La Máquina – Dean El Diente

After close to 2000kms on my Dean 'El Diente' ('The Tooth' in Spanish - *shrug* I dunno!), I thought it about time for a little write up on the beast.

I'd decided early in 2008 to purchase an S&S coupler equipped bike for my next trip to the US: the hassle involved with carting a full sized bike bag around on my last trip was just too much inconvenience, not too mention that every internal flight within the US attracts a not-inconsiderable surcharge for the non-standard sized bike bag. The idea of being able to store the bike away in a suitcase-sized container was just appealing, plus I'd always wanted a Titanium bike.

So, combining the two seemed meritorious, and after much scrounging around on the 'net, and communications with a number of makers, I decided that:

1. It made most sense to have it made in the US and delivered to my starting point of the tours:
2. Dean Bikes was going to be the maker I went with, as not only were they exceedingly helpful, they were also great value-for-money, and had good write-ups online.

So, with a long order lead-time (luckily because it still only just made it in time), my bike was built and delivered to Universal Cycles in Portland for a final build-up and prep (thanks to Mark (owner) and Mike (builder) and the guys!)

Anyway, two tours of Oregon and Washington, plus 2 months of riding back home, and the 'Tooth' is going superbly (no dental work required!)

OK – piccies! First, some whole-of-bike ones:









'La Máquina' is a custom size 3/2.5Vr Titanium S&S coupler equipped road frame – around a size '57', but with some tweaks (longer chainstays, longer wheelbase, altered trail, custom TT slope etc). Shimano Dura Ace group mostly.



Cockpit: Ritchey WCS 4-Axis alloy stem mated to a Ritchey WCS Carbon Logic II bar. Shimano Flightdeck Wireless. Cinelli Cork bar tape. DA 7800 shifters.



Head: Ritchey WCS 1/1-1/8 non-integrated headset.



Front: Easton EC90 carbon fork, with carbon steerer and dropouts. DT Swiss RR 1.2 rims mated to Dura Ace hub with Sapim CX Rays – 24 front and 28 rear. Vittoria Diamante Pro 23s.



Front triangle showing Dean logo and S&S couplers.



Chainset is a FSA SL-K Light (53/39) with MegaExo ceramic BB. Front and Rear DA mechs. DA chain. Ultegra 'Ice Grey' SPD-SL Pedals. Old skool SS bottle cage. 25/12 DA cassette.



Ritchey WCS alloy seatpost. Fizik Arione saddle.

So – that's her!

How does she ride? - beautifully! Ti is compliant yet lively – transmits road feel, but never to a jarring point. As a custom fit, it is nigh-on perfect. Steers quickly, but a little less razor-like than an all-out racer – an important point for longer tours that I deliberately wanted. Although it looks spindly, the BB area is super stiff – no jellying of response when you stamp on it out-of-saddle. Similarly the rear triangle and head area is also tight – I've never had a 'moment' on the bike, including descending at 80kmh plus, around twisties and across rough, rough roads. The RR1.2s are also laterally stiff and vertically accommodating – as a total package, she is very comfortable in saddle and confidence inspiring.

Build quality is excellent – the welds are a thing of beauty. Compared to Merlins and Moots that were on tour, I'd class the quality of finish and welds as good as these two brands.

Personally, I think she's the 'Duck's Nuts'!

Ride safe!

And so it begins...2008. Part 1: Cycling Crater Lake Oregon - Prelude

OK – the time had come to fly, fly, fly away little starling...(points if you guess the movie!)

For those who don't wish to read my perfunctory account of my travels, below is a link to the collection of photos I took whilst on the Tour: please gaze at your leisure.

Oregon Crater Lake Tour 2008 Photos.

For details of the trip itself, please visit:

Bicycle Adventures.

Before one gets to ones cycling adventures in the North West US, one must fly from Australia, in a bloody big jet, packed to the cans with stinky, sweaty, smelly other persons...I really hate flying!

Short tale: hop on a plane in Perth, Western Australia and travel to Portland, Oregon, USA via Narita International Airport, Tokyo, Japan: a journey that takes some 24 hours and 20 minutes (including a 5 hr 20 min stopover in Narita), and robs me of my sanity, respect for the sanctity of human life, and tastebuds!

Long story: it's too long and soul-crushing to relate, but potentially could have involved a psychosis, a rampage, and some chopped liver...

Thanks to the squiggly little Dateline running down the Pacific, I leave Perth on August 3rd , a Sunday night at 11pm, and get into Portland on Monday, August 4th at 8:20 am – Cool, 24 hrs apparently packed into 9! Unfortunately, that meant I had to stay up another 12 hours at least in order to adjust my internal clock!

Well, the info-torial on the plane said “to avoid jet lag, drink lots and get out in the sun”. My thoughts immediately strayed to finding a bar that was outside and getting baked, in both senses.

But, first, the little matter of finding my way to Universal Cycles, the dudes who I had arranged to have my newly minted Dean titanium-framed S&S coupler bike shipped to and built!

Being totally anal, I had all the info at hand! Shuffling from my hotel into the sunny Portland day (mid 30's Celcius and sunny), I followed my Google Maps printout directions and struck out for the joint. A surprisingly short 15 minutes later (well not that surprising – I rang the shop just before I left the hotel and received GPS-accurate directions), I had found the place, and immediately assailed the owner Mike re: my machina. Mike took me to meet Mark, the resident Dr. Frankenstein, and - “It's ALIVE!!!”.

OMFG – it was a thing of sheer beauty! I salivated a lot, mumbled some shit, and generally stared goggle-eyed for about 20 minutes. Coming to (the residents in the workshop had hit me on the head with a torque wrench in order to “reset your circuits dude”), I gradually gained my senses and began to resemble a typical human being.

Spent the next couple of hours getting things squared away fit-wise etc, and was just about to take the thing with me when I discovered a little wrinkle: here in Oz, bikes have their front brake lever on the right side, and their rear brake lever on the left. Well, I wasn't in Oz – I was in freakin' Portland, and things are different here buddy! Mindful that, in a panic situation on-road, my initial instinct would be to grab a handful of rear brake, which would mean front brake under the current set-up, I decided to leave it in Mark's hands to render a swap. I was to be without bike for another day - bleh!

Trudged back to the Hotel, showered, changed into something that wasn't crusted onto my body (yes, I was STILL in my airplane clothes!) and with thoughts turning to the “plenty of drinks and sun” advice, I stiff-legged like some zombie down NW 23rd and into paradise: a paradise known as the Casa Del Matador. A “Tex-Mex” cuisine and Tequila Bar, it kicked my arse more than once during my stay in Portland. This day, I partook of a spicy tomato soup, tortillas, and then, some hours later, a huge plate of nachos! Plus vast amounts of local microbrews. If you're in Portland – go there: it's that simple! (Altho there are absolutely NO matadors!)

Fantastic – I also managed to wake in the correct hotel the next morning! As I wasn't scheduled to get back to Universals to pick up the bike 'till the afternoon, and given that I'd seemed to get 9 hours good (alcohol induced) sleep and appeared to be semi-functional, I decided to walk around Portland to see what I could see. A couple of pics below of some of what I saw:





Five hours later, after seeing what I could see and walking many kms (the river boardwalks are great for this!), I arrived back at the hotel in the early afternoon, showered and put on the cycling gear to go get the new treadly and shake it down!

It was still gorgeous and panting to go! After profuse thank you's to all and sundry, and a pic with Mark the builder (see below), it was off for a leisurely spin around Portland!



Portland is a magic city for bikes – bike lanes everywhere, masses of riders, and car drivers mindful and courteous of bikers. I've said it before and I'll say it again – the car drivers in Perth are egomaniacal morons with god complexes in tin boxes!

Shake down done, I cruised back into the hotel for another shower, sauntered off to the Matador for more gorging, and then back into bed early in preparation for a train trip the next day to Olympia, Washington to...meet a mystery woman!

Well, she will remain a mystery to you, dear reader, but I had chatted some already, and was keen to catch up with this intelligent and witty lady! Plus, Olympia is the capital of Washington, of historical importance, and my inquisitive mind was on a quest to...oh, please!

Biked to the Portland train station the next day, boarded the 'Coast Starlight' and spent a pleasant 2 and something hours chatting to a nice guy from who-knows-where-in-the-US about many things.

Deposited at Lacey, Olympia, I saddled up and headed in the direction of the capital, directions I had again google-mapped in my hot little paws. I arrived at my destination, the Phoenix Inn in Olympia some 40 minutes later with no idea how I got there! I blundered into an urban area, looked for a tallish, square building in a place with very few tall buildings, and found it!

Had a little time to kill before I and ML (mystery lady) met up for a ride, so I decided to catch up with what was happening in the Olympics on tele. As in every other subsequent attempt to garner the least amount of information at all about the world's largest sporting event, I got to watch a shitload of ads, and a bunch of volleyball: this time, beach volleyball. I swear to deity, EVERY time I watched anything on the tour re: the Olympics, all I saw was friggin' Volleyball, beach or indoor variants!

OK – into my cycling gear, onto the new bike (which I was IN LOVE with) and a pedal around the hotel carpark waiting for ML to show up. Minutes later, a sparkling bell-like voice with the cutest accent called out my name, and ML was there. In person, and in cute (seriously cute) cycling gear!

Over the next hour or so, ML dragged my sorry arse around some of the loveliest cycling spots of Olympia, proving herself a fine cyclist and host. I panted and wheezed and generally kept up, and had a great old time!

Afterwards we had a lovely meal and hours chatting over some wine and coffee (well I think so, but I could've been hallucinating) – ML is gorgeous in all senses of the word. Hi you! :)

Next day, I pottered around Olympia on the bike, taking up time before I rode back to the train station for the journey back to Portland, seeing the sites etc. ML and I caught up for lunch – sigh – and then I headed off.

Proving I did actually attempt to see parts of Olympia, here's some piccies:





After a quick pedal back to the train station, I had some time to kill, so sat and checked the bike over. One of the spokes was somewhat loose, so I tightened it. Spin wheel. Hmm – giant freekin' buckle!!! Spent the remaining time before the arrival of the train sorting out this giant buckle and turning it into a very small one, with the further intent of getting it seen to by a professional (which I never did – some more riding seemed to totally straighten the thing!)

After a rather more boring train ride back to Portland (which was punctuated by incessant stops for freight trains) I alighted and biked back to the hotel, got my stuff, and transferred to the hotel from whence my Crater Lake tour was to depart the next day.

That, and more, coming up...

The wait is longer than the holiday...

The trouble with planning a holiday months and months in advance is that once the bookings have been made, the money has been paid, the details sorted, there's nothing to do but wait...and wait...and wait. Dreams of rolling around the Washington volcanoes and Oregon Crater courtesy of Bicycle Adventures are obsessing me. Wait, wait, wait...

Wait also for news of your bike, ordered specially for the trip. I've ordered a bike, custom framed titanium with S&S couplers so I never again have to lug around a full size bike case, which is a royal pain in the arse! And expensive - domestic US airlines charge like a wounded bull for the privilege of carting your bike around for you!

Bike is from Dean Bicycles - specifically the El Diente (why a bike is called 'The Tooth' is beyond me!). Dean are value-for-money, have excellent components options - my bike is Dura Ace spec with FSA SLK Lite 53/39 chainset and cranks, ceramic bottom bracket, various Ritchey WSC carbon and alu bits - and will deliver to my bike shop of choice in the Portland where I land to commence my tours. Linky to the Dean site follows:

Dean Bikes El Diente

Wait for the time until you depart is upon you: God it takes forever! Get me out of here!

In the interim, I've been pottering around various online cycle supply websites, purchasing bits and pieces for the new ride, just to keep myself sane. Once again, Probikekit has been a great site. Having purchased a new helmet and shoes from them toward the end of last year, I again recently raided the piggybank for some essentials for the new bike:

• Shimano Ultegra Ice Grey Pedals: The new wide-platform pedal from Shimano in a cool silvery-grey. Great pedal - I originally bought them for the new bike, but they looked so good I whacked them on my Masi and had to buy another pair for the new bike, coz they ain't coming off the Masi :)
• Shimano Flight Deck Wireless Computer: Have a wired one on the Masi and it's been faultless, plus I really like the hood integration, so a no-wire FD for the new bike it is.
• Vittoria Diamante Pro Red/Black tyres: Always been a Michelin Pro guy, but as the red Pro 2s couldn't be found, decided to try something different. The two tours should give them a good workout!

No problems with the ship time from ProBike (they're in the UK and it's a fair way to Oz) and very happy with the prices. Check 'em out at:

ProBikeKit

Haven't finalised the wheels yet, but I'm pretty much sold on a custom build up set from Universal Cycles in Portland:

• DT Swiss RR 1.2 Rims: black with spokes 24 front and 28 rear. Like the slightly aero rims and the Brand


• Shimano Dura-Ace HB-7800/7850 Hubs: like the Shim DA hub's performance and looks


• Wheelsmith Alloy nipples: red of course :)


• Sapim CX-Ray Spokes: silver - should look nice with the mirrored Shim hubs and the black/red/white of the DT rims

Universal are another online presence with a great range and nice site - once again, have a look:

Universal Cycles

One good thing about waiting? Well, July will rocket past with the TdF soon to be playing on a screen near you. Yes, with all its scandals, pumped up riders, radios up the whazoo etc etc, it's still a great viewing spectacle. All I can say is 'Go Cadel'!

Ride safe and long.