Mbcracken profile

I've been rolling with the Tubolight EVO gravel set on my g-road bike. These are really light at 33 grams each. A couple months back, I picked up a rock chip that stuck in the GK SS+ rear.  Dropped my PSI from 46psi to ~20psi but the tubolight still allowed me to ride home for the last 3-4 miles.  Kept it gentle but better than walking those miles home.  I still roll with them but have swapped tires for the ReneHerse Oracle in 48mm. :-) 

Cheers, Mike

Sorry but I was not inferring you were wishing bad maintenance possibilities.  A good cup of bean water can fix lots of problems though... Always good to be prepared beyond reaching for ones cell phone.

Sounds like you are really hoping for some coffee sooner then later...LOL. ;-)  

The 54t rings I have, are from some Derby wheels I built up back in 2015 and are doing well so far.  Like you also said, the difference between the various teeth offerings are slight marginal gains for what one is looking for too.  The drag reduction is probably more of a mental game for me when doing 20-40 mile XC MTB rides...but what ever helps, right?

Lots of chit-chat about which ratchet teeth count is the favored...personal choice always a given, I came across a DT Swiss video a few years back where they described what the intended purpose was for each tooth count.  One thing they specified was that for the increase of teeth count the friction also marginally increases.  I've since, adopted my 3 main steeds all running DT Swiss to have 18 for gravel/groad bike, 36 for my XC bike and 52 for my Enduro bike.  I seem to get along with these setups just fine and have never broken any teeth.  FWIW, I am a clyde but have been riding since the 80's so still let up ever so slightly with almost every shift.

Seems like a great wheel set SC has going now too.

Thanks Troy...I had noticed the cost difference but didn't realize Rapha doing free repairs.  Thanks!

Any comparative thoughts for these vs the new Rapha knee pads?

I have XTR 12 speed on my Tallboy3 with just over 2000 miles on this drivetrain.  This has been two winters and two summers of PNW (Seattle) riding too.  I also run the Silca wax chain lube which does a great job of keeping crap out of the rollers on chains to help them last longer.

I was like you too, I thought my drivetrain would have bit the dust by this point but it only measures out .5 on Park chain checker (long one) and shifting is still flawless.

Have only had a chance to compare XTR & XT 12 speed chains.  In the past though, I have also run Shimano XTR 11 & 10 speed chains and they seem to last a tad longer plus shift a bit better when dirty too.

I have had the pleasure of running 12 speed XTR & XT for a little bit too.  For me, the most noticeable improvement area is to run an XTR chain on which ever Shimano drivetrain bits you have loaded on the bike.  That chain really is the highlight of the improved shifting.  Plus, it tends to last longer for me.

The one OTC med to add is a few Benadryl(or similar).  It's the one pill I carry to help stop some allergic reaction to a bee sting or something similar.  I don't mess with any anti-inflammatory or pain meds...I might throw those in a 1st Aid kit if I were going deep into the woods for a night or two.

I was chatting about rescue comms with an Apple genius yesterday while dropping off my MacBook Pro for some repairs. He had not heard of other Sat Comm options other the the latest iPhone new Sat Comm. he was less then impressed with the iPhone as an emergency beacon use so I showed the Spot Device and explained how it’s a simple dumb device built to be rugged and do three mains messaging offerings (bread crumbs, staying the night and need help rescue). He absolutely loved the simplicity of its offers and might have been ordering one before I left the store. 

Being from the lower 48 that occasionally plays up your way, I liked knowing that I have Spot Rescue insurance if it is ever needed.

Which disaster is bigger?  McLaren or Mercedes?  Both seem to be moving back to square one for a reboot.

In the US, Te$la has been ordered to open their chargers to everyone.  That might help increase the EV appeal a bit more...maybe? 

https://www.theverge.com/2022/7/7/23198696/tesla-supercharger-non-tesla-ev-us-white-house

I was primarily running the GravelKing SK last year.  Over the winter, I was primarily running about 70% paved with the rest on a very established dirt multiuser trail.  Decided to run Spec-Pathfinder Pro and like them for this use.  As backroads dry out, I'll probably switch back to the SK as that is where I will spend most of my time.

https://www.specialized.com/us/en/pathfinder-pro-2bliss-ready/p/157870?color=237517-157870

I also have started running my gravel bike with Tubolight inserts and really like them.  Ran into a badly sliced tire a month ago and rode on the insert for about a mile to get to good pickup location.

Cheers, Mike

Posted by: XXX_er

1st amendment rights in America are different than 1st amendment rights in Canada

An interesting 1st Amendment (US Versions) quiz...

https://newslit.org/tips-tools/first-amendment-quiz/

I am lucky enough to have 3 bikes...Pedally Trailbike (160/147), XC bike(120/105) and Gravel/road bike.  Sure does a great job keeping me entertained on two wheels.

Posted by: RAHrider

This is pretty much what I have been doing all summer. Now that the weather is truly shit, I am blow drying my chain with compressed air and then applying squirt after each ride. I think the longer you let the wax sit after application the better it wears in the wet. If it's still wet, it will just wash away so the 24 hr drying time may be important. 

The silica stuff looks impressive and now that I know that the bag of wax can work as it's own crock pot in my ultrasonic bath, the whole melting thing got a whole lot less troublesome. 

I think when I burn through my current squirt supply, I'll give the silica solid wax + liquid top up a go.

If you sign up for Silca spam, they sometimes send out package deals for the bag of wax plus liquid top off plus some cleaner rag or stuffs to help save a buck or two.  

What ultrasonic device are you using?  The Mrs provided me an old crock pot to throw on my work bench when we got an Instant Pot.

Cheers,

Mike

Posted by: RAHrider

Posted by: Mbcracken

I started with Squirt then moved on to Silca's wax bath & bottle for refresh.  My current XTR drive train has 2300 miles on it.

Cheers,

Mike

Hmmm. I am already assuming I need to dry and then re-apply after each winter ride with squirt. Do you do the same? How often do you need to do a melt application of the wax in winter? Do you have a crock pot dedicated to this? 

Squirt seems pretty great although I saw that it loses a fair bit of efficiency when it gets filthy. Squirt is definitely easy, what makes the melting thing worthwhile for you? Longevity?

I only do the crockpot waxing session 1-2 times a year but let the chain tell me when to do. My gravel bike chain deep waxing is more often but it sees twice the miles as my MTBs. I'll also ride the gravel bike in more rain times too. I mainly go by sound on that one.  I only reapply after a big ride (+3 hours) or after 2-3 shorter rides.  Sometimes, all I need to do is wipe the chain down with a cloth rag to dry or get final bits cleaned.

The melting wax bit is far more important as a starting point with a brand new drivetrain.  This helps get all the wax/lubricants into the roller bearings of a super super clean chain.  IMO, this getting wax into those roller bearings is what helps keep crud from getting in during rides.  The less crud getting into roller bearings is what I think helps it in the longevity of the chain.  

This puts an emphasis on drivetrain cleaning after every ride.  Then all my pre-ride checks are just PSI related.

Cheers,

Mike

I started with Squirt then moved on to Silca's wax bath & bottle for refresh.  My current XTR drive train has 2300 miles on it.

Cheers,

Mike

I have that same Eureka grinder and it a big step up from Rocky grinder I used for 17 years.  I still have the Rocky grinder for doing other coffee grinds.  We'll mix it up from time to time...French press, Moka pot, and recently the Aeropress for traveling.  A couple years ago, I picked up a Profitec 500 Pro PID.  It pulls a lovely brew.  

Cheers, Mike