Ice Bits Riding, Missed Snow Day, More Project MB-1

This past week started out with nearly 24 hour local news of the big storm coming to town. Monday, as you can see from above, we got something, it was not really snow and not really ice, snice? While cold, it was not bad for the morning commute, not slippery like our earlier frozen frost mornings. Well, it was so cool out with the ice bits, that I took some on the bike shots, too.

The trick with the moving shots was I had some camera button issues because of the winter gloves I was wearing. Danged buttons are pretty small and close together. Several times I shot the camera off when I was trying to push the shutter button.

After Monday's snice, Tuesday was just kinda wet, with some coldness. Then, Tuesday night we got our snow. It was wet snow, I could tell by the way it droooooped off the car in the driveway.

I like the snow. I love the quietness it brings. I went outside to take this shot at around 11pm something. So . . . . . quiet. And, pretty.

Well, very, very shortly after I shot this . . . BAM . . . no more electricity. The wet, heavy snow was starting to take its toll and areas were blacking out.

Now it was even quieter . . . and darker. It was still amazing how bright it was though. If you look closely, you can see how the snow was drooping off the rear window of my car. Can you say, wet snow?

Project MB-1

As has been said many times before me, "A project bike is never done . . ." I decided to refine the headlight battery mount just a little, as it was not as tight as I would like.

(Fabrication pictures: Project MB-1 Battery Mount Pictures)

The refinement is a bit subtle, but remember, I be a perfectionist, lol. The key change was to lengthen the lower support piece and use a small piece of double-sided tape to reduce twisting and offset the jostling happening while avoiding road junk and hitting driveways and ramps. Also, I added a upper lip to do the same thing.

Installed, you cannot really see a whole of difference, except the bracket appears a little longer, which, of course, it is.

Overall, the bike is working out great and is fun to ride. The geometry and fit feel good and I just like looking at it, so that is a good sign, too.

The only sad thing is that I missed the chance for a snow ride, since I ended up getting sick. I think the issues of harder breathing in the cold recently finally caught up with me, plus, apparently a bunch of us in a meeting Monday were dropping out sick, so I get to blame someone at work.

Rain a coming ... or so they say

Well, rain or snow/rain or some snow is being predicted for the second half of this coming weekend. Well it feels cold enough to be close, at least. For now, we had a great week for bike commuting -- it was dry! There were some great mornings of awesome city views, and there was some east wind which was cool for the ride home, which of course added to the joy of going uphill into a headwind, right?

These two images show the change from day to day, with a little difference in my ability to get a good point-and-shoot camera exposure and getting use to my DSLR - lol. The second image was a morning with a bit of fog and shot with the point-and-shoot. The first image I used my Pentax K5. That is one pretty cool thing about Portland is you can go out day after day and come back with a different sense of the same image, in this case Portland - Willamette River - Hawthorne Bridge.

Project MB-1? The MB-1 is doing great and I am loving the ride! The fit is good, I think I have pretty much dialed in seat position and that lines up well with the handlebar position. The Dura-Ace downtube shifters are doing their job and working out nicely. I am getting the hang of friction-only shifting, though I only seem to miss when I am downshifting going uphill - why is that, anyway, haha?

I did do a small update to my wire routing along the top tube rear brake cable set up. To eliminate the need for the zip ties and just clean up the look a bit, I ran a longer piece of spiral wrap that extends a little past each brake cable boss. This keeps the wiring lined up nicely.

Now, there is no more white zip tie on either end and the line is cleaner. The following picture shows how I bridged across the cable boss.

You can see the single wrap around the cable, then a couple wraps around the wiring, then the wrapping around both the wiring and cable housing. This keeps everything nice and tidy. The other thing is that, should I change my mind, which I often do, I can easily remove everything for re-use and without having to undo the brake cable.

A White Christmas - Project MB-1 Assembly & Fabrication

Well, this being Portland, OR, it was a white bicycle xmas. That's right, Project MB-1 is now road ready! I was able to get all the parts on and fitted in time for a xmas eve ride with a  couple of ride buddies for a tough, hill climbing 32 mile inaugural ride. The picture above is from our high point at Bald Peak Park.

Last week Gene from Rad Finishes called to say the bike would be ready and we arranged to pick up the frame on Thursday, 12/22.

As soon as I saw it I was, "Wow!" While the factory color is Pearl Tusk, which is a stronger ivory white, this is more white-white with the orange pearl on top. Then, when we took it back into the paint booth for some pictures, it just glowed.

The cool thing about picking the frame up on Thursday, was my vacation starts the following Friday, so I can start assembly immediately. Having collected parts and visualized how I wanted to fabricate the various pieces over the last two months would be a huge jump start. First up was the fit up the wheels to ensure paint clearance at the drop outs and to being fitting up of the SKS Alley Cat fenders. I was liking these with their matt black finish rather than the standard shiny black. These would help to keep the focus on the frame rather than distract the eye away from it.

I started with the front fender and already knew I wanted to minimize external attachment points and paint marring. My plan was to fabricate an insert to fit inside the steerer tube that the fender mount would attach to. Since a hole existed on front and back, I used the front hole as the allen wrench access to the allen head screw on the inside. The insert is a piece of aluminum that I shaped into a round shape, drilled the mounting holes, then cleaned up the edges.

I used an acorn nut on the outside for a cleaner look. (I may see about reversing the fastener set up for an even cleaner look. All fasteners are stainless steel. Once the mount was finished up, it was just a matter of adjusting the stays for an even fit around the tire.

Next, it was on to the rear fender. Again, with the goal to create simple, aesthetically pleasing fabrications I utilized the chain stay bridge threaded insert and the newly installed threaded insert in the seat stay bridge. The lower mount uses a button head M5 allen screw, a couple of aluminum spacers and a washer to protect the paint. This provided the base tire to fender gap.

Once the lower mount was done, I moved on to the upper mount. Again, a piece of the aluminum strip was just the answer. I fit the aluminum bracket to the fender mount first, allowing for some up and down adjustment. Then I measure for the seat stay mounting hole. The finished bracket is actually a little narrower than in the picture below and I moved the fender mount bracket to attach to the lower side (the side you see in the picture). This provides a nice clean look from the other side. Now all that was left was to adjust the fender stays for an even spacing around the tire.

Seat post, seat, handlebar/stem, crankset, derailleurs and chain came next. I had to shorten the 9 speed chain some but the new bottom bracket and crankset lined up nicely with the Ultegra 9 speed cassette. Of course, I suspected no problems since the 107mm bottom bracket and Sugino XD600 are the same set up as is on the MB-5. Project MB-1 was beginning to look like a whole bike, again.

I set up the handlebar in as close to actual as possible so I could begin brake and cables installation. Brake installation was straightforward since I was using the originals, just like I used the original derailleurs. The Jagwire ripcord cables and housings were a breeze to install and I actually like the black teflon coating, subdues their noticeability against the bike frame a little bit more. For the shifters, I first tried a set of Shimano 9 speed index shifters. The indexing did not line up well with the Suntour XC Pro rear derailleur, so I figured if I was going to go with friction only, I would use my Silver set. Well, their feel is great, but on my long ride, they kept auto-shifting, especially when the derailleurs were at their extended points (lowest gear in rear or large ring up front). I would then switch it back to friction mode for the Shimano Dura-Ace shifters, which  have a bit more friction.

I wanted to keep the frame lines clean, including the chain stay, so I thought about how to protect this area. The clear, thin film you can buy did not appeal to me as it did not necessarily protect against chain impact and was ugly after a while of being hit and all. What I am currently using is a piece of thin wall, vinyl tubing from the hardware store.

I kind of like it. It allows for the color and decal to show through and is thick enough to provide good chain stay protection. It is cheap and does not require adhesive, either. Well, with all the cables routed and adjusted, it was simply now just fine tune the handlebar position, which only took a few up and down the street trips, then it was time to wrap 'em up.

And then, it was like, "cooooooollllll!" MY bike, for sure. Since I knew I was going to ride it on the xmas eve ride, I took it out for a short test ride to make sure I did not miss anything significant and make sure everything was seated well. The ride was sweet, felt good, felt like an old, trusted steed, not a newly built from scratch, new-old frame bike.

The bike felt just right and quite familiar - I suppose some of that is the handlebar and seat are from the SUB (MB-5). It was more than those, though, as the comfort and feel of the bike were great.

It could be just me, but the bike seems very photogenic, too.

The xmas eve ride was physically tough, since I have not ridden any terrain like we did for the distance (2500' elevation gain, 32 miles; high point 1600 some feet). The weather, though, could not have been better - sunny, amazing views and great company. Hopefully my riding partners did not feel too held back.

The bike, save for one overshift which caused the chain to jump off the 46T big chainring, performed flawlessly. Okay, the Silver shifters could not hold against the max extension of the derailleurs, but that was relatively minor. We rode on pavement and hardpack dirt/gravel. I think I hit somewhere near 45 mph coming down from Bald Peak Park. The bike was very stable. I was very, very happy with how uber SUB has turned out.

And, here are my two riding buddies, Tom (left) and Mark on Mountain Top Rd., not quite our high point, yet. I am grateful they are great riding buddies and did not complain about having to wait for me at the tops of the climbs.

Project MB-1 - DiNotte 300R Tail Light Mount

Frame is still with my  painter, it had to be back to the frame builder for a minor fix up. Having a perfectionist painter is a good match for a perfectionist bicyclist. Since I cannot assemble the bike, yet, I can work on some of the smaller design details with what I do have.

In my desire to have less wires and such, I have upgraded my tail light from my original DiNotte 120R (AA batteries) to the 300R, built-in lithium model. It is both quite a bit larger and quite a bit brighter.

I spent today fabricating a mounting bracket to securely attach the light to the seat rails. This keeps the seat post lines clean and puts the light just a little bit higher for visibility purposes. I love the fact it can be charged via a standard USB cable.



I started with a trip to my local hardware store to get cushioned "P" clamps, some fasteners and some aluminum flat bar stock. Then, cuz it's cold in the garage, I take the seat off and do some design work. The clamps? Pretty straightforward. Now how to bend the bar stock to go from the seat angle to a near vertical?

To get the primary bend angle, I used a cardboard template, attaching it to the back of the light. Holding it up I made the first bend near the light, which sets the base angle. As I played with the second bend, I noticed it would be easier to bend a curve rather than another sharp angle. The advantage would be the ability to fine tune which is harder once I do put a sharp bend in.

As you can see,  it came out pretty well, okay, at least that is my story.

Here the light is attached to the bracket. Fairly simple, clean, secure. Not a bad DIY, heh? At least the tail light is ready to go for Project MB-1.

Cool, foggy, rainy mornings - Yep, it's Fall in Portland

Been some lovely, fall, foggy mornings and with the darkerness some cool cityscape scenes. Above was an especially amazing morning as I rode in along the Eastbank Esplanade. The fog was rolling along the river fairly quickly. A couple of quick pictures and the scene changed drastically and the wisp of fog in front of the building was gone. I guess that speaks to be in the moment, since once it's gone, it's gone.

Time for readjusting the commuting wear, fleece - check; ear covers - check; back up rain gear - check; and so it goes. The golden red and yellow leaves on the trees and ground have been a beautiful backdrop to my commutes - though with our recent and current rains I'm sure that will change to brown mush soon.

The streets are certainly less crowded, again. I guess the much cooler temps and chance of rain has people prepping for the hibernation season - lol. Every now and then I check the indoor bike parking and it's good to see it full several days of the week. Nice knowing people have continued their commitment to bike commuting.

Not much progress on the uber SUB project, since I am still waiting on the paint. I think I pretty much have all the parts ready to go on, some old, some new. Looking forward to not just assembly, but to the fine-tune assembly to make it just right. A lot of work for a commuter/all arounder bike? Nah. I am not a member of that school of thought that a commuter should be a beater bike. Hey, if I am going to ride it that much I should enjoy it, no, love it, don't you think?

Happy Fall biking everyone.

Nearly Full Circle on My Bike Commuting - Fall has Arrived

The lovely fall mornings have been great for riding in to work. At the moment, if I actually get going at my desired time, I arrive at work just past sunrise. I get to now enjoy those great, peaceful mornings and enjoy the serenity of Portland's lights and waterfront. The changing season is beginning to thin out the morning crowds, again, too. Of course, I know it also means cold is coming as well as wet, oh well, loving the seasonal change.

More than the summer mornings, these cooler, darker mornings seem to be more calming to my constantly turning mind wheels before I cross that line from my space to my work space and the daily scurring begins.

By bits and pieces some of the new parts for the uber SUB are coming in, sort of a trickle in holiday, except, of course, I am also the one buying 'em. The hardest part? I can't put them on, yet, since I have to be anstily patient while the frame is being refinished. I suppose it is a good thing as I am forced to think about how I will put it all back together and think about the small details, like cable covers to keep the cable slap from beating up the paint and all that.

Haha, even work looks good in the early morning light (okay, this is a little darker than it actually was when I took the picture, but hey, looks better this way). Oh, it's the low building with all the golden windows.

If you ever get a chance, definitely go for a early morning ride, it truly is the best.

Project MB-1 Progressing; SUB Back to Drop Bars

I will start in reverse order of this blog's title. After a couple of days I had to swap out the moustache bars and put drop bars back on the SUB. My wrists were not happy with the limited positions and I really missed the tops for cruisin' and climbin'. I guess I am just a drop bar girl.

Next week our Team NWEA tshirts should be ready for pick up so I can finish up my team captain duties. In some ways, I feel a void as far as bike commuting support, since we are basically back to "normal" bike commuting. As the weather has changed I have noticed fewer bikes at work, but that's cool.

I continue to be loving the fall colors and the cooler temps, I guess I was ready to  have a change in the color of the scenery, and riding without totally sweating out on the ride in. With fewer folks out in the mornings I can relax and sort of meditate on the way in to work.

Project MB-1 (uber SUB)

I am looking forward to starting the assembly part of my project. The frame is off at Rad Finishes (Portland, OR) and work will be starting on Monday with stripping. I am having a brand new wheelset built, also in Portland, by Sugar Wheel Works. So, I have unbusy hands right now, well only if you exclude all the internet researching, so I am mentally picturing different ideas, products, and such. Also, building up the list of odds and ends to not lose track of. Some of my new parts will come from swapping with the SUB, which will save some dollars and, yet, not totally make the SUB unrideable.

See, this is what it looks like inside my imagination ... "I could do this, and if I do this, then I could do that ..."

Key highlights will be:

• Drop bars - the good ones from the SUB (which I have already taken off and put the other Cinelli ones on the SUB).
• New Tektro brake levers in silver (SUB still has her black ones).
• Down tube shifter bosses w/friction only shift levers.
• This allows me to see if I can get 8 or 9 cogs on the back with the original derailleur.
• Oh, paint wise, I am going with a reproduction of the original pearl tusk (slightly off white base with a red pearl overcoat).
• The new wheelset will consist of Velo Orange hubs, Velocity Synergy rims and wearing Continental SportContact 32-559 (26x1.3") tires - yep, it will have locking skewers, too.

This is will be a fun project, really looking forward to that first ride. A bonus has been to get to know the local folks, who know other local folks in terms of bike builders, painters, wheelbuilders. I am glad I made the choice to buy local for the service work.

Fall, Project MB-1 Heading to Paint

More and more the fall colors are coming to Portland. With the fairly dry weather, so far, it has been pleasant riding, seeing the leaves on the ground to break up the otherwise boring grey of concrete. The color variety is nice, especially knowing that bare trees and an overall grey landscape is not far off.

While most of my neighbors mow and rake, I think the yard is quite lovely to look at with the mix of leaves from the neighbor's birch. Plus it helps the hide the brown-grey of my hibernated grass from our hot, recent summer heat.

Riding is changing as well. A tad fewer cyclists, definitely fewer others out jogging or walking or wandering along the Eastbank Esplanade, most definitely fewer in the mornings. On the days I ride with Evan until his school (only a bit over a mile away) the bike commuting crowd traffic is heavier, I guess because it is also at rush hour, 8ish. I do also have to admit to playing some Cat. 6 games, but, hey, commuting should be fun after all.

Project MB-1
The bike has been in disassembly for a while and I have been researching, getting estimates, researching, bidding on some "vintage" parts, mentally designing and redesigning to create a new old bike that is me.

I'll likely swap some parts with the SUB, since I purchased some good, quality items and put the MB-1 parts on the SUB, which are still good. For sure the MB-1 (still working on a new name, but maybe it will be the new SUB, or SUB par deux), will have drop bars, the 170mm crankset. I think as I start putting it back together I'll figure out the smaller details - cable housing colors and that sort of thing.

I went ahead and ordered up a new wheelset, having them hand-built in Portland by Sugar Wheels. I won't go into details until they are done and I'll accompany the description with pictures. They will be nice, for sure.

The other big time consumer, and a few dollars more, will be the re-painting. I decided to stick with the original color and design (pearl tusk) and the decals will be embedded under clear coats for better durability. I thought about a color, but that seemed to "blend" too much with all the other bikes out there. I thought about a purer white like the SUB, but, then, I already have a bike with that color, huh.

To make it unique, I'll be building it with, are you ready, down tube shifters! So, while it is stripped of paint, I am having the cable stops removed and shifter bosses brazed on. For starters, I'll use friction shifters to manage the 7 cogs in back, unless I find an amazingly great deal on a good set of 8 or 9, but I'll be running a crankset designed for a 7 speed chain,. Down the road, mayhaps.

I am looking forward to getting all the bits and parts together and the fun of watching it all come together. I am especially looking forward to the first ride! WooHoo!