Bottle Rocket Drivetrain Replacement
I've been trying to get the Transition Bottle Rocket ready for the shuttle downhill season. The BR was hurting after my trip to Whistler, BC. Broken pedal, loose headset, squishy brakes and a destroyed drivetrain.
Old drivetrain pictured above : Shimano XT Derailleur, FSA Gravity Gap Cranks, E-13 Bashguard and a Modified Commencal Chainguide.
The new drivetrain consists of: e13 lg-1 chainguide, shimano xt-shadow rear derailleur, Holzfeller OCT cranks, Shimano Dura Ace chain and an e13 guide ring. The new setup feels smoother and lighter. First time out this season was at Vietnam biketrails in mass. Biking again on trails felt good, but also realized how out of shape I am. Also, smacked the rear derailleur on a rock and now it's out of alignment. Gotta fix that, so I can test out the new knee/shins.
The Scott Voltage is still wating for an axle bolt at the local bike shop. Miss that bike, gotta get her out of the shop.
Riding Pictures soon to follow (if it ever stops raining).
Bonding with RS
Lately, my projects have been pushed onto the back burner. Not by choice, but with the inclusion of my 9 to 5 job, time is spread thin.
The Subaru went in for a checkup, apparently the head gasket is leaking and is a ticking time bomb of repair costs. Hopefully, I can finance swapping in a turbo wrx motor instead of repairing the aging 2.5l engine.
I took the subaru on a trip back to Jersey to see my mom and do the doctor/dentist catchup thing. I really began to bond with the RS, being back on those Jersey mountain roads made me realize how much fun AWD can be. For the first time, I could feel how the car corners and find it's limits. Limits in this case are defined by; rainy weather, favorite road/turn & scary understeer. Driving back home sure beats driving on the destroyed Providence streets.
I'm happy to report that I will no longer be cruising with the dull chatter of the radio in the background. The head unit's wiring comes in the mail today (hopefully) and that sucker is going in. Back to good ol' MP3 CDs again.
While back home, I grabbed my old wheels from the Jetta, which luckily have the same size tires as the Subaru stockers. The wheels are wrapped with Dunlop sport FM901's, they are some aggressive suckers. So, one of these days I have to go get the tires swapped and get the car aligned. Then I should be set till the headgasket bites the bullet.