[Big K]

I ride on dusty trails which means cleaning my chain once or twice a week for smooth shifting. I've had a Park CM-5 chain scrubber for a couple years and it seems to work fine. Problem is, mine just broke... the plastic that holds one of the clamps in place cracked and I can get the thing to stay shut anymore. Before I go buy another one, wanted to find out if there are others I ought to be looking at? I am not interested in one of those big, full-service parts washers, just a quick-and-easy portable chain-mount one. Any advice would be helpful.

Also, I will be making a trip up to northern MN in a couple weeks and thinking about getting one of those seatpost mount (via clamp) racks. I carry a few things that are too big for my seatpack and I prefer not to wear a backpack when riding. It'll mostly be country roads and dirt fireroads... not itense singletrack so I am not too worried about knocking it off. I'd estimate the total weight of stuff I would be carrying to be no more than a few pounds. Anybody had experience with the Performance Transit model (seatpost mount, quick release for FS mtb)?

Thanks... I always get great advice from people on this site.

 

[fred3]

Well you can always buy another Park one. I've been using the Finishline one for 4 years and I'm about to buy another.

As for the rack I'd get a good hydration pack. I know you say you don't want a pack, but the Blowfish(for example) will hold quite a bit of stuff and 100oz of water to boot. You may think it feels heavy and weird at first. If you just give a chance you'll never go back to weighing down the bike instead of yourself. Just having the water as convienent as it is may be worth and initial misgivings. Give it a try. It'll keep the stuff safer on your back than on your bike and if you ever fall it makes a great cushion.