Maple Leaf Test Rides

km 22682

2012-01-24T08:39:00.004-05:00

Replaced brake shoes due to necessity on January 22, 1012. The existing ones had worn to their wear indicators and then some.

km 21709.9

2011-11-30T09:52:00.006-05:00

Saddle upholstery badly degraded from exposure to sunshine UV rays for several years.

Grips are in great shape despite years of wear and tear and exposure to same amount of UV.

Drivetrain is past 1% wear line - spares chain and freewheel on hand once value has been extracted from product.

Computer now reads 5707.9km and battery is fading badly, yet cannot be easily replaced since unit is held on with high strength adhesive glue.

km 21532.7

2011-10-04T20:39:00.003-04:00

rig running quite right...

drivetrain is fresh, tyres holding air, brakes working well, bearings smooth, grips barely show wear and tear...

upholstery on saddle has been worn by exposure to uv rays from sunshine and is starting to take on water.

there are updates on parts replacements that have gone on over past season TBA

update July 2011

2011-07-26T08:33:00.002-04:00

The experiment continues...spending so much time out in the field riding, have been neglecting necessary documentation.

Suffice it to say, the machine has been back to the lab again several times, most recently to have the kickstand and back wheel replaced.

Stay tuned for further updates on mileage and corrosion notes.

km 20018.2

2011-05-11T12:43:00.003-04:00

Replaced back tyre at km 19589 on April 6. The treads were worn through perhaps in part to a tendency of locking up the back wheel and skidding when pedestrians jaywalk.

New tyre is Cheng Shin brand, model C-1212-21, procured at a cost of $zero due to the generosity of a customer passing on leftovers from upgrades.

Drivetrain is totally toast, replacement parts on hand to be installed when value is extracted from current parts.

km 19460

2011-03-25T11:21:00.005-04:00

Rig running right today.

Replaced back axle with unit from childs' bicycle at a cost of $zero and less than one hour.

Brakes are constantly thirsty for lubrication due to fast acting corrosion between bush and brake arm. Remedy with a combination of Tri-Flow, Pro-Gold and Boeshield T9.

Salty, snow winter certainly takes it's toll on parts.

km 18386.2

2010-12-22T12:37:00.005-05:00

november 18 2010 1900-1930H *removed stuck bolt holding on back left brake arm using too#58-8666-2 and a flat bastard file; then installed back brakes - threw away Shimano pads and installed new shoe with different durometer

december 22 2010 1200-1230 *replaced damaged p clamps holding luggage carrier to seat stay with blackburn brand ones; also installed new blinkie light holder

km 17807

2010-11-17T12:01:00.002-05:00

Replaced front brakes with Shimano 'Acera' brakes (BR-M422) (cost was $20 and 30 minutes), and are much easier to adjust now.

Back brakes functioning well enough to lock up back wheel, despite wear and tear on shoes.

Drivetrain about half worn, yet still function relatively efficently.

km 17506

2010-10-20T11:56:00.002-04:00

Rig running right and tight.

Brake shoes haved served about half of their useful life. Wear and tear has been accelerated by riding in precipitous conditions.

Distance traveled per day is down compared to previous fortnights because have been riding a 1974 CCM Galaxie 500 for the joy of the cycle.

km 17090.1

2010-09-10T11:58:00.002-04:00

Recently replaced drivetrain with X8.93 chain and Sunrace 6 speed freewheel.

Also overhauled lower hanger to debug a noise problem. Turns out the UN52 unit that is in there was beginning to corrode, so covered it in anti-seize compound. That's prudent maintenance to inspect bearings every 10000km.

The noise was coming from the VP565 pedals after water loaded up in the bearings after riding in the rain. Dropped some SAE20wt oil into the bearings and they are running quietly enough now.

Rig running right and reliably.

km 16640

2010-08-02T11:49:00.001-04:00

Rig running right, despite wear and tear in drivetrain.

Repaired a leak on July 26. Cost was 5 minutes and .$10 for a patch. Observation - leaks are only occuring after bicycle left unattended at public place in downtown location.

The experiment continues....

km 16261.01

2010-06-17T12:12:00.001-04:00

Odometer is reliable again. Starting the count at 16000 + Dz2L's reading.

Service report : June 13, 2010 1800 - 1830 replaced back brake shoes (MEC#4011200 $3.75)with fresh ones and adjusted both brakes back to their normal tightness. Should be observed that the bolt holding on the brake arm to the frame at the left behind is corroded to the point where it won't be removed without persuasion.

And yet the original OEM brakes still work adequately, albeit with some finicky adjustment processes.

km 16124.8

2010-06-09T15:07:00.006-04:00

Replaced instrumenation on handlebar with Filzer dz2L (MEC#5016155 $15) and glued it on.

Rig is running reliably. All systems are running quietly and efficiently.

Here is a photo of a recent restoration: 1941 CCM ladies' coaster. In the process, replaced rims, spokes, chain, saddle, tyres with Ukai Westwoods, Wheelsmith stainless 14g, Sram PC-1, Brooks Flyer S and Nokian Ultratour 700x40 respectively. Managed to add on a period correct Reich 'Mickey Mouse' bell and Gibson pedals. Riding this one is like sailing on a sheet of smooth glass.

km 16052.7

2010-05-27T17:40:00.003-04:00

Unable to post recently due to holidays.

Had occurances of four punctures, all from the back wheel, over the past 30 days. The cause each time was a tiny hole coming from opposite the valve from the spoke side of the tube's position. Very unusual considering the rim tape is in excellent condition and there are no burrs on the aluminium rim. Each time the tube was replaced. The last time the tyre was also changed and it seems to be holding air OK now.

Also unusual is the Cateye Velo 5 (installed in August 2007; failed in July 2008) has now come back to life in May of 2010. The screen is blinking the kph indicator as if it is ready to reciev programming. It is unable to be programmed because it is still glued to the handlebar and that procedure requires a button on the back of the unit to be accessed.

The Cateye Enduro 2 is providing intermittent readings due to having it's harness wire damaged, though it is functioning most of the time.

The drivetrain is holding up well enough. Some parts perform beyond expectations - the original grips show no wear. The lower hanger bearings (BB-UN52) installed October 2007 (km 4700) have something like 11000km and counting on them and run very smoothly.

Still riding daily, product #71-1556 functioning reliably today.

km 14992.8

2010-02-19T11:15:00.004-05:00

Service report 10.02.19 1000 - 1045

Overhaul Back hub and replace bent axle with part from spares.

Replace back tyre (Panaracer 'Holy Moly' - worn through tread) with used one from spares (Tioga Psycho K with UV bitten sidewalls).

Replace lost screws from plastic chainwheel cover.

Adjust brakes - they are highly corroded and have become extra finicky to keep from centering around wheel.

Oil chain with SAE 20 wt.

Music of choice this session: '99 hip hop and Sonic Youth (prop to Jstar!)

Check out attached photos of worn parts.

Add on:

notes from Jan 30 2010 1700 - 1800

km 14740.8

Replaced back brake shoes. Wear accelerates in the wet snow conditions and had diminished braking power.

Corrected odometer malfunction by tightening wire.

Drivetrain was worn to greater than 1% of original length, so:

*Replaced back shift line: stainless inner, suntour casing
*Freewheel: Shimano MF-TZ06
*Chain: KMC X8.93
*Back mech: Shimano RS (note here:http://www.disraeligears.co.uk/Site/Shimano_RS_derailleur.html)

Indexing on shifting working perfectly.

km 14537.6

2010-01-15T12:10:00.004-05:00

Anonymous - you are right - everything is better and better these days. (including this blog)

Been keeping this blog as an series of observations of Canadian Tyre product # 71-1556 in the process of an experiment to prove a thesis that even an inexpensive bicycle can serve utilitarian functions reliably (assuming care and maintenance is undertaken).

Lately there are no interesting observations to report other than perishable parts such as the chain and brake shoes are having their wear accelerated in the slush.

Other things in life that are occupying time instead of keeping up with this blog are:

* Work (is a four letter word)
* Perry Bax: http://www.bestradioyouhaveneverheard.com/ playing in the background
* Ted Harper: 'Six Days of Madness', Pacesetter Press 1993
* Acquiring certification to work on Salomon, Atomic, Nordica, Elan, Rossignol, Tyrolia and Marker alpine ski bindings
* Patricia: http://www.pattycake.ca/
* ebay, ebay, ebay!
* Putting together a wheelset - CCM Delta/ 1937 hubs, chrome westwood rims, stainless spokes
* Watching the Juncos and House Sparrows at the feeder in the yard
* Rest and general loafing - favourite movies so far: Julie and Julia, Taking Woodstock, The Proposal (it's kind of like spending winter hibernating in a cave)

Other cool websites to visit for news:

http://www.ibiketo.ca/
http://www.bikingtoronto.com/
http://www.thestar.com/
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/

hope there's happiness in exploring those links and wishing all kind souls a wildly happy, joyous and healthy new year!

now off to bake some birthday cookies for a truly dear ten year old....

d

km 13758.9

2009-11-19T10:48:00.003-05:00

**Notes from 09.11.04 km13492:

Axle in back wheel broke catastrophically. Kept riding. About 1000m after that derailleur goes into spokes, locking up wheel. Repair work commenced immediately at 1000 and took 60 minutes: replaced axle and cones using parts from abandoned child's bicycle. Aligned dropouts. Aligned derailleur hanger. Purchased replacement derailleur hanger. Inspected spokes, they are OK.

** Notes from 09.11.19 km 13758.9

0830-0900 Scrubbed brake surface on back wheel. Replace back brake shoes. Wiped down reflective surfaces. Noted chain wear to .75% over original length. Noted wear on bearings in front hub as lateral play.

km 13178.3

2009-10-15T09:51:00.002-04:00

*Notes from September 24:

30 min service 1030 - 1100

Replaced front brake shoes at km 12878.6 mark. This means they lasted 7 months, 8 days over 3062.8km before hitting wear indicators and diminishing response. Photos of fresh and spent above.

Oiled chain, noted wear on KMC X8.93 to .75% elongation over original length with 1478.4 km service.

*Today's notes:

Overall, rig running right and tight.

Checking air on 1st day of each month to 50/50 psi front & back.

Hooked up Planet Bike Blaze 2w (mec.ca 5016909 $34) handlebar light with desired effects to provide a decent measure of courtesy for other road users. Bright enough to slowly ride through a park in the dark.

km 12739.3

2009-09-15T12:24:00.004-04:00

Here are a couple of recent photos: bottom one is SC1800 from early August, top one is the old front tyre after 10000km. Note 2" gash.

Rig running tight.

Homemade reinforcement of tyres holding up well, checking air to 60PSI once per month.

Replaced aluminium barrel adjusters on brake levers with steel ones, they hold the threads much better and the brake lines feel generally more responsive.

VP565 pedals are now rotating smoothly on their bearings after not spinning easily out of the packaging.

Original parts holding up surprisingly well: grips, saddle, stem, bars, front wheel. Original parts that are functional yet bothersome to adjust: brakes, front derailleur.

Bearings in BB are Shimano UN52 running smoothly after thousands of kms, definitely exceeding expectations.

km 12440.4

2009-08-14T11:12:00.004-04:00

Notes from July 23:

km 12097

replaced freewheel with Shimano MF-Z scavenged from the wreck of a child's bicycle. This way keep the Suntour freewheel perfect.

front tyre cords finally letting go, making thumping noises on fender struts as it rotated.

replaced with item from spares - Bontrager Jones ACX 26x2.2 aramid bead (props to DT!)

in the process:

found two 26x1.5 Specialized aramadillo tyres where sidewalls were giving out -so-
cut out bead from Specialized ones to turn them into tyre liners under the 26x2's
and fill them with 26x1.5 tubes (MEC item # 8653 $3).

ride is a bit rough when they are up to 60psi, kinda of like a bumpy road even on smooth pavement. - however - no punctures yet (knocking on wood).

Notes from today August 14:

overall - rig running quite right

metal brackety thingie holding rear blinky light rusted through - replaced it today

inner tube holding lock on luggage carrier a bit chewed - replaced it today

noted wear and tear on brake surface on front wheel - feels kinda groovy

chain wear still reading as fresh - somewhere near .55% over original length.

looking forward to Planet Bike Blaze 2W being released in Sept 09.

interesting project on the go by a guy named Dave - check out: www.beaterbikes.ca

still have yet to repack bearings in front hub since april 2006 at km1342, when the dropouts were aligned and the front cones adjusted - even Falcon brand hubs can go far in proper adjustment!

km 12003.7

2009-07-17T13:30:00.002-04:00

Rig running well with fresh drivetrain and back rubber.

Lithium AA/LR6 batteries in Planet Bike Blaze 1W finally gave up after a winter and a spring, became noticeably less bright. Now going with IKEA brand generic alkaline - a ten pack goes for $3.99

km 11520.8

2009-06-10T09:23:00.003-04:00

Performed 60 minutes maintenance on June 4 at mark 11400.2

Replaced back tyre from sunbitten Conti Town & Country to a spare Panaracer Holy Moly (free - kicking around in the spares since 2001)

Replaced back brake shoes with MEC product #4011200 $2.75.

Replaced chain with KMC X8.93 #5006382 $14.50.

Replaced freewheel with Suntour Perfect (free - from spares of 2004). Indexes adequately with Shimano 6 speed shifter.

Previous chain (SRAM PC870) had elongated to the point where it chewed through a couple of freewheel sprockets. That chain was installed at mark 9479 on 08.12.16 or 1921km ago. The corrosion resistance stood up well to salted roads.

Here is a chart of chains that have been hooked up on this SC1800:

Type Date Install KMinstall Date remove KMremove Total KM

OEM KMC 06.01.13 0 07.2.27 3398 3398

KMC Z-51 07.02.27 3398 08.04.25 6330 2932

ShimanoHG50 08.04.25 6330 08.12.16 9479 3149

SRAM PC870 08.12.16 9479 09.06.04 11400 1921

KMC X8.93 09.06.04 11400 ? ? ?

all listed materials were ridden to 1% elongation of original length and had freewheels replaced at same time expect for Shimano HG50.

km 11255.9

2009-05-27T11:57:00.003-04:00

Rigs running well despite chain wear at >+1% elongation over original length. This means only about 2000 km from SRAM PC870.

Front brake shoes have approximately 50% of original material left, rear brake shoes at approximately 85% of original material left.

Bearings in hubs, lower hanger and headset in adequate condition.

Tread wear indicators are recommending replacement iminently.

Total overhaul will have to be postponed until budget allows.

km 10779.6

2009-04-24T20:20:00.006-04:00

Machine is running well despite noises from rear hub (bearings grinding) and plastic hoop attached to largest sprocket of crankset(recently become bent during lockup and now rubs on front mech).

Chain elongation is at approximately +.85% over original length.

Puncture on April 14th was remedied at side of trail.

Supercycle SC1800 now in garage awaiting 10000km service interval.

Find published pictures including snaps of Bridgestone MB3 after 60km event.

km 10300.6

2009-03-24T08:15:00.004-04:00

Rig is running like a top.

Only observations to report are:

March 11: km10107 puncture on back tyre
March 12: km10122 another puncture on back tyre

Replaced inner tube both times for a cost of $5 and 30 minutes service.

km 9815.8

2009-02-17T12:22:00.004-05:00

Rig running right after adjusting front brake to reduce squeal in wet conditions. Put a reverse toe on the shoes so they kind of look 'duck footed' when view from rider's POV.

Already well through the first pair of front brake shoes after 50 km through melting snow and rain in 5C temperatures.

Since last post have applied another two coats of SAE20 oil to chain. Still hoping to get 10000km out of front tyre (pictured). One puncture to report, removed small shard of green glass and replaced tube at a cost of $5 plus 10 minutes' work. Kept old tube to be patched down the road.

Above are up to date pictures, including a clearer shot of the replaced brake shoes. Looking back, seems that rear brake shoes (the ones one the right) were installed in September 2006 at km2042 and the front brake shoes were last serviced in February 2008 at km5679. That's 4136km for the front shoes and 7773km for the rear shoes!

km 9636.9

2009-01-13T12:42:00.003-05:00

Notes from maintenance since previous post:

December 16 1430 -1500 km 9479

*Replace chain with SRAM PC870 (MEC sku 274337 $26)

*Replace 2 pair brake shoes

Front ones get cartridge system (MEC sku 94078 $7.00 - replacement sku 70310 $2.50)

Back pair same as before (MEC sku79312 $3.75)

Needed to add washers mounting stack to jive with basic V brake arms

*Tape front brake lever with white medical tape

December 30

Puncture!

To get most of OEM treads, put a tough liner inside old tyre.

Used 26x1.5 Vee brand v150 with wire bead removed and inserted a 26x1.5 inner tube into it.

Mounted inside the OEM Kenda Klaw XT to increase lifespan and puncture resistance.

Should be noted test course is mostly covered in ice operating in temps of -20c to 5c.

Find attached photographs of brake shoes in a before and after state. The one with the most wear came from the front.

km 9445.0

2008-12-13T11:26:00.004-05:00

Here are some recent photos:

Recent observations since previous post:

Dec 3:
km9345.5
Check air from 50 to 65PSI
Apply 20SAE oil to rollers
Chain wear to .6%
Front brake shoes 10% life remain
Rear brake shoes 30%life remain
Replaced dust caps on crank arms with:
left: 'Norco' - black ; right 'Norco' - silver
Wiped down reflective tape
Noted rear hub bearings loose again

Observations this post:

Product testing ongoing with Planet Bike 'Blaze' handlebar lamp: so far seems sufficiently bright to provide courtesy to other road users, especially when augmented with Planet Bike 'Superflash'. By aiming the beams in the rear view mirror of a vehicle seems to make the operator take notice. Not enough wash for night time off road riding and easy to overrun the spot on unlit bike paths. Helmet mount doesn't work well with Bell 'Metro' helmet without using zip tie modifications. Said helmet mount seems to get along OK with Louis Garneau 'Delta' helmet. Cooked through OEM batteries in about a month, upgraded to Energizer 'Lithium' AAx2 (about $10/pair at Canadian Tyre). Keeping it on blinky mode to maximize battery life.

Rig itself running quite well despite wear to front tyre, braking systems, drivetrain and hub bearings.

Now checking air and oil about once per month. Seems easy enough to remember - beginning of month = maintenance check.

On another note, having trouble finding bulk length red reflective tape at the retail level in the local marketplace. Two retail managers have said their wholesaler is out of business, despite the fact that this product is stipulated as mandatory for vehicles under local legislation. Now going to online marketplace awaiting delivery.

km 9044.2

2008-11-12T12:20:00.005-05:00

All systems running at maximum efficiency. Checked air to 60PSI all around and lubricated chain rollers with 20 SAE oil.

Biggest item of note is that pedals were replaced with VP-565's(MEC product #4013710$8) at around 8950km. Reflectors included, large surface area interfaces well with Norwegian welt boots, bearings feel rough out of the box.

Another item of note is that bell became inoperable as a result of vandalism after being locked up on November 8. Bell was installed on September 16, 2006, lasting over two years at a cost of $0.

Replaced it with Canadian Tyre product #073-0609-0($3.99). It is chromed silver bell. Glued it down with ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate.

Other item of note is that Cateye instrumentation broke off and was left dangling by a wire on the evening of November 1. Reattached with another dose of ethyl-2-cyanoacrylate (AKA 'Krazy Glue'). Now working.

km 8496.4

2008-10-12T12:21:00.009-04:00

Puncture on front wheel on October 11 creating a slow leak during an out and back 19km ride.

Followed usual repair procedures...inspected Kenda Klaw carcass (OEM Canadian Tire tyre) and removed piece of clear glass. Noted usual wear and tear, going to try to keep existing tyre until 10000km service interval. Replaced part with tube from spares. Used a sprinkle of talc powder between carcass and inner. Patched punctured inner tube and returned it to spares.

Oiled chain with Triflow, and checked air to 60PSI on all wheels.

Removed old dB2L and in it's place installed a new light, the Planet Bike Blaze 1W, offered at CDN$26 online from our co-op. Product seems sufficiently bright such that urban traffic often yields right of way to it. As a courtesy to less observant road users also added Planet Bike Superflash right next to it on the handlebar. This is for those times when in dense urban nighttime riding. Testing for that product awaits.

km 8408.5

2008-10-07T12:24:00.003-04:00

No recent postings as not many observations to report.

Rig is running smoothly. Drivetrain wear on the Shimano CNHG50 is at .5% after 2000km ish. Wheels inflated to 60 psi once/month and go back down to 40 psi after 30 days. Adjusted rear wheel bearings and aligned rear fork ends in September after play noticed. Moved red LED light from saddle pillar to luggage rack fitting. Moved reflector from luggage rack to saddle pillar.

Old pedals were OEM Wellgo LU-895N that were durable for thousands of kilometers. New pedals are FPO NW-99B from a donation from Specialized, lasting about 800km before looseness in bearing is observed.

Latest project is turning a 50's CCM Boy Scout camelback into a rider. Originally went with Conti Contacts 700x37, disappointed they are not made in Germany. Now riding Nokian Ultra Tour 700x37, manufacturer claims they are made in an eco friendly manner in Finland. Wholesaler in between supply of preferable 700x40's, couldn't wait since the project started in January 2008 and finally was ridable in August 2008. Added Brooks Flyer saddle and leather hub shiner as bonus pieces. Upgraded fender fasteners with split washers and vynuts - they seem to stay in place now. Overhauled CCM37 coaster hub and it runs beauty now with SAE 20wt oil. Makes a growling noise when soft pedalling; truly a classy classic ride.

km 7720

2008-08-13T08:05:00.004-04:00

New cyclometer hooked up. Model is pre-owned Cateye Enduro 8 purchased for $10 courtesy of CBN.

Gonna count base mileage as 7600 and then add the reading of the new odometer.

All in all, rig running quite well. Chain elongation measuring .5% over original length. New pedals and proper inflation make things considerably extra efficient.

Pictures are back - turns out camera not broken, only the SDRAM card. Here is the view from the cockpit:

km 7600-ish

2008-08-07T15:02:00.002-04:00

Once again estimating mileage due to odometer malfunction on August 3rd.

Also performed a bit of maintenance - air to 60psi, oil on chain (finish line wet), dissassemble and lube brake calipers front and rear, adjust rear hub, align rear fork tips and replace pedals.

Original 'Wellgo' brand pedals were corroded so badly that it took a 3 foot lever to remove them. The pedal threads in the steel 'Vuelta' brand crankset were unharmed.

No pictures as camera malfunctioned on nature walk from 2 foot drop into rocky waterfall on July 24.

km 7271.5

2008-06-23T10:06:00.003-04:00

Not much to report - no maintenance, all systems normal.

Putting about 16km on 3 to 5 rides per week at present commute.

The stable now consists of:

1927 CCM Flyer
1936 CCM Coaster - step thru model
1957?ish? CCM Coaster - Boy Scouts of Canada model
1993 Bridgestone MB-3
2001 Cervelo Prodigy
2005 Supercycle SC1800

SC1800 easily gets most mileage as it is ridden most often.

Recently visited Bicycle Film Festival - most entertaining show!

km 6971.6

2008-06-02T11:45:00.002-04:00

Running beauty since DT overhaul.

Checked inflation to 60PSI in front and back, oiled chain with Finish Line 'Wet' and tightened fasteners on fenders on May 30. This eliminated the rattles and is now purring along.

Front hub is surprisingly smooth since overhaul and fork tip facing over 6900 and 2 years ago.

km 6330 & Drivetrain Overhaul

2008-04-25T08:46:00.003-04:00

Got moneys worth of drivetrain installed around 300okm mark. It was totally elongated, well over 1% of original length.

Result was popcorn like popping noises under high torque situations. Certain amount of slippage made out of saddle effort dangerous.

Took oppurtunity to replace totally corroded rear derailleur, chain and freewheel.

Also adjusted headset from totally loose to completely tight.

Cost was 1 hour and $29.56 for chain, freewheel and derailleur hanger. Rear derailleur donated from ye olde spare parts bin.

Total cost so far $10 (shifters), $35 (BB), $65 (rear wheel), $20 (two odometers), $20 (2 chains), $20 (two freewheels), $100 (accessory kit - lock, fenders, rack), $99 (CT#71-1556) = $369 or about 5.8 cents per kilometer, with insurance, fuel, parking included.

Pictures are here:

km 5773.0

2008-03-11T10:40:00.003-04:00

Hooked up the rig to a trailer to pick up propane for the barbeque. Rental courtesy of MEC Toronto store ($10/diem).

Was easy enough, except had to find kickstand that mounted near the centre of machine. Fortunately there was one kicking around the basement on a disused '90 Raleigh Oasis.

The journey was made super well despite snow bound roads. Cost of the propane was $8.

Only complaint with the rental was safety flag wouldn't attach to the trailer properly and had to field procure safety bobbin pins from an old spoke. Used a shoelace as a backup safety attachment.

Here are photos:

km 5679.9

2008-02-28T17:31:00.003-05:00

Replaced front brake shoes.

Inflated tyres.

Procedure took under 30 minutes and included refinishing the braking surface with steel wool. Cost was $3.75 for MEC Product #4011-200.

Also covered derailleurs and chain with Tri-Flow lubricant (MEC product #1899-129 $3.50).

Rig running right through -20C temperatures.

km 5617.1

2008-02-18T14:15:00.002-05:00

Riding well through chilly temperatures and wet snow.

Front brake shoes almost to wear line, replacements on hand.

Tyres holding air well, haven't checked inflation in over 6 weeks.

km 5485

2008-01-23T18:03:00.000-05:00

Nothing new to report

Here are some pictures from the past:

test riding Raleigh Summit

2007-12-30T10:33:00.000-05:00

Also from Canadian Tire

This has hopped up rear wheel and clever fender installation.

BB and headset already loose, probably from a lack of frame prep. Front wheel axle adjusted too tight and dropouts on front fork misaligned.

Other than those minor flaws, runs perfectly well. Sounds like a projector running when riding on quiet roads.

km 5227.69

2007-12-13T09:36:00.000-05:00

Replaced rear tyre with used Continental 'Town & Country' 26 x 1.9

Chain showing wear and needs lube.

km 5050

2007-12-03T15:54:00.001-05:00

5000 km maintenance interval complete.

30 minutes service delivered November 27 included:

*Replace front left shifter and wyre

* Oil Chain
*Adjust front brake line and note shoe wear
*Note wear on carcass of rear tyre near valve

Current handlebar torch is 'MEC Turtle' single white diode light. Meets HTA requirement.

km 5022.13

2007-11-24T16:01:00.000-05:00

Knockaround bike serves the purpose as a basic'A' to 'B' appliance.

Seems in a state of stasis with BB and rear wheel upgrade. Haven't changed gears in months, now in the 36/13.

Forgoing service interval on SC1800 due to spending time repairing friends' rides.

km 4864.24

2007-11-07T09:56:00.000-05:00

No mileage over past month due to holiday.

Went for first ride in a month last night.

So far is 364.24 km on new odometer, and going from an approximate 4500 before that was installed.

Front shifter stuck in middle range by clothespin. Other than that, tyres holding air and brake lines working well, even in 0C weather.

km 4701

2007-10-06T19:17:00.000-04:00

Still limping along between service intervals. The clothespin remains stuck in the parallelogram of the front mech leaving it in the midrange. The shifter on the left side of the bar remains broken from the cold snap in winter. Air pressure running a wee bit low from the once a month inflation check. Drivetrain is beginning to show wear and tear from the 2000km on it. The Planet Bike 'Beamer5' headlamp vibrated loose recently and has gone missing despite the liberal amounts of krazy glue applied to it.

Once again it astounds to the testament of the resiliancy of the machine as it remains quite useful by making long walks into short rides.

Officially on vacation at the moment so the milage will remain frozen as the beast is parked in the yard for the next month or so.

km 4610.2

2007-09-20T14:47:00.000-04:00

Already put over 100km on the new odo - works well so far.

Blew a flat last week, punctured by small piece of glass. This is two flats so far, running mostly around 40 PSI the whole time.

Superglued headlight and computer to handlebar, still there even thought parked around a busy urban area often.

Front shifter cable finally threw down to whilst downshifting on the rear shifter. Went to reef on shift line below downtube to upshift again (remember the front shift broke off in a cold snap last January), and the remnants of the thumbie finally moved, leaving the machine stuck in it's granny gear. Since then, stuck a wooden clothes pin in the front mech, is now holding in the middle chainring. Looking forward to next service interval when shifter is replaced and will be able to acheive use of the 48 toot big ring again.

Posts may be intermittant, as experiment will be put on hold during October, due to vacation.

Odometer replaced

2007-08-30T16:37:00.000-04:00

Instrumentation has been replaced courtesy of the kind folks at Gears Bike Shop!

Running a custom kit of a Cateye Velo 5 attached to a Cateye Velo 8 Heavy Duty harness.

All hooked up, running superb.

Interesting phenomenon - look at the screen sideways with polarized glasses and everything turns black!

km 4500- ish

2007-08-13T22:16:00.000-04:00

Still awaiting a service interval to install odometer. Not terribly urgent as the beast runs perfectly well without any numbers on the handlebar
.
Broke the rear wheel reflector recently whilst unlocking.

Inflated tyres to 50 PSI on August 12. They had gone over 30 days without checking and were down to 25 PSI.

Basically all is well now that the rear wheel and bottom bracket parts have been upgraded.

The knockaround bike rolls on.....

km 4260 - ish

2007-07-08T20:12:00.000-04:00

The odometer has come back to life, but is only evident on days where the ambient temperature is below 16C.

Riding really well with upgraded rear wheel and bottom bracket, truly functions as a basic A to B appliance. No complaints - maintenance on rear brake cable and odometer replacement still pending, still works well despite lacking these things.

Should be noted spending plenty of time test riding a 2001 Cervelo Prodigy over a 19.6 km (one way) commute. The is cutting into the flight time of the SC1800, so mileage seems to be slightly lower over the month of June compared to this time last year.

km 4200- ish

2007-06-29T22:48:00.000-04:00

Odometer is now completely useless and must be replaced.

Rig itself is running right as rain. New rear wheel has imporved efficiency dramatically and increased durability significantly.

Rear brake cable has yet to be replaced, and drivetrain is beginning to perish.

Maintenance schedule put on backburner for serveral reasons. Among them are: most mileage is occuring on fair weather ride and SC1800 maintenance is becoming tertiary priority to eating, sleeping and working.

km 4100 - ish

2007-06-18T23:05:00.001-04:00

Replaced rear wheel today. New wheel is signifcant upgrade with aluminium hub, stainless steel spokes and Alex 'DM18' rim. Cost was C$65 and about an hour of installation.

Old wheel had 8 broken spokes and signifcant wear on rear hub cones, effectively making it useless.

It almost becomes easier to acquire another 71-1556 and have a stockpile of used parts. On the other hand, it is a shame to contribute to an uncompostable, unrecycleable garbage pile.

Odometer is remains on the fritz as display screen in now completely unreadable.

The odometer is malfunctioning

2007-06-07T22:57:00.000-04:00

Hard to say what the mileage is at these days, as the Filzer d2L unit may have finally been reduced to barely functioning.

The entire computer reset itself the other day, and now the readout is very dark grey numbers on a dark grey backbround. In certain kind of light is quite visible, mostly at night or when viewed with polarized sunglasses.

The rig itself is functioning well enough, even with a number of broken spokes in the rear wheels and no rear brakes.

For short hops of less than 10km it is fine. The new Shimano thumbshifter
works perfectly!

km 4068

2007-05-17T20:24:00.000-04:00

Five Borough ride was well attended and weather conditions were excellent. A tailwind on the BQE portion of the ride was most enjoyable.

Regrading the SC1800, broke a spoke under static load recently. The rear wheel went very wobbly very suddenly.The rear tyre rubbed on the frame and was forced to completely disengage the rear brakes. Remedied with a couple of spokes being loosened and now runs silently again.

To review current status:

No rear brake.
Both shifters dysfunctional, leaving the rig in top gear.
Rear wheel in dire need of replacement.

Yet this is a resilient machine and still runs from A to B as long as A and B are not greater than 10 km apart.

Maintenance pending....

km 4026

2007-05-08T10:27:00.000-04:00

Test bike still looks like a wreck with speedo dangling off of handlebar and right shifter up in the air.

Maintenance was postponed due to particpation in the legendary Five Borough Ride. Read all about it at :

http://www.bikenewyork.org

km 3999.1

2007-04-26T21:41:00.000-04:00

Some photo's of broker thumbies and snazzy 'test bike' stickers on down tube!

Some photos of broken thumbie and snazzy new stickers!

km 3988

2007-04-26T21:22:00.000-04:00

About eight weeks ago, noted that the left thumb shifter snapped whilst upshifting in -22C weather. It has been stuck in the largest chainring since.

Now the right thumb shifter has vibrated loose from it's mounting post leaving it dangling on a wire on the handle bars. It is now impossible to change gears.

Fortunately, both parts have been ordered and will be installed as soon as possible.

Also, the was some vandalism that occured on April 24 between 1900H and 2000H. The rubber shim that fastened the speedo/odometer mounting base has gone missing. Fortunately the instrumentation is still working perfectly
, although it (like the thumbshifter) is dangling from a wire on the handlebar.

km 3977

2007-04-24T09:27:00.000-04:00

Sometime in the last 7 days, the right shifter has become wobbly on it's mount. It will need replacing. Not changing gears due to risk of damage if used.

Air pressure is getting quite low, still rolls adequately.

Mileage this year seems to be about the same as last year.

km 3892

2007-04-16T09:28:00.000-04:00

Rig running right, not many observations to report.

Ordered shifter has arrived, will be installed on next available service interval.

Tyres have gone down to approximately 30PSI, will need inflation in next 30 days.

km 3812

2007-04-10T09:28:00.000-04:00

Rig rides well, not many observations to report.

Applied a coat of SAE 20wt oil to the chain last week after riding in wet weather. Good news - it is quiet now; bad news - holds grit on chain, appears very dirty.

There is noise coming from front wheel, sounds like 'whhs - wssh' that is evident as long as wheel is rolling. Probably fender stay got bent at lockup and is rubbing on tyre.

km 3697

2007-03-26T20:18:00.000-04:00

Rig remains running right.

Only observation worth remarking is that the UN-53 bottom bracket axle is showing a very visible layer of rust on the exposed part of the axle.

Functionally, it is running as well as ever

km 3470

2007-03-06T16:07:00.000-05:00

yes, realized it was first mention of broken thumbie in last post. It was destroyed three weeks ago whilst riding in -17C weather and shifted into the 48tooth big ring and it snapped. The drivetrain has been stuck in the big ring ever since.

Also, find attached photos!

Not brake surface wear on front wheel compared to rear wheel. If looking carefully, it will be evident that the rear brake has not been used in a couple of months for a couple of reasons. I) The rear brake line has been frozen solid since December and will not actuate calipers and II) Front brake is all that is really necessary with enough rider skill on the urban street course anyway. (despite HTA's assertion otherwise)

Went back to Prolink after a couple of weeks with MEC wet lube and it washed off in one snowstorm. Applied one coat of MEC wet lube and one coat of MEC dry lube today.

Also, shout out to Gears Bike Shop for sponsoring us with a set of pedals - they are spares at the moment but will become indispensable imminently.

Thank you sponsors!

km 3398.6

2007-02-27T16:22:00.001-05:00

The broken thumbie makes for riding in the big ring a high torque experience. Grinding up hills, a replacement thumb shifter is on order.

Here is the breakdown for the parts at the 3000km service interval:

Part Retail Cost with sponsored discount

KMCZ51 6/7/8sp Chain $8.50 6.37

MF-HG22 6 sp freewheel 14.50 10.87

UN53 68x122 bottom bracket 24.00 18.00

Taxes (14%) 6.58 4.93

Total 53.58 40.17

Time took about one hour of professional mechanic's time (about $30) and some grease and chain oil. A marginal return considering replacement cost is $99, but worth it when the cartridge BB is upgraded, as it takes away the facing issue from those bearings. Also the drivetrain may have a longer life than the OEM spec. Stay tuned!

Net result is that it rides as well as a brand new Giant Sedona DX.

km 3299.7

2007-02-13T18:38:00.000-05:00

Flat tyre at last! This was caused by a 1 cm squared piece of clear glass, that produced a pst pst pst noise(in time with rotation of wheel).

Was repaired that day in less than 15 minutes using $2.25 worth of new parts, and patched the original tube and kept as spare.

The new drivetrain and BB are performing exactly as expected, has made the machine quiet and more efficient. Restored probably 2000km of useful riding and diminished possibility of snapped chain. Details of parts cost and model numbers at later date.

km 3200-ish maintenance at last!

2007-02-06T11:31:00.000-05:00

Performed 2000km maintenance on drivetrain and bottom bracket on January 29th. Did not matter that was over 1000km over the interval as parts had to be replaced anyway. It is ever so quiet now without that enyh-enyh noise from the bottom bracket bearings.

Cost of maintenance (approximately):

BB $18
Chain $5
Freewheel $12
Oil & grease $5
Taxes $5
Time: 45 minutes

Since then rear brake, as water in brake line becomes frozen

Also, plastic front shifter knob broke off in -22C weather, relegating all pedalling to be done in big ring.

km 3030-ish

2007-01-29T14:47:00.000-05:00

Disassembled the BB last week and replaced fixed cup, bearings and grease. It runs somewhat more quietly now. Measured the spindle to be 68x122 and shall be replaced with a cartridge unit sometime down the road.

After having to apply two coats of SAE 20W oil to the chain last week, switched to MEC 'wet lube'. It seems fairly tenacious in the slushy stuff.

km 2992.5

2007-01-22T13:42:00.000-05:00

Noticing some cold weather idiosyncrasies such as the bell mechanism does not work well when mercury drops below -14C.

Also rear brake line must have H2O in it as it is also useless below -10C.

Also, front brake shoes make noise at around -12C (they are normally quiet above this temperature).

Other than that, same old story - procrastinating maintenance, rig rides OK.

km 2942.9

2007-01-18T13:07:00.000-05:00

This experiment is almost a year old now!

Nothing new to report. Still neglecting maintenance yet rig rides right.

Odometer ceased functioning for a few kilometers this morning, is working OK without even having to repair it. Speculating unit is cold temperature sensitive.

km 2840-ish

2007-01-15T15:42:00.000-05:00

Same story as last post - neglecting maintenance, pushing through frozen temperatures, beast remains reliable steed.

Hard to read odometer as there is pile of snow on odometer.

The saddle is very cold to sit upon.

km 2820-ish

2007-01-11T11:26:00.000-05:00

Rode yesterday evening in ball freezingly cold temperatures.

The rear brake line was completely useless, yet the rest of the system were adequate. Again the resiliency of this machine continues to astound. Again maintenance has been procrastinated.

km 2781.1

2007-01-02T13:35:00.000-05:00

Behind schedule on maintenance, yet wheels still go round.

Beauty day for riding, should be in the sunshine now....

km 2674.1

2006-12-18T14:41:00.000-05:00

Accessories are functioning perfectly. Fenders do not rattle and the inner tube bungee has been holding the lock down whilst riding since day one.

Almost a full year into the experiment. The $200 fully street legal kit has saved about 250 trips that would have cost about $2 each. Not to mention savings on time, parking, fuel and benefits to health.Granted must put another $5 of parts every 6 months and $50 of parts every twelve (not including labour).
All this is about 150 hours of 'flight' time.

km 2640.2

2006-12-14T13:24:00.000-05:00

An amazingly resilient machine, this SC1800.

The drivetrain is as dry as a sun bleached bone on a beach, yet engages forward propulsion. The crank bearings are loose as a goose falling off of a caboose, yet only make a barely audible grinding noise.

Maintenance has been postponed into the new year in order to receive maximum value from existing parts.

km 2562

2006-12-05T21:11:00.000-05:00

Rear brake cable has completely failed in the -10C temperatures. Once the rear brake lever is squeezed, the calipers stay closed.

Maintenance remains pending.

km 2477.2

2006-11-20T11:53:00.000-05:00

Warning: this blog entry contains dirty pictures. It may be difficult to even look at the following photographs.

It can plainly be seen from the photo of the freewheel that there are certain favourite ratios. It is also evident of the elongation of the chain when observing the light coming through between the large chainring and chain. This means that much of the drivetrain is overdue to be replaced. This resilient machine yet still somehow keeps on trucking.

Also, the tyres are a high light. They have not been puntured yet (knock on wood), seldom require inflation and have much life remaining on the tread wear indicators.

km 2420

2006-11-19T14:19:00.000-05:00

Despite neglect of maintenance, the rig still rolls.

Future to do list:

short term (90 day)
* replace bb with 68x127 C$25
* replace brake linesx2 C$10
* replace chain with KMC Z-51 C$8
* replace freewheel with Shimano MF-Z31 6 speed C$15

mid term (150 day)
* replace pedals with VP-565's C$8

long term (210 day)
* replace rear wheel C$20 - 200

km 2360

2006-11-13T21:29:00.000-05:00

Mileage is low owing to inclement weather.

Little new news to report.

km 2352

2006-11-02T16:53:00.000-05:00

Mileage is down as time on the other bike is up.

Heard the term 'knockaround' bike in a Ontario cycling magazine. Must be the same thing as a 'beater' or 'rain' bike. All those terms certainly suit the SC1800.

km 2323

2006-10-19T09:33:00.000-04:00

All is running super and swell. Seems to ride better in the rain, fender's are perfect.

Experiment is on again!

2006-10-16T18:37:00.000-04:00

To much delight the SC1800 has turned up again!

Turns out it must have been left at the commuter train station early Friday October 6. It was reported stolen on the evening of Monday October 9.It turned up again Wednesday October 11 and authorities were glad to hear there was a happy ending.

This means the order for the bottom bracket replacement part is back on.

This experiment is over

2006-10-08T19:50:00.000-04:00

It was ineveitable really

The SC1800 has been stolen from the paddock round back of the home base, sometime between 9PM on Oct 5 and 9AM on October 8.

There will be no further updates until the budget can afford a new SC1800 and commuter kit.

Thanks for keeping up with this experiment,

DC

km 2250.4

2006-10-03T09:35:00.000-04:00

The rig is running mostly OK, except for the crunching sound coming from the bottom bracket bearings and a 'tick' noise at every rotation of the cranks.

On the bright side, the tyre air pressure is where it should be; around 45 PSI; and holding air well.

The plastic pedals are holding up surprisingly well and the headset is staying in adjustment, indicating that the head tube has been properly faced.

The bottom bracket area would do well with a cartridge bearing upgrade to eliminate the facing issue in that area of the frame.

km 2140.3

2006-09-25T09:12:00.000-04:00

Some mathematics:

Average speed is 19.8 kph, therefore actual time the wheels have been rolling is about 108.09 hours.

The cost of this project has been about $200, therefore cost per kilometer is about 9.34 cents per kilometer.

Contrast that to a $10000 car with 200000 kilometers/ 5000 hours riding time on it at about 5 cents per kilometer, probably averaged out to be the same when factoring in fuel, parking and maintenance.

The bottom bracket is making some strange crunching noises, indicating an overhaul will be necessary immenently.

km 2114,2

2006-09-20T09:26:00.000-04:00

Bell was easily repaired last night with new hammer and striker arm.

Rig is now 100% in meeting requirements of highway traffic act.

Surprised OEM plastic pedals are now worked in enough that they are quiet again.

Also surprising is no flats yet (knocking on wood).

With air in the tyres and oil on the chain, the machine feels like a brand new bike again!

Street legal (sort of) km 2060

2006-09-18T18:17:00.000-04:00

At last got a bell to make the SC1800 meet the requirements of the Highway Traffic Act.

It was part of a schwag kit given away at a local friday night (15th) social ride, courtesy of one of our sponsors, Mountain Equipment Co-op. It is silver in colour and an embossment on the body of the clamp suggests it is made in Japan. And it free!

Fastened it to the handlebar at 1800H on the 16th. Then at 2030H, while riding along, attempted to make an adjustment to the position of the hammer by wiggling it closer to the bar. But no, twas attached too tightly and in the process of position adjustment the clochet went flying! Recover the clochet and that was easily re-attached, but the striker arm went missing.

At least it looks like it meets HTA requirements.

To clarify

2006-09-14T09:44:00.000-04:00

The two pairs of brake shoes costs exactly $5.63 including taxes.

km 2042

2006-09-13T09:36:00.000-04:00

Dramatic improvement in performance was achieved by applying three things.

* Swapped out completely worn brake shoes for fresh new ones. Cost: $5 for two pairs and 30 minutes service.

* Lubricated chain, cables, calipers and gearboxes with SAE 20 wt oil. Cost: $.50 per application.

* Inflated front tyre to 60 PSI, rear tyre to 65 PSI Cost: Air is free!

Feels as it was last January when the machine was new.

The bearings in the bottom bracket are still knocking about, the seems quieter after a couple of rides in the rain.

All in all, the rig is capable of extra efficiency compared to last week's performance.

km 2029

2006-09-09T16:37:00.000-04:00

Maintenance schedule has been pushed back until further notice, as still trying to get money's worth out of brake shoes.

Replacement brake shoes have been procured and are ready for installation.

Amazingly, tyres are still holding air. Speed is slightly scrubbed due to velocity being limited by brake systems.

km 2009.4

2006-08-30T09:38:00.000-04:00

The test track is limited to a 6km round trip over urban surface asphalt streets.

Still deliberately neglecting to inflate tyres and lubricate chain. The resiliancy of this machine is astounding. Regardless of the neglect, the bicycle performs it's function.

The ride feels as if there is a broken spoke in the rear wheel; this observation will likely be confirmed at the next service interval.

On the schedule for next (60 minute) service interval September 3rd:

* Replace front and rear brake shoes ($4.50)
* Inflate tyres
* Lubricate drivtrain
* Inspect rear wheel

This course of action should greatly enhance performance and safety.

km 2001.4

2006-08-22T09:35:00.000-04:00

The wheels are still going around but the tyres have finally lost some air. They are somewhere around 15 PSI after not being inflated since mid June.

Getting every last penny from the brake shoes after dialling out the barrel adjusters. Must change them soon as it is impossible to lock up the rear wheel on dry level pavement.

Added four strips of reflective tape to become compliant with Highway Traffic Act.

km 1917

2006-08-05T15:44:00.000-04:00

Figured out there are these screwy thing attached to the brake actuators that dial in the adjustment such as to be able to come to a stop ever relatively shorter distances. The shoes are quite worn, however there is still life left in them before purchasing new ones.

The rear mech is not functioning with quick response as it used to. The is a ten second lag between shifting the shifter and response from the drivetrain.

The bottom bracket spindle is also showing play and making a grinding noise, even in dry weather.

Haven't inflated the tyres in some time, yet they are still holding air!

The resiliency of the machine is astounding.

km 1860

2006-07-29T08:37:00.000-04:00

Yesterday was an oppurtunity to test ride three bikes.

The first was a 2005 Supercycle SC1800, to hop back and forth to the commuter train. It was nice to be able to leave it abandoned all day and still have it there upon return. As may have been stated here before, it rides like a lazy tapir, yet it serves it's function.

The next was a 2001 Cervelo Prodigy. There was enough light left in the day to provide for a couple of laps of the local park. Hooked up with a couple of other riders over there. Their awesome strength illustrated and no matter how efficient the bicycle, performance is mostly about 'the engine under the hood'. A pleasant experience nonetheless.

The last was a 1991 Breezer Thunder. Been hybridized from it's original XC MTB format to slick Continental Avenue tyres. Running well with 27 speed compact drive under friction thumbie shifters. It is nice the way the indexing cannot fail. It was useful to run down to the video store, and then over to pick up some ice cream. Probably could've taken the SC1800, except that the brakes are scary right now and the Breezer is - how to say - a pleasure to ride.

km 1851

2006-07-28T09:27:00.000-04:00

Not riding well on the wet course today. Must move slowly as the brakes have faded to the point of near uselessness. They howl like angry banshees despite being ridiculously toed in. Stopping distance under full lever pull from 20 kph has increased from 2.5 meters to 10 meters.

The Phil's tenacious oil is managing to keep the chain lubricated despite near complete neglect over the last three months. The elongated chain and worn freewheel still provide transmission engagement.

km 1827

2006-07-23T20:30:00.000-04:00

Rig still running.

Wheels go around, instrumentation reads and pedals engage drivetrain.

Has probably depreciated beyond recoverable value, enjoying useful life nonetheless.

km 1805

2006-07-21T21:01:00.000-04:00

Whew! Things are really racking up the mileage.

There are strange noises coming from the crankset. The brakes make this screech noise and stay locked up when things get wet. Still waiting for the chain to snap as it has become quite elongated. The plastic pedals make this crunch sound and feel wobbly.

On the lighter side of things, no one has even attempted to steal it over the past half year. Also the tires and tubes are still original and have not flatted out yet. They require almost no maintenance, as they have been inflated maybe twice this year.

Overall, makes a great vedette to shuttle back and forth to the commuter train.

km 1767

2006-07-15T09:59:00.000-04:00

The machine is making loud noises now, like there is mice under millstones. Probably something to do with the BB bearings needing grease due to lack of seals on the cups.

The thing is amazingly resiliant however, as it is still totally ridable despite extreme neglect and exposure to elements.

It is also very nice the way it remains unmolested at the commuter train station where it lies abandoned all day.

km 1750

2006-07-10T18:02:00.000-04:00

Nothing much to report, except the usual - procrastinating replacing the drivetrain and pedals.

Tires still holding air, brake shoes still holding up, chain still wet with Phil's oil despite being left in many summertime thunderstorms.

Nothing left to do but ride ride ride

km 1740

2006-07-06T20:52:00.000-04:00

Going intermodal these days!

Ride to the train station, where the SC1800 gets locked up all day. If someone damages or steals it, that is OK, it's only $99!

Amazed at the inner tubes at how well they hold air over extended periods of time. Also the puncture resistance of the tires, as still no flats to report of (knock on wood here).

Fortunately, the train station is only 2 km away from home, then it whisks 20 km in 15 minutes to get to work. It is proving a great way to go.

km 1705.0

2006-07-02T15:52:00.000-04:00

Tried the ride with ther sun baked computer and it still works!

Display is a little hard to read, but looking at it from the correct angle and it work okey dokey.

The SC1800 was subject to the 2 week neglect test, and it came through OK. The tires are still holding air and the brakes still work. Chain is rusty, it still engages the teeth.

More on the 19 k commute

2006-06-30T09:49:00.000-04:00

The 700x25 tyres are proving quite efficient.

Compared to the 26x1.75 slicks, it rolls well.

Compared to the 26x 2 knobbies on the SC1800, it makes the ride a superb pleasure!