Bike School Student Again

MSF Course includes Reference Text Like LAB, but Unlike CS. Material is Also Available on Line

The Bike League requests that its instructors periodically take educational material related to bikes in order to keep "fresh" in bike ed. The principle is exactly correct and ought to be followed by all; ESPECIALLY by instructors. Recently, I took advantage of an opportunity to become a bike school student all over again through a Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) course offered near my home in North Texas. There is an obvious (to me) synergy between how to safely ride and control a bicycle with how to do the same thing on a heavier and more powerful two-wheel vehicle. Indeed, I found MANY things that cross over directly, and it was fascinating to see the similarities and differences between the Bike League (LAB) and Cycling Savvy (CS) bicycling programs.

MSF Instructor Has a Pole to Help Cone Placement, With Marks on the Lot, Unlike Either LAB or CS
ALL Riding was Done in this Parking Lot

General Observations
The MSF course takes two FULL days, and there is at least one added follow-on course. Thus it is longer than either of the cycling programs. In addition, in many states, taking and passing the test obviates the requirement to take the state skills riding test in order to win a motorcycle endorsement to one's driving license. On both days, the course started with some classroom work that consisted of going through the MSF handbook and watching relevant videos. Late each morning, we'd go over to the parking lot for various drills. Unlike EITHER the CS or LAB programs, there was no on-street riding and, as you can see below, the school-provided motorcycles do not have licenses or turn signals installed on them, making them not street-legal. My own class was probably unusual because one of the three students already had his motorcycle endorsement, was a deputy sheriff, and was taking the class in preparation to become an instructor. The second student was taking the course to get his motorcycle endorsement and did not have much more motorcycle experience than myself. The third student was me. While my bike handling skills were probably better than most, I last rode a motorcycle more than 30 years ago. Fortunately, the course does NOT assume you know how to do things such as starting the motorcycle nor shutting it down.

Our Class Had Only Three Students, Like Many LAB and CS Classes. Instructors Only Double-Up With Larger Courses

Motorcyles ARE Different (in some ways)
The first, and obvious difference is that motorcycles are big, heavy, and fast compared to bikes. Our training motorcycles were Suzuki 250 models which are tiny by current motorcycle standards but even they seemed heavy and clumsy to me. The second difference is that rider compliance is NOT considered "optional" by the larger society and the education programs are specifically backed by major manufacturers. A corollary is that instruction recognizes that motorcycles are vulnerable road users, but also starts with the presumption that crashes are usually multi-cause events in which the motorcyclist is actively seeking a balance between risk and safety. That is a refreshing change from bicycles, where advocates often seem obsessed with distinguishing between which crashes are the fault of the motorist and which are the fault of the cyclist. The MSF course knows that if you crash, it will HURT. This being said, there is a LOT of crossover in principles with bikes, even though the motorcycle people use different terms for many of their principles. ONE OTHER THING - Motorcyles ALL "backwards brake."

For the rest of this post, I'll cover topics I found interesting that either differ from bicycle teaching, match bicycle teaching, or fill in blanks for me.

Ear Protection
One thing I found fascinating was the subject of earplugs, due to my past bike school experience. Gail, here, started this and I have made other posts on the subject, here and here. In the case of the MSF, hearing protection is STRONGLY advocated even for those with quiet motorcycles and full-face helmets. One reason why, which tracks with my own bike experience, is that outside noise is a problem. The MSF cites wind noise in particular. In addition, traffic noise adds to the fatigue aspects. The MSF instructor discounted engine noise as a reason for the earplugs and was unaware that some jurisdictions outlaw their use. I also found that some motorcycle helmets have built-in provisions for listening to things like music while riding. Myself, I think this is a situation where "it depends" is a guiding factor. If you are riding slowly, in a quiet locale, ear protection is probably extraneous. That's a major reason I do not wear earphones in Ocean Shores. OTOH, if you are going to be listening to loud and engaging music, earphones are probably NOT a good idea since the music itself, in addition to being distracting, can add to hearing loss.

Visibility
In the past, I've been somewhat dubious about the incremental benefits of wearing "high vis" since much cycling (and motorcycling) clothing is basic black and because the first line of defense is to have good lights and to ride where people WILL see you before it is too late. However, I have to admit the MSF makes good points that being visible adds incremental safety. As they note about motorcycles (and could equally be noted about bikes), "...are smaller and not as prevalent as cars and trucks, so they are more difficult to pick out in traffic and their speed may be difficult for others to judge." We should keep in mind that many emergency vehicles are rear-ended on roads, despite being covered with high vis and despite "move over" legislation. 'Nuf sed.

Lane Positions
The MSF teaching on this is simple, and virtually identical to what is taught as "best practice" in cycling. The "line of sweetness" rules! In an interesting difference of terminology, the MSF describes the "line of sweetness" as the "presentation position."

The "Line of Sweetness!" Also Endorsed by the MSF

Dogs
I don't recall much material from bike school about dealing with dogs, and DEFINITELY not about how to deal with larger animals such as the deer that abound in Ocean Shores. The MSF recommendation follows: "Once an approaching dog is spotted, a good rider response is to slow, including a downshift, then accelerate past the point of interception. Don't kick at the dog, because it will make controlling the motorcycle difficult."

Crash Chain
Two things that are talked about in bike ed, are "the danger is ahead" and ACE (which stands for Ability, Conditions, and Equipment). This is complemented by the "ABC Quick Check" which is more equivalent to something the MSF refers to as TCLOCS. The Crash Chain is an excellent way to view all the elements of ACE. With apologies to Preston Tyree, he ought to consider adapting the graphic view of the Crash Chain as it wraps together all the elements of ACE, though it separates "conditions" into "road and environment," and "other traffic."

Crash Chain Graphic PERFECTLY Illustrates the LAB "ACE" Concept
REMOVE Crash Causes to BREAK the Chain Between You and Crashes

Tests
As noted  here and other places, I feel the CS program does too little testing (this is only bad because it means less feedback to students) while the LAB program spends too high a portion of its course time in testing (better student feedback, but too much time spent on tests relative to the length of the course). I do not know to what degree the MSF course approach to testing is dictated by state licensing requirements, but I found that its written test wasn't much less of a PIA than the LAB test, and its riding test was "pass/fail" since a "pass" is required to eliminate the state riding skills test. Overall, I wasn't impressed with the MSF testing, since feedback was only offered upon request. In this way it was effectively somewhere in between the two cycling programs.

Turning and Braking
I think I've blathered on for almost too much here, so I'll end with turning and braking. The principles of turning on a motorcycle are the same as on a bicycle. I found it interesting that the instructor never used the term "countersteer," though he taught us the principles. The MSF Handbook mentions it once in the context of "Press" where you press forward on the motorcycle grip in the direction of the turn. Still, this is an area in which my past bike experience with "instant turns" and such allowed me to control the motorcycle more accurately than the other students.

Another difference in emphasis is braking. In bike school, we try quick stops with the rear, with the front, and with both brakes to illustrate things. In motorcycle school, we are simply taught to apply both brakes smoothly and there is less emphasis on letting up on one or the other brake should skidding begin. Principles are the same, but perhaps the difference is because it would be difficult to spot for someone on a heavy motorcycle.

All in all, it was a good learning experience and I recommend it to anyone who is interested in improving his/her cycling abilities. Since I've done it, I also guess I ought to go ahead and get a motorcycle endorsement. After all, "you never know..."

ABC and Armadillo Tires

LaVogue Bicycle Shop in Hoquiam, Washington - Conveniently Next Door to Tully's Coffee

As noted here, I've been a fan of "Armadillo" bike tires in the past. However, as noted here and here, they are not without their faults. For older bikes, I'm coming to the conclusion that Armadillos may be more trouble than they're worth.

Lately, I've had a failure progressing on Frankenbike's Armadillo front tire. Having had "ABC" failures in the past, I have kept a close eye on it. One problem, however, is that there's really no place to get a 27 inch tire here in Ocean Shores. Ace Hardware actually has "Bell" brand 27 inch tires, but they weigh at least as much as the Armadillo and I really don't trust Bell components other than tubes and helmets.

Can You See Why the Tire Was Making Funny Noises?

There IS a bike shop 15 miles away in Hoquiam. What's more, an express bus runs from Ocean Shores to Hoquiam, though I've heard tales of where it discharges its passengers - a locale nicknamed "felony flats." Luckily for me, my brother-in-law (BIL) in Everett required a visit - going to Everett and back from Ocean Shores using public transit is really a multi-day affair if you aren't going to motor there. I first stopped by the bike store in Hoquiam, but they didn't have anything much more appealing than the Ace Hardware Bell tire. I like the Hoquiam store, though it lacks the "spiff" of a Performance Bikes locale. After continuing, I stopped at a bike store I favor that's close to my BIL's house. They didn't have anything fancy, but the Specialized Trisport, made in Taiwan, seemed several steps better than the alternative Chinese "noname" tire and it was much lighter than either it or the Armadillo it was destined to replace. Reviews on the Trisport are mixed, but unlike the Armadillo, it does not indicate it REQUIRES a hook bead rim. After conversation with the bike shop guy about the tire and its intended rims, I splurged for less than HALF what it's cousin, the Armadillo, would have cost. Heck, if my tire's going to fail due to tread separating from the casing, I might as well spend a little less.

In summary and without further ado, I do NOT recommend Armadillos for old (non hook bead) 27-inch rims. They will eventually blow off same if you pump them up to their specified pressure. Their tread doesn't stay attached to the casing any better than a $5 Chinese tire, and they ride like wood. And that doesn't consider that their traction in wet conditions is, to put it charitably, "challenged." Oh, forgot to mention that they weigh a ton and cost almost as much as the excellent Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tires that unfortunately are not available in 27-inch size.

Tread is Becoming "Dearly Departed" Though the Casing is Still Intact The Sidewall was Originally a Dark Red

On the other hand, even with the rubber detaching from the casing, the tire never actually went flat. Had I felt "ABC Daring," I would have pulled the rubber off the tire and ridden on the casing alone. Perhaps, someday, I will. For now, the love affair with Armadillos is OVER.

UPDATE: In response to Khal's comment, take a look here, here, and here to see more about using Continental Grand Prix 4 Season tires. They're still on my "good" list though they're even MORE expensive than the Conti Gatorskins. I like them despite their own particular faults. The Contis are not available in 27" size and I'd be VERY reluctant to use folding tires on an old rim in any event.

That's the TREAD, Not a Tube! The Red is the Remaining Vestige of the Original Sidewall Color

Bike Week ABC FAIL

When I GET AROUND TO IT, I'll Know if THIS is the Cause of a Slow Leak. UV Radiation is Hard on Bike Tires

Steve A, serial offender against the "ABC Quick Check." It isn't that I don't make the check, but the intention of doing so isn't meant to help an ABC scofflaw assess how much longer he can go on anymore than checking the oil on a car is intended to assess how many more miles can be driven before the motor freezes up. I'm bad, I admit it. You can see past episodes here. Among other posts.

This one is different. You see, this is Bike Week and it gives my normally boring commute a little extra spice. On Monday, somehow my front tire got damaged. I noticed it on the way home, but tire pressure was reasonable. On Tuesday morning, my front tire was way too soft. Contemplating things, just as motorists sometimes deliberately drive faster than the posted speed limit. I decided to just pump the thing up and ride the seven miles to work. I figured I'd carry the tire in and fix it during lunch. Little did I know what a conversation starter my front tire would become. Before you knew it, someone had placed a band aid on the tire (obviously someone with a poor eye for tire damage and a sense of humor as odd as mine). Well, at lunch, the tire was still pretty firm and I wound up riding home again on the untouched damage.

Since we met with our financial adviser Tuesday night, I put off fixing the thing until Wednesday morning. With diligent ABC technique, I'm STILL riding the bike, having determined that the tire loses about 100psi over 24 hours. Being the engineer I am, I quickly figured that if I ran it up to 120 in the morning, it'd still have 80 for the trip home without even a single stroke of the mini pump. 80 is not bad for the front tire on Buddy, particularly since my riding is biased towards smooth pavement.

All this on a bike that has a brand new replacement tire laid out for it and THREE spare tubes. But this is Bike to Work week. I'm going to the event in Fort Worth. I'd go to Richardson but FW is a straight shot and I can get to work only 1.5 hours later than usual if I skip the speeches. Maybe another year when going to work at the same time as non-government people is optional.

I think that this year I will manage to avoid losing my camera AND I'll have the secret pleasure of knowing I'm the only one there who knows how quickly his front tire is going flat. Unless, of course, the slow leak suddenly turns into a quick one. If that happens, y'all may hear how hard bike commuting really can be. But I think I'm gonna try to ride that leaker through to the weekend. If I patch the slow leak, I'll STILL have three spares which will let me keep two of them for my knobbies if we get snow and ice next winter.

Golly, I sure hope Gail, Richard, Chandra, or Warren don't read this!

Advantage of a Short Commute

Bicycle Shop Salesman?

I've written about the price of a short commute, here. Today, I found that a short commute (under ten miles) has good aspects. I also found that dealing with bicycle shop salesmen has its similarities to nuclear weapons negotiations with the former Soviet Union - "trust but verify." All of this also illustrates that just when everything remotely and conceivably interesting about a commute has occurred, something else will unexpectedly pop up. It also represents one more "ABC FAIL."

Without further ado, without any previous incidents or warnings, I was coming home on the last (and warmest) day of the coldest week so far of this winter when, without warning, my rear tire decided to to go flat. After completing my left turn, I pulled into a local parking lot (with apologies to Rantwick's mom) and found that my tire pump would NOT work with Schrader valves. Ironically, I'd just been by my bike shop last weekend and ASKED the very same question. I was assured that it would work with EITHER Shrader or Presta valves. Just push it on. NOT, as I found out today. Hence the "trust but verify."

Flat Tire in the Rear. This is the Newer or the Two Armadillo Tires

So I hoofed it. No biggie. It's just a little extra work. And a little extra time. OTOH, it saves a trip to the gym since walking, being the primitive form of transport it is, is a LOT LESS efficient way to get from point A to point B. Less efficient means less calories that have to get burned up some other way.



Proof I Actually HAD a Pump - It Just Wouldn't Fit, Unlike a Cheap Pump Obtainable from Wally World

I checked my watch along the way and I discovered that despite all the irritation and delay, I arrived home at ALMOST THE PRECISE TIME that I would have arrived had I been making my v2 commute and nothing went wrong. Walking seems so much slower and it would be if I had to walk 20 miles instead of maybe four.

There really IS an advantage to a short commute. Instead of riding, onecan use a primitive form of transportation (walking) and STILL arrive home at the same time as USED to be considered reasonable. Kowabunga!

Dark Faith revisited will have to await a future post. And my spare tube is still in its wrapper.

File Photo of a PREVIOUS Long Walk Home

ABC Quick Check FAIL

Arriving Back Home, the Tire Still Had Air. The Presta Valve was Still Broken.
I Guess Those Little Screws Don't Replace Themselves. OOPS!

In bike school, they teach you the "ABC Quick Check." In this case, the "A" means you are supposed to make sure your AIR is at the proper pressure in the tire before you gaily go riding off to work or wherever else you are riding.

As is my habit, first thing every Monday morning, I attach my floor pump to each of the tires and deliver the four to six strokes needed to bring each tire back to its target starting pressure. I pump the rear tire up to 110psi and the front up to 100psi. It's why the rear tire now has about 6000 miles on it, while the front tire is barely broken in at 2000 miles.

While I don't necessarily agree with my instructor Richard's assertion that "Presta is Besta," Presta valves DO look a little snazzier. Well, they do unless you happen to bend the valve core screw a bit with the pump and then snap it off completely when you try to straighten it back. There's a first time for everything. While I entitled this post "ABC Quick Check FAIL," there are a number of other titles that might be much more apropos. However, "Steve Butchers a Perfectly Good Tube Because He Can be an Uncoordinated Klutz Sometimes" isn't very catchy.

AFTER this little episode, I screwed the cap back on and rode the tire to work and back home with no further incident. In case you think I'm a TOTAL idiot, I do have a spare tube, and I took the precaution of stopping off at the LBS on the way home to purchase a new tube. While this tube might last a month or more before becoming dangerously prone to a pinch flat (symptomatic of tire pressure that's simply just too low), I'd rather not run this particular tube out to the bitter end. On the other hand, I'm sure it'll wait until the weekend. It WOULD be nice if the inner valve were replaceable on a Presta valve. Of course, you're reading a post from a serial "ABC" failure, so we KNOW your judgment might be open to question...

What a Presta Valve SHOULD Look Like
From Wikipedia

ABC Oops

Bar End Shifter Installation

When my road bike derailleur broke, described here, I got another one after I found that some of the simple parts aren't available and others were bent. Then the right (rear) shifter stopped working. Conveniently enough, I decided this was a good time to switch to the eight-speed bar end shifters I already had.

Over the weekend, I changed the various stuff out and did a bit of a shakedown cruise after work today. I dutifully put air in the tires, fulfilling the "A" part of "ABC Quick Check." Then after checking basic brake "B" and chain/changer/cassette "C" operation, I set off for a rather extended check. Can you call it "Quick" if it takes an hour?

Anyway, shifting and braking functioned well, as would be expected from new cables and housing, but before I'd gone a couple of miles, I noticed a disturbing rattle from the back end of the bike. Stopping, I looked things over and didn't see anything. I decided I'd give things a thorough going over when I got to the coffee shop. It really wouldn't do for a distracted cyclist to ride along and trying to look at his rear wheel and associated hardware. "Officer, I really DON'T know WHAT was wrong with that guy, he just kept looking back until he ran right into that pole!"

Anyway, when I stopped, the FIRST thing I noticed was that it looked like the cable for the front derailleur had been installed by a drunken sailor. FAIL the "C."

The Cable is SUPPOSED to go THROUGH That Hole!

It's Dried Mud on that Chainstay, Not Corrosion

THEN I saw the cause of the disturbing rattle. That shows up below, where the rear brake nut backed off until the seat stay stopped it from going any further. FAIL the "B."

This NEEDS to Get Snugged Up a Bit!

At least I managed to put AIR into the tires without any problems, and it illustrates why it is a good idea to ride around a bit after fooling with the shifting and braking on the bike. Imagine how I'd have felt if, on the way to work, my rear brake had fallen apart and the shifter cable cut into the frame. Instead, all is well, or it will be if the NEXT shakedown ride reveals no further problems. By the way, what LOOKS like corrosion in that middle photo is really dried mud. The road bike needs a bit of cleaning/waxing action before being put back into service.

The New Brake Levers DO Look Nice

Newfangled Brakes

V Brakes Get Clogged With One Trip Through the Mud Pit!
Buddy, my Specialized Tricross, came with V Brakes (technically, they're "direct pull cantilever brakes" since V Brake is a Shimano Trademark). If you have a mountain bike, you may have them as well. I kind of liked the idea, knowing how strong V Brakes are, and not realizing that Specialized was actually letting their marketing people foist off a benighted and poorly engineered product off on unsuspecting public. You see, they coupled these excellent brakes with even better brake levers, the SRAM Rival. This is unfortunate because that combination is much like attempting to carry the racehorse Seabiscuit in a Jaguar XJ220. Both are among the very best, but they just don't go together. The V Brake has a LOT of mechanical advantage for the pads. With enough cable pull, you can bend your rims if that is what is needed to stop. The SRAM road brakes, on the other hand, do not pull very much cable. They're designed for fine modulation of the brakes at speed. What this means is that I run with virtually no pad clearance, so that I have brakes before the levers bottom out on the bars. In their wisdom, Specialized did not include any barrel adjusters in the system, making the monthly brake fine tuning even MORE fun (he says sarcastically). This was not just on their low end bikes, either. The S Works bike was set up exactly the same way.

At left, you can see how the brakes look after a few cross laps, when initially properly adjusted, so that you actually HAVE a token braking capability. I did not add any debris for added drama. It wasn't necessary.

There is a very good discussion on cyclocross brakes, here. You'll note that one team DOES use V brakes in competition. They combine their use with a little gadget called a "Travel Agent." The Travel Agent allows you to double the cable pull, allowing those massive V Brake pads to work with a reasonable amount of clearance using the amount of cable pull that is possible from road levers. This raises a couple of questions. First, if this is such a good idea, why didn't Specialized just do it themselves rather than making owners have to buy obscure items the LBS hasn't heard of to make the brakes work properly? Second, those pulleys rub the cable, leading to at least one report of a brake cable snapping. Am I fooling myself by making my brakes fail completely when I will need them most?

I'm going to try out the Travel Agent. I'll just keep a careful eye on the cable for signs of fraying. Conveniently, I already have one that I bought to jigger the shifters on Frankenbike, and my LBS now knows how to get them.

Still, I like to keep a step ahead of my brakes instead of adding to my list of ways the "B" in "ABC Quick Check" can snag a cyclist. When I took Buddy in for its 5000 mile overhaul, I had the mechanic add a cantilever brake hanger at the front. The bike already had one in back which I use as a supplemental fender support. Unfortunately, clearance between the hanger and the stem is very tight. There's about a finger's width clearance between the top of the hanger and the stem. Hmm. Durn newfangled bike stuff! I would have thought they'd get this stuff ironed out with nearly 200 years of experience.

Front Cantilever Brake Hanger is Very Tight - Yes, the "Specialized" Printing is Upside Down on the Bike

Rear Canti Brake Hanger

BY THE WAY, Specialized has now abandoned this approach in their new Tricrosses and they have gone back to cantilever brakes just like almost all other cyclocross bikes. Any you see at your LBS this way are old models you might get a good deal on. Just figure out how you're going to make the brakes work BEFORE you take it home!

Lest I come across as negative, please know that these are the strongest brakes I've ever had. I LIKE strong brakes. And they stay that way for at least a couple of weeks of heavy use, before they need to be adjusted again.

SUNDAY UPDATE:
Comments can be the best part of these posts. I tried the travel agent on the front brake and I can't say I'm impressed. OTOH, I now have one of the bad boys below on order. I think I'll get a set of Tektro CR720 Cantis and we'll see how THOSE work. What can I say? I just want brakes, even if Specialized thinks I don't need more than the appearance of brakes.