Bicycle Thread

[mad082]

lol

Bell fines... I'd get raped if they caught up with me considering the BigHit has no reflectors, bells, lights, etc on it.

Been meaning to get a honka-hoota for racing though.

only need lights and reflectors at night. during the day they can't book you.

haha my c-dale came without a bell - is that a paddlin on the bikeshop?

i removed my bell from my other bike on account of nobody gives a shit anyway if there's a pedestrian in your way there's about a 99% chance they're listening to the kings of leon on their ipod anyway and can't hear it

yes, big paddlin for the bike shop. it is a legal requirement that all bikes with 16" (or it may be 20") wheels and bigger be supplied with 2 brakes (even though the legal requirement is only 1), bells and reflectors. most shops that sell lots of high end stuff often leave the bells off as most people only take them off anyway, but the fine to the shop for not supplying the bike with them can be pretty big. the shops just keep the bells and sell them seperately. they do the same thing with bmx bikes. they often leave the front brakes off and charge you extra extra if you want them.

and yes, the bell thing is a bit stupid as yelling "get the fuck out of the way!" usually works better than *ding*

i should also see if i can out find if mudguards are still a legal requirement. they used to be but not sure if they still are. could be one of those laws that has slipped out of enforcement but is still a law.

[xALmoN]

So, i legally have to have 1 brake. So i cannot ever decide to go brakeless here.

What about the fixies? Its cool to have no brakes on a fixie.

[mad082]

may be cool, but not legal.

you CAN go brakeless, just can't ride on the road/footpath without brakes. kind of makes sense to have at least 1 brake though. LOL

[Mr Eps]

yeah man as "hip" as you might think it is to have no brakes and ride fixed it's GREAT on a track cos means you save the extra 700g for not having brakes.. but... when you're riding on road next time and a 4wd suddenly deicdes to make a left turn in your path you'll be glad you have the ability to stop and rescue your beloved teeth.

i ride a single speed track bike on the road because i LIKE to go fast... but the entire "fixie" "culture" pisses me off chronically, riding caps, no brakes, tight tshirt, cards in spokes, constant stubble. it's all just homo shit that people are just jumping on cos it's the latest accessory to go with their iphone.

[xALmoN]

*shrug* i think fixies are cool to build, old track frame, old fork, old parts. Its because of the current fad that has brought fixies to my attention actually.

I love building up bikes, i do everything myself other than the wheel build. But i just like assembling them. I had 4 bikes and i only rode 1. Ended up selling the rest off.

And i used to go brakeless on my pinscher. But i had no balls to wheelie/manual without the brakes, so i put them back on. But it sucks not having an option.

[mad082]

*shrug* i think fixies are cool to build, old track frame, old fork, old parts. Its because of the current fad that has brought fixies to my attention actually.

I love building up bikes, i do everything myself other than the wheel build. But i just like assembling them. I had 4 bikes and i only rode 1. Ended up selling the rest off.

And i used to go brakeless on my pinscher. But i had no balls to wheelie/manual without the brakes, so i put them back on. But it sucks not having an option.

fixed wheel bikes have been around for ever and a day. i have been able to order them for as long as i have been working with biks (since 2000). they were just called track (velodrome) bikes and were only available with drop bars (bars not bears, LOL), but now they make flat bar versions.

building wheels is probably my favourite part of building bikes because it takes the longest and is the bit that takes the most concentration. piecing them together just shits me off, as does adjusting them. that is why the gears on my own bike aren't anywhere near as precise as customers bikes, LOL. just cbf'd doing my own.

i can actually wheelie better without brakes than with brakes.

[xALmoN]

I've got no balls to pull anything off without brakes.

Back in the day when hucking was so popular, stair gaps blahblah, i could gap decently, but without brakes, i didn't even dare to attempt a 3 stair gap.

I reckon i should start to learn to build wheels because workmanship here is so expensive. In singapore, $55 can build a wheel with spokes. Over here, whats the rate? 75/wheel without spokes?

[Mr Eps]

it just baffles me how fixgear riders get "air" without swallowing a few teeth... i mean, ride, ride, pedal, balance, pedal, focus, jump, air, continue pedaling, maintain speed, land, soft knees, keep pedaling, etc etc

i couldn't do it..

in further news i wore holes into my back tyre in the course of the last week or so due to having to sudden stop in traffic... bit devo, went 700 x 23 kenda kaliente

took my cannondale into the shop and all the staff were giving me props as if owning a singlespeed is some sort of talent... wierd... haha

[mad082]

I've got no balls to pull anything off without brakes.

Back in the day when hucking was so popular, stair gaps blahblah, i could gap decently, but without brakes, i didn't even dare to attempt a 3 stair gap.

I reckon i should start to learn to build wheels because workmanship here is so expensive. In singapore, $55 can build a wheel with spokes. Over here, whats the rate? 75/wheel without spokes?

i charge $35 in labour and spokes are between 50c and $1 each. most are 50c so a 36h wheels works out to be $53. i don't mind only charging $35, because it usually only takes me half an hour. gotta do a wheel this morning actually

it just baffles me how fixgear riders get "air" without swallowing a few teeth... i mean, ride, ride, pedal, balance, pedal, focus, jump, air, continue pedaling, maintain speed, land, soft knees, keep pedaling, etc etc

i couldn't do it..

in further news i wore holes into my back tyre in the course of the last week or so due to having to sudden stop in traffic... bit devo, went 700 x 23 kenda kaliente

took my cannondale into the shop and all the staff were giving me props as if owning a singlespeed is some sort of talent... wierd... haha

should've gone michelin pro race tyre. they last long time, LOL. i ran them on my road bike. very good grip thanks to being dual compound (one compound is the same compound as f1 and superbike tyres) and last a long time as well as being very puncture resistant. about $100 though.

[Mr Eps]

or i could just do less skids...

[xALmoN]

i charge $35 in labour and spokes are between 50c and $1 each. most are 50c so a 36h wheels works out to be $53. i don't mind only charging $35, because it usually only takes me half an hour. gotta do a wheel this morning actually

oh well, too bad you are not in Victoria eh? Or are you? I'm still not too familiar with the suburbs.

i think i sorta have an idea how to do lacing, but dishing is a bit hard to understand.

[JAS-25T]

if its $20/hr cheaper, im sure he could post it to you for cheaper than the difference.

would be cheaper the more wheels you get made too.

[mad082]

ahaha, not quite jase, cause he would have to post the wheels up here first.

no i'm not in vic, i'm in qld

lacing isn't that hard to do once you know what you are doing. if you don't know what you are doing, even just trying to copy a wheel you have sitting next to you can end in disaster. if someone brings a wheel in to me that they have tried to lace and stuffed up, i charge extra to fix it because i have to start from scratch (charge a fee for removing the spokes). often what they do it tighten each spoke up all the way before they put in the next spoke and this ends in disaster (and can end up stuffing the rim)

the problems from incorrect lacing range from sideways buckles (easy to fix), incorrect offset/dish (also easy to fix... most of the time), up and down buckles (harder to fix), rims being damaged (can't be fixed)

if all you are doing is changing the spokes but using the same rim and hub (or changing rims and using old spokes and hub), this is generally pretty easy as you don't have to calculate the spoke length. you can just measure the length of the old spokes.

dishing is also easy, again if you know what you are doing. generally using 2mm shorter spokes on the drive side will give you enough difference to dish it easily.

[BoyWhoCriedWolf]

or i could just do less skids...

or go ghey

[Xmetal]

i charge $35 in labour and spokes are between 50c and $1 each. most are 50c so a 36h wheels works out to be $53. i don't mind only charging $35, because it usually only takes me half an hour. gotta do a wheel this morning actually

Now that's sensible. $1 spokes = generic brand?

I'm due for a new wheels set soon as the SingleTracks i've got are looking abit worse for wear. Thinking about getting some Halo's built up.

Also due for new rubber - looking around to see who sells Duro tires because they make a 24x3.0 and 26x3.0 tire in 40a compound. Hard to find.

[mad082]

do you ride a road bike?

are you sick of having to exert all that energy to move your hand to change gears?

do you wish you could simply press a button and have it done electronically?

do you have a spare $3300?

well if you ansered yes to all of the above then your wish has come true with the new shimano dura ace di2 shifters and derailluer.

yes that's right folks, shimano now has a battery operated shifter system. so now instead of having that simple cable setup you have a complex motor system. why pay about $1800 for cable operated top of the line shifters and derailleurs when for an extra $1500 you can go battery operated..........

[kralster]

because you can.

[mad082]

i'm sure they will sell well. roadies are always willing to hand over money if they think it is better quality, despite the fact that 8/10 times it isn't any better, just costs more, which by their thinking means it must be better

[kralster]

is there any weight saving? aerodynamics with less wire all over the place?

[Xmetal]

Teh campagnolo can nevarrr lose!!111

Marc: I found a 24x3.0 tire on CRC for a sensible price - Halo Contra Still looking for the same in 26"