twoyacks said:

In a world that has gone topsy turvy....the spring inside my sram red rear der. hath snapped....and it was made of...gasp...titanium!  I've heard tale of Sram actually replacing the der, when this happens....anybody have any inside on this urban legend?  perhaps someone with some inside intel (JP)

thanks

Yacks

Haven't heard.  But SRAM customer service is pretty good and quick.  Call 'em.

A friend gave me a Rotor 3D crankset with SRAM rings to use on my new road bike frame. The rest of the drivetrain will be Ultegra 6800 (11 speed), so I'm wondering if anyone knows if these rings will be 11 speed compatible or if I should shop around for another set of rings.

From what I've looked at, the rings are compatible: with 11 speed chains (v. 10 speed), the change in width is on the outer plates, not the inner plates.  However, apparently SRAM 10 speed cranksets have the rings closer together than SRAM 11 speed cranksets.  Not sure if Shimano is the same.

nice friend!

Jules said:

http://velonews.competitor.com/2014/12/news/shimano-adds-computer-control-dura-ace-di2-levers_354883

Nice

Dibs on Joshua's Mech DA gruppo when he upgrades.

Marc Bertucco said:

Dibs on Joshua's Mech DA gruppo when he upgrades.

http://news.distractify.com/fun/rules-for-shotgun/?v=1

Bike mechanical types...want to get a click-type torque wrench for xmas. My family is all going to go in on it, so price is, well, that's why I'm getting the click-type.

Is there a better option than the big $100-ish Park one?

Like a Craftsman or Snap On or somesuch?

Marc,

Jules said:

This one is very nice

The effeto mariposa giustaforza is pretty sweet.  Got one.  Ritchey was selling a re-badged version.  Maybe is still.  It doesn't have a ratcheting head at this price point though.  While the case gives the tool the proper presentation and mindset, removing it for travel is the way to go.  

Anyone have any experience with lake shoe sizing, I run 44 in sidi and specialized , I hear they run wide

I'm looking for cassette recommendations to pair w  the compact crankset 50/34 that I'm about to put on my road bike.

I would consider an 11-28 for hilly races especially if its an 11 speed, it might leave a tiny gap but having an extra gear never hurts. Contador rides a 34-32 in the mountains for some reference.

Look at the gear inch chart attached.

I would argue that if you are using greater than 40 gear inches in any local "hilly" race you're not going to be competitive. The combination 36-28 will be 34.7 gear inches. Wayyyyy to easy. You could get 40 inches with a 36-24.

There may be an exception for Catskills, gmsr, Killington.... have not done those.

And consider Contador races up actual mountains. Alpine takes a mediocre climber 4.5 minutes.

um. consider that Contador has won multiple grand tours. that we are considering the same gearing than him is ridiculous. good luck!

With regards to gear choice, much of it is based on personal preference and style. I routinely bring cassettes that are two or three teeth easier than whatever the promoter or folks around me recommend. But that's my style. I'm a leg speed, spinner type. For GMSR this year, on the big road stage with the final pitches up app gap, I had a compact with a 30 tooth dinner plate on the back. And it still hurt.

The biggest difference, by the way, I've noticed with the compact gearing in hilly races, is not so much on the climbs. They still hurt, no matter what gears you have, but I was able to get in more "micro bursts" of recovery as the road flattened out a bit. With traditional gearing on App Gap, for example, there really is almost no recovery. But with a compact and the dinner plate, I was able to spin easily for a few brief stretches leaving me more juice for the steeper bits.

The other thing that I find somewhat frustrating with the compact set up, is that I'm constantly hunting for the right gear ratio on group and solo training rides. (reminds me of a recent review I read of the Chrysler 200C 9-speed transmission being described as constantly "confused")  In races, I don't notice it as much.

For reference: As a very mediocre cat. 4, I struggled with a 39x28 to keep up on the hills with the faster guys at Battenkill this year.  An easier gear would have had me going backwards, but I was kind of mashing on that low gearing anyway before I got dropped.  Ultimately it was my abilities and fitness that did me in, not the lack of gearing (duh).

On the other hand, at the Giro del Cielo uphill TT (where I passed 3 guys!), I had a 39x26 and don't remember wanting another cog.  That coincides with Mike's 40 gear inches cut off.  I was probably in better shape by that point in the season too:
http://www.strava.com/activities/159325772

Regardless what your preference is, now is the time to try things not in the two weeks prior to Battenkill...

These wheels intrigue me.

http://www.neugentcycling.com/product26.html

What say you, oh massess?

I roll with a compact crank and a 12-26 most of the time. For a very hilly race, I'll put on an 11-28. These combinations work very well for me. I have zero use for an 11-23.

an 11-23 is a great cassette for the trainer.

Marc Bertucco said:

These wheels intrigue me.

http://www.neugentcycling.com/product26.html

What say you, oh massess?

Not bad for $550, though I'm curious how stiff the rims are considering they're 7mm taller and 1mm wider than Hed Belgiums yet weigh the same (around 460g).  My personal preference is for stiffness and pay the penalty in weight versus lightness and pay in the penalty in stiffness.

David Yang said:

My personal preference is for stiffness and pay the penalty in weight versus lightness and pay in the penalty in stiffness.

You strokin' out, bud?

Possibly because I've only dealt with cheap lightweight rims, but the 420-ish gram clinchers I rode on my first year with Kissena were like wet noodles.  No more of that for me, thanks.

David Yang said:

Possibly because I've only dealt with cheap lightweight rims, but the 420-ish gram clinchers I rode on my first year with Kissena were like wet noodles.  No more of that for me, thanks.

What rims were they?  The shape has a lot to do with it, I think.