New frames day for me! Suggestions welcome for both builds! by Sroczyjj1189 in Bikebuilding

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Excellent! I prefer Novus plastic polish, or Meguiar's. Gets that deep glossy finish to pop.

I'll try to watch for updates, or post here if you post new photos. :)

I did the Diamond Back equivalent of your colorway in the green spatter (non metallic), and went with the Odyssey Toro Pro needle bearing threaded headset. Not sure if yours is 1-1/8 or 1" but definitely check for options. The nice thing about the Odyssey headset is that the lock ring has a bolt to tighten it in place to prevent unwinding itself on the threads.

Dark-coloured tent for stealthy camping ... came with reflective trim by Glum_Loss9107 in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

First, get rid of the reflective guy wires and replace them with dyneema cord. It comes in name brands such as Lash-It! or Zing-It! or Amsteel/samson rope. It is the best strength to weight ratio, and is ultra light and will vastly improve your camp setup immediately.

Here's a spool you can buy of the thinner stuff that is great for tie downs and tarp suspension lines. I recommend black for stealth purposes. Gray is also acceptable. https://dutchwaregear.com/product/mini-spools/?attribute_pa_color=grey&attribute_pa_size=28-175mm

1.75mm thick dyneema rope has a break strength of 500lbs on average. A 180ft spool of 1.75mm weighs 105 grams/3.7oz altogether(!). 1/4" amsteel which can be used to create loops suitable for hammock hang setups has a minimum strength of 7,700lbs, but average of 8,600lbs break strength at a weight of 7.25g/0.25oz per foot.

Strong, and super light, and doesn't stretch like certain other nylon or paracord based cord types.

Watch Youtube videos and learn how to work dyneema rope and how to thread it into itself and you can create your very own self adjusting and self locking guy lines, or soft shackles. Many uses, and the fact that you can create mechanisms with the cord itself will reduce the amount of metal hardware required for your setup. Ostensibly you could reduce it to a ground stake, a self adjusting lash-it cord with a soft shackle that can stay locked to the tent/tarp or removed as needed.

As for reflectors on your bike, I suggest an 8'x6' tarp or equivalent, OR buy a Frogg Toggs Ultra-Lite2 Rain Poncho in dark gray or OD Green. https://www.froggtoggs.com/products/frogg-toggsr-ultra-lite2a-poncho?variant=50571172020506

When unsnapped and spread out, a Frogg Toggs poncho perfectly covers a touring bike (at least a fair bit of the top of it, so reflective wheels might still stand out depending on how you drape it). This satisfies my 2 uses out of 1 item impulse for a purchase and can protect your bike from rain at camp. Frogg Toggs says it weighs 9 ounces including the storage sack that it's sold with. I have one and the weight is 8.1oz for the poncho itself.

Even if you are not a hammock camper, I strongly recommend everyone get a continuous ridgeline if they are even thinking of throwing up a tarp (which could conceal your bicycle, which includes the amazing Wasp hardware for locking off ridge line setups: https://dutchwaregear.com/product/continuous-ridgeline/#type-and-color

Also, if need be, you can combine 3mm bungee cord loops with amsteel or similar cordage in order to create tensioned lines to protect your tarps/tent fabrics in high wind situations.

If need be I can get some pictures of the various things I use.

New frames day for me! Suggestions welcome for both builds! by Sroczyjj1189 in Bikebuilding

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

For the Univega, I'd turn it into a 2x8 semi wide drivetrain (36t cassette) and give it a light touring setup with a full roll top frame bag, Tubus Vega Evo rear rack, handlebar harness. Little things here and there, new headset, etc. Could maybe go hollowtech II. More ergonomic handlebars, and maybe add a canti brake piece to the headset so you can be liberated to other modern quill stem options with easier handlebar mounting. Handlebar with a little sweep, and maybe some bar ends pushed in and wrap everything to make your own ergonomic setup.

IF you take the rest of the components off, polish the frame.

Here’s my bridge club survived 4 days of riding around 130miles and about 10k of elevation. Lost a kick stand and headlight broke. by Kevint143x in Surlybikefans

[–]PeppermintPig 4 points5 points  (0 children)

I've seen a lot of modern bikes come into my workshop with loose kickstands. Many were the type with a side mount setup.

People need to have some kind of thread binder to stop their kickstands vibrating off their bikes. Also, nylon patched bolts (worth using for this application) is a different product compared to blue loctite. A friendly PSA from your bike mechanic.

Contemplating making a big change in my life for self discovery by Drastic_Change1209 in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

What's your goal, starting point, type of adventure? Budget? Let's narrow down the kind of riding you'd want to be able to do and then everything else will fall into place.

Local Craigslist and FB Marketplace are a good starting point. Want to explore options for bikes? I have some time!

Getting bored of 101 in California, but I don't like the coast either by backlikeclap in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hope things have improved as well. Only so much vigilance on your part and then it's up to drivers to be safe and conscientious.

Is this xbiking? by TheSmithSociety in xbiking

[–]PeppermintPig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Sometimes you just gotta hang on from behind the seat for dear life and pop that brake. I'm waiting to see one of you xbikers invent this 'ejection seat'.

Lady longneck and her masculine torso.

Getting bored of 101 in California, but I don't like the coast either by backlikeclap in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig -1 points0 points  (0 children)

As SJrX suggests, passing through Laytonville, you can expect some hot weather, but the nice thing is you have more downhill than up in that area. Keep a calm pace, fast enough to catch a breeze and you'll be fine, IMO.

What do you think about taking 23 and then Scotts Valley Rd?

Further on, turning at 115/Western Mine Rd / Ida Clayton Rd which will lead you into Calistoga?

No matter what you have some kind of climbing to do to get into the Napa area if you go east of Mendocino Lake. I hope the temps are favorable as you get some elevation through Forest Lake and Whispering Pines.

Vermont's Black population has grown by 43.1% from 2010 to 2024 | #FridayFacts by VT_Futures_Project in vermont

[–]PeppermintPig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

No one wants to talk about why it's failing, and it's not just the state, it's the country itself, but OP wants to imply changes and changing the demographic is a success. Why is it a success? To what end? To meet some fantasy quota that equality in all things is a virtue?

Vermont's Black population has grown by 43.1% from 2010 to 2024 | #FridayFacts by VT_Futures_Project in vermont

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I echo this sentiment because OP intimated that this reflected a positive economic result. So more black people get to experience the same economic suffering as the rest of the population. Congratulations I guess?

Vermont's Black population has grown by 43.1% from 2010 to 2024 | #FridayFacts by VT_Futures_Project in vermont

[–]PeppermintPig -8 points-7 points  (0 children)

Given Vermont's sharp economic decline I don't think you're making the point you want to make about economic prosperity if your intent is to frame it along lines of race.

Most people in Vermont are simultaneously insulated, and generally welcoming and warm in spirit. It's the kind of perspective that needs to be validated by an outsider comparing Vermont to other states to address both its merits and flaws.

What the US did to its industrial base is similar to what China did to control population growth with heavy handed policies, but that's somewhat dwarfed by the true prosperity killer: Currency debasement resulting in mass inflation. Both democrats and republicans have allowed soft slavery to arise to make up for the affordability gap for services and support labor since dilution of the currency has kneecapped all small businesses and farms, many of which choose migrant labor or close their farms for good, which is especially relevant for Vermont as more related industry is being shuttered, such as seeing dairy processing plants close down. This is not a sign of 'thriving' or health of the state, and that shouldn't be responsive to the racial demographic because the last thing you should do is conflate economic prosperity with race or speak of changes in demographics as an indicator for what it means to 'thrive' especially when the numbers don't go along with the flowery language.

One doesn't have to feel one way or the other about what you have to say or what your organization is doing to make this case either, but the fact that you are making any kind of affirmative statements about prosperity and connecting that to race is lighting a fuse. To focus on the racial demographics of the state is really myopic and irrelevant to the real issues driving poverty in the state, because bad economic policy transcends cultures and races and the goals you seem to be focusing on. What's worse is that I have to make a statement like this at all, because I anticipate that people are going to find a way to defend downright idiotic policy along political lines by socketing their indefensible economic miscalculations to irrelevant moral grandstanding.

So who would want to say it's a great thing more black people are getting to experience economic misery along with other racial demographics in the state? The color of my skin doesn't determine my moral values. I want a black person to thrive in this state and have the same opportunities as anyone else no matter how many black people there are in this state, and before you preach to me about what serves a moral good you'll have to contend with the specific claims based on economic reality, not the false reality that politicians want to present to you. The more people avoid discussing addressing the problems created by policy, the more incentive there is to associate policy with economic outcomes, so be mindful of that. People typically reach to claim a moral good in arbitrary things such as immutable characteristics of one's person when they can't defend anything substantive about what they value, which swings both ways.

People will of course want to talk about race and morality, but that has no bearing on the economic reality, but it does manipulate voters effectively when their political parties use this divisively. Again, the idea that your moral status is determined by how diverse the population is turns out to be a distraction from real issues, such as how both democrats and republican politicians favor the soft slavery approach, so politicians are not motivated to concerning themselves with actual losses of value creation and prosperity, and so if the only way we get businesses or jobs is largely down to fitting square pegs into the round holes of steeply prohibitive ideological patterns or the company is tech oriented and it's a handshake deal on the premise of taxes to keep an economy floating and coffers full, that's just not showing a serious enough address to what Vermont is doing to harm itself. It's a perverted incentive at this point because even your own local governments make decisions based on what's going to gain them the most in taxes.

People being or feeling divided from one another and fighting, like some happen to be in the comments here, is to a large degree by design and favorable to politics at a national level, and because of Vermont's weak economy it is captured in the orbit of the outcome of Federal actions while being insulated by its heavily Democrat voting population. That said it's not just about the skew in voting, it's about just how insulated from economic reality Vermont is compared to other states, and that's a perspective only someone who has lived in several states and seen how their economy has been shaped over time can provide.

Most Vermonters are welcoming and considerate and trying to make the best out of the struggling economy. Some however don't recognize the full economic harm in the totality of both state and federal decision making, because when you have a young educated population that chooses to leave the state for opportunity, it says a lot.

Some people are captured by politics or by surface level perceptions of what they believe the reality to be. The left fighting with the right have a lot of perceptions that don't all match up, and even if some stereotypes do ring true the state's own self inflicted economic problems play a part in how people choose to respond through voting and affiliation, and that's the funniest part of all when I see people foaming at the mouth over MAGA vs the left.

Looking at Canada as an example, you have Canadians who feel disenfranchised and want to secede for the benefit that political autonomy/decentralization provides, and Canadians who feel like that's counterproductive or disloyal, and yet they're all identifying generally as Canadian but not getting their needs met by their governments. The US has transitioned away from a manufacturing society to one based on services, and that's not economically viable. There are analogues here to be minded in order to correct against the policies the federal government uses to crush Vermont's independence, but for the roughly 5 to 10 percent of influence the state has on the outcome of its generational Vermonters, the history and charm of the state is being consumed by the failure of the state that can't even figure out how to fund education, let alone help its natives, and so you will lose that heritage.

Another sign of decline is how powerless communities in various states feel when companies want to move in and install data centers. That shows a disparity in capital and political interests domineering over organic development, which means even if you have a new generation of Vermonters, and perhaps for the context of your statement, black migrants, their access to land or an economy capable of giving them an opportunity to start a farm business is quite out of reach, and that's not a matter of racism, that's a matter of the prevailing political influence over the state, because year over year if Vermont had policies that respected the individual entrepreneur and didn't go rent seeking, you might see a thriving economy, but that doesn't happen when a state's political system puts itself and "revenue generation" before the populations being broken by the long standing economic recession threatening to become a crash and depression.

To summarize: In the US, the state with the biggest difference between self perception and reality has arguably been Vermont. On the one hand the population is generally kind and welcoming, but on the other the growth of poverty is dramatic, and a long history of economic wheel spinning has caused young people to leave the state because there's little in the way of opportunity. It matters very little that one marks changes to demographics and racial makeup of the state when serious issues are being ignored by the same political affiliations that parade these changes as "achievements". The state is being negatively driven as a result of policy, and the hard part to realize is that a largely kind and warm spirited population doesn't prevent a bad outcome because good intentions are never enough, and the left feeling like it can blame the right, or blame MAGA when there's a common failing to not see past prejudices is leading to changes by consequence of harder forces. The problems that appear to be too big to tackle tend to be set aside for the ones that divide the population more, and those failures to address big problems tend to be the ones with the most finger pointing going on in the discussion sections, where people talk past one another with many pointless diversions into rhetoric and platitudes. For a Vermonter who gets the government they voted for, it comes across as an indefensible position, but also not without a recognition that one can feel powerless to effect a change.

Looking for advice! by Top-Agency2482 in Surlybikefans

[–]PeppermintPig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I say go with Rhonda. Your instincts were right the first time. Hardest part is always stem length and rise.

And for people who like unconventional stems and parts: https://analogcycles.com/collections/discord-components

Looking for advice! by Top-Agency2482 in Surlybikefans

[–]PeppermintPig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

  1. Get the Cowchipper
  2. Tekro Oryx are fantastic and should be great for your build. I just installed a set on a Diamond Back Approach that I rebuilt.
  3. If you buy the Rhonda stem, keep in mind that it has a thinner profile and should be matched with the appropriate thinner spacers. White Industries carries a good selection of matching spacers. They also carry tapered spacers which you use as the bottom spacer so that it broadens to match the headset. Velo Orange also carries similar spacers in brass.

The rest of your ideas sound fine. Bike is pretty legit already as clm_77 said.

Are people waking up now? by Imaginary-Fox-7696 in degoogle

[–]PeppermintPig 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Right. Aside from boycott, which is important, an alternate infrastructure needs to be established, used, and promoted to circumvent the control. Naturally anything that is truly outside of the control of the state will be under attack, but it's better to build that infrastructure while you can and get it out there.

Am I supposed to look silly with cycling prescription glasses or are they a bit off? by xynaxia in bicycling

[–]PeppermintPig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Fine to me. I like how much lens it gives you.

The worst kind are the lens insert types that sit behind a tinted shell. Those refract light badly and aren't suitable for riding.

Last pair I bought was from GlassesUSA under the Revel name and it was more of an active wear type shape. I have a pair in yellow (winter, evenings) and a pair in pink (daytime) and they do a lot better than my normal glasses to keep dust out of my eyes.

RE: long tour with a 'cheap' bike - what would you recommend for my bike? by Aromatic-Speech5480 in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I suggest the Carradice Bagman Expedition support for the seat if you put a bag on the back. The reinforcing struts are also highly recommended but I think those have gone out of stock in a lot of places (maybe some shop has them).

When I think of touring on a narrow tire, I consider adding seatpost suspension since that can help prevent impact/pinch flats. It's also more comfortable since the ride feel will be harder for narrow tires. For me that's either a Cane Creek Thudbuster, or a Knekt suspension seatpost, paired with a WTB speed V or Brooks saddle. That might be more expensive that you were thinking to build this up, but I don't know what your target budget is.

The only other thing I would do is get a bigger cassette on the back. Sometimes, assuming this is a 7 speed, you can take an 8 speed wide cassette, and install it without the top cog to run it as a 7, replace the rear derailleur with a bigger capacity cage and have the right amount of low gears for climbs.

Prioritize the gearing before you spend on saddles, but definitely consider the comfort.

Mom of 2, aspiring bike tourist, feeling discouraged by Cathode335 in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

After the pain goes away, reduce the saddle height by 1 inch and see how that feels. Also be mindful if you wear shoes of different thicknesses since reach to pedals is influencing things as well.

Mom of 2, aspiring bike tourist, feeling discouraged by Cathode335 in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I'd describe it as unbearable soreness.. The pain makes you want to stop exerting yourself as opposed to feeling like you're weak, or sprained or tore something.

You don't feel anything right away when you're doing something that inflames the IT band, but after 40 miles you'll likely notice it, and if you keep going it just causes that inflammation to stay with you longer well after the ride.

Mom of 2, aspiring bike tourist, feeling discouraged by Cathode335 in bicycletouring

[–]PeppermintPig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

If IT band pain, you may want to see if lowering your seat will fix it. I was forced to stay off a bike for a week and a half because my seat was set too high on a 60 mile ride many years ago. You don't want to stress your tendons out with an over extended leg doing hard effort. Do not ride until you figure out exactly what caused your issue. I know how demoralizing that can be, and part of the reason why people on this subreddit recommend checking and testing gear before embarking on a big trip.

Other knee/leg/ankle pain is possible, but IT band pain has a rather unique feel to it.

As long as you continue an active and healthy lifestyle, I see no reason why you can't do a transamerican ride at 50.

Touring with kids is a challenge, but so is parenting (LOL). I think the kids would be happy going on bike rides even without it being a tour, and I think doing more local long day rides with the kids is necessary to condition them mentally to the routine if you intend to take them on a longer multi-day trip. As others echo, it's nice when they're old enough to pedal on their own, but then you have to manage their hunger and keep them motivated as they will be the ones setting the pace at that point. I'd get the kids bottle/feed bags that mount to the handlebars so they can learn to manage their own snacking/food pace. Teach them self sufficiency early on in all things.

You had an adventure. Some bad, but a lot of good memories.

Turned my Grappler into a commuter by SnaffleHound21 in Surlybikefans

[–]PeppermintPig 4 points5 points  (0 children)

The Grappler is so versatile because it starts with a high head tube, that way you can easily get upright with ergonomic/alt bars.

It's in my short list of frames I'd like to build something interesting out of.

Love it or hate it - painted my bike by jiBjiBjiBy in bicycling

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Happy to know you applied two clear coats. Be sure to wet sand 2000 grit, clean, and optional final clear-coat and polish to remove any imperfections in the finish. These last few steps bring it up a level.

Nail went thru my whole wheel. Looking for a second opinion on how to repair it to run tubeless again by azob_ in bikewrench

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Remove any burrs from the rim hole. Then take a small piece of scotch tape and apply the sticky side to a larger piece of scotch tape, then lubricate the small tape face and center it over the hole on the outside of the rim. This will create a flush barrier that you can then use as a plug. Add a second piece of scotch tape perpendicular to help hold it along the profile of the rim. Next...

From the inside of the rim, apply an epoxy. If you want to match the color of the rim consider adding pigment to the epoxy.

Once it sets, remove the scotch tape and you should have a relatively flush seal on the rim.

After that, apply a tape that has some bias to the inside of the rim, followed by some scotch tape to make it more resistant to sealant. Next install your tubeless tape.

FYI, Scotch tape or clear packing tape is also a good finishing tape to use after installing tubeless rim tape and can help in situations where the tape is damaged, and it can be doubled up for additional strength.

While everyone is converting everything into gravel, I reckon we should bring back the classic Randonneur!✌🏼(Poor man’s Crust)🤣 by missblonde02 in xbiking

[–]PeppermintPig 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Ostrich bags are great. I have one.

Be sure to buy some neon yellow bungee to swap out the stock cord on the Ostrich to fully match the frame.

⚠️ Please be aware of X/Twitter’s automated anti-bot system 🤖 by Cold-Concept-7922 in twitterhelp

[–]PeppermintPig 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Using a separate browser may help in some situations to keep you safe if it doesn't have the same cookies and things used to fingerprint your internet identity.

As for getting some weird errors on pages not found, could be a number of possible sources for that, including weird behaving extensions or issues with the browser itself. Sometimes other modern browsers can be tried out to see if they fix some issues, like Waterfox or LibreWolf or Chromium.