The Case for Di2.

On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 9:02:41 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 7:09:05 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 1:27:54 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 9:07:47 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/6/2021 12:34 AM, wrote:

I have 10 speed Shimano 7970 Di2 on a bike. Bought it early 2010. I only put a thousand or so miles on it each year. But it has never given me any trouble at all. I charge the battery every 2-3 years for fun since it has never died on me. It just works. I have lots of cable shifting bikes too. They all work too. I must be an oddball extremist. All my bikes just work without any problems. Sure wish I could be a normal person with unending bike problems to worry about every day of the week.
I think you need to snap up a bunch of random bike frames whenever you
see a "good buy." Then buy a bunch of oddball components, being careful
not to do any measuring or research beforehand. Try to assemble the
results into bikes you can sell for profit. It will make your life and
your posts here so much more interesting!

- Frank Krygowski

I have a couple old bike frames that could be fixed up, put to use. One I got at the junkyard. Mom and I were taking a load of junk to drop off and I saw a nice looking Panasonic frame on the pile. I took it home. Problem is it is a 25" or 62cm size. Way too big. No fork either. Other old frame is a Trek 520. 21" frame so too small. I have no need for either frame but I got them. I'm considering, trying to give them to a charity in town that fixes up, gives away bikes for less fortunate. I also have several boxes of spare parts. But all the parts are sort of random and don't really work on anything except in very specific places. Like 9 speed Campagnolo cassettes. I still have several of those bikes in use but no one else on earth does. I have a few crank arms and rings to fit. No derailleurs or shifters. Or headsets or bottom brackets. So to build a new bike, I would have to spend $500+ to get it running. $500+ parts on a free frame. Plus got to buy a new fork too. And the bike would be worth $100 or so. I got a few degrees in business in university. In none of them did they say it was a good idea to spend more, sell less, make loss. But Tom has a different degree, education, than the rest of us.
25" is between a 64 and 65 cm. Must be really complicated dealing with Panasonics.
Actually its 63.5 cm. I did state I pulled it from a pile at the junk yard, recycling center. So being exact about its size was not terribly important. It wasn't like I went to the bike shop and bought it for myself. I got it for free from a junk pile. But just from looking at it I can easily tell the frame is too big for me. Next time I get down to the place its stored, I'll measure it so I know its exact size. And I'll tell you. "Too big" just isn't precise enough I guess. I also assumed Panasonic used inch sizes for bikes shipped to the USA. Like Schwinn did. Not cm, European sizing of frames. So the 25" guess was just the next size up from a 23" frame size I had on my first/only Schwinn bike from the early 1980s. The Panasonic from the junk pile was definitely a bigger frame than the one I had 25 years ago.
I was correcting you and not arguing with you. 25" bikes are 64 mm so a 62 cm bike is 24". That is the size I ride. Panasonic was also a fairly good bike. Take it to a powder coating shop and they can sandblast it and powder coats it with a color you like that will not rust out for an extremely long time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1p1ScJQ6Y4 is an example of what you can do it you want to.

On 4/14/2021 10:59 PM, John B. wrote:


Beware of bike shops that have been in business for 70 years. You go
in to buy a seat post clamp bolt and after looking at all the "good
stuff" they are selling for reduced prices it costs you $100 to get
out of the place.

The shop I mentioned is a really cool place, locally famous:
https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/201610270246

Multiple floors connected by steep rickety stairs, tiny rooms densely
packed with once-trendy bike stuff from present day to the 1950s.
Drawers and shelves full of components and pieces of components.
Workstands available for customers to use.

But I doubt there's a single bit of Di2 in there.

--
- Frank Krygowski

On Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 8:34:59 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/14/2021 10:59 PM, John B. wrote:


Beware of bike shops that have been in business for 70 years. You go
in to buy a seat post clamp bolt and after looking at all the "good
stuff" they are selling for reduced prices it costs you $100 to get
out of the place.
The shop I mentioned is a really cool place, locally famous:
https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/201610270246

Multiple floors connected by steep rickety stairs, tiny rooms densely
packed with once-trendy bike stuff from present day to the 1950s.
Drawers and shelves full of components and pieces of components.
Workstands available for customers to use.

But I doubt there's a single bit of Di2 in there.

I bet a lot of mom and pop shops don't have Di2. Unless I'm hunting for some historical component, I find these kinds of shops creepy -- not the social part but the hoarder part. There were several in San Jose, now gone. Portland has the community cycling center, but it is light and well organized. https://communitycyclingcenter.org/w...e-1280x854.jpg Same with City Bikes. http://www.citybikes.coop/ Lots of old stuff but no rickety steps and piles of stuff.

When I go to the hardware store equivalent of that shop, Hippo Hardware, https://www.hippohardware.com/, you go into the scary basement and rat around for things, usually finding half of some part you need -- and you hope to not puncture your finger on some sharp thing and have to go for a tetanus booster.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 11:00:04 AM UTC-7, jbeattie wrote:
On Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 8:34:59 AM UTC-7, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/14/2021 10:59 PM, John B. wrote:


Beware of bike shops that have been in business for 70 years. You go
in to buy a seat post clamp bolt and after looking at all the "good
stuff" they are selling for reduced prices it costs you $100 to get
out of the place.
The shop I mentioned is a really cool place, locally famous:
https://www.post-gazette.com/busines...s/201610270246

Multiple floors connected by steep rickety stairs, tiny rooms densely
packed with once-trendy bike stuff from present day to the 1950s.
Drawers and shelves full of components and pieces of components.
Workstands available for customers to use.

But I doubt there's a single bit of Di2 in there.
I bet a lot of mom and pop shops don't have Di2. Unless I'm hunting for some historical component, I find these kinds of shops creepy -- not the social part but the hoarder part. There were several in San Jose, now gone. Portland has the community cycling center, but it is light and well organized.. https://communitycyclingcenter.org/w...e-1280x854.jpg Same with City Bikes. http://www.citybikes.coop/ Lots of old stuff but no rickety steps and piles of stuff.

When I go to the hardware store equivalent of that shop, Hippo Hardware, https://www.hippohardware.com/, you go into the scary basement and rat around for things, usually finding half of some part you need -- and you hope to not puncture your finger on some sharp thing and have to go for a tetanus booster.

Well, you don't go to places like that for Di2 parts do you? Someone was arguing with me that Ultegra and Dura Ace Di2 derailleurs were the same. I'm pretty sure that all of the guts are nearly identical but the finish on the gears has to be different. And the cage probably is and the bushings as well. You could almost have an entire store dedicated to Di2 and that SRAM wireless crap.

On Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 10:05:20 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 9:02:41 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 7:09:05 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 1:27:54 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 9:07:47 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/6/2021 12:34 AM, wrote:

I have 10 speed Shimano 7970 Di2 on a bike. Bought it early 2010. I only put a thousand or so miles on it each year. But it has never given me any trouble at all. I charge the battery every 2-3 years for fun since it has never died on me. It just works. I have lots of cable shifting bikes too. They all work too. I must be an oddball extremist. All my bikes just work without any problems. Sure wish I could be a normal person with unending bike problems to worry about every day of the week.
I think you need to snap up a bunch of random bike frames whenever you
see a "good buy." Then buy a bunch of oddball components, being careful
not to do any measuring or research beforehand. Try to assemble the
results into bikes you can sell for profit. It will make your life and
your posts here so much more interesting!

- Frank Krygowski

I have a couple old bike frames that could be fixed up, put to use. One I got at the junkyard. Mom and I were taking a load of junk to drop off and I saw a nice looking Panasonic frame on the pile. I took it home. Problem is it is a 25" or 62cm size. Way too big. No fork either. Other old frame is a Trek 520. 21" frame so too small. I have no need for either frame but I got them. I'm considering, trying to give them to a charity in town that fixes up, gives away bikes for less fortunate. I also have several boxes of spare parts. But all the parts are sort of random and don't really work on anything except in very specific places. Like 9 speed Campagnolo cassettes. I still have several of those bikes in use but no one else on earth does. I have a few crank arms and rings to fit. No derailleurs or shifters. Or headsets or bottom brackets. So to build a new bike, I would have to spend $500+ to get it running. $500+ parts on a free frame. Plus got to buy a new fork too. And the bike would be worth $100 or so. I got a few degrees in business in university. In none of them did they say it was a good idea to spend more, sell less, make loss. But Tom has a different degree, education, than the rest of us.
25" is between a 64 and 65 cm. Must be really complicated dealing with Panasonics.
Actually its 63.5 cm. I did state I pulled it from a pile at the junk yard, recycling center. So being exact about its size was not terribly important. It wasn't like I went to the bike shop and bought it for myself. I got it for free from a junk pile. But just from looking at it I can easily tell the frame is too big for me. Next time I get down to the place its stored, I'll measure it so I know its exact size. And I'll tell you. "Too big" just isn't precise enough I guess. I also assumed Panasonic used inch sizes for bikes shipped to the USA. Like Schwinn did. Not cm, European sizing of frames. So the 25" guess was just the next size up from a 23" frame size I had on my first/only Schwinn bike from the early 1980s. The Panasonic from the junk pile was definitely a bigger frame than the one I had 25 years ago..
I was correcting you and not arguing with you. 25" bikes are 64 mm so a 62 cm bike is 24". That is the size I ride. Panasonic was also a fairly good bike. Take it to a powder coating shop and they can sandblast it and powder coats it with a color you like that will not rust out for an extremely long time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1p1ScJQ6Y4 is an example of what you can do it you want to.

It was/is a cheaper Panasonic frame. I don't think it has a built in, brazed on derailleur hanger where the rear derailleur is threaded into. I think it uses the extra bolt/screw on derailleur hanger. Its not a quality Panasonic frame. Its kind of like the 1970s 1980s cheaper Schwinn frames. Not a Schwinn Paramount. There is no restoring it to its past glory. There was no past glory for this frame. It would be fine to make it into a single speed utility bike. But its a BIG frame. 25" or so. Too big for me and 99% of all bicyclists. I already have a cheap utility single speed bike.

On Friday, April 16, 2021 at 4:46:13 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Thursday, April 15, 2021 at 10:05:20 AM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 9:02:41 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 7:09:05 PM UTC-5, wrote:
On Wednesday, April 14, 2021 at 1:27:54 PM UTC-7, wrote:
On Tuesday, April 6, 2021 at 9:07:47 AM UTC-5, Frank Krygowski wrote:
On 4/6/2021 12:34 AM, wrote:

I have 10 speed Shimano 7970 Di2 on a bike. Bought it early 2010. I only put a thousand or so miles on it each year. But it has never given me any trouble at all. I charge the battery every 2-3 years for fun since it has never died on me. It just works. I have lots of cable shifting bikes too. They all work too. I must be an oddball extremist. All my bikes just work without any problems. Sure wish I could be a normal person with unending bike problems to worry about every day of the week.
I think you need to snap up a bunch of random bike frames whenever you
see a "good buy." Then buy a bunch of oddball components, being careful
not to do any measuring or research beforehand. Try to assemble the
results into bikes you can sell for profit. It will make your life and
your posts here so much more interesting!

- Frank Krygowski

I have a couple old bike frames that could be fixed up, put to use. One I got at the junkyard. Mom and I were taking a load of junk to drop off and I saw a nice looking Panasonic frame on the pile. I took it home. Problem is it is a 25" or 62cm size. Way too big. No fork either. Other old frame is a Trek 520. 21" frame so too small. I have no need for either frame but I got them. I'm considering, trying to give them to a charity in town that fixes up, gives away bikes for less fortunate. I also have several boxes of spare parts. But all the parts are sort of random and don't really work on anything except in very specific places. Like 9 speed Campagnolo cassettes. I still have several of those bikes in use but no one else on earth does. I have a few crank arms and rings to fit. No derailleurs or shifters.. Or headsets or bottom brackets. So to build a new bike, I would have to spend $500+ to get it running. $500+ parts on a free frame. Plus got to buy a new fork too. And the bike would be worth $100 or so. I got a few degrees in business in university. In none of them did they say it was a good idea to spend more, sell less, make loss. But Tom has a different degree, education, than the rest of us.
25" is between a 64 and 65 cm. Must be really complicated dealing with Panasonics.
Actually its 63.5 cm. I did state I pulled it from a pile at the junk yard, recycling center. So being exact about its size was not terribly important. It wasn't like I went to the bike shop and bought it for myself. I got it for free from a junk pile. But just from looking at it I can easily tell the frame is too big for me. Next time I get down to the place its stored, I'll measure it so I know its exact size. And I'll tell you. "Too big" just isn't precise enough I guess. I also assumed Panasonic used inch sizes for bikes shipped to the USA. Like Schwinn did. Not cm, European sizing of frames. So the 25" guess was just the next size up from a 23" frame size I had on my first/only Schwinn bike from the early 1980s. The Panasonic from the junk pile was definitely a bigger frame than the one I had 25 years ago.
I was correcting you and not arguing with you. 25" bikes are 64 mm so a 62 cm bike is 24". That is the size I ride. Panasonic was also a fairly good bike. Take it to a powder coating shop and they can sandblast it and powder coats it with a color you like that will not rust out for an extremely long time.https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m1p1ScJQ6Y4 is an example of what you can do it you want to.
It was/is a cheaper Panasonic frame. I don't think it has a built in, brazed on derailleur hanger where the rear derailleur is threaded into. I think it uses the extra bolt/screw on derailleur hanger. Its not a quality Panasonic frame. Its kind of like the 1970s 1980s cheaper Schwinn frames. Not a Schwinn Paramount. There is no restoring it to its past glory. There was no past glory for this frame. It would be fine to make it into a single speed utility bike. But its a BIG frame. 25" or so. Too big for me and 99% of all bicyclists. I already have a cheap utility single speed bike.

Not too big for me! Although I don't need a POS to restore to its former vainglory. I'd give it to a charity or a recycler.

-- Jay Beattie.