Mineral Oil
Mineral oil is a great alternative to DOT Brake fluid. Mineral oil is not caustic
and is non-toxic, but the main performance advantage to the rider is that mineral
oil will not absorb water from the air like DOT fluid will. This absorbed water
causes gas bubbles to form in the system which creates a 'sprongy' feel. While
researching for a replacement oil to the hyper-expensive SM-DB-OIL Shimano Mineral
Oil for Disk Brake($18.95 for 50ml., #Y-839 98010)(Red Color), I have found:
Pentosin central hydraulic fluid is one option. Either of LHM Plus or CHF 7.1(No. 54106) will work fine. LHM Plus & CHF 7.1 are rated at 18 cSt@40C/6.0
cSt@100C/VI 340. This is slightly thinner than the Castrol, so it may work even
better in Shimano brakes. Pentosin is supplied in the hydraulic systems of most
German and European cars, most notably as BMW and Audi power steering fluid. Consult
a local dealer about availability. Do not use CHF 11S with as it is a synthetic oil. CHF 7.1 should run about $15 per liter. I think
that Pentosin CHF 7.1 is probably the best improvement that can be made to the
Shimano brakes. (Green Color)
Castrol Hydraulic System Mineral Oil (HSMO) ($13.99, 500ml., Jaguar # JLM-9886 or Castrol # 6582/5966 01) or Castrol Hydraulic System Mineral Oil Plus (HSMO Plus). This mineral oil is used in some
british cars, like Jaguar and Rolls Royce, in the suspension, and brake assist
systems. It is not readily available in the US but it can be found at a Jaguar
dealer parts counter. This oil is rated at 19.8 cSt@40C/6.0 cSt@100C/VI 285. A
data sheet is available HERE. (Green Color)
It is very important to note that while the above two fluids are used as power
steering fluids, they are very different than conventional power steering fluids
or ATFs available in most auto stores. Conventional power steering fluid or ATF
is almost twice as viscous as these mineral oils and may be incompatible with
the seals used in the system. Use of other fluids would be a serious mistake.
Magura supplies low viscosity MAGURA Royal Blood and Royal Blue Blood mineral oil. A 16oz.
container costs $15.00 while a 2oz. container costs $4.00. (Blue Color) (reported
to be 10wt. but it is probably more like 5-6wt.))
Another option (in an emergency) is to use a suspension fluid such as Motul Fork Oil (Light), RockShox (5w Medium, Hydracoil), Bardahl (5w Fork Oil), Bel-Ray Fork Oil (5wt), or Kayaba KYB (01). These may work fine in a jam. Make sure not to use any synthetic fluids.
Replace with the proper fluid when you get home. The low viscosity index (VI)
of these fluids are not suitable for the heat range that the brake system will
experience.
DO NOT USE MINERAL OIL FROM THE DRUGSTORE!!!! What you are buying at the drugstore is a laxative, not a specific industrial
oil. This oil does not have the specific viscosities (up to 3X too thick) or additives
for perfect functionality with a hydraulic system. A MSDS for drug store mineral
oil is available HERE. If you were in a jam and just had to use this crap, use Drakeol® 10 or 10B,
Ultraol 100NF.
This is what Magura says about drugstore mineral oil:
What type of oil should I use in my Magura hydraulic brakes?
Magura Blood mineral oil is the recommended oil, which is a 10 weight mineral
oil. By far, our most common problem we encounter is consumers putting off-the-shelf
mineral oil (from a drug store) in their Magura hydraulic brakes. Off-the-shelf
mineral oil is normally 30-50 weight which will make the brake very sluggish.
In addition, off-the-shelf mineral oil has additives, perfumes and different boiling
points, all of which can cause brake failure. USE ONLY MAGURA BLOOD IN YOUR BRAKE
SYSTEM. Use of any other fluid besides Magura Blood mineral oil will void your
warranty. (HERE)
HERE is an article on basic hydraulic system theory.
Hydraulic Brake Lines
For riders looking for the best braking performance that money can buy, only
one option for brake lines truely exists. Goodridge, Inc. makes teflon lines with plastic coated stainless braiding provided for maximum
protection. The line fittings provide for custom lengths and ends. This is a very
high quality aircraft grade system scaled down for bicycle use. The only penalties
of the system are weight and cost. They are very slightly heavier than stock shimano
lines, and the retail cost is around $70 per wheel. The real difference the rider
will find when using these lines is that they are extremely difficult to kink.
If you crash a lot, you know how important this feature is.
Bicycle Suspension Oil
Specialist tuning shops are starting to spring up around the world to do performance
work on bicycle suspension. Push Industries in Irvine, CA, Hippie-Tech Suspension, Inc. and Tim Flooks Tuned Shox & MoJo Suspension in England are four
Fox recommends using Fox High Performance Synthetic Suspension Fluid or any 7wt.
synthetic suspension fluid for their forks. If you have read my motorcycle page, you can understand how moronic this suggestion is. One companies 7 is another's
5 and yet another's 10. The actual viscosity numbers of this oil are 31.82 cSt@40C/9.57
cSt@100C/VI 300. Torco RSF Medium is what Fox is reselling, so using Torco should provide exact results. I have
found that Red Line Synthetic Oils are about the finest oils to use in suspension systems (as well as Silkolene). Red Line oils will mix very well with each other to provide you with precise
oil tuning. The wide range of viscosities provide for almost any mix that could
ever be needed. Other similar oils to the stock Fox oil are:
Red Line Synthetic Oil , 95% Medium (10wt) / 5% Heavy (15wt) (ISO 32)
Silkolene 50% Pro RSF (5wt) / 50% Pro RSF (7.5wt)
Torco RSF Racing Shock Fluid (Medium)
Amsoil STM #10
Maxima Racing Fork Fluid (165/150, 10wt) (not recommended)
Maxima Bicycle Fork Fluid (10wt) (not recommended)
Maxima Fork Oil (10wt) (not recommended)
Spectro Fork Oil (10wt) (not recommentded)
I tend to ride my Talas RLC (90psi) or my Vanilla 125 (blue, 25lb/in spring)
forks wherever I ride. I weigh about 195lbs (yeh, too much beer) and I ride fairly
fast and hard. I want my fork to work very well with the proper sag numbers whether
I am on a cross country ride or chairlift run by just adjusting my compression
damping. I am currently running Red Line Synthetic Oil , 87% Medium (10wt) / 13% Heavy (15wt) (ISO 35). I am still testing this mix, I think it is about right, but it'll
take a trip to the chairlifts to know for sure. The damper side of the Fox Forx
takes 155 cc's of oil.
FYI - The shim stack on my Fox Vanilla RLC consists of two shims. The main shim
is 21.5mm x 10mm x 0.005" and the base shim is 16.5mm x 10mm x 0.006". It is a
little tight to do much tuning to speed up the high speed circuit with this stack,
unless you went to 3 or 4 0.003" shims, but it surely could be slowed down with
the addition of another shim.
Marzocchi Oil- Marzocchi Bomber Factory Fork Oil comes stock in all bomber forks. It is synthetic
and is labeled as being 7.5wt. While this oil can be ordered in the US, Marzocchi
is basically repackaging Golden Spectro Cartridge Fork Fluid (125/150, Very Light).
This oil is rated at 26.1 cSt@40C/5.25 cSt@100C/VI 150. A very similar oil to
this is Maxima Racing Fork Fluid (125/150, 7wt). It would be preferred to run
a mix of Red Line Synthetic Fork Oil of 37% Red Line (Light, Yellow) & 63%
Red Line (Medium, Red). In the past I have found Marzocchi forks to work far better
with a thicker oil in them.
Answer/Manitou Oil- Manitou forks use Motorex Semi-Bath Fork Oil, 5W40 from Motorex of Switzerland. This is actually Motorex Motor Oil Power Synt 4T SAE 5W40, a
synthetic motor oil. This oil is rated at 90.9 cSt@40C/14.6 cSt@100C/VI 169. This
is some serious pancake syrup. This oil is not widely available, but can be ordered
at most motorcycle dealers through K&L Supply Co. (PN# 35-3911). Similar oils
do not really exist as suspension oils. Closest is Red Line (Heavy) (66.8 cSt@40C/16
cSt@100C/VI 256) or Maxima Bicycle Fork Fluid (20wt) or Maxima Fork Oil (20wt)
both of which are rated at 65 cSt@40C/12.9 cSt@100C/VI 201. If you can get access
to Red Line Synthetic Motor Oil 5W40, it is rated at 94 cSt@40C/15.1 cSt@100C/VI
170 and is probably your closest bet.
Rockshox Oil- Rockshox repackages and sells Torco RFF oils for their forks. This is a blend of synthetic and mineral oils. The goofball
aspect to this is that Rockshox in their infinite wisdom re-grades their product.
RS2.5=Torco RFF 5, RS5=Torco RFF 7, RS10=Torco RFF 15, and RS15=Torco RFF 20.
Rockshox considers their 5 and 10 weights their stock oils in Boxxer forks. RS5
then has a cSt@40 of 16, and RS10 has a cSt@40 of 33. To make RS5 from Red Line
Oil use 28% Extra Light and 72% Light, to make RS10 from Red Line Oil use 93%
Medium and 7% Heavy. Rockshox RedRum is just Torco MPZ Assembly Lube with the one difference that the Torco product is 117 cSt@40 and the RS Product
is 50 cSt@40. This change was for very cold weather performance.
Chapter 38 p.5-6 of the Barnett Manual describes a benchtop way of testing an oil based on SAE weight system. A table
of some of the worst oils available are listed as well. This is well and good,
but a whole big world exists outside of bike shops and far better oil and information
is available for those that truely understand the subject.
Many OE shock oils are available at bikeparts.com or speedgoat.
Quality Fork Seals
Enduro by ABI Industries is making a name in the areas of quality replacement oil seal and bearings for
bicycles. I would not suggest paying the high price of these products for regular
service work. If you are tuning a bike for maximum performance, then you should
use these products.
Air & Springs
Having the correct spring in you forks and shock is of paramount importance.
A major supplier of aftermarket springs is Mountain Speed. Fox, Rock Shox and Progressive should be able to supply springs of different rates to suit most of you needs.
Renton Coil Springs (RCS) also makes titanium springs for bicycle applications.
An important note on coil springs. Truly, for almost all recreation or racing
applications, the material and quality of manufacture of one spring compared to
another is not distinguishable. What is important is that a spring be properly
rated. Most aftermarket motorsport spring companies will guarantee that the rate
of a spring to be within 2% of actual (but usually run within 1%). This is reasonable
from a production point of view. Fox on the other hand allows labled rates to
be within 15% of actual (oh my god!).
Recently, I decided to go up to a 500# fox spring from a 450# fox spring. While
both springs were off the bike I rated them. The 450# rated at 441# (-2%) and
the new 500# rated at 450#(-10%). This is pretty lame. Both springs were 4.900"
free length and rated between 0.250-1.250" and 0.500-1.500" of compression with
consistent results. I even tried ordering a 500# spring from Mountain Speed (Eibach),
It was far heavier (in weight) than the stock spring and it only rated at 458#.
Finally, I borrowed another riders seemingly identical stock 450# labled spring
and it rated at 480#. It is pretty amazing that this kind of crap can go on in
a supposed race quality part.
If you have access to a spring scale, always rate your springs. Never believe a label or company claim. Hypercoils is a premier example of how springs can be done right. It is a shame that they
do not participate in the bicycle market. My spring scale is an Electronic Coil Spring Tester - by Longacre Racing.
For air forks, everybody has a little shock pump hanging around. They are all
about the same quality with a gauge that spans from 0-300 psi. There lies the
problem. Most people are using their pumps only in the 100 psi or 150 psi range.
It is very hard to get the kind of accuracy necessary on today's highly sensitive
air forks. It makes sense to replace the flimsy 300 psi gauge with one that is
in the range that you are tuning in. If you have two pumps get one gauge that
goes to 100 psi and another that goes to 200 psi. Always carry the greater capacity
pump with you on rides - just in case. You can get 1 1/2" dial gauges (1/8 NPT)
from McMaster Carr (#3846K1 Catalog p.505) for $9.92 each.
Ceramic Bearings
Significant performance improvements can be made by replacing stock bearing cartriges
or loose bearing packs with ceramic hybrid bearing cartriges or loose ceramic
bearings. It is important to use quality bearings in this case. Boca Bearing has a selection of ceramic bearings for sale online. I know nothing of the quality
of these bearings, but they are readily available. Dupont Krytox GPL 20X is a very high quality synthetic bearing grease. I am not sure of the exact
grade for bicycle use, but do know that skateboards would use GPL 201.
Single Speed Chain and Gear Selection
In addition to the calculations that I make on a MS Excell spreadsheet, A very
nice calculator is available HERE.
This is the actual formula for approximating sprocket center distances:
When to replace a chain
The greatest loss of power due to friction that the bicycle will see (other than
tire contact with the ground) is in the chain drive. A close look at this system
is warrented by any rider looking to maximise performance.
I do not read German. If i did, I would explain THIS document from Rohloff. It is the most comprehesive study of chain wear that
I encountered while researching this topic. It obviosly covers every base, but
I can not read it. please contact me if you can.
Bicycle roller chains do not "strech", they wear. Each pin is surrounded by a
bushing that develops some play when it wears. A chain is said to be worn out
and replaced on it's own when it's average length (pin to pin) has increased by
.5%. So for a half inch pitch chain, 9 links should measure 4.500 " when new and
4.523" when it is spent. If the chain's average length has increased by 1% (4.545")
then the entire drivetrain gearing must be replaced. You can measure from the
side plates as long as you add the increase in diameter. An artical on this subject
is HERE, HERE, HERE and HERE. I am still working on the problem that worn rollers really do effect performance
and wear on the system. Expect this discription to be modified once I fully understand
what is going on.
Wipperman suggests that a chain has exceeded it's wear limit when the distance between
10 rollers measures 107.4mm. (4.228"). Although this measure combines measurement
of chain elongtion and roller wear, it is worthy of consideration since is is
coming from a manufacturer. Theoretically this measure should be 106.7mm (4.200")
without any wear in the system. This means that either the roller IDs have worn
.028", the chain has elongated .62%, or a combination of the two. We of course
know that it is a combination of the two. Say Wipperman had decided that 0.5%
was the limit of elongation, then the roller wear limit would be about .006".
Note on the chart below that Shimano Dura-Ace exceeds this by a factor of 2. If
I understood german, I could clear this up by reading THIS publication by Wipperman. (something about 3%?)
By comparison, I have a Park CC-1 Chain Checker Tool. At a reading of 3.25 where the blue zone changes to
red, the measurement is 4.741", this of course based on 10 pins. This means that
either the roller IDs have worn .037", the chain has elongated .74%, or a combination
of the two. Again, say park had decided that 0.5% was the limit of elongation,
then the roller wear limit would be about .012". An interesting note on the park
tool and the numbers labeled on the face. They are marked in even segments of
the dial. A student of trigonometry would realize right away that this must be
a meaningless scale. This tool works from of the motion of a cam to guage distance
change. If the dial had any real meaning it would be labled sinusoidal rather
than evenly. It is not, casting doubt as to whether the designer actually understood
what they were doing. The maximum reading on this tool is 9, where the combined
elongation and roller wear is 0.148", well out of any usable range. The Park CC-2 is essentially the same type of tool as the CC-1 but designed to be easier to
read and more accurate. Supposedly it reads from 0.25% to 1.00% wear, but that
is impossible for this type of tool, leading to some speculation as to the validity
of it's use. Funny as well, the designer has still to study sinusoidal motion.
The Park CC-3 is designed soley to measure chain elongation rather than including roller wear.
It will quickly tell you if you have passed 0.75% and 1.00% elongation. This seems
fine, if those are your only target points. At least it is only measureing one
parameter. Their statement says that after 1.00% the chain should be replaced.
I belive the rest of the drivetrain replaced at this point as well. This tool
does ignore the concept of roller wear, which is fine, but I do belive that should
be addressed as well as elongation.
Lots of people have been talking about Wippermann Connex Chains. These chains are amazingly expensive, but the 920 is about as cheap as they
get (although the Connex 908 Nickel is probably the best). Previously I'd been
running Shimano Dura-Ace/XTR chains. When the two are compared side to side, the
wipperman comes out on top especially since the roller size is a little larger.
Another source of Wipperman info is HERE
| Chain |
Average Roller diameter |
Average Roller ID Oversize |
% Elongation (New) |
Special Features |
Price |
| Theoretical |
.3060" |
0.000" |
0% |
|
? |
| Shimano CN-7701 Dura-Ace |
.3015" |
0.013" |
0% |
Champhered plates |
$ 28.99 |
| Wipperman Connex 920 |
.3030" |
0.004" |
0% |
teflon coated plates, Largest plate champher |
$ 39.95 |
General Chain Info:
Bicycle chains follow ISO 9633:2001 and JIS D 9417:1993 specifications for tolerances and specifications. US Tsubaki
describes bicycle chains HERE. A quick reference to chain dimentions is HERE. Since a bicycle chain running in a derailure type configuration must allow
for latteral movement, bushless chains are used. On single speed, or internally
geared configurations, a bushing chain should be used.
KMC Chain Industrial Co. has a vast selection of chains. A spec chart is HERE.
SRAM/Sachs spec chart is HERE.
Rohloff's German website is HERE.
YBN Yaban Chain Industrial, Co.
ACS - Single speed chain
THC Bicycle Chains
Regina, IT
Wippermann Connex Chains
Chains for Multi-geared bikes should be bushingless type.
| Chain (9 speed) |
1/2" x 11/128" |
1/2" x 11/128" |
1/2" x 11/128" |
1/2" x 3/32" |
1/2" x 3/32" |
| Pin Length (mm) |
6.2 |
6.5 |
6.6 |
6.8 |
6.8 |
| Roller Width (mm) |
2.2 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
2.2 |
| Roller Diameter (mm) |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
| Gearing |
10 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
9 |
| Manufacturer |
Wipperman |
Wipperman |
ShimanoDura-ace |
Rohloff |
SRAM PC59 |
| Chain (8 speed) |
1/2" x 3/32 " |
1/2" x 3/32" |
1/2" x 3/32" |
1/2" x 3/32" |
| Pin Length (mm) |
6.8 |
7.1 |
7.2 |
7.2 |
| Roller Width (mm) |
2.2 |
? |
2.2 |
2.3 |
| Roller Diameter (mm) |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
| Gearing |
8 |
8 |
8 |
6, 7, 8 |
| Manufacturer |
Rohloff |
Rohloff |
SRAM PC61 |
Wipperman |
Chains for single geared bikes should be bushing type. Sometimes used for 5 and
6 speed systems as well. Note existance of 2 major sprocket thickness applications.
| Chain |
1/2" x 3/32" |
1/2" x 3/32" |
1/2" x 3/32" |
1/2" x 3/32" |
1/2" x 1/8" |
1/2" x 1/8" |
1/2" x 1/8 " |
1/2" x 1/8 " |
1/2" x 1/8 " |
| Pin Length (mm) |
7.8 |
|
|
|
9.2 |
10.2 |
12.2 |
|
|
| Roller Width (mm) |
2.4 |
|
|
|
3.3 |
3.3 |
3.3 |
|
|
| Roller Diameter (mm) |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
|
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
7.75 (.306") |
| Gearing |
1?? |
1 |
1?? |
1?? |
1 |
1 |
1 (BMX) |
1 |
1 |
| Manufacturer |
Wipperman IntraX707 |
ACS |
SRAM PC-10 |
Shimano
CN-NX10 |
Wipperman |
KMC
410H |
Wipperman |
SRAM PC-7X |
SRAM PC-1 |
Performance single speed and BMX race bikes should run the Wipperman IntraX 707
Nickle chain or the ACS chain. They are designed for narrow type rings and sprockets,
and it is a bushing style chain. The SRAM PC-10, I am not sure if it is bushing
or bushless, so I cannot recomend it yet.
HERE is a nice artical on chain stiffness.
Single speed and BMX riders looking for the lightest possible setup could consider
a ViKing titanium chain. At $275 it is not the cheapest chain on the market, but it is
probably the lightest. Since it is not a bushingless chain, I do not think that
it would be an upgrade on a derailure system.
Remember that Shimano Hyperglide HG chains require the use of a special pin to
connect the chain. HERE.
The key to a well lubed chain; Many companyies claim to be the BEST LUBE, but if your chain is running dry just 45 minutes into a dusty ride, what good
is that. Keep a little lube in your camelback. Sometimes you may need to relube
1 or 2 times DURING a ride.
**Big question, Are motor oil, chainsaw, and power equipment chain lubes a poor
choice of chain lube? Yes.
Is using it better than running a chain dry? Well sure, but these oils are
too toxic to carry and attract/collect dirt that will lead to quick destruction
of your drivetrain!
See Sheldon Brown's artical on chains,
HERE.
Jonathan Levy goes nuts on chains
HERE.
GREASE:
A sealed and greased bearing is prefered to one that is oiled due to the fact
that skateboarders simply do not clean and re-lube at intervals even close to
necessary for oil use. A greased bearing is basically maintanance free, but can
be cleaned and relubed if need be. See SKF's site HERE for cleaning details. The bearing cartridge is not to be packed full of grease,
only enough to coat the actual balls (30% of open space). To much grease causes
unnecessary friction. NTN has an excellent artical on bearing lubrication HERE and another artical on care and failure analisis HERE .
A petroleum mineral base oil (Lithium soap petroleum greases) should be selected
due to the higher film strength that these oils have over synthetic.
Cheveron SRI is considered the standard bearing grease for general use.
Standard comercially available bearing greases that should work well are:
* Mobile One Synth. ( I use this for a lot of bike parts)
** Interesting note, Phil Wood grease is actually Drydene #4000 Lubricant by
Dryden Oil Company (now castrol?), a marine grade grease.
Disk Wheel Lacing Pattern.
Shimano recomends a specific lace rotation for each side of each wheel in their Hydraulic Disc Brake - BR-M765 Service Instructions. One issue most bicycle wheelbuilders will face when working with this pattern
is that lacing the rear wheel it is done from one side to the other (like a motorcycle
wheel), rather than from the inside to the outside as has been standard practic
with bicycles for years. The goal of this pattern is to keep the inside spokes
on each respective side in full tension while driving or brakeing. See this below:
The traditional 32 hole 3-Cross Spoke pattern is hard to beat. It spreads the
load around the rim and hub while resisting wind-up under power and braking. A
4-Cross pattern is almost totally unnessesary due to the selection of downhill
rims available. Why use a32 hole rims instead of 36? Most shops do not stock a
selection of 36 hole rims.
Very light and non-aggresive riders can benifit from a 28 hole 2-Cross pattern.
I built a set of road wheels like this for my wife. They are light and strong
enough for what she puts them through. Rims will always be a special order item
when running 28 or 24 hole patterns.
Spokes, Nipples, and Rims.
Spokes must be as light as possible for performance riding. I prefer to replace
broken spokes more often than running heavier wheels. With the advent of disk
brakes, wheel runout is far less important than in the past. This means one to
three broken spokes will not ruin a ride.
Preferred spokes for MTB are: DT Revolution 1.8/1.5 (F), DT Competition 1.8/1.6 (F/R), and DT Champion 1.8 (R) OR Wheelsmith XL15 (1.8/1.5 - F), Wheelsmith DB 15 (1.8/1.55 - F/R) and Wheelsmith SS15 (1.8 - R). When choosing butted spokes, try to choose a spoke with the longest tapered
section. Some butted spokes will have abrupt butts that act as stress risers.
Alloy spoke nipples should always be used. A busted nipple is quick and easy
to fix and the weight savings is extreme.
Spokes should be prepped using Loctite Threadlocker 242 (Blue) or Threadlocker 222 (Purple). This keeps the spokes from loosening up and provides some lube during assembly.
Spoke tension should be as high as possible without causing nipple or rim failure.
A small amount of light grease under each nipple will help you attain high tensions.
The harder you ride, the wider and heavier the rim you will need. The rim (as
well as spoke tension) is the real key to wheel strength. Again, since I prefer
light wheels to maintanace, I start with light rims and work up to heavier rims
as I destroy the light ones. A wider rim is always prefered to a narrow rim. This
helps the tires flex and grip the ground better as well as resisting the tendency
to roll off the rim.
Suggested Hubs
N/A
Suggested Rims
Trailriding: Mavic XM321 Disk (28mm, 517g.) or Mavic XC717 Disk (23mm, 395g.) Velocity VXC's (420g, disc Only)
XC MTB Racing: Mavic XC717 Disk (23mm, 395g.) or Crossmax SL Disk Wheelset
Downhill racing/ Freeride:
Shoes
I am so sick of Sidi shoes. I've burned though about 6 pair over the years. They
feel good to start, but later sag and fall apart. When your paying around $200
for a set of shoes, I expect more. I tried some cheaper shoes that sucked and
fell apart even quicker. But now I've found a better shoe. Specialized Comp Mountain Shoe (Sz 43). No Stupid buckle to break. Better foot protection. Stiff Sole. Fit
is great and even better with a Superfeet insole. Priced at $99. Who could ask for anything more.
Tool and small parts
Sometimes it is difficult to find exactly what you need. Some online retailers
are specialists in providing a vast selection of tools, supplies and parts for
the bicycle mechanic.
* Bike Tools Etc. - Ashland, OR
* Bike Parts USA- Margate, FL
* Speedgoat - Laughlintown, PA
* Bikeparts.com - Golden, CO
* Bicycle Research Tools - Concord, CA
* J.A. Stein, Co. - Prescott, AZ
* Campagnolo - Italy (p.98-117)
* The Third Hand - Ashland, OR
* Hozan - Japan
* United Bicycle Parts - Ashland, OR
Links
Important Books
* Bicycling Science, Third Addition. David Wilson. 2004. MIT Press.
* Bicycles & Tricycles, An Elementary Treatise on Their Design and Construction.
Archibauld Sharp. 1896. MIT Press
