Bicycle Tech/Gear Discussion Thread

Jun 21, 2014 at 02:46 PM

vlad said:

I've had to swap out the bearings on my front alchemy wheel twice in the years that I've owned them. It doesn't bother me because it's a $10 job at Ride. My suggestion to you would be to stay away from the ceramic bearings. Also, nothing lasts forever.

Thanks Vlad....Where can I get the bearings? Also is the shop going to need special tools to rebuild the rear hub? My wheelbuilder has not gotten back to me neither have the people at Alchemy. Which I'm starting to get a little pissy about. I emailed John Neugent about his new wheels and he responded the next day with answers to all my questions.

twoyacks

Jun 21, 2014 at 03:04 PM

Can Ride replace the rear bearings for me?

Craig Zolan

Jun 21, 2014 at 03:07 PM

@Brendan - yes you can reuse that spoke.... as a drink stirrer. I see a Tom Collins in your future.

Craig Zolan

Jun 21, 2014 at 03:09 PM

So I worked on my bike last night - and spent most of the time in front of the computer upgrading the firmware on my Garmin and in my PowerTap hub. #wherearethegreasyfingers?

twoyacks

Jun 21, 2014 at 05:31 PM

I have put the cap on the bottle Xanax....wheel builder responds...Yacks rejoices

"I'm ordering new bearings right now for those hubs (another customer). The rust you see is staining from the steel bearing, nothing to be attributed to the hub. I've been using Phil Wood bearings as replacements and the results are excellent. When I rebuild the hub I layer the insides of everything with a light coat of grease so surface corrosion won't be an issue. What you see can't be avoided when you have unfinished alloy parts. the insides of any hub can have that if not lubed properly.

The best thing would be to do a complete bearing replacement job on the hubs. They will be as good as new after that. I have 2 sets of the original hubs myself. the red set has been abused with winter and wet riding on my fender bikes for a few seasons. They are working awesome for me.

Thanks,

Eric

twoyacks

Jun 23, 2014 at 03:02 AM

Things get better...Today a cracked my front carbon tubular....upon further inspection and evaluation of the wheelset, I've discovered that the bearings are shot front and rear and the rear braking surface has a crack that has been steadily growing. So after 4 years pf racing on them...my Neuvation carbon tubs have officially crapped the bed.

I'm open the suggestions on what to do? Carbon tubs can be had for $400 on ebay (Chinese stuff). I could order carbon rims on ebay and rebuild the Neuvation hubs...but once you start doing that///the $400 wheelsets look like the cheaper option. I'm going to email John Neugent and see what the price of his tubular wheelsets are.

vlad

Jun 23, 2014 at 03:05 AM

Reynolds wheels with our discount from Ride + Reynolds crash insurance

Marc Bertucco

Jun 23, 2014 at 03:56 AM

vlad said:

Reynolds wheels with our discount from Ride + Reynolds crash insurance

FWIW, when I asked recently about the Reynolds discount at Ride, the bigger guy with a beard, who was really nice, didn't seem to be aware of a Reynolds specific discount, and spoke about how Reynolds made the carbon for the ritchey wheels and that he did have some older Reynolds models that he could probably work a deal.

Craig Zolan

Jun 23, 2014 at 04:13 AM

Marc - our club liaison is Jake in the event someone doesn't know specifics. I can also get involved if you are contemplating a purchase.

Marc Bertucco

Jun 23, 2014 at 04:49 AM

Craig Zolan said:

Marc - our club liaison is Jake in the event someone doesn't know specifics. I can also get involved if you are contemplating a purchase.

Good to know, thanks. Because now that I'm riding the sweet CAAD10, I look at it and think how bad-ass it would look if it had some wheels from Vlad's aresenal. First I gotta find money for cross tubulars though. #priorities

dstokes

Jun 23, 2014 at 01:10 PM

I rode Neuvation C50 tubulars in both road and 'cross races and was very happy with their performance. The deep dish is supposed to go well through sand and mud (no turbulance from all the nipples and spokes getting buried in the debris).

And in case someone wants to whine about the carbon braking surface in 'cross conditions, Edwin Bull told me that he never changes his brake pads and rides both alloy and carbon wheels on the road and in 'cross and hasn't had any problems.

#killtwobirdswithonestone

Phil Maronilla

Jun 23, 2014 at 03:59 PM

My Fly6 just arrived. I'll report back after I test it this evening. The light itself is bigger than I thought. About 4 inches tall and thick and chunky.

IMG_20140623_115814.jpg

twoyacks

Jun 23, 2014 at 05:58 PM

Carbon tubs vs carbon clinchers? I have gotten some prices from John Neugent. The 44 and 50mm tubular prices look great. These seem to be about $200 less than the clinchers. So I was thinking it would be a good idea to go the tubular route again as the last set lasted me 4 years. The tubulars will likely be over 100 grams lighter to boot. I think it best to have race wheels tucked away just for racing.

44m vs 50mm why the two different depths? I think I'll go with the 44's though just to say I did. Any thoughts on these two different depths or any other input...much obliged.

Chris,

Tubular sets are about two weeks out - maybe a little longer. Almost always it makes no sense to reuse the hubs since the vast majority of the cost is in the rims - but I can do that if you want to.

Rim availability. Here's a rough idea of what I can get you. Everyone now seems to want clinchers and I have those in stock. Before it was all tubular - go figure.

44 mm Normal Price $895 with CX Ray - Kissena price is $716 or with Laser spokes $636
50 mm  Normal Price $895 with CX Ray - Kissena price is $716 or with Laser spokes $636
60 mm  Normal Price $995 with CX Ray - Kissena price is $796 or with Laser spokes $716
88 mm  Normal Price $1095 with CX Ray - Kissena price is $876 or with Laser spokes $795

Shipping is $35 per set. You can mix and match front and rear rim sizes and all are custom built with my new hubs. Here's the link to the carbon wheel page

All rims are 23 mm wide.

http://www.neugentcycling.com/CarbonWheels.html

If you are interested please let me know - Thanks - John

twoyacks

Jun 23, 2014 at 11:27 PM

Anyone want 250 gram rims???

Chris,

I have a rim order leaving China soon and they can also throw on some different sizes if you are interested.
Depth Weight
38 330
24 250
22 250

All are 23 mm wide. Prices would be the same as the 44's.
Thanks - John

Marc Bertucco

Jun 24, 2014 at 12:46 AM

Damn you are like best buds with that dude. Here's a question, I know the look aero, but are they manufactured to the same specs as other rims that have been tested? I only assume that he can't afford to develop his designs...but also JP once told me a fascinating bit of info regarding Shimano carbon hoops.Namely that the lower profile ones were actually faster than the 50s or some such.

twoyacks

Jun 24, 2014 at 02:15 AM

Marc I believe it is a spoke count issue....lower spoke count = more aero. It is the reason the Rolf wheels are so aero.

Neuvation doesn't do any testing...John Neugent seems to just put his hand on the pulse of demand and then goes out and secures parts and builds it. He seems to source good quality stuff...case in point my carbon tubs that I bought used from Mark Taylor lasted me 4 years of smashing pot holes at Central, Prospect and Floyd. I think in those 4 years I raced on my aluminum clinchers twice...because my tub had gotten a flat I believe and I needed to order a new tire and wait for the glue to dry.

Neuvation seem to run 20 hole front 24 hole rear on everything they build. I am researching what depth rim to get. The 38's have my attention.

Wes Tillman

Jun 24, 2014 at 08:52 PM

Anyone ever own or ride a dengfu? I'm looking to put together a CX bike on the cheap and might go the charbon route.

twoyacks

Jun 26, 2014 at 02:28 PM

Anybody with aluminum and carbon tubular experience out there? I have aluminum Neuvation clinchers which are pretty harsh on my aluminum frame and I have carbon tubulars that are pretty smooth on the same aluminum frame. Is the difference in ride quality in the rims or the tubulars? Aluminum tubs are half the price of the carbon ones but not as aero.

thanks

yack

mattie davitt

Jun 26, 2014 at 03:08 PM

$2170 complete, available after xmas!

ian ellis

Jun 26, 2014 at 03:12 PM

@Yaks

From personal experience i'd say the ride quality is influenced by a number of factors, including spoke material, spoke count, rim depth, rim material, tire.

The harshest wheel I ever had was a tubular mavic ksyrium SSC. Low spoke count, High tension, alloy spokes. The thing was mean and vicious.

I still regularly ride a pair of Mavic GP4 tubs. 36 spokes, spoke tension is moderate, alloy rim is very shallow. These are extremely comfortable wheels - even with Conti Sprinter Gatorskins on them (which are a very tough and harsh tire).

Carbon tubs certainly seem stiffer than alloy, but not necessarily harsher. I have a zipp 808 that certainly transmits more road buzz to my delicate derriere than a 40mm carbon rim, and I suspect spoke length plays a major role.

Jeffrey White

Jun 26, 2014 at 04:31 PM

CANNONDALE TRACK BIKE, people! Get on that!

Brendan Rigby

Jun 26, 2014 at 07:20 PM

Any other news about their new offerings this fall? I think I'll get a cyclocross bike

Joaquin

Jun 26, 2014 at 07:26 PM

Chris, I'm riding the aluminum Nuevation tubulars (which you posted above) and I think they definitely soften things up a little, but aren't to soft through the corners. Definitely the best value proposition, and the new profile is more aero. And no need to change your brake pads!

Joaquin

Jun 26, 2014 at 07:28 PM

@Brendan, they'll likely have some cool new disc madness, but if you wait for the new models you won't be racing it till fall of 2015. C'Dale typically doesn't ship their new stuff til late December.

mattie davitt

Jun 26, 2014 at 08:34 PM

Brendan Rigby said:

Any other news about their new offerings this fall? I think I'll get a cyclocross bike

Alloy bikes go disc top to bottom. hydro Rival 22 at the top $2170 ,11 speed 105 $1570 below that, Tiagra then Sora. Rival bikes ship end of August, the others mid July.

Carbon SuperX are hydro Sram all the way though. Rival 22 at $2710, high mod CX1 at $3790 and high mod Red at $5960.

vlad

Jun 29, 2014 at 10:18 PM

@twoyacks

... be gentle