What have you bought for the bike today ?

[DCLane]

I picked up this bike today, having seen it advertised by a seller who admitted they weren't sure what it was (very honest about the reasons and the issues left by whoever owned the bike and left it along with many other items).

What it isn't is a 49cm frame, instead it's a 56cm. It's a Cannondale Ironman 800 25th anniversary model from 2004, with 700c wheels not the 650c I thought it had/was advertised with. There's a 105/Ultegra/Truvativ mixed 9-speed groupset with Cannondale brakes plus used Gipiemme Tecno 716 wheels. Oh, and an almost new pair of 105 5700 pedals. Brakes are set European style.

In dusty and dry condition it all works, despite apparently being stored for a long time. Dust has been removed for the photo!

Needs arm pads plus one gear lever rubber and the saddle plus chain have seen better days.

Plans? Not a clue - either chain/cables/pads/saddle and move it on or it'll be parts. At 56cm it's too big for me.

 

[HLaB]

I bought a new more ventilated helmet for my summer holidays and at the same time I got a new thicker winter jacket to replace the one that I tore in a ice fall. Lol, a free gift came with them, a quite good quality phone wallet. The only problem is it's almost identical to one I bought last month. Walking back with the parcel I was sure it was just the helmet in the box as it was so light but everything was there 😂

 

[Jameshow]

I picked up this bike today, having seen it advertised by a seller who admitted they weren't sure what it was (very honest about the reasons and the issues left by whoever owned the bike and left it along with many other items).

What it isn't is a 49cm frame, instead it's a 56cm. It's a Cannondale Ironman 800 25th anniversary model from 2004, with 700c wheels not the 650c I thought it had/was advertised with. There's a 105/Ultegra/Truvativ mixed 9-speed groupset with Cannondale brakes plus used Gipiemme Tecno 716 wheels. Oh, and an almost new pair of 105 5700 pedals. Brakes are set European style.

View attachment 763527

In dusty and dry condition it all works, despite apparently being stored for a long time. Dust has been removed for the photo!

Needs arm pads plus one gear lever rubber and the saddle plus chain have seen better days.

Plans? Not a clue - either chain/cables/pads/saddle and move it on or it'll be parts. At 56cm it's too big for me.

That's perfect, any chance if borrowing it for a top secret mission @ColinJ he's got no chance!🤣🤣

 

[DCLane]

@Jameshow - you're welcome to borrow it, although I'm guessing either my NeilPryde Bayamo TT bike or Thompson Capella hillclimb bike would quicker. Everything now shifts and moves smoothly; it just needed lubricating.

Last night I saw that someone on Retrobike had converted one to drop bars, which has given me something to consider.

 

[biggs682]

@DCLane you been buying bikes the wrong size again

 

[Jameshow]

@Jameshow - you're welcome to borrow it, although I'm guessing either my NeilPryde Bayamo TT bike or Thompson Capella hillclimb bike would quicker. Everything now shifts and moves smoothly; it just needed lubricating.

Last night I saw that someone on Retrobike had converted one to drop bars, which has given me something to consider.

I'd only find out how slow I really am, now I just blame the bike or weather!🤣🤣🤣

 

[Vantage]

Having tried going powerless again and failing again, I've re-ebiked my bike. This time I've gone for a Tongshen TSDZ2 500W motor.
Yes I know it's illegal, no I couldn't care less At least it's not the bafang 750w monster I had before. And it is limited to 15 (ok 16) mph and has no throttle...which is a first for me.
So what do I think of it?
A pain in the ass to fit. Lots of swearing was involved. Lots! But I succeeded and it's now running....but not smoothly.
The chain line on this thing is taking the peewee. 60mm! The chain won't even stay on the ring whilst in bottom gear without a chain guide and I've noticed the chain slipping in some gears. The chains ok for wear, it's the chainring itself. The teeth seem a bit shallow compared to the bafangs.
Power delivery is more or less instant and comes in bursts. Especially noticeable in eco mode. The motor eases off at the top and bottom of each pedal stroke which feels odd compared to the bafangs continuous power delivery, but it does feel more natural. As many people before me said, it feels like having bionic legs.
It's noisy. Argh. But, it doesn't have the drag that the bafang has when pedalling non powered. That may help in battery conservation.
Regarding the battery...of sorts...the display sucks...in some ways. 6 little bars show the battery health. That's useless to me. The previous display showed the battery's volts so I knew exactly when it was gonna die on me. Little bars is just guessing. Meh. Having said that, the display has a night light which can be turned off without having to go through endless menu settings. Perfect for not being blinded during night rides.
There's only 4 power modes...eco, tour, speed and turbo. I've little clue about how many watts these use whereas the bafang gave me 9 power levels displaying the wattage.
I miss the bafangs throttle. On rocky inclines I could just stop pedaling giving extra stability and clearance and use the throttle to clear particularly tricky sections. I've been caught out a few times since with the Tongshen...but it does feel more like a bike than a motorbike.
If I can fix this damn chain line which I don't feel is doing the drivetrain any good I'll be happy.

 

[PedallingNowhereSlowly]

A spare 11 speed Ultegra chain, a Garmin out front mount and a Bontranger Flare RT rear light, to finish off the new hybrid bike.

Sneaky Trek, putting a proprietary light mount on their mudguards. But it means I'll have at least two rear lights the bike, if there is enough seatpost exposed and the saddle pack sits high enough for a seatpost mounted light.

That's if I do put the mudguards on. Which I probably will, because Britain and climate change.

 

[chriswoody]

My little Tern folding bike has taken a battering this winter, ferrying me back and forth to work in all winds and weathers and the single speed drivetrain is running rough. So time to replace it all I think.

€3 for a 16 tooth sprocket, €6 for a chain and €10 for the bottom bracket, all genuine Shimano replacements, you really can't complain at those prices, it's such a cheap practical daily transport.

 

[Fredo76]

A pair of '90s Campagnolo Record dual-pivot brakes, so I can brake effectively from the hoods, plus a Selle Anatomica saddle, pretty much for looks.

 

[chriswoody]

Whilst technically I bought this online a couple of days ago it showed up today. For several years now I've been trying to track down a spare Derailleur hanger for the Kona, just for peace of mind. I've trawled hundreds of pictures and vague website descriptions without much success.

Then a few weeks ago someone suggested using Google's Gemini AI chatbot. So I asked it which hanger would fit a 2016 Kona Sutra LTD and it immediately came back with this hanger and a link to a website, brilliant result and finally I've found a use for AI.

 

[DCLane]

A few bits over the past couple of days:

- A pair of Sora 9 speed shifters as I might convert the Cannondale Ironman 800 to a road version for saleability
- Some foam pads for the aero bars for the above in case I don't.
- A pair of Dura-Ace 9000 brake calipers from a cheeky offer
- A pair of One23 XL gloves for Spring - a bargan at £4 delivered imo
- A Token Ninja bottom bracket (I like them) which'll arrive eventually
- Some fushia metallic paint which I hope will match the Raleigh's.

 

[Punkawallah]

Whilst technically I bought this online a couple of days ago it showed up today. For several years now I've been trying to track down a spare Derailleur hanger for the Kona, just for peace of mind. I've trawled hundreds of pictures and vague website descriptions without much success.

Then a few weeks ago someone suggested using Google's Gemini AI chatbot. So I asked it which hanger would fit a 2016 Kona Sutra LTD and it immediately came back with this hanger and a link to a website, brilliant result and finally I've found a use for AI.

View attachment 763970

Tease. At least tell us the website!

 

[chriswoody]

Tease. At least tell us the website!

The website that I bought the hanger from? it's a German site, Schaltauge.de .

The hanger is made by a company called Pilo who make a whole range of hangers for a multitude of bikes. for those of you based in the U.K., this online shop stocks Pilo hangers, including the D69 that I bought. https://gearmechhanger.com/

As for the helpful AI, it's Google's own Gemini service, which is actually proving quite useful for bike maintenance questions.

 

[cyberknight]

couple of pairs of px shorts as the dhb ones i bought from the defunct sports direct sale are not as good quality as the old lot , ok for commuting but for longer rides they are not brilliant and i pair of the px winter gloves .