I think that it's best to first preface this with saying that no matter how good the design is, if you do not do the installation properly, you are more than likely going to experience some sort of failure, so do it right.

Let's break this down into brands...

I have no issues with this design.  It works for the useful life of the chain... unlike their Quick-Link design issue that I noted here.  I like this simple, low cost design.

Besides the fact that it's the most costly (approx $30US for just the Link Kit) and the big $'s for the Campy chain tool, it's also the most time/labor intensive design... Hey, you have to pay to play especially when it comes to Campy....  I think that because of this, folks are more likely to do a half-ass chain cleaning job with the chain on the bike instead of the more thorough approach associated with removing the chain.  I'm ok with this, but I have a hard time looking folks in the eye and telling them the cost...

See above but more $$$.

Simple, cost effective, and it just plain works.  I like it.

This connector link for SRAM 10spd chain differs, besides dimensions, from the 9spd Powerlink in the fact that it is not reusable.  I don't have a problem with that.  It works and I like the design.

I just cold to this product...  As long as there are other options out there.

KMC Missing Link:

See previous comment.

So there you have it.  I hope that this helps, and remember, this is my opinion that is based on first-hand experience.  Thanks for checking in.  -John

"Facts are stubborn things..."

This is directed to those handful of folks that took the time to painstakingly ripped me up one side and down the other regarding how little I know about the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque design and basic mechanical knowledge. Part of me says that I've wasted enough time on this and  I should just let it go.  But a larger part just can't let it go because I know that there are some people out there that are experiencing this issue and I want to help if I can.... That, and the truth be told, I have very little tolerance for idiots spewing misinformation as truth while masquerading as some sort of authority.  When in actuality, most of them are at best naive, and uninformed at worst.  

I'm going to lay out the facts about the design.  Then I'm going to then share what my REAL WORLD experience has been relating to the UT system and general bike knowledge, not some theoretical BS.  I am then going to wrap this post up with a few of my own opinions.  Now, let's get started...

Facts about the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque System

• The design uses the wave washer placed between the non-drive side (NDS) cup and NDS bearing to allow for variances in bottom bracket shell widths.
• It is the only system that has axial movement when the non-drive side crankarm is compressed or pushed towards the frame when the bottom bracket shell width is 68mm (English) and 70mm (Italian).
• It is the only system that uses the Hirth joint in a standard threaded bottom bracket.

Facts about RogueMechanic Installation and Procedures

• I chase and face EVERY bottom bracket shell when installing a new bottom bracket.  This insures that the faces of the shell are square to the threads.
• Every bike that has developed the issue of knocking has had bottom bracket shell widths well within the +/- .8mm from 68mm or 70mm.
• I have installed all bottom bracket cups with grease or the appropriate anti-seize applied to the threads and both cups torqued to 35-40Nm.
• All other bottom brackets, the distance between bearings is irrevelevant to the proper adjustment/installation of the crankset.

My .02 about this...

• I think that Campagnolo was somewhat pigeon-holed into this design to not infringe upon existing patents.
• The Ultra-Torque is a good design. But its area of weakness is in its inability to compensate for slight variances in bottom bracket shell widths without the use of a wave spring/washer to apply preload.
• I know how to check for bearing wear and/or failure....
• I think that having bearing fail at around 2K miles is unacceptable and is atypical for a company like Campagnolo.
• This is pure speculation, but I think that the initial rash of "bearing failures" was misdiagnosed and was actually the axial movement or improper installation or both.

Here's a quick video that I shot showing the end result of removing the wavewasher and installing the proper amount of shims.  Take a look.

In closing, I'm sure that I'm not the only one scratching my head wondering why Campagnolo put this Ultra-Torque design out there and allowing for this issue to arise.  If anyone knows the answer, please let me know.  Thanks for checking in.  -John

As probably all of you know, the premier showing on the big screen of Race Across the Sky happened last Thursday in many theaters nationwide.  Up front, I have to admit that I was fairly pumped to see it, especially after watching the trailer more than once.

This years LT100 race was different for me than the other five that I had attended over the years.  This is because it was the first time being there for the event and not racing.  My reason for being there was to prep some bikes the day before and to crew the day of the race.  I have to admit, that it was pretty cool seeing it from a different perspective and worlds easier.

Now, after seeing it and letting it sink in for a few days I'd like to share with you my perspective.  First, let me say that I can't really complain about ANY movie on the big screen having to do with the LT100.  How cool is that! I bet Ken and Merilee are thrilled to have this amount of exposure for the event that they put a ton of effort into.  I am very happy for them.  But..... I would be lying if I said that I wasn't more than a little disappointed when the screen when black after Ken pulled the trigger on the scattergun, and here's why.

I think that the producers might have missed focus about what this race is all about for the vast majority of those who go out to tackle this event.  We all know that Lance, Wiens, and Brown can ride fast and kick butt on any given day.  Why focus the vast majority on them?  They ride for a living.  The rest of us who suffer like dogs do not.  I'm not blind to the fact that having Lance in the movie will definitely sell tickets and put butts in the seats, and that can't be ignored.  So, here are a few things that I think were missed (or ended up on the editing floor) that I believe might have played a significant role it the other "ninety percenters":

• Signing in at the starting line, and the nervousness of the start mid-pack and back...
• The bare-knuckled narrow rocky descent back down from the columbine checkpoint when you have riders pushing their bikes on your left...
• The first aid tent at the finish...
• Merilee draping the finishers medals on the riders after they cross the finish line.
• The awards ceremony with the handing out of the buckles and the sweatshirts with your name and finishing time...
• Something about the rider(s) who can see the finish line when they hear the BOOM.
• The Last Ass Over the Pass award (Last rider to finish under the 12 hour mark)...

To wrap this up, all in all, it was good, but I thought that maybe having the Last Ass over the Pass winner and the person who was the first to miss out on the coveted La Plata Grande with Lance, Dave, Travis, et al during the discussion after the movie would have been the icing...

I started this thread on the weightweenies forum a couple days ago:

Hello again,

Well, I'm excited to be back here. It's been a while... For those of you that have experienced or are still experiencing noise and other issues related to their Campy Ultra-Torque bottom bracket/crankset (by the sheer volume of emails and comments that I have received over the past 12+ months, there's quite a few folks that are dealing with this...), I finally had the chance to publish a permanent fix/solution on my site. Additionally, I have a parts kit now available. Here's the link:

"Wavewasherectomy: The Ultra-Torque Fix"

Check it out if you are inclined and let me know if you have any questions....

 I returned to the forum yesterday to see if there were any comments that I needed to reply to.  For the life of me, I couldn't find my post.  I sent one of the moderators a PM for help.  This is the response I received this morning from "Powerful Pete", one of the mods:

Hello there RogueMechanic. As you may have noticed, we have pulled the thread that you started on the UT fix. It came across, in the opinion of the mods, as a bit too much like spam - in others, that you were trying to sell a product without coming clean that you were involved in some manner.

I realise that this may have been an honest mistake on your part, or that we mods may have misinterpreted your post. 

We of course welcome your participation in the forum, and it sounds like you could add a lot of value here, but please do read the forum rules before posting and try to avoid posts that could be interpreted as being spam.

Please let me know if you would like to discuss further, Thanks.

Powerful Pete

Spam?!?!  Really?

Oh, here are the three comments in their entirety (one of them mine) that were posted as replies to my initial post (I actually saved them for my records...) 

<<<<<<<<<< coloclimber >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

$35 + $5 shipping for 8 washers to solve a problem that shouldnt exist in the fist place......

::::::::::::::::::::::: RogueMechanic ::::::::::::::::::::::::::

I completely agree. The problem shouldn't exist on with a product of such high quality... I know that if I dropped the big $'s on Campy UT, I'd be hacked off myself.

<<<<<<<<<<<ritcheykestrel >>>>>>>>>>>>

Hey Rogue!

I mentioned your fix on here when someone was talking about their crankset. Glad to see the fix is available.

As for other who have posted here or on RBR, I have to say, I have more than one UT crankset. None have issues. But, that isn't to say there are not people out there without issues. 

Things happen. Plain and simple. If John has experienced issues with his clients, I would believe him. He is VERY skilled and a great tech.

So, for those who have had issues and they keep popping back up, I would go his route. And no, John has never worked on one of my bikes. But we have raced many times against each other in the past and know each other through the grapevine.

********* End***********

I have yet to respond to Powerful Pete, and half of me doesn't want to.  Unless I'm way off base, I didn't think that I came across as aggressively pushing my solution and/or my "Wavewasherectomy" Shim Kit...  

In closing, I'm wondering what these forums are for anyway, or if my thread just got wacked from this forum because it butted heads with the sacred component gods in Vicenza and their followers (See link above to Powerful Petes blog) ...

Update:  I have corresponded with Pete and after having a polite discussion, I realized that I was in violation of the forum rules by offering a product for sale.  I was wrong and for that I apologize.  FWIW, the weight weenies forum is probably the most civil cycling forum out there.  -John

Before I get started, I want to let you know that some of the steps that I'm

going to recommend you to do contradicts some of  those found in the installation

instructions that is provided by Campagnolo.  It's up to you to decide what you

want to do.  But everything that I recommend doing regarding this procedure, 

 I have tried myself on multiple bikes.  I extensively researched, tested, and re-inspected 

bikes that I did this "wavewasherectomy" on and found zero issues.  I didn't want 

to throw anything out there without being absolutely sure that it works.  Because

that's how I roll...  Anyway, that being said, you can rest assured that if you take the

time to do this right, you will have the Ultra-Torque crankset/bottom bracket

system that is up to Campagnolo standards, without the wave washer.

Disclaimer:  You can have the best bike components in the world, but if they are not

installed and adjusted properly,  they're not going to perform up to the level that

they were designed to work.  For this to procedure to be successful, it's imperative

that this is done correctly.  I will try to be as concise as possible.  If you have any 

questions, do not hesitate to email me.

Fully insert the left side crank arm, without the wave washer, making sure that the crankarms are properly aligned.  (It's easier/cleaner to not apply grease to the bearing and cup at this point, so don't bother.)  Insert the fixing bolt into right side (drive-side) semi-axle and torque to 42Nm. At this point, the NDS or left bottom bracket cup and crankarm should look like this (See Fig. 1):

Step 3

Now you want to unscrew the NDS/left cup to the point where it contacts the crankarm (See Fig. 2). This is possible because of the dimension/thickness of wave washer is no longer part of the equation.

Step 4

I have found that instead of using feeler gauges to determine the amount of gap that's between the cup and the shell, it's better to find the size of the gap by using different combinations of shims contained in the kit.  Keep in mind that at this point, we are only getting our first estimate of the amount of space that has to be made up. So grab the shims and find the combination that best fits (See Fig. 3).  Set this combination of shims aside and write the thickness of the shims down so that you have your starting point.  Note:  I recommend using at least one of the 1.0mm shims and then add one .5mm shim, etc., going from thickest to thinest. If you try to add one .5mm shim to the 1.0mm shim and it doesn't quite fit, replace the .5mm shim with two .2mm shims... I think that you get the idea.

Step 5

Now you want to remove the fixing bolt (from the drive-side/right semi-spindle), the left crankarm, and the left bottom bracket cup from the frame.

Step 6

Insert the combination of shims that you determined in step 4 (and steps 9 and     10) onto the left bottom bracket cup, and thread back into frame (still without grease/antiseize, etc.). With the bottom bracket tool, tighten cup to 35Nm-40Nm. If you do not have access to a torque wrench, just snug it up without going crazy...

Step 7

Reinstall the left crankarm as described in step 2 or in the Campagnolo    installation instructions.

Step 8

Now this is where we need to get picky... We want this to be balls-on, or as close to balls-on that we can get.  This is when we determine if we have to add more thickness to the equation, or remove some.  Usually with the first attempt, I find that I have to add... If the crankset spins freely (move the chain out of the way), then you know that you have not added too much thickness in spacers.  So either you have nailed it the first time, or you need to add more because of axial play...

Step 9

The way that you determine if you have any play or side-to-side movement is by grabbing onto the left crankarm and either the seattube or downtube and moving the crankarm towards and away from the frame, or perpendicular to the frame. Sensitivity to movement is key here...If you feel just some movement or play, you will need to add to the thickness of the shims.  Add in small increments because it's easier to add thickness and decrease the play than it is to add too much.  Important:  It is crucial that you do not add too many shims.  Adding too much thickness could lead to damage to the bearings and not allow the Hirth joint to completely come together as designed which in turn could lead to failure. It's not difficult to get this right.  For example: If you started with one 1.0mm and two 0.2mm shims for a total of 1.4mm of shim thickness, and you still have some play/movement, I would replace the two 0.2mm shims with one 0.5mm shim giving you 1.5mm of shim thickness...and so forth.  So, if you feel some movement, you need to go back to step 5, make the shim adjustments while doing step 6 and then complete step 7. 

Step 10

Check for axial movement as described in step 9 above.  If there still is some movement (which should be less than before), then add to the thickness, and repeat steps, 5,6, and 7.  (Chances are that you will get to the point when the crank is too tight and/or binds against the left cup.  If this occurs, just subtract the smallest amount of shim thickness that you can.)  If you do not have any side movement.... You're done!!! Well... not really, but almost... Proceed to step 11.

Step 11

Now that you have determined the correct amount of shims, go back one last time the step 5. While completing step 6, apply grease/anti-seize to left cup and bottom bracket shell threads and then tighten left cup to torque spec mentioned above.  Finally, when you are doing step 7, apply a good amount of high quality grease to the internal cup surfaces and the bearing.  Make sure that you insert the fixing bolt into the right side semi-axle and tighten to 42Nm. (See Fig. 4)

    Congrats!  You are done!  Now all that you have to do is clean up.  

 The kit contains the following:

• 2 - 1.0mm Stainless Steel Shims
• 2 - 0.5mm Stainless Steel Shims
  
• 2 - 0.2mm Stainless Steel Shims
  
• 2 - 0.1mm Stainless Steel Shims
  

Available now for English Bottom Brackets.

Coming Soon... Wavewasherectomy Shim Kits for Italian Bottom Brackets!

Made in U.S.A.

Way back in September of 2008, I published my initial post about what I thought was a problem with the Ultra-Torque design. Now going on a year later, I am even more confident with my initial theory. But now I have a solid solution to the problem that some who have a Campagnolo Ultra-Torque crankset/bottom bracket may have experienced. 

First, I want to make a couple points...

1. I will not deny that for the most part, Ultra-Torque is a good design.  Where it fails is in its capability to allow for shell width variances.  This may seem like a a minor flaw, but it has major consequences.  
2. For the life of me, in this day and age, and with all of the current technology, why can't frame manufactures make their 68mm bottom bracket shells 68mm and their 70mm shells 70mm?!?! If this was the case, there wouldn't be a need for the wavy washer in the Ultra-Torque design.
3. The wavy washer is a legit component in certain applications in many industries. But in this instance, it's a band-aid.
4. If it's OK to have axial or lateral movement to the non-drive side, why is the Ultra-Torque design the ONLY design out there that has this movement?  If any of the other systems exhibit this movement, it means that either the bearings are shot, or you didn't install the proper bottom bracket and/or spacers.

I was able to make a quick trip out to Leadville this year to crew for two buddies and to prep bikes for other riders that where there.  It was the first time for me being there at the race without racing... wow... what a completely different perspective!  Anyway, I kinda threw this video together in minimal time and effort.  I set up "camp" just outside the pipeline checkpoint (outbound) and was able to catch Lance both outbound and inbound.  Check out the video at approx 4:34 and see what I was able to come away with (photo below)... Very cool!  Anyway, bottom line is that both Chris and Marcus was able to come back to Leadville this year to finally claim the Silver Buckle that has been just out of reach in past attempts.  Did I miss not racing this time around?  Maybe just a little.  Did being there put a spark back in me to do this event for the 6th time? Maybe... Finally, check out the "guest" appearance at the end of the video.  Enjoy!!!

Here's what Lance didn't need to bring home the win in record time...

Seriously?!?

Typically I don't associate using a vise to install anything 7800...

Here's a quick, poorly taken video of what happens when the Quick-Link wears prematurely.  This is not good.  What really gets me hacked off is that to date, instead of coming out and admitting that the Quick-Link is defective because it wears faster than the rest of the chain, Shimano has quietly stopped shipping 7900 chains with the Quick-Link. 

Here's a direct message that I received from @ShimanoCycling on Twitter after "shaking the tree" all day yesterday...  

"ShimanoCycling: The link is not up to Shimano standard and can wear out/stretch before the rest of the chain. The link can cause noise or skipping issues. We will send out “7900pinkit” (which is 10 links and 2 connecting pins) to replace that section of the chain. You may only have to use the connecting pin or add links if the chain if it’s too short one the quick link is removed We are not asking for the quick link back-discard properly."

I guess my beef is when is Shimano going to let everyone who dropped $70 on their 7900 chain know that this is an issue...

Hello all. I'm just crazy/busy keeping my clients on the road and trails. Definitely burning the candle at both ends. I thank all for the recent referals. Finally, if you feel so inclined, you can follow me on Twitter at @RogueMechanic.
That's it for now. -John

Wow... What and eye-opener... Lesson learned, or at least a reminder, about what goes on on the some of the cycling related forums...

I just wanted to let those of you who emailed me and posted comments here regarding the Campy UT post know that I haven't backed down or considered walking away from this just yet. It's just too common of an issue. Please understand that this just might take some time. I am aware of the situations that surround what's going on... despite what's being thrown around on the forums and I am currently working on a viable solution or solutions. As soon as I have something definitive, I'll post it here. Thanks for checking in. -John

John, I have a creak/knock and I think that the bb might be loose can you take a look?

The Campagnolo Ultra Torque crankset is compatible with bottom bracket shells having the following widths:

Perfect… 40 miles so far and no noise.

My bottom bracket click has returned…

So, I'm going to pick up where I left off...

Now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that by taking this position, I will more than likely upset a few folks. I guess that goes with the territory. Perhaps it would be best to break this down into two major groups. Parts and people. In reality, the two overlap somewhat… Like a Venn Diagram (Here’s a quick 5th grade math review…)

In this example, A=People and B=Parts. The overlapping middle area could be peoples' influence on parts, such as approving a design for production and sales before it has been thoroughly tested, or some yoyo improperly installing a component, etc... I think you get the idea.

I guess that I can just write about all the components and bikes that I like, and I just might do more of that. But I think that there's plenty of sunshine being blown up you-know-where on just about every site out there. Most of them are carefully written as to not upset the manufacturer who may or may not be an advertiser or sponsor.

I like to, every once and a while, share with you some of the good stuff that impresses me, and more often, I find something that frustrates me to no end. These situations sometimes boil over and end up as a post on this site. Again, let me make my intentions clear. I write this stuff with you in mind. I get hacked off just like every other person (ok... probably more...) when I have to deal with some inferior product that's dressed up as something high-quality or when someone doesn't do their job. But when I do get to writing about something, I think that a greater part of you like to "see it like it is" instead of words regurgitated from some company's marketing department.

In conclusion, my aim is to share with you my real-life experiences with products and services, in a professional manner. Wow... that sounded good. What's more than likely going to happen is an insight into my intolerance it idiocy, incompetence, apathy, mediocracy, and piss-poor design... delivered , of course, in a professional manner... You know...keeping it real. Just like you like it.       To Be Continued....

For quite some time now, I’ve been struggling with myself with regards to the “tone” or direction of my posts. In other words, how I should present things here. People who know me, for the most part, understand my thought processes and how I form my opinions.

Recently, I’ve been trying to look at my posts more objectively. What I find somewhat disheartening is that it could be easily perceived that some of my posts have a negative slant. While this is not my intention, I can see that they can be taken that way. I want everyone to realize that this is really not where I’m coming from. My objective is more in line with being an advocate for you, the end-user… the one who drops his/her hard-earned $$$ on some product or service and rightfully assumes that it will work as advertised..... To Be Continued...

Just in case you were wondering... This is what a $7800 bike looks like... Oh, and if you want it with Campy 11 instead of SRAM Red, then it's more like $8300.... holy cow...

I forgot how much I LOVE replacing the rear deraileur cable on a Kestrel Airfoil without damaging it in the process...
Again, this "required" a modification to improve shifting or decrease cable friction...

You know, one of the many things that I LOVE about everything Campagnolo is having to spend $169USD on the new chain tool that is required to install their new 11 speed chains.... God, I love that... really.

After... (Putting the RogueMechanic Fix to it)

Btw... "Before" was how it came from a local IBD...

Here's an ongoing issue that I've seen more than once. I recently revisited an issue with a 2003 Trek 5900 headset. Now, this is a nice bike ( I think that I owned on in the past...). Trek did a nice job. Light and stiff. In an effort to save some grams, they utilized a proprietary lower cartridge bearing. This was installed directly onto the crown race of the fork, thus eliminating the use of a crown bearing race. It is my understanding that this bearing was borrowed from Klein. Anyway, to cut to the chase, water likes to collect in the headtube area and cause a whole bunch of problems. This is what I'm talking about...

Well, this mess now only reeked havoc on the lower bearing, it also is evidence of the corrosion/ degrading of the aluminum steertube. Check this...

I needed a plan to stop any further degrading of the aluminum, so I got on the blower to my buddy Dr. J who is like a chemistry god and asked him for advise. He gave me a simplified lesson about what was going on and the nature of aluminum and corrosion and then he told me what to do and I did it. Here's a pic of the steertube and bearing before I installed it back into the headtube... (this is what a $45 bearing looks like...)

Btw... I recommended that the fork not be ridden and should be replaced because there is no way to confirm that the steertube is still structurally sound...
That's it for now. Thanks for checking in. -John

Recently, I was working on 2008 Trek Madone....Nice bike. There's technology in this frame that is something to write home about, but this post isn't about promoting the Trek Madone...Here's what it looks like...
l

Anyway, before I get off on a tangent... It can with a Bontrager compact crankset, Dura Ace front and rear derailleur, SRAM 10spd chain...PC 1090 and SRAM OG 1070 cassette. I was installing a Dura Ace 7800 12-27t cassette for a lower gear range and Shimano R700 compact chainrings to improve front shifting. I was going to keep the 1090 chain because in the past when dealing with 9 speed chains, I found that there was only a slight difference between the Shimano and SRAM equivalent chains. Well, I was not at all happy with how the 1090 chain meshed or interfaced with the Dura Ace cassette. In fact it sounded more like a chainsaw than it did a top-end drivetrain. Not good. Don't get me wrong, it worked, but it didn't work nearly as well as the Shimano chain that I replaced it with. So, if your stuck in some small town, this side of East Podunk, and the local shop just happens to only have SRAM 10spd chains, it will work.... but it will sound like you're being chased by my Stihl...

Here's what the upgraded Bontrager crankset looks like...

Thanks for checking in! -John

One of the many things that have wanted to vent about lately evolves around proprietary parts that are spec'ed by bike companies. Believe me, there's a lot of that going around lately and even more to come...
My latest "episode" had to do with a Trek 5900, that in and of itself is a great bike. But, in an effort to shave off grams, they incorporated a "proprietary" bearing that, it's my understanding, was borrowed from Klein. It's the lower cartridge bearing of the headset. Otherwise known as the crown race bearing.
Anyway, to make a long story short, it's make specifically for Trek/Klein, and therefore has to be ordered thru a Trek dealer... oh god...
Cutting directly to the chase, I got Eric at Trek Technical Service on the blower and got the Trek part number as well as checked availability. Being a "RogueMechanic", I couldn't order it directly....(that's a topic for another time...). Soooooo, I called the closest Trek dealer (the name rhymes with Freedies....) and tried to cut to the chase and told them EXACTLY what I needed... including the Trek part number.... Well, I knew that they wouldn't have anything like it in stock and they assumed that I didn't know what I was talking about. After verifying that I did indeed have the correct part number, the guy said that it was going to run me $44.95. I said, "Ouch!... order me two." I was ready to give him my CC number to pay for the two bearings in advance when he said that I would have to come in to the store to order them... I was like.... you're kidding me. I was paying if full for both bearings and I STILL had to drive to the store to make the transaction.... I was not happy....
After repeating EVERYTHING to the clerk that was available, and being looked at like I have something growing out of my forehead, they took me card and said that it should be a week... We'll see. So, the "P" word is proprietary... More on that later. Thanks for reading and checking in. -John

I completed this build of a new Ridley X-Fire Cross bike yesterday. Looks nice. The fit/finish is clean and it felt really solid during my short test ride. Time will only tell how it will hold up. If it's anything like my three favorite things that come from Belgium... beer, chocolate, and waffles... I think that it's a safe bet that it will be enjoyed.

Hello Everyone. With this post, I want to make some confessions...
Ok.. here goes.
First of all, I've been less than motivated to post on this blog (as if you can't tell...). In fact, it just about takes someone to put a gun to my head to do so. Mainly because, quite frankly, I don't make money doing it. When the day comes to an end and I'm tired putting the fix to bikes, I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it. It's certainly NOT because I don't have anything to say.
I guess that another reason why I haven't posted much is that I think that I'm getting to the point that whatever I'm going to say is either going to A) Tick someone off, or B) Going to be construed as "bitching" (And I think that there's plenty of that already in the cycling industry).
Now, I'm well aware that by merely opening your mouth there's a good chance that you're going to tick someone off. In some respects, I'm ok with that. What I REALLY do not what to happen is to be grouped with those that bitch about everything. See "B" above.
So where do I go from here? Based on the volume of emails, calls, and comments that I have been receiving during the last 6 or so months since I posted, I strongly believe that people what the hear and read what I have to say. I also think that "end users" (that's you...) what are involved with cycling really want accurate information and ultimately, the truth. I remember someone once said, " If you're not catching flack, you're not over the target." How true.
So here goes... I'm going to give it another shot. We'll see what happens. Thanks for sticking around and thank all of you who have written and called. I hope that I helped in some way. -John

Download RogueMechanicPodcast11.m4a (15434.8K)

What can Brown do for you? This was the result of shipping damage...

This is kinda funny... ROGUE

Check this out...
I FINALLY had some t-shirts made. Typical me, I couldn't go with just regular quality t-shirts, I went with higher quality shirts from American Apparel. With quality comes cost. These are great shirts and come with the v1 logo. Keep in mind that this are fitted, which means they run small.

Click here to purchase!

Enjoy! ~John

This is just a taste... Stay tuned...

Here's your opportunity to get a barely used 2005 Zipp 900 tubular disc wheel that's in great condition before it lands on eBay... I'd say less than 200 miles on it. Zipp lists the product weight at 940 grams!!! It's aero, fast, and light!!! It's 700c and currently has a Shimano freehub body. The Tufo Elite Jet <160g tubular tire is included. Contact me with any questions. Shipping should run $25.00 anywhere in the US except Alaska and Hawaii... Those of you who know, will realize that this is a great deal. O.k...I'm going to take off my salesman's cap now...

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...We'll talk about this later... -John

Hello All,
Some quick updates...
I'm busier than ever... Thanks to all who referred new customers. It's greatly appriciated!
I'm in the process of moving and redesigning the RogueMechanic shop. Exciting and crazy. This has created a whole new level of craziness...
The number of subscribers and listeners of the RogueMechanic Podcast has been consistantly growing as well as the amount of e-mails and comments. I haven't had the time or energy to publish another episode. I promise one soon. Remember, bikes come first...
Last but not least, I recently aquired a new Ultrasonic parts cleaner (two actually...). I'm impressed! Thanks for checking in and for spreading the word. ~John

Do you know where your bike mechanic is?



This one is just trying to get things done... It's a constant game of catch-up. I'm not complaining.

Here's an odd one. This shows that even some of the best products in the market can fail. What you're looking at in the first photo is the part of the hub that the freehub body is installed over. It's where the pawls are located (pawls and springs not shown in photo).

This photo shows the failure...

Here's a closer look..

This should fall under Mavic's warranty policy. The wheel has been sent and I'm just waiting to hear back from the Mavic warranty department. If by some odd reason they say it's not covered....oh.... there's going to be some issues... I'll keep you posted.

Most people don't think too much about their headsets. It's one of those components that's absolutely critical but often ignored. When it goes south, it's due to corrosion and/or bearing/race failure. One of the bad things that could happen if you let it go too far is actually damage to the steer tube of the fork. Watch for really tight, loose, or "indexed" steering. Be aware that even cartridge bearings go bad, and most are easy to replace. And for all of those with Chris King headsets, stay on top of the maintenance of those bearings so that it will turn smooth for years. The ten year warranty does not mean ten years maintenance free...

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