Saturday, May 3, 2014

1X5 = AOK

I put the Curtlo together around a 1X5 drivetrain utilizing a vintage XT 7-speed thumb shifter and a slightly less-than-vintage D/A derailleur.  Mid-nineties stuff, when Shimano still made solid precision machinery.

I added a new chain, cogset, chainwheel, and cables and figured on a solid drivetrain but when I got everything together it didn't want to shift correctly in index mode.  It was like the spacing wasn't right, but I knew it was.  I fooled with it on several rides and finally gave up and left it in friction mode.  [I realize I've lost some of you here]

Well, I'm happy to report it is now working flawlessly in index mode.  On a recent pre-ride tune up I decided to give the index another shot.  I tuned it up on the stand and when I hit the trail it was spot on.  I guess it just needed a hundred miles or so of break-in.

So far, so good on the carbon rims.  Light and stiff are good qualities to have in rims and I'm sure they play no small part in the wonderful ride of the bike.