earleb profile

I've ordered the individual bits in stainless online from a spot in the US called KC Tool. Agree that rusty tools in the bike kit suck.

Beautiful bike with lots of innovation there. Paul's part of the inspiration that kicked off building my own frames in the garage. I didn't do his frame building class but did attend one of his open house nights and it's the first time I handled a brazing torch to stack little blobs of brazing rod.

You need some flush cutters in your camera bag.

Can I not pick the zip ties on the chainstay guard?

https://nsmb.com/media/images/DSC01823-denizmerdano-dreadnaught-dreamrides.original.jpg

Flush cutters needed here.

Great looking bike regardless.

Shame, shame, shame.

How can we have a mention of Cool Tool and not it's eccentric founder Bob Seals? Bob started Retrotec bikes and after leaving the bike world he founded Klean Kanteen.  He's known for showing up to the early singlespeed races wearing nothing put a speedo. 

I've been using a set of Fix-It sticks for a few years, I managed to lose one of them and yet to replace it. Along with the Fix-It Sticks I've carried a small chain breaker that was salvaged from some old Topeak. This unit looks like it could be a worthy addition. 

Regarding 1/4 bits, get WERA HexPlus bits. They are better.

If you want even more fun, run your friction thumbie on your diy electric bike and the ability to send 500w of power into hunting for the gear. 

I love my thumbies, but I did get a trigger shifter back on the electro commuter after it's last rebuild and it's nice. 

Even though it was a 11spd Microshift and 11spd cassette I ended up spending about a year in friction mode. It got knocked out of alignment one morning dropping the kids at daycare, flipped it into friction mode....just never took the time to realign it and switch back. Cables never out of adjustment in friction mode.

Fancy stems are nice and I have several (NS Billet, Chromag, and TCI) but my next will be back to a simple inexpensive forged lightweight weight weenie one so I can min-max the dollars into higher value area. 

I want another P321 rear hub and the dollars gotta come from somewhere.

The 11-46 10spd cassette, budget but not cheap rear derailleur, xtr shifter, and the non series low key mt-900 cranks. Will a 12spd ring work with the 10spd chain? 

You get enough spread in the 10spd cassette, all steel no pre-mature wear in the bigger gears. 10spd is going to be lighter than 11 or 12. Rear derailleur that works well but doesn't break the bank when you destroy it on a rock.

The non-series cranks are just new XT but I like the low key branding better. The 24mm Shimano series gives up a touch in weight to the 30mm axle systems but it's a better system. Quality bearings, a steel on steel interface between axle and bearing and simple pre-load. 

XTR shifter because they usually just feel better than XT. 

Min to the max. 

I was really un-happy with the shift feel on the move from 10spd to 11spd XT. The 11spd XT just felt heavy and clunky. Currently on full GX Eagle and it's just okay, it's been durable. I have an new 11spd Sram mix of GX and X1 ready to go on the next build, bought before the latest Shimano stuff was available an I have XD driver on the current wheelset.

https://www.schwalbetires.com/accessories/helpful_tools/tread_cutter

Buy what's close to what you want then trim em.

Anyone able to compare Pearl Izumi sizing to 2FO? I've worn a 42 in the Izumi for a couple pair and really should be in a 42.5 as the 42 turned out to be a "ski boot race fit" a touch too short in length. Found some 2FO in a 42.5 online and about to pull the trigger.

My spouse just talked to her co-worker....he said he stopped at 5 different Shore bike shops looking for a pair of basic bikes for him and his wife to just ride around...5 shops no bikes.

Posted by: syncro

Posted by: earleb

Pre-covid plenty of people would go to the pub post ride for beer n burger...now you tailgate.

You should host a backyard beer and burger fest at your place - extra incomes!

Shuttle bro's don't even know where Fromme is.

Pre-covid plenty of people would go to the pub post ride for beer n burger...now you tailgate.

Posted by: Hepcat

Posted by: earleb

Posted by: craw

also SIS cables.

I bought a shop sized boxes of shifter cables and housing a couple seasons back that I've not really used any yet.

Time to cash in.

$50 per cable...or should I go to $75?

You've got Shimano housing and cables? Trade them for equivalent weight in gold. Replaced mine in the fall along with the derailleur, twas a journey sourcing them.

I've been caught out twice recently, both times for broken brake levers. First time I got fat waiting to find a replacement. Hopefully this current broken lever is quicker, but damn it's getting real out there.

Just Jagwire 4mm housing and basic cables. 

I slept on ordering a set of WR1 wheels....8-10 week timeline at this point. Should have done it in the fall when I first started thinking about it.

Sorry I took your "they are both 30 weight" as to imply that ALL 30w oils are just the same. 

Tackifiers will affect their ability to cling to the surface, the more they cling on a near vertical surface the better.

https://www.shockcraft.co.nz/technical-support/suspension-oils/fork-bath-oils

Posted by: shoreboy

they are both 30 weight oils.

One has tackifiers to keep it in place and one has detergents to combat deposits. They are not the same.

What are you using for lower leg bath oil? I got sucked into a rabbit hole of reading about it last year. Guys seem to love Motorex Supergliss 100K , turns out it's just a ways oil. Machine ways are the smooth, precise tracks that machine carriages move on, the oil is formulated to how high stick under pressure but low slip. 

So the bike specific stuff as usual is expensive...but industrial is cheap. 

30wt is equivalent to iso 100. 

https://www.kbctools.ca/itemdetail/1-820-730 - local $26 per 1 gallon.

https://www.bike24.com/p2338652.html if you can find it $26 per L.

https://www.instagram.com/p/CDdm-D2nbOh/

They had that silver crown one on IG ages ago. Looks great.

On mineral oil, the bike brand specific stuff isn't special. I really hope shops are smart enough to do some google searches and order up the automotive or aviation alternatives. The same mineral oil is used in euro car power steering. In aviation it's used in hydraulic systems and brakes.