Did you just ShartQ?

The 9 speed ones use a single full cog

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Is Bicycle Bluebook a good place to sell? I’ve already run into trouble with the Stripe identity verification.

If it’s better than dealing with eBay’s higer fees or Craigslist flakes, I’ll try to get Stripe straightened out. A quick search shows they’re not responsive.

MTB Q:

Anyone ever use integrated controls - i.e. hooking the shifters and dropper lever directly to the brakes using the SPEC EV standard - and regretted it?

I want a cleaner cockpit that takes less effort to get back in alignment whenever I noodle.

I’ve never regretted it, but occasionally it won’t allow you to get your shifter or dropper lever precisely where you want it. But then again that can happen without matchmakers etc.

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SQ what’s the current thought on replacing a worn rear tire? Just swap a new tire on the rear? Switch the front tire to the rear and put a new tire on the front? I’ve tried to think about which might be better and couldn’t really come up with any strong reasons either way so I am thinkin to just put the new tire on the rear

Just put a new one on the rear. I typically go through 2 rear tires before the front starts to look sketchy. If I want to change tyre model, I’ll replace both and save the front as a spare to be used on the rear in case of insufficient hoarding.

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A blowout on the rear is generally easier to control than on the front. The front also generally wears slower. If it’s still looking fresh I’d keep the front where it is.

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I’ve never personally had any issues with it. We had a weird time getting like a wolf tooth piece to work with sup’s shimano ev compatible brakes, but the lever came with one spec and we had to buy an adapter and it was unclear if we had the right thing.

The only thing i run into with the shimano stuff is that it’s kind of hard to get the screw very tight with a standard allen wrench - you need to use a extension and a ratcheting one or a t-handle. if you don’t get it tight, it will come loose after a few rides and your shifter starts moving around. Otherwise i’ve had no issues with placement and it’s very easy to deal with. it’s nice to only move one thing per side when you want to adjust your cockpit.

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no complaints

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Previous gen but no complaints here either

The only complaint i have is shimano naming their shit i-spec a, i-spec b, i-spec II, i-spec ev.

just a terrible naming system

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SQ is there any reason to service and adjust cup and cone bottom brackets versus replacing with a sealed cartridge unit? I’m about to buy a set of wrenches and I’m just curious if they are only used for removal and not installation these days lol

do you race track? are you chasing every last watt with your record BB that you run oil in?

I would :100: throw away a garbage tier cup-cone BB in favour of any cart BB. But would keep/service something fancy like NR/SR/DA/SuperbePro or if the spindle taper/length was otherwise unobtainable.

These days my Hozan lockring pliers get used more often to take the grate out of the shower than they are used to remove a BB or sprocket lockring, but if I have to, they are a joy to use and far less likely to result in bloody knuckles. The last time I bike-used them was probably to loosen/tighten S&S couplers, possibly more niche than loose ball BBs.

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Oh yeah my context is old Giant mtbs. Seems like it’s worth getting the tools since I’m now aware of 2 BBs I need to replace and it feels like there could be more as I grow into my role of Neighborhood Bike Guy

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good lockring pliers are nice to have, but if you’re going to bin the BB and fit a cartridge you could always destructively remove the lockring with a pipewrench, and then the cups with the sheldon bolt on hack (scroll to fixed-cup tools)

Hah, this link was posted merely months ago!:

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Ah interesting… I guess I should read this as, the fixed cup can be pretty fuckin fixed huh!

I do enjoy this destructive removal idea too. I am not sure I have a pipe wrench big enough on hand but I should go see if my jumbo vise grips are big enough.

And now I’m looking at the one in my garage and it has a lockring but it also has splined cups?.. I didn’t realize I had this much to learn about bottom brackets…

bloody knuckles option
https://www.ebay.com/itm/395491729573

vintage option
https://www.ebay.com/itm/147274639814

goat option, lifetime tool

Those all look good but now that I know I have a pair of vise grips that will fit, RIP to that lockring

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Do the cups look like what @room203 found with his Stumpy?

Kinda. Looks more like this: (picture from the net)

Like it’s got a lockring but 20-spline cups like a cartridge BB. Closest I can figure from doing some reading is that some factories were probably installing cup-and-cone and cartridge BBs at the same time and somehow settled on having one tool for both lol. So I suspect that I don’t even need any special tools to remove this one once I get past the lockring. The other Giant at my parents’ house has the more traditional bad cups, but that’s a problem for another year.