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Paris Nice is done. I missed the whole race and didn't catch up until tonight. It has been a busy couple of weeks, but I was able to mostly stay on my schedule or find worthwhile substitute...

Multitasking, I spent a few hours working on Ti frames today while in the "office" and video chatting with a client. Client is a cyclist and has a genuine interest. We can talk for hours. One frame out of the jig after curing for a couple of weeks. It didn't need that long, but I have been too busy to get it done. This one is being built for credit card bike packing with aerobars. There is no clutched 12spd road or gravel derailleur yet so I'll build with mix of 2x11 Ultegra and GRX. There are also better choices of chains. Di2 with satellite shifters on the aerobars. Brake levers too. There is also a strong case for MTB/gravel bullhorns. They are more comfortable than riding the "tops" and most people don't ride the drops anyway. But all ofthat will be another day. Today I do the alignment check and start on finishing. swim this morning then 90km on the road, short track session with the UA girls this afternoon now cleaned up for dinner.
 
I bought my first YBN chain, and just pulled it out of the Silca hot wax this morning. I'm not sure I hot-waxed it right though, but I'll try it out this weekend.

I cleaned out the wax container yesterday since I thought that the Silca wax was contaminated. I thought that because at the bottom of it, once it was all melted, I could stir up a very black particulate that made the whole solution black.

So I cleaned that out, added new wax, and with the new wax beads only partially melted I put the cleaned and dried chain on top of the beads overnight. Pulled it out to a clear coating of wax, but in pulling it out the black particulate stirred up again. So apparently that black particulate belongs there, but it was not suspended in the wax when I waxed the chain - so very little, perhaps none, of it got into the chain rollers. Well, it's gonna have to be OK with what it got so far - I have a small trip to take this weekend that won't have particularly challenging riding, and I'd like to test that new chain out.

YBN vs. SRAM chain: a lot more play when new for the side-to-side movement. The YBN feels like a worn chain would from another maker. To that end, I guess that that is why the YBN is recommended for a more efficient 12 speed drivetrain (severe angles being wattage wastes with tighter chains), where-as SRAM chains are recommended for a longer-lasting, albeit less efficient, chain. But for the price of the YBN vs. the X01 chain, it might be worth it just in the cost of having prepped (waxed) chains to rotate through.
 
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Black particulate sounds like it could be tungsten disulphide settling.
 
Black particulate sounds like it could be tungsten disulphide settling.
I think you're right - a review mentions it:

IDEAL HOT WAX & EASIER THAN YOU THINK

This hot melt wax is perfect, the tungsten disulfide is more environmentally friendly than other hot wax additives and it works great.
 
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I think you're right - a review mentions it:

IDEAL HOT WAX & EASIER THAN YOU THINK

This hot melt wax is perfect, the tungsten disulfide is more environmentally friendly than other hot wax additives and it works great.

No different than the MSW powder blend that settles in their hot wax after cooling. I have to stir it or turn on the ultrasonic for a few minutes to get everything back into solution.
 
Me, unknowingly demonstrating what my buddy was narrating to video when talking about soft sand:



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left to right: Liv, Specialized Diverge Aluminum, Salsa titanium custom built, and I believe a Giant gravel bike.
 
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Initial verdict of the YBN gold-colored 12-speed chain - it seemed to shift fine, seemed to be efficient. When I went to measure the chain against the SRAM OEM chain the bike came with, I realized that the SRAM chain was notably - concerningly - longer than the new YBN chain. I'm not writing of a little bit - I had to check and re-check about four times (most likely five to six times) after lining them up to make sure I was going to use the chain tool at the correct place.

Did have a little bit of pausing of shifting when in the lowest gears, but by that time it could have been sand in the rear derailleur slowing it or halting it. That was not a problem through the mid-point of the ride, but was during/after pure sugar sand sections. It wasn't like the derailleur had the chain in a position to shift but it didn't - I don't think that the rear derailleur moved (or didn't move much), and I'd hit the buttons over again.

So, based on that alone, I guess the YBN is the new permanent chain, and after another weekend or two's rides I'll consider ordering another YBN to rotate between the two.
 
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No different than the MSW powder blend that settles in their hot wax after cooling. I have to stir it or turn on the ultrasonic for a few minutes to get everything back into solution.


I've been having an interesting time cooling wax in deodorant bottles without the MoS2 settling.

I still follow the other site. No regrets nuking my account btw. For a while it looked like you made a new years resolution to take a break from that site. New bike is cool. Also your ride report. Great result.

For the big hippie (Askel) if someone wants to pass it on...
 
I've been having an interesting time cooling wax in deodorant bottles without the MoS2 settling.

I still follow the other site. No regrets nuking my account btw. For a while it looked like you made a new years resolution to take a break from that site. New bike is cool. Also your ride report. Great result.

For the big hippie (Askel) if someone wants to pass it on...

Thanks... I would post it here, but don't wanna get chastised again for my extraneous verbosity... maybe I'll take the time and effort to put it into my blog site and post a link later.
 
Thanks... I would post it here, but don't wanna get chastised again for my extraneous verbosity... maybe I'll take the time and effort to put it into my blog site and post a link later.

He doesn't have to read it... :dunno

Some people only see a bunch of words. I can immerse myself in a book or a short story using a little imagination to visualise the story in my mind using words as framework. I didn't read it the first time because I didn't have time. I never have enough time for a book now, but I still enjoy a short story especially when it is relevant to my interests. When I did I read it properly. So write your short stories. Some of us appreciate them.
 
Nothing much this week. All the same really. 600km and about 12,000m, a fairly normal week. A little track work, best money ever spent on cycling. Indoor cycling at its best without trainers and cartoon apps. The last of the lugged titanium frames is finished. I won't build any more, but club shop might if there is enough demand. NOT $300 frames!
Some flying this week. T likes being the passenger so I am hands on, Z knows when to let me have some fun, B can find something else. I had 7yo #2 and 5yo #3 in an S2 and open cockpit M12 during the week. Cries of joy can almost be heard over open exhausts and prop blast as we tumble through the sky. Saturday and Sunday flying with glider students.
 
Went for what should have been a simple, faster 46-mile gravel ride Saturday, but something was coming over me. I got slower and slower to the point that it was a zone 2/3 ride by the end.

My guess is that Thursday morning's indoor trainer plus Thursday afternoon's physical therapy - where we focused on legs and knees again - took more out of me than I thought. Thing is, I didn't feel any after effects Friday nor pre-ride Saturday morning. Saturday, during the ride, though, I felt very minor pain in areas I've never felt while cycling, so perhaps that was it(?).

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Ridge, my Magicshine MJ 900 refuses to work. I am not sure which end isn't working though - hooking the battery up to the charger only shows a green LED, fully charged. But the actual light won't turn on once hooked up to the battery. Have you come up with a way to test these? I can't imagine it's the light, but I don't know.
 
Went for what should have been a simple, faster 46-mile gravel ride Saturday, but something was coming over me. I got slower and slower to the point that it was a zone 2/3 ride by the end.

My guess is that Thursday morning's indoor trainer plus Thursday afternoon's physical therapy - where we focused on legs and knees again - took more out of me than I thought. Thing is, I didn't feel any after effects Friday nor pre-ride Saturday morning. Saturday, during the ride, though, I felt very minor pain in areas I've never felt while cycling, so perhaps that was it(?).

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Ridge, my Magicshine MJ 900 refuses to work. I am not sure which end isn't working though - hooking the battery up to the charger only shows a green LED, fully charged. But the actual light won't turn on once hooked up to the battery. Have you come up with a way to test these? I can't imagine it's the light, but I don't know.

I've had one of my Magicshine lights with a similar response. I believe it to be the battery pack, but I've not upgraded to a new battery pack since I bought my lights about 8 years ago. It only happens, infrequently, with one of the light heads though and not the other, That is what kind of pushed me to invest in the Gloworm lights. Newer technology, wireless light switching, better battery life, and better spread with not much more in cost.
 
My read is the Magicshine battery packs are poorly made with common problems, but if you are able to open the pack it might be obvious and an easy fix.
 
My read is the Magicshine battery packs are poorly made with common problems, but if you are able to open the pack it might be obvious and an easy fix.

Eh... I'm on 8 years with the OEM battery packs and they have just recently (this past winter season) begun showing those issues. Their battery life is still very, very good. I even emailed Magicshine about replacing them since they are no longer made and they do make an upgraded pack with the same base connector.

"The newest equivalent to the original 808 battery would be MJ-6096 four cell pack. The cells have been upgraded to 2600mAh for a total capacity of 5.2Ah compared to the default pack with 4.4Ah.

The 908’s default pack is orange 4 pin six cell pack MJ-6106 with 2600mAh cells for a capacity of 7.8Ah.

The original chargers should work with no problems."
 
My read is the Magicshine battery packs are poorly made with common problems, but if you are able to open the pack it might be obvious and an easy fix.

This sounds like an adventure! I'll try it!
Eh... I'm on 8 years with the OEM battery packs and they have just recently (this past winter season) begun showing those issues. Their battery life is still very, very good. I even emailed Magicshine about replacing them since they are no longer made and they do make an upgraded pack with the same base connector.

"The newest equivalent to the original 808 battery would be MJ-6096 four cell pack. The cells have been upgraded to 2600mAh for a total capacity of 5.2Ah compared to the default pack with 4.4Ah.

The 908’s default pack is orange 4 pin six cell pack MJ-6106 with 2600mAh cells for a capacity of 7.8Ah.

The original chargers should work with no problems."

Thank you! I certainly do want a bigger battery than what it came with.
 
Sounds like you have nothing to lose.

Old ground...


November through March morning rides up to the first two hours are t in the dark. Using XSV I changed L2 setting to 65%. It is my default. Low when I am back in the group. High is easy to access on the wireless switch. When the sun comes up I use daylight flash.


When the days are longer I remove the Gloworm and use a Cateye Volt 800 for daylight flash. There are plenty of similar lights, but I like the Cateye flash modes.
 
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To cut to the chase, I like the small form factor of the light I have now - I just need it to last throughout a night if need be. So that won't be 'fast' riding (though a few times I did dangerously out-ride what it was lighting up during the cross-state ride in October, i.e. 35 MPH while still in the Low setting to conserve the battery).

At least not with my current training, schedule, and seemingly more common feeling like crap out of nowhere training rides, I'm not going to be finishing 200 mile mostly-gravel rides within a few hours of sunset. I need a great battery - not a great light - to be able to keep going. If I can verify that my little Magicshine light is working, I don't mind buying a much larger battery for it.
 
I had the suspicion... that was why I posted the run time chart. Customise output to your needs. Although not obvious that is what I do to balance output against battery life and wear. Keep higher settings for when there is a need - a quick look, remote comment. Unlit and unmarked roads are bad enough at low power, unpaved worse. I'd have a second battery if needed to have good lights. It is possible to run 1200-1500lm all night.

And there is a case for great lights. XSV for example is better performer than X2, not just power, also efficiency and runs longer on the same battery at (say)1500lm.
 
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Eh... I'm on 8 years with the OEM battery packs and they have just recently (this past winter season) begun showing those issues. Their battery life is still very, very good. I even emailed Magicshine about replacing them since they are no longer made and they do make an upgraded pack with the same base connector.

"The newest equivalent to the original 808 battery would be MJ-6096 four cell pack. The cells have been upgraded to 2600mAh for a total capacity of 5.2Ah compared to the default pack with 4.4Ah.

The 908’s default pack is orange 4 pin six cell pack MJ-6106 with 2600mAh cells for a capacity of 7.8Ah.

The original chargers should work with no problems."

Somehow I missed this. I defer to someone who knows a lot more than me on the subject.
 
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