DefTraps by Chaley

Did you have to pay extra tax as well on it?

I think so, yes. Avoiding taxes by customs only randomly checking parcels seems to be a thing of the past. At least for me, over the last couple of years I had maybe one or two orders get through unnoticed...

Somehow I got volunteered to help on at an eco thing. “You’re just helping the bike mechanic” turns out I’m the bike “Mechanic” :/ Still I got to get the tyres, brakes and gears sorted on the Pathfinder. So not a complete waste of a morning. Also I stole Liz’s bike again, must get my basket bike finished!!

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As an aside, the chap sat at the table behind mine forgot something so borrowed the pathfinder to pop the mile home. Apparently it’s ‘great fun’ and ‘wheelies like a beast’ which is nice. I’m just glad he didn’t do a die.

Fixie Skidder Says What?
After discovering that the steerer is cracked on the Mystery Machine and then snapping the chain yesterday morning I’ve thrown another fork on it and had to change the bars as there’s not enough cable to reach the brake etc so it’s back to the year 2000. But I can get to work dryish.

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I’ve had a deep delve into the parts bin and done this to the Sequoia.
Alt bars
Bottom run Shimano brakes
105 rear mech
Micro shift bay end shifter
Vision 40t N/W
Surly Knards 41c
It’ll do for now, just need to get the pizza rack back from Liz, strap the big crate on and then see if Dolly like bike riding?
Oh also need a longer rear gear cable.

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I spotted the chain mistake before I rode it.

The pizza rack and bread crate are on the brakes are bled. The only thing left to do is try Dolly for size and a spin round the block.

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In other news;
Some ill thought out late night eBay purchases have landed.
2 different fork ideas are on the way too. It may work, it may not…
(The height is right the fork is not)

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As I’ve dragged The Trek out I thought I’d give it another once round the block. I’ve had it 27 year now!
This time it’s going all SS Big City (once I’ve picked up the Halo twinrails 26x2.1 from @jdp cheers Jules)
The recipe;
1996 bonded Trek 8000 frame
Kenesis MaxLight fork
SWorks stem, 750mmish flat bars, ODI Sensus grips, fly levers (once I’ve found them), spesh rival seat, Tektro RX5 brakes, Swami rims, parallax hubs, white industries cranks, 34t ring, 12t halo cog, Gusset tensioner, VP pedals and a BURLY as fuck KMC SP K-YD chain (I wish I hadn’t Googled how much they cost now!), but it’s been on the bike for 20 years so.
Anyway it rides pretty ok, on my breakless spin down the road.

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Just found some era correct M500 Servo Waves so I think I’ll be using them.

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And we are not talking about this experimental concept

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This is genius

That really depends on what you think I’m trying to achieve :D but thank you for the vote of confidence.

I thought I’d add this here rather than clutter up the Grav Grav thread.
@Josh suggested I do a little thing about how the many and varied wheel and tyre sets I have ride compare to each other.
I’ll start by saying and I’m sure it won’t be a surprise, but I love my Surly Midnight Special. It can almost do no wrong, this may show my lack of judgement.
Oh it’s a 56cm with the 40* raked fork, I use SPD pedals, wear a 43 shoe and run the cleat just ahead of mid sole.
How let’s dive in.

I’m going to start with the wheelset and tyres Liz picked for me when she build up the bike.
They are DT Swiss G540db rims on 370 hubs, with Terra Speed 700x40c tyres at 40psi.
They feel quick, they roll well and grip fine on the road, rough roads, towpaths and gravel lite type terrain. I even got a KoM and dry grassy ‘mtb’ section on the Strava with them, which was nice! But they are not too good once things start getting boggy, rooty or dare I say Gravely(?) They will still get you though, but you need to pick a good line etc. Running them at 40psi I found you soon hit the rim on proper bumpy stuff and I managed to burp the rear tyre trying to get up a set of steps at an angle. I’m not sure they are meant for that to be fair. The MS is designed around 650b so to my surprise even with my smallish feet, there is quite a bit of toe overlap. Overall a nice, quick alround not too rough going setup.
(I had them set up with tubes for the first week and got 2 flats after going TL nothing of note)

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Next up Mavic AllRoad SL 650b with Teravail 650x46b Washburn (L&S)
First of all the MS was built for this size wheel, so I was expecting a lot tbh.
The Mavic wheels are super lightweight, stiff and bloody great to be totally honest. They should be, as new they were a shit ton of cash. They were a misspelling on eBay bargain. Anyway paired with the teravails they are still pretty light.
I run them at 35-40psi and they are noticeably slower and draggier (is that a word?) on the road, but not on the towpath. They lead me on to real gravel and they are just fine, they have much more bite and can put up with deep mud and tougher roots and the odd poorly landed bunny hop over things. If you are heading out to the grav grav you can put up with an ever so slightly slower ride to get there. And the toe overlap is gone, meaning I could get a bit more technical. Definitely more fun to be sure. And no burps, but a few more holes that the sealant had to fill, I’m putting that down to the terrain though.

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We are now taking a left turn and are going Mavic All Road SL with Teravail 27.5 x 2.1 Sparwood 30ish psi. The same wheels so more of a like for like comparison.
Well what to say? You feel like the Fall Guy! They are again slower on the road than before, but that doesn’t matter as you are now on a magic carpet ride. You feel no bumps under you, but they don’t wallow too much. Hit the Gravel + ™️ and you are set. They have side knobs so bite really well in most conditions, except really muddy mud. Again you need to realise that the MS is really a Road + bike and not a real gravel bike, it pretty much has road geo so there are limits to what you can do comfortably, these tyres take you there and a way beyond it. If you want a soft carpet ride for those lumpy rides these are the kiddies. If you want PartyPace™️ coffee outside without braking the biscuits golden. Hit a few Gravel++ shoots sure thing.

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We are nearly done, honestly.
These are Ribble Carbon 650b sale specials (£250 down from £600+) with WTB Horizon (L&S) 650x47b at 40ish psi.
The wheels aren’t really much lighter than the Mavics, but then they are stupidly light anyway, but the are still lighter, if that matters. I personally think this type of set up it what the MS as meant for Road + and just keep rolling. On the road they are pretty impressive, fastest of the lot so far. The same on rough, broken roads, even on the wet sand on a beach they hold their own. Towpaths? Not a worry, light gravel? Sure, but it’s just rained, oh no! Damp, slick surfaces are not fun at all. Even a really wet bend in the road is a bit sketchy, but hold back a bit in the wet and they are just fine. They make the MS feel like it can just roll over anything you are likely to come across on a which way now ride in the summer, in fact it fells like a proper road bike, on super smooth tarmac, but on any road. Much much fun has been had.

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Ok this is just being silly tbh, but I popped on some deepish road wheels with 700x25c Corsa tyres for a try. No pics I’m afraid (thank fuck I hear you cry) and well. The disappointment could be heard from afar. The MS felt like a super heavy 1980’s touring bike, it wasn’t nice at all. It was noticeably slower than the 650x47b Horizons as you suddenly felt ever bump and groove in the road. I have a ‘real’ roadie bike if I want to be beaten up. Would not recommend!
That’s it I’m done for now.

I swapped 700×38 for 650x47? I think, on my large Straggler and it was putrid. I was completely invested in the idea that 650b was going to elevate my life and be incandescently beautiful in every way. Two horrid days of tramlining every contour, gutter, crack, and pavement slab and I sold the wheels without ever regretting it.

Oh nos!
TBH my Sequoia is awful on 650x47b tyres, but really nice on 27.5 x 2.1 I have no explanations. Other than the MS is meant to have 650b wheels.

Thanks for the reviews...

Its all helping the decision to Build 650 or 700 for a new build. I'm leaning towards 650 due to the fact I have never had a 650 wheelset before.

700 x 37 was a dream though, fast and comfy etc.

I feel 650 may be slower due to bigger tyres buy then smaller wheel size will make it spin up quicker and will smooth out the' rough stuff'

My Straggler is a 64cm. I'm sure some smart alec could explain, but it just felt so much more neutral and balanced with 700c. I found I had to be more careful with tyre pressure on the 650s too, too much they felt like balloons, lacking grip and bouncing around, too little and they felt sluggish and unpredictable in corners. Bleugh

Happy to help friend.
My take on the 650b debate is that as long as you keep the tyre diameter in the same ball park as standard you should be fine.
The difference between a 700x28c and a 650x47b is almost zero.
The difference between a 700x42c and a 650x47b about 25mm smaller, that’s enough to notice.
Go too small in relation to the original tyre and it all goes a bit weird.
Now to address the width thing. I’m not going all rolling resistance and shape of the contact patch etc, but you’re not riding with 47mm on the road, the extra grip is because you have extra rubber available to lean the bike over or sink into a dip, hole or rut. It’s not like you are riding on a square sided tyre. Although there is more tyre most of the time you’re not actually using it.
Tyre pressure is super important though, too much and it’s awful, too little and it’s awful as well.
The spinning up thing isn’t really a thing, because the tyre isn’t actually any smaller, see about. The smoothing effect of the higher volume is though and even more so if you have a supple tyre.
You’ll be slower, but not as much as you’d think.