I’ve been using Regular (87 octane) since acquiring the car in October. My mechanic recommended at least mid grade because “gas in the Northeast is dirty”. It got me thinking- what grade do all you non-diesel Alltrack owners use.
*bonus question: ever tried SeaFoam motor treatment?
Picked this up as a tribute - read a lot of stories about KHS Montanas being people’s first “real” MTB - and for $25, I couldn’t help myself. New chain, cables and tires. Parts bin bars (not quite wide enough, but they’ll do for now. Gonna be my lunchtime campus shredder at work.
(Last couple of pics are the “before”)
Grabbed this before my wife woke up for $20. Felt like I won the lottery (Marketplace message:”[seller] is getting a lot of messages about the listing”.
Frame has some wear - it was clearly ridden hard. Stoked on the lugged frame and there’s a mix of decent components - WTB wilderness trail brakes, LX rear XT front derailleur and cool STX combo lever / shifters (which I like so much I may leave it a 3x). Maverick WRD 542 wheels with Botranger hubs (no model #) - not sure if it would take a 8/9/10sp anyhow
The tires are actually pretty cool, though I’m a tanwall fanboy. May try a rigid fork if I find one, though the GILA seems to be in good working order.
Looking to add a front rack to balance out the weight a bit during my partial commute to work (5-6mi round trip) and possibly other adventures (getting some wobble at speed with loaded panniers). If you got one, let’s see it!
I’m thinking a rack that will most commonly accommodate my computer bag on its side might be good (5x10x16”). There’s a surly 24-pack locally ($80), but that thing looks quite big. Also considering a Jack the Rack, but it’s a bit spendy.
Pic for attention 😊
I’m attempting a partial commute to work 2-3d /week via paved road (good shoulder bike lane). I noted on the past 2 rides that when the panniers are loaded up (10-15lbs each) I get a speed wobble at (guessing) 17-20mph. Is this common? I’m running low tread 700x45 gravel tires (*actually set up at 38mm).
Bike is a trek 750.
Stoked on my first tat. Not completely original, but I came across this line from DT’s poem in a book on the eve of my 50th birthday and it struck me like lightning. Couple other artists around MA / RI rejected my request because it was just words. I’m glad they did, because I love how this came out.
It’s in the inside of my forearm so I could see/read it when I need it. Because, that’s the point.
Shout out to Van (owner) too - he was awesome to work with and we talked story together like old friends.
Why no 710 or 740? Any good reason anyway ne knows about? Or do they exist?
Scored a cherry set of Ritchey Vaantage Experts with a HG Freehub for $30. I find wheelsets to be the most difficult part of building a slo-bike, so I’m stoked to have a set. I’ll probably change the 7sp freehub to one that will take a 10 or 11 sp cassette for a 1x build.
Just wanted to share my stoke with someone who may appreciate it. My wife just doesn’t get it (“…a bike is just a bike”)
Scored this for $25 today. Was gonna give the acquisitions a rest for a bit (seriously running out of space), but with the news of KHS shuttering and the bonkers cost of acquisition, I couldn’t pass it up. Thought it was black & white - couldn’t see the splash fade in the ad pics (it was pretty dirty).
Cool little lugged step-thru. Frame is bigger than it appears (ST is 19-1/2”) and a bit too big for me - hence the cruiser bars. Could use a front rack / bag / basket.
Last of the winter projects. Not sure this will be a keeper - though it may work well with a surfboard rack attachment to explore the nooks and crannies.
(Put the orig Puch seat back on)
I have a cool 1-1/8 threaded front fork I’m trying to fit on an old Mongoose IBOC. The steerer tube is long and I need to extend the threads about 1” to get the top race to fit the bearing/top cup.
Does anyone have a 1-1/8 24 tpi right handed thread die and die wrench kicking around you’re willing to lend? I’m happy to pay shipping and kick in some beer / lemonade $$.
I have a rigid fork that I really want to use on this build. However, the steerer tube is about 1 inch too long and the Threads don’t go far enough to just use a bunch of spacers between the race and lock nut. So as a temporary solution, I did this.
I ground out the threads from the top race of a POS headset I had kicking around to create a sort of slip fit race on the top of the steer tube. I then threaded on the actual headset top race, more or less as a spacer, two spacers (one from each headset), and the lock nut. Took a bit of finagling in order to take the play out of the headset, but not be too tight. Once I got there, I snuggled it up and threaded on another lockout on top to cover the remaining threads.
Janky? You bet. Will it work for more than a pedal around the block? Debatable. Would I rather have threaded the steerer more? Yes. Is it xbiking?…
(I hope to find a shop or another way to properly thread the fork at some point without it costing $100+).
Took a bit of time in traffic and gas money, but worth it. Snagged a well taken care of IBOC Comp. from the original owner - he passed along the stock fork (!), the RS Mag 21 box, orig fork pump and owners manual!
The RS Mag 21 seems to hold air, but I have another rigid fork in mind for this one. I’ll have the bits to bring it back to orig specs if wanted.
derailleur is DX, crankset is LX and brake levers/shifters are XT (not sure if this was stock).
Anyone care to hazard a guess as to the model year?
I know “expensive” is a relative threshold, but why are front racks seemingly way more costly than rear racks? It’s almost like they all subscribe to this sub and are feeding off the front rack “trend”.
If anyone had a beat on some decent inexpensive (<$50) front racks, please pass them along.
Took a bit of time in traffic and gas money, but worth it. Snagged a well taken care of IBOC Comp. from the original owner - he passed along the stock fork, the RS Mag 21 box, orig fork pump and owners manual!
Pretty stoked on this one. I have a rigid fork in mind for this one but the RS Mag seems to hold air.
Thinking the typical treatment: shorter stem, bars with some rise/sweep, bigger tires (tanwalls? Maybe not), prob tinker with 1x7.
Finally found a replacement fork after snapping the brake mounting post on the original (very corroded - could t unthread the broken bit). Quite a unique fork, but not matchy. I’m debating whether to remove the decals and paint it black or just rock it. What would you do?
No idea who/what Schutz is - maybe a MTB racer from back in the glory days (only hypothesis the seller and I could come up with).
(Fork is just mocked up on the bike in pics - waiting for a headset - and it’s more purple than it looks in the photos).
I have 4 “projects” at various stages in the basement, but I think I’m gonna call this one “done” (for now). It’s waaaay too big for me (it’s a 23” - I have more along the lines of 17/19” proportions), but I’m so enamored with the color and silver bits, I’m gonna run it until the universe tosses a better fitting one my way.
Not sure if this type of discussion is allowed, but I’m having a real problem lately with a lack of Fitness perpetuating a lack of motivation to ride. I forced myself out there today but had a really tough time cause I just don’t have the legs anymore to do any sort of sustained efforts (coming off of ACL surgery in November this is one of my first rides since the surgery).
I was never overly fit, but at least had enough in the tank to make it fun, and I enjoyed the challenge of pushing myself from time to time . But now I feel like I’m starting even further back than square one - and I am finding no joy.
Anyone deal with a similar thing, either seasonally or coming back from an injury and have any insight or tips to share? I feel like my mental health really needs the bike right now, but the bike doesn’t seem to want me.
More resto than restomod / x-biking, but these 2 lit the fire and frankly came out so much better than my subsequent projects. The step-thru is so fun to ride (though I’m trying to sort out a tough-to-shift to the big cogs friction shifter - derailleur issue). I keep em both at work for anyone to ride.