here is what will hopefully be a semi irregular review of parts tech tips and who knows what else .
haro steel reserve 1.1
good bike nice build quality. stock rear only brake is weak. rear hub is a joytek i think maybe formula. no makers mark so not sure. haro doesn't know at least the people i have asked. which sucks because its the best low buck hub i have ever seen and used. sealed bearings lasted for over three months. long time for me doing trials on 26" wheels with 2.4 tires. huge task for stock hub the catch cant get parts or hubs from haro. oh and when it failed it did not try to kill me. it let me know it was sick first with some clicks. so i looked at it and it needs 10 or 15 dollars in parts i cant get. atomlab just failed no warning just snap and i mean really loud and murdered me almost.
shimano zee brakes
great power and modulation i did break a rear caliper . was using a shimano 180mm adapter with a hope rotor. nice rotors worth the money. shimano warranted the caliper. all good in the end. i like resin pads better both are great.
atomlab pimpe lite ss hub
it looks great super stiff. doesn't like my style if riding. cast cassette driver could not take the strain. tossed me over the bars at a bad time. good hub i guess but not for me. no parts available in u.s.a. so there is a lag getting things up and running.
990s(brakes for bmx)
i needed an upgrade to my stock brakes on my fly isla .great bike 21.5 top tube. 4130 short rear end . good build quality. nice clean welds. back to the brakes tektro TPR fx950. light weight great power good modulation .sealed bearing pivot cnc .look great. will not work with knarps very well or at all . great race quality brake not a park street brake .
odyssey evolver 2 bomb proof 990 pricy but worth it. i'm using diatech tech 77 levers . the daddy of levers same as they used to be 25 years ago . the brakes easy setup. snappy feel two spring options. be prepared to cut the bolts down. little to long for removable mounts. a favorite for dirt (old guys) street(old guys) flat land .
with brakeless being all the rage not much has changed in the last 20 years as far as brakes go(for bmx).the cables are
better .i am a trials rider dead stops are what you need, that being said 990 not bad good power not magura rim brake good but not bad.
velo orange hubs & headset
going to be building a set of 27" wheels for a resto mod. hubs arrived in a nice plush pouch good feel . look great nice skewers. headset also seems to be nice looks old school clean. no big stripes loud colors just polished goodness. will be using some other goodies on this bike. will post results on kmc super light hollow pin 9 speed chain shimano derailure combo
madera hubs
been running them for about two months now and flawless one of the i think best for the money. made by profile made in the usa. same internals as profile mini hub.9 or 10 tooth driver 13 - 16 tooth cassette.
the weather is getting chilly you bicycle needs some love if its going to treat you wright. seems like chains get overlooked by many riders. chain wear can lead to expensive repairs poor shifting and dirty pants. while the chain ring grease stamp on you leg says i ride it also says i don't clean my chain.
dirt is suspended in the lube on your chain.wich acts like sandpaper on the pins and plates in the chain and the teeth ofyour sprockets and cogs as well as derailure pulleys. all you need is some wags citrus degreaser warm water a little time. most newer chains have quick links (mulit speed bikes)some bmx bikes have master links. if you have something like a dura ace or a half link they have no master so a chain tool and replacement pin is needed for removal.
if you remove make some warm water add degreaser soak rinse repeat. an old toothbrush is a great little scrub brush. dry .while your there clean your chain rings and cogs give the pulleys a wipe. an old shoelace is great for cleaning out between your cogs. for on bike cleaning use a spray bottle for degreaser spray on chain sprockets more is better. .oh put some news paper (new york times is a good one)underneath your bike do it outside. that keeps wife's everywhere happier. rinse dry install lube. stand back have a look at it. feel good about it. your bike will love you for it and it will save you money in the long run.
still having some shifting troubles .bent derailleur hangers are a common occurrence. we can help you out with that. it being aligned is key to proper shifting some systems are more sensitive to misalignment than others. i wont name names.
so get out there turn a couple of wrenches. get a little dirty. have some fun. bicycles are one of the last simple elegant machines left in our complicated busy lives. not many things left that you can see how they work from the outside. exposed gears and chain spinning clicking the same way they have for almost 200 years. Show less
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