FAB Jim The Cyclist

Best Entry Level Road Bike 2022 Motobecane Super Mirage SL Review Bikes Direct

Bikes Direct is loaded with tons of options so I thought it would be fun to make some recommendations from their site. My first recommendation is the Motobecane Super Mirage SL for a good entry level road bike. It comes in burnt orange and dark silver, have a look: What I like: Disc brakes 2X8Continue reading “Best Entry Level Road Bike 2022 Motobecane Super Mirage SL Review Bikes Direct”

Wellgo W-01 SPD Clipless Bicycle Pedals Review Light MTB Road

I needed some new clipless pedals for my Surly Crosscheck build and because Shimano pedals have rocketed up in price I decided to shop around. For $45 I found these very nice-looking W-01 pedals by Wellgo. They look good, I like the specs and I’m familiar with the brand. Have a look: Specs Weight: 300Continue reading “Wellgo W-01 SPD Clipless Bicycle Pedals Review Light MTB Road”

Microshift Centos 10 Speed Front Derailleur Review and Installation

I was looking for a nice old school looking derailleur that I could get new for my Surly Cross Check build and landed on the Microshift Centos groupset. The group I have is new, but a slightly older version and very silver. It is a 2×10 groupset so the front derailleur is a 2X. TheContinue reading “Microshift Centos 10 Speed Front Derailleur Review and Installation”

Have a braze-on front derailleur and no braze-on? You need an adapter clamp

So front derailleurs are either clamped on or they attach to a braze-on. I’ve never owned a bike with a braze-on, so mine are all clamped on. What type of front derailleur do you need? If you have a braze-on frame you need a braze-on derailleur. If you don’t have a braze-on, you can eitherContinue reading “Have a braze-on front derailleur and no braze-on? You need an adapter clamp”

How to remove and replace Surly bicycle decals/stickers

Today I’m going to show you how I remove and replace the stickers on a Surly bike. Here is my Cross Check decal that isn’t looking so good: Here is a brand-new decal: It comes sandwiched between a rectangle shaped paper and clear plastic sheet. Step 1 Mark for where the new label is goingContinue reading “How to remove and replace Surly bicycle decals/stickers”

Vintage Bianchi Bicycles History and Facts

Bianchi is the oldest bicycle manufacturer in the world. Started in 1885 by Edoardo Bianchi in Milan, Italy. He was only 21 years old when he started the business in his small shop. He thought bicycles should have the same size tires in front and back. Seems he was right. Bianchi sponsored Giovanni Tommasello whoContinue reading “Vintage Bianchi Bicycles History and Facts”

Vintage Bianchi Bicycles

Continental Rim Tape Easy Tape 18mm Review

I decided to try something different for rim tape with my new Wheel Master Zac 19 wheels and went with Continental Easy Tape. It’s a neat product, made from a slightly rubbery plastic material. It is high pressure tape for up to 220psi. The size I went with is 18mm, and I think it’s aContinue reading “Continental Rim Tape Easy Tape 18mm Review”

Microshift CS-G100 10 SPEED CASSETTE 11-28 Review

My Surly Cross Check is going to have Microshift Centos derailleurs and shifters, so I went with a Microshift cassette. I picked up the CS-G100 11-28 which is considered their Centos level cassette. It has chrome plated steel cogs with an aluminum spider. The spider is supposed to reduce wear on the cassette body. ItContinue reading “Microshift CS-G100 10 SPEED CASSETTE 11-28 Review”

1936 Vintage Pre-War Schwinn Cycleplane Bicycle

Now this is a really neat and very old bike, a 1936 Schwinn Cycleplane Cruiser. It originally would have had a tank and a headlight on the front fender. This one is a bit rough, but still interesting to see how different the bars and frame are from newer bikes. 26” wheels with a coasterContinue reading “1936 Vintage Pre-War Schwinn Cycleplane Bicycle”