Makes more sense for the city than the mountain, I think. Have friends who swear by the Rohloff for both.
― Three Word Username, Monday, 19 July 2010 13:44 (thirteen years ago) link
Dropping a couple of pounds is likely to be tricky unless you have $$$.
A couple pounds might be an ounce or two more ambitious than I need to be, but you'd be surprised how heavy these wheels are. I don't know exactly what they weigh, but they're clearly one of the things the manufacturer cheaped-out on in order to make it a more affordable bike. Looks like I can get a wheelset that's about 1700g-1900g for in the neighborhood of $200 online, and I have no doubt at all that they will be significantly lighter.
― kenan, Monday, 19 July 2010 13:46 (thirteen years ago) link
Kenan, a trade up to Mavic Aksium, Fulcrum Racing 7, Easton EA50could definitely make the bike feel better. The weight might not be that much less but the bearings may well be a good deal better. couple of hundred well spent imo.
Worth checking eBay etc. for last years models.
Do you know what model of selle italia it is, I might be interested in it.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Monday, 19 July 2010 13:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Do you mean my old seat? I'm not sure what the model is, but you really don't want it. It's completely solid front to back. Not even so much as a groove in the thing. Designed especially to make your toes go numb.
― kenan, Monday, 19 July 2010 13:55 (thirteen years ago) link
But maybe it's fine for something less leany-over-y. It's this:
http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i191/fluxion23/selle_seat.jpg
― kenan, Monday, 19 July 2010 14:09 (thirteen years ago) link
That doesn't look that great. I like Selle italias in general but mainly the ones with the slot.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Monday, 19 July 2010 14:10 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah, it creates constant pressure on just about everything you don't want pressure on.
― kenan, Monday, 19 July 2010 14:12 (thirteen years ago) link
lighter wheels make a significant difference due to some science-y stuff I don't really understand about the further the weight is from the bike's centre of gravity, the more of an effect it has
What I learned from googling a bit was that it's about the center of gravity of the wheel itself, not the bike overall, so you want not only a light wheel, but a light rim compared to the hub, to minimize *rotational* mass. Although you still want a light wheel. It's all torque and acceleration, and acceleration counts for a whole lot on a bike, because you'll likely have to apply that force a great deal.
At bottom, F=ma.
― kenan, Monday, 19 July 2010 14:52 (thirteen years ago) link
http://upload.wikimedia.org/math/0/0/3/0038e89803b9aeefad5b1fc299b0d086.png
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Monday, 19 July 2010 15:00 (thirteen years ago) link
If I were going to buy wheels one at a time, though, would it be more important for my rear or front wheel to be lighter?
― kenan, Monday, 19 July 2010 15:03 (thirteen years ago) link
Or is there any difference, even though the rear wheel is the one the force is directly applied to? Is that force applied equally to both wheels just by virtue of their both touching the ground?
― kenan, Monday, 19 July 2010 15:11 (thirteen years ago) link
for some reason i wanna say "rear wheel" but i can't actually muster a decent rationale.
front would be cheaper, obv
― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Monday, 19 July 2010 21:38 (thirteen years ago) link
What I learned from googling a bit was that it's about the center of gravity of the wheel itself, not the bike overall, so you want not only a light wheel, but a light rim compared to the hub, to minimize *rotational* mass. Although you still want a light wheel. It's all torque and acceleration, and acceleration counts for a whole lot on a bike, because you'll likely have to apply that force a great deal.At bottom, F=ma.― kenan, Monday, July 19, 2010 7:52 AM (Yesterday)
― kenan, Monday, July 19, 2010 7:52 AM (Yesterday)
Lots of myths and old wives tales being thrown around ITT.
IME and IMU, wheel weight/rotational mass is most significant in:1) pure climbing. riding solely uphill (ie, HC TTs with minimal flat/and zero descents)2) intial accleration (which actually matters little for 95% of bike riding)
also: re "torque", lightweight wheelsets are notoriously not stiff, so you run the risk of much of the torque that you want driving the bike up the hill dissipating laterally instead.
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Tuesday, 20 July 2010 07:47 (thirteen years ago) link
intial accleration (which actually matters little for 95% of bike riding)
I do most of my riding in the city, though. So it does matter for, like, 60% of my bike riding.
Anyway, I don't need the world's most fantastic wheels, but some better ones would be nice.
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 02:36 (thirteen years ago) link
was talking to this bro a few months back, who liked to go and do the shopping on an argon 18 with zipp 404s
i think maybe that's a bit of overkill, don't do that
― the polka-dot jersey shore (haitch), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 02:48 (thirteen years ago) link
ok i won't
― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 02:51 (thirteen years ago) link
~promise~
"are you not worried about them getting ripped off while you're in there?" i said
i think he had a 'lightbulb' moment
― the polka-dot jersey shore (haitch), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 02:56 (thirteen years ago) link
gbx u got some handbults, what did they cost? if kenan is riding in the city, a more trad wheel is probably a good idea to protect against potholes and the like.
― the polka-dot jersey shore (haitch), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 02:57 (thirteen years ago) link
i spent ~$400
kenan could def do cheaper. apparently marcus @ yojimbo's builds the best wheels in Chi but a) he takes forever (lol w33d!) and b) i'm not sure kenan would really enjoy the yojimbo's "experience"
― be told and get high on coconut (gbx), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 03:00 (thirteen years ago) link
lemme guess -- unchecked bike snobbery? It's not like I'm going to pull up in my SUV or anything.
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 03:40 (thirteen years ago) link
I submit that quality of bearings is most important for in town riding. Bottom bracket and hub. Removing winter from both made my commute significantly better.
New bearings on hubs feel awesome.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 03:46 (thirteen years ago) link
if you're doing city riding you definitely do not want lightweight wheels as they probably would not last very long. The probably the most popular upgrade are (for good reason) mavic open pros rims laced to ultegra hubs with decent spokes (dt swiss?). In cycling, like most things, the 2/3 rule is in effect: cheap, light, strong (pick 2).
And no offense but initial acceleration is not a big deal compared to potholes, steel grates, rail tracks, shitty roads, etc. So yes, you may lose that precious 0.5 second on your commute to work but hey, at least your wheels will stay true year round!
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 04:15 (thirteen years ago) link
I AM OFFENDED!
Yeah, I don't hit too many honest-to-betsy potholes, but there are always roads that have been patched way too many times.
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 05:48 (thirteen years ago) link
Also, accelerating is less about losing time on the way to work than it's about getting the hell out of the way. You ride in city traffic much?
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 05:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Only about 2500 miles in the last year.
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 06:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah, I anticipated that answer. It's tough riding. I will never understand people riding down Broadway with earphones on.
If lighter wheels will be worse in the long run, then I've learned something new. I was just thinking that getting through intersections and up what few hills we have in the road a bit faster could only do me good.
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 06:42 (thirteen years ago) link
Bike: yep. Ridgeback Comet 2004 (maybe 2003? Bought it new July '04 anyway)Frame: Aluminium, I guess.Forks: Yep.Gruppo: SS conversion with a Surly Singleator. The bike's original 48T chainring, and an 18T on the back.Wheels: Shimano R500. They were on offer and I thought they'd look cool, and be a bit faster, also spokes kept breaking on the originals.Tyres: Schwalbe Marathon Plus, 700x25. These are great.Pedals: Shimano PD-M520Handlebars: Yep. Flat ones, at that.Stem: Yep. The old-style kind.Computer: Nup.Also SKS mudguards and a Topeak luggage rack.
Can now add the following mod:Frame: Massive crack all around the base of the seat tube. RIP bicycle.
― useless chamber, Friday, 6 August 2010 11:30 (thirteen years ago) link
On the plus side, it's time to go shopping for a new frame! There are always awesome deals on frames, and they're a LOT cheaper than full bikes.
― Mark C, Friday, 6 August 2010 12:21 (thirteen years ago) link
6 years out of an aluminum frame seems pretty good. Sorry to hear about your crack though.
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Friday, 6 August 2010 12:43 (thirteen years ago) link
A tasty 80% off?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=50178
― Mark C, Friday, 6 August 2010 13:26 (thirteen years ago) link
Hmm. Really hadn't thought of building a bike like that. Was too blinkered by prospect of cycle2work goodness. Which bits would be worth keeping from the old bike? The wheels are half-decent, not sure if I'm going to stick with single-speed or not atm. I'd need new forks, stem and bars I guess. Also apparently Ridgeback have a lifetime guarantee on frames, so I might not even need one. Right now I'm still a bit distraught and can't even think properly about where to go next. Will hit ILTRMB for advice.
― useless chamber, Friday, 6 August 2010 13:45 (thirteen years ago) link
keep all components and transfer to the £35 frame mark posted above then use C2W goodness to bag a nice wee road bike : )
― cozen, Friday, 6 August 2010 14:16 (thirteen years ago) link
I think almost everything's worth keeping from the old bike, certainly the wheels, tyres, guards, drivetrain (if sticking with SS), pedals. Do you have the space to have two bikes? Rebuild this one for cheap as a hack/pub bike, and then C2W something shiny and lightweight for longer rides.
― Mark C, Friday, 6 August 2010 15:25 (thirteen years ago) link
full carbon + sram red for just over £1k ooofthttp://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPR/sl-pro-carbon-sram-red
― cozen, Friday, 6 August 2010 17:34 (thirteen years ago) link
ah it's £1k for rival, £1.4k for red
― cozen, Friday, 6 August 2010 17:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Ridgeback are replacing the frame. Am pleasantly surprised, as I thought my singlespeed conversion would lead to some sort of small-print warranty-voiding, but they've said they'll give me a frame with horizontal dropouts instead. Presumably a Ridgeback Solo. So, not so bad, hopefully (I reserve the right to be too overjoyed until I have a working bicycle with all the bits I had before).
― useless chamber, Monday, 9 August 2010 12:09 (thirteen years ago) link
Meh. Replacement brand new Ridgeback Comet, they kept my pedals and lock, lost my rack (am picking up a free replacement later), tensioner and wheels.
Am going to flog this as soon as I've located a nice steel ss that will take rack and guards.
― useless chamber, Friday, 3 September 2010 14:29 (thirteen years ago) link
like the look of this ss as a commuterhttp://www.evanscycles.com/product_image/image/2dc/d13/944/33633/large/ridgeback-solo-2009-road-bike.jpg
― ultimusmoron (cozen), Friday, 3 September 2010 14:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah, that's the Solo isn't it? Evans have them on sale at £400, but I think they're out of my size, and I'm pretty loath to use them again (I swore I'd never use them again after I bought my bike there back in 2004).
There's really nothing else that comes close to my wants without being a Condor Tempo, and I don't actually have £900.
Gah, if they hadn't teased me with the promise of a nice replacement bike I could've just bought one of those already.
― useless chamber, Friday, 3 September 2010 14:38 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm almost back on the road. Some bits still to arrive, have raided E's bike temporarily, will slowly substitute back
Condor Bivio frameITM vista forksChorus 9 speed levers (from merckx)Tektro CR720 cross levers (lucky dip at Kraynicks)Tektro CR720 brakesKraynick's mystery cable housing and cablesTTT alloy bars (from merckx)Gossamer Triple chainset (from E's bike) (also I get to pick two out of three rings, this needs to go, quickly)Miche campy compatible 9 spee 13-28 cassetteChorus 10 speed front mech (from E's bike)Champ triple rear mech (from E's bike)90s campy chorus wheelset (from merckx via E's bike)big fat schwalbe marathon plus (from E's bike)
this puts me in a bit of a bind. I either put all the campy back on E's bike and have to get a whole gruppo when I replace, or put shimano/SRAM on E's bike and keep the campy on mine (not a problem as she is on bar end shifters anyway). The difficulty is new wheels and mainly because E would not be happy if I didn't give her back the yellow merckx v's. So either I spring for campy compatible hubs (expensive over here) or get her yellow velocities.
None of this is too much of a problem, just annoyed by the cost of campy and general incompatibility.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Right now? 8 speed mongoose rigid bike shaped object. Heavy and slow as he'll, but not bad for pottering around center parcs. Didn't bring the felt in the end as we found that our borrowed bike rack didn't play nicely with our car.....about 10 minutes before we set off..... So bang went le tour de Lower Trent valley.
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:43 (thirteen years ago) link
i am getting the bartape re-done tomorrow. chrome tape looking rather un-chrome in various spots, time for a spring clean! (also need the brifters aligned a bit better, they're all over the shop atm.)
― the brostep hump (haitch), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:48 (thirteen years ago) link
I just ordered glow in the dark bar tape, I hope it is actually cool rather than somewhat disappointing.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:51 (thirteen years ago) link