Jay's customized Electra Amsterdam Royal 8 - a great winter commuter bike!

[Jay]

Dear RBT Friends:

Regulars know I have had a few bumps in the road in recent weeks, but I
think I will have time to post bike pics to my website tomorrow. I bent my
right crank in a recent face plant wreck, so I decided to have RTC upgrade
the OEM crank to a V-Drive FSA crank paired with a splined BB. I want
bullet-proof reliability, and RTC says this is the only crank for me.

The Thompson seat post supporting the Brooks saddle is the look I want.

I want a black stealth bike, illuminated by intense SLED DiNotte head and
tail lights, with the additional generator headlight for redundancy.

I am still running the OEM Kevlar tires. I plan to upgrade to Schwalbe
Marathon Plus, in the next month or so. I don't care about weight. But
walking a bike with a flat tire makes me even crazier.

Thanks to all RBT, especially Andre, for help with this configuration.

Year-round Chicago bike commuter J.

 

[Andre Jute]

On May 21, 12:58 am, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear RBT Friends:
>
> Regulars know I have had a few bumps in the road in recent weeks, but I
> think I will have time to post bike pics to my website tomorrow. I bent my
> right crank in a recent face plant wreck, so I decided to have RTC upgrade
> the OEM crank to a V-Drive FSA crank paired with a splined BB. I want
> bullet-proof reliability, and RTC says this is the only crank for me.

If I had that bike, and your commuting schedule, I'd consider the
horizontal cutouts on the chaincase askance (if what I saw on
marketing photographs were indeed cutouts). I have been immensely
impressed with how clean and unworn the chains remain inside the full
crankcases on my bikes; my hands were clean after giving two chains
their six-monthly service with White Lightning dry wax. In Chicago I
would worry about a car spraying water and some of it falling through
the cutouts in the crankcase, which would defeat the purpose of having
a crankcase. The difficulty is getting a full crankcase to fit. An
alternative might be the Hebie Chainglider but I am still waiting to
get one in silver, so I don't know whether it will fact be watertight.
A few months ago there was an exchange on RBT which basically came
down to a correspondent who couldn't conceive of the Chainglider being
anywhere near as good as a full crankcase.

> The Thompson seat post supporting the Brooks saddle is the look I want.
>
> I want a black stealth bike, illuminated by intense SLED DiNotte head and
> tail lights, with the additional generator headlight for redundancy.

I was thinking while I was servicing my Toulouse, which I haven't
ridden for a while, that black is really the right shade for a city
bike, classic and tastefully restrained. I don't know about "stealth"
though -- your Royal 8 is a big bike with a big rider on it. You'll
get more respect from drivers than you did on your folder, that's for
sure. I have a theory that the more conservative your bike, the more
respect you get; I noticed, going from a purple bike to a black one,
that suddenly I was more visible to the guys in the Range Rovers, and
also that the professional drivers in the big trucks were making eye-
contact with me.

> I am still running the OEM Kevlar tires. I plan to upgrade to Schwalbe
> Marathon Plus, in the next month or so. I don't care about weight. But
> walking a bike with a flat tire makes me even crazier.

What's wrong with the OEM Kevlar tyres? Did you have a flat with them?
I'm finding that there is zero to choose between Marathon Plus and
Bontrager Hardcase except that the Schwalbe has maybe a marginally
more supple ride.

> Thanks to all RBT, especially Andre, for help with this configuration.

What we're here for. It was fun going shopping with your money! I look
forward to those photos.

> Year-round Chicago bike commuter J.

Andre Jute
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/BICYCLE HUMOUR.html

 

[Jay]

On May 20, 6:58 pm, "Jay" <[email protected]> wrote:
> Dear RBT Friends:
>
> Regulars know I have had a few bumps in the road in recent weeks, but I
> think I will have time to post bike pics to my website tomorrow.
>
>
Well, it is now tomorrow:

http://orion.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/electra/

Since it is spring, I am not too worried about redundant lights right
now. I need to mount the Arkel bag under the seat. But when I do that,
the Arkel Tail Rider on the rear rack tends to block the light beam.
So instead, I might buy a Ortlieb Bike Box2
http://www.ortliebusa.com/cartgenie/prodInfo.asp?pid=141&cid=2 .
Anyone tried it? A small backpack is OK in the spring, but in the heat
and humidity of July, I would rather use the rear rack, and leave the
backpack at home. So you then get the cooling breeze across your back.

J.

 

[Andre Jute]

On May 21, 3:57 pm, Jay <[email protected]> wrote:

> http://orion.neiu.edu/~jbollyn/bike/electra/

Holy Moloney, that black Thomson seatpost looks *menacing* with that
black leather seat. We're starting to see what you mean by a "stealth
bike", Jay.

I hadn't realized Electra gives you so much gold pinstriping on the
Royal 8. Even at Chinese wage rates, that amount of handwork must cost
a pretty penny.

Andre Jute
http://members.lycos.co.uk/fiultra/BICYCLE & CYCLING.html