himespau 

I need to get off my ass and get some more chains/tires. I have enough of both at the moment (and am switching to waxing chains, so I have multiples stripped and waxed ready to rotate through), but not having a large stock of spares always makes me nervous. I have enough tubes that I should be ok, but a few more flats than expected and I'm going to start having mismatched valve lengths (not the end of the world as long as I have some that are long enough).

Parts availability seems to go is fits and spurts for me. Building up a parts bin bike to replace the one that got wrecked and I found out my crown race setter was chipped/uneven when it broke the crown race from the headset I had in the parts bin. Took me a long time to find another Record 1" headset (had to go across the pond and pay extra for expedited shipping), only to find everywhere suddenly had those headsets 2 days later. Once it comes it, I'm taking the crown race to a shop to get it fit even though I'm going to get myself a new crown race setter because I'm sure that, if I break it again, everywhere will have sold out again and I'll be SOL. Still, I can use the setter for other builds I have planned for down the road when I have at least one working bike in case I f things up again.

I keep meaning to build up a new rim brake wheelset to go with the new bike build, but I go back and forth about how deep I want to go with the rims. My fear is that I'll finally decide on the rims only to not be able to get spokes anywhere (thinking the Pillar Wing 20 at this point, but will probable take what I can get). I was already surprised when I build up a wheelset earlier this year that spokes from my usual source had taken a big jump in price.