609.4 Miles: Replaced Stretched Chain

Today I replaced my "stretched chain". The chain actually does not stretch, but each link pivot point wears into an oblong shape. The grit that gets captured in the oil is what causes the wear.

I was surprised that this happened so quickly at 609.4 miles, but I guess mountain biking is harder on the equipment.

The picture on the left shows the worn chain with my Nashbar chain gauge. When the gauge can be slid in place, the stretch is 1% and a replacement is recommended.




This picture shows the new chain. The gauge cannot fit in the link and therefore is not 1% stretched.

You want to replace the chain at this point because if you don't the cassette and even chain rings would then wear to accommodate the stretched chain. This chain is only $15, so it is not that expensive. The new chain comes with a quick link, so it is easier to remove for degreasing.
If you replace the chain and the cassette or chainring are worn, then you will have trouble shifting.


I lined the chain up and you can see that the bottom old chain is about a half a link longer over the length of the chain. The amount of wear is amazing.

I also got this nice hex wrench set at Nashbar. It was on sale for just $20.

Exustar E-SM621 Mountain Bike Shoes

I bought some mountain bike shoes at Nashbar.com. I don't ride with clipless pedals on the Fantom 29 but I do on my Raleigh Grand Prix road bike.





I have Exustar road shoe E-SR421. I have had them for about 1 year and they are awesome!. I only paid $25 at Nashbar.com. They are comfortable and seem durable. The only problem is that they are vented shoes so they are really cold in the winter.

I have been using trail shoes that I purchased at Walmart for $18 for my winter road bike riding after swapping to regular pedals. I also use these shoes on my Fantom 29. When I swapped pedals this year I noticed that I really like using the clipless pedals better. My pedaling seems smoother.

So I decided to get some mountain bike shoes. Nashbar had the Exustar E-SM621 shoes on sale for $34.99 and had a 15% discount sale. So I was able to buy them for $29.74 plus $7.75 shipping and $2.25 tax. I ordered them Tuesday 12/09 and received them Friday 12/12. I ordered size 45 which is equivalent to US men's size 11. I already had a spare set of SPD cleats to use. The shoes did come with extra screws.

I really think the quality of these shoes are good. They also fit perfectly. They come with toe spikes. Since I will be using them for road bike riding, I did not install the toe spikes. There are substitute flat screws instead which makes them more like touring shoes.

As I have said before, I do not use clipless pedals on the Fantom 29. I like to be able to jump off the bike at any time when I am trail riding. Also I don't mind getting my trail shoes muddy. Now that I have mountain bike shoes I may give them a try on the Fantom 29.

Today I tried out the shoes on my road bike. It was a good test as it was cold --- 18 degree F with 22 mph winds bringing the wind chill to 2 degree F. I took my normal 11 mile fitness route. The shoes were great! They fit well and my feet were not too cold.

OOPS!!

On May 29, 2008 I installed my bar ends as you can see in the first two pictures. I was reviewing past comments on my posts and saw a comment on that post that said I had installed the bar ends backwards. After looking at other bar end pictures on the web, I found that the commenter was right.

The first 2 pictures are the way I installed them. The Nashbar logo is upside down. The hex bolt is facing the rider and the horns point away from the rider.




Before.














After.

The Nashbar logo is oriented correctly. The hex bolt faces down and the horns are turned toward the rider.

They are much more comfortable this way. Thanks commenter!.






After.

203.6 miles Flat Front Tire!

When I went down to the basement tonight I noticed that my front tire was flat. This is the same one that I fixed on March 22, 2008 after only 31.8 miles. To put it in perspective, I have over 1700 miles on my Raleigh Grand Prix road bike and have not had a flat.

When you fix a flat you need to determine what caused the flat or it will just happen again. Also I usually just replace the tube rather than do a repair since tubes are inexpensive ($5).

I carefully removed the tube from the tire then investigated the possible causes. Here are my findings :

1.) Leaking valve : with some pressure in the tube I placed the tube in a bucket of water. No bubbles were coming from the valve. This was not the cause. There was about 1 bubble every two seconds coming from the tube 90 degrees from the valve stem location.

2.) An external object punctured the tire and tube: At the location of the leak there were no objects on or in the tire. I also checked the entire inner and outer surface of the tire, there were no objects. This was not the cause.

3.) A sharp point on the rim or a spoke poking through the rim tape punctured the tube: The rim tape was intact. There were no sharp points on the rim. This was not the cause.

4.) A tube manufacturer's defect: The defect is right on the seam. I believe this is the cause.

The tube was a Nashbar serial # 20126601 made in Taiwan tube. The replacement is from PricePoint. The markings on the replacement tube are CST 05127111 made in China. CST is Cheng Shin Tire which was actually the manufacturer of the original tube I replaced in March. They may also be the manufacturer of the Nashbar tube. I googled Cheng Shin and found that they are the 12th largest rubber manufacturer in the world. They go by the name of Maxxis in the United States.

I will see how this replacement performs. If I get another seam defect I will start buying better quality tubes.

Installing Bar Ends

After my long Thun Trail ride last Saturday I still noticed that I was putting a lot of weight on my hands. I also thought the ride would be more comfortable if I could have more hand positions. So I ordered some bar ends from Nashbar and they arrived yesterday.

I ordered the NS-MBE-K Black Bar Ends for $8.49 . I also bought a short sleeved cycling shirt at $16.49 and cycling shorts at $21.24. Total was $57.74 with $7.75 shipping plus $3.27 tax.






The Bar Ends are easy to install, First I loosed the brake and shifter and slide them down the handle bar. Then using a screw driver to open up the grip, i sprayed some Endust Polish in the grip to loosen it.


























I then removed the end cap and did the same with the Endust and screw driver on that end of the grip. The grip is open ended and did not need to be cut.

I then installed the bar end on the end of the handlebar at a 45 degree angle. Then I slid the grip back to the bar end. Repositioned the brake and the shifter against the grip.







I then performed the same procedure on the other end of the handlebar.

Below are pictures of the finished product.

I also took the opportunity to top off the tires to 40 psi, lube the chain and adjust the disc brakes.

I can't wait for my next ride to check out the bar ends!!!

Nashbar Fly Bag Large

No mountain bike ride this weekend. I have been busy renovating a bathroom. I did manage to get an 11 mile ride on my road bike on Saturday morning. I was able to pack up my seat bag.

On April 03 I received my Large Fly Bag from Nasbar. This is the bag I received in exchange for the small bag.

I have in the bag a spare tube, a CO2 inflator and cartridge, tire levers, a mutitool, a presta adapter (to fill the presta tire with a schrader fitted air supply) and a presta sleeve (because the rim is drilled for a schrader valve tube and I only could get presta valve tubes).

It all fits nicely!

Size Matters

On Monday I decided to get a seat bag so I have tools, a spare tube and CO2 inflator for the trail. I figure if I get a water resistant bag I can hose it down with the bike when it gets muddy. So I placed an order with Nashbar.com for the following items:

Crank Brothers M-19 Multi Tool $19.95
INNOVATIONS ULTRAFLATE PRO SE $12.95 $
Nashbar Fly Bag - Small $12.99
Pedros Toothbrush $4.95
Sub Total : $50.84
Less Promotion: $10.00
Ship Total : $9.25
Tax Total : $3.61
Grand Total : $53.70

I got the Pedros Toothbrush to clean my gears better but also to get the total over $50 so I get the $10 discount.

I received the items today and noticed that the seat bag is way too small. There are 2 sizes, a large and small. I did not want a huge bag hanging off my seat so I ordered the small. It is 38 cubic inches and not even big enough to hold a tube all folded up. The large is 100 cubic inches so I think that is really what I need.

I am exchanging the bag. This is the first time I ever had to return anything to Nashbar so I will let you know how it goes. I filled out the back of the invoice per the instructions. There is a return label that you tear off the invoice and tape to the box it came in. I will mail it tomorrow.

I have always found that Nashbar has the best prices. I also usually get the Nashbar brand for items and they always appear to be a good value and quality. The prices change all of the time and if you keep an eye on an item you are interested in you can pick it up when you see a low price. When I was looking for road shoes I was keeping an eye on Exustar Silver/black Sr421 Road Shoes. They were running $33 to $40 which in itself is a good price. I saw them come down to $25 once at bought them. I like it when I get a good deal.

Nashbar order arrived!

Today I received my order from Nashbar.com.

I hope tomorrow night I can complete my bike fitting and setup so I can ride on Saturday. The weather should be windy in the upper 30's and no rain. It hasn't rained since Tuesday so hopefully the trails will be less muddy.

Ordered Some Goodies

Yesterday I ordered some things for my bike from Nashbar.com. They were:

1 Nashbar 400mm Seatpost 27.2 $22.99
1 Cateye Enduro 8 Computer $23.95
1 Nashbar 29x1.9/2.3" Presta Atb Tube $5.99
1 Wheels Manufacturing Presta Savers $2.95
1 NASHBAR PRESTA VALVE ADAPTER $1.99
Ship Total : $9.25
Tax Total : $4.03
Grand Total : $71.15

I really need the seat post. I need to set the seat about 65 mm above the minimum mark on the existing post. So I am thinking that a 350 mm post should still be too small. The 400 mm should be good. I will do a full bike fit when I get the post and can set the seat at the right height since that is the first step in the procedure.

The Cateye Enduro 8 computer should be a good choice for a mountain bike http://www.cateye.com/en/product_detail/254
I think a cyclocomputer is a good idea so you can record how far you have ridden in a mileage log and also because it has a clock which is good on the trail since it is easy to lose track of time.

I also ordered a spare tube (just in case). I could only get a presta valve tube. The current tubes are schrader valve so I need to get a valve adapter and savers. The adapter allows you to use a regular compresser to fill your tires. The savers are a sleeve that you slip through the larger schrader rim hole when you are using a presta valve tube.

I debated whether or not to get a repair kit and seat bag but I think that is going to get real muddy and messy. If I got a flat I would need to walk the bike back to the car. I will have to think about this some more. For my fitness rides this would probably not be a problem, but if I go on longer trail rides I am sure I will need to carry the repair equipment.