Exercise and Drinking Water

Quercus Grove trail, outside Edwardsville, Illinois where it crosses Old Carpenter Road.

I've always been a fan of drinking water. I ran a lot of marathons when I was younger, and I knew the importance of keeping properly hydrated. I might skip the first few water stations, but by the time I was past 5K or for sure by 10K, I wanted to start getting some water in me.

As a bicyclist, I also understand the need for water. I always carry water with me on the bike, usually two bottles during warm or hot weather. I may not drink it all, or I may pour it out and get fresh water if I can, but I don't like being without it.

I took a 20-mile bike ride back in early March and forgot my water. I didn't panic, and I didn't die. I got a bit dry, but I was okay. I used to train for marathons without water. I planned my training run to go through the park and I'd hit the water fountain there at least once. That was over 20 miles running. That may not have been too smart, but I didn't panic and I didn't die.

Yesterday I took a four-mile walk, and I encountered a jogger, a young woman, and she was carrying a water bottle in her hand while she ran on the trail. Since I was walking I had entirely too much time to think, and I realized that I had never run, or walked, while carrying a bottle of water.

I certainly don't think she was wrong for doing so. I guess my thoughts were that she was either overly cautious or else runners are advised to always have water close at hand nowadays. And I probably wouldn't have given it another thought, except for what happened just five minutes later.

As I walked I could see two cyclists coming in the distance to meet me. Judging by way one of them was riding, back and forth across the center line in a serpentine manner, I figured it at least one of them was a kid. I was right.

It was a father and son, and they were taking a lazy, easy ride, enjoying a fairly nice day on the trail.

As they got within about 20 yards of me I heard the father say "No, you've only ridden one mile! You don't need water already." And the son began whining, "yes, I do, I'm thirsty! I need water!"

Me, I think all the concerns about dehydration are a bit much. I don't know what to think about a society that can't go thirty minutes without water. I see it everywhere, parents buying bottled water for their children so they can go on a car ride.

And bottled water: don't even get me started.

A Spill on the Ice

Well I spoke too soon. I was so happy to see the thawing of snow and ice that I rushed out and began riding while there was still slop and slush and an undercoating of ice still on the trails. I was cautious, for the most part, until that one time when I wasn't.

I chose the 1961 Raleigh Sport for my ride, since its tires are a bit wider than my other bikes, and it's a good stable bike. And I think the upright riding position feels inherently safer and more stable. But it didn't stop me from taking my first fall in many years.

I had been pretty careful about dismounting when I came into shaded areas of the trail that still had snow on them and walking my bike through. But I kept noticing a lot of tire tracks through the snow, and I know that a lot of people keep riding even when there's snow. I'm just not one of them, and I'm sure there's a component of luck as well as skill in doing so. Luck was mostly on my side, as it turns out.

I decided to go on through the snow, but when I did my front wheel skidded into an existing bike track, and that set up a slide in a different direction than I was trying to go. I overcompensated and then I panicked, and then I fell. The ice under the snow accelerated my fall, and before I knew what had happened I felt my helmet smash into the ground next to the trail.

I landed exactly on my head. I do make a conscientious effort to never ride without my helmet, and this was a good reminder of why. My helmet mounted mirror came off. My glasses came off. I stayed on the ground for a few moments, and my first thought was "I wonder if I'm going to get back up." I slowly tried my body out, and everything was fine. No injuries, beyond some scratches and scrapes.

I got up, put on my glasses -- bent frame, but fixable. Checked my mirror, and found that it didn't break, and I mounted it back on my helmet.

The bike had fallen hard on the left side, and I had a bit of a wobbly pedal, but after riding a bit, then putting my weight on it, I was able to get it to work fairly well. I later found that the crank shaft had bent slightly inward, and I was able to bend it back out with a cheater pipe once I got home.

I finished the ride and I was a bit sore for a few days. At 57, I have to wonder how many more times in my life I'll be able to take a hard fall and get back up. I guess the answer is just to make sure I keep getting back up.

After the Ice has Melted

After having some really nice days throughout December and January, I was pretty happy at the amount of biking I was able to do this winter. True, I was on the treadmill more in January than I was outside, but at least I could satisfy my biking urge from time to time.

Then came February. Whole 'nuther story. With snow on top of snow on top of ice and more snow, there was no chance for me to attempt a ride. A few brave townies were getting out on the streets, but out here in the country the road conditions were pretty well impossible.

So the ice and snow finally melted enough for me to chance it yesterday. I did a fairly short ride on my Specialized hybrid over the most exposed part of the bike trail between Hamel and Staunton. There were still several stretches that I had to walk. I tried riding through the shallow snow, but found that there was still quite a bit of ice under that snow. There was also a cake of ice throughout the trail in Worden, which I realized was the result of the snow getting packed down by four-wheel ATV riders riding on the trail. It's illegal to do, though I mostly see the problem on the unpaved sections of the trails where the four-wheelers tear up the surface.

It was 50 degrees F yesterday, and I wore shorts, but didn't think about the freezing spray of melting slush on my feet and ankles. Even with fenders I got wet from the knees down. But after a few miles I warmed up and had a good ride.

Today looks like a repeat of yesterday's temperatures and wind, but cloudy instead of sunny, so that makes it seem even cooler to me. But I'm pulling out the 1961 Raleigh 3-speed for today's ride and planning to wear street clothes. I purposely have no bike computer on the Raleigh. I don't know how fast I go or how many miles, though I can usually guess pretty closely if I want to. The idea is to just ride with my head up, look around and enjoy my ride.

I did end up getting a new set of alloy Northroads handlebars and stem for the Raleigh. The original handlebars and the replacement Raleigh stem looked great, but I could not get my position right. The original Raleigh stems are only 5.5 inches long, so I couldn't get enough height. And I found a nice replacement handlebar that were longer in the straight section sweeping back. This has improved my position a lot, and I plan to continue tweaking this bike so I can enjoy longer and longer rides on it.

Dissecting a Raleigh Bicycle Chaincase

My 1952 Raleigh Sport came with the fully enclosed chaincase, as seen in the photo above. It was one of the reasons I wanted the bike. I think it's a really cool look, and it's certainly practical. I do understand why all bikes don't have these. They do make things more difficult when you're dealing with maintenance issues. And they add weight.

I was a bit intimidated by this chaincase. Things I had read on the web led me to believe that these chaincases wildly complicate such everyday jobs as removing the rear wheel. As I read through Sheldon Brown and others, I learned that you would have to remove the pedal and the drive-side crank in order to remove the chaincase.

That is true. But the belief that you have to remove the chaincase to do anything to the bike is wrong, and it's what I inferred from various bike forum comments. Once I cracked into the chaincase myself, I found out that it's really not difficult to deal with. First off, you can remove the wheel quite easily with only minor effort.

Understanding the anatomy of the chaincase is the key, I think. Here's a breakdown of the entire chaincase, as it comes apart into separate pieces:

The part labelled "A - Main Chaincase Body" in the photo is actually bolted onto the bike frame from behind the crank and pedal. So it is true that you have to remove the crank in order to get the chaincase body off. But for most purposes, you never need to take it off. The only reason I did so was to give it a thorough cleaning. Otherwise you could leave it on the bike to remove the wheel, change or maintain the chain, or even remove the pedal and crank for that matter.

To remove the rear wheel, you only need to remove the part called "B - Bottom Piece." It is attached to "A" with two small screws. Only a screwdriver is required to remove it. Once you pull it off, you can easily access the cog, axle nuts and chain area.

Keep in mind that in order to remove the rear wheel, you also must disconnect the gear cable from the end of the axle. But as long as you tighten the small knurled nut on the indicator chain up snug against the gear cable's screw-on when you have the gears properly adjusted, you'll always know just where the screw-on needs to go when you put it back on.

Another tip is to put a wire or something through the chain when you remove the wheel, so that it can't slip out of view. As long as the chain is not unlinked, it won't go far.

I seriously wonder how often the back wheel was removed from my 1952 Sport. I'm guessing only a handful of times. The back tire was not original, and there were patches on the tube. So at some point it had to be accessed. But probably not often.

When I pulled the chain out of mine, it was covered in gunk. But I soaked it in vinegar for a day, then wiped it down with some oily rags. I then used a bit of solvent on it, then cleaned it some more. And it looked like new! So these chaincases really protect that chain, no doubt about it. There is a small oil port at the top of the chaincase, so you drip oil directly on your chain without removing any part of the chaincase.

Restoring and Upgrading the 1961 Raleigh Sport

I had delayed quite a while in doing the restore/rejuvenate/update project to my 23" frame 1961 Raleigh Sport. Once I took the leap of faith and started work, things progressed well and it went fast. Below is a photo of the finished project:

I ordered the cotter pin press and cup removal tool from Mark Stonich of bikesmithdesign.com. I had decided the entire project of overhauling this bike was contingent on being able to get the bottom bracket issues resolved. I am very happy with how easy these tools made the job, and I would recommend them.

The press easily pushed out the old cotter pins, and without any distortion I was able to use them again. The cup removal tool allowed me to remove the drive side cup, so I could thoroughly clean the entire bottom bracket and check the condition and clean both cups.

I was able to get the correct bearings from my LBS. There are eleven .25" loose bearings on each side. The cups cleaned up nicely and everything worked great once reassembled. Therefore I was able to crank the pedals and test the back wheel. The three speed hub went easily from first to second to third. The back wheel was a dirty mess, and I still had to decide what to do with it.

Ultimately I decided to carefully remove the hub from the wheel and lace it into a new rim. This was my first attempt at wheel building. As I built up a list of parts I would need, I researched the spoke length I would need for building this wheel into a new alloy Sun CR-18 rim. Bike forums all seemed to agree that the same size spokes would work as came out of the old wheel. I did, however, decide to use a spoke calculator, and arrived at a different number. I ordered my spokes and rims.

Now this ended up creating a problem when I compared the spokes I removed with the ones I bought. Not the same size. Turns out that I assumed the wheel was built "cross 3" (meaning each spoke crosses over three others). In fact, the original wheel was built "cross 4," so the length was different.

I went ahead and built it Cross 3 and it turned out just fine. Here's a look at the front wheel after it was finished.

So my original goal of preserving the rear hub, which has the date stamp of 1961 in it, worked out. In doing this project I removed every nut and bolt down to its smallest component and cleaned everything, oiled or greased, then reassembled. New bearings were replaced in the front hub, the headset and fork, and the bottom bracket.

Two places I did not tear into were the rear hub and the pedals. I plan to replace the pedals, but I ran into a problem removing them. It took awhile before I was able to find the right size pedal wrench to fit them. As it turns out, the old Raleigh multitools that came with the bikes has the right wrench. My modern Parks pedal wrench did not fit. I have also learned that a 5/8" wrench would fit, but would need to have its face ground down to where it was thin enough to fit in there.

I took the nuts and washers off the rear hub, and removed the 18 tooth gear cog, which was replaced with a 22T to give me a lower first gear for hills and riding in the wind. I then cleaned everything up, but I did not crack into the hub. This is something I plan to do later, because I would like to clean up the pawls and springs and replace the bearings and clean up the cups and cones and get new grease in there. Below is a photo showing how I like to work. I use an old spoke with a loop in the end, then as I disassemble something, I string it onto the spoke in the order it came off. I also take a lot of photos of assemblies so I can go back and refer to them. It's very easy to forget which way a piece was turned, or what order things go.

Toward that goal I found a used 40-hole Sturmey Archer AW hub (the same model) on eBay for $10. I've now practiced taking it all apart and putting it back together, and it's not that difficult. The only thing I'd be a bit concerned about is getting the cones set exactly right.

I also had to replace the original stem.

The chrome had come right off of it, so there was nothing really to clean up. I found one on eBay for $10, and was fortunate that the seller was from my hometown, so I got local pickup and saved shipping charges. Like the original, these stems are only 5.5" long, which may turn out to be too short for me. I may eventually swap out a new longer Nitto stem and perhaps a set of slightly wider handlebars.

Like my previous project, the 1974 Raleigh Tourist DL-1, I used the Schwalbe Delta Cruiser cream tires. I found a used black Prestube rear rack on eBay and added that. It may not be authentic, but it's appropriate to the period, and it hides a few of the dings and dents on the rear fender.

I did not intend to paint the frame. I had hoped I could get a few of the dents out of the fenders, but they are pretty stubborn. I did have to repaint the white part of the rear fender. I also found a replacement rear reflector in great condition, and it really helps distract from noticing that the paint is cleaner than the rest of the fender.

I also replaced the brake cables, and this is always a problem for these older Raleighs. They have a soldered "pear" end, so you have to cut the original cable and create a workaround using a small piece of hardware called a "cable knarp." I'm not very happy with the result. The knarp is not really the right shape for the receiver. The caliper brakes that came on these Raleighs are also very difficult to "center." The springs wear out and they end up with one caliper touching the tire and the other too far away, and no adjusting works. I managed to get the rear brake to work, but I'm not happy about it and have bought a new replacement brake, but haven't installed it yet.

The original seat was missing from this bike when I bought it. To get that classic look I also added a Brooks B67 saddle. The B67 requires a modern seat post, and I bought a two-button micro-adjustable post. This was my plan all along, because it's really important (to me) to be able to get the seat angle adjusted perfectly.

Also missing was the frame pump. Since the brazed bosses were in good shape I bought one that has the traditional look and function. But I have had bad luck using these for the very important function of putting air in the tires! So I moved my Brooks Millbrook saddle bag over to this bike. It has a tiny modern pump in there. So the frame pump is for appearance only.

I also added the Velo Orange leather mudflap to the front fender. It's handy for hiding a bit of damage there, and looks good, I think. Then there are the shellacked cork grips, which match the leather saddle and mudflap nicely.

Since this is a bike that I bought with the intention of fixing up to ride myself, I was not concerned about costs. But they can add up in a hurry! When you consider the cost of new rims, spokes, tires, tubes, rim strips alone, you're getting in pretty deep just doing the wheels. Then there's the cost of the Brooks saddle. I can't complain about anything else really. Those were the biggest costs. And I don't include buying tools, because I will use them on other bikes. 

I'm sure I'll continue to tweak and add new touches to the bike. I think a set of rattrap pedals with steel toe clips and leather straps would look really good, and enhance how it rides. I generally ride bikes with clipless pedals, and enjoy the added efficiency they offer, but I want to be comfortable riding this bike in street clothes.

This was a great project, and I learned a lot doing it.

Breaking the Fear Cycle

I still haven't done much with the 1961 Raleigh Sport project. I've done a lot of daydreaming. I've done a project list. I've figured out the ridiculous amount of money I'm going to end up spending on a 53-year old bicycle.

And then two weeks ago I decided I had to get into the bottom bracket and overhaul that before I could go any further, before I could even make any more decisions.

The crank is stiff and must be removed and the bottom bracket cleaned and greased before I can really evaluate the three-speed AW3 rear hub. But to get inside that bottom bracket I must remove the cotter pins that hold the crank on. At 53 years old, they were not going to give up easily.



My first attempt was to use an unmounted small bench vise. After loosening and removing the nut, I put the vise so that one part of the jaw was on the screw end and the other on a socket I placed over the opposite end of the pin. I began cranking away on the vise. I had sprayed the area liberally with penetrating oil, but nothing was giving.

I used a pipe to give me additional leverage and got it as tight as I could, then just left it overnight. The next morning when I tried to tighten it more the vise just slipped off.

At this point I've purchased a new crank cotter press from Mark Stonich at Bikesmith Design in Minneapolis. Here's what it looks like:



So this is a special tool designed by Mark specifically to work on these old, stuck cotter pins. I also got another handy tool from him, a fixed cup removal tool:



Assuming all goes well with getting the cotter pins removed, I'll be using this tool to remove the fixed cup inside the bottom bracket so that I can get it all cleaned up and rebuilt.

Big Plans for 1961 Raleigh Sport

In a previous posting, I talked about my fear of starting on bike repairs and projects. I see now that my post was written three months ago. And I haven't really done anything since then, other than planning in my mind.

I had a good excuse and a lousy excuse: I didn't have much work, so I had a lot of free time during nice weather, so I rode more. But I also had free time on rainy days, and I see I didn't get down to the workshop on those days either.

Now I'm busy with work again, and keep thinking about working on bikes. It's an endless cycle with me. Pun intended.

I missed a pretty good opportunity. A set of his and hers Raleigh Sports on Craigslist at a really cheap price, and I made arrangements to see them, but they were sold before I could get there. I was a bit relieved to not bring more bikes into the house, but disappointed because those bikes had some parts that I could use or learn on.

It's back to the same problem: I'd rather not fix the bike I have because I'm fearful of not knowing what I'm doing. I'd rather have a spare that I can use to learn on. I don't think that fear is entirely unjustified when we're talking about overhauling a Sturmey-Archer AW3 three-speed hub.

* * *

As I consider tackling the rebuilding of the 1961 Raleigh Sport I have several problems with the bike that I am trying to solve. First, the stem and handlebars are seriously rusted. So I need to replace them. I'm not a purist, and I'm not going to sand these down and have them re-chromed. This is why it would have been nice to get a couple of cheap bikes. I could probably have used the stem and bars off one of the other bikes just fine. I don't need flawless, but I want them to look pretty good.

Second, I want to replace both wheels. I'm going with something like the Sun alloys. As it so happens, these wheels are available already built by Harris Cyclery. The rear wheel comes with a new Sturmey-Archer hub in it.

Now this is a tough decision for me. I'm not saving a national landmark, it's an old Raleigh three-speed bike and there are millions of them. But it would be great to use the existing hub if there's nothing wrong with it primarily because it dates the bike. The hub is stamped with the date of manufacture.

Secondly, I have been considering that removing the hub and putting it into a new rim would be a great opportunity for me to learn to build a wheel. There's really no pressure here. I have plenty of bikes to ride, so it's not like I have to do it on a timeline.

But before I would think about pulling the old hub and building it into a new wheel, I'd need to verify that the hub was in good shape. That presents yet another challenge: I will need to tackle overhauling that hub, making sure it is in good working condition and well lubricated.

Thus, another reason for wanting "extra" bikes around: a laboratory and spare parts for learning to strip down the Sturmey-Archer AW3 hub.

* * *

I'm also going to need to get into the bottom bracket and service it. When I test it on the bike stand, the drive train has some sort of problem. This will be another good project for me, since it involves learning how to remove the cotter pin and get into that axle assembly. I am hopeful that it will go well, as I really want the traditional crank with the Raleigh Heron pattern to stay on the bike if at all possible. Again, I could probably have used that extra bike for the parts!

Then there are the fenders. Lots of little bumps and dents. I had thought that it would be quicker to just take these newer fenders and paint them rather than try to hammer out the 1961 fenders.

Some time back I bought a good condition Prestube Minor rack. I believe that would have been period correct, and it will look good on the bike. It also may help hide some of the fender blemishes!

* * *

Let's just assume that I succeed with all that. All that's left is ordering a headlight and a new Brooks sprung saddle and a modern seat post. I use Brooks saddles for my bikes and find that I need a micro-adjusting seat post in order to tune in the proper tilt and position.