Today December 2022

[microcord]

Having had trouble with 18 mm wide rim tape in my rear rim, and days after changing that to seemingly hefty, 20 mm wide Zéfal tape, today I unenthusiastically embarked on a similar replacement for the front rim. It was a three-handed job: two to push more and more (but not quite all) of the tape over the side of the rim, a third to poke a screwdriver under the final, most reluctant few centimetres of tape and shift that over.

I'd quite forgotten that my front tyre had a gash, "temporarily" patched with the kind of sticky tape one uses for parcels. That had held up pretty well but it didn't look as if it would long continue to do so. And so I installed a new tyre as well. I managed to do that by myself, though it took me a long time and I needed both a tyre jack and a tyre lever.

Hours later, my right thumb still hurts. My hands need to HTFU.

 

[jdd]

a three-handed job

I've never tried one for rim tape, but would wonder if a 'third hand' tool would work?

Amazon product




Today was the first decent day here (december), so I did my usual ride, on my fendered bike since everything was still wet. Still some showers moving around out there but tomorrow should be okay, too.

 

[microcord]

@jdd , I can't imagine how a tyre jack of this kind would help with rim tape, but I was very grateful for my own tyre jack (which says "Grunge" but is very similar) when mounting the tyre.

 

[bloaker]

Daytime shot.... finally....

 

[Cactaur]

For rim strips I put it on a thin dowel like a chopstick and use that to help it over the rim. You could also use tubeless tape I guess but thats more expensive.

 

[Benedikt]

I have created a TCC club on Zwift, for anyone that'll be riding inside this winter.

The at Home Cycling & Running Virtual Training App

Zwift is virtual training for running and cycling. Smash your goals and compete with others around the world. With structured workouts and social group rides. iOS and Android compatible. Trusted by the pros. Try free for 14 days.

www.zwift.com

Still figuring out what can be done and what cannot, but if anyone has any ideas please poke me.
@mr tim @Chuck and any others that ride

 

[Cactaur]

Joined. Not an actual paying user tho, just once a month when the mileage resets.

 

[mr tim]

I have created a TCC club on Zwift, for anyone that'll be riding inside this winter.

The at Home Cycling & Running Virtual Training App

Zwift is virtual training for running and cycling. Smash your goals and compete with others around the world. With structured workouts and social group rides. iOS and Android compatible. Trusted by the pros. Try free for 14 days.

www.zwift.com

Still figuring out what can be done and what cannot, but if anyone has any ideas please poke me.
@mr tim @Chuck and any others that ride

Cheers! Added. Only been using Zwift an hour but seems fun so far

 

[bloaker]

^ This bike is amazing. It climbs ridiculously well for a full suspension, and while it lacks a little bit of the confidence I have with my Ripmo, this is just as fun.
But this weekend I fixed something that seemed off to me.... and I am glad I did.
The cable housing shifted around when downshifting on the bike. I noticed they used the little plastic end caps on the cable housing.
So I replaced them with aluminum caps.... holy poo! The difference is amazing. (but it should not be).
I am a shimano guy, but this bike came with SRAM X01. I was happy with it, but not dazzled. If I could have had XT instead, I would have jumped at it.
Now I am probably still leaning toward XT due to familiarity, but X01 is solid!
I just prefer the feel of the Shimano levers better, but overall the performance is on par with XT and I am super happy.
30 minutes of effort and my biggest complaint is gone!

 

[microcord]

For rim strips I put it on a thin dowel like a chopstick and use that to help it over the rim. You could also use tubeless tape I guess but thats more expensive.

My two hands were, gradually and painfully, reducing the length of the rim tape that stubbornly remained a flat chord outside the rim; and when I couldn't reduce it any more I called for my assistant to stick a screwdriver under the chord but over the rim and to lever it over (but not then pulling the screwdriver out). That worked. Then I moved the screwdriver around the circumference of the rim, straightening the tape.

Without the screwdriver, it wouldn't have worked. If I'd used one of my own hands for the screwdriver, the length of the chord would have instantly trebled.

Simply, I'm useless at this kind of thing.

 

[RRditch]

I got this set up with vittoria tire liners. The clips help hold the bead in the center.

Vittoria エアライナーロードチューブレスツールキット エアライナーロードインサートの取り付けと取り外しが簡単 https://amzn.asia/d/igvlOIQ

 

[microcord]

That looks interesting, @RRditch , and I imagine that it's very worthwhile for some people. As for me, I hope that I'd seldom want to use it, it's rather expensive, and it would be yet more clobber that needed to be housed somewhere.

 

[jdd]

Out friday, saturday, and this morning, the only riding so far this month. There may be a few more times, but the rest of this week is looking wet/maybe slushy.

 

[OreoCookie]

I just prefer the feel of the Shimano levers better, but overall the performance is on par with XT and I am super happy.

That was my experience with 11-speed XO1 (perhaps even XX1) and 11-speed XTR: shifting performance is essentially the same, you'd just be talking nuances and preferences about shift characteristics and sounds. Basically the only thing they are missing are 1–2 extra gears

Is it a double-tap trigger? Personally, I really like those as my thumb always has to go to the same spot. But I can totally see that this is personal preference.

 

[bloaker]

not a double tap. But I am used to the Shimano, so 2 lever works perfect for my brain.

 

[OreoCookie]

not a double tap. But I am used to the Shimano, so 2 lever works perfect for my brain.

Yeah, muscle memory. When you ride one particular system a lot, it just becomes second nature.

 

[microcord]

Yeah, muscle memory. When you ride one particular system a lot, it just becomes second nature.

Perhaps time to branch out? Moving between different systems may help preserve mental agility into one's [physically] declining years,[citation needed] rather like speaking in tongues (plural). Thus we should give new consideration to having one of our bikes equipped with friction shifting and specifically with the brand new Nivex (in considerable part because it would be so cool to be able to say that one's gear changes were desmodromic).

Me? I did some soul- wallet-searching and decided that brifted Tiagra on one bike and friction-shifted Suntour VX GT on the other would do me. (Suntour: the poor man's Nivex/Ducati.)

 

[bloaker]

Still no daytime shots, but I have swapped out seatposts... no more black and on to silver...

I will swap stems once I am sure what I want. With the new bards on it (chow chipper vs PNW) - the reach is a tad further, so I am still debating 110mm vs 100mm.

 

[microcord]

@bloaker , 105 mm. (Though the scene looks so cold, I don't think I for one would notice if my stem were as much as 2 cm too short or too long.)

Yesterday I rode home to Machida to Enoshima to Hiratsuka to Zama to Machida. Close to Machida station, I was up to 122 km, but it was about 3 pm. I could have ridden all the way home, for a total exceeding the oddly alluring distance of 161 km; but I knew that if I did so then it'd be dark and cold and I'd be miserable. So I congratulated myself on not having a "century a month" compulsion, and instead took the train to Noborito. Or to put it another way I'm a pathetically lazy old geezer and I wimped out. Though I did ride the chari another 12 km from Noborito.

 

[bloaker]

@bloaker , 105 mm. (Though the scene looks so cold, I don't think I for one would notice if my stem were as much as 2 cm too short or too long.)

Yesterday I rode home to Machida to Enoshima to Hiratsuka to Zama to Machida. Close to Machida station, I was up to 122 km, but it was about 3 pm. I could have ridden all the way home, for a total exceeding the oddly alluring distance of 161 km; but I knew that if I did so then it'd be dark and cold and I'd be miserable. So I congratulated myself on not having a "century a month" compulsion, and instead took the train to Noborito. Or to put it another way I'm a pathetically lazy old geezer and I wimped out. Though I did ride the chari another 12 km from Noborito.

I ride in the dark and cold more than during the day.
Last night was full fleece bibs and some nice winter shoes.
I wasn't 'toasty' - but I was also far from cold.
It is worth it to me for less traffic and some quiet.