Blog Revival

Keeping the blog up to date is tough when the shop is busy...

The Wheels on Willy criterium took place this past Sunday, with excellent weather and a return to the original course that goes right past our front door.

It was quiet in the wheel pit, without a single mishap while I was on duty. A very different experience from the one I had working for Shimano Multi-Service at the Collegiate Nationals Road Race recently. Rain all day made conditions ripe for punctures, and I changed roughly 40 wheels for competitors. A race day mechanical problem is never a good experience, but it's rewarding when they get back on the road and chase back into the peloton.

On Hiatus

I'll be on the road for the next five weeks with Joe Pug. You won't see any blog posts in that time, but you can follow what I'm up to on twitter:

www.twitter.com/madisonandrewh

Here's where we'll be:

www.joepugmusic.com/tour

Sticky Front Derailleur

I've mentioned sugar residue and its negative effects on shifting, and today I came across a particularly frozen front derailleur. The sugar had dripped all over the derailleur from a leaky water bottle, and fluid in our parts washer was powerless against the sticky residue. Because the sugar was originally suspended in fluid, it was able to flow deep into every one of the derailleur's moving parts. It occurred to me that the best way to get down into the nooks and crannies would be to soak it. However as I mentioned before, the parts washer fluid was having no effect on the sugar. Instead I used....water!

I don't normally recommend dunking your expensive bike parts in water, but it turned out to be a very effective due to sugar's solubility in water.

If you ever try this method, be sure to thoroughly dry and lubricate the part after you're done!


Sticky and lifeless front derailleur.


Into the dunk tank.


The derailleur is getting cleaner and the water is getting dirtier.


Here's a shot of the water soaking the derailleur for a few hours. Don't drink that.


A little scrubbing with a toothbrush cleaned it right up!

Let's build some wheels.

We just got in various Edge rims for wheel build projects. The shallowest (25mm)and lightest tubular version weighs in at 213g. We'll add DT Swiss 190 hubs to make an unbeatable climbing wheelset.

The second set will incorporate two different depths of clincher rim: 65mm rear and 45mm front, with respective weights of 450g and 400g. Using DT Swiss 240 hubs keeps the cost down a bit and still yields competitively light wheels.

We plan to have various wheel configurations available for demo use during the coming season. They really have to be ridden to be believed, so we're happy to send you out on them for a real-world test ride.

Bike Swap TOMORROW

We'll be closed tomorrow, January 9th, for the 19th annual Cronometro Bike Swap. If you haven't been to the swap, it's worth checking out whether your looking for that hard-to-find N.O.S. European part, a winter beater frameset, or just some entertainment.

We'll be there giving some presentations and socializing.

You can find the details HERE.

Cronometro’s 2010 Annual Service Package

Cap the cost for all the service your bike will need for an entire year!
Pay $300 for the year and receive $430 worth of professional service.

Nice bikes should be overhauled each year and often need a drivetrain tune-up sometime during the season to keep them working at their best. Your bike rides will be more fun when the shifting, braking and handling have been optimized by a professional mechanic.

Included in the Annual Service Package:

-One Complete Bicycle Overhaul ($225 Value) (Must be completed by Feb 28th, 2010)

• Bike is stripped down to bare frame and any necessary frame labor covered, including thread chasing, seat tube honing, bottom bracket and head tube facing, head tube reaming, and thorough cleaning.
• All parts cleaned in solvent tank, lubricated and reinstalled.
• Wheels trued, tensioned and dished.
• Hubs, headset and bottom bracket disassembled and cleaned, any ball bearings replaced and packed with fresh grease.
• All new cables and housing installed.
• Handlebars wrapped with new tape on road bikes, or grips installed on
• mountain bikes.

-One Complete Tune-Up ($150 Value)

• Drivetrain parts (Chain, Cassette, Derailleurs & Crankset) removed from bike and cleaned in solvent tank. Parts are lubricated and reinstalled.
• Wheels trued and tensioned.
• Front and rear shifting systems adjusted.
• Front and rear braking systems adjusted.
• Headset, bottom bracket and hub bearings adjusted.
• Torque checked/adjusted on fasteners.
• New shift cables and housing
• Handlebars wrapped with new tape on road bikes

-Free adjustments as needed throughout the calendar year

• Front and rear braking adjustments
• Front and rear shifting adjustments
• Headset, bottom bracket and hub adjustments
• Wheel truing
• Chain/cassette replacement labor covered
• Tire/tube replacement labor covered (clinchers only)
• Brake pad replacement labor covered

A limited number of packages are available for the coming year. The 2010 Annual Service Package must be purchased by Jan 31st, 2010.
The 2010 Annual Service Package will expire on Dec 31st, 2010. All work must be completed prior to this date.

The Cronometro Service Department
Campagnolo Pro Shop, DT Swiss Certified Wheelbuilding
24 hour turnaround on repairs scheduled by appointment.
(Not including work requiring special order parts.)

Packing bikes for travel or shipping is not the most glamorous part of this line of work, but it is fun when the bike is going to an event like the Ultraman World Championships in Hawaii. Think of Ultraman as a race that exists for those who don't find the Ironman challenging enough.

Here are the bios for this year's competitors, including Madison's own Ann Heaslett. Good luck Ann!