How to: quick release skewers (duh!)

It seems that quick release wheels should require no explanation, right?

I see QR's used incorrectly all the time, so perhaps they are not as simple as they may seem.

Note:

-Always disengage your brakes before attempting to remove or install a wheel. There are several easy ways to do this, depending on the type of brakes you have.

A quick release skewer has two ends. One end has a lever, and the other has an adjustable cam.

1) To remove a QR wheel, open the lever so that it is perpendicular to the wheel (or depending on the type of skewer, wider than that---as wide as 180 degrees).

2) On some bicycles you may need to loosen the cam on the opposite side of the skewer by rotating it counter clockwise in order to free the wheel.

3) To secure the wheel, place it in the bicycle's drop outs or fork ends.

4) Keep the lever perpendicular (or wider open depending on the type of the skewer) to the wheel.

5) Tighten the cam by rotating it clockwise. After the cam is finger tight, try closing the lever. If the lever will not close all the way because there is too much resistance, open the lever and loosen the cam. If the lever closes easily because there is two little resistance, open the lever and tighten the cam some more.

Levers should be positioned such that when closed, they are parallel to a tube of the bicycle (such as a fork blade, chain stay, or seat stay) so that the probability of them catching and opening accidentally is decreased.

Tradition that QR levers should be on the left side of the bicycle, and cams on the right.

Questions or tips? Email me.

Fuji Absolute

This beautiful 12 speed bike features: a 4130 Chromo Fuji Absolute frame, aluminum Araya wheels, a Sugino crankset, Suntour Accushift 2000 shifters and derailleurs, an Advocet Touring saddle, low-mile Kenda tires, and new black handlebar tape. The bike has been completely gone through and serviced.

Size: The frame size is 58cm c-t. The standover is 33.5"

(Sold)

Vintage Schwinn Twinn De Luxe Tandem

This bike is in excellent condition and is completely original. The tires were recently replaced with Kenda white walls. This bike is a five speed and everything on the bike functions well. Tandems are a bunch of fun so I recommend coming by for a test ride!

(Sold)

Coming soon

I've been waiting for some parts to come in the mail before I can continue to build more bikes.

Some interesting bikes are going to be coming up soon, including some geared road bikes and a vintage 5-speed tandem.

Schwinn Traveller Single Speed

This bike features: Araya wheels, an SR crankset, an Advocet Touring II saddle, new 18t Dicta freewheel, new Kenda K45 tires, new Jagwire brake cable, and new white handlebar tape.

Size: The frame size is 64cm c-t. The standover is 34.5"

The geometry must be distinctive because I felt quite comfortable riding it (with the exception of the standover height), and I am only 6'1"

This bike looks oddly like the new Schwinn Madison in the same color.

(Sold)

http://chicago.craigslist.org/nwc/bik/1243115956.html

Detail: Why some bikes take longer than others

I worked in a restaurant for about three days and simply couldn't stand the prospect of handling people's food in such a manner that I wouldn't want mine to be handled. I feel the same way about building bicycles (because I love both food and bicycling), which means some bikes take way longer than others---way too long in general.

With any luck, the bike currently in my workstand, a 64cm blue Schwinn Traveller with nice chrome fork tips should be completed and posted this afternoon.

Ride safely,

Anthony P.

Recommended Ride: Des Plaines River Trail

No matter where you live, there is undoubtedly no shortage of pleasant places to bike, but I've decided to share some of my favorite local routes.

The Des Plaines River Trail is a ~3o mile crushed stone trail that runs almost all the way north through Lake County.

This path brings you through beautiful scenery. Sometimes it is nice to get away from all the cars. So long as you ride aggressively, the mosquitos will leave you alone---otherwise I would recommend bringing along some bug spray. The crushed stone can be a bit harsh, but I managed to ride this path almost everyday last summer on my 23c tires.

On weekends the path gets somewhat crowded, but it is empty enough on weekdays to bomb down the path safely.

Running alongside the Des Plaines River, the path is sometimes flooded or muddy. If you are not interested in getting your bike dirty, the DPRT might not be for you.

Ride safe,

Anthony P.

How to: fix a flat

This subject has been covered a thousand times over all over the internet, but I've decided to try my hand at describing this all important element of bicycle maintenance.

What you'll need:

-two or three tire levers

-a patch kit (the glue kind, not the glueless kind---those don't work)

-a bike pump

-a 15mm or adjustable wrench if your wheel is not quick release

1. Using either the quick release on your hub, or a 15mm wrench, remove the wheel with the flat tire.
2. Use the tapered end of a tire lever to pry under the bead of the tire and bend the tool down until you can hook the hooked end onto a spoke.
3. Repeat step two with another lever about 5" away from the first lever on the same side of the rim.
4. Many advise against "sliding" a tire lever in order to unseat the bead as this may cause it damage. Here you may either slide your first or second lever in order to keep pulling the tire off the rim, try to do so by hand, or repeat step 2 again with a third lever.
5. After the tire has been removed from the rim, keep the tire and tube aligned.
6. Put a few pumps of air into the tube and locate the leak
7. Check the corresponding spot on the tire for any debris (broken glass, thorns, nails) that might remain in the tire prepared to flat your tube again.
8. Clean the area around the leak on the tube with the scuffer included in your patch kit.
9. Apply glue in an area larger than the patch you attend to use.
10. Allow glue to dry fully.
11. Peel protective backing from your patch, and stick it to the glue, carefully pressing the edges down and being sure of a good seal.
12. Reinsert the tube into the tire.
13. Insert the valve stem into the valve stem hole on the rim.
14. Seat the tire on the rim working one side at a time with your hand pulling the tire back onto the rim.
15. Inflate to your preferred pressure or the tire's recommended pressure.
16. Ride your bicycle.

Prevention: keep your tires well inflated, avoid riding through glass and other sharp objects when possible, pay attention to the wear on your tires and replace them if they are badly worn.

Note: I highly recommend patching flatted tubes. Some prefer to replace tubes with new ones, but this is rather wasteful. A properly patched tube can be very reliable.

Fuji Sports 12

This bike features Nitto handlebars, MKS pedals, and a Fuji crankset. This bike also has installed: a new 18t Dicta freewheel and brand new Kenda K35 tires.

Size: This bike has a standover height of 36.5"

This one's a bit big for me, but I love that feeling of riding above traffic---great fun, and reminds me of my legendary lost Motobecane Mirage.

(Sold)

Re-cycling

Single speed conversions are, of course, recycled.

Growing up, many of the bicycles I'd ridden were pulled straight from the trash (including my well-loved but much too tall Motobecane Mirage). Often these bikes had a flatted tube, a split tire sidewall, or frayed bar tape---nothing a couple of bucks and a bit of elbow grease couldn't fix. I was always struck by the ridiculous wastefulness of it all. These bikes were tossed to the curb presumably to make room for a new department store mountain bike, or worse still, another car.

I haven't found a bicycle by the curb in a while---and I think that's a good thing.

Breathing new life into old bicycles is important to me, as is human powered transportation in general.

So, another good reason to ride single speeds: the environment. Re-purposing these bikes helps make them more useful and prepares them for a few thousand more miles.

Why would anyone opt to pay more for stiff, lifeless, aluminum frames with ugly welds when they could instead have beautiful, vintage lugged steel? The heart shaped braze-on often found underneath the downtube (to accomodate downtube shifters or cable guides) on these vintage steel bikes summarizes how I feel about them.

Bike Locking Technique

Getting your bike stolen sucks, so lock everything, every time.

Opinions about locking technique vary greatly, but the following represent some well agreed upon guidelines for good locking technique:

• Use a high quality u-lock for the frame (such as the expensive but strong Kryptonite New York Fahgettaboudit (you can these cheaper by purchasing them on eBay).
• Try to "stuff" the shackle of the lock. Fit your front or rear wheel in with the u-lock if possible. Less space on the inside of the lock means less space for thieves' tools.
• Lock your front and rear wheels using a good cable lock, or even a second u-lock.
• Lock your saddle. This can be accomplished by using a thin cable lock designed for this purpose, or an old bike chain wrapped in an inner tube.
• Lock to a thick, strong, non-removable object. Good=a sturdy bike rack cemented into the ground; Bad=street sign, fence, tree, and so forth.

Even if you follow these guidelines, you might still become the victim of bicycle theft, but if you don't (and you live in a major metropolitan area) it is likely just a matter of time.

Ride safe,

Anthony P.

Have different ideas you'd like to add? I'd like to see them in the comments section!

Women's Miyata Eighty SE

This bike features: Araya wheels, Sugino crankset, new 18t Dicta freewheel, new Kenda K45 tires, new KMC gold chain, and new white handlebar tape.

Size: the seat (measured from the top of the saddle to the ground) adjusts between 33.5"-37.5

The frame on this bike is exceptionally clean.

(Sold)

Men's Schwinn World

This Schwinn World features Weinman aluminum wheels and an aluminum Sugino crankset. The bike has a standover height of 33"

This bike also has installed: a new 18t Dicta freewheel, new tires, and new black handlebar tape.

This is an extremely nice bike and pretty near my size. It is hard for me to sell ones like this...

(Sold)

Women's Schwinn Sprint

(Sold)

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Why single speed?

A: Single speed bicycles are more efficient, more reliable, lighter, better looking, and less fuss. Check out what Sheldon Brown has to say on the subject (http://www.sheldonbrown.com/singlespeed.html).

Q: What do you do to recondition these bikes?

A: While this varies based upon the needs of a specific bicycle, I always strip a bike down, remove superfluous parts (kickstands, et cet.), clean the frame and wheels, replace the freewheel with a new single speed freewheel, respace and redish the rear wheel for a perfect chain-line and stronger wheel, lubricate the drivetrain, and replace the handlebar tape. I often install new tires and chains as indicated in each listing.

Q: What about sizing?

A: Sizing is extremely subjective. In my opinion, the best way to determine bike fit is a test ride. To determine whether a bicycle is roughly the right size, I include stand over heights in all my listings.