Category Archives: Bikes & Cycling

Everything to do with bikes and cycling.

It’s a Wrap: A Cyclist’s Tool Roll in Three Easy Steps

Do you have trouble finding your tools when you have to do a roadside repair? Then you need a tool roll. The good news? You can make a custom one for yourself, and it need not cost a cent. Tamia shows you how.
______________________________

by Tamia Nelson | 24 January, 2018

When I head out on trips that will take me more than an hour’s hike from home — and that’s most of the trips I take — I carry a roadside repair kit in addition to my seat-pack tools and the rest of my cycling gear.

For a long time I carried tools in my handlebar bag, tucked away inside a plastic freezer bag. This wasn’t ideal. The tools rattled with every bump. More importantly, they weighed in at 2 pounds 4 ounces — about as much as a full quart water bottle. That’s a lot of weight to add to an already overloaded bar bag. I needed to find a better way. Luckily, I always mount a rack trunk or small pannier on my bike for longer rides, and … Continue reading »

Why You Need a Camera in Your Toolbox by Tamia Nelson

You don’t think “camera” when you draw up a list of essential bike tools? Well, maybe you ought to think again.
______________________________

by Tamia Nelson | December 6, 2017

You won’t find a digital camera in most bike mechanics’ tool kits, but maybe it ought to be there. This is especially true if the mechanics in question have a little trouble seeing things close up. My misadventure with sweat-etched bar-end shifters — also called “barcons” — really brought this point home. Even with the help of my reading glasses, I couldn’t see the extent of the corrosion. In fact, I didn’t realize that what I saw was corrosion until I brought a 10-power hand lens to bear. But it was only when I turned to my camera that I got a really good look at the problem. And there was an unexpected bonus: My digital photos were easy to share round, which helped me get some badly needed advice from more experienced mechanics.

Barcon Corrosion Revealed by the Camera Photo on Tamiasoutside.com (c) Tamia Nelson - Verloren Hoop

A digital camera also makes it easy to document complex procedures like swapping handlebars. Then, … Continue reading »

Bar(con) Talk: A Harrowing Tale of Bar-End Shifter Corrosion by Tamia Nelson

Some things look worse — far worse — the closer you look at them. That’s the case with bar-end (or barcon) corrosion. The scourge of bar-end corrosion can happen to anyone, even to cyclists who are diligent about keeping their bikes in fine working order. It’s happened to Tamia’s Surly Long Haul Trucker. And it’s been found on a Soma Smoothie built by a mechanic friend of hers. Has it happened to your bike? You’d better check. Today. Because the consequences of not nipping bar-end corrosion in the bud can make you feel faint.
______________________________

by Tamia Nelson | December 3, 2017

I discovered the scourge of bar-end shifter corrosion when my Surly Long Haul Trucker was almost six years old, and with over 18000 miles on the clock. She’s — I named her Petra, and it suits her; she’s really been a rock — she’s my maid of all work for most everything from shopping to “amphibious” trekking. She’s held up well, despite the fact that a lot of the roads in my corner of the North Country are paved … Continue reading »

How to Keep Your Hands Warm When Cycling in Cold Conditions by Tamia Nelson

Cold-weather cycling can be every bit as pleasurable as the fair-weather counterpart, but nothing can bring a winter ride to an end faster than numb hands. Here are some strategies to help avoid that.

Who likes bicycling with cold hands? Not me, and not you either, I’d be willing to bet. Not only can cold hands be painful, but they are unresponsive. Working shifters and brakes when fingers are numb is dangerous. But finding a way to keep hands and fingers warm and supple on cold rides isn’t as easy as simply keeping them warm. Warmth and dexterity must be reconciled. Mittens are the enemy of dexterity, while gloves don’t always manage to keep the hands warm in slicing cold winds. I’ve always favored gloves, but they’re not as warm as mittens. There’s more. A fabric’s ability to keep hands warm is a function of the thickness of insulation, yet if insulation is too thick, dexterity is hampered and it’s hard to get a solid grip on the bars.

So clothing hands for cold weather … Continue reading »