-Shifters: Microshift Centos Xpress Plus Shifters 2×11, SL-R861-2 From a past project, I had a set of Taiwan-made Microshift Centos SL-R861-2  road flat bar shifters in my parts bin. They worked previously perfect with my Shimano R7000 GS long-caged rear derailleur, so I didn't see a reason to buy new ones. Installation Installing them was simple due to the forged alloy clamps designed for my flat bar. My set included shifting cables, which are easy to replace and safeguarded

(continued from Part 3) As mentioned, I have another light road or racing bike, based on my Fastrax Scandium frame. While this built is light and nimble, the BMC is, possibly due to it's larger size, a little bit more sluggish, no matter what kind of rim/tire combination I put on the bike. Even though both bike the complement each other, I somehow decided to build this BMC with a different setup with a straight handlebar, to make it more comfortable and more versatile. My s

High prices and more comfort I am a big fan of the German-made Continental Grand Prix 5000 tires, especially the 25mm version that I've frequently used. These tires are outstanding, offering superior quality, simple installation, and impressive performances in both dry and wet conditions. Unfortunately, like many other things, their prices increased ridiculously, for the price of one GP5000 tire, my wife can almost buy a car tire! This prompted me to search for more affordabl

( continued from part 1 ) Braking Lever: Tektro I used my vintage Taiwanese MTB Tektro 4-finger brake levers made from aluminum. Many...