It’s a bit moist round these components in the meanwhile, so this morning I selected a be-fendered bike for my trip:
However earlier than heading out I figured I’d handle my bar tape state of affairs:
Whereas I usually like the texture of cork tape, I felt the Homer might use one thing extra befitting its distinguished character and lugged sensibility. Additionally, this explicit cork tape is recycled–I believe I’ve re-used it thrice at this level–and it’s fairly ragged consequently. (This is the reason there’s a lot electrical tape on it.) So I figured I’d Riv it up slightly with some Newbaum’s:
Regardless of being a Rivendell proprietor since March of 2020, I’d by no means really wrapped a bar with Newbaum’s myself, which is form of like being an old-timey gentleman who’s by no means waxed his personal moustache:
Nevertheless, I’m an previous hand at wrapping drop bars, and I additionally deliberate to wrap the Newbaum’s over the tape that was already on there. Not solely would this save time, however I’d additionally get to take pleasure in one of the best of each worlds: the appear and feel of the cotton fabric, and the additional girth and cushioning of the cork. All in, I figured this couldn’t presumably take greater than 10 or quarter-hour, particularly since I wasn’t planning to shellac it or wrap it in twine or deal with it with rendered beaver fats or no matter else the actual fabric tape aficionados do to it. So I opened the bundle and started working:
Unwrapping the tape, the very first thing that stunned me was that the Newbaum’s has an adhesive backing, and a fairly sticky one at that. Little doubt everybody else on the earth already is aware of this, as would I if I’d taken two seconds to examine it, however for some purpose I simply assumed it was plain previous fabric and that if you happen to needed adhesive you needed to deal with it with rendered beaver fats or one thing. The second factor I realized was that, in contrast to cork tape, if you happen to’re not cautious the Newbaum’s simply folds over on itself and will get caught to its personal moderately cheesy adhesive backing, which if you happen to’re an fool who’s in an enormous hurry to go out for a trip means you’re quickly a state of affairs like this:
At each flip it appeared like I managed to get the tape tousled both in itself or else round some a part of the bicycle:
So I’d untangle it, just for it to rapidly get tangled once more not directly I didn’t assume was doable:
It was just like the zipper scene in “There’s One thing About Mary:”
Sorry.
Clearly as an alternative of working proper off the enormous roll I ought to have found out how a lot tape I’d want and reduce it first, then wrapped the bars extra fastidiously, peeling off the backing slowly as I went. Nevertheless it was too late now, and in my haste I’d not solely wound up with an ideal huge knot but additionally began lacking spots alongside the way in which:
Moreover, this debacle was now reducing into my trip time, and so utilizing a scissor I fairly actually reduce my losses and hoped I nonetheless had sufficient tape left to correctly wrap the bars one other day.
Pathetic. Completely pathetic.
With that now behind me, I headed out into a light-weight drizzle:
“You realize, the previous cork tape’s actually not so unhealthy,” I attempted to persuade myself:
Talking of bars, some riders argue that built-in shifting is among the best technological advances of the trendy period, and it’s definitely supreme for race bikes, however I’d say that strictly by way of comfort a bar-end shifter is simply nearly as good:
And with a low-normal/RapidRise/no matter derailleur a delicate nudge with the palm is all it takes to downshift:
Although a bar-end shifter does require you to set your drop bars at a wise top that lets you comfortably use all the assorted hand positions together with the drops, whereas 95% of street bike riders maintain their fingers on their brake hoods 95% of the time and the drops are solely there for aesthetic causes.
In any case it felt good to be again on a “regular” bike:
And as a lot as I take pleasure in using the Y-Foil once I give it some thought whereas on the Homer it looks as if some loopy lampshade I placed on my head once I acquired drunk at a celebration:
Oh, and additional to a current put up, I’ve confirmed that the Y-Foil was in reality designed to be “suspension prepared:”
[PDF]
It really is the anti-Rivendell, proper all the way down to the truth that the absence of a seat tube means your water bottle will get splattered with street grit, whereas the Homer lets you use fenders and maintain each your pendulous saddle bag and your rear suspension system (by which I imply the leather-based saddle) good and clear:
It’s really a motorcycle for all seasons.
