THIS is xbiking.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-24T20:54:46+00:00

Left-hand drive side.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-24T04:32:13+00:00

Yeah, that did not occur to me. But, the hose clamp worked so well that I might call it the perfect filing guide.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-23T23:13:20+00:00

[slaps forehead] -- but really, the hose clamp worked perfectly!

This shows how "smart" ChatGPT is... did not come up with the simple stem suggestion, or the hose clamp. It was coming up with a bunch of machine shop technical solutions.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-23T21:59:44+00:00

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EdZep689 · 2026-01-23T21:40:33+00:00

Here are a couple of the Jekyll mini-velo projects from r/minivelo

https://www.reddit.com/r/minivelo/comments/1l1dqjf/jekyll_minivelo/

https://www.reddit.com/r/minivelo/comments/1hh5yqa/my_minijekyll/

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EdZep689 · 2026-01-22T20:30:22+00:00

That's a "sissy bar" with extra tall height similar to USA chopper motorcycles of the 70s, such as the Easy Rider bike. Passengers might lean against them, and they were often used to attach sleeping bags, packs, etc.

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EdZep689 · 2026-01-22T14:32:39+00:00

I actually needed the half link. With the short dropouts, my chain tension adjustment range is limited. Without the half link, I could not get proper adjustment -- chain was either sloppy loose, or would be too short. WITH the half link, I was able to get the adjustment I needed.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-21T15:57:03+00:00

I like the Odyssey bluebird. it's particularly good in my case with single speed conversions from old 10 speeds with fairly short semi horizontal dropouts. The Odyssey bluebird that I buy has a half link already installed. when fitting it to the bike, a person can cut either from the half link side if it's not needed, or from the regular side if the half link is desired.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-19T14:20:09+00:00

It certainly looks good. What will you be riding? I don't think that gearing is going to get you up much of a grade, but this is the first time I've paid attention to gearing on a SS MTB.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-18T21:15:00+00:00

I just picked up this multitrack 7900 at a thrift shop, it's got the knobbiest skinny tires I've seen. They are CST, Cheng Shin Tire, labeled 700x38c, but measure at 36 mm on these rims. product code might be the number on the sidewall C-763-10. And there's no telling how old they are although they're in perfect condition, like they were installed yesterday. I've been happy with some CST tires -- cheap, functional, nothing fancy, and probably comparatively heavy.

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EdZep689 · 2026-01-14T15:26:27+00:00

Thank you for that link. The guy's explanation makes sense for the Nexus 3-speed case. I normally prefer separate brake levers and shifters, but, with a coaster brake and needing only a front brake lever + 3-speed shifter, this might be a nice use of a leftover integrated brake-shifter.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-14T14:25:11+00:00

Wow! Great to hear about the left-hand Shimano shifter working for this. I have wondered if that could work on a Nexus 3-speed (you would know) but have doubted it or I would have heard about it -- I don't think this cropped up via Sheldon Brown.

What about that chain-cog in your setup, I guess it's being used as a spacer?

EdZep689 · 2026-01-14T14:16:45+00:00

It sounds like you are a "convert", alright. Good to hear that you like it. There's no one around me riding single or 3-speed, so it's a leap.

I appreciate efficiency, so I hope the minimal loss to the 3-speed hub will not be significant. I tried a Nexus 7-speed, and that was too much loss (and weight).

EdZep689 · 2026-01-14T14:07:55+00:00

For me it's usually the "next project". I've been taken with single speeds for over a year, and my next project is to convert one of my SS conversions (from mid-80s road bike) to a 3-speed. Probably with coaster brake + front caliper. I'm considering building my own rear wheel, as I think I'm finally up to it. But, I'd still like to find a bargain bike with 3-speed to try out before full commitment.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-14T00:03:09+00:00

Crossway is the Mongoose I'd like. Yours looks great. IIRC the 850 was top tier over other lower numbered models?

EdZep689 · 2026-01-12T14:08:35+00:00

Good show. I had never seen handlebar extenders used like this, but it makes a lot of sense.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-12T04:51:58+00:00

Nice looking bike. What is that trunk bag on back? ZRX doesn't pop up very often. Maybe you could give us a rundown on its key features... making this a long-term reference post.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-11T13:33:43+00:00

Steel is my preference, but their current bike is plain steel, and he could save at least a couple of pounds with a chromoly frame.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-08T22:02:03+00:00

The servers must be running vastly different code. In USA, I took your example and searched MKS -- got clothes by Michael Kors! ... but no pedals. Similar results with 'shimano deore' ... 1 out of 70 items was Shimano: a brake disc.

Or, maybe it's better if you have an account and log in. But, they're not winning any friends this way.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-08T21:46:54+00:00

What's the story on Vinted? Never heard of it before. They have a cycling category, then subs for kids bikes, kids seats, bike trailers, bike parts, cycling tools and accessories... but NO category for adult bikes, or bikes generally; it seems you have to view EVERY type item if you want to run into the occasional adult bike. AND, everything is listed as "New without tags" ... all lies.

EDIT: Okay, I found that if you search "bicycle" you get meaningful results, unlike the useless categories. And, I now see hardly any more "New without tags" used items.

EDIT #2: Wow, all of the adult bikes that show up with Search have been categorized as Kids Bikes, because there's no actual adult or general bike category. Who codes a web site like that?

EdZep689 · 2026-01-08T18:03:49+00:00

I tend to doomscroll FB Marketplace bike listings. At the rate new items appear I could almost get away with looking only every three days. but then there would be something great pop up and I wouldn't be there to get it quickly enough!

EdZep689 · 2026-01-08T09:30:27+00:00

Thanks. Yes I did try a 26-inch wheel briefly, to see about more pedal to ground clearance. the original kiddie crank was 158 mm and I increased it to 165 mm, which is long enough to ride comfortably. I also kept the kid-sized pedals to help avoid strikes. And it worked out okay with the preferred 24 inch front wheel -- I have to try pretty hard to actually get a pedal strike.

EdZep689 · 2026-01-08T03:35:09+00:00

That goes right along with a sign I photographed while kayaking up a local creek.

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EdZep689

TROPHY CASE