In my newest Outdoors column I ask whether or not or not the supple tire pattern has gone too far:
The reply is sure it has.
So too has the large bar pattern, by the way in which. At this level the “alt” biking sorts are using bikes wider than their bikes are lengthy. (‘m unsure there’s something “alt” about alt-cycling anymore, ether. If something it’s highway bikes that at the moment are “alt”–and they’re again to slim bars, go determine:
Cyclists are so predictable.
In fact, my favourite highway bike additionally has comparatively slim bars, because it dates again to the final slim bar cycle:
As I discussed the opposite day, I’ve bought some initiatives deliberate, and one in every of them is to offer this bike some much-needed consideration–together with repairing and changing the unique C-Document derailleur, which I needed to change with an Ultegra again in Could on account of a damaged bushing thingy. Among the many goodies Paul of Traditional Cycle had despatched me over the vacations was a donor derailleur from which I may supply an intact bushing. So I figured I’d get get began on that at present.
I’d since moved the ailing but stunning C-Document derailleur to the Faggin, having discovered that for some cause it labored simply high quality on that bike regardless of the damaged bushing thingy:
So I eliminated it, and whereas the chain was off I figured I’d additionally deal with one thing else that was bugging me:
That’s a triple entrance derailleur shifting a 42/53 chainring combo. It was the one derailleur I had on the time that may match. It really works simply high quality with the double, however I needed to mount it fairly excessive as much as maintain the massive interior plate from hitting the interior ring. Clearly there is no such thing as a cause for a 53-tooth chainring on an city runabout, and I did have smaller outer rings out there, however since I’d be unable to maneuver the derailleur any decrease I didn’t wish to use them for concern of throwing the chain.
However then triple-izing the Homer (by the way in which, changing the Wipperman hyperlink has in truth cured the chainsuck downside) netted me one other entrance derailleur–a Shimano designed particularly for “cyclocross”-type ring combos–so I dug out a 48-tooth chainring:
And now the Faggin’s frontal crank scenario is significantly extra usable and tidy:
Other than all of the grime that’s my trademark, after all.
With that finished, I turned my consideration to the derailleur(s):
The one on the left is the one from the Kestrel (damaged), and the one on the suitable is the one Paul despatched me (intact). As you’ll be able to see, the intact one is far more scuffed than the pristine-looking damaged one, although so far as I may inform it was in any other case completely practical. Whereas I believe Paul’s thought was that I’d swap the bushing over to the nicer (damaged) derailleur, I’d additionally ordered a substitute bushing from eBay, which I used to be nonetheless ready for:
Sure, you may get a reasonably first rate used derailleur for a similar cash, however I’ve come to understand that classic Campagnolo parts trigger you to behave irrationally, and I preferred the concept of getting two working derailleurs, since that may put me squarely within the One %.
Anyway, with the half on the way in which, I figured I’d simply put the scuffed (intact) derailleur on the Faggin after which restore the clear one when the half arrived. In order that’s what I did, and I spent plenty of time futzing with cable housing and ferrules because of the old-style cable cease on the ’80s body, the dearth of a barrel adjuster on the scuffed derailleur, and many others., solely to lastly kind all of it out after which uncover I couldn’t flip the goddamn restrict screws. This was as a result of the slots have been extraordinarily slim and solely the teeniest screwdrivers would match, however then I couldn’t get sufficient grip or leverage to budge them, even with pliers. I attempted each screwdriver I had–even a bike-themed one with a pun it–however it merely wasn’t taking place:
I do know you’re supposed to make use of JIS screwdrivers on Japanese bike components, which like most lazy slobs I by no means do. So figuring out Campagnolo perhaps I want a particular screwdriver with the requisite Italian ardour. Or perhaps they’re simply caught. I actually didn’t have this downside with the restrict screws on the opposite derailleur, which flip so simply you’ll be able to virtually do it by hand:
Regardless of the case, I gave up making an attempt to show them since I’ve been identified to smash derailleurs, and at last simply snatched the Ultegra off the Vengeance Bike since I used to be going to be changing it will definitely anyway:
This finally yielded me an exceedingly clean drivetrain, if a bit pedestrian for its utter lack of Campagnolo:
Although arguably a pink Faggin is Campy sufficient.
I’d wish to say I finished there, and also you most likely want I might, however after that I bought deep into the derailleur surgical procedure:
When you’ve ever seen “Useless Ringers” you recognize what it was like*:
However let’s save that for an additional day.
*[Don’t worry, the derailleurs are fine.]
