Self maintenance?

[KnottedYet]

I really like taping bars. It's kinda like knitting. Quiet and contemplative.

Samson and Cinelli tapes are nice to work with.

[Kitsune06]

Update:
So last night I put Merq up on the trainer and phutzed and farted around until I had the old stem annd handlebars off, brake/shifters off, etc. You're right, Deb, I could tell right away when the 'cap' was on right. The new stem, along with a slight upward tilt on the brooks and slightly different posturing solved some other problems I was having, as well.

The Salsa short'n shallow is proving very comfortable, too.

I'd gotten Specialized bar phat tape, but decided to re-use the old tape as it still looked like new and had come off well (and in one piece)

I did use the the gel pads, though.

Re-wrapping was amazingly easy. I only backed off a couple times in a couple places. There are two small 'burps' in the tape, where the foamy material of the tape had been stretched in the previous wrapping. I ended up doing a figure-8 as well, as that was what had been done previously.

so.... I think I'm going for my first ride after work tonight, if the weather allows....

*hope! hope! hope!*

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

so.... I think I'm going for my first ride after work tonight, if the weather allows....

*hope! hope! hope!*

GREAT! Keep in mind that your body and your muscles will also do some adjusting over time, and things that seem a bit weird and uncomfortable now may not seem so in a month- at least that's what happended to me. I think my core muscles strengthened over the weeks after switching from a hybrid to a road bike posture.

[Kitsune06]

Yeah, I'm told that as I go on the trainer, my body moves back and forth a bit which will make me go ~~~~~~~~~ on the road (not used to something so weight and balance sensitive!) but X says I'll get used to that and get used to being 'very still'. I'm still anxious about clipping/unclipping on a tippy road bike. It's like bass boat vs. canoe... but I'm excited!!!!

[DebW]

Yeah, I'm told that as I go on the trainer, my body moves back and forth a bit which will make me go ~~~~~~~~~ on the road (not used to something so weight and balance sensitive!) but X says I'll get used to that and get used to being 'very still'. I'm still anxious about clipping/unclipping on a tippy road bike. It's like bass boat vs. canoe... but I'm excited!!!!

And like a boat, the lower you put your center of gravity, the more stable you are. On a bike, that mean weight on your feet for stability.

[madscot13]

I was thinking that if I was too scared to mess with my trek 520 that I could take an old internal three speed that has been rusting away and try and fix that up. Nothing to the extent that you have been doing Deb, but it would get my hands wet, I mean greasy. What do you think Deb?

[DebW]

I was thinking that if I was too scared to mess with my trek 520 that I could take an old internal three speed that has been rusting away and try and fix that up. Nothing to the extent that you have been doing Deb, but it would get my hands wet, I mean greasy. What do you think Deb?

The advantage of the Trek 520 is that your LBS has parts and can give you advice and it's NOT rusty. How rusty is the 3-speed? How many parts need to be replaced? Chances are you could clean the chain, oil the hubs, headset, and bb and be able to ride it. And you could learn by dismantling hubs, bb, etc if you want. It would be a fun project.