BART EZ Rider Pilot

I have been a pilot user of BART's EZ Rider card. I noticed it one day while I was looking at the home page, they said that it was only for the first 1000 people who signed up. I signed up immediately.

For those who don't know what BART is. BART is Bay Area Rapid Transit. Its a two track train system for the San Francisco Bay Area. As an avid bike commuter, I use BART almost exclusively, well now exclusively. To get to work. While BART still has quite a ways to go to be convenient for cyclists. The EZ Rider service saves a tremendous amount of time and money. When you use it, you get $48 worth of BART for something like $42.

The way it works, you swipe the card over a round disc on the top or the side of the gate and it lets you through. It then deducts the amount preloaded on the card from your account. Whenever you get under $10 it loads another $48 onto your card, and charges your credit card directly.

It is so easy and quick that often I will prop my bike up on the other side of the gate, get out my card, and be through and on my bike before people without the service and no bike can get through the gates. Also, it doesn't break because it is wet or anything like that, and I don't have to fumble around trying to buy tickets ever anymore. It makes BART the optimal transit solution.

Most municipal services are way behind on technology, but it seems that BART is trying to stay current. I love this service and recommend that everyone demand that it become an official program very soon. All they have left to do, before I get a BART tattoo, is put on a few cars with rubber hooks, and seats on either side, for bikes and their owners.

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Review: 07 Tirreno Razza 900 Road Bike

Frame: 7005 Aluminum w/ Carbon seatstays
Handlebar: PZ Racing Components 3.3 Aluminum 31.8 clamp
Stem: PZ Racing Components 5.3 Aluminum 31.8 clamp
Fork: SRC Carbon Blade/ Alloy steertube
Seatpost: PZ Racing Components 2.2 Carbon/ Alloy 27.2 x 300
Tape: Cork w/ Gel
Crankset: FSA Gossamer ISIS Compact, 50/34T
Bottom Bracket: ISIS (Platinum?)
Headset: FSA Orbit 1 1/8 integrated
Tires: Hutchinson Quartz 700x23
Chain: KMC DX10S
Saddle: Selle Italia XO Trans Am
Front Derailleur: Shimano 105 FD-5600 double 31.8 clamp
Rear Derailleur: Shimano 105 FD 5600 SS 10 speed
Shift/ Brake Levers: Shimano 105 STI 10 speed
Cassette: Shimano 105 11/23T 10speed
Brakes: Tektro R-570
Wheelset: Easton Vista
Pedals: Wellgo W-40B Look Style

Well, let me start by saying that I am 5'10" and about 240 lbs. I was definately worried about the off brand frame with carbon stays, and the Easton Velomax rims. The Velomax rims have enough spokes to support my weight, although they do produce a whispering noise while riding.

I am now about 350 miles in on the bike. I average about 22o miles per week. My biggest surprise was in the Hutchinson Quartz tires. They provide incredible grip, and have fairly low rolling resistance. I have yet to get a flat (knock on wood) and have rode over some nasty stuff with my heavy frame.

I have shorter legs and a pretty tall torso so the 54" frame seemed like a good choice. So far the cornering is great, the FSA Orbit headset is decent. I didn't like the Selle Italia Trans AM seat until I was able to adjust the seat into a more aggressive position, although I am putting a lot of weight on the fork now. From what I understand this is the way I should be set up on the bike, but it definitely makes my arms more tired.

The FSA Gossamer ISIS crank is good so far. It is really good looking in silver, it doesn't make any noise so far, although I think I'll have to replace the bottom bracket before long. It is hard to determine which ISIS bottom bracket they used and if they have the QuadMax bearings, I think it uses the ISIS Platinum which does not have the additional ring of heavy duty bearings. But so far it hasn't given me any problems.

Of course what can I say about the Shimano 105 group shifters and the Tektro R-570 brakes. They all work the way they are supposed to, there are no surprises there. Once the brakes were broken in, they worked well, but the first couple of rides I had some scary stops.

This is my first compact crank, and I notice that I do miss the 53t or 52t large ring, but all-in-all it is versatile enough for me. I am now finding myself doing decent cadences. I noticed immediately that I have much better climbing habits, and people who used to leave me behind are having a much harder time shaking me now.

While the PZ Race Components probably won't set off any bells in any one's mind, in fact it is hard to find a website for this company, their components are strong and light. The only carbon component on the bike is the seat post. All of the PZ stuff looks good and works good. So far I am really happy with this bike. It retailed for $1499, but I got it on clearance for $899. Right now Bike Nashbar has the bike in most sizes. Except for the ISIS crank everything else is on the up-and-up. The only problem with the ISIS is that everything has gone to external cranks, so getting the FSA ISIS bottom brackets has become a fairly expensive proposition. At my rate of riding, I'll probably have to replace the BB every 6 months, but for most riders it should be fine.

Anyway, it is a great bike, at a great price. If you have the bread and need a bike I'd definitely recommend it.

Del Valle Bike Ride

Nice lazy Sunday afternoon bike ride. There are great spots to buy cherries and strawberries along the ride. You can smell the strawberries as you ride.

20 Mile Bike Ride Through Alameda

Who Says you can't get a 20 mile bike ride through the Island of Alameda, California?

Bike Ride from Fremont Bart to Foster City

This is my long bike ride to foster city from home. Basically I take BART from Fruitvale down to Fremont and then ride over. I have averaged 15 MPH so the ride takes 2 hours. Surprisingly this method is the same amount of time as riding BART up and over the bay, with the added benefit of double the riding time as well as being slightly cheaper.




For a while I looked for a good route over the Dumbarton bridge, the first I tried was from Union City BART, but I either ended up on the highway or got turned around and went the wrong direction because it is too complicated at the other end.

At the end you'll see that I have the path going over what appears to be nothing. There is actually something there, its a trail that takes you basically from Oracle to Edgewater Drive in Foster City. My ride avoids El Camino Real and is very flat.

I hope this helps anyone who is trying to find their way to work in Foster City via bike from the east bay.

Bottom Bracket 68mm x 118mm Specialized Allez Sport

Well, I guess my bike finally got to the point where it needed some serious maintenance. The bike is a Specialized Allez Sport from I guess about 2001. The bottom bracket was making a clicking sound on each revolution when I bought it from my friend. Once my 5'11" 240lb frame started abusing it daily for 26 miles, it finally started making a grinding noise and needed to be replaced.

One of the biggest problems was finding a square taper bottom bracket. It seems that they switched to Octalink a while ago, and now they are all about the two piece crank with external bearings. I don't actually know what the real benefit is to that, except possibly more strength from the BB.

Anyway, changing the bracket was really easy. I'd read Sheldon Brown's Articles on Bottom Brackets first because it is critically important to figure out what your bottom bracket's size is. It will affect your shifting and pedaling performance if you don't.

Next, take the cranks off, use a crank puller, don't try to remove it any other way, I did and it wasn't fun. Then use the bottom bracket tool to take it out. I'd clean up inside your frame while you've got it out. Finally, just put it back in the way it came out. Always unscrew the plastic side first. Sometimes it is a cheap chrome, usually it will be on the opposite side of the crank's cogs.

Anyway, if you have an old Allez from 2001, the bottom bracket you need is going to be 68mm x 118mm. The other thing to look at is the type. Probably the best you will be able to find will be the Shimano UN-73 Square Taper Bottom Bracket. I ended up going with the UN-52 because it was the only one I could find. Actually it was an upgrade from whatever was already in there. My bike is a fair amount lighter, and having a new bottom bracket is like riding on butter.