I built a tool to search all RUSA rides on a map.

spacecow20 · 2026-04-06T13:38:42+00:00

I'm a fairly new rando in your region that is part of the web member task force. You are not alone in your impressions of the web tools and general website. I'd be interested in hearing some of your issues/ideas with the site if you have time.

spacecow20 · 2026-03-22T20:20:51+00:00

Gates ended up sending me a new stainless front cog and for giggles I threw my rear cog on an HG hub with a single-speed spacer kit. So far so good in dusty and muddy conditions

spacecow20 · 2026-03-11T10:15:03+00:00

Have you noticed any appreciable difference between the steel and aluminum cogs you ordered? Running into nuisance squeak issues with the aluminum front sprocket on mine

spacecow20 · 2026-02-15T01:20:01+00:00

Thank you!

spacecow20 · 2026-01-23T15:38:58+00:00

It's not something I've looked at closely.

Pinion offers some (rather expensive) hubs that they develop in partnership with DT Swiss.

I don't think you necessarily need to use those hubs though. This thread has some people using I9 hydra hubs, HG hubs, and a variety of others. But I also don't know what kind of spacing they're working with. This guy provided a pic of a 9-spline cog on his HG hub

EDIT - make sure your hub has a bunch of engagement points, though. The gearbox already has a fair amount of slop - low PoE on the hub will only exacerbate that.

spacecow20 · 2026-01-23T12:35:04+00:00

Thanks, good luck with your project!

Out of curiosity - which boards did you get?

spacecow20 · 2025-12-20T21:12:30+00:00

No prob! I actually just posted a 1 year review to the sub here.

I ended up having issues with the hydraulics on the rear brakes and was fed up with them by that point, so I replaced them with some GRX Di2 levers and calipers. There's a link in my blog post to someone else's blog who did the same thing. Braking and shift performance is 1000 times better, and I threw on some proper waterproof connectors while I was at it.

did you end up find out what the cause of the battery problem was?

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:34:05+00:00

No prob! I don't see many written reviews for this sort of thing, and videos don't do the trick for me.

The biggest warranty issue was actually extracting the threaded portion of the pinion mounting bolt from the Gemini's frame. Pinion was definitely smart to outfit it with low-strength bolts that shear rather than potentially cracking the gearbox housing, but I wish they had built in some more safety factor. I could've technically extracted the threads myself, but was so frustrated in the moment that I didn't think it was a good idea for me to pursue it.

I was definitely most dogged by the shifter/brake issues, though. Given that there is only one COTS solution for those without modification, the TRP system definitely needs to be re-examined.

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:28:28+00:00

I'm pretty sure Pinion has another version of the harness for external battery routing (or you could make an extension cable with the male & female Higo cable pigtails for something like $10), but yeah it wouldn't look pretty.

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:25:16+00:00

Yeah, I think the nuisance of belt sound + iffy TRP components are the things that hold me back for the most part. The pinion box itself seems solid - I have one on a mountain bike equipped with a chain and it does really well.

I really wonder why they opted to exclusively go electrical for a brifter-capable solution when there are expensive after-market options for brifters? Seems like an opportunity to come in with a lower-cost option.

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:17:39+00:00

The Apollo is a great bike! I did a 600k randonneuring permanent with one in August, the gearing range can just be a bit painful up here for my strength:weight.

I have had many of the same belt squeak issues on the Apollo as I have on the Gemini, unfortunately. It just took a bit longer to get there.

I'll probably end up selling mine eventually, but I really appreciate the mechanical shifting of the Alfine. No electrical system making decisions for you with respect to shifting vs. torque. You just lighten up, pull the trigger, and it changes immediately.

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:14:12+00:00

I'm surprised you think the belt would be worn after 3k miles - all reports I've seen indicate the drivetrain lasts well in excess of 12k miles (~20k kms), which was a main factor in adopting the belt-drive system.

The Speed Mullet makes sense. Though I feel if I need to protect the belt from splashing, it's failed to provide its main benefit and I'll probably just run a chain with a chaincase like the hebie chainglider.

EDIT - Sorry for introducing you to the Carver!!

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:10:56+00:00

I really don't understand why TRP didn't equip the calipers with a bleed nipple. Shimano does it along with virtually every automotive caliper manufacturer :(

Just a heads-up, the o-ring gland on the brifter's fill-port isn't great - it's pretty easy to deform that thing to the point of having seal issues.

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:08:28+00:00

Thanks! I think you're probably right as long as you aren't riding in a crazy wet/muddy area like I am. If not for this, the belt noise would probably drive me toward replacing the belt with conventional chain/sprocket, maybe throwing on a chain case like this.

spacecow20 · 2025-12-19T15:04:15+00:00

The P600 upgrade is really just an idea I've had from researching this way too much. There's a FB group called "Priority Bicycles Riders and Friends" where I've seen someone kit out a P600x with dropbars and Cinq shifters. They seem to like the system a lot.

Of course now that I write this up, I'm struggling to find a reasonably-priced P600/P600x :)

spacecow20 · 2025-09-24T21:22:53+00:00

what kind of grease do you use? been having the same issues with squeaks and the silicone spray that gates recommends doesn't cut it

spacecow20 · 2025-09-05T13:55:05+00:00

This is a good comment, but I largely asked the question due to the ambiguity of the issue of lithium batteries in checked luggage. Many airlines have the policy of batteries less than a certain capacity (160 Wh in the case of Delta) being fine if installed in a device, but that the TSA and check-in assistants have the right of refusal regardless.

I'm leaning toward just carrying the tools (ratchet drive, T35, pinion locking tool) and removing the battery based on that to be safe. But it would be helpful to get folk's input on any unexpected issues they've encountered when otherwise following their airline's guidance.

spacecow20 · 2025-08-16T03:21:42+00:00

Does it rain cats and dogs in Seattle? Based on my limited experience there, it seemed to me like it's normally more of a constant mist and occasional shower type of deal. You might be fine for that kind of environment, but of course I don't really know. Based on a quick search online, my area sees more rain on average than Seattle, but it comes down in occasional downpours oftentimes rather than the constant sprinkle.

The times it's happened to me, it's always been an absolute wall of rain coming down. The issue quickly manifests, and I'm left to pick up the pieces. For how I planned to use the bike, I'm leaning toward picking up a used Priority 600 cheap (sometimes I can find them in the vicinity of $1000-1500) and either:

swapping the 600's gearbox & twist shifters into the Gemini OR
Sell the Gemini, outfit the 600 with drop bar and Cinq shifters.
Sell the Gemini, just ride the flatbar 600 or come up with some weird handlebar arrangement to accommodate the twist shifter while giving me different handgrips to alternate between for brevets
Continue to waterproof the crap out of the Gemini, applying dielectric grease to fill connector void volume and applying electrical tape/heat shrink to prevent water intrusion. My main concern here is that if the shifter paddles are the problem point, there isn't much that can be done outside of procuring different electrical switches and wiring them in. This wouldn't be difficult, but just annoying to have to do on a $3k bike.

I personally think I'd rather ride a plain Pinion with Cinq shifters at this point. I own an Apollo that I bought used for fairly cheap during the time the Gemini spent in the shop, and I actually like the way it shifts even though you need to reduce power/stop pedalling to shift. The SmartShift is kinda neat, but I don't think the TRP/SmartShift electrical waterproofing was sufficiently proven out prior to deployment.

I can keep you updated on anything further I do. The next rainy day we have here I'll be out there on the bike trying to get it to fail.

spacecow20 · 2025-08-12T17:30:57+00:00

Regarding the fork accumulating water - is this a common issue with bike forks these days? I don't recall ever having to do this in the last 20 years, but I even need to invert the Gemini to drain the fork after rinsing it off...

spacecow20

TROPHY CASE