I continues to impress me that a bike is somehow less valuable than it's components.
Yes I'm currently building a bike shh.
Here's what it looks like:
Redline R760 frame/fork and crank
8-speed 700c unknown wheels (but nice)
Modolo equipe brake set
Brooks saddle and peddles
SRAM-500 TT bar end shifters
On a serious note, though, the fatbike I got has a 1x10 drivetrain and the chain is so thin I wound up snapping it when trying to pedal in snow that was a bit too deep; I haven't had that problem with drivetrains with more sensibly-sized chains, so I can't help feeling that by the time you get to 13 speeds either the chain must be super thin, or the dishing on the wheel will be crazy (or the rear spacing super wide), all of which feels weird to me.
I guess I'm not aware of any real downsides to a 10/11 speed cassette, other than cost, and I guess it doesn't look as svelte. Crosschaining, sure if it's a 1x, but I just really like having the gear range for hills and some bag weight.
I have a singlespeed and my MTB is 12 speeds. Changed out the tires on my singlespeed the other day and starting to build some trails in my woods. Should be a fun biking summer.
So on my ride before last the front shifter/gears were not behaving. Very heavy upshift and slow to drop down a ring on the downshift.
Didn't fix it when I got in but checked it out before yesterday's ride. This sort of thing can often be the gear cable starting to fray/snap, often inside the lever mechanism which is a bugger to sort if it fails completely. But it was odd, it's normally a progressively worsening problem and it was absolutely fine the ride before.
Couldn't see the cable head with the available slack so resigned myself to undoing the cable at the mech end and the subsequent resetting of the gear tension. Which isn't difficult but is a pain when you just want to ride.
Luckily before I undid anything I noticed some splashes of cola on the frame around the bottom bracket where my bottle fizzed over a bit on the ride before last. A quick squirt of WD40 and some frobbing of the lever and all is well. I like easy fixes like that.
And then I went out and rode 80 miles and today my achilles' are only slightly tender so I'm happy with that.
Hmm, ive owned a bike that had them but I didn't put them on. I think you just run the cables under the bar tape, out near the stem, then down along the top/down tubes. I can't envision why drilling would be necessary.
Hmm, ive owned a bike that had them but I didn't put them on. I think you just run the cables under the bar tape, out near the stem, then down along the top/down tubes. I can't envision why drilling would be necessary.
The instructions I've found have the cables run through the shifter itself and into the tube, that's why I was confused.
Okay, I finally found a good video on it, I'm supposed to run the cables under the bar tape.
I think i need new tires.
... But I hate changing bike tires, i always hurt myself, so i also think I'm gonna put it off for oh i dunno maybe a year
Get some good levers. I find bike tire changes are infinitely better with good levers. I'm a big fan of pedros. Also, if you can, buy so you have 3 levers, as then when you put them back on you can just use two to pin down a section and the third to scoop it over. At least you don't have to deal with MTB tire sealant?
That said - if you're going into the city, mojo on divis is a fine place to grab a coffee or beer while shit gets done.
I think i need new tires.
... But I hate changing bike tires, i always hurt myself, so i also think I'm gonna put it off for oh i dunno maybe a year
I'm with you. I have weak puny hands after decades of spending my life on a computer and it hurts like a mofo when I have to get those damn tires on and off.
I think i need new tires.
... But I hate changing bike tires, i always hurt myself, so i also think I'm gonna put it off for oh i dunno maybe a year
Get some good levers. I find bike tire changes are infinitely better with good levers. I'm a big fan of pedros. Also, if you can, buy so you have 3 levers, as then when you put them back on you can just use two to pin down a section and the third to scoop it over. At least you don't have to deal with MTB tire sealant?
That said - if you're going into the city, mojo on divis is a fine place to grab a coffee or beer while shit gets done.
I've found if struggling to get a tyre on (because everytime you lever one section on a bit further along jumps off and you end up chasing it around and around the rim) a couple or three of either toe straps or releasable zip ties can help to encourage it to stay put.
But wasn't cold. The motor made it not a trudge. And I had waterproof jacket and trousers on. :thumbsup:
I did nearly lose the front end at a t junction though which didn't half get the heart going! Plus given the geometry of the situation I think I'd have failed to unclip if I had lost it completely and I'd have landed on hip and elbow/shoulder. So I'm glad I stayed upright. Felt like it slid about a foot and a half but I suspect it was a few inches at most.
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
Any suggestions on outside bike storage for a backyard? Fit two adult bikes plus one kids if possible.
Looking at hard-sided Rubbermaid type sheds, but hard to tell sizing. Seeing a bunch of what are basically tents which would work for me but selling that look might be a challenge. Thanks!
My kid's chain keeps calling off. Is this a sign it's about to break?
More likely that the derailleur limiters need to be adjusted
You can check chain wear with a ruler if you wanted (google what the link spacing should be and what's generally considered replacement stretch, I don't remember off hand)
(there was a hose sitting around that they were using for the water, but it was not a big enough hose to cause a problem unless you're on a skateboard or something)
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MichaelLCIn what furnace was thy brain?ChicagoRegistered Userregular
I have one of these bikes which has been great as a commuter / trails bike -- it's not as fast as something with drop bars or as bouncy as a dual suspension bike would be but it's fast enough to keep up on bike paths, and tough enough to take up/down mountain bike trails, just not off big drops or anything.
Not sure what "break the bank" means but there's a lot of bikes roughly like that that should work (assuming that when you say 'rail tie commuter' you don't mean literally riding over a bunch of rail ties?), so at this point it's a matter of going to local shops to find out which shop you like the feel of, all the main manufacturers have equivalent sorts of bike. (assuming that they're are actually available to buy again and the general out-of-stock-ness of last year has improved).
I have one of these bikes which has been great as a commuter / trails bike -- it's not as fast as something with drop bars or as bouncy as a dual suspension bike would be but it's fast enough to keep up on bike paths, and tough enough to take up/down mountain bike trails, just not off big drops or anything.
Not sure what "break the bank" means but there's a lot of bikes roughly like that that should work (assuming that when you say 'rail tie commuter' you don't mean literally riding over a bunch of rail ties?), so at this point it's a matter of going to local shops to find out which shop you like the feel of, all the main manufacturers have equivalent sorts of bike. (assuming that they're are actually available to buy again and the general out-of-stock-ness of last year has improved).
I mean literally riding down the middle of a train track or on a trail in the gravel on the side.
That's a good looking bike, I'll keep my eye out for one, but definitely more money than I was looking to spend atm. I'm also thinking I'll get a single speed because it's flat, maybe some kind of dirt jumper.
Oof, I feel like I'd only be comfortable doing that with a fat bike or a full suspension mountain bike. I tried my 650b gravel bike on a ranch road with a big mix of rock sizes and it was not up to the task comfort wise, and I imagine riding across railroad ties would get rough quickly, unless it's been filled in with dirt.
Oof, I feel like I'd only be comfortable doing that with a fat bike or a full suspension mountain bike. I tried my 650b gravel bike on a ranch road with a big mix of rock sizes and it was not up to the task comfort wise, and I imagine riding across railroad ties would get rough quickly, unless it's been filled in with dirt.
they're filled with gravel inbetween
But good point, generally speaking a gravel bike should work.
Was out of state and borrowed a friend's bike to do a casual afternoon 40 (we stopped at a beer garden in the middle, A+, always the best way to ride). Anyway that thing was a BEAST, it was some kind of hybrid situation with pretty wide tires. Lots of road friction, so speed on the downhills seemed underwhelming, but it could take hills like nobody's business.
Been a long time since I didn't have dropped handlebars though. This whole wide high steering situation seems precarious I must say.
Posts
Yes I'm currently building a bike shh.
Here's what it looks like:
Redline R760 frame/fork and crank
8-speed 700c unknown wheels (but nice)
Modolo equipe brake set
Brooks saddle and peddles
SRAM-500 TT bar end shifters
I'm very excited to have a real adult road bike.
I meant regular 700c wheels with a 8-speed cassette.
On a serious note, though, the fatbike I got has a 1x10 drivetrain and the chain is so thin I wound up snapping it when trying to pedal in snow that was a bit too deep; I haven't had that problem with drivetrains with more sensibly-sized chains, so I can't help feeling that by the time you get to 13 speeds either the chain must be super thin, or the dishing on the wheel will be crazy (or the rear spacing super wide), all of which feels weird to me.
Also my commute is pretty much flat right now, and I've been on a fixie/single speed for decades so the idea of gears at all seems hedonistic.
Didn't fix it when I got in but checked it out before yesterday's ride. This sort of thing can often be the gear cable starting to fray/snap, often inside the lever mechanism which is a bugger to sort if it fails completely. But it was odd, it's normally a progressively worsening problem and it was absolutely fine the ride before.
Couldn't see the cable head with the available slack so resigned myself to undoing the cable at the mech end and the subsequent resetting of the gear tension. Which isn't difficult but is a pain when you just want to ride.
Luckily before I undid anything I noticed some splashes of cola on the frame around the bottom bracket where my bottle fizzed over a bit on the ride before last. A quick squirt of WD40 and some frobbing of the lever and all is well. I like easy fixes like that.
And then I went out and rode 80 miles and today my achilles' are only slightly tender so I'm happy with that.
I can drill a hole but I'd rather not obviously.
The instructions I've found have the cables run through the shifter itself and into the tube, that's why I was confused.
Okay, I finally found a good video on it, I'm supposed to run the cables under the bar tape.
Firstly some 1/4" bits (I have plently in my big tool set but they only go up to 6mm and this set has an 8 and a ten):
And a small ratchet driver for them - I expected something about the size of my smallest current driver:
Which would have been fine, would fit in my saddlebag fine.
What I got was this wee darling:
Inordinately pleased by it. Yeah it won't be up to massive torque but that's not generally needed out on the road.
... But I hate changing bike tires, i always hurt myself, so i also think I'm gonna put it off for oh i dunno maybe a year
Get some good levers. I find bike tire changes are infinitely better with good levers. I'm a big fan of pedros. Also, if you can, buy so you have 3 levers, as then when you put them back on you can just use two to pin down a section and the third to scoop it over. At least you don't have to deal with MTB tire sealant?
That said - if you're going into the city, mojo on divis is a fine place to grab a coffee or beer while shit gets done.
I'm with you. I have weak puny hands after decades of spending my life on a computer and it hurts like a mofo when I have to get those damn tires on and off.
I have so many levers! But that’s a good tip
Rain on and off all ride and a blustery wind.
But wasn't cold. The motor made it not a trudge. And I had waterproof jacket and trousers on. :thumbsup:
I did nearly lose the front end at a t junction though which didn't half get the heart going! Plus given the geometry of the situation I think I'd have failed to unclip if I had lost it completely and I'd have landed on hip and elbow/shoulder. So I'm glad I stayed upright. Felt like it slid about a foot and a half but I suspect it was a few inches at most.
Looking at hard-sided Rubbermaid type sheds, but hard to tell sizing. Seeing a bunch of what are basically tents which would work for me but selling that look might be a challenge. Thanks!
More likely that the derailleur limiters need to be adjusted
You can check chain wear with a ruler if you wanted (google what the link spacing should be and what's generally considered replacement stretch, I don't remember off hand)
PSN: Robo_Wizard1
(there was a hose sitting around that they were using for the water, but it was not a big enough hose to cause a problem unless you're on a skateboard or something)
Or maybe they didn't want bikes ruining the hose.
Do you all have and good recommendations for a gravel/rail tie commuter? I don't want to break the bank and I'm only riding about 4 miles total.
Not sure what "break the bank" means but there's a lot of bikes roughly like that that should work (assuming that when you say 'rail tie commuter' you don't mean literally riding over a bunch of rail ties?), so at this point it's a matter of going to local shops to find out which shop you like the feel of, all the main manufacturers have equivalent sorts of bike. (assuming that they're are actually available to buy again and the general out-of-stock-ness of last year has improved).
I mean literally riding down the middle of a train track or on a trail in the gravel on the side.
That's a good looking bike, I'll keep my eye out for one, but definitely more money than I was looking to spend atm. I'm also thinking I'll get a single speed because it's flat, maybe some kind of dirt jumper.
they're filled with gravel inbetween
But good point, generally speaking a gravel bike should work.
Been a long time since I didn't have dropped handlebars though. This whole wide high steering situation seems precarious I must say.
https://theradavist.com/a-rusty-ridge-supply-and-rodeo-labs-flaat-rod-singlespeed-gravel-bike/
I just don't want to spend $4,000 on it.
Yea that bike is cool. But unfortnately if you're on a budget and you're not building it up from (used) parts, you'll probably need to aim for something a little less cool like this:
https://www.trekbikes.com/us/en_US/bikes/mountain-bikes/cross-country-mountain-bikes/820/820/p/17027/?colorCode=black
I wish more people sold single speeds.
You can always convert to single speed.