Senrab62 

How do you like the Corsa Evo 25s? I have some and was considering buying a pair of 28s instead for the plusher ride. Have they been flat prone on your experience?

TheRealDrPhil

I really like Veloflex tires. I rode their tubulars for years and found them to be well built, light, and fast.
The Corso EVOs I am riding now are TLR - tubeless. I have not had any issues with punctures or flats. So far tubeless tires have lived up to their designed performance.
The 25C tires are fast, and the 28C tires offer a more plush ride. I am not too sensitive to whether they are faster or slower as I don't ride to race, but purely for pleasure. I will be swapping between them (they are on separate identical wheelsets) over the next year to see which ones I prefer. I ride on roads and paths with lots of weather caused joints and so I might end up preferring the wider tires simply because they offer a more comfortable ride.

IAmSam

For years Veloflex Masters were the only tires I would ride on my wannabe-go-fast bikes but I got over it. I still have a pair of unbelievably light Record skinnies I used for a bragging rights thing, sitting in my extra parts bin...

TejanoTrackie 

Just bought a couple of Charge Spoon saddles as they are back in stock at RG. Also got a new KMC K1SL (formerly K710SL) 1/8" black chain.

TejanoTrackie 

Also

TejanoTrackie 

Continental Grand Prix 5000 700x28c. Daily special on biketiresdirect 40% off msrp of $79.95 ($47.97) and free shipping because it's backordered. It's going on the rear wheel of my Dolan Pre Cursa to replace a 700x25c, which I'll switch to the front wheel. The current front tire is a very old Continental Grand Prix 4000 700X23c, which I'll retire. All this to soften the ride a bit.

Gnolo

Dia compe Goldfinger brake handle and MX883 front calipers in gold 😅

ethet 

I've been yearning for a better way to interface with the crank bolts on these bikes as my rickety ratchet set has been causing me increasing amounts of grief to the point of despair... And then suddenly we discover the Park Crank Bolt Wrench and the world suddenly feels much more manageable...

TejanoTrackie 

^^^^ The problem with that wrench is that you cannot apply a measured torque when tightening the bolt.

ethet 

'Measured torque' is irrelevant, silly goose. These are square-tapered traditional track bikes we're working on.

TejanoTrackie 

ethet 

Explain your confusion, please.

TejanoTrackie 

Are you suggesting that torque is irrelevant when tightening square taper crankarms ?

TejanoTrackie 

Well, here in the West we use something called a torque wrench and use values recommended by the manufacturer. For example, Sugino recommends 40-50 Nm for their 75 NJS cranks.

ethet 

Acknowledged.

Lazyass

After 12 weeks I finally got a tracking number for my tubular wheels with Paul hubs. I'm really kind of tired of tanwall tires, they only look good new so I ordered these 26mm Panaracer's. They're only $70/pair and I bought two pairs.

Senrab62 

I have these, in slick, in 26mm. They run slightly narrow (closer to 25 in my experience), but are a fantastic value. Good puncture resistance and road feel for the money. Much better than paselas in my opinion.

Lazyass

Yeah I wanted something with high tpi, light but with a good puncture belt but I don't like spending a hundred bucks for a tubular tire. A good thing about tubulars is you can always find high end tires on sale. Is yours the clincher or tubular version?

Senrab62 

Ugh, literacy is not my strength, apparently. I do have panaracer tubs, but not in this model. I find their tubulars run true to size and are of excellent quality. Beautiful part of tubulars is, as you mentioned, super high end can be had for bargains compared to their clincher counterparts.

Lazyass

Bryton Rider 10 and a stem mount with a go pro attachment so I don't have to clamp my headlight on the bars. My rides usually start before sunrise. I have a higher end Bryton Rider 530 on another bike but I wanted a smaller and cheaper one for the Wabi.

Lazyass

And after years of telling myself to get some proper winter shoes and stop messing with booties, toe covers, two layers of socks, ect I just got these Lake's. Good for rain rides as well.

jasoninohio

Just decided to get back in to the hobby after a while, picked up an old road bike for $60, not bad, then I had to spend about $100 on tools which feels iffy but hey I have some fancy Park tools now and I can change all the freewheels and cup/cone bottom brackets I want...

veganbikes

Buying quality tools should not feel iffy at all. Good tools will last a long time and won't strip or damage components easily (unless you decide to do so) Park stuff is decent and certainly a lot of tool they make are excellent for the hobbyist and home mechanic who wants something decent but not expensive as well as a bunch of more professional tools for a shop. I have spent $100 on a single tool (and more) and honestly didn't feel iffy, my wallet doesn't always like it but I don't have to buy that tool again at least not for a long time. Only rich people have money for cheap tools. The bike might have cost less then the tools but the tools go well beyond that bike and the knowledge gathered can be quite useful down the road and can be quite profitable.

A good bicycle mechanic with a thirst for knowledge and a will to change and adapt is always needed in the industry. We have enough stale grumpy mechanics who don't want to learn and don't want to better themselves or refuse to work on stuff not because it is unsafe or dangerous but they just don't want to learn how to do it.

jasoninohio

Thanks for the thoughts and I totally agree; I am just a hobbyist, but the thing of what I was saying that you wouldn't know from my brief post is that I previously had a very decent bike tool kit and a bunch of accessories and whatnot and a fleet of misfit fixie conversions, then several years ago I had some kind of nervous breakdown and gave everything away to a co-op and just stopped riding until just now, so now I'm like OK I guess we're back in to it, I actually got a great deal on a Spin Doctor "Complete Tool Kit" which covered BB puller, chain breaker, cable cutter, spoke wrenches, cone wrenches, 36/32mm headset wrenches, plus whatever else is in that kit for $50, and then the stuff that kit doesn't have is the 2-notch freewheel tool, BB pin spanner and lockring tool, and tire levers, ordered those from performance for about another $50, so I'm actually pretty good now for that $100 in tools.

The bike is a Giant Allegre with Suntour GPX that I happened upon and just couldn't pass up in the moment, which for $60 with good components if I'm $300 in to it in the end that is totally fine, it's a cool kind of underrated late 80s/early 90s race bike, but now what do I just never use the FR-2 again or do I need to find more 80s refurb projects...??? Haha who knows (Also re: being in for $300, I'm gonna keep all the original stuff hopefully but I will be getting new chain, cables/housing, tires/tubes, and bar tape, so that's gonna end up being like another $120 or so)

GhenghisKahn

Just got one of these for my fixed gear. It's a skull bell. Doom metal is what I'm all about. ☠

Just in case you're interested:

https://www.suck.uk.com/products/skull-bike-bell/