all purpose gear thread

the handlebars denting the top tube.

ahhhhhhhhhhhhh thanks for that

Italian review of Ultegra Di2 with pix (run thru g-translate):

http://translate.google.com/translate?js=n&prev=_t&hl=en&ie=UTF-8&layout=2&eotf=1&sl=it&tl=en&u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cyclinside.com%2FTechnews%2FBiciclette%2FComponenti%2FUltegra-Di2-Eccolo-Lo-abbiamo-provato.html

want

Might want when they replace the UGLY matt plastic look on all the components!

http://www.sram.com/rockshox/products/sid-world-cup

so apparently a buddy of mine that works at sram is sending me one of these? for free? along with other "surprise parts"?

someday he'll want free medical svcs u kno

ha yeah i told him i would deliver his kids, should he ever have any

gbx, google tells me that retails for £725! Nice freebie.

how much does a kid retail at tho

About £7k I think, private in the UK.

i have re-purposed a cinelli workshop apron for kitchen duties. p good!

i just looked at the ultegra di2, and mark c otm-- that is very very unsightly.

i haven't followed rockshox product development in a few years, so consider my mind blown at the idea of a sid w/120mm travel and 32mm stanchions.

Christ! Though what really got me was the amount of time this dude is erect during his sleep.

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/06/28/science/28tier.html?_r=1&pagewanted=1

so no surprise parts, and the fork is a 2009 model, but still: free fork! just showed up!

do you have a frame for it, or is it like, a pogo stick conversion project?

i've got a rockhopper frame i got for $30 at the swap, along with a white ind/delgado wheelset. also, my friend gave me his old mtb to part out (he's going to kenya for a year), so i should be able to scrape something together.

major thing lacking is a disc brake for the fork, and a compatible wheel. p much have everything else covered? and since half my friends work at qbp i've been assured that i will not go wanting

another decision is SS v. geared

bro's bike has a LX/XT/XTR drivetrain i should be able to swap in, but MN is p well-suited to singlespeeding it.

Just bought Emma a lovely (but discontinued) Brooks Countess saddle for a mere £40.

Found the right color but cannot bring myself to buy a saddle that says "EndZone" on it.

I collect my new bicycle in 2 and a half hours!

Awesome! Pics and thoughts pls.

I barely slept last night.

But first ride is going to be over this blue bridge, which opened today - http://www.exetersciencepark.co.uk/latest_news.php

yfrog.com/kltthquj

Bike!

great!

sts homey

What's sts?!

slam that stem!

(j/k, you shouldn't do that)

Hahaha

Did 23 miles in 90 minutes on it last night along a not particularly quick route, didn't feel like I was pushing it too hard, stopped a couple of times to talk to people, and still did a quicker average mph than I would have when pushing it really hard on the hybrid. And that's without even having put slicks on, which I intend to do. Pleased!

http://i54.tinypic.com/15r1sli.jpg

$20 oval chainrings not sure if they will work with other bits.

I fitted new pedals to my roadie yesterday, a pair of Crank Bros Candy SL in delightful green (they were 80% off or something). Haven't ridden with them yet but the hot spot on my right foot was getting worse and worse so I hope they're a good investment.

That said, I also moved the cleat about 1.5mm when I replaced my old ones, which might help - and, annoyingly, found a small crack in the sole of my shoes, so the hunt for bargain replacements is underway (though tbh I just want Spesh BG MTB shoes again as I've never owned something that fits so well - but they're £100 these days and never discounted, grr).

Finally, I cleaned my drivetrain for the first time, quite possibly, since I replaced my old one, about 2,000 miles ago. Oops.

Are there any decent aggregators which would tell you the price for (say) the shoes I want across many online retailers?

garmin announces platform for its pedal powermeter- keo compatible built by exustar, ~$1500. really was hoping they'd retain the original speedplay design.

http://velonews.competitor.com/2011/08/bikes-and-tech/quick-look-garmin-vector-power-meter_188454

i saw those today at the bike show!! product debut in australia, who'd have thunk it

the pedal could do with a metal scuff plate imo

so look has two power platforms- polar and garmin. i really don't like them, but that seems like good news for them. if you have those on your road bike, you'll get reg looks for your rainbike and tt bike right?

i figure that garmin's choice was in part based on exustar's willingness to manufacture to price point and look is a license they have. from my interactions and reading on speedplay, they don't seem like the kind of company that would do anything like that at all.

these are supposed to be out next year

http://www.brimbrothers.com/2011/06/announcing-zone/

whoa

One of these companies news to come out with the $750 power meter, they will own the market.

news = needs

Polar/Look pedal is only compatible with Polar heads which is understandable but very dumb.

these look great: http://gizmodo.com/5831624/light-your-bike-at-night-with-revolights

What's a good book on bicycle maintenance / building a bicycle?

zinn

Duly ordered.

Would totally buy those revolights, too.