On Curing Neck and Hand Pain

On my first two PBPs, and on nearly every ride I've done of 600K or longer, I've suffered severe neck pain somewhere along the way. I don't think I'm too unusual in that regard. Some of my buddies have complained of the same thing.

Neck pain came become so intense that it takes you off the bike. That happened to one NC rider in 2007. On the latest PBP, Ian saved the ride for Ivan, a rider from eastern Europe who was apparently suffering from Shermer's neck. We met Ivan along the way when we stopped to take this picture...

Ivan came riding up in obvious pain. He was suffering miserably, and his finish was in doubt. Ian to the rescue. He took a bungee cord off his rear rack and attached it to Ivan's helmet and jersey to hold his head upright. Here's a picture of Ivan riding off into the sunset. Note the green bungee.... I'm happy to report that we saw Ivan at the finish.

I vowed to solve my own neck issues before heading to Paris and knock on wood I may have done so. Here's what I did:

* New stem. For two years, I've been riding with a 110 mm stem with a fairly shallow rise. I came to the conclusion that it put me too far forward and down on the bike. Not a big deal on the shorter brevets, but for the longer rides, my neck strained, leading to mile upon mile of pain.

My solution was to install a shorter (90 mm) adjustable Forte stem and set it at a 20 degree angle. The net result was to put me in a more upright position and shift my weight back on the bike and off my hands. Voila -- I had probably 30 minutes of neck pain on Day 2 of PBP. Hopefully, I've found the cure. As to the stem itself, I'd advise shopping around for another brand. While the Forte one was adequate, the four attaching bolts have a smaller diameter than those used by other makers, and I could not get rid of a creaking  noise when climbing.

* New gloves. With a more upright position on the bike, I took some of the weight off my hands. But that's not all I did to relieve hand pressure. Before heading off to Paris, I stumbled across a pair of  Bontrager Crochet Gloves at a local bike store. One online marketer takes a couple pokes at their look. Check this out:

Remember these? Yep, these Bontrager Crochet Gloves are just like the old-school ones you used to wear. Hand knotted cotton tops, genuine leather palms with light padding, even the absorbent thumbs, every detail, just like they were. Grab your old clunker, pull on a wool jersey and slip these on, retro never looked so good. (Also compatible with carbon fiber.) 

Well, haha la de da. But you know what?  Those gloves had padding in all the right places -- and at about double the thickness of similar gloves I've used. I brought two pairs to Paris. At $15 a pair, they're hard to beat for long-distance comfort.

Supernova E3 Bike Light : Important Update

If you've purchased a Supernova E3 light, or are just about to buy one, a word of caution: the light is NOT waterproof if used upside down.

At least one randonneur who used the light upside down on a rainy brevet reported that it leaked and sent a note to the manufacturer. (He won't be the only one who installs the light upside down. While it's not obvious from the picture above, mine also mounts that way on the front rack.)

Gregor Arndt, who is the COO of product management for Supernova, confirmed in an email that a design flaw exists.

Here's what Gregor said:

I've talked to our designer and he admits the light was not intended to be installed upside down and still be watertight! The vibrations of the cable will lead the water into the housing. I am sorry that we have not mentioned this before, but we've had no previous experience with inverted installations.

As a quick solution, we recommend putting some black silicon around the cables where they exit the rubber seal. We will work on a permanent solution, of course.

In case of lamps that already have water in the housing, we recommend opening the front cap in a warm, dry environment, letting all the moisture evaporate. The rear of the lens may have to be cleaned with a moist glasses cleaning cloth.

If there has been any serious damage (which shouldn't happen at all, since all the electronics is coated), we will send a replacement.

In a note to the Trailer Park, Gregor thanked us for alerting E3 owners to the problem.

I just want to emphasize again, that it should be OK if you use some silicone sealant and that the electronics inside won't be damaged by water.

We will react to the issue as quickly as possible.

Gregor said he'd have an update in the next three or four weeks.

Supernova E3: a glowing review

Talk about your glowing endorsement. When a pedestrian stops you with – “Hey! What kind of light is that?”– you know it's good.

Yes, I’m talking about the new Supernova E3.

I finally wired my light this evening, impatiently checked the sky. Still too much sun. Like the bard said, Out, damn'd spot! out, I say.

Oh, yeah, Spot. I took the dog for a walk, counted the minutes, waited for the Dark Monster to get up and pull the shades down. Finally. I rolled the Coho from the basement and headed out for a test run.

First planned stop: the neighborhood Quik Mart for a feels-like-a-winner! lottery ticket. I had the light on as I headed down Glenwood, a big street that slices through the heart of Raleigh like a cardiologist with a tee time. Two of the light-sensitive street lights blinked off as I neared them. Was the Supernova doing that? Why yes, I think it was.

The Quik Mart is a half mile from the house. By the time I reached it, the E3 standlight was already charged. Here’s a shot of it.


And while I’m taking shots, here’s one of the dual tail lights. Those rear light brackets on the Coho are a fantastic feature.



Winning ticket in hand, I rolled off to a little neighborhood I like to call the Heart of Darkness.

First impressions: the Supernova throws a hot white light. It has a more diffuse pattern than the trapezoidal beam of the E3. The hottest part of the beam appears to be narrower and longer than the E6 pattern.

Also, the Supernova is clearly brighter than the E6. How can I say that without a side-by-side comparison? Easy. The E6’s yellow light was typically overwhelmed by city street lights. The E3’s beam remained visible.

I tried to get a couple shots of the light’s beam while rolling down a slight hill. Let me say up front that the camera does not do the light justice -- unless justice is six feet of rope and a hanging tree. I’ve posted the video anyway because you do get a sense of the light’s reach. Watch the video and you’ll see the reflective striping light up on a road barricade. That was a couple hundred yards away when I first started down the hill.



Here’s another short video that shows the E3 can hold its own against a streetlight.



Now back to the opening story. I was heading up a side street when a man walking his dogs saw me coming. He yelled out: “Hey, what kind of light is that.” I turned around, stopped and showed him, telling him in general terms it was a generator hub. “Yeah,” he said, “but what kind is it? I’ve been looking for one. That thing is really bright.”

Yes indeed. Like a Supernova.

Update: Blair Witch Project 3 just called. They want to buy my extra footage.

Update 2: The Lottery just called. The limo's on its way.

Supernova E3 Bicycle Light: Photos

I got this light in last week and have not had a chance to wire it yet. But here are a few shots. It's beautifully made. I can't wait to try it out.

The rack on my Coho randonneuring bike has a braze-on for a front light. I've been mounting the E6 there. The E3 is actually a snugger fit, as you can see in these shots.

I'll post as I begin the wiring process. It looks a bit trickier than the E6. Stay tuned.

FYI, The E3 light was purchased from Mark Thomas' shop in Washington. He may have more, so give him a holler.

In June, I hope to get a Schmidt Edelux for a side-by-side comparison.

Nitto Seatpost? Not Really

In my formative cycling years, back when I was 10 and paper thin, I ruled my corner of the universe on a Schwinn Traveler. The bike had a two-piece seatpost. There was the post and a separate clamp that secured the seat. Problem was, the clamp wasn’t all that great. I didn't weigh any more than a sack of feathers. But hit a big bump and the seat would tilt violently back. -- the biking equivalent of a bucking bronco. I’d hang on and hope I didn’t land on the pavement noggin first.

I haven’t thought much about seatposts since then. With the modern seatpost, what’s to think about? It’s just there, doing its job. Grease it, slide it in the old seat tube, adjust the seat to your liking, ride your bike. End of story.

Lately, I’ve been reliving my childhood seatpost experience. And it ain’t a pleasant memory.

My new Coho randonneuring bike has a great mix of parts. But the one weak link has been the single bolt Nitto post.

Here’s how it’s described on Peter White’s site:

This is about the nicest single bolt seat post on the market. Extremely well polished with top quality machining for the clamp. This is clearly the best looking seat post available. It's extremely well made, as are all Nitto products. When making adjustments, you can't isolate the fore/aft positioning from the tilt, so it's not as easy to make small adjustments as it is with a two bolt post. But once you do have it adjusted, it won't slip.

Sure, it looks good. Nice and shiny. But as for no-slip: horse pucks. Mine has angled back as much as 10 degrees.

It did it on the very first long ride I did, the 230-mile fleche. When I finished, I noticed the seat had about a 3-degree angle to the back. Odd. I could have sworn I’d had it level at the start.

When I got home, I reset it. Next long ride was the S.C. 300K. When I got done. I checked it. Same problem.

And again on a 20-mile ride around town.

I was fast losing confidence in the best looking seatpost available. Maybe it’s true what the say – looks aren’t everything. Maybe at 195 lbs. I was too big, too fat, for this single-bolt design. I mentioned this to Chuck. He said the post/clamp interface probably had some grease on it. Clean it with alcohol, he said; that should cure it. He also sent me a small sample of valve lapping compound, a gritty substance that he said would help bind the two surfaces.

Okay, Saturday’s 300K, I’m riding along and I notice a new pain around the old groin area. I was in a pace line and did not want to stop, but it was obvious what was going on. We hit the control at 100K. I climbed off and had a look. I joked later that the saddle was pointing at the North Star. Everybody had a good laugh. But there was nothing funny about it at the time. The damned thing wrecked my left knee for half the ride and -- how shall I say this in polite company? –- it nearly put Junior Johnson in a coma.

The fix: I angled the seat down in the front by about 5 degrees and climbed aboard. By the time the Nitto finished with its slipping down life, it was back to level. Is that any way to set a post? No, it ain't.

I didn’t have any more problems the rest of the ride. Maybe it’s cured. Who knows?

I know there are a lot of you out there who swear by Nitto products. Me? I spent part of my Saturday swearing at it. If you’re a big guy like me and don’t want to spend any of your precious time thinking about your seatpost, you might think long and hard before you buy the single bolt Nitto post. As for me, I'm thinking about replacing mine.

Celebrity Death Match Brewing: Schmidt Edelux vs. Supernova E3

We randonneurs who use Schmidt dynohubs can hardly sleep at night. Like the man said, the future's so bright we gotta wear shades. New products are lighting up the road like never before.

The standard for years has been the E6 light, which throws a very even yellow light up the road. But the E6 is being eclipsed by a new generation of white bright LED lights.


The Supernova E3 has been getting rave reviews from riders who've already put it to use on early season night rides. A Seattle friend used one on last weekend's fleche and said it was "just outstanding.... it lights up the world." You'll see on the Supernova site that the maker brags about using "the world's brightest LED."

But....


Inquiring minds want to know how it will match up against a new Schmidt light, the Edelux, that will be available in June. The picture above is from this page of Peter White Cycles. The Edelux is said to have three times the total light output of the E6 and throw a beam twice as wide. It has a four-minute standlight and a sensor that automatically turns the light on and off as needed.

Bicyclists will have to pay dearly to see these two lights slug it out. Both lights are priced at over $200 -- and the price keeps climbing as the dollar falls. But one or the other will soon be lighting the way for my new Coho.

Doublewide Awards: Best Posts of 2007

Here are the nominees for favorite posts of 07, in no particular order. The swimsuit competition is likely to considerably thin the field.

The Spartanburg 300K: A lesson in surviving mistakes and miscues…

Team N.D.D: Big Adventures don’t get much bigger than this….

Blackbeard’s Permanent: A great crew + a great route = a great night ride.

My PBP Bike: A look at the vintage ride that carried me and the day in 03...

Oasis: Not just a band… Discovering the joys of the roadside eatery…

The 600K Pre-Ride: Me and Branson ride right through the battlefields…

My Fling with Little Debbie: The snack cake steals my heart…

Bagging Mount Mitchell: Hours of hills and cold were a perfect warm-up for PBP… The garbage bag was a bonus...

Chicken Stories: The Siler City Express. A joy ride with two of my favorite riding buddies, Joe and Wes.

Fun things to do in Paris before PBP: Title gives it away.

In the Blogs

Yo A: Bike Celebrity
North Carolina’s very own “Yo” Adrian makes an appearance – or at least, his head does – in the picture at the top of the Daily Randonneur. See if you can spot Adrian here.

Path to Enlightenment
Newly transplanted SIR rider Chuck Lathe has found a lot to love about his new home in Randolph County. That includes what he says is enlightened local bike planning. Lots of signs mark various bike routes in his area. Check out his posting here.

Pushing the Envelop
Out in Oregon, Dave Rowe has an interview with Greg Paley, who rode a featherweight, full-carbon, BMC SLC 01 Pro Machine on this summer’s Glacier 1000K. Paley “carried only what he could wear or stuff in his wedge pack, pockets and small Camelback,” Rowe reports, and was the event’s first finisher. In an email, Rowe told me:

“I think he'll be slammed by the traditionalists, but at the same time, I think what he is doing is going to have an impact on what we ride in 2008.”

Paley’s philosophy in many ways mirrors my own evolution in equipment and bike choice. However, I spot one potential catastrophe in his set-up: his low-spoke wheels. A very poor choice, in my experience. I broke a spoke on a set like that in an around-town ride. The bike was unrideable, and I had to call the wife for a pick-up. I’ve also seen these wheels put a NY rider in the DNF column during one of our 600Ks. So Greg, you might want to rethink that choice.

I’d be interested to hear of similar wheel failures.