Current Projects chat and miscellany

Has anybody actually snapped a chain though? As in, one of the plates has broken in half?

Yeah kind of. it had a few links out of a old chain though, one of links bent off the pin then under power the other one must of snapped

Has anybody actually snapped a chain though? As in, one of the plates has broken in half?

Yes. Grinding up a fairly steep hill on a stupid ratio (52/16). Broke in two places actually. Still have the broken plates.

True story.

Has anybody actually snapped a chain though? As in, one of the plates has broken in half?

Yes; pretty much everybody who bought the first batch of CN-6700 Ultegra chains.

That bad? You'd have thought they'd have found the flaw in testing.

Sumo does the bike feel better with the Reynolds forks?
I know it was ugly, but (meant in the nicest possible way) the bike will never be a looker, so maybe going for the best feel/performance is the way to go.

it didn't really feel any different so I couldn't justify the ugliness.

I think it actually looks really nice now, don't know what it was about the previous forks but massive improvement

On the point of riding brakless or 1brak+ss.

Your chain doesnt have to snap, it merely has to fall off. That's far more likely, in my experience anyway. Happened to me once while riding brakless towards oval. Miraculously I wasn't thrown off the bike, and I was on a flat bit of road with plenty of room to slow down. I actually gracefully coasted all the way through traffic and hopped off at some lights (that were luckily red at the time).

However, If that had happened to me down or up a hill, or indeed of any number of other scenarios, it would have fucking hurt like a bitch. I fitted a brake shortly after that.

True story. Just wanted to add to the terrabytes of brakes v no brakes debate on the internet.

Not trying hard enough...

It's something to work towards. I'm considering it a goal for this year.

I have only once dropped a chain while riding brakeless. It was because I snapped the chain ring.

I dropped a chain because I was using a road chainring with poor chainline. Removing those shifting ramps is bloody hard work.

I once dropped a chain.

I bent down and picked it up.

That bad? You'd have thought they'd have found the flaw in testing.

No.
The kind of salt sprayed on the roads in wintertime isn't the same all over the world.
They didn't test all the different kinds before they've discovered this failure.

To be honest, I found out that my chain was cracked just before it could snap completely.
Crack wasn't in the middle of the plate, but at a side, from a pin radially outwards.
It felt like a "frozen" link, skipping chain.
Some years ago though.

I once dropped a chain.

I bent down and picked it up.

Incredible. True story?

El Sid is riding nice, sorta. Not over keen on the bullhorns. It's a little too stretched for my T-rex affliction so I might try out the Bontrager SSR compact drops mentioned a page or so back. Also, the bar tape is ghastly shiny fake leather, and the glue had gone a bit funny whilst in storage, so the bars are currently sticky with glue that's gone astray. Fizik faux suede methinks.

Also, the Suntour Superbe pedals are not very comfortable for my choice of footwear, as they seem intent on digging into the soles of my feat. Something a bit flatter might be needed, GR9s have been suggested so may give them a go.

I may also swap out the tyres for some 23c's. The 25s work fine, but there is very little clearance between the chain stays and the tyre; a couple of mm at most. I've not noticed any rubbing, but I suspect when I'm more confident on the bike and start mashing it hard I'll get a little contact in those areas.

All in all, I'm a happy bunny though :)

scumo, is you not keeping your purple bike?

Fizik faux suede methinks.

That Fizik suede stuff feels great but offers no padding at all, as summer is coming up and it may be time to loose the gloves I don't know if its a good choice. You could always wrap it over your old bar tape or buy gel inserts, but just to let you know if you haven't used it before.

Thanks for the info. That might sway my decision to be honest.

^^^ Obvs I'm keeping my purple bike, it's my best friend! Green bike is going to be my second in command, and a backup in case the purple one gets nicked or smashed up. I wasn't even going to build it up immediately but it came with a seat and seat post and sumo got me wheels and tyres so I guess it's getting built up...

should build it up as a nice 8 speed townie or something, full mudards for wet weather

I was considering making it a shitty weather bike actually with nice silver mudguards. I know it's unoriginal to just make a second fixed bike but it's what I feel the most comfortable going around town on so if it was geared I probably wouldn't use it as much, plus fixed is cheaper.

Scoot if you choose to go down the geared route, I've got 8 speed STIs and cassette which may be going begging.

Aw thanks, I'll keep it in mind

Let's play a game of "Name That Mudguard".

Henry you can go first.

which one?