[ginacico]

@dbb 162041 wrote:

Let me look at home. As part of the VVIL yard sale, I bought a Ultegra compact crankset as a “spare”. If you need it, it is available.

Thanks dbb, but it turns out I’ll stick with the Ultegra triple. I confirmed model numbers with LBS, and the chainrings are readily available. Plan is to drop off a box of parts and let them do the build/tune. No ding on them, they’ve been more than cooperative, sometimes it just pays to do the research and hunt down parts myself.

With everyone’s help, of course, thanks all! I’m basically getting a new Ultegra drivetrain for pretty cheap, complete with lower gears. Maybe in another three years I’ll make a different decision, but right now I can’t wait to have Vaya back!

[ginacico]

@hozn 161913 wrote:

It does have an annoyance, though, that has surfaced in recent weeks which I’m unsure whether to fault as a building defect (them), bad design (me), or simply an expectation of using a coupler bike as a daily rider (no one): it starts making noise (sounds like BB clicking) after a couple/few weeks of use.

Basically, when the couplers are greased up and torqued down hard (about as hard as I can with the provided 6″ish wrench) the bike is quiet no matter how hard I mash on it. I’ve taken it to the group hill rides — and I’m definitely a tall-gear masher, which I’m sure isn’t helping me here. I don’t check on the coupler tightness (which is maybe an user error), but after a couple weeks or so it starts making some noise. In one case, it seemed like it had come a tiny bit loose; tightening it helped. More recently it still seemed just as tight, but opening it up and cleaning it out and regreasing every aspect of the coupler interface made problem go away. Most recently it’s being a little more stubborn and still making some noise on out of saddle hill climbs despite regreasing. Maybe I didn’t regrease it quite as well as before. Not sure exactly which interface is rubbing/clicking/moving.

Maybe the tolerances aren’t quite as perfect. Or maybe the smaller downtube is to blame (to be fair, Waltly did originally propose a much larger down tube, which would probably have made a stiffer system down there).

@ginacico, have you ever had any issues with noise from your couplers (or heard of others with this problem)? Is there any regular maintenance you do on your coupler frame?

My coupler frame makes no noise at all, it behaves exactly like a solid steel frame. It has not had a tendency to wiggle loose. My guess, or at least my hope, is that it’s not your couplers driving you nuts. I’m not sure what would cause that, but if that’s indeed what’s making the noise and it’s happening with annoying frequency I’d talk to your frame builder. Noise means friction, and that’s a concern.

A loaded down frame and/or hard riding would logically put stress on the couplers. So with the travel bikes we’ve just made it part of our pre-ride ABCD routine (A=air, B=brakes, C=couplers, D=drivetrain) to check the tightness and occasionally re-check if we’re out for multiple days. Only one time that I recall, mine started to loosen after a couple days, an odd noise is what alerted me, and I just tightened it up with my S&S spanner wrench. Obviously it’s a danger if it comes apart!

For maintenance, I did buy the high-fluo-crazy-expensive grease. I’ve only applied it once or twice, and sparingly; at this rate I suspect that one tube will last me the life of the bike. And I only close the couplers hand-tight, I don’t really torque down on them for fear of stripping the threads.

Noises suck! I hope you can hunt them down.

[ginacico]

@hozn 162033 wrote:

Are you sure? The 6750 is a compact double crankset. Maybe I misread above; I thought you had a triple currently.

Nope, totally not sure, and I was having the same confusion. The bike is in the shop, could’ve been a communication error but I’m waiting for them to call back and verify.

@hozn 162033 wrote:

The one linked above looks to be the correct replacement part — or get the 105 version (5703) if you want to save $100 and don’t care about saving a few grams. Edit: while the Salsa website doesn’t provide model number, I find references in online classified ads for this build having a FC-6703. You can also get that crankset for less than $200 on ebay: http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_from=R40&_trksid=p2047675.m570.l1313.TR2.TRC0.A0.H0.XFC-6703.TRS0&_nkw=FC-6703&_sacat=0

I would stick with a triple if you don’t want to mess with replacing your left shifter.

Yeah, that’s my inclination. And if FC-6703 is a drop-in replacement, that’s exactly what I’ll do (with change-ups in the rear). This is a 28+ pound [behemoth] absolute joy of a bike, before the rack and fenders. Standard caveat applies: if dropping weight is the goal, real effort should be focused on the engine. But I do opt for lighter parts when possible.

Thanks so much for your help!!

[ginacico]

@bentbike33 162027 wrote:

I don’t know about that.

Maybe. To be more specific, current crankset is Ultegra 6750. I’m challenged to find direct replacements.

[ginacico]

Daunted by the price tag to go full SRAM, I’ve been pursuing the idea of sticking with Ultegra. It is nice stuff, the smooth feel is part of what makes this bike such a joy to ride, and presumably it would wind up cheaper.

@timo96 161899 wrote:

So this would work: http://www.jensonusa.com/!Ed6pKfDjL30EBhwz4OHsQQ!/Shimano-Deore-M591-9-SPD-Rear-Derailleur?

Jenson and LBS have both agreed, either this rear derailleur or the Road Link should work with an 11-36 cassette. Thanks for the clues!!

The next hurdle is, nobody can find replacement chainrings for the ones that are worn in the front. And if I have to get a whole new crankset, I’m not sure which ones are directly compatible. Vaya is only three years old, but it looks like the Ultegra 10-spd triple is officially obsolete……sigh.

@EasyRider 161914 wrote:

I’ve also got a 46/30 FSA crankset on that bike. I think FSA may be the first big maker to be offering this combo, which up to now has been kind of a boutique item. Seems like these cranks could be the key piece of the puzzle if you’re trying to have even lower gearing that what you have now, with a 30t granny ring on the Ultegra triple.

I like that idea too, but wouldn’t I have to change the front der and possibly shifter?

@Sunyata 161946 wrote:

I am going to assume that you have not read my DK200 race report.

Nonsense, of course I did! Reading about crazy adventures is sometimes more fun than actually doing them. 😎 Real point taken, C&O Canal gravel/mud is likely a contributor to what did in this drivetrain.

Appreciate all the input!

[ginacico]

@Tania 161897 wrote:

Do you have other drop bar bikes that are shimano? All of my drop bars are SRAM – not because I necessarily prefer it to shimano, but because my first one was SRAM and I decided I didn’t want to bother dealing with the different shifting techniques from bike to bike. It’s just too much for my brain.

My other bike is Campagnolo. So I’d be adapting to a third shifting technique :rolleyes: and the Shimano would go away. But hey if SRAM is easy to live with, I’m teachable!

[ginacico]

I plagiarised a bunch of your ideas while adding a few of my own thoughts, and sent them to my state senator and rep and cc’ed to VDOT. Even included “ignominy” used correctly in a sentence.

[ginacico]

@OneEighth 161285 wrote:

DC isn’t even willing to get the vendor trucks out of there to ease motor vehicular congestion and improve emergency response. Especially not when the commuters being impacted are (for the most part) not DC residents.
Stupid AND spiteful.

Well said.

I wasn’t aware the 15th Street cycletrack extension was already off the table.

I also mentioned in my email the crossing of Constitution at 15th which, even using the crosswalks and pedestrian signals, is dangerous. I witnessed a very close call there recently.

WABA has also agitated about

• the L Street bike lane between 16th and 15th, and lack of safe passage during construction
• the frequent, unannounced and seemingly arbitrary Lafayette Square closures (despite their win building the cycle chute on Madison Place)

I acknowledge they’ve tried, just reiterated that the problems haven’t gone away. At this point I wish I could ride one way in the morning and magically teleport out of the city after work, it just sucks to deal with that gauntlet.

[ginacico]

The worst part of my evening commute is getting from my office to the 15th Street cycletrack, heading to the 14th Street bridge. I wrote to WABA just restating the nightmare that they already know exists, but I’m sure those of you who are in or have to go around the Farragut – Lafayette Square zone can commiserate. A picture is worth a thousand words.

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[ginacico]

Kudos and Thank You to the guy who, near the Jefferson memorial, paused with a smile to let me go first up the path to the 14th Street bridge this evening. Then followed (politely, not closely) until we got onto the bridge, waited for a safe pass, and gave me a cheerful “Hey, have a great ride!” on the way by.

Maybe you can teach a few of these other dudes how to act like a gentleman. Us women, we like that stuff.

[ginacico]

What’s up with the detour around the construction zone at Potomac Ave and E Glebe? It looked like it was obstructed by work vehicles and signs this morning. Kind of a dumb detour anyway, I just took the lane northbound on Potomac until I could cross over to the trail behind the shopping center. But shouldn’t there be safe off-street passage?

[ginacico]

Avid BB7’s still function in C&O Canal mud. (This was about 15 miles after a squirt-bottle bath.)

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[ginacico]

The only attention I pay to my mechanical disks (Avid BB7s) is 1. occasional fine adjustment of the calipers (to stay grippy without rubbing) and 2. replacing the brake pads once in a blue moon. Both are negligible, routine maintenance, which I don’t think would be any different on hydraulics.

[ginacico]

Here’s a bit from the Arlandrian in 2009, wherein Steve O also noticed the strange signs.

“The Anderson Trail…or perhaps, Anderson Bikeway….is the proper name of the trail in Four Mile Run park between Route 1 and the Avenue.”

http://www.arlandria.org/2009/06/anderson-bikeway.html

[ginacico]

I saw a scary close call crossing Constitution Ave this morning at 15th. Lots of cyclists, peds, and shoalers waited until we got the crosswalk light then proceeded to maneuver across from both sides of the road. Suddenly a car came out of nowhere, the driver had gunned it and blown the red light heading westbound on Constitution. Screeching, smoking tires and shouts from the people crossing southbound, whose lives were narrowly spared as the car somehow stopped in time.

The guy drove off, of course. In hindsight, there were enough people there, we should’ve surrounded him until we got pics and a license plate number and filed a report. It’s not enough to assume they learned their lesson.

Hate this intersection!
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