all purpose gear thread

while we on the discount code tip:

http://www.rapha.cc/long-sleeve-jersey-09/

SLEEVE10 for 20% discount!

if I ever win the lottery, I will buy a piece of Rapha... maybe a cap.

do you think we should have a "Bike Deals"/Coupon thread? I like to shop off-season for killer dealz. y/n

do it

acquired some mavic gear that's not made of exploding shards of carbon fibre - 'SL arm warmers' for sun protection, aren't creeping down the arm so that ticks the one big box for me; 'race glove' is their basic mitt and fits pretty well, will have to test the padding on the palm over a longer distance than i pulled tonight, seems fine so far. both items get a thumbs-up (TENTATIVE).

So why is it is so exceedingly difficult to find a cheap silver 26mm / 1 1/8 threadless stem anywhere?

What do people like in a road pedal?

http://www.cyclingnews.com/features/photos/first-look-reynolds-composites-studio-rzr-46t/113090

whoa! im a bit jaded about claimed advancements, but that is impressive to me. if they work and don't break.

Anyone want to weigh in on time vs Shimano vs Look vs Speedplay?

speedplay for crits

http://www.firstflightbikes.com/1991_Spec_M2.htm

i can't believe examples of this product still exist even virtually, but check out how similar the profile of those cf spokes look to hunt3r's 1994 team sponsor fiber flight's cf spokes. im sure they are worlds apart. <3 sponsors, but no way was i lacing those to anything.

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr222/Chass3ur/IMG_1566.jpg
proof, /packrat!

those 'CF spokes bonded into the rim' wheels (lightweights, cosmic carbone ultimates) seem to be pretty tuff, but if you fuck one up it's a trip back to germany/france to fix i think... big buck$$$$$ for a busted spoke.

ed i tried speedplay ('light action') and SPD-SLs (ultegra) and the speedplays were easy to get in/out but didn't feel locked-in enough for my liking. am willing to put that down to them being the light action version - probably should've got zeros instead. having no probs with the ultegras tho, would recommend unreservedly.

i have big ass feet (12/47) and the idea of a platform pedal seemed more comforting. supposedly shimano has less problems with hotspots due to anatomical design, not sure if that's fact or sales pitch.

guys i think im old schooling that 16 y/o skinsuit above for my tt's. im not paying to buy a vanilla one. so so retro.

Not quite sure what to make of this

http://www.prologotouch.com/images/big_schlecksella.jpg

hahaha!

(i have a nago evo, it's pretty good)

I gotta say that shifting w/my new ultegra gruppo is v nice (not a shimano stan btw)

kinda think i got lucky with nu-ultegra as my first 'real' road group experience tbh. think it might've dropped the chain... once? otherwise shifting has been rock-solid, comfortable brifters, brakes are good. i like the twin-levers shifting too - have a feeling i'd get over-excited on a sram setup and go down when i wanted to go up or whatever.

serious qn: is front mech trimming not an issue anymore?

only arksing because of smooth gear changings across the board w/the ultegra 6700

does anyone experience with vermarc stuff? a friend is doing a shitload of gear for his informal club (the group that rides from his restaurant), and all my old shorts are wearing/worn out. it would be weird to wear kit from a non existent "team" but the price is right-- if the gear is good. looks nice.

One of my top 5 favorite "feeling" (as opposed to "looking") bib shorts I own which are from Vermarc Sport DK. I got them in the Sports Basement bargain bin for ~$20 and they declare very loudly across the butt and thighs in Electric Blue and Gold: "PROCYCLING" in three different futuristic Fred-tastic fonts. No team name nor illusion of sponsors like their QuickStep kit... I like to think that the usage of "PRO" is in the advocacy sense but who am I kidding. Bear in mind I would never wear these on a day that I would have any chance encounter of anyone I know, and mostly these see the most saddle time under the wintertights.

But yes... PROCYCLING!

The chamois looks "medical grade" if that makes any sense. Very nice.

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr222/Chass3ur/BacaroKit_FINAL_OLcopy_Page_2.jpg

no "procycling." "eat to ride, ride to eat" = fat mantis approved imo

hmmm, i'll probably take that down in a couple, its not my image.

boo... img rip

thinin' 'baout compact cranks

you can get 110 bcd rings up to 52, so why don't you see more bikes with 52, 38 on a 110 bcd. OK so the chainrings will be marginally heavier or less stiff, but more choices on 110?

guys I just want to point out that I've been wrenching half assedly for a few hours and my bike RULES

so why don't you see more bikes with 52, 38 on a 110 bcd.

you do in the pros when they go to the mountains. some guys rock a 52/36 which must wreak havoc on the chain/rear d but i think they install chain guards (?).

http://www.flickr.com/photos/81965454@N00/3115540665/
― cutty, Thursday, December 18, 2008 1:15 PM (1 year ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink

cutty wht is this bike? it is pimp

ah raleigh one way, p.nice

http://farm2.static.flickr.com/1018/4721829372_2c61cf0794_b.jpg

that's awesome. at my old job, we had catalogs like that going back to the late 80's with all kinds of innovations that seem totally ridiculous by today's standards.

reminds me of a kidney pool.

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1124052/index.htm

http://cgi.ebay.com/Bicycle-Road-Touring-FACET-BioCam-1000-50-Speed-/280476276840#ht_575wt_954

cutty iirc u been using dura ace tubeless - what's yr verdict?

OHHHHHH btw... my teammate who I was supporting in my race on Saturday was riding.... Dura-Ace tubeless. Just an FYI... those conditions sucked though. I was riding reynolds attack front (crabon) and easton circuit (alum) rear.

he flatted... that was my point.

my flat count for the last 12 mths

commuter: 7 (incl. 2 in space of @ 3 hrs, was not happy that day)
roadie: 1
singlespeed: 0

moral of story: never commute by bicycle

what kind of tires do you have on your commuter? i'm tempted to go with some bomb-proof tank tires this winter.

I have superslick, superlight Ultremos on my commuter and I never puncture (twice, on a tyre that had started to delaminate (and had been recalled), in 7000 miles)

anyone got a spare set of 27" x 1 1/4 alloy wheels going spare?

spare spares

GEAR!

http://bikehugger.com/images/blog/roadwheels.jpg

^great for conquering the col nagl

Not in a UCI sanctioned race you won't

i got a 16 spoke rear race wheel that looks like the one on the left... some weird Astana-era Bontrager re-brand of a Hed 50mm carbon rim with DTSwiss bladed aero-spokes and DTSwiss high flange hub.

The decals were rather annoying so I modified the "BONTRAGER" to, at first, "F N RAGER" and now to simply "RAGER"... which may not last the week tbh.

http://www.ibikesports.com/detail.aspx?ID=84

I wonder if Apple would be interested in sponsoring my new Apple iBike Team

the reviews on that thing are all over the board but the bad reviews are really brutal on the accuracy (esp the tests done with multiple systms). for that kinda money just buy a powertap.

ayo i just scored this sweet 20 spoke straight laced wheel from a buddy but neither of us can figure out what the manufacturer is. the hub and skewer clamp both have an S shape with an N or Z cut out of that and a 3 in the empty space and no combination of any of those characters gives me a hit with googles. anybody know what i'm talking abt? will post pic in a bit for clarification . . .

Specialized?