Jason S

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213

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I'm a commuter mostly, about 20km a day, for the last 15 years, in all weather. Sydney weather is not too harsh though.

I've done a little cycle touring. Most recently circumnavigating Samoa in early 2011.

I did a few weeks as a bicycle courier back in the 90s whilst on holidays from my permanent job.

	1,028 reputation	bio	website		visits	member for	1 year, 10 months
213 badges		location			seen	2 days ago

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45 Comments

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May 24	comment	What happened? tube blew the rim? You were lucky this didn't happen whilst riding at speed! A useful reminder for us all to check rim wear when using rim brakes, or to check for cracks in the rim and replace immediately.
Jan 7	comment	English vs Italian bottom bracket - chainline considerations @fideli I removed the discussion about longer tapers, since you are right, the JIS taper should be the same length.
May 30	comment	Are there any 'anti-fly' masks on the market? @KenHiatt You should make that an answer :-) Although, I work next to a dietitian and she says flies have almost no body mass and you're going to pass them out pretty quick and so you won't be getting much protein from them. Might have to up the estimate on the number of flies per energy bar.
Apr 10	comment	How do I cut hydraulic brake hose without expensive tools? I ended up finding a cheap $20 Jagwire cutter online in Australia. I have to say it was not worth the $20. Two things make it worthless. 1. The blade is so slim it flexes. Even though the blade comes down on the hose, it still flexes and doesn't cut straight. 2. The section to hold the hose perpendicular to the blade is too short, so it is not great for holding it perpendicular.
Mar 11	comment	How to measure the correct belt drive tension? @DanielRHicks I doubt the belt stretched, unless it is damaged. That is one of the major reasons to go with a belt. No stretch. Sounds like the iPhone App is inconsistent though, also judging by zenbike's comment to my answer.
Mar 11	comment	How to measure the correct belt drive tension? @Moab I'm curious as to whether you have a belt drive bicycle and use this method on your bicycle.
Mar 11	comment	How to measure the correct belt drive tension? @zenbike Thanks for being specific. Hopefully what has become clear from the OP and answers is that "press hard" and "1/4 to 1/2" movement" is far too vague for belt drive bicycles and that the correct belt tension is critical to safety and proper function, and the margin or tolerance of correct tension is small. Thus belt drives bicycles are nothing like chains, as a chain can tolerate quite a difference in tension. I think the use of torque wrenches is a good parallel. If you have vast amounts of experience, you may not need them. Even then, to assure customers, shops will.
Mar 11	comment	How to measure the correct belt drive tension? @zenbike Thanks for the real world experience. I don't have a belt drive so haven't used the app. I posted because I read about it when considering a belt drive.
Feb 15	comment	How do I cut hydraulic brake hose without expensive tools? @heltonbiker I'm not so sure. I tried using a couple of methods. One was to use the blocks that come with Shimano cables to try and guide the cut. That didn't give a perfect cut. I then got a cheap Jagwire cutter for $20 (I found one in Oz). That wasn't great either. The blade flexes and didn't cut perfectly perpendicular. I inserted the insert anyway and if it is not perfectly straight you'll get leaks between hose and insert. That is what happened. So I'll do it again but using a small mitre box and knife.
Jan 31	comment	Can a worn drive-train be upgraded incrementally or should it be all at once? @DanielRHicks You are right, but I was mostly just answering "I'm a little bit leery about throwing good money after bad into a used bike" (which other answers hadn't), by pointing out there could be many more maintenance costs down the track with the old bike. Hence the recommendation for someone to look at it and assess future costs.
Jan 31	comment	Can a worn drive-train be upgraded incrementally or should it be all at once? @LarryOBrien Yep, if you're not sure if you'll stick to it then maybe spend a little to get going, and 30 miles (50km), is around about where you can get away with a few worn parts. Unless you're really keen on tinkering though, even if you stick to 30 miles, you'll probably find yourself weighing up options of new vs repairing old. Although that depends highly on how serviceable the old one is. Only someone who has seen your bike can have an idea of that.
Jan 13	comment	How do I cut hydraulic brake hose without expensive tools? I'm in Australia and none of the hydraulic cable cutters on Amazon ship to Australia, and I can't find these at the LBS.
Jan 13	comment	How do I cut hydraulic brake hose without expensive tools? This is probably what I'll do, but I'd like a bit more info on how I can get the cut perfectly square.
Dec 26	comment	Did any manufacturer ever try using more, but lighter spokes to minimize weight? @user973810 You need two holes in the rim for each spoke (through the cross section of rim). Surely that will offset the weight of the spoke and nipple a bit (not sure how much).
Dec 15	comment	Safest way to slow down a bike quickly if both sets of brakes fail Takes me back to riding a BMX in the 80s. The Comp III was the tire to have then. I don't remember the pain, but hey, we was young and that was a long time ago.
Dec 12	comment	How long is it safe to store new tires before they degrade in quality? Did you ask the manufacturer? Maybe they can give you info since they have to store tires themselves.
Dec 8	comment	What type of tires can prevent goatheads? Schwalbe Durano Plus is probably the most puncture resistant road bike tire.
Dec 7	comment	Do 29 inch wheels make a difference? Hasn't this been asked before (and more clearly)? bicycles.stackexchange.com/q/2681/2148
Nov 29	comment	What type of brakes are best for mountain bike racing? I find my (Shimano) hydraulic disc brakes less maintenance. As they wear, no need to adjust, unlike V-brakes that need to be adjusted as they wear. Newer Shimano "Servo wave" have better pad clearance, so less rubbing and better in the mud. I have some on order so can't speak from experience yet. I have no affiliations btw.
Nov 18	comment	Rack (+ Pannier) for a bike with disc brakes I haven't been on a full off-road tour with these, but I've done about 1000 km of commuting with them carrying about 10-15kg, trying them on the front and rear. They are great! I've had Old Man Mountain, and Topeak racks for disc brakes. These feel just as good. You can mount them front or rear, even to suspension fork! or if you have no mount points on rear triangle. Get the side mounts though if you're running panniers. Can't agree with @Moz here. These feel solid.