mack_turtle

when I left REI in 2015, they had just started making every store a warehouse. All of the stores' inventory is represented on the website, so when a customer orders something, the order shows up in every store that should have that item in stock. staff fill the order and ship it from the store to another store or to the customer's home. The first store to fill the order gets credit for the sale. I thought it was brilliant because it got inventory to move everywhere instead of just one place, and it kept the local stores busy. I'm not sure how that worked out long-term, but it appears to not have been enough.

I've been using oval chainrings for a while now. I switched back to see if it made a difference and I honestly can't tell. Some people swear they make a difference. When you need a new ring, there appear to be no downsides. There was a rumor that ovals wear out derailers faster, but that appears to be nonsense. It works on singlespeed, too, if the oval was made correctly.

There are dropper post triggers that will fit next to a left shifter. They're not very sexy, but if you want to keep your 2x setup, you can. However, getting a good deal on a 1x drivetrain is a good reason to ditch the front derailer and make room for a dropper trigger. REI downtown might still have mechanics, but it still blows my mind that they had to close the shop! installing those parts should not require any weird tools that I don't have, so I'd be happy to help out. it will give me something to do with the incoming rain. installing a dropper post is no more difficult than installing a regular seatpost plus a mechanical brake. considering the age of the bike, you might need one with the cable routed outside the frame, which is even easier. depending on the cranks, you can probably keep the cranks and just put a new chainring on and use the old BB. this would be a good opportunity to inspect the bearings and replace them as well, if needed. that's also something I can handle if some sort of weirdo press-fit BB is not involved. even then, I have a bearing press and drifts that I have not used yet.

I've probably said this before, but I learned more in my first month working as a bike tech at REI (downtown Austin) in 2013 than I had learned in my previous four years working in other bike shops (high-end tri and mtn shops that sold Trek, Cervelo, Cannondale, Scott, etc). Their methods are only as good as the practitioners, but the company sets a high standard for bike techs. Unfortunately, they under-use and under-pay the talent. The corporate-style practice did not allow for expanding labor in the shop to meet demand. When more people started bringing in bikes for repairs in May and June, the company did not put more hours on the schedule for the techs, so we started scheduling repairs 3–4 weeks out and beyond. (The bike shop where I worked before that had a guaranteed turnaround of two business days, and they kept staff busy to meet that every week.) in the meanwhile, the part-time techs were getting 12 hours a week in the shop and being put on front register duty or selling tents while paying customers' bikes lay around in the shop waiting for someone to work on them. it was maddening. The bike shop in downtown REI is very well equipped and stocked. The current lead bike tech seems like a good dude as well. sad to see so many missed opportunities. I have to wonder if they're keeping on on e-bike tech. it sounds like their refusal to challenge and pay qualified professionals what they're worth is biting them in the ass as a company. that's why I left, but that was over six years ago. I've taken those skills to fixing neighbors' bikes and Yellow Bike Project instead. can't let all that go to waste! related: https://thedaily.outdoorretailer.com/news/brands-and-retailers/rei-grapples-with-aging-membership-base/ I noticed some recent ads from REI that seem like a desperate attempt to get the attention of a younger and less-white audience. regardless of how it affects their bottom line, I hope it works to get those demographics outdoors more.

My future has something equally cool, but in the opposite direction from all the squishy bits and plastic. I just looked at the Ranger, and I cannot imagine in my wildest dreams ever obtaining the level of opulence to afford something like that.

Not much yet. I sold the Marino in February and the frame I am buying to replace it is not here yet. I've been without a mtb all this time. It's horrible! I made the choices that lead to this with my eyes open. Do not pity me.

I've been working at Yellow Bike every Thursday evening and I guarantee you they have one—probably half a dozen such stems. Stop by and visit when I'm there.

Saw this at Yellow Bike for $800. Size large. Brakes feel great, suspension probably needs some service. Size large frame. It's a little dated but very capable for XC around here.

I explored a little of it the last time I was out there but I was in the middle of a longer urban route on the gravel bike. So I only saw a tiny bit of it. It turns out there is some fun singletrack out there.

Sold!

I always check that, Facebook Marketplace, and Pinkbike first, naturally. No luck, which is why I came here next.

I'm setting up an old Redline Monocog as a dirt jumper. It needs a fork with an A–C measurement of 435-450. (Most 29er rigid forks are too long at 470+.) I checked everything at Yellow Bike and came up empty. Rigid would probably be better, but a stiff suspension fork would work too. Brake compatibility doesn't matter because I'm not putting a front brake on it. Straight steerer tube, regular old QR dropouts, please.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/hypershell/one-horsepower-ai-exoskeleton-powers-your-everyday-adventure-0 We should have seen this coming.

when was the last time you calibrated your torque wrench(es)? If you're not using a torque wrench at all, you're either fooling yourself to think that your wrist is calibrated, or you're riding with parts that are going to slip loose eventually or are on the verge of stripping out. I just did mine! pretty easy stuff. I did a few things a little different from the video above. I weighed the item I was using as a weight for the test. In my case, it was a pair of 10-pound dumbbells in a cloth bag for the foot-pound tool and a single 10-pound dumbbell in a cloth bag for the inch-pound tool. however, they don't really weigh exactly 10 pounds according to my kitchen scale (assuming that is accurate as well!) so I based the calculation on the weight that I got from the scale. when clamping the square end of the tool in the vice, the vice would twist a bit at full clamping force. to counteract that, I clamped the same size hex key in the other end of the vice. this is tricky with only two hands, but I get it to work.

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/gravel-vs-rigid-hardtail.1204534/page-4#post-15644143 This little narrative about option on a Corner Bar is really neat.

I might not have been in the scene long enough to know there's an old one.

this discussion is mostly about converting an old mtb, but that Ritchey Ascent looks incredible.

if you want to know what affect putting a shorter fork will have on your geometry, here's a simple calculator: https://bikegeo.muha.cc/ Here's a ridiculously complex calculator: https://madscientistmtb.com/bike-geometry-compare/

There's a lot more to it than gearing for sure. My mtb is usually singlespeed 32/20 with 29x2.4 or so tires. Gravel bike is noticably lighter with 650x47 tires and 38/17. I can absolutely smoke my mtb time on any non-technical climb (1826 south of Slaughter Creek Trail is a good example) on the gravel bike, even though the gearing is a lot higher.

I have the First Place Singlespeed hammer on my mantle. I was the only singlespeeder!

I rode the Texas Chainring Massacre on a Soma Juice one year and wrote about it here: https://sidewallthorn.blogspot.com/2016/12/the-versatile-soma-juice-steel-hardtail.html Sorry, the photos died. I'll try to fix that.

a lot of people do this with their older mtbs. definitely a fun idea for a bike that won't see technical terrain. three things to consider though: why drop bar? gravel bikes don't have to have a drop bar, and the obsession with drop bars is almost a fetish for some people. drop bars are great for aerodynamic gains and having a variety of hand positions for long rides. I don't think they help with climbing, and the aero gains probably don't mean much unless you're racing. a flat bar with bar ends or some kind of interesting alt-bar could be just as good. SQlabs "inner bar ends" are an interesting choice as well. if you go to a drop bar, you'll need to futz around with brakes and shifters quite a bit for it to work. pull ratios on mtn and road shifters and dreailers don't always play nice. you can make it work, but it might be a hassle. fit on a mountain bike is designed with a flat bar in mind, so the top tube is quite long. when you put a drop bar on that bike, the reach to the hoods and drop to the hooks is significantly longer. you'll need a shorter stem to make the fit feel reasonable, unless you're one of those gumby freaks who can fold at the waist and hold that position while pedaling for hours. The Surly Corner bar is one of the few options that will at least let you use your old controls and get a drop bar-like position.

Gearilla in the Mist

I was wondering why you were so concerned about theft. are you taking the bike to a theft-prone place? Are you going to leave it outside every night with a shoestring for a lock? common sense measures like using a good lock when you need it, and keeping the bike indoors and out of sight should keep any bike as safe as is practical. anyone who is really determined to steal a bike will find a way, but they're far more likely to go after the easiest target, even if it's a crappy bike. What are you brining?

two bikes is all you need. three if one is some sort of one-trick pony like a trials bike. there, I said it.