I just let my chain wear a little too much and now need a new
cassette. I figure I will keep the old cassete for when the chain gets
about shot and put it back on and see how far you can wear down a
chain/cassete. Any experience on wearing cassettes/chains until they
jsut can't shift right anymore?

This is part of sort of an experiment on just how cheap you can keep a
bike going. I'm a cycle commuter (4,000 miles/year in wet sandy
Florida on a recumbent - 300 links!) and hope to write a book soon
about a "whole life view" (exercise, time, money spent, health,
happiness, taxes, subsidies, etc.) of transportation "Moving at the
speed of life".

Tires are easy to account for, chains/casettes are not. While spending
half an hour a week on chain cleaning may make your chain last, the
labor doesn't add up. I choose to use lots of exfoitating lube. I used
to have a "system" with chains in a solvent/drip dry/wax/on bike
rotation, but with a recumbnet you are talking about 9 chains.

The more I think about it, the more I like the idea of making a big
chain enclosure out of out of the sort of materials they make RC
planes out of. Keeping the crud off first seems the sanest approach.

Is this combo a no-no? The salesman at my LBS said it's ok. I just
don't seem to recall a valve stem with so much space between it and
the rim. New tube is from Giant (presta, long and unthreaded).
Personaly, i've always liked threaded presta valve stems. Thanks, Bob.

On Dec 23, 6:27 pm, Andre Jute yahoo.com> wrote:

I would not paint it. As a rule, you want to both oil the leather to
keep it from drying out or cracking, and you want to provide some
means of water resistance to keep the leather from absorbing water.
Proofide is good at the later, but not the former. Neatsfoot oil is
good at the former, but not the later. It is therefore a good idea to
employ both a leather dressing and leather protectorate to help speed
the break in time and help extend the service life of the saddle.
Personally, I prefer Obenauf’s Leather Oil to neatsfoot oil, and
Obenauf’s Heavy Duty LP to Proofide. It's easy to get in the US, but
may only be mail orderable in the UK.

Chris

On Dec 23, 1:09 am, Zog The Undeniable yahoo.com> wrote:

It is true. I have pictures which show this as well.

Small: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2517019782_372c868ac5.jpg
Larger: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2517019782_372c868ac5_b.jpg
Larger still: http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3032/2517019782_7c8e490dc3_o.jpg

I was using a different leather oil, but the results are the same.
Although, it is good if you like the brown color and want to treat
the
saddle without making it darker.

Chris

On Dec 23, 1:09 am, Zog The Undeniable yahoo.com> wrote:

It is true. I have pictures to show this as well.

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/
3032/2517019782_372c868ac5.jpg">
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/
3032/2517019782_372c868ac5_b.jpg">Larger
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/
3032/2517019782_7c8e490dc3_o.jpg">Larger still

I was using a different leather oil, but the results are the same.
Although, it is good if you like the brown color and want to treat the
saddle without making it darker.

Chris

In article
<7b8bb610-7cfe-4df0-9b27-2b3a322bc16f@d42g2000prb.googlegroups.com>,
Andre Jute yahoo.com> wrote:

In article news.iphouse.com>,
Tim McNamara bitstream.net> wrote:

All old school. All low tech.

http://bicyclepictureoftheday.blogspot.com/

In article
<1808246a-20d4-4412-bc3a-c5e341e1c830@a26g2000prf.googlegroups.com>,
"bjw@mambo.ucolick.org" gmail.com> wrote:

In article
v5g2000prm.googlegroups.com>,
Dan O gmail.com> wrote: