Hellsinki Super Weekend

Last weekend was many ways successful in Hellsinki. There was famous Flow-festival and 9th King Of Fixed, the fixed gear riders fun and play days. During this three days there was a number of great performers in Flow and several interesting activities in KOF. Criterium-race, alleycat-race, trackstand, footdown etc. awesome s**t.

In Flow festival there was at least 3000 bicycles parked in special parking area where talented mechanics offered their services too.

Surprise events are always great fun too, BikePunksHellsinki held their tall bike jousting tournament in Dallape park. Hellsinki is getting better.

photo by Marjut

photo by k1m

Good Old Zine

Zines were the way to published your own text's before internet time. Nowadays zines are the blogs like this.

Fixed gear and single speed enthusianist community Yksivaihde.net published old school style zine called Ketjukirje (Chain letter) in last week. Circulation is only 200 pieces and digital version is not available.

Writings are from Bike Disco in Tram Track to Yksivaihde.net forum subject statistics and Raidö Story to Crossword Puzzle with awesome craphix. Humble contribution given to this fine fanzine.

Creative and Fat Times

Winter can been seen as off-season for bicycle things. This is not completely true, people are defining (or specsing) new complete bicycles, frames and parts for their new ideas of their cyclist career. Some propel heads and folio helmets has totally new approaches to problems in question.

In tandem, primary chain tension might be problem if you do not have eccentric bottom bracket. This solution was done with two extra chain wheels floating freely between lower and upper chain. This fixed gear tandem was build in Pyöräpaja and it was seen in Yksivaihde.net x-mas party.

Helsinki city is taking good care of the normal roads in winter but roads for bicicles are in so bad shape,  so I started to ride fat bike in last winter. Second winter, with hub motor in front, 30km daily commuting ride is pure bliss for the lazy bastard. Cargo sledge pulled to the same party by eMulkul.

Hard Times

Hotel rooms and short time rented flats change easily to bike workshops. This happened again during my week trip to eastern Finland.

This time I was with fixed gear bike with two set's of pedals, MKS touring pedals with straps to get around near locations and SDP clipless pedals for the road trips. 70's Gitane track frame did not have attachments for bottle cage so for the comfort sake, I brought bag for handlebar to carry stuff.

Michelin Kryolin Carbon tires are allready in extra time in their 125psi life, they can barely handle 80psi without cracking totally and thats too low for 25mm. Nice pair of Conti 4 season 25mm are waiting at home. LBS tire collection was bit narrow for the needs.

Two more days to keep up these tires on the run, I guess it is easier to keep the temporary bike workshop ready as kitchen's are kept for courmet cooking challenges.

J.F. Wilson, allmost...

Build-up project has come near to its end. Yesterday we had test ride with new owner. We were scouting saddle and steering solutions. We agreed to change brown Brooks to black one for visual reasons and the idea of riser bar was changed to Nitto Noodle drop bar. Stem lenght is perhaps bit too short but we start with this. Bar tape  is going to be black Cinelli Tennis Bar Tape.

Because new owner wants to use normal shoes we decided to choose pedals with straps. Build up wheels were tested yesterday also first time. Miche hubs, NOS Mavic 40 rims and DT Alpine 3 spokes seems to be quite good compination.

Frame: J.F. Wilson Professional Reynolds 753 1998

Fork: Reynolds

Headset: Campagnolo Mirage

Stem: Nitto Pearl 9 100mm

Bar: Nitte Noodle 420mm

Cranks: Suntour Superbe Pro 170mm

BB: Suntour Superbe Pro

Chainring: Stronglight 48t

Chain: Sram PC-1

Hubs: Miche Primato 32h

Rims: Mavic MA40

Spokes: DT Alpine 3

Nipples: DT 12mm

Sprocket: Surly 18t

Rim tape: Schwalbe

Tires: Continental Four Season 25mm

Saddlepost: Miche Super Type

Saddle: Brooks B17 Standard

Weight: 8,5 kg

More:

Bar tape: Cinelli Tennis Bar Tape

Saddle: Brooks B17 Standard Black

Helsinki-Bårgaux

8th annual Helsinki-Porvoo bicycle trip was organized by Helsinki bicycle messegers (Hellsinki BC) in sunny but chilly spring sunday. Approx 30 fixed and "multi" gear riders participated to this allmost epic ride with help of Yksivaihde.net.

Perhaps one can find very thin realtionship to Paris-Roubaix, a legendary bicycle race. Thanks Paulus for foto.

J.F. Wilson

I started to put together old J.F. Wilson track bike to my friend. Cleaning the saddletube with brake honing tool. Bottom bracket threads are cleaned from rust and dirt. Richard Teare's old track bike, J.F. Wilson is soon going to be in use. Project updates soon to come.