Originally Posted by
sonnetg
My bike won't shift easily on the 1st gear.
Can those claw-mount derailers be aligned?
I made my own straightener for bolt-on derailers. The bolt-on thread is the same as many axles (10mm diameter with a 1mm pitch). I bought a Wheel's Mfg. Axle-20 (longest solid axle available). Also a hardened bolt at Ace Hardware, with some 10mm 1.0mm nuts and washers.
Using that and a t-square ($5 at Harbor Frieght) I was able to straighten my rear dropout and fix a shifting problem which existed out of the box on my Schwinn Avenue. I use expect to use the bolt primarily, especially for bending because it's harder. The axle for t-square alignment because it's longer and a flat surface.
Originally Posted by
sonnetg
I received the new ventura ASA saddle. This saddle seems much better than the stock, and the bike looks so much nicer and rides even better now.
I really like that Ventura ASA MTB saddle. Yesterday I rode the bike it's on and thought how good it feels. When I ordered it, I didn't expect much for $6. I even thought about how I wasted $6 a couple days later, waiting for delivery.
Another benefit is that I'm less concerned about the saddle being stolen (compared to a $30 saddle). I'm more inclined to use a thin seat-leash cable. Less likely to remove the seat and thread it onto a 10mm cable. I still weigh the circumstances, location, time of day, how long I'll be away from the bike. But, I'm less concerned about it.