2021 "Festive 500"

The Pelso prays for world peace at the shrine just outside Haneda airport.

After the 300/400/300km brevets I joined in late October through mid-November, I have taken a short vacation from longer rides, with only a few ~50km coffee rides with the Tokyo Cranks from November 20 and December 23. I will rejoin Audax events from next March, but hope to focus on swimming in January and February. 

So I was not sure if I would be able to get in enough short rides to clear the Festive 500 (500kms during Dec 24 to Dec 31). I did so, finishing with a short spin this morning, the 31st. I ended up doing more than 60% of the distance on the Pelso recumbent.

The first ride was a flat trip to Soka City, Saitama to pick up a bicycle component and meet Sashikata-san, the only recumbent dealer in Kanto (who is very much on a part-time basis, his main business involving supply of classroom desks to schools).  The next ride of significance was a trip to and from Mitaka for an appointment -- I headed down to Haneda, then up the Tamagawa, and on the way back went to Mitaka. Then on the 29th I took a short ride on the Parlee with Jerome and Peter, also the Tamagawa with "hospital hill" and "I-ro-ha-zaka". The last long ride, the longest of the week at 107kms, was again to Mitaka via Haneda and the Tamagawa ... with a return also via the extended, indirect route.

As always, when I ride the Pelso, I hear plenty of exclamations as I pass by groups of people. "Sugoi. Are nani?" (Wow. What is THAT?)  

The Tamagawa looked as if it is ready for the New Year. I often feel like riding along the river is just the boring, same old route that one needs to get through in order to enjoy the "good stuff" once into the mountains further out of town. But on December 30, on the Pelso, the Tamagawa, and the sky with its changing colors as the day went on then faded away, was enough of a reward in and of itself. 

The water skiier I saw near Kawasaki was the icing on the cake.

Outmoded and Outdated -- Audax Rules Prohibiting Flashing Rear Lights

Many Audax clubs, including those in Japan, prohibit use of flashing lights on bicycles. Indeed, German and Netherlands law prohibit flashers. Some other places also prohibit them (or at least prohibit a bright, flashing, front light that will bother drivers). Audax clubs also require that lights be affixed to the bicycle frame (except, perhaps, one on the rear of the helmet).

This article on the Bikeradar website summarizes current research on whether flashing or solid lights are safer, and suggests that the Audax rules may be out of date.

https://www.bikeradar.com/advice/buyers-guides/flashing-bike-lights/

One key piece of research emphasizes the importance of lights, and reflectives, on moving parts of the body -- the legs and arms, and less so the head.

"The study found that when steady lights were mounted to the cyclist's pedaling heels, participants [identified the cyclist] from a mean distance that was 1.7 times greater than when a flashing light was mounted to the seatpost. This figure increased to 5.5 times when compared to a steady light mounted to the seatpost."

Some Audax groups (in the US) do require reflective ankle bands. Those in Japan do not ... but should. 

And the Japan clubs also should allow flashing rear lights, and encourage use of lights on the heels or ankles.

Electric scooters and e bikes in Japan are “gentsuki”

I was wondering how long it would take for the police to jump into action … but it seems they are finally moving against illegal e-scooters. These transport devices are treated like “gentsuki” — small motor (<50cc) mopeds — under Japanese regulations. They cannot be used on the streets without a driver’s license and the devices should have a number plate (and mandatory insurance). Mainichi Shimbun has an article today on the topic … one of numerous I have seen in the past month so a typical “get the word out” media campaign by the traffic cops.

https://mainichi.jp/articles/20211214/k00/00m/040/331000c

First step … warning riders and trying to shut down sales activity. Next step … you’ve been warned.  Eventually … modify regulations to accommodate something new that is, potentially, a better way to get around town for some people. 

The same treatment should apply to e bikes that have a powerful electric motor. People … usually delivery gig workers … zoom past me all the time on e bikes with fat tires … snow or sand tire fat … and you know their motor is electric, not the hipster with the “Wolt” or “Uber Eats” cube shaped backpack on. These guys sometimes come too close for comfort too fast.  Of course, a regulation “mama chari” electric bike that has limited power and cuts out gradually between 15 and 25kph is exempt from being considered a “gentsuki”. 

What is the Fine for Causing a Massive Crash in the Tour de France?

The "Allez Opi-Omi!" spectator who caused a nasty pile-up crash on the first day of last summer's Tour de France has been fined 1200 Euros for her conduct. 

Tony Martin, first man down in the peleton, retired from pro cycling after this, naming "too many crashes" as one of his prime reasons. I hope that her German grandma and grandpa saw the sign.

Wheel No. 00028 -- First new SP dynamo hub in years!

This is around a 955g wheel, including the dynamo hub. About as light weight as imaginable for a 32-spoke, wide-rimmed, very sturdy wheel with a dynamo. 

As part of preparing the Ti Travel Bike, Voyage Voyage, for its second decade, I thought I also should replace my front wheel, built in December of 2014. The wheel and its Shutter Precision SV-9 dynamo hub has gone at least 20,000 kilometers over the past 7 years. The hub is a closed system -- can only be opened and maintained at the factory, in theory at least. So while it still "rolls good",  the bearings must have worn a bit by now. I recently noticed a very slight degree of "play" in it, so I think it may be nearing time to replace. And the wheel's H Plus Son Archetype rim is showing definite wear on the brake track -- what started as a straight brake track is now noticeably sunken/concave on both sides. I think the rim could last another year or two, but if I am going to replace the hub I might as well do the rim at the same time. If I build a new wheel, it should be what I use with the Ti Travel bike for PBP 2023 and beyond.

The new dynamo hub arrived it seemed almost overnight, actually second day I think after it shipped -- Taiwan is incredibly close to Japan and so it is practically like a domestic shipment! The SV-9 is designed to meet the German regulator's standards of output for a 20 or 24 inch wheel. On a 700c road wheel (28 inch) this hub requires a slightly higher speed than the regulatory standard to achieve the necessary output. This also is true for the SV-8/SD-8. The PV-8/PD-8 and PD-7/PL-7 are the models that clear the German regulator's output requirements. But that regulatory standard is for commuters on heavy bikes going slowly in urban environments. And it is for older lighting that drains more power than the newest, most efficient LED lights and reflector systems. The regulatory requirement is just not an issue for someone riding a road bike, even a plodding randonneur in the middle of the night.  And the SV-9 hub is just over 300 grams -- the lightest dynamo hub that works. The SV-9 (and SV-8, to some extent) have lower drag than other options. (These models are not included in any of the head-to-head tests by SON-friendly reviewers like Jan Heine at Bicycle Quarterly, or this Australian touring cyclist. Instead, they test the PV-8/PD-8. In my experience, anyone doing Audax or light, bikepacking touring will be very happy with the SV-8 or SV-9. They easily power a 50, 70 or 100 Lux LED headlight plus a rear light. And the drag is not noticeable. 

The H Plus Son Archetype is always an easy wheel to build, and today was no exception. And the H Plus Son Archetype remains, in my view, one of the best looking aluminum clincher rims out there. Just some good wheel-building therapy!

Wheel No. 00027

Wheel No. 00027

After a flurry of wheel building during 2012-2015, I have rebuilt a number of wheels in recent years ... but until today it has been quite awhile since I built up any entirely new ones. 

In 2020/21, I rebuilt each of my Imezi wheels after damaging the rims (my fault). 

In Spring 2019, after the rim died in Tasmania but before Paris-Brest-Paris and the other cycling planned for a European trip, I rebuilt Wheel No. 00024 with a new rim, but reused the lovely Dura Ace 9000 hub and the still okay Sapim CX-Ray spokes.* 

My plan is to convert the Ti Travel bike to SRAM Force AXS eTap 12-speed groupset -- for the next decade of use. That requires a rear wheel with a SRAM XDR hub. I got an XDR conversion freehub adapter for my Imezi 167 carbon chincher wheels, but also wanted a new, aluminum clincher rim wheel for everyday use, travel, and Audax.

XDR freehub, DT Swiss 240 classic (J bend) rim brake hub

I could find a DT Swiss 240 "classic" 28-hole hub and DT Swiss RR411 asymmetric rear rim, plus Sapim CX-Ray black spokes, on a German mail order retailer's website. The package arrived within two weeks and I built up the wheel.

The RR411 looks really nicely built. so does the DT Swiss 240 hub. The SRAM XDR cassette attaches really nicely to the freehub -- very secure and easy installation using the same tool as for a Shimano or legacy SRAM freehub. 

I have not used an asymmetric rear rim before, but the idea is that the right and left sides can have more even spoke tension than a typical rear wheel build, where nearly all the tension is on the drive side. In the end, with the wheel tensioned and trued, the right side spokes are around 125kgf and left side around 75-80kgf. In a typical aluminum clincher rear wheel the right would be the same, 120-130kgf, and the left would be I think no more than 50kgf. My hope is that this design, plus the super-strong Sapim CX-Ray spokes and the long, brass spoke nipples that I used, will make this a very strong wheel despite the 28 (vs my usual 32) spokes.

The RR411 is 22mm wide outside, 18mm wide inside, not so different from the H Plus Son Archetype (23mm/17.5mm), but not as wide as many of the rims being made in the past few years for use with 28mm, 30mm or wider tires. (Velocity Aileron rims and Gokiso GD2 rims are 25mm wide on the exterior, the Imezi rims are 26mm). The RR411 width is just fine, as the Ti Travel bike's chain stays do not allow a tire wider than 26-27mm in any event. In recent years, I use a 28mm tire on the front of the bike, for extra comfort, and a 25/26mm rear. I also use a 27.2mm seat post with an adapter for a bit of added flex and comfort, as the bike feels a bit stiff for ultra-endurance with a 30.6 seat post. 

I have DT Swiss 350 hubs on the Imezi wheels, but this is my first experience with the DT Swiss 240 -- the higher-end model, lighter weight for road racing, but I expect very similar in terms of maintenance and durability. The freehub is very quiet.

The fully built wheel, without cassette/tape/skewers, is 838 grams. That is excellent for an aluminum clincher rear wheel. For comparison, Wheel No. 00024 was 913 grams when new. The DT Swiss 240 rear hub is 212 grams (vs 247 for the Dura Ace 9000). There are 28 (vs 32) spokes. And the rim is 435g (vs 485g for the H Plus Son Archetype). I used slightly longer (and heavier, brass) spoke nipples as compared to the aluminum nipples that used to come paired with Sapim CX-Ray spokes. 

And the DT Swiss RR411 rim came with washer-like supports (PHR washers) that  fit around the inside edge of the spoke hole, where the spoke nipple presses into the rim, to compensate for a rim that does not have any grommets around the spoke holes. These supports are wider than the base/head of the spoke nipple and are shaped to fit snuggly into the inside of the rim bed and give additional support around the edge of the spoke hole. 

I used the black brass Sapim Polyax 16mm spoke nipples I ordered with the spokes, rather than the set of DT Swiss silver alloy "Squorx" nipples that came with the rim. I now see some instructions on other retailers' sites to the that the wheels "must be built" with not only the PHR washers but the Squorx spoke nipples. Hmmm. 

Did I mention that, with the right rim tape, the RR411 rims are "tubeless ready"?

The rim, hub, and spokes all made for an easy build. I expect this to be an excellent wheel with which to launch the second decade of the Ti Travel bike! 

10-36 12-speed SRAM Force 1270 Etap AXS hub (with QR skewer inserted). 
With 46-33 crankset and 10-36 cassette, the AXS drivetrain will offer a barely bigger high gear than my current 50-11 compact setup, and a much lower low gear (33-36 vs 34-32)
for spinning up the steepest hills, exhausted and with some gear on the bike.

*Wheel No 00024 now could use another rebuild, after thousands more kilometers. The rim probably could last another few years, though it is showing some wear along the brake tracks. But a number of the bladed spokes have bound up in the spoke nipple or are badly twisted from 6+ years of adjustments, and are essentially stuck. At this point, instead of mixing 7-year old and new spokes, I think it is best to again re-use the Dura Ace hub, with a new replacement H Plus Son rim and a full new set of spokes. Another winter project!

Is a Bicycle a Political Symbol ... or Just a Bike?

 

I was amused to see this headline. 

The conservatives apparently thought that this was just a way to make a political point, to show "environmental cred" ... instead of, say, the only place to store a bicycle out of the way, dry and safe, while inside.

Well, when I do a Zoom meeting at home from my Zoom cave ... my background looks quite similar to his. 

The bike, the bookcase, the photo, everything in view pre-dates the pandemic and the beginning of the Zoom era (though I did get the Gokiso wheels out of storage recently -- when my previous wheel wore out).  This is the only way to store multiple bikes on the first floor of my house (the others are on the floor out of view). It is possible to blur everything so that there is only the outline of a bicycle/wheel visible -- I usually do so. But the Canadian parliament probably has a rule against that too.