Thought it’d be nice to make myself an old skool style urban musette…

It came from nowhere. It started small, an innocuous *click, click, click*. The following week that click began to be a creak and in turn that creak began to sound like an earth shattering groan with each turn of the non drive side crank.

I could feel it though my shoe.

I’m not sure about you but I don’t want to hear anything other than the calming spin of the chain through the jockey wheels. So having a creak like this is, in short, fucking annoying.

So, after two weeks of hopeing it would go away, I pulled the cranks off, put in a spare bottom bracket, pulled off the chainrings and reassembled everything.

*CREEEEEEEEEEAK*

And there is was.

Another few rides pass and nothing changes, so I swap the pedal from my other bike.

And it’s even worse.

What the hell is this?

Off comes the pedal (and the one it replaced) and into the workshop. I pull off the end caps, only to be reminded these ATAC pedals are ‘non serviceable’. Nice. Plenty of grease regardless.

On they go again, plenty of grease on the spindles too.

Then the ride.

2 hours of almost quiet… except for a feint *click, click, click*.

Ok. Ride one leg. Look like a fool but the click goes away. Ride the other leg and still look like a fool. There it is.

But get out of the saddle (both feet on the pedals!) and away it goes. That’s counter intuitive as it should get louder.

I’m at wit’s end.

So I finish the ride, turn off all the various gadgets, stand and ponder. Then in an act of desperation I grab a handful of crank arm and push.

And there it is, I can even feel it.

It’s not the bloody pedals at all, it’s the arm/spindle interface (I thought I ‘sorted’ that??).

Ok, so they’ll come off now and receive the royal treatment.

We’ll see if that works…

PS: it did.

Let’s face it, don’t you feel his way after reading or listening to the endless drivel from people who spend too much time talking and not enough riding?

Now an available option…

Designed by James Morton from the UNSW it’s called the Firefly, and is a very interesting take on the everyday red led blinker that we all use…
Product Description and Principal Function(s)

The Firefly light uses a Passive Infrared sensor in order to detect traffic approaching from behind the rider. Upon detection LEDs flash onto the back of the rider with varying intensity depending on the proximity of the traffic. The protruding arm of the device allows the light to illuminate the entire back of the rider at any angle. A set of LEDs also illuminate the ground beneath the rider; providing traffic with a proximity of depth which can be used to determine exactly where the rider is. While a rear tail-light provides strong rear presence and meets bicycle light requirements.

Why does the product represent design excellence and why do you believe it deserves an Australian Design Award?

Cycling in Australia is an activity growing exponentially in popularity. Unfortunately due to limited visibility and awareness of cyclists many riders are hit by motorists, resulting in serious injury or death. Firefly aims to eliminate this lack of road presence by making the rider appear larger, while also providing motorists with a form of feedback, resulting in fewer incidents between cyclists and motorists.

The Firefly bike light is a completely unique form of bicycle lighting. There is no known bicycle light that responds to the presence of surrounding traffic. The Firefly light is the only light to completely illuminate the whole back of the rider regardless of riding position, exploiting the vast space for increased visibility. This makes it the only bicycle light that gives the rider human characteristics so they aren’t treated as just another cyclist. As well as this unique back light, the Firefly also incorporates ground illumination to provide a perception of depth for approaching traffic, as well as a tail light feature, all in the one unit.

The design reflects the general aesthetics of modern bicycle design with skeletal aspects as well as aerodynamic features.

Concept testing showed vast improvements in rider visibility by directly illuminating the rider and creating a halo effect of light under the bicycle, while presenting a strong tail light presence.

By mounting the unit to the seat post the device can be used with all bicycle types and is compatible with existing bicycle accessories such as mudguards, panniers and backpacks. With such responsive back illumination there is no need for additional safety apparel such as safety vests. A built-in power port allows for powering additional lighting or accessories.

The Firefly is made from die-cast aluminum, providing a light, strong and durable skeleton on which the light is mounted. The underside is made from an injection moulded Acrylonitrile Butadiene Styrene which houses all the electronics as a sub assembly. This provides increased impact protection and resistance to the harsh conditions on a bicycle. The battery is easily accessible through the top Thermoplastic Elastomer cover which provides a water-tight seal protecting the battery and control button from the elements. The resealable cover allows for easy access to the battery for recharging. The flip up tail light is constructed on a sturdy aluminum frame to improve impact resistance while optical grade Polycarbonate lenses are attached to provide high performance light dispersion and full protection of internal components.

The Firefly is activated by flipping up the light which triggers the spring mounted hinge. Once illuminated, the rider can then scroll through the 7 different lighting options with the button located on the top of the unit. A quick release button allows for easy attachment and removal from the bicycle for improved security.

This is a completely unique product that has the potential to save lives. Thorough testing has proven its ability to illuminate the rider. It is competitively priced for entry into the existing market. The Firefly light is the future of safe cycling.

Interesting way to start the week. Spotted over at Bike Commuters is a feature on a bike frame designed by Matt Clark in Southern California made from recycled plastics. While it won’t win over the purists out there, it is a great look at developing a low cost bike from recycled materials. Fantastic to make bikes for commuting and poorer countries and an interesting step towards looking at new ways to make what many consider as something’s that is already perfected. [Read all about it here]

As reported by Jens Eichler @ [c-net]

“Jens Eichler got himself some sheets of beech plywood, along with a strong glue [phenol-resorcinol] and some power tools. After a few months of playing with the concept, he set to work in August 2006 on what would become a tandem bicycle he calls “Renovatia.

Fancy some embossed leather under your pert (or not so as the case usually is) cycling backside?

Then then this might be the thing for you. A special edition Alpe d’Huez saddle designed by Brooklyn based artist Dan Funderburgh.

Lifting the copy right from under Brooks’ nose:

“Alpe d’Huez is one of the main climbs and has been a stage finish in the Tour de France almost every year since 1976. The first was in 1952, won by Fausto Coppi, at a time when most cyclists were riding Brooks Saddles.

As you might have guessed, we do not harp on about the latest and greatest bit of kit available to the world of mountain biking, or biking in general. Mostly because last year’s shifter is as good as this year’s. Actually, a shifter from four years ago is probably as good, considering the level the vast majority of riders out there ride at (or take care of their kit).

This though does not mean we are not going to share interesting things with you when they crop up.

Hive is one such find. A small ’boutique’ company out of California, the Hive is making some interesting components with a difference. Pictured abaove is the ‘Chub’, which in the words of the Hive is:

“Designed to match the unique style of the Chub Single Rear, the Single Front QR Chub not only provides a platform for a better disc wheel.  The oversized disc side flange minimizes spoke stress under braking while the hollow carbon shell keeps grams to a minimum.”

All solid principles. With a few key items right now, hubs and a rather nice set of cranks, the Hive kit on the surface seems to be a solid and somewhat alternative take on components that have become a bit humdrum. Reading the about us section of the site, the crew behind the Hive are well qualified to be doing what they do, a far cry from the anodised glory days, when every guy with a CNC machine was banging out parts.

Maybe the Hive will take off (their prices are very reasonable), maybe they won’t. Regardless, it’s always great to see the re-immergence of the boutique design and production components company.

Check out their offerings here: bythehive.com

Nothing like posting about something out of the left field. Previously we showed you a bamboo bike, so this time around is a bike carved out of wood.

“At first glance, the use of wood really seems to be nothing more than a nostalgic memory of the good old times, a last salutation to a natural material which has accompanied the cultural development of humanity for thousands of years. On closer inspection, however, one discovers that the frame, with all its visual elegance and the typical emotional warmth of wood, was built with so much technical ingenuity that it is a groundbreaking example for the usage of natural materials in the 21st Century.

The special charm of the Waldmeister lies in the harmonic fusion of the natural substances wood and leather with high-tech materials like carbon and titanium and in the reduction of everything to the basics. We are striving to produce the Waldmeister bike as environmentally friendly as possible. Therefore, we use durable components produced by companies sharing our philosophy of sustainability. It is our principle to use only domestic woods for our bike.  The frame is made out of PEFC-certified wood stemming from sustainable forestry in the Teutoburg Forest.  We use FSC-certified wood for the optional inlay.”

[See the not so working site here]