Bikes-bikes-bikes

L.A.M.E.

2012-01-17T10:43:00.000+08:00

Coffee's out!
Email's "send and receive" still vomiting out the load of crap from the server while Im typing this.....

Guess this will be one of my morning rants...

It just seems rife in many forums these days that the all the rage about building up an AM bike is how light it would get.

Not a new phenomenon for sure but its getting into even those places where weight is not so much a concern with riders. Some are valid as they race hard and are pretty smooth riders to know how to balance lighter weight components with finesse on a bike.

While I don't weenie but neither do I add useless bricks of a component to my bike. But come on... let's get real, tell me what kind of a ride are you expecting out of a 6" front/ rear travel sub 12kg. You gonna treat it like some long legged XC chicken rig... Extra travel is there just because everyone else has it these days?

Pretty sure some would really like to stand out with a new category by themselves since its all the talk about their bling light weight bike and it doesn't matter if they have actually ever put a leg over the saddle.. I dislike categorising as if there isn't enough confusion in mtb by now... but do have a proposal though.... L.A.M.Ers

Errr... no puns intended ;-)

LightAllMountainEquipment.rider

Lubing Chains

2012-01-16T00:37:00.000+08:00

One long term review on BikeRumor I had been following with interest is the 9 vs 10 speed system... and I wanted to ask if all the test riders started out on the same footing...thinking that those who had not degreased their new chain prior to putting it on would be seeing more wear. Now I'm beginning to have doubts. No, not about the 9 or 10 speed chains but my whole possibly wrong ideas for the last few years.

When knowledge accumulates and we think we know better, it gets really hard to put off what we have "learned" as something that has been wrong. But on reading THIS, I concur with on many of the things said, after being able to shake off a lot of my preconceived "learned" ideas. Gonna go back and do what I used to do with the next new chain. Leave it with the factory grease intact and see how long it will last.

What happened
Something about bicycle chains has been bugging me for the last 2.5 years.. They seemed to be stretched way before their lifespan is due on my 9 spd drivetrains. I was averaging 6-9 months on one chain that while not religiously cleaned but are subjected to at least a total degreasing with solvent 2 months on average. Mileage are mostly weekend ridings... something is very wrong somewhere

I attribute that to

Change of brand (previously only use XT and XTR and KMC chains) to SRAM 971 chains which I find shifts better than Shimano or KMC thinking that it was due to the slightly thinner SRAM width and hence it stretch faster
Pulling a heavy bike AM bike, hence chains stretch faster, previously most of my bikes were relatively light XC rigs
Repeated chain growth from rear suspension (in earlier days, all my XC bikes were hardtails)

In the past a new chain was never degreased before putting on. Then I somehow found out about the great debate on whether to leave or remove the factory grease from a new chain. Decided to follow the "removal" camp which coincided with the switch to SRAM chains. That's where my woes began....

This was coupled to the fact that with a factory grease-removed chain... the initial usage leave it much cleaner, leading to the perception of being "better". Other than the reduced lifespan, another problem that crop up was rust... especially after repeated washing after every ride during the rainy season. That was hardly ever a problem in the past even if I don't relube the chain after hosing down. The only downside of chains back then is that it sure leaves a lot more gunk really fast around the jockey wheels and cogs. Ok that is probably one of the reason why I religiously degrease new chains....

Like in the article link, I realized that chains fely a lot looser after degreasing and repeated degreasing and there were a couple of chains taken off when bikes were dismantled which i wanted to re-use. Within a year 2 of them which had the factory grease removed were so seriously seized and kinked up in a rigor mortis state that they just had to be thrown out.. There are some old chains that were left in my storage which did not have the factory grease removed and much dirtier when taken off but still perfectly alright.

With the mindset deeply entrenched that a degrease new chain is better, it just never occurred to think back to the past experiences like the XTR chain on old Cannondale F3000 that lasted 3000km and it was not even worn to the point that a new chain was needed. Just that I sold the bike and never got to find out how long more it lasted the new owner....

It became a vicious circle of cleaning and not questioning when chains lasted a mere fraction of what they used to. Rather I keep finding "reasons" like those attributed to above.... and blame it on everything else.

If I had chanced upon the late Sheldon Brown's article poking fun at religious chain cleaning fanatics, that might have given me a clue not to embark on my "new" found way of maintenance then. On a more serious note there is a separate article from him as well as one of the biggest chain manufacturer in the world, KMC, that explicitly said not to remove the factory grease on new chains in this article here

One of the chief argument that got me to remove the grease from a new chain is that the thick grease will trap all sorts of sand and grit which is what will wear out the chain fast! No doubt with the thicker grease in there.. this buildup is fast but now thinking back to each time I degrease a chain, new or used, it doesn't take very long before it is also trapping all the nitty gritty trail stuff, but just that now there is a lot less grease on the pins and rollers which means its actuallywearing down a lot faster!!!

This is like enlightenment all of a sudden! I just snap out of it and while its probably too late to save the existing chain... let's see how the next will hold up. If it lasts at least a year or cover 2-3 times over my present mileage on chains used in the last couple of years...I'll be cussing at all the $$$ wasted during these time for no good reason on chains that need not be changed and solvents that need not been bought.

A little bit of air...

2012-01-15T03:33:00.000+08:00

After watching countless vids , its beginning to get to me... "Just how do these fellas whip". Well there's always a first for everything... pretty half assed attempt. Still this would probably be one of my better poser pic as a wannabe...

...weather's still pretty crazy with this second consecutive La Nina in as many years. Blistering hot in the day and now I'm typing at 4am in the midst of some megadeath storm front... hmmm Guess more "ponding' at Liat Tower in the morning. Goodnite Folks!

DSP Bighorn: DIY Anti-muck Guard

2012-01-08T03:02:00.000+08:00

As mentioned in the earlier review posting, preventing mud and grit getting into the cavity of the Bighorn looks simple enough due to the shape and design of the post head.

Pic below is pretty self explanatory.
Material used: Old inner tube cut to size and a velcro (could have just use another ring cut of inner tube but I was too lazy to pull out the post to loop it through)

While it won't win any award from the Ministry of Aesthetics but everything is neatly wrapped up without any ugly bulging. Its very possible to modify the design here slightly with a groove in future generation of this post to accept a piece of soft plastic to cover up the cavity...

Raining everywhere on the island now... no better time to test out this DIY.

...Gone RIDING

Sun 8 Jan
Update
Not muddy but pretty wet. Enough grit and sand was sprayed up to the seatpost. Everything looks good and well protected. No irritating bits getting in and grinding with movable parts within the cavity housing the actuation pin.

DSP Bighorn Adjustable Seatpost...

2012-01-06T22:10:00.011+08:00

Package dropped......The pre-release Bighorn Adjustable Seatpost from DSP Racing is finally here and in some really impressive packaging too!

Having owned multiple adjustment seat posts, expectation of any new adjustable post is high. It may seem to be picking bones but the cost of such components are not cheap and the smallest bit failing means a lot of annoyance and frustration when using and or dealing with warranty returns.

Initially from pictures on the website, it look like a chimera of 2 other in the market. But there are some interesting features mentioned like the "sensitive valve control" and their much highlighted saddle clamping/adjustability design that caught my attention. In any case having owned and still using the Dueler shock and their Ti springs, my expectations has been on the high side even before it arrived... a long term review of the Dueler on my EG will be done soon...

Visually...
Although some parts may look similar to some other posts in the market but on seeing the actual thing, the Bighorn is in a class of its own. A very stiff and beefy piece with a solid dust seal and yes, the much mentioned head clamp.

Massive and intricately machined to accept the actuation mechanism and lever. Once cable is tightened, nothing protrudes out of it. In this regard I already have in mind a simply mod to mud-proof the cavity without resorting to some ugly lump of anti-gunk covering.

No extra tiny bits but everything is contained within the one piece post... only need to thread the shifter cable through. No guessing and approximating how much cable is needed to get the correct tension. Very easy to install compared to other brands of hydraulic posts used.

The link between the name Bighorn and the clamp design is pretty obvious. for me, it conjures up image of golden scarabs, pharoahs and pyramids....

Collar seal looks to be good, wider and higher than most other posts. That should help keep most of the grit and water out. Air pressure guide is included in the instruction manual. Mine came as per specifications at 100psi under ambient temperature. Stanchion size is of a slightly larger diameter compared to at least 2 other brands. I would think bigger confers more stiffness and less play over time.... but let's see.

Small attention to details are apparent. A small return spring is incorporated in the lever pushing down on the actuating mechanism. This together with the very short distance between compressing should ensure a better return even when trail condition starts getting gritty and without the benefit of any DIY mud-proofing contraptin. Some post when getting clogged suffers from the return stroke of the lever during rides. This leads to a loose tension in the lever and makes any attempt to work it not possible, something many of us have no doubt experienced.

Left: Note the return spring on right side of picture.
Right: shows how everything is contained within the recessed cavity when in position in a rather neat Tranformer-ish looking cephalic package

Remote Lever

Remote levers, from fork lock out controls to adjustable seat post has appeared in all shape and sizes. The Bighorn's thumb down "gas-pedal" design is not unique. However, machined into a small footprint, together with the ergonomics it offers, it is one of the better ones in my opinion. It can be positioned really close to the control if one so chooses. Profile wise it doesnt extend much more than the controls I'm running so there is little of any unsightly protrusion and lesser probability of knocking into it. An improvement could come in the form of a small section of flexible hose at the lever end.. this could help greatly in the cable management for some although it would probably add a few more grams.

Lever finishing is actually a light gun metal grey anodized hue. This should appeal to Hope fans that runs components of the same color.

Installation.
The clamping on both sides are independent. As mentioned the clamps are massive which probably makes them strong but fitting to thinner racing type saddles would need a little patience, like the WTB Silverado I picked at random from my saddle bin. Not a big issue and once the rails are snapped in place, fore/ aft + tilt adjustments are super easy.

Once satisfied just tighten both 4mm screws down good. For designs like this.. when the screws are not quite tight the saddle can be rotated almost a full 360 degrees!. This allows easy reach into the cable set screw and adjustment valve without having to dismantle everything. A big plus especially when on the trail.

Everything was ultra tight and it almost didnt budge when I tried to push the saddle down after installing!! Ok that freaked me out a little. Put my full weight and jump on it before it started working. Full compression took another few more hard ass thumping on the saddle

After this initial little episode, everything was working as it should. However judging by the looks of it, it will be at least another few hours of use before the seals and all will fully break in. Actual smoothness can only be determined then so I wont comment further.

So far everything looks good and sturdy. An adjustable post that looks to be able to take some abuse on the trail (remains to be tested for a period before I would stamp a pass on this). But all the strong beefy features makes this by far the heaviest I have weighed. The piece here, a 30.9mm size comes in 25g more than the stated weight of 605gm. Nothing I will worry unduly over if everything works well though.

+1 for the details to the finishing. Quality machining.

One last thing I wondered is whether color kits would be offered in the future... Not that the current color combo is unacceptable but having things like color kits is always a good way to sway some that matches things right down to the last spacer on their bikes.

Its Friday evening now, so trail testing is just a few hours away... ... ... (To Be Continued)... ...

.....
Sat 07 Jan
Quick urban ride today as there is no time for the trails. The return on the post is fast even though its not broken in yet (as evidenced when lowering the post where it requires sitting down hard on it with my weight). The fast return speed is something I always wanted over my other hydraulic posts. On this aspect, only a mechanical dropper on another of my bike can match it so far. For those that prefer a little slower, this can probably be adjusted via the air pressure at the other end of the post. No hiccups so far, works as it should.

Sat 08 Jan

Move it up and down a couple of hundred times... mostly loose enough now for a very smooth action. Twisted saddle forcefully enough to test for any side to side play... None.

Was gonna test the Bighorn, then keep it for another bike build and revert to another adjustable post in the meantime . But I'm liking the smooth operation of it, looks like its a stayer on the EG.

Back in Drak, Dec 2012

2011-12-20T12:50:00.003+08:00

CMWS-- Chiang Mai Withdrawal Syndrome... that's how we were describing it. Back in SG after Nov trip, all's wet and trails ridden flat, I had another "off the saddle" episode till last week. Guess the rest must have felt the same so we decided to head over to Stewart's place again.

Sure started off miserable as the rain splatter came before we even got off the ferry but Stewart was already describing all the new stuff he and his crew has been up to in the last few months....

Sure enough after the "default 10 kliks of ass-to saddle pedal-&-pedal ... the fun begins...

But before that--stupid me with only 2 hrs of wink time before the ride was just doing everything wrong. Dumb mistakes and a well deserved spill. Good thing was wearing a full face. Else would probably have ended up with half a jaw less.

Few other spills along the way. Nothing beats Try-&-Try Frankie though. But all was worth it with a Shot of the Day... just before another....

Courtesy of yours truly's wonderful iPhone.

But the shots and vids wouldn't have been possible if it aint for the sacrificing "camera-crew"

Short compilation of us at one of the newer feature, nicknamed Monster...

Guess its like drugs but thankfully it's just hooked on the pedal and not some psychedelic stuff... still a fix just gets shorter and shorter. Can't wait to get back again..

Chiang Mai, Thailand-Nov (2)

2011-12-19T21:29:00.002+08:00

Been a month since I was back from Chiang Mai. Probably one of the best break despite almost not going on the trip... As usual, got Chwee to thank for everything for this trip again. Superb planner and everything timed down to the hilt as usual.

This is also the time of the year where everyone heads up for some good riding so it was kinda like local rides meeting different friends there instead of our usual trailheads in Singapore. Rode on different day with different folks...

Clockwise from top left.
Mr On-The-Dot Chwee and his usual "Banana uniform",
Dave, Ernest and Les-- Coffee @ 3000ft
Me, Lone Run Day
Joining The Rideables on one of the nicest flowy trails in the area...

Getting there at the start of the dry season, riding was a refreshing change from the usual fetid tropical jungle rides that is all we get back home. Cool air, low humidity and goggles that dont fog up 10 seconds once you start wearing them.... But the terrain certainly is taxing for those like us not used to having so much to roll down. Who would have guess pulling up the blanket at night would result in finger cramping from a long day of descents...

From street to restaurant... 2 words on the food. Cheap. Good.

Lodging, nice and spacious and very affordable.

One of the most important aspects would be the uplift. If one isn't in a big group with dedicated transport or following one of the biking tours up there... time to hone your bargaining skills.

See those red mini trucks converted into taxis.. Drive a good bargain, especially if you'll gonna be doing more than one trip a day.

When wondering off on your own, minimally a GPS will be needed. Still that won't be easy as the trails start splitting up halfway down the mountains.

Again, Chwee's got everything tidied up, from our cabbie, Nong to trail coordinates taken from other riders who has been regulars in this biking haven.

If you are gonna be signing up a package, might as well go with the best there is. X-Biking.

Enough of the touristy review... let's get to the rides.

Pushing the EG harder with each passing day after the "warm-up"... Times like these are really when I appreciate "knowing your bike" where one has painstakingly build and setup every aspects of AND most importantly trusting it when the time comes. Aahh.. the Zen-ness of one with the bike... Suspension? oh yea...X Fusion and DSP rocks.

ROcks and more ROcks... DH rigs certainly have the advantage in some of the sections. Hopefully by the next trip, I'll be back with one. With trips like these increasing, reckon its justifiable to go all the way with a dual crown setup....

When the helmets are off... its the breath taking views for those of us that doesnt live near mountains and fresh mountain air that is really appreciated. As much as the riding part is fun...its standing in awe looking at nature I believe that keeps attracting people to places like this.

Getting late.. will let the video compilation finish telling the rest of it...

To Drop or not to Drop

2011-11-21T02:24:00.007+08:00

Not as per what the title may suggest, that is about taking a drop. Rather its about having adjustable aka dropper seat post. Was just reading a whole slew of for vs against on adjustable seatpost.

The usual non-direct factors like weight, cost and all are muttered. Weight wise, I don't give 2 hoots since my bikes are already heavy. Cost wise, I would of course hope some day it will come down to the price of a fixed post....wishful dreaming I reckon. As for the woes of such gadgets-- let's get real, what thing in life is problem free? Have you ever seen anything that moves that gives you zero problem! Do your research and choose wisely. Not all adjustable seatpost are created equal...

As usual the lot voting a "NO" falls into the typical "once upon a time when I first starting riding, there weren't even such things as suspension or disc brakes..." Sure, once upon a time, dinosaurs were the biggest living things on Earth. They still are from fossil records but just extinct. Nostalgia and ego at play again. Sigh....

I'm not saying there is no place for a fixed seatpost nowadays. It all depends on the kind of trail, type of riding that one does and the amount of sacrifice one is willing to take by breaking the momentum of a ride, getting down to wiggle the post up or down.

From observation, there are riders who simply put their post at some half way point. Not the lowest but not hiked up for optimal pedaling either. It does seem to work for some and generally enough to put the weight back on the steep downs. But if it means coming to a sudden big drop... I have not seen many that takes to the air, all the time, every time. Again that boils down to reducing the fun factor in a ride for me.Plus I doubt it is really fun if there are long pedaling stretch positioned in a neither here nor there position.

Locally, in Singapore, if riding typically xc fashion, with careful line choosing, there is no need at all for an adjustable post. But even on the same trails, if you want to hit it differently, going for more aggressive lines and airing some then an adjustable post would be invaluable.

As I was reading the forum thread, can't help but notice that the replies would also somehow have depended much on where the riding takes place which would have affected the views formed. If its a hard but smooth 3000 ft climb followed by a flowy and also relatively smooth descend of the same elevation, then again a fix post is sufficient.

In many places, especially temperate countries it would also be easy to spot just about the entire trail area/ ridge lines from far to make an assessment of what one is getting into even in unfamiliar trails/ mountains.

Around South East Asia, not so... ridgelines are mostly covered in foliage and on a seemingly long descend, 2 seconds into a turn you may just find yourself powering up on a pedaling stretch, be it steep or gradual. This is where an adjustable post comes in handy. Of course one could always stand up and power up the climb but just try doing that continuously on non smooth rolling terrain with ruts rocks and what not-- it would be apparent soon enough it ain't much fun when the quads are burning from all the unneeded strains.

Add to it if its just after a rainy session, all the slipping and sliding from a lack of traction...... An adjustable post can quickly put you back into an efficient seated climb without getting off the bike. Crest over and u are ready for the next 1km of bombing down.

Then there are other occasions when u suddenly need to drop the post. Again the "high fixed seatpost" championing folks would wax from the glory of their yesteryear riding. Seriously, beer bragging macho sessions or engaging in trailhead bravado decked out in rainbow colorsand finally going home with a squeaky clean bike isn't my cuppa. I'm already too underskilled and getting too old. Time is better spent trying to ride as much with components that works and brings improvement to riding that I do.

Just an example from a recent trip/ride... on a descending but almost flat section, to gain max speed, had the seatpost on the high side (not optimal climbing height but still high enough) then all of a sudden came sections like this... almost vertical roll down and a quick flick got me down and going again. A fixed post? Nah....

Chiang Mai, Thailand- Nov

2011-11-16T13:36:00.002+08:00

Work, family matters, mega life decisions... all's been taking a toll lately. Its been awhile... 2 months actually that I've been "off the saddle".

Till the last minute, had thoughts of cancelling this trip where flight was booked since the start of the year... But damn am I glad the cancellation errrm... didnt turn up so well. All thanks to the incessantly naggy Mr "Hurry Up" biking buddy, Chwee :D. Thanks Dude!

Now while waiting for the flight home...could just feel all the mountain biking zing restored into every single synapse in the body. Its just pinging for more!... Full story soon.

...

2011-11-07T23:32:00.004+08:00

Madness, madness...Between time wasted sulking cursing over ridiculous and totally unproductive work matters and scurrying over other major life issues... well the bike still got packed. Left the the gears and garbs for the next 8 days of riding.

The upcoming bike trip is still a go despite my less than enthusiastic mood for riding and an absence from the saddle for more than 2 months.. ok just hope my tendons will hold up in the next week plus of riding in the mountains (Yea, just recovered from a week-long stiff neck and traps from pulling an an explosive J-jop last week when giving the bike a quick overall look to check things are ok. Damn it wasn't even a proper ride session!). Most importantly let's just hope all the other things in life will fall into place and can restart the engine on this blog soon....

But for now

Hibernation

2011-10-20T02:33:00.000+08:00

Still breathing..... but need a breather from things biking for now...

I'LL BE BACK

Go "Green"

2011-09-27T22:32:00.002+08:00

The idea of a military themed bike has been floating around for a few years. Somehow it just never work out for me. For one reason or another, things like the right colored parts are just too difficult to come by or simply don't exist the way I would like. Custom spraying everything is costly and never mind the fact that getting a good job done both in terms of quality and the final aesthetics is as good as striking the lottery.

First thing that comes to anyone's mind when the phrase "military themed" gets uttered probably brings out images of an overdone camo bike or some stealth black looking 2 wheeled contraption. Function over form has alwayys been my philosophy in building any bike. Nothing less here but the aesthetics would very well form a bigger part of the decision on what will go on there for this particular one.

Have always fancied the WWII era of uniforms and colors, archaic as these may seem but somehow they impart a certain quality that is just lacking in today's standard. Its just like propeller planes vs jets. I always preferred those noisy buzzers even when impressed with the latest jet fighter technologies. Being a WWII military buff there's definitely a certain sense of nostalgia when a "military" bike gets chalked up in my mental sketches too... actually that would probably explain the reason why the idea cropped up in the first place

One thing's for sure, no fugly digital camo. NEVER. EVER. And certainly not those horrid pink/white digital dits and dashes. Just never quite understand how anyone could even whip up some candy colored combo more suitable in a circus and market it as a camo print!

Ok.. its pics vs a thousand words, something with a color scheme of this era would appeal better...

And a frame with a nice olive drab was finally found the other day. Used but pretty good condition.
The bar is a little off but at least it still matches nicely enough

Already my mind is wandering off as the part list grows... "Field colors" or add a dash of parade shine??

Let's see what polished silver bits can be whipped up. There is still my 20+ yr old water-proof trip flare container that would snuggle up nicely in a bottle cage to store keys, phone and a multi-tool. With a little DIY, I am pretty sure that really old and seasoned brown leather bag would double up nicely as a rear saddle bag for a spare tube. Already derived on some rough idea for the drive train, part of it will look like things on a mechanized track assault vehicle but lets save that for a later post.

The final build will probably end up with some black hoops but if anyone that reads this and has a pair of these discontinued Sun Single Track in green camo in 32H to sell, just give me a holler in the email or comments. Thanks (Oh and any nice ideas or links to suitably colored components are most welcome)

2 in 1...

2011-09-19T16:43:00.007+08:00

For every bike that has been hanging around in the house for awhile, regardless whether they have seen loads of mileage or not, would mean there is something about it that makes it hard to decommision or sell off. Anything stripped down or sold off within 6 months of being built is probably not worth mentioning.

So it has boiled down to another hard decision... and tonight I decided its time to dissect and reconstruct.... 2 bikes into one. Space constraints and lack of time to ride all that many bikes.... haiz. Sad but at least a bit of both would reside in one. Gonna miss the dodgy ss city commuter/cargo rig...

continued...
realized quite a bit about the Pugs now having work on it for a whole evening. That was pretty much the first time that the rear wheel was taken off since getting it home. Ok now I know to remove from a horizontal dropout, first the disc brake caliper has got to come off! Certainly not looking forward to getting flats...

First cut, dodgy look, lacking a number of parts and proper racks. "Gear box shift" location scouted but need to find some old bar to cut off before putting it in that unconventional spot. Hmm maybe its time to break out those bar-con shifter with Paulie adapter for something to make the Pugs a little more different!

Ceramic Bearings

2011-09-18T17:36:00.002+08:00

Bearings. Ceramic vs steel, its one of those epic never ending argument which is better or is ceramic really worth the moolah one doles out. I personally find that there is too much marketing hype surrounding ceramics. Sure, from all the testing and data, it all points to ceramic being more superior. But what is that relevance in the context of your average rider or in fact for cycling in the first place? The only thing I could think of that benefits me is that the balls wont rust like steel ones should maintenance and repacking of grease is neglected. As to smoothness and the spinning, that to me is just one big myth. Whatever minute friction co-efficient that is lower in ceramic is mostly knocked off after grease is packed and seals are snapped shut on the bearing. Those 2 accounts for most of the "unsmooth" action of a bottom bracket that riders feel.

Having said, all of these is pretty much theorized from my bias of just extensive reading and experience with steel bearings. Too cheap to fork out for a ceramic, I had to wait till someone throws out one for meto take a better look and salvage if possible.

Gotta love Facebook...u just get to know people from all over and get to put my greasyt paws on their "throw-away" items. Of course central to this whole article was an Aerozine Ceramic BB using 6805 2RS bearings.

Like its steel counterpart, if any side were to go wrong I would put a bet its the non drive side. Sure enuf after cleaning up the outside and with outer seals pried, its surface rust on the external of the left cup. No biggie, this alone shouldn't cause a problem unless the insides are rusted too.

Open up and the problem?? .... the original stock grease. Now I have known from stripping bearings over the years, packing enough grease in bearing is something of a hit and miss. A lot of manufacturers don't put enough. This probably has something to do with the smoothness but more on that later. The problem is if the bearings with lesser greease arent being maintained often, the balls will wear out fast and gets pitted. The case here is not that there is insufficient grease. On the contrary there is quite a lot but looks pretty dried up. Not too sure if ceramic ball specific grease are meant to be like this. If it is then another myth of ceramic bearings being smoother are busted. The less viscous a lube/grease, the less free spinning the balls will be, hence it means more effort needed to keep things turning.

So the logic is to degrease, use a light oil and if possible remove the rubber seal to minimize friction and or simply to increase thefree movement of the whole bearings? Yes it works but it is a trade-off with having more frequent maintenance. If a bearing is tweaked to such a state and happen to get into water, then there is no protection and likely to be junked in a short time if not cleaned up. The other con to it is the noise... when it is not packed up with grease , the sound coming off from the balls contacting the race is noticeably louder and rougher. This is often mistaken by folks that there is something wrong with their bearings" Nope its not. A seized bearing or one where it is work down until you can feel some lateral play when wiggling a finger inside the bearing hole side to side, now that is time to change a new one.

Just to show the difference between a greased and lightly oiled bearing with seals removed...

Therapy

2011-09-15T15:48:00.004+08:00

Its hard enough some days to get up against the onset of laziness back on bikes or wrenching/ modding things on those two wheels. More so when impacts in your life has earth shattering effects. There is never a good time to bounce back. So I decided today would be as good as any if I need to pick myself up again.

All things bike just sat there for the last two weeks. Untouched. An unprecedented record for me.

Bike wrenching is something I have come to equate as therapeutic after slowly learning things along the way. Many a time in fact the bike doesnt need to be tinkered with. But some thing done is always better then nothing right! Ok.. not always, but that can usually be attributed down to some stupidity on my part. But normal maintenance and checks certainly do not hurt. And for tonight it is more than just that. Kickstarting back into normal mode for me and the best thing would of course be getting the bikes up and running flawless.

It helps to have a list written down on the Things-To-Do but sometimes its specific enough that I dont go all over the bike(s) and start dismantling things that werent originally intended.

For this evening I'll list it down though..just to make sure that everything would be in place for the next few rides after my absence on saddles.

..On the EG

Wash up the EG: yes it makes drivetrain cleaning much easier without dinosaur size gunk balls getting in the way.
Check chain wear: Remember to check from at least 4 different spot as wear are never even on any given chain.
Change Chain if worn, else clean out drive train. Lube all pivots on deraliers.
Stanchions: clean and lube up all stanchions of fork, adjustable seatpost and shock. Check for wear.
Tire pressure: Pump up to 21.5 and 205, rear and front for Sat/Sun rides.
Cockpit: DO NOT, DO NOT touch the bar anymore. Must remember to restraint my OCB fiddling!

..On the Pugsley

Measurements: Minor re setting of bar height and bar swap from flat to the 745mm or Torsion 1x1
~~Hub and Drivetrain Check~~: Leave till weekend afternoon if not riding. Too much work for evening
Top up tire pressure... 5 psi is rideable but 2 months of not touching, 3 psi by now would be ridiculously low even with those 3.8 Larrys

..On the SOMA

Stem flipping: KIV till after one more ride. looks are important but if it means a constant ache on a ride, then fuck it, wbetter live with a less fierce looking rig. Never argue with your body...they tell you a lot that your silly little mind might say otherwise
Top up tire pressure and go for a small spin when done for the night.

The rest of the bikes and bikes-in-pieces? Nah, nevermind.. leave it for another day. Ok maybe just take out the new EG and ogle it a little bit more and find a new box to store up all the EG spares/ rebuild kit. Yes 6" dualie with shock and hadware at sub 3kg! Cant wait to build it up...

Yup its already feeling good and could even smell the air of greasy odor permeating the living room tonite...

Drool

2011-08-31T14:58:00.003+08:00

So the swapped small EG frame and those eerrm "kinky" buttpads are here! Thinking eeee... thinking how to build that up... things just started drfting and while browsing for ideas, coming across pics like these just makes me wanna set up xc/enduro bikes again.

Doesn't matter if its oozing uber latest 10spd fashion or multi suspensions. Can be as simple as a singlespeed rigid, there's something about fatter tires and a sharp looking cockpit setup with saddles at the "right" angles...

Guess everyone has their particular fetish, these are mine cos anything less would only be an expensive pile of cobbled up dorkiness, aka BSO (Bicycle-Shaped-Object).

All photo credits to original owners that put them up.

Bike Shop Horrors Blog Articles..

2011-08-31T01:17:00.000+08:00

Was just catching up looking through some blogs I follow and two article in a row has something in common. Horror stories of bike parts mauling and slop jobs done on bike. The first with switching brake for cable housing would be like walking into a 7-11 for a pack of condom and only realize later back home it actually contains sausage skins instead of latex. When you walk back the cashier can actually tell you "Same same can use one...just a casing only mah!" I really hope the mech that did that came from some old school "experience" where such swapping (not advised but) can sort of work back in the days of 5-6 speed cassettes and friction shifters and not out of convenience because the shop was out of shifter cables.

Yes, having been around long enough, I do remember there was a time where so long as a bike can move, its good enough. Singapore has come a long way in the last 30 years but there are still some that are left behind doing things the same way they did years ago. Wouldn't say its a waste of time, there's a whole pool of tips and tricks especially when it comes to doing up older bikes that can be learned. But with newer bikes, its better to wave a hello and move on to some other places for fixing things up.

The second horrror story on the Cannondale lefty, even just reading made me go "WTF!"
Had actually witness something similar years ago in a local bike shop seeing how some Chris King headset was being knocked out with a screwdriver and mallet. The bloody thing fell out off with a loud ping on the ground. The repair stand actually toppled and I was near enough to stretch out and catch the whole stand + bike contraption....wonder where the owner was then!

The owner/mech nonchalantly remarked to me as if nothing has happened as I put the stand back upright, "Oh CK headsets are frigging tough". The look I gave him was one of disbelief at his attitude but he must have mistaken it for not believing what he just said and dropped the lower cups and bearings onto the ground to prove his point. Well to keep it short, paid for what I went to the shop for and was out in 45 secs.. Never ever went back there again, even if their inner tubes were a couple of bucks cheaper than anywhere else.

Glad I took the plunge to venture into bike maintenance and on those occasions where special tools or simply tools I dont have are needed, I only go back to trusted bike shops.

Resistance & Reflections

2011-08-29T13:33:00.007+08:00

Quality or Quantity? That's the question foremost in my mind when it came to thoughts of bike mileage these days. A certain amount of quantity is definitely needed but mindlessly riding miles and miles, comparing fastest timing and distance at just about every ride? Nah...

For far too long, time been spent not riding correctly. Far too much has been an ego at play, pitting head on with others in a ride. To what end? Strong overgrown muscles but wired with bad habits.

A long stretched out solitary ride vs a group ride is a different thing though. Brings me back to last nite conversation when it was brought up how different a single grasshopper is from a locust swarm. Its just many individual critters where on their own they are prety harmless but when grouped together...

Was settling with a few ridiculously short rides in the last few days a good idea? You bet! Half the time pedaling was not even involved but the other half is furious cranking with intent focus thru tight winding never ending turns. Sort of an assessment to see if what I have realized and learned can be put to real life riding. Better, but still a lot more to fine tune. Now when I see someone trying to ride hard but seated the entire time, there is an urge to shout out to them. But then who am I to comment, so better keep mouth shut and just ride my own ride.

For now I'm happy, finally know what it means to lean the bike correctly and obtaining the grip from the side knobs. Every degree the lean gets closer to the ground but wheels are yet to wash equals an added dose of adrenalin. Improved riding.

More importantly its one of those little things that one feels good. Just like re-mastering a proper bunny hop from those long past BMX days but on heavy long travel mtbs now. That momentary feeling of being 14 again instead of 41 when both wheels gets off the ground.... there's really nothing quite like it. Just dont remind myself of the countless evenings spent at the void deck during that relearning process with people gawking. Claustrophobic island thonging with people everywhere... sometimes you just have to ignore and not be bothered. Focus, practice, practice and more practice.

And off those beaten trails back on tarmac... big fat knobbies and full squishy is still the rig of choice. Bike never fail to get those stares but that's not the point. Its just being more practical. Rode the roadie last Wed, on the way to the meet up location with the others, had to fight the urge of turning back and hang it up, never touching another road bike again.

Roads in Singapore are just bad these days. Missing or too wide drain gratings, increasing blocks of assassinating road work carnage joining foces with imbecilic drivers to edge the last millimeter available to cyclists. Navigating on thin rubbers feels like walking some circus tight rope. My solution is a combination of both, take the road when its clear and pop up the pavement when things start to jam up... No stops, well except at lights of course.

The hell with the possibility of a $20 fine for pavement riding , sure beats a $20 000 medical bill.

Not that I'll ever reach the skill levels of pros like Ryan Leech, Martyn Ashton or MacAskill but with a bit of offroad and street/trials riding skills thrown in, it sure beats sticking 2 wheels on tarmac all the time, relying on colorful lycra to get noticed.

Ok sky's clear now, time to go back down to the void deck and practice some 180 pivots and wheelies to add to the repertoire...

t"A"mpines today...

2011-08-27T21:31:00.002+08:00

What I saw outside TBP last week looks interesting so with a crappy morning of rain it was another short afternoon spin... ok can't resist going back to take a look.

Really like what I saw from all the things coming up over there. Reminds me of work, going to plantation that hasn't been seeded and returning later to see a whole lush crop. Only difference here is that at the end of the day this would be a nice harvest of berms, drops and jump. Props to all those that put in the hard work and countless hours....

New addition spotted today and this one is bigger than what's usually seen. Looks like some fun air time coming up soon :D

The guys were still building and refining one of the gap and I decided to join them for a few pop off.
Nicely build and the soft ground today means getting that magic carpet landing on my bike after every run.

Picked up a couple of points after watching Skills for Thrills the other night... jungle trail runs were a lot more fun. Yea lean that bike all the way into turns...

Its a bit of a chore driving all the way to Gangsa for a little fun air time every time the bug bites. Things are looking good in the east side now. No more boring xc-only trails. Thanks to all that has made this materialize. Certainly hope the place wouldn't be bulldozed for development anytime soon.

Tues Nite Ride

2011-08-26T13:30:00.006+08:00

Did some nite road riding this week... stupidly chasing the pack largely all on roadies or hybrids...

Ok 32-11 full squishy and 2.4 fat rubbers can only go so far to keep up. But as I was waiting to catch them on the return lap on Coastal, I can't help thinking back to those days when all we rode were only hardtails on knobbies. Pissing off roadies, irritating them to no end with the "whumping" knobbie buzz refusing to let them peel away.

Sure it was still tough with mtb setups back then... but at least everyone still have a 44t big ring and we are talking about roadie paceline speed of ~35-36km/hr. These days even our ragtag COTES assortment are hitting low 40s most of the time that does not even include the all out final sprint. Dedicated roadies on Coastal are definitely much faster now.

Still.... thought it would be fun to do a "remake" re-living those good ol' days...

The "new" Tampines Trail

2011-08-21T21:32:00.001+08:00

Ok another one of those overslept Sundays which means an afternoon ride today...

Those in the know will have heard of the "A" Line just outside Tampines Bike Park.
The teletubbie runs inside TBP itself does get a little boring and Im never much of a fan but lately the outside seems to be sprucing up quite well. Nothing too wild but small jumps that follows the flow and a few nice berms makes it worthwhile to grind up that loose steep winding climb to get to it all. The old jungle trail is surprising dry and still flowy like in the past (I'm thinking aloud...what if a few berms are placed at strategic bends in there...mmm. Nice.)

All in it makes for a good recovery ride for my lactate choke thighs from yesterday's out-of-hibenation run.

A little thought about handlebars...
Yup, realized by the end of today's ride that I too had been caught up with the hype of super long super lo rise bars for the past few months... Long? Yes, but too low? No. After trying out more than 30 bars in the last 2-3 years on 5-6" travel bikes, if I have to say, Funn bars still have the nicest sweeps and good value for money too. Check out the Funn Fat Boys 710mm or 750mm.

To Clear or Not to Clear II

2011-08-17T16:38:00.010+08:00

"Is it me or my imagination", was what came to mind when i saw how baby ass-smooth the trails have gotten in the last couple of months. It wasn't all that long ago when I first wrote about all the indiscriminate clearing taking place on the limited trails we have on this less than ideal mountainless island for riding.

Now even the few remaining sections that requires a little more skills during approach are being flattened out. I don't even have to warn newbies "Don't get your wheel caught between the protruding roots after the first root drop..." anymore. No there is nothing to warn anyone about.. Zero, zilch.... go home and ride down the bloody staircase of HDB flats... there is more challenge in that than all our local trails put together.

The familiar nail it or be be nailed by the narrow 6inch gap after the root drop towards 2nd Stream is GONE! No need to master going down left, right or center. Just shoot straight through and I bet in another month of two-- some clueless blip will find that even the root drop is too much and fashion a dirt ramp to roll down! So much for riding.

Can't be more pissed when looking at all of these and more when I stumbled on a "new trail" later in another part on another trail... seems like a pretty long one too as I did not get to finish "bashing" through. Lots of fallen trees but distinctly a trail for sure, one that has not seen much human activities too! Just some work needed to go back on quieter days and clear out the fallen logs. But no, for now I guess its better not to divulge where this is. Would really love to share but given this is also in some 'no go zone" and all the dumber than dumb forest elves smoothing everything in their path, such finds are better left to those in the know for now...

Solo ride and Relearning how to ride.

2011-08-12T22:24:00.002+08:00

If there is one thing to get at being better, its practice, practice and more practice and loads of reflection. Biking included. However of late I realize those two alone are not quite enough. The biggest problem I find is getting into a routine with things that places constraint while you are at it that impedes improvement.

I probably spend too much time thinking about bikes and riding... day dreaming these days seems to involve bikes or rather how I rode and how I should have rode it. Replaying scenarios and visualizing even down to the angle and hardness of a lip on a popoff, or the condition of a particular berm in the last ride session. Many a time things seems to clear up and I think I know the next time when the section is approached, what should be done to execute a fluid move.

Yet when the section/obstacle looms into sight the next time, the same mistakes are made! The problem? Routine! Routine from something that start off as simple as messaging the group for the usual Sun ride. Then once at the trail, its all about finishing it and chasing each other till the end. Oblivious to everything in between. In a state of hurriedness, often "thinking on the feet" is lost as everything becomes a blur with the spinning on the pedal gaining momentum or diving down on a descent.

No one wants to be too far behind even if you arent the first to reach the end of the trail. Its ego at work here all over again... Then of course with today's bike and technology with tons of travel to soak up most thing on a trail and trails that you have ridden a thousand times, a lot of things become conditioned. So much so to the point that includes bad riding habit or wrong riding style relative to the kind of bike used. Just because one is able to finish up without a scratch does not mean it was a good ride.

The whole idea is of course to have as little start stop on a ride. But to get there would require for most of us to actually go back again and again to try and clear something a little better each time. That is the practice part and sessioning.

To really make a change or get better I need to get away and ride solo. Just before every ride, to remind myself that there is no rush to finish. Going through mentally all the mistakes made the last time on the same trail about to be ridden again.

Currently the biggest challenge I'm facing is to switch from the rigid xc habit of riding to a more fluid weight forward bias riding style on AM and bigger bikes. Something I have been trying to change for the last 2-3 years. Its not about getting on saddle, balance and pedal off and loft over a six inch log anymore. But sometimes I think if I hadn't been saddled down with all these years of conditioning about riding and started afresh, it might have been easier to absorb as a newbie and improve faster.

On and off there are brief periods where things got better and was consistent but after brief breaks or days where its another group ride, things just relapse and without realizing, it inevitably ends up as fighting the bike... Doesnt matter if I was the first one at the end of the trail that day, somehow rides like this always end up putting a less than satisfied feeling once its over.

This isn't some kind of a tutorial write-up or even a technical how-to article. Rather its just another reminder to myself not to fall into a predictable pattern and forget the purpose on the next ride; breaking the conditioned habits from years and conform to a riding style that is more appropriate and functional with my current setup. Damn, I just spent 5 days day dreaming how to clean some sections after last Sun ride... let's hope I can still remember after putting the helmet on...........tomorrow.


The bar junkie in me says... "Time for a red hot bitchy rod to spice up the Handsome One

Bikelessness

2011-08-08T21:09:00.001+08:00

Its hard to imagine a week without fiddling or riding bikes but then it did happen. Damn, hardly even thought much about bikes....just totally absorbed in the sunshine on beautiful beaches devoid of people.

Ok couple of time looking at the elevations of Cambrian rock formation under the lush tropical foliage in Langkawi, thoughts of how a DH line can be cut out of them did cross my mind.

Penang Ride 13-17th Jul 2011

2011-07-25T23:55:00.002+08:00

I think the more one rides, the bigger and harder you want to go. Weekend riders like me are no different but somehow with age, something is lost. Every gnarly move and airtime thrill is weighed over and over again against the long recovery from a bad spill. But pushing that edge whatever the skill level, I reckon is really an integral part of mountain biking.

So with a little trepidation and not really knowing what to expect after over two years absence at Penang Hill, the same para-bag was packed, the same old full face helmet, gears and yes the same old trusty EG with a load of parts changes in the last twenty plus months...

And so I thought with all the fine tuning on the biking, I'll be at least a little more ready than the last time.......

The familiar tarmac for the truck uplift and everything start flooding back from the first trip... Pushing against the gradient at the foothill was the wake up call of what lies errr "up ahead".

Then came the package....dropping in to steep rocketing into more drops and steeps and those never ending rock gardens ... Tires and rotor size on the bike just weren't the most assuring on the first day.

The bike had "grown" beefier since the last trip and I thought it was sufficient but Chwee's been telling me how bad the erosion has been in the last couple of years... Pretty hard to imagine until we got there and see some of the things for ourselves.

Totally winded halfway down, the hell with smoothness. Just make it down in one piece and hope the arm pump isn't that bad to lose the front end... 2nd day wasn't any much better, still heaving and drowning with sweat under the full face under the heat wasn't helping either.

XC lid?? No thanks.

Back after day one... time to upsize every bloody parts that I have bought spares for.. Rotors 8", rubbers and whatever. Now I understand why so many swear by the Minion DHf 2.5 despite the weight. Some trails you just got to respect them when they can eat up a lesser tire in literally 15 mins into a descent. Franke was the fortunate recipient of 3 flats in one run! Thats a bloody record that would stay for awhile...

All the boot-camp-rides of day 1 and 2 just made the next 2 days a "breeze" and in the words of Chwee "the most flowy singletrack" on the mainland side, To'kun.

This was actually a full on DH track that was just raced on in April. So it hasnt been neglected for too long to make things unrideable... Definitely flowy but bloody fast and with the jumps coming up, some stuff were just way too much to take it all in one go. respect goes out to all the DHers in races hitting out at max speed. Still after 2 days of wake-up-tumbles and terrain that threatens to eat one up bike and all over in Penang Hill... this was a much welcome relief. Except for one rider's bad accident that left a brake lever scooping out his thigh.

What biking trip can ever be complete without the makan shots!

DIY: Contour GPS cam mount

2011-07-25T00:49:00.000+08:00

Ok just being cheap again... fabricating an add-on to the stick-on mount that came with the camera so that it can be used on different places with the sacrifice of a couple of cable-ties. Sure beats the hell out of sticking one mount on every place you would ever think of placing the camera even if all the surfaces are suitable with the adhesive... certainly not curved anodized frame tubing.

Material: Plastics found around the house. Drill and cable ties and 2 part epoxy.
Backing grid, soft low density polyethylene from a divider piece of cheap plastic containers.
Solid white translucent piece in front is a cutout from the packaging of some saddle..basically same thing you can find in a plastic file.. LDPE again

Twin layer of this grid+solid LDPE glued with epoxy for flexibility and strength. Single layer by itself will tend to be ripped with tight cable ties over time.

Works? You bet... test vid from today will be uploaded soon.

Tip-- to get a good view-- mount camera parallel to helmet (use visor as a guide) and click the camera 1-2 clicks upwards...

Rail Ride

2011-07-25T00:09:00.002+08:00

It pays to ride with artistic friends possessing those shutter snapping flairs... even with just an iPhone.

Like any worthwhile big rides or riding trips in the past, pedaling the usual local trail afterwards become a seriously monotonous affair for the next couple of months. However its just weird bumming around the house staring into the computer screen or TV and not on the saddle... so it was a slack Sun afternoon ride for today and some test vid with the new Contour GPS camera..

The recent buzz has all been about the old disuse KTM railway. Miss the nite railway ride with the gang, today was as good as any before all 36+ km of tracks gets dismantled to make way for more urban development.

It's amazing under the hot afternoon sun to see droves of people turning out on the track. Armed with cameras and lens bigger than my face, it looks more like Sentosa with inquisitive tourists.

Riding all the loose gravel wasn't all that bad on my 6" full squishy with low comp fully open. I just wonder how Willy was getting along on the Blue Pig though.

Bridge at Bukit Timah

Railway Quarters

Got a dose of how those Red Bull Rampage riders must be feeling....staring down 30 feet from the edge.

Never gripped the brake tighter....

Live to Ride, Ride to eat... Can't remember which ride has never been associated with food afterwards.

Laksa @ Railway Mall and a forlorn EG

Somehow the whole BT area just look surreal in the evening hours that pictures just never quite captures...

Broken Bolts

2011-07-07T00:55:00.002+08:00

Guess no matter how much caution is exercised.. some things will break after awhile.

Always dread the popping sound whenever removing the alu bolts from the bike's rocker. That hollow alu-alu release fills up the whole room with a resounding *crack* when each one is loosen even though its never over torqued. Was just thinking how long before the original ones will hold... luckily gotten some spares recently.

Decided to change out the old worn bearings and finally tonight 2 of the 4 alu bolts that came on the EG gave way. Nightmare... was prepping the bike for next week's trip to Penang. WTF!

Ok settled the new bearings first while thinking what to do next...

Drill it out like stuck bolts of SPD cleats?
More careful drilling and slowly increase bit size and hope it s thin enuf to be loose an finger the remaining bits out?
Buy a reverse tap tomorrow and then go about it...

Nah... things like that just irks me... Ok who else to call but John and we just went thru the scenarios of how badly each of the above I can screw up and his experience dealing with such things in the shop.

Drill's battery fully charged....ok so its a do or die moment...
Checking the bolts that came out-- the material seems pretty soft and the drilling method might work... I have one shot with one of them-- the one that broke off on the screwthreads on the rear triangle. The other had 2 positions and in the worst case scenario I could use the other position for the rocker pemanently.

As I was drilling.. struck me that since rounded hex bolts can be removed by jamming a bigger torx key-- if i drill small and deep enough--that might work. Provided the threads parts were not seized tight. Doesnt seem to be as I detect just that wee bit of wiggling when nudging a blunt punch in the hole i just drilled.

Ok long story short, 1hr of cold sweat, 2 cups of my favourite Jasmine Tea and 50 F-words later-- the hex key method worked. Luckily!

Repeated with the other broken piece and refined the torx key method using a mini screwdriver instead. Even easier this time around....

Whew... no need to cannibalize my spare EG for next week..........

From top left: (1) How much bushing wear from 2 years of riding, used ones sandwiched between new bushing stack. (2) Damnit! Drill damnit drill.

Bottom left: (3)..nice and easy, now come out baby...slooooowly
(4) Stuck and unstuck again! Hmmm and how did 2 of the bearing seals get a similar kind and size of crushing? Bushing wear causing play and compressed over time?

Monarch RT3- IFP adjustability

2011-06-29T11:39:00.002+08:00

Back to my forlorn forgotten blog now that the running event is finally over (at least for this year).

From the default RP23 to my first coil shock, an 08 DHX to the Diverse Dueler, plus a couple of loaners in between and now a Monarch RT3, I have learned a little more about suspension stuff. Those compressed neurons in the head thansks to the dense online reading is finally getting some rebound. I wonder if a change in viscosity of brain fluid might also do wonders to my understanding as they can sometimes do with fork oil.

The problem with knowing more as we learn is to demand more out of the component or parts on the bike. Nothing is worse than suspensions with its myraid of parts. Any one of which could be a potential source of tweak to give that elusive "perfect" feel and function. As if that is not complicated enough, one will tend to DIY and tinker. Ok, maybe not for everyone but definitely applies in my case.

While it would be almost possible to pull apart most shocks on the market with the right tools, some are just not meant to be user-serviceable. On that count, Fox is notorious especially when it comes to things like their "inaccessible" IFP (Internal Floating Piston) and a lot of their special tools arent even available readily.

"Why bother?"
That's probably the question. The IFP if I describe it correctly is partly what resist the compression forces, loosely similar to a negative spring in some of Rock Shox forks and hence affects small bump compliance characteristics.

To an extent the IFP relates to the bottoming out characteristics like how the tuning of shocks with a piggy resevoir would affect bottom out (Shocks with piggy resevoir also can have IFP, in fact most still do).

The problem with shocks like the RP23 is that there is no way to get to it until one gets into the inside most innards of the shock and expensive special tools are needed for the job. There are no guides provided on how to do it. In fact they don't recommend end users tinkering, everything is supposed to be done by a trained mech.

This is where the Monarch shines, with a little adapter that screws into a regular shock pump, now the IFP chamber can be fiddled to one's content... giving much more options when dialling in the shock. What's more there is even official video from SRAM/Rockshox that teaches how to get to these parts online!

My RT3 is still pretty new and need a little more break-in time before fidgeting with the IFP (if its needed to). But first I really need to get back on the bike..

I did it again!

2011-06-10T23:12:00.004+08:00

"Don't ride up the fekking stairs with 16psi rear tire pressure". Damn it... the thought cross my mind at the traffic light as the flight of stairs was beckoning across the road.. 10 mins tire change before getting onto the trail.

... Think I still like the coil shock way better than any air, even if its a one pound penalty. Air just feels like overnite pancakes

Yup dun leave your flats for others to clear ... bring it back with you

Small world

2011-05-30T17:23:00.003+08:00

[Updated on 9th Jun-- see below]

Its well over a year now.. and yes I'm still angry. Though I dont personally know Ben but his passing due to the tragic accident with a drunken doctor has left a bitter taste in many of us with a pedaling lifestyle and led to the erection of the first Ghost Bike in Singapore.

Looking at some of the old comments in my blog and what did I find! Yes a comment left by Ben himself on my Penang trip writeup barely 2 months before the fateful night. Ever the jovial one as I learned about him from various friends who knows him well, it leaves me with a smile reading his comment ..."Can't they at least tax and stamp "SDPPB" (Singapore Duty-Paid Pig Blood) on it? I will gladly pay."

Forget the bloody swine cubes Ben, I would gladly have taken the opportunity to know you first.

Let's hope we will hear something soon. Many of us are still waiting to know who exactly is Dr Drunk that was apprehended but never revealed. Hopefully no one is above the law on this tiny island.

Its 1 year 3 months and 5 days and many of us are still counting....

[Update]-- 9th June, 10 days after the above post, it was revealed in today's news who Dr Drunk is.
Call me a pessimist/ paranoid--I still smell a fish, no mention that he was drunk and what the five charges against him are! http://www.straitstimes.com/BreakingNews/Singapore/Story/STIStory_678000.html

0021

2011-05-20T19:45:00.003+08:00

Race Pack collection for this year's Sundown Ultra. Still cant figure why I'm doing this. Biking occupies 99% of my free time these days but taking part in no bike race. Hate running, signed up yet again for another 100k run!

Ok, Tiny was pretty dissed when we were there hahahaha. I got no. 0021 and he was like 300++ just because he was an hour late during registration day in Jan... But I'll be happy to finish even last 21 of the 1000 signups.

Still trying to get over the morale sapping Loyang-Coastal stretch after last night's 56km run....wonder how I'm gonna do that twice on actual race day.....

oh and my bib tag is blue-- telling everyone I belong to the "old" category! Arrghh

Resam DH...a track well worth

2011-05-20T16:42:00.005+08:00

Finally a semblance of something worth riding nearby for the more gravity oriented days, just ~20k north of the border.

Guess many of us are really frustrated with a lack of good riding places in Singapore but most wouldn't really know what to do except to venture further and further in search of prime riding ground and purpose built bike parks.

Here is clearly a product of passion and certainly jackloads of hardwork and done by someone definitely well experienced with all things DH. Thanks Mann.

Well words alone won't capture the whole picture, so...

Uplift Arrangment: Almost had a race day feel to it. Reckon definitely no one would be looking forward to pushing up 60 degree lines...

Bikes uplifted by truck, all riders walk the line for first time

Couple demos later, everyone took the first plunge down ..... Ok I can manage this first steepish drop 20m from start line with my typical chicken line choosing.....

... shot of another better rider doing a proper drop-in.

Yea, and moi excuse will alway be not having a dual crown but that's only an excuse really. As pics and vids of other single crown 160-180 forks will tell... :D

Mann @ Work: "I build, I ride, I jump"...the good old fashion way by one of SG's best

But its the kiddo tha definitely stole a good part of the show.... no doubts leaving a lot of adults kicking themselves and staring at the kicker jump :D

And the rest of us...making do with having the most fun we can...

Mark with his spanking new and dope DeVinci Wilson.... testing his shock to the limits as usual :)

Sleeping Myk with his "castrated-travel" fork ... :)

Me and my usual "CMI" launches..

and a run by Josh...

and thanks to Mark and the SE7EN for hooking me up on this trip... a vid summary of the day:

Wasabi-Mayo Bearing Grease and the iMobile Tool Table [ >:}} Decepticon iNspired]

2011-05-14T15:57:00.007+08:00

Now that GE2011 fever is over... guess its time to get back to bike related scribbling...but this piece is really mundane maintenance stuff cos I have nothing better to write.

Fixing a broken hanger last Sun on what's probably the first "dry" ride of 2011 after an unusually long wet and gunky season, to my amazement, parts were actually still movable while "camouflaged" and looking more like the trail its ridden on.. A continuous evolutionary process of cumulative dried mud and grease that no amount of hosing down after each ride ever quite got rid of.

Under that oxygen deprived state in blistering 34 degrees C heat, there I was, contemplating if the chimera looking mud + grease could in fact be some sort of symbiotic inorganic lifeforms thriving on a highly concentrated salty liquid media, like the perspiration yours truly was dripping onto it.

Ok, ok maybe it wasnt moving bike parts... but that glob of greasy mud exhibiting amoeba-like movements. I swear the heat hasn't caused a neural melt-down. Its aliens right in our backyard attracted to persistent mud loving mountain bikers that resist all effort to be kept out of the trails.

But a Nobel prize for the discovery of the century can wait... Yes, its about time for a major cleanup and overhaul on the EG, be it undiscovered species or dying digested bike parts playing host to these parasitic lifeforms.

The never ending mudfest was just a poor excuse to let things rot. In reality if the gunk is truly alive, I will hypothesize further there must exist some unseen wormhole in the house.

Stuffs forever disappear when needed, freshly dismembered parts from the bike gets mysteriously telported into another dimension. No, its not bike specific, happens everytime any wrenching is done.

Or is it like that episode of Twilight Zone with little blue men running around making everything disappear and then magically reappear a few days later...

iMobile Tool Table

(Disclaimer: the "i" in front of "Mobile" has nothing whatsoever to do to with an iPhone or iPad ...it simply stands for " i{came up with this dumb idea of a}Mobile Tool Table).

Moving from a pathetic tool box with contents hardly worth a second look, the obsession grew into a purpose built floor-to-ceiling cabinet for tools and bike paraphernalia. It even branched into what some friends termed as a obsessive compulsive fetish for lubes (...though I would certainly take more kindly to parallels drawn to my days as a Bio student, advancing into areas like genomic comparison across species of Calmodulin). Both aspects are similar in a way-- ie. who apart from me actually gives a flying elephant's damn!

And then came more parts, thus more space were permanently designated as "Bikes Only" restricted area around the house with 5S efficiency of Seiri, Seiton, Seiso, Seiketsu, Shitsuke (if anyone is interested, it translates to Classification, Organization, Cleanliness, Maintenance, Discipline). I dont know how that translates to efficiency cos the bloody tools are still missing when needed!!!

Over countless sessions of bad coffee and bike talks with the Dirty-Tiny gang, everyone was telling me to do it like what good LBS does... wall 'em all up, biggest to smallest wrench all in a row yadda yadda.. Nah. Only problem is that the Art of Apartment Living aka Pigeon Hole Shafting in Singapore means all the usable walls are already plastered with gigantic LED TVs, my favorite tattoopaintings and what not... So I was still sucking thumbs and greasy chips where time spent on bike was errr.. transformed into watching another round of Transformer 2 on one of the said big ass TV....

...when suddenly an idea hit! Faster than Optimus Prime can change into some dumb truck without getting first into a telephone booth (hey who needs one! we all got iPhone these days, no?) I retrieve a much hated piece of furniture by the wife---- an about to be thrown out TV table for an era of cathode ray picture boxes long gone, sitting around forlornly for years in the storeroom.

With lightning speed and boxes of tools already labelled into "Frequent Bike-Specific Use", "General Usage" and "Occasional" the devious transofrming speed would outstrip any Decepticon's slick moves--- all in record time before the wife can list down her 10 000 reasons why it should be thrown out.

No doubt, more modding would be added soon; with an organized section to lay out the components and small bits taken off a bike thus ensuring it has its own invinsible force shield to prevent those wormhole teleportations.

A little planning would probably see the sides and rear transformed with hooks to put up more commonly used tools.

All neatly covered up when not in use would pass as a coffee table with a nice little piece of cloth thrown over that even the wife wont notice. tA dA--- THE iMobile Tool Table... dEcePtIcOn.Inspired.

For now its good enough-- rolling from left to right depending on which part of the bike I'm working on, so far been two blissful evenings of no missing tools or parts...

Minus the usual cursing and time wasted searching high and low, it means more effort could be channelled to picking apart every little thing short of a heart transplant type surgery like pulling the new fork apart.

The Wasabi-Mayo Bearing Grease Concoction

Choking bearing full of new grease is no surprise fetish to all that knows me well enough... Recently obtained some "hush hush" grade supposedly super duper grease from an unnamed friend working in some hush hush no address place on hush hush "I-have-to-kill-you-if-I-have-to-tell-you" equipment. Was all excited if the holy grail of grease that will make a steel bearing rival that of ceramic smoothness was finally found.

First look and no doubt its some quality grease but I was not too certain if its the best for bearing, given its dry pasty texture that was more like some cementing putty. Had to rub it on the back of the hand like ladies testing out the latest cosmetics t oascertain what kind of greasy quality it possess.

Conclusion: Good for smooth surfaces (eg for application between seat tube and seat post) and would be relatively waterproof but too "stiff" for bearing application where the bulk of it would be spinned out to the sides leaving the balls with little lubrication as the bearings move.

Greasy alchemy time.....

Breaking out the trusted Dura-Ace bearing grease with its decidedly radiocative looking fluorescent green hue...I wonder what the end result would be like....

Wasabi Mayo!!! with a texture to match like the real thing... if anyone still has doubt, please head down to your nearest supermarket for a bottle of Kraft mayonnaise and those plastic tubed wasabi to experiment.... not recommended for bearings but shouldn't go to waste if you can find a spare guppy or two in your aquarium tank though.

Next up, application to rocker bearings followed by those in the bb. Couple of things I learned about bearings through trial and error:
(1) Most "rough" bearings can be salvaged and reconditioned unless the balls have already been severely worn down with excessive gaps to the race thus causing lateral play.

(2) testing out any new bearing grease on old bearings-- if they don't work, you pretty much now after awhile as that would cost you new bearings as bearing play is detected (usually with some accompanying squeak) and you know its time to thin down the wallet a bit.

Ok time to finish up putting back everything in place and be ready for this weekend worth of pedaling...

On the first day he strip...

On the second day he cleaned...

On the third day he rebuild...

...

On the 7th Day he rides...

Update: The Wasabi-Mayo goo seems to be holding up good. Bearings were really noisy before they got smothered..(usually if bearings are goners...any new greasing will only make them last 1-2 rides worth before play and squeaks reappear, had seen quite a bit of mileage since and so it looks like my 2yr old sealed bearings will be able to take more hammerin before breaking out the spare $40 Enduro replacement).

Dreambike

2011-04-20T21:55:00.002+08:00

No its not about building a dreambike... but u could from Dreambike
Was searching for more info while writing up another piece and stumbled upon it
Contain a number of things that also falls in line with my thoughts on bikes, biking related topics

Batam 10 Apr

2011-04-15T22:13:00.004+08:00

So said some wise weatherman friend of mine, "The dry weather is here at last..." 6 months of wet and wetter...we were all used to hosing the bike off after every ride. Sure looks good to trash it out again in Batam ... hopefully its really without the accompanying mud and grime.

With 4 trips done, I got the planning and organizing down to the hilt this time. Only.... I almost didnt quite get up in time so it's back to breakfast on the ferry again.

C.C.W., COTES-Cam-Whore at it again... if he only knows what's in store for him later! :D

Felt real good on carpark ride...C.C.W.'s new ride, Remedy 7

....and how will "Junesy" EG fare on its maiden Batam trip?

XC. Not my fav part of the ride but side swiping and hoping for some "spd moment" is a favorite past time of mine Not this time though, 200+ pounds is just a tad much to dislodge :D

XC leg over.. Fun time!

Cows Can Fly! Where's the moon

Wah...never flat sarmore!

Of course the EGs too

ok next trip, I got to pull a no-hander to up the bar.. Secret training shall begin once back

Even the XC folks can't resist it this time.... finally after all the months of lulling them about the excitement and exhilaration, finally got all the COTES on "air".

Queen Hobbit, Athena. And it's official. First female rider to pop off the quad or any of the stuff @ Drak.

Maybe we should just rename it as "Butt"am Ridefrom now on. Better check who's the camera man next time :)

One too many for the Cow... gap a jump but tried to squeeze through the "V" of the tree ahead....

Landed! ... and a butt full of thorn... Apart from the horde, there is the ever inquisitive Apeman scrutinizing.

Ok I cant resist adding one more> This will have to go into the COTES scrapbook. Candid. Classic.

...and all the others not shown above.

Diverse Dueler

2011-04-14T20:19:00.007+08:00

The painstaking homework paid off for hunt of the front end suspension with the Vengeance HLR. So the last piece of the puzzle rest with replacing hopefully what is an almost 2 year old rear shock. In a market dominated by a few key brands, it's not easy to find a good product that withstand the rigors of modern day mountain biking. Pitting head on with the best or even outdo the performance of some of the Big Boys' models but yet remains well priced.

El Cheapo was adamant to find options to the "Cheaperest and Betterest" components; in line with one of the main intention behind this blog. A By Rider for Riders approach to help as many who are interested in this sports of ours but sometimes not knowing where to look.

From the pictures circulating around the web, frankly speaking the Diverse Dueler was not some love at first sight find. But I do have to say that no others comes close when it narrows solely to just the "love" on the price tag.

For a coil shock under USD400 (then when I was looking), with one of the industry's best, Diverse own DSP Ti Spring, nothing comes close. The price is even lower now but recently it seems they are only selling to distributors and not to end customers anymore. As usual, with Dirty around, no worries, I always get my toys somehow. Now that I have gotten my hands on the actual thing, the odd mixture of "industrial-looking-slapped-with a la designer-cursive-fonts" actually looks quite good. No rainbow mix of colors on the knobs is a plus for me... adding to a no non-sense look if you are into that sort of scheme for your bike

Close Up and Specs

Shock finishing on close up looks nice with thick anodizing (those you know at first glance that would survive more than a few superficial knocks and still remains intact for the lifetime of the shock)

Very snug fit with the coil on both ends with the stopper and preload ring. Stopper ring is machined with a recess that fits to the bottom out bumper, making everything more secure.

A rather long but soft bottom out bumper that makes a difference whenever you get to the bottom of a stroke. Probably contributes to the "bottomeless" feel I had while testing it out. Bumper end that comes into contact with the damper/seal area has some raised bits. This looks to prevents the bumper from slamming into and damaging the shaft/seal area. Nice touch!

Size of the piggy resevoir is neither too small or overly fat like some others on the market-- any coil users would know the associated bane of a fat piggy that is too close to the coil or one too small and takes forever to fidget and dial the shock in properly.

PRC Adjustment, not available on this 8.5 x 2.5 size (only for the longer 9.5 and 10.5" sizes)
Hi & Low Compression involves separate Circuits. No clicks but with ~2.5 full turns for fine tuning
Adjustable Rebound. It is known that there are various rebound needles and I have asked for a slower one. Again non indented and has a total of 7 revolutions for tuning

Pedal platforming on the Dueler-- None, in any case my take has always been that if a shock is properly designed why bother with platforming! Compression adjustments would be more crucial and whether these works are more importantly than another dial to lock things back into "hardtail" mode which doesnt do squat for needed traction on the trail.

Plastic sleeve on shock body included. Nice little touch as coils tend to knock on the shock body creating ugly marks and indentations. Many of us have DIY with heat shrink or inner tubes to protect this area in the past. Nothing needed to be done here. With mounting hardware pressed in.. its plug n play without further ado.

Weight: Pretty impressive. Under 700gm with a 400lb x 2.5" DSP Ti Coil (including eyelet bushing but no mounting hardware). Complete shock alone including hardware but without spring is 413gm. The few extra grams on the stopper ring with the machined feature to seat the bumper thus helping to secure the ring. Something gladly welcome to reduce any unwanted movement as the bike starts pounding away.

First impression after examining is that being a supplier of coil spring for other makes of shock--I guess they have the benefit of making everything fit nicely and working out the little nuances as opposed to just most shocks fitting on an aftermarket spring only worrying if the OD matches their shock.

"Static" Impression

First few words that came to mind is reactive, stictionless and lots of sag which actually led me to an "Uh Oh" moment.. I used an old Diverse 400 lb spring from my existing shock (and kept the shiny new one...err shiny?)... it felt distinctively softer and I was wondering if I should have gone one up to a 450lb spring in the first place. Seems like the degree of valving is definitely very different. Having gotten used to the firmer feel of the DHX, it was worrying with the new found plushness on the Dueler... "How will it corner? Will it lose speed as it sucks the living daylight out of my 6 inch rear travel?..." are just some of the things that comes to mind. All of these were just the initial impression of sitting on the bike with the new shock and already feeling a whole load of differences without a pedal stroke.

These worries are valid, While not rocking a full DH bike but a 36lb 6x6 full sus is no weenie skinny either and if there is too much wallow, any chance to keep up with some of the XC boys on my usual rides would be next to impossible.

Initial dialling-in and ride impressions
after checking up the Diverse site for the shock setup, I decided to forgo those guidelines as it seems to be geared towards the bigger DH sized shocks by starting with Hi Comp dialling. Picked our favorite local rooty trail as the day's testbed, the initial Hi and Lo comp were set to 50/50% and rebound at a slower 40% from full out for my 76kg geared up weight.

While the shock is very reactive in the first half, the small bump compliance at this setting was nothing to rave about..in fact much like the old DHX it just replaced, Or thats what I initially thought.... a kilometer in and a few tweaks later everything transformed.

Try stepping out of a Cessna into a F15 fighter jet (ok fine fine, I'll admit, have never flew a plane in my life). Reduced the Lo comp and drop the rebound further to ~35% from max. The bike now eats up every piece of root, small rocks and trail irregularities. This despite tire pressure being higher than what I would normally ride (from the night before when hopping on concrete flats and not remembering to dial down to the usual trail riding pressure).

Not quite believing how different the bike feels, I kept going back after a few particularly nasty sections and pedal through them again and again. It was always the same, foot not missing a pedal and on a few bigger fast hits, there were no sudden spike that throws the bike off. This would be attributed to the Hi Compression doing its bit.

The internals of suspension are still a mystery to me just as I have said a few months back with a fork review. But at least after some reading up now, its not too hard to guess what went right or wrong when testing these components out. Certainly a lighter valving relative to my old shock is producing wonders with the Dueler on the EG. As to whether a thicker (12mm diameter) and lighter alu damper rod helps to make that difference is really beyond me. After checking the factory piggy shock setting, I pump it back up to 150 psi, close the cap and didnt fiddle anymore on the trail.

While resting in the shades after three run on the same trail that got progressively faster... it dawned on me that the initial "Uh Oh" worries had not manifested. Sure there is more sag on the same spring used. But my pedals have not sunk any lower on power strokes. Otherwise those dreaded pedal strikes will be apparent on a few particular spots on this trail.

When running through the straights at some point..I can't recall any squelchy squiggly feeling. If anything at all the pedaling was harder and going faster as small obstacles were "obliterated" underneath the shock. Being that reactive, "floating" the bike became much easier, rocking bodyweight fore and aft with alot less effort to get a good flow. With the rear having a mind of its own and doing it right, I had to up the compression on the fork while downing the rebound there by a tad. After that the suspensions were "talking" to each other again.

Did I mention that the rain decided to follow me on this day and with higher than usual tire pressure...I experience much lesser slipping and sliding around. All in all, could only say that form follows function for this shock and it does what it was designed to do. Traction... but not at the expense of bleeding speed in the turn as it compresses further into the travel. If anything, it pops out to give a boost of speed but not with a quite sudden feel as to throw me off the bike. Still cannot figure how it gets so plush yet does not bob and bounce even when standing to mash up all the irritating short but steep rooty climbs around here.

Its a known fact that one of the chief complain on the Horst Link design is the kick going over square edges. Experiencing this on the climbs even at slow speed means throwing the traction off and could mean the end of a climb with a foot down on terra firma. This is something I have adjusted to on the DHX with quick weight shift when judging one is about to get me and overcompensates with a rather slow rebound.

With the Dueler.. there were deliberate and of course those rider-skills-really-sucks moments when I took bad lines ramping over rocks. The bike behavour with the Dueler exceeded expectation....clearing all but one really bad line taken. Even that didnt have that dreaded rear kicking up. Just too steep for my quads to overcome the jutting rock in a fatigued state.

Coming down? Yes, this is a 6" bomber build after all and so its important the shock has to be good on the descends. Despite all the "where is the bobbing and wallowing?" I can't help but feel like wanting to just pull out a loaner 450lb shock, one up from what is in use and swap it there and then. As it turns out, it wasn't needed. just like on the straights and up...everything was just floating and throughout the higher speed descending sections with small drops, there wasn't a feeling of bottoming out or at least no sick end-of-travel- thud. On this last point, would have to add that it complements the slightly progressive aka rising-rate linkage curve of the EG's towards the end--much less harsher than the DHX or the original RP23 air shock.

Bunny hops from flats, and I mean the real thing, not bump hops or pulling up over an obstacle while swishing through narrow windy tails is something I thought wasnt very applicable during rides. Most time it requires a slow down and perfect execution. Good if your friend is snapping away so you can post up on facebook later with some "Yea that was me" smug pic to show off to the world. But after getting used to this new found reactivity and float with the shock, it was much easier to just air and let fly over foot high stuff that's usually just rolled over. So yes it rides faster better and sure is hell of a lot more fun on the trail. If I havent borrowed the term a "magic carpet ride", will just add a twist to that because each landing (small ones, <3' so far) has this magic carpet landing feel to it as well. One last thing not tested out would be the popping off purpose built jumps and drops...something that would soon be done though.

Overall, I only have 2 niggles. The 2 compression knobs are a little small and tight to twist. While there is no frost bite to worry about taking off gloves to tweak those on the trails here, still, wet sweaty fingers trying to pinch a little knob is a bit of a pain. Secondly, it wouldnt be too difficult or costly to have the PRC adjustment on the piggy for all sizes. As pictures of it show, it is something that could be quite easily twisted by hand with more contact points to grab..it could be the ticket to a fast tweak on the trail with minimal fuss and makes for alot more happy riders with what I personally feel is an otherwise incredible component by today's standard of rear shock technology.

Simple and actually works.

Changes

2011-03-31T02:21:00.004+08:00

Time to dust off the Soma... and make a few long overdue swaps. Back to the Nitto Randonneur. Monster 62t ring swapped to a spanking new and shiny 53t salsa. Rear has gone back to a 16t WI. Gonna miss the feel of the 18t trials freewheel :( Not much of a choice...ratio on the 18 with a 53 just overspin too much on the generally flat terrain around Coastal on those night rides. Need the most optimal gear-ratio if I hope to catch up with the bunch that's just gone faster these days.

EG is up for some changes too.. A Vector HLR rear doesnt seem to be materializing. Decided on a Dueler instead. While waiting for the piece to arrive....meantime slap on a t-loan and gonna test out both the 400 and 450 lb spring I have with me this Sat. Thot the DHX was "perfect"-- not so sure now after a cursory ride on the Dueler tonight. But not making any hasty decision, only a few proper trail rides later will tell.... oh please fast forward to Saturday.

No more ugly blue ano knobs, piggy cylinders or other stray ano hues Finally a true black-silver steed with just a minute amount of red accented bits spread out in the right places.

Jul 2011... back to the SOMA tweaks... lesson from the EG = reduce reach. I really just am not so lanky and tall! Tange zero setback post. Nice blingy bling

Arrrrgghhhh......

2011-03-21T00:23:00.003+08:00

Crap and Crappier starring Anvil --- yup that was some Friday for me... If only there was a camera crew, I could be replaying the frigging day on TV now.

9:30 am meeting begins with a dash to the car in the pouring rain at 8:45. Not that I mind but I wasn't exactly in my usual mud-o-philic cycling garbs. Half a wasted day and a pile of mails needing evasive non conclusive replies that leaves me wanting to practice Bruce's one finger punch at the monitor at every "Dear XXXX-whoever-the-hell-u--are-that-I'm bloody-replying-to" afterwards.

6:45pm -- Breaking my [6:01 Rule] by 44 precious "me-my-time"-minutes...finally off to the car.. WTF no familiar beep of the alarm unlocking after applying a sadistic dose of thumb jabs on the car key alarm! Not Again! Total effing flat battery-- and the handphone batt at critical 4%. From having plugged into the charger over night but never switching on the damn plug. Oh screw me! Rush out for the meeting and the headlights were left on since morning. Yea Willy was right...one of those days u want to attach a spur to the shoe and lift it to one own's behind. Forcefully too.

Crap quality jump cables from colleague's car resurrected no dead battery of mine....Frantic scrambling and fumbling for the right number, called and waited..... and waited...

...Ok tow truck's finally here. Might as well hitch a ride nearer to home. Workshop is probably closed and collection will be tomorrow but at last a change for better luck---- mechanic was just about to call it a day when we arrived. Quick fix with a new batt, tested everthing...radio, wiper, power window, alarm..and a $160 bucks poorer, finally home for cold dinner.

11:50 pm Screw this shit---its weekend, time to prep the bike. Oh but screw and double screw me. Seized chain! Nice little present from Momma Nature from all the unwashed muck of last weeek.

Fleet Carbon-Jiro....Pugsley joins the stable.

2011-03-13T20:22:00.001+08:00

Its been more than a year after the idea was mooted. Finally got there with the Battaglin SPX sold... all I know is that a Pugsley is busting the seams of my quiver...collecting in 2 hours time.

Can't decide what kind of configuration this fat rubber beast will be taking on... quick search on the web shows so many things one can do with it. Maybe its another round of doodling all over again. Project Rigid-Do-It-All with 3 or 4 "hot-swap" config judging from all the components at my disposal... Titec H-Bar, single speed stuffs and pretty sure some custom fenders will make its way to my "bike junkyard" soon :D

But here is the official Anvil Zero-CarbonFleet

Seek and Ye Shall Find

2011-03-05T23:06:00.005+08:00

Well we did find something a little extra on today's ride...

Click Me

But really the title is more on the final pieces to the set-up puzzle after ~2 years of reading, researching and hours or fiddling. Nevermind the 10 bar/stem combos that accumulated along the way.

1.5cm aft and 1cm fore--rearranging the bar and saddle position and every bit of ache and handling issue was gone even on extended rides! Perfect setup... Just that it gone back to a slightly dorky look... maybe I should really have gone for the small EG instead.

random...

2011-02-28T22:56:00.001+08:00

9:00 am Waiting for ride to start and obviousy shaky hands from not having my morning coffee

11:00am

I've lost count the number of times my bike leaned against this tree for a shot.
Ok double or nothing today....the new JOraNgES freshly built from the nite before.
Yup... time to u-turn after one more shot...

the next build- Tequila Sunrise

2011-02-16T18:29:00.003+08:00

Still not too sure if getting a 2nd EG was impulse or obsession on my part. Has been hesitating ever since to build it up. Damn with the current bike, the 2nd one would have to raise the bar in more ways than one. Spending 2 years on one bike gives one a very good idea of the myraid of combinations of components that works and still make the bike look good. With an uber sexy and sleek rear tri and overall blinkety blink orange paintwork, its pretty set to be a lightweight version of what I usually ride...still it doent help that new bling parts are appearing everyday whether from browsing the web or poision seeding friends like Dirty with all kind of access to stuff not even seen on the market.

Its been awhile but if its gonna be tricked out blink... a matching color scheme would be needed. Got to start wrecking the brains for ideas. My usual "evergreen" Black-Silver combos wouldnt cut it.

And its the first time working with something orangy. Hmmm................... ok settled, its a Tequila Sunrise for this little Orange Mexican then.

Gonna be needing jackloads lots of red parts soon. Anyone with some to spare?

.... and the bits are trickling along

"Head(ache)sets... sometimes its easier if there are less choices

Guess will just stick with whats tried and tested....another piece of the Xc II Flush

... Stealth or Loud?

Forget red cranks...

1st "cut"...

...

"Epic" Ride

2011-01-29T21:07:00.007+08:00

Just no letting up from the sky above....pouring rain, traffic jams.
So much for starting ride at 2pm sharp. Ha.

But, throw in the usual mileage of the local trails to cover...
Marinated in wet roots and rocks from errmm.. 800 inches of slosh in one afternoon?
Simmered with changing a flat under dripping foliage.
Gently stirred in one broken deraileur
Bring to a slow "SS" broil
Finally garnish with 2 crimson gash behind the calf..... all in, guess that makes up for the idea of an "epic" local ride.

Not forgetting, another lung busting dose chasing the same crazy French dude AGAIN on a dual crown, all up and down the trails... just like the first time in BT. Thomas are you reading this? :D

Always wondered what if I have to cook up a single speed to get out of the trail... nothing more "perfect" for a test than today. well it wasn't my bike. Poor Willy. But at least I'm pretty confident after this afternoon of my pin breaking and joining skills sans benefit of master pin and powerlinks to serve up a trailside "single speed" bike, beating last light to get out of the trail!

To Clear or Not To Clear

2011-01-15T18:13:00.001+08:00

Dear Pussy Off-Roaders

SHIFT your body weight to clear an obstacle. Not SHIFT the obstacles and sit your ass on the saddle to breeze through.

Otherwise please stick to these. You are free to run through any plethora of dare devil off road riding skills in the mind while pedaling in these smooth tarmac haven.

Kindly leave whatever little rooty, rock strewn trails left with fallen trees to those of us who actually choose to ride some real offroad terrain.

I recently witnessed a group of your pussy brothers shifting away what some of us would consider no more than pebbles. To avoid putting a foot down in this picnic-like atmosphere smacked in the middle of the trail, I lofted off an adjacent root in a stupid move on my overweight bike. In the process have totally missed the said pebbles.

The wind must be blowing in the right direction cos I caught a line "those rocks are too slippery, its unrideable..." with an accompanying foul stench of pussiness in the air as I passed this little "safety council" doing trail work without a bloody clue.

I pedaled as fast as I could to get away from this overpowering stench and glittering array of ultra bling bikes. All with 6" of travel or more front and back, rocking titanium coils on RC4s with uber expensive frames no less, only to roll my eyes in aghast just moments later.

My little sacred saga sapling, one so rare nowadays that I spotted growing, was HACKED away. I always stopped by this spot to take a look at its growth and marvel at the thoughts that one day it would be a big fine tree, dropping all its ruby red seeds that will beautify the forest floor.

Why Why Why
...and then I spotted the reason behind such inconceivable inconsiderateness. Just below the part before it was hacked off...it was chipped. Putting my bar to it, no doubt that it was a victim before its beheading to our savage marauding ever longer handlebars. I can imagine after getting caught and thrown over the bar, one of your pussy brothers, feeling indignant, must have pulled out his weeny Swiss knife and hack poor little Saga down in his broiling fury.

We chose to ride
We chose to use ridiculously proportioned components but without the needed Lambada skills to negotiate our way through.
We will hurt these silent forest guardians but they will survive. Not if u behead and deny them a fighting chance though.
Our Trails exist because of these guradians. Otherwise any man made trail is just another Teletubbie Hill

Yes we all want uninteerupted flow in the trails but please don't watch too much MTB vids. Let's get real.

When the BS Starts flying

2011-01-13T22:41:00.002+08:00

If you are in Singapore, been cycling and keeping up with related biking news you know what the blog is referring to...
http://www.alexisthetiny.com/2011/01/when-the-bs-starts-flying/

Pretty much echo the sentiment of many.
   ...NO, it's not about the $30.
      ....NO, many of us aren't even riding bmx anymore.

         Its a frigging insult and like little Tweety said... "BS"

I'll vote to let them go keep their little leftover white elephant from the overhyped YOG as pristine possible by staying far away from it.

              Certify
                       THIS!

Fall Day

2011-01-10T17:01:00.001+08:00

What better occasion to get more pics on a "dedicated" foto shoot practice session for Dirty and his new cam in the morning right? Wrong

Am i just not a morning person or the lack of caffeine in the system.

Same section that didnt even cause an eyelid to bat during the night session.... but just kept crashing, yes not once but 4 out of 5 times when the sun came up....

Oh well guess some days just aren't your days...

2011 First Ride Out

2011-01-03T01:22:00.005+08:00

The COTES first ride for the new year was yesterday but road riding just isn't my thing anymore. Besides the cough was till pretty bad. Since probably none of the usual suspects are gonna be doing the a Sun offroad after yesterday's 109km... it means another good excuse to sleep in this morning.

All rested since errrmm... from last year, it just felt weird dissolving as one with the couch, staring at the picture box all afternoon. Not really wanting to but still made 2 quick texting. Well both J and W said they can't make it. Was kinda relieved...dunno why, maybe its one of those days I really need to be riding alone.

Time to pack. Looks like its a solo first ride out for the New Year.
     Yup that will be good. No one to wait for or catch up to...

         Just me and stupid me, cursing at some soon to encounter root
         that will probably throw me off because I'm just too lost in thoughts.
         Thinking of it just put a smile on

... ...

Its mid afternoon when all should be quiet on the trail.... Frankly, I really hope not to see another soul during the ride. But with over 5 million people on a little island! Good luck!

Sliding behind a couple of utility vehicles from the nearby waterworks department, it was quiet enough though... save for the jungle noise filtering through as the bike was unracked.

A couple of macaques were squabbling and screeching for all it was worth. Well, at least its not the usual unnerving cacophony of city sounds. Slipping on the elbow guards, I was wondering which of the monkey got his bollocks sucker punched to elicit all those yelps :D

... Air was cool with the sun hiding behind the clouds today.... The 2 riders I passed on the way didn't cruise by. Probably turned in at T15. Great. All alone now.

Five meters into the trailhead... Oops! Its mudfest time. Too late, fuck it. Mud or cess pool, I'm going riding today.

20mins...
No stopping under the big shady tree at the end of the first trail as usual.... . It wasn't the smoothest ride but then again with all the log piles, roots and narrow bends in this trail, it never would be. However the new Vengeance up front simply gobble up everything. I could almost see it spit out all the chewed up roots and twigs that has gone under the wheels. Apt name for one kick ass fork!

Finally just as the mp3 player juiced out... I was at the LZ where imaginary helicopters land. Certainly no whooping metal birds around. Just me and the EG.

Ok 5 mins and 1 Power Gel later...Time to saddle up! Now the mud part really begins... however the luring stretches of descents are also beckoning.. Pedal, pedal, pedal...

Saw 2 other riders at the u-turn point. A quick hello and as they saddle up, I was determined no XC bike is gonna catch me today. So wheeling the EG around...shot my way up, where the euphoria of the recent decend ended just a minute ago

Again the fork delivered....guess with the new bar and stem combo, everything is really dialled in on the new front package on the bike.

Back the same way and reverse the first trail... Got back to the car, 16:45... Ah fark it, let' do another round.... Somehow I knew I was gonna do something stupid like this today. I mean how often do I pack lights on a day ride... oh well.

18:05....it was really getting dark under the canopy.

Could just smell the rain in the air. Ok time to abort the last leg reversing Trail One. Shortcut back out from T15. Good enough...

...28 muddy km today including all the traversing for some extra descends. A chain and stanchions that had to be watered down from the hydro bag 4 times plus a rear deraileur so covered in mud its looking like an old dog's loose hanging bollock. Finally done for the day!

Need to cover a lot this year to push the fitness level up. Not forgetting there is a 100K ultramarathon that I signed up for during a moment of insanity. Keep up with the younger ones on rides and generally be able to enjoy the longer trails overseas... Need to start somewhere and today was as good as any.

Review: Reverse Executor stem + REVERSE XXL DH-Race "fli-bar"

2010-12-28T22:58:00.025+08:00

Another bar/stem combo that came at just the right time. Been hoarding up a little collection of bars and stems in the last few months to learn the finer points of a bike's front end tweaking. This Reverse combination provided by Integrated Riding for a review on Togoparts was a sure welcome to add on to a growing database for future reference.

Specifications as per brand's website:

REVERSE EXECUTER stem 31,8mm oversized
Length: 42mm, Angle: 15“, 1 1/8“, Ø31.8mm, Material: CNC 6061, Colors: black, white, red, gold, titane-grey, chrome, green; Weight: 246 gr.
Price: SGD 90.00

REVERSE XXL DH-Race "fli-bar"
760mm wide, 0", 0.75" and 1.5" rise,
AL 7075-T6, double butted, 9° back sweep
Weight: 295 gr
Price: SGD 100.00

Review bar came with 0.75" rise. Actual to stated weight were close. +5 gram difference for both components. Adding up to a hefty combo, mainly due to the 250gm stem. Something initially gawked at even by my non-weight weenie standards. However both items feels solid enough to be installed on the bike.

...the XXL "Fli" Bar
First glance, it looks a little odd. Comparing it to a couple of 760mm 9mm sweep lo-rise in my cache, things became apparent. The rise comes about much further than most. Approximately 9cm away from the center.

Most riser bars have a portion of the backsweep within part of the rise, the XXL "Fli" looks to have all or most of the backsweep concentrated after the rise.

The two points are highlighted because for some users, small differences like this could mean a world of differences in their bar tuning positions. What is significant is, as one rotates the bar fore and aft, bar height to the ground deviates much lesser than bars that rises sharply near the center (approximate measurement is +/- 0.25" vs ~0.50" or more on some other similar height risers measured).

The thick powder coated finishing in black is much subdued when compared to the rest of the blinged-out Reverse bars lineup but looks to withstand clamping marks of levers, brakes and grips well.

...the Executor stem
Bling! was the first word that came to mind while ogling the chrome piece

Hardware are 6 x M5 bolts. Something preferred over the more finicky M4 bolts on many other stems. Just a little note that torque on bigger bolts have to be checked periodically as some have a tendency to work themselves loose over time.

Effective stem length
"42mm length with a 15 degrees rise..." While most time a little rise in a short stem is hardly a concern but this does look a tad short. Wasting no time with rusty trigonometric equations, the good old metal rule says effective stems length is only 35mm.

Clamp width
Coming from the old school of " the more the better" its always an area of concern. Especially with bars nowadays "growing" longer all the time. With extra leverage, flex and creaks are common issues stemming in part from lesser clamping area.

After the bevelled edge, widest point puts the grip down at 45mm. Personally a wider grip is preferred but the chunky 6061 Al main piece and and big M5 bolts would seem to bite down hard enough.

The clamp plate is a no nonsense solid piece with none of those weight saving underneath. It is thick around the the bolt areas thereby reinforcing the whole structure. Weight weenie will not rejoice but for its intended use, these are targetted at riders who prefer assurance during hard riding over weight saving. If no chirping crickets are detected during test ride, then it will just boil down to bar stiffness.

Like many stems this too has a hollowed out center in the steerer stack, extra effort can be seen during the designing and subsequent machining to ensure that it is not entirely hollowed out for good reasons.

Cutting away the entire center portion in this area has been the archilles heel of many a light weight stem as there isn't enough clamping area/force over the steerer to keep things in place during hard knocks or simply slippage when forcing the bar down hard. The Executor (as seen from below pic) has this balanced out nicely while shaving off unnecessary weight here.

Designed with two bolts tightening towards the front in a tear drop shape, in theory that should hold everything nice and firm. while protruding bolt heads that angled backwards doesn't look too knee-friendly, these however are actually much further away from your patella than most stems with rear clamping bolts design.

Objectively, as bar/stem combos are a very personal feel, it would be unfair to slap on just anything and have a go at it. So it was setup and rotated as close to one of my fav combi that ran a 737mm bar with a 50mm stem.
Bar height to ground...Checked.
Reach, center to center on ends of grip to seat...Checked. Just a tad short for now but the back sweep felt good.

Talk time over...here comes the test phase. Two easy laps on one our local trail, no hucking or jumping but pushing down hard on the bar to feel for any give or yield.. None whatsoever detected. Things felt a little twitchy mainly due to the shorter length of stem but definitely no fault of the component itself.

Reviewing bars and stem is rather difficult because a bar is a bar and a stem is a stem, if these two dont flex or bolts start loosening, they are as good as any you can put on your bike as long as the measurements are to one's preference.

Got down, gave all the bolts a once over. All tight. Bar clamped tightly in place and have not rotated on its own as evidenced from a little marking made to align with the stem.

Next, a slight forward rotation (to get back the "old reach" feel) and a 3 mm spacer change over from the under to upper stack to balance back the bar height.

Time to take some gnarlier stuff to jolt the combo up a bit and see if it still holds...

WARNING: A very unprofessional Nausea Inducing Vid below... but good news is that rider suffered no fall or injuries and yes the test equipment held up nicely. No noticeable flex or dreaded creaks and groans.

Normally it takes awhile for any components to be tested out before I have enough confidence to take it out for heavier riding. This combination however leaves no doubt and I was off the following day feeling right at home on climbs, fast decents and jumps that has a little more to offer than our local run of the mills.

New ink: Raijin

2010-12-25T18:53:00.004+08:00

Ok ink bug got me real bad....second big piece in a year and I hear myself saying even louder this time "Fuck it Live HARD for today" than at the start of the year...

Caught wind of another tattoo convention in Singapore earlier this month and it sure was packing some big names. Famous Japanese master Horiyoshi III was there and others like the Philip Leu family from Switzerland. Names and artwork already familiar with from my initial dabbles with tattoos in the early 90s...


From father to son.. the upcoming Horiyoshi IV? Father's handiwork on kiddo and kiddo exhibiting the same family styles on a client

Traditional tebori hand tattooing by Takayuki....

Cute. But doubt something like this will ever get on my skin....


Photoshoot after the competition

WTF! My new tattoo! A Japanese snowboy?

LoL.

Nope.... Revealed.

Raijin (the newer stylized version of the Japanese Thunder God) rumbling down.... exactly what I was having in mind... .big clumsy me going ass over heels on me bike. Hopefully this little mascot will "protect" me from that.

Ahhhh the power of belief.... placebos do work eh.

Kousho Horitoyo (Liberty Tattoo, Japan) full immersely in his handiwork.
I heard of living out of a suitcase, but working out of one? Well that's something new huh.

Horitoyo showing me the piece he got the night before from his friend, Dan Sinnes during a ciggy break..... no doubt an addition to Dan's pussy face series

4 hours down, 4 more to go..... back to the butcher chair.

"Looking the look"... actually more like biting down to silence the expletive string as the needle hit some nervy spot.

Horitoyo: "Bak-ga-round? Yes ? no?"
Me:         "Bakka- round???"
Me:         "Oh! Background!....ahhh Yes Yes"
Horitoyo: "eehhhh fuoor more ow-was.... U ok?
Me:         " Yea OK"

Screw me.... just committed another 4 hours.. but I really wanted to have the traditional Japanese tattoo spiral...

Too bad time was short...."Bakka-round" will have to wait till the next time we meet.

Not really into the "talk with someone to take mind off the sting" therapy. But this dude was just yakking and yakking, no ink on arms and legs either..frankly twas getting bored till he pulled off the tee and showed off the back piece. One of the best details I've seen,


7th hour...Pleasant surprise. Looks a lot different than originally anticipated. Nice details

The "finished" piece

Xmas eve ride

2010-12-24T18:14:00.004+08:00

Must have pissed off the God of Holiday Cold and Flu Bugs..... bloody critters will find a way to breakout in my system whenever the holidays are here. A time where rides of course are planned in the bucket loads..

Saddled with a year end work report due today in a world where commodities pricing has gone apeshit for the last 6 months....I wrapped it up by 1pm while coordinating the booking for another big ride at Drak come Monday.

The bugs?...Screw them. I'm riding whether it tags along by then.

Another few more calls later...hook up with Mohd for a quick spin at TT. Weather looks good. Though the sky threatens to cry while on the way home from office but Im calling its bluff.

Was the only one at the trail head @ 3:20pm.....looks deserted.
5 mins later... Lookie lookie.. Who's here! The Rideable jing gang!
Wait....Mok and Berd too... Am I glad to meet friends and old faces..

Chatted up a couple of other dudes that has been reading my blog and of course one of the topics gravitated to X-fusion stuff. Well no amount of talking is gonna be as convincing, so I told one of them to hop on the EG and test the Vengeance out for himself. Oh yes I am really that confident of that kickass fork by now..

It was a day meant to just enjoy the pedaling and the flow of the trail. Didn't measure up to my usual anal self and check if tire pressure was in my "right" range. No fiddling with the suspensions. Off we went and everything was just soaked up nicely, firm where needed. Rock gardens, no hesitation. Just keep pumping and everything else was in auto-cruise control...

......1 big bad bike
2 ride-hungry dudes
3 Xmas sniffles
.... and no OTB that lands on a tree

Yes one of those days when everything was stacked against going out for a ride but one that ends up putting a smile on the face. Time to see what the missus is cooking for dinner.... and a Hoyo no.2 with the log cake.

Just Riding...

2010-12-16T00:55:00.006+08:00

I would profess to be just as much a bike junkie as any other proud ones out there. My quiver might not spot a 20K rig or choked full with the fastest and baddest arrows but I waste no moment living and breathing everything biking.

For some of us, its nothing more than exercise. Some mixed it in with the passion of building aesthetically pleasing bikes and those like me that uses it as a form of "healthy" escape, de-stressing or whatchawannacallit.

Some simply ride.

For me mountain biking has become more than just a matter of riding. Solo rides prepares me for what lies ahead...everything. Not just the immediate hundred meter of trails or nailing the jump and whip into a turn. Learning and absorbing as the scenary whizzes by. Pedal powered motion, gulping down lungfuls of fresh air to clear the mind. It is a way to compose myself for the day's path ahead. Reflecting on what just gone by, trying to take in a lesson or two and trying to make light of one's own follies along the way.

Staying off the negative path.
Ever rode with people that are perpetually on an ego trip. The "must win" in whatever they think they are exceling in? If they can't ride something...then that section or trail must be "stupid" or not "worthwhile". Well sometimes things are. When trails arent built with a clear focus, it may lack flow but more often than not, it's a rider's lack that impedes what could otherwise be an enjoyable session.

Does it mean u just give up and curse under your breath. NO. Why would you want to spoil your ride with a train of negative thoughts. If a trail that was never designated but was ridden out over time by countless other riders...what makes that a "stupid" trail other than one not having the proper equipments and skills?

People come and go in our lives. I rather let them go if they start effusing such negativities all the time when riding around me while only bragging about their bravado on things they are capable off.

There are certain sections in the local trails I ride regularly that is really bad due to a variety of reasons, even though they are purpose built but looking at erosion and other factors surrounding the area, I can't really fault the people that did it up that way....an uphill rock garden filled with shaky pieces of rock.

To curse and swear under the breath each time I'm there trying to climb especially in the slippery wet of the monsoon season on my long travel bike? NO. Rather, countless hours were spent trying different setups to try and nail it.

Sometimes no matter what you do, nothing really works but still there will be lessons to be gleaned from the experience. If you fail a 100 times, each time trying something a little different means discovering a 100 ways why it doesn't work.

If I had sat on the fence whining away refusing to believe that it can be ridden with a 160mm front travel bike or get duped into believing that gnarly rooty trails is simply too "worthless" to ride.... then those riding pictures to form a picture book for the grandkids wouldn't be materializing.

Pushing the limits. Within reasons of course. From personal experience, I do feel that what is difficult today may seem like child's play....after riding something bigger, harder say on a biking trip to some place new.

Breakout--- Ass off the saddle, feet to the pedals. Crank on!

X-Fusion Vengeance HLR

2010-12-06T00:03:00.009+08:00

Disclaimer: This could sound like a real bias piece and I am having a hard time trying to be objective here. The often drawn comparison to an 09 TALAS is simply because this is the other fork that I am really familiar with and apart from swapping the adjustable travel for a fixed air cartridge, its essentially like a Float.. In my usual overzealous fashion, this probably covers more, making it another epic long post and lullaby read.

Apart from frames, forks usually represent the next biggest investment on a bike, The search for a new fork to replace the aging 36 TALAS had taken awhile. Like most, I was sucked into the "longer the better" travel vortex. A 36 TALAS or FLOAT 180mm seemed to be the most obvious choice for awhile...

...till one lazy afternoon over a bike chat session, things sidetracked to the Lyrik 170. Having tried last year's 160mm version and liking it, the 170mm looks to be a real contender.

However at the back of my mind another fork had been lurking. Having followed the development of the X-Fusion Vengeance HLR, it looks right in just about every aspect.

By the time I was looking at the 170mm Lyrik, I reckon it wasnt really so much in the travel itself and has shaken myself out of the "longestest-possible-travel" stupor.

The TALAS had been a love hate affair. Travel adjust is a bonus on longer climbs yet the reduction throws the whole bike geometry off. Besides, 95% of the time I am on the full 160mm travel with the occasional drop to 130. So much so that the 100mm travel mode is never used. Like most, my TALAS exhibited the usual issues associated with this fork even after servicing and change of oil. The sensitivity of the dials and tracking of the fork was never stellar. Striking a balance between sensitivity and brake dive is a never ending affair.

What I really wanted apart from good tracking was a slightly slacker head angle than the 68 degrees on my bike, hence a longer A-C measurement. 170-180mm would make that slight change which is all that matters on the bigger descending charge or lofting over a big rock and have a more surefooted feel when the front falls over the other side.

Readied the bike for the change with a different bar/stem setup to achieve the same bar height in the event of a fork change. This way (hopefully) it doesn't displace my usual body positions but only have a slacker HA. The anality of this exercise is pinpoint to within ~3mm of all my other bike settings.

So why the Vengeance? As said the actual increase in 10-20mm in travel wasn't the key. Seriously if the whole 180mm travel gets dunked--its can get pretty scary. Furthermore 180mm would really test my bar-stem setup to the limit in trying to get the bar height back at the original 160mm level with the TALAS without the levers hitting the top tube as the front end turns. Things would have been much easier on this last aspect except that the sexy curve top tube on the EG also happens to be sitting pretty high compared to many other frames.

Axle-Crown Measurements
160mm Talas A-C of 545mm (as the benchmark for changes)
180mm Fox A-C of 565mm
170mm Lyrik A-C of 555mm
160mm Vengeance A-C of 557-8mm.

Last but not least, after weighing all the price : weight : performance (read) ratios-- The Vengance just puts a smile on my face. Other brands of overpriced forks just don't even come close. With a 5 day turnaround time dealing direct with the factory...all that's left now is to check out the performance......

Weight
Not something I ever give much thoughts to...

Left: Vengeance with uncut steerer @ 2298gm. Center: Cut to 185mm @ 2270gm Right: 09TALAS 2282 gm

Without stripping the fork and having a comparable model of other brand(s), there is no way to really tell where all the weight differences are accounted for. Except that the Vengeance runs a negative coil spring with a smaller top out coil nestled within the bigger negative spring. This no doubt would have accounted for a small amount of weight from within. But the fork in general runs alot less oil inside compared to most others in the market. The open bath isnt really "open" as the cartridge sits within another tube which according to X-fusion also helps to keep contaminants out.

A cursory inspection however immediately yields some interesting observation. If any additional weight is on the outside, then its at all the right places shoring up and reinforcing where it matters most.

Still, what mine weighed in was 100gm lighter than some other much better written reviews (those probably were earlier protos sent out before actual production lots were refined further?)

"Beef"
Lowers are definitely burly starting right off the crown. Big and broad with stiffness written all over. Matches the 1.5 headtube well too. Sliding downwards on the lowers, a non-descript bulge much like some of the RS forks Power Bulge can be seen. Where the stanchion uppers are pressed in, this is another significant area with more material.

Measurement from top, width of crown on the Vengeance nearing steerer measured ~51 - 45mm (towards the dials). In comparison the TALAS is ~45mm tapering down to ~38mm. Where the stanchions are pressed in, its an additional 5mm more than the TALAS. Accounting for more stiffness? but no doubt surely contributed to part of the A-C increase

Trace it down further, the reinforcement at the dropout area is well thought out. Where the forces of impacts are great, lots of materials are in place to cater for those forces generated.

Left: 36 TALAS Right: Vengeance HLR

Overall from top to bottom I thought it was more like a 38mm stanchion fork if there ever was one and had to take out my calipers to phyiscally measure to get that thought out of my mind.

Knobs and Dials
Big and the clicks are very positive. Easily adjusted with gloved hands for all 3 from rebound on top to the high and low compressions below. Protective capping for the compression is the nicest I have seen on any fork. Some have commented that the adjustment between rebound clicks is too wide. Maybe it matters to the pros but with 21 clicks, its more than plenty for me to dial in the rebound.

I was simply awed by the finishing on the compression knobs and if you can call it the "ergonomics". The positive indentation of each click takes out any guesswork if you are ever sweating, puffing and making adjustments on the fly in the trail.

really need to get a real camera and not rely on the phone-cam!

First ride out... Sun 28 Nov

Settings
Time and again reviews have mentioned how the recommended air settings are pretty much spot on as printed on the lower left fork leg. It worked well enough for the first ride though some fine tuning will be done real soon. At 160-175lb its 60-67 psi for me

Pinned it to 63psi at my geared up weight of ~170lb. Lo-comp 5 out of 15 clicks and Hi comp at 7 out of 14. Rebound set at 15 of 21 clicks were adjusted to 17 on the trail.

(Tire pressure on the 2.4 Ardents at 20 and 23 psi front and rear respectively).

Time was short, by the time everything was set up it was late afternoon. Off I scooted to the nearest trail.. Tampines. Havent been back since it was re-opened. Though short, but was a little surprised as it's actually pretty smooth and flowy. Nice little berms to carve into and undulations that can test out if the suspension works well enough at speed to float off the top of the soil with the right momentum. Perfect.

No significant dive or excessive bob upfront where most of the ups were squared away with pedaling standing up in the roller coaster trail. None of those XC ass to the saddle spinning needed even with a big fork.

Passing mark with one of my initial concern- rounding a switchback climb. With long travel and burly bikes the last thing is to bleed speed to a crawl during the switchback turn and in turns loses all the momentum to roll up the climbing portion. Problem is the potential to approach too fast and unable to turn in time with a front that starts skipping. Key is the combination of right tire/pressure and good working suspensions to track as one leans the bike without excessive braking.

Next up the series of camel humps. Fork was nice with a firm feel, cresting each one, it takes no effort for the front to lift and put the entire bike into the air. After that it didnt take much for me to ride at the fastest and take every small little undulation to pop the bike into the air and dropping right into the wider berms instead of just riding through them.

In between, the little rock gardens was another good test. Bike goes through everything at speed without the slightest hesitation. Touchdown was surefooted and yes, the slight increase in the A-C making an ever small correction to the HA on the bike was definitely what I was looking for going down. Mentally extrapolating the feeling here to those km long rocky DH lines, reckon I just found my pot of ~~gold~~ boink in this fork.

Throughout, the front was feeling "bottomless" though like any air fork the degree of progressiveness can be felt as it eats into more of the travel. Launching off a rock drop during a descent that usually require more effort and mentally prepping the preloading to lift off was a no brainer here. The front has a mind of its own and just did everything right leaving me to focus ahead on landing. Was definitely going way smoother, akin to skipping rock on water surface. I dont remember having it so easy on the TALAS previously.

The closest in feel would be like Marz smoothness when those suckers don't get stuck down or start crapping oil all over. Comparing it to the Float or Lyrik "feel", somehow those forks while buttery smooth, do impart a somewhat hollow airiness. None of that here. I don't know if having a coil negative spring made things a little different and better. Fork internals are still a relatively complex subject for my understanding.

One thing noticed was the cavitation coming out of the fork. A little distracting but doesnt seem to be affecting performance in any way. I was deducing if the oil level was just that wee bit off and hence the noise. Later a check in a few forum threads shows that this was common and doesnt seem to be an issue in any way.

Overall I think I stumbled onto more of a jump setting although it does ride well enough. But this was a relatively smooth flowy trail with not much in terms of chatter bumps or technical climbs except on the few purpose built rock garden sections.

Second ride out... Sun Dec 5
Everyone was bitching about the slickness in BT from a whole week of heavy rain. A climbing nightmare as usual on SG's oldest official MTB trail.

Observation from last ride says the most logical setting for today's trail is to back off both compressions.
Did that and tracking on slow tech climb was better. Added 2 clicks halfway in to the lap to the rebound making it 19 out of a max of 21 was the biggest positive change. "Lightens" up, making for more positive steering control. I was able to pump the fork more effectively on the faster down and stay in better control. Already mentioned was how positive the dials are but the difference in actual change to the rebound in 1-2 click on this fork is really night and day compared to similar changes on the TALAS.

Nothing negative to comment when the bike is pointed down. Met all my expectations and more. Easy to preload even when coming down fast and let fly on a couple of small drops that usually was just drop in when on the old TALAS.

On the up, the effect of that 1.5cm higher A-C meant having to adjust my weight a little more than usual even though bar height remained as before. Could partly be a case of again changing too many things at once. The 760mm flat bar had been mated to a 70mm stem before. Today its on the new Po1nt Split Sec stem. 20mm shorter.

My heavy overbuilt, low tire pressure setup, a curse when dry is the XC guy's nemesis in the wet.

Didnt meet too many spinning lycra boys today but all the ones I past heaving as their bikes probably went slipping and sliding on the way up probably wondered if there was a Gruber Assist in the EG. Overtaking some of the other bigger bikes in today's ride meant having to get out of the best line and just tear at whatever opening there is. Front tracking was great matching the dialled in rear but the increase A-C effect was really noticeable. More dialling in with the comp settings on next ride to see if that will help.

Let's see what happens 6 months down the road and a couple of trips on bigger course brings. Fork search ended for now.....until the need for a dual crown arise.

Drop or straight bars...

2010-12-05T16:01:00.006+08:00

Its been an upgrade fever on the EG and building new bikes, friends and mine. Tucked away in a little corner of the mind, I was turning my thoughts back on those forlorn road bikes in the storeroom. Or at least the pride and joy of my singlespeed SOMA Stanyan.

Are dropbars really necessary? Reckon that's a redundant question. My decision was made earlier when a pair of flattop levers were ordered from CRC.

With the spate of rising accidents involving cyclists in Singapore, it led me to dwell on the various factors involved. I was shunning from road riding for a while now. What's the underlying factors apart from the superficial "blame" pinning on rude funky colored clad lycra riders plus all their right of way demands. Been thinking of the dangers associated with the traditional road bike geometry and choice of componentry.

Back in the past when roads were emptier, it probably mattered less. Now, having to jostle with an increase of vehicles, people and whatever our beloved government care to stuff onto this little island is making it less and less desirable for cyclists on the road.

Shunned but on occasions I do miss the feeling of road riding. All the close calls my own and witnessing a few others in recent years led me to think... what is the sense of having drop bars when riding under such conditions. Drop bars are meant to pitch a rider's weight forward. The CG is low, hand position on the drops or the hood just aren't natural or conducive to sudden evasive action...everything is decidedly geared for one thing. Speed.

Short straight bars don't cut it either... maybe its my bias but Im definitely not into the fixie culture. All those weaving between vehicles with tiny bars and school girlish cheering when pals made a 2 cm side kerb hop just isnt my idea of riding.

So? Leftover from my singlespeed mtb days that saw duty on the ss commuter...looks like the Nitto Torsion 666 will be dusted soon... never thought it would see action on a "roadie" one day. Err..sort of roadie.

Vengeance....

2010-12-03T19:41:00.002+08:00

Shredding the trail takes on a whole new meaning now....

sorry folks..too stoked
busy riding, review will have to wait :P

RAW...Po1nt Split.Second

2010-12-03T19:29:00.005+08:00

Need more be said!

Grabbed it from Dirty... took a little light polish to bring everything to a shine...

At last, found an excuse to own one and match the well used Podium pedals, new finish for 2011, RAW...with the new 760 flat bar using up all the steerer excess. ... ; )

DIY Time Again: Thrust Bearing for the Coil - Part II

2010-12-03T02:34:00.003+08:00

Tiny my pal once said "Patience is a virtue when the sh!t is free....." Well ain't exactly free but its been a long wait. 5 months to be exact since Dirty, the poisonous mind bender toyed with the idea and me being the tester as usual. Finally the retainer for the thrust bearings were done... Some really nice milling work by Kenny. Very tight tolerance. Everything was snug fit.

Far cry from the initial slap-it-up when I simply slotted the spacers and thruster bearing and simply tightened the "ghetto unbinder" down with the shock's lock ring. It did work, at the end of travel on bigger hit, the usual "crackling" sound associated with the coil binding suddenly being released was noticeably gone. However without being seated in some sort of retainer, there was play coming from the interfaces of the coil to spacers and bearings. This resulted in the coil moving up and down and hitting onto the shock body and necessitated in having to wound more preload than I would like. Even then after some hard riding, the whole contraption can come loose as discovered a few times after washing down the bike.

Now with the closed end of the retainer snug against the coil and counter pressure from the lock ring, it renders only the spacers and the bearing inside movable. Most of which are translated to rotational movement as the tight tolerance after fitting the bearing/ spacers leaves very little room for lateral play.

DRAK: Long overdue COTES outing

2010-11-24T00:39:00.011+08:00

After my last month's recce over at Batam, Drak Bike Park.. guess its about time to rustle up the group and go have some fun. COTES and friends since our own little Australian chapter is just too far away to tempt them back for the trip.

Few weeks of coordination and a gazillion Facebook messaging later, here we are.....

Fresh off the ferry, all smiles and not knowing what lies ahead...

Grab-a-Bike-and-Go

Pokemon hauling war_virus's Pugs

Arrived at Stewart's place..looks to be blistering hot Will the sudden tropical storms rear up in the afternoon?

As usual, whose bike could be garnering more interest than the Pugsly! Everyone of the local riders just had to put a leg over those fatties for a spin in the compound

Just like good ol' military days, "Final Inspection" before NMT....

The SOP group shot as always.... :)

"Here We Go Again" ...Indonesian edition

Hot dusty singletracks. Brains cooked to the consistency of mashed bananas less than an hour into the ride

Spinning around waiting for the rest to catch up. Beats staying still in the breezeless open area.

Local rider Danny with a full face helmet strapped to the hydrobag and I was wondering why.... well later at the jump and drop features, it was all clear.

Riding through small local farmland and plantations... going up up and up....

XC Lovebirds

Turbo and Pokemon ...as usual, the first to reach all the break points....

Organic Isotonic Drink: Suck Me Dry

Yours truly lugging 18kg worth of El Gigantosarus playing catch up to the above and the usual XC billyCOTEs

Back down.......more singletracks and small crossings.

Looking at Jeremy... I cant help thinking of the movie title "Gorilla in the Mist".....

Finally down all the way. Definitely more my cuppa.
Welcome relief for busted lungs and burning quads. Not DH stuff but sweepy singletrack descending straight to some fun spots

Danny "X"-ing things up.

Ber... our variable (0.10 -13) ton AirBear

Me performing some classic negative demonstration.

Kids- if you are watching do not follow

Bloopers: Marshmellow Legs & Banana Puree for brains after long hot ride = Bad Idea to Air

Aargh arrgh... Cow having a cramp

"Bagelman" Jones
Every bit of rest and comfort counts after the climb...

Tell me which part of him looks bagel-ish!
Nah...more like one of our local delight

Well Done Mrs "Virus"

Dylon-- one happy camper smiling all the way

with his new setup

Camwhore Frank before ride & after the big climb

More fun later... stomaches screaming for FOOD and WATER by now...

....almost there.

Yes... HYDRATE or DIE

Food Chain: Top and Bottom "feeders" ...

A little post lunch warm-up before hitting the trails again.

I gotta take a closer look at his bar stem and see what is the secret that led to the smiles as he seemed to be chugging up every bit of elevation and climbing back down today. No wonder he is still smiling. Oh don't we all love it when the bike is set and seems to be just a part of you, flowing with every pedal stroke and more...

Looking here..it may not seem much for those who are used to miles and miles of crazy Northshore stuff... but

if there is one irony in Indonesia... its the lack of wood. That is wood like these made into planks.

Ridiculous eh! Well its all part of the law and conservation issues in Indonesia. With one of the largest tropical forest patches in the world it has been reduced to importing wood from places like China and Russia

Its still not stopping a lot of the illegal logging that's going on in the country though.

Enforcement officials makes it difficult for many businesses which have legitimate reasons to obtain much needed wood. Or in this case getting materials to build and maintain this place. A number of sections were unrideable due to the original planks decomposing fast in the humid jungle environment.

Dark clouds during lunch had dispersed and back to more sunny weather... everyone was promised the next stretch would be a flowy jungle trail snaking along the edge of the lake.... Nice.... Definitely one of the best stretch of the day after the slight disappointment at the Shore section.

"Psycho" Cheryl and Jon bringing up the rear in the jungle trail section.

Ice cold soda...thats pretty much on everyone's mind... right in the middle of nowhere. Yup we got our fill when we met up with a local wild boar hunting party with lots of cold drinks and ice. Can't really ask for more.

Finally back!

And let the washing begin...and some are just too lazy to shower.

Guess me got to wash the pet monkey too

Worry not brother...we never leave our own behind

SAVING PRIVATE GLENN

Post Ride Carbo Recovery @ J.C.O.

picture credits

"Bagelman" Jones

"Ah Gu" Frankie

"Ber" Bernard

"war_virus" Jeremy

Sad Day

2010-11-05T21:48:00.002+08:00

Official announcement of the demise of one of my favourite bike brand is out today.
http://forums.mtbr.com/showthread.php?t=664291

If Samsung, Sony, Apple folds tomorrow, I probably wouldn't give 2 hoots...oh wait, maybe not Apple, just got an iPhone. I guess first thing that most Titus owners will think of are spares, replacements and warranties. Valid but people who really are into their bikes, I reckon it would mean a little more than just these.

Its a shame, smaller dedicated companies that churn out good products are simply no match with the big boys. It really sucks to think that sooner or later, everyone will just have to be riding the same mass produced bikes, sticking little stickers and maybe anodizing some parts to stand out from the crowd. Worse of all, choices becomes limited especially when the dominating brands starts to veer more and more towards proprietary parts and standards that comes with their bikes or frame.

But I guess there really isnt much that can be done. Just like all the ma- & -pa grocery stores that's been wrung out of existence as obscenely large supermarts and hypermarks are swarming the landscape.

No I wont sell my EG...I'll just ride and when its time...this one kick-ass frame is just gonna be hanging somewhere in the house as a reminder of what a good bike should be.

KS i950r-Adj.Seatpost

2010-10-30T04:07:00.017+08:00

Scored and scarred my Kind Shock i900 was still performing pretty well. A change of stanchion shortly after it was used didn't stop the scratch problem from coming back but it's been more than a year now...it seems the newer KS post have been sorted out.

Fought the urge all these while to go back with a remote lever because of the extra cabling and certainly it doesn't score in the looks department which was definitely the case with another post in my inventory, the Gravity Dropper.

However, truth is that for a good number of occasions, with one hand reaching under the seat to grab the lever to adjust saddle height and missing a pedal stroke, it gets pretty annoying. Though it has become second nature but I couldnt help thinking how much more smoothly some things could be cleared if the hand action hasn't cause a pause and impeded the riding flow.

Finally, went over to Eugene at GHC today. Sure enough trust him to dig out a piece of KS i950r. Just had to make sure it wasn't the first generation with setback and cable running down the front but the newer ones where cabling is directed in the rear.

One glance, it is telling that the company has listened to users feedback and improve on subsequent development. I was a little skeptical initially, it was during the time when the rage of adjustable seatposts was dominated by the other brands and Crankbrothers started their bling but less than stellar Joplin line...and here was this small company out of Taiwan that most folks have not heard of.

One of the feedback on the earlier models was the single bolt seatclamp and I believe a number has also resulted in bent rails when saddles were clamped further back. Certainly the case with mine...so bad was the bent that I eventually had to have my favourite saddle replaced.

It can be seen here how the lower clamping plate is extended, to help support the weight. Given that this one now has no setback, all the more important as many folks would have to shift the saddle rearwards.

After removing everything, thinking it was better to have more clearance to fit and tighten up the cable, it stumped me a good 5 minutes when trying to put the bolts back. Realized eventually that the screw thread were not perpendicular like usual. Rather they were cut at an angle. Easy enough after this was figured out.

A side by side comparion of old and new. The extended lower clamping plate compensates for the distance lost in the setback version in terms of where the rails are clamped. I ended up pretty much at the same marking as before and latched the bolts tight. Note the extra length of clamping area and support in the i950r vs the old i900

Tightening the clamp pieces down to the head of the post was a little sketchy. Partially due to the rather fine serrations, it takes a bit of feel to make sure the whole thing is secured. With such design that relies on grooves on both sides, it is important to get them truly interlocking, otherwise things can easily grind down and in this case, it will be nothing more than an uber expensive paperweight at the end of the day.

Shouldnt have worried about tightening the cable tension and had everything removed initially. Again I have not read the provided manual. Really its a well illustrated and helpful guide just like they did with the first generations of the KS posts.

What really mattered was to have the set screw tightened at the cable guide where the cable housing ends. The other was a black set screw locked directly onto the inner shifter cable and hooked over to the red lever. Trick is to pull the lever down slightly and move the set screw piece over and making sure when the remote is depressed, the lever is almost touching the cable guide below. Otherwise the piston inside will not be depressed sufficiently for the post to move down/up. Fine tuning of the length of exposed inner cable between these 2 would adjust how fast the post rebound/ uncompress.

One problem immediately was observed after the cables were nice and snugly in place. Remembering how the cavity where the i900 lever moves in gets clogged up with dirt and mud making adjustments sometimes a little stiff, now the cavity was facing rearward! In this monsoon period, I can just imagine how all the dirt and grime will be finding new home after every ride...and certainly having to clean it out each time would get me bitching after a long day of ridng.

Ok coming from me, its easy to guess. Yup, inner tubing to the rescue again. Cut just enough to cover the cavity and punch it through the lever and put the cable back on.

Scale matters...
Things that make weenies wince. Weight! Less the remote and cable, both posts are virtually the same.

The Remote...
Here comes my next headache... current bling PDW grips doesnt have the usual lock ring end that the KS remote could fit into. My first thought was good ol' inner tubings again! Cut and shimmed to hold the lock ring lever in place. Or simply acquiesce and go back to my old ODI Rogues. Oh wait... almost forgot the adjustable Bricko grip. Using the first piece that attaches to the lock ring.. a neat solution was staring back at me. Ain't it just great when one's house is filled with all kinds of weird bike bits!

This is how the finished assembly looks on the handlebar.

Cable is a little too long.. but its 4 a.m.... [to be continued]

The Test...
Sun 31 Oct... 3pm after a heavy lunch of sesame chicken and meatballs, post was put to the test. Found myself doing the hands-beneath-the-saddle out of instinct from the old i900 post. But 2 km later...all was ingrained as my thumb got "imprinted" to the remote lever.

It paid off to pay attention when installing... can't complain about the functionality at all on the i950r. There is the all familiar stiction of a new stanchion but at full depression, the post springs up with no hesitation. Rate can be controlled by half depressing the remote. The action not unfamiliar to that of driving a manual car and controlling the clutch.

No wobble or no lateral play. with post down, holding it up by the saddle and moving it around a bit did not raise the post up. But when hooked over the shoulder and carried the bike up some stairs-- it did move up halfway while trudging on those steps. I'm guessing the entire bike weight was just a tad too much for the post to hold down. Nothing major. Will see if this gets "looser" and the post will slip up easier after a few more rides.

Did the little DIY rubber flap covering the cavity where the lever on the post moves to actuate the inner piston work? Yup it did. All the wet soil and sand that was thrown up was left on the outside. Depressing the remote a few times at the end of ride was smooth-- no gritty feeling on the lever at the post end.

June 2011: Short update... so far all the maintenance done was only wipe down and packing grease under the master bushing and red collar.. No full strip down as post is working really smooth. Minor tightening of cable on a couple occasions at set screw to get the rebound back to speed. Remote lever took some beating but seems to still hold up well enough.

Discretion...

2010-10-24T02:29:00.005+08:00

I'll just stick this up as long as I can before putting up another post.... spread the words around if you read them for the benefit of all that's riding around Singapore.

Unwanted attention....let's not draw them to places that already has outright "no cycling" signs, well known illegal trails. Its pathetic enough living in a 26 x 42 km long tiny island that is highly urbanized with little left in terms of nature and riding ground.

Maybe its it seems cool or have a wow factor for many to take pics or film around trails that weren't supposed to be ridden.

Maybe places "suddenly" get cleared and or have added features to allow something that wheels can still roll on as these places get trashed beyond recognition after thunderstorms or simply because of erosion over time. .... as a rule of thumb with non-sanctioned trails around the world..whatever it is, please don't mention names.

If things FARKS up and draws unwanted attention, NO one gets to ride.

Anyway, scenes of the same old places popping up again and again are simply getting stale, venture out of Singapore, get more experience riding elsewhere, loads of nice trails and features to take pics/videos; all prefectly legal and full of "wow".

Build: Dialledbikes Alpine 853-- Part 2

2010-10-10T01:26:00.016+08:00

Started the build, mmmm something just seems to be missing.

Oops! Steel frame--- totally forgot about corrosion proofing. Alright, out with the fork and apply the usual............

...that bashguard just grows on me. Who says cheap can't be cool. Heavy but the looks of it absolutely rocks.

Bar change...Round 10!.
...crank "up" time
Brakes neeeeeeeeeeeext.
Easy enuf.

Strange, but the seat clamp actually was the thing that took awhile up till now. Didn't want to rip up the nice thick paintwork which probably was the cause of the clamp refusing to slide down easy. 15 mins, finally figure out a way----- slick lube and one good dose of surgical palm slam finally did the sucker in.

pretty nice combo but still, the colors are just so "un-me"

to be continued....

Fast forward...many rides and binges later, back to the build...

The part I still have reservation over as to whether it will really work after months of back and forth email and resulting in the manufacturer redesigning a whole new axle just for my hub. pretty cool huh. Not every day I can claim to have the one and only hub of its kind in the world.

"Ok spin, spin damn it. Don't back pedal when I let go of the crank! "
Whew...nice, a bit stiff but everything is just new inside.

SLX compo isn't really my cuppa but for once the bulgy looky fits on this bike better....ok justifying my cheapness again...its 30 bucks off an XT mid cage.

Little silver bits to match up the rest of the parts.

If someone still hasn't got it by now...
All the shiny black silver and green, thats military parade colors. Frame color is that of my former unit's head dress.

Hmmm... let's see if there is an inconspicuous spot to stick a tiny silver airborne wing.

And the saddle? Guess its finally time to break out my stash of bargain saddles. This one is special, heavy as hell but one of those items I gotten on my first ever online spree.

Matches the 853 decal pretty well eh!

1 x front dee and a pair of Point One Podiums by tomorrow...and this sucker is ready to roll

4:42 am this morning...
Yup 2010 Podiums up , few touch up here and there, temp switch to 65mm stem till the 90mm Nukeproof arrives next week... all ready to roll out on Sun morn

...in between

There are always occasion to visit the LBS and catch up with friends there...
Can't pass up the used brakes which I snapped up for a song but there is usually a price to pay...they came with rounded philip head screws.

I really didnt care for grinding off especially when what it held down is a piece of flimsy plastic cap which would hardly be replaceable around here.

Who would I trust for such a job... yea there is a ridiculous ton of LBS on this small island but there's only 1 bike "Doctor" I'll go to for such jobs....

"Screw" the philip heads-- Hex bolts

What's more... with 2 good friends wrenching around the place (one covered in yellow paint that day and Bear pictured here forever familiar with his mumbling hillbilly tone...), my choice of shops to hang out has just gotten narrower :D

1st Ride... definitely felt a little short and low just like I was trashing around a bit the night before. Put it side by side with a On-One 456 custom 14" small-- and the 16" Alpine TT is shorter! The 160mm Van I tried on it before when Jeremy built it up definitely felt much more "right" than the noodly 140mm PIKE on it right now.

Another Muddy Ride.

2010-10-04T00:22:00.004+08:00

Sun 3rd Oct
0330 hr. an uber red sky.
0400 hr.... 5 mins in and some of the heaviest rain I've seen in awhile...

0500hr... no let up. Looks like ride's off :(

0635 hr... woke after an hour of shut eyes... Looks good. Rain stopped.

Hit the trail... Wet wet wet right at the start and WOW.... has the place changed. Forest elves has hacked chopped bundled all the big ass fallen trees. Ok so now the only way to enter the trail is via a series of pyramid logs but yea as usual the longest down stretch reward was great. Trust the bike, trust the setup. Let Fly...... couldn't be better...suspensions on bike was awesome today. tracks everything well in super wet condition at high speed.

1400 hr....just before a well deserved full foamy scrub.

Build: Dialledbikes Alpine 853-- Part 1

2010-10-03T02:49:00.002+08:00

Hanging in the storeroom for 2 weeks after giving the frame a once over....I'm still waiting for some final bits to come and a rear hub to be fixed.

As usual leave it to Dirty and his rancid brain to find a way to wrangle some good stuffs. So it looks like I'm getting a whole re-designed axle and freebody assembly from Goldtec for the Draco hub. Cross finger this time it would work without any more hitches....

Bike color is such I have no idea what kind of a final look it would have... just go along and experiment with what I have... already some of the weirdest color combo surfacing.....

Can't decide which bar and combo would go on so just try both on...

Seems alright. Matches close enough with the matt green PIKE 426.

Let's see how the black/silver combo goes on there....

Dork alert! Like all my other bikes are in the build process...
Alright just throw in a blinky blinky Point 1 spacer-top cap thingie just for the feel good factor now...

(the leopard in my 12 year old tea cup must be shaking its head)

Got to get myself one of those tools and some good deremel bits. Its bloody hardwork with a bastard file.

(The apple pie has absolutely nothing to do with the bashguard or the file. All relationships are purely platonic).

Finally.... my cheapo bashguard bought even cheaper from a blow out sales 3 years ago put into use.

!!! 2:00 am... Ok Everything back into the storeroom.... time to pack, saddling up in 6 hours time.

Weight Savings or Just Weenie-ing

2010-10-02T01:35:00.005+08:00

Balance is the keyword.

Form follows function and sometimes it all really depends on one's intended purpose. Too often I have seen people shaving off weight without having the slightest clue as to why except in the never ending quest to impress others with owning the "lightest this and the lightest that".

Well I prefer to ride my bike more than telling others how light it is. Intentionally pounding it hard and unintentionally banging it up in rather stupid fashions more times than i care to admit.

Over the years I work out the following to follow when it comes to a bike build.

(1) Need to train on it, not racing-- durability of parts over prioritizing of weight.

(2) Lighten up for race or simply at a point of wanting to ride faster...still sensible components are prioritized over weight saving alone. Savings are focus first on the parts that matter, therefore its usually rotational weight followed by non critical things like mud guards or Ti screws for bar end plugs. Yea at times the "final touches" does border on ridiculous. Ok guess I'm still human afterall.

After the changes, weight distribution on a bike has to be balanced. There is absolutely nothing worse than a bike that when held up in the middle, the front decides to droop down like a tired horse or a backend that sliding down like a boat anchor.

(3 Pure Weenism-- has no place in my biking life. I'm not jeopardizing my life by being a few grams lighter nor would sacrifice the fun factor by having to ride putty kat style in a bid not to break some uber expensive light but fragile component.

Let's see what can be done with a rear wheel..... this is halfway finished for now @ 2562gm. Nothing to post about in the Weenie's Hall of Fame but coming off from over 3kg, that's almost a pound of rotational weight off the rear yet retaining a combo that I have no qualms from taking a 10ft drop. Only thing lacking for such air lies in the rider, not the wheel.

And who said weight saving have to come with spending $$$$$$. Not here for sure.

Swap out some expensive and heavier tires, sold it off and there was still change left after I put an Ardent 2.4 on it. Great tire with all the characteristics I wanted and best part, real cheap too. Weight saving between 50- 125 gm depending on which of the previous tire its compared to.

Swapped out a smaller inner tube with an older larger one. Now that the Ardent needs to run at least 25-27 psi in the rear, the smaller inner tube is ok, unlike when I was running down to as low as 21-22 psi on some others. Otherwise will have to live with the additional 100gm or so from a larger inner tubbie.

After learning a little caliper adjustment tweak, swapped a 180mm back into a 160mm rotor and now have better rear braking power than before + 65gm saving.

Deore cassette is tough but heavy and rather stressful on the soft freehub body of the CK hub. So that's replaced with an old spare M960 XTR cassette, using the 6 pc cluster that was hardly used and mated with the smallest 3 cogs from another XT cassette. Drops 144gm.

Contemplated a light weight 160mm rotor that will reduce another 40gm or so but just can't justify forking the cash for such meager weight saving when the present rotor is probably good for another couple of years.

Should I swap the heavy duty axle with Fun bolts back to the QR-axle and the RWS skewer?
Well its probably just about as stiff and I wouldnt notice the difference much but I don't really like the idea of having a skewer lever sticking out on my bikes anymore.

Parts	Weight (g)
Spank Subrosa 30mm Rim with foam rim tape	575
DT Comp spokes, 32 pc with brass nipples	208
CK ISO hub with heavy duty axle+ funn bolt	420
A2Z 160mm rotor + rotor bolts	112
M960 cassette (with lock ring)	240
Ardent 2.4 with EXO (folding)	812
Inner tube (1.95-2.1)	195
Total	2562

Nice finds...

2010-09-29T22:11:00.001+08:00

Somedays u just click on the web and never quite expect what you could find....like one of the best blog of a Singaporean couple and their dream. A 3 year motorbike round the world trip on a shoestring budget. Buts its the insights to all that they have seen and experienced that really enriches.

Moments ago, I just chanced upon a video on Pinkbike. Thought it was "ok" till I realized that it was all done and shot by a 16 yr old that loves DH/FR and apparently has a passion for producing videos enough to start his own company for all of it.

Rides: Batam 28 Sep 2010

2010-09-29T16:57:00.005+08:00

With work schedule packed back to back and coughing away, I was resigned to a boring week of ridelessness. Then a last minute slot availability for the trip pop up.... like hell I wouldn't jump at the chance. Flu or not.

2nd ride with the Rideables for me. Man, can these guys ever ride! Still as strong as ever if not more so.

No hope of me catching the Flying Ah Gong once again, 'cept at breaktimes and while loading up on the way to the trail....

Before the start, still not knowing what's gonna hit us shortly.....

The youngest 4 (including yours truly) in today's group of 14 riders

Cant wait for the "official" cam and vid shots. My sloppy camphone is simply hopeless. Ugh!

Entire trail network in the area through the dedication of one man, Stewart. I am sure glad we have Singaporeans who have such spirits and able to find access, build stuffs and share with all of us here back home.

After sloshing thru up to waist deep torrential rain.....Lunch break! Damn, there'e even a couple of skinnies and see saws if anyone cared for it. But guess it was just a tad too wet. Besides it was kinda hardto tear ourselves away from the hot coffee and tea from the comfort of the shelter area.

The waterways are gorged to the brim from yesterday's torrent. With no let up in sight for the afternoon....screw the wet, lets dig in to the....

....FOOOOD

Burps...more burps... and ready to move out for the 2nd leg...

Can't wait for the action pics and vids!

*edit* Didn't think I was "captured" well....I'm not complaining :-DD

New "Hydro" Pack

2010-09-25T01:14:00.010+08:00

If one doesn't mind the fallen trees ...its pretty much rideable year round here. But fighting the tropical climate is a constant battle. After awhile, saturated in perspiration on every ride, microwaved in 100% humidity under the foliage produces some pretty interesting smell on clothing and accessories. Smell that doesn't really go away no matter how it's washed.

With the current Northwave pack going for almost 2 years seemingly undersized now that riding most time involves hauling all kinds of guards, tools and other paraphernalia..I was looking at those with an air mesh to keep the back away especially on epic rides... but either what's available is not suitable or just plain expensive.

Found the right size pack in my recent Bangkok trip. Only problem was that it isn't a proper hydro pack, hence no dedicated compartment for the bladder. The main compartment is just too wide and the bladder will sag like a bag of sh#t for sure.

The side has an opening which I assume is for earphones...that serves nicely for threading the water hose through in my usage.

Not sure if the Karrimor is a cheap knock off or things are just simply cheaper over there but overall it looks about sturdy enough at the stitchings and pack a few nice handy compartments on the cushy waist straps

First a slit was made on the brand new bag. Ouch. To prevent the opening from tearing apart, its time for some needle work.

Initially just wanted to thread up the ends but thought it looked kinda sloppy. Pride takes over and soon... the stitches work all the way around the entire opening. Reminds me of how grandma used to needle each button opening while grandpa was cutting out the suits/ blazers profiles in the background....

Slit allows the holding strap on bladder to go through and be secured with a carabina to the carrying handle of the pack. That way the bladder will stay "up"

Riding Pack essentials.

100 oz (3 liter) bladder
Lighter
Tire Lever
Digital presseure gauge
Trusty Gorilla Hex tool with size 10mm for CK fun bolts
440 steel 4" Folding Knife
Chain Breaker
Spare hanger for EG
Spare tube and emergency patches
Med and bandages and id
Cable ties
Pump
Shock Pump
Lube
Spare links
T-25 Torx Key for rotor bolts
Philip screw driver, not shown

Many people have asked me why don't I just get one of those multi tools. If anyone has ever tried to use those short stumpy screwdrivers or hex keys will understand why. Tired or not, I'm not risking rounding bolts and nuts especially out on the trail with less than ideal tools giving insufficient leverage.

Long days or riding trips calls for an additional rear deraileur.

Sometimes I do pack a few small components as well for testing and reviews.

Can everything fit within? Time to find out.

Apparently it does. Of course helmets gloves, bandana and shades are stuffs that's usually keep outside for easy access.

Total Weight (not including MP3 player and 50mm stem for testing during tomorrow's ride), 6.2 kg [13.66 lb].

Air mesh takes care of the back from sticking to the pack, leaving the number one area to eliminate smell; straps.

Stink Absorbers
Little old DIY from army days, cut bands from inner tube holding onto 5mm thick neoprene strip. Only have white 'prene on hand. Sure it adds to the fugly factor.... till I get me paws on some stealth black ones

More for the waist straps and upper back paddings later... getting late now

Put pack on..Nice snug fit. move around, nothing comes loose. Alright....good to go.

$22 bucks for the pack + 45 mins of doodling....lets see how things hold up in terms of durability.

zzzzzzzzzzzzzzz........

Wrenching Elf

2010-09-24T02:51:00.001+08:00

Anvil's mobile bikeshop making a housecall today...

Surprise surprise. How often do one get an unexpected ultra enthusiastic female elf helper that chugged along to pick up wrenching skills!

Mauling away at some still mud stained chalky rubbers, grabbing handfuls of greasy crank arms and bb too. (Wo)man did she reamed those hoops some new bead grooves!

I'm sure Wil's new bike is gonna ride smoother than silk this Sat from those errm.."deft touches" :-p

Beating the blues

2010-09-21T03:38:00.001+08:00

Missed the weekend riding. Usual crapload of emails to clear on a Monday and a call came in the late morning, "Nite Offroad?"

Yea. WTH. I need a break after the short holiday to get back to my usual self. What better way. But...damn lights been collecting dust. Batteries flat.

Rush back...frantic "charge"-- helmet light, Magicshine and more batts for the "Canners"

Usual dose of overkill on a relatively bright trail for tonite. Who cares. I want 5000L eventually LOL.

Flat bar is great for mounting stuff for sure.

U-turn point group shot. Looks like tonite's got a lady shutterbug with some kickass digi cam. Nice. Much better than my usual f**kup compact.

Swear the bloody cam packs a tripflare rather than a cam flash as can be imagined when it pops for this shot. No other light source around.

Always wanted to ride this place at night...just never got my lazy butt to do it. Other rides usually just zip past without stopping.... Not gonna pull off anything stupid without me guards and ff helmet though.

...So just stay close stay tight and pop a little speed jump instead.

Night wheelie shot. FAILED.

Ok "NG" for the nth time. Screw it. Just do the usual dumb ride pose shots...

Not bad. My "older than me" friend's 3rd ride and already a nite offroad... Way to go. Lots of falls and battle scars to collect, Jarrod!

Done for the nite. Packed and ready to go...

Actually not quite..

Aahhhh...now we are done....after all these disappears in the gut.

5hours more....back to the drudgery of work again..... I WANT TO RIDE MY BIKEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

Dialledbikes Alpine

2010-09-15T01:05:00.007+08:00

Fast swap and sent the Pig out to its new owner for more test ride this week before a final build over when I'm back from Bangkok next week.

Picked up the Alpine.... My first 853 steel frame! Woohoooooooo.....

First thing I notice is how much shorter the head tube is over the Ragley Blue Pig. Just what I like! Loads of options when it comes to bar height and bar/stem settings. Eyeball-o-meter says it should sit really nicely with the Pike (that imo was a tad much when on the Pig)

4130 Reinforced ringed-HT. Guess the cup area reinforcement would have to be something to do with compensation for a shorter/ smaller HT?

I tried out the Alpine when it was fitted with a 36 Vanilla and it didnt feel high. So with a 140mm Pike, there is a good chance it can be set up with a few different configs like my other bikes. Hope the rest will fit in nicely to pop a higher riser bar and adapt one of the setup to a street prancing rig

Loads of beefy reinforcing. A constraint to how low a seat can go but then its not likely that it will be config up into a 100% urban streetbike. So no worries there...

...oh those manuscript fonts of the decals...still not sure I was suckered because its a 853 front or those fonts. Ok at least both are there now!

Love the dropout area. Welding of the stays almost perpendicular to ground.

Not too sure how the stress forces are on repeatedly slamming the rear end down.

But given the review and history of this model...I'm incline to believe its a design that works.

ISCG tab neat and simple. Good thinking too, its slightly recessed from outer edge of bb shell. Should not need to change bb spacer settings on dual ring setup. If at all, it would be tuning spacers on the chain guide itself. Much better than screwing up the chain line by adjusting spacers at the bb instead and run the risk of lesser clamping of non drive side crank arm.

Guides for full cables. Signature of many UK bikes. No no nonsense practical designs and features.

Can't see from pic but cable routings following the guides are really smooth with no weird angles even for the front deeraileur cable.

Awesome! Just the kind of thoughts put into a frame that I can appreciate. Not just some fancy dandy CMI design masked up with nice paint and fanciful decals. Not saying the powder coating is bad on the Alpine. Pretty solid paint work on it too.

Can't wait to build it up next week............