Category: Bike Accessories

Posted on

Nitrogen for bike tires, good idea?

St. Louis Bro Mark, showing little respect for his older brother, wrote, “You seem to have plenty of time on your hands now that you are retired. Here is my question: Nitrogen in bike tires. Good, bad, indifferent?”

In the springtime, a young man’s thoughts turn to biking. Of course, this isn’t springtime in the Midwest and Mark has been freed for several years now of the danger of dying young. That’s why Bro Mark’s Trek Madone is serving as a piece of hanging art in his dining room.

Despite his obvious mockery, I did a little research.

One of the advantages of being older than dirt is that (A) we didn’t have much history to learn because not much had happened yet and (B) the Periodic Chart of Elements was really short because most of them hadn’t been discovered.

Nitrogen – the Cher of elements

Nitrogen, was Atomic Number 7, and was one of the Cher of elements, needing only one letter in its symbolic name – N – unlike nouveau elements like Ununoctium which is so new that it still has a temporary name and a three-letter symbol, Uuo.

To geek out even more, “Nitrogen is a common normally colourless, odourless, tasteless and mostly diatomic non-metal gas. It has five electrons in its outer shell, so it is trivalent in most compounds.

So, does it make sense?

Here are some reasons given for using Nitrogen:

  • Some dealers give you cool green valve stem caps to signify that the tire is filled with N. (I guess you could just swipe two caps and put them on your tires to make people THINK you are cool.)
  • It eliminates moisture. That could prevent rusty rims in car tires, but your air is sealed inside rubber inner tubes.
  • Nitrogen makes up about 78% of the atmosphere, Oxygen about 21% and other gasses, about 1%. That 1% varies depending on whether or not someone in the vicinity of the tire pump had Mexican for lunch or you’re standing in a field near Methane-producing cows. Nitrogen molecules are bigger than Oxygen molecules, so they sneak out through the pores of your rubber inner tube more slowly.
  • Because the gas is dryer than normal compressed air, the density of the gas remains more constant, especially at temperatures higher than 100 degrees. Now, that’s probably more of an issue if you’re a NASCAR driver, but I’ll concede that a blacktop road surface on a July day COULD reach more than 100 degrees.
  • Because Nitrogen is inert, it doesn’t attack the rubber in your tubes like Oxygen does. I generally wear out my tires and tubes from the outside in, so I’m not sure how much a benefit this is.
  • Nitrogen doesn’t support combustion. That’s why it’s used in commercial aircraft tires and the Space Shuttle. A Boeing 727 with an air-filled tired crashed after an overheated landing gear brake set the tire on fire, killing 167 passengers in 1986. Somehow or another, I don’t think you hit speeds high enough to make this a concern.
  • Since it doesn’t support combustion, it also doesn’t support life. That means that if your car runs off the road into a canal and you reach for your bike tire in the back seat to provide you with enough air to escape, you’re dead.
  • But, and I’m sure that this is the biggest reason that you would make a switch, Nitrogen is lighter than air. The difference is about an ounce in a car tire, so I suspect that you could spit at the start of a climb and deduct about as much weight as you’d save by converting your bike tires to Nitrogen.

The major drawback for you

I’ve observed that your bike is so light that you often have to chase it down to keep it from flying away, as documented in this picture taken at Cape Girardeau’s Capaha Park. If it got it any lighter, it could slip away from you and become a UFO. Homeland Security will NOT be amused.

Posted on

The Surly Long Haul Trucker is a Peterbilt, not a Ferrari

I finally got to bring my Surly Long Haul trucker home. Understanding and Long-Suffering Bike Widow Lila shot this just as I wheeled it in from a visit to Wayne at Bicycle. It arrived the previous Friday, but I didn’t have a final fitting until Monday.

Then I discovered that I had ordered a new 36-spoke rim, but my SON generator hub takes 32 spokes. Getting a new one shipped overnight cost about as much as the rim, but I was anxious to get riding.

When I wheeled it in to Wayne, it was equipped with my Brooks Champion Flyer saddle, Crank Brothers pedals and my Surly Nice front rack. I told him I wanted to move my ESGE/Pletscher Double-legged kickstand and Jandd Expedition rear rack off the old bike, plus find a clean way to mount my lights on the new ride.

He suggested that I let him figure out the details.

Building the wheel

First, he had to build the wheel. (Here’s a video of the whole process.)

I had never watched the whole process from start to finish. It’s not rocket science, but I’m sure glad I let him do it.

He’s built at least three wheels for me and I’ve never had a problem with any of them.

Truing took less time than anticipated

Wayne warned me that it might take as much as an hour to get the wheel trued to his standards.

I knew from following folks with out-of-true wheels that they wobbled left and right, but I didn’t realize that they need to be tensioned so they were perfectly round, also.

Makes sense, but I had never thought about it.

It took him about 20 minutes to get it where he was happy. “It doesn’t take long when you’re working with a good hub and a good wheel.”

I needed to do some tweaking

Wayne found some creative ways to install the DLumotec Oval Senso Plus and Busch&Müller Lumotec secondary generator light to the front of the Nice Rack, but I thought there might be problems down the road (literally). The secondary light was placed where it was esthetically pleasing, but it was installed upside down, which the manufacturer said could cause water to get into it. In addition, because generator lights are relatively low power and conform to strict German standards, they are built with a light pattern that is bright at the bottom, but cuts off at the top like a car’s low beam. Mounting it upside down would invert that light pattern.

The primary light was mounted it a great location for projecting a long, low beam, but I was afraid that water coming off the fender might be bad in the long run. I moved both lights higher. Since I probably won’t put anything on the top part of the front rack, I wasn’t concerned with them being in the way.

Here’s the final result with the generator lights on the front rack at the bottom and my NiteRider Pro12-E and an inexpensive be-seen LED light on a Sidetrack Excess Access bar mounted to the primary handlebar. The object to the right of the lights is my Garmin GPS.

I love the second stem

Wayne did a good job of installing a second stem. That’s an idea I ripped off from several other bikers: like here, here, here, here and here.

Having a second stem and a mini-handlebar below your main one gives you a place to mount a handlebar bag and other accessories without losing hand positions. It sounds crazy to go-fast riders, but it’s really convenient for folks who like to carry cameras, a GPS, multiple lights and stuff.

Here’s what it looks like with the bag

The small Arkel Handlebar bag fits cleanly onto the bag mounts. It’s very stable and doesn’t rattle around. I like it for my cameras because it keeps them where I can grab them easily. Because it’s suspended, the equipment is cushioned from hard impacts they’d feel if the bag was attached directly to the front of rear racks.

The second stem allows it to be mounted low enough that the lights on the handlebar can “see” right over it.

The plastic bottle in the lower waterbottle cage is the air reservoir for the AirZound horn. If I needed the extra water capacity, I’d move the reservoir to the top of the front rack.

I used plastic spiral wrap like you’d use for computer wiring to cover and protect the wires going to the generator hub.

The whole package looks pretty neat

I’m pleased with the way everything fits together. I’m sure I’ll end up taking some stuff off and rearranging it, but, thanks to Wayne and his attention to detail, I’m way ahead.

Here are some reasons why I picked this particular model

  • It came highly recommended by folks who ride longer, for more days and in places where you can’t find a *-Mart store on every corner.
  • It’s designed for touring and delivers a lot of bang for the buck. The base bike was under $1,000.
  • It’s steel and uses shifters that are unlikely to break. “If I was going to go across Cambodia, this is the bike I’d take. If something breaks, any guy with a welding torch can fix it,” said the dealer in Cape.
  • It has lots of braze-ons to attach racks, fenders and lights.
  • It can handle three waterbottle cages.
  • It will allow wide tires that can handle gravel roads if needed. (Trust me, I’ve tried to ride gravel roads on high pressure narrow tires. It isn’t funny. The wider tires make the steel grate drawbridges less squirrely, too.)
  • There is enough clearance to mount full-size fenders. That keeps your bike, drivetrain and equipment much cleaner. It also keeps you from having a trail of poodle poop up your back if you ride the Palm Beach Lake Trail after a rainstorm. (Folks on The Island don’t feel it necessary to pick up after their pets.)
  • The frame is stretched out to allow plenty of heel clearance for rear panniers and it’s designed to allow you to ride long distances multiple days in a row.
  • It has low gears for helping you climb with a load.
  • It has little touches like a spoke holder on the chainstay for two spare spokes.

So, how does it ride?

Well, I’ve got only two 20-mile rides under my belt, so it’s a little early to judge. It ain’t light. When it left The Racer’s Edge, it maxed out their 30-lb scale and that was before adding the rear rack, lights, generator hub, kickstand and bags. My guess is that it’s in the 40-pound range. OK, maybe 45 lbs, but who is counting?

Son Adam asked, “So, what kind of car would you compare it to?”

It’s a Peterbilt, not a Ferrari

“A Peterbilt,” was my answer. “It’s not a Ferrari that’ll go 130 miles an hour, but it’ll do 85 MPH pulling 35,000 pounds.”

And, that’s sort of the way it rides. Once you get it up to speed, it’s remarkably stable and seems to want to keep going. Of course, that’s on flat ground. When gravity starts exerting its force, I may have a different opinion.

Speaking of that, I told Adam to go on ahead when we got to the Royal Palm Bridge. “I want to play with the gears to see how low they go.” Just as the grade was kicking up, I slapped it over into Granny Gear and found myself spinning like crazy. “Wow,” I thought, “this baby IS really geared low, I’m hardly moving.”

That’s when I realized that I WASN’T moving. Forward, that is. I had thrown the chain. I guess those friction shifters are going to take a little practice.

It’s an eyecatcher

When Adam and Chuck Keefer and I stopped at the Palm Beach Inlet to take most of these pictures, the bike gathered a crowd of interested onlookers. [Thanks to Adam for shooting this.]

The fellow kneeling in yellow is Wisconsin Snowbird Jim Beloian who has ridden across the country from east to west and from north to south.

When HE pronounced the LHT roadworthy, I felt a whole lot better.

The decision process and steps along the way

.

Posted on

The Veltop Bike Rain & Sun Shield SOUNDS Neat

I’ve been taking some grief from family and erstwhile friends about all the stuff I had on my old bike and what I plan to transition to the new Surly Long Haul Trucker.

My buddy and former coworker Chuck Keefer left this snide comment under Monday’s post, “I was just wondering if you plan to transfer EVERYTHING from your old bike to the new one or if you might just settle on the few hundred of them that you actually need.”

It’s true that Chuck doesn’t carry a lot of stuff on his bike. He just buys one of every kind that comes along. In a classic case of understatement, his web site says, “He also has this thing for two-wheeled vehicles – he owns six bicycles and three motorcycles.”

That got me thinking

There was a discussion about riding in the rain on a touring list several months ago. Riding in the rain in South Florida is usually no big deal. If it’s a hot day, the rain is refreshing. As long as there is no close lightning, I just splash on by. My new fenders will make it even better.

Two years ago, though, I was on a TOSRV group ride in South Georgia when the skies opened up for about 25 miles. It was a chilly day, so I put on my arm and leg warmers to act as sort of a wet suit and pulled on my Campmor Rain Cape. [Editor’s note 12/14/09: readers have reported a broken link. I called Campmor and they said they have not discontinued the product, it’s just out of stock. More are due in. You can all them at 1-(800) 525-4784 to see if they are available.]

The cape kept the top part of me dry, but allowed enough air to circulate underneath to keep me from sweating too much. It turned what could have been a miserable experience into a tolerable one.

If I had only had a Veltop

But rain capes are so “yesterday.” What I really need is a Veltop.

Look at it in action here.

This would be perfect for South Florida where we have frequent rain storms followed by blazing sun.

What about wind, though?

The Veltop folks have a quick answer: In case of front wind, the resistance is the same to that of a human body because of the presence of the windscreen which has an equivalent width and a convex shape as well as a variable gradient. At 20 km/h (12 miles/hour) there is no difference with a VELTOP. Up to 30 km/h (18 Miles/hour) the wind resistance remains inconsiderable. On urban rides such speed is rarely possible. Side winds meet no resistance when the side protections are rolled up, the hood itself has no negative influence on the rider’s stability. In case of rain or cold, a wind, which is blowing sideways, can be perceived by the rider if the side protections are pulled down but cannot be considered as dangerous. Nevertheless we recommend not to pull them down in strong wind or storm. In extreme bad weather conditions we recommend to ride without the hood.

There’s even one for a ‘bent

Chuck is going to be SOOOOO jealous when I show up with one of these on my new bike.

Oh, yeah, if you need help paying for it, they sell what they call a “Long Communication Support” – a transparent plastic film that would hold messages. You could become a traveling billboard with advertising on your back.

Posted on

My Name is Ken and I Can’t Kick My Kickstand Habit

My new Surly Long Haul Trucker didn’t come with a kickstand.

How do you get along without one?

I’ve been spoiled, I have to admit. I’ve been using a ESGE/Pletscher Double-legged kickstand on my Trek 1220 for years. I first heard about them on the touring list and gave Harris Cyclery in Boston a call to ask the legendary Sheldon Brown if they were all the were purported to be.

Sheldon wasn’t available, but the young guy who answered the phone said they weren’t cheap, but that they really were great for holding up your bike. When I started giving him my info for the order, he stopped short and said, “I know you. You post on the bicycling newsgroups all the time.”

That showed me how the Internet had changed the way we do business. Here I was, half a country away, placing an order from what used to be a small bike shop and having my name recognized by someone I had never met. I’ve spent hundreds of dollars in some local bike shops and don’t get that kind of name response.

It’s nice to think your bike is happy to see you

The two legs hold the bike up in the air. Depending on how your bike is loaded, either the front or back wheel will be up in the air. The first few times you see it, it looks strange, kinda like your bike is rearing up on its hand legs to greet you.

The side effect of that is that you can now use your kickstand as a portable work stand. Taking a wheel off to change a flat or making brake or shifting adjustments is a piece of cake.

When you’re ready to go, you give the stand a kick and it folds up neatly out of the way.

It’s not perfect

The long legs WILL dig into soft blacktop and cause the bike to spill over. A strong wind, particularly if your front wheel isn’t pointed straight ahead will cause it to crash. Having said that, though, I can’t think of any time that my bike has fallen over that it wouldn’t have fallen over easier and earlier with a conventional kickstand.

What else is out there?

I ran across something called the Click-Stand, which was described as a tent pole turned kickstand. Tom, the maker, has been infinitely patient in answering my questions. He’s going to send me one to try out, so I’ll post pictures and my impressions when it arrives. Follow that link for a full review. It’s a cool thing.

Even if it’s the greatest thing since sliced bread, I’ll probably still keep the two-legged kickstand on the bike for those days when I need a portable work stand. Or need the feeling that someone is glad to see me.

Still, it’d be good to have something that won’t occasionally dump my bike over.

Posted on

I Hate Plastic Blister Pack

You know, the stuff that you can’t get into without a chainsaw and a box of bandages?

First off, I have to apologize for being a little behind. And, sorry, I won’t pander for traffic by reprinting the picture I used the LAST time I got a little behind in my blog. OK, I’ll do it.. I have no shame. You have to promise to read the story, though.

Here’s my excuse

My new Surly Long Haul Trucker arrived Friday and will be picked up Monday, so I’ve spent a couple of days stripping all the stuff off my old bike for the transition.

I covered my taillights last week. Here’s what the front of the old bike looks like.

From left to right: AirZound horn (red object), Busch&Müller Lumotec secondary generator light, Viewpoint Flare 5 LED Headlight (top), NiteRider Pro-12E dual headlights, air bottle for AirZound horn, DLumotec Oval Senso Plus (bottom on fork).

I’ll provide more info when I put them on the new bike.

Getting back to blister pack

Remember when I had problems getting my pedals off my bike and broke my Pedro? I decided not to do that again, so I hit out to Sears to buy some hex bits that would fit on my socket wrench.

I was happy to find a set for a decent price and happier yet to see that they were packaged in something you could actually attack without it attacking you.

The sockets were nestled in a multi-layered cardboard frame that was big enough to discourage shoplifters, but didn’t require a crowbar to open. The merchandise was held in the package by two plastic Nylon ties.

Here’s a side view

I have to confess that I’m not really all that Green. I ride a bike not to save dead dinosaurs, but because I like to. When it’s hot, I like my air cooled.  I recycle, but I don’t obsess over it.

I WOULD, however, pick a product that was packed this way over blister pack any day of the week.