Just took delivery of an Ocean Current

[Optimus Prime]

The box was in poor shape with half of one side completely blown out but everything seems like it’s still in there. Right off the bat I notice that instead of the Kenda tires I got a pair of no name jobs, and I literally mean no name. Just a tire size printed on the sidewall. I’ll keep this thread updated as I go through assembly.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Yeah, these are not Kenda tires.

Small item but the plastic protective cap that sits where the power wires go into the axle is missing.

 

[Tora Harris]

The short answer is that we have made the change to the “Bomber” tires as they are fatter, roll better and look cooler.

The long answer is much more interesting and I will explain a little later.

 

[KAM1952]

The short answer is that we have made the change to the “Bomber” tires as they are fatter, roll better and look cooler.

The long answer is much more interesting and I will explain a little later.

Tora..you need to update the web site......and a letter packed with the bikes explaining the tire change would have been nice.....just saying....

 

[Optimus Prime]

The short answer is that we have made the change to the “Bomber” tires as they are fatter, roll better and look cooler.

The long answer is much more interesting and I will explain a little later.

Looking forward to that...

 

[jazz]

Kenda Block 8's are terrible. Tora did you a favor and saved you some $$.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Kenda Block 8's are terrible. Tora did you a favor and saved you some $$.

Yes I didn’t really like the look of the tread pattern on those Kendal’s and had it in my mind that I would switch to Schwalbe Big Apples. The no names he has on there now are wider than the Kendra’s or the Schwalbe and I do like the look.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I have the bike ready to go! Assembly was in fact easy. The hardest thing was to get the disc brakes adjusted properly. This is only the second time I’ve worked on disc brakes and the first we’re hydraulic so no complaint there. I also switched the stock handlebars for a set with a higher rise and the saddle for one more comfortable. Not that there was anything wrong or low quality with either, just that they didn’t fit me personally. The grips I found a bit too hard and abrasive so I replaced those too. I’ve decided to leave the tires as they are for now because I like the look of the 2.5 width and haven’t seen anything in a high quality street tread to replace them.

 

[Reid]

Wow, how nice it would be if the CCS could take a 2.5" wide tire! (just wishing...)

Am glad Tora has even upgraded the tires to something better than spec'd!

This is a great thread. Enjoy your new ride!

 

[Optimus Prime]

Ok so I put a charge into the battery and went for a short shakedown cruise around the block. The bike rides great with smooth power from that torque sensor. The chain was slapping around quite a bit especially in the higher gears. Looking at it I can see that it is at least 5 links too long. In these pictures you can see that even in the lowest gear the derailleur is straight up and down. The chain has no master link so I’m unsure how to reconnect after shortening, I’ve heard it’s not good to reuse a rivet.

 

[Barry S]

Park Tool has an excellent video on how to size a chain. I use a missing link to connect the ends of my chain, which is explained in the video. I replaced my bike chain for the first time about a month ago and it was easier than I anticipated. One tip: use gloves.

 

[Spikeytree]

Ok so I put a charge into the battery and went for a short shakedown cruise around the block. The bike rides great with smooth power from that torque sensor. The chain was slapping around quite a bit especially in the higher gears. Looking at it I can see that it is at least 5 links too long. In these pictures you can see that even in the lowest gear the derailleur is straight up and down. The chain has no master link so I’m unsure how to reconnect after shortening, I’ve heard it’s not good to reuse a rivet.

I believe that the bike is using a KMC chain so you can just cut the chain and rejoin it with a KMC missing link (1 link about $3-5). I noticed that the chain on my CCA was too long but it didn't find out until i replaced the chain this pass week.

 

[Optimus Prime]

I believe that the bike is using a KMC chain so you can just cut the chain and rejoin it with a KMC missing link (1 link about $3-5). I noticed that the chain on my CCA was too long but it didn't find out until i replaced the chain this pass week.

You are exactly right! And as luck would have it I had a KMC link from a spare chain for another bike so I removed the excess 8 links and the chain went back together easy as pie. So much better now with the proper length chain, much less slapping. I still plan on getting one of those neoprene chain stay protectors though.

 

[Optimus Prime]

After my test ride I gave the spokes the squeeze and pluck test and found that many of the spokes were loose. Reading about others who suffered spoke breakage I wonder if this is the root cause. So I went around each wheel tightening the spokes until they would play a sweet note when plucked with my fingernail. I want to say some of the spokes were completely dead until tightened quite a bit. I'm hoping this will keep my wheels happy for the idea of replacing broken spokes is unappealing to say the least. I plan to recheck after a month of two in case any loosen up again.

 

[Spikeytree]

After my test ride I gave the spokes the squeeze and pluck test and found that many of the spokes were loose. Reading about others who suffered spoke breakage I wonder if this is the root cause. So I went around each wheel tightening the spokes until they would play a sweet note when plucked with my fingernail. I want to say some of the spokes were completely dead until tightened quite a bit. I'm hoping this will keep my wheels happy for the idea of replacing broken spokes is unappealing to say the least. I plan to recheck after a month of two in case any loosen up again.

Loose spokes or insufficient tension is a huge root cause for most spoke breakage. This is a popular problem for most mass production bike and our bikes are no exception. However the spoke breakage on some of the earlier bikes were due to the poor fitment of spokes. The 12g spokes did not sit completely inside the hub spoke holes so only a part of the spoke were taking the load causing a premature failure even with sufficient tension. I just got done rebuilding my rear wheel with higher quality 13g spokes so i hope i wont have any spoke issues from this point on.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Ok, after riding around a few miles I decided to go around and check all nuts and bolts for sufficient tightness. Everything looked good except for the two nuts I never would have guessed to be loose. The rear axle bolts definitely were in need of tightening, especially the left side which needed about a half turn before it felt secure. So the lesson is don’t take anything for granted, it’s our responsibility to check even the stuff the factory assembled.

 

[Optimus Prime]

Thanks for the update. Did you ever take the bike to a LBS and have them give it the once-over? It's totally worth the nominal fee they charge and can save lots of headache down the road.

No, I enjoy tinkering and so learning about the nuances of this bike is very enjoyable.