Re: The bicycle thread

427
SailDesign wrote: Fri Jul 21, 2017 7:56 am
dwnhlldav wrote:Now you lot are speaking my language. This is the first time in 20 years that I have not been employed at least part time in a bicycle shop. I've held all the roles from shop grunt to general manager. My most recent full time stint was managing the service department of one of the largest Trek dealers in the country. Have been helping out part time the last couple years outside my full time non-industry job, but had to have hip surgery this year so took a break from it.

At present I have 8 complete bikes, one usable frame, and two broken frames that will someday be wall art.

Complete bikes:
- NS Bikes Eccentric 27.5 hardtail mountain bike with a 150mm fork.
- Trek Sawyer 29er steel singlespeed.
- Trek Superfly carbon 29er built up rigid with drop bars as a gravel bike.
- Trek Madone 6.Something road bike. I probably ride this bike the least.
- Electra Cruiser.
- Eighthinch city bomber (think the hipster singles speed that a lifelong mountain biker would build).
- Homebuilt chopper.
- Beater Trek Antelope with tall bars and a cushy seat for my dad to ride when he visits us.

The frame is an old steel Bianchi 700c frame with canti studs to be built up as a retro single speed cross bike. I have all the parts just haven't gotten around to building it.

I've primarily been a mountain biker who spent time on the road because of convenience. I started mountain biking in the early 90s, when Girvin flex stems were the cutting edge in suspension technology. Got my driver's license in 1996 and have been chasing brown pow around the country ever since. Started working in a shop in '97 and have worked in 6 shops in 3 states since then. My exploits in my teens and 20s, racing downhill and generally going balls to the wall at all times, caught up with me and I've spent my 30s fixing myself (5 surgeries in 7 years). Most of my riding at present is tooling around the neighborhood with my kids, commuting to work on occasion, and dawn patrols around town. Prior to my latest sideline from injury, I was starting to get my kids out on trails and my son did his second mountain bike race this summer. My daughter likes trail riding but has no interest in racing.

My porch, and the boy's race:
Image


[<snip pics>
Anyone with a Surly sticker can't be all bad.... :)

Love that Slolum/Downhill Skateboard, had an old G&S Fiberflex, Bones Wheels, Sims Gold racing Bearings, 10" Tracker Trucks, White Cloud Bushings, and Rad Pads...Kowabunga!
Her's my old Pool Board from 1983...until it was eaten by a car tire in the street.
Skate_Punk_1982.jpg
Those who make peaceful revolution impossible, make violent revolution inevitable.

Re: The bicycle thread

428
parts arrived today. i believe they "upgraded" the a050 shifters to SL-tx50s, and the rd-ty21 to a rd-tz500. that's fine, i'll keep them, though the a050s were the whole reason why i used them instead of another vendor.

i also believe that the problem is not with the USPS or their carrier, but in bikeworld's mailroom. i say this because they can apparently re-use the same tracking #, avoiding additional shipping costs, which suggests to me that they generate the tracking # onsite. they seem like nice people, i hope they can get their problems straightened out.

i'm rather busy moving to my new old house, so i'll get to installing them "soon"
SUNP0002.JPG
Last edited by lurker on Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:06 pm, edited 1 time in total.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

432
lurker wrote: Wed Aug 08, 2018 3:27 pm too bad suntour is gone. shimano is looking like lowest common denominator. this is the price i pay for being frugal, aka cheap.
Yeah, used to be the derailleur names were Simplex, Huret, Suntour, Shimano, and, of course, Campagnolo. I don't remember any others from circa 1970, but that's me and my "Old Timer's Syndrome".
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

433
i read up on suntour a while back. very innovative, shimano copied them, undercut their prices,(lower R&D costs) drove them out of business. i'm sure it's more complex than that. something about the triumph of cutthroat capitalism.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

434
y'all, please tell me about side-pull brakes. both of my peugeots came to me with centerpulls, which have lovely symmetry and a certain euro-cachet, but require 3 hands to adjust. is there any performance-related difference?
Last edited by lurker on Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:19 pm, edited 1 time in total.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

435
lurker wrote: Thu Aug 09, 2018 9:13 pm y'all, please tell me about side-pill brakes. both of my peugeots came to me with centerpulls, which have lovely symmetry and a certain euro-cachet, but require 3 hands to adjust. is there any performance-related difference?
Side pulls come in basically 2 flavors: Cheap (where they brake unevenly and can jam) and ungodly expensive, where they are light, jewel-like and work GREAT.

Adjust center-pulls just requires a little knowledge--MAFACs are both trickier and a bit easier than Weinmans.
First, you want to true the wheel--makes adjustment much easier.

Second, you need to adjust the cables to the right length. The short cable on the calipers should be about an inch or so above the unit when not pulled. You can use a padded clamp to hold the calipers against the wheels, while you adjust the cable from the brake handle. When release, the pads should be close but not quite touching the wheel.

Third, the pads (assuming they are new), should be perpendicular to the axle, but should touch the rim as far away from the tire as possible and still making full contact. Be sure the pads make contact at the same time--the frame of the caliper can be angled about the mounting bolt to do this.

Finally, the pads should set to toe-in from the leading edge. You have to GENTLY bend the arm holding the pad to do this. A crescent wrench is perfect, being able to apply even pressure without marring the arm.

Here's a great video on it:
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

437
lurker wrote: Thu Aug 09, 2018 10:18 pm :roflmao: so that's why bikes have toeclips! the strap can stand in as a brake adjusting tool.
You didn't know that? I thought EVERY old-timer like us knew that like they knew where the pedals are! :lol:
newton-meters. :oops: damn frogs and their silly metric system :surrender:
I like fig newtons but I do try to meter out how I eat them.
I think every torque wrench I have is marked in both Foot-/Inch-pounds or Newton-meters.

I've been dealing with Metric so long the only time I get confused is subtleties of measuring height and Celsius temp. How many centimeters is 5'10", What is 28 C in F?
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

438
i've been thinking of swapping the a050 thumb shifters from the denali to the peugeot, and putting the new thumb shifters on the denali. the a050s have a bit more of a crude retro look, which might be better on the older bike, and the new tx50 shifters look very sleek and modern, as befits the denali. it would be a little extra effort to swap the a050s over, but maybe more aesthetically pleasing?
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

Re: The bicycle thread

439
lurker wrote: Thu Aug 23, 2018 3:37 pm i've been thinking of swapping the a050 thumb shifters from the denali to the peugeot, and putting the new thumb shifters on the denali. the a050s have a bit more of a crude retro look, which might be better on the older bike, and the new tx50 shifters look very sleek and modern, as befits the denali. it would be a little extra effort to swap the a050s over, but maybe more aesthetically pleasing?
If you won't be happy till you swap 'em, then swap 'em! :thumbup:
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

443
Mason wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:55 am
KlownKannon wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:07 am I sold some guns to make it happen...I preordered this:

http://www.sebikes.com/bikes/cat/retro- ... -ripper-29

That's right....it's a 10-speed 29er BMX w/ disc brakes. I'm gonna die.
Wow!

Mrs. Mason keeps telling me I don't need or have enough room for any more bikes! What does she know...
I got the ol lady a second bike which she really likes. She understands the concept of multiple rides now.

WRT the 10-speed bmx, I was skeptical of a derailleur on a bmx but my freestyling consists of bunny hopping curbs and piles of horse shit. I'm in no danger of doing anything dangerous to those gears.
I don't like to think of my self as an artist so much as someone who stares at empty spaces and imagines s--t.

Re: The bicycle thread

444
I just bought Mrs. Mason a full squish mountain bike. She kept saying she didn't need it but it has really helped her riding improve. She did a twelveish mile mountain epic with me last Saturday that included a 2000', four mile singletrack climb.

She says If anybody gets a new bike it's her and she gets a gravel bike. I know which one she wants but she won't let me spend the money right now.
WRT the 10-speed bmx, I was skeptical of a derailleur on a bmx but my freestyling consists of bunny hopping curbs and piles of horse shit. I'm in no danger of doing anything dangerous to those gears.
Sometimes you just need to get somewhere on your bike and 1:2 just ain't enough or is too much. It looks like the chainring is a 36 maybe, so a good usable range with a 10-32 cassette. You get almost 1:1 and a little better than 3:1 SRAM GX is good stuff, I have the 11 speed on my trail bike.
'Sorry stupid people but there are some definite disadvantages to being stupid."

-John Cleese

Re: The bicycle thread

445
KlownKannon wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:07 am I sold some guns to make it happen...I preordered this:

http://www.sebikes.com/bikes/cat/retro- ... -ripper-29

That's right....it's a 10-speed 29er BMX w/ disc brakes. I'm gonna die.
Ok, I'm confused...a BMX with SLICK tires??? How the hell can that run on dirt? But what do I know???
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

446
YankeeTarheel wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 1:05 pm
KlownKannon wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 10:07 am I sold some guns to make it happen...I preordered this:

http://www.sebikes.com/bikes/cat/retro- ... -ripper-29

That's right....it's a 10-speed 29er BMX w/ disc brakes. I'm gonna die.
Ok, I'm confused...a BMX with SLICK tires??? How the hell can that run on dirt? But what do I know???
This thing is gonna be my drag racer. No dirt!
I don't like to think of my self as an artist so much as someone who stares at empty spaces and imagines s--t.

Re: The bicycle thread

447
Now I'm REALLY confused! BMX stands for Bike MotoCross, that developed as a bicycle version of motorcycle MotoCross--and it's all for dirt courses.

But it should be good on the street--as long as you don't hit rain or wet roads.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

448
YankeeTarheel wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 2:11 pm Now I'm REALLY confused! BMX stands for Bike MotoCross, that developed as a bicycle version of motorcycle MotoCross--and it's all for dirt courses.

But it should be good on the street--as long as you don't hit rain or wet roads.
I have road tires on my hybrid and almost-slicks on one of my 24" bmx bikes......neither like gravel but they have a bit of tread so wet isn't much of a problem.

The slicks on this preordered bike? You can be sure that I'll be wearing a helmet....
I don't like to think of my self as an artist so much as someone who stares at empty spaces and imagines s--t.

Re: The bicycle thread

449
KlownKannon wrote: Sat Aug 25, 2018 12:17 pm
YankeeTarheel wrote: Fri Aug 24, 2018 2:11 pm Now I'm REALLY confused! BMX stands for Bike MotoCross, that developed as a bicycle version of motorcycle MotoCross--and it's all for dirt courses.

But it should be good on the street--as long as you don't hit rain or wet roads.
I have road tires on my hybrid and almost-slicks on one of my 24" bmx bikes......neither like gravel but they have a bit of tread so wet isn't much of a problem.

The slicks on this preordered bike? You can be sure that I'll be wearing a helmet....
I remember as a kid, that some of the banana-seat bikes came with slicks on the back. If I have it right, the influx and popularity of French and Italian 10-speeds led to the banana seat bikes decline in sales.
"Even if the bee could explain to the fly why pollen is better than shit, the fly could never understand."

Re: The bicycle thread

450
today i swapped the a050 thumb shifters over to the peugeot and put the new tz050s on the denali. everything fits better, and everything looks like they're where they belong. some fine-tuning still needed but rode the peugeot around the yard and it looks like it will work. will know more tomorrow, and will try for pics.
i'm retired. what's your excuse?

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