Thursday, November 27, 2008

Tools, Tires, Tubes, etcetera .. $$ ..

I needed a new bike tool.

Since I was buying a 'new' fork, which of course needed the steerer tube cut down, I had to have a new tool. Of course, I read several blogs and bulletin board postings of folks saying.."You don't need a tool...just hack it off...use tape as a guide...hose clamps...mark it with a sharpie...plumbers tubing cutter...eyeball it and hope for the best...take it to your LBS...etc, etc. All great advice nuggets, but I've hacked tubing with a hacksaw before and I can tell you, if I ever cut it in a straight line it was divine providence at work. Just eyeballing it wasn't gonna cut it, at least for me. So I purchased a Park Tool SG-7 Oversized Adjustable Saw Guide. My cache of mostly working bike tools continues to grow!

It seems you need a special bike tool for everything now. I purchased a new bike take-off FSA crank (read used price, but unused part) with the 'new' style external bottom bracket, and of course you need a special wrench to tighten the bb cups into the frame. No homemade tools will cut it here, so drop the Park BBT-9 Bottom Bracket Wrench into the shopping cart. Cha-ching!

I purchased these tools from Speedgoat.com. I discovered if you spend $100 or over, you will get shipping for free. So of course I threw in some Panaracer Rampage 2.35" 29er tires, tubes, and an SRAM 9-speed chain. That easily pushed me over the $100 free shipping limit, and Merry Christmas to me!

Cha-ching! $$ :>)

Note to self: I must now purchase my lovely wife an extra nice Christmas present.

-Dwight

3 comments:

Travel Gravel said...

D-Dog, check out the strangest French cycling accessory since the macrame ponytail wrap that Fignon used to wear!(It matched his gloves) It's the Mavic 26"-to-700c brake adapter. Speedgoat sells them.Lets youn use 700c wheels on a mountain bike frame, with rim brakes. Crazy. Have a good one! Later! Travel Gravel!

djdau@walnutel.net said...

http://www.speedgoat.com/product.asp?part=108671

Interesting...so I could convert my 26" MTB Bakfietsen to 700C skinny tires? I didn't think that would be possible! Might look a bit weird, though.

I've read about older steel frame 27 inch wheel road bikes being converted to the 650B French standard wheel size. More clearance for fenders and fatter tires. Always seemed like something interesting to try if I stumbled onto an old frame suitable for the conversion. It'd be cheaper than buying a Rivendell Bleriot or Saluki!

Check out the 650B Surly Pacer project on this website..

http://www.freewebs.com/650b/

Travel Gravel said...

Wow! That's a site I will have to add to my "Good Stuff" sidebar.