Cranking (and Gearing) Up Arielle

So...How do you spend another dreary winter day on which the streets are still full of ice?  I know, ride a trainer or rollers.  I may just go out and get one or the other.  I used to ride rollers, back when I raced and when I told myself I was "going to get back into racing."  I know it helped to keep me in shape and improved my bike handling skills.  But it was boring, boring, boring!

So I spent today--part of it, anyway--modifying Arielle a bit. 

There was nothing wrong with her;  as I mentioned a while back, I didn't feel I needed the triple I had given her.  So I swapped the crankset for a "compact" double and changed the cassette (and chain, which needed it).  The gearing change allowed me to switch from a long- to short-cage rear derailleur and from a triple to a double front derailleur.

Arielle's drivetrain now consists of:

• Sugino "Alpina" 170mm cranks with Specialites TA "Syrius" chainrings, 50 and 36T
• Phil Wood bottom bracket with 108mm stainless steel spindle and rings
• Shimano "Dura Ace 7700" (9-speed) rear derailleur
• Shimano "Dura Ace 7402" front derailleur
• SRAM 850 8-speed cassette
• SRAM 890 chain
• White Industries Platform Pedals with MKS steel toe clips, Velo Orange leather toe clip covers and Velo Orange Straps
• DiaCompe "Silver" downtube levers.

I had been using the levers before the switch.  I like them very much:  They have a smooth action and feel good on my fingers.  I like the simplicity of downtube friction shifters:  After riding with Shimano STI and Campagnolo Ergo brifters for about a decade and a half, I came back to them about two years ago.

Interestingly enough, the same size bottom bracket worked with both the triple and the double.  Of course, that does not mean that you can get away with using the same bottom bracket when switching from one crank to another:  That depends on which model you're switching from and switching to, and on various dimensions of your frame.

I had been using the 50T chainring on my triple.  I decided to keep it because it gives me some gears that I really like.

Now all I need is some decent riding conditions.  I'm not fussy about temperatures, can stand some wind and don't even mind light precipitation.  But I'm not about to ride when there's ice everywhere.  Arielle deserves better than that!

What You Always-- Or Never-- Wanted

I'll admit that I've had more bikes than most people--in fact, more than some communities.  Maybe that's the reason why I don't yearn for bikes I don't have, as I did in my youth.  I have a pretty good idea of what I like and don't like, so I have bikes I love and that feel right for me.  I still try new components and accessories, as my needs in such areas as gearing change.  


Soon, I'll post something about The Bikes of My Life.  I'll recollect about some from my past and talk about my recent and current rides.  Even though I have bikes I love, I still miss a couple of the old ones sometimes.  However, I realize now that those feelings are as much about some of the experiences I had with those bikes as they were about the ride qualities.  And, I admit, that my memories of both the experiences and ride qualities have been distorted, if not erased, by time.


That said, I've had a few bikes I don't really want to see or ride again.  And there are the bikes I'm glad I didn't get and the ones I've never had the urge to try or buy.  Here's one I saw up-close some time ago:

I found this photo of it while surfing the web.  I'm guessing that it's a downhill bike of some sort.  For all I know, it may be a great bike for the purpose.  But then again, I never had any wish to do downhill riding (on what Peter White calls "invalid bikes"), so I wouldn't have any reason to ride or buy such a bike.  


Are there bikes from your past that you wish you had now?  Bikes you wish you could have had?  Bikes you never want to see again? Or, are there any you never had and never wanted?  

Ground Hogs and Safety In Numbers

Is there indeed safety in numbers?   That's what these guys seem to be saying.

Or does it mean that if you're alone, you need a basket?


Actually, the fact that I'm asking questions like that means I've spent too much time (or, at least, more time than I like) off my bike.


At the battle of the Somme, officers were heard to ask, Quand sera-ce fini?:  When will it end?  That's what almost everyone, even people who love the snow and ice are asking.   (Given the way the weather is further straining already-stretched budgets, it might be more pertinent to say, Nous sommes dans le pot de chambre, et nous y serons emmerdes.)


Looking at bicycle-related websites and shopping for things I might need for the upcoming season seems utterly incongruous.  Sometimes it feels as if I'm preparing for a day that might not come.  

Supposedly, there's only six more weeks of winter:  The groundhog didn't see his shadow.  Well, with the weather we've been having, there aren't many shadows of anybody or anything!


What if a group of groundhogs came up together?  Would they have been more or less likely to see their shadows?  Would they be safer?  Or, at least, would they  be less likely to get snowed in?