Confessions from the fuckwits

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
A fitness related CotFW.

I tried to follow @The Duckmeister up Rockwell Run at Youies yesterday (a fairly gentle but sustained climb for those that don’t know it). My fitness is such that I can ride up the complete trail without stopping, and normally a few gears down from granny ring, but will stop for a breather for a minute or two at the top. Standard once a week rider fitness.

So we set off (I’ve not ridden with Duck before FYI). He took a gentle pace for the first quarter or so, doing the odd head check and I’m sticking with him - albeit huffing and puffing away. Around halfway up he was starting to wind up a bit more but I was only gradually falling behind. “It’s okay, I’m hanging in there, just…” says my inner monologue. And, well… I’m not really sure what happened after that point. I looked up a couple of corners later and he was just gone. So gone it felt like he’d just vanished. It was as if he’d been suddenly abducted by aliens. Even on the following switchback or straightaways I couldn’t see him up ahead. It was actually startling. Gone.

If anyone tries to tell you 26” is dead, or old-school XC geo isn’t fast, or light bikes don’t help with climbing, or whatever… Take ‘em for a spin with Ducky. FMD.

I’ve been dropped by @moorey, @Jpez, @Chriso_29er, and others - but I’ve always been okay with that - they just made me feel lazy. Which I am.

Duck, you made me feel like I missed the turnoff to the teleporter. Good stuff mate. ;)

(PS: It was still a good ride)
 
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The Duckmeister

Has a juicy midrange
Right Of Reply:

I was finding my rhythm up Rockwell; being an endurance (true Enduro) nut when I'm on form it can take an hour or more to find it, so early on I can be a bit erratic but wasn't intentionally winding up that early.... :p

@beeb turned the table on the Junction descent; as trail-sweeper chewing my rear wheel pretty much all the way.

Ironically, the bit where I pushed hardest was climbing the upper Junction singletrack while the other slackers took the road, and they still beat me! :p

It was a good ride, and all three chainrings got some work. :D

Tight, steep geo in 26" still works bloody well in some situations, but is a hell of a handful in others.
 
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moorey

call me Mia
In fact, aside from mx years ago, I can’t think of another sport that actually calls itself enduro. Aside from Aus, I can’t think of any cycling discipline any where in the world that calls itself enduro. Ready to be corrected, I really wouldn’t know.
 

pink poodle

気が狂っている男
The post office across the road from this cafe was rebuilt after the earthquake, so probably looked like this at some point in 1989.
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
So a while ago I had my Cassette tool bore turned to let ot slide over the collar on the hub I had at the time. Fast forward to today I decided to do some bike maintenance including pulling the cassette off to regrease and see if that was causing he creak. Turns out I have a broken spoke but the cassette needed to be pulled off anyway to feed the new spoke through.

While pulling off the cassette I use my bored out cassette tool. Turns out the hope pro4 rear hub drive aode collars increase in diameter under the cassette where you can't see it. I should know this, I've discovered ot enoughbtimes before. This time it has led to me breaking off all but 4 spline teeth in the xd cassette without loosening it off. No chance to get it off the driver now without destroying the good condition xd casette. I need to change the spoke so I pull the cassette and freehub out so the new spoke can be fed through.

Unfortunately pushing the pro 4 freehub back in with a cassette on it isn't so easy. The seal can be tricky enough to seat without a cassette in the way. So I swap the freehubs between the hardtail and the FS so the FS is easy to work on (it gets more riding). So now I've been trying to manipulate the seal into position for close to an hour and have only really figured out how not to do it. I have memory of doing it easily with a flat head screwdriver years ago but I haven't been successful since.
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
The newer seals on Pro 4 freehubs are firmer/harder to seat than the older ones (seemed to be a rolling change to the material ~2.5 years ago?). Try pressing on two spots ~ 30deg apart with two screwdrivers, then once the lip pops in keep holding one screwdriver in, then working your way around with the other. I imagine access may be tricky and you might need a spare set of hands (with a high profanity tolerance).
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
The newer seals on Pro 4 freehubs are firmer/harder to seat than the older ones (seemed to be a rolling change to the material ~2.5 years ago?). Try pressing on two spots ~ 30deg apart with two screwdrivers, then once the lip pops in keep holding one screwdriver in, then working your way around with the other. I imagine access may be tricky and you might need a spare set of hands (with a high profanity tolerance).
That makes sense. I managed it by installing the wheel on the bike to stop the seal from pushing outwards when I shifted positions. I found a spot that the flathead could just put pressure on the seal around the cassette and slowly span and twisted the screw driver to get it right. It popped out thebopposite side a few times but eventually worked.

Now to figure out a plan to get the cassette off when it needs to. Fortunately ai have an identical spare cassette i can compare it to to. I dont want to have to buy another freehub, they're $190 now! Might aswell buy a whole new hub for 310 from Merlin.
 

beeb

Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
That makes sense. I managed it by installing the wheel on the bike to stop the seal from pushing outwards when I shifted positions. I found a spot that the flathead could just put pressure on the seal around the cassette and slowly span and spotted the screw driver to get it right. It popped out thebopposite side a few times but eventually worked.
Nice, smart idea putting it into the frame.
 

PJO

in me vL comy
So a while ago I had my Cassette tool bore turned to let ot slide over the collar on the hub I had at the time. Fast forward to today I decided to do some bike maintenance including pulling the cassette off to regrease and see if that was causing he creak. Turns out I have a broken spoke but the cassette needed to be pulled off anyway to feed the new spoke through.

While pulling off the cassette I use my bored out cassette tool. Turns out the hope pro4 rear hub drive aode collars increase in diameter under the cassette where you can't see it. I should know this, I've discovered ot enoughbtimes before. This time it has led to me breaking off all but 4 spline teeth in the xd cassette without loosening it off. No chance to get it off the driver now without destroying the good condition xd casette. I need to change the spoke so I pull the cassette and freehub out so the new spoke can be fed through.

Unfortunately pushing the pro 4 freehub back in with a cassette on it isn't so easy. The seal can be tricky enough to seat without a cassette in the way. So I swap the freehubs between the hardtail and the FS so the FS is easy to work on (it gets more riding). So now I've been trying to manipulate the seal into position for close to an hour and have only really figured out how not to do it. I have memory of doing it easily with a flat head screwdriver years ago but I haven't been successful since.
I posted a hack for this:
 

LPG

likes thicc birds
I posted a hack for this:
Good hack but only usable if the cassette is off. It is very hard with the casette on. A good reminder to order a new seal when it comes time to attempt to remove the cassette. I probably wasn't as gentle with the seal as I should be.
 

PJO

in me vL comy
Good hack but only usable if the cassette is off. It is very hard with the casette on. A good reminder to order a new seal when it comes time to attempt to remove the cassette. I probably wasn't as gentle with the seal as I should be.
Was just skim reading so didn't fully pick up on the cassette still being attached.

Edit: just read that you sorted it.
 
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