PSA Soma sale, including tires
 

Special pricing on a few items, including Supple Vitesse and Grand Randonneur tires, MKS promenade pedals, padded Newbaums tape, and some chains and cassettes.

https://secure.campaigner.com/csb/Pu...QEznaS9sydA4zU

Ty! Wanted to try that dyno hub and 80.00 made it easy. Bought a seat and 4 chains too.

Those Cardiff saddles seem like a screaming deal if they're decent

I'll find out.

I think the break in on the Cardiff saddle takes a bit longer than some. I bought one on another sale a few years ago and it's comfy now. I don't recall exactly how long that took, it just seemed longer than a Brooks.

My son had one now that I think about it. It was a difficult break in for him but it also seemed like it would last forever.

Appreciate the heads up….
 

Picked up an 11-34 IRD 11s cassette to run on Shimano-type wheels with my Campy 11 group. Climbing.
Picked up an IRD 11s cassette for Campy.
Picked up a nice 9s chain.

For less than the cheapest 11s Campy cassette I’ll ever find.

Anybody have any idea whether that S-ride 9sp chain is any good?
https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/pro...v-slv-9sp-6641

I'm on the fence about it. Made in China, right? Where's KMC made these days?

What I want is a laterally stiffer, less-willing-to-shift 9s chain than what I had before.

I've had my Brooks Pro for almost 50 years and it FINALLY getting broken in. Longer than a Brooks,..., a multi-generational break in period. ;-)

I think I remember reading that S-Ride, Sensah, and the other Chinese brand whose name escapes me are all made by former SRAM folks who bought the tooling when SRAM decided not to be in China any longer. In other words, quality-on-par-with.

Would need to substantiate that, but I think I’m remembering correctly.

I grabbed two saddles and two chains. Really good deals. If your total is more than $100, shipping is free.

I believe these are just like the Gyes saddles. And they're super hard. Very difficult to "break in." But some of us like them that way. Like a new Brooks that stays brand new.

I have a bike stand like this and love it.

https://www.somafabshop.com/shop/pro...&category=2790

Just received my Cardiff saddle. Leather is a hair thicker than my B17 and it seems stiffer than I remember a new B17 being.

Mounting rails are longer and tension adjustment uses regular tools.

Mine arrived today. They are definitely much stiffer than a new Brooks B17. I noted that the adjustment screw is half way through its travel so I am going to try loosening it first.

2 IRD cassettes and a 9-sp chain arrived today.
I’m satisfied, but I need to check the order. I thought I bought 3 cassettes.

I'm thinking of going nuclear on this saddle - put it in a caldron of boiling oil or something like that.

What are those old tricks to speed-soften leather saddles?

I put an easy 10 miles on the new saddle today and it was fine for commuting. Not sure about touring but I'm gonna commute on it for a while.

Maybe put it up for sale before doing that. Or maybe it just doesn't fit. I'm sure you could get back what you paid for it. But those saddles are supposed to be hard and will probably improve with some breaking in. I've heard a lot of people complain about a Brooks B-17 too, but the ones I have have been comfortable for me.

I'd take it for sure.

I'm going to experiment on this one. Nice thick leather. Gotta soften it up.

BTW this Cardiff saddle is shorter than a B17,

Has anyone tried speeding up the break-in period with a carefully applied ball peen hammer? Just curious.
@tyrion, shorter by how much?

No hammers for me - I'm going to slather it with bees wax and put the heat gun on it.

The Cardiff is about half an inch shorter than my B17.

Not trying to be contradictory, but I bought two of the Cardiff's that were on sale a week or so ago, and they measure 175mm x 275mm overall length, (plus or minus - one was 172mm wide, one was 273mm long - close enough I think). I measured them with a 300 mm caliper so I got the overall dimension.
I also measured a Brooks B-17. It was 175mm x 275mm. They are both specified as being 175mm X 275mm.

Let us know how the bees wax treatment goes.

My Cardiff is definitely shorter than my B17.

https://cimg8.ibsrv.net/gimg/bikefor...1e7c941270.png
I'm pretty sure I haven't adjusted the tension screw on the B17. The Cardiff sure feels shorter also - part of that might be due to the fact that it's new and hard, but look how the rivets line up.