Bicycle Bits! - What’s your latest acquisition?

Debs, I couldn't find a picture but I use a small round mirror that fits into the end of the bar end of the drop in my handlebar. It's about the size of an old 10p piece and it give's a reasonable sense of what's going on behind without any obvious vibration issue and without really having to move head down. Not sure how much use it would be in heavy traffic, but I find it nice to know when something is close behind or to get a sense of where any companions are if not on shoulder or way on up the road (which is more likely)

Huw

Debs,

Thanks, I am planning on a ride in the Forest of Dean at the Weekend with my son and daughter.

Thanks for the welcome, I have been here before but "retired" George-style. Are the SBLs still running?

Joff

I use Sealskinz waterproof socks that work extremely well - trainers get wet but feet remain dry.

In the late 90s i visited the Forest of Dean a couple of times walking with friends and thought then how nice it would be to mountain bike around there.

Also considered moving there a decade or so ago but it wasn’t to be.

Your going to have fab fun, Joff - hope you keep up with the youngsters!

Debs

p.s. the SBLs are doing just fine, thanks

Debs,

We had fun alright, decent weather and good trails.

The children kept up with me, most of the time.

Joff

My LBS are closing, so i bought this. Sad.

Chalshus,

i was just wondering if you now have a life-time supply of saddles?

...or do you have one of these? ~

Can anyone recommend a 1or2 bike tow ball carrier for the Discovery 2 , I don't want to fix one to the spare wheel because of the possible strain it could put on the the door hinges. Any ideas.

Have a look at an Atera. Our neighbours use on on their freelander which allows the bikes to swing down to enable the rear door to be opened without the bikes being removed. We have an older 4 bike version, which works really well and has lasted for years.

Thanks Halibut.

Good idea for a thread, so I will admit that my latest winter acquisition was a Castelli "Head Thingy". Expensive for a tube of fabric to keep you ears warm? Maybe, but it wouldn't be the first time I paid a high price to get into the best brand!

Also running conti 4 seasons 25mm for the winter, great so far, they roll well and no pu****res.

Round about minus 4 degrees (but clear) for the commute this morning. Had to bust out the headband to keep my ears warm. I thought my face was going to break rolling down the hill from Lighthouse Park! Snow forecast for later in the week.

A new 2014 scott scale 730. Not ridden it yet, forgot to buy some spare tubes! I hope it is as good as my 2011 scott scale 35 (26in).

Pictures, or it didn't happen. 

Not me. I don't.

Trust me it happened credit card statements do not lie! I will look to post a pic.

Not so much new bits as new ride...

4 up is fun..

Especially with old friends..

Who's that bike is that then?

Joff

I got a RaceFace 30T narrow/wide chainring today. I am converting my Trek Superfly FS from a 2x10 (26T/38T + 11-36) to a 1x10 setup replacing the 26/38 chainrings with this 30T. This will simplify my drivetrain and eliminate some weight by losing the front derailer, cable and shifter. 

I will lose some range, going from a range  of 21-100 gear-inches to 24-79 gear-inches. This means I drop my lowest granny gear and lose the tallest gearing, but I never used them much anyway. The tallest gears were only ever used off-trail, and the lowest granny gear very occasionally on trail and never off trail.

I'm about to convert my MTB to 1x10.  I acquired an absolutely mint 2004 Trek 3500 a few months ago for use as an upgrade project. It had less than 30 miles on the clock...  Done the headset and forks and now looking to bring the gear train into the 21st century.

Not sure whether to buy a old stock square taper crank or go whole hog with a Deore XT crankset. Not too keen on changing the bottom bracket!  Going for an FSA 36T chainring with a 12/32 cassette for XC.  New rear mech and hub needed also, as will as rear shifter!!! Not economically sensible but will have a bike to be proud of.

Good luck with your project. I am lucky in that I have a 2014 Trek that came with the full Deore XT gruppo, so the 1x10 conversion will be relatively easy and straightforward. I am having my LBS do the work. They already have experience converting some bikes. In the future I plan to learn and do more myself. I am gradually acquiring a set of tools, and just got a work stand for XMas.

I'd be inclined lug the extra few grams and keep the gearing range. But that's just me. I'd seriously consider a 1X10 or 1X11 for a new bike spec (especially for 'cross or communting where the wide range isn't perhaps as critical as for mtb), but wouldn't buy, then throw away a perfectly good front shifting setup to save a few grams. But good luck with your tinkering.

This isn't about saving weight...that's just a bonus after the fact. Simplifying and improving the drivetrain is the motivation. I don't need two chainrings and a front derailleur. I also don't need the tallest gear: I never use it. The idea of not trying to improve a bike just because you paid for the parts it came with seems rather silly to me. The first thing I did on my bike was discard the grips and saddle. I also changed the tires. The handle bar might get changed too.

As for losing range, compared to a SRAM X01 1x11/34T XC setup, the  range I sacrifice for the most part is the tallest gear (SRAM X01 1x11 = 23.5 - 98.6 gear-inches, XT/RaceFace 1x10 = 24.2 - 79.1).

This is an increasingly common modification. I have yet to hear of anyone regretting this move. I have yet to hear of anyone not expressing satisfaction about it after the fact.

About as silly and not buying the right bike in the first place . 

I only replace things once they wear out (and then, bizzarely sometimes keep the old bit for years before throwing it out). "Upgrading" makes no sense to me personally. It doesn't change the enjoyment I get from riding my bikes. It is also really easy to overcapitalise a low-end frame. If anything, as a bike becomes older, I am less inclined to spend too much. My replacements are, as often as not, downgrades to cheaper versions of the same thing (wheels, cassettes, chains, pedals mainly).

Seeing how you are so wise in the ways of buying the correct bike, and I am apparently wrong to have gotten the one I did (2014 Trek Superfly FS 9), maybe you can point out to me the one I should have bought instead. You know, the one factory-equipped in just the proper way to suit me.

Your approach to upgrade/downgrades is not universal. The presence of a very healthy component aftermarket is evidence of that.