My brake breaks

I have the front brake only on my bikes. Thus, I always ensure that they are always in good working conditions.

My hydraulic brake set came from a Deore Group set, which I bought about 2 years ago. The left lever assembly / front brake is installed in my 29er, while the right lever assembly / rear converted to front brake is in my 69er/26er.

Unfortunately, bad luck happened. Fortunately, it happened not at the wrong time and wrong place.

After my ride this morning and after cleaning the 69er, I again checked and tested my brake. When I pressed the lever, I heard something fell. I retrieved it and looked where it came from.

It's the part of the assembly that holds the lower pin of the lever that's broken:

 With the broken part:

Without the broken part:

Nonetheless, the brake is still functioning well; but, I won't use it anymore.

Whew! It's time to upgrade! I'm also considering of getting back my rear brakes as emergency brakes.

A Folding 69er - my 3rd bike?

When I converted my KHS Alite 150 26er into a 69er, I'm left with the following:

1.  WTB 29er rim
2.  Venzo 29er rim tape
3.  Alex 26er rim
4.  Generic 26er spokes
5.  Kenda Nevegal 26er tire
6.  Hubs - front (Deore) and rear (Formula).

Selling them may be an option.  But, I'm keeping them for another project - a folding 69er, rigid, and single speed.  I'm just waiting for a Montague frameset to arrive.

I just made some calculations.  Even with these parts available, the estimated expenses to build this project is about P60,000. Whew!

Anyway, it's still in the drawing board.

Frustrated ride at Subic

We went to Subic Freeport Zone last Saturday, where we celebrated wifey's birthday.  We stayed at the Forest View residences, which is near the Pamulaklakin Trails.

I had plans of bringing my bike and experience trail biking.  I also had other options where to ride.  At last, I thought my dream of riding at Subic trails would be fulfilled.

Unfortunately, my plan was frustrated; as, I wasn't able to carry my bike due to lack of space in the car.  I have a bike rack; but, I remove the front wheel and put it inside the car.

So, I'm planning to go back to Subic in the near future for biking purposes only.

My dedicated 69er

After experimenting on my 2 bikes (a 26er and a 29er), I finally decided to make my 26er a DEDICATED 69er.  The ride with a 69er is better than a 26er and 29er.  But, I'm keeping my 29er as it is.

I bought a new front wheel for her to avoid the hassle of borrowing the front wheel of my 29er.

The front wheel:

• Rim - WTB Speed Disc All mountain 36 holes
• Tire - Maxxis Cross Mark 2.1
• Rim tape - from old inner tube
• Spokes - Generic
• Hub - Deore

Some geometry:

• BB height - 310 mm
• Head tube angle - 70 deg.
• Seat tube angle - 72 deg.

Others:

• Frame - 2009 KHS Alite 150
• Fork - Rigid Mosso M3 ATC 440 mm
• Drivetrain - Single speed (Deore Crank 32t, IG51 chain, Surly Cog 17t, Surly Spacers)
• Pedals - Clipless SPD
• Brake - Single / front brake only - Deore hydro - right lever)