What did you do TO / WITH / FOR your bike today!

[beeb]

Reworked the 'gravel bike' to match owner's capabilities and physique:

Spoiler

I present you with, Gravel-Fat:

ie: I swapped it from 700x44 to 29x2.25 for an experiment. That's right, metric to imperial baby! Will take it for a spin once the sun moves a little from "incinerate" towards "light toasting" later in the day...

 

[Mattyp]

Took it into the woods for a good time.

 

[Haakon]

Dusted off the old Mongoose that hasn’t been ridden in at least three years - was going to take it for old school lap of Meehan before putting road tyres and a big chainring on it for commuter duty.

But alas a few years of sitting and the old Avid Elixer calipers have stuck pistons… So found the old BB7s I had on it last and will fit those again - when I buy some brake cables (when’s the last time anyone bought a brake cable???!)

 

[Flow-Rider]

Dusted off the old Mongoose that hasn’t been ridden in at least three years - was going to take it for old school lap of Meehan before putting road tyres and a big chainring on it for commuter duty.

But alas a few years of sitting and the old Avid Elixer calipers have stuck pistons… So found the old BB7s I had on it last and will fit those again - when I buy some brake cables (when’s the last time anyone bought a brake cable???!)

Usually the levers start leaking on old Avids, the calipers last for years and just need a free up.

 

[Rorschach]

Reworked the 'gravel bike' to match owner's capabilities and physique:

Spoiler

I present you with, Gravel-Fat:
View attachment 405418

ie: I swapped it from 700x44 to 29x2.25 for an experiment. That's right, metric to imperial baby! Will take it for a spin once the sun moves a little from "incinerate" towards "light toasting" later in the day...

I don’t know what it is about this bike but it just does it for me

 

[Haakon]

Usually the levers start leaking on old Avids, the calipers last for years and just need a free up.

I spent a good while with brake cleaner and silicon spray working them in and out, but no dice.

 

[beeb]

I don’t know what it is about this bike but it just does it for me

Me too. It looks a bit "old fashioned" but the fit is old-school comfy and it always puts me in a good mood whenever I ride it.

That being said, the reason for the tyre swap was I had somewhat been avoiding riding it as I had been getting sore wrists with the 700c tyres (one nearby dirt road that links to some nice gravel paths has a tedious stretch of washboard corrugations that can be a bit punishing...). I tried lowering the tyre pressures more but then they felt really vague in the corners. I didn't want to put a suspension fork back on it, as I never really enjoyed this bike back when it had one. It always just felt a bit divey and too short as the fork compressed and head-angle steepened up. I had the bigger volume tyres spare from when I stole the wheels from the little Carbonda for the RAAW, so it all worked out mint. They're a touch slower into a headwind and it don't accelerate as quickly as the (much lighter) 700c's, but I'm not racing so it's not really a problem and the extra comfort is definitely worth it.

 

[Dales Cannon]

Reworked the 'gravel bike' to match owner's capabilities and physique:

Spoiler

I present you with, Gravel-Fat:
View attachment 405418

ie: I swapped it from 700x44 to 29x2.25 for an experiment. That's right, metric to imperial baby! Will take it for a spin once the sun moves a little from "incinerate" towards "light toasting" later in the day...

I am so tempted to do this with the muru. But with drop bars.

 

[Cardy George]

Will take it for a spin once the sun moves a little from "incinerate" towards "light toasting" later in the day...

Still not a "local" yet then.......

 

[beeb]

Still not a "local" yet then.......

Nearly there, I took off at 2pm. Truthfully, I'm actually loving the (consistent) warmth up here, so much better than the scatter-gun weather this time of year in Melbourne!

 

[Chriso_29er]

Started stripping the old Mongoose for a bit of a makeover.
Realised I don't have anything any longer to get square taper Cranks off lol.

 

[beeb]

Started stripping the old Mongoose for a bit of a makeover.
Realised I don't have anything any longer to get square taper Cranks off lol.
View attachment 405426

Think of that beautiful frame, please - don't ask @Jpez for help!

 

[Haakon]

Started stripping the old Mongoose for a bit of a makeover.
Realised I don't have anything any longer to get square taper Cranks off lol.
View attachment 405426

Must be a Mongoose day!

 

[Mr Crudley]

Usually the levers start leaking on old Avids, the calipers last for years and just need a free up.

Yes, just a quick dusting and dab of lanox around the pistons brought them back to life for me too. They have been fine since >>.

I almost was going to buy some cheap Shimanos but the Elixirs levers with the adjustable reach was a needed feature.

 

[Mr Crudley]

Started stripping the old Mongoose for a bit of a makeover.
Realised I don't have anything any longer to get square taper Cranks off lol.
View attachment 405426

This will come up great. Love an unpainted alloy frame. The cranks can stay

Go the Goose.......

 

[Rorschach]

Me too. It looks a bit "old fashioned" but the fit is old-school comfy and it always puts me in a good mood whenever I ride it.

That being said, the reason for the tyre swap was I had somewhat been avoiding riding it as I had been getting sore wrists with the 700c tyres (one nearby dirt road that links to some nice gravel paths has a tedious stretch of washboard corrugations that can be a bit punishing...). I tried lowering the tyre pressures more but then they felt really vague in the corners. I didn't want to put a suspension fork back on it, as I never really enjoyed this bike back when it had one. It always just felt a bit divey and too short as the fork compressed and head-angle steepened up. I had the bigger volume tyres spare from when I stole the wheels from the little Carbonda for the RAAW, so it all worked out mint. They're a touch slower into a headwind and it don't accelerate as quickly as the (much lighter) 700c's, but I'm not racing so it's not really a problem and the extra comfort is definitely worth it.

I spent a bit of time a couple of months ago looking for a Chinese Highball frame to do this with, think it’d make a great commuter or Gravel bike.
I’m wondering if getting a set of rigid steel forks for the Honzo would do something similar for that, if a fair bit heavier

 

[Flow-Rider]

Yes, just a quick dusting and dab of lanox around the pistons brought them back to life for me too. They have been fine since >>.

I almost was going to buy some cheap Shimanos but the Elixirs levers with the adjustable reach was a needed feature.

I'm still using a set of Elixir 5s that I bought secondhand in 2012 for the commuter bike, and they've never missed a beat.

I had another set of Elixir 5s I bought in 2010 and the levers started to leak after many years of use but typically the overhaul seal kits almost cost the same as a new set back then. The dirt jump bike had Avid juicys and the levers leaked on those too but the old calipers are still on there now with new levers.

 

[beeb]

I spent a bit of time a couple of months ago looking for a Chinese Highball frame to do this with, think it’d make a great commuter or Gravel bike.
I’m wondering if getting a set of rigid steel forks for the Honzo would do something similar for that, if a fair bit heavier

I'd be interested to try some rigid steel forks to see if there's a little more compliance - ideally the ones where the tips of the forks curve forwards, as I suspect that might allow a little vertical compliance. I did have a set of titanium rigid forks I had Waltly make up where the fork leg ends were just straight, but they ended being pretty hairy under hard braking with a lot of rearward flex, and I'd spec'd a weirdly short offset which created some handling, err, 'quirks' when cornering, lol. But the weight removed from the front of the bike with carbon forks is a pretty sweet thing - to (try to) describe the change in bike character, everything just feels 'instantaneous'. There's no waiting for the fork to load up in a turn, no having to preload the fork when popping the front wheel up, no bobbing when mashing the pedals out of the saddle, and additionally - the initial power delivery of a pedal stroke isn't momentarily delayed as the fork extends. Yeah, you likely won't want to get hitting rock gardens on a full rigid (at least not at speed), but on smoother terrain they're a blast. The Honzo is a pretty sweet frame already, I'd be tempted to spend the potential extra frame dollars on a decent set of carbon forks (and the associated confidence they won't collapse and leave you picking carbon, tyre rubber and gravel out of your face... ) as they'll shave ~1kg of your bike also.

 

[Rorschach]

I'd be interested to try some rigid steel forks to see if there's a little more compliance - ideally the ones where the tips of the forks curve forwards, as I suspect that might allow a little vertical compliance. I did have a set of titanium rigid forks I had Waltly make up where the fork leg ends were just straight, but they ended being pretty hairy under hard braking with a lot of rearward flex, and I'd spec'd a weirdly short offset which created some handling, err, 'quirks' when cornering, lol. But the weight removed from the front of the bike with carbon forks is a pretty sweet thing - to (try to) describe the change in bike character, everything just feels 'instantaneous'. There's no waiting for the fork to load up in a turn, no having to preload the fork when popping the front wheel up, no bobbing when mashing the pedals out of the saddle, and additionally - the initial power delivery of a pedal stroke isn't momentarily delayed as the fork extends. Yeah, you likely won't want to get hitting rock gardens on a full rigid (at least not at speed), but on smoother terrain they're a blast. The Honzo is a pretty sweet frame already, I'd be tempted to spend the potential extra frame dollars on a decent set of carbon forks (and the associated confidence they won't collapse and leave you picking carbon, tyre rubber and gravel out of your face... ) as they'll shave ~1kg of your bike also.

A set of Stooge forks would be awesome I reckon, might see what they’ll set me back although some carbon ones might make things a bit sweeter, along with a larger chainring

 

[Rorschach]

Drove 45 minutes to Kalamunda, took my bike off the rack to realise the battery is completely flat. Was riding with other eebers so no chance of keeping up and I have neither the fitness or strength to ride it unpowered or hit the shuttle so drove home and have been in a shit mood since given this was the only time I’ve done anything for me for a month.
Looks like the charger is done, so off to Trek on Monday. Borrowing one to ride tomorrow with any luck.

After this absolute fuck up of a day yesterday, I managed to borrow a TQ charger and get out for a solid solo lap of Kalamunda. Almost 18km, and I’m cooked after spending so long off the bike and my only exercise for the last month being across the car park on my way to/from the office and binge eating crap.

Funniest part of the day (in hindsight) was after I went for a pre-ride crap and noticed the fucking great Huntsman hanging out in the toilet bowl pre-flush. Made me jump, glad I didn’t see him mid-business.