Crankypants

Yan,
IS the Sun Race cassetter compatable with Shimano? I don't think that I can find Sun RAce around here, unfortuneately.

downtube

Yes it is

Thanks,
Yan

Crankypants

Yan,
I mounted a SRAM 9 speed cassette and changed my shifter, chain, and derailleur to give me a better range for climbing steep hills. The lower gears and shifting work great, but the highest three gears seem to pull the chain to far to the right toward the derailleur causing friction and a rub on the nearby cogs. I thought that the 9 speed took the same amount of space as the 8, but maybe I needed to do something different. Any ideas? Thanks! Great bike! Also, I added a 130mm stem which gives me some room to stretch and feels great!

downtube

Are you using a SRAM chain? I've had similar issues with cheaper chains.

Thanks,
Yan

Crankypants

No, I bought the cheapie. I'll try the SRAM, Thanks!

downtube

Additionally, please make sure:
1. the derailleur is perpendicular to the ground
(parallel to the rim.)
2. then properly adjust the derailleur cable tension at the derailleur
in the second highest cog. After adjustment it should have
equal clearance on both sides of the cog. this may take a
little tweaking.

Additionally, it is imperative that the derailleur
cage also be aligned (in the vertical axis) with the fore and aft
line of the frame. This is often the cause of that problem.


Thanks,
Yan

bookishboy

Yan, you mentioned earlier touring on a FS model. What are you going to do about luggage, just tow it? Have you found a reasonable (heavier) solution to putting a rack/panniers on the thing?

Also, can anyone recommend a decently-sized (and priced) trunk bag for the DT non-FS? I commute to work, and I'm hoping to find a solution that lets me carry my change of clothes, lunch and repair kit without using a backpack. I've seen some reasonably priced trunks around, but can't tell whether they would secure to the smaller rack or not. Examples:
https://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesom.../275/1895/7388
https://www.bikesomewhere.com/bikesom.../275/1895/7389
https://www.nashbar.com/profile.cfm?c...eid=&pagename=

downtube

What luggage are you referring to? I believe in light touring. 2 pairs of shorts , shirts, and socks is all I will take. We recently recieved some super cool Downtube FS seatpost rackpacks with steel frame to act as a rack (much lighter than normal racks + packs). We also got some nice Downtube standard rackpacks with zip out panniers. Both should be posted on the site next week.

FYI I plan to leave on my Euro tour around the third week of May.

Thanks,
yan

Crankypants

Thanks for the info Yan, I'll try to work on the bike tommorrow. By the way, where are you planning on riding? I live in Southern France and must say that bicycle touring here is superb! My mother's boyfriend used the DT on a week long full self contained ride that we just finished.
@bookishboy: the rack that comes with the bike can actually carry a lot of gear. We stacked two small "gym" bags on top of each other, securing them onto the top of the rack with bungees. It helped to stabilize them by tying an additional cord to the bottom of the seat. They were completely full with clothing, sleeping bag, sleeping pad, tools, toiletries, and the evening goodies (chocolat, cheese, and wine).I like touring light, but I still need to haul all of my supplies for stealth camping!

bookishboy

Hah, I suppose I grew up watching too many Monty Python episodes. I've never been bike touring myself, but would tend towards the camp-as-you-go approach; so I'd need tent, food, utensils, etc. I'm interested in seeing the luggage when it pops up on the website, I hadn't realized that you were expanding beyond just "fully specced bikes".

Cheers!

downtube

Not sure where I'll be touring yet....I'll just play it by ear.

I have a cute rack tip for touring. Buy a cheap $10 Hibachi grill at a local store put the grill part on top of any standard rack attaching it with bungees. It turns your regular rack into a super large rack that can handle a rackpack, sleeping bag, tent, and much more.

Thanks,
Yan

Crankypants

DT Bike Tour tip of the day:
Try using two tarps instead of a tent. One for the bottom under your sleeping gear and another that can be stretched overhead with bungees to fend off crummy weather. Much lighter and easier to deal with (imo).

Crankypants

I love the grill idea!

downtube

Great cheap idea, however for $120 retail you can get a Hennessy Hammock see https://www.hennessyhammock.com .....these are soooooo cool!

Thanks,
Yan

maunakea

Yan, I would go along the Rhine in the Alsace. There is a bike path along the river from Basel to NL, bike paths along the canals leading to the Rhine, and little traffic.

EvilV

That looks a great piece of kit Yan. I just emailed them to find out how quickly they can get one to me in the UK. I'm planning a cycling trip to a wild forested area and since it is rocky and covered with scrubby spikey trees and branches it's a hard place to set up a bivouac. These hammocks would be the perfect answer.

Crankypants

Yan,
Funny you should mention the Hennessy Hammock. Throughout the bike tour, my mom kept mentioning how practical a hammock would be to tour with. Now I really want to get one of these after checking out their web site!

EvilV

I ordered one this morning from a UK supplier. Should have it in a few days and I'll be all set. I'm going to do a tour around the forested area of the Cheviot Hills and the Lake District in Northern England. I'm intending to use the little Merc (Brompton Clone). At least that way if I get sick and tired, I can bale out of the whole trip and phone a taxi to the nearest railway station and dump the bike in the boot (trunk).

Overall the route is about 340 miles, but there are a few bale out points where it passes through civilisation.

Pictures of a part of the Reiver's Way Cycle route:

Rincewind8

Here should be some pictures of the conversion:


If they don't show:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/46012176@N00/140801704/
https://www.flickr.com/photos/46012176@N00/140801705/

Crankypants

@Rincewind:Sweet ride! Clever mounting trick with the shifters! My camera conked out, so I'll post pics of mine later. Next week, I'll be putting on some butterfly bars, even though it is a hard choice between those and drops. The stem extension feels great, thanks for the tip everybody!

maunakea

The rear shock on the DT FS: anyone have any insight into adjustment? Very stiff from the factory, which decreases parasitic pedaling losses, but it seems so stiff side that it's really not doing much "suspending".

hbob

Mine was fairly loose from the factory so I tightened it up. Works great. Just turn the big ring
and loosen it up. It all depends on your weight and terrain. I don't notice too much
absorption of my effort form the shock. It sure is comfortable when you get it right.

bookishboy

Looks like downtube.com is implementing a site re-design! Looking much better, but I still say:

-Put in a better bulletin-boad software, and put a few volunteer moderaters in place to eliminate spam, section off the off-topic posts.

-Separate out "Downtube bikes, accessories upgrades and -compatible parts." Keep the brand identity strong. The site is already looking better, but it currently looks like it's for an online store that sells high-end roadbike components...Oh, and a few folding bikes too.

-The logo redesign is nice. The colors chosen for the website logo work well. I remember Rafael talking about working with you for this, Yan. Did he do the logo?


Out of curiosity, why the name "Downtube"? As far as I can tell, the bike doesn't even have a downtube.


Cheers!

Crankypants

I was reading over some of Sheldon Brown's articles, and I realize that the DT is equipped with the "boutique"quick release levers, that are apparently weaker and inferior to the original solid style. Yan, this sounds like another good thing to upgrade for the future models as well, especially since they are also used to secure the folding mechanism (imho).
Thanks!

Rincewind8

The QRs on the folding mechanism don't need to take large forces. You could probably keep them completely open and chances are it still won't open (I still wouldn't do it).
You need high clamping force, where the QR hold something in place like at the axles. For that Sheldon wrote the following:
And although the dropouts on the FS model that I have are semi-horizontal, I never had a problem with wheel slippage.