Commuting on Knobs

Why is it that the combination of knobblies and single speed has me riding like a teenager?

Yesterday I'd gone out exploring with some 'cross tyres on, and then was too lazy to swap them for the (train assisted) commute today. So, tyres whirring away, I attacked the Swindon streets and cycle lanes. It was dodging around barriers and taking the odd, semi-legit detour across dirt paths. With softish, 'crossing-type pressure the bike felt unstoppable. I found myself flying off pavements, hopping obstacles. Just riding for the love of it.

But what about Such Bikes?
The break-up crisis and other unrelated events have put the boot in; Andy and I are trying to work out what to do next. But I'm really keen to get moving with this even if it is perhaps only framesets on a built to order.

Lansdown Hill

Given the issues with my parking situation (i.e. no parking within 1.5 miles of my flat!), I had to leave the bleeding car in the Lansdown Park and Ride. I took the bus down, but decided to rather cycle back up to fetch it (many will say the wrong way around, I know).

It was made all the more challenging by the bike having been reverted to the single speed set-up. And me deciding (pointlessly) to try racing a bus up the hill.

First, I must say, the single speed set-up is so much lighter and sprightly than the Alfine with the heavy 29er rims. No surprises there.

The 55x24 was pretty hard going up Lansdown (especially after trying to race the bus), but I managed and only stopped once (red light at the roadworks - though I was dying).

I do miss riding the bike more regularly. As a single speeder it is a joy. I found myself riding past my road a few times and just adventuring around town. I guess that is what riding is all about.

Racked up

I've been getting a lot of miles in lately, but more crucially testing out aspects of the bike that still need to be resolved - load carrying.

Although the bike is designed as a fast commuter, it does need to carry if a load if need be. Having ridden an entry level road frame with "load carrying capability", I realised that it isn't enough just to have the mounting points for the rack, the bike needs to handle properly with the load on it. This was always part of the concept, and was accounted for in the geometry - but needed to be tested.

So I've racked it up. A Racktime rack fitted beautifully, though I have found compatibility with some other racks quite problematic; this will be addressed for the production dropout design. I was very pleased with the rack mounting points. The bottom mounts directly on the 7mm thick dropouts are rock solid, and the top mounts - welded, not riveted, to the frame - add rigidity. All good.


I've ridden over varying terrain commuting between Bath and Swindon, taken it fully loaded across London and into Essex and humped it on and off a few trains. And I am pretty happy with how it rides. The handling is pretty good loaded, so I'm happy with the geometry. Certainly it is a compromise and it does lean towards better performance unloaded, but it is still pretty solid and confidence inspiring when loaded up on the rear.


The same rigidity issues that cause problems with the belt drive when really giving it can plague the stability on rough surfaces or when trying to crest a rise at a high cadence, but these will be resolved and I'm happy will be designed out of the next iteration.

I still stand by that it will be ready when it is ready, but that it feels like that point is coming closer.


ps. The belt drive and Alfine are a wonderful, wonderful combination.

Back in the saddle

It has been a long time. It will take a while to get the last few months, but I have started living the rest of my life.

Starting with my first commute to the office from my new home in Bath - my new abode.

Decided to ride it, 50km each way. It was good fun. I do love the bike, though the frame needs tuning as it beat the hell out of me on the rough tarmac. Also think a switch to a steel fork might be the answer.

Anyhow, more miles and more R&D. Watch this space!

Sorry I've been quiet

For regular followers of the blog, I must apologise for two things - the lack of postings here and (to a lesser extent) the lack of progress. A friend at work laughed when I referred to the breakdown of my marriage as "a minor setback"; this is certainly a low and unfortunately this has suffered.

A few words though, I've spent a lot of time on the bike lately. If anything, recent events have meant even more time in the saddle. I'm getting on well with the Alfine + Gates Carbon Drive - it certainly is a brilliant combo. But the way we have it at the moment is not perfect, and I've also picked up some minor issues with the Alfine 8 and Versa shifters.

More to come soon, I promise.

Been sick :(

I've been ill with a viral infection, so nothing much to write about (though I did ride the bike to the doc - goodness, it is nice).

So, here is a brilliant blog post that captures the joy of commuting in London.

A long time coming

I finally managed to prise the Alfine off Andy. Ok, I might be exaggerating slightly, Andy was always very happy to hand the Alfine over, but I was having a ball with the smooth simplicity of the single speed belt drive and certainly learning a lot about the belt drive.

I remember when I first mentioned the Alfine to Andy (many months back), he was skeptical; now he is a total convert. Personally, I've never ridden an Alfine for any significant period, certainly not on a day-to-day basis, so while I am sold on the concept, I'm yet to be totally won over.

Although I got the wheels on Tuesday, a seriously annoying bout of man-flu over the last few days has kept me from building and riding the proto, but finally I got around to it. In reality, it hasn't been that long, but it certainly has felt like it.

The build itself was fairly painless. The belt line was just about perfect and with the Alfine sprocket also being a 24T, the same as the single speed set-up, I didn't even need to adjust the EBB. The cable guide was also spot on, giving a very tidy routing.

The Versa VRS-8 shifters are also interesting. If you are used to Shimano STI levers, these do feel a little slender, but seem perfectly comfortable. The shape of the levers is fairly Shimano-esque so no surprises there. The action of the shifting is smooth and positive, though I'd probably have preferred a shorter shift lever arc. The only criticism I have of them at this point is that they are supplied with a rather flimsy cable adjuster (a Ritchey branded component); it does the job but I think I'll swap in some SRAM in-line adjusters on the weekend.

I've only ridden it around the block (a few times) so far to early to write about my experiences with it, but once I've got a few miles in, I will surely let you know how it goes.

ps. Thanks for all the interest. I was surprised with the response and questions that rolled immediately after I added the Contact link. We do have a lot of work still to do; particularly testing ver2.0 as well as resolving the numerous commercial issues. But we are getting there. Keep the questions coming, and thanks again for following our progress.