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Technical Q&A with Lennard Zinn – Hangin’ out
Dear Lennard,
I always wondered about hanging my mountain bikes vertically too but not really worried about the shocks but about the hydraulic brakes and what that might do to the lines. Is it fine?
Paul
Dear Paul,
That’s a good question. If the bike is hanging vertically with the front wheel up, there would be no problem, because any air bubbles would gravitate toward the lever, which would be where you’d want them. But how about with the rear wheel up?
Hindsight Is 20/20
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Park Tool factory visit: Eric Hawkins’ custom motorcycle.
Eric Hawkins’ custom motorcycle has a Schwinn Stingray gear shifter and dual Schwinn stems holding its ape hanger bars. The banana seat and the fender are both hollow gas tanks so that the top tube above the engine is free to hold the shifter and look like a Stingray.
Tech writer Lennard Zinn learns how the Hazel Park Cycle Center became the world’s leading bike tool maker.
Park Tool started in 1956 as Hazel Park Cycle Center, a bike shop on the northern edge of of the Twin Cities, adjacent a park of the same name. Owners Art Engstrom and Howard Hawkins fed themselves through the cold Minnesota winters by sharpening ice skates, and they built their own bike tools. They made the original Park Repair Stand out of old parts, and they patented the clamp’s design. The base that held it steady was a huge artillery shell casing filled with concrete attached to metal clawed chair feet. The “Hazel Park Bicycle Repair Stand Company” was born.
Kabush remains undefeated at Fontana, while Gould three-peats
Geoff Kabush (Rocky Mountain-Maxxis) and Georgia Gould (Luna) took home impressive wins at the opening round of USA Cycling’s Pro Cross-country tour (ProXCT), held at Southridge Park in Fontana, California. The race was also the second round of the Kenda Cup West, the West Coast half of the ShoAir-Specialized U.S. Cup series.
Tour of Flanders highlights a full week ahead
It’s another busy week of racing in Europe, with stage races in Belgium, Portugal and Italy, the second round of the women’s World Cup and a smattering of one-day races in France and Spain. Without question, the main feature is the Tour of Flanders on Sunday. In cycling-crazed Belgium, this is their Super Bowl. The entire nation seems to come to a standstill to watch the 258.9km battle from Brugge to Meerbeke (with plenty of beer-drinking along the way). This year’s route features 16 of the infamous cobble-stoned climb where most of the major attacks go down.
Count Your Blessings
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Louder, Teutenberg secure final Redlands titles
BMC's Jeff Louder and Columbia Highroad's Ina Yoko Teutenberg won the 2009 Redlands Bicycle Classic's overall titles Sunday, as Kyle Wamsley (Colavita) and Alison Powers (Team Type 1) grabbed the stage wins. Apparently every second does count. The overall wins came down to just 1 second for Teutenberg, and to just 5 seconds for Louder. Teutenberg accumulated enough time bonuses in the final stage to take the jersey away from Amber Neben (Nurnberger Shoair) who fell to second place, while Alison Powers (Team Type 1) took third, 27 seconds down.
France’s Bauge takes sprint crown
Frenchman Gregory Bauge overcame a tough test against Malaysia's Azizulhasni Awang to win the world sprint crown at the world track cycling championships in Pruszkow, Poland. on Sunday. Awang took the silver medal with another Frenchman, Kevin Sireau, beating Australian Shane Perkins to take the bronze. The men's sprint tournament is traditionally the most coveted of all track cycling events, and it lived up to that billing thanks to the unexpected rise of Awang to the final.
Selle Italia — Troy Lee Designs saddles
Price: $100 to $210 Web site: www.selleitalia.com Selle Italia and Troy Lee Designs have collaborated to produce three new saddle styles. The Selle Italia Shiver Troy Lee Designs Chito Saddle weighs in at 250 grams and uses manganese alloy rails. An all around saddle, the Shiver Chito is suitable for both road and mountain biking. Retails for $99.