Sunday, October 19, 2008

Crank Brothers Speed Lever

When you hit the little "whatever" and hear that tale-tell hiss, you know that another tube change is on its way. Struggling with the little levers on the side of the road can be a pain. You hook one on the tire and put the other end onto a spoke. Then you have to hook the other and work it down the tire. But, then the first one pops off, and yo have to start the process over again.

Well not anymore! The Crank Brothers Speed Lever solves this problem. Hook the tire on one side using the curved end of the lever, and then extend the arms down to the axle. With a little (and I mean very little) muscle, you just push the lever around in a circle to release the tire. After changing the tube, the neat little lever below the hook allows you to seat the tire using the same process.

When I bought this lever, I assumed that being plastic, it would only work a few times. But this thing has help up very well through several changes. Tube changes take less than five minutes now. Now if only I can find a better mini-pump!

Saturday, October 18, 2008

Been a year since I last posted

Well, this has not been a good year for the bike. My travel schedule for work has interfered with any commuting rhythm. But, October is here and I don't have another trip until mid to late November. So I think the Jamis Aurora will see some commuting action over the next few weeks.

This winter, I plan on starting a weightlifting regimen. I will be using light weights, as I don't really want to pack on any weight onto my body. I would really like to lose about 20 pounds before spring cycling starts. Right now, I tip the scales at about 188lbs. So, on a 68 inch frame, one can easily tell that I need to lose weight. My goal is about 150 svelte pounds.

Wish me luck!!