Happy Holidays!

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Overhaulin' the Singlespeed

I've been meaning to give some rebuild love to the SS for sometime now. Haven't done a thing to her since I put the fork on over the summer and it showed. The chain and cogs were gritty, the brakes in the rear were almost ineffective, the Crank Bros. Mallet's are beat to shit along with the EBB, and the entire bike was covered in mud and sand from various locations throughout the NE. One of the things I love about singlespeed bikes is the simplicity, which often makes rebuilding quick and almost painless. 

New EBB Installed

Since I had to pull most of the bike apart to get to the EBB I figured I would just overhaul it and clean it up. I had some trouble getting the crank bolt off, felt frozen, but nothing a little leverage couldn't handle...thank you laws of physics. I cleaned up the chainring, crank spindle interface, and BB cups, greased it all and installed it back onto the frame.

Yup the old one is pretty beat up

New EBB installed

New Crank Bros. Smarty's Installed

The Mallet's I had on here were used for years on my RM Switch and since I got new ones, these were relegated for SS use only. They were worn when I put them on the bike, now they are really worn out. Drive side actually has enough play that you can feel it in each pedal stroke. I picked up this set cheap for a 29'er build I never got to completing. I got them for less than it would cost for replacement cleats, which I also needed. I've heard mixed reviews with these but I think they will be fine for what I need. Certainly they are better than what came off.

Crank Bros. Smarty Pedals, Orange with Black Plates @ 282 grams

Tire Swap: 2.3 Kenda Nevegals for 2.2 Maxxis Wetscreams

I absolutely love the Kenda Nevegals for this bike. The 2.3's offer a fast-rolling large volume tire which gives extra cush on the backside as well as excellent grip and predictability, assuming pressure is where it needs to be. But the one thing I loathe is their inability to play well in wet to muddy conditions. They pack up, become unpredictable in corners, and they slide right off wet roots unless you're really careful about placement and weight distribution. I replaced these with a set of 26 x 2.2 Maxxis Wetscreams. Of course these tires were designed for DH riding in muddy conditions but I know lots of riders that use this tire for muddy to slushy to snowy conditions during the winter with good results. Two things I like about these tires...I picked the set up for just $20 and the orange stripe matches my new pedals. Two things I don't like about these tires...the added weight of the 2 ply casing and the rolling resistance of these huge knobbies. After a few rides I'll know whether or not these tires will work well. I could always go right to the studded Nokians if they don't but I am hoping they will. 

26 x 2.2 Maxxis Wetscream with MaxxPro 60a Compound

Check out the siping and square knobbies

Rear Brake Not Really Working

I had to remove the calipers from the bike, remove the pads, clean the pads with sand paper, clean the calipers, re-install them on the bike and then finally hit the rotors with the sandpaper to give them their bite back. Not sure why the rears were not working well. I suppose something got into the pads and contaminated them, reducing the friction, causing poor performance. I also readjusted the calipers to eliminate some rubbing. I just have to clean the rotors with rubbing alcohol to remove any oils that may have made it onto the rotor surface.

Last but not least I cleaned the cog, chain ring and chain and lubed them up nice. It was unbelievable the crap that was coming out between the links. I cleaned the rest of the bike as well as the fork stanchions. I spent the last two nights, after the kids went to bed, overhauling this bike so I could get out and ride today at lunch and it rained last night…a lot. No ride...so bummed. I would have preferred snow, cause I could have ridden in that. I can’t stand when ride plans are crushed by bad weather. Anyway here she is...all dressed up and no where to go.

Winterized and ready for more

Best fails of 2011 || TNL - YouTube

Funny? Some. Shocking? Others. Fail? All.

Best fails of 2011 || TNL - YouTube:

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Facebook Timeline

I upgraded to the facebook timelime but still not sure if I like it. Definitely better than previous but lately I've been posting to facebook as well as read updates via Hootsuite. It seems a bit better organized and I do like the cover pic. I think that's what the old profile lacked the most, the ability to make the interface your own and personalize it.

Lunch Time Ride - SCP

Rode the trails in Schenectady Central Park today during lunch.  What a great day for a ride...weather was perfect...for Dec. 19th anyway. They were frozen and fast with surprisingly very little frost heave. There are some new fallen trees though, too big/heavy to move by myself. Had to skip some sections due to time constraints, but still awesome.

So Simple a Caveman Can Do It...

23 and 1/2 hours: What is the single best thing we can do for our health?

A Doctor-Professor answers the old question "What is the single best thing we can do for our health" in a completely new way. 
Dr. Mike Evans is founder of the Health Design Lab at the Li Ka Shing Knowledge Institute, an Associate Professor of Family Medicine and Public Health at the University of Toronto, and a staff physician at St. Michael's Hospital.


Follow Dr. Mike on Twitter @docmikeevans
Facebook/docmikeevans


Conceived, written, and presented by Dr. Mike Evans
Illustrated by Liisa Sorsa 
Produced, directed, and filmed by Nick De Pencier 
Picture and sound edit by David Schmidt 
Gaffer, Martin Wojtunik 
Whiteboard construction by James Vanderkleyn
Production assistant, Chris Niesing 
©2011 Michael Evans and Mercury Films Inc.

OMG...How Much Did You Pay for Those EBB's!?!?

Seven bucks each. That's right...$7! So I bought two. I got these from Chad at Soul Cycles. They were on closeout with some other parts. Regular price for these were almost $40 I think. I've actually been meaning to replace the one on my 1st generation Hooligan since it's chewed up and beat to shit but just did not want to pay that much. Glad I jumped on them when I did because they are all gone now.

New Fork for the Singlespeed

As much as I like the responsiveness and light weight of a rigid fork, it was beating the snot out of my elbow and wrists. Since I use a computer extensively at work and at home, something a little less abusive up front was necessary. Over the summer I picked this Reba Team fork used, from a friend, locally for $80. What a word of difference this fork has made. Dual air spring, motion control dampening and even has a remote lock out, which I have used more often than I would have thought, for those extended climbs when you're really torquing the bar. The added weight is no longer noticeable and my wrists and elbow are happy...and that is of course what really counts.

Doritos® Presents: CRASH THE SUPER BOWL

Check out my wife in this Doritos commercial, her face is classic...

If they get to the final round, please vote for hers.

Doritos® Presents: CRASH THE SUPER BOWL:

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The Weather is Here...Wish You Were Biking.

Going for a ride in Schenectady Central Park right now. Gotta love this mild winter weather. This is what I like best for lunch.