Bicycles!

Ta2ude said:
@ Barman 1 the bike was supposed to come fully assembled and tuned with the bars removed from the headset and the wheels removed for shipping. It came in two boxes which I never even opened and it appeared as though one box was the frame and the other box was the components group.
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Ah, maybe a full assembly?
In that case it was definitely a mistake on their part.
Shipping it back was the right move seeing as it's a task to assemble from frame up not even considering the specialty tools required.
I do frame up on one of my bikes every off-season. I have multiple so only one goes into rotation for rebuild.
I've got all of the tools required and it still takes me a couple of days to strip, clean, and rebuild. But it's off season, no big hurry.
 
Ta2ude said:
@ Barman 1 the bike was supposed to come fully assembled and tuned with the bars removed from the headset and the wheels removed for shipping. It came in two boxes which I never even opened and it appeared as though one box was the frame and the other box was the components group.
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I find this interesting in that all of the bikes my old sponsoring LBS received from the manufacturer were "assembled" by that standard. You had to mount bars, wheels, seatpost, adjust a few things and you were ready to go. I just assumed that's what all bike brands did. Frame up build is definitely a lot of work, it's been one of my winter past times for the last several years but more recently trying different ideas like a drop bar on a 27.5" hardtail running a 29" fork and 700c wheels for a single speed cross bike. It's a pretty wicked CX bike for faster mtb trails that aren't too bumpy but have a lot of sweeping curves.

I wouldn't be too hard on the bike shop for making a mistake since it seems like they realized the mistake and are making good on correcting it. If it arrives with a fork on backwards, then I would be worried (check out some bikes at supermarket like Walmart some time). Businesses make mistakes because they're run by humans, shouldn't be surprised that they make mistakes from time to time. If they completely ignored the mistake, then I would be worried but it doesn't sound to be the case.
 
MEC ain't no real bike shop
 
I didn't buy it at MEC but I do believe the place I did buy it from wholesales to bike shops and that is likely why it shipped out unassembled. I will say that the company worked quite fast to fix their mistake as they emailed me the prepaid shipping info within an hour of our discussion and the bike was picked up at our shop by UPS yesterday and should be there before noon today. The rep has apologized to me several times and assured me the bike will be back here by Friday. I told him he could always build me up the race version to make up for it.....he laughed and said how about a race tune. I tried.

Just got a text while typing this. The bike has just arrived back in Montreal at the shop.
 
I've been riding my trusty SC Superlight 29 lately and got this shot yesterday on my club trails.
Pretty much no stock components remain mostly due to geometry adjustments.
I should have just bought a newer, slacker model to accommodate the harsh local conditions, but what fun is that?
I installed a CC Angleset and went from a 120mm fork to 140mm to relax the head angle a bit, then equipped with the Thomson setback post and shorter stem to get my center more to the rear.
And ta-da...I haven't been pitched over the bars since.
The chainrings are still in flux until I decide on gearing options.
But it's pretty much as far as I'll go on this one seeing as I'm eyeing some new models to replace this one in the Spring.
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Just some quick bicycle disambiguation for all. OGC or Outdoor Gear is a distributor for bicycles and parts inside Canada. They will buy manufacturer direct and ship only to a bricks and mortar business normally so starting up consumer direct mail order sales will definitely be a challenge. Also from what I know of that brand coming with a bare frame and grouppo is normal so they would have a couple mechanics somewhere building the bikes and then re-packing them to send out. Somehow that order came off the rails.

MEC is a different can of worms and while the public loves them because they're cheap they have garnered a lot of ill will from other retail sources in the past because they don't run as a for profit business and aren't taxed as one. This keeps their overhead a lot lower. This was great for them decades ago when they were formed in Vancouver so that people could access climbing gear that just wasn't for sale anywhere. Now they're a retail giant spread across the country and they tend to behave like carpet baggers grabbing up product lines and dropping them without warning and distorting the local market buy undercutting something like a full service bike shop or gear store.
 
Yeah it's here and it's sexy !!!
ZOJAvCp.jpg

mHPtEcM.jpg

qoqSl7n.jpg

noFa72l.jpg

lLIKeUa.jpg

My pit crew.
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It's funny how you find things by accident while surfing the net. Just the other day I was searching for bicycle repair manuals on line, as I figured with the money that I have invested in bicycles now it's time I took their maintenance seriously and I found out that right here in the city where I have lived for the last 15 years is "Canada's leading full time accredited bicycle mechanic training facility". It also just so happened that they are putting on their "Park Tool School" this weekend so I enrolled and will be spending my weekend getting educated on basic repairs and preventative maintenance. I could probably go on line and search all the stuff I may learn in this course, but it's supposed to rain here all weekend anyways so it will be worth the money not to get stuck at home all weekend working on "the list".
http://www.winterbornebikes.com/
 
Ta2ude said:
Yeah it's here and it's sexy !!!
ZOJAvCp.jpg

mHPtEcM.jpg

qoqSl7n.jpg

noFa72l.jpg

lLIKeUa.jpg

My pit crew.
eCyNYUv.jpg


It's funny how you find things by accident while surfing the net. Just the other day I was searching for bicycle repair manuals on line, as I figured with the money that I have invested in bicycles now it's time I took their maintenance seriously and I found out that right here in the city where I have lived for the last 15 years is "Canada's leading full time accredited bicycle mechanic training facility". It also just so happened that they are putting on their "Park Tool School" this weekend so I enrolled and will be spending my weekend getting educated on basic repairs and preventative maintenance. I could probably go on line and search all the stuff I may learn in this course, but it's supposed to rain here all weekend anyways so it will be worth the money not to get stuck at home all weekend working on "the list".
http://www.winterbornebikes.com/
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Learning hands on side by side is the only way to go for mechanical tasks.

Master and apprentice type of education is the most natural way to do it. Anyone who's at the peak of their profession has reached that point by embracing this along the way. Both by learning and then later by teaching.
 
The best websites I've seen for repair is Sheldon Brown's website and parktool's website. Art's Cyclery had a "mechanic's corner" youtube series going for a while as did GCN (they have a lot of other vids so you would need to look for a while). I think Jobst Brandt (sp?) has a maintenance book but I honestly can't remember if that's maintenance or just wheel building.

I learned pretty much everything I know on bike maintenance from Sheldon Brown's website and then a few misc. task from youtube, an old sponsoring bike shop that let me use their tools and learn tricks of the trade, and following manufacturer instructions (usually carbon parts or shocks/forks).

Having a course nearby is pretty sweet though. Many of the local shops where I used to live put on a "basics of bike maintenance" hour or two demo but nothing in depth. Changing tubes, tires, adjusting derailleurs, etc.
 
Jobst just focused on wheels. For general maintenance the Barnett manuals area great. They're the equivalent to a Haynes manual but covering more general ground than something like a B210 book
 
I got my bike education at UBI, great school
 
So I completed the course on the weekend and although it was geared towards basic repairs and maintenance I still learned a lot. There were 4 people in the class and 2 instructors and each person had their own bench, workstation and bicycles to work on. There was a brief discussion at the beginning of the class for about 1/2 an hour and then everything from there was basically hands on training. We spent a few minutes familiarizing our selves with all the tools at our station and their intended uses and then we began with removing the front forks headset and bearings from a mountain bike. Throughout the class the instructors would do a demonstration of the procedure we were to perform and then we would proceed to our workstation and perform the task. I felt that the instructors were very professional and patient and did a great job of making things fun for everyone. By the end of day two we had learned how to remove and replace the front end of a bike and how to check and make any necessary repairs or adjustments, remove and replace headset bearings, removed and reinstalled cranks and bottom brackets, removed and install cassette and hubs replace brake and shifter cables and how to set up and make shifter and brake adjustments on our bikes. So you definitely don't leave the class a capable mechanic but you do leave with the necessary skills to work on your own bike as well as knowing what you might not want to tackle yourself. With the course you received a Park Tool Big Blue Book Of Bicycle Repair as well as a 25% discount on any tools you wished to purchase and a follow up day where you can bring your own bike in and do any work on it you may want to with the support of the instructor. After class on day two the instructor also spent a bunch of time with me going over my new bike and helped me set up the sag and suspension to at least get me at a good starting point. All in all I was very happy with the course and I am even considering going back next summer when I am off work again and completing their 2 week professional mechanic course to get a more detailed education.
 
I've only put a couple hundred miles on my new bike and was just beginning to feel like I was becoming "one" with it when our seasons changed and I decided to start riding the fatbike again. The Spider is such a different ride it really took a while to feel comfortable enough with it to start pushing hard. I will also admit that I am a little nervous about crashing with my carbon fiber frame so that has slowed me down as well. I was a little surprised however to find that my Strava results show I am faster with my fatbike on many of the trails I've been riding, I'm guessing it's mostly because of the added traction and bigger diameter wheels that allows me to be a less technical rider and still get away with it. The Spider however is a lot of fun to ride and it just itches to go fast, but you do have to be careful because when you "ask" it to do something it responds whether you've "asked" to do the right thing or not. The geometry is amazing and the thing climbs like a rock star, even when you have to get out of the saddle to make a climb it still hooks up, where as the fatbike would likely spin out.
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Any gravel riders here? Mountain biking is my first love, but I've come to appreciate gravel riding. I can't get to trails that easily, so the road bike gets used more to get or maintain some level of fitness.

Then about the 3rd time I get buzzed by an impatient pickup truck pulling a work trailer, I'm ready to not road ride much more. Gravel is a nice compromise to get in some peaceful miles and see some wildlife instead of seeing your own life flash before your eyes. Plus my wife likes it. It's about the only type of riding she enjoys, so we can do it together (if I don't pedal ;).

I've been wanting to pick up a true gravel ride for a while. I go back and forth between steel and ti, but I want something metal - cheap or expensive to be decided. One day. Maybe. Knives don't help!
 
Lots of nice steel gravel bikes out there but it's pretty well impossible to beat the ride you get from Ti!
 
I raced for a few years once upon a time, and I've ridden off and on for at least 30-something years. But I've yet to throw a leg over a Ti bike. Good enough reason as any! Lol
 
got me some knobbies on the ole ebike
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mb> said:
Any gravel riders here? Mountain biking is my first love, but I've come to appreciate gravel riding. I can't get to trails that easily, so the road bike gets used more to get or maintain some level of fitness.

Then about the 3rd time I get buzzed by an impatient pickup truck pulling a work trailer, I'm ready to not road ride much more. Gravel is a nice compromise to get in some peaceful miles and see some wildlife instead of seeing your own life flash before your eyes. Plus my wife likes it. It's about the only type of riding she enjoys, so we can do it together (if I don't pedal ;).

I've been wanting to pick up a true gravel ride for a while. I go back and forth between steel and ti, but I want something metal - cheap or expensive to be decided. One day. Maybe. Knives don't help!
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I've ridden gravel quite a bit and raced on gravel for close to 7 years I think.

Before you tie yourself to a frame material, understand that tire width is more important than frame material in terms of ride quality (assuming that's why you're looking there). If you're look for durability purposes, I can't argue with that but I wouldn't exclude carbon or aluminum either as a good design will have durability in mind.

I personally ride a vassago fisticuff monstercross bike that I build from the frame up. Before that it was always a cyclocross bike since I raced cross and gravel with it. It wasn't as great of a mile muncher as it was designed around quick handling like you see on a cross course but it did the job just fine. Gravel bikes are to road bikes like fat bikes are to mountain bikes. They use tire volume to smooth out the bumps and slack headtube angles to keep them going straight. They don't tend to be the most agile but they roll over bumps better, by design.

If you're interested in steel I should still have a spreadsheet around somewhere that I used to compare a lot of the manufactured options that were available to keep from going custom. I've never thought titanium was worth the investment for a frame, at least not recently, since carbon fiber manufacturing processes have improved drastically in recent years to where the reliability and durability is quite good if the bike is designed around those characteristics.
 
Thx bikerector bikerector . Yeah, I follow JOM/Gravel Cyclist. He's hammered the tire width subject quite a bit. Lots of options in 40+mm these days.

Funny you mention the spreadsheet...I started one of those last year. Much easier to compare the VAST array of options that way.

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