@Andrew Miller102—hey, any chance we could get a look at your ride? Or maybe even the whole collection if you’ve got a few. I’m also dying to see some of your cycling stats—where you actually head out to ride and what your life on two wheels looks like. I just figure that someone who’s put down this many miles of writing about bikes and cycling probably has some pretty impressive actual results on the road too. Maybe I missed a post somewhere where you went over all that, but let me know.
Jack Palmer40 said:I stumbled upon this interesting Jewish artifact—honestly, I have no clue what its actual purpose is or even what the inscription means. Anyone here happen to know? Attaching a photo. Around the edge, it says tetragramma tonah adonay elohim ahe. Between the star and the circle, it reads: EL/OH/EL/AM/YO/ELO/HIS/AD/OY/AHA/YEH/OVA/YAH/AHA Inside the inner circle, you've got ZEDAOTH or ZEBAOTHTHEOSKAADOYAHA or aboyahaALYMON—and right in the center, CHAD or CHAB
Bryan Evans77 said:Anyone with half a brain knows you gotta make your winter spots look good in the summer if you actually want to run a business...
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I’m totally with you on this. People over in Canada have really figured out how to turn their bike parks into actual money-makers. Honestly, just load up the car, throw the bikes on the rack, and head straight for Canada.
Last year's spreadsheet was way easier to read—at least if you ask me. This new one feels a bit cluttered, honestly. That’s why I just swapped out the year on my old setup, ditched February 29th, and I'm using it for 2017 too. The 2016 version gives me everything I actually care about—total mileage, total hours, and how many rides I took. For me, that's plenty. Anyway, thanks for putting in the work to build such a solid, functional log for tracking rides. I'm also a big fan of your blog—you've got a great collection of useful tips and advice all in one spot.
It’s always some non-smoker trying to lecture a smoker... they start doing all this math—like, if you smoke this many a day, and a pack costs this much, then over a year it adds up to this, and over ten years it’s basically enough to buy a Mercedes. So, the smoker just looks at them and asks, "Hey, do you smoke?" They say, "No." And the smoker just goes, "Well, where's your Mercedes then?"
Robert Murphy6 said:You can grab the Cyclinglog 2016 version over on the blog here: https://oxygenbikeclub.wordpress.com...clinglog-2016/
I'm all ears for any suggestions or ideas you guys have.
Got it downloaded. I'll give it a spin as soon as the weather clears up enough to actually get out on a ride. Either way, thanks for putting in the work and sharing this with us. 👍
Gregory Thomas12 said:I'm just not sure what the road situation is like between Mikleuška and Garić.
It’s rough—but honestly, if you're into MTB, it's actually pretty great. I was out that way about 5 or 6 days ago. The pavement is basically non-existent in a lot of spots, so it's mostly just gravel now. It's still passable, though; the scenery is killer and the climb isn't too brutal. You'll have to dig deep and really grind through a bit of a steep stretch toward the end, but once you clear those 200 meters or so, you're golden. Mikleuška Lake is an awesome spot to hang out, fire up the grill, or just do a day trip—and hey, if you're feeling adventurous, you can definitely camp out there for a few days in the wild. Definitely recommend checking out that part of the Midwest.
When I first picked up this bike, my budget was pretty much capped at $1333, which was basically what the whole thing cost back then. At first, I was totally fine with the stock parts, but man, my riding style and how much I wanted to push myself on the trails really grew over time—so naturally, I started hunting down better, higher-end components. I didn't do it all at once, though; I just grabbed stuff piece by piece whenever I had some extra cash lying around. One month I'd grab something small, maybe wait two or three months before the next upgrade, just chipping away at it. Even the crankset is different now—it originally came with a Shimano M442, but I swapped it out for an M 542 (LX range). I actually sold off the old parts to help cover the cost of the new ones, so I really only ended up paying the difference. Right now, I'm eyeing a serious fork upgrade—maybe something from Fox... honestly, those things can cost as much as the entire bike 🙂
Check out this muddy beast in the top photo—that's my ride right there. I actually swapped out the stock fork for a Magura Odur 100mm, and I ditched those Continental raca King 2.2 tires for some Ritchey Evolution comp 2.1. Honestly, those Ritcheys have way better grip when things get messy in the woods; the raca King tires that come standard feel more like they belong on a gravel path than in the mud. I also upgraded from the old V-brakes to hydraulic Magura Julia brakes. Overall, though, the bike is solid—well-built and high quality. For around $3 $167 I'd say it’s easily one of the best bang-for-your-buck purchases you can make.
Look, Douglas Fox, quit playing games and acting like you know it all! You’re talking about ordering a carbon fiber frame or some random carbon bike part from overseas like it's some huge philosophical debate. Just look at the price tag of what you want to buy, give US Customs a call, and ask them straight up: "Hey, if I buy this stuff for this much money, am I going to get hit with import duties, and how much will it be?" Is it really that hard to just get an answer?
Back again🙂 It’s pretty tough to give solid advice when I’m just flying blind here—I can't really see what we're working with. Do me a favor and post some photos of the bike, specifically close-ups of those parts you're thinking about swapping out, so we can actually see the situation. As for getting it serviced, first off, where are you located? If you're hanging around Washington, D.C., there are plenty of folks on the local forums who could point you in the right direction. I’m not from the D.C. area myself—I’m based out of Pittsburgh—but if you're up for a road trip, bring the bike down here. I know a guy who does absolute magic with bikes—seriously, the dude is a wizard.
Honestly, I think your best bet would be to just head down to a local bike shop and let the pros handle it. Look, you’re dealing with a bike from 2001—it’s 2010 now—and a lot can change in nine years when it comes to tech. Sure, some parts might still play nice with modern standards, but there’s a huge chance they won't, and if you're trying to DIY this, you could end up in a real mess. Shimano Deore is a solid, reliable tier for any amateur or weekend warrior out there. My advice? Go talk to a mechanic first. Ask them if what you're planning actually makes sense, if the parts are even available, and get a clear breakdown of the costs for both parts and labor. Once you have those numbers, you can decide if it's worth sinking money into this rig or if you've actually got the skills to tackle it yourself.
You might run into some trouble tracking down a stem like that—it’s an older design, and most modern bikes use completely different setups and mounting styles now. Honestly, your best bet is to hit up some local bike shops or specialized parts retailers and just talk to the guys behind the counter. Ask the mechanics what they know; if they don't have it in stock, they'll almost certainly point you toward the right supplier or a shop that specializes in vintage components.
I managed to tune the but everything feels off by just one gear. It won't grab the biggest cog on the rear derailleur—not that I’m exactly grinding it out in first gear anyway...
It kind of reminds me of that old TV glitch—you know, where the thing works fine, but there's zero sound and the picture keeps jumping all over the place.😂
But seriously, no jokes—it's awesome that you're actually putting in the effort to fix this yourself. Honestly? Just ride it as is for now until you have some downtime to hit up a shop. Once you drop it off at a local bike mechanic, they'll have it sorted in a few minutes flat.
