Learning To Play With New Toys

A few of the first shots from my "new" Mamiya RB67 Pro.  The Holga is a total medium format gateway drug of a camera.  It's is very fun and gets you to appreciate the possibilities of the larger negatives, but it is not exactly a precision instrument.  I was looking for something that would give me better control and the RB67s have a good rep and are going for a song on the used market.  I picked up a body and standard lens on eBay and a couple more lenses from keh.com.  The Mamiya is a complete monster, it's got to weight at least 10 pounds, and is built like a tank - not exactly a street shooter - but so far has been living up to its hype.  Shooting with it is a lot more involved than with your standard 35mm slr, but I can't argue with the end results - big, gorgeous negatives.  What's not to like?

Garlic Scapes, June 2011, Chicago IL
(Mamiya RB67Pro, 90mm f3.8, Fomopan 400, developed by 120processing.com, scanned self w/Epson V600)

The photos were taken in my apartment's backyard, over the fence into our neighbor's garden.  The back yards of the neighbors on either side of our place put our backyard to shame.  On one side, we have a landscape artist whose place could be featured in a magazine.  On the other side we have an older Cuban gentleman, who has cultivated about a third of his yard into a lush garden.  He is getting on in years, but you will still see him most afternoons puttering around with his wide, floppy straw hat, his cigar, and his khaki shorts.  (We should all only hope to be so cool in our old age.)

My Continuing Descent Into Hipsterdom

You still won't find me sporting a pair of skinny jeans (you're welcome), but my hipster cred continues to accumulate.  A couple of months ago I became the somewhat sheepish owner of a Holga 120N medium-format camera.  For those who don't know, the Holga is a "toy" camera - a cheaply-made, all plastic Chinese camera that shoots 120mm film.  The camera is prone to light leaks, accidental double-exposures and heavy vignetting, but is very popular with art photographers and people looking to get into medium format film photography on the cheap (and, of course, hipsters, although Polaroid still takes pride of place on that score).

I've shot about ten rolls of film with the camera so far and just recently got the first set of developed negatives back from the photo lab.  Below is a shot from the first roll that I put through the camera:

Ira in his usual afternoon napping spot (Holga 120N, Kodak Tri-X 400)

Okay, so yes, it's a pet shot - that's our oldest cat, Ira (named after NPR radio host Ira Glass, of This American Life; yes we are that big of geeks) - but I think it came our pretty great, especially considering it was the first time I used the camera.

I will be posting more shots from this camera soon.  I really could fall in love with medium format.  Those big, frick'n negatives are pretty damn sweet.

What A Handsome Devil . . . Initial Ride Report

So I took my new custom-build Handsome Devil out for its first real ride today - commuting back and forth from work on the Lakefront Path.  Weather could not have been better for the maiden voyage, clear and cool with only a little wind on the way home.

Earlier rides on this have only been of the 'round-the-block type to make sure whatever I had just bolted on actually worked and did not spontaneously fall off.  I guess I am the trusting sort because I realized after I left for work in the morning that in my excitement to get on the bike, I had neglected to bring along a flat kit.  My other two bikes have seat bag kits that I just leave on the bikes even when parked outside.  I have never had a seat bag stolen and it is nice never to have to think about bringing tools, patches or an extra tube because all those things are already there.  Thankfully there were no problems and no need for adjustments that needed tools to accomplish.

First things first - let me get my abject apology for every disparaging and skeptical remark I have ever made about Brooks saddles out of the way now.  The B-17 Flyer saddle is hands down the most comfortable saddle I have ever ridden.  And this is right out of the box with no break-in or adjustment period.  The only complaint I have is that the leather is slicker than I am used to, but I'm sure that will adjust with time. Consider me a convert.

However, my new-found Brooks love is not extending to the handlebar grips.  The ride on this new bike is pretty plush overall, with the handlebar grips being the exception.  The leather does provide a secure hand-hold, but I feel like I need to wear gloves to provide some cushion, which I prefer not to do for rides under 10 miles.  Even with the short commute ride, I really felt the road vibration and my hands felt a bit bruised at the end of the day.  To be fair, my unfamiliarity with the hand position provided by the Velo-Orange Milan bar may be part of the blame, but right now the grips may be the target for an early replacement with something a little more ergonomic if less stylish.

I am also not entirely sure about the Portland Design Works Payload rack.  It is a beautiful rack - perhaps too good looking to feel entirely comfortable when locking the bike up outside - but does not seem to be playing well with my Arkel Metropolitan bag.  I have been using this bag on the K2, which has a Topeak Supertourist rack, and have had no problems with heel clearance, but the Metropolitan does not seem to want to sit secure on the Payload and it creeps forward.  I am experimenting with the hook position and will see if that corrects the problem.  Given that I will also need to buy an adapter for the Payload for the dynamo taillight that I still need to install, we may need to reevaluate my decision to go with the Payload versus a Tubus Cargo.

What I am really digging is the ride position afforded by the frame and Milan bars.  I am more upright than with my flat-bar K2, but still feel like I can comfortably crouch forward to reduce my exposure when riding into a headwind.  The ride position feels so proper and gentlemanly!  I am also glad that I went with the slightly larger frame (55cm).  It does not provide much stand-over clearance for my 30-inch inseam, but the reach on the top tube is pretty much dead on.  This would be a very comfortable ride for extended trips - as long as I can work out the grip situation, that is.  If I were ever to switch the Milan bar out for drop bars, though, I might find myself a little too stretched.

The ride quality overall is very nice.  Solid, but smooth.  I am a skeptic about the whole "steel is real" attitude, since most people who say steel provides a smoother ride are not comparing apples to apples - that is comparing frames with the same geometry or that are outfitted with the same components.  (It is much more likely that things like a longer wheel base, wider tires, lower tire pressure, handlebar height and other differences in frame geometry account for differences in ride quality rather than the choice of metal used for the frame.)  But whether it is the steel frame or the 32mm Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires run low of maximum pressure, my little Devil rides like a dream.  I still need to get used to the more upright position and the handling differences that come with the swept-back handlebars, but the bike fees super solid and very comfortable on the road.  It is a fun ride.

Last, but not least, let's talk about the Shimano 8-spd internal-geared hub.  I love the convenience and aesthetic of an IGH, but it definitely does provide a different feel that will take some getting use to.  When pushing off from a dead start, there seems to be a moment or two of lag in the hub connection - I press down on the pedal and it feels like I am freewheeling for a split-second before the hub is completely engaged.  Once I get going it feels fine, although never has that super-solid mechanical connection feel that you get with an externally-geared bike (and which I am told is even more present with a direct fixed-gear setup.)  I am not sure exactly to describe the feeling that I am talking about, but it has the sense - even when pedaling full out - that the cranks and the rear cogs/wheel are not directly connected to each other.  There is some sense of loss of energy transfer that I do not get on my external-gear bikes.

I have ridden my wife's internally geared 3-spd before and I remember it having the same sort of feel, so I think this is just inherent to the system and not a malfunction.  And once I was spun up, I was getting pretty much the same speeds out of the Devil that I would get on my K2 in similar situations and with essentially the same level of effort, so the apparent loss of of energy between the cranks and the hub is probably just in my head.  Still, it is going to take some getting used to the different feel.

All in all I am very pleased.  There are a couple of things to watch and maybe some minor refinements to make (but when is there not).  Also need to get a saddle bag for a flat kit.  Will need something stylish to go with the bike, but not something so flashy that I worry about it getting stolen when locked up in public.  (Ah, the second-best thing about owning a bike after riding it - buying accessories to go with it!)

My First Custom (Part II)

So close, but not quite yet . . .

(Oh, come on dad!  When can I go out and play with the neighborhood bikes?)

So maybe I'm just a little slow, but building up my first bike from scratch has really enlightened me as how many little parts there are on a bicycle that you (or at least I) completely ignore.  Ferrules, cable stops and shift-lever covers, for example. And it was only when I actually went to install the brakes that I realized that a traditional front cantilever requires a cable hanger (which I had not purchased).  Then - and this is really evidence that I might not be the brightest tool in the box - I go ahead and order two different hangers, because I can't decide on a style, and they are both the wrong size and too small to fit my stem.  D'oh!!  After unsuccessfully trying to locate an in-stock 1 1/8ths hanger from my local bike shops, I now have another couple of hangers on order - two different styles again and both, hopefully, the correct size this time.

(Ready to roll, except for front brakes . . . and fenders, lights and a rack.  But mostly brakes.  Dig those custom wheels!!)

  

(Apparently, you can now count me as a member of the cult of Brooks.  Does this make me a hipster?  Do I have to grow an ironic beard and start wearing skinny jeans?)

 

(Rack by Portland Design Works.  They really make some great looking accessories.)

I am very proud of myself for getting the shifter set up and adjusted correctly.  There is probably a trick to easily attaching and detaching the shift cable to and from the hub, and I probably just need to practice taking the wheel off and putting it back on several times, but it seems a lot more involved than getting the wheel on and off on the standard external gear setups that I am used to.  Having to remove this wheel in the rain on the side of the road to fix a flat does not sound fun at all (not that fixing a flat is ever fun).  Glad I did not skimp on the tires as I think it is going to be awhile before I feel comfortable with this setup.

My First Custom (Part I)

I've owned eight bicycles in my life so far: the first two were hand-me-downs, the third was the greatest Christmas gift of all time, the fourth was the only mountain bike that I have ever owned, the fifth was a great tourer that I wish I never sold, the sixth was my first "serious" bike and the first (and hopefully only) bike that I ever got stolen, the seventh is my current every-day commuter and the eighth is the fastest little rocket that I have ever ridden.  All pretty different, but equally great, bikes in their own way.  All bought pretty much off the shelf.


Which, of course, brings us to number nine.


Number nine is going to be my first custom build - all components carefully chosen and then brought together by my own fumbling hands.  For a long time, this bike has just been an idea, but the idea is actually getting pretty close to being a reality.


I wanted a touring/cyclocross-style bike that allowed running wider tires, including winter studs, with fenders, but that stayed with 700cc wheels rather than the smaller mountain bike wheels. I looked at the Long Haul Trucker and Cross-Check from Surly, but ended up going with the Devil frame from Handsome Cycles.

Here is the frame without the fork.  I had my local awesome bike shop (Roscoe Village Bikes) install the crank for my Alfine hub drivetrain since I don't have the tools to chase and face the bottom bracket.  The Devil frame really is quite handsome - great lines with a very nice powdercoat paint job.  The frame also comes in a mixte, the She Devil.


I started buying parts for this bike at the beginning of last winter, including having a set of wheels built with an Alfine 8spd hub and a Shimano generator hub for the front.  Alex Tweedie, who owns and operates RVB along with his wife Lesley, had previously built up a rear wheel for my current commuter after having lost the valiant fight to keep my crappy stock wheel true.  That was my first hand-built, custom wheel and I am completely hooked.  That wheel has stayed true and ran smooth through the worst I have thrown at it.  So it was a no-brainer to have Alex build up the wheels for my new ride.  The new gorgeous wheels have been sitting in my home office along with a growing box of parts.  I sort of worked backward, with the frame being bought after a lot of the other major parts were purchased.

I have never tried to build up a bike before, and my experience with actual bicycle maintenance has been limited to changing tires, fixing flats and installing and swapping out accessories.  A bicycle isn't that complicated of a machine, but if you have never put one together from scratch before it is a little intimidating.  Also, the bike repair/maintenance books out there seem to assume a certain base level of knowledge - they probably make great reference books for mechanics or people who already have a general idea of a bike's mechanisms, but are a little bewildering for a complete newbie like me.

Luckily, Google is our friend.  A little web surfing came up with a bunch of great tips and tricks.  For example, for cutting the stem you often hear people talking about doing it with a hack saw, which carries all the worries of getting the cut straight and cleaning up the edges when you are done.  However, turns out that if you just bop on over to Home Depot and buy yourself a $10 pipe cutter from the plumbing supply section, it works like a charm - straight cut, clean edges.  The picture above is the headset stack assembled on the uncut fork stem, and the picture below is after I cut down the stem and slipped on the handlebars, shifter and brake levers.

All of this is taking me far more time that it probably should.  And certainly more aggravation that is strictly necessary. (Seating the headset cups to the frame involved copious amounts of banging, foul language and despair, and in the end only came together with the help of one seriously gerry-rigged setup that had no reason to work, but somehow managed to anyway.) But, I'm still enjoying the process, and am learning a lot about my bike's mechanics' that I never knew before.  I will probably always be the guy who takes his bikes in to the local shop to get everything tuned up professionally a couple times a year, but I already feel a lot more confident about undertaking maintenance tasks that go beyond the basics.

Next up is wheels, installing the brakes, routing the brake lines and seeing if I can get the shifter mechanism hooked up and adjusted correctly.