Catalyzt
Well-Known Member
- Region
- USA
So Catalyzt is feeling hella stupid, as my younger friends would say.
I just posted about carrying my weight-weenie tool-kit, proudly describing the tools I carry... but as I raced out the door today for a 20 mile ride with a friend, did I strap those tools to the new Marin Build?
No, I did not. I had removed them from the Moto. They were sitting next to the Marin. I consciously decided not to bring them, I know, in what must have been just a moment of abject senselessness.
We did have a great ride, and fortunately, we were well on my way back when there was a curious bouncing motion to the ride... I locked out the front suspension, though I knew the bouncing was from the rear. Yup-- slow blowout. I probably had 5 PSI by the time I stopped, and no tools.
I still have a lot of work to do on The Marin Build (not named yet) -- mainly the gearing isn't right yet, and I'd already been planning to go tubeless, but I discovered a few of its finer points on this ride:
* (Unrelated to blowout.) It can do 25.5 MPH on the flats, but man, it's a lot of work to get it to that speed! 24.5 is more maintainable, but still a serious workout.
* (Unrelated to blowout) 2.3 tires with high pressure are manageable for sand with patches up to two inches deep, though my buddy's 2.7s (on his Serial 1) were, obviously and noticeably, more stable.
* It is really nice during a breakdown to be dealing with a 42 pound bike instead of a 47 pound bike, and to have a battery that is so easy to remove.
* It is really nice having a bike that is so easy to turn upside down (with the battery off.)
* The bike will fit in the back of my wife's Prius V without even taking the front wheel off.
This could have been a lot worse. In retrospect, given that I don't know how to use a patch kit, I don't know that my tools would have helped. (With tubeless tires, it might have, I do have selant.) This could have been a LOT worse, I was only 6 miles from home, nothing compared to the mishaps many of you have had. But I'm going tubeless ASAP and will always bring my tools.
I just posted about carrying my weight-weenie tool-kit, proudly describing the tools I carry... but as I raced out the door today for a 20 mile ride with a friend, did I strap those tools to the new Marin Build?
No, I did not. I had removed them from the Moto. They were sitting next to the Marin. I consciously decided not to bring them, I know, in what must have been just a moment of abject senselessness.
We did have a great ride, and fortunately, we were well on my way back when there was a curious bouncing motion to the ride... I locked out the front suspension, though I knew the bouncing was from the rear. Yup-- slow blowout. I probably had 5 PSI by the time I stopped, and no tools.
I still have a lot of work to do on The Marin Build (not named yet) -- mainly the gearing isn't right yet, and I'd already been planning to go tubeless, but I discovered a few of its finer points on this ride:
* (Unrelated to blowout.) It can do 25.5 MPH on the flats, but man, it's a lot of work to get it to that speed! 24.5 is more maintainable, but still a serious workout.
* (Unrelated to blowout) 2.3 tires with high pressure are manageable for sand with patches up to two inches deep, though my buddy's 2.7s (on his Serial 1) were, obviously and noticeably, more stable.
* It is really nice during a breakdown to be dealing with a 42 pound bike instead of a 47 pound bike, and to have a battery that is so easy to remove.
* It is really nice having a bike that is so easy to turn upside down (with the battery off.)
* The bike will fit in the back of my wife's Prius V without even taking the front wheel off.
This could have been a lot worse. In retrospect, given that I don't know how to use a patch kit, I don't know that my tools would have helped. (With tubeless tires, it might have, I do have selant.) This could have been a LOT worse, I was only 6 miles from home, nothing compared to the mishaps many of you have had. But I'm going tubeless ASAP and will always bring my tools.