[Harry Meatmotor]

@jrenaut 99634 wrote:

Man, I thought fixed gear was supposed to be simple.

The one side at a time thing sounds doable, though. Thanks, all, for the help.

honestly, the only time i ever really worry about chainring eccentricity is on actual track bikes (that are actually going to be raced on a track), and it’s more for smooth pedal feel through the pedals than anything else. wonky chainrings are noticeable at high power/high cadence. on anything else fixed-gear, leaving the chain on the looser side if things will tolerate any chainring eccentricity and is a lot less hassle.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@OneEighth 99605 wrote:

But you want to check the play a multiple spots until you find the tight spot on the chain where there is less play and make sure that it does not bind at that spot. Just like a motorcycle.

Chain rings (when mounted on a the crank) are usually slightly eccentric. One way of fixing this goes like this:

1) set the chain tension to be no tighter than to allow 0.5″ to 0.75″ of vertical play in the chain, measured halfway down the chainstay
2) loosen all the chainring bolts, but not loose enough that the chainring becomes loose – about 1/2 to a single turn on each bolt
3) using the handle of a hammer, and while turning the cranks, tap the chain mid-chainstay
4) you’ll see where the eccentricity of the chainring/crank is because the chain play will decrease as you spin the cranks – tap the chain when it tightens to pull the chainring closer to the rear hub
5) once you’ve centered the chainring on the crank (i.e. chain play is constant through an entire pedal stroke) retighten the chainring bolts and double check the chain tension by moving the hub in the dropouts

One other trick is to walk the hub backward in the dropouts by only pulling the wheel towards the driveside/nondriveside at a time. for example, loosen the driveside hub nut and grab the rim near the chainstay, pulling it towards the chainstay. then tighten the driveside hub nut. then loosen the nondriveside hub nut and grab the rim near the nondriveside chainstay and pull it back to center between the chainstays. do this several times until there’s proper chain tension and the the rim is centered between both the chainstays and seatstays.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@wheels&wings 99614 wrote:

…these guys are often from more traditional cultures…

is that a nice way of saying Redneck?

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Starbuck the Delivery Man 99620 wrote:

If anyone out there can chime in, since I am still confused as to what causes the compatibility issues. What makes the versa vrs-8 shifter/brakes so special that they can work with this hub and belt drive? From doing some quick searching on them, they dont appear to be the best product out there, but somehow magically work with this belt/drop bar/igh/disc brake setup.

The versa shifters are designed to be compatible with shimano’s IGHs – when you actuate the shift lever, they pull or release the correct amount of cable to shift the hub from one gear to another. you won’t be able to use the versa vrs-8 and vrs-11 shifters with a normal derailleur because they don’t pull or release the correct amount of cable for any style of cable actuated mechanical derailleur (that I’m aware of). now, there are other issues that pop up when running an IGH that deal more with the dropouts used on a frame and how the dropouts accommodate both the chain/belt tension and the disc brake caliper mounting, but typically, if the dropouts are slotted (even just a little) you’ll be able to get everything to work. IGHs require slotted dropouts because the axle has flats and a set of lock washers that keep the axle from rotating in the frame. There’s also clearance issues that depend on the dropout style which pop up because there’s a plate that attaches to the axle on IGHs that guide the shifter cable and include a cable stop. In a word, it’s complicated.

Edit: it looks like shimano has come out with lock washers for vertical (QR style) dropouts – so the trick then becomes getting the correct angled washer so that the cassette joint unit sits properly in relation to the hub and the frame.

[Harry Meatmotor]

and not to completely hijack the thread, but what would be really neat is if somebody figured out how to hack the Di2 motor to work with any cable actuated IGH, boy-howdy, that’d be cool.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@DismalScientist 99538 wrote:

I think the pull distances between IGHs and a comparable-cog derailleur system are different. But what do I know? I’m just making this stuff up.

eggs-actly. Shifters for the multitude of different-numbers-of-gears are specific to each IG hub. So, Shimano 8spd is different from Sturmey Archer 8spd is different from SRAM (Sachs). Some hubs require different pull lengths depending on the shift, too.

But that Alfine stuff is niiiiiiice, so if i were to recommend anything to anyone it’d be just bite the bullet and run the full Alfine mini-gruposan.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@dkel 99231 wrote:

I won’t be surprised, likely. I can already tell they weigh a ton. Still…sooo excited!

Anyone have a tire pressure they’re particularly fond of for these?

the lowest pressure you’ll probably want to run is 35-40 PSI, and I’d leave that for when there’s actually snow/ice on the ground. if it’s dry, keep them up around 60-70 PSI. I’ll also be one to reiterate that you’re going to HATE those tires if the trails are clear and dry after about a month of daily commuting on them.

mark my words, a second set of wheels will be on your mind constantly when it’s 27 degrees out (and no precip) and all you want to do is get home because it’s dark and cold and those stupid studded tires are SO SLOOOOOOW!

[Harry Meatmotor]

@cyclingfool 99069 wrote:

It’s just a slight breeze.

“it never gets easier, you just go faster”

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Steve O 99073 wrote:

Question for Forum: What’s the best thing to yell when almost doored?

When riding in a group it’s pretty well agreed upon to call “door” or “door up” or “door right” and wave any following riders away from it. no need (imho) to make a big scene of it; better to keep everybody safe.

[Harry Meatmotor]

unashamed leg-shaving roadie here – but i definitely went through the FRED phase with shaggy legs, old t-shirts with the sleeves ripped off for jerseys, and a singlespeed monstrosity of a commuter.

[Harry Meatmotor]

yeah, concur – if anything that’s Wilma-lite.

[Harry Meatmotor]

First real rain ride with my new Hincapie rain jacket with the eVent fabric = awesome! very impressed – works as advertised.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@Sunyata 98584 wrote:

… even though I kept freaking out that I was super late to work.

just wait ’till this evening, you’ll be freaking out that you’re late getting home, too!

[Harry Meatmotor]

I know i’m going to be in the teeny tiny minority here, but I’d also add that I’d prefer oncoming cyclists to just leave their lights alone, rather than fumbling to dip their beam when it’s cold and they’ve got big poofy gloves on. numerous times i’ve had the pleasure of the unsettling one-hand-on-the-handlebar front-wheel-wobble coming at me while I’m doing 20mph. I don’t mind your lights (it’s why i wear a cycling cap!), but i do mind the lack of control of your bike.

[Harry Meatmotor]

@baiskeli 97523 wrote:

Arthritis starts at age 35!

It’s not just about cheating, it’s about people with bad joints or other problems, caused by age or otherwise, staying on bikes instead of driving around and getting fat. That’s a good thing. I’m feeling my knees now, and I can see myself wanting a little help in a few decades. I can also see people with disabilities not due to age using e-bikes to ride a bike when they otherwise wouldn’t be able to at all.

Maybe I should’ve added to that one?

[Author]

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