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Post by lurker on May 12, 2018 14:55:08 GMT -7
pics helmet mirror discombobulated. not convinced that they're useful. Attachments:
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Deleted
Deleted Member
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Post by Deleted on May 13, 2018 9:00:37 GMT -7
Perfect!
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Post by lurker on May 13, 2018 9:05:48 GMT -7
i'm such a geezer.
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Post by desertbikes on May 16, 2018 19:22:35 GMT -7
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Post by lurker on May 16, 2018 19:56:02 GMT -7
my friend doesn't photograph well. she's much better looking than that. i left the helmet out on the patio table and it rained and the mirror just fell off. apparently the glue is water soluble. stuck it back on, we'll see in the a.m. mohawk is still attached. i've had 1 reply from niagara asking me to confirm the problem, which i did. that was a week ago. today i submitted my (unsolicited) customer service report to google, in which i rated niagara "terrible". i could see them arguing that they meant 1 shim, not a pair, but they simply don't reply. i don't care how good their prices are, if they can't deliver the product, why bother?
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Post by lurker on May 26, 2018 20:06:49 GMT -7
as i said elsewhere, shim arrived today. about time. we are not amused.
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Post by lurker on May 28, 2018 5:34:03 GMT -7
ok, so i'm getting the denali back together. i need to go buy new brake cables, i consider them consumable supplies and don't like re-using old ones. corrosion. i may try taping the handlebars, just because it used to have tape. apart from the denali, i've never had taped bars, don't believe it necessary. having not ridden it for 3 weeks, i'm hyper-aware of how high the seat is. it's definitely harder to get a leg over. i think some measurements are in order to see if i can quantify this.
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Post by desertbikes on May 28, 2018 21:50:45 GMT -7
Get some teflon coated cable. You won't regret it.
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Post by lurker on May 29, 2018 10:25:31 GMT -7
Get some teflon coated cable. You won't regret it. reason?
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Post by desertbikes on May 29, 2018 19:26:41 GMT -7
It's hard to describe. There's no such thing as frictionless but it's almost like you get fly-by-wire brakes. It really makes a difference. PTFE/teflon is oversold in nearly every application it's used but in the case of brake & shifter cables, it really makes a difference. I was shocked when I used them on the Deception. They're a little pricey so that's why I've only used them once so far. When the Dolomite gets it's final rebuild in a couple months, it will get them as well.
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Post by lurker on May 29, 2018 19:31:42 GMT -7
i'll give them a look-see, just bought a set of 4 plain cables from WM for $10 because i needed a rear brake cable for the denali. maybe at my local bike shop?
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Post by desertbikes on May 29, 2018 19:43:42 GMT -7
I used Jagwire from Universal Cycle I think. I'll post a couple links.
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Post by desertbikes on May 29, 2018 20:26:37 GMT -7
I used a kit that includes the housing & liner which likely added to the slickness.
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Post by lurker on May 29, 2018 20:42:18 GMT -7
I used a kit that includes the housing & liner which likely added to the slickness.
i notice that even the cheap stuff i've been buyng lately has a plastic liner in the housing. i don't remember that from the old days of the '90s
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Post by gatorbite on May 31, 2018 20:07:58 GMT -7
yeah teflon liners and dust boots. Not like the old 10 speed varsity.
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Post by lurker on Jun 1, 2018 18:19:02 GMT -7
this afternoon i got the brakes and shifters adjusted on the denali, took it for a ride up the street, and reminded myself what i like and dislike about it. on the plus side, it's a big solid smooth machine, easily adjusted and a pleasure to ride. the seat is comfortable, cushy but not too much so. on the neg side, it's hard(er) to mount and dismount because of the frame geometry.
i'm thinking of swapping seats, the vitesse to the peugeot and the coda to the denali, because violet is still the primary and might as well be comfortable. might even see if the coop has something softer to swap for the coda. i'd love a brooks leather saddle, but so expensive and must be broken in.
maybe i'll try to weigh them both, i think the denali is still a pound or two heavier, not much in the scheme of things. nearly done modding(for now)
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Post by lurker on Jun 3, 2018 17:43:40 GMT -7
weighed them both today, inconclusive. denali shows 3 lbs heavier than the peugeot, which doesn't surprise, but denali also shows as over 30 lbs. i think i need a better scale. the peugeot was making a funny squeak as i pedalled, i thought there was something wrong with the bottom bracket, then figured out it was my shoe rubbing on the crank on the downstroke.
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Post by desertbikes on Jun 3, 2018 21:00:41 GMT -7
the peugeot was making a funny squeak a i pedalled, i thought there was something wrong with the bottom bracket, then figured out it was my shoe rubbing on the crank on the downstroke.
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Post by lurker on Jun 10, 2018 10:43:41 GMT -7
so, you know how they say you'll get used to that PITA bike seat? the one with minimal padding and the trough for the delicate parts that will make you faster than greg lemond on steroids, and comfier to boot? yeah, me neither. well, i've heard it but lately i'm not feeling it. so today i swapped out the "coda expert" saddle i randomly grabbed on the way to the exit at the co-op for the cheap-a$$ vitesse saddle that came on the denali. and i weighed them too. the vitesse is 72 grams heavier. altogether, 578 grams. big hairy deal. i'll try it out later in the day when it cools off, hopefully below 90. it was only somewhat uncomfortable on the denali. i'll get used to it, and it will make the bike faster! i should probably just buy a brooks like i had 35 years ago, but i'm too cheap right now.
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Post by lurker on Jun 17, 2018 5:20:38 GMT -7
just a quick update on what's going on. we are moving. not far, just a couple of miles to the next town. basically our neighbors... one of them is a sociopath, and the other is an enabler. dog abusers. i dislike them intensely. can't shoot them, don't want to put up with them. so this "new" house was built around 1900, close to the edge of town, and sits on top of the hill between bojangles and a dr's office. across the street is a shopping center with a seasonal tax prep shop, a grocery store, chinese carryout and a subway, etc. contrary to expectations, it's all very quiet. 3 varieties of fast food within 200 yds. i may gain some weight. i wish there was a real hardware store, the dollar general will have to do. the house itself is a lovely old thing, not too much termite damage, needs a lot of work. i've seen for myself, spent the last 3 days crawling around underneath looking at the foundation. this is where my time and energy have been going lately. i'm pretty much exhausted, why i persist in doing this to myself at my age (just turned 65, happy birthday to me!) except that i don't know any other way to live. just roll up my sleeves and do it. i will get back to the bicycle and firearms threads. i want to do them justice and it takes some thought. patience, i beg of you. i haven't ridden much, but i think the vitesse saddle off the denali is a bit wider, and better.
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Post by lurker on Jun 17, 2018 5:25:13 GMT -7
and my brain, all the while looking for ways to complicate my life further, is contemplating swapping the peugeot over to indexed gearing, something like the denali, which i think means another set of shifters and another rear deraillleur, at the least. i will ask for advice, because i'm cheap, so y'all think on this some for me, ok?
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Post by desertbikes on Jun 18, 2018 12:08:58 GMT -7
At this age whatever makes us happy is the priority. Drag having to move for those reasons but sounds like the new place is a good fit. Forum will still be here whenever. Probably. I've got some thoughts on the index conversion too. Relax. Have fun.
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Post by lurker on Jun 18, 2018 20:27:37 GMT -7
at my age whatever makes me happy will probably try to kill me, but what a way to go. tell me about the index swap. would denali-quality (haha, oxymoron!) parts be appropriate? i am a cheap SOB, after all. does it really matter that much?
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Post by desertbikes on Jun 19, 2018 6:24:57 GMT -7
I'll post more later but leave you with this for now. If you're doing this for a challenge, that's great. If you think it should be easy, it won't be.What size rims do you have on frenchie? 700c, 26" or 27"? And how many speeds is it?
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Post by desertbikes on Jun 19, 2018 7:38:01 GMT -7
Also check out sheldonbrown.com/ It won't have conversion info but may have info on your freewheel. Odds are that none of the Shimano SIS (shimano indexing system) are compatible which leaves the simplest option - changing the rear wheel. 26" & 700c wheels & SIS components are common & cheap, as are derailleurs, shifters & freewheel. 27" - not so much. If your freewheel gear spacing happens to exactly the same as shimano, then you're in luck - but I'm pretty sure that's not the case.
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