The Bike Thread!

[Hellcatz]

Wow  that looks amazing. Prob cost an arm and a leg ( a clavicle for you XD)
geared hub or motor can really tell with the pictures

It's the Di2 Alfine internally geared hub. No motor.

at least its geared! You weren't crazy enough to ride around on a cargo fixie bike.

[mauri]

(Attachment Link)

Here's my "bike".

Way too shiny. Straight outta dealership or just cleaning freak

Anyway. On topic, finally decided on a winter ride; Commencal meta. It's fun as hell.

[JaccoW]

Just put some new 28mm tires on my project bike;

Schwalbe Delta Cruiser gumwalls.

At just €11 per piece I just couldn't leave them. Though I wonder if the whitewalls would have looked better.

Then I was just reading up on the Sturmey Archer 3-speed hubs... and I came across this:

PICT0004 by CraigWales, on Flickr

A 3-speed IGh combined with a 3-speed derailleur for a larger range! 


And I might even have a parts/project bike in the basement that has all the necessary parts! 

Sprockets are dirt cheap anyway so this might be a fun project for next week.

So all that is left on the shopping list:
- Basil Portland front carrier
- B+M Cyo Senso Plus chrome
- B+M Secula Plus rear light
- Perhaps some cork grips or a dropbar and new stem.

[JaccoW]

So I modified the bike to be able to use a derailleur. 





With the exception of a 16T cog (the 28T will arrive next week) all of this was with stuff that had laying around.

Moved around some of the cables and stripped them where the original braze-ons would make more sense. Looks really good to just have cables running around.
Took some fiddling around to make sure the rear derailleur didn't commit suicide. It had a tendency to dive into the spokes. :twitchy:

On the first testdrive it felt really good... but it tried to eat the chain. Probably still a bit too long.  )

For those that understand:

Current gearing


Future gearing

[Hellcatz]

Show Image

So I modified the bike to be able to use a derailleur.  :p

Show Image

Show Image

Show Image

With the exception of a 16T cog (the 28T will arrive next week) all of this was with stuff that had laying around.

Moved around some of the cables and stripped them where the original braze-ons would make more sense. Looks really good to just have cables running around.
Took some fiddling around to make sure the rear derailleur didn't commit suicide. It had a tendency to dive into the spokes. :twitchy:

On the first testdrive it felt really good... but it tried to eat the chain. Probably still a bit too long.  )

For those that understand:

Show Image

Current gearing

Show Image

Future gearing

Looking pretty good. Love that you kept the retro look going.

[JaccoW]

Show Image

So I modified the bike to be able to use a derailleur.  :p

Show Image

Show Image

Show Image

With the exception of a 16T cog (the 28T will arrive next week) all of this was with stuff that had laying around.

Moved around some of the cables and stripped them where the original braze-ons would make more sense. Looks really good to just have cables running around.
Took some fiddling around to make sure the rear derailleur didn't commit suicide. It had a tendency to dive into the spokes. :twitchy:

On the first testdrive it felt really good... but it tried to eat the chain. Probably still a bit too long.  )

For those that understand:

Show Image

Current gearing

Show Image

Future gearing

Looking pretty good. Love that you kept the retro look going.

Thanks.
I'm not trying to make it all period correct. It's supposed to be a practical tourer for around the country. But I thought it would be a shame to just toss on all modern parts.
And I couldn't resist the shine of those 90mm drum brakes.

[Spopepro]

16 to 28 is a huge jump. It might not work exactly as you have planned. Sometimes adding a washer is helpful between the derailleur and the frame to both keep the mech out of the spokes and get the geometry right for a big rear cog. When you say "eating the chain" do you mean chain suck, or...? Length of chain shouldn't have an impact here unless you have zero tension on it.

You will want to keep up the maintence on those drum hubs and make sure you are using the right kind of grease. Drum and coaster hubs have specific lube requirements. Love the bottle dyno.

[JaccoW]

16 to 28 is a huge jump. It might not work exactly as you have planned. Sometimes adding a washer is helpful between the derailleur and the frame to both keep the mech out of the spokes and get the geometry right for a big rear cog. When you say "eating the chain" do you mean chain suck, or...? Length of chain shouldn't have an impact here unless you have zero tension on it.

You will want to keep up the maintence on those drum hubs and make sure you are using the right kind of grease. Drum and coaster hubs have specific lube requirements. Love the bottle dyno.

I know. It's going to be interesting to see if it works or not. But the washer is a good idea. Otherwise I'll have to figure out if I can grind down some of the sprockets for a third cog in between.

As to the "eating the chain", it fell off and wrapped itself around the rear axle. The chain itself hasn't been shortened yet so it's probably a lack of tension. Just slapped on the 114 link chain to see if it worked. Probably fell off when I hit a big bump. I'll wait until the big sprocket comes in to shorten it.

I'm aware of the special needs of Shimano's roller brakes. Really good brakes but you need a special grease to increase their stopping power.
The Sturmey Archer brake hubs don't need any grease as far as I can tell. Just keep them clean and grease the pawls and springs inside. They also have the added benefit of having basically no drag when you are riding because the brake shoe completely disengages.

I'm planning on putting some modern, but good-looking, lights on there. Probably a silver B+M Cyo (60 lux) with a Secula Plus in the rear. Similar to what I have on my current bike. Though a silver B+M IQ-X would probably fit as well and 100 lux from a dynamo light is amazing.
The current dynamo is a 12V 6W, so I'll have to check if that plays nice with modern LEDs which are designed for 3W.
The best looking dynamo I've found so far is the Velogical rim dynamo but those are in the price/quality range of SON dynohubs... Maybe in the future.

Just made an album on IMGur so I can easily refer to all the pictures if anyone is interested.

[Hellcatz]

16 to 28 is a huge jump. It might not work exactly as you have planned. Sometimes adding a washer is helpful between the derailleur and the frame to both keep the mech out of the spokes and get the geometry right for a big rear cog. When you say "eating the chain" do you mean chain suck, or...? Length of chain shouldn't have an impact here unless you have zero tension on it.

You will want to keep up the maintence on those drum hubs and make sure you are using the right kind of grease. Drum and coaster hubs have specific lube requirements. Love the bottle dyno.

I know. It's going to be interesting to see if it works or not. But the washer is a good idea. Otherwise I'll have to figure out if I can grind down some of the sprockets for a third cog in between.

As to the "eating the chain", it fell off and wrapped itself around the rear axle. The chain itself hasn't been shortened yet so it's probably a lack of tension. Just slapped on the 114 link chain to see if it worked. Probably fell off when I hit a big bump. I'll wait until the big sprocket comes in to shorten it.

I'm aware of the special needs of Shimano's roller brakes. Really good brakes but you need a special grease to increase their stopping power.
The Sturmey Archer brake hubs don't need any grease as far as I can tell. Just keep them clean and grease the pawls and springs inside. They also have the added benefit of having basically no drag when you are riding because the brake shoe completely disengages.

I'm planning on putting some modern, but good-looking, lights on there. Probably a silver B+M Cyo (60 lux) with a Secula Plus in the rear. Similar to what I have on my current bike. Though a silver B+M IQ-X would probably fit as well and 100 lux from a dynamo light is amazing.
The current dynamo is a 12V 6W, so I'll have to check if that plays nice with modern LEDs which are designed for 3W.
The best looking dynamo I've found so far is the Velogical rim dynamo but those are in the price/quality range of SON dynohubs... Maybe in the future.

Just made an album on IMGur so I can easily refer to all the pictures if anyone is interested.

I believe its just that your derailurs arnt set correctly. Its shifting the chain too far.

[JaccoW]

16 to 28 is a huge jump. It might not work exactly as you have planned. Sometimes adding a washer is helpful between the derailleur and the frame to both keep the mech out of the spokes and get the geometry right for a big rear cog. When you say "eating the chain" do you mean chain suck, or...? Length of chain shouldn't have an impact here unless you have zero tension on it.

You will want to keep up the maintence on those drum hubs and make sure you are using the right kind of grease. Drum and coaster hubs have specific lube requirements. Love the bottle dyno.

I know. It's going to be interesting to see if it works or not. But the washer is a good idea. Otherwise I'll have to figure out if I can grind down some of the sprockets for a third cog in between.

As to the "eating the chain", it fell off and wrapped itself around the rear axle. The chain itself hasn't been shortened yet so it's probably a lack of tension. Just slapped on the 114 link chain to see if it worked. Probably fell off when I hit a big bump. I'll wait until the big sprocket comes in to shorten it.

I'm aware of the special needs of Shimano's roller brakes. Really good brakes but you need a special grease to increase their stopping power.
The Sturmey Archer brake hubs don't need any grease as far as I can tell. Just keep them clean and grease the pawls and springs inside. They also have the added benefit of having basically no drag when you are riding because the brake shoe completely disengages.

I'm planning on putting some modern, but good-looking, lights on there. Probably a silver B+M Cyo (60 lux) with a Secula Plus in the rear. Similar to what I have on my current bike. Though a silver B+M IQ-X would probably fit as well and 100 lux from a dynamo light is amazing.
The current dynamo is a 12V 6W, so I'll have to check if that plays nice with modern LEDs which are designed for 3W.
The best looking dynamo I've found so far is the Velogical rim dynamo but those are in the price/quality range of SON dynohubs... Maybe in the future.

Just made an album on IMGur so I can easily refer to all the pictures if anyone is interested.

I believe its just that your derailurs arnt set correctly. Its shifting the chain too far.

You might be right... first time owning a bike with a derailleur. All my life I have ridden IGH bikes. Got some learning to do.  )

[Spopepro]

So the thing about the washer isn't just about limiting travel. As you get bigger cogs, they have to increase in a non-linear fashion to keep a smooth development profile. So the shape of the mech is trapezoidal so that it also doesn't swing linearly. This means that if you set the limit screw way in, you might be using a portion of the rear mech's travel that is too "flat" rather than moving down far enough to get the mech out of the way of the big cog. Does that make any sense? I feel like I should ms paint some pictures...


P.s. The SON hub and edelux light are worth every penny... but it is a lot of pennies...

[reaper]

My new ride... Hooligan 2017 (just came in from Switzerland).  This thing is fun to ride on!   




Build log: http://m.fotos.mtb-news.de/s/81790

[Hellcatz]

My new ride... Hooligan 2017 (just came in from Switzerland).  This thing is fun to ride on!   

Show Image

Build log: http://m.fotos.mtb-news.de/s/81790

Looks friggen sweet but what kinda riding is it for? The wheels seem to small for a mountain bike

[reaper]

My new ride... Hooligan 2017 (just came in from Switzerland).  This thing is fun to ride on!   

Show Image

Build log: http://m.fotos.mtb-news.de/s/81790

Looks friggen sweet but what kinda riding is it for? The wheels seem to small for a mountain bike

Thanks and it's billed as an urban bike but you could take it to the mountains and trails and stuff.  :)


https://www.facebook.com/francesc.masipculleres/videos/1221787264510972/

[JaccoW]

Looks pretty sweet. Reminds me of a Schindelhauer Thinbike.

[xtrafrood]

My new ride... Hooligan 2017 (just came in from Switzerland).  This thing is fun to ride on!   

Show Image

Build log: http://m.fotos.mtb-news.de/s/81790

Looks friggen sweet but what kinda riding is it for? The wheels seem to small for a mountain bike

Thanks and it's billed as an urban bike but you could take it to the mountains and trails and stuff.  :)


https://www.facebook.com/francesc.masipculleres/videos/1221787264510972/

Disc brakes? Yummy

[reaper]

Looks pretty sweet. Reminds me of a Schindelhauer Thinbike.

Heh, thanks and I had to google that one. lol It does look pretty similar to the Hooligan. 

[reaper]

My new ride... Hooligan 2017 (just came in from Switzerland).  This thing is fun to ride on!   

Show Image

Build log: http://m.fotos.mtb-news.de/s/81790

Looks friggen sweet but what kinda riding is it for? The wheels seem to small for a mountain bike

Thanks and it's billed as an urban bike but you could take it to the mountains and trails and stuff.  :)


https://www.facebook.com/francesc.masipculleres/videos/1221787264510972/

Disc brakes? Yummy

Disc brakes, hydrolic lever, Shimano Alfine 11 speed with Rapid Fire shifter, Lefty fork, Brooks Cambium C17 saddle, etc.  The list just goes on and on.  Lots of aftermarket parts on this one.  :)

[madhias]

My new ride... Hooligan 2017 (just came in from Switzerland).  This thing is fun to ride on!   

Show Image

Build log: http://m.fotos.mtb-news.de/s/81790

Looks friggen sweet but what kinda riding is it for? The wheels seem to small for a mountain bike

Thanks and it's billed as an urban bike but you could take it to the mountains and trails and stuff.  :)


https://www.facebook.com/francesc.masipculleres/videos/1221787264510972/

Disc brakes? Yummy

Disc brakes, hydrolic lever, Shimano Alfine 11 speed with Rapid Fire shifter, Lefty fork, Brooks Cambium C17 saddle, etc.  The list just goes on and on.  Lots of aftermarket parts on this one.  :)

I really like that tan wall tires!

[reaper]

My new ride... Hooligan 2017 (just came in from Switzerland).  This thing is fun to ride on!   

Show Image

Build log: http://m.fotos.mtb-news.de/s/81790

Looks friggen sweet but what kinda riding is it for? The wheels seem to small for a mountain bike

Thanks and it's billed as an urban bike but you could take it to the mountains and trails and stuff.  :)


https://www.facebook.com/francesc.masipculleres/videos/1221787264510972/

Disc brakes? Yummy

Disc brakes, hydrolic lever, Shimano Alfine 11 speed with Rapid Fire shifter, Lefty fork, Brooks Cambium C17 saddle, etc.  The list just goes on and on.  Lots of aftermarket parts on this one.  :)

I really like that tan wall tires!

Yah, me too!  It gives it that retro look.

[trenzafeeds]

So I'm kind of guilty of moving from Keyboards to bikes. Right now I'm working on a better track bike, because I've been racing on my budget chromoly track machine. Does anyone have recommendations for like affordable (sub$150) sprint bars?

[Spopepro]

So I'm kind of guilty of moving from Keyboards to bikes. Right now I'm working on a better track bike, because I've been racing on my budget chromoly track machine. Does anyone have recommendations for like affordable (sub$150) sprint bars?

What width do you want? Nitto B123AA if you're running 38mm, deda pista if you're going 42mm. There are stem clamp size considerations as well. Don't buy steel bars... they are excessively heavy and even the backwards and anachronistic keirin rules say use aluminum bars.

It's cool you're racing on the track. What are your favorite events?

[kiwi99]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :



Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

[Spopepro]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :

Show Image

Show Image

Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

You might come around on the bars. I think something you could do for comfort is to move the hoods down. Ideally, you want something of a flat transition from the top of the bar to the hoods. You'll need to redo the bar tape if you do this, but it looks like it might be time for that anyway. Should look more like this:



You can use an extra layer of bar tape right at the bar/hood transition to fill the gap. More modern levers have extra material in this spot to make a large, flat, comfortable platform for the hands.

[kiwi99]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :

Show Image

Show Image

Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

You might come around on the bars. I think something you could do for comfort is to move the hoods down. Ideally, you want something of a flat transition from the top of the bar to the hoods. You'll need to redo the bar tape if you do this, but it looks like it might be time for that anyway. Should look more like this:

Show Image

You can use an extra layer of bar tape right at the bar/hood transition to fill the gap. More modern levers have extra material in this spot to make a large, flat, comfortable platform for the hands.

I redid the bar tape recently actually, I just have shorter fingers so braking is sort of awkward for me, I have seen these things



and have been wanting to see if I can find some.. they look like they might make it more enjoyable.

[Spopepro]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :

Show Image

Show Image

Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

You might come around on the bars. I think something you could do for comfort is to move the hoods down. Ideally, you want something of a flat transition from the top of the bar to the hoods. You'll need to redo the bar tape if you do this, but it looks like it might be time for that anyway. Should look more like this:

Show Image

You can use an extra layer of bar tape right at the bar/hood transition to fill the gap. More modern levers have extra material in this spot to make a large, flat, comfortable platform for the hands.

I redid the bar tape recently actually, I just have shorter fingers so braking is sort of awkward for me, I have seen these things

Show Image

and have been wanting to see if I can find some.. they look like they might make it more enjoyable.

Hey, if they work, they work, but I think that's the wrong way to go. 95% of the time on road bars people will have their hands on the top of the hoods. It's the most neutral and comfortable place. The flat bar extender for the brake gets in the way of this position. I think a comfort, and reach, solution would be to dig up some modern shaped levers, like the cane creek scr-5, and put those on. But that's now venturing into spending money you probably didn't want to unless you can grab them at a coop of used.

[kiwi99]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :

Show Image

Show Image

Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

You might come around on the bars. I think something you could do for comfort is to move the hoods down. Ideally, you want something of a flat transition from the top of the bar to the hoods. You'll need to redo the bar tape if you do this, but it looks like it might be time for that anyway. Should look more like this:

Show Image

You can use an extra layer of bar tape right at the bar/hood transition to fill the gap. More modern levers have extra material in this spot to make a large, flat, comfortable platform for the hands.

I redid the bar tape recently actually, I just have shorter fingers so braking is sort of awkward for me, I have seen these things

Show Image

and have been wanting to see if I can find some.. they look like they might make it more enjoyable.

Hey, if they work, they work, but I think that's the wrong way to go. 95% of the time on road bars people will have their hands on the top of the hoods. It's the most neutral and comfortable place. The flat bar extender for the brake gets in the way of this position. I think a comfort, and reach, solution would be to dig up some modern shaped levers, like the cane creek scr-5, and put those on. But that's now venturing into spending money you probably didn't want to unless you can grab them at a coop of used.

I'll look into it, I do ride with my hands in the hoods, maybe I'll look into some different shaped levers. I dunno if its worth investing money into this bike though, costed me like 160 CAD,  and I dunno what extent of modifications I could make or if I should just consider a nicer frame before looking at upgrades , bullhorn bars interest me the most I tried some and they felt the most natural other than the.. straight ones(? dunno what the standard ones mountain bikes and such are called), I also think having slightly wider bars might help me, is there a specific way to guide how wide your bars should be or is it personal preference.

[Hellcatz]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :

Show Image

Show Image

Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

You might come around on the bars. I think something you could do for comfort is to move the hoods down. Ideally, you want something of a flat transition from the top of the bar to the hoods. You'll need to redo the bar tape if you do this, but it looks like it might be time for that anyway. Should look more like this:

Show Image

You can use an extra layer of bar tape right at the bar/hood transition to fill the gap. More modern levers have extra material in this spot to make a large, flat, comfortable platform for the hands.

I redid the bar tape recently actually, I just have shorter fingers so braking is sort of awkward for me, I have seen these things

Show Image

and have been wanting to see if I can find some.. they look like they might make it more enjoyable.

Hey, if they work, they work, but I think that's the wrong way to go. 95% of the time on road bars people will have their hands on the top of the hoods. It's the most neutral and comfortable place. The flat bar extender for the brake gets in the way of this position. I think a comfort, and reach, solution would be to dig up some modern shaped levers, like the cane creek scr-5, and put those on. But that's now venturing into spending money you probably didn't want to unless you can grab them at a coop of used.

I'll look into it, I do ride with my hands in the hoods, maybe I'll look into some different shaped levers. I dunno if its worth investing money into this bike though, costed me like 160 CAD,  and I dunno what extent of modifications I could make or if I should just consider a nicer frame before looking at upgrades , bullhorn bars interest me the most I tried some and they felt the most natural other than the.. straight ones(? dunno what the standard ones mountain bikes and such are called), I also think having slightly wider bars might help me, is there a specific way to guide how wide your bars should be or is it personal preference.

dont get bullhorns as the drop bars are essentially bullhorns. But it is essentialy your choice regarding the style you are going for. You will need to get new break levers if you choose to use the bullhorns

[kiwi99]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :

Show Image

Show Image

Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

You might come around on the bars. I think something you could do for comfort is to move the hoods down. Ideally, you want something of a flat transition from the top of the bar to the hoods. You'll need to redo the bar tape if you do this, but it looks like it might be time for that anyway. Should look more like this:

Show Image

You can use an extra layer of bar tape right at the bar/hood transition to fill the gap. More modern levers have extra material in this spot to make a large, flat, comfortable platform for the hands.

I redid the bar tape recently actually, I just have shorter fingers so braking is sort of awkward for me, I have seen these things

Show Image

and have been wanting to see if I can find some.. they look like they might make it more enjoyable.

Hey, if they work, they work, but I think that's the wrong way to go. 95% of the time on road bars people will have their hands on the top of the hoods. It's the most neutral and comfortable place. The flat bar extender for the brake gets in the way of this position. I think a comfort, and reach, solution would be to dig up some modern shaped levers, like the cane creek scr-5, and put those on. But that's now venturing into spending money you probably didn't want to unless you can grab them at a coop of used.

I'll look into it, I do ride with my hands in the hoods, maybe I'll look into some different shaped levers. I dunno if its worth investing money into this bike though, costed me like 160 CAD,  and I dunno what extent of modifications I could make or if I should just consider a nicer frame before looking at upgrades , bullhorn bars interest me the most I tried some and they felt the most natural other than the.. straight ones(? dunno what the standard ones mountain bikes and such are called), I also think having slightly wider bars might help me, is there a specific way to guide how wide your bars should be or is it personal preference.

dont get bullhorns as the drop bars are essentially bullhorns. But it is essentialy your choice regarding the style you are going for. You will need to get new break levers if you choose to use the bullhorns

Yea, I doubt I would on this bike.. but in the future I definitely want them for a e s t h e t i c s 

[Hellcatz]

Moved to a city and just got an old cheap road bike, not used to it still coming from a full on downhill bike I rode back home but its nice for getting around, lots of good biking trails in ottawa (mainly the Canal gets me everywhere pretty quickly).

Here's the bike :

Show Image

Show Image

Nothing fancy.. I dislike the drop bars quite a bit but I don't think I have the option of changing them for a cheap enough price :/

You might come around on the bars. I think something you could do for comfort is to move the hoods down. Ideally, you want something of a flat transition from the top of the bar to the hoods. You'll need to redo the bar tape if you do this, but it looks like it might be time for that anyway. Should look more like this:

Show Image

You can use an extra layer of bar tape right at the bar/hood transition to fill the gap. More modern levers have extra material in this spot to make a large, flat, comfortable platform for the hands.

I redid the bar tape recently actually, I just have shorter fingers so braking is sort of awkward for me, I have seen these things

Show Image

and have been wanting to see if I can find some.. they look like they might make it more enjoyable.

Hey, if they work, they work, but I think that's the wrong way to go. 95% of the time on road bars people will have their hands on the top of the hoods. It's the most neutral and comfortable place. The flat bar extender for the brake gets in the way of this position. I think a comfort, and reach, solution would be to dig up some modern shaped levers, like the cane creek scr-5, and put those on. But that's now venturing into spending money you probably didn't want to unless you can grab them at a coop of used.

I'll look into it, I do ride with my hands in the hoods, maybe I'll look into some different shaped levers. I dunno if its worth investing money into this bike though, costed me like 160 CAD,  and I dunno what extent of modifications I could make or if I should just consider a nicer frame before looking at upgrades , bullhorn bars interest me the most I tried some and they felt the most natural other than the.. straight ones(? dunno what the standard ones mountain bikes and such are called), I also think having slightly wider bars might help me, is there a specific way to guide how wide your bars should be or is it personal preference.

dont get bullhorns as the drop bars are essentially bullhorns. But it is essentialy your choice regarding the style you are going for. You will need to get new break levers if you choose to use the bullhorns

Yea, I doubt I would on this bike.. but in the future I definitely want them for a e s t h e t i c s 

use pinkbike, craigs list, kijiji to buy parts. there are some great deals out there

[JaccoW]

If you want a cheap option you could go for some Tektro levers with a pair of crosslevers. Different aesthetics but better braking. I have a pair of used Weinnmann citylever/'suicide levers' from a cheap dropbar I got from local eBay.

Once I have the setup dialed in I'll go with a setup like that.

[Spopepro]

If you like the feel of bullhorns, then a different lever shape would make you happy. Here's what a modern "square" drop bar and lever look like:


Notice how it's perfectly flat, just like the bullhorns. I agree though--unless you're putting on serious miles it might not be worth messing with too much. I always say if it helps you ride more, it's worth it, this may or may not do it.

As far as width goes, old thinking was that you size the bars by your shoulder blades. That's now considered bull****, and the trend has been to narrower and narrower bars on road racing bikes. Touring bikes usually like slightly wider bars and obviously you are used to very wide DH bars. It has more to do with control of the bike and comfort. More often than not, you will either get used to it after a short time or you will know you need something else. One last thing to consider is that old bikes sometimes had really, really narrow bars. Most people on road bikes run somewhere between 40-42cm center-to-center width.

[kiwi99]

If you like the feel of bullhorns, then a different lever shape would make you happy. Here's what a modern "square" drop bar and lever look like:

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Notice how it's perfectly flat, just like the bullhorns. I agree though--unless you're putting on serious miles it might not be worth messing with too much. I always say if it helps you ride more, it's worth it, this may or may not do it.

As far as width goes, old thinking was that you size the bars by your shoulder blades. That's now considered bull****, and the trend has been to narrower and narrower bars on road racing bikes. Touring bikes usually like slightly wider bars and obviously you are used to very wide DH bars. It has more to do with control of the bike and comfort. More often than not, you will either get used to it after a short time or you will know you need something else. One last thing to consider is that old bikes sometimes had really, really narrow bars. Most people on road bikes run somewhere between 40-42cm center-to-center width.

Thanks for the info I'll check that out, and yes my bars seem really narrow to me being a bigger guy its a bit uncomfortable. That picture of the different shaped lever does look a lot more comfortable also the plastic grip cover things on mine are worn out too, its serving its purpose of getting me from A to B recently though. Sadly I went to fill up one of my tires at this kind of public bike repair stand thing on campus, wasn't expecting the nozzle to be different than what I'm used to and it ended up not being compatible  >:D I felt so silly and ended up having to walk home  :p, lesson learned though.

[madhias]

Mhm nomnom got some package from Australia to Austria! I can't stop smelling the leather and glue and all!

[JaccoW]

Any suggestions for an affordable bullhorn handlebar that can:
- fit bar-end brakes
- is available in a polished finish
- is not a pursuit bar (so preferably straight at the stem)

I have a Pure Fix bar right now but that one is too narrow inside for anything @17mm

[iri]

Mhm nomnom got some package from Australia to Austria! I can't stop smelling the leather and glue and all!

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An SLR with kangaroo leather?!?!?!?!?  :eek:

[scoobs0311]

Finally got some pics of my Yeti. Thought I'd share!

[funderburker]

Finally got some pics of my Yeti. Thought I'd share!

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Photos like these are why I really really want to get back to mountain bikes. That's a really gorgeous bike.  What type of riding is it used for (by you that is)?

[scoobs0311]

Thank you! I'm definitely on it every second I can I mostly ride single-track trail and enduro. I'm in SC but am pretty close to the trails in Western NC which are awesome.

[trenzafeeds]

So I'm kind of guilty of moving from Keyboards to bikes. Right now I'm working on a better track bike, because I've been racing on my budget chromoly track machine. Does anyone have recommendations for like affordable (sub$150) sprint bars?

What width do you want? Nitto B123AA if you're running 38mm, deda pista if you're going 42mm. There are stem clamp size considerations as well. Don't buy steel bars... they are excessively heavy and even the backwards and anachronistic keirin rules say use aluminum bars.

It's cool you're racing on the track. What are your favorite events?

I'm looking at the Vibe sprint bar/stem combo rn, they seem very reasonably priced and get good stiffness reviews.
I like sprints and keiren on the track a lot, mostly because I race endurance on the road, so the short events feel very exciting. I also really like elimination races.

[Sniping]

Whoo! Got a new commuter bike this weekend for cheap. It was a former rain bike and has some rust in the drivetrain, but I'm liking the bike.

It's commuter road bike with 32mm slicks and has some fun parts like EA90sl wheels, carbon drop bars and a sram red cx crank. It's not in the best condition but I only paid $150 so no complaining on my end. I've been so busy lately though that my weekly mileage is basically nothing...looking forward to riding more in the coming month when I have more free time.

[funderburker]

Whoo! Got a new commuter bike this weekend for cheap. It was a former rain bike and has some rust in the drivetrain, but I'm liking the bike.

It's commuter road bike with 32mm slicks and has some fun parts like EA90sl wheels, carbon drop bars and a sram red cx crank. It's not in the best condition but I only paid $150 so no complaining on my end. I've been so busy lately though that my weekly mileage is basically nothing...looking forward to riding more in the coming month when I have more free time.

Sounds like a nice deal! Would you be so kind and post some photos?

[tp4tissue]

Whoo! Got a new commuter bike this weekend for cheap. It was a former rain bike and has some rust in the drivetrain, but I'm liking the bike.

It's commuter road bike with 32mm slicks and has some fun parts like EA90sl wheels, carbon drop bars and a sram red cx crank. It's not in the best condition but I only paid $150 so no complaining on my end. I've been so busy lately though that my weekly mileage is basically nothing...looking forward to riding more in the coming month when I have more free time.

I read that as Computer bike..

was like.. ooooo, they make those ?

[scoobs0311]

Whoo! Got a new commuter bike this weekend for cheap. It was a former rain bike and has some rust in the drivetrain, but I'm liking the bike.

It's commuter road bike with 32mm slicks and has some fun parts like EA90sl wheels, carbon drop bars and a sram red cx crank. It's not in the best condition but I only paid $150 so no complaining on my end. I've been so busy lately though that my weekly mileage is basically nothing...looking forward to riding more in the coming month when I have more free time.

congrats on the nice find! definitely can't complain about the price!

[Sniping]

I'll post pics soon! The bike isn't with me now.

It needs work but it wasn't abused in its past so I'm cool with it, thinking of a new chain, chainrings, bar tape, and a good cleaning. Or nothing at all, since it's going to be my commuter bike after all 

[JaccoW]

It works with classic drum brakes!

Just forgot to properly measure the bars so I need to order the cross levers in a bigger size.
That and I need some more cables as a single Jagwire kit was't enough.

[tp4tissue]

Anyone get one of those motor kits?

Looks fun...

[scoobs0311]

Anyone get one of those motor kits?

Looks fun...

I haven't looked into the motor kits, but I've noticed more e-bike mtb ads/promotions recently. A lot of the feedback so far seems really polarized or a love it or hate it attitude. I think it's a cool concept, but definitely not for everyone.

here's a new specialized e-bike promo video if anyone's interested: https://player.vimeo.com/video/191759944

[tp4tissue]

Anyone get one of those motor kits?

Looks fun...

I haven't looked into the motor kits, but I've noticed more e-bike mtb ads/promotions recently. A lot of the feedback so far seems really polarized or a love it or hate it attitude. I think it's a cool concept, but definitely not for everyone.

here's a new specialized e-bike promo video if anyone's interested: https://player.vimeo.com/video/191759944

I just want a cheapo kit to scoot to and from wawa on my snack runs.. no need to get fancy.. It's kind of a pain to start the car, back out, shift, drive 800 meters, park, get out, lock, get snack, unlock, shift, drive, park, eat snack

[scoobs0311]

Anyone get one of those motor kits?

Looks fun...

I haven't looked into the motor kits, but I've noticed more e-bike mtb ads/promotions recently. A lot of the feedback so far seems really polarized or a love it or hate it attitude. I think it's a cool concept, but definitely not for everyone.

here's a new specialized e-bike promo video if anyone's interested: https://player.vimeo.com/video/191759944

I just want a cheapo kit to scoot to and from wawa on my snack runs.. no need to get fancy.. It's kind of a pain to start the car, back out, shift, drive 800 meters, park, get out, lock, get snack, unlock, shift, drive, park, eat snack

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ah, but in your car, u can fit many snacks... no need to go back anytime soon :)