Chuck'sBikes

(OT) My Bike Camping Tent

2010-07-27T14:20:00.000-07:00

This is my Moss Solus II up at Osage Hills SP
last October, this wuz the last day of Howard Thornhill's annual 4 day Octour

I bought the tent at Bill Moss's "factory" in Camden ME in 1983 for a week trip to Nova Scotia down the SE shore from Yarmouth and kcab

One the interesting features of the tent is that the coating on the floor in on the outside

It is still is in very good shape and quite a functional and spacious two person tent all things considered; it is a near three season tent and quite stable in winds if pitched into the wind

The fly is attached and can be rolled up and tied with the side net panels exposed

Soma Smoothie ES

2010-06-27T13:52:00.001-07:00

Origin8 compact crank and 9s bar cons

Tektro brake levers and calipers, Soma Okami saddle, sort of a Regal clone butt softer and not as comfortable

SKS fenders

Wheels = Shimano R535

Running Soma EverWear 700x26 tires

Soma Saga and LHT

2010-06-27T13:41:00.001-07:00

June 16 on way to Hugo and start of Oklahoma FreeWheel w/ Ken Jorgensen

Self outside convenience store in Beggs, maybe 45 mi from house in Tulsa; rain has stopped; for the next two daze it wuz only hot, windy and a bit hilly (rolling)

Ken is riding his pretty well rigged LHT

RedLine CX

2010-06-02T17:27:00.000-07:00

This is a model year 1999 or 2000 Conquest 8, basically a Sora drive train w/ 8s barcons

An understated bike if every there wuz juan!

Over past two - three years I've ridden this bike quite a bit, a bit stretched out and stiff butt a fun bike to ride

Originally w/ V brakes; now with Radius canti f and Tektro Oryx r and appropriate levers

Current rear wheel is an old Sachs New Success 130 oln and SunRace 12 - 28 fw; Conti GatorSkin 700x28

Fizik Nisene saddle

Lugged Trek 520

2010-06-02T17:14:00.000-07:00

Lugged TrueTemper (1991 maybe)

XD300, 8s BarCon, Tektro Oryx

Wheels shown are Tiagra/P.I.N FIR 36x and Schwalbe Mara 700x32

Front rack is an Inline (SBS label) Blackburn copy; Zefal rear

Fenders to come..........

Raleigh 531

2010-06-02T06:31:00.000-07:00

My first race bike(!), maybe built up in 1983 or 84, used to tri quite competently and race modestly on this old "nail"; actually raced against young Master L. Armstrong kcab in 1987 and 1988 when his mom brought him up from Austin for the HillCrest Hospital sponsored (I think) Tulsa Triathlon

He won OA both years, I won my age group in 1988

Originally (Mid Nite Blue) set up with all Sun Tour Superbe, now sports a Color Factory paint job and Kinesis Al fork w/ Sante RD/FD/SL and old 600EX cranks

Mavic RD 500 hubs and Sun ME14A, 28x f and 32x r, Pasela TG 700x28

I still ride it some

Soma Saga (2)

2010-06-02T06:16:00.000-07:00

Got the DT TK 7.1 et PW wheels on it; DT 14g DB, Tanaka stainless fenders, now has a SKF bottom bracket

Soma Express 700x35 tires are really fat, measure 36mm+ across the section on rim; Pasela TG 700x35 on CR 18s only measure 31mm ish

Maybe 500 mi on it and like it!

Saddle is now a WBT Laser V which I will probably leave on it (Am Classic sp)

Soma Saga

2010-04-27T06:04:00.001-07:00

56 cm Soma Saga, 8s, 12 - 34 Sun Race cassette, stock XD-600 cranks (Tange BB), will probably will put a 24 inner ring on sometime

Tubus Logo and Tara racks; I'll use my PhilWood and DT 7.1 wheels avec 700x35 Pasala TG

Plan on riding it on FreeWheel later this summer

Hybrid Project

2010-03-07T09:27:00.001-08:00

This little project started out as CrisCross or CrossWay knot sure, Chuck rattle can paint job

Component are some low ball new stuff and displaced used parts residents

New Tange Hybrid fork and needle Odyssey HS;
low ball J&B Sun 3x crank, and a VO BB unit knot necessarily a low ball item

(more to follow)

The QBP brake cable stop is a very useful little item if/when an top tube braze on stop is missing as it was the this "hybrid" project; J&B's Origin8 lable has a similar part

My Lugged Treks (another 1983 620)

2009-05-09T14:29:00.000-07:00

This is a 19" 620 that is about ready to get a small rider on it for ride!

8s bar cons and BR-A550 brakes, should be a competent/modest little lite tourer!

The FD is a Sora triple that works o.k. , ya gotta set it up a bit higher to avoid middle rig rub on the inner cage; the crank set is a low ball J&B SunLite 46/36/26, alloy with steel rings

MKS M.M. Cube Pedals

2009-05-06T07:32:00.000-07:00

I've tried quite a few SPDs (and variants) Cranks Bros, Keywin Mudman and the MKS pedals top them all

This pic shows the EZY release crank attachment (like an air hose chuck thingy) which might be a nice feature to have on a spare bike to swap out pedals

These pedals are very easy in and out and have quite a bit of float

Cartridge bearings !

Mrs D et self have been using these pedals with Shimano and Lake sandals year round

I also have a pear of Keywin Mudman pedals that are nice, Ti spindle and very lite butt $+; the Mudmans are the easiest of any pedal I've tried to get out of!

Racks On The DoubleCross

2009-05-01T09:31:00.001-07:00

An IRD Stainless Khyber on the rear and a Minoura on the front

Both from Merry Sales the SomaFab folks

The Minoura is very hard to find and I don't think that it is currently being imported, I got the last three that Merry Sales had

The top platfom on the Minoura is a very nice feature for any front rack, Jandd, IRD, and Surly Nice front racks do have a top platforms

SomaFab DoubleCross Tour Bike

2009-05-01T08:39:00.001-07:00

Pretty straight forward setup, 8s, SunRace 12 -34 and XD600 (24 inner) and barcons

Oryx cantis, SKS fenders, Am Classic SP and old SSM Regal saddle; MKS MM Cube pedals

Got those old C'dale panniers from Bill Veatch with the 720

Now fitted with Phil Wood hubbed, DT TK 7.1 rimmed wheels (DT db 14, 36x, cross 3) and a Phil Wood BB

...'nuther lugged tourer (1988 Schwinn Voyager)

2009-04-29T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last year's project is proably a 1988 Schwinn Voyageur, Columbus Tenax, lugged, green, a very nice old bicycle

I've done an overniter to Walnut Creek on it and (truth be known) it is just as nice a tourer as my SomaFab DoubleCross

I use it to commute to shoppe sometimes

Sugino XD300, 8s barcons and SunRace 12 - 34

New Shimano Altus CT Cantis (Will work on old 27" spec'd bikes)

New wheels, 700c CR18 on LX, DT 14 36x 3x

SBS (InLine) low rider front, kinda Blackburn knock, off and a Zefal rear rack

My Lugged Treks (1983 620)

2009-04-21T09:27:00.001-07:00

This is really a pretty nice bike!

This juan is a 22"; have another "83" 620, a 19" this is shaping up and will have 8s bar cons

Now 700c with original LePree hubs laced to CR-18 rims, 14g DT 36x cross 3

XD300 and 6s Shimano FW 14 - 32 (indexed); Deore RD and original (probably) Sachs Huret FD

Original Hinault (SL) headset (still smooth!)

Got the last couple sets of BR A550 (nutted) long reach dual pivot brakes that J&B had

Think the levers are 105 Aero

My Lugged Treks (1984 720)

2009-04-16T11:07:00.000-07:00

.............got six lugged Treks!

The most pukka juan being a (near) original 1984 720 (22")

Got this gem from old friend Bill Veatch, it is a bit big for me

Wheels are now 700c CR-18 on original hubs and a "newer" Shimano RD in lieu the original Eco Duopar, original Shimano cantis w/DC copy aero brake levers

7s Aris FW (not original, was 6s Shimano), original SunTour barcons

Original Avocet Touring saddle and Blackburn f&r racks

First Touring Bike (C'dale ST500)

2009-04-14T10:06:00.000-07:00

I still have this "beast", actually with some crap strapped on it is quite o.k. but unloaded it is juan stiff riding "mother", its a 1985 or 1985 model

Originally had EcoDuopar RD and Modolo Flash brakes

Now has 700c on old Shimano HiFlange MTB FW hubs with Mavic Mod E3 rims 36x, DA FW

13 - 34, stock AT 48/44 and subbed 24 for 26; Deore RD and 6s index

1/2 step and a granny gearing.......did a gear chart and don't think there is a duplicate on it!

Replaced cromo fork with a Kinesis CX/Hybrid fork, old Tektro front cantis and long reach Shimano dual pivots on rear; Shinamo aero levers; original Avocet Touring II saddle, Blackburn front/rear racks

Bought the bike from Poulin's Bike Shoppe in August ME, per ad in Maine Times, shipped via Greyhound

An aside: Also bought my first "quality" adult bike from Poulin's, a Takara with 600EX group on it, ended up with a 110 52 x 34 double before "compacts" were cool; 6s 15 - 34 w/ SunTour barcons

Those ST barcons were the hardest shifting levers I have ever experienced!

Took the bike over to Nova Scotia on the ferry from Bar Harbor with old GF from Camden ME for a week self contained down NS's SE shore fromYarmouth on it; got my Moss Solus II at the Moss tent works in Camden for the trip