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by David Rowe

• Contents

• Excerpt

• Delivery

$9.95 eBook
R2R Publishing Co.
64 pages
21 photos
PDF file size: 1.51 MB

        READER REVIEWS

• "The knowledge in this eBook is priceless. There is no other word to describe the quality and quantity of information that has been gathered." ―Don Walker, president, NAHBS

• "The eBook is probably the best single, one-hour discussion of what goes into making a good long distance bike." ―Kent Peterson, American Randonneur, August 2007

• "Just about any techno-biker out there will find this eBook to be a real treasure trove of information." ―Adventure Cyclist magazine, July/August 2007

• "If I were new to longer riding, curious about the sport of randonneuring, or . . . the philosophy of long distance bike design and usage, this is one place I'd want to start." ―Gino Zahnd, writer and long distance cyclist
   

• "There's lots of good advice here. Most of the discussion is related to event bikes, RAAM, brevets, but it also applies to light touring . . . . well worth reading for anyone contemplating a new bike." ―Chris Kulczycki of the Velo Orange Blog

Cyclists who enjoy riding long distances will tell you they need a bicycle that is comfortable, durable and fast.

But few can translate their needs into specifics about the frame design, materials, components, wheels and tires required to make it all come together. The result: Most riders are working harder and feeling more discomfort (even pain) than necessary.

What are the essential elements of the long distance bicycle?

How does this type of bike differ from those designed for racing or touring?

To find answers, distance cyclist David Rowe hosted a panel discussion with 4 leading experts at the 2007 North American Handmade Bicycle Show (NAHBS) in San Jose, California.

Sharing their wisdom were randonneur and ultracyclist Terry Zmrhal; Shimano's top mechanical technician, Matt Eames; Independent Fabrication president Matt Bracken; and frame designer/builder Steve Rex of Rex Cycles.

Their discussion took place before a live audience. The edited transcript forms the foundation of this eBook, giving roadies an insider's view of . . .

The most vital aspects of the long distance bicycle, including the trade-offs among weight, durability, serviceability and speed.
 

   $9.95 eBook

 

In this excerpt, the panel discusses frame materials and why some are better than others for certain types of long-distance cycling.

EXCERPT: Frame Material Matters

David Rowe:  I want to conclude this part of the conversation with a question on frame materials. We don’t see a lot of carbon fiber on the long distance unsupported rides. But we see quite a bit of it in club centuries. Why would a rider choose one material over another for long distance cycling?

Matt Bracken:  There is no bad material, just bad use of a material. So when you talk about comfort. People that ride long distances want to be comfortable. When you look at titanium and steel, they are naturally a springy material so they are nice over a long distance. For five years we have talked about black magic carbon and its damping properties. It’s great. But when you look at these custom fit bikes, made by small builders, like all these men and women here in these halls, we have a greater opportunity to fine tune how the bike will react to your body weight and the load. There is a great advantage in getting a bicycle made by a custom builder using steel versus a mass production carbon frame, made in bladder or glued together in two-part epoxy.

Steve Rex:  Both Independent Fabrications and Rex Cycles make metal-carbon combos. It is a durable way to make bikes, but carbon is not as forgiving as steel in the case of crashes and so forth. Let’s say you have a carbon top tube, you’ve got a little bit of load on your bike, and you lean it up against something while you are taking a break. It falls over and that carbon tube gets a big schnackle in it, and that schnackle turns into a crack. You’re not going to fix it on that ride. In fact, you may not want to get back on it. But if you’re riding a steel bike, and you get a dent in the top tube, you’re just going to ride on and not worry about it. So carbon is very cool; it makes some very nice bikes, but it is more prone to sudden failure.

David Rowe:  You’re talking about the speed of the materials’ failure rates. Steel fails slowly. Carbon can fail very rapidly.

Matt Bracken: That is true for most metal bikes, whether it’s aluminum, steel or Ti, you can actually see a crack develop. When people have a traumatic impact on carbon, you should ping the frame material with a coin. You can actually hear the resonance in the damaged area change, which would indicate that it has been impacted to a degree that it is not usable. That said, teams, like T-Mobile that race on carbon, have done incredible repairs and race these frames to the end of the season, winning races on bikes that are supposedly not safe. It is a question of keeping an eye on your equipment, taking care of it, and being comfortable with it psychologically, so that you can be happy in the saddle.
 

   $9.95 eBook

 

TOC:  A Rider's Guide to
Building the Long Distance Bicycle

Forward Introduction Meet the Panelists What is Long Distance? It’s not the miles that differentiate long rides from short ones.   Forces of Nature. Weather and terrain are the key drivers of most equipment decisions.   Got Support? Parts that can’t be serviced by the rider don’t have a place on a long distance bike.   Bring on the Night. Electrical generator hubs are efficient, effective and practical.   Fenders Change Everything. Racing frames are not fender-friendly. Including them may require a new frame, brakes and tires.   The Keys to Comfort. Want to be comfortable on the bike? Focus on places where your body touches the frame, and where rubber hits the road.   Geometry Lesson. Minor adjustments in the length and angles of frame tubing have a major impact on performance.   Frame Material Matters. The distance you ride and access to mechanical support should determine materials selection.   Component Selection. Look to Paris Roubaix – not Tour de France – for hints about component selection.   Putting It All Together. A rider and a builder describe the perfect long distance machine. About the Creators   Excerpt   $9.95 eBook

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