Finecycling.com Newsletter - http://www.finecycling.com

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THE FINECYCLING NEWSLETTER
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Supported by: List moderator:
FineCycling Antonio Sanchez
http://www.finecycling.com tony.sanchez@finecycling.com

February 13, 2000
Issue #015

CONTENTS:

1. Cyclelondon.com
2. Two Months to Cinderella Classic
3. Cycling in Spain
4. RePete's World of Bicycling Adventures
5. The Great Alaska Highway Ride 4
6. Maintaining Bottom Brackets



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1. Cyclelondon.com
================

cyclelondon.com started as a neat idea to provide competitors taking
part in the beastway MTB series with information. It has now grown to
cover all aspects of cycling in London.

We feature the London Cross League, beastway MTB, event reports and
fitness advice from torq. Features include rider profiles such as Jenny
Copnall and ride reports.

Our events section has dates of London rides and races, which we back up
with information about the London 'scene'.

Get in touch with your news or if you can help us put together
cyclelondon.com


cyclelondon.com
Visit their site at: http://www.cyclelondon.com/



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2. Two Months to Cinderella Classic
===========================

The Valley Spokesmen Bicycle Club will be presenting the 24th annual
Cinderella Classic on March 25th, in Dublin, CA (about 15 miles east of
Oakland). This women's only bike ride is the only one of its kind in
Northern California.

This metric century promotes and celebrates women's cycling with a route
which takes the women along the foothills of Mt. Diablo and the
vineyards of the Livermore Valley.

The event draws a broad cross-section of women cyclists , from
once-a-year riders whose goal is to complete the course to well-known
local racers.

For more information, visit the Valley Spokemen web site at:
www.valleyspokesmen.org.



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3. Cycling in Spain
===============

We just came back from Spain - the Camino de Santiago route. Riding was
pretty good and relatively inexpensive. Tasting the local color is very
easy. Try interacting with the locals. We wrote a short story on this
trip. You can access it on out web site below. There is a link on top
poiting you the the story.

J Gaerlan - Gaerlan Custom Cycles
http://www.gaerlan.com
" travel bikes and bike travels"
(415)362-3866: (415)677-8943 fax
JFreewheel@aol.com



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4. RePete's World of Bicycling Adventures
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RePete's World of Bicycling Adventures - Unlimited !!!

The renowned RePete provides insight, tours and other exciting sites for
the cycling enthusiast! You get Quibbles, Quale, Quest Tours, Quotes,
Freewheel'n and more...

Yes...Quibbles is now updated! Currently featured:

***Preview...Tours for the Year 2000!***
***Riding in Traffic...Getting Across Non-Standard Intersections***
***South Jersey Wheelmen Convention Photos...Check These Out!!!***

Go now to:

http://www.oocities.org/repete_bike
or
http://www.oocities.org/Colosseum/Arena/6870

Let me know what other improvements you would like to see...

RePete



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5. The Great Alaska Highway Ride 4
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The ultimate wilderness road ride in North America, the Al-Can Highway.
The 4thd run of The Great Alaska Highway Ride is scheduled for June 4 -
27, 2000. The only fully supported ride that covers the highway's
entire length, from Delta Junction, Alaska to Dawson Creek, British
Columbia; 1421 miles of towering mountains, thick forests, wildlife and
turquoise lakes. The ride is scheduled for early summer to take
advantage of the best weather and least number of pests (those being
mosquitoes and motorhomes).

The Great Alaska Highway Ride 3 was selected by Outside Magazine as one
of the Year's Best Trips in their January 99 issue. The ride is priced
at $1750, riders enjoy full support services, sagwagon, camping with hot
showers (motels in our layover towns of Whitehorse and Ft Nelson) and
most meals.

For more information visit: http://www.cyclevents.com



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6. Maintaining Bottom Brackets
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By Bruce Bock

Today's sealed cartridge bearing bottom brackets have simplified
maintenance problems encountered in traditional ball bearing units. If
by chance you spent a solid week riding in the rain, no longer is a
repack necessary. However, newer sealed units are not necessarily
maintenance free. A few simple things will help ensure the long life of
your sealed bottom bracket.

Install Bottom Bracket According to Manufacturer's Guidelines.
Make sure to follow the instructions that come with your sealed unit.
Using a marine-grade lubricant on the threads of the bottom bracket
shell and on connecting pieces of a Shimano cartridge unit will provide
a water-resistant barrier and stop some creaks sometimes found in carbon
bikes.

Use a torque wrench and tighten to the manufacturer's recommended torque
value.

For bikes with aluminum or titanium bottom bracket threads, use an
anti-seize compound. You can also use this on steel threads as well. Be
careful. This stuff is messy and can be hard to clean up.

Remove and inspect bottom bracket yearly.
Just because you use a sealed cartridge bottom bracket is no reason to
neglect it during the yearly tune up. Remove the bottom bracket and
inspect the shell of your bike for rust (steel bikes) or small cracks of
any sort. Also, check the bottom bracket for anything out of the
ordinary like rough bearings, cracked or damaged sleeve inserts, or a
warped spindle. Clean the threads of old grease and reapply a
marine-grade lubricant or anti-seize compound and reinstall.

If you've had any kind of problem with the bottom bracket coming loose,
you can put some blue, removeable Loctite on the threads in three
different locations. Our shop mechanic likes to do it at 12 o'clock, 4
o'clock and 8 o'clock positions. This should prevent any unwanted
loosening, and along with the lubricant, will prevent any mystery noises
from developing.

Replacing bearings in sealed units.
If your spindle and other parts are in good condition, but your
bearings are rough or have a lot of miles on them, you should think
about replacing them. You can get most sealed bearing units at your
local industrial ball bearing store considerably cheaper than going to
the manufacturer. Many of your local shops do this to make things easier
on themselves. You are probably looking at $7 per side for a sealed
bearing unit. Just take the bearing unit to the store and you should be
able to get the correct ones. Many cartride units, like Shimano, will
have to be replaced as a whole unit.

Before you install the new sealed bearings you can make them run a
little smoother by adding some Teflon. Take a very small screwdriver and
pop off the seal on the sealed bearing unit. Being careful not to
contaminate the bearings with dirt, cover the bearings with pure Teflon.
Put the seal back on and spin the bearing unit in your hand to
distribute the Teflon. Make sure only to use pure Teflon. Reinstall the
bearings and you should notice a difference immediately.

Remember, just because your bottom bracket has sealed bearings doesn't
mean it should be neglected.

From: Bicycle Online
Visit their site at:
http://www.bicycle.com/





-------------- End of FineCycling Weekly Newsletter -------------


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