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Old 06-11-04, 06:08 PM
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sukispop
Errand Boy for my girls
 
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Join Date: Apr 2004
Location: Northern California
Posts: 148

Bikes: Greenspeed GTO 20/20 trike, Rans Fusion(semi-recumbent bike), Burley Django recumbent, Marin Larkspur city bike

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Originally Posted by bnet1
Geoff,

Well the SRAM 5.0 works better than the stuff on my old Trek 1000 even when it was new. I did nearly have a heart attack the other morning on my way to work. Had to ride the last two blocks almost in granny! I thought both derailures and/or cables had seized up. I simply could not turn the shifters, neither the front or the back. I could shift down but not up. It was a very humid (nearly 90% ) morning and it was warm. I realized that sweat was running off of my fingers and the shift grips were so slick I couldn't get a good grip. After drying things off including my hands a quick test ride revealed that all was well with the world. I now carry a lightweight pair of sticky palm gloves for those, ah, "damp" rides. At the moment my dealer is looking for some of those Kevlar strips to line the inside of the tire. If he can't find those I'll pick up a couple of spare tubes and see if he can get the Comet Kevlars. I should be able to upgrade some components on the Tailwind later, right?

'bent Brian
Hi Brian,

I'm glad to hear that your shifting worked fine after you dried off your hands/fingers...but did you mention what happened to your dealer, to see if he/she wanted to check your bike to make sure that nothing else may be going on?

Yeah, I always like to wear gloves when riding...I guess it's a throwback to when I used to ride an upright. When you're bearing a good bit of your body weight down onto the handlebars on an upright, the practical benefits of wearing cycling gloves are immediately apparent(plus, I just don't like the feeling of the rubber grips on my damp, sweaty bare palms). Even on a bent, when your hands are much less prone to becoming sweaty, it's just a nice feeling to wear lightweight, breathable gloves.

Upgrading components and wheelsets are always an option, both when you're first buying your bike as well as whenever you so desire down the road. Upgrade choices are endless...you can go as choice and premium as your gold card will allow! I've learned from making so many mistakes with my previous bikes that, for me, I'm best off riding my bike with its stock components until something starts to wear out or breaks...then upgrade. And then, at that time, with my Rans Fusion, I'll probably upgrade the wheelset only and not the components. With my stock mix of Sram 5.0, 9.0, and some Shimano parts, the Fusion shifts, brakes, steers and handles just fine...but a good quality wheelset will reduce weight where it counts and improve the overall ride quality and experience. Plus, the Thracian set looks fabulous!

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