lørdag, august 26, 2006

This is in response to a question on BikeForums, as to why I didn't choose the SRAM DualDrive. I did come very close to going that route, but here are the reasons I didn't:
  • I wanted drop bars, but officially SRAM say road shifters won't work with the DualDrive. Most mechanics I spoke to thought it would be hard to adjust the internal gear, because the cable pulled by STi levers would not match. I guess it can't be impossible, since Bike Friday manage it.
  • I wanted v-brakes to give plenty of clearance for tires and fenders (mudguards), and the only v-brake compatible road levers are not STi. I could have used TravelAgents, but they are quite expensive and not an ideal solution. I suppose I could also have put the DualDrive shifter on the bar end, like I have with the Sturmey-Archer shifter.
  • I wanted hub gears - both for the simplicity of use and because there wouldn't be any delicate bits sticking out when folded.

I guess I'm just a wimp too! I knew I could make the hub gears work, but was uncertain what would be involved with the DualDrive. I'm a mechanical engineer, I hang my head in shame But I didn't want to wait a long time to use the bike, since it's my only means of transport.

In retrospect I still wonder about this decision. I don't think the derailleur would have been much of a problem, I maintain my things and only ride on the road. I had originally wanted to have the Swift as my one do-all bike, but loaded touring will be more or less out of the question with the limited range of the S-A. I guess I'll just have to start saving for a Schlumpf MountainDrive!

So does this mean I'm unhappy with the hub gears? No, not really. They are very nice to use, and very well suited to biking around town. But I do miss being able to shift gears without moving my hand from the bars. In effect, this often means I have to rely on the ability to shift while standing still, where I otherwise would be able to shift while braking.

So what does the future hold? I think a Schlumpf costs almost as much as a Rohloff.. Though the Schlumpf + Sturmey Archer hub actually give a greater range than the Rohloff, it may be more than necessary and it's a less neat solution. And of course, buying a new wheel with DualDrive and new brake levers is relatively cheap compared to either of the above..

lørdag, august 19, 2006



There isn't a lot of choice for front racks that might conceivably fit a small-wheeled bike. There's the Nitto M-12 that I already tried, at $49.95. There's the Nitto "mini front rack" as sold by Rivendell for $65 +$10 for the fork clamps (non-member prices). Then there's the Nashbar front rack, for $14.99, now sale for $9.99.

I would sorely have loved to try the "mini front rack", as 1) Nitto racks are beautifully made and 2) it clamps to the forks rather than the brake bosses. But I'm sorry, $75 for a tiny front rack is just way beyond the pain-barrier..

So I ended up ordering the Nashbar front rack, wondering what I would get for $10.. As it turns out, I'm quite impressed! Painted black aluminium obviously looks very different from polished stainless, but I don't think it looks too bad on the bike. The fitting hardware supplied with the rack is great - all stainless steel and even included locking nuts. (Nitto couldn't be bothered to include anything at all..) Fitting it was a doddle, and any doubts I had about it's aesthetic appeal have become secondary to how practical it is. I hate having a bike without a rack, since I can't stand riding any distance with a bag on my back. So far I've bungied all kinds of loads on the front, up to and including almost 20 lbs of groceries. The handling is fine, since the load is so low (20" wheels rule!). Obviously noticable, but no worse than panniers on lowriders.

Ironically, the box in the picture contains the Nitto rack, taken as I was delivering the box back to UPS ;-)

fredag, august 11, 2006




Save yourselves the trouble... I thought the Nitto M-12 front rack would be perfect on my Swift folder. And it is, very nearly. It's beautifully made, honestly. But it juuuust won't fit. The mounting arms are too narrow and come down too far back to mount on the v-brake studs. The rack is also so strong that it doesn't feel like I can bend it to fit either. So, back to the drawing board!