Originally Posted by bikingshearer

It looks like I'm a "go" for this weekend. ...

Originally Posted by merziac

DT is optional.

I know many like to run without dust caps and I get it but they are a safety item in this capacity and could have kept you from having to go caveman on it.

We can go on ad nauseum about it but the delete option was for the mechanics at the races where they were checking or working on them daily or more often.

Originally Posted by Oldairhead

Which route are you riding? Not all of the routes are as demanding as others.

Originally Posted by merziac

Well, you've ridden with me, its still up in the air. Hopefully the longest wimpy one with the least hills. I'm going to try and wing it a bit if I can go around the big ones.

My knees have taken a big turn for worse recently and I had nothing for any real and even not so real ones before that anyway.

Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by Brad L

Here's the current weather forecast for Cambria. Looks like it may be a really nice weekend.

Originally Posted by Straightblock

Never make changes right before an event.

Last weekend I swapped a modern compact crank for a period-correct Sugino Mighty on my Nishiki Pro. I took it out on a 40 mile ride and all was well. Yesterday I went out again, and after a while I started hearing a creaking noise from the drivetrain. I looked down and the left crank arm is loose, and when I stopped, the bolt was gone. Bad, for sure, but worse if it had come off. I was stopped at the entrance to a gravel quarry & found a smooth baseball sized river rock, picked up a piece of cardboard from roadside trash (thanks, local rednecks) to use as a cushion, and tapped the crank arm in place. I one-legged it 8 miles back to the second-closest LBS (my favorite), got a new bolt, and used their shop wrench to tighten it. About 2 miles from home it had loosened again and I one-legged it home.

I've been riding and servicing square taper cranks since 1975, including a couple of years during college working at the LBS, have never used a torque wrench on a vintage bike and never had a crank come loose like this. I understand the science of why it's nearly always the left arm that loosens, but the torque wrench in my elbow that says "that's about right" has served me well up to now.

This crankset is one of the most-used square taper ones I own and I'm sure it was removed and reinstalled several times to service the bottom bracket or move to a different bike, but has been unused for about 20 years. The crank arm doesn't appear to be galled or deformed. I have a micrometer/click-type torque wrench that I use for my modern bike and other things. Park Tool says torque the crank bolt to 300-450 in-lbs. I've reinstalled the crank and torqued both sides to the Park Tool spec, and that's noticeably more than my seat-of-the pants torque value. Lesson learned, I guess.

Now I'm concerned about taking the Nishiki to to Cambria, even for the short Piedras Blancas route I'm planning to ride, so I'm going to take a ride on it today and check the left arm every few miles. Any doubts and I'll change to another bike that would only need pedals changed.

gugie , I hope nothing like this never happened on your Super Course!

Originally Posted by Oldairhead

Well, the route to the lighthouse is nice and getting access to the lighthouse is generally not available to the public except for this weekend. It is a pretty flat route with only some gentle rollers, it has a mile or so of non-pavement and you also get to ride past the elephant seal viewing beach! On the return you can detour through to old San Simeon for a nice little side route. The other routes all have either significant or serious climbing but are also very stunning to ride. I've done the long route twice, the medium route twice, the short lighthouse once and supported the event twice on a moto. I haven't looked closely at the routes this year since I will be unable to attend. Sadly for me, outside of the covid years this will be the first time I won't be riding an Eroica since 2012!

Originally Posted by Random Tandem

...I am bringing my 1974 Teledyne Titan to 2022 California Erotica!

Originally Posted by Thalia949

Is anyone doing the Friday Sunset ride? I got an invite and signed up for it. Not sure of how long it is

Originally Posted by Straightblock

Never make changes right before an event.

Last weekend I swapped a modern compact crank for a period-correct Sugino Mighty on my Nishiki Pro…

Originally Posted by tmnguuyen

i signed up. The route is about 12 miles total from Cambria Veterans Hall to Linn’s farm and back. Still debating about this and Montana De Oro. I’ll be tandeming it with wifey.

Originally Posted by gaucho777

There’s not a lot of time to re-instill confidence. I’ve had a couple of crank arms that didn’t want to stay on the spindle. My issues were resolved with some locktite on the bolt threads. Personally, if it allowed me to ride my preferred bike, I would do that and also stick my modest-sized Sugino crank bolt tool in a Jersey pocket if I was concerned. If you don't have something similar, I'd be happy to bring my tool and let you borrow it during the ride if that would ease your mind.

Originally Posted by Kilroy1988

Since I don't post photos of myself much, and that's the easiest way to recognize me in case any of ya'all see me, well... Here I am!

-Gregory

Originally Posted by Classtime

Straightblock, Use hex head crank arm bolts so any multitool will give you peice of mind. A 14mm socket wrench is a bit bulky.

Originally Posted by Kilroy1988

Kinky! Tell us how that goes.

Originally Posted by merziac

Well, you've ridden with me, its still up in the air. Hopefully the longest wimpy one with the least hills. I'm going to try and wing it a bit if I can go around the big ones.

My knees have taken a big turn for worse recently and I had nothing for any real and even not so real ones before that anyway.

Any suggestions?

Originally Posted by bikingshearer

Yeah, join @Kabuki12 and me on the Piedro Blancas route. Nothing too strenuous, climbing-wise, and I promise that neither Joe nor I bite. We may or may not keep going all the way to Ragged Point, which adds a couple not-very-long low-gear climbs, but nothing you can't handle. Plus, it's an out-and-back, so you can break it off any time. We can be the Big Frame Brigade.

If you are still wanting a few more miles, you/we can go up Santa Rosa Creek Rd when you/we get back to town until it gets too steep. Trust me, it will get too steep - there is an amazingly stupid-steep little pitch that that starts off a steady 10%+ climb - but only after five or more miles of beautiful flat/gentle up/less gentle up. (This is the last big descent for all the inland routes.)

Problem solved.

Edit: Doh! Just saw your post above; you know all this. But ride with us anyway. As former BFer bigbossman would say, what's the worst that could happen?

To aid in recognition, that's me on the right, kabuki12 in the middle and straightblock on the left, taken at 2019 Eroica CA. Joe and I will be on different bikes (orange Colnago for Joe, light blue heavily patinaed Cinelli foir me; can't speak for staightblock)) and probably in different jerseys, but otherwise recognizable. Oh, and count on Joe to be rockin' the colorful socks.

Originally Posted by merziac

Sounds good but we'll see, I'll be on the most serious touring rig with panniers and all.