Why not? You dropped $50+ on good handlebars. Wrap them in good tape.

Because I still need a stem to go with my bars :( I typed "stem" into both L.A. and O.C. Craigslist and no one has a 26.0 1' quill... so on that note, would I be better off getting an Origin8 stem or spend $20 more for a Dia Compe Gran Compe?

Edit: I was originally trying to keep it under $30, but I've read some bad things about the Origin8 quill stem...

If you don't have tapered steerer tube problems like I did, I would just wait it out on CL. Pretty sure you could find a Cinelli 1A/1R, Nitto Pearl/Dynamic/Deluxe, 3TTT, or SR stem eventually for as much or even less than the cheap Origin8 stem.

Never give your money to Origin 8. Get the dia compe, you will not regret it. Not to mention it's dirt cheap compared to what I've purchased in the past.
You can also scrounge up a used nitto quill stem on fleabay on the cheap; you can't go wrong with nitto either.

Gettin' to be time.

You can always force the nittos into a 25.4 stem by prying it open with a screw driver, I did it on my nittos and rode it like that for a long time

Try LAfixed

Should i get underarmour compression tights for the cold?
idunno how i feel about shorts under tights but it seems hard to find tights with chamois <$100

Check Nashbar.

Its really more of a question of is tights over shorts crap or should i get ones with chamois?

I just think proper tights would get the job done better.

No love for bibs/ thermal bibs?

I ride with skins tights over shorts and can ride in the 30s just fine. Colder than that usually means inclement weather and I'm in snow pants and on the mtb.

If you're commuting just wear jeans, it doesn't get that cold in SI does it? For training get legwarmers or long bibs and use embro.

its a different world down here, totally different ecosystem than the rest of the boroughs i feel so it does get pretty cold
jeans have been fine so far but i feel like im gonna need more once it goes under 40, plus i dont want to kill the 2 pairs of jeans i ride in after a month or 2 more of commuting

im thinking that the UA tights would pull double duty when im hiking up in the gunks in the frozen woods this winter as well
i totally agree that proper tights/bibs would do the best job but im not sure how much riding im gonna actually end up doing (read: have time for) this winter either

i think my main fear is that lycra on lycra is gonna be all slippery between my bum and the saddle

Never had a problem with this in my countless miles, even with a brooks under the helm. In fact I've found it to be even grippier on suede saddles than jeans.

Should I get an iPhone 5 or renew my T Mobile contract and get a Samsung Galaxy S3?

This is literally the toughest decision I've had to make in a while.

my experience with tmobil was hellish, get out yesterday.

that being said my 2.5 years with my iphone 3gs has been magical, and im still waiting for my 5 to get shipped (grr)

i say iphone + new provider

(zero experience with galaxy 3)

I've had T Mobile for many years and have never had anything to complain about.

I've also been really happy with my Android (Samsung Vibrant) for the past year and a half, although it has been slowing down and messing up a bit lately (like it knows it's on the way out). Angie has an iPhone 4 through her work and it's cool but I'm not entirely sold on iOS.

I've been reading so many head-to-head reviews today, my head is spinning.

technically the samsung phones are more powerful, but I feel like these iphones still run faster because their hardware really seems designed around this specific OS. my step dad has the new galaxy, thing is massive, can't imagine sliding it into my pockets. I went with Sprint on the iphone because ATT and Verizon were ridiculous pricing wise for contracts

I have a 4S, I've never regretted buying this phone. I used nothing but droid phones before hand.

Hopefully it's better now. When I had sprint 4 years ago, it was absolutely horrible. I still remember the days of not being able to connect with my blackberry when I actually needed it, horrid signal practically everywhere, the dropped calls, and the roaming on Verizon in all places SF. I still have my sprint supplied number as a souvenir from a less mainstream carrier. :)

I had it 5 years ago myself, hated it, switched to tmobile, decided I wanted an iphone when 4S came out and tried Sprint again. No complaints. Only one place I struggle to get 3G is in spots on campus, but I had the same issue with Tmobile, think it's just a black hole

two cranksets:
black Omnium
dura ace 7710 (octalink model)

both complete, with chainring and respective BB.

Similar price range (the DA one is just $10 more).

Which one?

These happen to be the very phones we're using right now. I'm a bit impartial to either phones and can honestly have either in my pocket at any moment.
My wife loves her red sIII but I find it very cheap and flimsy/ flexy feeling; so much plastic! The glass front is very easy to crack due to this fact, I had a friend who managed to crack his within his first week of having it from pocket height. Not to mention the resale value of any android device is down the hole considering how over saturated the market is with these devices. Otherwise, the device is great to use and a beautiful and large screen. It also has the benefit of using a removable battery which my wife has taken advantage of with a couple spare batteries charged and ready to go. Another kick I like is the NFC radio it has which the iphone 5 doesnt.

The iphone 5 on the other hand is another beast, the screen is a bit larger (or should I say specifically, taller), thinner, and lighter than the 4 series. The phone feels rock solid and bulletproof in your hand as was the iphone 4. However I do have my complaints having used exclusively iphones for quite awhile now, the design is a bit too reminiscent to the 4 series. They replaced google maps, the campus I work at used to have all halls and buildings named in google maps which apple maps turned into a overly concise blob of color. There is no NFC technology, I have a feeling apple is weening us on the short end by holding it hostage for the 5S. Also having followed the iphone 5 leaks very closely has usurped the Christmas present like feeling of Apple's new iphone press events.


DA, you're getting a better crank for your money. A bullet-proof proven BB & no clearance issues whatsoever & DA.

If you can wait a few more weeks HTC is going to release the One X+ on T-Mobile and personally I think it is better than either of those phones. It has a better screen than the SIII and processor which is quadcore. I have never really been a fan of the iPhone, owned one for 6 months and sold it, just wasn't for me.

missed this,

i had tmobil for 2 years and it was (granted 1 of 2) the worst service i ever experienced, dropped calls, failed messages, constantly looking for a signal

my gf has a droid phone and i feel like in general, droids just feel cheap. hardware wise, and software wise, just not "optimized" or streamlined

i love my iphone, i broke one after 2 years from a fall onto the carpet, but i suspect after 2 years of droppage and beatings it just gave up and didnt want to turn on, but never broke a screen.
applecare replaced it for free but this refurb one is poop, weird stuff is going on and im not liking it, not a good connection and it crashes often enough for me to notice

i would say the things i dont like about the iphone is the lack of freedom for customization and a replaceable battery
though i do feel like the iphone has had the best battery of any phone ive used, and jailbreaking is simple enough but very annoying when you want to upgrade to a higher version

in related news: its officially been 3 weeks since i preordered my 5 and it still hasnt shipped yet. talked to people at AT&T yesterday and theyre saying 3-4 weeks is typical wait time

You should've went to an apple store; my apple store gets shipments everyday and it just so happens they get sold out 5 minutes after opening (people line up before opening) while my AT&T store has received none since the initial release.

only problem with that is on this island there is only one apple store, so its a flagship location. hence every store here gets sold out of everything every time.
every 2 weeks a new sneaker comes out and those shoe fetishists line up outside in the rain for them, its rediculous

its ok though, allows them time to work out kinks and google to release a maps app

should i change my saddle and bar tape to black on my leader? i already have a black romin, so i would only need to buy black tape. the whites are hard to keep white, and it just looks kinda bad now..