15,871 Replies to “The Bikes”

1. Haha there she is the in the lower right corner before being gutted to fit onto the new frame.

2. 

3. @Rob

   

   

   They really want you to know it’s a Ridley!  Nice bike though, how does she ride?

4. @tessar

   @scaler911

   Before answering the “which tools” question, The length of the spindle is going to change your “Q Factor” which may or may not be a good thing for you. And it’ll mean some adjusting of the rest of the drive train. Which may or may not make it noisier.

   I was always taught that you want to go as long as possible in crank arm length to get as much leverage as possible, on as big a chainring as you can push. Worked for me, but then I’m fucking old.

   But I’m guessing you can pull the gig off with 3 tools.

   One of these:

   http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-BBT-9-Hollowtech-brackets/dp/B000C12BMW (to remove the current BB)

   This:

   http://www.amazon.com/Park-Tool-Compact-Crank-Puller/dp/B0028YUZSS/ref=sr_1_2?s=sporting-goods&ie=UTF8&qid=1378703383&sr=1-2&keywords=park+crank+puller (to remove the crank and can tighten the bolts on the “new” one).

   a 8mm hex.

   You might need 2 more to install the new BB, but I’d need to see it. This will be more than an hour and a beer in the garage if you haven’t done it before. G’luck!

   Right, sounds like fun. I’ve wrenched on other parts, but never touched the crank area before.

   Regarding the Q-Factor, apparently Shimano’s been pretty consistent with it. I’d rather have it narrower, but that’ll have to wait for the final crank – this one’s just a cheap test for the new length.

   Thing is, this whole leverage thing was pretty much debunked – from 140mm to 180mm cranks, there’s barely a change in power given equivalent positions. However, shorter (again, mine will be 170mm, which is only short if you consider I’m 188cm tall) cranks allow larger hip angles, which, if you’ve already maxed out on the long ones, allows you to go lower again. On a TT bike, that’s of paramount importance. At the same time, shorter means smaller radius, therefore slower effective muscle contraction velocity – so faster cadence becomes easier.

   We’re obviously of different schools of thought, since the next crank might even be a compact, even though I’ve gotten along perfectly fine so far with the Flemish Compact. The mathematics of riding dictate that since I don’t sprint at 70+km/h, I might as well use a 50×11 as my top gear and ride a narrow 11-25, or even 11-23 cassette on the flat races. It takes almost 60km/h for me to spin that one out… A 12-30 cassette is just as shameful as a compact, and that’s what my races currently require.

   IdK if I got this from here or elsewhere, but an elegant and interesting spin on cranks/length/leg power physiology (and a riff on @scaler not wanting tech to advance too far):

   http://velonews.competitor.com/2013/09/bikes-and-tech/reviews/reviewed-zencranks-pas-crankset_301441

5. @Ron

   @gaswepass

   @mouse

   @G’rilla

   To me they look like they’re pretty clogged.

   I have Shorty Ultimates. Love ’em.

   The V-brakes are better stoppers hands down. I disliked em because every time one tampered with them (like to swap pads) the infinite adjustability added futz factor time.

   I went with the shimano cx-50 and 70, work awesome. actually can stop a bike on a wet road descent.

   So the CX-50/70 look to be cantilevers. Would these at all be an upgrade over my FSA SL-K cantilevers?

   G’rilla – hmm, so you use V-brakes for cx in the PNW. I think this means I’d be just fine riding here in the mid-Atlantic, not nearly the amount of wet, muddy races. I only have one cross wheelset (though I do put on road wheels for wet winter road riding) so the futz factor shouldn’t be a big issue if I try out some V-brakes. Seems like the TRP CX8.4 have some pretty good reviews.

   And how about sealed Nokon housing? Smart idea on a cx bike or just regular cables swapped more often? I have the triple TT cable routing, with one long exposed cable under the DT for the FD. I guess you use the liner sleeve on these exposed parts? Or was that only with the Gore Pro stuff, which seems to have been discontinued.

   Gore pro has been discontinued. Its on my race bike for the last year, can’t comment on what it has/not done for me so far.

   As far as the fsa brakes, they are the same design as the trp euro’s. My experience with those was tremendous weight savings, stunning aesthetics, and facial contortions requiring chiropractic manipulation to resolve after to trying to stop on road at the foot of a descent in the wet on a training ride. so an upgrade, um, well… Its been printed on this site a bunch- disc, road, vbrake, canti in terms of stopping power. among the canti’s, the cx-50/70 style has more power than the fsa/trp style- the wider you go with the straddle cable the less power (but a better mud clearing design).

6. @Velocitractor

   Damn you eagle eyed Velominatus!

   SPDs make it easier for the pub stops – that’s my excuse. I shall be using SPDs for the LDN Cogal so get your piss taking ready!

   I’ll have to keep my eyes peeled for any infringements…

   Well there is method to my madness – if for some reason I bring the Roberts to the Cogal it is also equipped with SPDs for exactly the reasons mentioned above, which were true at the time of equipping the bike. And since my London bike gets used about 10 times a year it never seemed worthwhile to do a pedal-cleat-shoe changeover.

   However the TCR has landed and is being built up this week so I plan to be on that, fully Rule compliant.

7. Thanks, gas! Got it, useful info to (re)read.

   Rob – Nice bike, nice story. I broke into a smile reading that, as I’ve figured out many of those same things in my development as a Follower and homemade mechanic. The number one thing is to try and hopefully learn from any mistakes and not make them again, like with cables and shifters. Wrapping bars is definitely not impossible, but certainly a skill.

   Love the tape and the tires/rims on the ‘becane. I even like the SPDs…I have some CB Candy pedals on one road bike, makes it nice for pub stops and lets me use my cx shoes in wet weather, which see more abuse than my nicer road shoes. Everyone needs such a bike!

8. G’rilla – nice video linked from TRP! Not only does it explain the CX9 vs the CX8.4 but…It shows them set-up on a bike with a rear cable route on the seat stay(s). My cx bike is like that so nice to see that it doesn’t look horrible and that I wouldn’t be the only one just flappin’ in the breeze.

9. So, I re-cabled the CCX with Yokozuna cables – always amazing how much those cables improve shifting and braking. My TRP’s are basically like road brakes now.

   Also, I found orange finishing tape. Boom.

   

10. @EricW Only my 2nd proper race bike so take my opinion for what its worth.  I loved my Sensa as my first proper one that I road the hell out of all over Belgium, but my biggest gripe was how damn stiff it was on the cobbles.  You can’t avoid the pavé in Belgium even if you wanted to and it was like the bike had a mind of its own once on them.  This one feels MUCH more controllable but maybe a bit less quick to sprint out of the saddle up the climbs.  *shrug* Any difference is far outweighed by finally having sized the frame correctly.  My Sensa was a 58 and too big (over compensating after a very small 56cm).  The Ridley is a (largish i.e. almost as big as the sensa 58cm frame) 56cm but with the tall seat and slammed stem it is PERFECT on the fitting.  The ridley is also a bit quicker in the steering, but sure that most of that is due to moving from a 70mm stem back to a more normal 120mm stem with the proper frame size.  Curious as to how the DT Swiss 585s will impact the handling as a friend of mine just got some older DT Swiss profile rims and complains about how harsh they’ve made the ride over pavé.

11. @mouse

    @G’rilla

    To me they look like they’re pretty clogged.

    I have Shorty Ultimates. Love ’em.

    The brake surface is still clean, and if that mud wasn’t on the brake arms, it would be on the seat stay.

12. Tonight I used the Velominati-approved maths curriculum on the little G’rilla (currently age V).

    I was pulling a tubular off the rim when he asked, “What do those gears do?”

    “They help you go faster or slower.”

    “How fast?”

    “Well, let’s get a calculator and we can figure it out. Type 5, then 2. Then that little button with a dot, a line, and a dot. Then 11. Now hit equals. That means when you’re in the big ring and the little cog, and you turn the pedals one time, the wheel goes around almost 5 times.”

    “What about the biggest one on the wheel?”

    “Type 52 divided by 28. The wheel goes around only two times when the chain is on that one.”

    Next week, biochemistry.

    “Now if Pantani draws 50cc’s of blood today, how many red blood cells can he re-inject at a later date?”

13. @Rob

    First, I like how you built your new rig in front of a mirror (like a mirror over the bedroom) in your house (or you have the nicest, cleanest shop in the history of mankind).

    Second, super nice ride! Ridley’s are top drawer.

14. @G’rilla

    Tonight I used the Velominati-approved maths curriculum on the little G’rilla (currently age V).

    I was pulling a tubular off the rim when he asked, “What do those gears do?”

    “They help you go faster or slower.”

    “How fast?”

    “Well, let’s get a calculator and we can figure it out. Type 5, then 2. Then that little button with a dot, a line, and a dot. Then 11. Now hit equals. That means when you’re in the big ring and the little cog, and you turn the pedals one time, the wheel goes around almost 5 times.”

    “What about the biggest one on the wheel?”

    “Type 52 divided by 28. The wheel goes around only two times when the chain is on that one.”

    Next week, biochemistry.

    “Now if Pantani draws 50cc’s of blood today, how many red blood cells can he re-inject at a later date?”

    all of them.

15. @frank

    So, I re-cabled the CCX with Yokozuna cables – always amazing how much those cables improve shifting and braking. My TRP’s are basically like road brakes now.

    Also, I found orange finishing tape. Boom.

    

    

    Sexy. Though it drives me nuts that you wrap the finishing tape backwards (so it’s “right” when you’re in the saddle). Should be forward so it matches everything else that someone looking at the front of your cockpit can read without standing on their head.

    The finish tape should look like this:

    

16. @scaler911 Haha its the joy of having a Belgian other half! I got permission exceptionally to commander our living room into a frame surgery clinic.  It helped that the house was already destroyed, filled with paint buckets and tools for the last 9 day to renovate so the bicycle did not exactly detract anything from the ‘bordel’.

    I’ll have to make a velominati confession.  Took the bike for 40km last night in the pissing rain.  Was quite happy to be able to hang on my buddies wheel at 37-40kmh (quite exceptional for me so I guess the Maffetone training is working!).  Kept hearing a very small metallic clink like keys on a hollow tube and at 40kmh (thankfully in a flat) my f*cking crank arm came off.  I’m 99% sure that I smoked the preload cap down with the appropriate tool as tight as I could get it finger tight (only rated for a couple inch pounds of torque) and tighted the pinch bolt as well, but it apparently fell out and crank arm came right off.

    Now waiting for a new preload bolt cap on order but any V advice for how to avoid reoccurance?  Loctite on such a bolt?  Afraid it’ll be a bitch to remove later.  Serious mood killer though to the first ride in 16 degree rain to have to call the other half for the shameful car ride home.

17. First look, literally out of the box ready to be built up.

    

    The carbon weave looks fantastic in the flesh – really like it. The forks and seatpost are also pure black carbon weave. Should look great with the white accessories.

18. @ChrisO great looking bike! I have heard good things about how those TCRs ride.

19. @ChrisO That looks great, can’t wait to see it on the London Cogal.

20. @frank

    So, I re-cabled the CCX with Yokozuna cables – always amazing how much those cables improve shifting and braking. My TRP’s are basically like road brakes now.

    Also, I found orange finishing tape. Boom.

    

    

    Love the orange electricians tape. Very neat.

21. @ChrisO   Looks great but is not being built up and excuse not to be Rule #26 compliant in taking the photo from the drive side and then the Giant logo would read the right way up?  Pedant mode off.  How many mainly black carbon bikes will we have on the Cogal I wonder?  Could it be a stealth flight out of London?

22. @RedRanger @scaler911 So true. In my book anyway.

23. Frank – is that the complete Yokozuna kit? Confused by the different appearance of the brake/shifter cables. And, did you go with the Reaction road cable kit?

    One other thing, are they reuseable? Kind of curious for sealed/better cables for my cross bike & I guess the Nokon housing is reuseable, which seems nice.

24. Oh, and…ChrisO, that looks great. Can’t wait to see it built-up.

    G’rilla, glad you are explaining it early. I’ve tried to explain shifting and gearing to more than one adult friend and they don’t want to hear about it, would rather just guess-shift. Weird. My only theory is that bikes are “kids toys” and thus an adult doesn’t want to hear anything about how to operate one. Still, it baffles me.

25. @Rob Ya. use the light or medium strength loctite. (purple or blue. I wouldn’t suggest red since sometimes you have to heat it up to get it to loosen. You don’t wanna melt the carbon).

26. Rear Lights.  Anyone come across a decent rear light that attaches to the back of a helmet.  I know there are a few that sit on the top of a helmet but I’m specifically looking for one that can fit in the vents at the back.

27. I use the planet bike Spok. Very small, and the battery has lasted almost 2 years, and still going.

28. @G’rilla

    Tonight I used the Velominati-approved maths curriculum on the little G’rilla (currently age V).

    I was pulling a tubular off the rim when he asked, “What do those gears do?”

    “They help you go faster or slower.”

    “How fast?”

    “Well, let’s get a calculator and we can figure it out. Type 5, then 2. Then that little button with a dot, a line, and a dot. Then 11. Now hit equals. That means when you’re in the big ring and the little cog, and you turn the pedals one time, the wheel goes around almost 5 times.”

    “What about the biggest one on the wheel?”

    “Type 52 divided by 28. The wheel goes around only two times when the chain is on that one.”

    Next week, biochemistry.

    “Now if Pantani draws 50cc’s of blood today, how many red blood cells can he re-inject at a later date?”

    Technically that question is in the biology or more specifically phlebotomy, cirriculum; not biochemistry. The biochem question would be “If Pantani has base hematocrit of X then how much EPO would be required to get to a 60%HTC in the 1999 Giro?”

29. @DeKerr

    @G’rilla

    Tonight I used the Velominati-approved maths curriculum on the little G’rilla (currently age V).

    I was pulling a tubular off the rim when he asked, “What do those gears do?”

    “They help you go faster or slower.”

    “How fast?”

    “Well, let’s get a calculator and we can figure it out. Type 5, then 2. Then that little button with a dot, a line, and a dot. Then 11. Now hit equals. That means when you’re in the big ring and the little cog, and you turn the pedals one time, the wheel goes around almost 5 times.”

    “What about the biggest one on the wheel?”

    “Type 52 divided by 28. The wheel goes around only two times when the chain is on that one.”

    Next week, biochemistry.

    “Now if Pantani draws 50cc’s of blood today, how many red blood cells can he re-inject at a later date?”

    Technically that question is in the biology or more specifically phlebotomy, cirriculum; not biochemistry. The biochem question would be “If Pantani has base hematocrit of X then how much EPO would be required to get to a 60%HTC in the 1999 Giro?”

    And the answer children is : 25. well played

30. @Teocalli

    Rear Lights. Anyone come across a decent rear light that attaches to the back of a helmet. I know there are a few that sit on the top of a helmet but I’m specifically looking for one that can fit in the vents at the back.

    I use a Planet Bike Blinky 3H, but it’s a bit big, so mainly just for commuting now. It’s nice because it’s on a swivel/pivot so rotates up/down as you move your head. The bad thing is that you can hear it moving, so takes some getting used to. Probably too big for real training rides.

    That PB Spok looks great for a helmet light that is coupled with a tail light. I use PB Super Flashes as well and can attest to their battery longevity. The new ones actually stay on when they are running low, which is nice. Get home, light won’t go off, pop it open, put the rechargeable batteries in the charger, ready to go next ride.

    I also picked up a Serfas Thunderbolt tail light. Very, very nice, especially on nice race bikes that you don’t want to mount any clips on. Goes onto seat pillar or seat stay or anywhere with two rubber straps. I’m going to use mine with a S.F. in the winter months to really be seen; the strobe is on a different cadence so the two will put out a nice blinky pattern.

    If I get run over I want the person/police/medics to be standing over me discussing how there was absolutely no way how they could have managed to not see me.

31. @Ron

    If I get run over I want the person/police/medics to be standing over me discussing how there was absolutely no way how they could have managed to not see me.

    My philosophy entirely. I’ve got a Hope District rear light that you cannot ignore especially on the three flash pause cycle.

32. New tires on the Graveur after blowing out a Dugast on a sharp rock. Also, the Dugast filetreads basically have zero traction; I’ve ridden my bike on ice rinks that gave more traction than those fucking things.

    I hear tell this new Clement is very burly and to my surprise they are tubeless. They also have a high ridge in the middle so they are pretty fast on tarmac, but the nobs give some more traction when things get marbly. Or at least that’s the theory.

    Disappointed that they are all black, but still they are pretty tires.

    [dmalbum: path=”/velominati.com/wp-content/uploads/readers/frank/2013.09.11.08.39.01/1//”/]

33. @frank

    New tires on the Graveur after blowing out a Dugast on a sharp rock. Also, the Dugast filetreads basically have zero traction; I’ve ridden my bike on ice rinks that gave more traction than those fucking things.

    I hear tell this new Clement is very burly and to my surprise they are tubeless. They also have a high ridge in the middle so they are pretty fast on tarmac, but the nobs give some more traction when things get marbly. Or at least that’s the theory.

    Disappointed that they are all black, but still they are pretty tires.

    

    

    1 / 2

    

    

    Black sidewalls

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    Jesus!  What a gorgeous bike!

34. @frank I really like what Clement is doing with their tire line.  I’ve been tempted to try some of their clincher offerings for cross, but I’m still pretty wedded to my Challenge Grifo Opens.

35. @Ron thanks I’ll have a look at them if the are available over here.

36. @frank whoooa what happened there with Rule #40?  Is there some form of Mornington Crescent deviation here?  Of course no one outside the UK would understand that anyway (and maybe quite a few in the UK for that matter).

    http://www.mornington-crescent-rule.fsnet.co.uk/mornington-crescent-rules.htm

37. @Teocalli

    @frank whoooa what happened there with Rule #40? Is there some form of Mornington Crescent deviation here? Of course no one outside the UK would understand that anyway (and maybe quite a few in the UK for that matter).

    http://www.mornington-crescent-rule.fsnet.co.uk/mornington-crescent-rules.htm

    Fairly obviously he’s in Nip. Although purists might argue that the Blythe-Partington Variation would allow Rule #40 non-compliance if (and only if) he’d previously moved through Edinburgh Waverley.

38. @the Engine

    @Teocalli

    @frank whoooa what happened there with Rule #40? Is there some form of Mornington Crescent deviation here? Of course no one outside the UK would understand that anyway (and maybe quite a few in the UK for that matter).

    http://www.mornington-crescent-rule.fsnet.co.uk/mornington-crescent-rules.htm

    Fairly obviously he’s in Nip. Although purists might argue that the Blythe-Partington Variation would allow Rule #40 non-compliance if (and only if) he’d previously moved through Edinburgh Waverley.

    Yup that would probably cover it. Unless it’s a subtle play on the reverse Cholmondley-Featherstonehaugh variation.

39. @Teocalli

    @the Engine

    @Teocalli

    @frank whoooa what happened there with Rule #40? Is there some form of Mornington Crescent deviation here? Of course no one outside the UK would understand that anyway (and maybe quite a few in the UK for that matter).

    http://www.mornington-crescent-rule.fsnet.co.uk/mornington-crescent-rules.htm

    Fairly obviously he’s in Nip. Although purists might argue that the Blythe-Partington Variation would allow Rule #40 non-compliance if (and only if) he’d previously moved through Edinburgh Waverley.

    Yup that would probably cover it. Unless it’s a subtle play on the reverse Cholmondley-Featherstonehaugh variation.

    I’m sorry I haven’t a clue what you two are blethering about.

40. @Teocalli

    @the Engine

    @Teocalli

    @frank whoooa what happened there with Rule #40? Is there some form of Mornington Crescent deviation here? Of course no one outside the UK would understand that anyway (and maybe quite a few in the UK for that matter).

    http://www.mornington-crescent-rule.fsnet.co.uk/mornington-crescent-rules.htm

    Fairly obviously he’s in Nip. Although purists might argue that the Blythe-Partington Variation would allow Rule #40 non-compliance if (and only if) he’d previously moved through Edinburgh Waverley.

    Yup that would probably cover it. Unless it’s a subtle play on the reverse Cholmondley-Featherstonehaugh variation.

    No the Cholmondley-Featherstonehaugh Variations whether Reverse or Clockwise would only be allowed if he’d announced his intention to go “all in” after the end of the third round and as far as I can see he didn’t.

41. @JohnB

    @Teocalli

    @the Engine

    @Teocalli

    @frank whoooa what happened there with Rule #40? Is there some form of Mornington Crescent deviation here? Of course no one outside the UK would understand that anyway (and maybe quite a few in the UK for that matter).

    http://www.mornington-crescent-rule.fsnet.co.uk/mornington-crescent-rules.htm

    Fairly obviously he’s in Nip. Although purists might argue that the Blythe-Partington Variation would allow Rule #40 non-compliance if (and only if) he’d previously moved through Edinburgh Waverley.

    Yup that would probably cover it. Unless it’s a subtle play on the reverse Cholmondley-Featherstonehaugh variation.

    I’m sorry I haven’t a clue what you two are blethering about.

    For those in the know +1 – although its always possible that you actually don’t have a clue

42. 

    
    I just put new bars and tape on my track racing steed. Based on the above photo (I’m the one foolishly breaking the wind for everyone), I think I could use a bit of a longer stem to optimize my V-locus.

43. @zeitzmar

    

    

    I just put new bars and tape on my track racing steed. Based on the above photo (I’m the one foolishly breaking the wind for everyone), I think I could use a bit of a longer stem to optimize my V-locus.

    -17 degrees 120mm minimum would look good. But it’s more about getting the correct fit.

44. Seattle needs a 24 hour bike shop so if you need tubular glue at 11pm, you can finish the job.

45. @G’rilla sounds like a great buisness venture

46. Frank, I kinda want to say fuck you, because now you have another hot-as-hell bike.

    But that wouldn’t be nice.

    Plus, the cool thing is how you can put together different horses for different courses and yet they all individually demonstrate spot-on class. Strong, strong work.

47. @Teocalli

    @frank whoooa what happened there with Rule #40? Is there some form of Mornington Crescent deviation here? Of course no one outside the UK would understand that anyway (and maybe quite a few in the UK for that matter).

    http://www.mornington-crescent-rule.fsnet.co.uk/mornington-crescent-rules.htm

    Have you learned nothing? They are tubulars. Re-read Rule #40 and I prescribe 40 hill repeats to you as penance.

    Much you have to learn still, my child.

48. @G’rilla

    Seattle needs a 24 hour bike shop so if you need tubular glue at 11pm, you can finish the job.

    Or you can call your Sensei who has a tub.

49. @Ron

    Frank, I kinda want to say fuck you, because now you have another hot-as-hell bike.

    But that wouldn’t be nice.

    Plus, the cool thing is how you can put together different horses for different courses and yet they all individually demonstrate spot-on class. Strong, strong work.

    And I live in a fucking glorious city. And I’m Dutch. Sorry I’m so Awesome, I try to dial it back, but it just keeps pouring out.

    

50. @zeitzmar

    

    

    

    

    I just put new bars and tape on my track racing steed. Based on the above photo (I’m the one foolishly breaking the wind for everyone), I think I could use a bit of a longer stem to optimize my V-locus.

    Never take advice on fitting from unknown people on the internet, especially when they’re not supplied any knowledge about your physiology or goals.

    That said, your bars are too high and your reach to short, from my view. You are bending your arms like a monkey trying to open a banana and that’s energy wasted to supporting your torso. You want your back in about the angle you’ve got it, but with a more neutral position on your arms. To me, that says a combination of longer stem and lower bars. Exactly what mixture of the two you need, only experimentation will tell.

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