First Real Bike Thoughts

[Hocky]

dang I want to ride. Crappy winter.

 

[ski2xblack]

Adjusting derailleurs is also a bit of an art...

Not art.
-verify indexing barrel screws are not fully tightened (in order to be able to adjust the derailleur both directions in a later step)
-set your high and low limits (screws on the back of the rear derailleur) so the inside aspect of the of the top roller of the derailleur aligns with the outside surface of the corresponding cog
-shift to the smallest cog and lowest gear of the shifter; remove any slack from the cable (where the cable attaches to derailleur)
-adjust indexing (barrel screws) so that one click moves the chain one cog, no more, no less
-looking from above/rear, compare the outer surface of the next higher cog with the inner surface of the chain's links. There should be the tiniest amount of space between them.

That's about it for rear derailleurs. For touring/mountain triples up front, I like old school friction derailleurs, as I haven't found indexers that cover the full span without rubbing in one extreme or the other.

 

[slipperybidness]

dang I want to ride. Crappy winter.

Well, down south we are in prime-time bike riding weather right now!

The downside is that in about 2 months we will be having 100+ degree F highs for literally 90+ days in a row. We will probably see overnight lows in the mid-80s (+70% humidity in my area). So then it will be either riding in the early morning or late evening only, and even then you're pretty miserable.

 

[Hocky]

Well, down south we are in prime-time bike riding weather right now!

The downside is that in about 2 months we will be having 100+ degree F highs for literally 90+ days in a row. We will probably see overnight lows in the mid-80s (+70% humidity in my area). So then it will be either riding in the early morning or late evening only, and even then you're pretty miserable.

I spend a fair amount of time riding at 95 and high humidity here during the summer... I'll take that over not being able to ride at all any time.

 

[fuzz092888]

Rookie mistake. Ordered shoes without the right bolt pattern. So those shoes are going back and new ones are in the cart. Everything else arrived safe and sound though.

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I live in DFW.

My rack is never removed from my car. 1UP guarantees against theft of their racks and if one is stolen, it is replaced for free. Plus, my Audi would likely be stolen before my rack....

Are you around Houston area? I bet you gotta remove the rack and stash it in your car when you get to the riding spot?

 

[Irvrobinson]

Dude has 3 zillion dollars worth of speakers and he got a free bike, he can afford a good rack.

I highly recommend 1UP USA and Kuat, the Serpa is a fav of mine but I use 1 UP.

That 1UP USA is nice! I wish I had known about it before I got the Thule 916-XTR a few years back. It's a heavy thing! And expensive too...

 

[Irvrobinson]

Not art.
-verify indexing barrel screws are not fully tightened (in order to be able to adjust the derailleur both directions in a later step)
-set your high and low limits (screws on the back of the rear derailleur) so the inside aspect of the of the top roller of the derailleur aligns with the outside surface of the corresponding cog
-shift to the smallest cog and lowest gear of the shifter; remove any slack from the cable (where the cable attaches to derailleur)
-adjust indexing (barrel screws) so that one click moves the chain one cog, no more, no less
-looking from above/rear, compare the outer surface of the next higher cog with the inner surface of the chain's links. There should be the tiniest amount of space between them.

That's about it for rear derailleurs. For touring/mountain triples up front, I like old school friction derailleurs, as I haven't found indexers that cover the full span without rubbing in one extreme or the other.

That's the procedure, but getting it just right is an art, IMO, just like a lot of mechanical things.

 

[slipperybidness]

I live in DFW.

My rack is never removed from my car. 1UP guarantees against theft of their racks and if one is stolen, it is replaced for free. Plus, my Audi would likely be stolen before my rack....

I don't need a rack, but if I ever do, I'll keep this one in mind.

You hitting up the Lonestar Audio Fest this year?
Lone Star Audio Fest

 

[ParadigmDawg]

LOL...I guess I should have taught you about shoes...

For some reason I only use Specialized shoes so I didn't even think about it. I have the SPD type pedals on my mountain bike and I run Speedplays on my road bike. The Speedpaly's are a 4 bolt pedal but come with an adapter to match with a 2 bolt shoe.

Cheap shoes may seem like a good deal but remember that there are only 3 points of contact with a bike and the pedals are one of them. You want a perfect fitting shoe and a good stiff sole. The more you end up riding, the more you will probably want a stiffer shoe.

Since shoes are so impoertant, I would never buy a pair online.

Rookie mistake. Ordered shoes without the right bolt pattern. So those shoes are going back and new ones are in the cart. Everything else arrived safe and sound though.

 

[fuzz092888]

LOL...I guess I should have taught you about shoes...

For some reason I only use Specialized shoes so I didn't even think about it. I have the SPD type pedals on my mountain bike and I run Speedplays on my road bike. The Speedpaly's are a 4 bolt pedal but come with an adapter to match with a 2 bolt shoe.

Cheap shoes may seem like a good deal but remember that there are only 3 points of contact with a bike and the pedals are one of them. You want a perfect fitting shoe and a good stiff sole. The more you end up riding, the more you will probably want a stiffer shoe.

Since shoes are so impoertant, I would never buy a pair online.

That's part of the reason I buy from amazon. If they don't fit or aren't right for whatever reason I just box then back up and shippem back. This is what I ended up with, any good?

http://www.amazon.com/dp/B0073RJKOK/ref=pe_385040_30332190_TE_3p_M3T1_ST1_dp_1

 

[bikemig]

That's part of the reason I buy from amazon. If they don't fit or aren't right for whatever reason I just box then back up and shippem back. This is what I ended up with, any good?

Amazon.com: Louis Garneau Carbon HRS-2 Road Cycling Shoe: Shoes

You sound like some of the posters on this site who buy a bunch of gear and then ask whether it's any good or not, .

I don't know those shoes but I like Louis Garneau gear a lot and thankfully you bought (mainly) black shoes,

I like Amazon's policy on shoes as well; Amazon is a seriously disruptive company that is changing how we buy many different things. I sure as heck wouldn't buy a bike from them at this point but that may change one day as well.

 

[fuzz092888]

You sound like some of the posters on this site who buy a bunch of gear and then ask whether it's any good or not, .

I don't know those shoes but I like Louis Garneau gear a lot and thankfully you bought (mainly) black shoes,

I like Amazon's policy on shoes as well; Amazon is a seriously disruptive company that is changing how we buy many different things. I sure as heck wouldn't buy a bike from them at this point but that may change one day as well.

Usually I ask before I buy, but I read a few reviews of the LG shoes and they seemed pretty positive. plus the amazon reviews were good. Doesn't hurt to ask though

 

[slipperybidness]

Usually I ask before I buy, but I read a few reviews of the LG shoes and they seemed pretty positive. plus the amazon reviews were good. Doesn't hurt to ask though

LOL! Fuzz jumping to purchase from SUBJECTIVE reviews

What about the 3rd party measurements?

 

[ParadigmDawg]

I think that those may be better than any of my shoes. The beauty with the carbon sole is it will force you to ride up steep hills because you won't be able to walk in those shoes...lol....

Bikemig has the color right:
1. Black if you are a normal person
2. Red if you are the fastest person in your city
3. Yellow if you are the fastest guy in you State
4. White...ummm...I have no idea...

That's part of the reason I buy from amazon. If they don't fit or aren't right for whatever reason I just box then back up and shippem back. This is what I ended up with, any good?

Amazon.com: Louis Garneau Carbon HRS-2 Road Cycling Shoe: Shoes

 

[fuzz092888]

I think that those may be better than any of my shoes. The beauty with the carbon sole is it will force you to ride up steep hills because you won't be able to walk in those shoes...lol....

Bikemig has the color right:
1. Black if you are a normal person
2. Red if you are the fastest person in your city
3. Yellow if you are the fastest guy in you State
4. White...ummm...I have no idea...

Yea tried on shoes I ordered and they had the carbon outsole as well. They definitely weren't made for strolling through the park

 

[fuzz092888]

I took the bike over to the shop today and got the a little advice about the gearing and the front wheel. They adjusted the front wheel and said the gearing was a little sloppy so I got that taken care. Came home with the idea that I'd change the pedals today, only to find that one of them is being quite stubborn. I can't for the life of me get this thing to loosen even a little bit. I'm taking a break to avoid getting pissed and just drilling it out (which is an empty threat). Perhaps I'll try something a little less infuriating and put the water bottle cage on.

 

[Rickster71]

I took the bike over to the shop today and got the a little advice about the gearing and the front wheel. They adjusted the front wheel and said the gearing was a little sloppy so I got that taken care. Came home with the idea that I'd change the pedals today, only to find that one of them is being quite stubborn. I can't for the life of me get this thing to loosen even a little bit. I'm taking a break to avoid getting pissed and just drilling it out (which is an empty threat). Perhaps I'll try something a little less infuriating and put the water bottle cage on.

Reverse threads. Left pedal left hand thread. Right pedal right hand thread.

 

[fuzz092888]

Reverse threads. Left pedal left hand thread. Right pedal right hand thread.

I can't remember which way I went first. I probably buggered it up. Better get out the blowtorch

 

[bikemig]

I can't remember which way I went first. I probably buggered it up. Better get out the blowtorch

lol, well hopefully you didn't damage the threads. if you do, the shop has the tools to chase them out. Also use grease on the threads or the pedals will eventually freeze up on you. the right tool is handy as well, http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Professional-Pedal-Wrench/dp/B000W78V8E/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1395513315&sr=8-3&keywords=park+pedal+wrench.

The only other part of the bike which is left threaded is the fixed cup on the BB (on most bikes like your Kona it's left threaded) which you probably won't be taking out any time soon . . . .