Crazy little wheels and multi-modal fun

Back from my week-long visit to Toronto. I gave in to temptation and bought a folding bike. This solved the problem of commuting between my sister's place in Port Credit, where I was staying, and downtown, where the course I was attending was located. It also let me bring the bike back on the train. I've wanted to try out a folding bike for a long time; something about how they look with those little wheels. My first thought was to find an old folder and fix it up but no cheap folders presented themselves (apart from a Norco I saw in Value Village and, foolishly, didn't buy - I was in one of my "I have too many bikes already" phases.) And, although there are a lot of nifty upgraded Raleigh Twenty's around there are also more than a few stories of huge amounts being spent on upgrades. Almost anything I was likely to find would need new alloy wheels, which would likely cost at least $200. I began to look like it might be cheaper to buy an inexpensive new folder than to fix up something old. The Avenir, a rebadged Dahon Impulse, seemed to be a likely contender. On Monday, after the first day of the course, I made my way to the wonderful Urbane Cyclist and had a look at the Avenir. I took it for a spin round Grange Park and came back to the shop ready to buy. The Urbane Cyclist folk took a few minutes to check the bike over and install a rear light and rack (I'd brought my Planet Bike headlight along with me) while I wandered about the shop being tempted by various things. Then I was off. I cycled to Union Station, folded and bagged the bike and took the GO train back to Port Credit, where I reversed the processed and cycled to my sister's. I was tempted to ride all the way rather than take the train but I didn't have my helmet and was encumbered by two briefcases. Next morning I set off early, bundled up warmly, along a route I hadn't cycled for at least ten years, maybe fifteen: back streets from my sister's house until I was two or three blocks west of Dixie Road, then down to Lakeshore Blvd. and east on Lakeshore until I could get on the waterfront path. It took longer than I remembered, over an hour rather than forty-five minutes, but I nonetheless ended up downtown with plenty of time before the course began. I wandered out to Cherry Beach, past the Algobay (rather less dramatic in the morning light) and a couple of tugboats, tucked up for the winter by the looks of them. By the time I got to Cherry Beach I was feeling cold, especially my feet, so I turned around and headed back. The ride home, out along King Street, then the Queensway, seemed to take rather longer than the ride in, or possibly it just seemed longer because of the cold. At any rate on Wednesday I decided to ride along Lakeshore on the way home as well as on the way in. The first part of this ride was rather exciting since the batteries in my headlight were getting low and a section of the waterfront path, from around the Tip Top Tailors building to past Ontario Place was completely unlit. Riding over the Humber pedestrian bridge was quite fun and I discovered that the path now goes quite a bit further west than it used to. Friday morning, there was quite a bit of snow on the ground when I left, probably ten or fifteen centimetres. The bike was ok on undisturbed snow but almost uncontrollable on sections where car tracks had compressed the snow into the sort of dry granular stuff that slides around under you. I made my way down to Lakeshore, which I though would have been cleared, but when I got there I decided to make for the GO Train instead of riding all the way in. Traffic was quite heavy and there was still quite a lot of snow on the road. This was the first time I've ridden in snow on a non-fixed gear in several years and I certainly missed the fixed. I turned around, rode to the train station, folded up the bike, popped it into its bag and jumped on the next train. After the day's class I rode a couple of errands, back to Urbane Cylcist to chat about getting parts to build a 20" fixed wheel and to MEC, before going to Union Station, packing up the bike once more and getting the train home to Ottawa.
So, conclusions on the folder. The steering is very quick, I suppose a combination of the small wheels, and the lack of any extension on the stem (the stem-handlebar is a single t-shaped unit.) The quick steering is handy for slow-speed manoeuvering and riding across street car tracks but riding out of the saddle takes some getting used to. In my view this single piece, non-adjustable stem-handlebar is the major disadvantage of the Avenir. You can't swap out the handlebars, which I'd be inclined to do, and you can't adjust handlebar height. With the bars set as they are I have a very upright position on the bike. I'd prefer a more balanced distribution of weight between bars and saddle, which would make it easier to "post" over bumps and to accelerate. The upright position seems to make you power the bike with just your legs rather than using your upper body as well. The position is ok for shorter rides, which I suppose is what the bike is designed for, but I wouldn't want to ride all day sitting bolt upright. The newer Avenirs (I'm not sure if they were 2005 or 2006) do have adjustable handlebar height but unfortunately still have the one-piece handlebar-stem. They also have a rather cheesy-looking front hub. The folding aspect is great. Folding is quick and once it's inside the bag there's no indication it's a bike to arouse the suspicions of officious "no bikes allowed" train folk. It into the luggage area in the VIA train with no problem. On the GO train it was a bit more obtrusive but still no bigger than a good sized suitcase. On the whole I'm please with it, at least on the basis of a week's worth of commuting. I'm thinking of building up a fixed wheel for it. If I could only change the handlebars I could have a poor man's Hon Solo.

Inside the hub

I pulled the hub apart last night. One side was filled with a rusty mess of water-contaminated grease. On the other side the grease looked ok but the cup was discoloured and worn in a peculiar pattern. It looked as though part of the cup had actually been pushed inwards. Anyway, I replaced the bearings and repacked and adjusted them. The hub still sounds and feels pretty rough but it's better than it was and the play is much reduced. Pretty much gone in fact. It was a busy day so I didn't get a chance to test ride the bike. I'm off to Toronto for a week-long course tomorrow morning so I won't be able to try things out until next Saturday. I'm hoping for the best. This wheel shouldn't have to last too long. I have to get the real winter bike (a Specialized RockCombo set up as a fixed gear) sorted out soon. I think the cartridge bearings in the rear hub need replacing and if I'm feeling ambitious I'll try to overhaul the Nexus dynohub that's seized almost solid. Once the winter bike is going I can deal with the problem of a 700c front wheel to fit the Nokian tire more or less at my leisure.

I'm not looking forward to a week without cycling. Unfortunately, Via Rail makes it impossible to take a bike from Ottawa to Toronto by train. Canoes are out too. I should have bought that old Norco folding bike I saw in Value Village last year.

Hub death

Riding to work yesterday, odd sounds started coming from my front wheel. Alarming creaking and groaning all the way there. Worse on the way home, culminating in a popping sound and a decided wobble in the front wheel. I thought I'd broken a spoke or two. This seemed likely, given that the spokes on this wheel are covered with rust. The wheel came with a frame that I found in the trash three or four years ago. I built the frame up as a fixed gear and used it for winter commuting for a year or two. Between its winter use and subsequent neglect in the garage, the wheel, like the frame itself, is not exactly in tiptop shape. A couple of weeks ago, with the arrival of snowy (and icy) weather, I put the wheel, with its studded tire, into my current commuter. The snow was swept away by pouring rain, but I left the studded tire on, since the temperatures were dipping down to freezing overnight (and I thought I might as well get used to pushing the heavier tire, what with winter arriving.)

At any rate, further investigation this morning reveals all spokes intact. However, one of the dustcaps/dustcovers/seals (whatever the correct name is) on the hub has popped out and there is lots of play in the hub. Looks like the creaking and groaning might have been the bearings grinding themselves to pieces. The cones, locknuts and axle are all rusty so I soaked the whole thing with penetrating oil stuff and left it to sit for a while. With any luck I'll be able replace the bearings and get things working again. The only other front wheel I have on hand that I'd be willing to subject to the winter is, I think, a bit on the narrow size for the Nokian tires (I think they're 700x32) and I don't really want to build a new front wheel.