Firefly 1169
Backlinks: Fitness Tech
Finishing the 6 gaps:
The dream build. See professional photos including the build process on flickr. It made the gallery too: https://fireflybicycles.com/gallery/.
- Firefly customer Ti frame
- Enve carbon gravel fork
- Garmin Edge 530
- Rotor BB + Crankset (Rotor Vegast DM, 172.5mm, 50T
ovalQ ring). Note the invoice has oval but it's actually the Q50. SRAM Force AXS shifters and brake, ED-FRC-D1. Serial number lookup:
- SRAM Rival AXS 12-speed rear, wireless, RD-RIV-E-D1 (model no printed on the derailer itself). Fits 28-36 at large end, see compatibility guide.
- SRAM Centerline X 2-Piece 160mm front and rear rotors
- Classified powershift rear hub
- Classified carbon gravel wheels
- Zipp Service Course SL Seatpost
- Zipp Service Course SL Stem
- Zipp Service Course XPLR, 42cm
- Garmin Rally 200 Pedals
- Two options for tires:
- Slick: Rene Herse 700C x 38 Barlow Pass, Standard casing (tan)
- Knobby: Rene Herse 700C X 42 Hurricane Ridge, Endurance casing (dark tan)
King Cage stainless steel water bottle cageFidlock bottles
Tires/pedals do get swapped, I'll use SPD pedals for the winter shoes and MTB shoes (for cross). Rotate between slicks and knobs, really love the feel of the slicks. Sometimes you need knobs.
Also swap the front chainring, have both elliptical and round options. Round is to fit a 52T, and have 44T, 50T elliptical. Got the 44T for $131.48 shipped from bikeinn on 7/25/22. Got the 52T from competitive cyclist on 7/25/22 for $170.
Still looking to upgrade the saddle.
Integrated brake lines would look so nice, but still not recommended.
Bikepacking
- Handlebar bag from MoosePacks for Ted's XLent adventure which was cancelled due to the flooding in VT. The bag is, indeed, excellent. Kept it on for a long time, handy to store stuff. Handlebar Bag - XL Custom × 1 $150. Cara rode it for RAGBRAI 2024!
- Relevate designs Tangle® Frame Bag $105
- Relevate designs Mag-Tank™ $60
- Relevate designs Spinelock™ 16L $185
- Marmot Voyager 55 Mummy Sleeping Bag, Cilantro, Long $73 In the rear pack, along with a inflatable roll.
I also have the Mag Tank 2000 but it's too wide, hits my legs. I wish the top tube bag would stay in place. The screw mount would be so much better.
You also see the (mentioned above, but just stuck in the king cages??)
- Fidlock TWIST bottle 590 + bike base × 2 $100
Poking around, I'd also dropped $85 on maple snacks for the trip.
Fri, Jun 30, 2023, 11:22 PM Your order ID is 19403. Salted Cocoa UnTapped Bulk Bottle - 16 Servings - 16 fl oz (16 serving) Bulk Bottle $21.21 $21.21 Maple Waffle - 16 Waffles/1 Carton $31.41 $62.81 Shipping: $0.00 Discount: $14.83 Cart total: $84.02
Also a lot of salt!
Fri, Jun 30, 2023, 8:42 PM Order #1892249 LMNT INSIDER Bundle Box 1: Raspberry Salt Box 2: Raspberry Salt Box 3: Watermelon Salt Bonus: Lemon Habanero $135.00
Chaing waxing
I bought a tank load of stuff from Molten Speed Wax 11/01/2022.
Some of the goods needed to make the magic happen:
- MSPEEDWAX Race Powder 63g for $37.99 each
- MSPEEDWAX 3 lbs. - Molten Speed Wax 3 lbs. for $54.99 each
- MSPEEDWAX Race Powder Brush for $1.99 each
- YBN Master Link Installation Pliers CLP-102 for $13.99 each
- YBN Master Link Removal Pliers CRP-101 for $13.99 each
- YBN 12 Speed Master Link QRS-12 (out of stock until 12/1) for $19.99 each
- YBN 12sp Rainbow Chain SLA1210 - Bronze (ultrasonic clean & wax) + $39.99 for $119.98 each
- Stainless Steel Ultrasonic Cleaner 40,000 Hz (1 lb. wax free with purchase) for $154.99 each
Touring with a waxed chain
It very well could make it the 300 miles of VTXL, but if there is a lot of rain, it may not. I read through the forum here on it, and rather than try to reapply wax (which fundamentally needs to set on a dry chain) I'll just top up with standard lube. This quote was reassuring:
Josh at Silca has discussed it a few times, and I'm of a like mind, that it isn't an issue to "mix" wet lube ontop of a waxed chain. Sure its not ideal for the cleanup after the event/ride, but thats an easy tradeoff.
DONE switch to waxed bike chain
- State "DONE" from "TODO"
Swapped on the YBN waxed chain for the trainer. The existing chain worked terribly with new cassette on the trainer, the new chain solves it.
I had waited to switch for a master link tool to come in, but later realized I already had one, oops.
Cleaned the cassette by hand and first ride w the chain on 1/15.
Backlinks: Tacx Neo 2T
First shot at waxing the chain. Used mineral spirits to clean the cassette and wow it came out nice. The chain too. Wax took awhile to melt but it worked well. Found this in my search history 1/29: https://www.trainerroad.com/forum/t/noisy-chain-drive-train-with-first-waxing-help/71517 I'd made the same mistake. Looks like I got in a ride that night right after waxing.
Rewax. Made it a month! Must have shed all the wax riding outside on 2/26, very wet. I rode inside on 2/28 but only 100W, I remember it being bad with the chain.
Ride on Monday was a super easy spin because there was no wax on the chain.
Stripped and waxed all three chains Tue night. Put the rainbow chain on first. I had bought
- YBN 12sp Silver Chain SLA1210 × 1 $75
- YBN 12sp Gold Chain SLA1210 × 1 $80
Gold is exciting. Silver was the cheapest for another chain.
Put the new Cassette on the bike as well, maiden voyage on Friday 3/28.
Swapped on the gold chain for D2R2 ride. Some brake servicing showed that I was metal to metal on the read. Took the pads out.
During the ride the piston was rubbing so I took the brake off. The piston has fallen out as of 2025-05-01, ordered a new one from Laughing dog.
Muddy
Mounting on an indoor trainer
Backlinks: Tacx Neo 2T
Garmin Tacx Neo 2T (on sale for 899!). Got a 12sp Shimano HG cassette to go with it (Shimano 105 CS-R7101-12 Cassette (Silver) (12-Speed) (Shimano HG) (11-34T)).
Measured the thread spacing at 1.0mm (easy, count threads in 1cm - exactly 10).
Total width of the classified thru axle is 155 (with 13mm of threads),
which makes for a 142mm hub.
The 155mm is measured with the left side spacers on.
I think that's pretty standard.
I wonder what Olson's is,
his bike might just fit on this trainer it fits with the TacX QR adapters.
Bought this adapter.
TIL just have to measure it!
The Robert Axle Project doesn't have firefly w classified…custom bike
problems.
Fenders
Reasonable: https://www.rei.com/product/238519/portland-design-works-full-metal-fenders-700c-x-55-mm
Unreasonable: https://22bicycles.com/products/titanium-fenders
Talked to firefly about this and I'll go with the Rene Herse aluminum fenders. They'll accoomodate the knobby tires that I have, but out of stock as of late March. Once they come in stock I'll get them set up, via new mounts. Also will get the top tube bag bolts, and the Ti seatpost while at it.
Tubeless
I am running tubeless on the gravel bike, only my second tubeless setup. It was a revolution for mountain biking years ago: you could run lower pressures without pinch flats which meant both smoother rolling over small bumps and better grip. Huge.
But on the gravel bike - it's no panacea. I am currently nursing an "overnight flat" that I just have to fill up before riding on the Barlow Pass tires. They roll so so smooth but they're a bit fickle. There are some scrapes on the sidewalls that I think are the air leaks.
Update : the overnight flat has not been an issue for a couple months.
I've been using Stan's for sealant.
Changing tubeless tires
Changing the tubeless tires is a process, I've failed to get them to seal before with an hour of effort and I have an air compressor… I now have a trick that I found so I can actually do it reliably I think - where I half seal each side with a tire level before hitting with air … h/t to Ben Emery for the tip: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tE3h4nmDdOo.
Of course: remove the valve cores, prestaflator on the air compressor: https://prestacycle.com/products/prestaflator-pro-digital-bicycle-tire-inflator-presta-schrader-air-compressor-tool