all purpose gear thread

I can't get my old peddles off!

My new peddles are on!

Just did a lap of cmapus with the SPEDs clipped in; didn't fall off, but I did really enjoy it. Only irritation is how hot & hilly campus is today.

Had my first "SPD moment" on the way to work this morning; unclipped left foot as I approached a pedestrain/bicycle crossing so I could stop in time, lights changed at the last minute, and I tried to carry on rather than stopping. Que slow topple to my right...

Despite many years of SPDing had one of those last week, after two beers. With many spectators.

Need to bring this thread down to earth for a sec: I need a new saddle for my 3-spd townie. Now that I live 5-7 miles from anywhere, I can't ignore how painful the old two-tone seat is anymore.

Who makes a decent sprung saddle that's not inappropriate for an old bike WITHOUT being a "cost of my firstborn" Brooks? Looked at Electra's options, so far they're winning. Anyone else I should check out?

Velo Orange have their sproingy saddles on special for $65 right now

http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/saddles/vo-saddle-model-5-sprung-touring.html
http://store.velo-orange.com/index.php/components/saddles/vo-saddle-model-8.html

anyone in UK/europe want a free set of KEOs?

anyone in UK/europe want a free set of KEOs?

Which Keos? (would pay postage if they are better than mine)

will take a pic and post them up laterz; couldn't tell you what model, came with pub bike

I'll pass then, was hoping you had gone off your nut and wanted to give away some blade carbons.

loooooooool nah just standard scumbag keos I think #spdforlife

any takers yet? i'd get use out of them tbh.

no takers, they're yours if you want them

dwh0w13 at g00gl3m41l dot c0m

minus all googleproofing natch

http://www.outdoortrekking2010.de/out/pictures/1/menpaceeventjacketblack.jpg

love the aesthetics, eVent fabric, ayo im gettin it

(ebay has a few larges very cheap if ur a looking a for a minimalist but real rainjacket)

took 20s off new dayglo pink beater, tubes looked pretty old, pretty crusty

put on 25s. front tube just exploded (shit myself basically) in my kitchen. pinch flat? or...?

bad rim strip?

Rough bit at top of rim, if there were only 20s before you may have friction where previously there wasn't any? Or yeah, pinched it

Wasn't the valve, was it? Exactly that happened to me last night - only to discover that the valve in my Continental tube is removable (??) and it had just shot across the kitchen and could be popped back in and all's fine.

shiiiii... don't know. will have a look tonight. that sounds potentially dangerous

anyone experienced with dmt shoes? thoughts?

btw the vaude jacket arrived and is awez. not tiny, but more packable/thinner than expected. close fit (def. not club fit), but not _race_ fit. s'alright, i need it as all rounder anyway.

where is my mantis jersey goddamit

other than aesthetics, is there any thing to stop me cannibalising my old read (stx) mech from my marin muirwoods and putting it on the new beater with friction shifters? (for which I'v found some dirt cheap wheels and a 5 speed cassette - which I worry is all the frame will take...)

anyone? Bueller?

but also - meant to say yesterday - I introduced the beater to Autosol and autoglym polishes yesterday - this stuff is unbelievably awesome, what were dull grey brake levers destined for the bin/ebay, are now gleaming, shiny levers of wonder that I can see my face in - seriously magical stuff - so much so I've decided to keep them.

If it's a pub bike/beater, I don't see what you care about aesthetics. Friction shifters work, period. Other than having to trim sometimes to make it smoother, your shifts won't be that much slower.

As far as five speeds go, measure the rear dropout. If it's 120mm, stay with a 5-speed. If it's 126, go ahead with a 6. Hell, if it's 120, you might even be able to find an old Suntour "Ultra-6" freewheel that has 6 cogs in the width of a standard 5. You'll need a narrower chain for that, but all modern chains are narrow enough. A SRAM PC-850/870/890 will likely do the job just fine. It's what I had on my c. 1974 Peugeot UO-8 before giving it away.

(I've heard/read of people bending out their rear stays and dropouts to 130mm to take modern cassettes. I'd be wary, esp. if you don't know the specific tubing/metallurgy of your frame. CrMo can be bent, but MnMo like Reynolds 531 can't.)

oh, it's only a beater, but it's my beater, and I like a nice-looking (serviceable) bike. (in fact have changed my mind on the brown saddle bars, am going with....orange, I reckon it'll look nice with the silver frame, and orange tape = way cheaper than brown leather)

Thanks for the call on drop-out width, it looks hella narrow by eye, will measure it up when I get home. There's no way I'm bending the tubes, with my clumsiness, that way el disastero lies.

^_^

^^^^my face when i got my first new sidis in 13 years

oooooh

are they white??

hunt3r:
http://29.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lli0jnIwNV1qhxs03o1_500.jpg

TS: that advert vs pippo's epic wheelsucking - what is more offensive

lol btw they are not white
well dag! i think northwave did better w/ cipo and his ladiez but hey

anybody got a favorite method of taking your bike on a plane? this looks pretty nice:

http://www.cyclingtipsblog.com/2009/07/bike-cases-softshell-or-hardshell/

i like my cheap perf hardshell for airline travel, but i think cardboard is just as good.

domestic usa air charges are obviously typically off the charts now. if you can pack and ship in advance by ups/fedex, it's def cheaper. cardboard works just as well or better here if you do it right, and is free. one problem i have with shipping the hardshell is that its dimensions are juuuuuust over a shipping pricing breakpoint, so the smaller cardboard box works better in that respect too.

obv, if you dont have a backup bike, shipping makes you bikeless for a while.

that softshell looks really nice!

Many bike cases or bags have their logo written all over the outside (i.e. “BIKE PRO“). This immediately attracts attention to the check-in agent and they’ll most likely charge you extra for a bike (unlike golfers). The Pika Packworks says nothing about bikes on the outside. It doesn’t look like a problem, so check-in agents don’t treat it like a problem. This was one of the factors that the design of the bag was based around – to dodge the excess bike charges. Apparently saying that “camping gear” or “bike parts” is inside the bag does the trick if they ask.

If this works, the case is a bargain at > $300.

and thanks for the tips. didn't even know about the excess bike charge, is how green i am.

also instructive
http://www.dcrainmaker.com/2011/02/how-i-travel-with-my-bike.html

Scored a set of Kreitler rollers + headwind fan + fork stand for $150 today :)

quick question, I have seen these "frame protectors" on many a hipster fixie, but..... what do they protect against?

like this:
http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1377/5124966788_189c12c1cb_b.jpg

the handlebars denting the top tube.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh thanks for that

Italian review of Ultegra Di2 with pix (run thru g-translate):

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclinside.com%2FTechnews%2FBiciclette%2FComponenti%2FUltegra-Di2-Eccolo-Lo-abbiamo-provato.html

want

Might want when they replace the UGLY matt plastic look on all the components!

http://www.sram.com/rockshox/products/sid-world-cup

so apparently a buddy of mine that works at sram is sending me one of these? for free? along with other "surprise parts"?

someday he'll want free medical svcs u kno

ha yeah i told him i would deliver his kids, should he ever have any

gbx, google tells me that retails for £725! Nice freebie.

how much does a kid retail at tho