Saturday, May 08, 2010

Well, it's not the Crankset.

While I wasn't riding this past week I took an in depth look at the way I was adjusting the EBB on the Dillinger and what I found was that it probably wasn't in the right place, that is a little over to one side or the other. I did however, throw on my old cranks to see if that would make a difference. Of course, riding in the yard, as I found, is not a good way to test. Riding yesterday on trails was and while it started out quiet is quickly degraded.

It all changes on that first climb where you are standing on the pedals and torquing up the drive train. I have tried shims, and I had a post about that but I retraced it when someone showed me that they have the same gaps in their BB shell. I have also tried teflon tape and that didn't seem to help. I might try Bikeman's EBB, which uses an expanding nylon pad. From reading some of the reviews, apparently the squeak is common on EBBs.

The other question is whether the BB shell is ovalized or not. If it is, Bikeman's EBB isn't going to help at all. I have a question into Soul Cycles to find out how to determine whether ovalization has occurred. The way the topic came up seems to me that it has come up before and might be common amongst the second generation of Dillingers.
I was hoping to hit Bennett's Pond on my home from work on Friday because I was working at our other office but had to be back in Danbury for an afternoon meeting so after work I went over to Huntington again. It's funny but when you ride there frequently as I am doing these days you begin notice regular riders. Like the guy who works for the Bethel Water Company. He drives the bronze jeep that I recognize in the parking lot but he seems to get there earlier than most people and is finishing up when I arrive. Then there are these two older guys, both on Cannondale hard tails and both wearing toe straps. Of course, I run into a lot of people that I know from NEMBA and the mountain biking community, too.

I decided to hit the Rock and Roll Trail first but I don't know what I was thinking because I hit in the wrong direction for a singlespeed ride. South to North is the way to ride it if on the Singlespeed because the other direction is tough without granny to help on the technical climbs. Never-the-less, it was fun to get reacquainted with this trail and to get the trail building juices flowing for when I start my next project there.

Only having an hour to ride doesn't really leave much options. I should have just done a speed lap on the 8 mile course but I had my hydrapack with me and felt that I was there for more casual riding. So, after chewing up a lot of time on the Rock and Roll I headed over to the Big Burn and went to do the Saddle Roller.

After a quick 5 mile ride yesterday, after not riding all week, I finally feel human again. All the stress from work this past week disappeared, in fact, by riding more I think it makes the work week easier to deal with, because if I am not riding I am thinking about riding or wishing I am riding. When I riding regularly, I don't have that stress because I know I am going to ride.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

The Phil EBB is really good. I have it on my Singular and its great. never slipped in the Singular frame.
-Matt (Southern NH NEMBA)