AustinBike

But it smelled like a high school locker room

The new wheels in their happy place, Slaughter Pens, Bentonville, AR.

Ssssshhhhh, they're sleeping after a hard day on the trails.

I finally got used to the 760's on my new bike, moving up from 700-720mm range. Some of the demo bikes I rode were 780mm and that seemed too wide. 760mm seems to be wide enough but I think 740mm would have fewer tree gate problems without giving up much.

...and you are a Blue Cross/Blue Shield member, then you can get up to 35% off: https://www.blue365deals.com/BCBSTX/offers/garmin-30-s Also works for Fitbit products. You have to create an account and login, they did not have the one I wanted, but they had the 520 for $181, the 130 for $129 and the 1030 for $389.

Pretty sure that there will not be any we trail tomorrow so I plan to ride.

https://www.merlincycles.com/time-atac-mx2-mtb-pedals-2018-112758.html?mc_cid=d75056a984&mc_eid=94dfcd82d7 I buy from Merlin all the time, good people. Takes a while to get here but if you shop their deals it is worth the wait.

I cannot unsee that. Ever. Curse you.

More Bentonville goodness...: http://www.austinbike.com/index.php/16-ride-pictures/358-bentonville-2019-trip-day-3-coler-preserve And, in other news, I am pretty sure I like this bike. A lot.

Day 1 of Bentonville, at Slaughter Pens http://www.austinbike.com/index.php/16-ride-pictures/356-2019-bentonville-trip-slaughter-pens

Sorry, has the gear indicator.

I have abs old glowworm light that I have been using for 4-5 years+ at this point still works well. Handlebar only, nothing on the helmet, so I guess my eyes are better than most. I only ride WC at night and know the trails like the back of my hand, so light is not as critical. On the greenbelt I'd want more light. To me the biggest deal is the battery mounting. I keep the battery mounted to the bars but it has velcro and bangs around throughout the ride. I wish I had one that had the rubber straps as they seem to hold it in place better.

I’ll be doing it...in bentonville

Also includes the 11-speed chain.

Yeah, the Garmin 530 is $300 at REI and I have a coupon that will put it at $255 (without considering the rebate). So $200 for a used previous generation is a bit steep. Said the guy with the 11-speed drive train that nobody is biting on...

Was more interested in the 530 and have an REI discount that is good for a week from now, so don’t wait on me.

Just out of curiosity, does that mount fit a 35mm bar or a 31.8?

I have some Flow EX and MK3s and I like the MK3s, they have been solid.

My wife meditates every day and always tells me I need to try it. I tell her I already do every day, but I am in motion while I do it.

About once every 2-3 years. But if I don't replace the broken spoke immediately I will end up breaking additional ones. Every time you replace a spoke you need to check the tension on all of the remaining spokes.

Yep, that is what always kept me away from I9 and other fancy "better" wheels. To me better is about how quickly can I change a spoke and be back on the trail.

I am the same way in my 50's, though I am not sure that I would ever have been a "wheel breaker" with my riding style. For me the biggest challenge was wheels eventually coming out of true. Because of the size of tires these days, rim strikes are less likely. In my mind the best combo has been Chris King hubs, DT Swiss spokes, and Stan's rims. But if I had to build new wheels I'd probably opt for DT Swiss hubs because they are almost as tough at a fraction of the price. Is anyone else finding that trashed wheel rims are going the same way of broken frames? It seems like the old days of biking saw a broken frame and dozens of trashed wheels each month. Perhaps the manufacturers are getting better at building for our conditions.

That is just some bike designer's wet dream

I have broken one off the spindle but that was ten years ago, back when I was doing a lot of city park. My typical failure is after 3-4 years of abuse and is a spring failure or a bent clip. Always rideable after that, just make sure to pick the right side to clip in.

My new bike had the DT Swiss 1900 spline wheels. Counterintuitive, but the higher number are lower grade. Only had a few rides in but fine so far.