So in my quest to further geek out my commuter, I started researching suspension. I know, I know, suspension on a road bike. Anyway, this seatpost has worked it's way into top five favorite commuting gadgets for my bike.
SR Suntour SP8-NCX ~$80
Preload adjustable via an allen key in the bottom of the seatpost.
50mm travel.
Available in 27.2 and 26.8
Weighs a ton (I'll try to get a weight this week)
I have my set up so that it only activates when I hit a bump. No pedal bob or wiggle in the linkage. It takes out all the road chatter that usually gets transmitted to my bottom. I found myself looking for bumps and seams to run over just to try. I do wish it had rebound dampening, but it's not a big deal unless I hit something HUGE.
Oh, last picture is the Velo Orange Wheel Stabilizer. Doesn't do much for me, other than make sure that the front end doesn't swing around and bang into stuff when I have it up on the kickstand.
Michelin also showed off their new Protek Max inner tubes, which use a uniquely bumpy surface and square-shaped cross section that's claimed to be much more resistant to punctures - or more specifically, losing air pressure due to punctures - than standard inner tubes. According to Megavand, the Protek Max's bumpy surface creates a compressive force in the tube wall, in contrast to standard inner tubes where the tube walls are stretched upon inflation.
This means that small punctures which would typically enlarge with conventional stretched tubes instead tend to self-seal. In addition, the curious square cross-sectional shape is said to ease installation by maintaining the correct orientation when inserted into the tire. Michelin still equip each Protek Max tube with some sealant to finish the job, and they claim a two-fold improvement in air retention relative to other pre-sealed tubes.
The Protek Max tubes will be offered with either Presta or Schrader valves in two sizes: 700x35-47c (200g) and 26x1.4-2.125in (260g). Suggested retail price is a surprisingly reasonable $8.99.
I`d go for the clock on the cap thing if I didn`t have quill stems on my bikes. The first one I saw was in the pictures of your commuters thread this spring- sweet!
Ryball, it seems to me you were doing serious research into short travel road bike suspension forks. I don`t suppose you ever found anything still actually available along those lines, did you? I`m surprised that hasn`t developed into a thriving little niche.
The press for the suntour initially hinted at a fender that never materialized. So to retain fender mounts and light weight it came down to the RST. The best place to find these are on fleabay.
I eventually gave up on the idea because I wanted something with clearance for larger tires and could never get a confirmation on what size would fit with fenders.
The RST you linked looks like only 950g for the lightest version- not bad at all, IMO. They look fairly nice, too. But they say disc brake or canti, with no mention of sidepull and I can`t see if it has a brake hole, also no AC listed. That makes me wonder if they`re for 26 inch wheels. Also, no MSRP, but they do list QBP as the US distributor, so I assume they must be available.
I wonder how an old Fuel or Salsa Caballero would work out with drop bars. Considered doing anything like that? Or a Scalpel, maybe?
Back to suspension forks, the one I really dig is called the German A Kilo, (which for some reason weighs in at slightly over a half kilo). Unfortunately, the only way I know of to get one is to buy a whole Dahon Jetstream, which isn`t cheap . Also, it`s for a 406 wheel.
Does the steering stabilizer rattle at all? I think I need to get one of those. I'm tired of having my front wheel flop around on me while I'm trying to work on the bike or lock it up, and I've already got some scratches on my new frame from the brake levers hitting the top tube when the wheels swings around.
Also, partially because of this thread, I'm considering a Thudbuster ST. I imagine it being a worthwhile upgrade to my commuter/tourer.
Got an old toe strap? wrap around the wheel and downtube to prevent the wheel from moving around. I usually keep a pair of old toe straps hanging on the repair stand for this purpose.
Stabilizer does not rattle at all. It is a VERY weak spring, though so don't go in thinking it is going to do all that much. Just want you to understand that before you go buying it. It works, but barely. I still love it.
Look at the spring thickness at the bottom of the picture.
If you look at the bottom of the picture, there is an adjustment knob, but it will only do so much even if you mount it further out. You can stretch out the spring all you want, but in the end, it is not a super strong spring.
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