My Favourite Upgrades (so far)

These products made the biggest difference on my bike.

• For comfort, it's the Brooks B67s saddle without a doubt.  Especially since it's broken in now.  It's so comfortable I hardly notice it.
• For handling, the Misfit FME handlebar is the ticket.  It feels better balanced, but I lose some of the sit up riding position.
• For extra speed, the Specialized FatBoy 1.25" tires helps me ride faster with less effort compared to the original tires.
• For utility, the milk crate is hard to beat.  It carries more than the front basket, and it can be removed/installed easily.
• The icing on the cake is the Kool Stop Thinline (salmon) brake pads. The improvement is awesome.

The best upgrade of all time is proper bike set-up.  Once everything is dialed in, riding feels so much better.  I had to ride often, and be self aware to know what needs adjusting/changing.

Frame Pump

I was checking out CO2 inflators, mini pumps, and frame pumps.  They all had their pros and cons, but in the end I wanted a frame pump.  The problem was how to fit one on my bike.

The solution is the Park Tool PMP-5.  The length is adjustable so it can mounted in different locations.  Installing it between the top tube (?), and down tube was the easiest.

It's on there pretty good.  I doubt it'll fly off during a ride.

UPDATE DECEMBER 9, 2011:  I used black electric tape to wrap the silver part of the pump.  Now it looks cooler.

Gear Tie

Gear Tie is a cool product.  I got the 32" version.  It's a heavy duty rubber coated twist tie.

It's a better way to secure a milk crate to my bike than with zip ties.  They're reusable, and holding as securely as the zip ties did.  

There's two 32" length per package.  I cut both of them with side cutters to get eight 8" pieces. I used all of them to secure the milk crate.

P.S.  I sealed the cut ends with electric tape after the pictures was taken.

Brake Upgrade

The original brake pads on my bike were adequate to slow me down.  I wanted more stopping power so I upgraded to a set of Kool Stop Thinline Salmon pads.

After installing the brake pads, one of the caliper arms was stuck to one side.  I gave up troubleshooting it and installed a spare set of Avid Single Digit 5.  The front fender was lowered so the calipers can clear it.

The difference in braking is like night and day.  It's way stronger and smoother than the factory set-up.  I should have upgraded the brakes when I got the bike.

UPDATE FEBRUARY 18, 2012:  These brakes have been squealing something fierce lately.  =/

UPDATE MARCH 11, 2012: The brakes suddenly stopped squealing.  I wonder if it has something to do with the warm weather (17° Celsius or 62.6° Fahrenheit)?  

PDW Bar-Ista

I got my Portland Design Works Bar-Ista cup holder from Mountain Equipment Co-Op.  There is free shipping till December 7.

Installation is straight forward.  Just fit it over the handlebar and tighten it with a 4mm allen (hex) key.  I set mine in front of the handlebar.  Mounting it the other way takes up precious real estate that makes hopping on and off the bike weird.

I picked up a Eco2 cup at Walmart.  I trimmed the band so it can sit lower in the holder. Now I can ride with a hot cup of Ovaltine (I love that stuff).  Just in time too.  It's getting pretty cold these days.

UPDATE DECEMBER 1, 2011: This setup works great.  The cup never flew out, and it keeps my drink hot/warm.  Just make sure the cup is screwed on, and the flap is closed. Occasionally, a bit of Ovaltine manages to splash out when I hit a bump at speed.

Sealed Cartridge Bearings?

I was gonna overhaul the bottom bracket till I came across this (see picture).  I was expecting to see the standard one piece bottom bracket setup. 

It looks like sealed cartridge bearings.  I didn't know they make it for one piece cranks.  If it is...it shouldn't require any maintenance for a long time.  Anyway, I couldn't remove it easily so I left it alone.

P.S.  To remove the locknut you'll need a 30mm wrench.

OURY Mountain Grips

I just installed a pair of red OURY grips.  They feel great with or without gloves.

Both grips were kept at standard length.  Shifting feels the same even with the extra length.

I cleaned the handlebar with Windex and used rubbing alcohol to install the grips.  I put a nickel in each grip to act as bar end caps.  That should prevent the handlebar from punching a hole through the grip.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 17, 2011: The combination of these grips and the Misfit Psycles FME bar gives me a lot more knee/handlebar clearance for those super tight, slow speed turns.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 29, 2011: I left out two points that may help prevent the grips from twisting.

• I wrapped the ends of my handlebar with 4 revolutions of duct tape (just the width of the tape) to make it a little thicker.  
• The handlebar ends stick pass the grip a bit.  You can see it a bit on the 3'rd picture on this post.

UPDATE MARCH 7, 2012:  The grips never twisted on me during riding.  Twisting is a common complaint for slip on grips.  I really think the duct tape helps.  

Red Cables

Today I installed a new brake, and shifter housing.  This was done for aesthetic reasons.  The original ones are still in good condition. 

The new cables were cut 6" shorter than the original to make the cable routing tighter.  I used a Dremel with a cutting wheel to make smooth flat cuts without crushing the housing.

I applied a light coating of Finish Line Dry Teflon Lube (for bicycle chain) on the cables before inserting it into the cable housing.

This could all be in my head but it's shifting smoother/easier.  Is it because of the shorter cable?  The lube?  I dunno. = /

Misfit Psycles FME Bar

I picked up a Misfit Psycles FME handlebar today.  For $22 it's hard to go wrong.  It provides a better wrist/hand position for control, and it's almost half the weight of the factory one.

The factory Kona handlebar weights 607 grams.  The Misfit FME bar weights 336 grams.

To install it, I had to pry the stem clamp open a bit to slide the centre section of the handlebar in.  I probably could have rammed it in, but I didn't want to scratch the finish.  =)  

The FME's riding position feels similar to the bar it replaced, and has more handlebar/knee clearance for tight, slow speed turns.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 11, 2011: The price of the handlebar went up.  Yikes!

UPDATE NOVEMBER 18, 2011: The extra bit of drop and reach from this bar puts extra weight over the front wheels. The bike feels more balanced and puts me in a slightly more aggressive riding position.  

UPDATE NOVEMBER 28, 2010: I can feel the handlebar flex a little on rough surfaces.  It takes a little edge off the bumps. 

Removed The Chain Guard

Work has finally eased up a bit.  Now I have a chance to ride my bike.

I removed the chain guard for no particular reason.  I never really like the way it looked.  It's too "swooshy".  The type of chain guards on old three speed bicycles would look better.

I also reinstalled the kickstand too (not shown in this picture).  It was to useful to leave off.

UPDATE:  Chain gaurd and bracket weighs 170 grams.

Current Pictures

Just posting some current pictures of the whole bike.

New Seat Post

I installed an aluminium seat post today.  It's a micro adjustable type.  I bought it @ ebay.  It got here fast, but it took awhile to clear Canada Customs. >=(

The seat post size for the 2010 Kona AfricaBike is 27.2 mm.

Weight

After removing my kickstand (8mm Allen or hex key), I'm gonna try to weigh all the parts I've changed or removed. 

• Basket, bracket, and bolts 955 grams
• Kona bell (haven't weighed it yet)  
• Bell I'm using now (haven't weighed it yet)  
• Kona Stem (steel) 522 grams
• Profile Design Stem 282 grams
• Kona handlebar 670 grams
• Misfit Psycle FME handlebar 336 grams 
• Kona grips 121 grams
• Oury grips 100 grams
• Kona saddle 486 grams
• Brooks B67s saddle 810 grams
• Chaingaurd and bracket 170 grams 
• Wheel lock with key 404 grams
• Kickstand 182 grams
• Wheel & pedal reflectors 48 grams
• Specialzed 1.25" Fatboy tires 390 grams x 2
• New seat post collar 21 grams (haven't weighed the old one) 
• Original inner tubes (haven't weighed it)
• Specialized inner tubes (haven't weighed it)
• Kona seat post 401 grams
• Aluminum seat post 259 grams 
• Original pedals 245 grams x 2
• Tektro 849 AL linear pull calipers only (no pads) 119 grams
• Avid Single Digit 5 linear pull calipers (haven't weighted it)
• Kool Stop Thinline brake pads (haven't weighed it)
• Front/rear fender 477 grams
• Cyclocomputer 44 grams

My bike originally weighed approximately 19 kg (42 lbs).  Now it's about 15 kg (34 lbs).  I'm not a weight weenie, but it's neat to know these things.

P.S.  This list will constantly be updated.

P.S.S.  I weighed it today (July 1, 2011) and updated this post.

UPDATE NOVEMBER 18, 2011:  The kick stand goes back on. =)

UPDATE JANUARY 18, 2012:  Weighed the whole bike with a digital hanging scale today.  Before I used a bathroom scale.  That was pretty difficult and not very accurate. The official weight is 15.19 kg or 33.48 lbs.

A New Old Bell

I have a vintage bell that I wanted to use.  It's in rough condition, but it still works like a charm.

Since I wrapped my handlebar with paracord, the factory bell had to be relocated.  It was in the way of my new found hand positions.  Besides, it wouldn't fit over the handlebars anyway.

I decided to attach this new old bell to the stem.  The screws were too short so I bought some longer ones (M4 .70 20).

UPDATE NOVEMBER 2, 2011:  I removed this bell and installed a different one.  

Paracord Wrapped Handlebar

I wrapped the handlebar with paracord for a little more traction, and to take away the bite from touching cold/hot metal.  I'm sure handlebar tape will be more comfortable, but it's good enough for now.

I used a "constrictor knot" at the beginning, and end of the paracord wrapping. The ends were also sealed with a lighter to stop it from fraying.

When I'm riding on the "drop bar position", the shifter cable would be in the way. Repositioning the shifter so the cable runs along the side of the handlebar helped a lot. The bell got in the way too.  I'm gonna try mounting it on the side of my stem.

I may have to re-wrap them.  Next time I'll add something between the handlebar and the paracord to make them more comfortable.

UPDATE:  I tried adding thin cloth like sheets of foam to the handlebar.  It was more comfortable, but the wrapping didn't look very good.  So I removed the foam sheets and re-wrapped them with "olive drab" paracord instead.

Removed The Wheel Lock & Bike Chain Inner Tube

I was reading about bicycle security, and it got me thinking.  How far am I willing to go? How much, is too much?

It's true, security features will help prevent your bike from being stolen.  It's also true there's nothing you can do if the thief really wants it.

So I decided to remove the wheel lock, and the bicycle chain in the inner tube trick. This may increase the chance of my bike/parts being stolen, but I'm willing to take that risk.

Flipped Handlebar

There's no particular reason for doing this.  I just wanted to change the look and feel a bit.

I could definitely tell I'm not sitting up as straight as before, but it's still comfortable.

I'm gonna keep it this way for awhile and see how I like it.

UPDATED APRIL 9, 2011: I really like this mod.  It feels way more efficient by grabbing the inner bend of the handlebar like drop bars.  Now I can really put my whole body into hammering the pedals to get the bike up to speed from a dead stop fast.  It's no road bike, but it's a lot better than before.  The best part is I still have the "sit up style" of riding by grabbing the ends of the handlebar.  Wrapping the handlebar with paracord finishes this mod nicely.

UPDATED OCTOBER 27, 2011: I changed my handlebars.

Removed Basket & Added A Milk Crate

Today I removed the front basket and installed a milk crate.  The front basket was nice, but the milk crate looks cooler.  It adds a more urban utility look to the bike. I attached it with a bunch of zip ties.  So far it's holding up.

The "rear rack mod" (plywood seat) was removed before attaching the milk crate.  I could have left it on, but it feels more secure zip tying it directly to the rack.

There was a gap between the locknut to the washer after removing the "basket support bracket" from the headset.  Adding a spacer a little thicker than the bracket did the trick.

UPDATED NOVEMBER 5, 2011: There seems to be a lot of air resistants riding with the front basket, even when it's empty.  With the rear mounted milk crate, I ride with less effort.  I like the milk crate better.  It holds more stuff, and can be easily installed/removed.

UPDATE DECEMBER 5, 2011: I have a better way to mount a milk crate.

Reviews

These are links to some reviews of the Kona AfricaBike. It'll be updated whenever I find new, or interesting ones.

Adam Greenfield's Speedbird

Cyclorama

Fortworthology

Manchester Cycling

MCRcycling

Post Industrial Brambles

Road CC

Not a review, but you gotta read this!

Security

When I take my bike for quick errands I use the "integrated rear wheel lock" and a "chain lock" to secure my bike. If I had to leave it for long time, I'll throw in another U-lock in the mix.

I also have the old "bicycle chain in a inner tube" trick for the saddle. I would also cover the saddle with a plastic bag to hide and "ugly-fy" it a bit if I was gonna leave it locked for a long time.

A professional bike thief will still be able to take the bike or saddle.  The best I can hope for is to slow them down, or make them look for an easier target.

UPDATED APRIL 3, 2011:  I decided to remove some security features.

Retired For The Winter

I've cleaned and lubed the chain with Finish Line Dry Teflon Lube. Now it's hung up for winter storage. I admire the people who tough it out in the winter.

Since I won't be riding for awhile, I'm thinking about possible modifications. Maybe I'll turn it into a light weight road beast with drop bars. Or a touring bike. Maybe a mountain bike with suspension. Oh I know...a cyclocross bike. Hmmm...so many options.