Nah dude I'm gonna need more than that...

(Just flip a coin or something - I need someone to blame if I hate it.)

Use both. Upside down risers with bar ends.

Sure. Good luck trick riding on a Feather and keeping it in one piece.

Your problem can most likely be solved by using a really long recessed nut.

Oh you.

Hey Scrod.
I just finished putting together my bolt. I had the lbs install a new set of omniums but used my old chain from my FTP. The chain is an sram pc1 with less then 500 miles on it. Well the bike is just noisy. I already cleaned and lubed the chain so idk if to start with a new chain,cog or maybe both? I have had the soma cog thats on it now for about 9 months but its been through commuting/group rides almost daily.

any advice you can give me?

Some frames (especially aluminum frames) resonate a lot of sound regardless of what components are being used.

New Omnium chainrings sound like a buzzsaw until they get worn in a little. Sram PC1 chains just suck.

Do you recommend the kmc devil 101? I was looking at other kmc chains and came across the devil 101. Its like twice the price but the few reviews I found have been good and say its worth it.

The Devil 101 is the best chain I've ever used. If you don't want to spend 35 bucks on a chain, the K710-SL is a close second.

what are your thoughts on black spire products? specifically their chainrings?

Blackspire chainrings are great.

Hey Scrod,
I got my new pedals, double straps, and 4x toe clips from you in the mail a couple days ago. While everything is great, the whole setup is really pretty painful and uncomfortable The clip digs into the tendon right on the top of my foot and causes pain whenever upward force is applied (slowing down, skipping, etc). The straps aren't overly tight and I can't find a way to adjust the clips to fix the pain. I was wondering if you have ever had this problem and if it can be fixed.
Thanks!

Hey Scrod, quick question about my chain line. It's 5mm off being straight (the chain lies straight between the cog and the dropout, not between the cog and the spokes), is that really bad? I've got a pake rum runner with novatec track hubs and omniums. There's not a lot of room between the chainring/spider and frame. Halp?

question, is it better to run bigger gears or smaller?

46/17
52/19
??


or does it not matter.

Are you riding in slippers?

Although some would argue it makes no difference, bigger cogs/chainrings means less wear on drivetrain components.

Unless you have your cog installed backward on the hub, you shouldn't be having that trouble at all.

As far as the crank clearance issue, that's common for Omniums. Unless it's actually making contact with your frame, don't worry about it.

Scrod, I'm getting a lot of rain on my bike and some days when I lift the bike vertically some fugly orange slime (rusty water) slides out of the frame through the seatstays holes and it's getting me worried.

Do you think this will turn out to be a problem in the future? Is there anything I can do to prevent rust inside the frame (besides not getting a ****storm of water inside)?

It will be a problem if you plan on riding your Lo Pro for the next 40 years (but I doubt that's the case). You should have used Frame Saver before putting your bike together. Spraying it inside a frame that already has rust inside won't necessarily stop it.

Now that you mention it, I am wearing slip on Vans and slip on Chromes. You think that the only way to solve this is to wear more substantial shoes? Is there a way to fix this or do I need to just change my clips to the standard center ones?

While we're on the subject of clips and straps...

My bike came with crappy pedals, nothing fancy, no straps, just flat pedals. The last time I actually rode a bike substantially was 15 years ago but the bike had clips and I got used to them and enjoyed them. I'm thinking I should make the upgrade.

Would you recommend the normal clip/strap combo to add to my current pedals:
https://www.retro-gression.com/produc...s-straps-combo

Or upgrade the whole thing and try the vtrack straps and new pedals (my current pedals won't work). I do like the simplicity of just the straps...at least the looks, but don't know how well they'll work with my wide feet.
https://www.retro-gression.com/produc...n-track-pedals

Or should I just ride my current pedals into the ground and try to make a substantial upgrade in a month or four?

Read the first post in this thread.

D'oh, never even noticed that...will check out the marketplace thread.

edit: And after searching the thread, I think I will be going with the classic clip/strap option.

Any carbon forks with 1" steerers you would recommend?

Aside from Wound Up forks and the Ritchey Pro Carbon, there aren't many out there. It would also help to know what rake you're looking for.