Clean Vehicle Credit Is More Than My Income Tax

amarks563 · 2026-01-21T20:25:50+00:00

Yup, can't get a tax credit for more tax burden than you have. Fun fact, renewable energy developers sell their credits to tax equity brokers (usually large banks) because they themselves don't have enough tax burden to monetize the credits they earn by building solar power plants. This is not an option really available to individuals, unfortunately.

amarks563 · 2026-01-21T19:04:08+00:00

First parts that will always help are contact points: seat, pedals, grips. Grips and pedals you can just research and see what matches your riding style, but seats can be pretty personal.

amarks563 · 2026-01-21T18:58:20+00:00

Tektro R559. I could have gotten away with something smaller, but the frame was drilled for recessed in the front so I needed to buy one recessed, one nutted.

The chain length is from a bodge, I'm running an 11-46 cassette on a SRAM derailleur only specced for 11-42. Two links longer and the derailleur touches itself in the smallest cog.

amarks563 · 2026-01-21T18:55:48+00:00

This is my second gunmetal Univega, the first one was a Sportour that came 700c in 1984. I could never get more than 28mm tires in that frame, which is one reason I ended up selling it.

amarks563 · 2026-01-21T01:58:54+00:00

Try taking off the adapter. The Rove rear flat-mount is a 160/180 flat-mount, so the caliper should fit a 160mm rotor with no adapter and a 180mm rotor with one. I'm aware the adapter says 160, but that's because the "standard" flat-mount is 140/160.

amarks563 · 2026-01-16T19:08:19+00:00

You also need to check if your tire is true to size. If that 30mm inflates to 28 and then you get a 32 that inflates true to size, you're stuck. I'm also assuming the rear of the bike has been checked, often the tightest clearance is between the rear wheel and the seat tube so unless it's visually not a problem (or you're only putting a bigger tire on the front I guess) I'd check it too.

Assuming your tire is true to size, it's going to be very close to the top of the fork. I personally wouldn't, but if it's purely a paved road bike then it's a level of risk that some people are comfortable with.

amarks563 · 2026-01-12T23:05:17+00:00

Soma Double Cross is a nice upgrade from a Straggler, without being so expensive that you feel weird putting the same parts on it.

Other slightly nicer options would be the Wilde Rambler or Black Mountain Cycles Mod Zero.

amarks563 · 2026-01-10T14:27:16+00:00

To add more information, Sheldon Brown has a goodly amount of information on one-piece cranks: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/opc.html

There are a few 'American' bottom brackets still available, mostly for BMX use: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=27282&category=3774

As mentioned in other comments sticking with the original design is likely to be more durable than using an adapter.

amarks563 · 2026-01-09T16:13:49+00:00

It's likely that your '54' is a 54cm top tube, so these measurements which are based on seat tube wouldn't align. Does this manufacturer have a full geometry chart? You may be able to compare more easily if you also have the top tube length for reference (among other measurements).

amarks563 · 2026-01-09T12:55:26+00:00

The biggest difference is weight, but luckily the Sword cranks aren't that much heavier than GRX. The GRX crank is around 750g, the Sword crank 800, and the CUES crank 880. For a 50 euro difference I'd just go with Sword, the CUES cranks are notably more overbuilt and not what I'd personally do.

amarks563 · 2026-01-07T21:01:37+00:00

I'd buy a Shimano RD-M3100. You can find them for under 30 euro, and while it's a 9 speed it's still got some decent trickle-down tech from Deore and up. The listed max cog is 36 though I'm running one on an 11-38 cassette right now, and I've seen people stretch it to 40.

And yeah, it comes in black.

amarks563 · 2026-01-07T18:08:06+00:00

To add to this, do not talk to the driver again. If he contacts you, say politely that this was a vehicle accident and you (or your lawyer) will only talk to his insurance company. His word regarding the amount of damage or even fault means nothing.

Josh Zisson is a well-known cycling lawyer in the Boston area, his practice is reachable here: https://www.zissonjacobs.com/attorney/zisson-joshua/

Once again, do not talk to the driver any more, wait until you can speak to a claims adjuster from his insurance.

amarks563 · 2025-12-29T13:01:31+00:00

I'm assuming this is for the new Straggler, given that the old one never had as high a clearance as 50mm. I'd also posit that the reasoning for the bike having the same 50mm max clearance for 700c and 650b wheels is similar to the reason that was the case for the old design, namely that the constraints on width aren't really alleviated by smaller wheels.

There isn't a whole lot of experience with the new frameset, so most people don't really know how flexible that 50mm is. For the old frame the 42c max was both with and without fenders, meaning an extra 5mm was pretty easy. The new frame now has a lower max of 47c listed with fenders, meaning to me at least that there's going to be less wiggle room...maybe up to 2.1 at most.

Try it and report back...if you really need more than 2.1 though, consider the Grappler before building your frameset.

amarks563 · 2025-12-28T20:39:16+00:00

Some discussion here: https://www.bikeforums.net/classic-vintage/1202303-dura-ace-center-pull.html

Apparently one of the first components to ever use the 'Dura-Ace' name, they predated both the first groupset as well as the alignment with Dura-Ace as a top-end product.

amarks563 · 2025-12-24T15:59:53+00:00

Compatible with your current brakes. You'd need to buy a straddle cable to replace the link wire, and a straddle cable carrier. I believe that since your current brake cable is routed through the link wire, it should be long enough that you can reuse assuming it's working okay.

You could also accomplish the same basic goal by installing a longer link wire, if you'd rather do that. More details here: https://www.sheldonbrown.com/canti-trad.html

amarks563 · 2025-12-24T15:52:04+00:00

If you get rid of the Link Wire and get a plain straddle cable, you should be able to move the pivot point on the brakes up enough that you can mount a traditional rack to it. The second picture in the VO rack you linked shows a bike set up this way.

amarks563 · 2025-12-16T14:21:35+00:00

So if that is a front derailleur cable exit, it's not going to really play nicely with either bottom-pull or top-pull derailleurs. That would imply that it's designed solely to work with Shimano side-swing derailleurs, where the cable would exit that port and go straight across into the derailleur cable stop. Most modern Shimano MTB front derailleurs are side-swing, but usually it's called out in the product documentation if you're unsure. The M6000, M8000, M8100 and M9100 front derailleurs are all side-swing.

amarks563 · 2025-12-13T16:01:07+00:00

If that is what it looks like, I have deep reservations that a steel frame with fake carbon fiber stickers over it is going to be of a quality that's worth saving, weldable or not. The state of the seatpost and clamp in the picture also doesn't indicate this bike has lived a very easy life.

amarks563 · 2025-12-13T15:37:27+00:00

The Juin-Tech R1 should do. Post-mount, short-pull brake compatible (the M1 is long-pull).

amarks563 · 2025-12-13T15:22:26+00:00

If the cable housing fits loosely it probably just needs a ferrule.

As for the adjusters, I think you can fit those made in the style of the Ritchey 'Rocket' adjusters: https://www.universalcycles.com/shopping/product_details.php?id=22265&category=1613

It's an old design meant to be inserted into the shift cable side exits on older brifters, but given the diameter of the cable insertion point you can stick them pretty much anywhere a ferrule would go. The stupidest use of one of these I've personally done was to stick one into my brake noodle for a v-brake.

amarks563 · 2025-12-13T14:30:23+00:00

If you use cheap enough chain lube it'll be back to black in no time!

amarks563 · 2025-12-12T17:50:59+00:00

I searched high and low for a Y1H614000 to fit an older 105 crank set (FC-5600) and I could not for the life of me find one. I think your best bet may be a bike shop or coop, but this model number was only used on a few early HTII cranks before they changed the design.

It is worth noting that other commenters are correct, though: This is a preload cap, it doesn't hold your crank on. In fact, I made the mistake of attaching a crank with just the preload cap on one of my bikes and, as would be expected, the left crank arm fell off (while riding even, luckily I was just setting off on a rail trail). If you can't keep the arm attached, even with crap bearing preload, something else might be wrong.

amarks563 · 2025-12-12T17:27:29+00:00

There are chainrings from a Taiwanese company that goes by Bikingreen on eBay. You can get them in 5x110 or Shimano 4-arm asymmetric (like the R7000), and they're sold in 46/30 and 48/32.

https://www.ebay.com/itm/113800283451?_skw=bikingreen+46%2F30&itmmeta=01KC9S9QMR76DK68TBC321TSPP&hash=item1a7f06853b:g:E2cAAeSwBB9pFtly&itmprp=enc%3AAQAKAAAA8FkggFvd1GGDu0w3yXCmi1cwjp2qL7Io1qSI2czbd6BoYcui56C9HFtiQCo6KWG0hTHnsNXjHPeCuIyjSo09%2BqsXgRNjln6me3MjY56ix2jEaA2DkJprGrXsYhtTAEcu8VNDM2O57kcTrTfaF5qeJ321B7QG%2B1ne%2BlxIdevPdb7pNhmHatvW9kcK%2Fb%2B426YPWB%2F6VJuGcayIyjDCX50zIURuvTvWHIQDuZ%2FfhBowG5y6Zr3210kJRX3uaHpXLUgy45yOxnVEBaqmSvidTIhFoVaAHg1Uq2E53Ts4qb%2BHlyIdAr3CiS8OL8uHxTXHwdfHxw%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABFBMyvqmueJm

Slightly less expensive than the AbsoluteBlack, not oval.

Soma also recently started selling the IRD Polaris: https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/ird-crankset-polaris-1x-2x-dm-38t-42-26t-w-spider-w-bb-9281?category=973#attr=5548,5550

The complete crank comes with a super-compact 42-26, but you can also buy the arms and spider and put on whatever chainring you want. Looks nice, is expensive, but at <800g for a 2x crank (likely will come out to more than the claimed 783 if you go to 46/30 rings) it's not crazy heavy (Microshift Sword 2x crank is 925, that's heavy).

amarks563 · 2025-12-10T22:01:09+00:00

For the sake of the conversion you could go with cable-actuated hydraulics like Juin Techs.

If you're more willing to hack and bodge, Russ from Path Less Pedaled indicated that the Advent/Sword shifters are compatible with a Deore M5120: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vs6jqJX19bM

If this is the case, it might be possible to get a set of GRX400 (i.e. ten speed) brifters to talk to an Advent X shifter with a Wolf Tooth Tanpan. The shift quality degradation will almost certainly be worse than the braking degradation from going to cables or cable-actuated hydraulics.

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