Project Homeless Connect

Every year the Hub donates a portion of its profits to our community through our People and the Planet Fund. We participate in a variety of events and donate to some really great organizations. This week we sent three mechanics to help out at an event called Project Homeless Connect (http://www.homelessconnectminneapolis.org/). We worked together with a people from Bike Alliance MN, Spokes, Grease Rag and other volunteers to fix over 60 bikes! Most of the bikes had seen all kinds of weather conditions and were showing significant wear. We saw everything from flat tires to non-working brakes to messed up shifting. Our goal was to get the bikes as safe and rideable as possible!

We love riding our bikes and know how important it is to have reliable transportation. It was great to hear the feedback from participants who were using their bikes to get around. Having access to a functioning bike can help reduce barriers to education and employment.

Giant bicycles made a generous donation of 100 locks that was greatly appreciated by all the participants (especially those that didn’t bring their bikes because they had no way of keeping it safely locked up!). We also had a donation of helmets from QBP and trail maps from Hedberg Maps that were met with lots of enthusiasm.

We are always excited to help out in our community and Project Homeless Connect was a great way to share our love of bicycling!

Suspension Maintenance Matters

If it has been more than a year since you've serviced your suspension. keep this in mind...

   As robust as your suspension is, it is really quite sensitive to wear and tear from the abuse you dish out on the trail. Contaminated fork oil, damaged seals and worn bushings can all cause serious and expensive repairs or often necessitate replacement of your fork.
   The best way to avoid this costly situation? Regular maintenance. All suspension should be serviced on a regular basis. Manufacturer recommendations for oil bath lube changes can be as frequent as every 30 hours of riding and they want you to have a complete service every 100 hours.

 This may seem crazy, but keep in mind that this fork didn't feel too bad on the bike....

   What's the best plan of action? Check out your owners manual (find it online if you don't remember where the print copy is). The manufacturer will tell you exactly what's needed to keep your suspension happy. Here you will find a table of maintenance intervals. Follow this table to learn what you can do yourself (cleaning the upper tubes after every ride) and what you might want us to do (service damper every 100 hours). If you want to keep it simple just bring your fork in for service once a year (twice a year if you really want to be on top of your game). We'll clean and inspect your suspension components, replace wear and tear parts and re-lube to manufacturer specifications to help ensure you have a long and loving relationship with your suspension.

Let The Patterson Transmission Enhance Your Commute

Patterson Transmission cranks installed on a Raleigh ten speed re-purposed for all season commuting.

   Here at The Hub we love commuting and since commuting and internal gears go hand in hand, why not talk about FSA's new 2-speed internal crankset the Patterson Transmission? FSA is a relative newcomer to the world of internally geared cranksets, with both the Schlumpf drive and the Hammerschmidt having been on the market for some time. The difference, for myself anyway, lies in accessibility.

   I haven't been able to justify spending the money for internal cranksets in the past as both the Schlumpf and Hammerschmidt retail in the $700 range, so i was pretty excited when the patterson came on the scene at far more reasonable $300. I bought it, set it up and have been happily riding ever since.

   First off, i guess it makes sense to talk about what type of bike this belongs on. the important physical restrictions are simple, the bike must have a 68mm bottom shell and fixed chain stays. you need to have down tube cable routing, but if you don't you could always add a clamp on cable stop, so no need to worry about that. This crankset was designed by Sam Patterson (one of the founding members of Sram) for commuting, but could easily find a home on a touring bike, mountain bike, weekender recreation bike or cargo bike.

Bottom bracket shell faced to exactly 68mm with perfectly parallel faces for optimal bearing performance.

  A few things to remember when picking one up. Installation has many facets as you need to have your bottom bracket shell faced (to ensure 68mm which and to give the outboard cartridge bearings a good reference), you need to pick out what shifter you want to use and have that and a cable installed (not included) and you need a few specialty tools (we would be more than happy to install it for you, inquire about service rates at the shop).

   Now for the fun part; what's inside and how does it work?

    Anyone who is familiar with the Hammerschmidt will recognize the similarities right away, a simple planet gear system with a direct drive and an overdrive. The crank's direct drive functions just like any other crank (the Patterson comes with a 28t ring) and the overdrive increases the gear to the 1.6:1 ratio. This effectively gives you a 45t ring!! 

Initial diss-assembly of the crankset.

The function is simple: operate the shift lever to release cable tension and the pawl on the control plate sub-assembly engages a ratchet in the crank which in turn...

...rotates the sun gear, which then rotates the planet gears, and they, in turn, rotate the chainring section of the crankset faster than the crank is spinning. And...

...voila, simply 2 speed planetary gearing!

   Impressions of the crankset so far are very positive. The shifting is super quick and clean (i have mine set up to an old Sturmey Archer trigger shifter). The gear range is wide enough but the jump is reasonable so i don't end up with a lot of annoying recovery shifts (I have mine set up with an 8 speed Shimano nexus rear hub, f.y.i.). the bearing set up is FSA MegaExo, reliable and serviceable.

The cartridge bearings are easily replaced when worn or easily serviced on a regular schedule to maximize their lifespan.

I am one of those mechanics that really appreciates the value of a good overhaul so i clean out my cartridge bearings a bit more often than most, and i have to say, it does increase the lifespan. The non-drive side cup is your typical MegaExo setup. The drive side is another story

The bearing is connected to the crank via a small snap ring and the cup remains empty in the frame.

FSA uses completely serviceable cartridge bearings which can be easily broken down to the loose balls for thorough cleaning and bearing ball replacement.

The picture isn't great, but here we have clean races and fresh grease with brand new bearings.

Align the new bearing balls, re-install the retainer and seals and you are ready to ride!

The chainring is a bit different than the usual fare, as well.

The chainring is held in place by a splined interface

It is held in place by a spiral retaining ring

    Replacement chainrings are available at a reasonable cost, which is good news for winter riders who tear through drivetrains, and for those who prefer to ignore maintenance on their ride until it's pretty much destroyed (though, i would always still recommend regular maintenance to prevent parts from wearing prematurely). FSA also makes replacement parts available for most of the internals, which is good news as nothing lasts forever. And speaking of maintenance, the above photo gives a good illustration of the ports that allow easy access for flushing and lubing the internals with minimal diss-assembly! this keeps maintenance easy and hassle free.

   Final thoughts... The Patterson transmission is going to make the internal gear set pretty excited. With the most affordable 2- speed crank currently on the market there is no reason not to double the range of your internally geared commuting bike, so you can find better gears and ride more efficiently, which means having more fun. Reasonable cost, 165-170-175mm crank length options, 9 speed compatible chain, mountain bike approved... whats not to like?

Overhauls. A day at the spa for your bike!

New or old. Everyday riding or weekend recreation. Fair weather or right through the snow and mud. Someday soon your bike will be crying out for a complete overhaul. Here is the truth about maintenance; no matter how diligently you air up your tires and lube your chain, there is nothing you can do to prevent the break down and failure of lubrication. All the grease inside your bearing systems will eventually collect enough moisture from the air and grit from the road that it will just stop working how its supposed to. In fact you don't even have to take your bike out of the garage for lubrication to break down, it is simply the natural progression of things. All of your cable housing will eventually fail in much the same way, and lets not forget that your brake pads, tires, chain, cassette, rims, saddles and bar tape will all wear out and need to be replaced. But, it's really not so gloomy, because the solution is as close as the service department at your local Hub Bike Co-op. So, lets take care of all of this at once so you can get back out and ride! Here is how we do it.

We take a good look at your bike and make a list of all the parts that are worn out and in need of replacement, then we get to work stripping parts off your bike, recycling what is past its usable life and cleaning the rest with degreasers and solvents to uncover their original beauty.

                                       Here is the rear derailleur and freewheel before and after.

                                               And, here is the crank set before and after.

 Now, on to the bearings. this is where overhaul service really steps up and gives you more bang for your buck than a tune-up. For tune-ups we perform adjustments on bearing systems, but we don't get a chance to get inside and really clean them out to remove any contaminants that will hinder smoothness and cause premature wear and tear.

 Here is the hub when it came in. there is obviously a lot going on in here that we don't want. for starters, the grease is old and has started to harden and gel, feels more like peanut butter then lubricant. Secondly, this grease is filled with contaminants and all of that grit is wreaking havoc on the bearing race, which needs to stay smooth in order to function well.

                                              Here is the hub after a thorough cleaning.

And, here, the final step. New ball bearings and a healthy coating of grease. This is a Teflon-fortified grease which holds up well to moisture and pressure. This grease is fairly thin and "sticky" which leaves a good meniscus layer between contact points for optimal performance and protection.

          Along with your bearings, we give star treatment to the threads that hold your bike together.

                                    Before and after cleaning up the threads on the fork's steerer.

So, when do you know to get an overhaul? There's no easy answer, but some agreed upon "standards" may help. Most bearing systems (i.e. headset or hubs) should be overhauled every 3000 miles or so when riding in primarily good conditions and as frequently as every 1500 miles if riding in wet, muddy, very sandy or dusty and extreme conditions.  The trick is to do it often enough that you aren't caught always replacing parts due to wear when more frequent overhauls could keep those bearing systems alive for the long haul.

And for those of you with internally geared hubs, hydraulics or suspension systems, check with the manufacturer of the product, but generally get these items serviced once a year to keep them in good running order.

Guest Post: Chica Warrior tests Frost River Highway 1 panniers

Editors Note: When these panniers arrived from the good folks at Frost River I instantly knew who we needed to give them to to put them through their paces; our good friend, Chica Warrior.

Chica Warrior:  Two Thumbs Up for Frost River’s Highway 1 Panniers 

I stopped in my tracks back in 2005 when I first saw a bike outfitted with these bags; in fact I got down on my hands and knees to inspect them.  Rugged, worn, and looking like they stepped out of a bygone era when durable goods were in fact durable and made from canvas and leather and wood.  The design of Frost River’s  Highway 1 Panniers began when the current designers at Frost River were still at Duluth Pack and collaborated with Grant Peterson and Rivendell Bicycle Works to produce them.  Originally they were sold under the Rivendell Baggins label, and while there is currently a disagreement over who has the design rights to manufacture and sell the bags, I know both companies to be excellent and will leave it to them to continue the argument.  And since Rivendell no longer has the Baggins line, I’m just glad one can still get them.

Admittedly, they are not for everyone.  But if you are a tinkering traditionalist and not obsessed with reducing weight at every opportunity, you will fall in love.  They are good-sized–in the vicinity of a 30 litre combined capacity–and they define stout.  The bags are made of waxed cotton canvas, referred to as “tin cloth” for good reason.  Tin cloth gets a spectacular rubbed patina over time, looking remarkably like leather as it wears.  Everything on the bags is secured with either leather straps with solid brass buckles or parachute cords and grommets.  As you might guess, with these materials the bags are heavyweights, tipping the scales at a hefty 1675 grams.  But these materials give you a lot of flexibility allowing you to customize the bags and the fit to your heart’s content.  If you mind the initial futzing around to move the bags from one bike to another and to dial in the rigging, get an Ortleib.  However, if that’s not a deal breaker, it really can be kind of fun.  In my situation, I mounted them on a quite narrow Tubus Airy attached to my single speed and then on a Nitto Big Back Rack with my touring bike.  While they worked on the Airy (and in fact my largest load to date was carried on the Airy), as would be expected the fit was much, much better on the Big Back Rack.

I’ve been riding with them for about 2 weeks doing grocery runs, my regular 20-mile round-trip commute, and one 35-mile urban tour.  As a reference point, I’m a 53 year old woman and alas no longer a spring chicken but the weight has not bothered me.  The carrying capacity makes grocery hauling easy–I loaded up about 35 pounds of bulky, awkward, heavy groceries (think glass half gallons of milk, cucumbers, cabbage, carrots, a melon, dish soap, and the like – not to mention rain gear and a lock) and the bags simply swallowed them.  The 4-inch draw-string cuff and the foot-square flap means I could’ve even stuffed a few more items in there if needed.

 The load on side one

Side 2

With respect to rain, tin cloth is water-resistant but not waterproof.  For light rain/short distances, they do just fine.  For longer, heavier rain situations, this is easily remedied thru the use of a trash bag liner.  As a retired cross country motorcyclist, my biker buddies and I always lined our leather bags with trash bags and it stood up to 400 miles at 60 miles per hour in the pouring rain across Kansas.  With a few Filson tin cloth coats in my wardrobe, I can say that for winter riding, the panniers will perform well in snow but that the cold will make the waxed canvas stiff.  My biggest criticism of the bags are the fasteners at the bottom of the bag, which are leather buckle straps that are hard to reach and too close to the spokes.  An additional strap keeper would be helpful and could easily be installed by the handy owner.  The reach, however, is still awkward.  There are vertical tabs intended for compression straps around the bags, but a horizontal blinky tab would’ve been nice.  Again, because they are canvas, one can easily be added.  The internal sleeve with the stiffener is great to have with soft bags like these.

If these sound interesting to you, go for it.  At a suggested price of $190, they are worth it and comparable in cost to other well-made bags.  And not only will you have a certain je ne sais quoi kind of hip style, with their outstanding workmanship and heritage materials, they will last your whole life.  I have several other Frost River bags; all are well made and the company stands behind them.  When my large Frost River Old No. 7 canoe pack was seriously damaged by a mysterious creature in the night, they repaired it free of charge, shipped it back to me at no cost, and identified the culprit:  a porcupine!  Yep, that’s Minnesota manufacturing at its best.

Ahhh, Utah

When trails are closed and the weather is cold here in Minneapolis, there are two more reasons to go to Utah. This adds to all the other reasons to go: the martian landscapes of red slickrock, mountain bike trails for every skill level including death-defying, cliff-top views that go on forever, and free camping with views so amazing you kinda just want to stay at camp.

I had mountain biked in Utah once before and had a blast. After three years I was overdue for a visit. Matt and Joe were game, and we started planning a MTB and climbing trip last summer.

The trip this year started with a 24 hour drive. Lots of coffee, uncomfortable naps in the passenger seat, and searching the ipod for music to keep us awake. The goal: get to Hurricane, UT with enough light left to hit some trails and set up camp.

No problem. We arrived the next morning and found a free camp spot on top of Gooseberry Mesa. It was a random side road that rewarded us with cliff top views of miles of valleys, mesas, cliffs. We dropped our gear, pulled the bikes off the car and rode some trails. After a near sleepless night it was all kind of dreamlike.


Gooseberry Mesa had terrain for our every need. Rolling slickrock, technical rock features, jumps, trails along cliff edges.... Ahhh, Utah. Riding these trails took some getting used to. Short, super-steep ascents would be followed by equally steep descents or drop-offs. Unlikely angles were made possible with the extreme traction provided by the sandpaper like rock. The granny gear finally got some use.

I rode a Giant Anthem 2 for the trip. Due to the short travel XC bike (3.5" for the 2006) I picked the Kenda Nevegal 2.35s, thinking the wider tires would have extra cushion and grip. They lived up to their reputation and were predictable in all the terrains we encountered. I also test rode some Ergon grips, but decided they weren't the best for such technical riding. I think they would be better for long XC type rides.

We spent several days wandering Gooseberry. We camped out each night on the edge of the mesa, and watched the sunset cast changing colours on the valley below us.

After 3 nights at Gooseberry, it was time for our next stop, St George. There was rumour of top-notch climbing and biking in that area. How much could we do in a day? We ended up covering all of Bearclaw Poppythe first day. It was a longhaul, with the star of the show being the downhill ride from 3 Fingers of Death thru the acid drops. This was a section we definitely benefited from by scouting first. Following that the snaking trails before the turn-around point had to be the fastest terrain of the trip. The following day we had a double feature with the rocky and lung-busting Zen trail followed by climbing at Green Valley Gap.

After more days of climbing and biking our trip was running out of time. We had to start heading back to Minnesota. Moab was on the way and would be our last stop. One last hurrah on the one of the most well known MTB tracks in the country.



Slickrock didn't disappoint and reminded me why it is such a legendary spot. The terrain is unlike any other and there are breath-taking views in every direction. The scale of the rocks and gradient of the trails pushed us to the limit. Some ascents were so steep it felt like I might roll over backwards, and they kept going up until legs and lungs were burning. It was a capstone to be remembered.

Overall, we got in a mix of biking and climbing everyday for 8 days straight. Definitely the type of trip I want to do more often.


See ya on the trails.