[RBW] Re: My '99 Franklin Custom

[Wesley]

Re: "old time bikes" - I was recently struck by how recently bicycles of 
any kind first existed, when I learned that Jonathan the tortoise lives on 
Saint Helena in the South Atlantic and was at least 40 years old when the 
penny-farthing bicycle was 
invented! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jonathan_(tortoise)

On Friday, May 27, 2022 at 3:33:42 PM UTC-7 Garth wrote:

> Yes Craig and Rich !  "Old time bikes!"  laughing heartily !    I 
> use the term "time" rather loosely here as I figure a working bike and 
> parts at-hand and all are timeless. Their backstory, as interesting as it 
> may or may not be, has no bearing on the present use and working of it, you 
> know ? I mean ... here it is, let's ride and play bike  ! 
>
> I do love freewheels Rich !  Love love love ! Love the feel, the sound, 
> the look, the simple function, everything about them. I still have all my 
> Suntours I ever rode and have 3 more new Sachs 13-32 7-speeds on hand. They 
> sound great !  Besides 2 sets of Phil FW hubs I have 2 sets of Specialized 
> FW hubs too. While those are 126mm I could apply them to 135mm spacing by 
> using a solid axle. I did that on my Stumpie so I could use a slightly 
> larger/wider freewheel.
>
> I saw a video the other day about Sean Kelley reuniting with his 
> bonded/lugged/made-to-measure aluminum and carbon fiber Vitus racing bikes 
> from the 80's. He and the host were marveling over the "manual" nature of 
> the shifting, and the lovely sound of the freewheel. "How did you ride such 
> a bike Sean ?" "It's what we had and it was the best at that time" replied 
> Sean. 
>
> I haven't seen a Condor a long time Craig ! Isn't it amazing how an "old 
> time bike" can be so all-around useful for so may conditions ? They were 
> all-around before anyone even applied the phrase to a bicycle. What's great 
> is always great, forever and ever ! 
>
> My Franklin here was called a Bradley model and yes it Rich, it was the 
> "basic" custom option. I didn't know there was any other options at the 
> time though, nor would I know what to opt for even if I could. I mainly 
> wanted a bike with 18" chainstays and much longer TT, reach and 
> front-center than any production model. I got that, but wasn't aware that 
> to use fenders on that model I'd have to use 28mm tires. I was using 30 or 
> 32's I think. I had the width, but not the height. No regrets though, as 
> honestly I like seeing the tires bare from above and hear the changes in 
> sounds of the tires from various road surfaces. I've ridden it in the rain 
> more than my fendered Bomba and while the fenders do keep some junk off the 
> frame and headset, I can't say I've ever experienced anything adverse not 
> having them. Growing up in Minnesota nobody had fenders, at least in my 
> small city. In the Twin Cities people may have. I tried some fenders on my 
> '83 Stumpjumper with some smaller knobbies in '89 for commuting but the 
> fenders fit and rode poorly, Zefal I think. I took them off, for ever and 
> ever !
>
> Speaking of which that's where I got the uncommon Shimano "Sport LX" rear 
> derailleur from, my Stumpie. The Mountech it came with was 
> "Mission-Impossible-like" self-exploding. so this is what the shop had 
> at hand. It works just fine, shifts a 32 with ease ! I had an XC Pro on 
> there originally but in attempting to quell a squeaking "sealed" pulley it 
> didn't go back together right and is draggy despite many fiddles, the 
> pulley that is. Frankly those "sealed" pulleys are for the birds ! The 
> Suntour Power Thumb Shifters were also taken from the Stumpie. I have a NOS 
> pair on hand also that I bought from Kraynick's in Pittsburgh for a song. 
> Same with an extra set of the NOS Suntour XC Pro cantis, they were in a 
> parts bin all loose so I assembled them right there and he was happy to 
> sell them ! That's where the Suntour Power rings are from too, all 
> chainrings were $10. He had a bunch of Suntour freewheels but none in sizes 
> I wanted, they were all $20 I think. I haven't been there in a decade ... I 
> wonder what's still in there ?  Upstairs was a treasure trove of 
> various odd parts. Sift through at your own pace, bring a flashlight and 
> some gloves ! I love all that "old" bike stuff ! Not old, fresh as a daisy !
>
> Talk about a practicable bike shop !  He even had a diy repair shop in the 
> back with any tool you'd need. The whole bike shop was help yourself, roam 
> freely. If you needed help, Jerry could point you in the right direction. 
> It's a cyclists Wonderland really.
>
>  
>  
>

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[RBW] FS 10s bits, choco, TA

[J L]

Hello,

I have a few items for sale that I found during spring cleaning. Pics if you 
want. Prices are OBO and include shipping inside USA

Nitto Choco bars - $100

TA cranks NEW 2007 5 pin 50.4bcd etched logos 170mm english pedal threads - $200
TA chainring 48t 8-10s NEW - $50
TA chainring 46t 8-10s NEW - $50
TA chainring 30t 8-10s (inner)VGC - $40
TA bolt set for double NEW - $50

Microshift 10s road derailer set F/R polished - $60
Microshift  10s bar end shifters NEW - $60

Shimano 10s 6700 12-30 cass VGC - $60

Thompson seatpost 27.2 cut to 210mm - $50
Thompson setback seatpost 27.2 250mm - $80 

Paul Motolite brakes pair, fair condition - $180
Paul Minimoto brakes pair GC - $200

Let me know offlist if you want anything. 
Cheers
Jason

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[RBW] Re: How can you tell when slick tires are past their prime?

[Garth]

Hi Roberta !  Most of the slick tires I've had will start to show some 
white threads when the rubber is gone. Some it comes quicker than others, 
and some only in spots while other may be long streaks. It may look like 
skid marks. Another way on some tires is a flat groove is worn in the 
center to the point it looks concave. If the tires have some kind of 
puncture resistance built in you may not even notice . I've worn some tires 
down so far they began to look like they were white striped , but never got 
a flat ! 

If you're very unfamiliar with a tire and you have a new one on hand take a 
good look at it in your hand formed like it's inflated, and compare it to 
the one on the bike. A very worn one will be notably different looking in 
the middle. It's really about getting to know the character of that 
particular tire. 

Now I have some Schwalbe Marathon Racer and Big Ben tires that just seem to 
last and last and have yet to get to the white streak point.I've had 
Vittoria Hyper slicks that wore to the white so fast I thought I was seeing 
a mirage ! Ooops, guess not ! 
On Friday, May 27, 2022 at 5:30:43 PM UTC-4 Roberta wrote:

> Leah and I both have Gravel King Slicks on a bike and question came up:  
> If the tires are naturally slick, how can you tell that the life is wearing 
> away, hopefully before they ooze out sealant or go flat on a ride?
>
> Just in case it matters, my GK Slicks are run tubeless and hers are tubed, 
> but it's part of a bigger question, since they cannot be the only tire 
> without aggressive tread, and they might not get replaced with the same 
> tire brand or model.
>
> Roberta
>

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[RBW] Re: My '99 Franklin Custom

[Garth]

Yes Craig and Rich !  "Old time bikes!"  laughing heartily !    I 
use the term "time" rather loosely here as I figure a working bike and 
parts at-hand and all are timeless. Their backstory, as interesting as it 
may or may not be, has no bearing on the present use and working of it, you 
know ? I mean ... here it is, let's ride and play bike  ! 

I do love freewheels Rich !  Love love love ! Love the feel, the sound, the 
look, the simple function, everything about them. I still have all my 
Suntours I ever rode and have 3 more new Sachs 13-32 7-speeds on hand. They 
sound great !  Besides 2 sets of Phil FW hubs I have 2 sets of Specialized 
FW hubs too. While those are 126mm I could apply them to 135mm spacing by 
using a solid axle. I did that on my Stumpie so I could use a slightly 
larger/wider freewheel.

I saw a video the other day about Sean Kelley reuniting with his 
bonded/lugged/made-to-measure aluminum and carbon fiber Vitus racing bikes 
from the 80's. He and the host were marveling over the "manual" nature of 
the shifting, and the lovely sound of the freewheel. "How did you ride such 
a bike Sean ?" "It's what we had and it was the best at that time" replied 
Sean. 

I haven't seen a Condor a long time Craig ! Isn't it amazing how an "old 
time bike" can be so all-around useful for so may conditions ? They were 
all-around before anyone even applied the phrase to a bicycle. What's great 
is always great, forever and ever ! 

My Franklin here was called a Bradley model and yes it Rich, it was the 
"basic" custom option. I didn't know there was any other options at the 
time though, nor would I know what to opt for even if I could. I mainly 
wanted a bike with 18" chainstays and much longer TT, reach and 
front-center than any production model. I got that, but wasn't aware that 
to use fenders on that model I'd have to use 28mm tires. I was using 30 or 
32's I think. I had the width, but not the height. No regrets though, as 
honestly I like seeing the tires bare from above and hear the changes in 
sounds of the tires from various road surfaces. I've ridden it in the rain 
more than my fendered Bomba and while the fenders do keep some junk off the 
frame and headset, I can't say I've ever experienced anything adverse not 
having them. Growing up in Minnesota nobody had fenders, at least in my 
small city. In the Twin Cities people may have. I tried some fenders on my 
'83 Stumpjumper with some smaller knobbies in '89 for commuting but the 
fenders fit and rode poorly, Zefal I think. I took them off, for ever and 
ever !

Speaking of which that's where I got the uncommon Shimano "Sport LX" rear 
derailleur from, my Stumpie. The Mountech it came with was 
"Mission-Impossible-like" self-exploding. so this is what the shop had 
at hand. It works just fine, shifts a 32 with ease ! I had an XC Pro on 
there originally but in attempting to quell a squeaking "sealed" pulley it 
didn't go back together right and is draggy despite many fiddles, the 
pulley that is. Frankly those "sealed" pulleys are for the birds ! The 
Suntour Power Thumb Shifters were also taken from the Stumpie. I have a NOS 
pair on hand also that I bought from Kraynick's in Pittsburgh for a song. 
Same with an extra set of the NOS Suntour XC Pro cantis, they were in a 
parts bin all loose so I assembled them right there and he was happy to 
sell them ! That's where the Suntour Power rings are from too, all 
chainrings were $10. He had a bunch of Suntour freewheels but none in sizes 
I wanted, they were all $20 I think. I haven't been there in a decade ... I 
wonder what's still in there ?  Upstairs was a treasure trove of 
various odd parts. Sift through at your own pace, bring a flashlight and 
some gloves ! I love all that "old" bike stuff ! Not old, fresh as a daisy !

Talk about a practicable bike shop !  He even had a diy repair shop in the 
back with any tool you'd need. The whole bike shop was help yourself, roam 
freely. If you needed help, Jerry could point you in the right direction. 
It's a cyclists Wonderland really.

 
 

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[RBW] New 650b Rims from Crust

[Collin A]

Heyo,

I think this has been brought up in the past, but Crust recently designed 
some new 650b wheels/rims that are a good alternative to the Pacenti 
Brevets and Velocity Quills that serve as excellent rims for lighter 
Rivendell builds.

Anywho, they are now available to purchase as separate rims rather than 
part of the wheelset...the only downside being you can get any drilling you 
want, as long as its 32h.

Crust Rim Brake Rims – Crust Bikes 


Cheers,
Collin in "subsiding, but not from earthquakes" in Sacramento

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[RBW] How can you tell when slick tires are past their prime?

[Roberta]

Leah and I both have Gravel King Slicks on a bike and question came up:  If 
the tires are naturally slick, how can you tell that the life is wearing 
away, hopefully before they ooze out sealant or go flat on a ride?

Just in case it matters, my GK Slicks are run tubeless and hers are tubed, 
but it's part of a bigger question, since they cannot be the only tire 
without aggressive tread, and they might not get replaced with the same 
tire brand or model.

Roberta

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[RBW] Re: WTB: Silver Crank Arms - 178mm

[David B]

Closing out this request. Riv restocked these and added a 42/28/guard combo 
that works perfectly for my intended purpose, so I just put in an order and 
I'm all set.
Thanks,
David

On Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 12:11:15 PM UTC-5 David B wrote:

> Been a while since I've participated, so apologies for posting a 
> transaction-related post as my re-entry point, but...
>
> During some swapping of parts I noticed some cracks in my favorite vintage 
> Shimano Deore cranks that are on my Redwood. Upon inspection of my other 
> set of the same model that I was going to swap onto my Clem, I noticed 
> cracks forming in the same spot of the driveside crank arm. So... time to 
> finally get some modern cranks! Good thing I caught this before they broke 
> through. 
>
> I'm looking for Riv's Silver Crank Arms in 178mm - ideally just the crank 
> arms as I have chainrings already to use. I am aware that Riv has the 178mm 
> length in stock as a complete triple setup, but I really don't need the 
> triple chainrings and hardware. 
>
> So, send a PM if you can if you've got some for sale. Alternatively, if 
> you're looking for the triple chainrings and bolts/spacers that come on 
> this setup (https://www.rivbike.com/products/silver-crank-triple-44x34x24), 
> I could order this from Riv and pass the chainrings on at a reasonable 
> price.
>
> Thanks,
> David
>

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[RBW] Re: 1400 front derailers

[Corwin]

I judge stuff like derailleurs/derailers based on how well they work.

If something works really well, it's appearance actually grows on me. 
Pretty dramatically.

I really hate stuff that looks pretty but does not work - or is difficult 
to setup or maintain, fails frequently, etc.

Thanks,


Corwin

On Sunday, May 22, 2022 at 7:55:35 PM UTC-4 John Hawrylak wrote:

> Bill
>
> The RBW Skeleton Key kinda looks like a MicroShift MarvoFD, see MicroShift 
> link 
>
> Marvo Front Derailleur 2x9 | microSHIFT 
> 
>
> same funky 48.8mm front chain line & 14T capacity.  If so, at 1,400, RBW 
> must have bought an entire production run.  At least Microshift states this 
> a 2x9, not a One Size Fits All.
>
> John Hawrylak
> Woodstown 
>
> On Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 12:34:45 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> I will go out on a limb here and predict that Rivendell went ahead and 
>> checked whether it would work before buying one thousand four hundred of 
>> them.  They are the ones who have to set up their own bikes.  
>>
>> The chainline on the Black Mountain Monster Cross is standard Shimano 
>> Road Chainline.  43.5mm by the book, or 42mm by my measurement.  The 
>> Skeleton key will either work or I'll be modifying a derailleur.  Besides 
>> the awesome cage shape, I like the 34.9mm clamp.  I may decide to turn an 
>> eccentric spacer set to pull it inboard a few mm.  We'll see.  Summer 
>> projects.  I'm in the thick of making my own front derailleur as well.  
>>
>> Bill Lindsay
>> El Cerrito, CA
>>
>> On Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 6:56:40 AM UTC-7 John Hawrylak wrote:
>>
>>> Bill
>>>
>>> My comment on the Skeleton Key FD chain line was meant for a full 
>>> triple, not a XD-2 with a guard for the outer ring.  For a triple set up as 
>>> a double, the chainline should not be problem for Skeleton Key FD, since it 
>>> only needs to move 8 to 10mm to shift the Middle/Inner rings.
>>>
>>> On the Skeleton Key FD webite, RBW states:  "This will work with all 
>>> Silver cranks"  RBW sells a Silver triple with 3 chainrings.   The 
>>> Skeleton Key may have problem with shifting to the Inner ring.
>>>
>>> What is your Rear chain line on your Monster Cross??
>>>
>>> John Hawrylak
>>> Woodstown NJ
>>>
>>> On Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 9:25:27 AM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>>>
 Also note that this front derailer is intended for a large chainring of 
 42 teeth or smaller and 14T of total difference.  I doubt there are a lot 
 of people running an XD2 road triple with a 42 tooth big ring and only 14T 
 of difference.  What would that be: 28/34/42?  I doubt there are many 
 people with that setup.  It'll be the perfect FD for a Gus/Susie with a 
 34/24 double wrapped around huge tires.  

 If there's somebody out there running an XD2 triple with two rings and 
 a guard, then that person maybe has a 40/26 or something on their Roadini. 
  
 If that person has no front derailer, then they might indeed have a hard 
 time getting this one to pull the chain to the small ring.  

 Anyway, I will give it a look on my Black Mountain Monster Cross, which 
 will have a 38/24 double on it soon.  I've got a few different FD options 
 for that setup, and I'll give the skeleton key FD a look as I dial it in.  

 Bill Lindsay
 El Cerrito, CA

 On Saturday, May 21, 2022 at 5:24:50 AM UTC-7 John Hawrylak wrote:

> Bill
>
> Great report.RBW had these FD's on the website on Fri, 5/20/22, 
> and they looked ok to me.
>   
> They state a 48.8mm chainline.  This seems excessive if you are 
> using a 45mmm chainline road triple, like an XD-2.  The FD *may not* 
> have inward swing to shift to the Inner chain ring. 
>
> John Hawrylak
> Woodstown NJ
>
> On Monday, April 25, 2022 at 3:07:06 PM UTC-4 Bill Lindsay wrote:
>
>> On the March 18th email update, Rivendell reported that the container 
>> full of frames would also contain *1400 Front Derailers*.  They 
>> indicated this model will work with all their bikes, but they didn't say 
>> exactly what it is, giving it the nickname "skeleton key".  I wonder how 
>> much space 1,400 front derailers will take up.  
>>
>> For those who don't know what's special about "Rivendell Front 
>> Derailers", it's a combination of a few things:
>>
>> 1. Rivendells typically have a bit more BB drop than most other bikes
>> 2. Rivendell builds often have a small-sized "big" chainring.  Like a 
>> 42 big ring, or a 38, or a 34!
>> 3. Rivendells typically have a more laid back Seat Tube Angle than 
>> most other bikes
>>
>> the combination of those three things brings the trailing edge of the 
>> front derailer down close to the chainstays.  So close, that in many 
>> cases 
>> you flat out can't set up the front derailer "correctly".  You have to 

Re: [RBW] Hillibikes are so close!

[Wesley]

Yes, the seat post. Still, I wonder: how did they do it?

On Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 9:58:57 PM UTC-7 Erik wrote:

> Just the seat post, not the seat tube.  
>
> On Wednesday, May 25, 2022 at 10:45:50 AM UTC-7 Wesley wrote:
>
>> This is the first I'm hearing that you can have tubes knurled on the 
>> aftermarket... how did they do it?
>>
>> On Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 8:16:15 AM UTC-7 Erik wrote:
>>
>>> Knurling the seat post at the collar and about three inches down the 
>>> insertion into the seat tube.  Worked like a charm.  I've had this done on 
>>> a bike before when I was having a problem with slipping.  
>>>
>>> On Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 5:31:59 AM UTC-7 Eric Daume wrote:
>>>
 What was the fix for the slipping seat post?


>

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Re: [RBW] Re: Club Rides On A Racing Platypus

[Joe T]

Another great story by Leah! From Vegas to Michigan life. Beautiful 
Michigan, enjoy!
On Thursday, April 7, 2022 at 10:25:24 AM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
wrote:

> Kevin,
>
> Their slow group was slow. I was glad to be in the faster class on the 
> women’s ride. I kept pace, rode in 2nd and 3rd position, and it wasn’t 
> effortless. I don’t think I will fall victim to the Lycra; I’m perfectly 
> happy with the workout wear I find at Target - highly recommend their All 
> In Motion brand, for anyone looking. 
>
> As far as fitness, don’t give up. You can still be fit on a clunker!
>
> I want to preserve my abilities and keep preventable disease at bay, so I 
> take fitness pretty seriously. Group rides will really challenge me and 
> probably increase my abilities. With my heavier bike and non-aero gear, I 
> am probably gleaning better results than the rest of the group. I also lift 
> weights, run and do core, because cycling alone is not great exercise. It’s 
> too efficient. 
>
> But no matter what, always enjoy your ride. 
>
> On Apr 6, 2022, at 3:37 PM, Kevin Reinking  wrote:
>
> Well, their Slow group was probably pretty fast for you on the "upright" 
> Platypus!!
>
> My first thought is you'll quickly be tempted down the stretchy clothes 
> path if you continue to "hang" with them. Nothing wrong with that really, 
> but it is a different mentality.
> More Workout and Goals oriented; I gave up on that once I stopped racing.
> In fact that's what drove me back to Cruisers, Klunkers, Clementine's, 
> etc. . . . 
> Swinging a leg over a bike that's gonna seriously handicap you from 
> keeping up, really discourages you from doing so.
> With my current limitations, I'm just happy to go my pace, for as long as 
> I feel like going; making sure to enjoy myself.
> When I stopped working I thought it would be sweet to be able to ride 
> whenever I want, but I quickly found I still can't ride whenever I want and 
> riding to work gave me an excuse to ride more!
> If there's no place you GOTTA be, there's no sense in riding in the rain 
> or when it's 90+ degrees outside!!
> Just remember to Have Fun!!
>
>
> On Wednesday, April 6, 2022 at 1:37:29 PM UTC-5 Bicycle Belle Ding Ding! 
> wrote:
>
>> Huh. I see the format on GG messed up the text on my last post. The 
>> missing text is:
>> 1. Exploring
>> 2. Shopping (A video.)
>> 3. Riding with your kid. Who has stolen your gloves.
>> 4. An old video from last year, when I still lived in the desert.
>>
>> On Apr 6, 2022, at 2:23 PM, Leah Peterson  wrote:
>>
>> 
>>
>> 30 Days of Biking is a challenge done every April. You can ride as far or 
>> long as you like, but every ride counts, regardless. I’ve tried to be 
>> creative with the ways I’m using my bike and I post it on the FB page under 
>> a thread I made there. I’ll include some photos here of how I’m doing it.
>>
>> 1. Exploring.  
>>
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> 
> .
>
>

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[RBW] Re: My '99 Franklin Custom

[RichS]

Hello Garth:

Thanks for posting pictures of your Franklin. It really hits me! Fun and 
practical bundled together. Doesn't conform to a particular breed or look. 
Freewheel, reverse brake levers and simple lugs:-) The bike's simplicity 
and the mix of parts give it so much personality.

Craig, always a pleasure to see one of the classics from your impressive 
stable.

Best,
Rich in ATL



On Thursday, May 26, 2022 at 6:39:05 PM UTC-4 Craig Montgomery wrote:

> The Franklin. Another All Rounder for the Ages. A "lifetime" bike. I see 
> Englishmen, back in the 40's-50's, riding the backroads on bikes like that. 
> Back when you only had one bike and it cost you an arm and a leg (if I were 
> ever to open a pub, that would be its name) and you rode it everywhere and 
> you kept it a long time. What a concept! My '68 Condor is the same 
> principle. 35-38mm tires. Good on pavement, not afraid of dirt. 
>
> [image: Fixed Condor At the Post Office.JPG]
>
> Craig in Tucson
>
> On Tuesday, May 24, 2022 at 12:15:51 PM UTC-7 Garth wrote:
>
>>
>> Patrick asked for another photo of my '99 custom Franklin, here call the 
>> Bradley sport/touring model. So rather than post it in someone else's post 
>> i may as well do it here. 
>>
>> I've since reconfigured it quite a bit differently than it's ever been. I 
>> flipped and lowered the stem so the bars are close to saddle height. I can 
>> go lower but I'll take it steps. No more seat packs on my bikes. I tried a 
>> Revelate Shrew which didn't attach to the post, thus further back, but my 
>> saddles don't allow it to go that far back as product photos show, so out 
>> with darn seat packs forever! I took the mini rack from the rear of the 
>> Bomba and put it on the back of the Franklin. Much much nicer looking with 
>> the mini rack than the seat pack. I'm using a stuff sack with the cargo net 
>> for now, but have a Lone Peak micro bag on the way. I hope it doesn't look 
>> awful! The Bomba got the full length top rack that Riv used to sell, it can 
>> be used front or rear but I don't like front loads up high so it goes 
>> behind too.  
>>
>> The Franklin reach for reference, from the tip of the saddle to middle 
>> center of the bars is 63cm. To the bar ends about 54cm. These Alba are the 
>> 56 steel, which should still be in production as the 55's were notable 
>> narrower at the end of the flats, before it starts curving, so it's now a 
>> worthless bar @55cm , for me. The Billie, same story. I've been looking at 
>> all those "gravelly" kind of drop bars. I think I may get a Crust Towel 
>> bar, in a 63 I think. this is a road bike and only want a bit wide-err, to 
>> try at least, I'm more curious than anything what that wide of a drop bar 
>> would feel like. At the hoods it would be a bit wider than the upper most 
>> flats of the Alba, which I use a lot! I really don't need the reach back of 
>> the Alba, so that's why I may get the drops. But the Crust and the like are 
>> less deep and less reach than typical drops, which is fine with me. If it's 
>> too wide there are plenty  of bars in between that and a 52cm Nitto Dirt 
>> Drop, which I originally had on the bike. I would like something with a bit 
>> more flare than that. A Towel bar might be even better for the Bomba. The 
>> Franklin handles like a fine (80's) European racing bike. I don't think bar 
>> width as as much of an issue as bar height. Too high and the Franklin feels 
>> all wrong. Saddle height or lower and it's vroooming into those turns with 
>> ease! 
>>
>> My under the BB cable-over-and-through-the-casted-guides routing had 
>> developed a rough and sharp edge to the groove and was eating a cable a 
>> year or so, and getting worse. I wasn't terribly motivated to investigate 
>> it, thinking it was just crappy cables. Ooops. So I used an old brake cable 
>> as a sort of metal floss and worked that metal guide all nice and smooth. A 
>> touch of toe nail polish(it's what I has on hand) and .. and now what ? 
>> I wanted to use some cable liner but it was too big for the holes. Lo and 
>> behold, Jagwire sells that stuff in smaller diameter for shift cables. So 
>> after the angst of waiting for it arrive, with bait-ed breath that stuff 
>> went in all nice like! About 4 inches I used for both sides. I was so 
>> impressed I added little bit to my Suntour Power ratchet thumbshifters, 
>> where the cable curves around the groove in the body. I've had a cable fray 
>> there. It's Jagwire product JSAY051, slick lube liner. It comes in four 
>> 2300mm sections. 
>> 1.4mm ID, 1.9mm OD. 
>>
>> When I had this made in '99 I was choosing between this and an Atlantis, 
>> the original, slightly longer one. I'm glad I chose to have it built by a 
>> local Ohio builder. It has the handling I'm accustomed to from riding race 
>> bikes of the 70-80's. So you know how people talk all nostalgic about 
>> Bridgestone, Trek, or whatever brand ? I had a nice Trek but like all the 
>> stock bikes