Portable Inflation

[Tony S]

I think I'm going to start carrying a length of shift cable (inner) and a tiny pair of pliers to help "undo" quick links. I worked around the issue today with the chain tool, but it was a second-choice approach. Also the nitrile gloves. A lesson from today was: If you want to guarantee getting your hands black in the middle of a ride, wrap new bar tape that morning.

 

[Tom K.]

It's funny that the new, narrow 12-speed chains test out stronger, with a longer life, than the stouter appearing 10 and 11-speed versions.

I know on my mtbs, my Eagle XX1 and XO1 drivetrains last much longer than older 11-speed stuff did.

To me, very surprising!

 

[Ski&ride]

Like most “little guy”, I started out with light weight stuff, thinking “I’m not strong enough to break them”!

Well, I may not be strong. But some of them weight weenie components are really weak!!!

Now, I use “normal” weight components. The light weight stuff may be light, and strong, for a little while. But they don’t stay strong for long.

Life is too short to get stuck 30 miles from home with a broken ... (fill in the blank).

 

[Living Proof]

Anyone who rides and reads the OP probably has a sad smile, shakes their head, in a bad way, and remembers the disaster tire, or chain break, rides. Very few and far in-between, but what do you do when stuck? I am a proponent of function over form, carried a frame pump and 2 spare tubes. Yeah, don't like to junk up a frame, but, s##t happens when you ride. All my pre-tubless tires could be somewhat easily removed on the road and new tube inserted. Now, my tubeless require the strength of Hercules to get a slime covered tire off.
Yup, for carrying thin rubber gloves, Yup for the chain tools, and, in my case, Yup for reading glasses. Lack of glasses was a major issue on my last road flat.
In another thread, I looked for info on road tubeless as mine need replacement. I've not come to grips with staying tubeless or reverting to traditional, also not riding far from home with a wife who can come and get me.

 

[Tony S]

Yup for reading glasses. Lack of glasses was a major issue on my last road flat.

I hear you! Aging sucks.

 

[Tony S]

Well, I may not be strong. But some of them weight weenie components are really weak!!

For sure.

It's kind of fun reading old school curmudgeons reflect on this. I often disagree with them, but you gotta respect their knowledge and length of experience. "The Wheel Rant" is an example. It's what you will never see in, for example, Bicycling magazine.

Grams are boring. I've been hearing about grams for years, too many years, in fact. And I'm tired of it. The number of grams that a particular wheel weighs is of no interest to me. And if you ride a bike rather than think about bikes and obsess over bikes and bicycle components, you'll quickly grow weary of grams too. So please, when calling or emailing about wheels, don't ask me how many grams it will weigh. I don't know, and I don't care. ....

If you want to buy a wheel from someone who weighs them beforehand, I'm sure you can find someone out there who will make you happy. It's a big world full of lots of people with loads of time on their hands to obsess over grams. I'm not one of them.

Now get off my lawn. LOL!