AustinBike

Transition makes great bikes. A friend of mine has 2 of them and I have been impressed with them. Can't talk you out of it. My only warning on smaller boutique brands vs. the big national brands (i.e. Trek, Specialized, Santa Cruz) is that if you run into warranty replacement issues, you'll be waiting longer for replacement. But that is probably a once in the bike's life issue. So If everything feels right with that bike, go for it knowing that somewhere down the line, if you need warranty work, it might take a little longer. But I would not let that possibility steer me away from the bike that is right for me.

The 6-pack also applies to the shop. Always reward good work. Thank god there is a liquor store next to BSS Guadalupe. They have really helped me out in a pinch more than once. When they say "just hang on, we can get this in a second" that is just enough time to run and get a sixer to leave in return for their work.

I support local shops for service (which is where they make a lot of their money). For buying commodity products like Stans, Chain lube and generic parts I prefer online because Amazon will have it at my house in 2 days for no charge. The number of times I've called around on a Tuesday afternoon and found the simple part I needed not on the shelves has convinced me that retailers stocking parts is a sucker's bet. Yeah, I've bought brake rotors locally at a 50% premium and was totally OK with it because I needed the part now and they had it on the shelf. But when you tell me you can get the part in 1 or 2 days we're done talking. I can get it cheaper online, delivered to my house. My last full bike build was bought local (with varying degrees of success.) The dynamics of retail in general have changed and most bike shops grapple with how this is impacting their business. Unfortunately most have not done an adequate job of catering to the "knowledgeable" class. They do great with newbies that need a lot of hand holding, but for those of us that know exactly what we are looking for, they fall short. Bought a SC Blur frame from your shop a few years ago when Clint was in service. I had come in for some simple part, got talking about the constant frame cracks on my bike and pretty soon he had me sold on a Blur frame. Dropped off the Knolly when the Blur showed up and he moved 95% of the parts over and I had an awesome bike, tuned perfectly and ready to go. When my Niner gives up the ghost I'd consider doing that again with another SC frame. But that is not a done deal as there are plenty of places to be competitive on the frame front. And I need to know and trust your techs. Jacob on Guadalupe is awesome, I'd work with him in a heartbeat (and I forget the other tech at that location, possibly Laura, who is also top notch but haven't seen her in a while). But there is another guy with your company that if I knew he worked on my bike I'd demand that the bike be repaired again before I even leave the shop. What makes shops great is not their retail selection, it is the techs in the back. Some shops have good ones, some shops have bad ones. I will buy based on the best deal unless time is an element. I am happy to pay a "convenience tax" or a "knowledge tax" with my purchases, but if I know as much (or more) than the person selling me that product, I am not going to pay the premium.

Generally you can do ~90% of the work yourself if you have average skills. That last 10% is something that can be handled by a shop. I bought a frame from someone once, built it completely up to the point where it was 98% done but I had a few nagging issues. Took it to BSS and for ~$50 the tuned it all up and made sure it was perfect. Money well spent. I am always a big fan of having an expert overlook my work in the areas where I am not as proficient - mostly in shock tuning and hydraulics.

I am in C Chicago right now but will be back on Tuesday morning, I can check then.

I have that same problem. Except my garage has a regular workbench (awesome sturdy one from when I moved in) and a smaller bike workbench. I end up with piles on both and once a month end up cleaning both off. That lasts about a day. More importantly I find that I now have multiple sets of tools, on each workbench.

What size do you need? I have an old Fox DHX 5.0 Air shock. Too big for my bike, the Float in the pic is there for reference, it is a 7.875" with a 2" stroke (I believe) and the DHX is a bit larger, maybe 1/4" or so. You're welcome to borrow it to play around with it if you'd like.

That looks like the cheap fan that I have now (floor standing). I could just find a cheap wall mount and try that before going down the path of a new fan. I have some options now.

That looks like a good solid product. This oscillating version is ~$220, but it is metal so I think it is a better investment than the cheaper plastic ones.

I took one of my Asia conference calls from the ride once. That is what mute is for 😉 did I’d have to stop and unmute once to answer a question but I still made the ride.

I feel wealthy just looking at them. So I am in.

Anyone have a goo line on wall-mounted fans? I have a spot that I would like to mount a fan and it is a bit out of the way (above the bikes), so a remote on the fan, one way or another, would be good.

Got a nice singlespeed ride today, should be in primo shape for Tuesday. In. Heavily.

My guess is that this is not an issue of cars vs. bikes, but an insurance issue with people that have a reason to be there vs. people who do not have a reason to be there. Churches are harder to sue, and UT has deep pockets that makes them a target.

A route through the pickle already exists. What we need are unlocked gates. I go through there all the time on weekdays, but on weekends it is usually locked.

I'll have to look for that one. First one was in 82, Poplar Creek in the suburbs of Chicago. Most of my dozen or so shows were Alpine Valley in East Troy, WI. And tapers did tape.

Years ago City Park was my go-to spot in wet weather. It was good 24 hours after a rain. I even rode it in the rain once (caught halfway through a ride). But a lot has changed since then. The motos tear it up (it is their trail) and it now ends up with more water on the trail and wet spots than before. These days CP drains about as well as WC. I would not ride it unless it has 3+ days of sunshine based on the conditions that we have had over the past month.

Haters gonna hate and tapers gonna tape. I can't believe you missed out on that one man, you're slipping.

Muddy Martha

I have a Kona unit that is my new urban bike. Perfect single speed at 36:14. Did 40miles yesterday and plan to do some more today as I patiently wait for the trails to dry. Get some pavement today because the rain is coming back tomorrow.

Actually, over the years I have found that RHR values money over trails. They always tell me "trails are fine, come on out" and then it turns into a muddy slog. I think they would tell people to come out in the middle of the flood if they thought they could make money. I'll pass.

There was work happening on a Saturday morning.

Man, it needs to stop raining. Look what we have resorted to....

This is the creek crossing just south of 38th on Shoal Creek. Turn around, don't drown. While I could have ridden through it, all it takes is a little hydroplaning and I am sitting on the rocks.

I think pickle connector is a sex move. Afraid to google it.