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As a biker, I hate crushed limestone
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends The other day I decided to try a new commute path. You have to try new things in life, right? Otherwise, you risk staying the same for way too long. Well, sometimes those new things aren’t all that exciting. A large section of my new route ended up being crushed…
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Bike Theory For Dummies: Aggressive Handlebars Battle (part 1)
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends What’s up? In this episode of Bike Theory For Dummies (BTFD), I will compare the two most common handlebars from the “agressive category”, namely bullhorns (BHs) and drop bars (DBs). Upfront, I’ll tell you that I prefer BHs for “aggressive commuters” and DBs for racing. Let’s go. Hand Positions Standard…
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Don’t Convert TT Bikes (keep their soul)
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends Today is a big day for me. I am quitting my warehouse job and plan to work as a full-time bike mechanic after my 30 day notice. Yes, that’s right. I gotta be honest. I won’t miss the scent of cardboard and machinery inside my lungs. But I will miss…
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When The Asymmetry Of Panniers Creates Issues…
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends I have a confession to make. I don’t like panniers for day-to-day commuting. I couldn’t care less what others think. This issue? Well, they are just too damn….big and very often you end with asymmetrical load that messes with your bike’s handling. When you put one pannier on a bike…
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Why I Like Seat Post Shims (+ a hack)
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends It’s been a rough day, but somehow I managed to get back home fairly early. This gives me the privilege to write another informative post for your favorite (hopefully) site known as rookie journal. Today, I will tell you why I am a fan of a little accessory known as…
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A Big Rookie Mistake When It Comes To Rim Brakes
from Rookie’s Keyboard Hello, friends Today, I saw something I never though I will. A customer came to bike shop asking why his rear brake is “so weak and weird”. One look is all I needed to identify a major rookie mistake. The issue was that the had a V-brake at the back coupled with…
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Bike Theory For Dummies: Know Your Brake Pads
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Ok. It’s time for another educational post in my lunch break. This time I will share with you an important distinction that you have to make when it comes to V-brakes and cantilevers. To the untrained eye, both types look similar. That’s not surprising. After all, they are both rim…
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I am not a fan of 24 spoke wheels…but they aren’t the worst.
from Rookie’s keyboard Hello, friends I hope you had a great weekened. Mine was…well acceptable. Today, a customer asked me about “24 spoke wheels”, and I told him the truth – they are ok, but kinda overrated and non-needed, at least from my perspective. Almost pointless? There are two advantages of 24s wheels – they…
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Explaining The “Lazy” Front Derailleur Phenomenon
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends Another busy day. This morning I got a bit of backpain from working at the warehouse and repairing the two bikes that I had on my line was…less than ideal. But I managed. On the positive side, one of the repairs gave an idea for a new post (writing this…
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Carbon Bars’ “Comfort Effect” Is Overrated (sorry)
from Rookie’s keyboard, Hello, friends What’s up? I decided to write an evening post inspired by another customer from the bike shop where I work part-time. A man came looking for carbon handlebars to “soften the ride”. Honestly, I wasn’t exactly surprised, but I also have to be honest – I am not a fan…