Q&A: Are folding bikes twitchy; individual cassette cogs

Dahon's Mu Undo

Q: Hi Jim, I'm thinking of getting a foldable bike, a one-speed model with a coaster brake to keep it simple. I'm considering Dahon's Mu Uno (photo). Have you test ridden it? I'm wondering if there will be a big difference in handling from my full size-wheeled bikes. I've heard people say that folders feel twitchy. I'm also concerned about the durability and serviceability of coaster-brake hubs.

Thanks!
Arnold

 A: I’ve got a few folding bikes, Arnold and like them a lot. I have a Dahon from about 1980 and even back then they had a solid reputation for making nice-riding, convenient to use portable bicycles.

I've ridden some recent Dahons at bike shows but not the Mu Uno. On their website it looks like a quality one-speed model featuring a butted 7005-aluminum frame, nice aluminum wheels and solid components stem to stern including a Kinetix forged-aluminum crankset, Suntour folding pedals, Schwalbe Marathon tires and a Shimano coaster-brake hub.

I think you’ll love the Mu Uno if you get it. You’ll want to ride it on mostly flat rides probably, since it has only one 62-inch gear and a foot brake, but it should be wonderful for that. The little wheels feel quick to most people and that’s great, but they can feel a little too easy to accelerate and steer - because they're smaller and lighter - at first and that’s why some feel that folding bikes are twitchy.

Good folding bikes aren’t really twitchy or hard to handle. They just feel that way because you’re used to steering a big, heavier larger wheel. When you get on your little-wheel folding bike you need to relax and let the bike steer itself. It doesn’t need much input from you. Once you relax and stop trying to steer the bike like you do your other bikes it gets natural and feels quicker and nimbler.

Folding a Dahon takes seconds

I take my Bike Friday whenever I fly somewhere, and I find it takes about five miles or so to remember which bike I'm on and get into the groove of riding it, whether it’s going from the full size-wheel bike to the mini-wheel one - or the other way around when I return from the trip and get back on my regular rides.

Regarding coaster-brake hubs, they are usually very durable. I would estimate that in most cases you wouldn’t need to service a hub like that for as much as five years or even longer if you stay out of the rain. In many cases they just keep going and going with no maintenance. Typically you don’t use a folding bike as much as a regular bike or ride it as far, either, and that helps keep the wear and tear down too - as will riding it on flatter terrain where you won't have to brake all that hard or often. Hope this helps and let us know how you like your Mu Uno if you get it.

When talking about folding bikes, I have to point out one more cutting-edge bicycle, the Brompton, which is my preferred city bike because it folds in a blink, sports lights, fenders, rack, prop stand and a ingenious front bag. Here's Brompton's current line-up.
Jim
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Q:  Hi Jim, I recently purchased a Lapierre Audacio with a Shimano Tiagra C4600 12/28 10-speed compact cassette (with 50/34 chainrings) and I’m finding the top gear is too low.  I’ve inquired with the shop that sold me the bike as to whether I could change the small cog from a 12 tooth to an 11 tooth but they advise that I’d have to change the entire cassette.  I had expected that it would be possible to source a single 11 cog for this cassette given that there’s an 11/25 cassette in the Tiagra C4600 range. 

Would you be able to advise if a single cog could be sourced for this?

Kind Regards,
David

A: I haven’t tried their cogs, David, but I’ve heard that Miche makes individual cogs for Shimano cassettes. Here’s a link to an online company called Universal Cycles that carries these so that you can learn more.

You’ll probably want at least two cogs, since if you remove the 12 and install the 11, you’ll have an 11 to 13 jump as your first shift, which will probably drive you crazy and feel like you’re missing a gear. Having a new 11 and a 12 should let you end up with 11/12/13/14 etc. which will feel right (you’ll want to disassemble your cassette and compare it to the Miche cogs to make sure they will fit correctly and let you build the cassette you want).

Another issue will be the Shimano cassette lockring (the last piece you install and tighten with the splined lockring tool - video shows lockring and removal with the lockring tool and chainwhip tool). The one you have is correct for a 12-tooth bottom cog. If you go to an 11-tooth cog, you will need a lockring made for an 11-tooth cog too, since the 12-tooth compatible lockring will be slightly too-large diameter and can prevent the chain seating on the smaller 11-tooth cog. (Tip: you have to look closely, but, so that you can tell the difference, the Shimano 11-tooth lockrings have a little "11" stamped on them.)




I'd compare the cost of the 2 new cogs and lockring plus shipping versus the cost of a new cassette, keeping in mind that your original cassette has resale value and that might make up the difference.

If I were you, I’d be strongly tempted to return to the bike shop and tell them you want to trade the original cassette for the right cassette for you. Even if they only give you wholesale pricing for it in trade, you might end up spending less than ordering the two cogs. Just clean your cassette up nicely so it looks like new.

I hope something here helps and enjoy that beautiful new bike!


Jim
In case you can't see it, here's a link to the video: http://youtu.be/O44Vk9P1HV4
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BIKE VIDEO: People For Bikes: If I Ride

Happy Tour de France month,
Hope you're enjoying the action as much as I am. With the coverage now on high-definition television, it's like the peloton is passing through your living room. The scenery is spectacular, the crashes so real they almost hurt and the descents are dizzying. For a retro take on the Tour, here's a photo essay on the 1953 Tour from Life magazine archives.

To ride the wave of interest in cycling created by the Tour, Bikes Belong just released a fun video promoting the impressive benefits of biking, so I wanted to share it with you. Be sure to pass it along so we can get even more people pedaling and supporting cycling. Maybe a few of them will one day race in the Tour.

Good rides!
Jim

 

http://youtu.be/jEhpUov-adU

NEW PRODUCT: Anycase iPhone Tripod Adapter

Steve Boehmke, a longtime marketing and product-development guru for many major bicycle companies (including Shimano), told me about a clever gadget he's trying to bring to market called the Anycase iPhone Tripod Adapter. While this elegant little aluminum holder isn't specifically a cycling product, I contributed to Steve's Kickstarter campaign because I need something like this. 

I shoot simple cycling videos with my iPhone and I need a safe way to hold it steady and position it more accurately than I can by hand and by balancing it precariously on its edge. The Anycase does this nicely as you can see here. If you use your smartphone for video like this, you might like one too. A $29 contribution gets you an Anycase in black. The Kickstarter campaign ends July 6, 2012, so contribute soon if you'd like to help. Thanks! UPDATE: The campaign did not raise the funds to launch production, so Steve is now selling the Anycase online for $29 plus shipping.

 

ALERT: $1,000 For Finding Hit & Run Driver

Aaron Freitas (left) is offering a $1,000 reward

My Team Bicycle Trip/Symantec teammate and Capitola, California resident, Aaron Freitas (photo) was sailing down Old San Jose Road on Saturday, May 5 around 1:30 p.m. with his friend Buck Lyons, when Aaron was sideswiped by a car and knocked to the ground. Luckily he only suffered a concussion, six broken ribs, a collapsed lung, a broken collarbone, broken scapula and cuts and scrapes.

I talked with Aaron on Monday at the Santa Cruz stage of the Tour of California and he was in surprisingly good spirits - obviously beat-up bad, in a sling and bandages. But he was already talking about riding and racing again and determined to do something to bring the hit-and-runner to justice. He has put up $1,000 reward money for anyone providing information leading to a conviction. I wanted to pass this along and ask you to keep on the lookout when you're riding around here and especially in the Santa Cruz Mountains, and on and near Soquel-San Jose Road.

Other hit-and-runs
According to the Santa Cruz Sentinel, "Other recent collisions include one on Highway 1 that claimed the life of 35-year-old Joshua Laven, whose body was found on May 4, hours after he was struck while riding near Wilder Ranch. The CHP is looking for a 1999 to 2004 Dodge Ram pickup in that case. And in the past year, two bicyclists were killed in hit-and-run collisions on Empire Grade Road and Soquel-San Jose Road.

It would be great if we could catch these nutcases. Lyons, who also crashed trying to avoid riding over Freitas, saw the car that hit Aaron and described it as "an older model Audi wagon that was a "muted dull shade," perhaps grey or tan or off-white."

The Sentinel reports that "CHP officer Grant Boles said they are still working to find the driver, but have little to go on. He asked those with information on the case to call 662-0511."

Here's the complete Sentinel article.

If it happens to you
For what it's worth, I have twice "found" drivers who tried to knock me off my bike by swerving at me on the backroads of Santa Cruz. It was only by riding off the road and almost crashing that I avoided injury or worse. But I paid close attention so that I could recognize the car if I saw it again.

Then, to find these losers, I drove to the road where it happened on the same day of the week at about the same time as the incident. I parked, waited and watched. Both times, the vehicle that had tried to run me off the road came past and it was a simple matter to take their license number and file a full report to the police. In one case the driver was arrested and lost his license in court. Not enough of a penalty but at least it got him off the road for awhile.

Ride safe and always stay on the alert for insane drivers - I've run into them in every state I've lived in, and even when I was a long-distance runner - so it's not just cyclists who need to be careful. Sorry if this sounds bad, but it's true and it's better to be prepared and careful than to become a victim.

Jim

Tour of California 2012 - An Amazing Race

The finish at Cabrillo College

Wow, what a day for cycling fans in Santa Cruz County. From dawn to dusk on Monday, May 14, it seemed like every road was packed with race fans setting up camp to view the action, and pedaling to spots from Bonny Doon to Felton to Soquel and Cabrillo College to cheer on the Amgen Tour of California tourmen as they pounded up and down our roads.

So that you can enjoy some of the local action, here's a video of the crash about halfway up the Bonny Doon climb and some photos I shot. Also check out Caletti Cycles' photos as they were at another scenic spot in the Santa Cruz Mountains.

With some of my Bicycle Trip/Symantec teammates, I rode up to the Bonny Doon - Ice Cream Grade intersection - getting heckeled the entire way by earlybirds already chalking the road and partying while waiting for the peloton. Once the pack passed our spot, we raced the race, shortcutting down Soquel Ave to take a straight shot to the finish line at Cabrillo.

All the way, we picked up other riders and had a fast and easy access to the finish thanks to the California Highway Patrol that had closed interesections, was stopping cars and waving cyclists through. So cool.

Enjoy the pics and let's all help bring the Tour of California back for 2013!



The crash took place right where we were standing so we had a great view of the resulting chaos. Video by Mark Boolootian (below in black).

Tom Boonen!

George Hincapie heads to the team bus

Peter Sagan took the win with his incredible last corner and sprint

BIKE VIDEO: Racer's Eye Vid of the 2011 Tour of California

Good morning race fans,
In anticipation of the Amgen Tour of California's visit to Santa Cruz on Tuesday, May 14, I've been looking for good videos to share from last year's race and I found this one. It's among the best TOC movies I've seen because it was shot from within the peloton using a GoPro camera. These mini cams weigh little and mount almost anywhere.

I'm not usually a fan of the typical footage cyclists capture with these ingenious cameras, which is usually geared toward recording your own ride for enjoying it afterwards. But whoever was behind the GoPro in this TOC film knew how to keep it interesting.

Apart from the having to put out 300+ watts all week long just not to get dropped part, it almost makes this professional stage race look like something fun to try!



If you're viewing this in your email and not seeing the video, here it is.

Good rides!
Jim

NEW BIKE BOOK: Must-Read for Classic Hollywood Fans

Love the classics? You need Hollywood Rides a Bike

With all the rain we're having in the Bay Area, I thought I'd tell you about a wonderful new book that's helping me ignore that fact that the riding's miserable right now.

Based on his acclaimed Rides a Bike website, Steven Rea's new coffee-table treasure Hollywood Rides a Bike, Cycling with the Stars is +/- 160 pages of gorgeous, mostly black-and-white photos of the greats of Tinseltown pedaling, beside or around often beautiful vintage bicycles, which were regularly used as free, quiet and fun transportation around the expansive and almost always sunny Paramount, Warner Bros., RKO and Columbia studios.

I can't put this book down, mesmerized by the sensational professionally produced glossies of 190 Hollywood legends on bikes as cool as they are, and in such fascinating settings and poses. Plus, every picture is captioned with film critic and bicycle lover Rea's insightful remarks and trivia (I had no idea that "platinum bombshell" Jean Harlow died at only 26 or that horror star Vincent Price could ride a highwheeler - and no-handed!). Many also include the actual studio notes provided with the photos when they were released to the press way back when.

There's a tanned James Stewart taking a break during the filming of Hitchcock's Rear Window, riding double on a Phillips 3-speed with Grace Kelly sitting sideways on the top tube. There's Lauren Bacall made up to the nines, reclining against a parked bicycle and enjoying a cup of coffee. The studio notes (from January, 1945) read, "She's dynamic, is easily the most photogenic subject who has come to films in many a day. Lauren prefers slacks, sweaters and bicycles to dresses, silk stockings and open cars. She likes to be free and unencumbered, she says." And there on page 60 is a teenage Elizabeth Taylor riding along a sidewalk, as Rea writes, "her whole extraordinary career and all those marriages and tabloid headlines ahead of her."

Hollywood Rides a Bike is a celebration of classic Hollywood and bicycles and one of the most unique and satisfying books to come along in a while. If you like movies as much as I do, you'll love it.

Jim