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Why I Don’t Like Press-fit Bottom Brackets (bike tips for rookies)
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Today, I will share another observation of mine regarding bottom brackets. I’ve always been direct when it comes to bike topics and will just say it – I don’t like press-fit bottom brackets. Why? Keep reading, and you will find out. But because I want my posts to be maximally…
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Decoding a Common Bottom Bracket Label (bicycle knowledge)
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends What’s up? I hope you’re having a nice Sunday. Today, I am going to tackle a slighty niche issue. If you have scrutnized a newer entry-level bottom bracket, you might have seen a sign saying “Do Not Disassemble”. Back in the day, this was a rarity but it’s fairly common…
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Tool Bottles For The Win…(bike tips)
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Long time no see. But luckily, I am back with another post. I won’t get into excessive detail why I skipped the last week. Let’s just say that life hasn’t been ideal lately. But do you know what’s ideal? Tool bottles. Yeah, right. They are awesome and IMO better than…
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Three Years Later, I Still Prefer Downtube Shifters….
from Rookie’s keyboards I received an e-mail from a reader asking me whether he should replace his downtube shifters (DT shifters) with something more modern or one of those bar-end versions that go into the handlebars. While I have nothing against modern shifters and bar-ends, I personally wouldn’t bother. I actually enjoy the downtube shifters…
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Shifting Issues In The Middle
from Rookie’s keyboard Happy Sunday, friends Today, I’m going to talk about a very common problem, namely – inadequate mid-gear shifting. When that happens the derailleur shifts fine when the chain is on the smallest or largest cogs at the back, but the shifting in the middle of the cassette is quite poor. Possible Sources…
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A Possible But Weird Fork Swap
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Yesterday a client came with a retro road bike (the type I’d normally like) and started asking for “modernization”. Initially I thought that he’d want STI style shifters on it, but he actually asked for a modern “carbonique” (that’s what I heard due to his accent) fork. I tried to…
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Shimano Alivio Is My Favorite “Universal Warrior”
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Another day, another post on rookie journal. Today, I’ll talk about one of my favorite Shimano series, namely – Alivio. Why do I like that little monster so much? Three reasons: 1) it’s robust 2) it’s cheap 3) it’s universal. Most people get the first two, but the third one…
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I Detest Quick-Release Seat Post Clamps (honesty inside)
from Rookie’s keyboards Hello, friends First, let me apologize for not posting an article for about a week. I had to work away from my hometown and lost my rhythm. But I’m back. Today, I will tell you a preference of mine that might shock you. I honestly detest quick-release seat post clamps, and always…
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Don’t Hate Your New Saddle (yet)
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends The other day, a customer came to return a saddle because it was “too uncomfortable”. That’s not something revolutionary, of course. It happens fairly frequently. However, sometimes people are unaware that leather saddles have a break-in period. Meanwhile, non-leather saddles are a “what you feel is what you get” type…
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How I Made My Own Bullhorn Handlebars For Super Cheap (photos inside)
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends A while back I realized that I barely use the drops on my road bike except for one short descent on the way home. Most of the time, I ride with my hands on the flat or curved part of the bars. Truth be told, this wasn’t always the case.…