Built & Ridden: Vintage LeMond Road Bike

I finished the LeMond restoration a couple weeks ago, but only got around to riding it last weekend because of a nasty cold that was lovingly given to my by my daughters.  Thanks, girls.  I wasn't even close to healthy, but had to get out for some air and exercise.  My lungs protested most of the way.

The ride is beautiful.  Even at 47mph on a downhill the bike was stable and smooth.  Maybe it was the extra weight of the bike, but I was faster than on my Trek Emonda.

My usual loop in Fort Ord consists of a dirt connector that is only rough in a couple spots.  The LeMond handily navigated the dirt and only protested (rightfully) when I accidentally hit some sand.

Overall, the Campagnolo Athena 11 parts are wonderful and are a fantastic upgrade for any vintage frame.  Compared to my Chorus 11, the shifters only drop one gear at a time but I like the new thumb lever design more than the previous one.  The new lever is easier to reach from the drops, which is awesome for people like me who have smaller hands.

The full build spec:
Frameset - 1987 LeMond "Team LeMond Club" - Columbus Aelle steel tubes
Headset - Chris King 2Nut threaded
Seatpost - Aero aluminum generic
Seat - Selle San Marco Regal perforated
Stem - Nitto Dynamic 10
Bar - Soma Highway 1 42cm
Tape - Lizard Skins DSP 2.5
Bottle Cages - King Cage stainless with alloy bolts
Cables & Housing - Campagnolo
Brakes - Campagnolo Skeleton
Brake Levers - Campagnolo Athena 11
Front derailleur - Campagnolo Athena 11
Rear derailleur - Campagnolo Athena 11
Crankset - Campagnolo Athena 11 50/34 172.5
Bottom Bracket - Campagnolo Power Torque
Chain - Campagnolo Record 11
Shifters - Campagnolo Athena 11
Cassette - Campagnolo Chorus 11 11-29
Hubs - Zipp 100 F 28h / Campagnolo Chorus R 32h
Rims - BHS C22W
Spokes - Sapim Race silver
Nipples - Sapim blue
Skewers - Campagnolo
Tubes - Standard butyl
Tires - Continental Grand Prix Classic 25c
Pedals - Speedplay X/2
Other - Arundel Uno seat pack / Bar Fly Garmin mount with custom shim

Our First Weekend With The New V5 Mundo

I ended up staying up later than originally planned on Wednesday to finish the Mundo.  As usual, I had to change some things to better suit my preferences.  Instead of the swept-back bars I put on some Race Face riser bars I had lying around along with a set of orange Oury grips.  Along with the usual box build, I also had to install the Yepp seat (which was insanely easy), the Bread Basket (which required headlight relocation), and the stoker bar (which didn't happen).

My little helper

 After adding my personal touches and getting it 90% tuned, I took it for a very short spin on our street.  So far, so good.  It felt mostly like a normal bike and I was able to get the cockpit pretty close to my mountain bike setup but with much more rise for cruisin' comfort.  The problem with the stoker bars is that they are made for the previous version Mundo, which has a 31.8mm seatpost.  The V5 Mundo has a more standard 30.9mm post.  On Thursday I snagged a Coke can from the recycle bin and proceded to make my own shim so I could take the girls for a ride.  Yuba has a shim available, but forgot to send it.  Kindly, they did overnight it to me but I'm going to wait for my zero setback Thomson seatpost to arrive before swapping it in.  The stock seatpost has too much setback for my liking.

Ready to ride!

Rollin' with smiles

The girls love it.  We rode over to say hello to the horses and around the neighborhood.  They didn't want to go home.  We did pretty much the same ride the next night.  On Saturday I took advantage of nap time to make a foot rest (aka Leg-Up).  I used an old aluminum Cannondale CODA handlebar, orange grips, unused spacers that came with the Bread Basket, and two M6 by 50mm bolts and washers from a hardware store.  It turned out perfect, looks better than Yuba's, and was much more rewarding than just buying one.  Also, those bar end plugs light up for night riding!  After nap we rode over to our friends' house for the kiddos to play.

Foot rest for little feet.

Sunday was filled with riding to the park in the morning...

Park smiles

And to the pool in the afternoon...

They like Jane's Addiction.  Rad.

I have plans to keep improving the bike.  The next change will be an upgrade to a clutch derailleur and 10 speed drivetrain.  Using an Amazon gift card (thanks, Julie & Brian), I got a killer deal on a Shimano XT Shadow Plus rear derailleur.  I wasn't planning on going higher than Deore, but couldn't resist.  I think the clutch derailleur will really help with the chain tension and reduce slap on the frame.  I'm also planning on ditching the low end square taper triple crankset for a 38/26 double, likely Deore.  The bike came with a 170mm crankset and I prefer 175.  Justification, right?  Also, all the parts I'm removing will be used for Gears 4 Good bikes.

Huge thank you to my parents for largely funding the purchase of this most awesome bike.  It was a great birthday surprise!

Arrived: Yuba Mundo V5 Cargo Bike

I got a call this morning from Sean at Peninsula Bike Works to let me know that my Yuba Mundo and accessories had arrived!  Armed with an extra large pizza and bread sticks, I headed over to the shop during lunch to pick it up.  I am going to build it myself because I want to involve my daughters in the process.  Arguably, they're too young to totally get it, but they can handily turn a hex key or screw driver and will be happy to pull parts out of the wrapping.  The box is currently sitting in the bed of my truck, which I have a clear view of from my office window, and I'm watching the minutes slowly tick by.  Tonight our living room will be a mess of cardboard, packing material, tools, accessories, and a glorious new family bike.

For now...

Yuba Mundo v5 Cargo Bike Announced

I called Sean at Peninsula Bike Works to have him order a Yuba Mundo v4 for me, then just saw this video and had to call him back. The v5 has been announced...



It has the features I wanted in the v4 (and more) and would have had to upgrade. Cromo frame that is 5 pounds lighter, 1-1/2" headtube, lock tabs, Yepp EasyFit mounts, 10mm axle dropouts, hydraulic disc brakes, maybe a cassette instead of a freewheel, and Shimano components.

Now I just have to figure out when it will be available.  Unfortunately, Yuba doesn't have a phone number available so I'll drop them an email for some more info.

UPDATE 1: I found out from Ted at Yuba that the v5 will be available on August 17th.  I will have mine in hand shortly thereafter!

UPDATE 2:  Mine is on order!  They are currently in port, waiting to be delivered!

Purchased: Vintage LeMond Frameset

So... I bought another frameset.  It is actually an early birthday present from my very understanding wife.  The frameset is a 1987 LeMond "Team LeMond Club" in yellow.  The white "Team LeMond Pro" versions were built by Della Santa, but this one and another white "Comp" model were built in Italy by Carnielli (basically Bottecchia, but that's another story).  I've been wanting a LeMond for just about as long as I can remember, and this one fit my current needs (wants) with size, price, and a touch of rareness.

Photo from the eBay listing

The tubing is Columbus Tretubi Aelle, which means that the three main tubes are Aelle and the rest, including fork, is builder's choice.  No way to know what it is.  Aelle was pretty low (if not the lowest) on Columbus quality, but it's still Columbus tubing.

Overall it is in very good shape for how old it is.  The dropout screws were broken and bent, so Sean at Peninsula Bike Works has ordered new ones for me.  As I type, the frameset is in the hands of Hector at Winning Wheels in Pacific Grove.  He is re-spacing the dropouts from 126 to 130 and cleaning and chasing the threads of the bottom bracket and derailleur hanger.  My plan is to rebuild it with new Campagnolo Athena 11 silver components and modern but retro-styled wheels.  Pacenti recently released their SL23 rim in silver, so that's at the top of my list right now.  Other touches will include a silver Chris King headset, white perforated Selle San Marco Regal saddle, Arundel  stainless bottle cages and white Gecko tape, and probably white cable housing.

Highball Converted to SS

On Friday last week I received the final parts to convert the Highball to single speed.  The dropouts arrived from Santa Cruz and the chain and 19 tooth Surly cog were waiting for me at Peninsula Bike Works.  I had planned on just picking up a Shimano SLX or Deore chain, but Sean hooked me up with a SRAM PC 1091.  Who am I to argue with such kindness?

SS parts and a new dinger.

 After attending an event with my wife for her work, I stayed up way too late (for a father of two children who don't understand the concept of sleeping in on weekends) to complete the conversion.  The most time consuming task was to file and sand the inside of the Gusset cassette spacers to fit on the DT Swiss 350 cassette body.  I couldn't find the Gusset lock ring, so I just used the one from the XT cassette.  Since it is for an 11 tooth cog, the diameter is a bit small so I'll be on the lookout for an orange 12+ tooth one now.

Saturday afternoon I was able to head out to the other side of Fort Ord to test it out.  It was nice riding over there since I hadn't been on that side in over a year.  Flogging a single speed on that side is a little easier since it has more of a rolling terrain with fewer extended steep sections.

 

Scammer Poses as Editor to Steal Bikes

This is a crazy story.  Be on the lookout for these bikes, especially in Southern California.  Sadly, I can only assume they have been stripped and the parts sold off to unsuspecting buyers.

Click here for the Bicycle Retailer article

Photos and Specs of the Completed FSR Rebuild

I finished the build a couple weeks ago and am now getting around to posting some photos here.  The bike rides surprisingly well and is not terribly heavy.  The final weight is around 26.5 pounds.  I'm planning on sending the fork to Risse Racing for a Gem cartridge and overall rebuild.  The Sped Springs that are in the fork now have no rebound dampening and come up way too fast.

Current build list as of this post:

Frame - 1994 Specialized StumpJumper FSR with Fox Alps 4 shock
Fork - 1995(?) Judy SL with Speed Springs
Headset - Crank Brothers Sage
Seatpost clamp - Control Tech bolt
Seatpost - Stock Specialized with J&L yokes
Seat - Selle Italia SLK
Stem - Thomson X4
Bar - FSA SL-K carbon 18mm riser
Grips - Oury
Bottle Cages - King Cage stainless with alloy bolts
Outer Cables - Shimano with Jagwire ferrules
Inner Cables - Shimano
Brakes - Shimano XT T780 V-brakes
Brake Levers - Shimano XT T780
Front derailleur - Shimano XT M781
Rear derailleur - Shimano XT M786 Shadow+ 10sp
Crankset - Cook Brothers E-Crank
Bottom Bracket - Shimano BB-UN51 (Original BB)
Chainrings - Vuelta 30 & Real 42
Chainring bolts - Green alloy
Chain - KMC X10-93
Shifters - Shimano XT M780 I-Spec
Cassette - Shimano XT M771 11-36
Hubs - Circus Monkey 28h F&R
Rims - Stan's ZTR 355
Spokes - Sapim Laser
Nipples - Sapim
Skewers - Salsa stainless
Tubes - Standard butyl (will probably switch to tubeless)
Tires - Schwalbe Racing Ralph 26x2.25
Pedals - Crank Brothers Candy
Computer Mount - K-EDGE Stem Mount for Garmin
Other - Third Eye chain guard

Video - 2015 Rumble in the Ranchlands

This past Saturday, I rode the Rumble in the Ranchlands with my friend, Mark.  Starting in Catheys Valley, Ca, the ride was on mostly gravel and dirt roads with some terrible asphalt and a small amount of good asphalt.  78 miles with 7800 feet of elevation.  Both of us being fathers of young children, we were just happy to complete the ride in time for the tacos, beer, and awards ceremony.

Thanks go to Murphy Mack of SuperPro Racing for organizing this, Oskar Blues Brewery for providing beer, and to all of the wonderful volunteers for their enthusiasm and support.

The video was shot with a Garmin Virb Elite that was mounted under my handlebars.  The photos are a mix from the Virb and my Samsung Galaxy phone.

New Wheels - Stan's / Circus Monkey / Sapim

This week I finished building a new set of wheels for the vintage FSR rebuild, and they are surprisingly light.  I found NOS Stan's ZTR 355 non-disc rims on ebay and snatched them up.  I would have preferred 32 hole rims, but they are 28.  I can live with it.  Next ordered was a set of Circus Monkey hubs in green, Sapim Laser spokes, and Sapim geen aluminum nipples.  For the lacing, I went with two cross front and rear.

The wheels were weighed individually and together on a Feedback Sports Alpine Digital Scale.  I like the scale, but it rounds out to the nearest 10 grams.

Front: 560g
Rear: 740g
Pair: 1290g

Photos of the FSR from 1995

Yesterday I called my Mom and asked if she could find any old photos of the 1994 Specialized Stumpjumper FSR.  She found and scanned six for me, all taken in 1995.

In all her glory.

Jack in the Box head for extra mojo.

Downhill race at Donner Ski Ranch, 1995

Downhill race at Donner Ski Ranch, 1995

Downhill race at Donner Ski Ranch, 1995

Mike Skuce, Me, Neil Jost.  I was 17.

1994 Stumpjumper FSR Revival

The story of my 1994 FSR started long ago when I bought it new while working for a Specialized dealer in high school.  I rode and raced it for a couple years, sold it to my dentist/neighbor (Chuck), and moved on to a Mrazek hard tail.  A couple months ago, I decided to contact Chuck and see if he would be interested in selling it back to me.  We agreed to meet next time I was in town to visit my parents.  Last month I met with Chuck to see the bike, and he gave it to me.  Free.  In return, all he wanted was for me to tune up his (freaking amazing) 3Rensho mountain bike and send him a photo of the bike restored.  The FSR had been ridden hard and put away wet and needed a lot of attention.  I decided to completely strip it, apply frame saver, rebuild the shock, and will be slowly building it back up.  This might irk some retro grouches, but I'll be rebuilding it with modern components since I plan to actually ride it frequently.

This is how the bike looked when I picked it up from Chuck.

The seatpost was very stuck.  I inverted the frame and poured white vinegar through the bottle boss and let it sit overnight.  Since the seat was already trashed, I wedged a long aluminum tube in the rails and twisted the post free.  Surprisingly, it buffed out very well and will stay with the frame since it is an odd size - 29.2mm.

Here is the bottom bracket.  I'm pretty sure it had never been removed.

Fox Alps 4 rear shock, freshly rebuilt by Risse Racing.

Cleaning out the threads.

Here is the bare frame.  Without the shock, it weighs 6.19 lbs / 2810 grams.  Portly.

As for the rebuild, I will go with either XT or SLX parts for the drivetrain.  The fork is a 1996? Judy SL Ti in yellow with speed springs, which might get the Risse Racing makeover after I ride it a bit.  It spins on the frame with a Crank Brothers Sage SL headset.  For wheels, I found NOS Stans ZTR 355 rims, have ordered green Circus Monkey hubs (really want green but don't want to pay for King), and will use (probably) silver Sapim Laser spokes with green alloy nipples.  I'll run Schwalbe Racing Ralph tires because I love them and the other bits are TBD, but will be silver to keep the retro feel.  Oh, and I found a NOS Control Tech seat binder bolt in silver to replace the stock quick release.


I'll post progress photos as I get on with the rebuild.

Video: Cross Conversation with Emily and Chris

This is a great video with Emily Kachorek and Chris Namba talking about cyclocross and SRAM CX1 components.  I trained, traveled, and raced with Emily when were on the UC Davis Cycling Team.  She is simply an awesome person.  Check out Squid Bikes, her little bike frame company out of Sacramento, Ca.