[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Well, the Altus/Acera rear derailleurs are definitely more rigid than the Tourney, so that's a good thing and may help alleviate the issue. Shifter itself may not be much different performance-wise, the integrated ones are considered pretty okay but I still prefer the non-integrated, and the conversion process is pretty painless, not much more time/hassle involved than changing a set of cables.

On that note might be worth a look at the cables, gear cable housing is supposed to be smaller diameter but sometimes mechanics put the bigger brake housing, and I suspect the extra slop in there can cause this issue. Basically if everything's not moving 100% freely and at the same time good and "tight" (devoid of slack/play), shifting gets compromised.

-Eric

Got my bike looked at yesterday as I discovered in the morning while getting it ready for the ride (air and water bottle) that it had suddenly literally overnight (after the previous night's 70 km ride in pretty heavy rain) developed a strange rhythmic knocking sound from the rear hub area. I thought my chain degreasing and rains and washing shenanigans had gotten water/degreaser into the bearings and created mayhem. Mech heard the sound and immediately told me it was the bearings of the freewheel.

Took the opportunity to ask him to look at the iffy shifting as well. And also align and tune both pairs of brake calipers.

This is what he found ...

The freewheel balls (40 grade) were replaced and the body cleaned and new grease packed in.



The hub balls (40 grade) were replaced, and hub cleaned and new grease packed in This photos looks ghastly man (potty to peanut butter are the popular options) ... I had the rear hubs serviced barely a few months back.



The balls are special grade and twice the price of the normal Phadke Haud quality balls. Should last much longer, and give better rolling.

Both brake cables inners and outers, as well as the rear shift cable inner and outer was replaced with Alhonga stainless steel cables. The inners in the photo are completely knackered ... lesson learned. I last had them replaced 4 years ago. Alligator. These are twice the price and much better.



The dork disc was looking really dirty on a shiny bike so we cut it out (the rear wheel had already been fitted back).



Narendra hard at work on my bike. I've known him for over 5 years now and his work is top drawer.



The brakes were tuned. He feels I should replace these basic units (which are pretty worn and rusted now) with full alloy ones, because the adjusting screws on the sides of these go into a plastic body and beyond a point just keep turning and do not hold a setting for long. Also the spring of the right arm of the rear brake seems to be done, as it does not return properly, causing a bit of rub no matter how we adjust it. Shimano or Tektro would be around 800 bucks a pair.

But the braking now is unbelievable. Both the smoothness because of the brand new cables, and the stopping power, because of the tuning. I nearly went over the bars at Junna Bazaar chowk on my ride today morning when I dabbed them properly for the first time, squeezing as normal, not expecting the way they brought things to a halt!

The right shifter was opened and cleaned thoroughly and checked and the verdict was that it was in top shape. Which is a relief coz I'd like to keep this matched pair on my bike.

Finally the gears were indexed. He feels that the very slight delay in the upshifts from the biggest 34 cog down to 24 and then beyond, will become much shorter and quicker with the Altus rear derailleur. Other than that and the all=alloy brake calipers, of course the bike is due for a new crank, freewheel and chain.

Also discussed the possibility of getting a 36 hole free hub instead of the current threaded one, so that I can then move to better gearing options with 7 speed cassettes that unlike the freewheel have a top gear that's 12 (instead of 14) and both 32 and 34 lowest gear option combinations are possible. I know it all adds up but that (gearing) will be a big upgrade in terms of speed (right now with 14, its very common to spin out even on slight declines, leave alone a hill descent).

The verdict:

Today morning's ride was a revelation. The shifting is crisp and precise and never felt better in the 5 years I've owned Blue. Like the brakes, I shifted normally as usual initially and realized I was geting 3 clicks instead of one. Then modulated thumb input and got the click click slick shifting going thereafter! Brilliant. Got the double click max maybe 3 times in the entire 80 km ride, that too because i was sloppy (aggressive) in my shift.

Thanks a ton for your inputs Eric. In the end, as you got in bang on, it was the cables that made the biggest difference, everything else was hunky dory!

Cheers, Doc

[ebonho]

Saddle top to top of seat tube clamp:

ACT 110 - 23 cm



CAAD8 - 19 cm



Just in case I mess up the height or change saddles ... now I know where to look.

Cheers, Doc

[yd_gli]

I thought I'll say a hello to all the pedal pushers on this forum! I've been riding up and down the western ghats of Poona for a better part of the last decade. Rode a Schwinn hybrid for many years before getting myself a Marin Four Corners last year. I read quite a few posts on the Marin and thought I should put together a small summary of my experience with it.


Purchased: Sept 2020
Kms done: ~ 2000

Pros:

• Runs like a dream on the broken and potholed misery that passes of as roads nowadays. Set the pressure @ 60-65psi and you're golden. I frequently find myself gunning through sections where other cyclists need to brake and take it easy. Steel frame absorbs all the misery the road throws at you.
• WTB tires have super traction and the retro look is icing on the cake.
• The Sora groupset shifts like a charm. Minimal tuning is required and once set it keeps running without a hitch.
• The bike rolls like crazy. Almost like there is a motor built in to keep the momentum going.
• The upright drop bars mean lower risk of back strains and the road visibility is better too. Much safer for our roads.

Cons:

• Gum wall tires seems to be a little too soft and frequent punctures especially while riding on the highways.
• The weight of the bike is felt especially when one needs to climb up those western ghat inclines. The groupset helps but if you're not fit you'll struggle.
• Wider tires mean more weight and lower speeds. I max out at ~28kmph over a distance of 40kms.
• Disc brakes. I don't like them. Too many gaps to set and they always rub after a puncture removal.

I identify more as a runner than a cyclist and the bike does good by me. Although I do feel like getting myself a light road bike every now and then. Maybe once Decathlon has some in stock. If Poona folks know of a dealer with availability of road bikes, please let me know.

[ringoism]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Got my bike looked at yesterday...

The balls are special grade and twice the price of the normal Phadke Haud quality balls. Should last much longer, and give better rolling.

Both brake cables inners and outers, as well as the rear shift cable inner and outer was replaced with Alhonga stainless steel cables. The inners in the photo are completely knackered ... lesson learned. I last had them replaced 4 years ago. Alligator. These are twice the price and much better.

Narendra hard at work on my bike. I've known him for over 5 years now and his work is top drawer.

The brakes were tuned. He feels I should replace these basic units (which are pretty worn and rusted now) with full alloy ones, because the adjusting screws on the sides of these go into a plastic body and beyond a point just keep turning and do not hold a setting for long... Shimano or Tektro would be around 800 bucks a pair.

Finally the gears were indexed. He feels that the very slight delay in the upshifts from the biggest 34 cog down to 24 and then beyond, will become much shorter and quicker with the Altus rear derailleur.

Also discussed the possibility of getting a 36 hole free hub instead of the current threaded one, so that I can then move to better gearing options with 7 speed cassettes that unlike the freewheel have a top gear that's 12 (instead of 14) and both 32 and 34 lowest gear option combinations are possible.

Doc, so glad to hear that Blue is running so well now. The little things can make such a difference, and it doens't have to break the bank to have a nice, smooth, reliable machine. Good call on your part re: the better wires and balls.

The stamped-steel V-brakes' screws actually thread into steel nuts behind, and weak springs can be re-bent for more tension, BUT they are genwrally a poor design that regardless of condition are a pain to get right and seldom seem to hold adjustments properly and represent one óf my biggest pains when it comes to servicing budget cycles! Your money will be well-spent on decent alloy ones, I've never needed to touch them on my Merida, despite its having spent a lot of time neglected / parked in the rain, etc...

For your purposes I think the upgrade to the cassette compatible hub will also prove very worthwhile. Shimano's basic 7-speed cassette (12/32?) has an MRP of only about ₹800, so not too expensive to replace and with the right tools, a lot easier than the freewheels - those can get REALLY tight sometimes!

The Altus should also do you right, it's just a much sturdier unit, also can take a knock or two better...

Your bike really seems to be in really good hands, and that's a blessing!

-Eric

[AutoIndian]

Originally Posted by yd_gli

I thought I'll say a hello to all the pedal pushers on this forum!

Hello yd_gli, welcome here yd_gli

If Poona folks know of a dealer with availability of road bikes, please let me know.

You can give a try to DByke Store, Vimanagar, Nagar Road. Few months ago oneof my close friends purchased a Marin Lombard from there for 72K. He has a good collection of major brands.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by ringoism

Doc8, so glad to hear that Blue is running so well now.

The stamped-steel V-brakes' screws actually thread into steel nuts behind, and weak springs can be re-bent for more tension, BUT they are genwrally a poor design that regardless of condition are a pain to get right and seldom seem to hold adjustments properly and represent one óf my biggest pains when it comes to servicing budget cycles! Your money will be well-spent on decent alloy ones, I've never needed to touch them on my Merida, despite its having spent a lot of time neglected / parked in the rain, etc...

For your purposes I think the upgrade to the cassette compatible hub will also prove very worthwhile. Shimano's basic 7-speed cassette (12/32?) has an MRP of only about ₹800, so not too expensive to replace and with the right tools, a lot easier than the freewheels - those can get REALLY tight sometimes!

The Altus should also do you right, it's just a much sturdier unit, also can take a knock or two better...

Your bike really seems to be in really good hands, and that's a blessing!

-Eric

Thanks Eric. Lol it's funny that you mention those long thin rod like extensions of the spring that tuck behind the stamped steel arms. After all the finicky screw adjustments are done to get both arms disengaging and moving equally, bending one spring more and straightening out the other a tad, and reversing, multiple times, is my amateur go-to method of fettling with my brakes and fine tuning them on my own, when I find one rubbing slightly or getting too close to the rim. Your feedback on the all alloy ones reiterates what my mech told me so I think it would be money well spent. Nothing more annoying while riding than to feel through your hands or ass the slight vibration thats transmitted through the frame when a brake is running slightly. Though often I get rid of it on the fly by pumping my brakes a few sharp times, and that often loosens out the offending lazy boy!

We were calculating the cost of the big upgrade coming up post the rains -

Crank (looks like the 48-38-28 is the only biggest one available ... the 50-39-30 is a road bike Claris one and costs a whopping 5600 bucks) - 1400

Freewheel/cassette - 800

Chain 7sp - 400

Freehub - no idea of the cost involved. A lot will depend on whether the current spokes can be re-laced or new ones will need to be bought. Of course keeping the current rim will be key.

All alloy V brakes - 800

Altus rear derailleur - Free

Tyres - Free. The current GRLs have served me beautifully for 5 years and I noticed yesterday that the front one (which used to be the rear, till I switched then around) has started developing small sidewall cracks of age (never been underinflated or left standing). And I have a brand new spare pair of the exact same brilliant Standard Edge white piping tyres lying with me waiting for the change. Worth Gold in today's tyre situation!!!

So I'm looking at easily another 5-7k spent on totally refurbishing Blue. Who I bought in 2017 for 5k. And she's run faultlessly 15,000+ km. A friend knows another ACT in Chennai which gas also clocked thousands of kms.

A bike like the ACT was last sold for 18k in India. Before it was phased out. A similar bike today would easily cost 20-25k. The Montra Trance Pro for example which is a near clone (same Chinese alloy frame and upgraded wheels).

So even with this refurbish she will still cost less than half a similar new bike.

But the main thing is fit and feel. After riding her this long, my body is totally tuned to her. I was miserable when I shifted to a Scott hybrid in 20q8 under the mistaken impression that it would be an upgrade to a superior bike. I was perpetually uncomfortable abd struggling for pace.

That is what my ACT offers me. Which money cannot replace. Nor can I buy afresh.

Cheers, Doc

[goandude]

Originally Posted by ebonho

You will be surprised at what a difference proper alignment of brake shoes (not pads ... those are what are there in disc brakes) make to braking efficiency. Toe-in really works. And once its set-up properly, the brake shoes need to seat into the new contact angle.

Thanks to your suggestion, I adjusted the toe in of the brake shoes and used it for a while to bed in nicely. Then I took a ride down Yellagiri ghat and wow the brakes worked beautifully. Allowed me to reach speeds in the mid 50s before braking at the hairpins.

Thankfully saved some money too

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by goandude

Thanks to your suggestion, I adjusted the toe in of the brake shoes and used it for a while to bed in nicely. Then I took a ride down Yellagiri ghat and wow the brakes worked beautifully. Allowed me to reach speeds in the mid 50s before braking at the hairpins.

Thankfully saved some money too

I don't know what it will come to, but the uproar all over the world cycling community over discs forcefully pushing rim brakes out (industry cartelization) is a lot stronger than when carbon pushed out alloy frames, and briefly alloy frames pushed steel out.

Most of the top favourites, including the winner Pogacar choosing rim over disc for the crucial last two climbing Hors category stages at the Tour have literally ignited the issue. We are on the thin line now of money over actual efficiency.

[shipnil]

Originally Posted by ebonho

Saddle top to top of seat tube clamp:

It would give the same result, but I measure from center of bottom bracket to seat top and keep the same height for both ACT and roadie. Kept the number in a note in case I forget. Still the feel is quite different on both the bikes, even with same height.

On roadie I feel like I am sitting lower while on Act I feel like I am perched on top of something tall.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by shipnil

It would give the same result, but I measure from center of bottom bracket to seat top and keep the same height for both ACT and roadie. Kept the number in a note in case I forget. Still the feel is quite different on both the bikes, even with same height.

On roadie I feel like I am sitting lower while on Act I feel like I am perched on top of something tall.

That's completely the wrong way to do it in my opinion (keeping the saddle height the same for both bikes). Both bikes are different. The ACT came in only one frame size. And it's angles are totally different to the CAAD. Even the crank lengths might be different. More importantly the seat tube (and head rube) angles are totally different.

My ACT is a 19 inch frame. My CAAD is a 54 cm frame. The hybrid and MTB frames are sized from BB center to top of seat tube. Road bike frames are sized by the length of their top tube.

My ACT is 19 inches from BB center to top of seat tube. The CAAD is 22 inches.

My CAAD has a 54 cm top tube (measured from where it meets the seat tube to where it meets the head tube). My ACT in comparison has a 52 cm top tube. But both top tubes are angled very different. The CAAD is nearly horizontal. The ACT is typically upward sloping. So the effective horizontal distance between the seat tube and head tube is actually less for the ACT while still near the same for the CAAD.

All of this translates to the saddle top of the ACT being 4 cm higher above the top of the seat tube clamp compared to the CAAD. 4 cm is huge in saddle height where changes and fine tuning is done in mm, so please set your saddle heights individually using the heel over spindle method as a ballpark and then fine adjusting by feel.

Looking forward to the inputs of other experts.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by shipnil

It would give the same result, but I measure from center of bottom bracket to seat top and keep the same height for both ACT and roadie. Kept the number in a note in case I forget. Still the feel is quite different on both the bikes, even with same height.

On roadie I feel like I am sitting lower while on Act I feel like I am perched on top of something tall.

P.S. Just adding, a new post since the old one's edit window has timed out ...

Using your method (BB center to saddle top)

ACT 110 - 72 cm

CAAD8 - 74.5 cm

So that is why you feel you are sitting lower on your roadie. Because you actually are, probably by quite a lot.

Cheers, Doc

[amol4184]

Got my bike delivered last week and I did handful of 5km and 10km~ rides. Extremely nice, this Triban RC is.
Today I felt the rear tyre has lost some air. I was okay until I realized that the valves are of Presta type and mini air compressor kept in our Thar does not fit.
Ordered a new pump from Amazon but I'm curious if I can make the pump for cars work for bicycles? I could always go out and refill but will prefer doing it at home.

[itisravi]

Originally Posted by amol4184

Got my bike delivered last week and I did handful of 5km and 10km~ rides. Extremely nice, this Triban RC is.
Today I felt the rear tyre has lost some air. I was okay until I realized that the valves are of Presta type and mini air compressor kept in our Thar does not fit.
Ordered a new pump from Amazon but I'm curious if I can make the pump for cars work for bicycles? I could always go out and refill but will prefer doing it at home.

You can get presta to schrader adapters on Amazon. Good to keep one in your puncture kit during rides.

[Sachin Bhatt]

Have been travelling with a PPOF Foldie in my Kodiaq wherever I go just so that I have the bike handy. However, it is never quite settled back in the boot. There are these occasional brakes that make it wobble around. Is there a stand that anyone is aware of that can be used to stack a foldable cycle in the boot of a car so that it doesn’t roll around when the car is moving? Also, which is the best cycle lock that I can buy for a foldable cycle? Thanks in advance.

[ebonho]

Originally Posted by Sachin Bhatt

Have been travelling with a PPOF Foldie in my Kodiaq wherever I go just so that I have the bike handy. However, it is never quite settled back in the boot. There are these occasional brakes that make it wobble around. Is there a stand that anyone is aware of that can be used to stack a foldable cycle in the boot of a car so that it doesn’t roll around when the car is moving? Also, which is the best cycle lock that I can buy for a foldable cycle? Thanks in advance.

I transfer my bikes in the back of my Storme quite often, usually just laying them diagonally to one side. I put a folded newspaper wherever a hard bit is resting on a seat etc. And I tie the bike down front and rear with 2 inch wide long strips cut out of a old MTB cycle tube, permanently kept in the back tailgate pocket of the Storme for exactly that purpose. The bike will not budge an inch regardless of how aggressively I drive or suddenly I brake (the bobbing head doggie on my dashboard flies into the windscreen like clockwork every time though, head bobbing very disapprovingly ...).