There's a setting in the GPS for battery type, which doesn't matter except for how it displays the battery meter.

Does my eTrex Vista have this option?  I wasn't aware of it.

I'm on the GDMBR and we are a stop for riders.  I've seen or heard of about a dozen, or so, of these breaking.  I have one in the shop that a rider left here that was broken and I repaired it but have never used it.  A real rack is a much better option.

Gary

Dave, I'll take it.  I have an Epic Eric bag but Patti can use this one.  I think I have your email.  I'll be in touch.

Gary B.

All the GDR racers (that finished) in 05 stopped by our place and they all used racks then.  I think it was at least 06 before we saw any of the new seatbags.  06 was when we learned that beam racks were unable to handle the stress of the GDMBR.  I think Trish broke hers, or maybe Brad, or both.

Gary

After thinking about it this may have been 06?  The finishers were Matthew, Trish, Brad and Kent P.

You should check with Matthew Lee as well, he jumped on board with Jeff early on and may have beat me to the punch for a rackless race system... in GDR 05?  My AZT300 setup for 2006 was rackless w/ sleeping bag in seat bag.

All the GDR racers (that finished) in 05 stopped by our place and they all used racks then.  I think it was at least 06 before we saw any of the new seatbags.  05 was when we learned that beam racks were unable to handle the stress of the GDMBR.  I think Trish broke hers, or maybe Brad, or both.

Gary

[quote author=frejwilk link=topic=1790.msg16109#msg16109 date=1295669206
Not directed to you, but I am interested in a bigger question - The hydraulic vs mechanical question seems to come up here often. Hydraulic reliability seems like a bigger issue here than what I've personally experienced. I'm curious what kind of specific failures people are having. Pretty much the only problems I've had with (any kind of) disc brakes are sticky pistons and warped rotors. Maybe something else is happening that I haven't seen?

FW
[/quote]

Hi Fred!  Thanks for the input.  The Juicys that had an issue were actually on Patti's bike.  They were 2 years old but she doesn't ride all that much.  I had changed the fluid one time in that 2 years.  The master cylinder plunger started binding, the lever was slow to return and notchy feeling.  I was planning to rebuild it but when the LBS called Sram about parts they just sent a new pair of Elixers.  The Elixers that failed were on my bike, I finally decided to try hydros.  They were only about 3 months old and a seal blew on the rear caliper with no symptoms before hand.  It was well below freezing at the time but that shouldn't be a factor.

I liked the performance of the Elixers.  I didn't like that the lever free travel would change during a ride, apparently due to temperature changes in the fluid.  I've put the BB7s back on for now and after using the Elixers I'm pretty happy with the performance of the BB7s.  With better rotors, good cables and proper set up the BB7s work pretty darn well for a 140 lb rider.  I still, slightly, prefer the feel and modulation of the hydros though.  I see some XTs in my future.

Thanks everyone for your input!

Anyone wanna buy some Elixer 5s?

In theory hydraulic disc brakes should be just as reliable as those on a car.  This hasn't been my experience.  I've had failures on Juicys and Elixers.  I've gone back to my BB7s and I may just leave 'em on, I don't want to be two days from nowhere with a non-functioning brake.  But, I know the bulk of you are running hydros.  Which do you consider extremely reliable as well as performing well?  I'm leaning towards XTs if I go the hydro route.  I can get a deal on Shimano and Magura.

In Avid's defense they have warrantied both the Juicy and Elixers and the Juicys were a couple of years old when they failed. 

Gary

Hi!  Gary Blakley here.  I got a private message from Matthew on this post.  I'm in Del Norte which is just north of Indiana Pass, the highest point on the GDMBR.

It's too soon to tell this year when Indiana Pass might be open.  Normally the USFS does not plow it, they let it open up on its own.  Typically it is around mid June  before it can be driven.  So far it's looking like maybe it will be early his year.  On a bike you can do it as early as you care to as long as you don't mind post holing through the snow, it could take a day or a week to get through though.

Email me at gcblakley AT gmail.com as the date gets closer and I can keep you up to date on the snow conditions locally, at least for the south San Juans.  So far we're pretty close to average snow fall, the La Garitas and the Sangre De Cristos are below average but all that can and probably will change in the next couple of months.

Indiana Pass can be detoured, as can Marshall and Canero, it involves almost all road riding.

Be sure to look us up if and when you come through!   

I have a helmet mount AA battery version 200L.  I'd like to have the handlebar mounted version of the same light.  Anyone wanna trade just the lighting head?

Gary

Take a look at this new(ish) builder:
http://ampeircecycles.com/index.html

For just a bit more than a Siren or Salsa you could design your frame any way you want.  Andy is also using Black Cat swinging dropouts, which I really, really like, so you can go geared, single or dingle.  I have always thought that an off the shelf frame was fine for me, being the frugal (cheap) guy I am.  I am SO very glad I got my custom frame.  If you know exactly what you want in a frame it could be your best option in the long run.  Also check out Waltworks for an affordable custom.

Gary 

As an old guy who's been riding for over 25 years I find the 9 to 10 argument the same one I was seeing when we went from 8 to 9 spd.  It's interesting that most everyone has now accepted 9 spd as OK.  Does this mean that in 10 years most everyone will be fine with 10spd?

FWIW, I still ride 7 spd when I run gears on my road and cross bike.  Dinglespeed on the 29er.  I feel the bigger gaps between gears is actually good for your legs once you give them time to adapt, and at 54 years, riding dinglespeed actually has my knees in better shape than they've ever been.  YMMV.

Gary

What a great idea, Mike.    The star nut might also work to remove outboard BB bearings to replace with Enduro bearings, I'll be playing with this idea!

Bike looks great!

Gary - are you flipping a wheel or using a dingle ss freewheel setup? I'm having similar thoughts - would love to mirror my FG setup which I think is going to work at 32/21 and 36 or 38/17. White Ind. only offers their DOS in 17/19. Any other options out there?

I'm using a Hope Pro 2 SS cassette hub with two cogs on it.  My bike (VooDoo Dambala) has sliding (vertical) dropouts and I can do the gear change in just a few seconds, I use a QR skewer on the axle.  By having the same total gear teeth 32/21 and 36/17 my chain tension needs no adjustment when changing gears.

Using a hub with a thread on freewheel limits your options to White Ind. I think.

Gary

now to figure out gearing.
currently on the the crosscheck i run a 17/19 dinglecog rear and 38/40 up front.
the low end @ 19/38 is too tall for the woods when it gets steep and rooty.


i have a 17/21 dingle on the way. so maybe i'll see a 32/38 or 30/36 up front.
and there is the 22t freewheel i have mounted flip side that i need to calc into the equation.

or maybe i'll just figure out something reasonable for fixed to the dirt, then ss in the dirt.

Mike, I've been running dinglespeed since 06.  I like to coast though...  I run 32/21 and 36/17. Live at 8,000' in CO and go up from here.   I love dinglespeed, I find getting to and from trails too boring with just a trail gear and I use the higher gear for a lot of jeep roads, two tracks, etc.

Gary

Gary - I'm on 55's too - but the ETT on the 16" would have been only 2 cm longer - the 18" is 23.6" (actually 600mm as listed on the spec sheet) so I'm picking up some real estate to the cockpit - but HT size and angle and not needing the stack height and 14cm stem I need on the cross check should favor the longer ETT. Should hopefully get me back to a 90 or 100cm stem. I could even live with 80 if the handling was not compromised.

Mike, for what it's worth I run an 11 cm stem on my road bike and a 10 cm on my cross bike, both with 55cm TT.  On my 29er I have used a 10cm stem but like a 9cm (with barends for climbing) better for techy stuff.  So, I'd suggest starting with a 9cm and maybe give an 8cm a try to see which you like best.  I also run a flat bar with 11° of sweep which effectively shortens the reach a bit.  It sounds like you're on the right track.

Gary

If your custom bike was right on, I say get the one with the ETT closest to that.

I mostly agree, Chris.  The first thing I look at on a frame is ETT length, then standover and head/seat angle.  But, if his custom frame was designed for drop bars he would have a shorter toptube than a frame designed for flat bars.  My road and cross bikes have a 55 cm TT and my 29er has a 23" (58.4) TT.

Gary

Thanks Chris!  Unfortunately the reviews on MTBR show this model to have questionable reliability.  I assume yours worked fine all through TD?  I'll have to do some research and see if any of the wired, not wireless, VDO models have the mileage adjustment feature, maybe they're more reliable?

Gary

Thanks Rodar!  That's just the info I wanted.  Too bad you can't set it backwards too.  It sure seems that the computer makers are missing the boat on this useful feature, it wouldn't be too hard for them to incorporate, I'd think.

Gary

I have a VDO (MC1.0, wired) but I`m not quite sure I understand what you`re asking by "resetable in either direction".  Are you talking about the mount? ay not be able to answwer even if you explain the question again, but I`ve got the manual handy so I`ll look it up if you want.

Thanks for responding.  By resettable I mean that if your que sheet, map, etc. says a turn should be at, say, 31.6 miles and when you get there your odometer reads 32.4 miles you'd have the ability to reset your odometer to 31.6 miles.  Then you'd know that when the mileage for the next turn shows on your que sheet you ought to be pretty close on your odometer.  Make sense?

We have been riding the GDMBR in sections this summer on the weekends and where we start isn't where the map starts at zero miles.  If we could set our odometer to the miles on the map at (our) start it would make the route finding much easier.  We'd also have the option to fine tune it to the route miles if the odometer mileage was off from the map/que sheet miles.

Chris P used a VDO bike computer on the TD.  Kurt R told me about it and then I totally forgot to ask Chris about it while he was here.  Anyway, it is resettable in either direction, apparently, by any amount?  This sounds like a really, really good thing if you are following a que sheet to keep your mileage agreeing with the sheet or to reset the milage after missing a turn, buying supplies off route, etc.  Motorcycles have had this forever and I've always wondered why bike computers don't.  Should we buy one?  Are they reliable and do they do what we need them to do?  Any particular model?  Thanks!

Gary