Some of the first uses of dirt drop bars appeared on the Bridgestone MB-1 and thirty years later are becoming popular again with several manufacturers providing their own models.  Twenty niner's, fat bikes and other enthusiasts are finding that adding some dirt drops to their ride is a lot of fun.   "Everyone should own at least one road bike and one mountain bike" to quote a self proclaimed novice bike expert. 

Personally I haven't found a desire to build up a bike with dirt drop bars until I landed an old Diamond Back Ascent EX frame with an exceptionally long top tube and long chainstays.  A frame geometry very suited for bike touring which might be why Diamond Back added the third water bottle carrier under the down tube, something more common to a touring bike than a true all mountain trail bike.  Ironically this provided an opportunity to have a mountain and road bike in one build, a nice "two fer" in reference to earlier quote. 

All those factors contributed to my wanting to build an on and off road touring bike where dirt drops would make the most sense for a mountain bike with drop bars.  Pursuant to this goal I found a lot of information on a variety of dirt drop bars. My main objective was to find a handlebar to provide comfort and multiple hand positions during the long haul, something preferable when building a touring bike.  

After locating some 3 x 9 Sunrace bar end shifters and reasonably priced Tektro brake levers I decided on the Origin8-Pro Pulsion Alloy Gary-2 Handlebar, 530 x 25.4mm, Black as I had some stems stashed in the shop that would make a good fit for a comfortable yet performance oriented riding position.  Photo below of the completed build shows handlebars slightly higher or parallel with bike seat while aligning top of stem and bar with front axle while riding on the brake hoods.  I have had the opportunity to run some errands and take it out for some longer jaunts and it felt very comfortable after getting the seat height dialed in. It helped to wrap some Cinelli gel pads under the handlebar tape at the drops for some added cushe.   I like the Sunrace bar end shifters and although they are sold individually rather than in pairs the price for a set of 3 x 9 shifters is excellent.  When combined with the Ergonomically designed Tektro RL340 brake levers I am enjoying the handling of this particular bike as all this work proved to resolve many of the frame's design issues which were causing a good deal of discomfort. 
Here are some useful links for parts used in building a bike with dirt drop bars:
Tektro RL340 Ergo Brake Levers Black/Black
Origin8-Pro Pulsion Alloy Gary-2 Handlebar, 530 x 25.4mm, Black
Shifter Sunrace Hb Barend Slr96 Rh 9S Bk/Sl
Cinelli Cork Tape, Bike Handlebar Tape
Cinelli Gel AVS Pads 

Working on older bikes can be a bit challenging at times.  Rust and corrosion contribute to a majority of failed projects either by damaging parts and components in an effort to repair or simply giving up on the stubborn old parts that have succomed to neglect or obsolescence.

Having proper tools for bike repair tasks is obvious to anyone who has attempted to work on a bike with a crescent wrench and pliers.  Knowing which tool is most appropriate is when knowledge and experience is most appreciated.    

It's not a common task to remove an old Suntour freewheel so while I observed the initial efforts to remove the freewheel with the appropriate tool I noticed that the tool wasn't being held in place with an axle or quick release skewer.  After several attempts to remove the freewheel and consequently having the tool slip out of the freewheel to be removed I finally grabbed an old bolt on axle to hold the tool in place.  This was a particularly stubborn freewheel to remove so a quick release may not have done the trick.  I have both Suntour freewheel removal tools from Park Tool.  The FR-3 has four splines and the FR-2 (photo above left) has two.  For real stubborn parts the four splined FR-3 works better.  

Selle Anatomica could be producing the best saddle for a touring bike.  Since 2007 when the Selle Anatomica introduced their Titanico saddles with patented slot design there has been praise for the absolute comfort and quality of craftsmanship in a simple effective design which appeared to be made to last.  If you're one of the many bike touring folks who has been following the company's products including production and design changes you probably understand why.

Fortunately for me I have not experienced any of the common complaints regarding the original Selle Anatomica Titanico which consisted mostly of premature stretching resulting in a "hammock" like shape after the tensioning bolt had been used to stretch the leather for tautness until there were simply no more threads remaining to adjust the slack out of the saddle.  A second criticism has been the saddle rails being a bit weak or flimsy with customers complaining how their saddle rails bent or broke.  And the third criticism has been that the saddle is squeaky, creaky and noisy while riding.  

This photo is of my original 2007 Selle Anatomica Titanico Watershed shows the current condition of my saddle after seven years of ownership and I have no complaints about it whatsoever.  Part of my success with owning this saddle has been that first of all I only used it for intended use which is on a road touring bike where I ride with drop bars and do not place all or the majority of my body weight directly over the saddle.  Secondly, I have weighed less than 160 lbs. during the time I have owned this saddle and I have plenty of miles on this saddle most all of which have been road riding.  Reviewers of this saddle who put it on a mountain bike or went off to do some heavy duty rough riding of any sort would surely find themselves disappointed as this particular saddle wasn't designed for that type of riding.  Which probably explains why Selle Anatomica developed the NSX Series for both mountain biking and heavier riders as it does not have the patented slot design (NS means "no slot").  Though the slotted design undoubtedly contributes to the saddle's reputation for comfort it has most definitely contributed to the "hammock effect" of being mashed out over time.  

The good news is that Selle Anatomica will replace the leather on the saddle for approximately a hundred bucks last I checked.  And they will replace it with the newer Titanico X Series which as I understand is of a thicker leather and laminate technology.  Photo of my current touring bike saddle is the Mahogany color with copper rivets which are showing some nice aging which is natural after seven years of being exposed to normal all season riding conditions.  Photo at left shows the few threads remaining for adjusting my saddle. Over the past seven years most if not all customer complaints regarding the original saddle designs have been resolved.  There were a lot of new changes for 2014 including introduction of the T series for riders who weigh less than 160 pounds.  Information for Selle Anatomica's three series of saddles which consist of the T Series, X Series and NSX Series are shared below.  All saddles have the following new improvements for 2014:  
New Hex Key Tension System

For folks interested in purchasing a new Selle Anatomica Saddle it can be a bit confusing and hope this information helps to inform and inspire confidence in considering a new saddle purchase.  

Links related to this article:
Selle Anatomica Titanico NSX Mountain Bike Saddle Review 
Selle Anatomica X Series Saddle Review
Selle Anatomica Classic Leather Comfort
Brooks B17 S Women's Saddle Review

There are different pedals for a variety of riding styles and conditions and there are plenty of opinions on the matter.   This discussion is more about evaluating your own riding style, considering what type of riding you want to do and what sorts of situations or conditions you might find yourself pedaling through.

First and foremost is the ever popular "to go clipless or not to go clipless" question.  Let's get one thing made clear clipless pedals are for riders who "spin" their pedal stroke.  For most bike commuting and touring conditions this how you evaluate your own riding style regarding your pedal stroke.  There are some seasoned riders who will tell you they could "never spin worth a damn" but can "mash" their pedals all day every day.  These are the two basic categories of determining one's own pedal stroke.  Cadence or pedal rhythm, fore and aft position of pedals all get learned from experience and time spent on the bike and has much more to do with riding a clipless pedal.  For those who don't know what a clipless pedal is, it is a pedal designed to be worn with special shoes in which the cleat matches up with the pedal receiving the cleat.  Shimano SPD system being the most popular and typically most affordable for beginners to try first and is all that will be discussed for the purpose of this article.  

For a "regular pedal" I always recommend a nice big platform pedal for both touring bikes and bike commuting.  For casual trail riding or off road use or for wet weather, a slightly studded platform pedal is excellent for maintaining foot to pedal contact under varying conditions.  This includes frequent stop and go riding such as when waiting for traffic.  There are plenty of experienced bike folks who enjoy both bike touring and commuting and prefer to use platform pedals for their commute and clipless pedals for their bicycle tours.  

How about a pedal that offers both options in one pedal? Yes, they are referred to as dual pedals regarding ability to ride either side of the pedal, one side being clipless for a cleated shoe and the other side a standard cage type pedal.  This dual style of pedal is available from several manufacturers at a wide price range of twenty dollars to around one hundred dollars.  I have no experience with the cheaper models and cannot say how long the bearings would last and are most likely not sealed bearings. Or if the clipless design offers a way to adjust the clipless mechanism for cleat tension.  Being able to adjust cleat tension is very important for first time clipless pedal system riders.  

Reason I like these so much for bike touring is that if for any reason some mishap such as losing a cleat screw from a shoe or wanting to take a break from riding clipless due to "hotspots" causing foot pain or numbness simply put on some flip flops and pedal on the flats for awhile.  For bike touring and commuting the more versatile and convenient the options of a component or accessory the better.  

Getting back to Platform pedals or "Flats" they are excellent as a winter commuting pedal.  Riding on show and ice while wearing boots for example a big solid platform pedal does the trick especially on steep, winding country dirt roads that can get real nasty in the winter. 

I like platform pedals on old classic cruiser style bikes where strolling along with a handlebar basket simply does not require a clipless system.  I have some nice pedals from Wellgo installed on a few bikes from my shop and if I know the person doesn't ride clipless and are in need of new pedals this is the pedal I put on.  For twenty bucks they've held up fine for trails and urban curb hopping.  I can ride them wearing work boots, flip flops, whatever, flat pedals are offered in different materials including manganese and can cost anywhere from twenty to over a hundred dollars.  As most of these style of pedals have been designed with downhill, BMX and mountain bike riders in mind the pedals ore very stout so that when used for everyday bike commuting they will most likely provide solid performance for several years or more.  

Links related to this Article:
Kent's Bike Blog "Clipsplaining Explained"
To Go Clipless or not 

Most bike geeks agree that steel lugged frames are so elegantly funky that their aesthetics are worth the process of restoration and make for fun riding.

If you're one of those bike folk who enjoy finding grand dad's old well kept barn bike being sold off for little to nothing then you know that most of the wheels and tires on those bikes are 27 x 1 1/4".  There's a lot of confusion in bike forums with folks referencing ISO diameters believing it necessary to determine proper tire and tube replacement.  I hope this article helps to reveal that this is actually a fairly common tire size and can be purchased at any local bike shop, on amazon and some department stores.  

Over the years of working in bike shops the rare occasion of odd tire sizing was mostly found on older Schwinn models with obscure 26 x 1 3/8" tire sizes in which case we would special order tires for replacement by using Schwinn's own tire size coding at the time.  Other than the occasional 650c tire those were the only instances of having to "special order" a tire to fit the exotic wheel size.  

Before I forget to mention it a 700c x 32cm tube and be used to replace a 27 x 1 1/4" tire.  Also, lots of folks opt to replace 27 x 1 1/4" wheels with slightly smaller 700c wheels, which consequently may require fitting longer reach brake calipers to accommodate the slightly smaller wheel size.  

These days getting a high quality wheelset of 27 x 1 1/4" is impractical as such a wheel size would have to be hand built with custom components. Leaving it up to "decent quality" wheel replacements in this particular wheel size incurs limitations in mostly bolt on rather than quick release and gearing options as most rear wheels are the threaded freewheel style rather than more modern cassettes.  None of this is to imply or say that all 27" wheels are cheap, junk and were only put on lesser quality bikes.  I recently sold a Razesa road bike another steel lugged beauty with Columbus tubing, Campagnolo crankset and Mavic 27" wheels.  In that case there was no point in converting the bike to 700c wheels as the Mavics were in excellent condition though the Ultegra brakes would accommodate 700c wheels.  Why bother with all this?  Steel Lugged frames are expensive to purchase new and there are a good number of old steel lugged frames to be picked up used for a very reasonable price.  

Links to 27 x 1 1/4" Tires and Wheels Discussed in this Article.

27 x 1 1/4" Wheels from Avenir, Wheelsmith and others.

CST Road Raised Center Tire 
Michelin World Tour
Schwalbe HS 159 Bicycle Tire
Vittoria Zaffiro II
Continental Tour Ride Urban Bicycle Tire

I was reading a post from Darren Alfe at Bicycle Touring Pro about his 26" Continental Town and Country tires failing on him then his successfully finding a "generic" tire as a good enough quality replacement for his bike tour.  While searching for new tires for my old Bridgestone MB 1 I considered many of the 26" tires I have sold over the years.

An old favorite of mine was the IRC Duro Metro which is no longer in production.  Of course all the Schwalbe tires in the Marathon series are without a doubt excellent quality but I really wanted something considerably less expensive. 

I heard about a budget tire from CST and felt that for the very modest price I would get a pair for one of our girls' cruiser bikes and if I liked it I'd order another set.  After being rather impressed by what seemed to be a very decent tire casing with a nice 65 psi pressure rating and providing a very cushy ride I decided to research them a bit more.  

My supplier lists this tire as the CST City Commute tire in 26 x 2.125 with two types of tread patterns.  The first set I purchased are the Cheng Shin C241 Street Bicycle Tire with wire bead.
I know an obviously made in China product which had apparently put the Continental Town and Country's on everyone's black list. Regardless of that fact, these tires from CST or Cheng Shin, whatever they want to call themselves are a very decent quality tire for less than twenty bucks.  I have seen this tire selling for anywhere from ten to nineteen dollars!

Turns out several folks that commute on varying terrain of multi use paved and gravel bike commuting paths absolutely love these tires so I purchased three pair and am considering getting a fourth  in case they quit making them or they sell out.  After putting a pair on my wife's bike she likes them so much that she is actually riding more as a consequence of truly feeling that the tires ride quality makes her bike commuting that much more enjoyable.  She now wants to ride much more for recreation and not just running errands or commuting. 

CST City Commuter Tire on Lisa's Peugeot Canyon Express has a different tread pattern than the C241 Street Tire.

When I first test rode her bike with these new tires they felt a bit sticky on dry pavement.  After approximately ten miles the tires felt better proving to be a stable, fast rolling tire that handles light trail riding or gravel roads with ease and feel good on wet pavement.  

Read the reviews of folks who use these as all season tires even on snow and you'll understand why I now have three sets of these affordable quality bike commuting tires.

While test riding some new handlebars a friend described them as "not as forgiving" compared to other wider handlebars.  Granted he had a few beers in him and when he rode the bike sober he liked it just fine.  Now, I'm not suggesting that how a bike rides while drunk is a good test of a bike's performance.  Nonetheless I found it to be an interesting statement and useful information for this blog.  

So today I replaced those handlebars with a wider "Ergo Bar" from XLC.  With a 59 degree sweep and a curved design it is a very nice handlebar that I feel obliged to recommend particularly for the price at under ten bucks.  The style and design is reminiscent of the ever popular Albatross handlebars at a quarter of the cost.  

When someone complains about a sore butt, hand numbness or any other physical pain due to improper equipment or bike fit they are not "imagining" anything.  So that when approaching a bike to have it cooperate with the individual rider's comfort we use the phrase "ride your own ride" and sheds light on the autonomy of riding a bike.

Proper bike fit has been a popular topic with some bike shops offering advanced methods of custom bike fit as an added customer service feature.  Following is an example of proper bike fit that anyone can implement with basic bike tools or a bike multi-tool 

A simple idea of setting up handlebars, brake levers and shifters is a good example of the importance of bike ergonomics.   Photo below left provides an example of improper hand position where due to the wrist having to bend from the grip to the lever is sure to produce some discomfort, usually hand numbness or pain.  Photo on right illustrates proper hand positioning where the wrist is straight providing stronger movement for grabbing the brake lever and does not interfere with circulation preventing hand numbness and pain. This is just one example of proper bike fit and ergonomics so important for bike riders of all types.  For bike commuters and those interested in bike touring it is very important not to be distracted by unnecessary pain caused by poor equipment or improper bike fit.

One of the joys of bike repair is finding older bikes worthy of refurbishing.  When I heard about this classic steel lugged '93 Bridgestone MB 1 mountain bike I had to check it out.

I got the bike for a very reasonable price and immediately went about converting the riding position to a more relaxed style for touring and commuting. Bridgestone bikes from that era built with Ritchey Logic tubing are very desirable to many Bridgestone aficionados as the thin strong steel makes for a very lightweight frame and when combined with the original rigid Ritchey fork it's one of the most lightweight steel mountain bikes ever produced.

The suspension fork that came with the bike had to be replaced when I discovered the one inch threaded steer tube was so stripped that the headset could not be removed to service the bearings.  After having to cut the steel tube to remove the fork I was able to salvage the original aluminum headset parts that were obviously damaged from some previous owners efforts to work on it.

I was looking for a one inch threaded fork and received two models for consideration.  First fork I installed is a nice commuter bike model from Breezer.  A nice, lightweight rigid one inch threaded fork at 1040 g.  The Breezer fork has threaded eyelets for rack and or fenders with a nice rake to it. While replacing the fork I decided to swap out the original eight inch long Ritchey stem and flat bar with a 95mm stem and some Touring Trekking bars in a 25 degree sweep. Add some inexpensive foam grips and felt good about the project thus far.  Didn't like the red so much and when I noticed the double eyelets of the Sunlite fork I decided to install that one as both forks use a 27 mm crown race it was convenient and easy to do.  Sunlite's fork has a longer steer tube of approximately 3/4 inches which meant cutting the threaded fork to fit, an easy task with proper cutting guide tools.  

After installing the Sunlite Fork and taking it for a test ride with the Trekking bars and UNO stem I felt like riding it further to get a feel for the bike's overall performance.  With the XT Thumbshifters and no sign of wear on the chain the bike is quick, light weight and not as twitchy as it was with the longer stem and flat bars.  Here's a combination of components I used for this project and has proven to work out very nicely in providing a quality, comfortable commuter bike in keeping with performance and handling.  

For bike folks needing a one inch threaded fork or wanting to replace a worn out suspension fork check out these forks from Breezer and Sunlite, respectively.  Here's a link for the 27 mm crown race as it can sometimes be hard to get as that size is frequently out of stock.

Providing a newer link for folks interested in the Velocity Wheelsets. Due to unavailable disc wheels in the 700c 36H specifications ideally suited for bike touring and commuting some other models for rim brakes are usually available.

There are very solidly built wheel sets typically reviewed by "clydesdale" riders looking for a strong, solid set of wheels that don't stress and strain under load.  Another added benefit and one that I have become quite fond of is the good old tried and true cup and cone Shimano hubs.

Many good things have and will be said in reviews of sealed cartridge style wheel bearing hubs.  After riding with them for a few years I still prefer cup and cone hubs for ease of servicing and less rolling resistance.  As I was shopping for a new touring bike wheelset of my own I noticed this set available in both black and silver.  Laced together with a Velocity rim this is a wheel set for bike touring and commuters alike looking for a durable, easy to maintain set of wheels.  Use links provided above or click on image for information or to purchase.

I have been riding on Velocity Dyad wheels for several years and can attest to their reputation of proven quality and dependability for bicycle touring.

In the past five years I have only had to tru these wheels two or three times.  With the 24mm Velocity Dyad rim being wider than most rims and paired with the Velocity sealed bearing hub these wheels provide confident trouble free riding for bicycle touring when broken spokes are possibly the number one culprit of ruining a fun bike touring vacation.

Now that this wheel set is available for disc brake at an exceptional price I thought I would give it a "blog about"   as Velocity is an Australian based company sounds appropriate.  Any how, Velocity USA is providing hand built wheels for the U.S. market and doing so with good stuff. 
Here's information from Velocity's Wheel Department,
"We have been building with DT Competition and Champion spokes for many years.  The Champion is a 14G spoke that is used in most of our standard wheel builds.  The Competition is DT Swiss's double butted option that we use for our Comp builds. The Wheel Department chooses to build with them for many reasons:  the overall build quality is superior to other spokes on the market, they do not de-tension once stressed and relieved of windup, and finally the spoke elbow interface at the hub flange creates a very precise connection ensuring the longevity of the wheel".  

So, rather than go over all the specifications of Velocity wheels in an effort to share what a quality wheel this is, click on any of the links provided above to visit Velocity's site with detailed information for your next wheel purchase.  For the best price on this wheel set available today use the link provided below.
Cheers!
Rideon

My friend Pip, a Scottish tatooed frenzied bike commuter used to ride the streets of San Francisco on his track bike until, as he put it "I learned the hard way that brakes are a good thing to have".

At the end of the day after a few days of trail riding with lots of switch backing descents which required considerable repeated brake lever action, I developed some very painful "tennis elbow".  

After years of refining and development today's bicycle disc brake systems are here to stay providing smooth, efficient stopping power. 
Particularly with hydraulic brake systems, modulation has improved with both feel and function as opposed to some of the earlier systems which were very touchy and delivered too much stopping power.  Personally, I didn't particularly enjoy bleeding the brakes systems on our rental fleet and having to wear rubber gloves while handling DOT4 brake fluid.  When we would get new bikes in for the rental fleet I was so happy to see Avid mechanical disc brakes knowing how easy they are to maintain or install.  
Here is a short list of other reasons I prefer mechanical disc brakes and am pleased with seeing them on the new touring bikes.  While pedaling a loaded touring bike the new power and control offered by a disc brake system is of obvious benefit.  Feeling confident about knowing you can stop while on a steep downgrade or descent while carrying what feels to some folks like an uncontrollable mass of weight on a loaded touring bike simply provides more joy and pleasure for the ride.   So, when I went about piecing together our most recent mountain touring bike build I chose disc brake for the obvious reason safety.  I chose mechanical over hydraulic because it's less expensive, easier to maintain, easier if even necessary to repair while trail riding or long distance touring and when paired with the Avid Speed Dial levers there provides other modulation adjustments.

I have found the very best price on this brake system and wanted to share the information with you lovely folks.
So if you're interested in getting what is considered by many to be the best mechanical disc brake set for bicycle touring and commuting on the market I have provided the link for customer review information and reviews.
Enjoy the stopping power and control.
Cheers!

Although any disc caliper compatible brake lever will work ok with the BB7 calipers the Avid Speed Dial 7 Levers will make it easier to set your brakes properly particularly when first installing.  

To avoid excessive pad wear and for better brake lever modulation and feel be sure to use Speed Dial Levers.  Inexpensive for a mid range lever but the improved performance with BB7 calipers is well worth the modest investment.