FM166 Gets a new Shimano 5800 Hollowtech Crankset and 6800 BB

Went on very smoothly, short test ride went okay, looking to ride in the rain long tomorrow. The set finally showed up from Chain Reaction after some fits and starts, glad it finally made it.

So far I have not noticed any shifting or noise issues running 11 Speed rings on the 10 speed chain. Those bar-end shifters are far more annoying, so is my knee. Dr on Monday...

New Headset in Scott 29er, Still Waiting For Crank/BB For FM166

Title says it all - the Scott 29er got a new headset from Sports Basement in hopes it fixes the mystery creaking cracking. The rear disk also was straightened, and upon bringing the bike home and acting on further advice from the mechanic, I went ahead and installed new pads front and back.

Out of pads, I ordered 4 more pair from TruckerCo.

Rode the FM166 on the wet roads/mild rain, the BB has a big gap in the circle that is now 2 gaps/chunks. Brakes worked great, trying to use 1 finger so I have 3 others to hold on. Too many fingers over bumps hits the brakes accidentally.

More Stan's Added to Rear of 29er

Just documenting the activity I tried a baby-Advil syringe, but only 1.5ml at a time was tedious. Found an old baby-nostril plunger that could do 20-30ml at a time, and put in 2X squeezes from
my massive fresh bottle-o-Stans.

Hope to MTB in the early AM light of standard time.

Bleeding the Bloody Brake on the FM166

Up to 3x attempts, brakes are still less than perfect. Which is not enough since that is the point
of the FM166.

Attempt 2 I had help from Zeb, made some huge messes and sprayed mineral oil all over. Good father son project.

Reviewed some more You Tube and realized I might need a much better bleed kit. Much complaining about tiny air bubbles, clamps on hoses, dual-syringes. Jagwire $60 kit.

So I went out and tried again, using more suction to pull out the bubbles, more dramatic mineral oil
sprayings and leakings - just a mess. Maybe a slight improvement.

Darth Pre-Trick-Or-Treating Revolution - Ear Holes

Karl at work suggested holes "like a football helmet" to enhance my hearing.

Brilliant, rushed home before we were to leave and realized I owned a hole-saw :)

The costume worked great, I was able to walk from Woolsey to the party on Russell street,
and back. I had to turn the fan on full for climbing, but otherwise low was enough.

Next year (documented here for review):
- big bright and noisy lightsaber
- vader voice distortion box and amplification
- clear lenses?
- gauntlets

Darth Gets Fan Speed Control and Touch-Up Paint

A few finishing touches for 2014.

Touch-up paint on the silver thingies out front, replacing stickers.

Fan speed control - not a huge range, but enough to keep it to a dull roar vs roar roar.

Next year - noise isolation and audio integration/distortion.

Airflow for Darth Vader Helmet - Happy Halloween!

The new re-breather was too loud for helmet use, but the 40mm fans arrived in time so I got to work.

Dremel and hot glue gun, soldier iron, added some padding from cycling, using up some new RC connectors, and the critical bit - an 8mm audio plug to Vlad's Danolight battery pack for 5.5V of power.

The result is a bit noisy, but it really works! One fan blows in (top) other blows out (front vent).

3X Chain Break at Tamarancho

While replacing the rear derailleur on the Scott 29er, I cracked the chain with the big Park chaintool to unstring the old and string the new back on. Not on the master link.

Anyway so I am riding up Alchemist Sunday AM with a "church pass" and at the top the chain gently breaks. I say gently as the only other time I broke a chain it snapped suddenly when standing on the pedals with me hitting the ground instantly. It broke, and the pin still in place I took the mobile tool out of the pack (yes, always bring one!) and put it back together.

3 miles later just past the rock garden, again the chain left me. This time I took out a link assuming it was bent/literally the weak link. Off I went, to and through Endor, and heading up hill past the bridge in the rocks and bam, broken once more, nicely bent.

Got to the end of the loop and after wasting so much time on the chain, I did not have enough time to do another loop. So down the hill and to Sunshine Bike Shop I went. Eric was ready for me and awesome, checked through the derailleur, looked for broken/twisted teeth, straighten the hanger, and sell me a couple of SRAM master links.

Took the bike home, looked for the bad link, added a few replacement links from a Wipperman 10 speed chain and installed one of the master links. I found the one-time-use link finally too. I need to take it out and test it, tough since I am rarely commuting to work by bike these days :/

I wonder if I should have had Eric @ Sunshine just install a new chain.

Hydraulic Brifter Options for Road Use

ST-RS685 levers and calipers, and 11 speed everything else

Rival and Force 22 HydraR, and 11 speed everything else

Di2 and 11 speed everything else

FM166 - First "Real" Ride

After finally cutting the hydraulic hose to size followed by a messy "brake bleed session" (will need
to repeat this), I installed the Dura-Ace bar-end shifters, ran the cables, added the Ultegra derailleurs, and wrapped up the mess with electrical tape and the old Pinarello bar tape sitting on the bench.

I then added waterbottle cages, lights and took the bike out for a spin in the dark. Bar-end shifters
worked okay, but all the hand-motion and levering/tuning really stink compared to the brifter solutions of the current day. Had some weird scraping sounds, not sure if it was discs or new drivetrain, but it worked well enough to do the morning ride (slow group) up Tunnel, down Redwood and back Pinehurst to tunnel.

The bike rode quite well, pictured above after the ride, though the shifting was a bit off by the end (stretching cable?) and the brake action was really nice and subtle when going downhill. The bar-ends do not encourage lots of shifting, so I felt really inefficient riding sometimes, finding myself standing a lot to avoid shifting. I'll be saving my pennies for a shimano mechanical + hydraulic brifter set, maybe Di2...

FM166 Project: How NOT to Remove a MEGA EXO Bottom Bracket

Turns out the threading is backwards for bottom bracket cups - rive side is clockwise, despite the BB axle spinning in that direction too. The instructions with my FSA BB tool were WRONG, showing non-drive side as counter-clockwise to loosen.

A breaker bar added to my FSA BB Tool, and a Rubber mallet.

 much damage was done to the notches on the BB shells,

so much the tool began to slip and shear metal - and this was even AFTER I figured out I was loosening the wrong way.

Enter the monkey wrench - the shell exterior was so chewed up, I decided I would be happy just to get the cups off. The tool worked far better than the intended tool, caused far less damage as well.

Note the direction my finger is showing how to LOOSEN the cup.

I ended up using the chewed up cups on the FM166 with the FSA cranks, knowing I could get them off with a monkey wrench next time.

FM166 Progress - Bones from the Giant

The grand parts shift has been ongoing this week, the big loser is the Giant aka Worlds Coolest Rainbike. The Campy bits went to the Big Red Pinarello, but the carbon chunks are now decorating the FM166.

I was very careful to make the sizing identical to the Focus, the one bike in the fleet untouched by the grand parts shift. ( that said, I replaced yet another spoke in the Focus Fulcrum 3's, thank goodness for the kit of spares!)

With the sizing correct, the flat carbon bars and familiar saddle/seatpost, the FM166 is really coming together. 

After pondering a hack to get the DT Swiss 370 hubs to 11 speed (a FILE/Dremel), I decided to just go 10 speed until we get new wheels. This means the Giant FSA Carbon Compact crank will be heading to FM166.

A secondary parts shift will occur with the long cage Ultegra on the Xtracycle (was original on Focus) will go to the FM166, the Scott 29er's banged up XT Rear Derailluer will go to the Xtracycle, AND a new XT Rear D will go to the 29er...Arg!

I ordered 10 speed Ultegra Cassette, Chain and Dura Ace Bar Ends from Chain Reaction Cycles in the UK - prices seemed too good, so I added DHL shipping. Lets see how that goes.

Oh, I should shut up and ride a bit now.

Big Red Pinarello Monviso - Rebuilt!

The late night wrenching this week concluded this afternoon with a shift cable and new tape for the Big Red Pinarello Monviso.

In this process, all the 10 speed Campy Record bits (mostly carbon and titanium) collected on the Giant were moved to replace the older 9 speed Campy parts on this frame. The new Fulcrum 7s were also put on to complete the all-Campy machine, replacing the buggy Neuvations. The relatively new chain and cassette complete the "rebuild".

I had a vision of taking this into Tim for a tune up, but it worked great on the test ride so far.

Finding Suntour Command Shifters for the FM166?

I had a set of Suntour Command Shifters on my first road bike, and was thinking they might be a good solution to the shifting needs of the FM166 if available/brought into modern times.

I did manage to find images and even some for sale on Ebay. They might be a good mount
if nothing else.

Also on the list are Gevenall/Retroshift, and Paul's Thumbies. These still need bar end shifters that get torn down.

FM166 First Ride With Hydraulic Brakes

Oh, finished the MS Ride this weekend. Very slow overall pace/big rest stops. I did hammer at 70 to 80 miles, only ended up with 91 due to waiting for team.

Anyway, post here is about the maiden voyage of FM166. I got the 20mm spacers, and put them on, adjusted and voila I was out riding in the dark, this time with brakes!

The bike felt very light, or the wheels a bit heavy, but the brakes definitely worked and had that nice MTB light action I have come to enjoy. We will need to brake them in and run this down a hill or two to get them nice and hot...

Next stop, homemade electronic wireless shifting?

FM166 Brakeless Test Ride in the Dark

I cleaned up an old Ultegra cassette and put it on the hub, found and old chain and did likewise.
Helmet with blinky and off  I went, then noticed its scary to ride without brakes and a freewheel.

Keeping it slow, I had some vibrations, but the bike seemed solid enough to proceed to order
some TRP Hylex brakes - got a set of 160 rotors Front and Rear figuring worst case I bought
expensive MTB rotors (these will fit the 29er).

I had to shorten the chain and true up the rear wheel a bit. I tried the 53 x something too small, the
chain skipped all over, so now its 39 and something bigger back there.

Shopping for drivetrain, I've decided to go 11 speed Shimano 105 if  I buy new.

In fact, I had a whole fleet vision, the big loser will be the Giant and whatever parts remain
for it. All the 10speed Campy and new Fulcrums go to Big Red Pin, all the carbon (bars, stem, cranks) go to FM166.

So basically best case, I get a 105 rain bike after all this...

FM166 Arrives - Project Hydro-Electric

Thanks to a relatively trustworthy opinion of a Chinese manufacturer, I am now the owner of a direct-from-China "Dengfu.com" model FM166.

Its a 60cm frame designed to support disc brakes, a good opportunity to try out hydraulics on a spare set of 29er MTB wheels (see Going Tubeless sections).

Super Quick Update...

Lots of fleet changes. Highlights

• Scott 24 Race MTB from PL replaces M's 6 speed 20 in. He's got the tool now to climb!
• Z has a beater 20" freestyle bike. Bought cheap to test commitment, expensive to fix up vs just replace
• New and cheap Fulcrum wheels for Giant Rain Bike, use of last drive train on the shelf.
• 2X Races on the Scott 29er, 2nd race at Mt Tamarancho hammered the rear derailleur and tires went flat
• Good summer training camp, see Strava. Some tandeming with a rack on the GTI.
• Fulcrum 7's on the Rain Bike replace the shimano drivetrain, which went to the Focus. Shiny new Campy from the new parts collection on the Rain Bike, nice ride again.
• Ongoing WMD - Wednesday Morning Dirt. 29er needs crank/BB/pedals to be looked at for noise, in addition to derailleur issue above.
• New Magic Shine for 2012 - broke glass of another, fixed wiring of yet another.

Tubeless Mission Getting Out of Control - New Wheels Incoming, PowerTap G3 For Sale...

The new Schwalbe Rocket Rons refuse to go onto their rim. Below is a my latest and hopefully last attempt, here soaked in soapy suds with big bubbles, after adding another layer of Stan's tape AND one of the original rim strips below the Stan rim strip.

 soapy tubeless fail mess

So to work I go and I make some decisions during my latte walk - selling the G3 Powertap Wheel to fund a new set of real tubeless wheels.

Stan's again, rat bastard it better work this time - Arch Ex 32 holes with XT hubs incoming Friday from Ebay for $380. Tim suggested Flow would be tougher, Stan's claims these are good for riders to 230lbs. We will find out.

Looks like Barb might get those lightweight wheels for her 29er afterall.

Going Tubeless - ARRGGG

During the Bogg's pre-ride I decided I needed a new rear tire anyway, might as well go tubeless in the 29er to gain whatever benefit I could.

First I figured out the Rocket Ron's were some of the lightest, fastest and most expensive tires around. Ordered 2 online from "TireManiacs". 2 of the fast guys on the ride, Tim and Ryan, ride the WTB Bronson TCS, so I thought I'd pick one up at REI using my "dividend" and 20% off coupon. Coupon expired, and I found a Cygnolite flasher I just had to have too.

Went to Mikes Bikes the next night after the Internet told me they had complete Stan's Notubes 29er XC kits for my DTSwiss XR 39, a Scott-specific product like a DT Swiss  X470 rim (not tubeless). They did not have the kit, but they did however sell me rim tape, Stans fluid, and 44mm valve stems for a Stans ZTR tubeless rim, which I DO NOT have.

Result was a big mess and broken heart. After frantic pumping for an hour,  I went inside to check the Internet, watched some videos and realized I had the wrong stuff for my RIM! So I ordered 2 XC rim strips for another $50.

The WISEST thing I did was to put a tube inside the new BRONSON and mount it up for a few days to get its bead set and newness off. I rode the bike to work this am, trying to see if I could notice a difference - it just felt heavier. I found the new Rocket Rons had been delivered in the am.

On the ride home from work, I hit something to loose some air out of the rear tire, and then landed very badly on a ledge during a bunny-hop that pinched the tube. Loosing air fast, I did make it home before it was unrideable.

New rim strips were waiting for me. I removed the front Bronson, carefully cleaned with rubbing alcohol and put on the rim strip. It was heavish, and seemed to be providing a step to make the tire fit better. On went the bronson, I put a little soapy water to help it seal, started pumping and suddenly
it was working/sealing, without sealant even! I opened the bead and put in 60-80 ml of Stans fluid, carefully got the bead back on and pumped it up again without spilling anything.  I shook and spun the wheel, added more pressure. It worked!

I pondered not using the new Rocket Ron's at all, just move the front tire to the rear, but I noticed some damage and thinnish sidewall - the new tire's definitely have heavier rubber on the sides. Cleaning the rim, I noticed I had indeed bashed it, and used some pliers to wiggle it out a touch. New rim tape, new rim strip again, and new tire. Terrible, not able to get it to hold anything. Added bubbly water, still no go. Took it to the air-compressor at work. Nadda! Went to compressor at gas station on the way home - still no love.

The step I am missing, besides it not being a Bronson (I love that name), is having it sit with a tube inside for a few days, which is where I left it now. Might take it out for a spin this weekend too, then hope the bead has settled enough to try sealing in some air. Maybe the Old Rocket Ron would have been a better place to start, microholes and all.

Bi-Annual Updates

* JTek pulley is in use on the rain bike to allow Shimano 10 speed wheels work with the WCRB's Campy 10 speed drivetrain. Bought a 10 speed 105 chain, using the 11x28t extra cassette from the Focus. Using the Neuvation M28 spare now, after the Campy Neuvation pulled out its spokes - again.

* Neuvation went out of business/shut down start of 2014. So long cheap wheels and insurance policy.

* Focus has a G3 Power Tap from Neuvation Cycles. Its wide rimmed and 25mm, I love how it feels back there. Going 25mm and wide from now on.

* 29er is still awesome, only have been replacing pads. Boggs on May 2nd, need a 3rd for the relay.

* Jeremy has my 26er MTB. Barb's old 26er still waits in the garage.