Your latest bike purchase?

[TwoWheelsDC]

@kwarkentien 201779 wrote:

No. But you can set it up that it will change the front or rear derailleur into the most optimal gear for your speed/effort based on gear inches and all that techie stuff. There are lots of ways you can set it up to change gears. I just do the normal up/down front/rear but there are other options.

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I don’t think regular Di2 can do this truly automatically. Apparently STEPS+Di2 can be fully automatic, since it has a built-in torque and cadence sensor that can talk to a Di2 RD, but that’s only for ebikes. At least with my current setup, the only “automatic” thing is that when I’m on my big ring, and downshift from my second-lowest to lowest cog, the big ring automatically shifts to the small ring and the cassette automatically shifts back up to the 3rd lowest cog (this is fully customizable). So in practice, I never use my left/big ring shifter, since all the big/little ring changes are handled automatically based on the cog I select with the right shifter. But I still have to manually shift the rear in order to trigger an automatic front shift.

[ImaCynic]

@TwoWheelsDC 201791 wrote:

…the only “automatic” thing is that when I’m on my big ring, and downshift from my second-lowest to lowest cog, the big ring automatically shifts to the small ring and the cassette automatically shifts back up to the 3rd lowest cog (this is fully customizable).

This seems a bit dangerous to me given the amount of the ratio change that occurs, especially if this occurs during an out-of-the-saddle climb. I do not ride Di2, but I do have Campy EPS. It does not shift to another gear automatically, but it does detect chain rub and automatically trim the FD to eliminate it.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@ImaCynic 201803 wrote:

This seems a bit dangerous to me given the amount of the ratio change that occurs, especially if this occurs during an out-of-the-saddle climb. I do not ride Di2, but I do have Campy EPS. It does not shift to another gear automatically, but it does detect chain rub and automatically trim the FD to eliminate it.

Not sure what you mean. This type of shift is a common, rider-initiated shift that could be done with our without Di2 (a front downshift quickly followed by a rear upshift), that overall minimizes the ratio change and avoids cross-chaining. Di2 just does it faster and without having to press the button for the front shift if you set it up that way. Not sure why anyone would do such a shift while out of the saddle though, regardless of their drivetrain.

[ImaCynic]

@TwoWheelsDC 201804 wrote:

Not sure what you mean. This type of shift is a common, rider-initiated shift that could be done with our without Di2 (a front downshift quickly followed by a rear upshift), that overall minimizes the ratio change and avoids cross-chaining. Di2 just does it faster and without having to press the button for the front shift if you set it up that way. Not sure why anyone would do such a shift while out of the saddle though, regardless of their drivetrain.

Well, as you described it, front downshift followed by rear upshift, that makes sense. But in the Di2 case, the rear triggers the front, so as one downshifts on the rear (attacking a climb, for example) the front automatically drops and then rear automatically upshifts? If somehow one forgets that it’s set up that way, it would be a bit abrupt.

[TwoWheelsDC]

@ImaCynic 201807 wrote:

Well, as you described it, front downshift followed by rear upshift, that makes sense. But in the Di2 case, the rear triggers the front, so as one downshifts on the rear (attacking a climb, for example) the front automatically drops and then rear automatically upshifts? If somehow one forgets that it’s set up that way, it would be a bit abrupt.

Yeah, I suppose if you forgot it could be a shock! My Garmin actually alerts me when the next shift will trigger the chainring shift, which definitely helps. I don’t think it has ever been a “surprise” for me though. And there’s always the option to just not set it up that way (it takes a special adapter and app to make Di2 do anything other than shift “normal”).

[kwarkentien]

@TwoWheelsDC 201791 wrote:

I don’t think regular Di2 can do this truly automatically. Apparently STEPS+Di2 can be fully automatic, since it has a built-in torque and cadence sensor that can talk to a Di2 RD, but that’s only for ebikes. At least with my current setup, the only “automatic” thing is that when I’m on my big ring, and downshift from my second-lowest to lowest cog, the big ring automatically shifts to the small ring and the cassette automatically shifts back up to the 3rd lowest cog (this is fully customizable). So in practice, I never use my left/big ring shifter, since all the big/little ring changes are handled automatically based on the cog I select with the right shifter. But I still have to manually shift the rear in order to trigger an automatic front shift.

I’m talking about the Syncroshift function, which can be set up in a variety of ways: https://di2center.com/2019/02/16/synchro-shift-how-does-it-work/

These are the shift modes you can set up:

* Full Synchro Shift: your front derailleur will shift by itself, when it has to

* Semi Synchro Shift: when you shift the front derailleur, the rear derailleur will also shift in order to compensate

* No Synchro Shift / turned off: No automatic shifts will happen. Full manual mode.

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[EasyRider]

Working from home has drastically reduced my mileage, since most of my riding was on commutes while the kids were in school and daycare. The practical thing would’ve been to buy a used trainer, or to read more, but instead I’ve frittered away the time building another commuter bike. All dressed up and nowhere to go.

It’s a single speed, a revived version of the fixed gear bike I put together from spare parts in 2006 and then disassembled three years ago to make room for other projects. About half the parts are new, the flashiest being a White Industries freewheel. But my favorite part of building it might be the fenders. They were old, gray, and kinda beat up, so I painted them with a rattle-can of Rustoleum Trim and Bumper paint. The matte finish turned out much better than I expected.

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[dkel]

@EasyRider 202069 wrote:

About half the parts are new, the flashiest being a White Industries freewheel.

Is this the same bike from your freewheel removal thread? How did you solve your spacer problem?

[EasyRider]

@dkel 202074 wrote:

Is this the same bike from your freewheel removal thread? How did you solve your spacer problem?

Yup, it’s the same. I just flipped the order of the spacer and “cone”. All good. Now both the cone and locknut are outboard of the freewheel body, and accessible to a wrench.

[secstate]

My Space Horse has been a fantastic (if somewhat heavy) commuter & do-everything bike but I’ve never been satisfied with the cantilever brakes. I’ve now swapped them for a set of Paul Minimoto v-brakes and could hardly be happier. It’s a fundamental difference in braking power. Modulation is better than expected. Adjustment is simple but a little touchy given how little rim clearance there is. Still vastly easier than the cantilevers — those made me feel totally incompetent every time I had to adjust them.

The main downside so far is that there’s not quite enough clearance for my fenders, which I either need to trim or replace.

These should keep me on the bike for years to come.

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[AliasXIII]

I also love my Space Horse as do-everything bike! But I too have never been quite satisfied with its cantilever brakes.
So this is a very interesting post. And one that may run the risk of costing me some money…

[secstate]

I can’t speak to whether the Pauls are worth the substantial premium over Shimano or Tektro options but I can do with a little more bling in my life

[dkel]

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Time for a makeover!

[chris_s]

I have a new co-pilot and no regrets.

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[Catedrew]

My last purchase was an ICE Adventure RS recumbent trike. I bought it because I had outgrown my previous trike – a TerraTrike Rover. I needed more low gearing and high gearing. Love it!

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[Author]

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