They Will Be Getting a Bike This Christmas!

Just got back from a work day for the Knoxville area Angel Tree, and had a great time for a great cause.

Spent 4.5 hours adjusting derailleurs, making sure brakes work and tightening every nut and bolt… and making sure underprivileged kids are able to get a shiny new bike (and other toys) this Christmas. As some of us bike enthusiasts in my son's Boy Scout troop helped assemble the 120 bikes (my estimate), I kept remembering my own childhood and the indescribable excitement of my first bike, starting a lifetime of bike-passion.

Don't get me wrong. The point of this is not to "toot my own horn" but to publicly thank the hundreds of people sorting, bagging, and assembling the thousands of toys. And if there is anything like this in you town, please share your bike passion by donating your time assembling a few. You won't regret it!

Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day 2013

Saturday October 5 was also a perfect day for Mountain Biking, warm and sunny. But that was not the major reason. It was one of those days we wait for a year for: Take a Kid Mountain Biking Day.

Many of the ten+ kids that were there regulars to the event. We had seen some at this event four years in a row. There was a lot more girls this year... and they of course did great! I ended up riding with them at times and it was neat how they encouraged each other across obstacles.

A huge thanks to The Bike Zoo and IMBA again for putting on the event. We are already counting the days until the next!

Darn Auto Correct!

Which is more embarrassing, that auto correct's poor choices or lack of proofing?

10 Tips for Selling Your Bike Easily on Craigslist

I have been a Craigslist junkie for about three years now. Ever since I started biking again as an adult I have visiting the bike section daily looking for bargains. Occasionally one will come up and I will be the lucky winner. But not every prize will fit my family or myself so it will soon go back up for sale. I don't see myself as a flipper, just someone who gets unwanted bikes to their new owners (for a small finder's fee).

When I resale a bike I never have a problem getting it gone. Part of the reason is the kind of bike I like to purchase. I like lower end, name-brand mountain bikes... never bmx, never department store bikes, never expensive bikes, and almost never women's bikes.

I like to resell these bikes that target adults that are often getting back into biking. They are looking for a bike that is:
a. cheaper than buying a new bike (just in case they don't or can't stick with biking)
b. designed to be comfortable
c. a bike shop bike (they know they are better than department store bikes but don't really know why)
d. and don't know a lot about bikes in general

Here is my list of common sense tips for selling bikes on Craigslist:

1. Price it right
Used bikes are just that, used. Don't expect to get a lot for a bike, especially if it is not a high end brand. Department store bikes, even if almost new, won't fetch any more than half what you paid. Sad but it's reality.

2. Mention about the quality of a bike-shop bike vs "Walmart bike"

Many of the people I tend to sell to suspect that bike-shop bikes are better than Department store bikes but don't know why. Tell them. Bike-store bikes have better components. This means these bikes stay tuned longer, and their parts last longer before needing replacing...better reliability and less hassle. You can even go as far as to say that the resale will stay higher, easing their worries if they fear that they might not sticking with biking.

3. Price it at a pricepoint
People like to pick round numbers for what they pay. $50, $100, $150, If you price your bike just over a price point people will automatically want to knock it down. If you want $110, people will always say "I will give you a hundred." I prefer to start at $100 and not haggle. But that is just me.

4. Price it compared to others on Craigslist
If there are ten Treks at $250, yours will be lost among the others if priced the same. I like to put mine at a little less, like $225. Yes, in theory I lost $25 but I guaranteed a quicker sale.

5. Clean it up
There is no reason to try to sell a nasty bike when it takes only a few minutes to wipe off the dust. Some surface scratches can be rubbed out with Magic Eraser followed by a quick polish with car wax. And PUMP UP THE TIRES! I see hundreds of ads saying the bike needs new tires (a turn off to a potential buyer because it is an added expense) when in reality they simply need air.

6. Tune it up
If the bike just doesn't work, it will be hard to sell. Consider taking it to a bike shop or friend that is into biking. Often a few adjustments will get it running great again.

7. Size the bike in real terms
Most new-to-biking people have no idea what size bike will fit them, not to mention that many frames' sizes are somewhat arbitrary. I like to list two measurements: the standover height (the distance from the ground to the top of the tube between the handlebars and seat) and a minimum and maximum inseam measurement (from the pedal at the lowest and the top of the seat at its lowest and highest). Most people will understand a bike sized to fit someone with pants inseam from 29-35".

8. Have good photos
Would you go to the trouble to drive across town to meet a stranger based on a couple vague words? I wouldn't. Neither will most people. One way to instill confidence is to show photos.

Even if you don't know much about bikes, photos can do the talking for you. Pick a fully lit, CLEAN location to take photos. I show pix of the full bike from both sides, a view from the "driver's seat", gears, all stickers and one or two problem areas. I feel that showing any issue, people know up front what they are getting. And they will trust that I am not hiding anything.

9. Post it close to the weekend
This is just a hunch but I believe most people will search for a bike over the weekend. So I post on a Thursday or Friday so that the listing will be on the front page throughout the weekend.

10. Think safe
Call me paranoid but I don't know the person I am selling to. I alway to meet at a very visible location such as the parking lot of a fast food restaurant. You should do that too, and mention this in the ad. People will appreciate that you are also looking out for their safety.

Again call me paranoid, but I prefer to let potential buyers use the built in email in Craigslist rather than posting my phone number or email address. Only after I have talked to someone a few times and know they are serious do I give them my cell. And usually only do that to make meeting them easier "text me if you are going to be late".

I am not saying an expert about this stuff but these tips have worked wonders for my bike (and other Craigslist) sales.

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Cades Cove Bike Ride

The alarm clock rang very early Saturday morning: 5:30. The goal was to be at the Cades Cove parking lot before 8am, and we were. You see, they open the loop early to bikes and runners. We wanted to be finishing up our ride of 15+ miles before they open it up to cars at 10:00.

Roughly twenty scouts and parents headed out into the mist. A few need requirements of finding evidence of ten different animals. Some evidence was easier to find than others.

We noticed there were places where leaves covered the road under berry trees. Rangers explained that these were made by bears high in the trees. They would camp out eating the berries dropping whatever they did not eat to the road. One area proved the Rangers correct. A momma bear with two cubs were perched in a high tree having an early breakfast. We admired from a safe distance.

A bear ignored the many riders as she fed her two babies berries.

Seventeen miles later we pulled back into the parking lot comparing stories of what we had seen and laughing at the lady who chastised us for our noise hampering her "petting a bear."

The ride was great practice for the Silver Comet that the Troop will be taking soon for our 50 mile ride.

Contrasts

My kids and their very different riding styles: 

him (focused on the singletrack), her (observing the world around the trail)

A Flat Tire in the Same Place? What are the Odds?

While unloading my bike after the last ride I noticed my rear tire had gone down on the way home. There was a chunk of orange mulch still lodged in the tire. At least it was easy to find.

After pulling the tube out I realized the new puncture was in the same place as the last one! One centimeter from the hole I received two months ago.

This got me thinking about the odds. Rather than waste brain cells doing the math of the surface area of tire and getting an actual number, I ponded on ways that these odds could have happened.

I know what you are thinking "you did not get the splinter out from the last flat!" I thought of that. But here is the evidence, you decide:

1.  If I had left the mulch in from the last flat chances are that I would have had another flat soon... I've been riding for over two months since my last flat. I suppose it is possible.

2. the mulch was the strange oranged color of the mulch on the side of the greenway I rode last. I received the first flat on a trail with no mulch.

3. I have a ritual for changing flats. I remove the original obstruction from the outside of the tire (if it is still there), then visually inspect both the outside and inside of the tire for others. Then I run my fingers around the inside of the tire hoping to feel anything my eyes didn't catch. 

I can think of only two ways this happened: 

Dumb luck (you are right... I did not get the mulch out.) And it was in the tread in a way that it was pushed in (only when coming in contact with a rock) but rebounded back out when not being pushed it in. I wouldn't have seen or felt it inside. AND dumb luck that I had not hit anything that pushed it in for over two months.

OR dumb luck... another simple flat.

Either way, dumb luck played a big part in getting these two flats so close together. Gosh, I can think of better outcomes for being this "lucky!" 

Flat Enlightenment

This past Monday I took an hour for a ride at Concord Park. About 15 minutes in I had my first flat of the season. In fact my first flat in probably a year. Murphy's Law.. my pump was back at the car.

As I was walking back to the car it dawned on me... being on the trail with a flat was much better than laying on the couch.

It is official, I am bike crazy!

Chain "Stretch" - Part 3 (diagrams)

After talking to a few friends trying to explain "chain stretch" I have decided a picture is worth a thousand words... so I built a few illustrations showing chain wear.

The pin, showing in black, wears away by rubbing the (orange) housing. This creates a looseness that increases its length.

When the chain is longer it rides up on the teeth of the gear reducing the contact, allowing it to "skip" under hard pedaling.  It will also wear the tooth away when it rides the incorrect location of the tooth, effectively eating it away.

So keep your chain clean and lubricated. And replace it when it gets "stretched."

Part 1: Measuring Chain Stretch
Part 2: Free Wheel Removal
Part 3 (this post): Chain Stretch Diagrams

2012 Kona Kahuna 29er Review

I have always loved Kona bicycles. Their brochure was one of the first that I picked up when my I started my love of bikes as an adult…it has been read so many times (by both myself and my son) that it is literally falling apart. So, when I had the opportunity to purchase a new bike, Kona was at the top of my list of bikes to research.

Other than being "my first," Kona is a smaller company compared to the brands often see on the local trails. I always try to help out the little guy if possible. But I was not going to discount the other brands just yet. There are other dream brands on my list too.

Here in Knoxville we are blessed with many bike shops with most major brands. So Saturday morning the son and I headed out. We checked out the Specialized Hardrock. Very nice looking paint scheme but the fork was not great. The Treks' paint was downright tacky. So much so that I didn't even pull one down as sit on it. Next was the Giant Revel 0. The paint scheme was nice (though it was that hard-to-clean flat black.) The small frame size fit me very well. But the brakes were mechanical and the fork only fair. Raleighs seemed much more expensive for the same components.

The last shop we could hit for the day was Tennessee Valley Bikes, home for Kona Bicycles in Knoxville. I did not get my hopes up as the Konas I liked were outside my price range. Their 2013 beginner line had similar components compared as the brands I had already found. But the paint scheme looked well, cheap. So I guess it was time to head back to order the Giant.

Then I saw a black-ish blue bike on the end of the rack. It was a 2012 Kahuna. Beautiful, subtle, good fork, hydraulic disk brakes, and it was in my size! After a small financial discussion with the shop worker I became the owner of a Kona!

And it rides as good as it looks!

The step up to 29 was one that I never thought I would do. How does it feel compared to my 26 wheeled Fuji? Apples to oranges. The 26" wheels are on a larger 17" frame, the 29s are connected to a 16" frame. The Fuji is somewhat lighter than the Kona. The fork of the Kahuna is light years ahead of the Suntour fork on the Nevada. Overall, the Fuji is quick "side to side", the Kona fast... forward. The only way I can describe its feel is - pulling. It was hard to tell if I was going a lot faster, or the added weight of the wheels built up inertia making it reluctant to make turns, or both.

The pros of the Kona: that awesome (to me) fork. The Rock Shox XC/32/TK has none of the slop found in the Suntour. The Sram X5 gear set: having 30 options it seemed I was always in the right gear, awesome! The shifters are going to take a little getting used to for me… the triggers on the Fuji used the forefingers for downshifting, the Kona uses the thumbs. Retraining my brain should take care of this one.

The "yet-to-be-determined" aspects: the handlebars are much wider than I am used to. It meant my hands are constantly bumping the gear levers. Going to do some testing by moving the brakes and shifters a half inch inward before getting out the hack saw. The Avid Elixr 1 brakes: I was really worried about this as they seem to lock up way to easily. But after remembering discussions on bike forums mentioning "one finger braking" I tried it. Really helped modulate better.

The graphics. I believe the art is shared with the King Kahuna that has a lighter colored carbon frame. But the base paint color is so dark that the logo and words were almost invisible. Some like it, others hate it. I lean toward the "like it" side but it could be a little less subtle.

The cons: #1: the price. Of course the Kona was much more expensive than the Fuji. But that was to be expected. #2: the pedals - unbelievably terrible! My feet slipped many times during the first ride. The $15 replacement pedals I threw on held my feet so much better. Just a guess but I think most people change the stock pedals out with clipless pedals as soon as they get the bike home, so Kona put on the cheapest things that can be considered petals.

So, if spending $100 more than I wanted and $15 for new pedals is the only negative things about the Kona, I can live if that!

6 month update -
After riding the Kahuna a few months now I can say this bike has really grown on me. It is much faster than the Fuji. Much like a race car that is difficult to drive in city traffic, when you get going fast, the Kona really comes alive. When riding the Fuji I was probably had it at 9/10s of its skill level. The Kona I feel like it is more like 7/10 meaning I can improve a lot on this bike.

And after the first tune up the brakes pads were moved out a little giving a lot more ability to modulate. Much better! However, the rear brake did get "spongy" requiring a bleed to get it back to normal. And sometimes they would over-pressurize when hot if left on the rack in the hot sun (the fluid would expand with the heat and rear wheel would not turn.) I had this happen a couple times but TVB assured me that it it is due to the fluid absorbing moisture and "overfilling" the system. A simple fluid flush/replace on a consistent basis will keep this from happening.

Early Spring Ride

We have watching and waiting for a while now. The weather app on my phone goes into overdrive about this time of year looking for warm and dry on a weekend. This Saturday was a little of both, meaning time to load up the bikes for the first Spring ride.

This time we picked an old familiar favorite: The Third Creek Greenway, a great one to take for kids and new-to-biking friends. And we had both. The chilly, damp morning was full of landmarks like the tunnel, a couple bridges, and even early spring flowers made the trip a good one for groups that stop and rest often, which we did.

As usual, the boys left us.

Our Beatle's Abbey Road album cover photo

Trilliums about to bloom

I have always heard this being called dogtooth violet, but Google says it is a Trout Lily

Mid-ride lunch at Subway

Two hours and six miles later, we finished where we started. Before heading home we noticed a new bike shop in the shopping complex. Bearden Bike & Trail opened that very morning and we had to see. A very nice store and staff with a real finger on the needs of the people using the greenway. They have racks out front, offer water for riders, and will even have remote repair services soon. If your bike breaks out on the greenway, they will come fix it for you! Cool! Though we were in a bit of hurry that morning, we will spend much more time checking out all the shiny bikes at the end of our next greenway trip.

Who Knew Bikes Were for Pavement Too? (Trek 1000SL)

Last year around Thanksgiving my son announced he "needed" a racing bike. After years of mountain biking, I knew better. Hours of nothing but cranking the pedals has never appealed to me, and I believe he is the same. He loves the thrill of jumping, skidding, and playing. Rather than tell him he is wrong, I suggest that he try a road bike before we commit the money involved. If one came up for sale at the right price (cheap of course), I might get it knowing I could resell it as soon as he realizes it was not for him.

Recently a small adult racing bike showed up on Craigslist at a surprisingly low price. The ad's photo showed a small framed UT orange Trek 1000SL that "desperately needed a tune up and has flat tires." Being Craigslist fanatic, I knew there is two main reasons for a price like this: an owner that has no idea what to sell the bike for and guessed at a price, or a bike so trashed that the owner is looking for an alternative to throwing it away. Guessing the latter, I woundn't be out much if I was lucky enough to be the one to get it.

I contacted the owner explaining that I thought the bike might actually fit my son and that we would like to take a look at it. 

Hours passed with no answer. Oh well, it must have sold. It wouldn't be the first time I missed a cheap Craigslist bike.

Later that day thought I would email the person again. (My hope was that the first person in line saw the bike and changed his mind.) Soon after I received an email back. The owner explained that she was surprised the I actually wanted the bike to ride, not just resale it for a profit... and she wanted us to have it.

The next day we met at a local McDonald's for the exchange. Julie explained to me that she had used the bike for exercise a few years back. But she was now simplifying her life and was getting rid of everything that did not have great importance in her life, the bike included. She said she knew that the bike was worth more than she was selling it for but she wanted it go to someone that would receive enjoyment and exercise from it.

After getting it home we realized I was wrong about the bike, neither ignorant owner or trashed. About 21 pounds, the bike had almost no deep scratches, something that we never find on the used mountain bikes we buy. It has a carbon fork and seat post. Sure it needed a tune up but all it really needed was air for the tires and a good cleaning.

Before his first test ride I made him ride his mountain bike first for reference. I wanted him to understand that the two bikes have VERY different jobs. No hopping curbs on this thing. If he wants to do that, grab the other bike. But if he wants to ride fast this bike should be the choice. And this thing is scary fast. After he got the hang of the "brifters" I had real trouble keeping up with him on our short ride. I regularly had to use the highest gears of my bike, him smiling and making race car sounds as he easily left me behind.

Only time will tell if he will stick to this kind of riding. But if he continues having as much fun as he did on his first ride, he will be passing many more riders than just his dad soon.

Project Underdog - Junk Bike Refurb

Whether good or bad, I have always been the kind of person that roots for underdog. When watching any sporting event and a team starts doing badly, something in the back of my brain takes over and pushes me to cheer them on, sometimes even when they are competing against "my" team. Don't know why, it just happens.

I find that I do the same for bicycles. When I see an unloved bike I just can't stand to leave it by the road sending it to its grave. This bike, that I picked up on Craigslist is a prime example. A 20" Magna. Yes, I know...

Yes, crummy brand. There is a lot of (surface) rust, yes the cables all need replacing, yes the fork is seized up. But it is solid, the wheels are straight, and I figure by throwing on a few old cables, a 1/2 hour with steel wool, some black spray paint on the handlebars/cranks, and I will have a bike that we can use to teach the neighborhood kids how to use gears. And I won't be too upset if it is treated the way kids typically treat bikes...badly.

Stay tuned to see the "after" photos to this "before."

Chain "Stretch" - Part 2 (freewheel removal)

I recently did a post about measuring chain "stretch" and found my son's drivetrain was indeed worn. This Saturday I was finally was near a local bike shop during open hours to pick up the needed tools.

Because the part needing replacement is the freewheel I needed to get a special tool. When choosing the tool you will need to know the brand freewheel and the number of splines inside (grab a flashlight, look down into the slot, and count). In our case, the freewheel was made by Shimano and has 12 splines. So we picked up a FR-1 from Park Tools. If you are not sure which tool you need, go to this page on Sheldon's site or take your wheel to the bike shop and they will tell which you need.

The FR-1 fits into the freewheel and using a big 1" wrench turn it counterclockwise. In theory. Because it is self tightening, it is very difficult to turn. The longer the wrench, the better the chances of getting it loose. Ours was not budging.

Just I was headed out to the garage to look for a "cheater bar" (another tool added to the end of the original wrench to lengthen it), I remembered another trick I had recently heard. If you mount the FR-1 into a vise, you can use the wheel itself to loosen it.

First step is drop in the tool. Then put the nut or quick-release back on the wheel. This holds the tool on for you (a good idea when using a wrench also).

 Next mount the tool in the vise TIGHTLY. Grab the wheel and twist counterclockwise. With enough struggle, it will come loose.

Once it was loosened, it easily came off with a lot of turning.

The install of the new freewheel is much easier. Simply spin it on finger tight. The pedaling motion will tighten it to the "correct" torque.

The old freewheel is clearly worn. Most areas between the teeth are no longer perfect half circles as a new one would. This is great time to replace the chain and front chainring also as they will also be worn too.

We will be paying more attention to keeping it lubricated and checking the chain in the future.

Take a Kid Mountain Biking - Spring Edition!

It finally happened! A spring Take a Kid Mountain Biking event! It has been the talk of the parents after every one. "We really need to go this again soon" but until recently it has only been talk.

I have always been saddened by the lack of biking activities for kids. And every (adult) event I politely (hopefully) express my concerns to the coordinator. But this year I decided rather than being a complainer, I would be a fixer. So I emailed the Bike Month coordinator asking if she knew of another dad that I might contact to partner up with to do a bike rodeo. She didn't. Not feeling confident that I could handle bunch of kids by myself I suggested we wait until next year while I found willing parents to help out.

But while talking, I remembered my talks with The Bike Zoo at the previous Take a Kid's. After a few quick emails, Steve agreed to host it.

So, it you have not been able to attend in the fall or haven't heard about it, this year's Spring TAKMB will be May 18, 2013 at 9:00. Meads Quarry (near Ijams in South Knoxville) is again the location because it is so user/kid-friendly. It will be tons of wild, dirty fun! And again, thank you The Bike Zoo for stepping up.

How to Measure a Bike Chain for "Stretch"

I always go over my son's bike after a long offroad rides, cleaning, looking for anything broken, etc. This time I realized I had never checked his chain for wear. So, out came my trusty ruler. I know the bike was not well taken care of before we purchased it so I was not too surprised with what we found: it was clearly "stretched." It is time for a new chain and more than likely a freewheel.

How did I know it was no longer good? Let's measure the "stretch." Using an inch ruler, put the "0" in the center of one of the chain pins and go down to the 12" mark. When the chain was new, the 12" would be exactly in the center of a chain pin.

In our case the chain pin center was more than 1/16" past the 12" line.

Stretched chain? Well, not really. What is happening is the tolerances between the parts are getting looser. More space, the longer or "stretched" the chain becomes.  With any wear item determining how much wear is too much is the difficult part. According to every biker's favorite info website (Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Tech Information Site):

• Less than 1/16" past the mark, all is well.
• If the rivet is 1/16" past the mark, replace the chain, but the freewheel/cassette sprockets are probably undamaged.
• If the rivet is 1/8" past the mark, you have left it too long, and the sprockets (at least the favorite ones) will be too badly worn. If you replace a chain at the 1/8" point, without replacing the sprockets, it may run OK and not skip, but the worn sprockets will cause the new chain to wear much faster than it should, until it catches up with the wear state of the sprockets.

Clearly we have waited too long. We plan to get a new chain. And though we might get away without changing anything else, we plan to use a "parts bin" freewheel I have.

Watch for an update soon, after I gather parts and tools, showing how to change the chain and freewheel.