Forum Replies Created
-
Replies
-
Seems like a pretty well
Seems like a pretty well thought-out build. Enve forks tend to get good reviews, apart from the issue with the tapered ones cracking. G-Ones have also gotten good reviews, and Ted King just won the Dirty Kanza 200 mile race on them (but he did get three punctures). If you’re going for looks go for the Ti seatpost, for comfort I’d go with VCLS, apparently the second gen is even better.
Is your Synapse a disc bike? No rotor-rub issues with the QRs, then?
I wouldn’t overthink it.
I wouldn’t overthink it. Logistically, it’s like any other race except with more people. The boulevard and the sidewalks are wide enough that it’s not too bad, IMHO, but I enjoy crowded places with good atmosphere. If you’re only there for the racing then get there early, bring your own snacks and find a good spot somewhat near the finish line.
I went a few years back and made a day of it, got off on the Concorde, found a nice spot nearby on the north side, took turns going for beers and ambling around and soaking up the feeling and picking up a late lunch at Le Pain Quotidien. We had heard that we couldn’t drink on the streets but if that was true the police weren’t very keen on enforcing it. We were able to make out the sprint (although no one could really tell who had won, only one of us got it right). We capped it off with a drink at L’Atelier Renault. All in all it was a pretty good time.
We couldn’t find a place to cross the route, though there was supposedly a way to do so nearby, so try to get that sorted or pick your side early.
I am just going to drop back down to 11 – 25 as that ran fine.Huh. Did you start out with an 11-23?
Some advocate the midsole
Some advocate the midsole cleat position:
http://www.trainingbible.com/joesblog/2009/12/how-to-modify-shoes-for-midsole-cleat.html
You might want to give it a try.
But if you’ve given them an honest go and they don’t feel right for you just ditch them. The peformance effect of cleats is a matter of debate and I doubt that given your background your bike-handling will be any worse without them. You might get a few funny looks from the choicest of the full-kit set but so be it, that’s part of the fun.
Good job at not being too graphic.The “graphic” way of framing it, which the OP apparently spared us from, must be really something.
Proper rest is usually a pretty good idea.
+1 for saddlebag kit. I have
+1 for saddlebag kit. I have a diffent one on each bike. Only thing you have to remeber is to take everything out and give it a clean every couple of months.
How about an Elliptigo? To
How about an Elliptigo? To bulky?
That’s a pretty decent bike
That’s a pretty decent bike as is. Ride it for a few months in order to nail down what you feel needs upgrading, if anything.
IIRC they adjusted the cable
IIRC they adjusted the cable pull on the brakes, not the mechs, so the old calipers don’t work as well with the newer shifters. It doesn’t seem to be much of a problem. I’d either wait for the cassette to wear out to swap out the whole groupset or go just get some new Sora shifters.
Do people still fit bar-end extensions to flat bars?If you have moulded grips, rather than bar-tape, check they haven’t rotated.
You may benefit from rotating the bar, or changing the brake-lever position ?
Or you can change the degree of wrist-bend.I’ve had good results using Spec Overendz on long flat bar rides. The extra hand positions are really helpful as time wears on. They’re a bit on the small side, though.
Fiddling with the wrist angle is also a good idea.
Pretty sure you’re going to
Pretty sure you’re going to need an adaptor for the flat mount calipers on the post mounts. Other than I’d think the only faffing about would be removing a spacer on the rear hub and bleeding the brakes. You are going to need to swap out the entire 9-speed group for the 11-speed group (and mech brakes for hydro brakes) in one go, obviously.
Gear shifting isn’t going to
Gear shifting isn’t going to change significantly unless the cassette is really worn, at which point the chainrings might become an issue as well. You are going to get slightly better shifting from a Shimano cassette on a Shimano drivetrain. But going from a 32T to a 25T bailout gear is going to be brutal if you do any type of hills, particularly on a tourer. An MTB cassette will be just as well, however, your mid-cage derailleur isn’t going to work past a 32T, and as MTB cassettes have gotten wider, it’s hard to get an 11-32 10 speed Shimano one. So I’d say stick to your original thought and get an 11-32 Tiagra one online: http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/shimano-tiagra-hg500-10-speed-road-cassette/rp-prod137768
Do shop around, but even if it was £40 extra I’d take the 32T over 25T for my riding, never mind £4. On the chain, you’re better off with the 10 speed chain than the 11 speed. Cheaper and probably a bit more durable. Do swap the chain if you’re getting a new cassette.
Would just like to add that
Would just like to add that while I’m normally on the “saving a few grams here and there is wildly overrated” camp, for someone doing the Marmotte at 7 stone I’d make an exception and recommend trying to cut bike weight. Although, on the other hand, high-end alloy rims aren’t really all that heavier than mid-to-low end carbon rims, particularly low profile ones (unless wicked, windy, winding descents on wind-catching deeper wheels is something you’re interested in), and as you know they usually do offer better, cheaper, and quieter braking.
Ratios are the same, it will come down to weight and power applied who gets up quickest/easiest. Weight being the important factor. A 100kg rider with 300-325watts climbing will get beaten by a 75KG rider producing 235-250Watts on a longish climbThey’d actually get there pretty close. With W/Kg within the same range, aero comes into play. Push comes to shove I’d put my money on the heavier guy on flatter climbs and the lighter guy on steeper climbs.
A shorter way to say that is that the gear choice with the straightest chain line and the least difference in teeth between the sprocket and the chainring will be the (undetectably) easiest to pedal.
I’d think for better gear engagement what would matter more is simply the largest total number of teeth. That’s why hour records rides are done on 54/13-14 and not on 46-42/11. Which falls in line with your earlier post, if I read it correctly. And yep, this should be a second or two on a twenty minute climb sort of stuff, the difference between taking a racing line in one corner or filling your water bottle to the thread or to the brim.
