Cyclist's Corner

I have a positive attitude towards CrMo steel. But when I see that a CrMo frame costs more than a hi-ten steel frame, but it weighs the same, I have questions… I don’t want to pay just for the frame material. I am willing to pay for the benefits realized due to the quality of steel. So it’s not all simple for me :slightly_smiling_face:

Thanks for the link! I was pleased to get acquainted with the BLB assortment.
But there is a difficulty with the purchase of large items and delivery to Russia. I contacted several manufacturers in England, but none of them could send dimensional goods to Russia, for one reason or another. And now, neither German stores nor English ones send to Russia not only bicycles, even wheels. It started this year… I was lucky, and I managed to order my DT Swiss before any problems started.
So, when buying a bike, it makes sense to focus on your local market. Very small and specific.

Reviews on the russian internet for BearBike products are generally not bad. Of course, there may be some misunderstandings, but this is possible with any brand.

However, observing the current situation with bicycle products all over the world, for a number of objective and subjective reasons, I cannot afford a fleet of several bicycles. Although I really want to :wink:
Most likely, I will focus on a new bike for my wife, and then, most likely, in a year.
Well, the idea of a single-speed bicycle will continue to live exactly as an idea for now. Perhaps, after some time, I will be able to realize this idea :bike:

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All the necessary parts arrived, and I started doing my wife’s bike - Stels Pilot 680md.
Before changing the height of the handlebar installation, I cleaned the headsets bearings. I was pleasantly surprised that despite the much cheaper components compared to my bike, the bearing protection and the bearings themselves were in very good condition. There was no sand and they rotated smoothly.
Nevertheless, I cleaned everything up to a shine :wink:

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The next step will be directly changing the height of the handlebar installation. Finally, I will pick up my favorite electric saw again :rofl:

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According to the results of the 2021 cycling season, my wife asked me to lower the handlebar and somewhat “stretch” the landing and reduce the handlebar - the standard handlebar was installed very high and without the possibility of adjustment. Because of this, cycling resembled a seat on a stool with an almost vertical back - not the best option for active pedaling.
In this regard, a shorter rack and a new handlebar were purchased… The tools used were a metal saw, a hammer and a file - the most popular tools :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:
Something had to be sawed off, something processed with a file, something hammered. The handlebar was cut to a length of 520 mm, 80 mm less than the one installed by the manufacturer. But the result is pleasing - already now my wife says that it has become much better :+1:t3: The final verdict will be at the beginning of the 2022 cycling season.
The photo shows a comparison of what happened and how it is now.

IMG_20211123_113433-01

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That seems like a nice upgrade, a huge handlebar can be cute and give a “Harley Davidson” feeling, but then it’s inconvenient for many things: one of those is riding more speedily.

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Absolutely right!
The wife improves her cycling technique every season and, as a result, the speed of movement increases. And in this aspect, the high handlebar just got in the way.
I think this is the last change of this bike, and the next stage will be the purchase (or I will assemble myself) of a “real” bike :wink:

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I have seen mine (fixie/single speed) being assembled, it makes it distinctive already. There’s a different love to that, something like giving birth to one incredible machine (all bikes are great machines, a good bike is an incredible machine).

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That’s why I like to do something with my own hands.
If you did well, you feel real satisfaction from it.
And of course, it’s nice to see the surprise of other cyclists when they ask about something on my bike, “Where did you buy this? I want that too.” and they hear in response, “I did it myself!” :blush:

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This is my rusty bucket called Dasha after the assassin granny from Killing Eve series.

It’s an old italian road frame (after the BB size) with a rear Rigida road wheel converted to single speed and a Mavic front wheel. It’s made out of different parts I either had laying around, either bought cheap second hand. The tires are new though, Maxxis Detonator 32c.

You can check the full pic here on [Unsplash].

(https://unsplash.com/photos/2jDHW23QxE4)
dan-visan-2jDHW23QxE4-unsplash

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I see they have chem-trails in Romania also.

Pudge

yeah, that one was for the pfizer booster dose

There are those who say there is no such thing…

and those people are free to believe what ever they want.

Dasha is good :heart_eyes:
There is a somewhat ambiguous attitude towards Italians in the cycling aspect. On the one hand, I bow my head to their contribution to the world of bicycles, on the other hand, I continue to consider them too emotional and careless :blush:
I don’t have so many spare parts yet to be able to assemble a bike. But I’m working on it :wink:

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there are chem trails in Portugal as well. I have no ideal what they are. Not to be seen today. Weather forecast 3 days ago said today it would rain. And tomorrow. That changed. plants and trees are not happy about it, but my bike and I…

IMG_20211124_130717

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You are very lucky with the weather :+1:t3:
It’s cold here, and sometimes it snows, sometimes it rains… :face_with_raised_eyebrow:

P.S. And again in the frame of a singlespeed :wink:

Well, it’s more a matter of knowledge than faith, but right in principle.

Tonight my brain was able to formulate an idea… The idea itself is extremely simple. Namely, you should not blindly follow the instructions for setting up the equipment, even if the instructions are written by Shimano.
I will explain by my own example… Modern Shimano front derailleurs have additional “trim” positions. And it is precisely the setting of these provisions that should be approached intelligently, taking into account its specifics and only her. I’m not athletic enough to use the fastest gears, and my roads aren’t hilly enough to use the heaviest gears. Accordingly, the accuracy of the “trim” setting can be sacrificed at those boundaries that are not used, and it can be adjusted as carefully as possible on those transmissions that are relevant to me.
Configured the derailleur exactly like this. It turned out well :+1:t3:
I feel like a genius :rofl: :rofl: :rofl:

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There is no activity in the topic…
But I will still support it :slight_smile:

What have I done lately…
I lowered the handlebar to the lowest position, and it (the handlebar) became slightly below the level of the saddle. Indeed, it has become more convenient.
I put a slightly shorter bar clamp. But this is completely normal for the Silex family — if you compare the geometry with other bicycles, it becomes obvious that the Silex is practically the longest of all. And the flexibility of my body is no longer the same, and after about 20-30km, there was always a desire to move my hands a little closer to myself. And it was for this “little bit” that I shortened the bar clamp.
I also replaced the handlebar. Silex puts the handlebar in geometry closer to the highway, and they are not always comfortable for everyday driving. I installed a Ritchey Beacon, 40cm wide. Due to the noticeably smaller drop size and much larger flair, this handlebar should be noticeably more convenient for me. But it will be possible to understand this only at the beginning of next season. However, all the preliminary attempts to sit on a bike say one thing – it has become really more convenient.

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As you can see in the photo, the hydraulic lines and switch cables need to be shortened to maintain a neat appearance. So right after the beginning of 2022, I will order all the necessary tools for this. And at the beginning of the season, after several trips and if everything is convenient, I will do everything carefully and install the handlebar tape.
Installed mudguards. I chose SKS Speedrocker. I was pushed to install mudguards by “maniacs” from the municipal service – in summer, bike paths are ALWAYS watered. But the sidewalk for pedestrians is dry. So by the time you get to the park, for example, both you and the bike are already wet and not completely clean.

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There are only a few hours left until the onset of 2022…
And I want to congratulate everyone who loves and uses a bicycle on this moment. Let your iron and carbon horses give only positive emotions next year. Let your switches always work quickly and accurately. Let your tires never know what a puncture is.
Happy New Year 2022!
:bike: :bike: :bike:

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Viewing this thread during my stationary bike workout. Picture just weeks before moving out of Wisconsin in 2020
P1010013

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