New Shoes: Schwalbe Marathon Greenguard 700x50

New package found outside my porch!  It's a pair of 700x50 Schwalbe Marathon I ordered a few days ago from Ebay!  I want fatter tires for the style and being able to go into some not-so-smooth roads.   Couldn't help but to replace the existing 700x42 Continental Townride immediately.  It's now an hour after midnight, and the new are shoes on.  As expected, the bike as whole is a bit heavier.  Certainly, like the newer look.  As soon as I get a good night of sleep, I will take my bike out for a spin and see how they roll.

I also have Schwalbe Marathon's on my Muirwood and Del Rey... love them, love them, love them.   This is the newer greenguard version, which is different from the other marathon's I have.   Hopefully, it will be the same, if not better.  We'll see.

 I've tried some other brands before, but in the end Schwalbe Marathon is what I wanted (with the exception of Michelin Carbon/Krylion/Pro4 Endurance).  Continental Sports and Townride are also very durable, but the ride quality is different; both tires are softer and seems like you are losing power at the wheel.  Maybe, it's just me.  Ok, getting tired... good night!

Alfine Di2 is HERE - Update #2

Whenever there's an update #1, there's always update #2.  Well, at first there's the newer version of the Alfine dynamo appearing on ebay (www.ebay.com).  Then there's...

Need I say more?  The parts are somewhat pricey, but I can hear them calling my name. 

2013 Swobo's Internal-Gear Bikes Lineup

www.swobo.com

Swobo used to have fixed/SS and SRAM i-Motion in its lineup.  Well, the fixed-gear-hype dies down a bit, and the i-Motion is getting phase out.  Still in 2013, the Shimano Nexus/Alfine is not going anywhere.  Even though Shimano is about the pushing out Di2, but who knows?  Rather than a replacement to the existing all-mechanical hub, it might probably be another option for us.  But for those who are wants an gear-hub bike now, Swobo gots them:

Model	Fillmore	Novark	Dixon	Otis
Sizes available	48, 51, 54, 57, 60 cm	48, 51, 54, 57, 60 cm	16, 18, 20, 22 inch	16, 18, 20, 22 inch
Color	RAF blue	White	British Green	Silver
Frame and fork	TIG welded Swobo Chromoly	TIG welded Swobo Chromoly	TIG welded 7005 Aluminum	TIG welded 7005 Aluminum
Crankset	Shimano Nexus / 170mm / 38t	Shimano Nexus / 170mm/ 38t	Shimano Nexus / 170mm/ 38t	Shimano Nexus / 170mm/ 38t
Hubs	Shimano (F)/Shimano Alfine 8spd (R)	Swobo branded (F)/Shimano Nexus 3spd (R)	Shimano (F)/Shimano Alfine 8spd (R)	Shimano (F)/Shimano Nexus 3spd (R)
Wheels	700c/36 hole/Alex DA22 rims/14g Stainless spokes	700c/36 hole/Alex DA22 rims/14g Stainless spokes	26"/36 hole/Alex DP17 rims/14g Stainless spokes	26"/36 hole/Alex DP17 rims/14g Stainless spokes
Tires	Kenda K193 Kwest/700x28c/Puncture resistant	Kenda K193 Kwest/700x28c/Puncture resistant	Kenda K193 Kwest/700x28c/Puncture resistant	Kenda K193 Kwest/700x28c/Puncture resistant
Brakes	Tektro Aquilla mechanical disc	Tektro forged dual pivot caliper	Tektro Aquilla mechanical disc	Tektro Aquilla mechanical disc
Seat/post/stem/bars/grips	Swobo branded	Swobo branded	Swobo branded	Swobo branded
Extras	Aluminum fenders and chain guard	Aluminum fenders and chain guard	Aluminum chain guard	Aluminum chain guard

Transit TD-1 Rear Rack

Installing a rear rack on a bike is apparently not as straight forward as I would like.  Last year, I bought a Transit TD-1 rear rack from Performance Bike.  I thought it would be an at-most-10-min installation process.  I was wrong.  After 30 mins of trying to figure out the correct alignments, I gave up, the TD-1 would not fit my 80s Fuji Del Rey.  What happened next?  I got a seatpost rack for the Del Rey and let the TD-1 sit there at the corner of my garage for about a year.

One day, I decided to make some good use of it and install it on my Marin Muirwoods 29er.  The thing about bringing an abandon bike component back to life is if you are lucky, you would be able to find all the small parts and installation hardware that comes with it.  Unfortunately, this is not the case.  I have no clue where my spacers, washers, and last but the most important, the bolts went.  However, what I do have is the one-page installation guide, which doesn't seem to be available online.  The instruction does state the size of the bolts to install the rack, which I find the information extremely handy in this case.  Therefore, I would like to take this opportunity to share with owners of Transit TD-1... the installation instruction:

I hope this scanned copy helps as I don't see any other place where you can get it.

Pake C'Mute Build Day #1

FSA Metropolis on Marin Muirwoods 2010

I have a FSA Metropolis Handlebar lying around for some time, and I decided to replace the original handlebar with it on my Marin Muirwood 29er mainly because I always want to get rid of the stock handlebar.  The original handlebar is a ~68cm wide flat mtb bar with 25.4mm rise.  To me, the advantage is steering is more precise, but I am used to bicycling with a 42cm drop-bar.   If the handlebar too wide, it becomes a challenge when I am biking in narrow paths such as a pedestrian sidewalk in a tunnel; I am going to hit the wall and the handrail back and forward like a metronome.  Maybe it will work for some people, but the stock bar just doesn't fit my style of riding. 

Well, the FSA is narrower but not by much; it measures 620mm wide with a +/-45mm rise/drop and a 45 degree back sweep.  I went with the -45mm drop because it makes my commuter feels more like a road bike.  On the other hand, flipping the bar over (+45mm rise) seems a bit awkward to me.  Although it give you a more upright position, but I have to force raising my elbows to higher positions than I normally would if I do the rise, and it gets uncomfortable very quickly.   I took my Muirwood 29er out for a spin once, and first impression... certainly better than the original, but the 45 degree back sweep might be a little too much.  It might just take some time to get used to.

Alfine Di2 is HERE - Update #1

http://www.bikeman.com/HU7834.html

I guess this is no joke.  Shimano is really releasing the Di2 version of Alfine.  Just a wild guess, if the 11-speed version of the hub is SG-705, the 8-speed one should be SG-505?  The msrp is $674.99 for the 11-speed and 8-speed is $339.99, and the lowest price I've seen for the 11-speed is $514.45 from eBikeStop, and 8-speed is $239.99 also from eBikeStop.  There's also other required components to consider.  The SG-MU705 motor unit costs a little more than $100, the right brifter (ST-S705R) is $239.99, and $349.99 as a set (ST-S705).  I didn't mention anything about the left "brake-only" lever because it would make perfect sense to buy one unless the brake is not cable-actuated (hydraulics, wired electronics, or some wireless technologies. Who knows?).   As you can see from above, all websites that carry the Di2 Alfine don't have any of the parts in-stock.  So I guess we just have to keep believing until we can get our hands on one.  In the meantime, let me organize the retail prices above neatly in a table:

-->

Components	MSRP
Alfine SG-S705 Di2 Disc Brake 11spd 32h Hub Black	$674.99
Alfine SG-S505 Di2 Disc Brake 8-spd 32h Hub Black	$339.99
Alfine ST-S705R & BL-S705L Di2 Shift/Brake Lever Set	$349.99
Alfine ST-S705R Di2 Right Hand Shift/Brake Lever	$239.99
Alfine MU-S705 Di2 11speed Motor Unit	$139.99
Alfine SW-S705 Di2 Right Hand Flat Bar Shifter	$139.99
Alfine SC-705 Di2 E-tube Display Unit	$129.99
Alfine BL-S705-L Di2 Left Hand Drop Bar Brake Lever	$109.99
Shimano Alfine Di2 Small Parts Kit for Vertical Dropouts	$19.99
Shimano Alfine Di2 Small Parts Kit for 20deg Horizontal Dropouts	$19.99
Shimano Alfine Di2 Small Parts Kit for Track-type Dropouts	$19.99
Shimano Alfine Di2 Small Parts Kit for 38deg Horizontal Dropouts	$19.99