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The milky looking chain lube wax emulsion was a failure, longevity-wise. I'm back to sticky oil, though I might try the wax again on the next chain after brine season is over. I've started doing chain maintenance at work though, in a heated but dirty space so pretty much ideal. Wash with one of those translucent blue brush boxes in the morning, lube later when dry. Bro just bought a real nice commuter e-bike with gates carbon drive and enviolo hub. I think I am jealous, the promise of zero maintenance is very attractive. I helped him mount snow tires on it, there's some faff with the belt but no big deal, just inexperience I think. He had some issues with belt skip on the brand new bike after a few dozen km of riding and upped the tension, but probably overshot since the friction started to get noticeable. Neither of us know enough about belt drive to really understand what's going on, but tension seems really important from what I can judge. There even seems to be a special tool and an app for it. Sheesh. Should he buy one of those tension gauges is what I'm asking the Gates preachers ITT? The app seems to work acoustically like a guitar tuner, and by the reviews it doesn't seem to work very well.
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Nov 30, 2023 09:27
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Invalido posted:The app seems to work acoustically like a guitar tuner, and by the reviews it doesn't seem to work very well. Yah, I never found it that accurate. Though it put me close enough to fine tune from there. And now I have a decent feel sense of what works for my particular setup.
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Nov 30, 2023 14:27
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Invalido posted:The milky looking chain lube wax emulsion was a failure, longevity-wise. I'm back to sticky oil, though I might try the wax again on the next chain after brine season is over. I've started doing chain maintenance at work though, in a heated but dirty space so pretty much ideal. Wash with one of those translucent blue brush boxes in the morning, lube later when dry.
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Nov 30, 2023 15:48
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Groda posted:Winter biking on anything but a one-speed chain is madness.
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Nov 30, 2023 16:21
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evil_bunnY posted:gates belts forever Touchey
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Nov 30, 2023 16:53
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Invalido posted:The milky looking chain lube wax emulsion was a failure, longevity-wise. I'm back to sticky oil, though I might try the wax again on the next chain after brine season is over. I've started doing chain maintenance at work though, in a heated but dirty space so pretty much ideal. Wash with one of those translucent blue brush boxes in the morning, lube later when dry. We have a Gates transfer drive on the tandem. I used the app but it seemed over tight, I now run it just slack enough not to slip, also read the Sheldon Brown article on centering chainrings to get the tension even through out rotation , also I found if the belt was put one way it would gradually move over untill it rubbed the frame. So use a white marker to get the DOR.
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Nov 30, 2023 18:05
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mikemelbrooks posted:We have a Gates transfer drive on the tandem. I used the app but it seemed over tight, I now run it just slack enough not to slip, also read the Sheldon Brown article on centering chainrings to get the tension even through out rotation , also I found if the belt was put one way it would gradually move over untill it rubbed the frame. So use a white marker to get the DOR. If you'd asked me yesterday, I would have said it was unlikely that the bike commuting thread would have crossover with the 3d printing thread, but here we are.
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Nov 30, 2023 18:31
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I'm new to 3d-printing so I haven't done anything bike related yet. I've only printed PLA stuff yet, and it's not the greatest material. I've done quite a few bike doodads previously but with machine tools and welders and grinders and such , usually in steel, alu or delrin and the occasional hockey puck.
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Nov 30, 2023 19:25
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Is there any solution to having to choose between waiting behind the limit line at an intersection, and having drivers honk at you and being angry that you're blocking them from making a right turn, or waiting at the crosswalk and getting the right hook?
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Dec 1, 2023 00:37
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ChocNitty posted:Is there any solution to having to choose between waiting behind the limit line at an intersection, and having drivers honk at you and being angry that you're blocking them from making a right turn, or waiting at the crosswalk and getting the right hook? Earplugs and dgaf. If you trust drivers in your city (lol) you can make a performance of tucking in on the lefthand edge of the lane then waving drivers past so they can make the right on red. This assumes you have the space to do this safely.
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Dec 1, 2023 00:50
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You feel awkward until you realize that if you were in a car solo going straight they'd be in the exact same situation. I occasionally let people buy if they're waiting patiently, it's a super long light, and there's a ton of room on the inside of the corner.
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Dec 1, 2023 03:46
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ChocNitty posted:Is there any solution to having to choose between waiting behind the limit line at an intersection, and having drivers honk at you and being angry that you're blocking them from making a right turn, or waiting at the crosswalk and getting the right hook? Sounds like a them problem and not something you need to endanger yourself for, let em wait.
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Dec 1, 2023 03:55
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ChocNitty posted:Is there any solution to having to choose between waiting behind the limit line at an intersection, and having drivers honk at you and being angry that you're blocking them from making a right turn, or waiting at the crosswalk and getting the right hook? If I’m in the right lane at the front, I scoot ever so slightly forward and left such that regular cars can get by me to turn, but trucknutsmobiles are too wide and have no choice but to wait and stare at my rear end
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Dec 1, 2023 07:41
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I ain't doing that. The truck bros are going to see a car got around you and a truck will eventually try to do the same, regardless if they'll actually fit.
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Dec 1, 2023 12:31
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ChocNitty posted:Is there any solution to having to choose between waiting behind the limit line at an intersection, and having drivers honk at you and being angry that you're blocking them from making a right turn, or waiting at the crosswalk and getting the right hook?
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Dec 1, 2023 15:01
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Cold enough to use handlebar covers this morn, which lead to the discovery that my bell doesn't work when it's enclosed in them, so I felt like an rear end in a top hat weaving in and out of dog walkers 
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Dec 1, 2023 17:17
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yeah that's one of the drawbacks of bar mitts. After failing on my first attempt to build a cable actuated bell I bought an electric horn with a remote button so the speaker sits outside the mitts and it kind of works, though none of the sounds I can choose between (whistle, siren, clown horn or klaxon) will immediately bring "bicycle approaching" to people's minds like a bell does. The gizmo works equally well in rain too which tends to mute the bells on all my bikes at least to some degree so that's nice I guess.
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Dec 1, 2023 19:57
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I have an old school bell with an enormous thumb lever mounted outside my bar mitts, and there is plenty of flex in the mitts to be able to ring it nicely.
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Dec 1, 2023 20:46
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Man_of_Teflon posted:I have an old school bell with an enormous thumb lever mounted outside my bar mitts, and there is plenty of flex in the mitts to be able to ring it nicely. Psh, amateur. I have a really old school 20-inch brass bell hanging off the handlebars. I attached a leather sling to the ringer so I can kick the clapper around and sound like Tiny Notre Dame.
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Dec 1, 2023 22:01
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clown horn
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Dec 1, 2023 22:07
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Grassy Knowles posted:clown horn Oh man, memories. The first time I did the Seattle To Portland, I decided to try and do both halves in one day (209 miles). Around mile 160 I started completely falling apart from exhaustion. I was crying in the saddle, just beyond even giving up, just sobbing there as I pedaled my sorry rear end south. Then this couple on a tandem passed me. The captain rang his little bell, then the stoker quacked some sort of little duck horn. It was so absurd that it snapped me right out of whatever I was in and made me laugh. I finished all 209 miles, in no small part due to that ridiculous duck call horn 
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Dec 1, 2023 22:17
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Nobody Interesting posted:Cold enough to use handlebar covers this morn, which lead to the discovery that my bell doesn't work when it's enclosed in them, so I felt like an rear end in a top hat weaving in and out of dog walkers Why would a dog owner be able to hear your bell over their earbuds?
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Dec 1, 2023 22:41
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Groda posted:Why would a dog owner be able to hear your bell over their earbuds? I think you're confusing dogs and MP3 players again, Groda.
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Dec 1, 2023 22:48
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Groda posted:Why would a dog owner be able to hear your bell over their earbuds? To be fair to the dog walkers in this area, the ones in the morning are usually pretty cheery and headphoneless. They're always happy to see me too and give me a friendly "good morning"! That's largely why I feel so bad about it - they expect (and receive!) so much better from me  The evening dog walkers suck rear end though
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Dec 1, 2023 22:49
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Nobody Interesting posted:Cold enough to use handlebar covers this morn, which lead to the discovery that my bell doesn't work when it's enclosed in them, so I felt like an rear end in a top hat weaving in and out of dog walkers I wrapped my frame in battery LED christmas lights for the season last weekend and every ziptie has a little jingle bell hanging off of it. It sounds like a freight train braking when I hit the gravel part of my commute, but anyone without earbuds hears me coming a mile away without having to use my thumb bell.
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Dec 1, 2023 22:59
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Invalido posted:I'm new to 3d-printing so I haven't done anything bike related yet. I've only printed PLA stuff yet, and it's not the greatest material. I've done quite a few bike doodads previously but with machine tools and welders and grinders and such , usually in steel, alu or delrin and the occasional hockey puck. Yeah, it’s maybe good for prototyping the perfect shape / size of a doodad you want, but everything 3D printed will just break if it’s supporting anything. Send the perfected plans off to a Chinese cnc company to make from 6061 aluminium though, and it’ll be fine. Invalido posted:The milky looking chain lube wax emulsion was a failure, longevity-wise. I'm back to sticky oil, though I might try the wax again on the next chain after brine season is over. I've started doing chain maintenance at work though, in a heated but dirty space so pretty much ideal. Wash with one of those translucent blue brush boxes in the morning, lube later when dry. Which wax product was this and how were you applying it? There are some very different products out there. The longevity of an immersion waxed chain beats anything else in any conditions, the only wintery problem is potential for rust as there’s not an oily film on the outside of the chain, but that’s superficial anyway. A wipe with microfibre cloth and some compatible drip wax will prevent that too. There are wet weather ready drip waxes now too including a UFO drip one, but aim yet to try them. I assume you’re not using the chain cleaner every day? I’d just wipe after every ride tbh with oil lube.
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Dec 5, 2023 13:42
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wooger posted:Which wax product was this and how were you applying it? There are some very different products out there.  What made me go back to oil was the rusting - it seems to lube just fine otherwise, shifts fine and doesn't squeak. I replace the chain every spring regardless so maybe its fine to live with rusty outer chain plates I guess. I appreciate that it doesn't gunk up the rest of the bike like oil does if nothing else. I've been applying it to a clean dry chain and letting it dry before riding. I've been using the chain cleaner almost every day when the conditions are bad (temps around freezing), yeah, but just clean water in it, or lately when back on the oil a small amount of dishsoap. They sweep and salt the better bike paths here, so they're extremely salty (like the entire bike gets encrusted after a few days without a wash) and I figure getting the brine off the chain can't hurt before re-lubing, and it takes just a minute or two. Then a wipe with a rag and let air dry. It's not just chains that suffer in this salt. Bearings die frequently and the shifter cable requires frequent attention too. Still better than driving or public transit.
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Dec 5, 2023 17:19
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wooger posted:Yeah, it’s maybe good for prototyping the perfect shape / size of a doodad you want, but everything 3D printed will just break if it’s supporting anything. I have 3d printed parts in construction equipment, in and underneath cars, in my wood shop, and all over my life in general with some supporting many many pounds and being generally abused and they're doing just fine. 3d prints aren't weak unless it's some silly little desk ornament printed with 2 wall lines. Well designed structural parts printed correctly are really, really strong. Bike related example, the everything cages on my gravel bike are 3d printed and have about 400 miles of bike packing on them. Semi related, I've got a 3d printed bracket that holds a piece of PVC pipe to a ROPS on an excavator that's our nalgene-sized water bottle holder and it has about 800 hours of use on it. PLA, too. Prints are strong, print stuff. Maybe don't print things that will hurt you if they break unless you've got experience to know it's strong enough, but still print stuff.
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Dec 5, 2023 18:36
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Hypnolobster posted:Prints are strong, print stuff. Maybe don't print things that will hurt you if they break unless you've got experience to know it's strong enough, but still print stuff. Maybe it's time to revisit the remote actuated bar mitts compatible bell idea, this time with 3d printed parts. It should make rapid iterations after the unavoidable failures way easier if nothing else. I'll have to source a nice loud donor bell for starters, ideally with some kind of resetting trigger mechanism to make life easier, but designing and printing a remote actuator and a bell-to-cable adapter or something similar (pushrod maybe?) for the bell itself seems like a fun little project. A quick look at amazon and a CatEye PB-1000 seems like a reasonable candidate but I'll look around some more before ordering. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iV6dcsfizbw
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Dec 5, 2023 19:40
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You just need to reason about what the piece is being asked to do. I printed a pretty tall bracket for dynamo light and it didn't show any signs of cracking or brittleness for the 2 years or so I had it on the bike:  
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Dec 5, 2023 19:46
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 Surprise snow squall this am. First of the season afaik. Fairly late this year.
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Dec 6, 2023 14:28
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How do I protect my poor mucus membranes from the cold? I have some wool buffs and a couple of cycling face masks, but none of them are good. The buffs fall off my nose, and the masks are cumbersome; one has earloops that get tangled in my helmet, and the other is bulky. I also have a balaclava but that flattens my hair.
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Dec 7, 2023 16:00
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I have a pretty loose/thin wool balaclava that fits under my helmet and doesn’t do anything that just wearing a helmet wouldn’t. I haven’t used it yet, but I also just got ski goggles that have a nose cover which should help shield my nose/cheeks from wind and snow.
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Dec 7, 2023 17:05
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Fitzy Fitz posted:How do I protect my poor mucus membranes from the cold? I have some wool buffs and a couple of cycling face masks, but none of them are good. The buffs fall off my nose, and the masks are cumbersome; one has earloops that get tangled in my helmet, and the other is bulky. I also have a balaclava but that flattens my hair. We're having a ridiculously warm winter so I haven't put it through its paces in anything below -10C so far, but I just got these and they've been fine. No ear loops.
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Dec 7, 2023 22:20
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I added some festive string lights to my bike a week ago since my ride home is always in the dark and I thought it would be cheerful with added visibility. Well the first night I had drunk bros heckle me about my Christmas lights and a few days later I was run off the road by a driver who wanted to tell me he liked my lights. I am not using them anymore…
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Dec 14, 2023 23:22
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Cops can hassle people with blue lights, too.
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Dec 14, 2023 23:27
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Funny enough these were just plain white string lights, nothing crazy.
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Dec 14, 2023 23:59
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I am compelled to bitch about this morning's dog walkers. Dog walker #1 is video calling, presumably with headphones in. I am frantically ringing the bell to no response; the dog REALLY likes me and wants to play. Very adorable but I gotta get to work. Dog walker #2, through to #whateverthefuck have formed a phalanx of dogs across the bike path. Cute adorable play dog wants to make friends with them all. I cannot move because now all the dogs are having a cute wonderful adorable party in front of me. And then the magic of cute dogs is dispelled by one of the dog walkers telling me "Hey man maybe it's not a great idea to ride your bike here." It is a bike path.
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Dec 21, 2023 19:01
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Lol. For me the parked vehicles in the bike lane have skyrocketed recently and it's making me cranky when bike rides normally cheer me up
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Dec 21, 2023 19:28
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Nobody Interesting posted:I am compelled to bitch about this morning's dog walkers. the root cause of this is a severe lack of public spaces that are physically separated from cars and traffic
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Dec 21, 2023 19:37
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