What happened to the Grassroots Pedalsports thread?

In reply to barefootskater (Shaun) :

The Ruby is a women's specific design from specialized, the reality is if it is comfortable then that is all that matters. The differences back then were very minor, maybe a bit more padding here or there and the branding/graphics. Don't replace it because of that! Replace it if it doesn't work for you after spending some quality time on it, in my experience that style of specialized saddle is pretty comfy. If the graphics bug you (now that you know lol) some acetone will likely take them off.

So I asked some mountain bike guys I trust which shop to go to and went there. They had some sweet flats in a yellow almost identical to the bike. But not for $56. And they didn't have anything cheaper. So I went to another place called the Bicycle Collective that I know does used gear and charity stuff. Come build a few bikes for the homeless shelter and you can pick out parts for your own bike in exchange, basically. But they have all kinds of parts and stuff for sale. Had a set of used bmx flats with plastic cleats for $5. That's more my style. 
Pedals on, air up. The shifters are a new experience. The brake levers move sideways?? It'll take some getting used to.
 

I can see why folks spend so much on lightweight components. this thing is so easy to go fast on. I like it. Imma go over it again tomorrow and wash it down, then I think I'll ride it to work saturday. My last bike was decent and I could make the trip in 18 if I pushed. I'm a little  more out of shape now but I bet I can match that without difficulty. Now to see if I can find my helmet in the basement. Also very yellow. 

That things is a score at $150 imo. Ultegra is Shimano's second from top group set even if it is a bit of mismash, it should work well. What front derailleur does it have on it? Mavic made nice wheels plus a Campy headset and Pinarello is a pretty historic brand.

I'd personally plan on plan on recabling before too long and maybe rewrapping the bars. Also give the carbon fork a very careful look over for any cracks at all.

About an hour seat time and I do not like the saddle. Also the chain is either a link short or the mishmash of parts is causing an issue, but I learned yesterday morning that if I have it in high range on the front set that I can't put it in the lowest rear gear or things bind and it won't shift. Took some figuring on the side of the road but I was able to force it into low range and the rest of my commute was without issue. 
 

Also I've heard that aluminum frames offer a harsher ride and I can confirm. Not helped by the ill-fitting seat. 

Not being able to "crosschain" is a curse of road bike derailleur systems from old.  The short cage of the rear derailleur makes for snappy gear changes, kinda like a short throw shifter in a street car, but it means you don't have enough travel or chain length to allow for sloppy riding practice.  Usually a chain the perfect length will be just on the edge of binding up on the big/big combo, and slapping around loose in the little/little.  You have to get a feel for when you are approaching a "changeover" gear situation.  Usually it's because the hill got steeper on you, and you drop two gears harder in the back and back off the power for a second to shift the front down to the small ring.

The bike itself is pretty sweet, and a somewhat rare bird.  I don't remember seeing any aluminum Pinarello road bikes in the flesh.  I used to race on an old steel one (ca 1992), and they were just starting to go carbon on the high end bikes as I finished racing.  There wasn't a big window where they made full aluminum frames.  I'm willing to bet if the cables will reach you'll be more comfortable with that stem flipped over. It would raise the bars up about an inch on what looks to be a pretty small frame.

So I walked into a bike store and accidentally came out with this. 
 

I rode a rigid Stumpjumper until 2007, when I went to a full suspension Rocky Mountain ETSX. I've been riding that ever since. All of my knobby tires since my first mountain bike in 1987 have been 26" as Gary Fischer intended. Heck, I haven't had a bike with no front derailleur since I sold my Raleigh Chopper as a kid.

I saw this thing at the local gear exchange and decided there was a hole in my life shaped like an all carbon featherweight 29" hardtail. It's a Bianchi Methanol SL of unknown vintage with some upgrades including a shock built here in Grand Junction. It has the opposite of a dropper seat post, all in the name of light.

Good lord, I'd forgotten how well a hardtail climbs. This thing is no beginner bike, with a head tube angle that is built to turn. But man, it climbs like there's a rocket motor under the seat and all the muscle memory from decades of riding a rigid came right back. It's like driving a Lotus Seven.  I'll want the ETSX for the technical trails but I think it's time to set some single track on fire. I'm in love. 

my new purchase is older then me, but it's purple and I tryed to buy it a year ago with no luck!

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Gary Fisher was one of the early adopters of 29er's helping push WTB to make the first mountain bike tire in that size way back in the late 90's and bringing bikes to the mass market in the early 2000's.

Cool bike, if you find it's a bit too twitchy or want to mix it up that would make for a good gravel/monstercross bike down the road. That's what I've done with my "Trek" Gary Fisher Edition Paragon 29 er and it's a blast.

In reply to dropstep :

Perfect lines on that thing!

In reply to adam525i :

I didn't follow Gary after he sold his company :) I got my Fisher AL-1 in 1989 and it was on 26" wheels. Use John Tomac if you prefer. Or one of the guys from Mt Tam. Mountain bikes have always had 26" wheels to me.

I'm ok with a responsive bike. If I wanted a slug I'd ride a big squishy downhiller. I've put in the hours to learn how to ride, and this thing is making me use those skills. I like that. The previous owner was a Bianchi-sponsored racer, it's got that feel.

We have some of the world's best single track here, so riding gravel doesn't make sense unless you're heading for the trailhead :) I didn't buy this to make it into something else, I bought it because of what it is and I am very much enjoying what it is. 

I've had a passing interest in moutain biking for a while but could never talk myself into actually doing it. Late last season a friend of mine got back into it after taking a break for a few years and that was enough motivation for me to give it a try earlier this year. Another friend had just refinished his neighbor's old trek 820 xc bike and he sold it to me for cheap to be able to try it out without spending real money on a bike. I figured at worst even if I hated mountain biking I could use a new beater bike. Of course I ended up liking it and eventually started to enjoy seeing just how much stuff I could stuff the crappy old 26" bike (with rim brakes) through, but it was slow, pretty sketchy, and there was some stuff it just wouldn't do, or at least it felt like it. So after a few test rides of friends' bikes, I decided I liked big tires but didn't love full on fat bikes, and full suspension was nice but not worth the 50-100% extra cost, and about a month ago this followed me home for only a little bit more than I should have paid for it:

2018 trek stache. The thing I really like about it is that they managed to fit big boy 29x3.0 tires on it but it's not any wider than a normal bike. Actually by my measurement, the pedal-pedal width is actually a couple mm narrower than the 820. Last weekend I finally got around to doing the tubeless conversion which is the only thing it was really missing. The bike is just awesome, it's certainly a lot better than me at this point, I need to work on being less scared and also get better at cardio.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I  am having trouble wrapping my mind around a mtb having a fixed post.

In reply to 93EXCivic :

Weight. A carbon tube is a lot lighter than an aluminum post inside a tube with a clamp. Cross country racing doesn't involve screwing around with the seat that much, I assume, and this thing is built to run.

Apparently I can amputate the tube and use a 31.6mm post. I've never owned a mtb with a dropper so I have never been in the habit of moving my seat anyhow.

I'd love to talk to the previous owner. It's seen some upgrades over the years, such as the 1x10 drivetrain (I see marks from a front derailleur in the past) and that front fork. I need to get it on the scales, it's almost creepy light. The frame is a work of art.

I've found that moving faster than about 14 MPH over time on my bike wears me the hell out, and the guys I ride with on drop bar road bikes are able to just cruise. I don't think this is a fitness thing. After researching a bit, my bike seems to have been set up more for cyclocross or something by the previous owner. If I could revert it back to a different gear set, that might help.

Here is the ride:


I'm looking into getting an actual road bike and seeing how that goes.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

I get why it was done. But personally I can't imagine having a mountain bike where I have no option of lowering the seat post even with just a QR clamp.

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

Post a pic of your bike, I'm betting there are other things that could be improved before the gearing that will make a bigger difference unless you are feeling spun out just trying to keep up. Stuff like E36 M3ty tires or a poor tune up can really slow you down and keep you working harder to stay with the group. Drafting technique can make a world of difference, if everyone else is glued to each others wheels and you are half a bike length back and offset you are going to struggle. A proper roadbike though is very good at efficiently moving at speed on a smooth surface and that may be the right answer depending on your current ride.

69 (hehe) average cadence sounds a little on the low side so you might be more of a grinder than a spinner and suffering because of that. That lower cadence might just be where you are as a rider as well, more time in the saddle tends to bring that number up a bit more as your cardio improves. These are all just general observations from across the internet though so may not be the case at all.

In reply to 93EXCivic :

Probably why I got such a screaming deal on it :) It's just too weird for most people.

adam525i said:

In reply to Brett_Murphy (Agent of Chaos) :

Post a pic of your bike, I'm betting there are other things that could be improved before the gearing that will make a bigger difference unless you are feeling spun out just trying to keep up. Stuff like E36 M3ty tires or a poor tune up can really slow you down and keep you working harder to stay with the group. Drafting technique can make a world of difference, if everyone else is glued to each others wheels and you are half a bike length back and offset you are going to struggle. A proper roadbike though is very good at efficiently moving at speed on a smooth surface and that may be the right answer depending on your current ride.

69 (hehe) average cadence sounds a little on the low side so you might be more of a grinder than a spinner and suffering because of that. That lower cadence might just be where you are as a rider as well, more time in the saddle tends to bring that number up a bit more as your cardio improves. These are all just general observations from across the internet though so may not be the case at all.

See his pictures about 1/2 way down page 7.  
The important specs below.
2019 Trek FX Sport 4. 
700c wheels with new Maxxis Speedterrane 33c tires 
11-48 alloy 10spd cassette
-New Wolftooth 42t dropstop 1x chainring

I have not looked thru all the posts but if you have not already changed out the tires I would start there.

https://www.maxxis.com/us/tire/speed-terrane/

The Maxxis Speed Terrane is a semi-slick cyclocross tire perfect for those dry early season races that feature lots of grass

 42x11 on 33's at 69RPM should give you a max speed of about 21 MPH so I don't think the gearset is the biggest issue. 

moxnix said: 42x11 on 33's at 69RPM should give you a max speed of about 21 MPH so I don't think the gearset is the biggest issue. 

Fair, It's likely more of a fitness issue since I can't spin in that gear very well. Also, the gaps between the three fastest gears seem to be stepped far apart.

I never even use the 48 tooth gear, even on steep climbs. I'm going slow enough in that gear that the bike is barely moving.

Oddly enough, I just picked up a set of new tires- Bontrager H2s, since they were in stock. They're also hybrid tires, but they're a bit smoother and narrower.

That's a nice ride but if you are riding with others with similar fitness on road bikes you are going to suffer. The flat bars and more upright riding position will have you catching more wind than those around, as speeds go up that will be a bigger and bigger issue.  

One tooth makes a bigger difference on the small rings over the bigger ones, you could move to a 44 or 46 on the front (might require a new chain as well) to put you in the middle of the cassette more. If it were me (and you've already suggested this) I'd start looking for a road bike if that is the sort of riding you are doing. I wouldn't sell the current bike though if you have some bike paths and multi use trails to ride, it's fun to mix it up with different terrain and that bike is more versatile than a road bike will be.

In reply to Keith Tanner :

Also the carbon post like that rather limits the adjustment to fit different heights. Probably doesn't help with resale. 

adam525i said:

I wouldn't sell the current bike though if you have some bike paths and multi use trails to ride, it's fun to mix it up with different terrain and that bike is more versatile than a road bike will be.

Right on. I plan on keeping the FX because it's a good city bike, and it's done well on the gravel rides we've done.
If I could borrow a road bike from a friend, I'd try it out before I bought, but everybody is way taller or shorter than I am. I'm a 56cm road bike, but the other guys are 52 or 61 cm. If they were 54 or 58, it might work, but the size gap is just too big.

16 minute commute today. The long way, too. Still need a new saddle. 

In reply to 93EXCivic :

No question. I did come across the directions on seat post amputation in the documentation, for those who want more adjustability or for secondary owners. It also says something like "measure carefully and double check because it's more fun than buying a new frame" (only with more Italian inflection) when setting the cut height. 

I realized I wanted my seat 1/4" higher and while that's possible with the seat clamp, it wanted to slide down until it bottomed out once I started bouncing around. I was using the specified fastener torque which is pretty low because I didn't want to crush anything. 

A couple of minutes in Fusion, an hour on the printer and the problem is solved. That's an 8mm spacer and an extra 4mm one that slides into it. I can lift the seat up to 12mm before I'm at the limit, but the 8mm proved to be perfect. 

Just got back from another ride. This thing accelerates under you like a road bike. I am very much enjoy. 

Held air but not for long

So now new tires and pedals