Right you are ILTB. In the case of the brakes. Unlike speed-racer CigTech :) many people enjoy sight seeing at say 8-10mph. If the brakes don't work, you just put your foot down. No big deal. Same with shifting. If it doesn't shift good, ride it fixed-gear style.

If you work at a bike shop...dude your job is on the line. :lol:What did he like best about the bike. was it the suspension?

No, I am a manger at BlockBuster video. He likes the Aluminum frame (down here in the land of rust) and the looks of the aerodynamic frame. And that it is a quick bike. I get it up to speed (20 mph) in about 10 to 15 seconds. Now it's not a racing bike mind you, but it is very quick for a non-racing bike. At 30 lbs. it feels more like 20 lbs. to me. It rolls very smooth and handles with a quick response. With the steel forks it takes a lot of front-end vibration out of the ride. But it is a Aluminum frame so it does ride stiffer then a steel frame. But I like a bike that responses quickly.

A quick response frame does have it down side though. If your not used to it, you can fine you self making a few turns when your not trying to. Or even a few unscheduled dismounts. So if you are not use to a stiff frame and have been riding a flex frame, you will have to make a few adjustments in the way you ride.

How long do the stems need to be? Schwalbe Schrader Valves are 40mm long. They have them in all sizes.

The Standard vale is just enough to clear the Deep-V rim (30mm). So a 40mm would do it, I think. see photo below. The second photo is the stock SV tube.

I seen these http://www.biketiresdirect.com/produ...2337&c=5639835. I think I'll have to get a pair and see how they do. If they work then I can save some money on the tubes.

Ok home from the commute. I only put 6.77 miles on the bike today. The wind was gusting to 22 mph so I took the short way to work (3.38 miles). So I have 659.5 miles now. I did notice once that the rear derailer did a delayed shift from 3rd. to 2nd. So I check it out tomorrow.

How do we know you cyclo-computer is properly calibrated?

Meaning what? CigTech seems to be a methodical individual with more than enough mechanical and computational savvy to set up a bike computer correctly.

By the way, one of my bikes is an eBay-bought AMX Patriot, which is a slightly higher-end equivalent to the Denali (16-speed Sora STI, 7005 straight-gauge aerodynamic frame), and I've been doing most of my miles lately on it rather than my 20-speed Ultegra 15.5-lb bike, 17-lb track bike, etc., etc. It weighs at least 29 pounds, but the frame alignment is dead on and the components (after the usual fine tuning) work fine. CigTech said in an earlier post or two that he thought the Denali frame was flexing; some part of the bike may be flexing, but whatever it is, it's not the thick, straight-gauge aluminum tubing these frames are built with.

Just to show that my computer is set up right I tell you how I set it. I took the bike and rolled it out for 1 tire turn. Measured it and got 2143mm (84 3/8”). That’s 84.375 * 25.3994 = 2143.074375mm. The computer only deals with whole numbers so that becomes 2143mm. Then installed the magnet very close to the hub, so it would not miss a turn of the wheel.

Now took the bike around (what I call) the test track. See map. It is 1.01 miles. It took 2 minutes 59 seconds. So I took that and did the math. (1.01/ 2.9833333333333333333333333333333) * 60 = 20.312849162011173184357541899441-mph average speed. Used a stopwatch to get the time and checked it against the computer time. Both show the same time. And the computer had a average speed of 20.1mph. The computer was showing a distance of 1.00 miles. Math does not lie. So if any thing the computer is show a slower speed due to the .01 mile less then the map is showing. But that is close enough for me. Any questions?

Ok now that we have got that out of the way. I have looked over the drive train and everything is still set right. It did rain yesterday so maybe I got a little sand in the rear derailer and that could have caused to delayed shift. So I cleaned and lubed the drive train. Did a 15-mile ride and its back to shifting flawless.

Accurate enought for me.

Trakhak, You are right. The frame is not flexing. I am used to ridding a steel frame. The Aluminum fream is stiffer and I am not used to it. So when I ride across bumps in the road I feel all of it. To me it felt like the frame was flexing, but turns out that it's not flexing at all.

Wow, this is a surprisingly refreshing post. I saw a Denali on my campus and my initial thoughts were oh my god, all these cute accessories for nothing. I could itemize all my initial beef with it but you've heard it all before. Yes, I admit, I am a total bike snob. But, after reading this post, I'm very much surprised at the quality of the Denali. The fact that Cig can pay so little and get so much out of a bicycle some road riders would downright spit on is really cool. One of the last posts of MargoC made I think is extremely appropriate. The real problem most bike snobs have with X-mart bikes is one of negative presumptions. "Oh that bike is so old/cheap-looking it must be junk." Cig, you rock. Way to prove a lot of people wrong (me included).

On a side note, I think (from a very purist standpoint), this frame could be a great project bike. Stripped, sanded, and Krylon-repainted it could look really good. As a commuter, you could easily rig it for a single ring setup with a flat bar or riser (r.shifter is already there, just add hacksaw). Replace or upgrade parts if needed and its a cute little commuter totally on the cheap.

brings back memories of passing leg-shavers on my old steel Supercaliber and hearing "WTF, that's got a U-brake?!"

Well I was just curious, we're reporting values to the second decimal place here.

It was a good qustion Dobber, I didn't think that I came off as bad as it sounds. You asked so I just told you how I set the computer up that's all. Any ways check the questions comming.

[QUOTE=moosetoth]As a commuter, you could easily rig it for a single ring setup with a flat bar or riser (r.shifter is already there, just add hacksaw). Replace or upgrade parts if needed and its a cute little commuter totally on the cheap.
QUOTE]

Did you really just say the word "CUTE" when describing a bicycle?;) I thought I had some adjustment when my wife started describing clothing as cute. But bikes are holy ground Man!!!:D

I have to work tonight so I'll get about 10 more miles tonight. That will put the milage up to 684.6 miles so far. See you guys later.

Well, this here thread is inneresting. As a card carrying bike snob, I've always been impressed with the mileage two gentlemen in my neighborhood get out of their Xmart bikes. Talking to one of them, I found the key is, as always, maintenance... mentioning these two on the board has nearly gotten me flamed before. There's nothing wrong with these bikes, though I prolly wouldn't ride one.

I saw one of the fellows who rides an Xmart bike commuting in heavy rain this week. I mean, this guy does not give his Magna (spelling?) a day off. It runs like a clock because he takes care of it. I'm not going to ride my Eisentraut in the rain, fer crissakes ( I have a beat up Gitane, heavily modified, for that-- and it was cheaper than the Denali, BTW).

The Xmart bike will do in a pinch, like I've always said. Beats a car, in my book. Still, I'd rather have my bikes. And I wouldn't trust any local shop to wrench on even the most mundane of my rides. I think cigtech prolly has it right. DIY.

Today I rode my Ross, which is always good for getting second looks from bike snobs, as a department store brand like Ross can't possibly be any good. Heh-heh. Double butted seamless Ishiwata steel frameset, lugged, with 600/Ultegra parts. Great bike, though the geometry isn't the quickest, more on the comfortable side.

But what bike doesn't require maintenance? My regular commuter cost more than my first three cars, yet what CigTech has done sounds about like what I would have to do for the same mileage -- fiddle with the brakes and derailleurs and clean the drivetrain every now and then, and replace the occasional flat.

The only difference I see is that my bike was perfectly adjusted when new. And it's about ten pounds lighter. I hope the components will last longer too!

Well 10lbs makes a big difference.

Yesterday while scoping my new route I thought about CigT's Denali while hauling my bike up 97 steps that cross a railway and cut over to a safer street. My bike is 20lb bike was doable...30? Not this week!

While I'd agree ten pounds makes a difference, the key is the bikes utility for Cigtech and the guys in my neighborhood. And certainly, very few bikes require no maintenance, but many folks seem to think they actually require none. Some just never get ridden (my Ross was unridden when I found it at the thrift, for instance. 15$. Beats the Denali in price and weight.).

And shops muck up basic jobs all the time, dear god, I know, I've fixed enough of their disasters. If you ride it, you'll take better care of it by yourself, in my opinion.

You now I always was looking for a lighter bike. Then one day after I got the Peugeot and put the front bag and rear rack/bag on the bike. With the 6v battery and lights. Then loaded up the tools, tubs and stuff. The bike then weight about 40 lbs. So I got to thinking why am I not looking for a frame that was made to handle the extra weight? Well I think a 30 lbs frame can handle the extra weight better then the lighter frames. I should know I have killed enough of them. I'm talking about useing this bike for commuting not racing. But I think it could hold it's own in a friendly little race.

Cig, I gotta hand it to you man! You've managed to prove that even an inexpensive X-Mart bike can withstand the rigours of a long and hearty daily commute.

I appreciate your position that you needed a bike asap, and that the Denali was the best option you had at the moment. Furthermore, I think all that if one is going to take the pleasure out of the image and not the act of cycling, then they're missing the point.

Pleasure in riding a bike shouldn't be based on whether it's a high end Cervélo or a cheap Roadmaster, it should come simply from the joy of riding a bike. And, as some of the other people on here have posted, some of those inexpensive X-Mart bikes can and often do last quite some time! I still have an old Magna from when I was 12 or 13 that, though it's currently hanging from the rafters in my parent's basement, lasted me almost 8 years before I decided to upgrade. She never needed much more than an occasional adjustment and covered, according to the cheap and cheerful analogue speedometer I put on it, nearly 6500 miles of fun and entertaining rides all over the Jersey Shore.

So Cig, I say to you, ride on! Show these brand snobs that even a no-name bike can still be a good one! If more people thought like this, more people would get into cycling...


C

I look at it like this. You see Hog owners that do the same thing. So way should it be any different with bikes. If you pay $2000.00 for the joy of riding then you look down on some one that is getting the same amount or more joy out of riding. That's just the way it will always be.