Bicycle thread

[Zodiac]

Originally Posted by gambrinus

Where is it cracked?

I gotta say, I don't think I'd ever buy or take a used CF frame, too spooky after having someone I know die on a failed Orbea last year. There could be cracks from a drop or fall you don't know about internally....I'm just overly cautious.


What's the lifespan of CF anyway, I've read 5 to 7 years, but I would think on a bicycle rode hard it could be even less...(?)

[AKDuc]

Originally Posted by Askel

This winter has just been way too good to even think about bicycles. I haven't even scoured ebay for Pugsley parts in months.

Great pic, Askel! Makes me wanna get the skis or board out myself!

My purple Pugsley was on the local news last week about winter commuting.

Good times in the far North, Mark H.

[Barnstormer]

Originally Posted by Perry

I gotta say, I don't think I'd ever buy or take a used CF frame, too spooky after having someone I know die on a failed Orbea last year. There could be cracks from a drop or fall you don't know about internally....I'm just overly cautious.


What's the lifespan of CF anyway, I've read 5 to 7 years, but I would think on a bicycle rode hard it could be even less...(?)

I disagree with the idea that carbon frames have an expiration date. Carbon can certainly fail if damaged, and the damage can be hard to see, but apart from anecdotal evidence, I've never seen a reason to hang up a carbon frame just because it is older. I don't know of any reason that time alone weakens a carbon frame.

Just my .02

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by Perry

What diameter drums are you rolling?

They were a Crimmus present back in college. 4" was normal IIRC.

Just got back from an hour 'spin around the block' with a buddy. Man do headwinds combined with hills suck ass.

Got into the garage and found my roller's belt is snapped. Prolly the source of the vibration last nite. Gonna hafta find a belt for a 20+ year old set of Tacx rollers.


M

[jerdog53]

They build airplanes out of carbon fiber and there is not an age limit on that i cant see that it would matter.

[fullmonte]

Originally Posted by Perry

What's the lifespan of CF anyway, I've read 5 to 7 years, but I would think on a bicycle rode hard it could be even less...(?)

I rode my 1992 Specialized Epic carbon up until last July with no cracking issues. It was the tired 7 speed Shimano 105 components that wore out. Chain wouldn't hold a cog and I wanted something with modern bar shifters. That bike has at least 12k miles on it. If you ever get down this way, you're more than welcome to ride it. Should I get my liar to draw up a waiver of liability?

[Cat0020]

Originally Posted by Barnstormer

Anyone recognize this frame? I picked it up yesterday from a random fellow. Its all carbon.
I'm guessing its an older Kestrel, but I can't match it to anything.

Any guesses?

Doesn't look like Kestrel to me. I don't remember early Kestrel ever made a 700c frame with curved downtube.

[fullmonte]

Originally Posted by flip18436572

Did anyone ride on Superbowl Sunday?

Road biked 18 miles in 59 minutes. That was after 6 laps of a 3.2 mile singletrack enduro course... on a DR650. The racers on their 250s were giving me the . I had a better workout and fell asleep during the Stupidbowl.

[Zodiac]

Originally Posted by fullmonte

I rode my 1992 Specialized Epic carbon up until last July with no cracking issues. It was the tired 7 speed Shimano 105 components that wore out. Chain wouldn't hold a cog and I wanted something with modern bar shifters. That bike has at least 12k miles on it. If you ever get down this way, you're more than welcome to ride it. Should I get my liar to draw up a waiver of liability?

Look, I'm sure it's fine, and I'm just a little weirded out by an incident (CF failure that was fatal) that I mentioned earlier.

I just see how CF technology seems to change every year, with different weaves and resins, etc, etc, and I wouldn't feel 100% on a 10 year old CF, or one that I don't know the history of.

I have a 17yr old Ti Basso that's ben relegated to SS townie because it flexed like a rubber band and I just didn't trust it anymore.

I hope you're all right about CF.

[slackmeyer]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

You find a BB setup for that Klein?



You may wanna consider a compact crank setup... Don't HAVE to have the long cage rear der and the pie plate cassette to get the low gears. A 50x12 top gear is about the same as a 53x13. How often do you spin out a 53x12-13? I don't have the small end's gear inch chart memorized. You'll hafta work that one out on yer own.

An older square taper mtn crank is gonna need a 118-ish mm wide spindle. 118-122 depending on the crankset and frame. If you end up with something like a first gen XTR crankset, they have 110 BCD rings. You can get up to 53-ish teeth big rings and as small as 32-ish teeth middle rings. (IIRC on the middle rings... Check around!)

M

That's a good idea, Gummee. I found a few options for the klein, but I haven't done anything about it yet. Pretty soon I'll just start ordering cranksets, and find something that fits, or get the phil wood (pricey but beautiful) outboard BB option. I'm still browsing craigslist for some other parts, so I haven't made that choice yet.

And then a friend has an old yeti that I've been riding that I should really find new forks for. . . I think there are better options than the lawill leader these days.

[Gummee!]

Originally Posted by Cat0020

Doesn't look like Kestrel to me. I don't remember early Kestrel ever made a 700c frame with curved downtube.

I just did a quick google image search and didn't come up with a Kestrel road frame with both a downtube AND a seattube. There's bikes with curved DTs but no STs...

What you may have is a Taiwanese copy of several Kestrel models. Should ride OK.

Is there a serial # on the bike somewhere? If you have that, you could possibly email Kestrel and see if that # matches their database.

HTH

M

[Zodiac]

Originally Posted by Gummee!

I just did a quick google image search and didn't come up with a Kestrel road frame with both a downtube AND a seattube. There's bikes with curved DTs but no STs...

What you may have is a Taiwanese copy of several Kestrel models. Should ride OK.

Is there a serial # on the bike somewhere? If you have that, you could possibly email Kestrel and see if that # matches their database.

HTH

M

it looks very similar to a frame being sold on Chuck's bikes website a couple yrs ago.

[Flaco]

Good article on group ride etiquette from Pezcycling.com

[DoctorIt]

here's an amusement park ride I could get into:
http://www.slightlywarped.com/crapfa...s/skycycle.htm

[Cat0020]

Originally Posted by Flaco

Good article on group ride etiquette from Pezcycling.com

Don't know where you live, but around me, motorist would get pretty angry at cycling groups on the road if the following is practiced: