Big movements continue in the Fleet this week.
Steve in El Cerrito posted a WTB trail-a-bike, and got a good fast deal for $20. After trying our little one on it last week, decided it was no fun for either of us, and
we need the space.
The new Focus got a 6ABC Maiden run, did fine. Shimano STI was the biggest delta, learned to appreciate it changing gears downhill in the drops, despite its lever ugliness compared to the Campy. Good ride so far, not sure if we'll change the 28t pancake out.
In the midst of the action, wifey played the Xtracycle card, so we ordered one with the Pea-Pod LT for a seat - a lot of bike and $$ to be put on a <$400 1994 Gary Fisher, but hopefully it will be loved.
Disposing of the Santana Tandem is on my list to make more room. What to do with the Giant and Big Pin are also in the air, I don't need 3 road bikes.
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
New Stem, New Bike
So it was a sweet deal on Ebay but took a month for the FOCUS to actually get here. Well almost a month. Its not quite white, very strange styling/design from Germany. Bright white and red accents - had been hoping all white. The Fulcrum wheels and Conti tires are a nice touch. Will need to replace the long cage derailler and 28 tooth pancake rear cog.
Poor "Carbon Lord" sold me a stem for the Giant, after helping me determine the old, crumbling stem was not sold by him but by an outfit calld "VeloCarbon". New stem is nice, but has been flipped upside down to provide an extra inch or 2 of lift off the front for me.
Ordered another Xtracycle and Peapod seat. Will need to make space, pondering selling off the tandem, the Giant (assuming the Focus works out) and as always, the electric motorcycle.
I need room for a MotorDoper rig as well...
Poor "Carbon Lord" sold me a stem for the Giant, after helping me determine the old, crumbling stem was not sold by him but by an outfit calld "VeloCarbon". New stem is nice, but has been flipped upside down to provide an extra inch or 2 of lift off the front for me.
Ordered another Xtracycle and Peapod seat. Will need to make space, pondering selling off the tandem, the Giant (assuming the Focus works out) and as always, the electric motorcycle.
I need room for a MotorDoper rig as well...
Friday, September 3, 2010
Pinarello Neuvation Spoke, Finally Fixed the Brake, Breaking the Back?
The brake on the Giant took many mailings and emailings to get right, I failed to spec the "spring holder" part, a tiny thing, and when I did, I got the outty version versus the "inny". Branford bike set me up.
In the meantime, it meant lots of seat time in the Pinarello beauty bike, so much that the Neuvation rear started making noise, and eventually broke a spoke nipple. Shocking.
Nice getting the Giant back, very light and handles nicely. My back is bugging me though, not sure if its the running I'm doing or being too low in the drops again.
In the meantime, it meant lots of seat time in the Pinarello beauty bike, so much that the Neuvation rear started making noise, and eventually broke a spoke nipple. Shocking.
Nice getting the Giant back, very light and handles nicely. My back is bugging me though, not sure if its the running I'm doing or being too low in the drops again.
Wednesday, August 11, 2010
NY Fixie Updates to Broken Campy Brake Spring
Its was that time of the year - back to NY and to the fixie in a box in the inlaw's basement. I brought a new set of Cane Creek brake levers and some cheap Cannondale-labelled ebay brakes to make the bike a bit more rideable. I also brought my old LOOK pedals (1995) and over-ventalated Diadora shoes. Installation went well, used on 4 two or so hour rides in lots of hot humid air.
Back home, rode in high humidity but 40 degrees cooler. Broke a brake spring on the way down Tunnel road. Seems to be a wear part, found a match on ebay and disassembly instructions.
Put the old SPD-7800s onto the old Pinarello assuming the Giant will be out of commission. They work great with the new cleats. Ordered a set of replacement pads for these pedals too, tracking some auctions for used/new 7800s on ebay - these pedals are very nice, very svelt even compared to the new Shimano 105 SPDs.
Put the old SPD-7800s onto the old Pinarello assuming the Giant will be out of commission. They work great with the new cleats. Ordered a set of replacement pads for these pedals too, tracking some auctions for used/new 7800s on ebay - these pedals are very nice, very svelt even compared to the new Shimano 105 SPDs.
Monday, June 21, 2010
More Neuvation Incoming, Fried Rear Brakes on Xtracycle and New Pedals/Broken Shoes
Okay, hit some sort of limit and so will log the journey.
1. Cracks on the Neuvation R28 Rears again. About 1600 miles on the ODO, probably quite a few more miles. Counting turns up only 20 spokes in the rear, and 16 up front. Ordered a R28SL wheel with 24 spokes, which is how many the silver Neuvation on the Pinarello has and is NOT breaking.
2. Pedals for the Carbon - off my SPD everywhere thing, going (back) to the nice big SPD-SL's by ordering the new Shimano 105 PD-7600's, with cleats. Will look to put the old dura-ace set on the Pinarello.
3. Hauling son to camp today on the extra-cycle. Too short for footsies still, but getting heavy. Returning home I checked out the nasty rear brake sound, found the brake-pad holder rilling into the rim - little metal shavings and everything. Came home and put on some less worn out V-Brake pads, maybe its time to consider a cheap mechanical disc back there.
4. In preparation for the new pedals, took the SPD cleats off the road shoes - whoops, found cracks and a missing chunk of plastic on the right shoe, explaining all sorts of evil noises and clip in problems for the last few weeks. Hopefully the SPD-SLs can stabilize the shoe a bit, seems like I just got those things.
5. Concerned about the flex in the carbon handlebars. Noticed CarbonLord does a 3 year warrantee - I suspect I am on year 4 or 5 with the current setup. Riding Saturday I felt too hunched over, too much neck strain, might be time to sneak some degrees up front.
6. Motor-doping. Thinking hard about this (www.tronbikes.com), makes so much more sense energy-wise compared to the motorcycle, which now has 6-8 miles of range - I did 10x that on Saturday alone, I bet a dozen batteries could get me 10 miles out of a good road bike setup.
1. Cracks on the Neuvation R28 Rears again. About 1600 miles on the ODO, probably quite a few more miles. Counting turns up only 20 spokes in the rear, and 16 up front. Ordered a R28SL wheel with 24 spokes, which is how many the silver Neuvation on the Pinarello has and is NOT breaking.
2. Pedals for the Carbon - off my SPD everywhere thing, going (back) to the nice big SPD-SL's by ordering the new Shimano 105 PD-7600's, with cleats. Will look to put the old dura-ace set on the Pinarello.
3. Hauling son to camp today on the extra-cycle. Too short for footsies still, but getting heavy. Returning home I checked out the nasty rear brake sound, found the brake-pad holder rilling into the rim - little metal shavings and everything. Came home and put on some less worn out V-Brake pads, maybe its time to consider a cheap mechanical disc back there.
4. In preparation for the new pedals, took the SPD cleats off the road shoes - whoops, found cracks and a missing chunk of plastic on the right shoe, explaining all sorts of evil noises and clip in problems for the last few weeks. Hopefully the SPD-SLs can stabilize the shoe a bit, seems like I just got those things.
5. Concerned about the flex in the carbon handlebars. Noticed CarbonLord does a 3 year warrantee - I suspect I am on year 4 or 5 with the current setup. Riding Saturday I felt too hunched over, too much neck strain, might be time to sneak some degrees up front.
6. Motor-doping. Thinking hard about this (www.tronbikes.com), makes so much more sense energy-wise compared to the motorcycle, which now has 6-8 miles of range - I did 10x that on Saturday alone, I bet a dozen batteries could get me 10 miles out of a good road bike setup.
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