NOS seven speed with eight speed cassette I have no idea how many bike folks would be interested in knowing whether or not an eight speed cassette is compatible with some vintage seven speed Shimano Deore LX thumbshifters and rear derailleur from the late eighties. FYI, it is compatible. After noticing that the right thumb shifter had an extra click in the indexed ratcheting mode I knew I could add an extra gear with the shifter set to friction with no problem.
This has been such a fun bike to tinker with from time to time and has really turned out to be such a comfortable, versatile bike for touring and commuting built from scratch and pretty much building it on the cheap investing in new parts as appropriate, particularly with the Avid BB7 disc brakes. Rather than chat up what a nice ride this bike is, particularly now with eight new gears I thought I would share some of the cool gear I received as gifts this year. Only after sharing a tid bit of helpful information of course, irregardless of how obscure that may seem to some.
This has been such a fun bike to tinker with from time to time and has really turned out to be such a comfortable, versatile bike for touring and commuting built from scratch and pretty much building it on the cheap investing in new parts as appropriate, particularly with the Avid BB7 disc brakes. Rather than chat up what a nice ride this bike is, particularly now with eight new gears I thought I would share some of the cool gear I received as gifts this year. Only after sharing a tid bit of helpful information of course, irregardless of how obscure that may seem to some.
Blackburn 2 fer front light for bike packing For bike commuting at night or bike touring and camping I received a very versatile little front or rear light with the USB rechargeable Blackburn 2 fer Front or Rear Light. This could be the coolest little bike light gadget I have ever owned. I have become quite fond of the USB rechargeable gizmos for bike touring as it provides ease of charging devices via power stick, C Crane Solar Observer Radio or...
It has a waterproof design, versatile mounting bracket with rubber strap that can be use on handlebars or remove the sliding clip from the rubber strap and clip it onto a backpack or seat bag. As a front light the Blackburn 2 fer provides sixty lumens of white light or twenty lumens of red light as a rear light.
What I don't like is the run time of the lithium polymer battery. Ninety minutes while running continuous light or five hours in flashing mode. Fortunately the light has a fuel gauge and charge indicator. No, the sixty lumens in front on while light mode is not enough to light up the road in front of you at night but that's not what this light is designed for. For that I continue to use the tried and true Cygolite 360 which provides many front light options including a couple of strobing or flashing modes. However as a rear light or as a small light to have around the campsite, the little Blackburn 2 fer is a very small, packable lightweight option. Just make sure you keep the batteries charged as the charging time is approximately three hours when battery has been completely run down. For this reason, if my loved ones would have asked me rather than purchasing me a new light I would have suggested the USB rechargeable Cygolite Hotshot which has a two hundred hour run time! Yep, you read that right, but I am still very appreciative of this gift and will find a way to make use of it as it is quite a versatile little light.
Links related to this topic
Cygolite and Helmet Mount Kit
Four Lights for Around Forty Bucks
It has a waterproof design, versatile mounting bracket with rubber strap that can be use on handlebars or remove the sliding clip from the rubber strap and clip it onto a backpack or seat bag. As a front light the Blackburn 2 fer provides sixty lumens of white light or twenty lumens of red light as a rear light.
What I don't like is the run time of the lithium polymer battery. Ninety minutes while running continuous light or five hours in flashing mode. Fortunately the light has a fuel gauge and charge indicator. No, the sixty lumens in front on while light mode is not enough to light up the road in front of you at night but that's not what this light is designed for. For that I continue to use the tried and true Cygolite 360 which provides many front light options including a couple of strobing or flashing modes. However as a rear light or as a small light to have around the campsite, the little Blackburn 2 fer is a very small, packable lightweight option. Just make sure you keep the batteries charged as the charging time is approximately three hours when battery has been completely run down. For this reason, if my loved ones would have asked me rather than purchasing me a new light I would have suggested the USB rechargeable Cygolite Hotshot which has a two hundred hour run time! Yep, you read that right, but I am still very appreciative of this gift and will find a way to make use of it as it is quite a versatile little light.
Links related to this topic
Cygolite and Helmet Mount Kit
Four Lights for Around Forty Bucks
Nite Ize rubber coated gear tie Gotten tired of fiddling and fumbling about with bungee cords and elastic rack straps that wear out quickly? Well, there's a very inexpensive alternative in the rubber coated, steel wire option with the Nite Ize Gear Tie. Rubber coating is a nice touch if you're concerned about scratching the paint of your bike or rack particularly if their of steel construction, something metal bungee cord hooks have a tendency to do. Available in a variety of lengths and colors, I received a two pack of black gear ties in the thirty two inch length.
Two thirty two inch Nite Ize Gear Ties I have been using a couple of Delta Cargo Nets forbike touring and bike packing when I prefer to secure gear to the top deck of my front or rear racks. They're pretty nice in that the hooks can be moved around and placed where needed for tightening and securing gear so it doesn't bounce around on trails and such. However, although I am careful not to stretch the elastic cords too much over time the cord netting begins to lose some of its' elasticity. Not a big deal considering how affordable the Cargo Net is but with the Nite Ize Gear Tie it is not an issue. Depending on what type of gear you're securing simply order a length to suit your needs. I have found that the thirty two inch length is perfect for securing gear items such as a tent or a sleeping bag by using two ties around each item and then securing the gear ties to each other as shown in photo. This is a very affordable, durable option for securing any gear to your rack while bike touring or bike packing. For the most bumpy, off road terrain when bike packing a combination of the Nite Ize Gear Tie and Delta Cargo Net can effectively secure most any gear to your bike over the roughest terrain.
So, wanted to give a shout to our readers and fellow bike folks, Happy New Year, looking forward to sharing more information regarding new gear and bike touring fun via this blog. As we go into our third year of sharing bike enthusiasm, knowledge and experience we are looking forward to 2016 being our best year thus far. Third year's the charm : ) Happy Bike Touring to you and your loved ones with warm regards and gratitude for all the support of our small business efforts, generosity and readership over the past couple years it is very much appreciated. Thank You!
Links related to this topic with links to the most excellent photography gear I have ever owned, so nice.
Multi Day Bike Touring Kit
Camera Favorite for Bike Touring
Tripod Favorite for Bike Touring
So, wanted to give a shout to our readers and fellow bike folks, Happy New Year, looking forward to sharing more information regarding new gear and bike touring fun via this blog. As we go into our third year of sharing bike enthusiasm, knowledge and experience we are looking forward to 2016 being our best year thus far. Third year's the charm : ) Happy Bike Touring to you and your loved ones with warm regards and gratitude for all the support of our small business efforts, generosity and readership over the past couple years it is very much appreciated. Thank You!
Links related to this topic with links to the most excellent photography gear I have ever owned, so nice.
Multi Day Bike Touring Kit
Camera Favorite for Bike Touring
Tripod Favorite for Bike Touring
RSS Feed
