Alas, my links are silver, his chain is black. Yer up, Slugger.

We probably have some black links on hand.

[MENTION=316622]cali_axela[/MENTION] - email me through the RG site.

Scrod,
Curious on your opinion about the Aventon La 30 wheelset (I know they are out of stock) my question is on paper they look very comparable to the MAVIC Ellipse wheelset, do you have any real world experience between the 2? My most bomb proof wheelset I ever owned was the MAVIC Kysriun Sl, they were in my stable for about 7 yrs and were raced on road, CX and even saw some single track and I had zero issues. That's why I'm leaning towards the MAVICS.

Thanks

The LA30 wheels are awesome, especially considering the price. They're about 50g lighter than Ellipses, if that matters. Hopefully Aventon will make more soon.

Ellipses are great wheels but I'm not a huge fan of Mavic's hubs and a lot of people I know who are riding or have ridden them on the street say the rear hub is really fussy and needs constant adjustment.

Do Ellipses require Mavic's special spokes? To me, requiring proprietary (and usually quite expensive) spokes is a huge downside, but then maybe I'm just paranoid (and a really ****ty wheelbuilder - though I've never actually broken any spokes yet).

Thanks. Think I'm gonna hold out until (hopefully) they become available again.(La30)

Kinda sorta. You can use any straight-pull spoke being the right length but I've never found a bladed spoke having the same thickness and blade width as the stock ones.

Typical Mavic. Pain in le butt.

^ The other problem with the Ellipses is that they use a french threaded lockring (rather than english or italian like literally everyone else now). I almost ****ed up the threads trying to use a standard english one I had laying around before I learned this... luckily didn't force it and was able to easily clean it up, but had to order a frenchie one for it and wait before installing my second cog. Mildly annoying.

Getting a set when they're back in stock. They'll go great on my Leader.

Scrod, do you know if it's possible to use Phil Wood bottom bracket mud guards with RD2 cranks and a 103 mm spindle? I'm guessing it's a no-go just looking at my current setup but thought I'd ask.

Not enough clearance. Those crank arms sit really close to the BB, especially on the drive side where the flange is.

Thank you.

I'm having a surprisingly hard time finding a definitive answer on this (maybe that's a sign of a definitive "No"), but is it possible to buy handlebar grips that fit a road bike sized handlebar?

Everything I see for grips is made for 7/8" bars, but I am a newb and bought (and already put on) 15/16" road bars even though I planned on adding grips all along. Is it possible to just slide on 7/8" grips over the 15/16" bars if I can't find any for sale?

Thanks.

Yes. Definitively.

As someone that's been "out of the game" for a few years, I had never heard of Heavy Pedal before. I'm bummed that 59cm is the only size left in either color of the Zephyr. Any chance they'll make more?

That ship has sailed.

Are Low// frames actually worth $2,250+? Other than being flashy and exclusive, are they any technically better than frames that are a fraction of the price?

Not Scrod (duh) but there's nothing that really sets them apart. The level of craftsmanship has definitely improved with the newer frames and with the higher prices you do get good quality named brand components along with the frame, but for the most part it's supply and demand. People are willing to pay $2k+ for a Low frame so he's going to charge $2k+. I still find it pretty ridiculous however that there's a charge of an extra $400 to just effectively not paint the frame.

(They do look super nice though and offer +10 fixie street cred)

I'd much rather spend $1350 on a Wraith.

That thing is rad.

**** yeah it is. Especially considering it's a Stanridge frameset without the insane wait time.

So, have you seen one irl ? This is something I could really consider getting.

Yeah, we sell them. Quantities are usually limited because they're made in small batches (which is why they're not up on our site) but we're working on keeping a small stock of them. It's probably one of the nicest modern steel framesets I've ever seen.

I want, but do not need it. Also, I don't have the spare cash to burn -- damn you Scrodzilla!

Instead of the Low...what do you think about the $2,500 titanium track frame set by Number 22?

My friend just got a Number 22 road bike, and is obsessed with ti bikes. He's trying to convince me to get their track frame, but I in no way/shape/form have that kinda money.