all purpose gear thread

http://mantasaddle.biz/images/stories/manta_mbk_still.jpg

I guess you should just click the link.

what in the hell

Anyone wanna recommend me a bike pump? Here is the deal: This wouldn't be an emergency-specific thing b/c I am a big dude riding a bike w/ super-skinny rims & am going on increasingly lengthy outings over terrain rife w/ cracks, potholes etc. So, basically, my tubes need re-ups quite often, only to 80-90psi, but I'd like to manage that without a lot of stress & strain. I'd like to get a Zefal HPX, but would prefer something not frame-mounted, so I can fit it in a triangle frame-pack with other tools, etc. Can I get a size #1 HPX & fit it into a 16" frame pack, or would I be better off with one of the Topeak Morph series? The Topeak pumps are generally well-reviewed, but I'm suspicious of all the movable plastic pieces & how sturdy they would be over time.

Also, do I really need to spend $50+ on a carbon-fiber water-bottle cage? Being that my bike was manufactured in 1976, I'm guessing probably not. So, anyone wanna recommend me a decent cage, appropriate for an older bike w/out being too clunky/clattery?

Topeak have a great little pump called the pocket rocket which I have for exactly that purpose. It'll take you up to 120psi no worries.

if you just need to pump up between rides get a floor pump

if you just need to pump up between rides get a floor pump

― all yoga attacks are fire based (rogermexico.), Wednesday, June 10, 2009 10:05 PM (2 hours ago) [IP: 67.164.75.254] Bookmark

Thanks, tho I have floor pump. What I am concerned about is maintaining proper PSI levels over the course of 20-30 mile rides & replacing the occasional tube on the road. Again, the combination of being a burly fellow & encountering a fair amount of less-than-ideal road features ensures that I would do well to prioritize this, at least until the point where I am able to comfortably afford more modern & high-performance gear.

Thanks for the suggestion, Ed. I will look into the Pocket Rocket.

I'm rocking a 1976 Flandria btw:

http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2260/1534730409_8b85bf2f1e_o.jpg

Mine is actually an original Belgian racing model & not its (slightly downgraded) American equivalent. It is pretty great & has certainly given me a taste for the sport, but now that my curiosity has gotten me researching gear, etc, I'm feeling pretty isolated-in-1976 technology-wise - esp. after checking out a lot of the pics on this board.

Also, do I really need to spend $50+ on a carbon-fiber water-bottle cage?

dunno why anyone would need anything more fancy than this:

http://www.evanscycles.com/product_image/image/c4c/dd3/570/26379/product_page/specialized-e-cage-50mm-bottle-cage.jpg?1227116287

yours for 6 dollarpounds

Those Pake track frames... are they cheap for a reason?

mass produced in taiwan like every other off-the-peg track frame

i have heard, apocryphally, that "pake" is hawaiian slang for "junk" but would need this corroborated by an actual hawaiian. super cub?

u need a vintage silca with campy head rite? thats def 70s or prior teknologie

those pake frames are still pretty nice, esp. for the price... i bet they're made in the same factory as soma, surly, etc.

also, king stainless steel cages are relatively inexpensive and a super way to class up an old steel bike.

"Pake" means more like cheap. I think it originally meant Chinese (person), and the meaning kind of evolved from there.

note: this is just my understanding; I do not condone or sanction or pretend to really understand any of this.

To be clear, "pake" would be used like this:

He's so pake, he takes his girlfriend to McDonald's on her birthday.

Ok, back to bikes.

I'm not sure if locks are gear, but what kind do I need? I bought a faux vintage cruiser today, and the lady at the store recommended this 50 pound $90 kryptonite chain that I would wear around my waist when riding. It would seem to sort of destroy the BCBG look I am going for. But it's insured for the price of the bike if stolen. I preferred the look of the U lock--but she thought that the $40 version wouldn't be worth anything over an hour. I decided maybe I would just hardly lock my bike up at all if that was the case. Suggestions?

She also said I should detach the seat when I lock it!

any kryptonite lock is going to have a decent monetary guarantee, although you can only redeem those if you have evidence that the lock was broken (namely, the broken lock, which the thief would have to be kind enough to leave near the crime scene for you to retrieve). a kryptonite evolution lock (the black/orange one) is a good choice for not too much money (and the evolution mini fits in a rear pocket a la every hipster with a fixed gear bike). just stay away from really cheap u-locks and the master lock handcuff looking ones.

i guess it depends on how you plan on carrying it?

i am a hipster scumbag with a mini-U and i love it for its portability. however, i'm def taking my chances: my cx bike has quick release skewers and i rarely ever bring a cable to secure them (that, btw, is a good, light option: mini-u w/about 4' of kryptonite cable to run thru the wheels).

the heavy duty chains are just that: HEAVY. and wearing them around your waist will def destroy your look. however, if you put a plastic crate on your rear rack you can just drop it in there, no sweat.

yeah, do that

didn't mean to imply all who use mini-evo locks are hipster scum; i mean, messengers started using them for their portability, and they're pretty damn convenient... but it's hard to deny that they've become a fashion accessory for the buy-new-chrome-gear-to-match-the-season set.

i use a new york u-lock, which is not convenient at all.

no no, it's fine, i agree with you!

why can't i get a d-lock (u-lock, whatever) in white

Rear baskets will make carrying any lock a breeze,a long with anything else you fancy and would compliment the look of the bike quite nicely.

http://i486.photobucket.com/albums/rr222/Chass3ur/01010004.jpg

all they lack is neon

i wore these for a larf this weekend: 1992 team issue vuarnet shields with iridium flash lens. at one point i had a smaller lens for these which looked more like 1992 than these, which look 1988. (the optics on these are actually rather nice).

kanye west to thread

I need some cycling goggles. As the weather has gotten warmer, I've found myself hurdling through random clouds of gnats (much of my riding is done on paved bike trails in wooded areas).

While we're on the subject, can anyone recommend prescription cycling goggles. (resolute non-contacts wearer here).

recommend me a seat-post rack. my frame, annoyingly, has no rack mount eyelets but i'd like to get groceries and stuff on it just the same. doing a quick search on amazon shows nothing rated past 25 lbs; quick-release ones (which i think i'd prefer) are even lighter.

check out old man mountain who have a number of expensive but very durable rack solutions for no eyelet situations.

cetma has front racks for bikes w/no eyelets, but they're expensive. bombproof, but $$$

hmm interesting stuff, but i dunno if those would even work, since the frame has these odd bmx-style dropouts

pic here: http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_NbIGWWUsrQs/Rz491EmUZUI/AAAAAAAAAXs/iFDkiOBBvOY/s1600-h/Cayne+Uno+Dropout.jpg

maybe the angle on the OMM sherpa is just right but it'd be a gamble. i may be SOL.

xp hmm will investigate

ok lol

XD

cross-post w/WS, let's just be honest

btw they are called "track ends" :)

o i c!

The sherpa hardware looks like it might work with the dropouts but send that photo to OMM and see what they say.

new project! bought a beat to shit old steel australian made racer, needs a new chain, derailleur cables, pedal straps and cassette at least.

Yeah I've got a project as well. Hosteler? French job that my sister got, in dire need of overhaul. Should be fun?

I got a combo Giant U-lock with a cable; I guess I am supposed to U-lock the back tire and frame to a post, and then cable the front wheel to . . . the back wheel?

How long will this prevent a thief? And do I have to take my seat with me, as the bike lady suggested?

cable the front wheel to the lock. yeah it's a hassle. also yup i take my seat with me.

ive been asking this for 20 years: where do saddles go when stolen? are they in pawnshops or something?

ive not had one taken yet, and cant figure why they are so wanted. unless they are brooks and ludicrously expensive.

I saw what was left of a bike chained to a light pole in Chicago last summer that was just the frame, fork, and seatpost complete with a nice brown Brooks saddle. I can't imagine anything else on the bike would have been as worth stealing as that.

who would want some worn-out, dumpy old seat lol

gbx hows that brooks mod/clone you got doin?

Dude it's great

My seat isn't super special, but it's brown with contrast yellow piping that matches my bike, and the saleslady maintains that it if is stolen I won't be able to replace it.

I want this bespoke rapha suit quite seriously:

http://bikehugger.com/2009/09/david-byrne-bicycles.html#more