di2 levers can be gutted…
Best to buy the Alfine di2 levers.
Weird, because I had the same pair from like 2007 until last year; probably saw 10,000 miles, and I sold them because I was moving and didn’t have a bike without integrated shifters anymore. They were no worse for wear, once I slipped some new hoods on.
I understand about the Shimano, but again, my real-world experience is that they are reasonably durable. Maybe it’s the lower end newish Tiagra-level ones that suck, because I’ve seen plenty of old Dura Ace ones (same as the current R600, as I understand it) that have been through hell and back and seem just fine. In fact, I can’t remember seeing a broken one.
so i have a business trip coming up to visit the hague and london, in that order. the way the dates work out im thinking of taking a few days vacation before i need to be there, starting off by flying to paris and riding north to the hague. i have roughly three days to get there. while my “tour” is short i have to carry some decent clothes for meetings, electronics, etc. id like to follow the paris roubaix route but with a backpack on thats gonna suck so am thinking about how to get luggage on the bike. option one would be to get a rack (interested in the thule one actually) and lashing my ortleib to the top of it somehow. option two is to try a revelate viscacha or terrapin but i’m not sure how well those pack hard items like shoes. also id only be able to get one of their bags since i don’t have the money to go full prolly on this. ideally whatever i end up with would be something i could use again, but if cheap rear rack and panniers off ebay are the answer, i can live with that.
I broke a whole bunch of these, exactly as shown:
but it looks like the newer ones use a different plastic there?
Kinda want sell my troll and my polo bike and replace both with flat bar Yolo bike. I hate how poorly the troll handles on roads. Polo bike is super fun but no way to add discs to the rear end. Can’t decide if I want to go 650b or 29. Kind of just want to 650b a cannondale bad boy with the rigid non lefty fork if I can find one my size. Unfortunately no one ever sells that as just a frame set since as a complete everything else would go in the trash.
Prices dropped on stumpy fsr. Might have to dither one. But 2015s have shimano brakes. And camber evo is supposed to climb better. But availability is almost nil on those.
Oh, the camber evo looks kinda nice. Can get same discount on Spec and Giant, so also looking at Anthems. Waiting to see 2015 Giant lineup. I think Anthem x 29er is mostly the same (slx all the things), but waiting to see about Anthem 27.5 SX, with 120mm fork vs standard 100mm.
http://www.planet-x-usa.com/product-p/frpxkbd2.htm
There are a few geo changes, but you’re welcome to take my XL Pompino for a spin if you want to get the general idea.
All of my projects have pretty much stalled. I’ve decided to ride bikes and save money to the extent possible, at least for now.
I want to find another curved-stay bike to disc retrofit. It doesn’t cost a whole lot and it gives life to an old frame that’s just sitting there. Of course, there are other options like Gunnar fast lane but $400 vs $1200 is a fair difference. Wait wait wait.
http://www.planet-x-usa.com/product-p/frpxkbd2.htm
There are a few geo changes, but you’re welcome to take my XL Pompino for a spin if you want to get the general idea.
All of my projects have pretty much stalled. I’ve decided to ride bikes and save money to the extent possible, at least for now.[/quote]
I might take you up on that just to test out the geometry but I’m kinda 
about buying another chromoly frame.
.
The frame question for my 11 speed project is settled now, but I’m undecided about a few things.
Is selling my old ti Merckx frame alone going to be harder vs. selling frame/fork/headset? I’m thinking of holding onto the Ritchey 1" steel fork and CK headset since I can get a conversion kit for threaded. I want to run the original threaded fork on the new frame, but I like the idea of having a threadless fork in reserve.
Also not sure about wheels. I’m confident the frame will fit 28+, but I don’t own a compressor and I’m not sure I really want to shell out for Belgium + when I can get a pair of Archetypes or Open Pros for less than the price of a single rim. Then there are tire costs to consider. Am I dumb for considering bailing on the tubeless idea?
Finally, 11-28 or 11-32?
Sell the f/f and keep the hs. Forget tubeless on steel frame. Much like 26", tubes are not going to disappear from their position as the most prevalent bike standards in the world.
Yeah I know. Just curious to try it. I think I would be pretty happy with 28mm GP4K or the 120 TPI Clement Stradas though.
I’m totally jealous of that Davidson by the way. You should do whatever feels right.
Keep that Ritchey fork. Might make it harder to sell, but someone will bite.
Cassette depends on what cranks y’all runnin.
I think 11-28 is good for a road bike, but I use 48x34 chainrings.
If this sways one way or the other, I had no problem seating tubeless ones in 25 & 28 on Alpha 400 & American Classic 101, respectively, using a track pump.
Could you split the $ difference and build with Pacenti SL23 for tubelessability later?
Sell the Merckx forkless, with info & $ on where to find a 1" carbon or steel fork for it so the potential buyer isn’t flummoxed.
yeah I’ve never needed anything but a floor pump for Road Tubeless
Gonna gradually switch all my bikes to left hand front braking. My first adult bike was set up RHF, and sheldon said to do it, so i did. But cable routing is almost always better with LHF and it took me only like three weeks of occasionally locking up the back wheel on an lhf bike to retrain my brain to do it that way.