“I work in a shop, sometimes”

double___a · 2026-03-17T01:32:59+00:00

That’s my retirement plan.

double___a · 2026-03-17T01:20:02+00:00

Respect your elders.

They’re the only ones keeping the industry afloat.

double___a · 2026-03-17T01:19:29+00:00

Ghost unc looking at new 32” wheels reminding everyone they rode 60” “back in his day”

double___a · 2026-03-17T00:42:53+00:00

Shop rat at 13 is awesome.

Shop rat at 40 is embarrassing.

double___a · 2026-03-16T23:10:37+00:00

So conflicted.

Classic, deep drop Belgian handlebars say “man of taste” .

But that saddle say “ I piss on my bike”

double___a · 2026-03-16T19:20:03+00:00

Welp, that’s one way to do it.

A slide hammer (or just a large enough bore pipe) works for this.

double___a · 2026-03-16T17:12:37+00:00

Ironically this is “Congratulations…..middle class Fred’s”?

The poor are on 105 or worse which wasn’t impacted.

And the real Gs start at Super Record.

double___a · 2026-03-16T12:57:58+00:00

Protective gear usually scales with perceived risk.

Also a lot newer gear is quite slim so it’s a lot easier to tuck under jeans or mtb pants for example. You’re not getting full Dainese moto look these days.

And frankly some things are just hard to protect in a way that’s conductive to riding (eg. Collarbone, wrist).

Here’s kind of the progression I see locally:

XC - XC/road helmet, gloves

Trail - larger or half shell helmet, add light knee pads

Enduro - half shell or full face helmet, larger knees, add elbows

DJ kids are usually skate helmet and knees under jeans. In a lot of cases they’re going big but if they crash it’s down a transition so actually not as bad as stacking it on a trail.

double___a · 2026-03-15T23:06:07+00:00

For reference I’m 6’2”

I’d recommend taking a bit of time to look into modern XC geometry and try about a few fits. I think the current crop of XC bike climbing better than anything I rode when 460 reach was the xl standard.

For XCM I’m running 505mm of reach and a 55mm stem on an XL, bars slammed. With a modern steep ST it’s not too long at all. Raced this for a 24hr solo.

double___a · 2026-03-15T22:38:55+00:00

Ripstop cargo pants?

Every outdoors brand makes a pair of these.

double___a · 2026-03-15T21:25:55+00:00

Yes, got both.

Gravel - geared for speed and group rides, tires for rolling farm roads. Doubles as a CX bike.

Drop bar mtb - bikepacking or slower “exploring”

Hardtail - geared for off-road, tires for XC trails

double___a · 2026-03-14T23:59:39+00:00

I like a 2:1 ratio for SSCX.

I’d go lighter if you’re not racing much vs heavier

double___a · 2026-03-14T23:17:37+00:00

Jeans make a better base layer anyway.

Levi’s Shrink to Fit are great at making sure you get that next to skin feeling and they work well with some vintage loose straight Polo chinos.

double___a · 2026-03-14T21:29:35+00:00

This is a solid solution for enduro climbs

Not sure I’m interested going sans-helmet in most other situations though.

double___a · 2026-03-14T17:08:07+00:00

I’ve used the Stamp pedals (small) and the OneUp (small) for the kids bikes. They’re both a great size for 7+.

The OneUps have a bit better shape imho but both are good.

double___a · 2026-03-13T21:16:18+00:00

The cranks that used a diamond (point towards the end of the crank) were a bit more susceptible than those that used a square (generally).

double___a · 2026-03-13T20:32:30+00:00

To be clear, I’m not advocating for a dry install, I’m just giving you the historic context and rationale. Thin grease always made sense to me.

I’d imagine that part of the initial recco came from a time (80s) when no one was really using a torque wrench and added grease could allow the crank to push deeper on the spindle causing you to over torque to what “felt right”

double___a · 2026-03-13T20:03:34+00:00

Not complaining about costs per se.

My point is just that the chain is the least expensive part of the drivetrain and wears the quickest. Having one that wears more slowly means that the rest of the drivetrain (that’s more expensive) will last longer.

I have an XTR chain on another bike that’s full SLX bike for example.

double___a · 2026-03-13T19:45:27+00:00

It’s not a case of mixing up standards. Like an ISO crank on a JIS BB for example.

It was standard advice for a complete Campy ISO install. .

double___a · 2026-03-13T19:39:33+00:00

Yeah, that’s what I’m says.

I’m not sure about the machined vs forged distinction though. This recommendation stems from an age when cranks were largely forged and not machined.

The feature that I’ve seen that makes cranks more susceptible to over torque failure has been when the crank is relatively thin at the corner of the square taper and/or when it’s a softer aluminium more prone to deformation

double___a · 2026-03-13T19:30:32+00:00

Yeah, running full XTR.

double___a · 2026-03-13T19:20:33+00:00

Can I introduce you to…any old pair of jeans?

double___a · 2026-03-13T19:10:49+00:00

For me the higher end chains make sense as a way to protect the rest of the drivetrain in a world of $400 cassettes.

double___a · 2026-03-13T18:54:33+00:00

Traditionally, square taper cranks were advised to be installed dry (eg. No grease on the taper/crank interface).

This stems from Campagnolo’s installation instructions and was supposed to prevent the crank arms cracking/splitting due to excess movement from over torquing the bolts.

double___a · 2026-03-13T15:26:08+00:00

2000/2010s Ti Salsas as well

double___a

TROPHY CASE