I hope these pictures help you figure out this air fork a little better. Thanks for looking.
Which has less mass, steel or air? On most planets, an air bladder is much lighter than a steel spring. There are other performance parameters, but air springs are light. A suspention air fork for a bicycle can often be almost the same weight as a dead rigid steel fork. The other parameters include stiction [more…]
The rim of a bicycle wheel can be exchanged for a new one. This can be done for maintenance, to replace a worn rim, or a rim can be replaced with a wider, narrower, or lighter rim to improve bicycle performance. The accepted literature on the subject of wheels, by Brandt, explains in detail [more…]
When at speed, then re-accelerating, certain numbered gears would slip. Fearing damage, I got to researching right away. I read that the pawls could stick if slightly wrong grease was used during a rebuild. Trying to avoid a rebuild, like the 3 times I changed the tire without removing the wheel (you know why), I [more…]
Apr 142012
The roller brake on an internal geared 7 speed Shimano Nexus IGH hub is heavy. Works pretty good though. Does require some maintenance, the outside nut had become uncomfortably loose. Over its life the brake had heated so much that it caused damage to the nearby graphics and cooked the grease inside [more…]
How to rebuild a Manitou suspension fork, replacing the elastomers with springs. The early Manitou forks are well designed, light, simple, and work well. They don’t have as much travel as offroad forks of today, but they are very good for street riding. Their springs (elastomers) often decay over time, but can be repaired. [more…]
Dec 152011
It is possible to retain ownership of a bicycle in the big city, even in New York. Here bike theft is unbelievably bold and common, but with a little care, you can keep a bike. Most bike theft is quick, jump out of the van, pry that long kryptonite with a big bar, jump back [more…]
Oct 212011
I understand that clipless pedals are the best way to hold a foot. However, when I get on a bike, I am usually going somewhere. Being in public wearing sillyass, hard to walk in, or outrageously colored bike shoes is not worth it. Even before I raced mountain bikes, I was a fan of toe [more…]
Oct 212011
Experimenting with various designs, I discovered bmx platform pedals. The best off-the-shelf pedal design for street riding is this platform type – bmx or downhill, with long aluminum body and steel pins. You will need to find the lightweight models; many are overbuilt. The designs with a shorter axle are one step toward lighter weight, [more…]
