The metal don't *usually* break. They DO wear out tho

M

I got that sinking feeling.

So I am not 24 hours in to my new Stumpjumper comp carbon HT 29er. I blinged the hell out of this bike. The bike shop is supposed to be one of the better ones in the area. When I bought this bike one of the biggest selling points that they made was how good the warrantee is.

So tonight after work I wanted to install the water bottle cages. The screw sets on the bottom tube looked great. The ones on the seat post were pushed in. The top screw is loose and just spins. The bottom screw is off center and stuck in. Both sets are pushed way into the tube.

I call the bike shop. The first thing was that the guy who helped me roll the bike out the door yesterday didn't know me or the bike. :huh

Next they start hemming and hawing about if it will be covered or not. And he even cried about having to strip the parts off to send it back.

I am so tired of dealing with the "New Mexico attitude" when it comes to work and or service.

I'm taking the bike back in the morning. It's going to cost me a day of skiing. I am really bummed about this. I've been looking at new off road bikes for the past few years. I have finally gotten where I can buy one. And now this.


Beyond that issue. I rode the bike up the street today. I am in-love with the big wheels.

ouch. the attachment points on my 27 yr old steel frame Stumpie are bulletproof (like the rest of the bike). came with good stainless allen hardware in all the attachment points (rack, water bottles, fender)

sometimes going ultralight has its downsides. that carbon fiber stuff is fragile. mountain bikes get thrashed.

I still prefer the idea of anodized aluminum frames for modern mountain bikes.

Pretty much anyone with a nut-cert tool can reinstall them riv-nuts. I had one of mine on an AL S-Works do the same thing. You can get riv-nut tools at Harbor Freight IIRC. I understand whatcha mean about the new bike being perfect tho.

S'why I ride my cyclocross bike off-road. :nod Rolls over stuff mo bettah. :ricky

I think the next bike I buy will be a 29er. :nod That means I gotta get a new fork insteada re-using my 'Zocchi for a 26er. Anyone need some non-disc Mavic Cross-whatevers?

M

on a carbon fiber frame, I can't help but think that will leave some ugly juju behind.

I've got a few pair of Time mountain pedals if you want to try some out. Lot's of float- I've just switched over to SPD (mountain and road) for a little less float, and slightly faster release. I've never had a problem with hotspots on my feet- actually, the main problem I've had with my feet is that if I wear shoes that are too stiff, my toes go to sleep. Mountain bike shoes seem to be ok, but road shoes not so much. It's about time to give road shoes another try though. . . .

I heard recently that it's usually better to place the cleat pretty far back on the shoe. Using the muscles in your foot/ankle to pedal is good for very short sprints, but not so good for the longer rides. Anyway, it's worked for me- adjust seat to go with the new cleat position, of course.

hmm, that sounds too tight, not too stiff. i bought a pair of them old hardsole italian shoes that were 1/2 size too tight, they never let me forget it, ended up giving that pair to a friend and buying a new pair in the right + .5 size that fit me properly.

I'll bet the brand you're thinking of is Detto Pietro. I still got a pair of barely used lambswool lined ones. :wink: Mark H.

I'm thinking that the reason that your toes go to sleep has more to do with the fit of the road versus the mountain shoes than it does anything to do with cleat positioning. I recall that when I was doing a lot of road-bike riding back in the 80s the conventional wisdom then was that the shoes should fit pretty snug.

Where I had trouble with toes going to sleep was more related to pressure on the pedals. I once did a 138 miler with 12K vertical feet of climbing, and my rear cluster was not suitable for mountain riding, so on the numerous lengthy uphill segments of the ride I had to stand for the entirety, and the pressure on the balls of my feet put my toes to sleep and they didn't "wake up" for several days after the ride/event. I was concerned I'd done some real nerve damage at the time and never repeated that stunt.

I've never heard of them breaking and I haven't had any issues in 2 years of use. I only disassemble, clean, and dry lube our cleats a few times per year. A little lube seems to help them engage the pedal a bit easier.

My best effort at eatting my words. I took the bike back to the shop today. After last night I was very worried that it was going to end up in a big blow out. But by the time that I got there they were as nice as can be. They even let me keep my old frame while they get the new one in. I am really happy that it all went well today.

This is my quest for this year. I bought a set of used shoes and pedals just to see if I liked clipless pedals and I love them. Other than the fact that my toes go to sleep after about 30 minutes and stay numb for an hour after I'm done riding. I've tried messing with cleat position, minding my foot angle, etc. with no luck changing it. I'm guessing I should try new shoes, but if they're like saddles, where I just had to keep trying different ones till I found something that worked, it could get real expensive. :bluduh

Bingo - those are the ones. Thanks for that.

From a quick search...

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3643/...6a9ccf4158.jpg

Too bad you can't get the Detto Pietro shoes anymore, they're collectors items now.

I bought several different sets of NOS vintage T-A Shoeplates on eBay a while back. I just like them and with Bindas and Campy pedals. yow! :D

http://images.andale.com/f2/115/106/...rit_cleats.jpg

You can still buy old school shoes in a few places.

http://www.dromarti.com/images/droma...ARTI_HOME1.jpg

http://www.dromarti.com/images/droma...m/race_MED.jpg

http://www.dromarti.com/images/droma...ortivo_MED.jpg

http://www.dromarti.com/images/droma...torica_MED.jpg

http://www.dromarti.com/index.php

Speedplay has a very cool Bicycle Pedal History Museum

Wow. Those are beauties.