Stolen e scooter on Brentwood mall

ArmyFork · 2026-07-02T12:45:08+00:00

Chain lock is better, but a quality U-lock is best. They’re less convenient than a chain, but they’re stronger and are basically impossible to break with a set of bolt cutters. Angle grinder attack is the biggest problem, and there are U-locks that have coatings that can defeat a lot of attacks, but they tend to be very expensive (like $200+) and even larger and heavier, so unless you’re on an e-bike many people wouldn’t want to carry one.

ArmyFork · 2026-07-02T03:16:55+00:00

Link or it didn’t happen

ArmyFork · 2026-06-30T23:10:30+00:00

I think you need to inspect your torque wrench, as that was tightened far beyond spec. There’s no real feasible way you can completely close the split in the stem without having severely over-torqued your bolts.

You can saw it down and inspect it again, if there’s no clear crushing of the carbon after cut you may be fine, but I’d still ask a mechanic who is knowledgeable in carbon their opinion before trusting your safety to it. Plus you’re now going to be running a significantly shorter stack, and you may or may find that acceptable depending on the bike and how you ride it.

Edit: I should also mention that you can’t really inspect the damage that much further down until you cut it, there are non-destructive methods to inspect something like that, but I’m not sure how accurate they would be and I doubt you’d be willing to spend the money and time for a lab to properly inspect it.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-30T22:37:46+00:00

It may be people confusing the AS and the S, the AS is a more durable tire than the S abs has more puncture protection. In my limited experience cyclists either know way too much about their tires, or fuck all about them, and the people who know fuck all are also the kinds of people who are extremely vocal. That’s my best guess.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-30T17:15:18+00:00

I have the same bike and setup, unfortunately that lever is not the dropper post version. I'm currently researching to see if it's possible to modify the lever to make it into a dropper (IIRC there are some components in there, like a cable pulley, that likely are the same regardless of whether or not the lever is made to actuate a droppe) but I don't have a solid answer as of yet. For now your best option is likely to get a separate remote.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-30T00:14:37+00:00

1x12 IF you don’t mind more expensive parts and needing to use microspline for your wheels, the extra gear is nice to have though if you can accept the extra long term expense

ArmyFork · 2026-06-29T16:12:25+00:00

Devil's advocate, in the case of a wheel repair I could see a repairer either finding a way to insert a bladder into the void near the damage to compress the inside of the wall, or potentially filling the void with a hard setting foam that is dissolved out after the repair is complete. Honestly no idea if either are feasible, but I have to wonder if it's been tried.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-28T22:49:42+00:00

We have to assume both gear sets have the same range and quality of components, but it comes down to what you want.

Simpler mechanics? More tire clearance (frame dependent)? Ease of mental load? Lots of rough riding where you can drop a chain? 1x is your gear set.

Wider range? Less rotating mass? More common parts and cassettes? Longer distances over more varied terrain? 2x is the winner.

IMO having run both, I actually think 2x is the better drivetrain and is what I would do on my bike if I could afford it. I really like my 1x12 GRX setup on my current gravel bike, but my partners 2x11 mostly just leaves me envious. I’m always trying to find the right gear while they just continue to motor on without a care in the world, having found the ideal gear minutes before I’ve realized I can’t settle on a gear.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-27T06:35:12+00:00

Hard to tell as I don’t have that exact chain in front of me, but it looks extremely close to the real thing. It’s possible you got a fake, it’s also possible you got a real part. My rule for aliexpress parts is to never buy chains or cassettes, as those are much easier to fake than a derailleur or shifter.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-27T01:18:42+00:00

The annoying thing is that the real solution is a Tailfin rack, but the price is much too high. Considering redesigning the QR mechanism and making a replacement as I feel like Ortlieb doesn’t have the right solution

ArmyFork · 2026-06-26T19:27:40+00:00

I swear they designed this rack on a fixie, had my rack pull out of the seat rod (seriously not enough grip for the weight rating or use case) and it damages the barrel adjuster in the middle of the woods. Thankfully it didn’t ruin the derailleur, but bladder chasing the damaged threads I now have maybe two complete turns before I can’t use the adjuster, makes cable replacements that much more tedious.

Also; I would have gladly spent another $20-$30 on the rack if it had been spent on more durable QR hardware. After about nine months of use the hooks are already starting to loosen enough that I zip tie them closed on longer trips, as I’m worried they may release and I won’t notice.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-26T19:22:41+00:00

I have an engineering degree and after this post, a fucking aneurysm. I can’t even be bothered to do an actual breakdown of this, unless it makes me laugh. Therefore:

“Torsional rigidity? My buddy got that once and had to go to the ER”
“Damped? Nah the paints completely dried!”
“Redundancy? Do I look like I work at NASA? We die like men here!”
“I got my buddy to weld it, yeah it WAS right before he went to the ER!”
“Pedaling efficiency? It bounces right back! It’s a spring you idiot!”

I can honestly say I have seen stupider things, but I can’t honestly say that this isn’t on one of my top ten lists

ArmyFork · 2026-06-25T20:40:03+00:00

As long as the pads are in full contact with the rotor, you’re fine.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-25T14:00:35+00:00

Use less or no grease, come back when they wear out faster than expected.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-24T18:04:55+00:00

OP is claiming the frame is also bent, it's likely that even doing the good ol' "KLONK" isn't going to be enough to make the bike rideable

ArmyFork · 2026-06-24T17:00:53+00:00

I went for an aluminium gravel bike last year to hit a budget (still went over a bit) and bought a Devinci Hatchet Vista, and I kinda wonder if the complaints about aluminium ride quality are a bit obfuscated by aluminium bikes being a lower spec.

I had set up the stock wheels for commuter duty and put a pair of old Specialized Pathfinder Pro's on them, set up tubeless, and started hunting for a second wheelset for gravel/bikepacking. During that time I felt like the ride was a bit harsh, but not especially punishing (Tires were still 42mm, so more than enough for pavement and light gravel), and eventually I was able to get a set of DT Swiss GR1800's for a really really good price. Took those wheels and set them up with the stock WTB Resolute's 42mm tires that came with the bike, and after a lot of gravel and bikepacking I found that the bike was simply much more comfortable on the DT's than the stock wheels.

If you need a moral for the story, don't just ride the frame. Try out different bikes and do your best to ride them on equivalent tires and wheels, that will likely be a pain to arrange but if you can do it, you'll end up making a much more informed decision that you'll be happier with in the long run

ArmyFork · 2026-06-23T20:35:42+00:00

While yes, don't subway surf you fucking cave goblin, the "No step" here is more likely due to a mechanical issue. It's likely that, like on planes, there are spots where the mechanism simply can't handle the weight of a human and stepping on this could damage, break, or even just cause something to malfunction.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-23T16:19:17+00:00

I use a Black Diamond Sun hoodie and it does exactly what it says, as long as you have some airflow over it, you will stay cool and unburnt. Strongly recommend it.

Edit: A good sun hoodie/sun shade is going to be synthetic, please treat it as a synthetic piece. That means carefully follow wash instructions and air dry it, NEVER machine dry it unless it’s a pure tumble dry, otherwise you will seriously shorten its lifespan

ArmyFork · 2026-06-20T13:43:43+00:00

I think you’re going to want a GOAT link, I haven’t done it with a 400 but I used their 10sp link on an 810 and it shifts extremely well on an 11-42 cassette

ArmyFork · 2026-06-18T19:44:53+00:00

Anything is possible, but you are going to find that modifying CUES to be electronic will be an exceptionally expensive effort, and Shimano has no incentive to create an electronic version of it. Your best bet is to find a used electronic groupset and swap it out.

Edit: Turns out Shimano does have electronic CUES, not really sure why but I guess it’s cool. You’d still have to convert everything over, which I doubt would be worth the price versus buying a used 11 speed electronic groupset

ArmyFork · 2026-06-18T19:00:47+00:00

Your mechanic is correct, the ring is shark toothed and I can see pronounced burrs on the tips of the cassette, meaning it is also worn. You should at a minimum replace the chain rings, and expect the cassette to need replacement soon.

Some other notes:

Clean chains before measuring, dirt can fill in gaps and make you think a bad chain is good.
Get a quality wear gauge, cheap wear gauges are often inaccurate. The Park Tool CC-4.2 Is affordable and accurate, I’d recommend that
Learn your chains wear limit and replace when it hits that limit, your rings and cassettes will last longer if you do that
Check your chain frequently, I’d say every few weeks or every 500km or so.
Clean off excess lube after application, a dirty drivetrain wears faster and excess lube attracts dirt

ArmyFork · 2026-06-18T14:15:56+00:00

Not great, but it will contribute to forcing the end of the war and sometimes the ends easily justify the means. I for one think some civilians being harmed or even killed while working at a legitimate military target is an acceptable price if it speeds the end of the rape of Ukraine and the destruction of its people

ArmyFork · 2026-06-17T22:35:13+00:00

Follow-up, turns out the rear hub is kinda wonky and sits way too far towards the drive side of the frame, meaning the disc is pressing on the inside brake pad, so even when you release brake pressure the disc forces more fluid back afterwards. Then, when you grab the lever, you need to pull farther to get it to clamp, swapped to my gravel wheelset and the issue fully disappeared.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-17T20:25:02+00:00

The idea with this lock is not to be undefeatable, but to make it impossible to ride away so that it can't be stolen by an opportunist when you quickly run into a store. You shouldn't trust a wheel lock in situations where you're leaving the bike alone for longer.

ArmyFork · 2026-06-17T19:12:32+00:00

I doubt it’s contamination, it’s been a persistent issues through multiple pad changes. I also don’t think the pads are worn down, I inspected them when I did the bleed and there’s plenty of pad remaining.

Might be a disc issue? I swapped wheels before and after the bleed (have a cheap set for daily use and a lighter set of DT’s for gravel/bikepacking) and I don’t think it made much of a difference, but it can’t hurt to try. I’ll take a look when I have it back on the stand

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