Bicycling

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Borzak

Bronze Baron of the Realm
24,420
31,635
Tour starts tomorrow. Guessing they won't get within 50 miles of a "refugee" camp so the helicopter doesn't show it by mistake.
 

Miguex

The lad himself
<Gold Donor>
2,202
1,722
love this time of year. Getting hot in SoCal but the Tour pumps me up to keep riding. New bike on tap in the next month, waiting for the new Tarmacs to come out. Pretty pumped for my first new bike in 7 years, my shits old.
 

Eomer

Trakanon Raider
5,472
272
Three days at Whistler bike park over the long weekend. Hands feel like I took a sander to them for a couple hours each. My bike's still out of commission, so I demo'd a Norco Aurum C7.1, and that bike rips pretty damn good. Just wish I could get out more often. My body and hands just don't stand up to the beating very well only going for a couple long weekends a year.
 

Kuriin

Just a Nurse
4,046
1,020
Fucking NoCal weather is the pits for the past week. Every time I get a day off, it's shit weather.
 

Famm

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
11,041
794
Salsa appears to be discontinuing the El Mar for 2017...and no other steel/ti hardtail option.
frown.png
Glad I've already got one.

Presenting Our Updated Line | Salsa Cycles
 

Ao-

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
<WoW Guild Officer>
7,879
507
Salsa appears to be discontinuing the El Mar for 2017...and no other steel/ti hardtail option.
frown.png
Glad I've already got one.

Presenting Our Updated Line | Salsa Cycles
They killed the blackborow and made the mukluk a 5" instead, they killed the deadwood and just redid the fargo to fit 29ers.

That woodsmoke looks odd as fuck, but I guess it gives it belt powers? w/e

The timberjack is the logical replacement for it, but just aluminum instead of steel/ti. They've done a lot for the rigidity of the aluminum with the way the frame was designed (as I heard this secondhand from a buddy out at saddledrive).


Surly redid the karate monkey and won't offer a 29 as a complete as well, which is odd to me. They did some trump flares on the tubes to give it 'better' clearance. The ogre got some changes, but I'm still looking at what else they changed. I the the pugsley is gone, as I think they're going only to symmetric rear ends, but I don't know for sure.
 

Famm

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
11,041
794
Yeah Timberjack even has the alternator dropouts. I've heard the Ti El Mar's just didn't sell well, but it feels odd they are ditching steel. I guess there's just not the market for it outside of custom/small frame builders, and having Surly already well known for it.
 

Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole
42,271
50,239
Figured I'd ask this here instead of blowing up Ronne's inbox with PMs. My bike has a broken tooth on the highest gear on the back wheel. Until I can order a replacement freewheel, is it fine to just keep riding the bike while avoiding that gear? I'm not going to be damaging something else and the bike isn't going to spontaneously consume me in a torrent of nuclear fire or anything? Also, do I need a new chain, or will it be fine to reuse the old chain? I read something about replacing the chain too, but that might have been for a different issue than mine.

Bike parts are pretty much a complete mystery for me, this is the first time in my life I've actually owned a bike long enough for something to break down/wear out before the bike was stolen.
 

Kuriin

Just a Nurse
4,046
1,020
Assuming you're talking about the cassette -- it should be fine as long as you don't use that gear. In regards to the chain, you will need to eventually get a new one. If you take good care of it, they last a good while.
 

Ao-

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
<WoW Guild Officer>
7,879
507
Figured I'd ask this here instead of blowing up Ronne's inbox with PMs. My bike has a broken tooth on the highest gear on the back wheel. Until I can order a replacement freewheel, is it fine to just keep riding the bike while avoiding that gear? I'm not going to be damaging something else and the bike isn't going to spontaneously consume me in a torrent of nuclear fire or anything? Also, do I need a new chain, or will it be fine to reuse the old chain? I read something about replacing the chain too, but that might have been for a different issue than mine.

Bike parts are pretty much a complete mystery for me, this is the first time in my life I've actually owned a bike long enough for something to break down/wear out before the bike was stolen.
The group of gears is the cassette, and you can replace that rather than the entire rear wheel (usually). You want the chain to "wear" with the cassette ideally, otherwise you'll get skips and jumps and other such issues.

You should be fine as long as you don't use that gear, but you'll need to replace both the cassette and chain (probably) soon.
 

Famm

Ahn'Qiraj Raider
11,041
794
Speaking of Lynskey (going back to Kuriin's pic) I saw they were doing a 30% off sale. Seems like some decent discounts if you're in the market for one or something like it.

Road Bike Sale
 

Gavinmad

Mr. Poopybutthole
42,271
50,239
Still getting used to the idea of having a bike long enough that you actually have to take care of it so I've decided I should be doing some sort of maintenace on it, and the main thing seems to be keeping the drive train clean and periodically lubing the brake/shifter cables.

From what I'm reading, I can just use wd40 to clean the chain, but then I'd need an actual lubricant for the chain and the cables. If this is correct, is there anything in particular I should get? Are there any 'good enough' lubes that are likely to be sitting around my garage somewhere?
 

Fifey

Trakanon Raider
2,898
962
I'd avoid using wd40, I prefer to take the chain off and soak it in simple green, clean and dry it and relube with whatever lube you prefer (Finish line, pedros, yadda yadda).
 

Ao-

¯\_(ツ)_/¯
<WoW Guild Officer>
7,879
507
Still getting used to the idea of having a bike long enough that you actually have to take care of it so I've decided I should be doing some sort of maintenace on it, and the main thing seems to be keeping the drive train clean and periodically lubing the brake/shifter cables.

From what I'm reading, I can just use wd40 to clean the chain, but then I'd need an actual lubricant for the chain and the cables. If this is correct, is there anything in particular I should get? Are there any 'good enough' lubes that are likely to be sitting around my garage somewhere?
get a dry lube from a bike shop
or amazon

Amazon.com : Finish Line DRY Teflon Bicycle Chain Lube, 4-Ounce Drip Squeeze Bottle : Bike Oils : Sports Outdoors
 

Kuriin

Just a Nurse
4,046
1,020
Learn how to take off your wheels and clean your chain and cassette with a cleaner (Google one) and a fabric that can get between each gear. Cleaning your entire bike should only take about 10-15 minutes.
 

Miguex

The lad himself
<Gold Donor>
2,202
1,722
please make sure you are using bike specific stuff to lube your chain/cables as the above posters have mentioned. Keeping your drive train gunk free and lubed is incredibly important not only to the ride quality but cost of replacing semi expensive parts like cassettes and chains. You are on the right path having just realized you are riding enough to worry about these things. I ride about 150-175 miles a week and give my bike a good wash, clean, and lube once a week. But I give it a little lube touch up around ride 3 of the week and its been working well.

p.s. my riding partners tell me my drive train blinds them a few times a month. I may be overdoing it, but my bike shop hasn;t called me out on not doing enough yet.
 

Fifey

Trakanon Raider
2,898
962
Also, if you hate cleaning your bike and just want a commuter/round town bike, you can buy a belt drive with an 8 speed IGH. Pretty much becomes a maintenence free bike outside of brake pads/putting air in the tires.