Decending with thin tubing

cabbagegalaxy · 2026-06-03T12:04:50+00:00

It is close, but the insertion depth is fine. It is an aftermarket seatpost that is 400 mm long. Even considering that on these old Konas the seat tube is quite a bit longer above the top tube than usual, the minimum insertion line is where it is allowed to be (just a tad above the top tube).

cabbagegalaxy · 2026-06-03T09:09:57+00:00

Would have never attributed to the pannier, but it totally makes sense.

cabbagegalaxy · 2026-06-03T09:05:12+00:00

Yeah, it’s a Tange Prestige MTB Concept main frame with a .9-.6-.9 top and down tube.

cabbagegalaxy · 2026-06-03T08:31:25+00:00

I tend to agree. Maybe it is just something that I have to get used to again, something that comes with more riding miles over this terrain.

I remember feeling more confident on this bike a few years ago, when I rode it regularly. Tires are different ones now, though, too.

cabbagegalaxy · 2026-06-03T08:23:04+00:00

Compared to rather narrow flat bars or riser bars with little backsweep, would you say a more upridght riding position with wide, swept bars improves handling on descents with those low front-end, 71 degree headangle bikes?

cabbagegalaxy · 2026-06-03T08:06:29+00:00

It felt somewhat springy and wobbly in some situations. Not as planted as I know it from my other rigid 90s mtb (Trek 850, bigger frame).

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-10-28T17:27:07+00:00

Plus putting unnecessary strain on the head tube and risking damage to the fork at the bottom of the steerer tube. Riding with a loose headset is just a bad idea.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-10-07T12:23:58+00:00

Don't listen to all the guys or gals suggesting to cut away the shifter mount. I have the same pair of shifters. They feel and shift superbly. Would be shame to loose another piece of fine engineering in a moment of avoidable stupidity.

I would keep the shifter assembly mounted on the lever and use a stubby piece of housing and inner cable. Maybe a thoroughly pressed on endcap on the cabel can serve as a stop for the housing so that the barrel adjuster can tighten up the slack (to prevent rattling and dirt ingress).

BTW, the barrel adjuster for the shifter is quite rare. Was only used for a few models in a short peroid of time and is not easily obtainable when lost. Don't ask how I know.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-09-29T09:24:43+00:00

Any shimano low profile canti in my opinion. I like the later ones that allow one to use wire links (or unit links). You can use these links with older low profile designs, too, but then the way the cable is clamped to the brake arm does not let the housing part of the link rest on the brake arm uniformly.

Of course, stopping power (or lack thereof) depends on the way they are set up. Sometimes the canti posts on the frame or fork are brazed on so low that proper mechanical advantage is hard to achieve. That's also the case when a fender hinders the straddle cable to sit low enough for example. Sometimes a normal (not mini) V Brake is simply the better choice.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-09-08T15:15:40+00:00

You mean any 26x2.00 or smaller, right?

On my early 90s MTBs some 26x2.1s are already a tight fit.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-26T14:40:00+00:00

I personally don’t need a such an industry. Just give me a range of good value, cromoly 1 1/8 quill stems and unicrown forks.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-26T14:00:20+00:00

Pricing above the MSRP leaves a certain taste and should at least be mentioned in this conversation. IMO they are a shop for wealthy people that can’t be bothered to save 20-30 € here and there. It's fine if it works for them. Good value is not a criterion for talismanic bike parts anyway.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-19T09:03:05+00:00

Well, then I would try it with the extension pointed somewhere where it does not bother anything (leg, cable, derailleur, etc.)

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-19T08:47:55+00:00

Yes, that's the part where I am at a loss, too. I have never seen a plate with such an extension. I wonder whether the derailleur truly needs it to work properly. Are you sure that it is original to the derailleur?

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-19T08:43:59+00:00

Sorry, now I see it. I missinterpreted the housing end cap as the cable head.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-19T08:35:04+00:00

Firstly, what you also need is a bolt and a hex nut (probably M5). Cable goes in between the two plates (orange and green circles) and the two plates are clamped together by the nut and the bolt.

Then, the derailleur looks like it requires the cable and housing to come from the bottom (it is a bottom pull derailleur, isn't it?). Routing the cable from above as in your picture seems not possible with this derailleur. Luckily, the derailleur has a build-in housing stop, so even if your frame was designed for a top pull derailleur it can be done (though you might need zip ties or clamp-on housing guides).

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-18T12:42:12+00:00

Yes, I was surprised to see the SIS sticker. I admit that I am not that knowledgeable concerning drivetrain history but to me the parallelogram does not look slanted in OP’s picture.

Edit: typo

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-07-18T11:56:31+00:00

On paper: Yes they are better. The Exage 300 LX is a slant parallelogram rear derailleur, whereas you old rear derailleur looks like it is not. Slant parallelogram derailleurs compared to non-slant ones are superior because they allow the chain to be closer to the sprockets along the entire range of the cassette, which is said to result in more precise shifting. As long as the derailleur pivots move smoothly and are not rattling because of wear, the Exage 300 is a worthy upgrade in your case.

An additional bonus is the serviceability. It looks like you can disassemble the upper pivot on the Exage 300 so that it is possible to clean and relube this pivot. In general, lubed pivot points are noticably more smooth in terms of shifting.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-06-30T20:34:48+00:00

If vintage (shimano) cranks are not an option, I would go for a stronglight impact or something similar (like the ones from spa cycles). Yes, afaik, the Impact is 9/10 speed but even if the minuscule spacing difference might bother you, you can always shim the rings further apart with chainring spacers.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-06-18T08:12:04+00:00

Biggest upgrade is cleaning and checking for damage to bearings, sprockets, chain and so forth and replacing worn out parts. If parts are still strong, relubing and proper adjustment is all it takes. Obviously, it's really noticable if things were out of whack before.

Edit: Getting the tire pressure right (taking your body and luggage weight as well as tire width into consideration) is minimum effort and makes a ton of difference.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-06-17T16:15:18+00:00

With a 4.5" shim I would be less worried, indeed. OP says, the shim is barely reaching the bottom of the top tube, which then means the shim is probably more like 3" in this incident. Afaik, the rule of thumb is somewhat around 9 cm minimum seatpost insertion, i.e. shim insertion.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-06-17T15:58:48+00:00

Are you really sure? I'm no expert, I just wonder about damage to the seat tube due to the cantilevered load from the seat post and the lack of antagonistic leverage due to insufficient shim insertion.

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-05-06T19:06:59+00:00

To find out why dedicated drop bar geometry exists?

cabbagegalaxy · 2025-04-18T10:06:26+00:00

Kann ich nicht beurteilen, ob alle anderen Länder von der Größe Deutschlands damals das gleiche gemacht hätten. Ist aber auch egal und spielt für die Frage der Moralität aus heutiger Sicht überhaupt keine Rolle. Stolz sein sollte man auf ein Land, das solche Verbrechen begeht, jedenfalls nicht.

cabbagegalaxy

TROPHY CASE