Wheelgirl

Want a Clean Look, But Ride Too Many Hills for Fixie or Single Speed, Internal Hub Considerations

I receive phone calls from city cyclists who build up single speeds, and then realize after a couple of weeks that their commute contains too many hills for a one-geared bike. Most of these riders like the clean design of fixed gear and single-speed bikes, and they don't want to hang derailleurs off of their bike frames. So, the next logical question they ask is what about building up a rear wheel with an internal hub.

Most people were introduced to internal hubs on bikes such as the proverbial Raleigh three speed. You flick a switch or turn a grip, and all the gear changing takes place inside the hub where you can't see it and the mechanism is protected from the elements. These hubs employee planetary or epicycle gearing.

If you are considering an internal hub, right this second, read the late great Sheldon Brown's instructions on Bike Frame / Hub Spacing before we go on. Sheldon has written a clear lesson on figuring out hub spacing, cold setting, and he has included helpful photos. Also, read his article on Chainline Spacing, so you get a general idea about what is going on between the alignment of the front and the back of a bicycle drive train.

Now, given the number of internal hubs on the market, which one is going to work with your brakes and bike frame? Internal hubs are made in models that are compatible with either disc brakes, or coaster brakes (you use your feet to brake, like when you were a kid), or roller brakes, or V brakes. Shimano, for example, offers two models of their 8-speed Nexus hub: Model SG-8C20 has an integrated coaster brake; Nexus Model SG-8R25 is both V-brake and roller brake compatible. Also check the spacing specifications for each internal hub in which you are interested on the manufacturers' sites. Most manufacturers make 3-speed, 5-speed, and 8- or 9-speed internal hubs. Rohloff does a 14-speed hub. My suggestion is to try to find a hub that suits your current brake style, gearing comfort needs, and minimizes the amount of deforming you need to do to your frame in order to make the hub fit. If you are trekking across a continent, make sure to pick the hub that works with your adventure terrain. Strong suggestion: If you are thinking about an internal coaster hub for you city bike, and you ride like a wild cat, make sure to run a front brake also. You only need to skid through an intersection once to realize that coaster brakes are not made to stop late-for-work coffee-drinking adults riding at full tilt. (Been there, done that.)

Definitely check out this comparison of internal hubs by Marco at Hubstripping.com. You technical cats who love look at mechanisms and reading specs, click around on Marco's site until you get busted by your boss or co-worker for obsessing over gearing ranges and ratios while on the clock. Check out the manufacturer sites of the internal hubs Marco compares: Shimano, SRAM, Sturmey Archer, Rohloff, and Fichtel & Sachs. Wheelgirl bike shop recently built up some Nu Vinci hubs, which are heavy if you are riding a ton of hills, but useful for general, low-maintenance cycling. Marco has info on these hubs also. If we can build you wheel around your favorite internal hub, email us. We do build wheels for those living outside the Bay Area. The shipping is less than $20.00 to send a wheel set UPS ground.

(Photos of internal hubs, left to right, Rohloff, Shimano, SRAM, Sturmey Archer, NuVinci. All photos lifted from respective manufacturers' sites.)

Game Over for BART Bike Thief, Score One for Business Woman Bike Commuter

Here is a great to-catch-a-bike-thief story. Customer Kiki walked out of the Berkeley Ashby BART station, and she was looking forward to riding her Dutch commuter bike home after a long day at work. The hot dog man, who has watched Customer Kiki lock up her bike and get on BART for years, yelled to her, "He just stole your bike! That guy steals bikes all the time!" and pointed to some guy across the street, who was walking away from the BART with Customer Kiki's bike and another bike.

Customer Kiki, in formal business attire, looked at the bike rack, and suddenly realizing her bike was, in fact, missing, started running after the guy, who was stealing it. While sprinting across the cross-walk, all the while dragging her rolling business laptop case, she spotted a police car, flagged down an officer, and the police officer arrested and hand-cuffed the guy.

When asked why he had taken the bike, the bike thief, an older guy, said, "The key was in the bike lock, and I didn't want anyone to steal it, so I was watching it for her." Yes, like many of us, in a rush to avoid missing the train, Customer Kiki had inadvertently left the key in the bike lock. But, as the police officer reminded the thief, key or no key, it is against the law to take something that doesn't belong to you. The officer reunited Customer Kiki with her beloved Dutch commuter bike and put the wicked bike stealing man in the black and white (with the other stolen bike) and took him down to the station. Game over for the BART bike thief. Score one for bike commuters everywhere.

Bike photo lifted from CleverCycle, the Portland, Oregon store where Customer Kiki originally purchased her Dutch commuter. Bart Logo lifted from BART website. Handcuffs lifted from web. Hot dog photo lifted from Chemistryland site.

Wheelgirl 2008 T-Shirt Design Contest Winner Gets A Set of Phil Wood Track Hubs & More

Do you want to win a set of PhilWood 120mm Fixed/Free high-flange track hubs in the color of your choice shipped to your door anywhere on planet Earth?  Want to make some coin when any item with your design on it is sold in the Wheelgirl brick and mortar bike shop and on line at Wheelgirl.com? Enter and win the Wheelgirl 2008 T-Shirt Design Contest. Enter your great t-shirt design, and maybe your dear fixed gear or single-speed bike will be sporting some new Phils this summer. All of the contest details are here. The deadline for t-shirt design entries is August 1, 2008.   

Given the level of creativity in bike communities, and the continued growth of Wheelgirl.com, which is now read in 78 of the 192 countries and territories said to be on the Earth, we should get some truly amazing designs from all over the planet. If you are not into making art, make sure to forward this post to some one you know who has the graphic design talent and a true passion for all things bicycle to bring home the Phils.

Creative cats, make sure to read all of the submission guidelines before designing. If you work as a graphic designer all day behind a PC or Mac, maybe eat your lunch at your desk a few days this week, and design the Wheelgirl bike shop t-shirt you want to see worn by those who love to ride bikes.

Campagnolo Moving to 11-Speed Cassette in 2009, Campy Please Include Espresso for Bike Mechanics

Bike Radar reports that Campagnolo is going to announce an 11-speed cassette for three of their 2009 gruppos. The 11 cogs in new 2009 Campy 11-speed group set cassette will fit into the existing space that currently accommodates 10 cogs. So, as pointed out in a Bike Radar article, the 2009 chains and chain rings may require spot-on drive train spacing in order to accommodate the narrower gaps between cogs. You bike mechanics better find some inner peace or a vat of coffee, since the shifting and derailleur adjustments for 11 in the back and two up front, coupled with the new 5.5 mm chain, may teach you something about yourself.  The 11-speed cassette is expected to be backward compatible with 8-, 9-, and 10-speed freehubs. ("He said on my death bed I would achieve total consciousness, so I've got that going for me, which nice.)

(Tullio Campagnolo photo lifted from Bike Radar site.)

Chrome Dually Messenger Pack Because You Don't Cycle in Cut-Off Jeans Anymore and Most Man Purses Weigh A Ton Empty

If you don't want to over-dress your bike in accessories or you simply don't have braze-ons to put a rack and panniers on your bike, the Chrome Dually messenger pack, which we sell in the Wheelgirl online store, is a comfortable way to haul your gear while commuting on your bike. More importantly, the Dually makes my back and neck feel much better than the one-strap messenger-style bike bags. Now, you carefree cats who wear cut-off jeans while riding across America on a bike that is two sizes too big and still  go dancing at night until 4 am, heck, put forty pounds of groceries in the no-name messenger bag you found in the luggage bin at the Salvation Army for $2.00, and laugh aloud--for now. But, later my friends, if you become a day-time desk jockey, the Chrome Dually, which looks good and has great features, may save you from the eventual neck and back bonsai caused from sitting all day and then carrying the bulk of the cargo weight in your bag on one shoulder. Chrome calls it their small messenger pack, but it holds a ton of gear for the average bike commuter.

My favorite thing about the Dually is that it is light when it is empty. Yet, your cargo feels supported and stable on the bike when the Dually is filled to the brim with serious weight. The breathable back pad works well with the straps, and you can cinch it all down comfortably and keep the pack's weight really balanced and close to your body. You can haul tall and awkward items in the backpack, since you don't have to close the flap for your cargo to stay put. It is water-proof, so your electronic and paper cargo is safe when riding in the rain. There is a zipped compartment for your wallet, keys, money, phone. There are three inside pockets for quick access to daily items. You can abuse the Dually, and it lasts. Oh, and you can completely clean the inside waterproof floating liner if you spill Pad Thai and half-and half for your coffee during a combination dinner and grocery run.

(Jump for more photos and to read about my experience with my Dually; view a typical man purse dialog and Chrome's great guarantee; see why lady cycling cats might like the lighter Dually messenger pack, and test on your backpack cargo capacity with an item that everyone has in their home.)

(Photos by Wheelgirl. The black-on-black Dually is often sold out. I can usually get any type of Chrome bag in any offered color combination. If you want to buy something not on the site, send an email.)

2009 Dura Ace 7900 Cycling Group Set 135 Grams Lighter, Chain Has Reusable Quicklink Connection Pin

The 2009 7900 Series Dura Ace road racing group set made by Shimano is 135 grams (4.76 ounces) lighter than Dura Ace 7800 and provides more of a black and silver hi-tech look. Dura Ace 2009 (even though we are still in the year 2008) ups the ante on cycling component choice, performance, and value. The FC-7900 HollowTech crankset is 20 percent stiffer and has re-profiled teeth. The new crankset has hollow chain rings and is available in 53T/39T, 52T/39T, 52T/42T, 54T/42T, 55T/42T, and 56T/44T configurations. So, you are bound to find a chain ring combination that makes your body and need for speed happy. Not doing a ton of racing but want high-performance in a compact crankset? The Dura Ace 7900 Series offers a compact crankset (FC-7950) with 50T/34T chain rings. In addition, you shorter- and longer-legged beasts on two wheels, can order cranks lengths from 165mm to 180mm in 2.5mm increments.

Here are a few Dura Ace 7900 details. (Jump for more details): The ST-7900 Dura Ace Dual Control Levers have titanium fixing bolts. Shimano engineers have decreased the rear shift stroke by 20 percent for faster rear shifts, and they have shaved 40 grams of weight from each pair. The CS-7900 cassette, with an aluminum carrier and the four largest sprockets made of titanium, is offered in 11-21T, 11-23T, 11-25T, 11-27T, 11-28T, 12-23T, 12-25T, 12-27T. Again, you should be able to find the right cassette for your cycling preferences and geography. The RD-7900 rear derailleur has a carbon pulley plate. The FD-7900-B front derailleur has been redesigned to eliminate trim (having to click your shifter between the settings in certain gear ratios, so the chain doesn't rub). The BR-7900 brake calipers have a redesigned brake arch. The PD-7810 Pro-Tour Racing pedals, released a while ago, have an extra-wide platform. The FH-7900 rear hub (8-, 9-, and 10-speed compatible) has a titanium free hub body.

The 7900 series wheel sets are offered in six flavors. You may choose to race on a carbon 50mm high-profile tubular or clincher wheel set: WH-7850-C50-TU at 1467 gms, and WH-7850-C50-CL at 1580 gms. Need something less aero and lighter? Check out the 7900 series carbon tubular and tubeless wheel sets: WH-7850-C24-TU at 1257 gms and WH-7850-C24-TL at 1400 gms. Or you can opt for a even lighter carbon alloy composite clincher wheel set: WH-7850-C24-CL at 1380 gms or a Scandium road tubeless wheel set: WH7850-SL at 1514 gms.  (All weights given are for a pair of wheels.)

For many talented but disorganized cycling cats, your chain repair tool of choice is your cellphone, which you dial to get a ride home when your chain breaks. These cats, and those mileage monsters who have forgotten to re-stock the chain pin supply in their seat bags, may be quite happy about the CN-7900 Dura Ace Hyperglide 10-speed chain. In addition to having hollow pins and perforated chain plates, it can accept the new and reusable Quicklink connector. (Time will tell if it this is a good idea.) According to Shimano, you can use a new SM-CN79 Quicklink reusable connection link for tool-free chain removal and installation on the CN-7900 chain, and you can still use a 10-speed Hyperglide connecting pin to connect the chain.

I really like the smooth feeling of the 7800 Dura Ace road chains, so if you are riding a new Dura Ace CN-7900 chain with or without the Quicklink, please put up a post, and let us know if the redesigned chain feels markedly smoother. If you have first-hand experience fixing a busted Dura Ace 7900 chain without using tools leave a comment. Actually, if you are riding any of these new 7900 Dura Ace Series group set parts, put up a post and let us know how they compare to Dura Ace 7800.

(Jump for more 2009 Dura Ace 7900 Series road racing group set performance stats and specs and check out Shimano's Dura Ace website.)

(Photos lifted from the Shimano Dura Ace website.)