Wheelgirl

Wheelgirl 2009 T-Shirt Design Contest Winner

We received fewer designs this year, but deciding on a winning design was not an easy task. There are a several designs that would make really great t-shirts. In the end, the judges chose Stephen from Irwin, Pennsylvania, USA. His design makes me remember the happy times when energy bars looked like a cellophane pack of mini donuts; cycling jerseys were any shirt you owned that had short sleeves, and energy drinks consisted of water bottles filled with lukewarm coffee and Coca-Cola. (Yes, it is kind of gross, but it does work.) Congrats, Stephen, for creating this year's winning Wheelgirl Bike Shop "Bike Love" t-shirt design. You win an Chrome Citizen messenger bag! Check out Stephen's other artwork.

Keep your eyes peeled for another t-shirt contest this year. I really love to see the creativity and talent that exists in the bike community. Here are the designs from this year's participants. Well done to all of the designers who entered!

(*Quick completely unrelated note: If you are in Golden Gate Park in San Francisco today, check out the Purple Skunk All Skate Jam.)

(All graphic design and photos by Stephen of Irwin, PA USA. Stephen's art site:  www.fatherofodin.net 

 


 

 

 

Bike Swap at Wheelgirl, This Sat. Oct 10th, Donuts & Coffee, Bargains!

We are having a bike swap from noon to 5pm this Saturday. You are invited. Bring anything bike-related that you want to swap, sell, or trade. If you need to build up a bike, this might be the place to find some sweet deals on components and accessories. Items in the bike shop are on sale. And of course, it isn't a party without free coffee and donuts! We'll also announce the winner of the Wheelgirl 2009 T-Shirt Design contest.  Email the small poster jpg file to everyone you know who loves 2 wheels. (Jump if you need directions for emailing images.)

(Wheelgirl Bike Swap Poster designed and created by local Bay Area, Graphic Designer, Dalton G. Crosthwait  Thanks Dalton! )

Paul Racer Brakes Let You Convert 27-inch Bike Frame to Accept 700c Wheels

You have an old vintage Raleigh, Roberts, Dawes, or Peugeot steel frame with 27-inch wheels. It has semi-horizontal dropouts, and you decide to re-purpose the frame into a single-speed or fixed gear. You want to run 700c wheels, since there are way more choices in 700c rims, tires, and pre-built wheelsets. However, when you put the 700c wheel (smaller) in a road frame made for 27-inch wheels (larger), the brake on the 27-inch geometry frame don't reach the 700c rim braking surface.  Suggestion: Spend the money on a center-pull, long-reach Paul Racer brake.  And you can reward your faithful old steel bike with a nice piece of modern bike component jewelry.

Yes, the Racer brakes are pricey. But you can then keep that old and still-good bike, which you used to ride around town in cut-off jeans and tube socks, out of the landfill. (I know lady cats, you didn't wear tube socks, but you did you did sew the legs shut on your old cut-offs and make purses out of them.) The cost of the brake is about the cost of a BART ticket for a month. The Racer brake is available in braze on or center mount models. So you can buy a model that fits on 26" mountain "V" brake-style frame brazeons or 27-inch and 700c center mount road frames. The Racer brake also allows you to put 650B wheels on a frame made for 700c wheels. But according to the tech spec from Paul, it "will not fit on cantilever brake studs."  Click here for the tech spec. (Jump for more details.)

 

 

(Photos taken by Wheelgirl.)

Wheelgirl.com Bike Shop 2009 T-Shirt Design Contest & Bike Swap

Schools back, and we know you need to get your biking self organized. So take a break from your homework by designing a t-shirt and winning a Chrome Citizen messenger bag!

The design on the shirt can be anything you want relating to bikes as long as it's appropriate for viewing by the general public. The design has to be 100% original. It will be printed on front and back of an American Apparel t-shirt  in 1 color ink, and it must have the word "Wheelgirl" and the Wheelgirl logo somewhere on it. You can submit 1 design per person. The deadline is midnight October 2, 2009. 

Click here to see the great designs submitted for last year's contest.

We will celebrate the winning design with coffee, donuts, and a bike swap 12pm-5pm on Sat. October 10th at the shop.  Also everything in the store will be 10% off Saturday, October 10th only! Stop by on 10/10 to get something special for your ride and enjoy a cup of coffee! (Jump for t-shirt design submission guidelines.)

 

Here is last year's 2008 Wheelgirl Bike Shop T-Shirt Design Contest  winning design by Greg of Brooklyn, NY.

Plemon's Leather Double Toe Straps, the Hand-Made Ones with the Birds

Ok, you cats who feel like you are going to fly off of your fixies into space if you are not double strapped into your pedals, Wheelgirl Bike Shop just got in another great looking choice in double toe straps. Plemon's all-leather double straps are hand made in San Francisco, California, and you can recognize them because they look beautiful, and they have a bird embossed into the leather. (Seagull, dove, pigeon [in the dove family and carnivorous], Canadian goose, you decide.)

The label is not so easy to read, so look for the lovely little holes in the straps and the birds. If you are wanting to rock double straps that cost something between the price of Soma double straps and Toshi double straps, you now have a locally made option. The brown straps are the thickest, so if you know you are a beast when it comes to breaking toe straps, get brown. (I want a  leather bracelet made to match the brown toe straps.) Suggestion: There are not a ton of white straps currently because they are a new color, so don't cry like a baby cat if you wait too long to decide, and the white straps sell out. (Jump for more photos and  info about these new double toe straps.)

Photos by Wheelgirl

Wheelgirl Bike Shop Looking for Part-Time Bike Mechanic

It is bike season, and we are looking for a part-time bike mechanic with experience working on high-performance road and track bicycles.You need to have experience installing current Campagnolo Record and Chorus and Shimano Dura Ace and Ultegra SL drive trains. You also have to have experience working as a bike mechanic in a bike shop that sells high-performance cycling brands. The position is for 15-to-20 hours per week. The schedule can be flexible. (Jump for resume guidelines.)

(Photo by Wheelgirl of a cut away view of a Rohloff Internal Speed Hub. [Thanks, Neil!]  You won't ever have to fix these at our shop. But if you are a bike mechanic, you won't be able to avert your eyes!)

Gripping Tales of Cloth Bar Tape

Many fixed gear riders like the positive feel of cloth bar tape. They feel more connected to their handle bars via the thin layer of cloth with an adhesive backing versus a thicker layer of synthetic cork bar tape. Also, the thinner cloth bar tape may be less likely to slip around than the thicker bar tape if you are doing acrobatic fixietrix. However, be warned, if you have sensitive hands or a rough urban commute, the cloth is really thin and not squishy at all. If you smack a pot hole, you may be more likely to feel the road shock and vibration transmitted through the cloth than through fake cork or rubberized riser bar mountain grips. (Some cyclists solve the hand stinging issue by putting a couple of gel pads on their bar tops and wrapping cloth over the gel pads.) We just got a bunch of cloth bar tape in different colors into the Wheelgirl Bike Shop. So far we are stocking cloth bar tape in brown, dark green, dark blue, white, yellow, red, and black. (Remember: We moved to San Pablo between REI and Performance Bicycles.)

Photo by Wheelgirl.

If Forced To Visit Relatives on 4th of July, Pedal ID by PedalMafia

Eat some grilled food, talk about the economy, kiss your great aunts on the cheek, and sneak a hand-held, web-browsing device to your 4th of July gathering.  I started playing on this site after employee An introduced me to it. An's fixie was stolen, and she was trying to design her next bike. (The thieves cut down the sign to which her bike was u-locked.) An got a inexpensive orange fixie. But what rhymes with "orange"? While you are sitting at the picnic table hoping your Uncle Billy doesn't blow off a finger lighting firecrackers, go to  Pedal ID by Pedal Mafia .

Oh, how I enjoy the labors of creative and smart bike cats. The Pedal ID program is easy. Click here. You will discover colorways for track bikes that mimic those outfits of  late 1970s hair metal bands. Sometimes you will feel embarrassed by your designs and need to reload the tab.  Some tips for new users: To add a component to your canvas, click on the component. To remove a component, click on that specific component icon again, and it will disappear. You can drag and drop any components on the canvas. On the bottom left-hand corner of the Frame page, there is a Pink, Blue, Yellow Frame Paint icon which allows you to paint a frame different colors.

There are about 19 choices you can make from screens for frames, front forks, wheels, wheels bmx (spread the love), chain ring, crank (spider), pedal, toe clip, toe strap, stem, seat post, saddle, handle bar (riser and track bars), tire, tire bmx, grip, chain, exclusive, other (which includes frame pads, Chris King headsets, lanterns, Knog lights.)

No more holding up a component to your fixie and asking every friend you know as well as complete strangers, "Does this look stupid or good?"  This 4th of July, visit Pedal ID, and remember: Lighting paper tubes filled with gun powder inside of containers creates a big noise and shrapnel.

 

(Screens lifted from Pedal Mafia's Pedal ID app.)

Adrian and His Comic Book BMX Components

A guy on a light blue BMX stopped at the bike shop. And I couldn't help but notice his ride. Creative cyclist Adrian had covered his stem, seat, and crank arms in comic book pages. Adrian told me that it took a while and some experimentation to create a coating mixture that works. He showed me photos of another cool looking comic component set he had made. It is summertime; sweeten your rides, creative super cats. (Jump for close ups of comics and more photos.)

(Photos by Wheelgirl. Comic Book Component Created by Adrian)

If You Still Have a Job Buy Yourself a Lynskey Cooper Titanium Frame

If you still have a job, you might want to think about getting your bike dialed so that if you get laid off, you can ride away your work fat and your crying-broke stress during your months of almost assured unemployment. I really like titanium as a bike frame material. My new favorite frame for the money is the Lynksey Performance Cooper Ti frame. Lynskey is offering these all-titanium frames for $1295 + fork. Sure, if you can afford to get a completely custom frame, go wild crazy. But we have built two of the Coopers recently, an extra large and an extra small. And if you can fit correctly on one of the variously sized life-time guaranteed, never rusts, never fatigues, made-in-the-USA titanium Cooper, buy one. Ti is really comfortable to ride. And the titanium tube set for the Cooper is shaped and flattened. The down tube is bi-ovalized. This is not your grandma's thin-and-round-tubed whippy ti bike frame that click, click, clicks every time you are climbing and the front derailleur, chain, and crank are kissing from the stress. The ride and price of the Cooper is reigning supreme.

Oh, and I'd put one of those Lynsksey CNC'd  ti shamrock dropouts on a chain, and wear it around my neck to dinner and a movie. Lynskey does the dropout CNCing and the frame fabrication in-house in Tennessee. Go click around on the Lynskey site while you are still getting a payday. (Jump to read more and more about the Cooper.)

  

(Photos of Lynksey Titanium Cooper taken by Wheelgirl. Photo of the shamrock dropout lifted from the Lynskey site.)

The Bike Kurt Built to Ride From Berkeley, California to Tierra del Fuego, South America

Bike mechanic, racer, and world touring cyclist, Kurt, is leaving on the cycling trip of his dreams. He designed and built his touring bike and wheels to be bombproof and reliable under any conditions. He started with a somewhat damaged XtraCycle frame, a welding torch, some Halo downhill rims and a Halo rear hub, a Schmidt generator front hub, his Jamis frame, some Schwalbe Marathon Plus tires, a Shimano Shadow rear derailleur, XT cranks, a nose-less saddle. Then Kurt, with his formidable skills as a bike mechanic, constructed the bike that is up to the job of making this dream come true. He plans to ride from Berkeley to the tip of South America and, perhaps, onward from there to some other spots on the globe.  His last trip included 12,000 miles through 18 countries in 10 months. For this trip, he has not set a return date. Best wishes and a safe journey to Kurt on his adventure. If you see him during his trip, do me a favor and keep him supplied with giant cake mixing bowls of pasta or breakfast cereal and lots of coffee. (Only black coffee, no flavored coffee, well-meaning lady cat barristas.) In the bike shop, I've also seen him have a "little snack" consisting of a gallon container of orange juice and an entire box of Wheat Thins. A few dough nuts, I've found, also usually produce a grin. We'll have a link on the Wheelgirl site to his his trip-of-a-lifetime stories and photos. (Jump for more photos of Kurt's touring bike.)

 

(Photos by Wheelgirl. Amazing touring bike designed and built by Kurt.)

White Industries Urban Platform Pedals with Tapered Spindles Are Foxy on Your Fixie

Take a look at the White Industries tapered stainless steel extra-foxy spindles on their newer Urban Platform pedal. No more meowing about your fat work shoes hanging off of your teeny track pedal platforms. It was kind of hard for me to put these in the case and not straight onto my ride. These pedals are not available in giant quantities, yet. But we do have a black-and-silver set in the glass case if you want to see what the fuss is about, and we will be getting in more pedal sets in silver, hopefully. The CNC'd engineered aluminum platforms, exacting touches, and thoughtful hardware, like sealed-bearing cartridges and brass acorn nuts, make them unique and  pricey. The platforms accept all standard toe clips and single or double toe straps. The tab the you step on to align the pedal with your foot is much wider than most and not easy to miss. The platforms kind of look like an electrical outlet face plates to me when I allow my mind to wander. Check out the photos. (Jump for the gear-head specs.)

(Photos by Wheelgirl.)

Ritchey TorqKey Pocket Wrench or Jelly Beans and Sound of Carbon Bars Snapping

During a bike check this Easter Sunday, Cyclist Lee sprang into action by quickly offering his Ritchey TorqKey with a 4mm hex bit. This pocket-sized torque wrench, which fits in the palm of your hand,  worked well during a customary Ritchey carbon handlebar and Ritchey alloy stem check. Torque spec is usually printed on the stem. The TorqKey has one 4mm hex bit and a fixed torque setting of 5 newton meters (5 Nm or 44 inch-pounds), so it works with Ritchey handle bar and stems. When you have tightened a stem face plate bolt to 5 Nm, the wrench clicks, signaling it has topped out, and you can relax knowing you have tightening the stem face plate bolts to manufacturers' spec, and not crushed your carbon handlebars. The alternative, of course, is that under the influence of jelly beans, in a jet-fuel-like sugar coma, you decide arbitrarily to guess what 5 Nm of torque feels like, and with your folding minitool and a few marshmallow chicks for courage, deeply scar or snap your pricey handlebars. We will have the TorqKey at the shop, and you can pick up one for less than a large pizza with two toppings. (Remember we've moved to 1400 San Pablo Ave. between REI and Performance.)

Wheelgirl is Looking for a Few Good Bike Mechanics

If you are an experienced bike mechanic who has put together pricey road bikes for highly discerning (and kind) customers, and you are looking for part-time work this bike season, please send your resume to us. You must also be able to tune-up a faithful 7-speed Stumpjumper or 3-speed Raleigh commuter bike. You must have current bike shop or race mechanic experience with current knowledge of Campagnolo, Shimano, and SRAM bike components to be considered for these positions. That means you have put lots of Campy and Shimano 10-speed drive trains on bikes. Campy 11-speed experience isn't required. Jump to read the particulars of applying.

(Photos lifted from the web.)

Wheelgirl Moving to 1400 San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley Starting April 11

Loyal customers and cats who like to look at gorgeous bits of machined metal alloy bike jewelry that glimmers in the spring-time sunshine, we've moved to 1400 San Pablo Ave. We'll be on Spring hours starting April 11, 2009 (11am-6pm). The Wheelgirl custom bike shop is now located smack dab between REI and Performance. (Wheelgirl is located 161 feet from the front doors of REI and 1 block from Performance.)

While re-modeling the space, we've meet super nice and welcoming employees from both the REI and Performance bike shops. You want to know where the bike love is? Get yourself over to San Pablo Ave. in Berkeley. Did I hear someone say MTV bike freak block party every weekend in Berkeley?!

Feeling Just A Little Bit Cranky

Customer Julius brought this in to show us. He was not hurt. But after his ride was interrupted, he might have felt just a little bit cranky. (This is pretty unusual.)

Check Your Rim Braking Surface or Maybe Visit This Daymare

There are tons of beginning cyclist articles on the web telling you to check for tiny rocks and / or bits of metal embedded in your brake pads that can wear down or tear your rim sidewall. Yeah, yeah, yeah. These articles also tell you to replace your brake pads when they wear down, so you don't damage the rim. Right, right, right.  And then, usually, there is a tip about checking for rim wear. Some rims have wear indicators (little cuts in the rim that let you see how far you have worn through the alloy). Oh, tell me something new, you are thinking. I know all of this. My wheels are fine. Or are they?! (Check out the photo.)

If you hold a ruler parallel against the bicycle wheel rim's machined sidewall  and you see a small bit of light between the rim and the ruler, you are usually OK. Some cyclists, however, try this exercise and say to themselves, "Wow, I certainly feel a giant valley of alloy worn away in the middle of the braking surface, and when I hold a ruler parallel to this rim I see a fat-as-a-hog  half moon of light between the straight edge and the machined sidewall of the rim!" If this sounds like you, mileage beast,  you are skating on thin ice this holiday season.

The brakes can wear through an alloy rim braking surface until the alloy is paper thin, and then the braking surface on the rim can rupture, tear, and basically fail. The customer who owns this wheel didn't crash. He had just completed a long ride (with hills)and was putting his bike back on his car bike rack to go home. Lucky guy. Take him to Vegas. Suggestion: Check your rims, dear focused and bike obsessed cats. Plates of Holidays cookies are easier to hold and eat if you are not wearing a sling.

 

Photos by Wheelgirl. Hello Mr. Michelin Man. Happy Holidays.

FixieTrix Food For Thought In November

Here are 5 minutes of fixietrix you can think about, emailed to me from customer Larry. If you've got your track stand dialed and can ride backward circles, here are some new ideas to keep you humble and challenged.  Spend the winter practicing, and show us what you've got in the spring. Here are some other ideas if you are feeling like you're ready to build your skeels

(Suggestion: Build your skills slowly. Keep the blood and bones inside of your skin. Note that there are no cars, buses, or trolley tracks in the middle of the gym floor.)

El Toro Chromed-Plated Steel Pursuit Handle Bars, The Bull Horns Let You Stretch Out

We got in some of Soma's El Toro handle bars. In general, the chrome-plated Tange steel bars are much beefier than alloy bullhorn handle bars. The bars come in 38, 40, 42, and 48 cm widths. The have a 26.0 clamping diameter. And the inner diameter of the bar ends is 20.9.

You can come into the bike shop and squeeze the 40 cm ones we have. You either like the wrist angle of the bull horn bars by Soma or Nitto, or you don't. You need to try them and see if they make your wrists and arms happy. (According to the Soma website. The El Toro bars were after the Irvine, California, Air Force base burned down by aliens in the movie "Independence Day".)

You can fit the Soma pursuit levers with these bars, but according to the Soma site, you have to buy the  20.6 plugs separately. (The plugs that hold the Soma Pursuit brake levers inside the front part of the handle bar can expand from 19.6 to 20.6. And the El Toro bars are 20.9.) Make sure you check the expanding plug diameter of your levers before you get all happy; then, pout like a baby, and then curse like a sailor if  your intended pursuit or time-trial brake levers don't fit right.

Photos by Wheelgirl

3M Reflective Frame Pads Style and Stealth Safety

If you are planning to commute on your fixed gear through the darker winter months, you might want to visit the bike shop and check out the new Bici 3M Reflective frame pad that just arrived.The 3M reflective frame pad looks like a normal light gray frame pad during the day. But the entire surface is made from a reflective material produced by 3M. The frame pad turns a really bright reflective white when it catches the light. One advantage of reflective material on the top tube is that cars entering a main street from a side streets can see you. The first photo, taken inside the shop, shows afternoon sunlight on the frame pad (and the bags in the background with reflective piping and trim). The second photo shows a non-reflective frame pad covered in a white material next to the reflective Bici 3M reflective pad. Again, this photo was taken indoors in the afternoon, and the Bici 3M reflective pad is reflecting sunlight. It is wicked bright.

Photos by Wheelgirl