Fork mounted Supernova E3

Here is my latest bike tinkering little project. My Supernova E3 is the lefty mount version, which worked well for a handlebar hanger bracket. I recently considered the idea of a fork crown mount because I think lowering the light several inches gives a better beam on the road. The lefty mounting arm is not designed for fork crown mounting or any mounting with a hole that is in line with the light - the mounting arm is oriented perpendicular to the light. The even bigger issue is I have sidepull caliper brakes that occupy the hole to which most brackets would be attached.


My LBS suggested a B&M fork mounting bracket as a possible work around for the sidepull brake issue. The bracket is intended for use with Brompton folder bike. It is also designed to hold a light having a euro mounting tab, which the Supernova E3 lefty does not have (though there is a verision of the E3 light that is properly equipped). Despite these details , the bracket seemed adaptable and at $6 I thought I could afford experiment with it.

Miraculously, the light mounted without too much fuss after I found the right spacers. I'm happy to report that the bracket pairs solidly with the light. While the bracket is not intended for a light as substantial as the Supernova E3, the whole thing feels sturdy enough for me. At the theoretical risk of a cracking the bracket with the long term impact of low level vibrations, I am going to use it anyway.

There isn't a ton of extra room between the bracket and the headset crown race, but it's enough. The whole thing stays put without any disconcerting rattling or shaking. The on off switch is within reach. Most importantly, the light on the road from this new position is much better than the light available from a higher mounting position on the handlebars. There is a small wheel shadow right in front of the bike, but it hardly detracts from the performance of the light.
I am very happy with this setup, especially considering that it avoids the annoyance of mounting a front rack for the sole purpose of positioning a light. As you can see, the handlebars are also a bit less cluttered (please forgive the sloppy cabling), and the light is tucked neatly away ready when needed.

monster cross tires on my A Homer Hilsen

Tire clearance is a top ten discussion item with the Rivendell set. How big a tire can you fit on frame xyz? The recommended range for the A Homer Hilsen goes up to 43mm. My A Homer Hilsen is now wearing a pair of Ritchey Speedmax Comp 700x40 cyclocross tires. The actual measured width is more like 36mm on narrowish road rims. Still a lot of tire though. I don't know of a beefier cyclocross tire that is not a 29er tire...if only.

Even better, there is still room to keep the SKS P45 fenders on. This set up may not be for those who are fender worriers; those who lose sleep over thoughts of junk jamming the tire in the fender. I could probably adjust the fenders a bit to get more space, but it's just fine the way it is. Without fenders, the frame could easily swallow a much larger tire.


I wouldn't use these tires all the time because moderate slick tires are more than adequate for a wide range of conditions, but for commuting in the fall fat knobby tires make sense. Thick layers of leaves cover rocks and holes and make it difficult to avoid the nastier parts of roads and bike trails. Having a little more cushion and grip between me and the ground makes that difficulty quite manageable. I think they give the bike a nice sturdy appearance too.

Liking the Traitor Crusade

Sometimes you discover a new bike-ish thing that is just what you been looking for. I'm feeling lucky lately.

I've been hoping someone would make a dedicated steel single speed cyclocross frame without those cheesy semi-horizontal dropouts with derailleur hangers... and downtube shifter bosses. I like a bike built to a single purpose rather than to many needs a la Cross Check. There are few or none out there in the steel single speed cx category. Could I have canti brakes and track ends please? Can I put an honest fat tire in there too? The current off-the-shelf options are either low quality or aluminum, no thanks. A custom could be anything you ask for, but that is a very expensive can of worms. The recent Kona Major One is ss - made of scandium. That's a step in the right direction, but I am holding out for steel. Think Gunnar Crosshairs with track ends or Rivendell Quickbeam with tighter geometry. I'm not the only one looking for this, right?
Now, finally I hear about the Traitor Crusade due out in early 2010. A good one-er cross bike, fat tires, canti's and just one cog. It's a committed single speeder. Bravo. Look at the tidy drop out situation, isn't that nice? Someone is paying attention to my wishes. My only complaint is that it has a carbon fork instead of a steel fork with a proper crown. I bet it rides nicely still. The mustard orange color is terrific, probably wears dirt well. Overall, I'm optimistic on this development since Traitor can make a decent bike. I'll be all ears for any news.

Ergon BioKork Grips

Cork bicycle grips have have that nice vintage look, especially when shellac'd. They are comfortable to hold. They are cheap and not particularly heavy. What's not to like? The answer is glue. You must glue cork grips to the handlebars and with really tough glue like Gorilla Glue. There is no turning back once the grips are glued, and it's a messy chore.

It follows that I'm quite excited that Ergon, a fine grip maker, is coming out with the Ergon BioKork in 2010. As with other Ergon grips, they fasten to the bars with a simple clamp. They will also have that familiar shape that is so comfortable. If that's not enough, they are made of earth friendly materials and are notexpensive. Pinch me. My Rivy will definitely get a set of these.

The Weavers

They made a deal

The dog and baby have been checking each other out for some time now. Even more than that, Rigby will give Claire some friendly licks and she happily watches his antics. They are getting along nicely.

Here is one interaction that I spied the other day. I generally think it's tacky to narrate pets' and babies' unspoken thoughts. I'm going to do it anyway, and I promise I won't do it again:

C - Hi dog, are you going to eat me today?
R - Perhaps, you have fattened up nicely and you taste better each day.

C - True. I'm delicious.
R - Maybe we can work something else out... Shake on it?

C - Deal. Let's keep this our little secret. Act cool.
R - Sigh.

Family of fix-its

I come from a family of fix-its. I recall that no one hired plumbers, landscapers, roofers or any other home-maintenance professional. It just wasn't done. The primary reason that any of our generation came into the world was to provide a more laboring hands. I was the sole grounds crew in the unfortunately vast grassy and featured yard surrounding a house always needing paint. Why bring in the pros or high powered tools when you have help that works for just food and shelter? Of course, the way things got done was through excessive complication. A task could only be complete if it required my father to construct some Dr. Seuss contraption. Building that contraption will always be more time consuming than the simple task at hand.

I too like to do a few things myself, but I am able temper the tendency only because I lack the time to do more. Though I am occasionally reminded that the do-it-yourself gene runs strong throughout the family tree. Cousin Adam's wedding occurred recently on a very rainy Saturday in the family barn and adjacent tent. That wasn't exactly the plan, but that's what they came up with when the skies opened up. It was very pretty.

We soon realized that the power supply in the barn could not handle the lights, the cookware, the DJ, and everything else. The circuit flipped every five minutes until....
Cousin Aaron jumped up from the table without a word and disappeared only to come back twenty minutes later announcing that the problem was solved and the lights were just fine.

He did not have to look far to find a readily available extension cord to run to the house...400ft away. And that wasn't even the long cord. Out from the tent, into the other barn window...


...neatly plugged in, amid the garden of redundant industrial grade tools and the tractor. Yes, the bride and groom did go for a hayride. Well done. Admittedly, running some extension cord is no engineering marvel, and it was not made more complicated in any way. The interesting observation is, however, that in any situation any of the family households would be well-equipped to fix whatever might fall on the occasion. Had the roof started leaking, it would be quickly patched, and patched in a way that no hurricane would ever dare challenge the quadruple strength reinforcement. Do it yourself, overbuild it, and make it complicated if at all possible. That is the way of things. Thankfully we didn't need to break out the chainsaws this time.