Colossi Mixte for Nagaoka-san

As part of the fringe benefits at Deneb Renewable, the small solar development firm I co-founded in 2012 (and am leaving this year for another primary commitment), I told our small group of employees that if anyone wants a bicycle, all they need to do is raise a hand.

Finally, earlier this year, our office manager, Nagaoka-san, raised hers.  I have known her since 1992, when she was for several years my secretary when I was in the O'Melveny & Myers Tokyo office as a young lawyer, and again was the office manager when I came back to O'Melveny Tokyo in 2004. So when we started Deneb, she was kind enough to join us out of semi-retirement to help us, at first in our tiny, hot one room office -- a "walk up" on the top floor of a building on the regular route of the right wing crazies with loudspeakers, near the Chinese Embassy on TV Asahi Dori.

She tells me she has not ridden a bicycle in 15 years at least, but seems eager to try.  Through Hiroshi at C Speed I ordered a  Colossi "Street One Mixte" frameset.  This is a complex frame to build.  As Hiroshi says, it must be a money loser for Colossi if done in small lots.  But their loss is our gain, and it looks great!

I used my 2011 Rolf Prima Elan wheels, since they will not support me (or Jerome) without an occasional broken spoke.  But Nagaoka-san weighs less than half as much as either of us, so she should have many years of service from them.  And they are light, climber wheels.  Nothing like you would find on a mama-chari.  It will be the lightest bike in the condominium parking lot, mostly because of the wheels.  To use it for shopping she can add a rear rack/basket easily.  And plenty of clearance for fenders.  But for now it is a pure riding machine, light and, once she gets used to riding, fast.

The build uses Tiagra 4600 components with rear derailleur only.  The 50 tooth front ring is a bit big, so if she does a lot of climbing it might make sense to swap it out for something in the 42-46 range.

At my house before delivery

At Nagaoka-san's condominium after the seat is adjusted/lowered!  And kickstand, bell and lock added.

Jan Kole, the founder/CEO of Colossi, a Dutch cyclist with a Beijing workshop

Beautiful details.  Hearts on the lugs -- Mixte is designed as a "co-ed" than a "women's" frame, but in practice seems to be used more by women than men.

Columbus Zona double butted tubing.  A known quantity, reliable tubeset.

Nitto quill stem, with removable faceplate required for the bars we used

More nice details

Only one bottle cage on this frame, given the geometry and size

Riding home in the heat of Tokyo late July late morning!
A sports bike takes some adjustment ... but the rider is determined!

It took awhile, but we made it all the way from Kaminoge back to Sangenchaya/Taishido area by bike.  So in the next year, we should be watching for this bike on the path up the Tamagawa, or maybe even in the hills beyond?

Colossi -- if you or your dealer wants a bicycle with a quality, reasonably-priced steel alloy frame, you can get a Colossi via Hiroshi at C Speed in Takatsu, just across the river from Futako Tamagawa.

Made in Japan

I saw these classic metal water bottles at Hiroshi's shop, C Speed, the other day.  Beautiful, light and strong. There is a cork under the cap and, of course, the cap when unscrewed and inverted will serve as a cup.  They would go great on a restored classic bike ... though they are not inexpensive, and the shiny mirror-like finish (right side) costs extra.   Still, they should last a long, long time.

Hiroshi tells me that they are made using the Japanese "herabori" technique, kind of like cutting away metal with a spoon, I guess on a metal lathe.  

Saturday near Futako with MOB

Last Saturday MOB and I spent part of the afternoon visiting areas near Kaminoge.  We had already gone to Positivo a few days before, and MOB had been back since, so we checked out a few of the other quirkier shops.

On the way to lunch in Jiyu-ga-oka, we made a brief stop at the CPW Skate Shop with its high rider bikes.

The proprietor, full tattoos on both arms, was delighted to learn that a Bremen-based anarchist group are big fans of his shop.

Bikes at lunch

On the way to C Speed, we visited the Above Bike Store, where the Yamabushi was painted.  MOB managed to find a beautiful 59cm Nagasawa used track frame hanging from the ceiling in the rear of the shop, which he immediately purchased.  A thing of beauty in a spectacular metalic blue paint.  I wish I had spotted it first!  I expect it will show up on MOB's blog before long, with a beautiful track build.

We next visited C Speed and chatted with Hiroshi.  With an aria playing in the background, and Chesini bikes on display, the shop is a little bit of Italy.  After a long chat, I left MOB there to head home for Brevet preparations.

Yes, the Chesini "Florian" image marketing is nice.  But Above Bike Store's "Summerlong (Steel Era)" image movie is a bit more ambitious.  (full screen recommended).


"SUMMERLONG" (STEEL ERA IMAGE MOVIE) from goooove on Vimeo.

Cycle Mode 2012 - Makuhari Messe

I have not been to Cycle Mode -- the closest thing Japan has to EuroBike or InterBike --  in a number of years ...  usually it conflicts with some great riding weather, and there is nothing new under the sun, or very little.  And I have heard grumbling from exhibitors -- it takes a lot of time, effort and money, and in Japan the show does not seem to translate into sales for most companies.

But after missing it for a few years, and getting more interested in "the industry", I thought I should attend.

This year Trek, Giant and Specialized were noticeably absent, though Pinarello, Colnago, Chesini, De Rosa and other Italian brands were there.  Cervelo had a small display.  Shimano was there, of course, and Campy Japan.  I did not see SRAM.  Presumably whether someone participates has a lot to do with the specific importer/distributor relationships and whether companies feel they can avoid the show without it damaging their business and prospects.  It is a "command performance" for major Japanese brands, and for some others trying to expand here.

There were a few highlights for me.

1.  Chesini.  Of course, stopping by the Chesini booth, to see Hiroshi Koyama, and also meet Mr. Chesini and his daughter (in law?) visiting from Verona.  Hiroshi has been actively promoting the Chesini brand in Japan via C Speed.  It is a small brand, but has a long history, back to 1925, and its bikes have some world championship victories to their credit.  Chesini is to Verona what Sambi is to Ravenna?  But more so.

2.  Gokiso Hubs.  Are these the best hubs in existence?  Tim Smith (GS Astuto) and David Marx (RGT Enterprises) are big fans, and they come highly reviewed.  As I was leaving, I saw Tim Smith just entering the show.  He was headed over to say hello to Kondo-san at Gokiso.  David Marx was home in Nagoya, but told me he loves his Gokiso hubs and that I should check them out.

At the well-manned booth, I was given a demonstration of how perfectly balanced and responsive a wheel can be -- to the point where adding a plastic valve cap would be enough weight to start the wheel rotating.  And they explained how the hubs are designed to avoid damage to the internals, especially the bearings, in both installation and with a suspension to protect from impacts while riding.  They start with ball bearings designed for aerospace applications.

But the cost is a bit much for a mere mortal like me (around $3000 for a set retail).  Great for a show bike, or for Alberto Contador.  Difficult for me to justify.  And as my instructor said at my UBI framebuilding course in February, "we are not flying these things to the moon" ... Bicycles really do not require aerospace precision.

3.  Randonneur bikes at Grand Bois.  I must be getting older.  Or maybe it is just that I have lost what remained of my interest in bike racing following the Lance Armstrong USADA report.  Instead of checking out the latest racing models from Pinarello and the latest in carbon deep wheels, I found myself drawn to the Grand Bois booth.  Grand Bois is a brand of classic and retro bikes and components developed by I's Bicycles in Kyoto.  I think Jan Heine/Compass Bikes handle their products in the U.S.  They had a classic Rene Herse bike from way back (1950s?) on display.

Grand Bois hubs -- retro styling, but modern internals and the convenience of QR skewers.

4.  Different bikes, New bikes.  There were plenty of folding bikes, some belt drives, some wooden handmade bikes, and a modern looking design with the front and rear lights integrated into the top tube ... nice fashion accessory, though not sure I could see myself riding it.  The folders and the belt drive looked like the wheel bases were too short for me.

Strida, the only belt drive model I saw ... though there were probably more. (You need a monostay, like this, or a notch in one side of the seat stays, to fit a belt drive onto a bike).  A UK brand, apparently.

Vanmoof bike with Philips front and rear lights integrated in the top tube.
Internal gear Sturmey Archer rear hub.  Dynamo front hub, both with drum brakes.

5.  Handmade bicycles.  Cycle Mode now has a special area for framebuilders, and around 8 to 10 of them had their wares on display.  There was also a stage set up for a presentation by the builders.  Of courser, Cherubim had a display.  It was not crowded, so I took the chance to say hello to Shin-ichi Konno, one of the most celebrated framebuilders of his generation and winner of the NAHBS "best in show" award twice in recent years.  And there was a display for a new vocational school -- Tokyo College of Cycle Design, that opened this year.

Cherubim's take on the classic racer.  With a more modern tandem below.

Konno-san and the NAHBS winning bike, plus some beautiful lugs on the headtubes/fork crowns in the foreground.

The stem on Cherubim's sleek, modern version of a racer.  Nothing but Campy in the entire booth.  

Nagasawa-san, the Keirin builder, was there.  As were others.  I liked a bike on display by a Kyoto-based woman framebuilder, Yuka Kitajima.  It was a touring bike with the racks designed for carrying food and drink to a picnic -- wine glasses, tabasco sauce etc. on board.  The steel frame had some very nice etching, and the front rack/fender support was hollow for storage of a spare spoke.  Not that practical, but fun.

The distinctive Nagasawa logo ... Blogger seems to want to show it upside down.

Etching on Yuka Kitajima's steel framed pizza picnic bike.

Spare spoke fits inside the fender attachment.

I rode my bike about 20 kms to Hacchobori, then put it in the bag and hopped the Keiyo Line the rest of the way out -- a fast way to get to Makuhari.  On the way home, I rode the entire way.  It was about 50 kms, taking Route 14 most of the way from Makuhari into Tokyo.  I needed to hunt a bit for a decent route as I got closer to Tokyo, but it was tolerable, and good for future reference.  ... since I might even go back to Cycle Mode next year.

C Speed Re-Open ... Nearer to Me!

As planned for some time, Hiroshi's C Speed has moved from its initial location out in Kohoku/Yokohama, to Takatsu-ku/Kawasaki, 3-7-12 Mizonoguchi, just a few minutes away from the river on the Kawasaki side at Futako Tamagawa.  It is less than 10 minutes from my house by bicycle!

The shop is conveniently located just across from the Takatsu Police Station -- so as low a risk of another "smash and grab" as possible.  And Hiroshi can get to and from his house in a few minutes, via his trusty mama chari (lower left edge of photo).  The mama chari does not quite fit with the gorgeous bikes and frames inside the shop ...  but gets it done for errands in the rain.

At the Kawasaki Keirin Track

With the brakes and bullhorns off, and 48x14 gearing,
my commuting fixie is a real track bike!

MOB did it at end of 2008, others have since, and now it was my turn to join Hiroshi and his Keihin Pista club for one of their sessions on the Kawasaki keirin track -- to ride the "bank".  Gunnar and Tim S. also joined for this event.  Tim mentioned that he lived in Portland at one point, and offered to provide info and intros to the cycling (and cycle racing) scene before my visit in February.

It was a great way to spend Saturday afternoon, and I look forward to another visit soon.  It took awhile to get used to riding high on the steep banked curve, but it was much easier to get to the top of the bank than I had thought it would be, since on the keirin track the approach is very gradual from the flat to the top of the bank.

There were actually people in the stands as we rode ... all of whom were just there to bet on and watch via big screen some keirin races being held elsewhere (Shizuoka, today) and maybe have some shochu.  It was great to go into the velodrome the back way, pass the large room where some of the riders were hanging out, schmoozing, training and tinkering with gear, and to emerge in the infield with music playing and an audience.

Next time I will need to remember to count the number of one lap "pulls" that I do when
we ride in a line.  Lots and lots of laps, just not sure how many.

Gunnar's track bike -- Chrome frame, chrome wheels, chrome stem and bars and post!

Hiroshi, Gunnar and Tim are #2, 3 and 4 in the line.  Tim was riding the bike Eric borrowed for Saiko --
the GS Astuto carbon frame with Ultegra DI2 electronic shifters and GS Astuto 50mm carbon tubulars.

And there they go!

Practicing my track stand (?), smiling after a try at the Flying 200m

Time flew by, it got colder, dusk neared, and it was time to go, as the facility began to shut down.

Industrial strength rollers for riders to warm up before the race.

More rollers, Hiroshi with his Nagasawa track bike,
and the entrance to the area where the keirin riders were hanging out.

Saiko 2011 - Race of Destiny

I knew it had to be a race of destiny, as the hand of God seemed to part the clouds and the sun shown down upon the start area at Saiko, as I neared the race registration on Saturday afternoon.

Mt Fuji from our lodgings.

Another year, another trip to Saiko for beautiful fall weather and foliage, a weekend at the mountain and a day full of exciting races.  Gunnar, Jerome and I stayed at the same well-outfitted, comfortable Sasuga cottage in Oishi, Kawaguchi-ko as Ludwig and I had last year, and cooked a riders' dinner of pasta, as well as sampling a number of the local products.  We could not find fresh local vegetables in November, so instead we sampled the products of a number of micro breweries, mostly dunkel (dark beer) and weizen (wheat beer).  Fujizakura Kogen; Fujiyama; and one more brewer whose name I've already forgotten.  All very nice, even the forgotten one.  I was looking for Baird Beer, since I met one of the managers there recently, but did not see any on the shelf in Kawaguchiko.

As for the results, EricinIkebukuro from TCC did well in the X-class in his first JCRC event, 14th place, with an average speed over 41 kph, and he should get a decent class placement.  I think we will see him again next year on the JCRC circuit. 

Only one "bike leaning" photo this year.

... and one "bike hanging" photo for good measure.

Gunnar, making a guest appearance for Ludwig, whose back is still giving him problem, easily hung with the B-class group for 49 out of 50 km, and was positioning himself for the final sprint ... when he got hemmed in between 2 riders, with someone cutting him off from the left and forcing him into a crash.  Fortunately, no broken bones, and it looks as if with a new derailleur hanger and some wheel truing the equipment should be fine.

Far right -  Gunnar with B class, after 2 laps, Jerome's finger pointing him out.

Broken derailleur hanger, blood on elbow -- typical race stuff, as Hiroshi looks on

Hiroshi made a good showing in 60km S-Class on his beautiful Colnago ... but was blocked by a crash in front of him within 3 km of the finish and so was not able to contest for the podium.  He passed Jerome and me driving home along Doshi michi in his very, very small car, and gave us a friendly "shave and hair cut, 2 bits" honk of his horn.

It's all good!

I enjoyed my C Class race, and managed to do well enough so I should not get bounced to D at least.  I stayed on the right/outside edge of the group the entire race, so I would be in the "lee" protected from the headwind as much as possible in the far side of the lake.  This worked well for the most part, and on the first 2 laps I was able to conserve energy and yet creep up the group so I was relatively near the front (no more then 20-30% of the way back, on the far right) when we hit the turn and the short nasty uphill 2 km from the start/goal.  Even though plenty of people passed me on the short uphill, I managed to keep in contact with the group each time and recover quickly.

Best team kit

On the last lap, on the penultimate turn on the far side of the lake, about 3 km to go, I was pretty far back in the group and went into the turn again on the far right ... but there were 2 riders directly ahead of me, and the front one slowed suddenly.  I hit my brakes to avoid barreling into the rider directly in front, and my rear wheel locked and skidded left a few inches.  Fortunately, I did not lose balance, and the 5-10 riders behind me in the group were all on my left, so no one hit me either ... but I had decelerated way too much and was off the back just as the acceleration started.  I hauled ass and caught the back of the group just before the hill, but was pretty much out of gas and lost contact again ... finishing about 100 meters behind the main bunch at an average speed of approx 40.4 kph.  I was 46th out of 60 who registered and maybe 56 who started, 52 of whom finished (or 94 out of 188 in the 3 C-class heats, measured by overall time).  This kind of racing requires repeated intense bursts of energy, and I top out far below the level it takes to do really well. 

Okay, maybe I was misled by the shaft of sunlight piercing the clouds on Saturday afternoon, and it was not a race of destiny.  But it was fun.

Jerome and I rode back to Tokyo, leaving Saiko around 3:45PM, as Gunnar would need to hop the train home with his non-functioning derailleur.  It was dark within an hour, as we passed Yamanakako. 

Only 100 km more to ride.