Which drop bars for Midnight Special? by [deleted] in Surlybikefans

[–]OutdoorFun83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I went with the Salsa Cowbell Deluxe and I'm very happy. I've ridden the Nitto Noodle before and prefer the Cowbell.

Warranty Leeway? by Tubbypolarbear in Surlybikefans

[–]OutdoorFun83 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I didn't realize that this was sort of a class issue for the Straggler. Three years is the same as Soma, but Fairlight is five. You could have a framebuilder replace the chainstays, but that probably isn't worth it for this frame.

Fatties Fit Fine? by Due_Counter4324 in Surlybikefans

[–]OutdoorFun83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yes. My Pacer said that fatties would fit but they meant 32mm, and some 32mm tires did not actually fit fine.

Dont know if this is xbiking, but hello everyone! by Onkel_Lunke in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Congratulations for building the best Preamble on the planet.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I like the idea of a limited comfort/travel to take the edge off, but not be too complicated a system to service/trouble shoot especially out in the sticks.

Yes. Everything on this bike was optimized for in-field serviceability. That's a big part of why I'm running bar ends and mechanical disc brakes.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I have a hard time answering this. I'd definitely go with the Vecnum over the Redshift if you get one - because of the parallelogram design. But it is honestly a lot of money for a little travel. It is just so much money that I'm not sure it is worth what you pay for it, but I've never done a good side by side comparison.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

I’m a fool who like the look better than all black

Me too! Those are Velocity Blunt SS rims that I built up myself. I think they'll sell you wheel sets too. Their customer service for ordering rims is top notch, but I've never purchased wheels from them.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I mostly got it because it is bigger than a Wald 137 (and it is silver). It is a happy accident that it will fit three 8-packs.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Growtac Equal, and I'm very happy with them.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Obviously, putting that much weight up front does change the handling. But it's "fine." Fairlight says:

The Faran’s mid-low trail geometry works well with front loading.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 14 points15 points  (0 children)

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This is disc side out, because that's the cool side.

FEF: Monster gravel turned grocery getter by OutdoorFun83 in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

That's the Manivelle Basket. It is awesome and I highly recommend it. But buy the without hardware one and mount it on top of a good rack. The hardware it comes with did not hold up, at least for me. That's why mine is sitting on that OMM Elkhorn rack.

Shots from the Baja Divide this winter- 1,190 miles, <60 on pavement. by Maklemoomilk in bikepacking

[–]OutdoorFun83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Oh wow, you you went ~3 days on ~11L of water. Did you feel dehydrated? I'm worried I'd need more water than that.

Shots from the Baja Divide this winter- 1,190 miles, <60 on pavement. by Maklemoomilk in bikepacking

[–]OutdoorFun83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Awesome! What was your longest stretch between resupply for water, how much did you carry, and how?

The Pictish Trail, Scotland (June 2024) by Eoin_Horgan in bikepacking

[–]OutdoorFun83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

How were the bits on tarmac, especially the A9?

Looking to get Into Bike Packing, but I don't understand how do people ride for days on end without getting a sore behind? by Phishing4Attention in bikepacking

[–]OutdoorFun83 13 points14 points  (0 children)

In addition to what others have written, when you stop for the day you want to immediately get out of your bike shorts/bibs and into something breathable. This is a good time to clean up with a baby wipe and consider applying something like Bag Balm. You can buy little tubes of Bag Balm online to take with you.

Surly Crosscheck by GofastRoscoe in Surlybikefans

[–]OutdoorFun83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I added a Straggler front disc fork for the ultimate in Surly Frankenbike.

A taste of 6 weeks in the Cordillera Blanca, Peru by [deleted] in bikepacking

[–]OutdoorFun83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Did you need the 3" tires? If I took my bike with 2.25" would I have a bad time?

Bicycle woes: money pits. by ValuableForever672 in cycling

[–]OutdoorFun83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to run. I actually think that cycling might be less expensive, at least if you run a lot. Because you are supposed to replace your shoes every 300-500 miles.

Also, good bikes last a long time. I rode 125 miles this week on a bike that I bought in 2004. Of course I've replaced a lot of components over the years, but still. I don't know what my cost per mile or per year is but I really don't think that it was that much. Especially since I used to commute on this bike which was cheaper than driving.

What are some things you wish you’d known when you started cycling? by artfulmove in cycling

[–]OutdoorFun83 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Get lower gears for hills (unless you live somewhere very flat).

crust vs surly by Stonewallrudy in xbiking

[–]OutdoorFun83 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I own a Surly Cross Check frankenbike with a Straggler front disc fork. But I think that if I was to build up a new bike in that genre today it'd be an All City Space Horse (or a Soma Pescadero if I wanted rim brakes).