Happy New Year, Project MB-1 Continues

Happy new year, everyone!

Our January 1, 2012 began with some great, for winter, weather. Some clouds, but also some sun shining through. Because we  had some afternoon family activities planned, I decided to do a solo, new year day ride. I should note the wind was blowing pretty good from the east (17 mph), which is not unusual for our area. National Weather Service showed gusts up to 24 mph.

Rather than head toward Portland (west) because of the wind, and the fact I ride toward Portland every work day, I planned out an eastward journey. This would also give me one more shake down ride of the MB-1 before it begins its daily commuting duties. This would also be the first test of the the Shimano Dura-Ace shifters which replaced the Silver ones. The Dura-Ace ones  have more friction which should prevent the auto-shifting I experienced on the xmas eve epic ride.

At the junction of the I-205 bike path and the Springwater Corridor trail, seeing the graffiti was a little saddening. I mean, really, not even creative nor artistic nor anything. Just plain ugly. The last time I was east of this junction was the Sunday Parkways way back when.

I stopped at a crossing of Johnson Creek to see some of the restoration work going on. While there, I saw the only other cyclists I would see on my route, 3. I guess most were waiting for the in-town rides. I enjoyed my new, recreation ride - even with all the wind. Part of my route included taking a tour through my old, old neighborhood where I grew up (ages 1 to 16). Structurally everything looked mostly the same. I rode by the house and could see some of the very original structures my Dad had built - side concrete for extending the off-street parking, the back patio roof. Ah, some cool memories.

After that, I enjoyed a helpful push home from the east wind. Ah, yes, a good way to bring in the new year with that first day, sunny, fun ride.

Project MB-1 : Headlight Wiring
As with most projects, at least for me, Project MB-1 is an on-going exercise in my pursuit of perfection and aesthetics. One of the goals was to minimize excessive cable and wiring, to maintain a focus of attention on the frame rather than a lot of the "accessories."

One challenge for me is how to connect the headlight lithium battery pack to the headlight without the wiring being in the way or looking overly "just stuck on." I solved the rear light issue by buying the DiNotte 300R with the battery pack built-in. Since I wanted a smaller profile headlight, that also meant a separate battery pack.

With the battery pack mounted under the seat stay, the wiring would run along the top tube and rear brake cable. Now the trick is how to keep the wiring from flopping around?

Well, after some sitting and staring at the wiring, I figured I needed something that would allow me to use the brake cable to securely attach the wiring. Whatever I used, I also needed to make sure the braking was not affected. As you can see in the picture above, the wiring is routed above the brake cable and there are 3 white, spiral cable wraps. Now the wiring will stay in place and there is no negative affect on braking.

Of course, after I made my own spiral wrap I found a place on-line that has just what I need. I did place an order for some black, spiral wrap (1/8" inside diameter).

I started with a piece of tubing taken from my old refrigerator thermostat sensor (see, there is a value to keeping things around for a little while). To make the spiral, I began snipping at an angle and just kept snipping for a while.

Once I had enough length, a purely, scientific guestimate approach, I test installed a piece to figure out what length I needed for each attachment point. I ended up with approximately 2 wraps on the wiring on either side of a long wrap around the wiring and brake cable.

I guess it is true, necessity is the mother of invention. Now my wiring will stay in place and maintains a fairly clean line along the top tube. Just in time for daily commuting.

(Oh, the on-line store that has a wide range of spiral cable wrap is, Cable Ties And More).

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.

Fall Transitions - Still Pretty

A month! Already! Where does the time go? Fall has brought darker mornings which means some pretty cool sunrises as I climb the, what is called, south Tabor bump. Of course, this has also meant adjusting what I wear - it's cold but dry; it's cool with chance of rain; it's cold and foggy; it's who knows. Probably by the time I figure out the right combo to stay warm and dry but not too sweaty, the weather will change again as it marches toward winter.

This is also the first time I am encountering frost on my rides. That's a new experience for sure, can be pretty slick - slower cornering, leaning the body and not the bike, watch the quick moves, look farther ahead especially going downhills. Investing in lightweight base layers to help reduce the cold, wet back feeling.

Before the cold snap and all the leaves dropping, the colors were AMAZING! So, so beautiful riding amongst all the bright reds and yellows, just made me feel so awesome. Hard to be anything but happy.

Seems as soon as we went from November to December the warm fall also changed. It was a different sort of beauty out there. We have had foggy mornings which clear out for some sunny afternoons. You can see the frost in the image below which compliments the fog, grey and flat water of the Willamette River.

Even having to be more cautious on my ride, I still enjoy looking around, pedaling along. There seems to always be something different or new. Sometimes what captures my attention is a broader view as in the Esplanade view above or it could be something up close and personal, like the frost on my car in driveway in the picture below.

The little frost "hairs" were so cool!

Hope you all are enjoying fall.

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.

More Fall = Lovely

Had to stop on my ride home last week to capture this beautiful, colorful view. I wish the colors started sooner and lasted longer. Living in a very green area is great, but I sure love the contrast of the yellows, reds, also the fallen leaves are pretty spectacular. Maybe I am so aware of this time of year is because we apparently are beginning what we affectionately call, the rainy season, here in the Portland area. Once that starts, the colors are not so brilliantly, being subdued by all the grey. The leaves on the ground are but a dark mushy blob - bringing more danger than beauty - they can be so, so slippery.

Project MB-1
Okay, I've come up with the name of this project. It is my vintage, retro, new age uber SUB project, because that's what it will be when I put it all together. Vintage, for the pieces I am retaining and/or making like it was originally. Retro, for the components that give the bike that old school charm. New age, for those things that are based on newer designs or technology, even though they might emote a vintage or retro feel.

I did pick up my new wheel set and they are gorgeous! Built by Sugar Wheel Works, an independently owned shop in Portland. Components? Velo Orange Grand Cru high-flange hubs (rear accepts 9 speed cogs), Sapim butted spokes, Velocity Synergy rims with eyelets and Continental SportContact tires (32-559) 26" x 1.3".

Rear Wheel, Hub Side

Rear Hub, Shiny and Pretty

Front Wheel

Front Hub

Now I sit around and think, "I want to build my bicycle ..."

I guess I will really, really enjoy that first ride.

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.