Mountain Biking - new toys came in today :)

After being off the bike for 10 days, it feels awesome to be back on it again. I could only go for a very short test ride, but so far everything seems to be perfect.
Here's what I got:
selle italia slr xc gel flow
raceface deus xc crankset (couldn't resist the deal @ jenson)
sram x.0 rear derailleur (yes, X.0 again, but this time it's medium cage :D )
sram pc99 chain (again)

Pics!

Here they are :)

http://img215.echo.cx/img215/7124/img1659resize5iv.jpg

http://img123.echo.cx/img123/8329/img1660resize1rx.jpg

http://img123.echo.cx/img123/4409/img1666resize8iy.jpg

the medium cage derailleur really makes difference. This is from another thread:


Medium cage is really the way to go for increased chain tension, decreased chain slap, crisper shifts, quieter running, raised obstruction clearance, and improved spoke clearance.

... and everything he said is correct. Especially about the increased chain tension and crisper shifts. The difference is very noticable, which I didn't think it would be. It feels like my each pedal stroke is transferred more efficiently.

I had a SI SLR Ti saddle for a short while. I found it very comfortable except the fact that I had to have a saddle with center cutout. So I sold it after using it for a week. This XC model, I think, is very comfortable with extra gel padding, and center cutout.

I can't say much about the crankset for now. I have to hit the trails to see how stiff it is (I'll do that today, or tomorrow). But so far, it felt much lighter, and the shifts are faster.

oh forgot to say... the derailleur hanger is new too :P

Nice parts!!!

I love my Sella SLK saddle on my bike :)

What are those cranks going for at Jenson??

Ming

Woah, sweeeet!

$199... They used to be about $280 when they first came out.
I hear a lot of good things about the SLK, it was in the top of my list actually :)

Short and medium cage rule. I dont run a big ring so they work great for me :)

Congrats on the parts.

That derailer is awsome!

Yeah, that derrailuer is ubersexy.

I should get a 105 derrailuer for my bike, at least it's better than an Acera...

One question, How do you "Riders" keep your bikes so clean?
Nice stuff....

One question, How do you "Riders" keep your bikes so clean?
Nice stuff....
Well i keep my bike sparkly clean because cleaning gives me something to do i guess. After every ride i usually clean it quickly but every so often i will go and do a thorough job.

One question, How do you "Riders" keep your bikes so clean?
Nice stuff....

Some people like their stuff clean, like me. Its the same how people have their cars so clean...

Well, that's great that you guy's have enough time on your hands to keep you stuff that clean. I on the other hand don't have much spare time, and besides I'd spend "more" time cleaning than I do actually riding. It just don't make much sense to me in my situation. I'll hose them off about once a week, but never get them in showroom condition. They'll just get muddy again tomorrow....

One question, How do you "Riders" keep your bikes so clean?
Nice stuff....

Whats this clean you speak of....hahaha I gave up cleaning mine, so muddy lately.

I clean mine when it gets really dirty... but it takes a long time, and I usually only bother once every few months.

Whats this clean you speak of....hahaha I gave up cleaning mine, so muddy lately.

Yeah really,
I just don't bother cleaning mine like that because after EVERY ride, my bike's are very muddy even in the dry season. I guess the river crossings, and swampy areas cause it... Plus like I said earlier, it's just gonna get muddy again very soon. Maybe I'd clean mine too if I only rode on weekends or something horrible like that. :eek:

Yeah really,
I just don't bother cleaning mine like that because after EVERY ride, my bike's are very muddy even in the dry season. I guess the river crossings, and swampy areas cause it... Plus like I said earlier, it's just gonna get muddy again very soon. Maybe I'd clean mine too if I only rode on weekends or something horrible like that. :eek:
Well I ride long offroad trips every weekend (where osmething else doesnt come up) and road the other 5 days. I dont have time for it with school and all so i can only do road on weekdays. Sometimes though i go on easy trails, i have slicks on 5 days a week so i cant go on big swamps and whatnot

It doesn't really take too much time. For me it takes at most 15-20 minutes when it's really muddy and I can spare that much time for my baby ;) All you need is a place where you can hang your bike in your backyard, a hose, dish soap, a sponge, and a brush for the drivetrain. I wash it, let it dry, and then lube it just before the next ride. Done :D

Not bad. Just seems senseless in my situation. To each their own I suppose....

A clean bike will always run better than a dirty bike.

I keep the gearing, headset, and fork internals clean, but the frame, wheels and tyres havent been clean in about 4 months