cheapondirt profile

Apparently even the most worthy can suffer imposter syndrome. Glad to have a non paywalled place to read your writing!

Yeah, a big (crew cab long box) one-ton pickup used to haul stone veneer, mortar, scaffolding and tools. It's not bad for what it is.

I have to drive a lot for work. Let's say 35,000km/year at 14.6L/100km. Burning diesel produces 2.69 kg CO2 per L. That's about 13.75 tonnes of CO2 per year. It's a whole other problem (what do you do, quit the job and let someone else do it?) But unfortunately it jades a guy on emissions numbers. It doesn't feel much like my frame material of choice really matters because it's so relatively minor. Thanks for reminding me that things I can control still matter, even if other things outside my control are bigger.

Hardly seem worth installing, do they?

I don't have any cool old school stories so I've got to go with Trickstuff Power+ brake pads, installed in winter in Chilliwack. Context is everything there. They probably work well in the dry and might even last longer than 10 hrs of riding. But in the wet there was no stopping power and the mud eroded them to nothing faster than I imagined was possible. Pick your pads for your conditions, not based on some German torque test.

It surprises me how many people ride clips instead of flats by default. Seems to me like the logical progression should go from "I enjoy this activity except the part where I slide off the pedals" to buying decent flat pedals, and then bike-specific flat pedal shoes as the necessity becomes more evident. (Two of my friends are in stage 2, moving toward stage 3 of that process right now.)

Please don't tell me about the superiority or advantages of clipless, I'm really enjoying riding bikes essentially the same way as I did when I was five years old!

With the same energy put into it, a heat sink with more mass will stay cooler, reducing the chances of brake fade or glazed pads. Maybe allowing me to drag my rear brake a little longer before getting consequences.

It's a little bit annoying that they could have been offering 2.0mm rotors since at least 2017 (current Code design) and didn't (except in 220mm, which means this isn't news to anyone paying attention).

Ok, so they look absolutely the dumbest, but prescription safety glasses (the wraparound style, not the old man style) are doing it for me. Nothing solid has gotten around the pair I've been using this summer. I get some wind in the eyes at bike park speeds, but still prefer it over the optical misery that is goggles over glasses.

The perfect work truck doesn't exi-

That lines up with what I've heard about DW's being very durable. Paul Aston measured the 27x3.0 at 2.65 (casing) and 2.9 (tread) on a 40mm rim, so if the 26" version is similar it would indeed be bigger than the Maxxis. Mine are about 2.6 on both the casing and tread, though on an i32 rim.

Oh yes I did look at the Ranger but it hardly seems suitable for hard riding.  I said I wasn't aggressive, but that's in our freeride-enduro-BC context. I'm still going to be pushing harder through corners than your average bikepacker.

I guess it is what it is. I should probably just get one or two more DHRII+, keep carrying a tube, and be ready for a 27.5 wheel purchase some day soon. At least my frame is ready for that! It's kind of nice to hear I'm not the only weirdo disappointed by 26+ dying.

I'm considering stocking up a pile of the recently discontinued, still-on-a-couple-websites DHRII 26x2.8. Except one thing: I'm light and more cautious than aggressive, and these tires possess the only sidewall I've ever cut open.

In article comments, Andrew Major suggested the Dirt Wizard 26x3.0. It looks good, but it's also 380g heavier than the Minion+. Enough to second guess that idea (though I appreciated the suggestion). It's for the rear wheel of a mini mullet RM Altitude which I would like to keep playful.

Is that really all the big 26" tires?

I do know of the 2.6" Magic Mary but haven't really taken that thought seriously because it only comes in purple compound.