All right my turn. I'm a box of nipples away from building some wheels. I'm starting to like tubulars and going big with Challenge 28cs that must be incredibly comfy.

You'll be fine Jet. My first few wheels were a bit crappy but with the proper tools and instructions it's hard to go wrong.

The nipples come with the spokes, no?

I see that there is a decently priced ($600) Cyclops track bike listed on the Canadian Classifieds site if anyone is interested. The seller's phone number is in B.C. though..

Well actually the box was missing the nipples! Darn. Re-order has been made.

yeah seriously folks, don't you people know i need some entertainment while i can't ride?! :twitchy:

Seems MEC no longer sells time pedals/parts. Who sells cleats for time atacs?

urbane = 45 bux...I called the other day...ughhhhhhhh seems so expensive...

Are all our cleats wearing out at the same time? Freaky

I bought two sets on clearance a year ago! I also scored a set of the old timey plastic times in mint condition recently. I'm catching up to keith!

where is everybody finding those old plastic ones? i'm still kicking myself for selling them when i had a pair...45 dollars for cleats!? the last time i bought them they were 17 or something, i think duke's usually has them too...

45 dollars for cleats??? I bought my ATAC pedals as well as cleats for 40 bucks this summer off kijiji. What a rip off

I know, it sucks. One cleat is stuck in my sandals with a stripped bolt. Time to get out the drill.

probikekit.com has the atac cleats for $24 including shipping

I was just reading a tire width thread and it got me to thinking. When I finally get my rims built up and I'm ready to take on the snow on skinny tires as opposed to the MTB.......Do you have any advice regarding skinny tired snow riding here in TO? Tires you love or absolutely hate?

y'all need to get off that ATAC addiction.

Not until I find a better pedal system, and I've pretty much given up looking. Time nailed it with ATAC.

I agree, but I have to say I'm enjoying my syncros mental platforms on L'il Hauler!

Brad PM sent

I ride on 20s at the max PSI, usually about 110 or so. They cut through the snow right down to the pavement. The only thing you have to watch for is ice but that goes for every tire.

There are only racing tires at 20mm so the choice is kinda limited. I rode on some Michelin Lithions last year and they were great but they are on another bike now so my snow bike has some Vittoria Zaffira Pros and they have been great in all the rain so I suspect they will be fine in the snow.

This made my day:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BJYCp8I9qUs

i've done a couple of winters on really skinny cross tires - i think they were vittorias 700x27 or so with just a little knob. otherwise regular cheap 700x23s from mec work just fine. i think i prefer the skinnier tires as most of the winter in toronto you are battling slush as opposed to pure snow and the skinny tires cut right through...

As others have said, I find the 23s I run on my bike cut through the junk pretty effectively. The trouble is when there's ice around/underneath but of course without studs that will always be a bit dicey.

Thinking about changing tyres for the winter, too - not sure if I will get studs... I now have a 45k RT trip up to Sheppard/Leslie, so I'm wondering whether it will be worth it.

I have ridden my old road bike with 700x23 in the winter, but never really got the hang of it. Aside from the question of the tires being able to cut through the slush, it seems to me there is also an argument to be made that a winter bike should have a slacker seat tube angle to shift the centre of mass back a bit... any thoughts? The thing I like best about fat tires in the winter is being able to blast back and forth over the snowbanks with ease... helps when I need to pass someone parked in the bike lane for example!

i've run 23's and 28's

i find they run about the same, the only issues i had with either was either ice ruts or ice patches, the only way to fix the latter is with studs and ice ruts are just a problem in general after it snows and it doesn't get plowed fast enough ... people downtown probably won't have that problem though ... i rode my mountain bike one day when it was a particularly heavy snow fall, i think the tires are around 2.25" or whatever, and snow just got packed into the tread and made it very slippery

the only days i've really had issues are when it's close to zero degrees and the roads are covered in freezing rain, i only rode in that once and i fell off my bike 3 times on the way to work, started walking my bike half way there, and all these runners in my neighborhood were falling too ... you'd either need studs for that or you'd have to just stay off the bike

toronto gets pan am games for 2015

haven't read the final decision on the velodrome, but i think this means hamilton is getting one, but maybe it'll be toronto

I was up in the air I mean we CAN'T afford the games but it will get us a velodrome. Either /OR Toronto or Hamilton, though I do hope it's here, making the best possible use to the fixed craze/culture would have the 'drome here in town. hmm water front anyone? near Polson? **** I'll almost 50 by the time Games play.