2022-0923 Fall Roundup

 Documenting Updates to the Fleet

• Intense Shipped the Dropper Replacement!
• I shipped the bad one back. 
• I noticed no obvious air port to top off pressure. 
• No news on what might have been the cause of the end failure yet. 
• Installed the dropper and took it for a KT ride, worked fine as before.
• Rockshox 35mm lower kit arrived for maintenance, but I need oil and desire to get dirty
• Also got a 140mm shaft - I need to inspect and see if/why I am running so little pressure - maybe bent shaft? or dry/not enough oil?
• IF oil works, return shaft
• Need to return the Nukeproof XL pads - even the L seem big, very bulky. Okay with the elbows but the knees seem to be too much.
• Unfondo - got pulled in from the wait list so I am in. Maintenance/tuning on Whitelines continues
• new Coospoo is working well
• got a bell!
• tuned the front derailluer - I was doing it wrong forever apparently, but it still rubs in biggest gear
• get new tubes and maybe install the GP 5000's on the intended bike?
• Offering up Old Blue and FM166 to a young rider in need - has me pondering also adding White Lines and even Red Pinarello.
• Noticing the shift in generations out on the road
• Feeling old this am, not into the CX at all, even to practice after donuts today
• Terrible feeling that if I lose riding, I lose my social life.

2022-0904 Popped the Dropper on Hi-Ho Silver (Intense951 XC)

 I set out to do a lap or 2 of Tamarancho this am before the heat set in. Took the race-configured Intense951 XC, and the new Nukeproof Enduro pads up the hill, thinking how well this bicycle was working - shifting, seatpost and brakes (mostly) have been awesome.

Rear brake under pedaling load and turning left chirped a little, I tried loosening the caliper bolts, then riding a bit and then tightened the result. Helped.

Anyway, sweating it out and keeping the HR under 145, Julian of the KT gang shows up while I hung out atop the Flow Trail. Julian was "going slow" which for him is a strong medium for me - still unable to hang on the downs. Did a lap and Una Mas'd another, when out of the blue past the "bell bridge", my seatpost went "POP" and my butt slammed down to the minimal position. Hmm, so much for the trouble free post. I assumed a chamber literally popped in there, no air,etc. but it seemed to move a bit too much. Struggled on out with lots of standing, and/or sitting low, ate a sandwich and Root Beer with Julian then went home with the broken rig.

Hosed it off, loosened the seat post and got a very long silver post and threaded end

That was unexpected. The whole scene:

I was able to thread it back in, but the cable was bent on the end AND broken at the lever - had not noticed that.

Looking into the tube, how was I supposed to get the cable back into the end?

Unable to find details on internal dropper cable routing for the Intense 951 or snipers, I went to the website and tried "chat". No US listings available but NZ and AU were selectable. So I hit it, and Josh G kindly answered from the AU option (NZ had no response, but maybe closed - 3pm in AU)

Josh's description of how it SHOULD be working gave me confidence that that threaded end had indeed been piston-ing into the seatube and warping the cable housing into a coil - from the phone and bike flashlights it looked hot-glue-gunned in place.

So a sharp hook on a clothes hanger and a little fishing I hooked the coil, pulled the cable straight, and was then able to pull out the housing as Josh promised. Hurray!

I need to buy an over-length housing and cut to fit. IF the seatpost works, no harm no foul. I did find some nice seatpost manuals with greasing and assembly instructions that might get put to use.

(458 miles on Hi Ho Silver according to the Strava Gear report)

2022-0824 Maintenance Log - new computer, new derailluer

 Received the $40 "Coospo" GPS/Ant+ Cycling computer, learned to program it, synced up Wahoo TickR HR and Garmin Cadence/Speed Ant sensor. Seems fine so far, BUT most notable observation is the device is physically HUGE, like 4x the size of a Garmin 500. Hilarious. Readablity looks good, I hope the backlight will turn itself off in the dark.

Task 2 was installation of a new Shimano 12speed MT8100? rear derailleur. I was bummed that the device looks exactly like the one its replacing, I hope the internals are improved. New casing and cable too, of course.

Shimano XT RD-M8100 M8120 SGS 12 Speed Rear Derailleur Long Cage

2022-0818 Maintenance Log

 Santa Creme

- chain wipe n lube, cassette wipe

- pike air pressure - 60 psi, try to equalize lower chamber pressure, 20% sag, rebound +3 turtle, high speed 7 clicks(center)

- tighten/re-tension dropper post cable

- silicon spray dropper shaft

- hand pressure check tires/seem fine

- remove inspect and sand down rear pads (were noisy), wipe rotor with fresh rag. Assemble and test outdoors, edge of skid

Headset Spacer Swap another -80g

 Not sure if this one was worth it, bit swapped a stack of aluminum spacers for some bigger carbon options in 2 pieces.

213g stack of Aluminum rings

134g 2 piece carbon spacers

Good ride at China Camp, I took Santa Creme with the WTB i27s from HiHo, now tubeless. I also put an Old minion on the front.

Rode okay, did notice the weight of the rear. First half was crap riding on my part, second part I clicked in. Shortish ride looking at the stats, used flats. Not sure if too much racin or not enough trailing.

Going to get spacers to put the big Light Bicycle rims back on the SC. Leaves me a spare front intense not fitting the 100mm pike. Never shoulda sold the spare fox 34 boost…

327 - 186 = 141g less thank you Niner RDO bar

 I need to turn off the scale backlight

327g Intense stock 760mm Al bar

186g Niner RDO 760mm Carbon bar

The Niner bar is a little flatter, so if it feels yucky might put on the SC Nukeproof bars. The height of the Meta bars are a good 100mm higher than the Intense...

Oops I Did It Again - N + 1 Holding Well...

Okay got a new bike, a complete that I have been watching for a while hoping a good deal would get better. An Intense951 XC - its like a Sniper TR but with cheaper parts. Available "on sale" as Open Box or Refurbished. I watched a long time waiting for a Refurb at $3200 but when no XLs showed and all the L's began to disappear, I grabbed an OpenBox for $3500. 

The bike showed up a week earlier than expected, just after Boggs 2022, another story. I snuck it home and into the shed, unpacked and built it up. I finally took a ride on it this morning with the resurrection of the WMD, it pedaled well.

Loving the buzz of the quick ride and new bike legs, I rode it to work to show it to the office MTB crew.

I convinced myself I really wanted the frame and would swap parts to sell a member of the fleet, then it seemed I would keep it whole. I am ending up somewhere in between.

First I swapped out the saddle - the one sent along seemed very short and just a hair to wide. Volt 142 was fine. The standover is super low, but the fully extended 170mm dropper was a hair long riding flats with Vans. Shimano XT lipless and Sidis with the Volt a little forward are all working great.

NOW the wheels. The bike shipped with tubes, then valves and fluid were delivered with a nice toolkit by Intense. HS at the office got the torque wrench and shock pump.

Boost front and back, and 12 speed with a steel NX cassette, the rear wheel had to weigh a ton. Really? Then lets move the Rekon/Icon combo from the Meta HT "race bike"'s big Light Bicycle hoops to the Santa Creme's 30mm Light Bicycle boosted hubset.

The only instantly compatible swap is from the Intense to the Santa Cruz. But I wanted the Meta HT's tires on the Santa Cruz hoops. Got that? And the disks - too big on the Santa Cruz @ 203 and 180. Put on the old/hanging 180/160s centerlocs.

And lets check the weights, focusing on rear wheel:

2675 (thought it was 2800+)g: intense hub 28h, wtb i27 rim, Kenda 2.0 w Tube, 160mm rotor, 12sp NX steel cassette

2530g: 11sp cassette, XT hub, 160mm bolt rotor, LB carbon 38mm wide, Maxxis Icon

2549g: 30mm LB, 180mm Magura Rotor, 12sp slx cassette n hub, Maxxis Icon

this should read 2450g: 30mm LB, 160mm Shimano Rotor, 12sp six cassette n hub, Maxxis Icon

I thought it was a 400g savings rear wheel alone, nearly a pound. Then I moved the Rekon to the front SC 30mm LB hoop, and put on the 180mm centerloc shimano, probably saving another 250g.

Next, swapping out the bar with the Niner RDO carbon bar that I cannot seem to sell.