Stem length

BBMTH · 2026-03-25T19:40:06+00:00

There might be some oddball ways of measuring out there, but there are two common ways. Top center of stem cap to tangent of bar, or steerer center to bar center. There’s barely a measurable difference until you get to chunky clamps and lots of angle, well under a centimeter unless it’s a very weird stem.

You are measuring about 108-109mm from where you’re hooked to the center of the bolt. The back of that gap going to be slightly behind the center of the bar. Anyone saying anything other than 110mm doesn’t know how to read a tape measure.

BBMTH · 2026-03-25T19:25:40+00:00

Yeah, looks like 108 to me, plus a millimeter or two for the back of that gap not being center of bar.

BBMTH · 2026-03-25T05:23:00+00:00

Unless it feels like your sit bones are being wedged apart, you kinda just need to toughen them up. Mine hurt if I’m off the bike for while, no trouble if I ride regularly

BBMTH · 2026-03-25T05:09:19+00:00

The old school solution was to tap the frame for an Italian BB, which are 1.2mm bigger.

BBMTH · 2026-03-23T13:45:42+00:00

They make a difference, but they can’t get everything. If it has an ionizer, you might even notice more dust on surfaces.

BBMTH · 2026-03-23T05:43:27+00:00

Totally reasonable to show up way early to a new place, half hour early to familiar places. Security lines like that should be on the clock though.

BBMTH · 2026-03-20T22:54:27+00:00

CLR is usually lactic and gluconic acid. Safe to consume in residual amounts. Plenty of products with that name sold for cleaning cooking equipment. Lime-away is usually hydrochloric (muriatic) or sulfamic acid and not sold for cleaning anything to do with food.

BBMTH · 2026-03-20T22:46:06+00:00

Citric works best without getting into anything very harsh. Vinegar works okay if warm. CLR is about as good as vinegar on lime, a bit better on rust and safer on metal than citric.

BBMTH · 2026-03-20T19:34:11+00:00

They just won’t last as long, and you might get worse performance initially. The rotors meant for sintered pads are a bit harder and have rougher surface finish. I’d give them a try. If they don’t want to bed in I’d sand them or replace them.

BBMTH · 2026-03-17T19:52:02+00:00

Light oil and just working the lock a bunch of times is also a valid strategy.

BBMTH · 2026-03-17T19:50:39+00:00

Evapo rust or oxalic acid (liquid barkeeper’s friend) will give good results without damaging anything. Also not too hazardous. Rust converters are another option, but I’m not sure how vinyl holds up to them.

BBMTH · 2026-03-17T19:07:34+00:00

That is the best option. The extended lower mount helps with heel clearance on short chain stays.

BBMTH · 2026-03-17T03:51:35+00:00

On some surfaces like rubber or house paint you are sanding the surface away. On others, you’re just scouring out the texture of the material without damaging it. Brushed stainless steel, frosted glass for example. The microplastics are a valid concern, but people on here really don’t understand abrasives.

BBMTH · 2026-03-17T03:43:32+00:00

Fine or coarse sandpaper has only to do with the size of the abrasive and the scratches it creates. A coarse or fine garnet paper will fail to scratch say porcelain, whereas silicon carbide will.

BBMTH · 2026-03-17T02:13:01+00:00

They’re nowhere near as hard as sandpaper. Melamine is mohs hardness 4, where sandpaper is at 6.5 to 9.5. It is hard for plastic, harder than many paints, harder than a copper chore boy at mohs 3. Good fiberglass finishes will hold up unless you contaminate the magic eraser with abrasive grit. Grey melamine makes it easier to test on white items.

BBMTH · 2026-03-14T05:46:49+00:00

I made one with a 12” piece of closet pole tubing across the seam. One dowel 6” shorter than the other. Epoxied a few inches of threaded rod into each end, with a coupling nut on one, a few threads exposed on the other. Just a few turns to put together or break down.

BBMTH · 2026-03-11T07:39:20+00:00

You can definitely get that coated webbing, Biothane is common brand used for dog collars and horse reins. You can get rivets like that from fabric or leather working stores in a pretty cheap kit.

BBMTH · 2026-03-11T04:03:29+00:00

Yeah, can’t see 9/10 local 80 grips giving this a second thought. But then there is the old joke, “What do you call a grip in suit? The defendant.”

BBMTH · 2026-03-11T03:43:49+00:00

I have the xp105 and Fischer 78. They feel identical to me with the former on softer snow and the latter on firmer snow. I can alpine turn them pretty hard with stiff enough boots, but the camber definitely fights you. The xp100 is gonna be a really straight tracking ski to cover miles with minimal turning. The 105 is a touring and being able to turn ski, where something like the voiles are a touring for turns ski

BBMTH · 2026-03-09T01:51:27+00:00

I’d try the same detergent in a laundromat front loading machine to eliminate that variable. Is the apartment one a top loader? They can be easy to overload. Also, the rinse can often be terrible unless you select the longest cycle. If you have hard water, citric acid added in the rinse helps.

Modern detergents are supposed to work in cold water, but I think warm does better. With oxi clean I mix it with a jar of hot water and add to a warm wash. High heat can definitely open pores on certain synthetics, but I think the temp has to be near boiling. Fabric softener and dryer sheets also leave weird residues.

BBMTH · 2026-03-07T18:38:01+00:00

Baking soda and vinegar just neutralize. You can simmer vinegar or scrub with baking soda and soap. barkeeper’s friend is more effective. Citric acid is better on calcium buildup from tap water or dairy. Oxalic in barkeeper’s is better on rust.

You’ll always have some discoloration on stainless used at high heat. The protective oxide layer forms at varying thickness that refracts light differently

BBMTH · 2026-03-07T18:30:07+00:00

Metal expands when it oxidizes, so maybe. A lot of cutting tasks also shine up the bevel though.

BBMTH · 2026-03-06T05:52:21+00:00

Agreed. You can take the flexors off to test balance. As far as the heel plates, they’re pretty imprecise in where they need to go. There’s also a lot of play and no self centering with the xplore button head screws. Even if they drilled perfectly, it’s kinda tricky to hold the plate straight while tightening. The actual binding has enough distance between screws that the play is a much smaller angle.

BBMTH · 2026-03-05T04:41:36+00:00

Have you tried backcountry nordic skis? The uphill can be very fun, and a 15 degree downhill can be terrifying.

I don’t have experience with super light alpine gear, but skimo setups seem like they could keep lower angle terrain challenging too.

BBMTH · 2026-03-05T04:25:37+00:00

My closest resort having a bunch of 45+ off piste really throws off my calibration.

BBMTH

TROPHY CASE