Archive for November, 2009

The Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC) is the Bee’s Knees when it comes to promoting cycling in a city of cars. For the past 15 years the VACC has been getting people on bikes, promoting a green lifestyle and improving the city of Vancouver for all things cycling. If you know about the VACC it is likely because of the Bike To Work Week Campaign that takes place every May and November. This is where bike commuters are offered free coffee, snacks, bike repairs and more along major bicycle routes.

This past summer, Vancouver’s Burrard St. Bridge was modified to include a bicycle lane traveling in either direction separating bikes from cars. This has been a beta project since the launch but has now been passed to continue through the winter months. The Burrard St. Bridge will keep its bicycle lanes a little while longer and hopefully for good. In conjunction with the VACC and the continuing effort to encourage 12-month bike commuting Norco teamed up to man the Burrard St Bridge for an evening. With hundreds of riders coming through daily it is pretty apparent that the city is moving in the right direction towards embracing cycling.

If you are in the area and haven’t ridden across the bridge you should. Head on out and see what it is all about. If you are in a different area within Greater Vancouver, keep an eye out for the VACC and Norco through the winter offering a hand to all cyclists.

A loose headset is one of the easiest repairs that can be done to a bicycle. The only thing easier, is screwing it up.

The first step to tightening your headset is loosening the stem. This is done usually with either a 4mm or 5mm allen key. Loosen off the stem bolts until the handlebars will move relative to the front wheel.

The second step is the beginning of determining why the headset is loose. The tightening process may be as simple as tightening a bolt, but it could also be a little more complicated. What you will need to do is take a 5mm allen key and remove the top cap of the headset. This is the vertically positioned bolt on top of the stem.

Once this bolt is removed there should be a minimum of 2mm and a maximum of 5mm between the top of the stem and the steertube. The stem should extend higher than the steertube of which it attaches to. If the steertube extends beyond the top of the stem you will need to install an additional spacer above or below the stem.

Correct Headset Spacing

Incorrect Headset Spacing

Once the spacing has been corrected or confirmed, you may start tightening the headset. The next step is to tighten the topcap to the desired tension. Tightening the topcap is preloading the headset bearings and needs to be completed while the stem is loose. As you tighten this top bolt, you will find that the steering will eventually tighten up and bind. There is a happy medium between a knocking in the front end and this binding stage that needs to be achieved. If there is play in the headset moving back and forth, continue to tighten. If the steering is tight and does not move smoothly, loosen.

The last step of tightening a headset is to tighten the stem. Before doing so you must align the cockpit with the front wheels. The easiest way to do this is to straddle the bike and line up the stem with the front wheel. When this is aligned you can move on to tighten the stem bolts. Be sure to notice the torque rating for the stem as over-tightening could cause damage.

Voila, you just fixed it!

Dustan

Norco is a company that is made up of cyclists. It does not matter where in the company you are, from the ground up we are cycling. Last week was the VACC’s Bike To Work Week and Norco took part on an internal and external level. If you kept an eye out around the city, you may have seen the Norco rig hanging out in Vancouver, Burnaby, Port Coquitlam or Maple Ridge along many major cycling routes. If you were riding your bike Norco was also providing free tech support while the VACC was offering coffee, hot chocolate and snacks for any riders stopping by.

So, that was what was visable from the outside, but as I said, Norco is made up of cyclists. Over the cource of the week in a cold and wet November, Norco employees also commuted a cumulative of more than 1500 kms. That is a long way and a true dedication to both cycling and a green lifestyle.

Way to go everyone that participated in Bike To Work Week!

Commuting to work, school or anywhere is a fun, efficient and green way to get from point A to point B. It does take some serious willpower to battle through the cold, wind and rain of the Winter but I know I always feel better for doing it. We are now into November and the fall colours are slowly fading to a winter gloom. In Vancouver BC though, we are three days into Bike To Work Week. Put on by the Vancouver Area Cycling Coalition (VACC), Nov. 2-6th is the time to ride your bike. The VACC is partnered with Norco Bikes and local retailers to offer commuters tech support, warm drinks and a few prizes along the way.

Riding in the winter sounds like a daunting task – and it is, but this week, there are people to help. Whether you are cold, tired or have mechanical issues, anyone in Vancouver should find help along major routes. Now is the time to grab some wet weather clothing, strap on some fenders and lights then hit the road. If you want leave a few minutes early, grab something hot to drink while getting your bike fixed, checked or lubed.

If now isn’t a great time to start commuting by bike, when is?