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mack_turtle

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Posts posted by mack_turtle

  1. I've been off the bike since January 1 this year with a shoulder injury. Riding any bike in any configuration is agony... until now.

    As I'm working my way through rehab, this is my new ride.

    PXL_20240322_160223529.PORTRAIT.thumb.jpg.3464f6577473959ea13d7bcfc4990bee.jpg

    IMG_20240322_111415_640.thumb.jpg.c595ea3adc2c7b12c6bf025a2807e4d7.jpg

    Built around a Univega beach cruiser I found at Yellow Bike, I ditched most of the parts and started over. I had to buy the bottom bracket adapter cups and a shim for the handlebar, so I've spent less than $25 on it.

    • Like 6
  2. 56 minutes ago, Ridenfool said:

     

    How many "standard" freehubs are there? this is tricky and I think it makes sense that freehubs are not interchangeable. otherwise, I can think of four: HG, Microspline, XD, and Campy. Four is not a lot, if that's what you are thinking.

    Which "standard" seatpost diameter does your bike have? Oh? Mine is the other standard. I can think of four sizes that cover 99% of the bikes out there (aero bikes notwithstanding): 27.2, 30.9, 31.6, and 34.9. personal opinion: four is not excessive, and some of those will might out over time.

    Handlebars have at least two "standard" mounting diameters. two is not a lot, but you forgot 25.4 and 26 for old road bikes. 22.2 for BMX. still, two is all you need to worry about for mountain bikes, and one of those mis-matches can be easily solved with a shim.

    Drivetrains cover a plethora of the "standard" number of gears, shifter/derailer combos that cannot be mixed between brands, chains are in many varieties, an abundance of cassette mounting options, etc. Drivetrains require practically arcane knowledge in order to assure buying the part that will work. CUES is one attempt to solve this. I also wonder why these are not a little more simple to mix.

    Brakes have at least two "standard" mountings for rotors, as well as proprietary brake/shifter combo mounts. Mineral oil or DOT? two standards for each of those interfaces doesn't seem like a problem to me. 6-bolt or CL, post-mount or flat mount, mineral oil or DOT. it's not difficult to navigate.

    Axle types. How many unique ones are currently found in production based upon the "standard" dimensions? are you talking about how the thru-bolt attaches to the frame and fork dropouts? I haven't found there are really as many different ones as you might think. it would be nice if they would simplify that a bit, though.

    Buying a replacement rear wheel is very complicated due to all the options that must be accounted for. Freehub type, hub width, brake rotor mounting, rim width, wheel diameter, etc. naturally. we have choices, but compatibility is not the same thing as options. 

    Yes, the industry is "incredibly" standardized. 🙄

    The rate of development in bicycles really does not lend itself to standardization in many cases. However, with batteries it might be possible to have two or three standard sizes based on a common dimension for mounting, and contacts, varying by amp hour capacity and which share a common firmware/BCM/communication/charging standard.

    notes.

  3. I agree that the trend does lean toward standards of one sort or another. there are often a few different standards, but you don't see every single bike company making its own specific size seatpost, bottom bracket, hub sizes, etc. new standards arise, but they are few and far between. the same could be done for mounting batteries and motors. IIRC, boost spacing was a collaboration with Trek and ... SRAM? the UHD is another example. If a heavy-hitter like Shimano or Bosch worked with Specialized, Giant, or Trek, the others would follow suit and we would have something that more closely resembles a "standard" within a few short years. I don't know why bike manufacturers keep shooting themselves in the foot.

    • Like 1
  4. I don't plan on leaving my neighborhood that day. a bunch of schools have closed because the traffic will be so nuts. I feel bad for people stuck on the highways in Hill Country.

  5. Get the most out of the tires. If they don't have enough bite but still have enough rubber to be functional, down-cycle them until bald.

    When tires are really gone, Yellow Bike recycles them. Recycling tires, as you probably know, is a hassle.

  6. https://www.mtbatx.com/bigassride2024

    April 20, 2024 - 8:00 AM

    Rainout Date: April 27

     

    This is a social ride around South Austin Trail Network (SATN) focused on the east theatre, open to everyone, with no registration, entry fee or donation required… this is just for fun!  

    There are 2 routes totaling 42 miles: a 16-mile loop with Mary Moore Searight as the most westerly point. Or the full big east loop of 26 miles. 

    This event is organized by volunteers from the SATN community and sponsored by Fast Friends Beer.

    The purpose of the Big Ass Ride is to share the joy of The South Austin Trail Network. Not only the 130 miles of single track, but also the fantastic SATN community of mountain bikers!

    Schedule
    8:00 AM: Ride begins; please be ready to roll at this time. Do Not start early!

    12:00 PM:  Food, Brew, and prize drawing (sponsors announced soon).

    Location
    Fast Friends Beer313 N Interstate 35 Frontage Rd NB
    Austin, TX 78744

    Routes TBA? I don't know, I'm out of the loop and just copy-paste stuff from the website. Im mostly stoked that I might be back on the bike in time to join, and Fast Friends is my current favorite spot in Austin for drinks and food.

    • Like 2
  7. anyone have neck injury stories to share, especially if they relate to local healthcare providers?

    three years ago I noticed pain in my shoulder and left arm. I went to PT off and on for a year while they treated it as a shoulder injury, and thought it was resolved. then it came back hard. more PT with Airrosti gets relief for a week or maybe two months, but it comes back. I finally got an MRI this past summer and confirmed that the narrow passage where the nerves exit my spinal cord around C7 and down my left arm has spurs that pinch the nerve. my left arm is often sore and weak. I've had to end many bike rides early and skipped a few rides and events because I don't want to show up for something and then just hobble home in pain. I ended my NYD ride after about 30 minutes because I almost crashed in a rock garden when my left arm turned to jelly.

    I had a steroid injection the past summer, which got me through a few months pain-free. the pain came back in December and was unbearable by New Years. I rode last on Dec. 31 and Jan. 1 and haven't touched my bike since. I had a second steroid injection on Jan. 10, which did absolutely nothing for me. I managed to get an appointment with a neurosurgeon next week to discuss more drastic options. from what I've read, this becomes a problem for some people after 50 or 60, not 42!

    it sounds like the problems I experience come from either inflammation, or structural bone issues. inflammation can be treated with PT and anti-inflammatories. bone-spur pinching means surgery—probably the kind where they root out the opening in the bone and maybe replace a disc if it's herniated, but not the kind where they fuse vertebrae together with screws and plates. yikes!

  8. On 8/30/2023 at 9:04 AM, throet said:

     Finally got around to getting a sleep study, which confirmed moderate Obstructive Sleep Apnea. Anybody studied this extensively? I feel somewhat like I'm falling into yet another trap of our US healthcare system, which is to over treat everything. 

    Late reply, but I did a sleep study and found that I have mild apnea. Several of the men in my family suffer as well. Instead of a cpap machine, I put a 1" long piece of medical tape vertically cross my lips each night. It seals my lips shut so I can't snore, and breathe exclusively through my nose. Sounds too simple but it has worked for me for the past year. I also haven't had my usual bout of cedar fever (yet), so we'll see how that goes.

    • Like 1
  9. I'm experimenting with flat bar gravel again. Anyone have a flat 31.8mm clamp bar in the 680-700mm range? I checked Yellow Bike and they have a handful of really nice wide bars that I would not feel good about chopping down, and the rest are itty bitty bars that have already been chopped down to useless width by hipsters (says the guy trying to convert a drop-bar bike to a flat bar!).

  10. 17 hours ago, RedRider3141 said:

    ...but then I came across this over the weekend, I didn't realize the depth of proprietary parts that are being created for e-Bikes. Hopefully as the technology matures you'll see no more than a few different standards come up for charges, motors, batteries, etc. 

    this is the kind of thing that makes me want to go full old man shaking fist at cloud rant. all these companies know exactly what they are doing, and they don't care. they will trot out a yearly sustainability report full of greenwashed nonsense. most of those batteries will end up in a landfill. a few of them will get tossed in municipal recycling bins, where they will start fires that injure workers and damage facilities (yes, this happens all time). I'd be curious to know how many of them are properly recycled. recycling is one of the least impactful ways to reduce waste, but for things like this, the damage has already been done and it's the best way.

    • Like 2
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