GoLefty!!

Indeed the wax based lube used for coating the chains at the factory is a high grade chain lube as used for motorcycles. Its just applied via an automatic applicator and excess is wiped off before the chain is packed , sealed and boxed. Wipe off the excess, fit it and go ride.

It means you have applied to much lube.

Shimano did think this one through and they're banking on their rband loyal riders prefering a 2x set up. The key point is a wider range and 22 shifts vs a narrower range and 11 shifts. to someone riding marathon's over varied terrain over a few days the option of 22 shifts is much more appealing because it removes the what if factor. also Shimano's front derailleur technology is superb and makes it an easy item to life with. SRAM has never matched Shimano in this area and by doing away with the front derailleur they shed a weakness and overcome it with a better thought out sprocket set. What Shimano i sbanking on is that the majority of riders will prefer to have the safer option of more available shifts. I think they may have got it right from a mass market marketing perspective.

well does the 80W 90 take longer to drain? This does not hold true for any of the oils I've blended because they did not contain high levels of tackifier. These oils did nto take longer to drain because they were blended from the same base oils used for a 15W 40. SAE numbers are not absolute values but denote a ISO visocosity range. Scroll to the bottom of the page. It shaows comparative viscosities for SAE oils vs their actual ISO viscosities: http://www.tribology-abc.com/abc/viscosity.htm#SAE306

Silicone based greases are flipping expensive anyway! Try Dow Corning for a real shocker.

do you have a name for it?

You're not making any sense. Viscosity is not the issue, the understanding of what constitutes a 15W40 or a 80W 90 is more than viscosity. A base oil meeting 15W and 75W/80W are very similar in ISO viscosity. BAse oils meeting SAE 40 and SAE 90 are similar in ISO viscoisty. SAE differenttiates between a PCMO and a gear oil by changing the classification of the oils in their J300 table. Pouring the oils out you will find the engine oil and gear oil will flow similarly. they will not flow similarly once they hit a surface though because the gear oil has been modified with a different additive package and the gear oil has more tackifier. This changes the the way the oil is behaving against that surface. It does not change the fact that the 15W 40 and 80W90 or 75W 90 are blended with the same base oils! I used to put the base oils, additives and soaps together to make all kinds of oils and greases for a very large multinational oil company. I think I know a little bit about how to make a lubricant.....

By chainsaw lube do you mean 2-stroke oil or do you mean the sticky oil thats applied to the cutting chain? If the latter, there is way too much tackifier in there for you to be able to apply it properly. If you can mix it with another lube like a engine oil then it will work. The tackifier is helpful but there will be a mess. Problem with mountain bikers is that they see a messy chain as a bad thing. As long as the dirt is not inside the chain theres no real big problem with the dirt. Externally it is not going to create much haovc since it will just get squeezed out. Dirt inside the chain roller is the problem. But we mos don't like all that dirt on our bling bling

No they're not. Have you used both to compare them? The USE develops side to side play very very quickly

The argus is also too short in terms of time in the saddle for Sauser to really be competitive.

still have those 26" Schwalbe's in stock?

Do they still offer the puzzle medal? You have to finish 5 in a row to have the whole medal?

I think the 650B is a better compromise on bike fit, centre of gravity and resulting handling. Even though the 29ers have some good stand over numbers, those numbers are measured at a low point on the top tube and typically at a point just ahead of the saddle where the designer thinks you will mostly likely be positioned for stand over. This is true when sizing the bike on the shop floor but does not hold true for out on the trail comfort. If you're concerend with standover height and have your hart set on a 29 then the Cannondale Scalpel has about the lowest stand over height of all the 29'ers, a whole inch lower than the Scott 900 range in the size small. If I had to buy a new bike today it would be a 650

I find a 29x34 to be more than enough for most climbs around the western cape when I'm blown. A 36T on a 1x11 should be more than enough. A 34T CR should give you enough safety net. If not, are you fit enough to be riding such an event?

what wheel size?

how should I know without knowing what else you're doing. Look up SAE J300. Its a table that lists ISO viscosities for oils in the SAE classification ranges. The only difference is the additive package in the gear oil. the oil you're using may contain more tackifier than the PCMO oil you tried. Hard to help you explain whats happening with the very light anecdotes you provided.

LOL..... 80w 90 gear oil is the exact same viscosity as a 15W 40 PCMO Only difference is the addition of a high dose of EP additive to displace base (as in pH) number additive (gearboxes don't have to deal with combustion inside) BTW 80w 90 is also a multigrade...

I have ridden that section a few times now and always see it well in advance because I don't navigate by watching my Garmin but by looking ahead. Its a little skill I learned when I was taught to ride a bicycle at the age of 6. Thanks for the heads up though...(pun intended?)

an undeniable advantage of 1x11 is that your suspension performance is much more constant through the gearing range as the chainring torque value is constant due to a fxed gearing on the input side. I have used 2x9 for 8 years. Never needed more gears but spare may be a problem in future so being trendy has advantages

Its never been established that the steering column failure was the cause of the accident. What is clear i is that it was broken

*&&^%#% I will make a donation anyway

Yeah Vettel and Mr Roquelin need to work out a PU map that works for them. They're struggling a little this year to get the tight front end vettel wants t works with a powertrain that seems hell bent on delivering everything in a rush. Riccardo is certainly coping with the Renaults characteristics better. He also has had more reliable running in the car this year and that is showing

I hear you hence this is still exploratory. I've asked Rohloff about a thru axle version. Apparently they're working on it....

But none are thin enough to handle a 11 speed chain. Hairy 1x14,.............one word. ROHLOFF its what I'm considering for an all mountain type bike and my next XC Bike.

Because the chain you run has to be compatible with a 11speed cassette (assuming 1x11) and therefore a single speed chain ring is too thick. You still need a 11speed chain compatible chainring. Personally, I would simply go 1x14. In fact I am strongly considering the 1x14 route now that 1x11 is more expensive than 1x14