andy-eunson profile

Makes sense. Put your arms out wide, keep your wrists straight and then put your hands together. See what angle your “grip” is at. The wider the bar, the more sweep you’ll want.

Wha da ya mean short. I resemble that comment.

I’ve been watching this YouTube channel https://youtu.be/EFUTFmZHq_4 which is all road bike stuff but really interesting. In the attached video he talks about road racing in the 80’s where aluminum bars were retired annually because it was safer and pretty cheap. He comments that one might be less inclined to retire an expensive carbon bar after a crash as opposed to a cheaper aluminum bar. Lots of those road bar failures are at the stem clamp edge because that’s where the forces of a crash concentrate. Makes sense to retire bars annually or after a (Andrew) major crash. 

I’ve done that cut down and old bar test too. 740 seems to be a good number for me. At 760 I did nick the odd tree. At 760 I did not put my hands at the end of the grip but inboard a touch. So I took that as an indication that a narrower bar would be better. Plus as you narrow your grip, you may not want as great a sweep as with a wider bar.

If you save enough “stanimals” will they be a poor man’s substitute for cushcore?

Count yourselves lucky the be able to even ride now. I live in Whistler and there is still a meter or two of snow everywhere. Both Pemberton and Squamish have asked that riders stay in their own communities and I will honour that request as much as want to go ride in Squamish. We all must do our part. So I walk my dogs. On icy trails. Probably riskier than driving to Squamish but there you go. We must all do our bit to stay out of emergency rooms. Dial it back.

I know one guy that rode up Cypress yesterday and another that was turned back at the bottom. Which is it boys?

I was never really bothered by road riding in the city. Never felt I was going to be hit. But. There’s no question being dinged by a car is far more likely to result in a trip to emerg than sliding out and getting scuffed up off road. I did a road ride up the Pemberton meadows today. Maybe 5 cars and and about the same in cyclists.

With skiing shut down including Nordic, I’ve started driving to Squamish to ride. Just Ray Peters so far which is pretty safe. I may ride up the Legacy Climb today but being 62 I’ve been riding within my comfort zone for years. Still, I will walk certain things and not push that envelope at all until we are in a better position vis a vis the outbreak.

Pretty often although having survived friction shifting from the olden days I think it is ingrained in me to let up a bit without thinking.

Yeah the Santacruz set up is very good. I had my version one Bronson for four or five seasons. I’d check the bearings two or three times a season and pump grease into the bottom at the same time. Usually when doing an air sleeve cleanup. Never needed to change a bearing. I think on my Nomad three? I changed an upper bearing or two. 

One reason I own a hardtail is so I have something ride when the Remedy is out of commission. The Remedy thus far is holding up fine. I think in the first week I owned it it was creaking so I pulled all the bearing seals off and pushed in some Motorex. But the bearings were well lubricated already. The various axles were not.

I’m guessing a late opening this Covid19 season. If at all.

You can’t ride up the road on a bike. All closed. A friend headed to road ride up Cypress but was turned back.

Edit to add: another friend was allowed up Cypress yesterday. Or maybe no one was at the road block to tell him no?

The other problem with travel adjust or lockouts for that matter is getting to the bottom of a long descent and wondering why your suspension felt shitty only to discover that you left the adjusters in the wrong place.

I’m the same weight. Go tubeless. It’s better in all respects except initial set up but even that isn’t all that difficult. If she flats. IF. Then the field repair is the same. Remove tire and valve, install tube.

Posted by: craw

I am always dreaming of new bikes but honestly, getting a new bike Is actually a hassle. You have to sell your old bike (Including whatever reconfiguration that requires and potentially a delay), get your new bike built, set up, configured, get all those minor tweaks done (bars, suspension, position, etc) over the course of many rides. Unless the bike Is a really really big upgrade I find this to be tedious; I just want to get on with being comfortable and familiar with my ride.

I think the best value Is to spend $600 revamping your existing bike (suspension+dropper rebuilds, new tires, dual brake bleeds and new pads, massive technical overhaul and preprep for the season).

This is true. I very  often said that the only thing better than a new bike, is a bike that’s a few weeks old. You have the controls dialed, saddle’s in a happy place, suspension adjusted well and you’ve adapted to the new handling. And maybe put a few scratches on it too.

Same wheel sizes?

Posted by: Vikb

If the tire has the same size casing and is on the same width rim I'll use the same pressure regardless of wheel size.

Yes. That’s physics. That was my finding too. While the larger diameter tire does have more volume I don’t think it is enough of a difference to matter.

It used to be that cup and cone required lots of maintenance but the last XTR hubs I had were well sealed. The front in particular never seemed to have dirty grease. Every time I opened the front up the grease was still that insipid green. Rear was nearly as sealed. Even the rear freewheel side which used to be terribly sealed.  I wouldn’t choose a hub these days based on whether or not it had loose balls or not. I base hub decisions on general quality and how the freewheel mechanism works.

Posted by: ReductiMat

Has anyone tried this way?  

Yes. My local shop does it like this too.

My 8020 XT brakes do it a bit as did my SRAM Guide RSC brakes. They both seemed to work best with new full depth pads or a fresh bleed without pushing pistons back into their bores. I read somewhere that a lot of modern brakes have small reservoirs in the master cylinder so when the pads wear down the brake levers start to get too close in. If it’s a DOT 5.1 versus mineral oil issue SRAM brakes should be immune and mine weren’t. And that’s two sets. And Magura brakes should also have this issue but I have never used Magura brakes nor have I read that they have this issue.