Friday News And Views

Levers have arrived. Thanks Gevenalle!

Custom Project Update:

So, as many of you know I have been resurrecting this ten year old fillet brazed frame and fork I have here.  The conundrum was that I had to decide upon a drive train and I wanted it to be silver as much as possible. That was the plan ten years ago but I never executed it. This time I wanted to stick to my guns.

Well, with the funky silver ano Luxy Bars, I wasn't able to utilize some options, like bar end shifters, even though the Luxy would accept them. the odd ball angle of the extensions would make bar end shifters stick out at a goofy and exposed angle. STI shifters also would be weird. Doable, but strange. So, I kept coming back to Gevenalle shifter/brake levers. Once I decided on brake type, I got in contact with the Goats there and they suggested the "long pull" version of their Audax option. It came with silver blades and blank mounts for adding your own bar end style shifters. I happened to have a set of 9 speed Ultegra bar end shifters, so I decided this was the option I would go with.

Now that I have that hurdle jumped, and the levers are here, I can begin to draw this project to a temporary close. I say that because I still want to do something different with the wheels, but as my ideas are expensive, I am going to go with a set I have here. They are black, and I have WTB Nanos to go on there for the time being.

There has been a change in plans......

Renegade Riding......

Plans......bah! Why bother with 'em! Forget all about the posts about bike choice for the Renegade Gents Race from earlier in the week. There have been a few things that have happened since then that has changed my mind, or forced my hand. Yeah......forced my hand, that's more like it.

There will come a time when I can be more forthright about this, but let's just say that for now I have something on the Standard Rando I cannot talk about or show. The Raleigh has too skinny a tire on it for all the rain we've had. The Black Mountain Cycles rig has a big tire, fenders, (might be handy with all the wetness and a chance for showers Saturday), and something I just got in that I need to test ASAP.

So, there ya go. I am taking the bike I first used at the Gents Race and it should work just fine. Plus it has the front bag to stash extra clothing in which may need to be necessary considering the forecast. Cold in the morning and warmer in the afternoon. I may be needing to shed something along the way. Stay tuned for a ride report on Monday.

Okay, that's a short one. I will be out till Monday. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles.

Friday News And Views

Levers have arrived. Thanks Gevenalle!

Custom Project Update:

So, as many of you know I have been resurrecting this ten year old fillet brazed frame and fork I have here.  The conundrum was that I had to decide upon a drive train and I wanted it to be silver as much as possible. That was the plan ten years ago but I never executed it. This time I wanted to stick to my guns.

Well, with the funky silver ano Luxy Bars, I wasn't able to utilize some options, like bar end shifters, even though the Luxy would accept them. the odd ball angle of the extensions would make bar end shifters stick out at a goofy and exposed angle. STI shifters also would be weird. Doable, but strange. So, I kept coming back to Gevenalle shifter/brake levers. Once I decided on brake type, I got in contact with the Goats there and they suggested the "long pull" version of their Audax option. It came with silver blades and blank mounts for adding your own bar end style shifters. I happened to have a set of 9 speed Ultegra bar end shifters, so I decided this was the option I would go with.

Now that I have that hurdle jumped, and the levers are here, I can begin to draw this project to a temporary close. I say that because I still want to do something different with the wheels, but as my ideas are expensive, I am going to go with a set I have here. They are black, and I have WTB Nanos to go on there for the time being.

There has been a change in plans......

Renegade Riding......

Plans......bah! Why bother with 'em! Forget all about the posts about bike choice for the Renegade Gents Race from earlier in the week. There have been a few things that have happened since then that has changed my mind, or forced my hand. Yeah......forced my hand, that's more like it.

There will come a time when I can be more forthright about this, but let's just say that for now I have something on the Standard Rando I cannot talk about or show. The Raleigh has too skinny a tire on it for all the rain we've had. The Black Mountain Cycles rig has a big tire, fenders, (might be handy with all the wetness and a chance for showers Saturday), and something I just got in that I need to test ASAP.

So, there ya go. I am taking the bike I first used at the Gents Race and it should work just fine. Plus it has the front bag to stash extra clothing in which may need to be necessary considering the forecast. Cold in the morning and warmer in the afternoon. I may be needing to shed something along the way. Stay tuned for a ride report on Monday.

Okay, that's a short one. I will be out till Monday. Have a great weekend and ride those bicycles.

Something Old, Something Blue

It will get the job done.

Parts bin parts are sometimes a good thing, and then again sometimes they can be a curse. I mean, what the heck am I saving this stuff for? Then comes a day when you find that part that allows your build to continue forward and you think you are a genius for saving all that stuff.

Most of the time though, it is stupid and a burden. Of course, there are those bits one should never toss out, like good 8/9 speed derailleurs. I had this old 90's era XT derailleur hanging around and I decided to employ it once again for the rebuild of the custom rig I have here. You might remember the post about the chain rings from last week? Yeah, that bike build.

Anyway, I have found the derailleurs for the build. The front, a shiny top pull XT, is likely the one from the original Fargo. I'm not sure though. It had a clamp that fit the fillet brazed frame I am building up perfectly though, so whether it was from a Fargo or not, it was likely a steel framed mtb of some sort. Parts bin parts, ya know. Their origins are sometimes murky at best.

The rear derailleur, well, I think I know the story here and the blue, sealed bearing jockey wheels are my clue. I had a 1996 Diamondback V-Link Pro dual suspension bike and it was an XT equipped rig. I remember it had a raw aluminum/blue theme to its look. There were the blue grips and matching Panaracer Magic blue treaded tires. Not really blue rubber. It was so dark you almost could mistake it for black, but it was definitely blue.

At any rate, I decided to swap in more blue anodized bits and these jockey wheels would have been something I would have done back then. So, I think this rear derailleur was from that Diamondback V-Link Pro. Most likely, it was. Blue jockey wheels don't really go with the theme of this build, but the nostalgia for me carries the day and this will be the part I use. I suppose if I really am offended by the blue I can swap out to silver sealed bearing pulleys easily enough.

Oh! And I tracked down a set of 9spd bar end shifters, so I will be going with Gevenalle's Audax shifter/levers for shifting and braking duties. Stay tuned..........

Something Old, Something Blue

It will get the job done.

Parts bin parts are sometimes a good thing, and then again sometimes they can be a curse. I mean, what the heck am I saving this stuff for? Then comes a day when you find that part that allows your build to continue forward and you think you are a genius for saving all that stuff.

Most of the time though, it is stupid and a burden. Of course, there are those bits one should never toss out, like good 8/9 speed derailleurs. I had this old 90's era XT derailleur hanging around and I decided to employ it once again for the rebuild of the custom rig I have here. You might remember the post about the chain rings from last week? Yeah, that bike build.

Anyway, I have found the derailleurs for the build. The front, a shiny top pull XT, is likely the one from the original Fargo. I'm not sure though. It had a clamp that fit the fillet brazed frame I am building up perfectly though, so whether it was from a Fargo or not, it was likely a steel framed mtb of some sort. Parts bin parts, ya know. Their origins are sometimes murky at best.

The rear derailleur, well, I think I know the story here and the blue, sealed bearing jockey wheels are my clue. I had a 1996 Diamondback V-Link Pro dual suspension bike and it was an XT equipped rig. I remember it had a raw aluminum/blue theme to its look. There were the blue grips and matching Panaracer Magic blue treaded tires. Not really blue rubber. It was so dark you almost could mistake it for black, but it was definitely blue.

At any rate, I decided to swap in more blue anodized bits and these jockey wheels would have been something I would have done back then. So, I think this rear derailleur was from that Diamondback V-Link Pro. Most likely, it was. Blue jockey wheels don't really go with the theme of this build, but the nostalgia for me carries the day and this will be the part I use. I suppose if I really am offended by the blue I can swap out to silver sealed bearing pulleys easily enough.

Oh! And I tracked down a set of 9spd bar end shifters, so I will be going with Gevenalle's Audax shifter/levers for shifting and braking duties. Stay tuned..........