Recommended utility tool for road bike? - Page 6 - Cycling Mob: Road Cycling, Mountain Biking and More

03-05-2005, 05:06 AM

4 Mar 2005 06:03:33 -0800,
<1109945013.557124.34250@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups. com>,
"Peter Cole" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:

>>
>> A chain tool could also facilitate getting home with a badly busted
>> rear derailleur. Just turn your bike into a single speed.
>> You might like it!
>
>This is can be tricky to do with vertical dropouts.

Arguably nigh impossible if you're not the lucky sort.

I thought that with 8 - 10 closely spaced rear cogs and two or three
chainrings you've got a few chances of hitting on one that works
acceptably without cross-chaining too wildly.
--
zk

03-07-2005, 05:10 AM

Zoot Katz wrote:
> 4 Mar 2005 06:03:33 -0800,
> <1109945013.557124.34250@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups. com>,
> "Peter Cole" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
> >>
> >> A chain tool could also facilitate getting home with a badly
busted
> >> rear derailleur. Just turn your bike into a single speed.
> >> You might like it!
> >
> >This is can be tricky to do with vertical dropouts.
>
> Arguably nigh impossible if you're not the lucky sort.
>
> I thought that with 8 - 10 closely spaced rear cogs and two or three
> chainrings you've got a few chances of hitting on one that works
> acceptably without cross-chaining too wildly.

The problem is that if the chainline isn't perfect it'll jump. If it
jumps to a larger sprocket it can get so tight that it binds and it
becomes unrideable and a bear to remove later. I think that this old
trick is effectively impossible with vertical dropouts.

03-07-2005, 05:10 AM

Zoot Katz wrote:
> 4 Mar 2005 06:03:33 -0800,
> <1109945013.557124.34250@f14g2000cwb.googlegroups. com>,
> "Peter Cole" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
>
> >>
> >> A chain tool could also facilitate getting home with a badly
busted
> >> rear derailleur. Just turn your bike into a single speed.
> >> You might like it!
> >
> >This is can be tricky to do with vertical dropouts.
>
> Arguably nigh impossible if you're not the lucky sort.
>
> I thought that with 8 - 10 closely spaced rear cogs and two or three
> chainrings you've got a few chances of hitting on one that works
> acceptably without cross-chaining too wildly.

The problem is that if the chainline isn't perfect it'll jump. If it
jumps to a larger sprocket it can get so tight that it binds and it
becomes unrideable and a bear to remove later. I think that this old
trick is effectively impossible with vertical dropouts.

03-09-2005, 02:22 PM

Zoot Katz <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote:
> Thu, 03 Mar 2005 18:05:07 -0800,
> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]>, Zoot Katz
> <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote, of chain tools:
>>
>>A broken chain is one of the few problems that will really make a
>>bicycle inoperable so it makes sense to carry one, just in case.
>
> A chain tool could also facilitate getting home with a badly busted
> rear derailleur. Just turn your bike into a single speed.
> You might like it!

My recent involuntary trip into single-speed-dom wasn't too bad I'll
admit. My route to and fro work is a bit too hilly for me to have
really enjoyed it. But it was a nice day, and I wasn't in a rush
for a change.

[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]

--
Dane Jackson - z u v e m b i @ u n i x b i g o t s . o r g
"Eagles fly; but weasels aren't sucked into jet engines."

03-09-2005, 05:10 PM

"gds" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
news:1109880247.565561.226230@l41g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> Well others may have different experience but for myself minimalist
> works best. Over my cycling career of over 100,000 miles I have never
> had to repair a chain on the road.
>
I've ridden for 26 years or so and I've never had a flat on the road. I
still carry a pump and spare tube, but it's amazing I've never had a flat.
Never had a mechanical of any sort while on the road. I've come home to find
a flat on the bike. Wonder if it's gremlins...

03-10-2005, 05:42 AM

Gooserider wrote:
>
> I've ridden for 26 years or so and I've never had a flat on the road.
I
> still carry a pump and spare tube, but it's amazing I've never had a
flat.
> Never had a mechanical of any sort while on the road.

It's not the years, it's the miles...

03-10-2005, 09:18 AM

Gooserider wrote:
> "gds" <[Only registered and activated users can see links. ]> wrote in message
> news:1109880247.565561.226230@l41g2000cwc.googlegr oups.com...
> > Well others may have different experience but for myself minimalist
> > works best. Over my cycling career of over 100,000 miles I have
never
> > had to repair a chain on the road.
> >
> I've ridden for 26 years or so and I've never had a flat on the road.
I
> still carry a pump and spare tube, but it's amazing I've never had a
flat.
> Never had a mechanical of any sort while on the road. I've come home
to find
> a flat on the bike. Wonder if it's gremlins...

My sceptical nature requires that I ask how many miles you've ridden in
those 26 years. And I imagine it also matters what type of bike, tires,
tubes you ride.
As for me I'd guess that I get a flat every 500 miles or so.And they
seem to come in clusters. So, I'll have a bunch of flats and then not
another for quite a while. But then I ride high performance, high
pressure clincherswith fairly light tubes. But it is better now since
moving exclusively to clinchers from tubulars about a dozen years ago.

And I too have not had any other on road failures. But I do tend to do
a lot of preventive maintainance.