Kissena Forum Archive

Aug 01, 2023 at 07:05 PM

One of the comments " did Boonen help design the speed sniffer ?"

Aug 03, 2023 at 11:35 PM

haha, judging from the photo the sniffer headtube might be the only actual change

Matt Budofsky

Aug 04, 2023 at 01:04 PM

I'm waiting for Specialized to come out and say they've just been trolling everyone for some giggles

Aug 04, 2023 at 03:04 PM

this is a "leak" it is possible this might not be actually from specialized, but some random put this together -- likely with this goal

Matt Budofsky

Aug 07, 2023 at 01:41 PM

looks like that leaked spec sheet was spot on, even down to the speed sniffer (I still can't believe that's what they're calling it).

Looks like an evolution of the SL7- lighter, more aero and more compliant. The initial reviews of it are overwhelmingly positive

Aug 07, 2023 at 05:47 PM

Matt Budofsky said:

looks like that leaked spec sheet was spot on, even down to the speed sniffer (I still can't believe that's what they're calling it).

Looks like an evolution of the SL7- lighter, more aero and more compliant. The initial reviews of it are overwhelmingly positive

I find the reviews of the SL8 to be almost silly. They wouldn't be releasing a new frame unless they could make a case for it being lighter, more aero, and more compliant. And the aero claims I wonder about as most of the savings come from the integrated stem/handlebar setup.

DavidHocker

Aug 20, 2023 at 06:56 PM

Pedals question: Looking for alternatives to Speedplays. I mostly like the two-sided clipping ability, but honestly I am just curious what people tend to ride with these days, since I basically went with a style 15 years ago, and stuck with it.

I have been using Speedplays for years, and have had no real complaints. During an upgrade few years ago I bought a set of the new Speedplays that are produced by Wahoo. I really don't like them.

So... alternatives?

David Yang

Aug 20, 2023 at 07:16 PM

I tried a few Look systems years ago and ended up with Shimano spd-sl because their cleats had rubber feet and didn’t need covers. No complaints with their metal and resin versions. Cheap, reliable, ubiquitous… they’re the Toyota Camry of clipless pedals.

Aug 20, 2023 at 08:04 PM

I ride Looks just because I used to use Powertap pedals and that's the cleat they used.

What are your issues with the Wahoo Speedplays? They should be the same as the OG, no?

DavidHocker

Aug 20, 2023 at 10:53 PM

Thanks for the suggestions!

Issue 0: Cleat came bent. unusable. Had to get new ones before ever riding. Wahoo replaced for free.

Issue 1: The have two types of cleats, but didn't clearly advertise that the entry level one was meant for riders under ~140lb, and my pedals kept popping out on intense efforts. Only found out after reaching out to customer service. That's kind of on me. upgraded to other cleat out-of-pocket cost (not much more, price wise, but at the time there wasn't an option to ship that particular option in a cleat + pedal set)

Issue 2: After 6-8 months of riding the spindle became loose from the pedal, with noticeable play that felt weird on my pedal stroke. The internal tightening bolt did nothing to adjust it. There was also a maddening click on every pedal stroke that I thought was due to this, since replacing old pedals and cleats removed the issue. Wahoo replaced the pedals for free. Frustrating, but maybe a one-off issue, and kudos to them for the free replacement

Issue 2.1: The same spindle play and click came back on the second set after about a year. The play was less intense, and actually think that the click had something to do with the cleats. The point where cleats mount to pedals has a lot of swivel play in this system, but mine kept clicking into some sort of groove. tightening the cleats down seemed to solve the problem... for about 45 seconds. I'm probably missing something maintenance-wise on amount of torque on the cleats, which was also a problem for the old system, but I never had this issue with my old X2s.

So, overall, just a whole bunch of little things. Having a click on every.single.pedal.stroke is enough to drive you crazy. That's the dealbreaker for me

GrantSeltzer

Aug 21, 2023 at 12:28 PM

If you like two sided then try SPD, as long as you can get shoes that you like and are 2 hole compatible.

I have Look pedals just because that's what the shop who built my bike had, and I ended up getting power meter pedals. If I didn't already invest so much I would just use spd I think.

Aug 21, 2023 at 12:35 PM

SPD-SL is the most popular pedal used on road bikes.

SPD for off-road

Aug 21, 2023 at 03:53 PM

DavidHocker said:

Thanks for the suggestions!

Issue 2: After 6-8 months of riding the spindle became loose from the pedal, with noticeable play that felt weird on my pedal stroke. The internal tightening bolt did nothing to adjust it. There was also a maddening click on every pedal stroke that I thought was due to this, since replacing old pedals and cleats removed the issue. Wahoo replaced the pedals for free. Frustrating, but maybe a one-off issue, and kudos to them for the free replacement

Issue 2.1: The same spindle play and click came back on the second set after about a year. The play was less intense, and actually think that the click had something to do with the cleats. The point where cleats mount to pedals has a lot of swivel play in this system, but mine kept clicking into some sort of groove. tightening the cleats down seemed to solve the problem... for about 45 seconds. I'm probably missing something maintenance-wise on amount of torque on the cleats, which was also a problem for the old system, but I never had this issue with my old X2s.

@DavidH@DavidHocker

That's a sucky experience. And one that shouldn't happen.

I'm acquainted with the sales manager of Wahoo. A few years back, he was unapologetic about the problems, basically saying that the older design needed too much upkeep and had to be updated to appeal to a broader range of people. I'm not the only person speculating that the issue is probably somewhat related to the non-servicable bearings.

Sadly, your experience seems to be far from uncommon. And it's the reason I bought new bow ties and complete bearing kits for my three sets of Speedplay pedals, along with two sets of spindles. I'm hoping Wahoo solves the issue. But in the meantime, I've updated and am servicing my old pedals.

Here's an article from last year:

https://velo.outsideonline.com/road/road-racing/review-a-year-with-wahoos-new-speedplay-pedal-range/

"But that lateral play issue has so far spoiled all the fun, leaving many Speedplay fans wondering why Wahoo tried to fix what wasn’t broken. If Wahoo can get the issue resolved, which, again, it claims it has, riders can move on with new replacement pedals. If the issue persists, Wahoo has a real problem on its hands. A premium-priced disposable pedal could be hard for the Speedplay brand to recover from. "

Aug 21, 2023 at 03:58 PM

My own gear discussion update: Specialized Turbo Tubeless tires T2/T5 700c x 26.

I flatted the rear tire Friday descending Harlem Hill Friday. I somehow got a hole in the sidewall as I was turning on the descent. The sealant, of which there seemed to be enough, didn't do anything. So I decided to stick a tube in and ride home.

My first thought was I'd patch the sidewall with a Rema patch after I got home, but then I saw the casing was showing through the tread in three places. I then decided it was the last ride on the tire.

When I got home, I checked when I put the tire in service. It was the third week of March. I think the tire has about 4,000 miles on it, which I don't think is bad for a racing tire. I think this was the second time I had to stop to fix the tire on the road. That's not bad. However, this tubeless setup needs to be pumped up ever day; so fast is the air leakage. With butyl tubes in a road tire, I typically go 3+ days between pumps.

I'm leaning toward going back to tubed tires for the next set.

Aug 21, 2023 at 07:00 PM

Aren't specialized turbos notorious for not lasting too long?

On the inflating, yeah, with most tubeless or even latex tubes, you basically need to pump before every ride. I usually ride early in the morning, have found that they hold enough to pump the night before. Personally, a worthy sacrifice for the better quality feel.

Not having to worry about air for days is kinda cool, let's you just grab the bike and go, if that matter, butyl or TPU (mind that some are not for rim brakes) are the way to go.

Aug 21, 2023 at 08:08 PM

eloy said:

Aren't specialized turbos notorious for not lasting too long?

I believe that was limited to the Turbo Cotton, which looked like it was made by Vittoria, or at least the casing was basically the same as the Corsa CX cotton casings.

Anyone wanna go halvsies?

https://factorbikes.com/bike-builder/factor-track-bike?utm_term=&utm_campaign=US-+Performance+Max-+Bikes+(Shopify)&utm_source=adwords&utm_medium=ppc&hsa_acc=3835891213&hsa_cam=20416653480&hsa_grp=&hsa_ad=&hsa_src=x&hsa_tgt=&hsa_kw=&hsa_mt=&hsa_net=adwords&hsa_ver=3&gclid=CjwKCAjwloynBhBbEiwAGY25dAN0p3OJSUj687N8Vhyv45CFqVzOIQSkOla6OUWdOst2NDWcjizWUxoCiO0QAvD_BwE

Aug 21, 2023 at 08:20 PM

Aug 22, 2023 at 10:31 AM

I’ll buy the chain

GrantSeltzer

Aug 22, 2023 at 07:05 PM

Does anyone actually buy bikes like that besides actual pros? Do they just post them on their online store to satisfy the rule about equipment having to be commercially available?

Although I guess there's plenty of super rich cycling fans out there, I just figure they buy Pro/WT teams and bikes like thos get thrown in.

Aug 22, 2023 at 08:49 PM

That bike is 100% to satisfy the UCI rule. I mean there isn't even a cog or chainring!

Aug 30, 2023 at 12:29 PM

My tubeless saga woes continue... I was doing a quick lap in PP yesterday when my rear tires decided to explode and my bike got a nice shower of sealant. I felt like it was some kind of tubeless baptism. Anyway, I had a nice 1/2" gash in the middle of my tire. I went to put a tube in and it took a solid 20 minutes to unseat one of the beads (Vittoria G2.0 N.ext). I saw the same folks 2-3 times as they were doing laps... Before I switched to tubeless, this wasn't an issue (Vittoria Corsa G2) and I could swap a tube in in a reasonable amount of time.

I'm replacing the tire anyway, but I'm hesitant to keep using tubeless. Between the sealant maintenance, messy install (to be fair this was just with Silca sealant), constant clogged valve cores, and the tire getting stuck to the rim, I'm not sure I see the benefit. Is this a normal tubeless experience? Is there anything I can do to remedy these issues?

Aug 30, 2023 at 01:19 PM

@GregHoge

I think the biggest issue you highlighted is the consistency of rim and tire bead diameters. Namely, there isn't consistency in that across brands. If a workable standard can be promulgated, then the problems will go away for new stuff going forward from that moment.

Clogged valve cores I don't see going away, though I would have hoped the Silca sealant/grit solution might have gone some way to limiting the problem.

GrantSeltzer

Aug 30, 2023 at 01:35 PM

Yea I continue to not see the benefit of tubeless for road unless trying to absolutely maximize rolling resistance, and even then i'd rather run a latex tube for ease of use. I've had two punctures on tubes in the past year. One was going over broken glass with a huge gash, and the other was at farmers daughter when I should be on a gravel bike with tubeless anyway.

Tubeless strikes me as one of those things that isn't yet perfected and 10 years from now we'll be talking about how shitty it used to be in the same way people talk about how great electronic shifting is now.

Jules

Aug 30, 2023 at 02:06 PM

Between tubeless and rim brakes I might as well tie an onion to my belt.

https://ridesofjapan.creator-spring.com/listing/rim-brake-defense-force-distr?product=211&variation=5294&size=1164

Aug 30, 2023 at 02:08 PM

Jules said:

Between tubeless and rim brakes I might as well tie an onion to my belt.

Aug 30, 2023 at 03:18 PM

Well , I for one love tubeless

Aug 30, 2023 at 03:19 PM

mugwump said:

@GregHoge

I think the biggest issue you highlighted is the consistency of rim and tire bead diameters. Namely, there isn't consistency in that across brands. If a workable standard can be promulgated, then the problems will go away for new stuff going forward from that moment.

Clogged valve cores I don't see going away, though I would have hoped the Silca sealant/grit solution might have gone some way to limiting the problem.

How do you think Silca , solved this ?

Aug 30, 2023 at 04:22 PM

Mark Taylor said:

mugwump said:

@GregHoge

Clogged valve cores I don't see going away, though I would have hoped the Silca sealant/grit solution might have gone some way to limiting the problem.

How do you think Silca , solved this ?

I didn't think they had solved it. I had hoped they had minimized it.

My thought was that by having the "fiberfoam" stuff, that would stay in the tire itself, and that the sealant goo would be a thinner viscosity, thus drying thinner if it got stuck in the valve.

FWIW, after nearly a year of tubeless on my daily ride, the front valve didn't get stuck at all. The rear has a bit of a problem with the valve closing after pumping up. Since I pulled the tubeless off the rear, I'm going to clean out the valve, and hopefully, that will end it.