Garrett Belmont / Blog

‘Bicycles’ Category

cat chain ring design

September 27th, 2013

Thanks, Joe for sharing.

I like this:

From here.

(My posts are quickly falling into frivolity.)

Categories: Bicycles, Web finds
Tags: 50.4 bcd, bicycles, cats, chainring
Comments: 2 Comments

Drop Fopged Hot Dog Dia-Compe Replacement Decals

September 23rd, 2013

Surely there is something better I could be doing with my time…

Dia-Compe center pull brake replacement decals purchased from loose Screws. Note the typo. Kirsten pointed out the backing is hot dog bun colored.

Categories: Bicycles
Tags: Dia Compe, hot dog, red
Comments: Comment

Over the past couple weeks, Russ and I used free time to overhaul his blue SR Semi Pro. It is now complete. Along with Branden, we took a Saturday afternoon shakedown ride to The Shack in Playa del Rey where we ate burgers, enjoyed a Ranger IPA and chatted with an interesting young man who claimed his office job was rating online porno films. Anyway, about the bike…

For casual use, I suggested ditching the gears. After a few tests, Russ settled on 40 x 17, or around 64 gear inches. I like the higher cadence of my Takara, which is set at a lower 55 gear inches. We maintained a similar pace on the ride.

To switch to single speed, we purchased a cog and spacers kit from Crow Cycle to convert the cassette hub (not original). Other improvements include:

-Panaracer Pasela 700Cx35 (replaced the heavier 28mm Vittoria tires)
-Standard Brooks B17 honey saddle
-Velo Orange Milan handlebar
–Velo Orange alloy chainguard (The 44t model fit the 40t chainring well.)
-Velo Orange brake cables and blue housing
-Velo Orange Kraton basket weave grips to match the saddle
-cheap alloy pedals (also from Crow – surprisingly nice quality)
-chrome single chainring bolts
-swapped the seat post with an SR rain catcher Laprade from my spares
-overhauled bottom bracket and headset

Edit: We will rotate the tires to align the label with the valves. Whoops.

Here’s the bike before the work.

Categories: Bicycle Projects, Bicycles
Tags: 1980s, bicycles, blue, brooks, japanese, panaracer, russ, sr semi pro, velo orange
Comments: 6 Comments

Bikes from my past – Ross Piranha, c.1985

April 28th, 2013

I had the silver/black one with gray grips, bear trap pedals, pads as shown here as 142-3325. I melted a hole through the hard plastic seat with a magnifying glass. This s why I can’t have nice things. I believe it was purchased at John Adams Schwinn on 12th Street in Erie, PA.

I loved it.

Image source: Velo Base

Categories: Bicycles, Bikes from my past
Tags: 1980s, bicycles, bmx, chrome, piranha, ross, youth
Comments: Comment

RUSS BIKE – PART 1?

April 25th, 2013

Is this really the only photo I took of Russ’ bike overhaul project last Saturday?

More to come…

Categories: Bicycle Projects, Bicycles
Tags: 1980s, bicycle projects, bicycles, blue, hot dog, russ, russ bike, single speed, sr semi pro touring, velo orange
Comments: Comment

rSogn update

February 9th, 2013

Updated saddle and rear derailleur.

Categories: Bicycles, Rawland rSogn
Tags: bicycles, bike specs, Hetres, rawland, road, rsogn
Comments: 2 Comments

bikes in a row

August 19th, 2012

I photographed my bikes to compare geometry. Here’s a collage of each in a row.

Categories: Bicycle geometry projects, Bicycles
Tags: bicycles, bike specs, geometry, photoshop
Comments: Comment

Bike / frame specs

August 15th, 2012

Nishiki Professional, circa 1974
seatpost: 26.6 mm (to be confirmed)
steerer: standard 1″

Panasonic Touring, 1978
seatpost: 26.6 mm
steerer: standard 1″

Takara 731, 1977
seatpost: 25.8 mm (to be confirmed)
steerer I.D.: .833″

Rawland rSogn, 2010
seatpost: 27.2 mm
seat collar: 29.8 mm
front derailleur clamp: 28.6 mm

Salsa Ala Carte, 2006 (orange)
seatpost: 27.2 mm
seat collar: 30.6 mm
front derailleur clamp: 28.6 mm, bottom pull, top swing
Link to 2006 Ala Carte specs

Cherubim
seatpost: 26.8 mm
steerer: standard 1″

Other Resources:
Sheldon’s cribsheets

Categories: Bicycles, Bicycles - Useful info
Tags: bike specs, frames
Comments: Comment

Rawland rSogn

July 8th, 2012

Medium Large Rawland rSogn. Recently added Salsa Cowbell 3 handlebar and Apex-3 cranks, 42-28. Using 118mm bottom bracket, the q-factor is very narrow at 138mm. The crank arms clear the frame with a few millimeters to spare.