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Bike Shorts: The Great American Bike Tour
That's bike FILM shorts, don't you know?When I was searching for examples of bikes from the '70s that featured early versions of disc brakes, I happened upon this short film, The Great American Bike...
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The Running Bike - Joke or Scam?
Bike-related Kickstarter projects can be such a joke. For every worthwhile startup seeking crowdfunding, there are probably a dozen more that deserve nothing more than outright ridicule. Every tech...
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Old vs. New: Trek 720
I was just reading a BikeRadar review of Trek's new 720 model - which is a bike with a grand touring tradition, re-imagined for the modern bike market. The reviewers praised the bike for a lot of...
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Pure Custom: A Jamie Swan Original
A well-made bicycle will outlast its owner. In a bike's lifetime, it can go from being loved and cherished to being neglected, abused and even thrown out on the curb. Sacrilege, right? But even the...
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Muc-Off, MotherFudder
Would you spend nearly $200 for a bike chain?What if I told you that this chain promises to save you nearly 6 watts of energy? What if I told you that the power savings were good for about 400 miles...
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Vintage Cantilevers: Choices, Choices
I'm selecting brakes for a project, and I have a couple of choices. I thought readers might be interested in what I have.Both sets of brakes are wide-profile cantilevers from Shimano. One set is from...
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What's Better Than A New Old Bike Project?
Is there anything better than getting a brand new frame to build up -- or maybe (as in this case) a great old frame, just back from the paint shop?My new old bike. Just returned to me from Franklin...
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The New Old Bike Project: Headsets
I've written quite a bit in the past about some of the components from Specialized in the '80s. Most of the parts were really well made and offered a good value at the time. One of those parts was the...
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You Knew It Was Gonna Happen: 12 Speed Cassettes
It was inevitable, wasn't it?Understand that I almost posted this on Friday, April 1st, but I figured that anyone reading it would think it was a joke.Maybe to prove that nothing succeeds like excess,...
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New Old Bike Project: Wheels
When I found my Specialized Expedition, it was still equipped with what I assume were its original wheels. The wheels were built with Specialized's own sealed bearing hubs and Mavic Module 4 rims, with...
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Troubles For The Neighborhood Bike Shop
Running a bike shop would have to be a difficult way to make a living. It's always been a "low margin" business, but in this era of widespread internet shopping it has to be tougher than ever for the...
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Bike Shorts: How a Bicycle Is Made
The massive Raleigh complex in the 1950s.(from Sheldon Brown's site - Retro Raleighs)Throughout most of the 20th century, the Raleigh Bicycle Company was the true giant of the industry. As Raleigh...
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The Bicycle Test and Unrideable Bikes
Regular Retrogrouch readers know that my full-time job is teaching English and Speech Communications. In Communications, one of the things I occasionally bring up is how men and women communicate...
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Love and Scorn for Eroica
The second running of Eroica California happened last weekend. And once again, I wasn't there.I read a lot about it in the anticipation and build-up to the event. And I've spent much of this week...
View ArticleGuest Post - In Defense of Eroica
By Touriste-Routier:In a recent article in Red Kite Prayer, Padraig was quite clear in why he elected not to go to Eroica this year. The many comments to his article are split between those supporting...
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Disc Brakes Banned: Did Not See This Coming
After all the hype and build-up (by the bicycle industry - not the racers) disc brakes finally made it into the professional racing peloton. And now, for the moment at least, they're gone again.Racer...
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"Cadillac Hill"
It's widely considered the steepest street in Akron, Ohio.To me, it's the only hill I haven't been able to ride up on a bike.Bates Hill, on the near northwest side of Akron, overlooking the city's...
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Bike Racing is Dead
All attempts at resuscitation have failed. The patient cannot be saved. Somebody call it: Time of death . . . ?The problem of doping in its various forms, with systematic sophistication, left the sport...
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New Old Bike Project: Wrapping Bars
Putting together the New/Old Expedition has been taking longer than I'd expected - no problems really, other than a shortage of that most valuable commodity: time. But it's nearly done, and the other...
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New Old Bike Project - Finished
I don't know if a bike project is ever truly finished, but this one's about there.Those who have been following the blog know that I've been working on an early '80s Specialized Expedition touring...
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