Hi Again Tourist in MSN! (Really appreciate all your comments and expansive expertise on bikes!)
Thank you for the excellent video on suspension seatpost. It contained a lot of valuable info. I will probably have to watch it again several times to absorb all the tech. details. I really like the idea since the weight to comfort ratio is low compared to FS bikes and I definitely want to protect my back! Is there a particular brand of dropper suspension seatpost that you would recommend for GDMBR for my weight of 110 lbs? I will consider this option. I've added C8) check bottom bracket to my list. Hopefully, it's not too hard to do but I'll have to learn how to do it from Youtube and get the appropriate tools for it. Yes, I use either a blue Loctite threadlocker or a locking nut for mounting my rack in my bag of tricks. I also typically replace the fasteners that come std with the racks with SS fasteners. I've read somewhere that contact of Ti-SS does not cause significant galvanic corrosion which is used in spinal implants.
Hi Ross Ruth:
Thank you for your comments. The present gearing on the bike is typical of what you would find on a touring bike with a range of 17 to 103 gear inches so I'll probably stick with it. I doubt I can get much lower than 17 gear inches without sacrificing weight. I thought about going with a 1 X 11-44 gearing configuration to simplify the drivetrain and lighten the weight but I probably won't do it because I want to have as many options on the gearing since I don't know what to expect on the GDMBR conditions. I'll check out the Shimano Deore XT PD-T8000 XT as suggested but boy, are they expensive ($150 on Amazon)! I'm thinking about switching to a Brook saddle instead of the Selle Italia Diva that I've ridden with for years on my road rides but I just haven't pulled the trigger on it yet as the weight of the Brook saddle is 2.3 lbs vs 10.3 ounces on my SI Diva.
Hi Cyccommute:
Isn't WD-40 a degreaser? I was told that it's not a good idea to use it on bikes. Is the intent with the shifter to simply get moving parts going again so it's not an actual 'lube' requirement where a degreaser would interfere with it?
Last edited by dmeans2anend; 09-05-21 at 10:58 AM.