The Cycling Thread

[hiraethus]

Pretty good, just welded it. Did I not post pics? I was a little grumpy breaking my collar bone right before the race...

I don't know.   Hope your collar bone is feeling better now.  Bust mine about 25 years ago, still gives me a bit of grief every now and then.

Hit some gnarly downhill trails while I was up north and scared the crap out of myself.

Always fun.

[zoidberg]

It's hay making season, both my shoulders hate me right now.

[zoidberg]

Need to get a little kit bag thing together for my rides. Another tools rabbit hole to fall in... wOOp wOOp!

[TonySal]

Need to get a little kit bag thing together for my rides. Another tools rabbit hole to fall in... wOOp wOOp!

Do mean a little one, goes under the seat?

[zoidberg]

Need to get a little kit bag thing together for my rides. Another tools rabbit hole to fall in... wOOp wOOp!

Do mean a little one, goes under the seat?

Pretty much.   

[hiraethus]

Another tools rabbit hole to fall in... wOOp wOOp!

It's a deep one.  I've got too many bike bags... 

2 traditional touring saddle bags
3 'bikepacking' saddle bags
2 frame bags
3 small saddle bags
1 tool roll/seat pack
1 top tube bag
1 handlebar bag
1 bikepacking bar harness
3 panniers

 

[zoidberg]

Another tools rabbit hole to fall in... wOOp wOOp!

It's a deep one.  I've got too many bike bags... 

2 traditional touring saddle bags
3 'bikepacking' saddle bags
2 frame bags
3 small saddle bags
1 tool roll/seat pack
1 top tube bag
1 handlebar bag
1 bikepacking bar harness
3 panniers

 

Yes but what kind should I be looking for?

[hiraethus]

What do you want to put in it?

[zoidberg]

I'm thinking less as possible. Tube, allen keys, pump etc. I still need to work out just what the essentials are.

[hiraethus]

Some kind of tool roll with integrated strap.  Secure, easy to load and make finding what you need simple.  Mine's a Bigxtop: https://www.bigxtop.com/products/saddle-roll

[zoidberg]

I should never have looked...      now I want... LOTS!

[Syncop8r]

I need a pump.... had to do my Kaiteriteri loop tonight with flat tyres. 

[PTRSAK]

I'm still grinning like a mad thing a week later on this one.
I was browsing the local Bicycle group on Facebook Marketplace and spotted a listing for various bits and pieces, clicked on the ..more and in amongst it was the following item "Trek Emonda S4 60cm frame and most components, no wheels or front brake, been used on an indoor trainer, suit fix up for commuter or such. $200.00."
Well, I just had to have a look at that... Drove the 150km to the seller's  semi rural location after work and snapped myself up what could be the bargain of the year. The seller is a SERIOUSLY keen cyclist and this was his "old" bike which, as the listing stated, he had been using on a trainer. He had decided to get rid of it and compared to his new bike was worth almost nothing to him...  But a 2015 Trek Emonda  is worth a LOT more than $200... any other listings I could find (albeit for complete bikes) range from $900 to $1200. I have a full 11spd 105 groupset that was on my old bike which I have swapped over onto the Trek and refitted the original 9spd Ultegra gear back on the Raceline.
Even the 10spd Tiagra components I removed from the Trek are worth almost $200.
So, now the flagship of my fleet is what I would call a 2015 Trek Emonda SL4 seeing it has the upgraded groupset over standard. All up it owes me a hair over $500 and would be worth close on three times that. The wheels are pretty average, they were take-offs from a new Merida Scultura 4000 that I picked up for a song. Might have to do some more horse trading and get a pair of carbon rims for my birthday later in the year.
It took a lot of horse trading to get here, but I have my (realistic) dream bike.
Have you ever held a bare carbon frame?  they weigh NOTHING!


Trek Èmonda. by Peter Thorpe, on Flickr

Fun fact.  Emonda, Madone and Domane are anagrams

[Syncop8r]

Need to get a little kit bag thing together for my rides. Another tools rabbit hole to fall in... wOOp wOOp!

Do mean a little one, goes under the seat?

Pretty much.   

One of these then.

[PTRSAK]

Some of my other pickups of recent times.
I traded a bunch of stuff for my e-bike. (which had paid for itself in saved fuel over the 3000km I put on it. But I never ride it now so I was happy to trade it.
In exchange I got the following.

This lovely little Italian gem, I think it's c2003, 9spd Campagnolo Xenon (I've swapped in a sub compact Shimano chainset (48-34) because my old legs can't push a 42 tooth "small" chainring up Brisbane hills.) This one is a keeper for now.


Bianchi Reparto Corse. by Peter Thorpe, on Flickr

There is his old DIY ebike which I have stripped and am rebuilding, no current pics. it will be a fix up and sell job.

This 2012 model Specialized Secteur Comp which is a size or two too small for me (thankfully, or I'd want to keep it) which is a damn nice bike and I should be able to get a reasonable price for...


Specialized Secteur Comp. by Peter Thorpe, on Flickr

I also got this Giant ATX 1 27.5 Mountain Bile. It's a bit scruffy with yellowed plastic windows in the gear shifter indicators and covered in scratches and chips on the paintwork. Imagine my surprise when I found it was a 2017 model.
Some people don't deserve nice things. It carried a RRP of $649.00 here but this one is in such bad shape I'd be lucky to get $150 for it.


Giant ATX 1. by Peter Thorpe, on Flickr

There was also a reasonable quality Fixie that I've already moved on for $100.00

[Higgins617]

My main ride, shes old(2004). But I was dead set on getting a Trance as I was sold on their Maestro suspension design, and this one popped up for sale about 5 years back. Bike had about 15 total miles put on it, as told by the computer the previous owner put on. Bought to be used on paved paths(beyond me why that was a good idea) and they never took to riding it. Good fit for me and all original paperwork came with it. I love the way it rides, won't be going anywhere anytime soon.

[zoidberg]

Found a pump on special, blackburn mammoth anyvalve, bought and mounted.
Clearance box had lezyne xl tyre levers, should do the job.
Place where I went to look at socks had a lezyne glueless patch kit, didn't get any socks but did get the patches.
Frame/seat bags seem either low quality or way too expensive so still looking around for one.
Bike tools also don't seem to be great value, might have to improvise something there.

[hiraethus]

Chain tool is the only tricky one to improvise.  Get a small standalone one and add a few hex keys (3/4/5/6 mm probably), a T25 torx and a small screw driver and you should be good to go.  I quite like the Squirt PS4 in my tool kit too.  Some cable ties, duct tape and a rag maybe. 

[Syncop8r]

Found a pump on special, blackburn mammoth anyvalve, bought and mounted.
Clearance box had lezyne xl tyre levers, should do the job.
Place where I went to look at socks had a lezyne glueless patch kit, didn't get any socks but did get the patches.
Frame/seat bags seem either low quality or way too expensive so still looking around for one.
Bike tools also don't seem to be great value, might have to improvise something there.

Looking forward to pics in the Bike Tools thread... 

And you can patch the blisters on your feet from not wearing socks. 

[Syncop8r]

Mine is probably one of the Topeak Aero Wedge Saddle Bags: https://www.torpedo7.co.nz/catalogindexsearch.do?formAction=search&searchString=saddle%20bag&sortOrder=price%3Aasc&savePrefs=false&pageSize=20

[Rapidray]

Pretty good, just welded it. Did I not post pics? I was a little grumpy breaking my collar bone right before the race...

I don't know.   Hope your collar bone is feeling better now.  Bust mine about 25 years ago, still gives me a bit of grief every now and then.

Hit some gnarly downhill trails while I was up north and scared the crap out of myself.

Always fun.

Hope your collar bone is healing up...I broke mine maybe 5 or 6 years ago...didn’t hurt one bit untill about 3 hours later...the morphine was great! 

[Rapidray]

Had a little free time and did some biking around the lake.

[zoidberg]

Hope your collar bone is healing up...I broke mine maybe 5 or 6 years ago...didn’t hurt one bit untill about 3 hours later...the morphine was great! 

Thank you, it's getting there.   

[zoidberg]

Survived my first 50+ km ride yesterday.
Most was sealed, then a gravel uphill (bout a 500m vert gain) followed by some downhill trails.
Still jumping the bars on advanced stuff but really enjoying the intermediate grade.

Wish I could afford a dh bike.
And some protective gear to go with.

[PTRSAK]

In Just over a month I'll be cycling past Zoidberg's place on my way from Christchurch to Queenstown...

[Rapidray]

In Just over a month I'll be cycling past Zoidberg's place on my way from Christchurch to Queenstown...

The route in your other thread looks great! 

[zoidberg]

Anyone here used the LM bit kit holders as tyre levers?

[Syncop8r]

Interesting.... I suspect they would bend. 

[zoidberg]

Quick search and:

Detron made me look at the LM-bit-cards. Anyway I noticed that the cards are shaped similar to a bike-tyre-lever and since I had some bike repair to do, I put that theory to the test.
It works albeit its not perfect. Its difficult to get initial grip, so I had to use both levers at the same time. It worked better for putting the tyre back on. Also they lack a hook so one has to hold them in place. Although that problem could simply be solved by adding a staple nail to the "lanyard hole".

Needless to say I removed the purpose built tyre-levers from my road kit

P.S.: hey if you have any other ideas on how to use those cards, please post it here.

(Image removed from quote.)

[hiraethus]

Good idea.   Though in my experience if you can't remove or fit a tyre with just your hands then you need a very strong tyre lever.  If the bit card works, you can probably get away with just your thumbs.

I do carry dedicated tyre levers, but I use tubeless tyres that are a very tight fit on the rims.