I’ll quote this to my wife when she asks me how much my gold Ti bolts cost me on my summer roadie 
1 Like
I wouldnt.
Lot cheaper to drill out some steel bolts.
Unless you meant by gold, they are gold plated of course.
2 Likes
Every day is a school day. My Ti bolts are all well greased with heavy bike grease, but I’ll switch to copper anti seize grease next time I disassemble. Ta
1 Like
That table confuses me. What am I missing about the table layout that means the same combinations of metals have a different colour in the bottom left section of the table versus the top right section?
Maybe it’s some form of engineering context that’s different to two simple metals interacting in the context of bike components?!
3 Likes
The metals are processed differently. The bottom left are anodised and the top right have cathodic protection. Still a confusing table though.
1 Like
Pouring boiling water over them has helped me get some steel bolts out of aluminum in the past
1 Like
I’m glad you said that. I was confused and decided to stop looking at my phone at 1030pm. But I Googled Ti and learnt that it is very reactive and ideally should be installed with copper (or similar) anti-seize or at very least a smear of thick grease (which I always do anyway). Personally I practically disassemble my bikes each autumn so I’m not worried about permanent seizing. I did order a wee tin of copper grease for the tool box though.
1 Like
Silca have just launched a special grease for preventing galvanic corrosion optimised for common bike materials, apparently nickel is the sweet spot
3 Likes
Bloody SRAM 
Buy a Rival AXS shifter and brake kit. You might reasonably expect this to include everything you need to install them on a bike. But no.
Bolts to fix the rear caliper to your frame? Not included have to buy separately. Spare barbs when you inevitably need to shorten the hoses? Nope. FFS
3 Likes
Couldn’t agree more, they want £100 for a chainring because it has a daft 107 bcd fitting.
Can’t remember the grease I used assembling it, but I did the research then so fairly sure it was the appropriate type. I dont know what the screws are made from, the thing they screw into is probably plastic.
There was a whole thing about grease being a lubricant or not being a lubricant, trapping water causing problems, naval grease, copper based yada yada…I used the information then filed it in the cheapest storage (waste bin).
I am in the office so don’t have a bike to hand to check. But the lefthand Shimano sti operates the FD doesn’t it?
3 Likes
Yup
1 Like
Got one of those portable snow foamers for car. What with having a massive container of foam and never using it as I hate cracking out the pressure washer.
Bike got ditched riding home the other night, figured I’d give it a blast. Genius.
Hardly any effort required after a couple of snow soakings and got into all the nooks and crannys.
2 Likes
Like this?
Just swapped out my Schwalbe Ones for Michelin Pro 4 Endurance.
Had the Schwalbes for less than a year & initially ran them tubeless before swapping to older wheels when I’ve been using tubes. The front one got a decent cut early on & sealed on the road but I repaired when I got home & the rear developed a worrying lump over the last few rides.
Not at all disappointed to see them go they were always an absolute bastard to put on whatever the wheel & the Michelins went on without levers.
2 Likes
Bloody internally routed cables and hydraulic brakes 
A quick “I’ll just cut my steerer down and whack a new headset in at the same time” 30 minute job becomes a MASSIVE ORDEAL.
Remove bar tape (an extra £40)
Bleed brakes, remove cables, new compression thing needed for each side (£10)
Bleed kit needed (£25)
Fork dat. I’ll put up with the creaking and chimney stack
4 Likes
Feel your pain, I want to change bars but that requires redoing the hydro lines.
I bought the bars months ago, just can’t face it.
1 Like
Don’t understand why you would need to remove bar tape and bleed brakes just to cut the steerer 
Stem off the steerer with bars still attached, remove fork from steerer (should be enough slack in the cables/hoses to do this), cut steerer, replace headset, reassemble, job jobbed.
1 Like