andy-eunson profile

Or short enough. I’ve got a 31 inseam, crotch to floor which means for biking I’d want a 29 or 30 but most pants, hiking, skiing  or otherwise seem to all come too long. Levi’s come in my size but not active wear.

I see a bike as a tool for riding. I can’t think of anything I regret selling. I do not regret sending that POS Joplin post to recycling. I regret or wish the Chromag qr collars I have would fit my bikes but they are all the wrong size. The only keepsakes I have are old team jerseys. Even then I have few of those because I wear them out.

I have a pair of Showers Pass waterproof breathable socks and I like them for all colder weather wet or not. I also have a pair of Bridgedale that are very similar. Combined with shoes with no mesh they are really good for winter.

They will. I’ve heard folks (tourists) complain that Whistler closes too early in January not like those Colorado resorts. Then you point out that it gets dark earlier and the patrol has a really large area to sweep at the end of the day. DST all year will be good I think. Being retired this really doesn’t affect me much one way or the other. I go to bed between 10 and 11 every day and up around 7 every day. Plus I wake up a few times to pee as well so I never get a continuous night of sleep.

A wide range 5 speed, as in 10 - 50 will have huge steps between gears so shifting will be a challenge. You’d be better off with less cassette range and a double on the front. But a Hammerschmit type front is intriguing.

Which leads me to say it’s not range we want, it’s usable range. I found that with 11speed Shimano I needed a 30 tooth ring with 42 low to climb around here. But that did not give me a high enough gear for those times I was riding with others on pavement and I got dropped. 10 - 50 with a 34 ring seems to be good for me. Current XO1 is very durable for me. I have two seasons on my cassette and three chains and rings. XO1 chains seem to become more flexible laterally rather than elongate. Shifts pretty well. No real complaints. Could be better for sure as there are the odd clunky shifts. I’m not sure I would like bigger jumps between gears.

I know that in the past both Vorsprung and Suspension Works do record settings. I took the air spring apart in my 36 about a month ago. Indeed there was enough slickoleum type grease that I could have saved it in a small jar for several future overhauls.

Agreed. But what is optimal? As a short man I don’t need my seat super far forward to prevent looping out on steep climbs. I have read many times that a steeper seat tube angle is more efficient but I’ve never read why it is so or seen any real data about that. I have read some studies of road bike position that indicated that a steeper seat tube angle was more efficient because it allowed the riders to engage their leg muscles better and for greater parts of the pedal cycle. But on a road bike riders are already more bent forward at the waist. I think that there is an optimal torso femur angle that will be most efficient which of course will differ from rider to rider. What that angle is I don’t know. One thing I read years ago was that bolt upright is not good at all. Like the old guy on a three speed Raleigh pumping back and forth. What that rider is doing is trying to engage his gluteus muscles. You need to have some angle between the upper body and upper leg to get those muscles working well. 

Certainly too slack a seat tube angle with a squatting full suspension bike for long legged riders will loop out more easily. I’m not convinced that simply steepening the seat tube angle is the best solution to that but a combination of steeper seat angle and longer rear centre for taller riders makes sense. 

As reach on bikes has increased I sense that designers have steepened seat tube angles more to maintain cockpit length. At the same time that allows more room for suspension movement so that they can make all frame sizes with the same dinky chain stays. It’s far cheaper I’m sure to make all rear triangles one size. What would the ride characteristics of this GeoMetron be if the bottom bracket were mover forward a couple cm but all other dimensions remained the same? Would that provide better fore aft balance though weighted pedals when descending? Worse?  

My own little experiment with my size small Chameleon is that the longer chain stay position climbs better but I really can’t feel much difference descending. That bike with a the 150 36 has a static head angle of 65° and static seat tube angle of 71°. 

I find it all very interesting but I don’t have a great feel for how all these things work.

I don’t flat often either but I have needed a tube from time to time. My flats seem to be from unusual things now. A snapped spoke shoots through the rim tape, or I hit something hard and crack the rim bed between the beads. (You were there that night) but actual holes are not frequent at all but still I carry a tube and plugs. I carry a pump too because I am notoriously lazy about checking pressure before a ride and a couple good thumps cause me to stop and air up.

Boy do I hate how some people use the term “sustainable”. No trail is sustainable without being travelled on or worked on. A trail is an erosional feature whereby the passage of people, animals etc has worn through the vegetation to create a path.

Thanks for that. I was just curious. I just bought a pair of 8020 for super cheap from my LBS to replace the Guide RSC that I had been using. The new bike I bought in the spring came with the 8020 and when I rode the other bike I was always disappointed with the function of the Guide brakes. Less power and heavier lever feel.

The calliper is identical other than markings but what about the master cylinder? They look the same to my eyes but is there an internal difference?

I think a bikes ability to get around tight switchbacks uphill (or down) has more to do with head angle and trail than wheelbase. I mean wheelbase will have an affect but much less than the front end geometry.

Posted by: DemonMike

Been rocking a FF for my riding for over 5yrs. Every crash I,m grateful it,s there. As for down hill ski racers , can,t compare falling on  a sheet of ice . And falling down some janky goat trail on the side of a mountain. They probably have that type of jaw piece so they don,t plow into the snow and ice when sliding.

Actual downhill racers do not use chin bars. Slalom skiers do to protect their face and teeth from hitting gates.

Downhill ski racers got rid of their flimsy chin bars for that reason I hear. But they go faster than most riders and slide a lot too. Never seemed to be an issue for motocross riders even before neck braces. It’s a good point though. I think helmets should rounded as opposed to angular so they will slide better and less likely to catch something. I’ve had small branches snag a vent before even at slow speeds it can be painful.

Plus the GPS in many phones and Garmins are not super accurate. I’ve gone hunting for what looked like trails on the heat map that made no sense. Only when I reviewed my own Strava line on the satellite photo did I realize that I had ridden that trail already. Out and back on the road up to Black Tusk had me about 50 metres in the woods one way.

Posted by: tungsten

12, I think. 

Maybe I ain't asking the right question.

I can just un-screw my XD driver and screw a new 8100 series (microspline?) drive onto my new I9 hub? Same 148 spacing?

Yes if a driver is available for your hub. I think I9 have a micro spline body for some of their hubs.

Step back a moment jj and look how you wrote that. I don’t think you meant it that way but your post reads like all road riders get in your way. It’s like car drivers that claim all commuter cyclist run red lights and ride badly. Of course some do. But we tend to notice others that ride or drive badly and not notice those who abide by the road laws. And then humans like to put those that bother them into a group that is not their own.  Like women drivers. Or certain nationalities. We all do it. We should certainly call out those that break rules and laws that endanger others. Road users need to give and receive mutual respect.

Posted by: Vikb

Posted by: DemonMike

Shammies , WTF are those . Get a quality seat , no need for those.

Agreed adult diapers can wait at least 20 more years! Getting the right saddle is key, but it's something you gotta find through trial and error like finding a pair of shoes that fit your feet great.

Is that similar to a chamois? There is a good argument that having a good padded seat negates the need for a padded short too. As long as the undergarment isn’t cotton and has no seams where you sit I think it works quite well. For long rides though I prefer a bib Lycra short with a good chamois.

I like the 7Mesh shorts. I also have some Endura ¾ bottoms and they are just OK. They fit better standing bolt upright than on the bike but if it’s not actually raining too hard I’ll wear them to save the 7Mesh shorts. The one negative with the 7Mesh is that the cuff catches on my bottle cage mounted mini pump even with knee pads on which take up some of the slack.