, with the pewter paint and black headtube, is pretty conservative in contrast to the other paint job available for this model, a red/white fade that is a classic 80's Miami Vice bike.<br />
<br />
Trek was still carrying a little water for the French manufacturers, as the wheels on this bike are built upon <a href="http://velobase.com/ViewComponent.aspx?ID=F7D6A67E-1E7C-4B76-B9D9-D58BED156B70&Enum=110&AbsPos=15">Maillard 600 Sealed Bearing hubs</a>, nice and shiny they are indeed. <br />
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robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-25518033145895171802013-02-28T05:44:00.001-05:002013-02-28T05:44:20.000-05:00Pretty in Pink - 1985 Trek 770I always wanted a hot pink 1985 Trek 770. So much that I kind of got a fake one the hard way living in Hawaii in the late 80's - I had my 1986 Trek 660 repainted hot pink and I slowly swapped out the components on it for high level Campy ones.<br />
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That bike is long gone, but I still fondly remember zipping around in traffic on it in downtown Honolulu. And I've always kept half an eye open for the bona fide article.<br />
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Today one followed me home. Rather, it followed me from Ebay to Paypal and should be on a truck soon to my home. All I've got now are the semi-crummy Ebay pics for a bike that is in purportedly outstanding shape w/original componentry, etc.<br />
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The square fork crown is pretty neato. <br />
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<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-79894904622572095872013-02-19T22:06:00.001-05:002013-02-20T00:20:33.726-05:00The End Of An Era (or Why I Just Bought 5 Sets Of Dura Ace 7900 Hubs)Anyone with the inclination to spend time on this blog agrees that NSSS (<b>N</b>ice <b>S</b>hiny <b>S</b>ilver <b>S</b>tuff) is a key component, pun intended, of Gorgeous Cycling™. The heyday of NSSS was the 1980's and into the early 90's - Campagnolo X-Record, Suntour Superbe, Maillard, Mavic, Dura Ace, the list goes on of premium top end, gorgeously polished bike parts available during that era.<br />
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While the outlook for new production of NSSS is a lot better than it was in the trough of the late 90's and early 00's, the mass production really is more centered on MSSS (<b>M</b>iddling <b>S</b>hiny <b>S</b>ilver <b>S</b>tuff), the sorts of things coming out of white label producers, largely Taiwanese, and retailed by the cycling equivalents of J Peterman.<br />
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Primo, i.e., <b>N</b>SSS, is more confined to boutique manufacturers such as White Industries, Paul Components, Phil, etc., while the majors - Shimano, Campagnolo, SRAM, tend to favor black or matte or anything but shiny silver finishes on many of their components.<br />
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I've been thinking about this because I'm contemplating another wheel build, which naturally leads to contemplating about hubs, which inevitably leads to NSSS longings, yearnings, and, sometimes, mournings.<br />
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This mourning is about Dura Ace hubs. As the whole world, with the exception of my wife, knows, Dura Ace 9000 hubs will be offered only in black.<br />
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That means that the Dura Ace 7900 hubs must be the last of a breed - top end, shiny silver, cup and cone, with in-house quick release skewers (and the <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.jp/2011/07/phoenix-project-dura-ace-7800-quick.html">Dura Ace ones</a> are exceedingly fine...).<br />
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Here are some pics, tip o' the pirate's cap to <a href="http://luxewheelworks.blogspot.jp/">Luxe Wheelworks Tech Journal</a>:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1G9_liIY1H4/USQ5fgjH9OI/AAAAAAAAM_Y/rajGnCGmtwg/s1600/dura_ace_7900_front_hub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-1G9_liIY1H4/USQ5fgjH9OI/AAAAAAAAM_Y/rajGnCGmtwg/s320/dura_ace_7900_front_hub.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--EJSZLSxBUw/USQ5t1lhXVI/AAAAAAAAM_g/YLzWUXK0HlI/s1600/dura_ace_7900_rear_hub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--EJSZLSxBUw/USQ5t1lhXVI/AAAAAAAAM_g/YLzWUXK0HlI/s400/dura_ace_7900_rear_hub.jpg" width="292" /></a></div>
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They are a sight to behold, and this vision of beauty has given me great comfort and and unquenchable conviction to return to cycling during my recovery from a Tibial Plateau Fracture.<br />
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Well, not really, but it sounds a lot better than the hours of mindless surfing cycling porn sites during the same convalescence...<br />
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But kidding aside, one thing Shimano has learned from the great NOS cycling parts glut of the late 90's/early 00's is that it is extremely painful to be hawking your current offerings against the previous 1 or 2 models of the same product that are reduced in price by 50% or more.<br />
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So nowadays, Shimano manages their inventories such that within a couple years of introducing a new Dura Ace series, the previous series becomes scarce and, hence, expensive.<br />
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What is all this leading up to? Simple - if you want a shiny silver top end non-boutique cup and cone w/beautiful branded quick release hubset, get your Dura Ace 7900 hubs now. They are already getting a little scarce, but I just ordered 5 sets from <a href="http://www.ribblecycles.co.uk/pp/road-track-bike/hubs-road/hubr">Ribble</a>, who has them on sale for $222 USD for the rear, $111 USD for the front, free shipping.<br />
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I got 36 holes to boot, so I can use them for heavily loaded applications.<br />
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As they say, if you snooze, you lose.... robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-7943927954688247722013-02-17T22:17:00.000-05:002013-02-17T22:17:43.766-05:00If Rivendell Made Kid's Bikes....They'd make them like the ones in Japan. Notice the fenders, integrated lock, racks/basket, and even a <b><i>dynamo light... </i></b><br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iFXbXQFBAXE/USGc6DqcKoI/AAAAAAAAM_A/iszbA23dhBU/s1600/DSC01042.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="216" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-iFXbXQFBAXE/USGc6DqcKoI/AAAAAAAAM_A/iszbA23dhBU/s320/DSC01042.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-83505199919718423852013-02-14T08:52:00.001-05:002013-02-14T08:58:59.145-05:00Tabitha's Sunny FujiIn the years of maintaining this blog, I've taken a fair amount of bicycle pictures. I'm no great shakes at this sort of photography, but I like to think that I at least get the job done.<br />
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Until I see something like <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/pcnotpc/428446095/">Tabitha's Sunny Fuji </a>(the Team Fuji pictured below) on Flickr. Then I know what it is like to be Salieri listening to Mozart.<br />
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Sheer genius...<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iLOtFMPCRC8/URzrrPo5TRI/AAAAAAAAM-o/0jn0p3eAHOI/s1600/tabithas_sunny_fuji.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-iLOtFMPCRC8/URzrrPo5TRI/AAAAAAAAM-o/0jn0p3eAHOI/s640/tabithas_sunny_fuji.jpg" width="411" /></a></div>
robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-26271628921801851282013-02-12T23:29:00.001-05:002013-02-12T23:52:34.670-05:00Raleigh Record Ace RRA 125th Anniversary Commemorative EditionCruising around the <a href="http://www.raleigh.jp/">Raleigh Japan site</a>, I came across this Reynolds 531 beauty:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZQsViG04QE/URsWbMuNRuI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/OhHGbIS_zAI/s1600/raleigh_rra_57.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-pZQsViG04QE/URsWbMuNRuI/AAAAAAAAM9Y/OhHGbIS_zAI/s320/raleigh_rra_57.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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This is a special 125th anniversary model. The picture above is 57cm, below is 53cm:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RVj3HQz4F6I/URsW0IwwpaI/AAAAAAAAM9g/2cmFl1wzHO0/s1600/raleigh_rra_53.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RVj3HQz4F6I/URsW0IwwpaI/AAAAAAAAM9g/2cmFl1wzHO0/s320/raleigh_rra_53.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The specs on this bike, considering it retails for about $2k USD complete (take THAT, Riv and VO), are pretty swank - Reynolds 531 tubing, Shimano 105 derailleurs, cranks, brakes, and hubs, Nitto Pearl Stem & Lauterwasser bars, chromed fork, Brooks saddle, t<a href="http://www.raleigh.jp/catalog/49_RRA/index.htm">he list goes on</a>.<br />
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I can't imagine living in Japan for much longer without one of these. But if I have to, for a bit less, about $1.2k, I can get one of <a href="http://www.raleigh.jp/catalog/30_CLS/index.htm">these</a> Club Specials in green and 54cm:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzt50JlVGlE/URsY8C5PcSI/AAAAAAAAM9s/WCi4KDY3hqM/s1600/raleigh_club_green.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-qzt50JlVGlE/URsY8C5PcSI/AAAAAAAAM9s/WCi4KDY3hqM/s320/raleigh_club_green.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Or in red and 51 cm:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9tP1C9pKRmk/URsZRpo0hHI/AAAAAAAAM98/Xij68bV_Ock/s1600/raleigh_club_red.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="196" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9tP1C9pKRmk/URsZRpo0hHI/AAAAAAAAM98/Xij68bV_Ock/s320/raleigh_club_red.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The Club Specials are not quite as nicely spec'ed as the Record Ace, but still are <a href="http://www.raleigh.jp/catalog/30_CLS/index.htm">very nice</a>, nothing at all cheesy about them. I like the color-matched fenders with retro white patch.<br />
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A little bit about Japan, gender, and color. Note that the bigger bike is green and the smaller size is red. In Japan, blue is the color of guy and red is the color of gal. This is all over the place for things that are differentiated by sex. For instance, the sign for women's restrooms is always red, guys are blue. If you go to an onsen and they give you yukata's, the woman's is red, the man's is blue.<br />
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Sometimes there is some understood colorshifting from the strict monotony of red/blue division. Green gets counted as color of guy, and orange as color of gal.<br />
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The Raleigh Club Special is only offered in two sizes in Japan - 54cm in green, 51cm in red. One for the guys, one for the gals.<br />
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I guarantee you that this is not a coincidence. Very little happens by accident around this country and everyone always gets the memo about these sorts of things.<br />
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Here is <a href="http://road.cc/content/news/54558-raleighs-125th-anniversary-bike-taipei-cycle-show">blog post</a> about the 2013 Raleigh Record Ace (RRA) 125th Anniversary Edition that has some nice detail photos like this one:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2rnShDpUwAM/URsbx-_sPZI/AAAAAAAAM-Q/TSVjcN5Zx2E/s1600/Raleigh+down+tube+shifters.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-2rnShDpUwAM/URsbx-_sPZI/AAAAAAAAM-Q/TSVjcN5Zx2E/s320/Raleigh+down+tube+shifters.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-47497149764545718542013-02-11T18:42:00.002-05:002013-02-11T22:36:02.691-05:00How Do You Say Tange?Over on bikeforums.net, there has been <a href="http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/872114-Tange-like-quot-flange-quot-or-quot-tangy-quot">a thread on the correct pronunciation of Tange</a>, the vaunted and venerable <a href="http://www.tange-design.com/">Japanese manufacturer of frame tubing</a>.<br />
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Apparently, there is a fair amount of confusion about this in the non-Japanese speaking parts of the world, various people saying they rhyme it with "flange" and so forth.<br />
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I consulted an expert opinion on this - my son, who is a native speaker of Japanese, attends third grade in a Japanese public school here in Osaka, Japan. Coincidentally, Osaka is also where Tange is headquartered.<br />
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So, for the record, I asked Otaku Jr. to pronounce:<br />
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<span style="font-size: x-large;">たんげ (ta-n-ge Tange) </span><br />
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Q4P2gB9Ih14" width="420"></iframe>
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Mrs. Otaku, upon investigating the hubbub, reports that 丹下左膳 (Tange somebody or other) is a one-eyed samurai in various dramas as well as possibly a relatively uncommon Japanese family name.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkUC23ibpmA/URmBFliQTrI/AAAAAAAAM9E/V6pga54sRHQ/s1600/tange_samurai.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SkUC23ibpmA/URmBFliQTrI/AAAAAAAAM9E/V6pga54sRHQ/s320/tange_samurai.jpg" width="293" /></a></div>
<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-71463293991746946232013-02-10T00:26:00.003-05:002013-02-10T00:31:51.561-05:00Walnut Studiolo Sew On Leather Bar WrapLong term readers of this blog know I love sew on bar wrap (see <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.jp/2009/04/toshi-stitch-on-leather-handlebar-cover.html">this</a> and <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.jp/2009/04/more-toshi-leather-stitch-on-handlebar.html">this</a>). But suppliers of this are few and far between. Toshi made a run a few years back, but no more of this appears available. Velo Orange has an <a href="http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/accessories/leather-goods-handlebar-grips/elkhide-sewn-on-bar-covers.html">Elkhide offering</a> that some seem to favor but for my purposes seems a bit rustic looking for my tastes.<br />
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Apparently <a href="http://walnutstudiolo.com/products/sew-on-leather-bar-wraps">Walnut Studiolo</a> has been around for a while with their sew on bar wrap, but it just made it onto my radar screen:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-azF1OGvBFr4/URctUpWoF7I/AAAAAAAAM8w/Zlmt583Lnu0/s1600/walnut_studiolo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-azF1OGvBFr4/URctUpWoF7I/AAAAAAAAM8w/Zlmt583Lnu0/s320/walnut_studiolo.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Walnut Studiolo gets <a href="http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php/725818-walnut-studios-strap-leather-drop-bar-wraps-anyone-use-these">good reviews</a> and the word is that the proprietor will customize a set to your tastes. I wonder if he would make a version in thin glove leather with folded edges like the Toshi stuff for those longing for the ALMARC effect.<br />
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I guess I'll find out when I return to the U.S. in a few weeks, my incoming Fuji America is exactly the candidate for this treatment. Here is a pic of my previous Fuji America with Toshi leather wrap:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TdaSy0Vv5rA/S8pCk76tPkI/AAAAAAAAHiE/TjdoreUub-o/s1600/CIMG6647.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TdaSy0Vv5rA/S8pCk76tPkI/AAAAAAAAHiE/TjdoreUub-o/s320/CIMG6647.JPG" width="240" /> </a></div>
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I wonder if these guys know about the shellac trick? Well, whether they do or not, this product alone, not to mention rave Internet review about being standup guys, is worthy of giving Walnut Studiolo a coveted spot in the Otaku-Worthy Vendors sidebar.</div>
robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-37918716293310850352013-02-07T08:13:00.001-05:002013-02-07T08:14:14.644-05:00The Suntour Also RisesLooks like the <a href="http://joy-japan.com/index.php">Joy Manufacturing Company</a> here in Japan has gotten rights to at least some Suntour IP:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8kZ3npaeBRQ/UROhXCx7UBI/AAAAAAAAM7Y/eKL5qdBz1D8/s1600/joy_suntour1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-8kZ3npaeBRQ/UROhXCx7UBI/AAAAAAAAM7Y/eKL5qdBz1D8/s320/joy_suntour1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They are selling some interesting parts. First up are these high flange cassette hubs available as Shimano or Campy compatible:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--cvl-XGZnng/UROh6GrHIXI/AAAAAAAAM7g/tFNG9rIlm4E/s1600/suntour-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="188" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/--cvl-XGZnng/UROh6GrHIXI/AAAAAAAAM7g/tFNG9rIlm4E/s320/suntour-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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A few years back, I would have been bowled over by these, but now I'm a little more jaded - they look a lot like VO and other hubs coming out of the same factory in Taiwan. This tells you how far the retro/sensible parts movement has come.<br />
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But my bored insouciance aside, these do look like nice worthy candidates. Here in Japan, the street price is about $200 a set, which is, interestingly enough, approximately the same price as a set of VO hubs in the U.S.<br />
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Globalization.......<br />
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Here is another shot of these hubs, which are quite attractive. They have an angle in the outer flange that is sort of interesting:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eGO1TyLyCXA/UROjl26SiZI/AAAAAAAAM70/b0ZyjMiYtmc/s1600/sunxcd_02.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-eGO1TyLyCXA/UROjl26SiZI/AAAAAAAAM70/b0ZyjMiYtmc/s320/sunxcd_02.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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They are attractive, but my favorite amongst the white labeled neo retro hubs remains the Electra Ticino knockoffs of the Campy Sheriff Star hubs. Longtime readers of this blog will remember this shot of a set I dolled up a little before adorning a Fuji America with them:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_usjsNipHc/S8pCb_ylzHI/AAAAAAAAHiA/fowdzo15-04/s1600/CIMG6646.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-j_usjsNipHc/S8pCb_ylzHI/AAAAAAAAHiA/fowdzo15-04/s320/CIMG6646.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuzVggcWyrg/S8pCQoxXlOI/AAAAAAAAHh0/7kfNi_I59qc/s1600/CIMG6638.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-NuzVggcWyrg/S8pCQoxXlOI/AAAAAAAAHh0/7kfNi_I59qc/s320/CIMG6638.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
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Incidentally, these Electra Ticino hubs are super cheap now, you can get a set for $125 USD. Electra has all their Ticino parts and frames 50% off until the end of March. I'm thinking this must mean they are closing out the Ticino venture, so get them now while you can. <br />
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The Sun XCD hubs may be a bit "meh", but their 50.4 crank looks fun. You can get this with a spider to make it 110 BCD. I'm not sure why I'd do that, it seems like being in an ambiguous, unable to commit relationship. Nonetheless, it also has a big gizmo lust factor, so I'd buy it on that alone:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FJLoMerrmro/UROmj4hqUpI/AAAAAAAAM8I/kH8SdrP2P84/s1600/sunxcd_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-FJLoMerrmro/UROmj4hqUpI/AAAAAAAAM8I/kH8SdrP2P84/s320/sunxcd_01.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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The basic crankarms will set you back about $100 here in Japan. I's Cycle in Kyoto, who needs no introduction, <a href="http://www.cyclesgrandbois.com/SHOP/sunxcdta_cw_t.html">sells a nice built-up triple,</a> using TA rings, for a smidge under $300:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ZHS6vvdVY8/UROnvylv4dI/AAAAAAAAM8U/ddCh1qiPWnE/s1600/sunxcdta_cw_t.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/--ZHS6vvdVY8/UROnvylv4dI/AAAAAAAAM8U/ddCh1qiPWnE/s320/sunxcdta_cw_t.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Quite nice. I could easily see one of these on my incoming <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.jp/2013/02/new-bike.html">Fuji America</a>. robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-20859249494594397032013-02-06T22:02:00.003-05:002013-02-06T22:02:54.910-05:00New Bike?If all goes well, this Fuji America will be mine in a few weeks.<br />
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I always regretted selling my previous one. The blue two tone Fuji Americas from the early 80's have it all - looks, quality, handling/performance. <br />
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My only gripe with this model, and it is minor, is that with fenders, the biggest tires possible are 28's. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6UBkJRHgdQ/URMZTwJjSZI/AAAAAAAAM7E/Qt0uDAQnOHU/s1600/fuji_america_2013_craigslist.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-i6UBkJRHgdQ/URMZTwJjSZI/AAAAAAAAM7E/Qt0uDAQnOHU/s320/fuji_america_2013_craigslist.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-44520804624719664422013-02-02T02:57:00.001-05:002013-02-02T16:56:34.732-05:00Who Is Jack Robbins?My kid has had this shirt for the past year or two:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FiFOt-pLsRA/UQyis9eIsTI/AAAAAAAAM14/AIJcWTQQIIk/s1600/DSC00904.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-FiFOt-pLsRA/UQyis9eIsTI/AAAAAAAAM14/AIJcWTQQIIk/s320/DSC00904.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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Like a lot of clothing in Japan, although not as much as in the past, it has some inscribed English about which the wearer may be utterly clueless. Or it may be the name of the foreigner who, say, helped introduce flavored yogurt or the flush toilet to Japan during the Meiji period and every single Japanese schoolkid knows his name and there is a statue to him on a hillside somewhere in Kyushu.<br />
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Well, both my son and wife professed utter ignorance of any "Jack Robbins", and they both seemed a little puzzled why I would be wondering about this. Google yielded no "Jack Robbins" who would likely to be on a kids shirt in Japan. LinkedIn came up with 63 Jack Robbins, each one of whom seems to be some middle aged guy effecting change and innovation in a suburban office park.<br />
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Confronted with this dry well, I dug a little deeper. Here is a closeup shot of the shirt:<br />
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<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZguuPtJS46Y/UQylSVssacI/AAAAAAAAM2M/ab65jbHiA2M/s1600/DSC00905.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ZguuPtJS46Y/UQylSVssacI/AAAAAAAAM2M/ab65jbHiA2M/s320/DSC00905.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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If you google "Jack Robbins Clothes of Distinction" and look at the image results:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DkfxTNm-NTs/UQymtyyZpHI/AAAAAAAAM2g/YcTlqFeSIsA/s1600/755px-Jack_Robbins_Neon_Sign.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="253" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DkfxTNm-NTs/UQymtyyZpHI/AAAAAAAAM2g/YcTlqFeSIsA/s320/755px-Jack_Robbins_Neon_Sign.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Bingo! And definitely a flashy nighttime sign:<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RQGEvds-aEo/UQynm8_UphI/AAAAAAAAM2s/VKpQCKASf3I/s1600/116675055_48b2c70ec2_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RQGEvds-aEo/UQynm8_UphI/AAAAAAAAM2s/VKpQCKASf3I/s320/116675055_48b2c70ec2_b.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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It turns out that Jack Robbins was a menswear store in the Belmont area of Chicago, apparently for at least 2 generations of Robbinses. It was a local landmark at best, not even particularly renowned in Chicago, basically a local family store fondly remembered by the neighborhood.<br />
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Jack Robbins stayed in business until about 2006 when "Irv" acquired the place and who (incompletely) covered up poor Jack.<br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYwLNv3tqHw/UQypEdx7uLI/AAAAAAAAM3I/UD7hICIuHd4/s1600/417478809_e41cea9cb4_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BYwLNv3tqHw/UQypEdx7uLI/AAAAAAAAM3I/UD7hICIuHd4/s320/417478809_e41cea9cb4_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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You can still see a bit of Jack's crown peeping out at the top.<br />
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Irv's was not long for this world, as the place burned in 2009 and was demolished:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kc-01c_-gac/UQyqnBqALlI/AAAAAAAAM3c/Oh0mfxws-lQ/s1600/4027601379_5c361a532a_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kc-01c_-gac/UQyqnBqALlI/AAAAAAAAM3c/Oh0mfxws-lQ/s320/4027601379_5c361a532a_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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No word on whether there was an arson investigation.... <br />
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A sad end for the venerable Jack Robbins sign:<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t92ORCfksr4/UQzC11PnXrI/AAAAAAAAM3w/8_gU1IJwiqg/s1600/4027689273_71de7c6049_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="214" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t92ORCfksr4/UQzC11PnXrI/AAAAAAAAM3w/8_gU1IJwiqg/s320/4027689273_71de7c6049_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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But a bit of Jack remains, as the store owners had the foresight to have "Jack Robbins" also engraved in the sidewalk entryway:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9V_J2S4RTwc/UQzDRwyCl8I/AAAAAAAAM34/862VmkRnbHc/s1600/4221932349_4c2b9ba143_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-9V_J2S4RTwc/UQzDRwyCl8I/AAAAAAAAM34/862VmkRnbHc/s320/4221932349_4c2b9ba143_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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And so Jack Robbins lives on in Belmont, where the store site is now used as a dog park:<br />
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<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okc7Q36MAcw/UQzEK3C1R1I/AAAAAAAAM4E/4MnlE3v-jss/s1600/5950487567_36d6f48740_b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-okc7Q36MAcw/UQzEK3C1R1I/AAAAAAAAM4E/4MnlE3v-jss/s320/5950487567_36d6f48740_b.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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So this does answer the "Who is Jack Robbins" question. <br />
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Yet, how and why he came to also be emblazoned on a child's shirt in Osaka remains a mystery. <br />
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<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8UlgBYTmCXU/UQzFdTBy4FI/AAAAAAAAM4Y/H5aKQEsOQxw/s1600/DSC00910.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8UlgBYTmCXU/UQzFdTBy4FI/AAAAAAAAM4Y/H5aKQEsOQxw/s320/DSC00910.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
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<br />robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-49284329496723474202013-01-24T23:37:00.001-05:002013-01-24T23:56:10.829-05:00Making Progress On Tibial Plateau Fracture<h5 class="uiStreamMessage userContentWrapper" data-ft="{"type":1,"tn":"K"}">
<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">Went
to Suita Hospital today solo. This is me riding our elevator on the way out. </span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OQmNEndWH0g/UQIEYkcOkpI/AAAAAAAAMws/DZsw7orjcUU/s1600/DSC00788.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-OQmNEndWH0g/UQIEYkcOkpI/AAAAAAAAMws/DZsw7orjcUU/s320/DSC00788.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">My dear wife wrote me notes just in case
I got into trouble w/Japanese language issues. </span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2bKmhSqPVI/UQIEipKT62I/AAAAAAAAMyg/ZsOyeofRPeg/s1600/DSC00811.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Q2bKmhSqPVI/UQIEipKT62I/AAAAAAAAMyg/ZsOyeofRPeg/s320/DSC00811.jpg" width="240" /> </a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">Beautiful day, took a taxi over. The driver was quite chatty, telling me about his trips to the U.S.</span></span></span></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JBOZNPjKHgs/UQIEZXDj2TI/AAAAAAAAMw4/lhsXA0sAUxU/s1600/DSC00789.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JBOZNPjKHgs/UQIEZXDj2TI/AAAAAAAAMw4/lhsXA0sAUxU/s320/DSC00789.jpg" width="320" /></a><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sA7veiO2hCE/UQIEZmOw7kI/AAAAAAAAMw0/9W2vzffIu_w/s1600/DSC00790.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sA7veiO2hCE/UQIEZmOw7kI/AAAAAAAAMw0/9W2vzffIu_w/s320/DSC00790.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqz6ccaRWp4/UQIEcXqUaQI/AAAAAAAAMxE/WW5ajsYH0eA/s1600/DSC00791.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-sqz6ccaRWp4/UQIEcXqUaQI/AAAAAAAAMxE/WW5ajsYH0eA/s320/DSC00791.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">Here is the entrance to Suita Shimin Byouin, aka Suita Municipal Hospital. </span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-91ocuzHt7eg/UQIEcrcu8tI/AAAAAAAAMxI/blQVGAsG5O8/s1600/DSC00792.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-91ocuzHt7eg/UQIEcrcu8tI/AAAAAAAAMxI/blQVGAsG5O8/s320/DSC00792.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">This Nakamura-sensei, my orthopedist.</span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Rmaf-5istM/UQIEjrlJ6oI/AAAAAAAAMy0/WWKSvdG4qrw/s1600/DSC00814.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8Rmaf-5istM/UQIEjrlJ6oI/AAAAAAAAMy0/WWKSvdG4qrw/s320/DSC00814.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent">They have some pretty neat tools for removing old cast. Saws right
through the tough fiberglass cast, but is gentle enough to hold up to
your face. </span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3purckI09_I/UQIEed48v-I/AAAAAAAAMxk/DLcM9AJdYZs/s1600/DSC00799.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3purckI09_I/UQIEed48v-I/AAAAAAAAMxk/DLcM9AJdYZs/s320/DSC00799.jpg" width="240" /></a> </span></span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ViKN5IFds7A/UQIEe9y5ueI/AAAAAAAAMxo/K13sfm-nzWw/s1600/DSC00801.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ViKN5IFds7A/UQIEe9y5ueI/AAAAAAAAMxo/K13sfm-nzWw/s320/DSC00801.jpg" width="240" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">After getting the cast off, you can see the remnants of my "fracture blisters", which are giant blood blisters from hell, basically. Now they are dried up, itch like crazy. My leg is still considerably swollen up as well.</span></span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">The verdict is a shorter cast for at least another 2 weeks. I was hoping for full parole on the cast, perhaps unrealistically, but this is maybe like getting a transfer from a supermax prison to a medium security one. Better than nothing and certainly nothing to complain about.</span></span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">Nakamura-sensei and her able assistant get me fixed up in no time. The lining material they use on the cast is reall</span></span>y comfortable and the team applies typically extreme Japanese care and neatness employed in wrapping and packaging things:</span></span></span></span></h5>
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So I've ended up w/a below the knee cast for at least two more weeks.
Nakamura-sensei sez still no weight bearing, keep doing whatever I'm
doing, see you in 2 weeks. She also wrote a fairly long note to my wife
which will be decoded later today.<br /> </span></span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">As I leave, I admire the hospital's pleasant aquarium in the entry area. <br /> </span></span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--l2vVd7EAis/UQIEn4yOi0I/AAAAAAAAM0A/JKEZUMJY4U4/s1600/DSC00822.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--l2vVd7EAis/UQIEn4yOi0I/AAAAAAAAM0A/JKEZUMJY4U4/s320/DSC00822.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal;"><span class="messageBody"><span class="userContent"><span class="text_exposed_show">I can bend my knee some
now. It is amazing how stiff and tight my quadriceps is. But overall,
this a a great improvement, much smaller cast, I may be able to even
start wearing long pants now.</span></span></span></span></span></span></h5>
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">I then catch another taxi home. This driver is friendly again, but a little less talkative. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Back home again, riding the elevator back to our apartment. Can you tell the difference from the first picture?</span></span><br />
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robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-81612969252912442572013-01-09T02:28:00.000-05:002013-01-09T02:44:31.426-05:00Darn it, Another AccidentWell, <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.jp/2010/07/down-but-not-out.html">I got hurt badly on July 2, 2010</a>. Now, less than three years later, on 12/23/2012, I broke my leg skiing in Hokkaido (that would be in Japan) on Niseko mountain.<br />
<br />
Getting around on crutches is a LOT of work....<br />
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<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNXD31pYOKA/UO0aNFO1UEI/AAAAAAAAMwM/Z73kego6hsI/s1600/1-DSC00699-003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-HNXD31pYOKA/UO0aNFO1UEI/AAAAAAAAMwM/Z73kego6hsI/s320/1-DSC00699-003.JPG" width="212" /></a></div>
<br />
I'm getting a lot of good nap time in. I'll be returning to the U.S. in the beginning of March and I'm determined to finally ride the <a href="http://www.greenbrierrailtrailstatepark.com/overnights.htm#">Greenbrier Rail/Trail, </a>it will be part of my rehab program.<br />
<br />
For the enquiring minds, I have a Tibial Plateau Fracture, Type 1, non-displaced. This is very fortunate, so while these are pretty serious fractures, I got off without surgery/hardware, although I have to wear a cast for somewhat longer.<br />
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And no, I wasn't doing anything stupid when I broke my leg. Actually, I think one of the bindings was a little faulty or maybe set to release at too low a tension and gave way when I did a hard cut....<br />
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But unlike my last accident, I don't have a police report or anything to help me deflect blame onto someone or something else.<br />
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The Japanese ski patrol guys were really great, I was near the top of the mountain, they packed me into a sled and skied me down a long, long way. They didn't stick to the bunny slopes either, which I found pretty impressive.<br />
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Here they are packing me into a leg brace and a sled, could almost be passed off as an Everest rescue...<br />
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<br />
Happy New Year to all and I hope to be a more active blogger in 2013 than I was in 2012.<br />
robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-81936403289039282622012-01-02T11:05:00.000-05:002012-01-02T11:05:07.150-05:00Fun Bicycle SongA little late, but better than never:<br />
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<object height="315" width="560"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/dDMtkydJsFk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/dDMtkydJsFk?version=3&hl=en_US&rel=0" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="560" height="315" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object>robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-3685288088131630822011-12-18T20:23:00.001-05:002011-12-18T20:24:41.910-05:00Japanese Tire IronsMy son got a flat on his bike the other day, a first for us here in Japan. So yesterday, on our way back from the Katayama Municipal Pool, we stopped at a bike shop to get the fixins for flat fixing.<br />
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The first joint had a patch kit, which we purchased, but no levers. We then stopped at another shop, they also didn't have any levers. At this point, I'm detecting a trend & I ask my wife to query the shop proprietor about "WTF is w/the no tire irons in Japanese bike shops?" as this sort of interchange is still a little beyond my Japanese abilities.<br />
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The proprietor said he just uses screw drivers, like apparently most bike shops in Japan do and I did on my first bike when I was in second or third grade.robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-58040711611900059352011-09-04T20:57:00.003-04:002011-09-04T20:59:10.750-04:00Berthoud Aravis SaddleFinally got an official ride in on the 1985 Trek 620. I've been on about some 30/40 miles, but they were just pottering around. Today I rode about 50 miles, only stopping for a couple of water breaks.<br />
<br />
Overall, the bike performs well. The 35mm tires do slow one down, no doubt about that. <br />
<br />
On my previous rides, I had observed that the <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-berthoud-aravis-saddle.html">Berthoud Aravis saddle</a> is absolutely rock hard. In addition to this, it is very flat longitudinally along the top, not having any sag.<br />
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By about mile 35, this was starting to severely bother me. In addition to general discomfort, the flat along the top was making it impossibly painful to ride the drops.<br />
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You do the geometry.<br />
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I pedalled along thinking about this, in the way that saddle discomfort demands attention and thinking about all the Brooks B17 saddles that were comfortable right out of the box. I was also thinking pessimistically about how long it would take to break in a saddle with leather as thick as that of the Berthouds.<br />
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Finally, I remembered observing that the saddle had come w/some built in tension, not fully loosened the way Brooks customarily are when new. So I stopped, pulled out the 5mm allen wrench and backed off the tension a full turn.<br />
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This had a pretty dramatic effect. I'm not going to say everything was immediately sunshine and lollipops but it was a lot better. After another 5 miles, I gave it another half turn of loosening which further improved things.<br />
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On this ride, it was a little hard to tell if this will yield an acceptable comfort level, as I was pretty beat up and sore by the time I got around to detensioning the saddle a bit. But I am a lot more optimistic about it than I was midway through the ride.robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-28921243881957122542011-09-03T18:40:00.002-04:002011-09-03T18:41:25.994-04:00The Grizzly Roars To LifeRegular readers of this blog may be wondering what ever happened to my <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/grizzly-r-part-iii.html">1988 Bianchi Grizzly</a> that was nearly completed back in July.<br />
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The short answer is nothing at all happened, the bike has just been sitting in a corner.<br />
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Until today when I resolved to do the 30 minutes of work necessary (cable fitting mostly) to get this thing on the road. And my resolve was undaunted as I was then able to take this out for a short hop on some errands:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-194xYmL01Nw/TmKpVzsBoKI/AAAAAAAALY0/004G59aKhQI/s1600/CIMG1195.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-194xYmL01Nw/TmKpVzsBoKI/AAAAAAAALY0/004G59aKhQI/s320/CIMG1195.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The biggest unknown for me was how would the drop bars work. Periodically, I get tempted into making some sort of rugged duty, urban commuter/utility whatever out of a mountain bike. This is all well and good until it comes time to actually ride it and I rapidly lose interest because of the flat bars. I seem to be able to abide flat bars only in a true MTB situation.<br />
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So this time I decided to put on some drop bars and while it was only a short ride, I would give the geometry and feel a go at this point.<br />
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The stem shifters I installed are fun and quite convenient, but you have to be secure in your manhood (or just plain be in your senescence) to enjoy them:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKalEc6pU2g/TiILOoV46pI/AAAAAAAAKOU/B85FL6WObtM/s1600/CIMG0223.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-JKalEc6pU2g/TiILOoV46pI/AAAAAAAAKOU/B85FL6WObtM/s320/CIMG0223.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
This bike has bio-pace chain rings. I couldn't really tell any difference in the feel between these and normal chainrings. They still look utterly dorky, though.<br />
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Overall, I think the drop bars on this are a winner. I haven't done much else to the bike so far because I wanted to ensure that I was ok with the drop bars before doing much other work.<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-meiQwF21CyI/TmKpY--PVPI/AAAAAAAALY4/OjVycQTrH10/s1600/CIMG1196.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-meiQwF21CyI/TmKpY--PVPI/AAAAAAAALY4/OjVycQTrH10/s320/CIMG1196.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-32536605463132575952011-09-02T02:35:00.003-04:002011-09-02T02:49:36.313-04:00The Phoenix Project - MKS Custom Pro PedalsBackground on The Phoenix Project is available <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-introduction.html">here</a> and <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-weights-and-measures.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
I love the looks of a classic road pedal. But the nib most of them have on the outboard edge of the cage interferes with using street shoes when necessary.<br />
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Fortunately for us, MKS (Mikishima = "Three Islands") has a fairly new, very high quality release with a subdued, almost vestigial nib, called the MKS Custom Pro:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVwaXUmqPXk/TmBtEtrJZOI/AAAAAAAALXk/aD5GiEAD_Jw/s1600/CIMG1020.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GVwaXUmqPXk/TmBtEtrJZOI/AAAAAAAALXk/aD5GiEAD_Jw/s320/CIMG1020.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-snq2VU5gQRA/TmBtIuz1YTI/AAAAAAAALXo/JYLZjcoTzEU/s1600/CIMG1022.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-snq2VU5gQRA/TmBtIuz1YTI/AAAAAAAALXo/JYLZjcoTzEU/s320/CIMG1022.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
These pedals share the same body with the MKS Custom Nuevo:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwAkYxDFT0M/TmBtTsWaKbI/AAAAAAAALXs/odaS42UsMNk/s1600/CIMG1023.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-RwAkYxDFT0M/TmBtTsWaKbI/AAAAAAAALXs/odaS42UsMNk/s320/CIMG1023.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Here are the hints of a nib:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GO76Mu_Gcuo/TmBttpLctlI/AAAAAAAALX8/IBX0M_YrpVc/s1600/CIMG1032.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-GO76Mu_Gcuo/TmBttpLctlI/AAAAAAAALX8/IBX0M_YrpVc/s320/CIMG1032.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The cages are bolted on, just like in the good old days:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2cY6j3ARyYw/TmBtnj1Y7PI/AAAAAAAALX4/ghohEu1Za1k/s1600/CIMG1029.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-2cY6j3ARyYw/TmBtnj1Y7PI/AAAAAAAALX4/ghohEu1Za1k/s320/CIMG1029.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Incidentally, the MKS site (<a href="http://www.mkspedal.com/">www.mkspedal.com</a>) helpfully explains that in MKS-ese, <i>sealed bearing</i> indicates sealed cartridge bearing whereas <i>sealed mechanism</i> means good old fashioned loose cup and cone bearings with some sort of seal in the equation.<br />
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<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Street Cred</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
MKS has been making pedals for decades along the full spectrum from dirt cheap models up to very high end. All have a stellar reputation for toughness, serviceability, and reliability. I've never heard a complaint about them other than the cheap ones can be stingy on the grease when delivered from the factory.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gizmo Lust</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CYkwJjXSpH4/Tiegb8nDewI/AAAAAAAAKao/oAKRlqFFokg/s800/fo-gizmo-lust-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CYkwJjXSpH4/Tiegb8nDewI/AAAAAAAAKao/oAKRlqFFokg/s800/fo-gizmo-lust-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CYkwJjXSpH4/Tiegb8nDewI/AAAAAAAAKao/oAKRlqFFokg/s800/fo-gizmo-lust-icon.jpg" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
Other than the excellent finish, which includes much beloved chromed spindles, how excited can one get over pedals?<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZvmg10kMHE/TmBtaDFFjNI/AAAAAAAALXw/ouystGGygyQ/s1600/CIMG1024.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-SZvmg10kMHE/TmBtaDFFjNI/AAAAAAAALXw/ouystGGygyQ/s320/CIMG1024.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Well, when I unwrapped these and spun those precious chrome spindles, I was floored. They spin as smoothly and evenly as some precision machine tool, sort of the platonic ideal of a rotating axle. No resistance and no play detectable whatsoever, it is almost eerie.<br />
<br />
They are also nicely, but not insanely, light at 293 grams.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Crimethink</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
With these pedals, it is official. The 1985 Trek 620 has no traditional, repackable, cup and cone bearings in any component.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tweed Factor</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFGv3sD1e88/Tiec8fFi_pI/AAAAAAAAKak/H1Eb2rnbaAA/s800/fo-Poncho-icon.png" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
Tweedies love MKS, but are traditionally much more likely to go in for cheapo MKS Sylvan variants.<br />
<br />
In recent years, MKS has been an enabler of the increasing weirdness in this quarter with things like these "Grip Kings":<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t0x3Z3JemG4/TmBypiYTUtI/AAAAAAAALYI/74CRGsPGIzg/s1600/mks-grip-king.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="275" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-t0x3Z3JemG4/TmBypiYTUtI/AAAAAAAALYI/74CRGsPGIzg/s320/mks-grip-king.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>If the stock situation isn't enough for you, there are little aftermarket screws to put in all those holes to make them into a real bed of nails. This is just the thing for cruising around in the aftermath of an oil spill, I suppose.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Phony Accent</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hwG4nV7lZIg/TieSncEFmjI/AAAAAAAAKTU/73ces9HfufM/s800/fo_Beret_icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-hwG4nV7lZIg/TieSncEFmjI/AAAAAAAAKTU/73ces9HfufM/s800/fo_Beret_icon.png" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
Racing pedals? Cycling vanity, thy name is slow middle aged guy.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lily Gilding</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
There is no excuse at all for the price I paid for these.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Honorable Mention</span></div><br />
I really like Specialized Touring Pedals produced by MKS back in the late 80's or so:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqaWAzU4G7E/TmB0tFoTUrI/AAAAAAAALYU/0Sh8e3nEyXg/s1600/CIMG0820.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-yqaWAzU4G7E/TmB0tFoTUrI/AAAAAAAALYU/0Sh8e3nEyXg/s320/CIMG0820.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX6WWxr1IAE/TmB0rfydvVI/AAAAAAAALYQ/ByAJcKW2m0U/s1600/CIMG0817.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RX6WWxr1IAE/TmB0rfydvVI/AAAAAAAALYQ/ByAJcKW2m0U/s320/CIMG0817.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
These have a traditional road pedal look but with the support of a platform pedal. Further, the rear cage and platform is slightly curved. This conforms to one's foot and is supremely comfortable.<br />
<br />
However, they had sealed mechanisms instead of sealed bearings. Furthermore, they were a gross violation of the "no vintage parts" and I couldn't think of a reason to grant them a waiver.<br />
<br />
I sure wish MKS would bring back a modern rendition of these. The guy I sold my last set to is actually contacting MKS (<a href="mailto:info@mkspedal.com">info@mkspedal.com</a>) to inquire about this. Maybe if enough readers out there in Fuji Otaku-land join him in this, we may see it happen. It would be a great part to get back into production.<br />
<br />
Another pedal I considered was the White Industries Platform Pedal:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-94e4wfLwoOE/TmB3EsrHfpI/AAAAAAAALYc/3Q3BN0DPtnk/s1600/white-industries-urban-platform-pedals.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-94e4wfLwoOE/TmB3EsrHfpI/AAAAAAAALYc/3Q3BN0DPtnk/s320/white-industries-urban-platform-pedals.jpeg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I've been intriqued by these for a while. But the urban/commuter vibe didn't quite fit this project. Plus, I have some reservations about the durability of the extremely cantilevered flip tab when rendered in alloy. That is in a pretty exposed position and one good whack seems like it would break it off.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Running Tally</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">$3981 USD</span></div><br />
We bring forward $3839 USD. The MKS Custom Pro pedals were a whopping $142 USD inclusive of shipping from <a href="http://benscycle.net/">benscycle.net</a>.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Sausage Factory</span></div><br />
Always grease those pedal threads, always. Future generations of bike collectors will thank you.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85sulUqHFCs/TmBt2X4sRBI/AAAAAAAALYA/R-L-JBEacQ4/s1600/CIMG1030.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-85sulUqHFCs/TmBt2X4sRBI/AAAAAAAALYA/R-L-JBEacQ4/s320/CIMG1030.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-89766690787655686042011-09-01T15:43:00.011-04:002011-09-01T16:10:08.960-04:00The Phoenix Project - Final Concept BuzzwordsBackground on The Phoenix Project is available <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-introduction.html">here</a> and <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-weights-and-measures.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Throughout the seemingly endless duration of The Phoenix Project, I have struggled with coining a term for what type of bike is the end product.<br />
<i><br />
All-rounder</i> seems distinctly vague and is sounds like somebody trying to tart up a cheap bike. <i>Sensible cycle</i> reminds me of platform pedals and oddballs with oddball gizmos while extreme cost of this project is anything but sensible.<br />
<br />
Although the frame and gearing support touring, this is not a <i>touring bike</i>, as the rack space is limited and it is not fully ruggedized. The same goes for <i>camping bike</i>, not to mention I sort of hate camping.<br />
<br />
The 35mm tires rule out <i>randonneur bike</i>, at least in the modern sense of the term.<br />
<br />
The list goes on, but none of the pre-existing categories exactly seemed to express the combination of elements in what we've done with the 1985 Trek 620 in The Phoenix Project.<br />
<br />
But this morning, the category, a new one of my creation, finally came to me in a flash. So after a meeting in Bethesda, I took the long way home to snap a few pictures to see if I could capture the essence of this category. Here is the best of the lot:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QbvWTRa989c/Tl_cAOeVDSI/AAAAAAAALXY/y8prj8stGxM/s1600/estate_bike.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QbvWTRa989c/Tl_cAOeVDSI/AAAAAAAALXY/y8prj8stGxM/s400/estate_bike.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><br />
So here it is folks, an <i>estate bike</i>™. First and foremost, an estate bike™ is tasteful and refined, extremely high quality but not flashy. Stylistically, it carries on traditions and elements of its predecessors but is not a slavish or cartoonishly self-conscious reproduction.<br />
<br />
As the pastoral name implies, it is comfortable and accomodating in all weather both on and off pavement but makes no pretenses about club racing or anything more daunting than gravel and moderate mud.<br />
<br />
The parts on an estate bike™ are the products of established vendors at the pinnacle of their domain and are exquisite renditions of proven designs rather than the latest cycling marketing trends.<br />
<br />
A perfunctory Googling shows that this is not a preexisting category, at least not a well-identified one - I'm glad that I thought of this term before Grant Petersen, who came up with <i>country bike</i>. Admittedly, estate bike™ is a similar concept, but a little less rowdy, a bit more elegant, and perhaps with a trust fund in the background somewhere.<br />
<br />
Proceeding with dignity toward the local village on an estate bike™, one is supremely unperturbed by skinny tire racer boys whipping by except to the extent that it brings to mind fond memories of one's mint but very dusty full C Record Colnago hanging in the garage. <br />
<br />
Oooh, I do love this picture, but it does mean I am going to have to lose the plastic water bottles and get some stainless ones.robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-32639305152412314732011-08-31T23:07:00.001-04:002011-09-01T14:59:02.105-04:00The Phoenix Project - Dura Ace FD 7803 Front Triple DerailleurBackground on The Phoenix Project is available <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-introduction.html">here</a> and <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-weights-and-measures.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
With the choice of a <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-dura-ace-rd-7800-gs.html">Dura Ace 7800 GS rear derailleur</a>, it was simple to choose the Dura Ace FD 7803 front triple derailleur. Like the rear unit, it is a beautiful piece of work:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgI0m8v6Lxs/Tl7yFbgBcEI/AAAAAAAALXA/rn1189nOASc/s1600/CIMG1065.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EgI0m8v6Lxs/Tl7yFbgBcEI/AAAAAAAALXA/rn1189nOASc/s320/CIMG1065.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
As is typical with Dura Ace gear, the finishing and attention to detail is exquisite:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXZM1rQ51n0/Tl7yypUIapI/AAAAAAAALXM/lM0ofSxRuuc/s1600/CIMG1075.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-xXZM1rQ51n0/Tl7yypUIapI/AAAAAAAALXM/lM0ofSxRuuc/s320/CIMG1075.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
The rear cage is highly sculpted:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZpjSXOPZnw/Tl7yqYhELdI/AAAAAAAALXI/ysNabsmgZyM/s1600/CIMG1070.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IZpjSXOPZnw/Tl7yqYhELdI/AAAAAAAALXI/ysNabsmgZyM/s320/CIMG1070.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
This sculpting is designed specifically for the chainring jumps of a Dura Ace FC 7803 crankset with 53/39/30 rings. This is all part and parcel of the increasing specialization and consequent compatibility issues with cycling components.<br />
<br />
It worked fine for the one or two test rides with the <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-sugino-ox801d-compact.html">Sugino OX801D compact double</a>. However, when I swapped that out for the final choice of a <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-ta-specialites-carmina.html">TA Carmina 48/38/28 triple</a>, it took quite a while to find a satisfactory setup.<br />
<br />
During the hour or so of futzing around with this, I found myself longing for the old days of more or less universally compatible front derailleurs with smooth inner and outer plates. When it came to ride time, I did find the shifts much quicker and more quiet than with an old style cage. However, I still have vague fears about incompatibility, as I am considering going to a 48-36-24 configuration on the front triple.<br />
<br />
I'm going to skip the ratings, as they are identical to those of the Dura Ace RD 7800 rear derailleur.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Running Tally</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">$3839 USD</span></div><br />
We bring forward $3730 USD. This unit was $109 USD with free shipping from Chain Reaction Cycles.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Sausage Factory</span></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_0P06a-pAuQ/Tl7yfYwiK2I/AAAAAAAALXE/xXfCAuXoVFs/s1600/CIMG1084.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_0P06a-pAuQ/Tl7yfYwiK2I/AAAAAAAALXE/xXfCAuXoVFs/s320/CIMG1084.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8737648067926686619.post-51529470159958030702011-08-29T22:34:00.005-04:002011-08-30T13:55:08.694-04:00The Phoenix Project - TA Specialites Carmina Crankset and SKF Bottom BracketBackground on The Phoenix Project is available <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-introduction.html">here</a> and <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/07/phoenix-project-weights-and-measures.html">here</a>.<br />
<br />
Other than important lifestyle items like <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-paul-components-moon.html">straddle wire hangers</a> and <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-toshifujitoshi-stitch.html">handlebar wrap</a>, choosing a crankset has been the biggest dilemma of The Phoenix Project.<br />
<br />
Going into this, I really, really wanted to embrace the trendy wide range compact double and actually purchased a <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-sugino-ox801d-compact.html">Sugino OX801D crankset</a> in a 46/30 combination. But this posed some problems with my planned rear cluster of 12/27.<br />
<br />
The first was that the lowest gear on the outer chain ring was about 46 gear inches. This is a little more than I prefer for starting from a standing start especially when carrying a load or pulling a trailer. Sure, it is doable, but it is nice to options for laziness, fatigue, and so forth. So who wants to do a series of both front and rear derailleur shifts for every stop, particularly in urban riding. <br />
<br />
The second was that the lowest gear was only going to be 30 gear inches. Again, for a lot of bikes, this is ok, but I want the 1985 Trek 620 to be configured for pulling heavy loads where need be.<br />
<br />
The first option to address this was to drop the 12/27 rear cluster and go with a Shimano HG61 12/36. This would give me a low gear on the big chainring of 34.5 gear inches and a low gear on the small chainring of 22.5. Problem solved, right?<br />
<br />
Well, that would solve the low gear problem but it introduces a few of its own. The Shimano HG61 is a beast of a cassette, weighing in at about a pound vice the half pound of the 12/27 Ultegra CS-6500. This alone isn't too much of a problem - I'm not a hard core weight weenie and the Sugino OX801D is a real lightweight at 745 grams including bottom bracket.<br />
<br />
However, there were two other issues. To get that 12/36 spread, the HG61 has some pretty big tooth jumps. And even worse, I wouldn't be able to use a <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-dura-ace-rd-7800-gs.html">Dura Ace long cage rear derailleur</a> as these only accommodate a max cog of 27, although some claim this can be pushed a tooth or two.<br />
<br />
The alternative choice would have been a Shimano T661 rear derailleur, a fine product, but as hard as I tried, I couldn't bring myself to love this unit with the same unbridled passion I have for Dura Ace rear derailleurs. Were it any other project than this one, which is an exercise in extravagance and self-indulgence, I would have made the accommodation but in this case I put my foot down.<br />
<br />
So, reinventing the wheel, I finally concluded that the only way to get overall wide range but with closely spaced gears on a single chainring with a 12/27 cassette was with a traditional triple.<br />
<br />
This then presents problems as the bicycle industry is rapidly deprecating traditional triples for road bikes and even mountain bikes. I considered such choices as the Ultegra and Dura Ace triples, but with a large BDC of 130, the minimum middle ring can only be 39 or 38. Again, this is doable, but generally I avoid configurations that are at the limit of a piece of hardware as it eliminates flexibility in that direction.<br />
<br />
I then briefly considered the newly reissued TA Specialites Cyclotouriste 50.4 BCD cranks (or some of their clones from Velo Orange and Electra), but, despite claims to the contrary, these still have issues with chainring flexibility and compatibility with modern sculpted outer cages on front derailleurs. Maybe the issues aren't as bad as they were on previous editions, but they've only been mitigated, not eliminated.<br />
<br />
Even worse, though, is the spindly, Gothic look of the things. I've always thought that one of these:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbr1wRD7Gxw/Tlw2qUoiK5I/AAAAAAAALVk/zcVTIZaeO0I/s1600/TA+pro5_big.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="197" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Dbr1wRD7Gxw/Tlw2qUoiK5I/AAAAAAAALVk/zcVTIZaeO0I/s320/TA+pro5_big.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Would be right at home on this lady's bike:<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sxu948f7E-I/Tlw3sZEStJI/AAAAAAAALVo/2WizlmARIDk/s1600/morticia-addams-addams-family-5683828-380-357.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="300" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Sxu948f7E-I/Tlw3sZEStJI/AAAAAAAALVo/2WizlmARIDk/s320/morticia-addams-addams-family-5683828-380-357.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I'm sorry, it is an inescapable mental image I have of the TA Cyclotouriste cranks. I hope that by sharing this I haven't infected any readers. <br />
<br />
Ultimately, and again reinventing the wheel, the obvious choice is the ever flexible 110/74mm BCD triple that reigned supreme for several decades on touring, utility, and mountain bikes.<br />
<br />
Going into the marketplace for new 110/74mm triple cranksets, I was astonished at how few are still in production. The Sugino XD series of cranksets seems to satisfy about 90% of the remaining market for new production items. This is a fine, economical offering but is distinctly bland and not in the spirit of flagrant, willful violations of cycling sumptuary laws wherever possible.<br />
<br />
Velo Orange has their own branded 110/74, which is also distinctly meh and furthemore devoid of provenance or snob appeal. Stronglight sells a 110/74 unit sometimes in Europe, but these are just rebranded Sugino XD units.<br />
<br />
IRD and Velo Orange both now have nifty 110/74 clones of the Sugino Mighty Tour. Here is the IRD version:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1aseFp0ylk/Tlw6Cl91YVI/AAAAAAAALVs/MedvnEce2dw/s1600/ird-mighty-tour.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g1aseFp0ylk/Tlw6Cl91YVI/AAAAAAAALVs/MedvnEce2dw/s320/ird-mighty-tour.jpg" width="240" /></a></div><br />
Having been a huge fan of the original Sugino Mighty Tour, I was initially pretty excited by this. But then I discovered that the 74mm granny is mounted on a triplizer middle chainring, which is epic fail in my estimation, particularly since no one seems to sell exactly this style of triplizer ring, much less in a variety of tooth counts.<br />
<br />
Then I got even more excited when I found out that Sugino itself had reissued the Mighty Tour and it was available in a triple version:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aT1yzw3ZMXA/Tlw7KUOQGRI/AAAAAAAALVw/G7Eihtu8DSI/s1600/Sugino_MightyTour_3-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="228" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-aT1yzw3ZMXA/Tlw7KUOQGRI/AAAAAAAALVw/G7Eihtu8DSI/s320/Sugino_MightyTour_3-2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><br />
But I was again crestfallen to find that the granny was attached to a triplizer ring.<br />
<br />
I then found a couple of other obscure offerings, none of which seemed satisfactory and at this point the reader is screaming, "What about the TA Specialites Carmina"?<br />
<br />
Ha! I actually considered this from the start and it was always in play. However, the go-to guy for these in the U.S., Peter White, claims that he can only get these with a black spider, which I find hideous. Plus they were French, putting me at high Phony Accent risk. And on top of that, they just aren't the easiest things to find as well as being extremely expensive.<br />
<br />
But after doing the above research, I thought, ok, they are a sweet item and if I can find one with a silver spider, I'll cough up the dough for one of these.<br />
<br />
Enter Bilenky Cycles, who just happened to have these on sale and claimed to have silver 110/74 BCD spiders. For readers that are unfamiliar with the TA Carmina, the arms and spider are separate units and for a given set of arms, there are a range of spiders, from triples to singles in various BCDs that can be attached. Sort of the tinker-toy of cranksets.<br />
<br />
Anyhow, this is what I ended up with in 48/38/28 rings:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UccV27TRPmU/Tlw9mWDwIhI/AAAAAAAALWs/Oy_aXFR-vsc/s1600/CIMG1134.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-UccV27TRPmU/Tlw9mWDwIhI/AAAAAAAALWs/Oy_aXFR-vsc/s320/CIMG1134.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqPmWyaVHgs/Tlw9tZf4UhI/AAAAAAAALWs/TNzScKsteeA/s1600/CIMG1135.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-WqPmWyaVHgs/Tlw9tZf4UhI/AAAAAAAALWs/TNzScKsteeA/s320/CIMG1135.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Pretty luscious units, they are. The next problem was what bottom bracket? They take a traditional square spindle, but there is a little bit of mystery surrounding the bottom brackets for these, at least according to the Peter White site. Therein lies a complicated tale about whether or not the spider has a rough or smooth inner surface, I had a hard time following it all. The Internet is similarly indecisive.<br />
<br />
Bilenky, though, was reassuringly unequivocal, said use a 113mm for a road bike on the triple Carmina and you will be fine.<br />
<br />
It turns out I already had a new 110mm SKF square taper bottom bracket in the parts locker that I was itching to try. These are still a bit of an unknown but are starting to make a great impression. They have roller bearings on the left side to counteract the cross product twisting customary to that side and they are giving a 10 year warranty on the units.<br />
<br />
While they are still a minor player in the bottom bracket market, SKF is the biggest manufacturer of bearings in the world. Turns out that they thought that would be enough to roll into the bottom bracket market but their initial attempt was less than overwhelmingly successful. So they backed up and gave that master of bike snob PR, Jan Heine, some sort of exclusive distributorship and he seems to be working his magic.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB77k8LsvDY/Tlw-E6GkVEI/AAAAAAAALWs/5etrt2Uii_M/s1600/CIMG1139.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uB77k8LsvDY/Tlw-E6GkVEI/AAAAAAAALWs/5etrt2Uii_M/s320/CIMG1139.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
So I figured if Bilenky is right, and my spidey senses were affirming this, that I could slip a 1.5mm spacer on the drive side and get a good chainline. These bottom brackets are designed to have up to 5mm of this type of adjustability, so this was all according to Hoyle.<br />
<br />
Turns out Bilenky (and me!) were right, as the 110mm bottom bracket with 1.5mm drive side spacer gave a Sheldon-perfect 45mm chainline.<br />
<br />
Yay!<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Street Cred</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-MeHyw8dPNNA/TieSnmO0KHI/AAAAAAAAKTc/eGvcqcqOirs/s800/fo-knife-icon.png" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
SKF is still largely an unknown without a lot of operating history behind their cycling products. There was some carping on forums about their original ISIS bottom brackets but I've seen nothing but praise for their current offerings. However, their current offerings are all pretty new, it remains to be seen how happy everyone is halfway through that 10 year warranty.<br />
<br />
TA Specialites is a legendary cycling firm and usually of very high quality products. Their chainrings in particular are said by many to be some of the longest wearing ones available. Even if not, they sure are shiny:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-afaceZUJICA/TlxELxSafII/AAAAAAAALWw/py3GBBdeDKw/s1600/CIMG1145.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-afaceZUJICA/TlxELxSafII/AAAAAAAALWw/py3GBBdeDKw/s320/CIMG1145.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Gizmo Lust</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CYkwJjXSpH4/Tiegb8nDewI/AAAAAAAAKao/oAKRlqFFokg/s800/fo-gizmo-lust-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CYkwJjXSpH4/Tiegb8nDewI/AAAAAAAAKao/oAKRlqFFokg/s800/fo-gizmo-lust-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-CYkwJjXSpH4/Tiegb8nDewI/AAAAAAAAKao/oAKRlqFFokg/s800/fo-gizmo-lust-icon.jpg" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
The SKF bottom bracket has German ball bearings. That is pretty neat.<br />
<br />
Here is the fixing bolt for the famous detachable spider on the TA Carmina:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7ajgtMbItk/Tlw-NZbIfsI/AAAAAAAALWs/DOztMRV7Ueg/s1600/CIMG1143.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-r7ajgtMbItk/Tlw-NZbIfsI/AAAAAAAALWs/DOztMRV7Ueg/s320/CIMG1143.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Looks postively surgical. And how about the finish on the pedal mounting insets - Bilenky thoughtfully threw in some pedal washers so I wouldn't ruin this:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bk8T9-lNoAE/Tlw99HV15KI/AAAAAAAALWs/j3MuVC92KF8/s1600/CIMG1138.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-bk8T9-lNoAE/Tlw99HV15KI/AAAAAAAALWs/j3MuVC92KF8/s320/CIMG1138.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Crimethink</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-O-MkKswXnDA/TieSnOalJ8I/AAAAAAAAKTQ/XtJcMZ8Fy_E/s800/fo-crimethink-icon.jpg" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
The circle really turns. Back in the day, a 110/74 triple was plain as dirt. But now one must furtively search to the ends of the world to find a few options in this regard.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Tweed Factor</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFGv3sD1e88/Tiec8fFi_pI/AAAAAAAAKak/H1Eb2rnbaAA/s800/fo-Poncho-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFGv3sD1e88/Tiec8fFi_pI/AAAAAAAAKak/H1Eb2rnbaAA/s800/fo-Poncho-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-YFGv3sD1e88/Tiec8fFi_pI/AAAAAAAAKak/H1Eb2rnbaAA/s800/fo-Poncho-icon.png" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
While there is no data on the SKF, the Tweed Factor is pretty high on the TA Carmina. Generally, Tweedy guys (and gals!) avoid expensive components, the largest exceptions being expensive stuff manufactured by Nitto or distributed by Peter White Cycles.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Phony Accent</span></div><br />
<center><span style="font-size: x-large;">X</span></center><br />
<br />
As with the <a href="http://nihonmaru.blogspot.com/2011/08/phoenix-project-berthoud-aravis-saddle.html">Berthoud Aravis saddle</a>, one would expect a coronary inducing Phony Accent rating for a French part. But as with the saddle, that is only for fake copies of 1950's French parts spec'ed by American guys to Taiwanese factories.<br />
<br />
But again, this is a real French part made by a real French company staffed by real Frenchmen (and Frenchwomen). And it doesn't look like anything made by Rene Herse or drawn by Daniel Rebour.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-82RamkH6nRo/Tlw9yJkd8LI/AAAAAAAALWs/C3F7Lmx1lhY/s1600/CIMG1136.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-82RamkH6nRo/Tlw9yJkd8LI/AAAAAAAALWs/C3F7Lmx1lhY/s320/CIMG1136.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Just in case you couldn't read it: <br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vF_LQYqdSPI/Tlw93hXSC9I/AAAAAAAALWs/oOQC7SvfJsA/s1600/CIMG1137.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vF_LQYqdSPI/Tlw93hXSC9I/AAAAAAAALWs/oOQC7SvfJsA/s320/CIMG1137.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Lily Gilding</span></div><br />
<center><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /><img src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-ijEykFS5s8s/TieSnW1wkKI/AAAAAAAAKTY/_QRy2GArW2s/s800/fo-faberge-icon.png" width="55" /></center><br />
<br />
This has lily gilding all over it. It is doubtful there is much functional difference between the TA Carmina and an infinitely cheaper Sugino XD crankset. And for the price of the SKF bottom bracket, I could have bought 4 or so cheaper bottom brackets.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">Running Tally</span></div><br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-large;">$3730 USD</span></div><br />
We bring forward $3628 USD. We subtract the $484 USD price of the Sugino OX801D crankset. The TA Carmina was $449 USD inclusive of shipping while the SKF bottom bracket was $137 USD inclusive of shifting.<br />
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large;">The Sausage Factory</span></div><br />
Everyone who sells the SKF bottom bracket recommends getting the Park BBT-18 tool to install this rather than attempting to install with a 1 prong locking ring wrench. I decided to go with the herd wisdom:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3fkYsQJrPU/Tlw-0g4NUdI/AAAAAAAALWs/O8axsUKSfjw/s1600/CIMG1142.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-m3fkYsQJrPU/Tlw-0g4NUdI/AAAAAAAALWs/O8axsUKSfjw/s320/CIMG1142.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
It turned out that the hex nut on this thing is huge, bigger than my biggest wrench or socket or even my gorilla crescent wrench. But then I had a brainstorm:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vV2hlGuNbuI/Tlw-76iN1jI/AAAAAAAALWs/tSmIMT2p8pQ/s1600/CIMG1149.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-vV2hlGuNbuI/Tlw-76iN1jI/AAAAAAAALWs/tSmIMT2p8pQ/s320/CIMG1149.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
That is the right size.<br />
<br />
The 110mm SKF bottom bracket is separable as shown, the red ring being the non-drive side:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RL0McH0FvLs/TlxKKgMP0DI/AAAAAAAALW4/oVzUE6qSv1c/s1600/CIMG1141.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-RL0McH0FvLs/TlxKKgMP0DI/AAAAAAAALW4/oVzUE6qSv1c/s320/CIMG1141.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
Per the instructions, I first installed the drive side unit with 1.5mm spacer, this went in pretty easily and was torqued down to "lots":<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upp0KenAoe8/Tlw-ePbLfUI/AAAAAAAALWs/Oqtakk9lb2Q/s1600/CIMG1152.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-upp0KenAoe8/Tlw-ePbLfUI/AAAAAAAALWs/Oqtakk9lb2Q/s320/CIMG1152.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
When I got to the red non-drive side ring, I understood why everyone recommended the special tool, as it took a fair amount of grunt to get this fully tightened. I'm pretty sure I would have damaged the red ring trying to do this with a single prong bottom bracket tool:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M8mDh7Hs-pM/Tlw-aZ6Oo2I/AAAAAAAALWs/61gZ2BsJoa0/s1600/CIMG1155.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-M8mDh7Hs-pM/Tlw-aZ6Oo2I/AAAAAAAALWs/61gZ2BsJoa0/s320/CIMG1155.JPG" width="240" /></a></div><br />
I then installed the cranks (I'm an inveterate taper greaser....), torquing to 350 inch-lbs:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eXMb7ju-V0w/Tlw-jjHqh9I/AAAAAAAALWs/Fmnrqbnr108/s1600/CIMG1158.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-eXMb7ju-V0w/Tlw-jjHqh9I/AAAAAAAALWs/Fmnrqbnr108/s320/CIMG1158.JPG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
I was very pleased with the 45mm chainline on the first try.robatsuhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07641711964135698976noreply@blogger.com11