[thecyclingeconomist]

Here’s the legit 115db version that I use in traffic: Delta Airzound Bike Horn

You can adjust the amount of air that is released, so you can use it on paths too (since most ninja’s these days wear headphones and can no longer hear your bell)

[thecyclingeconomist]

@jabberwocky 40526 wrote:

… and support was abysmal… Support simply never responded to emails or phone calls.

As long as he’s buying from REI, none of that matters. You can return at anytime without reason.

“rain jacket” is too broad for me: are we talking insulated, or just a shell? Since you say something “more substantial”… I’d recommend trying on a Gore Bike Wear ALP-X or a Castelli Adriano. It’s legit Goretex (note that Gore Bike Wear stuff is most definitely NOT all goretex based)

Make sure that the jacket has two-way zippers and preferably pit-zips and a good baffled vent on the back.

Just something to consider.

[thecyclingeconomist]

[thecyclingeconomist]

@hozn 40447 wrote:

There is only one all-rounder wheelset option even worth considering: https://madfiber.com/

Anything else is stupid. Building wheels with metal is so nineteenth/twentieth/early-twenty-first century.

The Price-tag makes these extremely reasonable for the commuter and weekend warrior… :p

[thecyclingeconomist]

The price-tag makes these extremely reasonable for us daily commuters and weekend warriors…

:p

[thecyclingeconomist]

Low maintenance cost, high durability per oz:

You might consider building up a 3-cross 36-hole wheelset with Phil-Woods hubs laced to Velocity Aerohead or Mavic-Open-Pro rims. Although, for 175lbs, you probably really do only need 32-hole 3-cross to achieve a pretty bomb-proof setup (Consider: will you commute with these? Ever ride with gear on the bike? If the answer is yes: just go stronger, since the weight savings of weaker builds just isn’t justifiable. The reality: wheel builders generally use low spoke counts because it’s CHEAPER.)

I prefer brass nipples. The weight savings just doesn’t make any sense when considering durability. Sure, if you are building up an elite TT bike and you are a Cat 1 racer… but I’m pretty sure that if you are writing on this forum, you aren’t that “elite.”

I actually build all of my wheels with 36-hole, 3-cross. They are utterly bomb-proof. I’ve not once had to true my road wheelset, and they have over 2400 miles on them. On a previous set, I put 10K, and only had to true once; and it was after I had a pinch flat hitting a rail-road track at about 25mph. I’ve not had problems with my hubs as long as I went with Ultegra, Chorus or Phil-Woods (I do not prefer Dura-Ace or Record becuase they often lack the durability of the slightly heavier lines; but Ultegra and Chorus both have all the technological advances that are available in the top-end lines). I know that White Ind. makes some great stuff, but haven’t used them (their even more pricey that Phil’s stuff from what I recall.)

The nice thing about going with Ultegra: you can get replacement parts anywhere, and for pretty darn cheap.

Here’s the steed with the wheels: I think that black rim, black nipple, black spoke, black hubs—looks pretty nice. But that’s me.

Good luck and God bless!

[thecyclingeconomist]

@vvill 40440 wrote:

There are standard Surly frames that can take a belt drive?

Not unless that’s a new thing for 2013… none of the Surly frames have split drops. Though, I’ve seen some custom done to accommodate a gates carbon belt drive… I don’t know why any niche steel manufacturer would build a frame without a split drop, but that’s just me.

[thecyclingeconomist]

An FYI to all of you here on the Forum: I’ll be hosting (along with help from Tim and Zanna in getting the place setup) an intermediate tech-session (completely free) at the Shirlington Library on February 27th from 6-8pm. This is being aimed purely at forum folks. If you plan on coming, please shoot me a quick PM so I can put you down on the list.

I’ll be putting together a flyer and re-post it on here in the upcoming weeks, but since this thread is still warm, I figured that I’d throw it out there.

I’ll be doing:
1. front and rear derailleur adjustment (setting stops, proper initial adjustments, including what the b-pivot actually does), and chain installation (setting the length).
2. Brake adjustments (caliper and disc)
3. Pedal, crank, bottom-bracket and headset installation/greasing/adjustment. (Also, proper maintenance routines and the implications of failing to do it)
4. Basics of wheel-truing (not wheel-building, that’ll have to be a different event.)
5. Basics of bicycle-fitting (saddle adjustments fore and aft, seat-post height, stem length, handle-bar width, cleat placement, crank-length)

I’ll do a purely instructional portion, and then open for questions within each section of the class.

[thecyclingeconomist]

An FYI to all of you here on the Forum: I’ll be hosting (along with help from Tim and Zanna in getting the place setup) an intermediate tech-session (completely free) at the Shirlington Library on February 27th from 6-8pm. This is being aimed purely at forum folks. If you plan on coming, please shoot me a quick PM so I can put you down on the list.

I’ll be putting together a flyer and re-post it on here in the upcoming weeks, but since this thread is still warm, I figured that I’d throw it out there.

I’ll be doing:
1. front and rear derailleur adjustment (setting stops, proper initial adjustments, including what the b-pivot actually does), and chain installation (setting the length).
2. Brake adjustments (caliper and disc)
3. Pedal, crank, bottom-bracket and headset installation/greasing/adjustment. (Also, proper maintenance routines and the implications of failing to do it)
4. Basics of wheel-truing (not wheel-building, that’ll have to be a different event.)
5. Basics of bicycle-fitting (saddle adjustments fore and aft, seat-post height, stem length, handle-bar width, cleat placement, crank-length)

I’ll do a purely instructional portion, and then open for questions within each section of the class.

[thecyclingeconomist]

@Arlingtonrider 40392 wrote:

Darth Vader rain kit for total 8 mile comfort[ATTACH=CONFIG]2261[/ATTACH]

I call it my bank-robber look: [ATTACH=CONFIG]2262[/ATTACH]

[thecyclingeconomist]

@KLizotte 40245 wrote:

Don’t laugh but a really cheap, super light, effective rain cover for your helmet is one of those freebie shower caps you get in hotels. They squish up to nothing and are made of clear plastic so hardly visible when on. They have an elastic band so they easily slip on the helmet and stay put. Unfortunately they aren’t very durable but they are so light I keep one in my emergency bag at all times wrapped in an elastic band. They would probably work okay as shoe covers in a pinch too.

I love this tip! I NEVER wanted to pay $25 for a stupid helmet cover, after all; my head is usually wet from sweat when it isn’t raining. In a cold down pore, this is a fun, super cheap solution.

I’ve still never found a better waterproof shoe cover than a standard plastic shopping bag (properly fitted and tied so that rain pants go over the top). You can clip in right through the bag. However, if you are unclipping and putting your feet down a lot, you’ll probably wear holes in the bottom.

[thecyclingeconomist]

@TwoWheelsDC 40218 wrote:

I don’t know about SRAM, but with Shimano my understanding is that as long as you are keeping the same number of cogs, you don’t need to do any adjustments. I just swapped out my 12-30 Tiagra cassette for an 11-28 105 cassette and didn’t have to do any derailleur adjustments…shifts smoothly with no issues. Changing the chain and cassette together is a loose rule of thumb, and 2k seems like enough miles to possibly warrant a change, but there are so many variables it’s probably impossible to say for sure without checking the cassette itself.

Sorry, but for Bluerider’s question, it’s the gear-inches that determine whether a derailleur can soak up the extra chain, as well as provide enough chain for the “big-big” combo. It’s not the number of cogs. Shifting won’t be affected, but chain-length will be, and if your derailleur doesn’t have a long enough cage, then you could do catastrophic damage (broken rear derailleur and chain, and possible a crash too) due to the drive train locking up… yes, I’ve had a customer have this happen after he home-modded his setup without knowing how to properly determine chain-length and his short-cage derailleur couldn’t hand his new mega-range cassette).

I don’t think he was asking about the horizontal shifting accuracy of the derailleur.

Just my take on it…

Safe riding and God bless!

[thecyclingeconomist]

Sent you a PM… If you go to Perfomance bike, you should be able to pick up the parts for cheap (and they’ll probably have them in stock)… or call your LBS and see if they have the parts in stock and pick them up before coming over.

Depending upon your cleaning schedule, (and based upon your chain, I’d say that you’ve been following a commuter’s cleaning schedule: wipedowns/cleaning once a month-ish?)… I’d just replace the cassette, chain, and the two chainrings. That way everything will mesh perfectly and your shifting won’t be compromised.

We can do all the mods on Saturday.

[thecyclingeconomist]

+1 for evading the dreaded manhole cover! Those things are as bad as black-ice! I learned that earlier this season (luckily, I didn’t go down, but it was VERY close)

If you run a rear rack, I find that i don’t really need a rear fender. I just run an SKS fender on the front. REI sells waterproof backpack covers (osprey), and they work great. I prefer waterproof panniers, so that is what I have gone with.

If your bike frame is steel, then you should really consider:
1. treating your frame with Boeshield’s frame-saver.
2. doing a wipe-down to get the standing water off immediately after your wet-ride.

If your bike frame is aluminum, then as long as you are running a wet-lube (something like Finishline’s wet), you don’t have to worry too much about drying things off. Just do as the others say and make sure to do regular wipe-downs and light cleaning of your drive-train to keep the grit to a minimum. If you don’t clean/re-lube, you’ll end up replacing your chain, chainrings, cassette within a couple months of wet-riding because your shifting will become inaccurate and your chain may start skipping over the teeth on your chainrings due to excessive wear (shark-fining).

Good luck, safe riding and God bless!

[thecyclingeconomist]

$200 for Forum Peeps and their friends…

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