Noise from new Sunrace cassette

On 2018-11-25 17:56, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 3:38:44 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot
wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 4:24:40 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 11:37:18 AM UTC-8, Duane wrote:
Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-25 09:25, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 8:27:18 AM UTC-8, Mark J.
wrote:
On 11/24/2018 3:53 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Thursday, November 22, 2018 at 7:05:29 PM UTC-5,
Joerg wrote:
After installing a new Sunrace 40-11T cassette (minus
one cog), a new chain and a new rear derailer the
road bike can now climb hills much better. 40T as
biggest cog versus 32T before. Woohoo!

However, on the middle and three larger cogs (it's
now a 7-speed) there is a distinct vrrrt .. vrrrt
sound when under heavy load. Maybe from the chain
because with a derailer setup it'll never run 100%
straight. Hard to say. The noise appears briefly
twice per pedal crank rotation and always on the
power strokes.

The chain is a KMC Z50 that should be suited for
7-speed and I looked, it doesn't rub against a
neighbor cog. Maybe a "teeth exit grinding"? On the
3rd cog from the largest it's really weird because
that has an almost perfect chain line when on the
small chain ring up front.

Anyone heard that before? Can it simply be ignored?
Or maybe it'll go away over time?

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

When you installed your hacked cassette you didn't put
the individual cogs on backwards did you?

Worth checking, but probably not possible with "modern"
Shimano-compatible cassettes. I think the Shimano spline
pattern last allowed cog-reversal before cogs were given
shifting ramps, i.e. in the 70s-early 80s.

Mark J.

Yes, non-symmetrical splines on Hyperglide cassettes. You
can't flip them.


Sure you can, BTDT. That's one of the many reasons why the
Dremel was invented. You'll have to wear good eye protection
during that job and make sure nothing potentially flammable
is around.

This is also how I got cogs hacked out of HG cassettes onto
my last UG hub, mainly because UG cassettes could no longer
be bought. Until that last UG hub was finished, then I went
HG.


Jay I just started to reply that you shouldn’t underestimate
Joerg.

Why -- when a UG freehub is on its last legs -- would someone
grind down an entire set of HG cassettes to make them fit?


Because when I did that the last UG hub still had enough life left. I am
not a subscriber to the "modern" throw-away mentality, I use stuff until
it's really finished. Plus I'd have to hack anyhow because now I am
using 8-speed cassettes on a road bike that was 6-speed before
re-dishing and even afterwards cannot take more than seven cogs. It all
works nicely, just needs a bit of hacking after unpacking a new cassette.

Grinding off a chunk of the wider spline takes only seconds per cog.


... You know the end is near --


Now you sound like some pastors do :-)


... just go buy the damned hub or at least
swap in a HG freehub body.


A whole new hub while the old one is still perfectly serviceable? No way!


... It's a ten minute operation. Not
possible for old DuraAce (which Joerg would never own anyway),
but you could swap freehub bodies on 600EX. Plus, even after you
get done grinding, you have to use the last threaded cog -- which
is probably worn out.


That's ok, you just use a similar or same teeth-count cog to the left
left of it, adjust the derailer stop and make the bike x minus one
speed. They all have too many speeds anyhow. I prefer coarser steps like
what I've (finally!) got now.



And for Sir, you can't flip HG -- at least not without grinding.
I just went and tried flipping a cog from a junk freewheel
sitting in my basement. It's a no-go. I'll go try again just to
make sure I'm not missing anything.



-- Jay Beattie.

I'm NOT talking about flipping a HG cog onto a UG freehub. I'm
talking about flipping a HG cog on a HG freehub.


Which can be done. The HG cogs I modded to go on UG hubs can be mounted
both ways, also on HG hubs.


CHeers

I can't get a HG cassette cog to fit on a HG freehub body if I flip
the cog. The notches are not symmetrical.


After a little dance with a Dremel you can.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 12:28:11 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-25 17:56, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 3:38:44 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot
wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 4:24:40 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 11:37:18 AM UTC-8, Duane wrote:
Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-25 09:25, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 8:27:18 AM UTC-8, Mark J.
wrote:
On 11/24/2018 3:53 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Thursday, November 22, 2018 at 7:05:29 PM UTC-5,
Joerg wrote:
After installing a new Sunrace 40-11T cassette (minus
one cog), a new chain and a new rear derailer the
road bike can now climb hills much better. 40T as
biggest cog versus 32T before. Woohoo!

However, on the middle and three larger cogs (it's
now a 7-speed) there is a distinct vrrrt .. vrrrt
sound when under heavy load. Maybe from the chain
because with a derailer setup it'll never run 100%
straight. Hard to say. The noise appears briefly
twice per pedal crank rotation and always on the
power strokes.

The chain is a KMC Z50 that should be suited for
7-speed and I looked, it doesn't rub against a
neighbor cog. Maybe a "teeth exit grinding"? On the
3rd cog from the largest it's really weird because
that has an almost perfect chain line when on the
small chain ring up front.

Anyone heard that before? Can it simply be ignored?
Or maybe it'll go away over time?

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

When you installed your hacked cassette you didn't put
the individual cogs on backwards did you?

Worth checking, but probably not possible with "modern"
Shimano-compatible cassettes. I think the Shimano spline
pattern last allowed cog-reversal before cogs were given
shifting ramps, i.e. in the 70s-early 80s.

Mark J.

Yes, non-symmetrical splines on Hyperglide cassettes. You
can't flip them.


Sure you can, BTDT. That's one of the many reasons why the
Dremel was invented. You'll have to wear good eye protection
during that job and make sure nothing potentially flammable
is around.

This is also how I got cogs hacked out of HG cassettes onto
my last UG hub, mainly because UG cassettes could no longer
be bought. Until that last UG hub was finished, then I went
HG.


Jay I just started to reply that you shouldn’t underestimate
Joerg.

Why -- when a UG freehub is on its last legs -- would someone
grind down an entire set of HG cassettes to make them fit?


Because when I did that the last UG hub still had enough life left. I am
not a subscriber to the "modern" throw-away mentality, I use stuff until
it's really finished. Plus I'd have to hack anyhow because now I am
using 8-speed cassettes on a road bike that was 6-speed before
re-dishing and even afterwards cannot take more than seven cogs. It all
works nicely, just needs a bit of hacking after unpacking a new cassette.

Grinding off a chunk of the wider spline takes only seconds per cog.


... You know the end is near --


Now you sound like some pastors do :-)


... just go buy the damned hub or at least
swap in a HG freehub body.


A whole new hub while the old one is still perfectly serviceable? No way!


... It's a ten minute operation. Not
possible for old DuraAce (which Joerg would never own anyway),
but you could swap freehub bodies on 600EX. Plus, even after you
get done grinding, you have to use the last threaded cog -- which
is probably worn out.


That's ok, you just use a similar or same teeth-count cog to the left
left of it, adjust the derailer stop and make the bike x minus one
speed. They all have too many speeds anyhow. I prefer coarser steps like
what I've (finally!) got now.



And for Sir, you can't flip HG -- at least not without grinding.
I just went and tried flipping a cog from a junk freewheel
sitting in my basement. It's a no-go. I'll go try again just to
make sure I'm not missing anything.



-- Jay Beattie.

I'm NOT talking about flipping a HG cog onto a UG freehub. I'm
talking about flipping a HG cog on a HG freehub.


Which can be done. The HG cogs I modded to go on UG hubs can be mounted
both ways, also on HG hubs.


CHeers

I can't get a HG cassette cog to fit on a HG freehub body if I flip
the cog. The notches are not symmetrical.


After a little dance with a Dremel you can.

Yes, if you grind off the largest tab, you can do practically anything -- with your slop-fit sprocket transmitting torque through probably 10% less surface area with the high gear stopped off because its worn out. And hey, why not use four less spokes on each wheel, no bar tape, one brake, a hose clamp in lieu of a proper headset nut, etc., etc.

And if having a six-speed dumpster-bike is O.K., why on earth are you complaining about a little growling coming from your new pie-plate sprocket? You should be happy if the wheels turn. And you still can't fit fenders with reasonably-sized tires, so enjoy the rainy season.

-- Jay Beattie.

On 26/11/2018 4:18 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 12:28:11 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-25 17:56, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 3:38:44 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot
wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 4:24:40 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 11:37:18 AM UTC-8, Duane wrote:
Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-25 09:25, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 8:27:18 AM UTC-8, Mark J.
wrote:
On 11/24/2018 3:53 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Thursday, November 22, 2018 at 7:05:29 PM UTC-5,
Joerg wrote:
After installing a new Sunrace 40-11T cassette (minus
one cog), a new chain and a new rear derailer the
road bike can now climb hills much better. 40T as
biggest cog versus 32T before. Woohoo!

However, on the middle and three larger cogs (it's
now a 7-speed) there is a distinct vrrrt .. vrrrt
sound when under heavy load. Maybe from the chain
because with a derailer setup it'll never run 100%
straight. Hard to say. The noise appears briefly
twice per pedal crank rotation and always on the
power strokes.

The chain is a KMC Z50 that should be suited for
7-speed and I looked, it doesn't rub against a
neighbor cog. Maybe a "teeth exit grinding"? On the
3rd cog from the largest it's really weird because
that has an almost perfect chain line when on the
small chain ring up front.

Anyone heard that before? Can it simply be ignored?
Or maybe it'll go away over time?

-- Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

When you installed your hacked cassette you didn't put
the individual cogs on backwards did you?

Worth checking, but probably not possible with "modern"
Shimano-compatible cassettes. I think the Shimano spline
pattern last allowed cog-reversal before cogs were given
shifting ramps, i.e. in the 70s-early 80s.

Mark J.

Yes, non-symmetrical splines on Hyperglide cassettes. You
can't flip them.


Sure you can, BTDT. That's one of the many reasons why the
Dremel was invented. You'll have to wear good eye protection
during that job and make sure nothing potentially flammable
is around.

This is also how I got cogs hacked out of HG cassettes onto
my last UG hub, mainly because UG cassettes could no longer
be bought. Until that last UG hub was finished, then I went
HG.


Jay I just started to reply that you shouldn’t underestimate
Joerg.

Why -- when a UG freehub is on its last legs -- would someone
grind down an entire set of HG cassettes to make them fit?


Because when I did that the last UG hub still had enough life left. I am
not a subscriber to the "modern" throw-away mentality, I use stuff until
it's really finished. Plus I'd have to hack anyhow because now I am
using 8-speed cassettes on a road bike that was 6-speed before
re-dishing and even afterwards cannot take more than seven cogs. It all
works nicely, just needs a bit of hacking after unpacking a new cassette.

Grinding off a chunk of the wider spline takes only seconds per cog.


... You know the end is near --


Now you sound like some pastors do :-)


... just go buy the damned hub or at least
swap in a HG freehub body.


A whole new hub while the old one is still perfectly serviceable? No way!


... It's a ten minute operation. Not
possible for old DuraAce (which Joerg would never own anyway),
but you could swap freehub bodies on 600EX. Plus, even after you
get done grinding, you have to use the last threaded cog -- which
is probably worn out.


That's ok, you just use a similar or same teeth-count cog to the left
left of it, adjust the derailer stop and make the bike x minus one
speed. They all have too many speeds anyhow. I prefer coarser steps like
what I've (finally!) got now.



And for Sir, you can't flip HG -- at least not without grinding.
I just went and tried flipping a cog from a junk freewheel
sitting in my basement. It's a no-go. I'll go try again just to
make sure I'm not missing anything.



-- Jay Beattie.

I'm NOT talking about flipping a HG cog onto a UG freehub. I'm
talking about flipping a HG cog on a HG freehub.


Which can be done. The HG cogs I modded to go on UG hubs can be mounted
both ways, also on HG hubs.


CHeers

I can't get a HG cassette cog to fit on a HG freehub body if I flip
the cog. The notches are not symmetrical.


After a little dance with a Dremel you can.

Yes, if you grind off the largest tab, you can do practically anything -- with your slop-fit sprocket transmitting torque through probably 10% less surface area with the high gear stopped off because its worn out. And hey, why not use four less spokes on each wheel, no bar tape, one brake, a hose clamp in lieu of a proper headset nut, etc., etc.

And if having a six-speed dumpster-bike is O.K., why on earth are you complaining about a little growling coming from your new pie-plate sprocket? You should be happy if the wheels turn. And you still can't fit fenders with reasonably-sized tires, so enjoy the rainy season.



Typically if I start off on a decent lenght ride, I like to have a
reasonable expectation of getting back without having to try to rebuild
the bike on the side of the road. To hack my cassette to save one cog
makes no sense to me. Frugality is a good thing for the planet and all
but this is sounding close to OCD.

On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 4:26:53 PM UTC-5, duane wrote:
Snipped

Typically if I start off on a decent lenght ride, I like to have a
reasonable expectation of getting back without having to try to rebuild
the bike on the side of the road. To hack my cassette to save one cog
makes no sense to me. Frugality is a good thing for the planet and all
but this is sounding close to OCD.

I have a couple of bicycle wheels that still have Uniglide Cassette bodies on them. A few years ago I came across a bicycle shop that was a bit outside of a city in our area. that shop HAD a number of brand new Uniglide 7 speed cassettes at $5.00 per cassette. I said HAD because I bough every one they had. I even have a couple of NOS Uniglide cassette bodies. I'm set for the rest of my years and won't need to hack apart and Dremel Hyperglide cassettes to replace those Uniglide cogs once they wear out on both sides. If I get to the point where I need lower gears I'll just swap out the bottom bracket spindle 0r cartridge and add a triple chainring crankset. I have a number of those on hand waiting for that day.

Speaking of hacking cassettes. I have one bicycle wheel that has a 9-speed hacked cassette with a corncob cluster 11 to 19 teeth being shifted with friction downtube shifters which is good because one of the cogs I could not find on my spare 9 speed cassettes was take from and 8 speed cassette. I have no problems shifting to or from any of those cogs. It's a fun bike to ride on gently rolling hills.

On my long distance road bike I have the Campagnolo Veloce 30 - 42 - 52 triple crank and find that 30 teeth ring useful at times in strong headwinds, steep hills or if I'm really tired.

However, I think some people like Joerg simply enjoy making something work with something it wasn't designed to work with.

Cheers

On 2018-11-26 13:26, Duane wrote:
On 26/11/2018 4:18 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 12:28:11 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-25 17:56, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 3:38:44 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot
wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 4:24:40 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:

[...]


And for Sir, you can't flip HG -- at least not without grinding.
I just went and tried flipping a cog from a junk freewheel
sitting in my basement. It's a no-go. I'll go try again just to
make sure I'm not missing anything.



-- Jay Beattie.

I'm NOT talking about flipping a HG cog onto a UG freehub. I'm
talking about flipping a HG cog on a HG freehub.


Which can be done. The HG cogs I modded to go on UG hubs can be mounted
both ways, also on HG hubs.


CHeers

I can't get a HG cassette cog to fit on a HG freehub body if I flip
the cog. The notches are not symmetrical.


After a little dance with a Dremel you can.

Yes, if you grind off the largest tab, you can do practically anything
-- with your slop-fit sprocket transmitting torque through probably
10% less surface area with the high gear stopped off because its worn
out. And hey, why not use four less spokes on each wheel, no bar tape,
one brake, a hose clamp in lieu of a proper headset nut, etc., etc.


You aren't supposed to grind off all of it. Besides, even if you did it
wouldn't make a difference.


And if having a six-speed dumpster-bike is O.K., why on earth are you
complaining about a little growling coming from your new pie-plate
sprocket? You should be happy if the wheels turn. And you still
can't fit fenders with reasonably-sized tires, so enjoy the rainy season.


Of course this bike can have fenders, the frame is even prepared for
that. Never saw the need though. On the rear the top connector of the
panniers acts as a fender.

Regarding dumpster bikes you'd be surprised for how much money some of
these old frames go. I will never trade my Reynolds steel frame for a
plastics bike.


Typically if I start off on a decent lenght ride, I like to have a
reasonable expectation of getting back without having to try to rebuild
the bike on the side of the road. To hack my cassette to save one cog
makes no sense to me. Frugality is a good thing for the planet and all
but this is sounding close to OCD.


I've never had any issue whatsoever with hacked cassettes. Or any other
hack for that matter. What I had problems with was "professionally" made
stuff.

In fact, the hose-clamped steerer set on my road bike holds up better
than the newfangled modern one on my MT which needs occasional adjustment.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 2018-11-26 14:01, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 4:26:53 PM UTC-5, duane wrote:
Snipped

Typically if I start off on a decent lenght ride, I like to have a
reasonable expectation of getting back without having to try to
rebuild the bike on the side of the road. To hack my cassette to
save one cog makes no sense to me. Frugality is a good thing for
the planet and all but this is sounding close to OCD.

I have a couple of bicycle wheels that still have Uniglide Cassette
bodies on them. A few years ago I came across a bicycle shop that was
a bit outside of a city in our area. that shop HAD a number of brand
new Uniglide 7 speed cassettes at $5.00 per cassette. I said HAD
because I bough every one they had. I even have a couple of NOS
Uniglide cassette bodies.


Out of curiosity, what are UG cassette bodies? The UG cassettes I had,
even before a hack, consisted only of cogs, spacers and three screws
that held it all together (but which weren't really needed and removed
by me).


... I'm set for the rest of my years and won't
need to hack apart and Dremel Hyperglide cassettes to replace those
Uniglide cogs once they wear out on both sides. If I get to the point
where I need lower gears I'll just swap out the bottom bracket
spindle 0r cartridge and add a triple chainring crankset. I have a
number of those on hand waiting for that day.


That'll be very hard on the chain and cogs if you ride a lot of hills.
Depends on rider weight and load, of course.


Speaking of hacking cassettes. I have one bicycle wheel that has a
9-speed hacked cassette with a corncob cluster 11 to 19 teeth being
shifted with friction downtube shifters which is good because one of
the cogs I could not find on my spare 9 speed cassettes was take from
and 8 speed cassette. I have no problems shifting to or from any of
those cogs. It's a fun bike to ride on gently rolling hills.

On my long distance road bike I have the Campagnolo Veloce 30 - 42 -
52 triple crank and find that 30 teeth ring useful at times in strong
headwinds, steep hills or if I'm really tired.

However, I think some people like Joerg simply enjoy making something
work with something it wasn't designed to work with.


Oh yeah. Sometimes you get a little bonus in the wake. For example, this
new cassette came with 11T and 13T as smallest cogs. Because of its
construction these had to stay in unless I'd do a more serious hack on
the big grinder. Turns out that 52/11 acts like an overdrive in a car
and if the wind picks up a wee bit I can shift to 13T. Currently I am
missing 15T so I accelerate for the last bit on the 18T, then shift to
the 13T for a "mild overdrive". It suits me well because I am not used
to spinning.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On 11/26/2018 2:14 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-26 08:56, wrote:
November 22, 2018, Joerg wrote:

-big snip-

Question: Does anyone now whether it's ok to buy a 30mm BCD
chain ring for 10-speed chains that's a bit narrower and run
a 7-speed chain on it? I guess it'll "walk" a bit more
sideways that usual, not sure if that matters much.


Yes, works and no doesn't matter. The big difference is
outside rivet width not tooth width.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On 2018-11-26 14:26, AMuzi wrote:
On 11/26/2018 2:14 PM, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-26 08:56, wrote:
November 22, 2018, Joerg wrote:

-big snip-

Question: Does anyone now whether it's ok to buy a 30mm BCD
chain ring for 10-speed chains that's a bit narrower and run
a 7-speed chain on it? I guess it'll "walk" a bit more
sideways that usual, not sure if that matters much.


Yes, works and no doesn't matter. The big difference is outside rivet
width not tooth width.


Thanks. They aren't riveted, it's a Shimano 600 square taper deal and
screwed in. Hoping those screws are standardized. If possible I'd like
to go down from 42T to 39T which I believe is the smallest for 130mm BCD.

--
Regards, Joerg

http://www.analogconsultants.com/

On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 5:24:47 PM UTC-5, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-26 14:01, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
Snipped
I have a couple of bicycle wheels that still have Uniglide Cassette
bodies on them. A few years ago I came across a bicycle shop that was
a bit outside of a city in our area. that shop HAD a number of brand
new Uniglide 7 speed cassettes at $5.00 per cassette. I said HAD
because I bough every one they had. I even have a couple of NOS
Uniglide cassette bodies.


Out of curiosity, what are UG cassette bodies? The UG cassettes I had,
even before a hack, consisted only of cogs, spacers and three screws
that held it all together (but which weren't really needed and removed
by me).
Snipped

They're the bodies that cassette cogs sit on. I forgot the word 'freehub or hub" before body because I figured anyone with knowledge of cassettes would know I was talking about the freehub.

Btw, I have complete spare Uniglide Freehubs not just the bodies.

Cheers

On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 2:12:22 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-26 13:26, Duane wrote:
On 26/11/2018 4:18 PM, jbeattie wrote:
On Monday, November 26, 2018 at 12:28:11 PM UTC-8, Joerg wrote:
On 2018-11-25 17:56, jbeattie wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 3:38:44 PM UTC-8, Sir Ridesalot
wrote:
On Sunday, November 25, 2018 at 4:24:40 PM UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:

[...]


And for Sir, you can't flip HG -- at least not without grinding.
I just went and tried flipping a cog from a junk freewheel
sitting in my basement. It's a no-go. I'll go try again just to
make sure I'm not missing anything.



-- Jay Beattie.

I'm NOT talking about flipping a HG cog onto a UG freehub. I'm
talking about flipping a HG cog on a HG freehub.


Which can be done. The HG cogs I modded to go on UG hubs can be mounted
both ways, also on HG hubs.


CHeers

I can't get a HG cassette cog to fit on a HG freehub body if I flip
the cog. The notches are not symmetrical.


After a little dance with a Dremel you can.

Yes, if you grind off the largest tab, you can do practically anything
-- with your slop-fit sprocket transmitting torque through probably
10% less surface area with the high gear stopped off because its worn
out. And hey, why not use four less spokes on each wheel, no bar tape,
one brake, a hose clamp in lieu of a proper headset nut, etc., etc.


You aren't supposed to grind off all of it. Besides, even if you did it
wouldn't make a difference.

I was originally talking about flipping a HG sprocket on a HG freehub body. If you grind down the wide tab and flip it over, you've lost contact surface. You would not lose contact surface on a UG body -- you would just have a worn-out threaded sprocket to contend with.


And if having a six-speed dumpster-bike is O.K., why on earth are you
complaining about a little growling coming from your new pie-plate
sprocket? You should be happy if the wheels turn. And you still
can't fit fenders with reasonably-sized tires, so enjoy the rainy season.


Of course this bike can have fenders, the frame is even prepared for
that. Never saw the need though. On the rear the top connector of the
panniers acts as a fender.

You said you could barely fit 25mm tires on that bike. No?

Regarding dumpster bikes you'd be surprised for how much money some of
these old frames go. I will never trade my Reynolds steel frame for a
plastics bike.

Then you should treat it with respect. BTW, have you tried a modern CF bike? A decent modern aluminum road frame? I've owned five custom steel frames, many aluminum frames and now CF bikes. I would take a first generation Cannondale over my '70s-80s custom steel frames. In fact, that's just what I did. I broke a custom Columbus SP racing frame and got a quick Cannondale replacement frame from a local shop to continue the racing season. That was 1984, and I liked it better than the bike it replaced. I love riding my Emonda, and the old CAAD 9 still brings a smile to my face, but that belongs to my son now. I'm sure I would enjoy a nice modern steel frame, too, but I'm happy with the current line-up.


Typically if I start off on a decent lenght ride, I like to have a
reasonable expectation of getting back without having to try to rebuild
the bike on the side of the road. To hack my cassette to save one cog
makes no sense to me. Frugality is a good thing for the planet and all
but this is sounding close to OCD.


I've never had any issue whatsoever with hacked cassettes. Or any other
hack for that matter. What I had problems with was "professionally" made
stuff.

You need better OE. I had an old touring bike with a threaded headset that would come loose, so I got a Gorilla Headlock -- which also eliminated the need to carry a HS wrench on tours. No hose clamps.


In fact, the hose-clamped steerer set on my road bike holds up better
than the newfangled modern one on my MT which needs occasional adjustment..

The compression nut and stem clamp serve the same purpose as a hose clamp and have more contact area. If you have issues, then it is because of inadequate torque or a poorly faced stem or spacer.

-- Jay Beattie.