Current Projects chat and miscellany

^^ The front brake cable is a bit long but the others are ok on that Planet X.

Going on the short side with the shift cables just makes the shifting heavier and wears the cable outers quicker – which in turn makes the shifting heavier again.

I'll take a better photo at lunch, as that's an old photo anyway (and I've changed the bars, tape and position of the shifters since).

^^^ Try a 16t x 44t (72.5 gear inches) Sheathy, but definitely think 13t is a wee bit ambitious.

Hell, anything larger than 13t is better, thats track gearing!

I run 17/49 and 16/44, thought I'm changing to 17/48 when I can be bothered.

Pub bike completed (brake to be added later).

It didn't need its own thread and I have no idea how much it weighs.

No public agonising over which grips to get? No fair!

[insert entirely subjective comment about aspect of bicycle relating to personal fit but founded on baseless internet knowledge]

looks good though.

Do you live in a showhome?

Do you live in a showhome?

Ise of Man.

Thats the communial upholstery room. For locals to get a break from their caves.

/pointlessrasism.

Because that'd be 75GI with a 50t up front...

50x13 is 102.5 GI

^

WAIT. this is on like a twenty or something, right?

Oops, new page. We were talking about sheathy's commute on a 13t cog, I can't work out who got their wires crossed. Don't think it was me though!

88 GI is a good track gearing, but for commuting all it's good for is mashing cartilage

phew

Homemade drillium?

yes

long story short, I wiped out last Saturday. (Tower Bridge Road)

German tourist (ped) walked into me which resulted in her breaking her arm in 2 places & 3 broken fingers (requires surgery) as well as the usual road rash/bruises. Unfortunately I weigh close to 95kg and she was quite elderly and frail. Not a good scenario.

I've spoken to her and her husband since, no hard feelings and we joked a bit about Germany (and Greece's) abysmal performances at this Olympics. We also mutually agreed not to discuss politics or economics at this point.

I had no time to react etc as she literally stepped into my cockpit and not in front of the bike so to speak.

Bike wise, I was on the Gara, which is broadly fine but the cockpit swang round, risers skipped over the TT and the underside of the X2 faceplate struck the TT causing this:

I peeled back a bit of paint and softly went over it with a rough sponge revealing the full dent:

Spoke to Ryan (Oak Cycles) and Jacopo (Dodici Cicli) and both basically said the same thing. Ride it, but keep an eye on the damage and if a crack appears, stop riding.

Questions, (thanks in advance)

1-any chance of catastrophic explosion a la carbon?
2-worth repairing? possible? Dodici mentioned replacing the TT but their framebuilders are away till September...
3-can I re-laquer locally? If so suggestions? clear nail varnish?
4-could a crack start from the inside of the tube and not be immediately visible from the outside?
5-the frame is straight and true, but where would I get this ratified? LBS?

I have to say that the Police report puts her at fault 100% and as she realised I could claim ££££ from a no-win-no-fee outfit, her husband is offering me enough cash to replace the entire frame + parts.

It's no trick bike, but the Gara is generally thought to be more bombproof than other alu street tarck bikes..hmmm

Get them to replace the frame. Don't repair this, seems more bother than necessary.
You can check the straightness yourself - spirit level and tape measure etc.
Have you checked your forks?

But keep riding it - that dent doesn't look that bad, whack some nail varnish on it and just keep an eye on it. My guess would be nothing happens..

More importantly, what will ze germans be buying you?

Do you live in a showhome?

Work in a show room, quiet day, assemble new bike. Win.

Ise of Man.

Thats the communial upholstery room. For locals to get a break from their caves.

/pointlessrasism.

Enjoy winter with no sun, just like a Manx summer.

Enjoy winter with no sun, just like a Manx summer.

Just waiting for the rain to freeze, so its less wet. :S

Have you checked your forks?

I removed the wheel, which thankfully is also fine and the fork blades are fine, I haven't removed them to check the steerer though, will do.

just looking at bars and stems, what is the benefit in oversize ones? anyone recommend any cheap ones?

I always assumed strength and better grip on bars due to a higher contact patch.

I have some Oversize deda drops and a Ritchey stem if you want... check my sales thread

drøn - Very nice! What chainset was it? Shimano?
How much weight have you managed to save?

long story short, I wiped out last Saturday. (Tower Bridge Road)

German tourist (ped) walked into me which resulted in her breaking her arm in 2 places & 3 broken fingers (requires surgery) as well as the usual road rash/bruises. Unfortunately I weigh close to 95kg and she was quite elderly and frail. Not a good scenario.

I had no time to react etc as she literally stepped into my cockpit and not in front of the bike so to speak.

Spoke to Ryan (Oak Cycles) and Jacopo (Dodici Cicli) and both basically said the same thing. Ride it, but keep an eye on the damage and if a crack appears, stop riding.

Questions, (thanks in advance)

1-any chance of catastrophic explosion a la carbon?
2-worth repairing? possible? Dodici mentioned replacing the TT but their framebuilders are away till September...
3-can I re-laquer locally? If so suggestions? clear nail varnish?
4-could a crack start from the inside of the tube and not be immediately visible from the outside?
5-the frame is straight and true, but where would I get this ratified? LBS?

It's no trick bike, but the Gara is generally thought to be more bombproof than other alu street tarck bikes..hmmm

How in Jebus' name did she "literally stepped into my cockpit"?!!
I mean, thats some feat for the sprightliest of us on a big bike like yours, never mind an elderly woman!
Anyway, that aside, how are you dude, hope you weren't hurt too bad?

1. Catastrophic explosion is a lot less likely on alu than crabon, but it does occasionally happen. I'm no expert, but the advice you've been given sounds about right, after all, how many times have we seen that ratty 'Dale in rats and HHSB threads thats got more than its fair share of dents?
   
2. The only way to repair it that I can see is to replace the TT, but wouldn't that then mess with the heat treatment on the HT and ST?
   
3. Armortex? http://www.armourtexltd.co.uk/
   
4. I would have thought after seeing a few frames break, that the crack goes completely through the wall of the tube and then spreads around the circumference of the tube, no?
   
5. Sorry, what? Do you want it turned into a rat? well now you've got a dent and missing some paint, its getting that way, but I'd leave it to time and abuse to do the rest, not LBS. Or you mean how do you get it fixed? If its the dent, frame builder, if its the paint, painter/finisher, but neither of those require LBS! ;P