lordkevin

Well, the day has finally arrived!! (will post pics when I go on my lunchbreak)

I just got back from Mellow Johnny's bike shop here in Austin TX with my new Swobo Sanchez. I picked up more than the bike however. I'm moving downtown soon and will be making a daily commute so I pretty much tried to get everything I need to make this happen.

I got:

My bike
A front brake installed
MKS Sylvan pedals
Krypronite Lock
18 in 1 bike tool
Tire Pump
and an extra tube

...all to fit snugly in my CamelBak Mayhem.


I'm super happy with the way the bike rides, and the overall speed of the bike is phenomenal. I have ridden my friends fixed gear before (an old 198? Raleigh conversion) but it's way too big for me, so the comfort of this bike makes a huge overall difference in the way it rides. If you're interested in picking one up, I'd say go for it.

I will be replacing pretty much everything except the frame on the bike and will post pics along the way.



I did have 2 questions that someone could hopefully help me out on:

A) When I use the front break it squeaks pretty DAMN loudly. Is this normal? I've noticed if I am lighter on the break the noise isn't as loud (obviously) but it takes way too long to slow down.

B) I was reading up on VeloSPace and someone recommended flipping the stem on the Sanchez to get "a more aggressive stance" and other people were saying they did it too and liked it. So, what exactly are they talking about? I know what the stem is, but don't really get what they mean by flipping it.



Thanks in advance for the help and I look forward to becoming active on the forums with all you fantastic people!!

jpdesjar

nice one! welcome to the club

Santaria

Gratz on the SWOBO!!!

I'll be getting mine on Oct. 1 (having the drop bars swapped for a pursuit bar or mustache).

Ironically, from MJs too!

ZiP0082

your bike fits snuggly in your CamelBak Mayhem? nice!

jpdesjar

flipping the stem will give you a different angle...will probably angle down some, flipping it is just that

kyselad

Your brake might quiet down, and/or the brake pads might just suck. If you're new to fixed, you may soon find yourself using the brake very little and decide it's not worth replacing the pads until they wear out. But if it's bugging you, swapping out the pads is pretty cheap. Checking online, it seems the Sanchez comes standard without brakes (or foot retention -- huh?); if the shop installed the brake, you might want to check with them about the squeak.

Have fun.

dutret

why?

It shouldn't be doing this if it keeps up for another day or two take it back and get it adjusted.

the stem can angle up or down depending on which way it's flipped raising or lowering the bars. In general when anyone, especially anyone with a fixed gear, starts talking about agressive stance or geometry or position just tune them out they are most likely clueless.

iamtim

lordkevin

I will be replacing out the parts because I have the money to spend and as I will be commuting on my bike everyday, I don't mind dishing out the cash to get good quality parts. I also have a great sense of satisfaction customizing things I own and getting them exactly how I want them.

As for the break, my bike did not come with brakes, and it was bought and installed by someone at MJ's.

If it doesn't quiet down by today, I'll run it in there tomorrow and have them check it out.

And for the stem, I will probably just leave it how it is, as it's comfortable as hell.


Thanks for the replies ^_^

jpdesjar

do you mean you are going to change the parts out over time? it would be silly to buy complete and then immediately change everything...

dutret

especially something as overpriced as a sanchez.

jpdesjar

one of the reasons i didn't get one
why not ride the bike for now and then upgrade when you really need to? looks like the saddle needs to go but i could be wrong

kyselad

Getting quality components that match your needs is certainly a good idea. But it sounds like you're already planning to swap out everything for no particular reason. The parts may not be amazing, but they're there, and many/most may work out just fine. If you're fairly new to riding, it can really help to just ride it "as-is" for a while and determine what really doesn't make the grade. Better to put more of your money into the things that you find really matter than to drop mad cash on a sparkly headset that has no discernable effect on your ride. Not that I have my opinions about over-rated parts or anything...

lordkevin

I totally see your concern here. I plan to switch out the parts over time of course. If I was going to swap them out right away, then I might as well of bought a frame and built it up myself. I bought a complete bike because I need something NOW. I thought about going the IRO route, but didn't want to wait the 4-6 weeks + the shipping time. I am very happy with my purchase and once I get all the parts I want on it and get my bike powdercoated, i'll be one really happy camper.

TempeRider

"When I use the front break it squeaks pretty DAMN loudly. Is this normal? I've noticed if I am lighter on the break the noise isn't as loud (obviously) but it takes way too long to slow down."

Brakes make noise because the pads vibrate against the rim. Sheldon Brown has a good write up on this on his site (www.sheldonbrown.com). It is worse when the pads are new as the surface is less sticky so you have to squeeze harder.

None the less, if it continues, your dealer should fix it for you.

Enjoy

soytiempo

Yeah the brake's squealing because your rims are not machined and they're powder coated white. If it bothers you, you could try to finely sand around the rim where the brake grabs it.

Enjoying the world's most expensive bottle opener?

lordkevin

that makes perfect sense. I didn't even check to see if the front rim was machined or not, I just kinda assumed it came that way. The first thing i'll be replacing is the wheelset, so I'm not too worried. Thanks for the great replies guys, got all my questions answered within a couple hours!

great success!

jpmartineau

You might need to adjust the toe-in like this:



It may be something else. I read in an earlier message that you have powder coated rims. I guess that can't help.

Squeaky breaks aren't all that bad. They're good for warning others of your presence, especially on bike paths and downtown.

ndnyc212

got mine a little while ago (frameset only), i did alot of things with it, its my daily beater but i like to keep it fresh as much as i can.

https://velospace.org/node/9909