Jan 17, 2013 at 03:56 AM
hold still jeff . . . this wont hurt a bit
Bicycle Tech/Gear Discussion Thread
Jan 18, 2013 at 04:50 AM
So tonight the carbon leaf spring broke on one my Time iClic ii's. I need new pedals ASAP as I'm planning to head out for at least one or possibly both of the group rides this weekend. I'm going to head over to Ride BK Billyburg tomorrow and buy some Speedplay Zeros. The whole cleat setup etc looks kind of complicated relative to the iClics. Is this something I should have the trusted Ride Bk professionals assist me with or is it something easily tackled by an ADD butterfingers like myself?
Jan 18, 2013 at 05:07 AM
wait...carbon fiber reinforced plastic has broken ????.....wait fooooorrrrrr iiiittttttt..........SHOCKER !!!!! seriously though good luck getting back on the road for the weekend.
Jan 18, 2013 at 05:57 AM
this part broke ie the carbon piece at the reartwoyacks said:wait...carbon fiber reinforced plastic has broken ????...
Jan 18, 2013 at 01:29 PM
installing the speedplay cleats was no harder than anything else. be sure you're using the correct shim for your shoe (the box will explain this). but dialing in my position took me a bit because
- the cleats permit for large amounts of side-to-side adjustment;
- the adapter and shims add to the stack height of your shoe, so you will likely have to move your seat upwards by about that distance (several mm?) to keep your legs from getting confused
Jan 18, 2013 at 01:38 PM
There is not a 'right' position for cleats. You may have to adjust them until you like the way they feel. I would suggest letting RB help you set them up, but then be prepared to tweak the position after trying them out. Bring a wrench along on the first few rides. This is not a practical strategy for group rides on cold days, however.
Jan 18, 2013 at 01:58 PM
This is kind of what I thought....I will set aside some time for tweaking and learning clipping in/out. Some shorter adjustment rides in the park this weekend supplemented with some evening running will be the order of the day.dstokes said:Bring a wrench along on the first few rides. This is not a practical strategy for group rides on cold days, however.
Jan 18, 2013 at 03:18 PM
Rick,
There is a center-line marking on both your Time and Speedplay cleats. With time, you can only see it when viewing the cleats from the side. With Speedplay you can see it from the bottom, provided you don't have a stainless shim on top of the cleat.
With Time, there are two Q-factor positions. With speedplay, you have quite a bit of lateral adjustment. So, you should eyeball where your shoe is relative to the crankarm on your times before swapping cleats. You'll want at least enough room so that your shoes, with your thickest booties on, can clear the cranks without rubbing.
With the Zeros, I typically start by dialing the "heel in" adjustment screw so the shoes clear the chainstay and crankarm, with thickest booties on, with some room to spare. I leave the "heel out" adjustment screw as loose as possible. Then, as I get used to the shoes, start to dial in the "heel out" until I have a little play left.
And the zeros, take a screwdriver, not a wrench. I'd do as much of the learning of clipping in and out and adjusting position inside. It's easier if you have a trainer, but it can work on rollers as well.
Jan 18, 2013 at 04:17 PM
+1 on bringing a screwdriver (Phillips-head) small enough to adjust the float mid-ride with speedplay zero's. make sure it can fit in the small black screws on the outside edge of the cleat; the screws are small and my multi-tool's screwdriver doesn't really fit. the way they arrived to me, the speedplay zero cleats permitted far too much movement of my feet. i still find myself thinking i need to adjust them from time to time, but i keep forgetting to bring the screwdriver...
Jan 18, 2013 at 05:02 PM
Thanks guys. Mug thanks for the detailed contrasting instructions
I've got a trainer and rollers so I'll take the time to tweak and learn the Speedplays indoors this weekend.
I just got a last minute dog boarding request to take care of a dog who might not get along with the other dog I'm boarding. So, it's probably a good thing that I'm forced to stay at home monitoring that situation and not head out for 5 hours to Rockland Lake. And now the cost of the new pedals is covered too. So all is well
Jan 20, 2013 at 10:00 PM
Can a frame that comes with Di2 be converted easily to traditional components?
(If I buy a supersix with Di2 but I don't want Di2 can I sell that stuff and swap it out with SRAM red? I explicitly don't want di2, but I like the look of the frames much better than the EVO red)
Jan 20, 2013 at 10:08 PM
Yeah. I'm almost positive any internal routing is size compatible for cables vs wires. It might have a special braze on for the battery tho?
WHERE IS JP?
WHERE IS JP?
Jan 20, 2013 at 11:27 PM
White girl problem.
Jan 21, 2013 at 01:14 AM
http://www.cannondale.com/2013/bikes/mountain/hardtail-29er/trail-sl-29er/trail-sl-29er-1
checking out the specs on this mtb ... it has a bottom bracket, included ! Thanks Cannondale.
Anyone know what BB this comes with ?
I am looking at getting a hardtail 29er via the club deal. Comparing the specs is kind of interesting - the F29 1 and F29 2 , and TRAIL SL 29ER 1 are all hardtail bikes (alloy), the F series has a Lefty fork, and the Trail SL bikes have traditional dual leg forks.
So since the F series bikes are more expensive - at first you would think they have better components than the SL1 - but the F29 1 and F29 2 have the same components as the lower priced SL bikes (SL 2, SL4, etc) The bottom bracket and the fork seem to be the big difference.
Has anyone ridden the Lefty forks / have thoughts on them ?
I am comparing these four: F29 1, F29 2, TRAIL SL 29ER 1, TRAIL SL 29ER 2.
I guess the decisions will come down to BB, Lefty vs Traditional fork, SRAM v Shimano
Jan 21, 2013 at 01:28 AM
Mega Exo BB
Jan 21, 2013 at 02:25 AM
Ryan I'd check to see if there are traditional cable stops on the di2 version.
Jan 21, 2013 at 03:48 AM
I think Jules is right. There isn't a rear derailleur cable housing stop on the Di2 bike's right chainstay, though it looks like there are spots for cable stops to be added on the head tube.
Jan 21, 2013 at 05:36 AM
The di2 supersix is electronic only. The stops arent swappable, that's just a little faceplate on the headtube, it doesn't come off. You can retrofit a mechanical bike down the road with the external wiring kit, or drill the frame.
The Trail SL series and F series are completely different frames. The F is lighter, with a longer lower position, and BB30. Lefty forks kick ass, lighter, stiffer and more small bump compliant then almost anything else. The F29 2, while being a bb30, uses a Shimano crank + adapter so it's mostly moot anyway. It also has a shadow plus XT rd (clutched for less chain slap and chance of throwing the chain) then the XT rd on the Trail SL. Wheels are nicer too.
Any reason you're not considering a dual suspension bike? It does depend on terrain, but the rocky rooty stuff around here, it can be a back saver. Look at the Scalpels 29ers.
Jan 21, 2013 at 02:33 PM
on a different note: for those interested in bike maintenance/repair who were on the Sunday ride yesterday, and kind enough to tolerate my whining about my chain behaving strangely, turns out one of the primary cartridge bearings in my rear wheel completely failed. some pictures at the following link. the shot that shows the ratchet-pawl mechanism should include a sealed bearing, but doesn't, because it just sort of exploded somehow. notice also the shattered ball bearings sticking to the axle. the wirey circles should be stuck together holding ball bearings inside two races, but are instead just loose in the freehub housing. no word yet on what it will take to repair them. hopefully, they'll just press some new bearings in and i'll be good to go. but i think the bearings have to be backordered from Specialized, sigh... https://plus.google.com/photos/106369983555075883495/albums/5835907530262669265?authkey=CKLb-pzd_v_RDw
Jan 21, 2013 at 03:54 PM
I've never seen a quality hub explode like that...those specialized are supposed to use dt swiss hubs? Shit happens I guess...
Josh if I were to get a new mtb it would be a 29er. I am a mtb ex-pat. my back and knees have forced me to the road. I have always been a full boinger advocate, even when the shocks had no lockout or pro-pedal technology. Below are a couple pics of some of my old school bikes. yack
Jan 21, 2013 at 06:11 PM
I have a gunnar Cross-Hairs cross-bike and I wanted to know if you need a specific road bike to enter races? Are cross-bikes allowed? I have cantilever breaks.
Thanks.
Jan 21, 2013 at 07:17 PM
Totally allowed, although your competitors might get annoyed and feel ashamed when you beat them.
Jan 21, 2013 at 09:00 PM
Getting a spare tire of tires (slick for the road) instead of your knobby cross tires may be nice though for road races.
Jan 21, 2013 at 09:16 PM
twoyacks, mattie davitt - thanks guys.
I am thinking about getting back into mtb for a couple of reasons (I had one about 15 years ago before I dropped cycling for a while)
1) seems fun!
2) work on handling skills to prep for cross
3) new shit to try out (some "regular" mtb races or even some 12 or 24 hour races could be on the horizon)
I've ridden Cunningham recently on my cx bike, my old school 26 inch Trek 6000 hardtail (got it in college to replace my fully rigid Cannondale that was stolen), and on a demo Specialized full suspension last year. I also took that full suspension demo up to Graham Hills park in Pleasantville.
I felt like I steamrolled over stuff in Cunningham that was more of a challenge on the CX bike.
Graham hills was a bit more challenging, but still it felt nuts re what I was able to roll over on that thing.
So my thought pattern was a hardtail would be slightly cheaper, force me to learn better handling skills, etc. And I got the "hall pass" on spending ~1000 (the cost of "SL 29ER 1") - though I am sure the price difference won't be a big deal going up to the F29 1. I have to look more into the full suspensions to see what the deal is there.
Jan 22, 2013 at 03:56 AM
i'm in the same boat
excited to ride MTB with you
def. gonna pull the trigger on the C'dale deal for a new dirt rig once i save some cash
Jan 22, 2013 at 09:59 PM
As long as we're talking MTB, I'd like to say that 29ers are overrated... or maybe just not for everyone. 26" or 650b would be my route if I had to do it all over again. My 29er, which I put about 200miles on before moving to BK (and eventually sold to finance a powermeter), was a bit challenging to handle. Sure, get it rolling in a straight line and you feel like a king, but try to maneuver it a slow speeds, especially laterally or on switchbacks, and it just wants to fall over. Just be aware that they can be a bit unruly at slow speeds and on technical terrain. This is especially true if you're a smaller guy. The bigger wheels and higher standover make more of a difference than you might think.
Jan 22, 2013 at 10:08 PM
I don't know why I like this line so much, but I do. Roll on Sir Vlad!vlad said:to handle. Sure, get it rolling in a straight line and you feel like a king,
Jan 22, 2013 at 11:03 PM
As a short guy who's spent a few days in the Utah mountains riding s 29er (in addition to a lot of years on 26ers), I've to got to agree with Vlad. In fact, a number of the custom builders (like Turner) simply won't build a size Small 29er, ostensibly because no one's figured out a way to build a Small 29er with great-handling geometry. That having been said, 29ers do allow you to roll over stuff, are less endo-prone, have better traction. and hold their rolling momentum and line nicely. If I lived somewhere with fast rolling trails, like I've seen in some parts of New Mexico, Utah and Arizona and I was 5'9"" or taller I would definitely consider a 29er...but I don't and I ain't, so I won't. I could be convinced to check out a 650b however.
FWIW it's worth, Mountain Bike Action magazine did a 26, 27.5, and 29er "shhot out" about a year ago which goes a little way toward explaining the relative handling characteristics (nothing you probably haven't heard before) of the different platforms (while still of course being non-commital enough to not alienate advertisers). Here it is http://mbaction.com/Main/News/Shootout-Wheel-Wars-29-vs-275-vs-26-5159.aspx
Jan 23, 2013 at 01:02 AM
want:
http://www.cxmagazine.com/challenge-tires-limus-grifo-limusxs3-helen-wyman
(the tyres, not the lady...although she is one cool cat)
Jan 23, 2013 at 01:57 AM
Marc Bertucco said:Oh wow!!! Chocolate and wafers on the same tire! Finally!
want:
http://www.cxmagazine.com/challenge-tires-limus-grifo-limusxs3-helen-wyman
(the tyres, not the lady...although she is one cool cat)