Category: cycling

Quite often when riding in below-freezing temperatures just gloves aren’t enough to keep your hands warm. While the Pearl Izumi Gavia Gloves are quite windproof, they don’t do a very good job of keeping icy wind from chilling my hands. I haven’t had much luck with other gloves either, as my hands still tended to get cold pretty quick. So, on recommendation from a number of friends I went ahead and ordered a set of AMF Threadworks / Trail’s Edge Moose Mitts. I received them this evening and went for a reasonably quick (for snow) test ride on my single speed (the D.I.S.S.) through Clinton River Park with some friends of mine.

While these moose mitts look like the sort of thing which would tie one to a bike, I found that I never really felt as if I was stuck to the bike. Even as I took a fall (tires slid out as I rounded a corner) that hand was just suddenly out of the mitt without any problems.

Warmth-wise, wearing those Gavia Gloves beneath the Moose Mitts proved to be a bit too much as my hands were sweaty after riding. For the next ride I think I’ll try going back to my normal fingerless, clearance bin gloves from REI. If the wind blocking / insulating isn’t enough, inside of each mitt are small pockets for chemical hand warmers and loops for hooking them to the ends of the bars and keeping them solidly in place when inserting one’s hands. One could also store gels in there so they remain liquid and easily edible.

All in all, I’m really glad that I bought these. They kept my hands properly warm, didn’t get in the way when I fell, and were overall comfortable. Being made out of a really heavy nylon I also suspect that they’ll last quite a while. Here is a photo of me with my hands in the Moose Mitts, standing over the bike.

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I’d intended to hold off on purchasing a new bike for a while, but over the weekend Nick pointed me at this thread at mmba.org where someone was offering up a Bianchi D.I.S.S. (Disc Integrated Single Speed) with decent specs and in approximately my size (large) for US$300. It looked to have some good quality parts on it (including pedals which fit my current cleats), so I made arrangements to check it out and possibly buy it. Conveniently, I was owed just about the sale price by my parents so I was even able to purchase it without affecting CC or bank account balances.

Shaun (the seller) and I met up today and when I took a look at the bike it seemed to be just what I’d been wanting a few months back when I was considering a much more expensive Raleigh. It needed a bit of adjusting, but after tweaking the brakes, tightening the crankshaft, tightening up the chain a little, putting some screws in the bottle cage mount holes, and adjusting the stem it feels like quite a nice fit and was definitely a good buy.

The only thing I have left to do is reseat the rear tire (it’s a little off and has a slight skip) and possibly rebuild the rear hub (bearings are audible; or maybe that’s the freewheel). There is one non-fixable problem with it, as the tool surface for dust cap for the crank is stripped, but as the crank can still be adjusted it’s not an actual problem. I might replace the dust cap anyway, if I come across one.

Oh, and one of the best parts? Since it’s a single speed it has sliding dropouts, and these normally make it a pain to seat the rear wheel after removing it. However, this bike has a Surly Tuggnut on it, which doubles as a bottle opener. I don’t really have an interest in drinking and riding, but I did make a point of using it tonight, with nothing less than Arbor Brewing Company’s Tree Fort Beer.

Here are a couple more photos I took of the bike and its various bits tonight:

· Bianchi D.I.S.S. which I purchased for $300.
· Detail of the Salsa seat clamp on the Bianchi D.I.S.S., along with the Cars-R-Coffins art.
· Surly Tuggnut on the Bianchi D.I.S.S.. Yes, it is also a bottle opener.
· The dust cap on the crank set has been stripped. I’m not sure how this happened, but at least I can still remove the crank.
· Edoardo Bianchi badge on the head tube of the Bianchi D.I.S.S..
· My somewhat modified Specialized Rockhopper and Bianchi D.I.S.S., sitting side by side in my office.
· Bianchi D.I.S.S., photo #1 sent to me prior to the sale.
· Bianchi D.I.S.S., photo #2 sent to me prior to the sale.

After getting home with the bike I put Roxie in the car, locked myself out of the house (thankfully my parents happened to be near by and helped me out), then drove over to Fraser Bicycle & Fitness and picked up a bike stand, floor pump (because the SKS Airworx one I got before doesn’t work right), and some spare bottle cage bolts. Roxie loved the ride.

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Today I purchased some extra dorky fenders for my mountain bike. I don’t really mind mud, but I don’t like glops on my face and a handful rubbed into my back when riding in cold, sloppy weather. This is exactly the kind of weather we will have here in Michigan on off-road paths through March or April.

They look a bit strange on the bike, but seem like they’ll do a good job of collecting / blocking spray and mud. I’ll try and get a photo of them mounted after I try them out in actual riding.

For reference, the fenders I picked up are the SKS X-TRA-DRY rear and SHOCKBOARD front mudguard.

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