"The Dirty Century"...Cyclocrossers Here's Your Ride

Coming up in a couple months, more like 2.5months, is The Dirty Century.  Its a multimileage, mainly off road(on dirt roads) awesome ride put on by my boss, Kirk Webster, and Eric Miller.  Its been going on for a few years, admittedly Ive never heard of it, and its been getting bigger and bigger each year.  

Its going to be a nice "tune up" ride for all your Cyclocrossers out there.  The mileage options are 20, 50 and 109(200km).  Registration is online at www.dirtycentury.com I believe, or there are mail in registration forms at Creekside Bikes in Parker CO.  

The flyer below isnt the best quality as it was taken from the paper version and scanned through the old HTC and converted.  Contact info will be below it.

Sag Wagon will be along for the entire ride.

2 break areas for refueling

Lunch Stop in scenic Fondis Colorado

Post ride BBQ/Cookout in Evans Park

Contact:  Eric Miller genericmiller@yahoo.com

Gonna be fun...Im going to get my fat butt out there and keep this "getting in shape" train movin!

...boots out.

Friday Lunch Crew

Every Friday there's a ride from the shop here in Parker that meets with a group over on Chambers and Lincoln to ride over to Hess Road.  Its all levels and stays together until the climb, then all hell breaks loose.

This is the crew that just left the shop.  Unfortunately one of the ladies took a digger right out of the parking lot and needed a quick adjustment to get back up and going.  Kathy youre a trooper!

Posted via email from They Call Me Boots

Day 65...It Hurts...Not So Good

Well, the ball has started to roll.  Today was the first official day of getting back on the bike.  Ive been off the bike for 6mos now.  Id lost that need to ride, which in turn led to a loss of the desire to throw a leg on the bike.  Its a long story I wont get in to, but the thing to know is that its done. This is the longest Ive ever been off the bike ever. 

Today I loaded the boys in the trailer and got the new bike out for its first official ride.  After a couple of quick stops to make some minor final tweaks it was an awesome feeling bike.  It felt stable.  There was no brake chatter from the fork/brake setup.  It took quite a bit of thunk out of the road for sure.  

Riding it with the boys and the trailer, as well as diaper bag and lunches, was quite the experience after a long hiatus.  It hurt.  We went downtown to visit the woman we all love to meet for lunch outside.  

I took the Sand Creek Trail west to the South Platte River Trail and then went south into town.  The Sand Creek Trail is such a nice ride.  There are very few people ever on it, and with the dirt sections, it was super nice to take the Colnago through them.  

I felt every bit of the weight Ive gained over the past few years, and especially the past few months.  It hurt.  By the time we got downtown, I think I was hitting about 10mph on the flats with that trailer trying to drag me backwards every foot we rode.

  

View Parkhill/Stapleton 2 Downtown(Sand Creek/Platte River Trails) in a larger map

I decided to take the short way home as we'd just had lunch, and I was feeling like a ton of bricks under 2 tons of iron. I also didnt want to hurt anything, as I usually do because I feel like I can push myself more than I should.  Baby steps...thats the motto for the next couple of  months.  Starting from ground 0 sucks...its my fault.

View Downtown to Parkhill/Stapleton in a larger map

Here we go...

...boots out.

Day 41...I Gots Sum Pix 2day

Ok, so yeah, no post this morning as the wife and I woke up late and had to get the kids up, get ready for work, get the kids ready and feed everyone in less than an hour!  Holy schnikies!  So it all went well  and everyone got where we needed to be at the appropriate time.

Work was great overall.  All our new Colnago's showed up.  Kirk and I got an Air built and an Ace built.  I got to pull out my new World Cup Cross frameset!  So super excited to build it up.  Did LOTS of gluing...again...and nothing new there.

The one hitch in the day was a Pinarello Paris build.  Everything went well until...  I measured all of the housing and got the rear derailleur cable run and routed through the internal routing via the downtube and did 3 test shifts then...SNAP CRACKLE POP!!!  Suddently the shifting went to shit and I cussed myself.  Thinking I missed something in the setup I retraced my steps and found that the internal housing stop on the downtube, the one that is made of aluminum and simply bonded to the inside of the frame via some sort of resin/adhesive, had broken free and dropped into the downtube.  BUMMER! After attempting to fish the stop out for about a half hour I decided to call it.  Its a brand new frame straight from the distributor so a phone call was made and replacement is on its way via 2 day air from NC.  So...all good in the hood.

Tomorrow its another day at the shop with more gluing in store and stripping the broken Paris down to ship the frame back.  Also doing a fit for a friend of mine on his new Cannondale EVO...see previous post.

The BB of the Paris with the lil grom just out of reach

These 2 guys got some new rubber today...all glued and ready for some TT fun

In case anyone wants my opinion..this is the only stuff that should go on your tubies

Here's the NEW RIDE! Cant wait to build it

We can thank Mr Nys and Mr Albert for those stripes

such a thing of beauty

not a great photo of the rear cable hanger integrated into the seatcollar

no doubts here

perfect place for your shoulder to go

Colnago Ace w/105 comes in right around $3000

Great graphics on every Colnago we see

Day 34...#snOMG

Yes we got lots of snow.  No I dont have any pics to show you from the day.  I know, I know, lame.  I have bad luck with using my phone/camera any other time than when inside or outside standing in sunshine.  Ive dropped my phone across 3 lanes of traffic trying to take that "cool riding shot" so many out there seem to manage wonderfully.  There's the inevitable "toilet dunk" which has cost my wife a phone(my fault), and very thankful for the extra $7/mo we spend on insurance for the damn things.  Then there are the numerous "walk-n-drops" Im famous for.  So, when its remotely wet, sandy, snowy...etc, I err on the side of caution.  Now that being said, I think the wife got some video we'll post up on the YouTube acct for family and friends to watch.

The snow was pretty crazy at times, and I did have to shovel the driveway, and sidewalk, 3 times.  When we lived in Charlotte a couple years ago there were a couple of "big" storms that winter.  Big for Charlotte NC is like 3 inches.  The whole place shuts down and people go to the store for bread and milk, kinda like they do when a Hurricane rips through.  Somehow the hashtag for the snow storm of the decade was #snOMG and impressively it stuck around...and in my head.  I think its better than the #snowpocalypse one that Denver has used since the blizzards of 2006(yeah it was pretty bad that year).  Anywho...

Moving on to the Bike Front...anyone like SRAM Red?  Well, if youve been keeping track of it, there are some changes for next year's line.  Here's the YouTube video that followed the press release.  Home wrenches, if you have never done it, and youre going to try...good luck.  Guys like me, with private clients/teams...etc...hope you enjoy and that Im not just sending something out there that everyone has seen before.

Make sure you pay attention to the Front Derailleur setup.  Honestly, thats the only thing that is really new.  Its a pretty cool concept, and Im really interested in setting it up the first time.  It actually does have some Yaw!




...boots out.

Day 3...OK, I think I Can(Definitely)

There's not much to report today.  The eating better went well till just after dinner, had a lil binge of Reese's minis...so evil, yet so yummy.  I did, however, rekindle my love of Gardenburgers, Original.  Forgot just how yummy they are, just wish they sold more than a 4 pack.  Used the new blender to make some smoothies for the boys and myself this morning.  Its so nice to know they like stuff like that, my youngest actually digs crystallized ginger!

Starting next week Ill add physical working out, some conglomeration of core work and strength training for the upper body.  Keeping to it will be the key week to week, especially for me, cuz im completely guilty of slackin up once the first benefits are seen.  Dont ask...just gotta change that habit.  So writing down daily here will be something that gets tried out.  Thought process is the same as writing down your goals whether it be a daily goal or a weekly posting about your overall goal(s) are going, and having it sort of keep yer feet to the fire, so to speak.

New Year Revolutions is getting a couple more people interested each day, even though its only been 3.  Thats encouraging in its own right.  Im hoping more people will join in the sharing of posts, and that it will grow by simply turning into someone(s) actually getting in to, and seeing the benefit and the change that happens over the year.  Granted, it will take longer for some than others, but thats the beauty of it.  You WILL see change for those who keep at it, and that motivation could push someone who's feeling a bit run down by it all.  So...Fingers Crossed!

Alright, Boots out...

Das Auto? No...Das Speedvagen

Every once in a while a bike catches your eye.  You think, "id love to tune that thing up!".  This is one such bike.  Yes, its the "factory" made one, but its still awesome.  Vanilla Speedvagen Cross w/matching integrated bar/stem, SRAM Red, Edge rims, DT ceramic hubs and Dugast Flying Doctors as your rubber of choice.

This thing is sweet and the Doc who owns it can ride it to its full potential.  New rubber with fresh Caffelatex are ready to hit the dirt, snow, whatever you want.

Ok...now I have to go glue some more tires...enjoy

Those Wheels I Was Telling You About...

As promised to one of my Google+ peeps, I took pics of the Edge wheels w/custom painted DT Swiss hubs via Vanilla Cycles.  The Andre Dugast "Flying Doctors" are new for @denvercx and the irony of the whole situation is that he plays a Dr in real life!  All thats left is some Caffelatex for some added security.

nice set of carbon and rubber

i think thatll do

awesome touches from Vanilla Cycles

yum

fast tread, and perfect for our Colorado courses

Primus SS Whip

This was a nice little project that just got finished...minus the bar wrap(owner's choice of course).  Primus Mootry SS conversion.  Fresh glue job on the tires, new bars and stem.  Have fun Peder!

Tubies Made Easy...Gluing

As promised, here's the next step in the gluing process after cleaning and stretching(still to come, dont worry).  I would refer to my Disclaimer from the previous post in regards to this.  This is the way I do it, so please again, feel free to add/subtract/multiply how and what you do.  

First thing I do when its time to glue is place the wheel in the truing stand, or other appropriate device.  If you are using a truing stand with adjustable sites, apply just enough pressure to the rim to keep it from moving.  Theres no real reason to do this except it keeps the wheel from moving on me and makes my life easier.

Align the valve hole as a "starting" point for the glue application.  This obviously serves as a reference point for anything wheel oriented, truing, building, tire/tube installation and gluing.

Now its time to get out your brush and glue.  I realize not everyone uses a brush.  Ive gone through a few evolutions in figuring out what works best.  Ive seen different brushes used, fingers(in glove or plastic bag) and various other items.  My reasons for choosing these brushes are that the bristle width is pretty spot on for most rims out there today, and with a little trimming(which i do) I can get the brush to pull and lay the glue in just such a way that works great.  Also, you can reuse these things over and over.  Just take a small cup and put enough paint thinner in to cover the bristles and leave over night.  After some rinsing the next day, its all ready to go again, and again and again.  Then there's cost...THEYRE CHEAP!  A buck or buck and change per brush, so youre not going too break the bank on something thats gonna get used alot.

As for applying the glue to the rim, again different strokes for different folks.  Im not a fan of putting the glue on the rim THEN spreading it around.  I put just enough glue on the brush to spread the distance between valve/spoke holes on the rim.  This comes from gluing over and over and playing with the amount of glue.  Paint the glue on in nice smooth even strokes.  "No Clumps" is the key here.  It uses less glue and also allows the layers to "mate" as you get into the 2nd and Final coat.

Try not to get too clumpy at the spokes holes.  Its super messy, wastes glue and makes for extra cleaning when replacing tires, or truing internal nipples.  Also, DONT be afraid of going all the way to the edge of the rim/tire interface part of the surface.  You want to utilize the entire surface of the rim as there's nothing worse than a tire slowly working itself off the rim then suddenly failing on a tight turn.  If you go over the edge of the rim with glue, just take your finger, or rag, and wipe off the excess immediately.

Once the rim is done, give it a spin.  It probably doesnt really do anything overall but in my mind it helps start the tacking process....just sayin

Now to the tires.  As stated in the previous post(link above on "Disclaimer"), I like to inflate the tire enough so that when laid on a flat surface the base tape is facing up.  Again, start at the valve, that whole point of reference thing.  I take the tube of glue and gently press it until the glue starts flow, and then lay the end of the tube on the tire and let the capillary action continue to pull glue out.  I lay just enough down so that "the run" doesnt happen too fast before I get to it with the brush.  I use short strokes and use the edges of the brush to get the edges of the base tape.  Ive seen too many tires come in where the glue wasnt distributed over the entire surface.  That can lead to the obvious "roll" of a tire which in turn can lead to a bad situation for everyone.

Nice even coating is what youre looking for.

One last point on the tire is to not be shy around the valve stem as well.  This is the one place you dont want and movement as it can lead to tearing of the valve stem from the casing.  Apply the same amount of glue there are you did on the rest of the tire.  

When everything is done, hang the tire on the same hook as the wheel.  I place the valve stem at the top since theres less base tape to have issues with if some air comes out over night and is easily re-glued.  If you only have 1 set of tires/wheels to deal with then it doesnt matter where you hang everything.  This is a good practice if you have multiple tires/wheels and you have to keep track of what tires go on certain wheels.

That concludes this portion of "Tubies Made Easy".  Its looking like Ill be able to do the removing/cleaning/stretching part in the next day or so.  Final Coat and Pulling on will come in a couple days as well.

Thanks for coming by....Boots

Tubies Made Easy...hopefully: Materials/Layout

I'm going to take couple of entries to go over how Ive done my tubular cleaning, stretching and gluing.  Partly comes from me going to the cross race at Xilinx last weekend and see some riders I've done work for, and them asking me what I do to it, and if I could do a few more.  So, I figured Id take a couple posts to make it a bit easier to do than Ive seen some people do it. 

DISCLAIMER: This is how I was taught to do tubies, and how other talented wrenches I've worked with have done it.  There ARE NUMEROUS ways to glue tubies and the opinions stated here are of this blog and its owner.  Feel free to take, or leave, anything you wish.  This will go over a "best case" scenario which means you have 3-4 days to do this.

This post will go over the materials I use for cleaning, stretching and gluing a wheel.  The cleaning aspect will be done when I have a used rim that needs a new tire.  Unfortunately the customer brought me a pair of new ZIPP 303's he's putting old tires on, so the stripping of old glue and removal of tire will have to wait till another time.

Now, onto the items I use for the whole deal:

• Paint Thinner(not acetone)
• Acid Brush(es)
• Plastic tire lever, or something you can use to work the base tape away from the rim without ripping, or tearing anything...NO METAL
• Glue/Mastik: I prefer Vittoria Mastik, Continental Standard Glue(the "carbon" only stuff I think has a bad consistency)
• Rags(for cleaning)
• Extra wheel/rim for stretching a new tire
• Truing Stand, or something that can be used as such
• Pump
• Broomstick, or something that resembles a broomstick
• Water bottle...one you will never use again
• Hairdryer
• Gloves for cleaning, Nitrile Mechanics gloves are what i use

If you have a new tire and rim Id recommend stretching the tire for at least 24hrs in advance to when you need to start the glue job.  As for the "time frame", I've been asked about for gluing, this is what Ive come to use as my rule of thumb(for perfect conditions meaning in a shop, or you have a few days to do the job)...Carbon rims = 3 days to glue, 1 to set...Alloy rims = 2 days to glue, 1 to set.  Carbon is much for porous than alloy, so when the first coat is applied to the rim, alot of it gets "sucked" up by the rim itself.  Conversely an alloy rim isn't porous at all hence the lack of need for extra glue.  In an ideal world, you would let the glue sit up for about 24hrs between coats.  If you're in a hurry, I try to let the glue get tacky enough that I cant make runs in it by pressing on it with my finger.  Please at least give yourself 24hrs from the time the tire is mounted until the time you intend to race or ride it.  Ive seen it work out with less time, but in general I recommend 24hrs. 

Tomorrow Ill go over how I apply the glue and why I use only glue and NOT tape as some people do.  As for the question of is it ok to reuse an old tubular, the answer is yes...as long as the casing and base tape are in tact and the glue is not too terribly chunky and the chunks that are there can be removed without doing any damage to the tire.  Some customers I have don't have tons of wheel sets laying around, and have me remove and reuse tires for road and cross season.  

Standard Paint Thinner you can buy at any Home Depot, the Acid Brush you can get at a modeling store and glue from your local LBS

to keep the wheel from spinning in the stand, i gently apply pressure with the truing  gauge

This is a new rim.  Depending on the manufacturer some need very little to no buffing with an emory cloth to get the surface slightly rough for the application of glue.

The tire is inflated just enough so that when it sits on a table or this case a bench, that the basetape faces up.  

There aren't too many big chunks on these tires, as I used a hairdryer to heat the glue up to get them off the rim.

Thanks for coming by and letting me ramble...

CX Love

Getting a bike ready for cross is no small task at times, especially when you get into something and find that things havent been done, or they are just plain ole dirty.  After going through my boy, Matt Klick of Frites-en-Mayo, bike, he should be all ready to roll this weekend!  All new Jagwire cables and housing, new bar tape, and a fresh coat of grease in all the right places.

Have fun Matt!

After a good bath, his steed rested peacefully in the stable overnight

cleaning and grease are a must for Cross season

this was the lower bearing in his headset...sad sight and much better now!

after cleaning, its all ready for a fresh thin layer of grease...those "creaks" you hear in your headset, check to make sure its all greased. most shops dont double check it from the factory

clean, inflated wheels make the world go round...literally!

even though they will more than likely fall off, its the little touches that make prepping a bike super fun and rewarding

fizik bar tape is not my favorite, but ive managed to become friendly enough with it so it lets me wrap it nicely

Everything on this frame is toptube run

nice new cable/housing set works pretty good actually, and im not a fan of Teflon coated cable...Jagwire Race Cable/Housing set

I removed the water bottle bolts and replaced with bits of electrical tape...no sticking into the ribs when carrying now!

not the best photo, but heres the finished product

that fizik bar tape, a love/hate relationship

Avid Ultimate Canti's are the choice for Matt

Representin local team love here!