No Mudflap: What a Mess!

Just one week of riding without a mudflap, and look at my bike! It’s a mess!

I ride my Urban Bike year-round in rainy Seattle, but thanks to its generous fenders, it rarely gets dirty. I clean it only once a year, because it doesn’t need it more often.

Then, last week, the mudflap on the front fender came off when I reversed the heavily loaded bike up a home-built ramp out of the basement. The flap got caught underneath the front tire at the end of the ramp, and pulled out of the fender.

It’s surprising to me – the front fender is as good as they get: It extends as low as it can without hitting curbs. Yet without the mudflap, spray hits the bottom bracket and entire rear of the bike, to say nothing of my feet. And with the rubber mudflap (above), the bike stays almost totally clean.

This experience shows once again how important those “minor” details really are. This weekend, I’ll install the mudflap again!

Winter Base Miles

Now that it’s February, our winter rest is over. We are starting to build a base for the coming cycling season. That means riding long distances at a moderate pace.

It can be hard to get going for these rides. It’s easy to be discouraged by the cold weather. On the bike, I feel out of shape – as I should be after the winter rest. To top it off, the flat roads on which we start our base miles are a bit boring for me.

Yet these are the most important rides of the year. In years when I skipped the base miles, my season was hobbled by injuries and/or by sub-par performance. Like farmers preparing the soil and sewing their seeds, riding the base miles lays the foundation for the new season.

This is when I appreciate having great friends with whom I can ride. Not only do we remind each other that it’s time to ride, but the company makes the rides much more enjoyable. Riding with cyclists whom I can trust is important. We know exactly what the others will do, so there is none of the constant yelling “Hole!” “Sand!” “Post!” that you hear on organized rides. Instead, we can focus our conversations on any topic that comes to mind: family, politics, work, philosophy, randonneuring, current events…

As we roll along, we catch glimpses of the distant snow-capped mountains through the clouds, reminding us of the roads we will cycle once summer is back. These “base mile” rides are becoming fun in their own right.

We enjoy visiting places that we don’t frequent during the summer months, when we ride more challenging routes. On cold days, a stop at a bakery is always welcome, but we also know that we don’t want to linger too long, lest our legs get cold and stiff.

And on the way home, we make plans for the next ride. As our form improves and the snow recedes, we soon will begin to frequent our favorite roads again.

René Herse édition française

Our new book René Herse • The Bikes • The Builder • The Riders will be available with French text in addition to the English version. Therefore, this update is in French.

Notre souscription pour l’édition française du livre René Herse a connu un beau succès puisque nous avons reçu 148 pré-commandes. C’est assez proche de l’objectif de 150 pour que nous puissions avancer le projet. La mise-en-page est presque achevée, et les fichiers partiront chez l’imprimeur vers la fin du mois. Nous espérons recevoir les livres en juin ou juillet.

Merci à vous tous qui avez pré-commandé le livre, y compris les les magasins qui en ont commandé dix exemplaires ou plus, parmi eux les Cycles Alex Singer et La Bicyclette.

Merci de nous avoir fait confiance. Nous continuons d’accepter les pré-commandes pendant la réalisation du livre. Cliquez ici pour pré-commander votre exemplaire.

Il est très émouvant pour moi de voir ce livre imprimé dans la langue de Lyli Herse et des pilotes qui y sont présentés. J’attends avec impatience le jour où je le pourrai leur présenter.

Winter Projects

At this time of year, we plan our rides for the summer. There are so many places we want to explore! We pore over roads and look at event calendars. And we think about changes to our bikes. Some of the changes are intended to make our bikes better suited to our riding styles. Other changes take advantage of what we have learned. Some changes are the result of new products becoming available.

Now is the time to make those changes to our bikes. That way, we can fine-tune everything during the long winter “base mile” rides. Our bodies get used to the new setup, and when the season starts, our bikes will feel like extensions of our bodies, rather than foreign objects. We want the next riding season to be even more enjoyable than the last.

If you are thinking about changes to your bike, here are a few things to consider for the new season:

Handlebars
One of the most important factors influencing the comfort on long rides are your handlebars. Many modern bikes are equipped with “compact” bars that feature a very short reach and shallow drop. This allows a more upright position, while keeping the handlebars fashionably low. The drawback is that your hands are locked into three positions, all very similar as far as the angle of your back is concerned. On long rides, this can lead to numb hands, as well as shoulder and back pains.

Experienced long-distance riders generally prefer classic handlebar shapes from the 1940s and 1950s. Back then, even racers spent many hours in the saddle. The old-style bars feature more generous curves and give your hands more room to roam.

As you ride more and as your core and back muscles become stronger, you can use a more inclined position that allows you to put out more power. Switching to handlebars with more reach is an easy way to achieve that, while preserving the upright “on the tops” position for slower rides. Read more about handlebars here.

Gearing
Did you find yourself shifting between front chainrings a lot last year? The reason usually is that your big chainring is too large; instead of shifting a few cogs on the rear for a minor hill, you need to change to the small ring and then compensate on the back cassette. These multiple shifts break your rhythm. A smart gearing choice starts with your base gear, which should be on the big ring and in the middle of your rear cassette. Read more about gearing in this post.

New gearing usually requires new chainrings, and in some cases, new cranks. If you still ride on old-style “racing” gearing (53/39), you will be surprised how much difference a “compact” crankset or, even better, custom-designed gearing will make to your riding enjoyment.

Tires
If you did not get a huge number of flats last year, consider changing to more supple tires that offer more comfort and speed. Nothing will transform your bike and increase your riding enjoyment as much as a great set of tires. If you have sufficient clearance, running wider tires will not only improve your comfort further, but also reduce the risk of flats. Read more about tires.

Saddle
If you want to try a new saddle, now is the time to put one on your bike and “break it in” during the winter training rides. A good leather saddle needs a few hundred miles until it becomes truly comfortable. A modern plastic saddle also will conform better to your anatomy over time. Making the switch now will make sure that you have a comfortable saddle during your summer cycling adventures.

Pedals
If you are considering a new pedal system, the long winter rides are a great opportunity to try it out and “learn” the different release. Then you will feel secure when you ride in events with unknown riders, where you may have to stop suddenly.

Fenders
Are you still waiting for the rain to end so you can start your cycling season? Maybe this is the year to install nice fenders on your “go-fast” bike? That way, you won’t curse the afternoon thunderstorm during that great mountain ride in July! Read more about fenders here.

Lights
If you plan to ride long events (or simply are tired of replacing batteries), consider upgrading to a generator hub system. This requires a new front wheel, so it is a bit of an investment, but most people only regret not having made the switch sooner. Read more about lighting systems here.

Luggage
Have you become hot during a ride, but were unable to remove layers because there was no place to put them? (Don’t sling a long-sleeve jersey or tights around your waist, as they are likely to get caught on the rear tire or in the spokes, causing you to crash.) Think about a new luggage system for your bike. Easiest is adding a large under-seat bag like a Carradice.

For convenience and excellent handling, it is hard to beat a good handlebar bag, mounted to a rack and attached to the stem with a decaleur – provided  your bike’s front-end geometry is suitable for front-loading.

Handlebar bags aren’t just great for clothes. They keep your food, your camera, your wallet, and other things easily accessible without dismounting the bike. Having your route sheet on top of the bag, visible at all times, greatly reduces the difficulty of navigating during organized rides. Read more about racks and bags.

What other changes are you making to your bike this year?

North American Handmade Bicycle Show

This year’s North American Handmade Bicycle Show will take place in Denver, CO, on the weekend of February 22-24. NAHBS is a great place to see many builders showing their craft. The event is a showcase of the vibrant custom framebuilding scene in North America.

As you admire the gleaming machines, you may wonder how they ride. Bicycle Quarterly has tested a number of NAHBS show bikes over the years, including several show winners. I am happy to report that most rode as well as they looked.

First among these was Tony Pereira’s first randonneur bike, winner of the “Best Road Bike” award in 2007 (above). It’s still one of my favorite bikes among the more than 50 we’ve tested. I loved the aesthetics, which were different from the French constructeurs, yet just as functional. I enjoyed using Pereira’s excellent lever-operated front derailleur, and I smiled at the juxtaposition with the Campagnolo carbon cranks. Most of all, I loved how that Pereira flew over our favorite “Mountain 100 km” course!

We also tested show bikes from Rebolledo, Coho and Ellis (photo at the top of this post), as well as a Bilenky tandem. Historic bikes shown at NAHBS by Peter Weigle and Landshark were featured in our book The Competition Bicycle. It’s been fun to spend more time with these machines, but even if you just can admire them in the show booths, NAHBS presents a unique opportunity to see many bikes in person that you will rarely meet on the road.

This year, Boulder Bicycles is organizing an “unaffiliated” display in Denver on Saturday evening (February 23) at the Denver Marriott City Center Hotel.  They will be joined by three other well-known builders: Mark DiNucci, Bruce Gordon and Mark Nobilette. Boulder Bicycles will show a collection of classic René Herse bicycles together with the latest machines carrying the famous name. (Boulder Bicycles is the home of modern René Herse bicycles.) The photo above shows a 1974 Randonneuse from our René Herse book, similar to a bike that will be on display at the show. You’ll also be able to browse the René Herse book (and buy a copy).

If you are in the Denver region that weekend, both NAHBS and the Herse/Nobilette/Gordon/DiNucci display are well worth your time. Click here for information on NAHBS, and click here for information on the second show.

Further reading: Test report of the Pereira Randonneuse. (Bicycle Quarterly Vol. 6, No. 2), also available online.

Charity Drive: Thank You!

The Bicycle Quarterly charity drive was a success. We were able to raise almost $ 1500 for three charities. Checks are going out this morning to Doctors Without Borders, Save the Children and the Union of Concerned Scientists. Thank you to all who contributed!

Am I Retro?

Many people see my bike and think “Retro!” In some cases, this is seen as cool. Others are dismissive, like the famous builder who once compared riders like me to civil war re-enactors, who dress up and play civil war in their spare time.

It is true that I enjoy riding classic bikes. Best-known is probably my ride with Jaye Haworth in the 2003 Paris-Brest-Paris on a 1946 René Herse tandem (below). I also rode a 1952 René Herse 650B bike in a number of brevets. While there was an element of re-enactment in those rides – I wanted to understand these bikes and their riders better – the results were really surprising.

The 1946 René Herse tandem performed better than any modern tandem, and we were the fastest mixed tandem that year. In the entire history of PBP, only 7 mixed tandem teams have been faster, and six of them have been on classic tandems. The old Herse’s effortless speed, but even more its effortless handling, really was an eye-opener that led into research of why modern tandems did not perform as well. Since then, quite a few tandems have been built along similar lines, to the great enjoyment of their owners.

My rides on the 1952 Herse 650B bike had even more far-reaching consequences. Not only does that bike hold the record for the “3 Volcano 300 km” brevet to this day, but its surprising performance led to our research into bicycle performance. A trickle-down effect of that research is that now even racers run wider tires at lower pressures than they did before. And the old Herse served as a blueprint for a new generation of 650B randonneur bikes made in the United States, including my current bike.

Designed for performance more than style, these new bikes take some elements from the old: fast, wide 650B tires, lightweight aluminum fenders with excellent coverage, and handlebars that offer room to roam during long rides. Other details are decidedly modern: clipless pedals and generator-powered lights with the latest LED technology.

Some riders equip their new randonneur bikes with modern brake-shift levers, while others prefer the simplicity and light weight of downtube shift levers. There are good reasons to use either system that have nothing to do with being modern or retro.

Retro is painting your bike orange because Eddy Merckx was sponsored by an Italian sausage maker. Or putting horizontal dropouts on a bike with derailleurs because that is how it used to be done in the old days. Riding a bike with each part chosen for performance is not retro. Even if the result looks somewhat like a bike from 1952.