Boulder Bicycle

Schmidt wide body - or not!

2012-01-18T16:02:00.000-08:00

We've been getting lots of questions the past week or so from our Boulder Bicycle customers regarding the new Schmidt wide body hub. So we thought we'd put our thoughts out there on this. We will be getting this hub in the near future, and are happy to sell it. And there are certainly instances where this hub makes sense. But in many ways, this hub for most of our rando customers is a solution in search of a problem. And there are some downsides - albeit minor, that go with it.

First and most important (this was brought to light by other shop's comments to us). The bracing angle which is what is really important, is more than sufficient on the regular SONdeluxe. Think about it, wheel trouble is typically always on the rear. We never ever have had a problem with a front wheel. But on a high dish wheel, such as Campagnolo 10sp, the rear drive side flange can be less than 18mm from the flange center - it is actually approaching 16mm if I recall correctly. So the 25mm on the front wheel is way beyond that. It is 50% farther out from the flange center than a modern Campy drive side rear!

And remember too - classic road hubs may be 70mm wide at the flanges, but many are small flange. The higher flange diameter of the SONdeluxe serves to increase bracing angle. All this adds up to why we don't see problems with folks using this hub!

Now for heavy riders on a loaded bike riding off road, we can see why the higher bracing angle of the wide body hub can help in theory. But we've never had a customer report a problem on a front wheel. So we are bit skeptical.

Now the downsides. The first is cost. Not much, just $20 extra. But then there is a weight penalty of the hub itself. Then the spokes are all longer by a smidge, so that adds weight. Finally, there is the likelihood that there is some aero drag. A significant amount of wind resistance comes from the spokes cutting through the air. Now I'm not sure, but I'd guess that there is some effect on speed at the margin.

So for the typical rider, and for my own bike for example, I'll be reaching for the regular SONdeluxe. If I'm building a bike for a heavier rider, or one riding off road extensively and especially if loaded, this hub is a great new addition to the Schmidt line up. But as I look over our roster of bike builds at the shop at this very moment I don't see any where the wide hub seems to be a better option. Now I do know of a couple coming up later on where this hub might make sense. But those are more the exception.

Mike Kone - Boulder CO USA

Pre-season Frames and new Berthoud bag

2011-11-23T10:15:00.001-08:00

Just in time for some holiday consideration, we're pleased to offer some special treats. First, we are taking advantage of Waterford's winter slack season to offer a pre-season special on stock frame and forks. Instead of $1,300 plus shipping, if you order soon, you can get one of these for $1,195 plus shipping. In addition, to help x-mas tapped budgets, the deposit is only $800 instead of the usual $ 1,000. So how about a new frame/fork for the coming season?

And what really has us excited is that coming in a few weeks (should be well in time for the holiday), we are getting from Gilles Berthoud our "dream" handlebar bag. This is the model 25 in grey, but with the zipper compartment on the underside of the main flap. Many(but not all) folks prefer the elastic closures to the buckles found on the deluxe bag. But at the same time, almost everyone really likes the zipper underside compartment as a perfect place for wallet and keys. Now we can have it! This was a special run done for us by Gilles Berthoud that the US importer arranged just for us.

Again, these bags should be ready for shipment aound December 10th or 15th.

Thanks so much, and have a wonderful and safe Thanksgiving holiday!

Mike K

October 26 - We are not at Philly this year...

2011-10-26T10:11:00.000-07:00

Rene Herse Bicycles inc. and Boulder Bicycle will not be at the Philly show this year.

All year we planned on it, but we just fell too far behind to justify the trip. Even with a quick fly in and fly out, it would still take at least 4 days. And with family and business it was just too much. We just barely managed to get our Veloswap show stuff together this past weekend. And the final kicker is a family commitment that popped up for the end of October that we wanted to attend.

The reality is that right now, our Herse build list is pretty full, and Boulder Bicycle sales and assembly are keeping us very busy already. The parts business and website has been rather neglected. So if anything, we're best off staying local and trying to chip away at those projects.

Next year we hope to make it to the Philly show. The Belinky gang does a great job with the event, and aside from business, we were looking forward to the fun festivities. But the fun will unfortunately have to wait.

We appologize to those who were hoping to see us there.

Mike K

Rene Herse Projects September 2011

2011-09-18T20:18:00.001-07:00

Its been very busy at Rene Herse Bicycles lately - lots of Boulder Bicycle sales and now we're prepping for an East Coast trip at the end of October. Right now we have two projects "on the hot seat." The first is the above new Rene Herse frame and fork which recently came back from paint and lettering. It will emerge as a complete bike in the coming weeks.

Also being worked on is something a bit "new" for us. We are reconditioning a vintage Rene Herse. Parts have come back from the chromer, we're doing some touch-up, and then it is on to assembly. We'll hope to have photos of that one in the coming weeks.

If all goes as planned, we'll be bringing these bikes east for the Philly Bike Expo at the end of October. The weekend before that is VeloSwap, and Boulder Bicycle and Rene Herse will be on display there as well. This year, VeloSwap is going to have a builder display area which should be fun. We are VeloSwap junkies. We sell and show our stuff, and we always keep our eyes out for cool goodies. Last year, a Team Raleigh 753 followed us home (too cheap to pass up). Lots of folks are now into the idea of bikes that "plane" as Jane Heine calls it. For us, that just means that a frame has a flex characteristic that works well with one's pedaling style. The Team Raleigh with 753 tubing is the perfect example of a classic light tubed frame that performs in this fashion.

We're starting to thing about the idea of building some Boulder Bicycle or Rene Herse bicycles that will be "road sport" style. They will not be rando machines, but rather slightly laid back designs that will accept 30mm tires (that gets close on the old 753 Raleigh) but neither a fender or a rack. A fun go-fast day rider bike we think. We'll think this idea through a bit more. But we've had a few folks express interest in this already.

Finally, we couldn't resist the photo above. It was shot with a really old Leica Summarit screw mount lens wide open. The lens has a mixed reputation, but is known for a bit of a dreamy quality. We're having fun with old Leica gear these days. The camera body we used is digital, so we're mixing old and new. Not terribly different than what we do with our bikes we suppose.

Thanks for reading!

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA

Fender Wedge - new cool widget August 29, 2011

2011-08-29T15:54:00.000-07:00

Finally in stock, our proprietary Fender Wedge for underside of forkcrown. Machined in Boulder CO USA!

We realized years ago that fender hardware had a deficiency. When mounting a front fender with a forkcrown daruma, if you have the big rubber washer contacting the crown, the washer sometimes like to "creep" into the crown. (note that traditional French bikes typically had just the rubber between crown and fender, and the large metal washer on the underside of the fender).

Also, a typical installation results in the front of the rubber washer really squished, and the back not very compressed. Finally, sometimes its nice to take up a bit of gap between the fender and crown (depends on installation - if the fit is already tight, don't use this widget as it will reduce clearance even more and can be a safety issue).

So if your installation will benefit from the attributes of this fork wedge, than now you can avoid the hassle of making one yourself!

The wedge may reduce the amount of slide on the brake or rack stud inside the crown - in such a case you can enlarge the hole into a slot to give more room with a round file. But this step is not necessary unless you are working to get an exact placement so the fender lines up with a front rack fender mounting point and you've goofed and need the slide fudge factor.

The exact thickness of these will vary a bit. But on the one we just took from the bin, the thin front part is about 2mm thinck, and the rear about 3.2mm thick.

At some point soon, we may a run that are thicker for folks who want to take up larger gaps.

Danger - use of fenders has risks - if debris gets caught between a front fender and wheel, the bike can flip causing an accident with terrible consequences. Use fenders with caution!

Paris Brest Paris Excitement August 25 2011

2011-08-25T17:35:00.000-07:00

Once again its been way too long since we've updated the blog - but that will change we hope - so much to discusss!

Most importantly, we want to extend our congratulations to all those who are completing PBP and those who tried. Above is Will deRosset with his modern Rene Herse (a rather understated blue). Will did a great job at PBP. Other folks on our products include Jan Heine who finally rode the 650b new Herse frame we did for him a few years back. Jan did some of his own work, and he outfitted the bike with nifty early items such as a Nivex rear derailleur. Apparently, Lyli Herse saw Jan's bike and was quite touched to see Rene Herse bicycles on the roads of France.

There were a considerable number of Boulder Bicycles at PBP. It is really amazing how many of our bicycles see very serious use. We started searching the list of Boulder Bicycle customers for attendance at PBP, and we were amazed how many are now in France.

We originally planned to travel to France to either ride PBP or at least attend the finish. But demands of business and family did not allow for that. But in the future...

With the business being so demanding, we made a decision not to attend PBP this year. It might have been a mistake.

The New Rene Herse Crankset

2011-07-06T09:03:00.001-07:00

René Herse Bicycles and Compass Bicycles are proud to introduce a modern version of the classic René Herse cranks. The new cranks will be available this fall. A day hardly passes at René Herse Bicycles without a request for crankset that features a narrow tread, exceptional chairing versatility, light weight, easy removal and installation of chainrings, and outstanding asthetics. The original René Herse crank is a brilliant design that provides all of these.

Most modern-day riders have a few new requirements for their cranks. Triple front derailleurs have shaping, and therefore an increased distance between the outer ring and the crankarm is crucial for proper derailleur adjustment. Folks also do not want to fuss with specialty tools, so the use of a standard crankarm remover is desirable. Finally, a small bit of curve to the arm to provide a bit more heal clearance than pure “classic” designs is often beneficial. The new René Herse crank shown above has all of these new features.

More discussion of the new René Herse crank’s features can be found on the Compass Bicycle blog. (click here to read).

For a bit of fun history, here are some iterations of René Herse cranks starting from the very earliest.

The original René Crank was introduced during the late 1930’s and an early example is shown below. The exact dating of this crank is uncertain. This particular crank came from a bicycle obtained from the estate of Jean DeJeans, a famous randonneur with a proud history of riding PBP on Rene Herse bikes. He was also close friends with Daniel Rebour.

By the mid-1940’s, the René Herse crank evolved into the following shown below.

Note that the grooves are now present, and the shape is established. The ring to spider interface required quite a bit of hand finishing at this time. Later on, the fit and tolerances became more standardized. This is seen in the image below of a 1970’s era crank.

And finally, when was the René Herse crank shown below made? If you guessed the year as 2011 you are correct!

Berthoud Ahead Decaleurs now in stock!

2011-06-30T15:51:00.000-07:00

After much waiting, Berthoud decaleurs for threadless stems are here! They are now available from our on-line store. The official threadless decaleurs come in two "lengths". Shown below, is a ruler showing measuring the 70 length model. As you can see, from center of the tube widget that holds the decaleur against the stem to the center of the multi part tube that mounts to the bag, the length is 70mm - surprise!

The other length that is offered is 50 version which is - you guessed it, 50mm for that dimension! For bikes where the declaleur will be pointed straight ahead, go for the shortest. Now on some installations, you actually need to get the decaleur to reach much further down. For such cases, we can supply the decaleur with the extension part that is usually used with quill type stems. For those, the measurements are roughly 83mm or 113mm.

Now, we've sold lots of folks Berthoud decaleurs, and on occasion folks have issues with the decaleur rotating. You need to get the bolts really tight to lock in the rotation. And we would suggest that you carry a 4mm allen to tighten it if it does come loose. We do make our own anti-rotation widget for these. But the new wave of Berthoud decaleurs are slightly different dimensionally and we are currently re-designing them. But we've talked to many folks who have been extremely pleased with the Berthoud design as it is, so it seems our anti-rotation modification while nice and helpful is both costly and in many cases unnecessary.

Currently, the Berthoud decaleur is probably the most reliable in terms of the bag not jumping compared with any other design including our own Rene Herse. The Berthoud design is a bit more cumbersome to remove, but we've been using it on the shop Boulder Bicycles that we ride, and we're very pleased.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA

Regina Track Chain Madness June 16 2010

2011-06-16T19:14:00.000-07:00

New Old Stock Regina Fun!

In addition to rando stuff we love vintage items and track stuff too! We've been selling Regina Oro Track chains (1/8") at a pretty steady clip over the years for $69 each. We went to hit our source for some more recently, and they offered us the entire lot! It turns out that these track chains we've been getting are correct Regina oro (gold) track chains from around 1980 that were "bulk packaged". They were originally cut to a length for BMX bikes and include a master link. So our supplier was splicing in a bit more chain to get them to track length, and selling them to us. We sold lots and lots of these, with many folks buying multiples over time.

So what we've done is taken the BMX length (again, this is true Regina oro track chain that bmx folks wanted in on apparently) and are supplying additional links in order to get them to proper length. We're actually including more than enough - about 116 links or so. Thats long enough for a bike with a deraillieur! But so what, can't hurt to have a bit extra. So to use these, you will need to know how to wield a chain tool, but you needed that in any case. The chains even have a master link - but that is in the main length and you may choose to mess with it or just ignore it and use your chain tool and treat it like a typical chain (which it really is).

Now, we noticed that some chains have some discoloration. That is typical of most fresh Regina stuff, but some chains have more of it than others. The photo above shows the minimal quality chain you should expect to receive. You may get one that looks snazzier (more uniform gold), but if the above chain looks good enough, you are certain to be pleased. Afterall, these are chains and typically get a bit dirty.

We wiped down the above chain a bit and the photo below shows the chain after a wipe with alcohol. What shows up in the upper photo as looking like corrosion is really gook. Chains that had any notable corrosion are set aside and not sold in this batch. Again, your chain or chains may be snazzier, or maybe not, but they should be at least as nice as what you see. Afterall, we aim for happy customers. And of course, if you are not happy, just let us know and we'll do what it takes to make you happy (in reference to the track chains only, we can't provide global happiness. That would put all the shrinks out if biz).

The pricing is what is really cool here. Instead of $69 for one on ebay, for a limited time these are only $23 for one or $76 for 4, plus shipping! Now once we sell of a small quantity, we'll be bumping the price up as the price on these is silly low. So act soon and take advantage of this special deal. If you are a fix gear lover, this is a great opportunity!

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA

TA Cyclotourist (Pro 5 Vis) Cranks are about to land!

2011-05-11T19:34:00.000-07:00

For the few. The proud. The wealthy???????

After months of waiting, and years of hoping, TA Cyclotourist (a.k.a. Pro 5 Vis) crankarms are about to arrive in quantity to the US. These cranks are known for their light weight, their increadible versitility, and very low Q factor.

They are also known for being a bit fussy - to remove the rings, you must remove the arm. And also, the gap between the backside of the crankarm and the chainring is narrow, so use of a modern triple front derailleur is less fun than getting a budget passed in Congress.

So the arms, rings, and hardware will be available for shipment on around May 20th. They are in transit to the US (by air) so we should have them in our shop sometime next week.

Now that your excited - lets talk price. Please read the two paragraphs below which summarize our thoughts on this.

Arm price is $449. Rings, hardware, and kidney sold seperately.

Paragraph one "Such a great deal"
I just looked at the excel sports website - an online retailer of nice racing stuff. A modern Campy record crank in carbon is $625. They make lots of those, and many folks buy them. So they have economies of scale in production. For the TA, demand overall is much lower and it costs more to make something in small numbers. The TA is available in an astounding array of ring and arm lengths. It is also very light (exact numbers not handy), and has very low Q factor. For a high-zoot bike, the TA is priced competitively with other alternatives. There are TA copies out there, but they generally suffer from design or material flaws that compromise their performance. The crank in some ways is the heart of the bike. We should just be thankful that we can get these.

Paragraph two "Are you nuts?"
The past few days I've been riding an old Team 753 Raleigh on go-fast (for me) local rides. The whole bike was $450 at Veloswap. I think there were bikes at Veloswap that had old TA crank (or maybe the similar stronglight) for a couple of hundred bucks. So what that the arms aren't the new design (more gap between outer ring and crankarm). $449 for the arms is a lot. The brand x crank is just a fraction of the price. I'll just polish and wax and maybe sneak that one to the annodizer so it doesn't fail from stress corrosion cracking, and I'll still be ahead a bunch of change. Plus, not everyone benefits from low Q (this is very very true - I myself have less knee issues with higher Q cranks). And if I want a triple shouldn't I be able to have a bike where the front derailleur isn't as fussy as a mid-size pet?

So there you have it. We can argue both sides of the coin. And for good reason. For some high-end ultimate bikes whose owners feel that the attributes of the TA crank are important, this crank is a fantastic opportunity. This must be true as we hear that at the current pricing, lots of these cranks have already been sold. But for others, we readily agree that the price and the crank's attributes might make it seem like an unnecessary indulgence. In fact, since I prefer higher Q, and since I like to be able to easily remove rings for cleaning, this crank makes less sense. To use it, I'd need to space out the pedals.

So which paragraph do you agree with? I think the key thing is that it doesn't matter, but we should respect those with either viewpoint. Or those who agree fully with both viewpoints such as myself.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA

The Synergy O/C “Blues”

2011-05-02T20:39:00.000-07:00

We love Synergy rims. We’ve been using Velocity Synergy rims for quite some time now, and hadn’t heard a peep from anyone regarding problems. That is what we love to hear! Folks indicated the wheels were working great. But all along we’d heard more than just faint whispers that other wheel builders were having issues from these rims cracking by the eyelets. Yet we were having great luck.

Well, this past Friday we heard a peep – a die-hard randonneur on one of our Boulder Bicycles who really accumulates the miles reported the classic Synergy OC problem. We then looked at the shop demo bikes and wheels. The 700c rear wheels with only modest miles on them are fine. But the 650b rear that has been on multiple bikes and had lots and lots of miles on it did show the cracking around the drive side eyelets.

So, that meant immediate investigation. Our first step was to contact Velocity and ask them if they have widespread problems and also for a take on what the ideal drive-side tension should be on the Synergy OC rims. The person we spoke with said they build the rims to 120 to 130 Kilograms. That seems very high. The Velocity contact indicated that there were some Synergy OC rims that seemed to have “issues”, but those were limited to some small batches from extrusions that weren’t up to spec. They also indicated that the overall defect (= return rate) on the Synergy OC rims is extremely low. They admitted, though, that many folks may not have inspected their rims to and realized there is a problem, though. But good news is they stand behind the product and a dealer can get a replacement rim on warranty which is very reassuring.

But, is that the whole story? What is a wheel builder to do? The consensus is that with the OC design, the rim can essentially “rock” and stress the rim near the eyelets more than a non-OC design. We did some calling around, and the vibe from others who have used these rims (and also seen similar issues) is that it is important to not tension the Synergy OC as high as one would a typical modern rim. The typical rule is to take a modern rim up to about 110kg. Based on what we heard talking with others, it seems that 100kg is the upper limit. So our thoughts are that a Synergy OC rear should be built with extremely close tensions in the 95 to 100kg range for the drive side rear. Interestingly, the Velocity contact felt that tension that is too low could also cause problems. And in any case, the tension we were building at should not be an issue. But it is an issue.

The good news is that with the OC design, even with a “reduced” tension compared with other rims, on a Campy type 10sp hub, the non-drive spokes still get plenty of tension compared with non-OC alternatives.

Even better news is that nobody has had a serious failure that we’re aware of due to this issue. It seems that over time, the nipples may start to pull inward, resulting in reduced tension and a failure of the wheel to stay true or dished. But because the rim is a box section, the upper web keeps the rim intact. Of course, if one waits for cracks get really bad, all bets are off. But it is likely that many folks may have this issue and not noticed because the wheel can remain quite true, dished, and tensioned, even with some pretty sizeable cracks forming.

So what should one do if you have Synergy OC rims? We’ll we’re still building with them, but at lower tensions and expect they will be fine. We’ve also double checked our tensiometer calibrations more carefully to be sure we’re not erring on the high side. If you are on a bike with these rims, have the tension checked and see if it is over 100kg on the drive side (you will probably need a good bike shop for this). If so, and there are no cracks present, have the shop (or yourself if you do your own wheelbuilding) back off the tension on the drive (and non drive to maintain dish) to that 100kg max.

If you have wheels that do show cracks, Velocity will provide replacement rims – your shop can take care of this (or if you’re the wheelbuilder you can probably just contact Velocity) although you will probably need to pay shop labor and buy new spokes.

If we built the wheels for you, we’ll do what it takes to make sure you’re taken care of. We’ll either take care of it at our shop, or assist you in getting them re-tensioned or rebuilt if the tension is high. While sidewall wear of a rim is normal wear and tear, cracking of a rim at an eyelet is not normal and is something we warranty (assuming the wheels weren’t terribly abused or ridden for so many miles that they were near the end of their lifespan anyway, rim sidewalls do wear out after all!)

Just this week, a Boulder Bicycle frame customer had their bike assembled and wheels built at their local (and very reputable) shop and they tensioned the wheels beyond what we’d now suggest. So a bit of extra shop time now to reduce the tension a bit may prevent a reduction of the rim’s useful lifespan.

So this is our take on this, and Velocity DOES NOT agree about going with the 100kg limit as they think higher tensions are fine according to the person we spoke with. But based on all the information we have at this point, we feel that the reduction in tension for drive side rears to a target 100kg max is wise. And for fronts, about 95 to 100kg should be good as well (no reports from anyone of failing front (i.e non-OC) rims.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA
Rene Herse Bicycles inc.

Late March 2011 Update and Boulder Bicycle Photos

2011-03-31T06:38:00.001-07:00

Its been very busy at Rene Herse Bicycles this month. A few customers took delivery of their bikes over the past couple of weeks. A very special bike is the lugged (built by Waterford) Boulder Bicycle shown here. We had fun with the paint - our classic light blue with white panels. But even more fun - we had the wizzard who letters our Rene Herse frames hand-paint the graphics on this Boulder Bicycle frame. We can now offer this hand lettering option on any Boulder Bicycle frame (for an upcharge - no surprise).

For this frame, we went very light on the tubing (very light and very tall rider). We did what we hoped for - went about as light as we could without going too light. The mix of parts was fun - a TA crank the customer provided (the new TA arms are still "missing in action"), a Stronglight headset, and Mafac cantilevers. Other updates: The threadles decaleurs from Berthoud had a production glitch. So those are on hold. We do have our anti-rotation components for Berthoud decaleurs back from the machine shop. More updates and pricing to follow very soon. We have a number of stock Boulder Bicycle frames built and in the shop for immediate delivery. We'll do a seperate post with sizes in the next few days. Berthoud grey 28 handlebar bags are now back in stock - We're really excited about that ! Schmidt SON Deluxe hubs in silver 32 hole went a bit scarce recently. But we've had them all along... Keep riding and ride safe! PBP is less than 5 months away! Mike Kone in Boulder CO

Boulder Bicycle Hits Moab

2011-03-18T06:39:00.000-07:00

(Next post will have exciting news on long-awaited decaleur stuff, E3 light mounting, and in-stock-ready-to-ship Boulder Bicycle frames - but first details on our most recent adventure...)

For something different, we closed up shop last week and went to Moab Utah. The occasional trip like this gives us a chance for relaxation as well as an opportunity to test our stuff and be seen. While Moab is known as a world class mountain bike area, the road riding, especially early season, is sublime.

There was quite a bit of interest in the bikes we were riding. I rode the shop's 650b demo bike, and my friend Brian rode the shop's new-production Rene Herse 700c road sport. My friend Lee came along and represented traditional race bike steel on his 7/11 Eddy Merckx.

A number of the roades were chip sealed, and I heard a fair amount of comments. On the 650b, I noticed, but the ride was hardly effected. Still wonderfully smooth!

My old college friend Brian came out and he rode the shop-demo Rene Herse 700c road sport. He liked the comfort and stability. Note that the bike is being used with a Berthoud 192 non-rack type bag, and a model 786 seatbag. This frame was designed for fenders, but not for a load. But Brian reported it still behaved very well.

As you can see, the scenery is amazing in Moab. At every turn, it is as though you are inside a movie set. While a rando bike was not critical, the large temperature swings from the time we started until mid-day insured that having a place to store extra clothing was quite welcome. Plus, the handlebar bag provided enough space for me to carry on one day an old Rolleiflex TLR that I've been playing with. The fenders, though, in the dessert climate were unnecessary for this trip. But only days earlier, the weather had been spotty in Moab, so one never knows.

Mike Kone now back in Boulder CO

Riding around Boulder - thinking of the coming season

2011-01-25T15:09:00.000-08:00

Its a tad wintery out in Boulder these days, but fortunately there are wonderful dry roads right near the shop. All year round we get to test and use the products we sell. The upper photo shows an old farm building about 4min from the shop. Then we get to climb up dirt roads into the hills above the city proper.

Normally this time of year we'd be on a tire with more tread, but with the dry season we're still running our 650b tire of choice, the Hetre. If/when the snow returns, we'll go to the narrower 650b Soma.

Like a car tire, it may be that narrower is a tad better for absolute traction in the snow, but within reason. So instead of using a 42mm, we'll use a 35 or 38. But never much narrower. We like the stability of wide tires overall. And the Hetre 42 doesn't have much tread. So the cheaper Soma tire is a nice winter choice.

What is nice about riding this time of year is we're not too worried about speed or distance. It is just great to get out and not be stuck on the wind trainer. So to take some photos, check out local roads that we don't always play on, or to just site see, its a great time of year. Soon this will change. Soon the miles and distance, depending on goals, will take on new urgency. Now is the time to just enjoy the bike and keep burning off those holiday season extra calories.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO

January 21 2011 Shop Updates - and Moab!

2011-01-21T08:09:00.000-08:00

The pre-season orders for Boulder Bicycles are complete, and we're amazed at the response. For those who missed out, we are also going to be getting some frames for stock too, although those will be at the regular price once they arrive. But this way, if folks suddenly decide they need a rando frame in the spring at its a size we have, we'll be able to ship right away.

The shop is going to be closed for a few days (March 11th and 14th) as we go to the Moab skinny tire festival to ride. The event has wonderful early season rides of relatively short length (40 to 60 miles) that are perfect for getting rid of the winter cobwebbs. One of the days features a ride through Arches National Park. That is a must-visit-in-your-lifetime sort of place. Combine that with riding and a nice town to hang out in, and it makes the trip well worth it.

A link to the festival is http://skinnytireevents.com/content/section/4/31/

Other News:

It has been very busy at the shop. Rather than things slowing down, we actually have been busy filling orders and working with folks on new bikes. So that means that on-line store tweaks and posting of cool vintage stuff which we also love is moving slow.

As time permits, we'll be getting more fun images and discussion of bikes going here on the blog. We also dabble with photo gear as a personal hobby and audio stuff, so don't be shocked if one day on the blog you see images of Leica or old McIntosh tube gear show up. Above you see a shot of a bicycle and a cool old VW Microbus. We've never been into VW's, but bike folks seem to get into old BMW's it seems.

In the next few days you'll see more Berthoud and other rando stuff on our online store. Also, we just took on trade another pile of vintage Campy NR/SR stuff, so more will show up either on the on-line store or on ebay.

The next blog entry should be in a few days. The next topic we think will be more on decaleurs.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA

January 3 2011 Boulder Bicycle Pre-Season Order

2011-01-03T19:54:00.000-08:00

We hope everyone had a great holiday season and New Year!

As mentioned on the BOB list, we are offering a special on stock Boulder Bicycle frames ordered by January 10, 2011. It turns out that Waterford who makes these for us has a bit of extra capacity in January, and they are giving us a discount if we order a bunch of stock size frames (in both 650b and 700c). T

The price for Boulder Bicycle frame and fork is $1,195 instead of the usual $1,300. The frames should be ready for delivery in mid February.

The stock frames are in our trademark light blue, and feature an arm on the rear for a rear light, wire guides on the fork, bosses on the underside of the downtube for either internal or external wiring, and every frame receives framesaver. We're also adding an hourglass boss on one seatstay to attach an additional battery light.

Please visit our website and follow the links to Boulder Bicycle for more info on the frames. Also, we just added some more info on a link from our Boulder Bicycle page on our website that outlines how we meassure our bikes (and how you should meassure your bikes) to see if a stock Boulder Bicycle frame will work for you.

We are happy to field emails and phone calls regarding fit. It is vital that you fit the stock frame properly, otherwise the deal is really no deal if it doesn't fit. So let us work with you to see if the stock frame is a good option.

We typically take a $1,000 deposit. We figure that most folks are pretty tapped out these days from the holidays, so we're taking deposits for this pre-season offer of $750. When we are ready to ship your frame and fork, the balance and also shipping and the cost of any additional parts or services will be charged at that time.

To make a deposit online, you can go directly to our online store

At this point, we hope to sell mostly frames and forks and not full bikes. Our schedule is pretty booked right now for bike builds through March and possibly into April. We do need another mechanic, so if we find one, that could speed things up. Anyone reading this in Boulder who is very skilled and needs a part time job?

Most folks buying a Boulder Bicycle also buy a headset and have us set the cups. Lots of folks also by fenders and some lighting bits. We're happy to help you get the parts you need to make your new dream bike meet and exceed your expectations.

Thanks for looking!

Lauterwasser Handlebar Bliss December 16 2011

2010-12-16T07:36:00.000-08:00

A long time ago, there was a handlebar bend that was very special. For some reason, this design "dissappeared" during the 1940's. There were a few vintage enthusiasts who were aware of them, but they were off the radar of nearly everyone.

I was lucky enough during the 1990's when I owned Bicycle Classics inc. to have purchased a bike with bars of this design. The bike was a Reynolds tubed old Raleigh (kinda like a 3sp style frame). I adored the handlebars. What is so special about them is that they have a split personality. The usual position is to ride on the lower part of the bar in a very upright position. Great for that have-my-briefcase, ready to find a Latte sort of mode. But when you want to put on the heat, you reach forward to the front curved section of the bar. That puts you in an extended flat-back position that lets you keep up with those go-fast folks who are on their punish-thy-neighbor training ride. Many folks try this with some of the other bar bends out their, but this bar for at least some of us does it better than any other bar out there.

A number of years ago, I sent through the US importer for Nitto, my beloved set of Lauterwasser bars to Japan so they produce some for us. Horror of horrors, Nitto had a fire and the bars, which had survived from the 1930's if not earlier, were lost. Nitto bribed me with lots of money and it was all they could do. But the dream was lost. I knew a few other folks with their own cherished pair of Lauterwassers, but the request "can we send yours, they destroyed mine" didn't give folks the warm fuzzies.

Fast forward to today. I'm now staring at a small pile of these bars that have just been produced by Soma Fabrications which just arrived at our shop. Now I don't need to hunt down vintage bikes for the chance they have this elusive bar. Now they are obtainable once again. Now the Lauterwasser bar is no longer just a part of our memory, but rather a choice available to the current enthusiast. No longer must this bar remain the secret of those lucky enough to have stumbled upon a pair.

The Soma Lauterwasser has as 25.4 clamp diameter, and is roughly 22.4mm at the grip. So most folks will run these with a mountain bike style brake, and downtube shiftlevers we suspect. I used to run the brake levers near the grip, Raleigh 3 speed style.

The bar is available in either cro-moly or alloy. The Cro-molly bar has lovely chrome plating. These bars (the originals anyway), did have a fair amount of flex. So if you are a stand-up kind of person, steel might be ideal. For those who sit and spin, the alloy should be swell. Both versions have a Soma marking in black printing on inside of the bar portion which sweeps forward.

Now, I'm dreaming of building a bike with these bars and a 3speed fixed gear hub. Would Rene Herse have sold a bike like this? Probably not. But I bet him and his family might have had a very similar bike which they kept around for their own use. This is too fun.

We will have these bars on our on-line store under handlebars by mid-day today. Enjoy!

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA

October 5, 2010 Latest Updates

2010-10-05T21:02:00.000-07:00

Well once again we've fallen crazy behind in our posts. That is because we've been going pretty much non-stop getting Boulder Bicycle frames/bikes out the door. Plus a couple of weeks ago we shipped out the chrome new Rene Herse that is on our site. It will be reviewed in the next issue of Bicycle Quarterly. We have a very high ratio of orders to capacity still, so the wait is only getting worse. At some point we hope to have more capacity. At this point, we really don't have anything more than Mark can fit in.

Soon we will have more photos of the recently completed chrome Herse onto the site. Plus, we've received a bunch more product that we need to add to the online store. Also, as many know, Jean Debois, master framebuilder of Rene Herse in France during both the late 40's and 50's, and more recently in the 1970's and 80's recently passed away. We will have more reflections on his life and passing in the next week or so.

So stay tuned - lots more info to be added in the coming days and weeks.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO

July 17 Orange Lugged Fun

2010-07-17T15:01:00.000-07:00

And lets not forget our lugged Boulder Bicycles. This one sports some fun lugs. Better of course is the geometry based on our top-of-the-line Rene Herse bicycles. And then there are the lively tubes including True Temper Plantinum OX. These oversize lightweight tubes make for a frame that has the liveliness of a classic Columbus SL race frame but with what we feel is a more "planted", stable feel. Of course, if people want, we can use skinny tubes as light as 7/4/7 for the ultimate in a lively ride, although there are downsides to that which we explore with each customer.

July 17 - bicycle chaos

2010-07-17T12:04:00.000-07:00

Well lately it has been crazy with calls and emails pouring in with requests to order Boulder Bicycle frames and complete bikes. I'm thinking that we've really hit the sweet spot on these. Plus, as more are out there, others see them and talk them up. Elsewhere for less, folks can get an array of Asian frames (although few are rando specific), but the downside is those typically don't feature tubing such as True Temper Plantinum OX in the places where it can be used. And few other makes sweat the details quite like we do. And of course pricier frames don't use better geometry or tubing either, so this really is the peak point of diminishing returns.

I'm thinking we probably will raise the complete bike prices soon as so much work goes into assembly. Our component prices are about the lowest around, the frame cost is more them competitive. So we can't really afford to lump the two together and then spend many many hours assembling the package with discounted labor. I figure we'll tweak the prices in about a week. Orders that come in before we post the new ones that grandfathered int.

Frame/Fork prices, though, will not change. Has anyone wondered why our custom upcharge, at $175 is so modest? The reason is that we typically mock up every customer's proposed fit on their new Boulder Bicycle with Waterford's fit software. If a stock frame doesn't work, we make the tweaks to the stock geo (and perhaps tube spec), and then get a revised output. If to make this work we need a slightly different geo, it isn't much more work than to ponder ways of making a stock fit work that isn't ideal. So we pass on the custom fee at pretty close to cost.

So all this back and forth goes into each Boulder Bicycle frame sale. We probably will put more fit info on the web soon so folks can do more to figure it out on their own. But the process of nailing down the position on our frames is part of the service we provide at no charge when you puchase a Boulder Bicycle frame.

Now for something focusing on craft - below is a Rene Herse frame we are gradually getting together. This bike will be quite a beauty when finished - stay tuned for photos as it comes together over the next couple of weeks. The features in the stem cap promise to be something very special!

Thanks so much be safe out there - way to many folks "driving while distracted" these days....

Mike Kone

June 11 2010 Berthoud Handlebar Bag Modification

2010-06-11T10:18:00.001-07:00

We love Berthoud bags and our customers do too. Even those who sell copies of Berthoud products seem to have the "real deal" gracing bikes shown on their web pages.

But that doesn't mean even the best can't be tweaked a bit. We've noticed even a well mounted Berthoud handlebar bag can still move around a bit - basically like collapsing a parallelogram. This motion can increase the sense of load up front. So what do we do?

Well it turns out the solution is simple and the Berthoud bag's construction makes the upgrade easy to install. We take a piece of thin aluminum flat bar, and bend it into a U shape. Then this piece can fit under the flaps on the side of the bag. Undo the velcro that wraps onto the stiffiner, and the piece can fit in the space above the velcro and be secured when the velcro is flap is closed onto the stiffiner.

Now the final task is to secure the aluminum part along the backside of the bag. If you are using a classic Rene Herse style male decaleur part, you can simply drill the aluminum stiffner part so that the bolts going through the bag will also secure the stiffner piece. If using a Berthoud decaleur, we suggust mounting the Berthoud decaleur as low as possible (good idea to increase flap closure anyway) and the stiffner will mount with additional bolts going through the bag higher up. There is only one height the stiffner wants to sit which is dictated by where the flaps over the stiffiner secure it.

As a bonus, we now include the stiffner part (undrilled) with all the Berthoud handlebar bags we sell that will benefit from this (bags that don't use a decaleur have a beefy stiffner and don't need this).

Thanks for looking - and please email or call with questions.

Mike Kone in Boulder CO USA

May 14, 2010 Rene Herse Jerseys

2010-05-14T12:23:00.000-07:00

We recently received our shipment of Rene Herse Jerseys, and quite a few went out on pre-orders, but we have a limited supply, with some great sizes in both long and short sleeve still remaining. Folks who have bought them have been extreamely pleased. The quality on them is great. The color is a Royal Blue - a very nice shade.

The jerseys of course have a typical large pocket (in three sections) at the rear, and the same logo as on the front is on the rear as well.

In both long and short sleeve, we still have a limited supply of the special medium-long that we ordered. This is the size for folks who are probably approaching or exceeding 6 feet, but who are rather svelte. The jersey is the length of an XL, but the torso of a medium (and sleeves as an XL as well).

The jerseys are available for purchase on our online store

May 12, 2010 - Vintage Ride a Success!

2010-05-12T20:07:00.000-07:00

Folks came from all along the front range, and some of the fine bicycles included a Paramount, Masi, Eddy Merckx, Cinelli, Mercian, Rossin, and many others. At the start, there were 19 riders. A few riders turned off the route to contine on their own adventures, but the group was greatfull that they joined the start.

Attendees enjoyed bagels and cream cheese, and everyone enjoyed the great rolling art and wonderful conversation. To cap off the ride, many adjourned afterwards to Papusas on North Broadway Street in Boulder for fine Mexican and El Salvadoran food. The weather was great, much better than today's wintery mix of rain and snow.

We are certain to do a ride again in the hopefully not-to-distant future. Come join us!

May 3, 2010 - Vintage Ride Saturday May 8, 2010

2010-05-03T20:18:00.000-07:00

Saturday May 8, 2010, we are having a vintage ride leaving from the Rene Herse Shop in Boulder CO. It is a show-and-go ride, meeting at 9:00AM with departure at 9:30. The ride will be about 2 hours in length. It is a casual pace ride, so those who are concerned about fitness level need not worry. Perhaps we could split into a couple of groups, but speed demons should look elsewhere. In case of rain, we will do the ride, same schedule, on sunday instead. If this occurs, we'll post late friday or super early Saturday AM.

The main point of the ride is to enjoy meeting other like minded folks and to have fun. Bring your cool vintage bike, or any bike for that matter - even a modern ride is fine if you want to see vintage cool old stuff.

Also of course, folks on cool rando machines (new or old) are also "part of the fold", as are modern steel classics.

At the start, some light munchies (but not breakfast) will be provided. And if folks wish, we can head out to lunch as a group after the ride. Please email to reneherse@comcast.net if you are attending, if possible, so we know what to bring for munchies. But if you don't email and want to come last-minute, please do! And bring others if you like as well.

The shop address is 4949 Broadway Street, unit 103, Boulder CO, 80304. We are on the southeast side of the building - the building itself is the most northwestern commercial building on Broadway in Boulder before Broadway merges again with hwy 36/28th street. The shop number is (303) 284-9721. We hope to see you there!

New 650b Tire from Soma! First Impressions

2010-01-20T13:33:00.000-08:00

We've been getting some more mile in here - but the roads in Boulder are a bit challenging at times. There is a bit more snow than we've been used to. So I was excited to get a call from the kind folks at Merry sales, with the offer to demo a new Soma tire they are introducing soon. This tire is a 650b x 38mm . I figured it with its modest tread, it might offer a bit more grip in the snow than the Grand Bois Hetre. We should have this tire in-stock in about 5 weeks.

The Soma tire is made from some of the tooling that is being used on the new Pacenti 650b road tire. The tire is made by National, the folks who make Panaracer. The tread should look familar, it is very much like the tread on a Pasela. Also featured on this tire is the protective layer that Soma uses, which they claim resists punctures extremely well, but without the weight of Kevlar.

So how is this tire? The upshot is Mikey likes it! Overall, the tire is very comfortable, much more so than I expected, and it feels great riding down the road. Actually really nice. Going over bumps at speed, the tire takes the edge off of road imperfections like a champ. Plus, the bike feels fun to ride with them installed. And how is it in snow? Really nice! With the Gran Bois Hetre, snow was more of a challenge than I liked. This tire seems to provide much more grip. We haven't priced this tire yet, but it should fall out just under $40 or so give or take. So this folding nice-riding tire is at a great price point.

Is there a downside? Well yes - this tire doesn't feel as quick or lively as the Grand Bois Hetre. Trying to keep up with faster folks, I sense that the bike is holding me back a tad. But, do not let this worry you. This tire does exactly what it is intended to do - provide a great balance of puncture protection, comfort, grip, and modest price. For higher speed, the Grand Bois or the Pacenti tire is the fast ticket.

Also note that this tire really isn't a 38mm, it really meassures right around 35mm. This I'm told is due to the protective layer. So the Pacenti tire should still be a true 38. With nearly all 650b tires we've seen, this tire included, be sure the tire is well seated on the rim. Most folks including ourselves use Velocity rims, and tires can be a loose fit it seems. We carefully mount and inspect to be sure the tire is well seated, and we haven't had any problems. But you can have problems if you are not careful.

So for now, on the shop 650b Boulder Bicycle that is in heavy rotation here, these Soma tires will stay mounted, at least until spring. And if you aren't so worried about absolute top speed? Then these tires are a winner for year-round use.

M Kone in Boulder CO

Terrible News - Ernest Csuka has passed away

2009-12-23T10:41:00.001-08:00

No snazzy photos or graphics here, just a glum feeling. As most folks know, Ernest Cusuka was the last of the great bicycle builders from the 20th century. There is no doubt that bicycles bearing the Alex Singer name have been among the finest riding machines ever produced. Be it genius, tradition, or trial and error (and most likely a combination of all of these), the bicycles leaving their shop were exceptional.

For myself, I found that Alex Singer Bicycles were most likely, among all makes of bicycles, to provide a perfect combination of lively ride and great handling. If one was to hand me a bicycle from any maker from the 1960's through 1980's, and ask me which one I'd probably like the best (including those of another famous french maker), I'd say that to be safest, I'd select the Alex Singer.

But more than a bicycle, a geometry, or a wonderful logo, the Alex Singer shop was always known for its warmth and kindness. Alex Singer himself was known as a gentleman of gentleman, and Ernest Cusuka carried on that tradition to the end of his life. I was lucky enough to be introduced to Ernest Csuka a few years back, and his energetic glow permeated the hallowed ground that is the Alex Singer shop.

The world feels a bit empty right now - may Ernest Csuka rest in peace.

M Kone in Boulder CO USA

Rene Herse Heritage Model for PBP

2009-12-05T09:33:00.000-08:00

Well as folks know, our Rene Herse production is pretty slow. We can get Boulder Bicycle frames to our door in 5 or 6 weeks right now, but frames with handmade lugs/shells, and sometimes crowns are really a different animal.

At the same time, we've realized there is significant demand for the Rene Herse bicycles that we just haven't been able to meet. So we hunted around, and we've found stamped lugs (which are what most classic Herse frames have been made with) and we started carving. And we called upon a great builder (Bilenky) in Philadelphia make frames using them. Shown above is a lug we carved here in Boulder, being held by one of our heros, Benjamin Franklin.

It is very important to us to maintain the history of craft and manufacturing in the United States. And Franklin, as most of you know, spent considerable time in France (we might not be the United States of America had his efforts to enlist French help during the revolution been unsuccesful). So perhaps this all sounds a bit hokey, but we think it all fits together quite nicely.

The series of frames we are making using these lugs are the Paris-Brest-Paris model. It is a 700c frame that is optimized for tires in the 29 to 32mm range. So it can be a go-fast PBP bike, yet back home before and after it will enjoy a bit of rough stuff too perhaps. All frames, of course, are completely custom designed, but must follow the rough guideliness of typical Rene Herse geometry. And of course, each frame is hand lettered and has box lining.

Best of all, if folks wish to purchase one of these frames, we anticipate we can get the frame to our shop in about 12 weeks or so; in time for the late-spring riding season.

There are more images of these lugs to be found on the Bilenky flickr site. The link is

http://www.flickr.com/photos/26208450@N02/4153596737/

So please enjoy.

And look for some more regular posts from us. We are starting to catch up around here...

MK in Boulder CO

My saddle is turning into a bannana....

2009-11-18T16:20:00.000-08:00

Well I need to vent. About 250 miles ago I put this new Cardiff saddle on a new Rene Herse bicycle, and I loved it! I have a problem where most Brooks saddles just don't work for me, as I always feel like I'm sliding forward regardless of what I do. The Cardiff saddle, which is from Taiwan and distributed by Merry Sales fit my bottom fantastically.

But as you can see, it has a serious case of the sags! It used to be fairly straight accross, now it has a big bow. I've tensioned the bolt, but it seems to want just more and more. And the leather itself seems to be flattening.

Now I know that recent Brooks have not been what they could be either. The only saddle we haven't heard any negative comments on is the Berthoud. But the Cardiff was so inexpensive and was initially so comfortable, that I was hopeful.

Needless to say, we won't be bringing this saddle into regular inventory here at Rene Herse Bicycles.

I wonder if the non-swallow shape version of saddles from this maker are better? Perhaps they are. I miss the Brooks saddles of the 1950's and 1960's.

Mike K in Boulder CO

Boulder Bicycle Update

2009-11-03T10:25:00.000-08:00

Well things are moving along here well - we have a couple of Boulder Bicycle's on the build stand. One 700c and one 650b. We've been playing with lighting wire plumbing. Here you see a wire entering the rear fender. We've been using grommets with O-rings to keep them in place where wires pass through fenders. The idea is to keep sharp edges from damaging wires. You also will see a shrink-wrap area of the wire. We like to have lots of disconects so that racks and fenders can come off the bike without having to cut wires.

We have tweaked the Boulder Bicycle prices some. Due to changing exchange rates, and a more careful analysis of bicycle build times, we realized we had to raise prices some. Something new, though, is we are now offering Boulder Bicycles as unassembled build kits for those who like to do the assemble themselves. Our website now has updated Boulder Bicycle Pricing.

Mike K in Boulder CO

Close up of the modified Berthoud Decaleur

2009-10-15T15:23:00.000-07:00

Here is a close-up of the parts of the modified decaleur. Note the added holes on either side of the original quill-stem-mounting-point. We machined flats as well as a recess to accept the brass colored stand-offs. What is nice is that no brazing was required. We cut shorter the original tabs which hold the stem interface round bar, and then re-crimped the tubing, and drilled it.

Decaleur for Ahead Style Stem

2009-10-15T14:52:00.000-07:00

For awhile, we've been wanting some solution for a decaleur to use with ahead style stems. This is especially important for us since our Boulder Bicycles are usually supplied with ahead style stems.

There are ahead style decaleurs out there, and while they seem to be generally satisfactory, there are reports of occasional failures. Plus, those that attach with "a big washer" around the steerer can move if the decaleur is not sandwiched tightly. And finally, most of the decaleurs out there, even the highly regarded Alex Singer and our own Rene herse decaleurs still depend on an interference fit and you always wonder when going over speed bumps.

Well with the modified Berthoud decaleur shown above, we think most of the issues are dealt with. It takes some work, and probably not everyone can do this at home (most houses don't have a milling machine on hand, although we bet some do!), but we will probably wait for some feedback on the above example we just sent out the door, and then supply them on our Boulder bicycles. We might even offer a kit with hardware that you can by with a Berthoud decaleur if you want to do it at home.

MK
Boulder CO

Shop Update - Jack Taylor Tandem

2009-10-04T13:18:00.001-07:00

Well things are humming along here in Boulder, but every day it seems that we are falling a bit further behind! With the new shop, though, we are having some interesting items roll through the door. On friday, a nifty Jack Taylor tandem rolled in. What is fun about the Jack Taylor bikes is their graphics. The pin striping is great, but this one has a couple of really nice Reynods 531 transfers.

Tandem's are a pain to ship, and if there is anyone local who needs a frame that is about the equivelent of a 55 or 56cm up front and a relatively small 47 in the rear, this is your chance. This bike appears to originally have been a real touring model, but the racks and lighting are gone.

With the Bicycle Quarterly's recent Jack Taylor issue, I'm kinda pumped up about it. Speaking of Bicycle Quarterly, we now have every back issue of Bicycle Quarterly in the shop and available for sale. In fact, we even have sample copies of most every issue hanging at the front of the shop for folks to briefly examine before purchase.

This coming week should be exciting. We plan to get photos this week on our site of our new Boulder Bicycle lugged frame. And before the end of the week, if all goes well, we hope to have a modified for ahead style stem Berthoud decaleur mounted and photographed.

Ride Safe!

Latest News from Boulder

2009-09-23T21:33:00.000-07:00

Well we are finally starting to catch up on things for real after the move. Our new space gives us room to move around finally.

Above is a shot of our shop Boulder Bicycle 65ob on location outside of Estes Park, near Rocky Mountain National Park. The nice thing about or location in Boulder is that we are close to lots of great areas to test out our bikes. If you ever visit our shop, you'll notice our display bikes have dirt on them and look a bit used, even when cleaned up. Only through using them can we really test the designs and features, as well as identify any potential deficiences in components.

Latest news is we just received the forkcrowns for Imperial Blades from Japan. We have to chuckle at the "comment" made on our previous blog listing which asks why anyone would want to use the "inferior" Imperial blade section. I think the answer is that it comes down to preference. Some folks are convinced that the Imperial blade is more comfortable. It think there is something to that, but weight of the blade is perhaps more important than shape for determining comfort. Also, I personally think that the Imperial section blades feel "less planted" than the Imperial oval. But it really is very subjective and a matter of preference. Kinda like saying that blondes are inferior to redheads. Such statements are nonsensical I think. Some folks like the Imperial section, others the Continental oval. And now we can have more options. A good thing.

We are still thinking about decaleurs. Regardless of other options, we'll probably do a run of classic Rene Herse style decaleurs, perhaps some also with the ahead style stem modification. But I'm wondering if there is a nifty way to modify a Berthoud decaleur for use on an ahead style stem. I have an idea to try out; hopefully in about 10 days we'll have a demonstration of the modification

New forkcrowns are on their way!

2009-09-16T13:02:00.000-07:00

Well, it appears that soon we will have some forkcrowns for Imperial blades (the shape of the classic 1950's through mid 70's Reynolds blades) here soon. A 1950's Herse fork is shown above, and the new crown below. We are pretty excited about this. We have been building forks on the Herse bikes using the proprietary twin plate crowns we make, but this crown is both efficient and true to the style of the majority of Herse Frames. But of course, using the production crown saves about a full day of framebuilding labor, and allows us to move prices to reflect this.

The key element is that the forkcrown is quite wide. It is ideal for making frames that are designed for wide 650b tires. Plus, until now, there was no crown currently available that would accept the old Imperial shape blades.

We Are Moving!

2009-08-30T07:11:00.000-07:00

We've been missing in action a bit since we are moving our shop this week. Despite the move, it is pretty much business as usual. We already have nearly all the inventory moved to the new location, and the computer/phone system gets switched over on September 2.

The new location is in the same building, but on the front side, and has much better visibility. More importantly, the shop will be TWICE the size (we're going from small to less small). This will enable us to have a much nicer and more open area for retail display of our bicycles and parts.

Now as we've been moving stuff, we're thinking that we might have a celebratory moving sale sometime this week. We are accumulating demo bikes, have some cool vintage machines, and have some other assorted bits that we really haven't tried to sell but which are taking space and tying up capital. So stay tuned to our on-line store as soon we'll have a "moving sale" page their with some cool deals.

Oh - we almost forgot to mention, the Rocky Mountain Bicycle Show last weekend was a blast. We met all sorts of folks from the area and did a brisk business with our randonneur and vintage offerings. And we also introduced a new randonnuer frame which we'll talk about more in the next week or two.

Thanks!

Big News and the Bicycle Show

2009-08-13T13:58:00.000-07:00

August 22 and August 23, we'll be at the Rocky Mountain Bicycle show in Denver. Rene Herse Bicycles will have bikes and cool Rando (and maybe some vintage stuff) for display and sale. It should be lots of fun. Builders from all across America are coming to this event.

Please visit http://www.rmbshow.com/index.html

for more information.

For fun, the gang at Rene Herse Bicycles is also putting on a display of vintage racing bicycles which should hit on many of the key events that led to the evolution of the modern bicycle. For rando oriented folks, their will be something sure to please as well.

In other news, we're thinking that we may have outgrown our current digs. We are in negotiations to take on a larger space (in the same building) with a much larger area and with better street visibility.

In Rene Herse news, we finally have our twin plate forkcrown blanks competed at the machine shop. These are the ones for Continental oval. For those wishing to use Imperial Oval (the old classic shape), we are hoping for confirmation that those will be available soon (they are currently in production and we plan to sell them in the US).

So its all great news here in Denver. Now to keep getting ready for the Rocky Mountain show...

Prototype Decaleur on Boulder Bicycle

2009-08-05T15:58:00.001-07:00

A big issue is a lack of decaleur options for use with threadless stems. Here is one idea we've been tossing around. This one is a rather crude mock-up, but we've been testing it so far with good results. Essentially, we've taken a classic Rene Herse decaleur design, and modified it a tad.

The typical Herse decaleur attaches by the stem bolts to the underside of an Herse stem, with the bolts going vertically (perpendicular to the ground).

What we've done, is taken a "rejected" Herse decaleur, and brazed 1/4" tubes on top of the decaleur, filled in with an ugly fillet (this is a prototype, not something made by Mark Nobilette), and away we go. It attaches to the stem quite nicely. If we went with this design, we'd tweak it a bit for cosmetics and get some longer stainless bolts for mounting. And chrome it too (or powder coat if under the Boulder Bicycle name).

One downside, though, is that this results in a bag that is mounted pretty high. We could modify the bag attachment, or perhaps increase the drop of the decaleur, to use a smaller bag. So with the current arrangement, for a frame that is essentially like a 59cm, with an inch and a half of drop between saddle and bar tops, the necessary bag is a Berthoud 28.

So if this design has some appeal, let us know and maybe we'll run a batch. We probably would use a maker somewhere in Colorado for this, but probably not Mark Nobilette as he is so busy.

War on the Framebuilders List

2009-07-29T09:44:00.000-07:00

Have folks been following the discussion on the framebuilders list (at bikelist.org)? Boy it is heating up. Seems like a certain framebuilder from Connecticut (Not the one who builds wonderful rando and brevet bikes) is having a fit over the claim that the choice of frame tubing can make a discernable impact on the ride of a bike. Seems like that builder and some others are having difficulties admitting that sometimes, and for some riders, more flexible frames are the better widget.

In fact, the very idea that tube diameter and tube gauge can affect the way a bicycle rides is being challenged! This is rubbish!

During my college days, when I was known to watch metal melt and make a few frames, I was firmly in the camp of stiffer is better. I remember going to the NY bike show and I puchased some Ishiwata tubes that featured chainstays that flared out after exiting the bb shell. Boy were the frames I built with this tubing stiff! For a crit bike, I suppose it was at least entertaining, and at the time I loved it. Those chainstays really did make a difference!

But I kept riding bikes such as Colnago Supers, that were just built from regular Columbus SL. I kept wondering why those bikes were not as stiff, yet they rode wonderfully and seemed so fast.

Fast forward to when I owned Bicycle Classics Inc. around 2001 and 2002. We were selling Waterford bikes, and for some reason the standard Waterford 2200 wasn't completely firing me up in my size. So we ordered one with a heavier downtube. Well we only went up by a smidge, and just on one tube, and frankly I couldn't feel the difference. But then we ordered yet another one (all these had the same geometry), and this time specified heavier downtube AND heavier chainstays. And boy was that bike different! I'm not sure it was different in a good way, but the change in feel was immediate. It felt stiffer, but also less alive and went thud more it seemed over the bumps. The bike lost a bit of its balance. Other riders didn't mind it, though, but I don't recall anyone who rode it and the stock example who couldn't tell the difference.

I think, perhaps, we had to be the only bike shop that had identical bikes with different tube sets on hand for riders to experience!

And interestingly, we also sold the 531 version of Waterfords 853 bike, and that bike had much heavier tubing in the sizes I was familar with. And gosh did those bikes ride different. For folks who wanted stiff, the less expensive thick-walled 531 bike was a radically different ride than its siblings in thinner walled 853.

Why did we go through this effort comparing bikes and tubing? Because riders have different prefferences. Some riders like stiff, while others like flexy. Now some riders also are sensitive to the differences and really care which they ride. Other riders can tell the difference, but are able to tweak their riding style to get in sync with most any bike. I'm in the later category, but up to a limit.

So to say that tubing choice doesn't matter is absurd in my opionion. It may not matter to a particluar rider, but it matters greatly so a great number of riders.

Now many riders have come to realize that the light gauge tube sets with lots of flex work wonderfully with their pedaling style. This is not true for everyone. But nobody is saying that flexy is good for everyone. What is being said is that folks need to find the right flex for their riding style and preferences.

At Rene Herse Bicycles / Boulder Bicycle we spend lots of time learning what works for us, and how that translates to making bikes that are enjoyable for our customers. It is a royal pain, we would save lots of prototype dollars if we didn't do it. But we have to do it. And most of the top builders we know do it as well.

Front End Shimmy, headsets, and more

2009-07-22T06:21:00.000-07:00

I'm waiting for some images of this past weekends riding - some mildly epic paved and moderate unpaved. But my mind is wondering this morning to the techical.

Front end shimmy is an issue that rando bike builders must deal with. As a basic rule, it seems that front end loads coupled with light tube sets can lead to the problem. Interestingly, a change of headset can make a radical difference.

In the latest issue of Bicycle Quarterly, a Toei was reviewed, and it had a real shimmy problem. I can't imagine that it is the bikes fault. The tube set is not terribly light, and they've been working on geometry for decades. But unlike most bikes in Japan I suspect along with the reviewer, that the "trouble maker" on the bike the Chris King headset. Now the Chris King headset should not be considered a "bad" headset. If anyting, it might be too good! Let me explain.

(Now I'm not sure I have this all straight, but here is my understanding of this topic)

If you spin a wheel in your hand, it wants to "wander" - it goes into a bit of side to side ocillation. Now when the wheel is on the bike, and your moving along, it does the same thing and it rotates the handlebars along with it. Now a bike frame has a natural frequency for its own movement (others can explain this better). If the wheel's frequency of ocillation is in sync with the frame's frequency, together they build, and a shimmy in the frame develops. And all this is related to frame geometry and forkrake as well. I'm sure glosses over something, but it captures the core idea.

For a frame that has a shimmy, anything that is done to change the frequency of either the wheel/fork or the frame, to get them out of sync, can reduce the problem. So a much heavier or much lighter frame can fix things - so a frame may even be "not light enough" to avoid a shimmy. Of course, going super light can have other problems.

One easy fix to imagine is to change the dampening of the headset. A Chris King headset rotates very easily, so with many tube sets and geometries that are otherwise favorable to randonneur riders, it seems to have a tendancy to get systems in sync so they shimmy.

But why to needlebearing headsets, such as the Stronglight A9, or the Miche shown above seem to reduce the problem? Well these headsets have natural dampning! A wise friend who hadn't thought too much about this opened my eyes to the probable reason. With a needlebearing headset, especially one that is not made with tappered rollers, the needles are only in true rotation with the races at one spot on the needle. This is because the race has variable diameter - so where the needle is contacting the race part with a larger diameter, the needle would need to be rotating faster than along the area with the smaller diameter. So with the needlebearing headsets, the actual rotation contact area is small, and there is "sliding" along nearly all the remainder of the surface! On the plus side, there is an increadible amount of contact area, so the headset itself wears out very slowly, but it doesn't move as freely. So a needlbearing headset is a headset with natural dampening.

Now one could even play with grease viscosity to fine tune the system. Of course, the handling of the bike then becomes susceptible to temperature change, but this happens anyway.

Now of course, some bikes might "avoid a shimmy" if dampeining is bad (casuses a frequency match-up). So maybe some race bike shimmy less if a Chris King headset is used. Interesting question. But for us on the rando side, the needlebearing headset is a help.

Is there a downside to the needlebearing headset? For one, I think that at low speeds I can sometimes feel a headset with a lot of dampening as it is harder to correct in sharp turns. But I'm not quite sure about that. Certainly, with hands on the bars, using a needlebearing headset is rather impossible to detect.

Now I have some more thoughts on this too - but those will follow in a few days. It would be great to get some comments on this!

Mike K

2009-07-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Well we've been busy here - filling orders and trying to clean up the shop a bit.

This morning we picked up a small run of spacers to fit TA cranks from the local machine shop. These spacers are narrower than those typically supplied by TA. Some of the TA spacers are as much as 3.6mm, and with narrow 9 and 10sp chains, folks often have issues with the chain dropping between the rings.

So we had some custom spacers made, with a thickness of 3.15mm. In reality, the spacers float in width between about 3.08 and 3.24mm. We then sorted them, and bagged them in groups of 6, with spacers of fairly close dimension. Note that we were really splitting hairs here - but we want things as close as possible.

So these will work with double or triple TA Cyclotourist Cranks (Pro Vis). We didn't get too many of these sets, as we don't know what the demand will be. We can always get more made, and if we do a bigger batch the cost will come down for sure next time.

On other fronts, we're still waiting on the final twin plate forkcrown parts from the machinist. This is a batch of plates like those on the 650b Herse on our website. The crown uses Continental Oval blades, which we really like. But for those who want Imperial oval (like the old forks of years ago), it looks like a new crown will be forthcoming to accept those blades (such as those still made by Kasai and Reynolds).

We will be adding lots more stuff to our website soon - there is only so much time in a day. Also, this weekend may involve some serious dirt miles on the shop 650b Boulder Bicycle. Stay tuned for photos of this bike with the latest iteration of lighting for the Boulder Bicycle.

2009-07-13T10:32:00.000-07:00

Well this weekend I was able to go on a couple of rides. The photo above shows my friend Ted with his cross bike next to the 2008 Herse I rode. This is a great area in the foothills outside Boulder. The stone edifice is part of a gold processing facility that was used I believe briefly in the late 1800's. One can actually find old portions of the gold rail cars that used to run from the mine to the nearby train (I think I have this right). The town's name is Wall Street, and there is even a restored Assay office museum nearby as well.

This is the kind of ride with extensive dirt sections begs for a wide 700c or a 650b tire. My friend Ted used his cross bike, which performed very well. But with the knobby tires stiff Carbon fork and aluminum frame, it was not nearly as comfortable as the 700c Herse with the Challenge tires at low pressure. And on pavement with steep downhill turns, the cross bike was quickly dropped.

Compliance in a bike very important. Discussing this with another friend, a key point we came up with is that Carbon forks are great at dampining vibration, but they don't have much ability to flex over bigger hits. The reason is that the forks must be very stoutly built to avoid failure, while a steel fork can be built that will flex quite a bit without worry of failure. And of course, a resiliant steel frame really "moves with the bumps" instead of getting thrown by them.

I'm kinda surprised cross bikes evolved quite the way they did. Many folks in Boulder, who have not discovered the joy of 650b or wide 700c, are trying to use a stiff cross bike as an all purpose machine. In reality, a new or old steel machine with appropriate tires will give a much more comfortable ride.

Do you even need a Randonneur Bike? Cinelli fun

2009-07-10T15:25:00.000-07:00

For most riding, I do prefer a rando style machine. But many of my rides are shorter, just one to three hours. In Colorado, it is rare to get rained on (in general), so fenders are less critical. So for a change of pace (and to enjoy my vintage steed), I've set up my old Cinelli with a Berthoud 192 bag and Challenge Paris Roubaix tires. Now I'm still amazed at the speed and comfort of 650b, but the Cinelli is not going away anytime soon. You can see it is well loved.

Recently, my wife and I did a wonderful day of riding on the Katy trail in Missouri. The trail's website describe this ride as comfortable on wider road tires, or a mountain bike. The Katy trail is amazingly pleasant, with relatively luxurious restrooms and stops all along the way. We stayed in Boonville and did day rides from the area, and it was perfect. Now the trail is not challenging in terms of dirt or pitch; unlike the steep dirt roads outside Boulder.

The Berthoud 192 bag, though was a blessing. We didn't have too much stuff to carry, but did have a camera, extra water (not needed with the amenities), and some food and tools. Another shot of the Berthoud bag is shown below.

What is nifty about this bag is how nicely it attaches with the quick fix. It really comes off in just a moment.

So how does the vintage Cinelli do? Quite nicely. Since it has more trail then a machine designed for a front load, there is a bit of wheel flop. But the rake on some of these older race bikes is often quite generous for a given headangle, so all in all the handling is quite acceptable.

Now what about going "all out" in the rando conversion? The two things the bike lacks are lighting and fenders. Lighting actually can be easy. At some point, I may set up a B&M Cyo or a Schmidt Edelux on a Nitto skewer light attachment (and also use the B&M handlebar diameter adapter) with a Schmidt hub and I'll be grooving at night, at least up front.

For fenders, though, all is not well. It is really important to keep your foot from getting caught in the front fender and unleasing a catastrophe. For a size 8.5 or 9 shoe, a front center close to around 615mm is really needed. A few mm shy may be fine (and often Rene Herse built right to the edge we've found). But the Cinelli is about 590mm. That is an invitation for dissaster. So no fenders on this machine. Plus this one does not have eyelets.

Interestingly, some early Cinelli frames from the early 70's and before were made with fenders in mind. They had threaded points on the chainstay and brake bridges to accomodate fenders, as well as eyelets. I don't know the geometry on them, but memory indicates that they were more laid back with greater clearances so they would be fender safe.

So what is with the horrid handlebar tape (and electrical tape) on the Cinelli pictured? The bike had to spend some time in the roof rack, and sometimes gets locked up around town. So I figure the shabby tape makes the bike look like a beater bike and is a bit of theft insurance. Rather intentionally, I've waited to see how bad the tape can look (and how dirty the bike can get). But something inside me is saying its time to build a real beater bike and get this one spiffed up again.

So if one doesn't need fenders, and can also deal with a lack of "integration", it is quite possible to enjoy many machines in the "rando" style. Unfortunately, many modern bikes simply lack the clearance for wider tires, and have such high trail that a handlebar bag up front is somewhat dangerous.

So maybe the reason I've always loved the vintage steel bikes such as the Cinelli is that in many ways they are extreamely friendly to the style of riding many of us have adopted. I'll have on Cinelli in later posts - they were not just racing bikes!

Time to Blog!

2009-07-10T15:19:00.000-07:00

Well its time to get into the new century and start blogging. Some folks want us to "tweet", others say we should join facebook, but one thing at a time. There really is so much to talk about and share. There is the bicycles, the riding, and cool handmade items that are not bicycles that many of our customers and friends also share interests in.

So here it goes - my goal is to add a post 3 or 4 times a week. But maybe some days it will be multiple times per day.

For now, we'll let the comments go "unmoderated". Constructive comments are always welcome, but nastiness to us or anyone else is not OK. So let the blogging begin...

Mike Kone in Boulder CO
Rene Herse Bicycles Inc. / Boulder Bicycle