I’ve played with a lot of modern technical packs in the last couple of seasons but the concept of a classic ‘canvas and leather’ rucksack was always on my mind. 21 Large, which I was lusting after for more than a year. This is a pack I’ve been coveting…and last week finally I pulled the trigger on it! The Fjällräven No. Either that or a crazy expensive British-made leather weekender. The Medium version might fit my torso size better. I just love everything about it: 1000D Cordura, Cobra buckle, its style. The stickers are replaceable, so I may get some new ones in the future.I’m gonna go for the Mixed Works Falcon M. It is really easy to maintain. Everything just wipes right off. The SEVEN on the down tube is still intact. The first casualty was my name sticker followed by the Axiom SL stickers. I bought this bike in 2011 and the titanium tubing is still as fresh as the day I brought it home. If I ever think about building up a new Seven today, I still don't think I'd go with disc brakes. I don't get disc rub or alignment issues. I never find myself wishing I had more stopping power. Caliper brakes are never difficult or ineffective. Now, eleven years on, I still feel the same way, I don't think I lose anything from not having disc brakes. Would there be a consistent standard for road discs? The more I thought about it and all the things I didn't like about my cyclocross discs, the more I was sure any benefits weren't worth it. There were too many questions surrounding their specifications, necessity and wider use. I was an early adopter on my old cyclocross frames, but opted for the tried old caliper brakes on this bike because the future of road discs was still far from certain. Maybe the biggest difference is the proliferation of disc brakes. If I cared, I could still get this bike the same weight as the newest carbon wonder. The weights have come down a little, but the weights are still roughly within a couple grams. But let me take a look at where bicycles have gone since I bought this bike. In the middle of all this Covid madness, it has been nice to reach for the bicycle and get out into the hills away from crowds and people. my aluminum front derailleur clip finally cracked. I know Look stopped selling the old S-Track pedals, so I bought two sets at discount prices. I haven't had to think much about them unless I am updating this post. Update (): I am still very much in love with my indestructible S-Track pedals. After a couple years of use, they are still in excellent shape and still lock snugly to the cleat. They do not get sloppy over time as the CB pedals do. I have since switched to the Look S-Track pedal, which has superior grip, more like a road pedal. Update: I have given up on Crank Brothers. They easily engage, and they look great, they’re light, but I have been unexpectedly popping out lately. Sometimes I think they give be too much float and I sometimes feel I slide too much with them. A couple weeks ago there were several riders who removed their expensive Speedplay equipped shoes to hike the last couple kilometers to Wuling. I often find myself walking somewhere for something. Yes, I am sure it is bad form to ride mountain bike pedals with a fancy road bike like I have, but for all intents and purposes it makes a lot of sense in Taiwan. Another refugee from my old bike were the Crank Brothers Eggbeater pedals.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |