The Failed Experiment - Flux update...

I mentioned a few short weeks ago that I had purchased another Turner off the flea, this time a Flux. Turns out the Flux experiment was a short lived one. The adoption if this silver beast was cut short when after opening the box I discovered...

That the rear end was from a Nitrous! The Flux and the Nitrous share many geometry characteristics so fitting the Nitrous seatstays and chainstays would work and ride fine, and some weight conscious folks may even see it as an upgrade. See the Nitrous is a race frame with a max rider weight of 160lbs, made for shaved legged twig-shaped folks who don't eat. I am hairy. I eat...a lot. I am not twig-shaped. So the Flux-Nitrous mutant had to go back.

You can see in this picture that the bridge of the seat stay pivot is very relieved of material to shave weight. I would imagine that Nitrous fanboys would have noticed this feature. Turner newbies though, sailed right over it and went leaping for the bid button.

That would be me.

You are HEALED!

Two rides in and doing fine. Cross your fingers and toes!

Broken Turner

Not everything about the FATS weekend went well. For example, had a good old fashioned argument with an old friend, complete with mutual screaming and threats of violence.

Even worse though, I broke the Turner!

That aint right. This is the non-drive side rocker and the break is just above the shock where the rocker is relieved to clear the air valve for the DHX shock. This is what happens when fat men ride with an under inflated shock.

Fresh from eBay. More 5.3 rockers, with unfortunately, more relieving for the DHX air valve. I'd like to dump the DHX (and I will) and get a set of non-relieved rockers. Good to have goals in life.

Turner with her pants down. An easy job after all. Turner provides great technical documentation at turnerbikes.com, and even a ham-fisted monkey like me can do it. Bushings look good so I did not replace the hardware, just the rockers. POS DHX is in this picture. Hunk of poo that it is.

Comparing the old rockers (bottom) to the replacements. The older ones had faded to a cool bronze color, but apparently they should be black.

Ride on, Turner!

FATS!

Forks Area Trail System, in scenic Modoc, South Carolina.

The trailhead.

The trails were super smooth. SORBA locals get militant with trail closures and maintenance if the weather is bad. It pays off.

Turner on a tree.

Back down the trails.

Campground views of Strom Thurmond Lake.

"Clarks Hill Herring Hut"

I'm sure the food is great, but I didn't try it. You first....

Out Door

Heading out...some stuff I don't use and some stuff I shouldn't have picked up off the flea in the first place!



LG Composites post.

TTT Status stem.

ITM bar.

I.25" threadless headset. Fat sucker.

AMP to IS disc brake adaptors.

M910 rear derailleur.

Look Moab S2R cleats and Y clips and assorted clipless hardware. Hey...if you have a pair of Moab pedals, these may very well be the last pair of cleats on earth!

Turner Flux

The latest adoption...

Who's your daddy.

Evolution of the Turner 5Spot - HL vs TNT

HL vs TNT, or Horst Link patent vs non, or Turner vs Ellsworth.... whatever side you land on, there still exists two versions of the "Walking Beam/Four Bar" 5Spot.

The HL frames. 2003-2005. Pivot on the chainstay just ahead of the rear wheel axle. The "Four Bar" frames.

another angle

again

and again.

And the TNT relocated pivot, in line with the seatstay and not the chainstay. The "Faux Bar" frames. These are the "stick-your-pirated-patent-in-your-pipe-and-smoke-it, Tony!" frames. That is my pivot in this picture. Probably the one creaking up a storm and driving me insane.

again, TNT faux bar.

So not all Turners are created equal, but nearly so. I'm not getting into the HL/TNT vs DWLink 5 Spot issue here. You'll have to head on over to Turner Bikes to get the DW scoop and draw your own conclusions...

Shocker

The most disgustingly rude glove design ever...

...and I love 'em. Hello eBay? Please send one pair, size XL...

(file under Goats, Lube and... oh what the hell...Dwarfs)

Tale of Two Fitty's

Altek goodies on the flea...

Black, $133.Fitty - FAIL

Silver $122.Fitty - PASS!

I'm batting .500!

Fixie Kids

Sure its in German!

...but you still get the point! The little goobers...

There are no new ideas.

Nice looking GT Avalanche from 1988 made the rounds of VRC-dom recently. Look closely and you'll notice some new technology making an early appearance on this 23 year old beauty...

Pinch bolt cranks! Circa mid 80's or so, from longtime component maker Sakae Ringyo (aka SR.) Old timer BMXer doods will recognize these babies, and while that's all well and grand, these did come spec'd as standard equip on the Avalanche in ''88

All we need now is outboard bearings. Oh wait...the big "S" already moved away from that right? Press in bearings are the shiznit now right? New tech? Poor Klein/Fat/et al.

and from the GT catalog. Dig the mushroom cap helmet in the lower left picture. I'd sport that.

The End of the World...

The world did not end last month, and there was no rapture (or if there was, I was left behind! EEEK!) There are recent developments however, that leave me to suspect that we are not far from that event coming to fruition. Get your KoolAid ready!!


You are not imagining things. These really are jeweled bar end plugs. Somebody out there needs to either put down the malt liquor or the Bedazzler, either or.

Even comes in colors. Shame.

Kill me now.