[hozn]

Yeah, I should clarify that I also think it is important to let people know that you are passing; keeping everyone aware of your presence is basic courtesy and safety.

But I think it is equally important to look behind you before changing lanes. Being aware of your surroundings is ultimately your responsibility.

It takes a fraction of a second to glance over your shoulder before switching lanes, as you’re only checking if it’s clear for 10-20ish feet behind you. I will say that I’m usually moving relatively quickly on the trail when passing, so I’m not worried about someone flying up behind me. If I were moving much slower I’d need to look farther back. So speed relative to other cyclists on the trail is probably a consideration too.

[hozn]

You should always look behind you before you change lanes. If you hit someone changing lanes, it’s at least as much your fault as theirs.

[hozn]

Then Bontrager Flare *is* a bright light with great side visibility. But warning that mine has not held up well to water — it is all corroded inside now and has a hard time charging. I might get another if they improve the sealing (e.g. the rubber charging port cover).

For side visibility and pure brightness the Serfas Thunderbolt is hard to beat. They don’t have awesome battery life, though.

My favorite is still the Exposure Tracer. I’ve had mine for years with no degradation in battery life or functionality.

[hozn]

Oh, and the book you want is Roger Musson’s e-book:

https://www.wheelpro.co.uk/wheelbuilding/book.php

I’ve read a few books, but this is easily the best for practical wheel building.

[hozn]

Breaking at the nipples (nipple heads) usually means the spokes are too short. Alloy nipples are especially sensitive to this.

bikehubstore.com is a great place to buy spokes and nipples. My luck with LBS spokes has been really terrible — they just stock only the most basic spokes in any lengths. Sapim recently raised their prices everywhere, but they are good spokes. So are wheelsmith double-butted spokes, though, and lighter than Sapim Race. And wheelsmith brass nipples are great.

The teachings that I apply: Always measure rim ERD yourself. Use Sapim Polyax round washers (and factor into measurements). Use (Wheelsmith) brass nipples by default. Use butted spokes always. Use motor oil for lubricant. Get a good spoke wrench/key. Use a tensionometer or equiv. Detention the spokes many times during build — until the detensioning doesn’t drop the tension anymore. And do all your lateral and radial truing at the lowest tension possible; it’s much easier than trying to do this later — and will make a better wheel.

Good luck! It’s not hard and it’s lots of fun.

And maybe a little addictive. I’m waiting for another set of carbon rims to ship next week. Replacing my carbon commuter rims with LB (also carbon) rims, due to my tubeless Compass tires not liking (blowing off the rim on) the hookless, slightly small Yishun asym rims. Yes, Compass tires are nice enough to make me build new wheels. (And Hope hubs are nice enough to make that a rebuild rather than just selling these perfectly functional wheels and building a new set.)

[hozn]

@highline 180360 wrote:

I have seen e-scooters on the bike paths; yet, on the W&OD, at least, signs say “No Motorized Vehicles”. The logical implication is that e-scooters do not belong on the W&OD because they have motors. Same with motorized bikes, electric or gas. I’ve also seen motorized skateboards. I don’t get it. The signs are quite clear, yet I see more and more motorized bikes/scooters/skateboards. And even a guy in a flintstones car that appears to have a motor. Are the signs just a suggestion, or some sort of joke? I tell you, this is the age of boundless confusion.

To distill countless pages of squabe that have already been written elsewhere on here … While the signs seem clear to the layperson, the issue here is in definitions. And in VA the definition of a motorized vehicle specifically excludes most/many of the vehicles you mention (there is a minimum output wattage before it is classified as a motorized vehicle etc.). There is some disagreement over whether NVRPA can mean something different than VA code. They don’t even attempt to clarify the question, afaik.

In any event, you can think what you want about them and their riders but it’s probably not correct to just assume they’re illegal on all the trails.

[hozn]

@Judd 180319 wrote:

I finally completed the build of the sweet Habanero Ti frame that I bought from hozn. I had a ton of analysis paralysis about buying the parts. And then once I got them I put most of it together but was too intimidated by installing the hydraulic brakes and the bike languished in the corner.

Birru convinced me to bring it in to Conte’s in Old Town to finish it up. Just got it last night.

Yay!! It lives again!

I really like that bike. And absolutely love the geometry, which is why my new Waltly frame is identical (just with thru axle and 44mm HT).

[hozn]

I’ll also mention Doug @ Sport Fit Lab in Herndon (http://www.sportfit-lab.com/). I’ve gone there for a fitting and then also to do a saddle fitting (pressure maps, etc.), which were both enlightening experiences. But Clovis is certainly a well-respected name, so I’d probably consider using him for a fitting too in the future, if I decide to do that again.

If you just need to adjust your saddle height & fore/aft position, though, you could probably replicate this pretty easily with a measuring tape & plumb line. My saddle height fluctuates by 1-2mm depending on time of year (e.g. which shoes) as well as by how much I’m riding. And when the miles tick up, I’m always looking for a better saddle, so I’ve been experimenting with different saddles recently. If it’s of any value, my adjustment strategy is:
– Fore/aft: measure distance from nose of saddle to center of crank spindle (using plumb line) and set that to within range based on my body measurements (or previous fitting, etc.). That’s right around 8cm for me. Or you could measure to your handlebars if you’re just changing out seatpost and not setting up a bike from scratch. But there’s a correct number for this based on physiology/preference and it’d be relative to the crank spindle, not the handlebars.
– Height: start with a measuring tape to match your known-good setup; then keep raising your saddle 1mm at a time until you start feeling your hips rocking or your body being pulled across your saddle (warning this is a recipe for saddle sores if you keep riding with it too high); and then back it down 1mm.
– Angle: I mostly just set the saddle to be level, though I tweak this a little over time. But if you’re not changing your saddle, I’d just match your previous angle. A level on your phone that provides a quantified angle can be helpful for this sort of thing. Also it can be helpful to find two spots separated by the length of your wheelbase that are level on your floor/patio/driveway/etc. and mark off where to put your wheels with tape.

[hozn]

@Erin Potter 180267 wrote:

It’s definitely on our radar and wish list of requests.

Thanks, Erin!

[hozn]

@secstate 180264 wrote:

It wouldn’t, but this thread seems to have the attention of folks who administer the board so I thought to mention it.

Yeah, I think that request has been heard, but I suspect there’s no just no technical folks to implement it (?) But, I wholeheartedly agree. Heck, we use https for the freezing saddles scoreboard.

[hozn]

This site should be using https, yes. Every site should be using it, but especially something that requests credentials.

@n18, I’m not sure what change you’re describing, but my suspicion is just that REI put some sane minimum (secure) cipher requirements in place. That wouldn’t be required when implementing SSL; however, at this point if a device’s default browser only supports insecure ciphers it’s probably time to download Chrome (or Firefox) anyway.

Edit: I don’t, though, see how switching to https would have any affect on the spam.

[hozn]

@Tania 180089 wrote:

This thread makes my head hurt – too many choices/decisions.

I’ve become much better about drive train maintenance. Wipe it down and re-lube (I’m a T-9 girl) every third or fourth ride and then if it’s been in wet (rain, raging creeks, on the back of my car in a thunderstorm) I’ll use some Finish Line citrus degreaser before re-lubing. Every so often I’ll use the park tool chain cleaner thingy that jabberwocky told me I should buy but turning on the hose is just such a pain (the spigot valve is in a tough spot).

I do apply a single drop of lube to each link which makes the SO crazy. Drip, drip, drip, drip, drip, turn cranks a little bit, drip, drip, drip.

Rock’n’Roll is so much easier. Spray while turning the cranks backwards a few times … turn backwards a few more times …. wipe it all off … done. It literally takes 20 seconds to lube the chain. And no cleaning ever needed. You pay for it, though — in dollars; that stuff ain’t cheap and I use a lot more than with a drip lubricant. But it’s so worth it in the time it saves me messing with my bike. Especially that part of my bike.

[hozn]

@Harry Meatmotor 180076 wrote:

buy a wax-based liquid lubricant like Rock’n’roll,

Are you sure Rock’n’Roll is wax-based? I had heard it was a PTFE lubricant but I’ve never seen it described as wax-based (it is usually contrasted to wax lubricants — but sometimes also contrasted to “other PTFE” lubricants, so I’m not entirely sure what that says).

[hozn]

@Brett L. 180078 wrote:

That lead me to some interesting articles! It really makes me want to check out the parrafin wax route, if only as a trial basis. Any experience with a pre-mixed one like Molten Speed Wax versus a “homemade” recipe of parrafin plus additives?

There was an interesting Cycling Tips podcast on this (w/ one of the guys from Friction Facts, I believe).

I remember a study that Velo did awhile back that was enlightening. Well, all I really remember is that Rock-n-Roll gold was an excellent lube (not as fast as paraffin wax but also way less of a pain to put on and holds up to normal riding conditions.)

[hozn]

@Tania 180083 wrote:

I’ve had someone absolutely swear to me that the stuff on new chains is the best lube around. (No joke or sarcasm on my part. Maybe there was on his part and I just missed it.)

Yeah, that was the opinion of the late Sheldon Brown:

Quote:

New chains come pre-lubricated with a grease-type lubricant which has been installed at the factory. This is an excellent lubricant, and has been made to permeate all of the internal interstices in the chain. The chain and this lubricant need to be warmed during application.

This factory lube is superior to any lube that you can apply after the fact — well, unless…see below.

Some people make the bad mistake of deliberately removing this superior lubricant. Don’t do this!

The factory lubricant all by itself is usually good for several hundred miles of service if the bike is not ridden in wet or dusty conditions. It is best not to apply any sort of lube to a new chain until it is clearly needed, because any wet lube you can apply will dilute the factory lube.

As well as KMC’s (http://kmcchain.us/faqs/)

Quote:

Yes, all chains have been pre-greased at the factory and are ready to ride right out of the box (some chains must be fitted to length according to your bike’s exact specifications). If you feel that there is too much grease, use a towel and wipe off excess grease from the plates only, avoiding the rollers. For more information on chain maintenance please look at our chain maintenance guide located on the home page.

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