do i buy a thing

Wrt the springs, the issue I usually see is putting the spring onto the skewer in wrong orientation, which causes surprisingly significant problems.

Re: wrong skewer orientation - you mean big-to-small instead of small-to-big (or vice-versa)?

yup yup

By the way, I set off for a ride yesterday and after just 4 miles I was changing gear when there was another horrible crunching sound and the front mech failed to shift again. On closer inspection it had actually split at the narrowest point of the cage, so the pliers trick isn't a permanent fix. I'm getting a new front mech on Friday (when my LBS is fitting my new chain and cassette to put the expensive new wheels into action), this is turning into a very costly month.

I'm too old for it and would look ridiculous, but this shirt is dope

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Kid-N-Play-Start-T-Shirt-/140930985686?pt=US_Mens_Tshirts&var=&hash=item20d0242ed6

http://images.oldglory.com/product/066757MITSf.jpg

Def wanna be rollin w kid n play

omg the new Surly ice cream truck and the higher zoot all-city macho men are all I want right now

was playin on internet and saw the og of fat bikes hanebrink now has multiple electric assist bikes.

Want to sell the Tricross and get a steel all-rounder / cx / winter / commuter.

Recommendations circa £1k please...

So I had a snoop around some Exeter bike shops yesterday. Options available in town at the moment include:

Kona Honky Tonk
Genesis Equilibrium / Croix De Fer / CDF (latter two not on shop floor but orderable)
Charge Plug 3.5
Salsa Vaya
Salsa Fargo
Surly Crosscheck
Specialized AWOL

The Honky Tonk, Salsas, and AWOL are all available on CTW. Pretty sure the Genesis and Charge aren't.

The Fargo and AWOL are crazy options and not really what I'm after, but if I won the lottery, oh boy do they look like fun.

CDF / Honky Tonk / Crosscheck seem pretty comparable, except the latter two don't have disc brakes, which I think I'd like. Geometry on the Crosscheck is a touch old-fashioned, with the horizontal top tube.

Croix De Fer and Vaya seem reasonably comparable too, and are a step up from the CDF / Honky Tonk / Crosscheck (from circa £850 to circa £1200).

I can get approx £250 for my Tricross.

Sense tells me that CDF is the sensible option... But the Vaya is very nice. Small company, bit of exclusivity. I should test ride them all.

The other alternative is see if something secondhand comes up, I guess.

there was a 'honky inc' early stab at the disc roadie, think it's been retired in favour of the rove in the kona range; another all-roads bike with discs in the croix/crosscheck/plug mould. looks fetching in metal blue for this model year.

trek crossrip might be worth a look if you're not too wed to the steal is reel ethos too. I would maybe get one if I could get the work sitch sorted.

I think I definitely want steel; otherwise I could just upgrade all the mech on the Tricross. I also want to steer away from big brands, just out of snobbishness as much as anything else.

u reject their shiny expensive consumerist gear system

Living where it rains seems like a rly good argument for discs on that type of bike.

I'll rep for salsa if only to keep my bros employed

i almost bought a powertap last night (*drinky motion*), like i had the credit card info in place, then thankfully, i realized i TOTALLY DON'T NEED A FUCKING POWERTAP. AT ALL. it was like i was possessed or in a trance.

Was Yoda nearby?

i thought it was just you or some other mantis, shortwaving common sense to me.

i would like to borrow someone's powertap to test the accuracy of my inride's calibration though. some people claim they are +- a couple watts, others say no way, 20 watts off.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/53cm-FR-602-Full-Carbon-3K-Glossy-Cyclocross-Bike-BSA-Frame-Fork-Disc-Brake-/171108271255?pt=US_Bicycles_Frames&hash=item27d6d90497

how about this thing do i buy it

only if you know somebody who already has one, and will rep for it's soundness imo.

I assume you have good health insurance and I know you know some doctors, so sure, why not.

Sorta thought q was a jest that is not the frame of a soul rider like gbx

Review of the charge plug 4 here.

A lot of the negatives sound like positives for this kind of bike.

http://road.cc/content/review/112830-charge-plug-4-road-bike

that q was not in jest, i am A-OK w/carbon

ps - pretty sure that the frame in question is just an unbranded this: http://foundrycycles.com/bikes/auger

i think i stand on my previous, if you can find someone to vouch for it and/or be confident it's a gray-market leak of an identifiable brand, it could be a greatdeal.

i think i mentioned round here that i bought one of these framesets pretty cheap. it is a canti frameset, as it will be raced, and discs are really just extra weight (imo) in colorado most of the time (yes, i know discs are the way and truth). anyway, compare the foundry and the sette frames. they are really verry similar- afaict identical geometry (for a 56cm: 72.5/73 degrees, 65mm(!) bb drop, 42.5 cm chainstay, 155mm headtube), both have the weird double wishbone seatstay, same shape of the chainstay bridge, the weird routing and shape of the f. derailler cable stop. look at the rear derailler cable routing, both have full cable from the top tube to the rear derailler, which is- well maybe that's the norm now, but i'd never seen it til i built up the sette. the big dif is discs and rear brake cable routing.

same factory/mold? coincidence? dunno. i do not have the mileage on my bike that i hoped for, but it handles great so far, the front end is incredibly stable with the 1 1/8 to 1 1/4 tapered head tube and massive fork blades.

what is also funny is that both foundry and sette have four frame sizes, and the geometry is the same across ALL of them. it's gotta be the same frameset updated with discs. even if true though, the disc thing- discs stress frames/forks in very particular and afaik severe ways.

bike computers: go

i'm thinking about a garmin edge 500 since it seems to do p much everything i need, and the 510 doesn't have much to recommend the price (as i learned reading the exhaustive review at the literally incredible website dcrainmaker.com --- credit where credit is due, the guy does fantastic reviews and seems to have no problem whatsoever going out in public on a tri-bike that has something like 5-7 computers on it, along with several power meters)

i'm sorta hoping that maybe a lil investment in training stuff might actually spur me into getting back into shape since i am now v much a fat, fat mantis

yeah, that guy's site is o_0, i use it to keep abreast of tech matters.

i like my garmin 500, it's now almost 4 years old. it just keeps working. conditions here are good though, it hardly ever gets wet.

i think i'd rather have no computer on my bike than something other than my garmin, which is kinda crazy. but it's so tidy, no wires, no magnets, you just slap it on there and go.

I have the 705 and it has been pretty reliable for nearly 5 years. I had to replace the battery. Mapping function is useless, not much better on the 800/810 so not worth going higher than the 500. I'd probably buy a 500 if I were buying one now.

I guess I'm in the same boat as Hunt3r, I have no idea what I would have on my bike if I didn't have a garmin.

I've got the 800 and it's great.

sold

always buy a thing

http://img3.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20130822190447/seuss/images/8/82/Character_1and2.jpg

lol

had 500 for three years, never misses a beat.

I have arranged to test ride a thing weekend after next.

Specifically a CDF.

really fancy the idea of the CDF and related models, or something similar - maybe that raleigh gravel thing. neither brand distributed in aus - well raleigh is but they seem to focus on kids and cruiser bikes.

be keen to see what genesis do with the new shimano 105 hydro stuff, seems like they'd be all over that market.

Tested and ordered via CTW. Yum yum yum. Seemed like it would be a lot of fun.

yay new thing!

months ago i bought avid shorty ultimates, i finally have the rear set installed. they are jewel like, easy peasy to adjust, and work beautifully.

so i have new brakes that are state of the art, and obsolete (rim based).

And HR have approved my CTW application; just have to wait for the voucher now. Please come soon, please come soon.

I want my voucher so I can go and pick up my thing!

Finally got my bloody voucher! Pick up the new thing tomorrow.

omg fun

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/sfc/bik/4510094436.html

fits great. perfectly turned out.

i currently have zero bikes. should really buy a city bike and a proper road bike. trying to decide if this could be my road bike, or if it would end up being a sweet sweet toy.

it's a few pounds heavier than my late specialized. and the ride isn't quite as mellow as carbon.

but!

i mean, i can always sell it ...

got a few reasons, but i'd vote no. otoh, u can always sell it.

Huh, what are the reasons?

I mean I can imagine a few but maybe you have reasons I hasn't thought of

had not