skooks profile

Great information Cam, thanks. As a long-term bike tinkerer this is gold. Having access to a lathe at work means I can machine my own shims. I have been impressed with my dub BB. Been running it for 1.5 seasons of regular shore riding and it is only now starting to develop play. Still spins smooth though. I strongly prefer thread in BB for ease of maintenance, especially after seeing the tooling you need to service press fit properly.

Also, dental floss works great for cleaning the pistons once they are extended.

I always lube the pistons on my Shimano brakes after extending/cleaning them. I use mineral oil or tri-flow. No issues yet.

Very good point!  My trick is to install a set of worn-out pads first and pry against those to re-seat the pistons.

Maybe something like this?

https://www.escapeadventures.ca/programs/spoke-sisters/

Thanks Sanesh.  I really appreciated hearing things from your perspective. My kid had a similar shop grom experience to you, and he (and I) will always be grateful to the shop owners and employees who let him in the door and provided a supportive environment for him to thrive. He had the advantage of having worked on our own bikes with me for years and also being very mechanically inclined. Many (most?) kids don't have that privilege. I agree that the shop grom culture is pretty unique, and one of very few experiences where young people can learn and do technically skilled work. He has ended up pursuing a future in engineering, and I can't help but think the shop experience will help him in this regard.

I just had an excellent experience with I9 warranty. I managed to strip the teeth out of my Hydra hub. I sent the wheel to them, and they had it repaired 5 days after they received it. They ended up replacing the hub and re-building the wheel with new spokes.  I expect things to break now and then and it doesn't bother me as long as it is handled well. 

Also, I have nothing but good things to say about PNW. I have 2 of their droppers and 2 loam levers. Never had a single problem with any of them, and my interactions with PNW have been great.

What are you hoping to gain with inserts? If you're already running 20psi you might not see much benefit.

Thanks for that. For those living a bit further east, Kinetik still has some of the TT inserts in stock.

Great, informative article Cam, thanks. I am currently experimenting with running Tannus Tubeless front and rear for winter shore riding, and I have to say I like it.  I am able to run 4-5 psi lower tire pressure without a noticeable increase in rolling resistance or tire squirm. The increased traction is immediately obvious, as is the increased weight on climbs. I think it's a worthwhile tradeoff though.  

I recall you had some discussions with the TT guys about a new, lighter front-specific insert they are working on. Any update on that?

Posted by: KenN

Posted by: thaaad

It's not about being friends... and it's less of an acknowledgment thing and more of a mutual respect thing. Basically the reason why turn signals and brake lights exist in cars, make people aware of what others (and yourself) are doing for the safety and consideration of everyone when you are in public.

I'm sure nobody appreciates being passed too close at too high of a speed on the highway. Just have some courtesy, let people know you are passing, slow as you go by and give both of you a little room.

It's really not hard at all to treat others with respect, ebikes, cars, sidewalks, whatever.

This ... and it also applies to ebikes tailgating me when I'm huffing my way up something like the GSM climb.  My goal is to be able to clean that climb regularly without stopping, and I don't need some dumbass with their high pitched motor whining away, nipping at my back wheel as a not-so-subtle hint that they want me to stop and let them pass.  Trust me, I know you're there, and if I spot a wide part of the trail where you can fit, than I will hug the edge and let you pass.  Until then, stay the hell back and wait your turn.  It's similar to the logic for the "climber has right of way" rule when passing on a bi-directional trail.  Climber gets to continue because it's much harder for the climber to stop, reset and restart than the descender.  The ebike can stop and restart more easily than the non-e-climber.

I mostly agree with you, although I would rather let an e-bike get past me than have listen to one whining behind my back wheel. My question is are you more willing to stop and let a faster rider pass you on a climb if they are on a pedal-powered bike instead of a motorized one?  I'm not trying to stir the pot here, just interested in the answer.

Posted by: Bushpilot

Assuming NO impacts/crashes that would justify immediate replacement, how often do you replace your trail helmet? I’m also assuming trail style helmets that aren’t hard shell (i.e. POC Tectal, Oakley DRT5, Giro Montaro, TLD A2, etc).

I tend to use mine between 150 and 200 days per year and sweat lots so I tend to replace them about every 3 years because that “felt” about right to me for ages. I have no idea how quickly helmet materials degrade with sweat, dirt and UV though. 

Do you replace less or more frequently than that and why?

Probably every 2-3 years for me.  Usually happens when the liner padding totally rots out or else when I find a great deal on a new one.

Posted by: earleb

Posted by: grambo

Have definitely seen the turds blasting up Mountain Highway and Old Buck on turbo mode with head down not acknowledging others (some must be self aware and realize they will not be received kindly).

Why do people get their panties in a wad about riders not acknowledging others??? Every rider on the trail isn't yer bud we don't all need to be friends.

Your are right Brian, but I sure would have appreciated some sort of heads-up by the e-biker who blasted past me on Warden's climb.  I don't expect faster riders to stay behind me all the way up a climb, but letting me know they are there and waiting for an appropriate place to pass is just good etiquette.

Posted by: Mic

Posted by: aShogunNamedMarcus

Posted by: Mic

Posted by: Couch_Surfer

^^ Why do ‘conservatives’ equate Freedom of Speech with Right To a Megaphone and Freedom from Consequences?

Because as long as the conservatives have the freedom of speech all is fine, totally fine. Quite simple, you may NOT argue against this though - then you might be the evil lefty or liberal.

Really? It seems I cant post anything non liberal or dare I say pro Trump without pages of people telling me I'm all sorts of things along with how wrong the idea of even supporting that argument is. If the left isnt allowed to argue against it, the right isnt allowed to try to explain a thing or there's no point in trying.

Could you rephrase that? I am sort of deaf from the bullshit I have to endure every day coming from woke and libtarded parents and colleagues at work in my lefty high school, Shogun.

Edit: I am tired of these silly little debates and arguments, Shogun. Or even reading these to and fro arguments. Syncro has asked you to be more specific or not use your little mind games and rhetorics more than once, without anything changing.

This forum used to be a great place to exchange ideas and share thoughts and have a meaningdul debate. But these petty arguments only drain. They are not constructive, not conducive to growth - be it on a personal or intellectual level, but divisive and not going anywhere which is sad. And silly, really silly at the same time.

You can make of this whatever you want or need or feel, I do not think that the underlying issue would change - or matters. We all have a certain perspective on life. Some change, some will not and some simply can not. 

One can not explain the color red to a blind person. One just has to endure that this blind person can never understand nor grasp the color red without him or her losing sleep over that.

That may be the most eloquently written comment I have ever read on a forum Mic. Thanks for that.

Small patches of snow at the top of man handler on eagle, but the trail is clear, including the big entrance ramp. East bound and HT good to go too

Posted by: UFO

Posted by: rnayel

one plug in and one ice car in the driveway going forward. We already have the electrical set up, just need a charger once our current lease (ice) is over.

We've adopted this for the past 6 months. Our larger SUV sits largely idle as my wife gets to work from home, permanently now. But we want to keep it for summer road trips, and the rare instances right now where we need to have both cars in use. 

The BEV has been so good to us utility wise as a primary vehicle, and we only use the super slow wall plug charger. The driving experience was a real eye opener, and aside from the noise of an ICE engine, IMO there is nothing an ICE does better in a relative sense. And this is coming from a pseudo car enthusiast.

Personally this is making me look toward getting an older 4 seat convertible couple for a summer play toy.

Sounds great, what E-rig  do you have?

Posted by: FatBear

So, no dice on the commencal. In fact, I’ve had 16 bikes sold out from beneath me. Turns out it’s really hard to get a bike right now.

Anyway, while I look for a more suitable ride, a new buddy gave me a 2014 Rocky Mountain flatline. I’m gonna take it in for a tune up, set the LSC really low and try ripping around the trails.

I’ve been watching a shitload of videos on how to manual and corner, so I’ll be practicing in parking lots for an hour a day. I feel like getting a manual on this bike is gonna be tough.

I’ll take a couple pics to share, cause even though it’s a DH 26er, I’m still pretty stoked.

Well any bike is better than no bike, especially if it's free. I hope you don't have to do much pedalling on it though! interesting that the used bike market is just as nutty over there.

Posted by: tashi

Posted by: skooks

Posted by: tashi

Posted by: skooks

Yeah for sure, but in my kid's case the skills and knowledge he is gaining are worth far more than a fancier car. It helps that he is very mechanically inclined and doesn't care that he drives a beater.

Ya, it works for him because he bought a hobby. 

If you have no interest or time for fixing cars a lease/finance on a Hyundai can make a lot more sense than a shitbox.

Actually he bought an education. Way cheaper than tuition, and it will benefit him for the rest of his life. Funny enough I taught myself mechanical skills the same way, and it definitely helped me get in the door and thrive in my engineering career. Looks like he is following the same path.

Yes there is value in it for the right person. 

The key is knowing if they’re the right person. I don’t know Cams kids but LOTS of kids can see what an expensive, dangerous pain in the ass driving and owning a car is so they have far less interest than us. That kid should have a lease on a Kia, not a ‘98 Golf with 300,000k.

Yes, for sure. I think a lot of young people are starting to figure this out already. I know quite a few who don't have as driver's license. Of course it's easier for them when they can convince their parents to drive them everywhere 😌.

Posted by: XXX_er

is a car that doesnt need a bunch of repairs considered a " fancy car "  or is it just a car that doesnt need a bunch of repairs ?

Depends on the car. They all need repairs sooner or later. I sure like being able to take care of it myself instead of being at the mercy of the dealer.

Posted by: tashi

Posted by: skooks

Yeah for sure, but in my kid's case the skills and knowledge he is gaining are worth far more than a fancier car. It helps that he is very mechanically inclined and doesn't care that he drives a beater.

Ya, it works for him because he bought a hobby. 

If you have no interest or time for fixing cars a lease/finance on a Hyundai can make a lot more sense than a shitbox.

Actually he bought an education. Way cheaper than tuition, and it will benefit him for the rest of his life. Funny enough I taught myself mechanical skills the same way, and it definitely helped me get in the door and thrive in my engineering career. Looks like he is following the same path.