Knock-down, Drag-out Fight!

After the dust settled, we were left with a winner. However, the competition was close. Both groups were good--very, very good, in fact. Time and time again I get to thinking how nice bicycles work these days. The components are so smooth. Braking is fabulous. Suspension is supple when you want it and firm when you don't. Bikes are vertically compliant, yet laterally stiff. 

Back to the matter at hand, though. Yes, we finished our comparative review of Shimano XT (2008) and SRAM X.9 (also 2008). Those of you holding your breath... well, you might be dead by now. (Although, at least we didn't take as long as this review which, even now, isn't done. C'mon Cyclingnews, what's up?)

Anyway, head on over to GearReview.com and read it. Otherwise, you'll never know which we picked as the winner.

Compact Double: Legend or Myth?

The compact double crankset is empowering. It seems to make the rider feel far superior to someone who would wimp out and use a triple. Somehow, the rider using a compact double looks down on these people with disdain. At the same time, they feel like they can be grouped with the pros. I'm not sure what the rationale is--perhaps it stems from the few accounts of pros using them on strictly uphill time trials--but I think these riders somehow feel that it's their little secret that they're using a 34/50 combination instead of the more traditional 39/53.

I'm one of those riders.

For me, the compact double is empowering. The first time I tackled some really hairy climbs on a road bike was with a compact double. After that, I sneered at anyone making those climbs on a triple.

Until I rode next to a guy riding a 39/53... and he dropped me. (I never checked, but I still hope that at least he was riding a 12-25 cassette.)

As you've no doubt read, I just got a Ritchey Break-Away to review and this morning, I took it out for the first road ride. I should take the time to note at this point that it came with a traditional 39/53 set-up. So, on a strange feeling-great-in-a-warm-late-spring-morning-whim, I decided to tackle Squaw Peak. Now, Squaw Peak isn't a monster climb by any means, but it always seems to hurt.

Right away, I started to wonder at the folly of this decision. However, being the pretend tough-guy that I am, I pressed on.

Now, whether or not I'm in better shape this spring than normal, I really have no way of knowing. All I know is that it was no harder than the last time I rode it on my compact double (and a lighter bike).

So now I have to wonder if the only thing the compact double gives me is slowness... I think I'll have to tackle a harder hill.

To Remove Excess Weight

I love my full suspension Cannondale Jekyll. I know that Cannondale has since moved on to other designs, but It rides well and, thanks to a Manitou SPV rear shock, pedals pretty well--at least for a 4-year old 5" travel bike.

When I'm on my light-weight hard-tail, though, I keep thinking about how light it is. And when I get back on the Jekyll, it seems like such a beast. A smooth beast, but a beast nonetheless.

Now, I'm not a great mechanic, but I've decided to take matters into my own hands and take some steps towards making it lighter. I'm pleased to say that, after some tweaking and such, I think I've taken my Jekyll to what I consider to be a very nice weight. All told, I think I managed to shave somewhere between 5 and 8 lbs off the bike.

As all of my modifications are not specific to the bike, I'll post my methods here. Remember, if you don't feel comfortable making drastic changes to your bike, take it in to a good local bike shop and pony up for them to do it.

For this, you'll need a 4, 5, 6 mm allen keys. Also, you'll need a chain whip and cassette puller. Depending on your crank type, you'll need one or more of the following: External bearing bottom bracket tool, crank puller/extractor, traditional bottom bracket wrench. Unless you're running a chain (like a SRAM) with a quick-connect link/master link, you'll also need a chain tool.

1. Remove your front and rear shifters.
2. Remove your derailleur cables.
3. Remove your front and rear derailleurs.
4. Take off your rear wheel and remove your cassette.
5. Remove your chain. 
6. Pull your crank and remove your bottom bracket.

At this point, you might want to take the time to clean all those areas of the bike you normally can't really get to with all those extra parts installed.

And that's it! Stand back and admire your work (or the work of a fully qualified bike mechanic). Also, make sure to pick your bike up and feel the difference. The next time you're out on a ride (if you actually get your bike to move forward and somehow keep it that way), you'll really appreciate the difference several pounds can make.

In fact, I'm not sure I even have the heart to put the new parts on.

Broken Record ... and More

Okay, at the risk of posting three entries in a row about the same review, here are some pictures of the Pugsley in about a foot of snow. I'm having a blast on this bike.


In other news, I have also received for review the new Hayes brake, the Stroker. I'll soon have it mounted so I can give you my first impressions. I love fresh hydraulics!

And, finally, a contest.

I've mentioned previously how specialized a front derailleur is, so first let me tell you the prize. A 31.8mm SRAM X-9 Low-clamp, bottom-pull front derailleur.
Now, how to win it? Easy?

Yes, easy.

Post a comment (of course) with the reason why you need this derailleur. You can make it long or short, but it needs to be good. For now, I'm limiting this contest to the continental U.S., though I reserve the right to send it elsewhere if I like the comment enough. It's my contest, so I get to decide. I'll leave this open for a week, so get your comment in soon. If you know someone who could use this derailleur, tell them to post a comment.

Shifty Review

I don't know if I've mentioned it before (and I'm not going to bother looking it up now), but shifting can be a nuisance. I mean, I like shifting as much as the next guy--and much better than the single-speeders out there--but it seems I'm always shifting (get it?!) between different shifting (I could go on all day) systems. For someone with a brain of my size, that can be a bit much in the heat of an emergency shift.

As may or may not have been apparent in my previous post, I just got a bunch of SRAM X-9 goodies to mount on my bike. My other two mountain bikes, however, use two different systems: either thumb-shifters or Shimano Rapid-Fire triggers. Not to mention down-tube shifters on one bike road bike (arguably not much different than thumbies) and STI levers on my Synapse.

(Incidentally, I think thumb shifters are the only shifters I never have to think about. Could it be because that's what I learned to shift with? Also, I find twist shifters the least intuitive to use. I mean, I can twist just fine, but I can't seem to remember which direction to twist it. Does anyone else have that problem? All the other systems make more sense to me--especially when I make a last-minute emergency shift.)

What does using another method for shifting do to me? It forces me to think about it more. Otherwise, I'd be riding the wrong gear all the time. Now, this can be a bad thing--both thinking about shifting and not being in the right gear--as I don't enjoy the ride for the ride's sake.

In this case, however, it's a good thing. You see, the careful observer will notice we already have the new 2008 XT for review. At the risk of divulging top-secret information that might cost me my highly paid and even more highly sought-after position at GearReview.com, I will tell you, the loyal follower of this blog, that we're going to do a shoot-out between XT (Shimano) and X-9 (SRAM). This will include the all the components necessary for shifting (shift levers, derailleurs, cranks, cassette, chain) as well as brakes (in SRAM's case, the Juicy 7). By forcing me to think more about the bike, I am better able to notice small details about the components I'm reviewing.

At least, that's what I hope is the outcome.

Here's a preview of what to expect from such a review: "After extensive riding on both systems, we found that both component group's designations begin with the letter X."

Except that you can expect even more breadth and depth from the forthcoming actual review.

Simplicity

The rear derailleur of a bicycle has a lot to do. Far busier than its cousin up front. Not only does the rear derailleur move the chain quickly and diligently between cogs, but it also keeps the chain nice and tight so the rest of the drive-train can work. Also, unlike the somewhat lazy front derailleur, the rear shifts all the time. I mean, I'll often go on whole bike rides, on or off-road, without even touching the front shifter. Meanwhile, the rear gets shifted sometimes multiple times a minute. Does the rear derailleur get a solid clamp to the very heart of a bicycle, tucked away safely behind the crank? No. Stoically, the rear derailleur hangs on to a part--one of the few parts built to be easily replaced due to an accident, no the accident which will inevitably occur--with only a single bolt.


So, there it sits, the rear derailleur taking up the chain tension and hanging it all out there just to get bashed against some rock because you can't pick a decent line.

And yet, the rear derailleur is fairly universal. All of the mountain bikes I own can take the same derailleur bolted to them. In fact, I'm pretty sure that with the right shifters, I could use a mountain derailleur on my road bike (not the SRAM X-9 pictured here, but it'd work for Shimano derailleurs). This little machine takes a little cable pull, with the help of a single bolt, and performs mighty tasks of gear mashing.

On the other hand, the front derailleur is simple. Almost anything could perform the same task by merely pushing the chain around. A greasy finger would even be up to the challenge. But mounting the derailleur is a lesson in complexity.

Don't get me wrong, bolting a clamp to a seat-tube is easy. It's just, the seat-tube isn't always the same size. Oh, and sometimes it isn't even a seat-tube, it's just a thing put there for a derailleur to bolt to. Also, the cable can come from above or below and, unlike the stalwart rear derailleur, the front derailleur can't handle both.

Another option that makes choosing the right front derailleur difficult--one for which I just discovered--is the clamp location. Please note the svelte low-clamp in this image of a beautiful new X-9 derailleur.


This won't bolt to my bike. In fact, it won't bolt to any of my bikes. no, I need the somewhat brutish high-clamp version of the same derailleur.


Can you guess the consequences of my ignorance?

New Review: FSA Cockpit

Though content to leave the weightier issues of the world--like the economy, politics, and the iPhone--to others, I have tackled the often overlooked-but still fairly important issue of handlebars, stems and seatposts. Actually, just these products built by Full Speed Ahead (FSA). That's not entirely true, either.

What I mean to say is this. I just posted a review of a full FSA cockpit: the Energy T handlebar, OS 115 stem, and the K-Force Light SB25 Seatpost. Of the three, only the K-Force seatpost is predominantly carbon fiber. See what I mean by tackling important issues? You don't see it? Oh.

Well, here it is, enjoy. http://www.gearreview.com/fsa-cockpit.php

Also, if you don't know what shot-peened is, I can explain that. It is actually a process that involves a lot of kids lining up with BB guns and aiming it at a super-cooled block of aluminum--from which the end product is cut with lasers and old native-american arrow heads recovered from private lands. Depending on the desired strength, they will both increase the number of children with BB guns and decrease the distance between them and the block of aluminum. (Please note: Protective eye-wear is always worn so as to prevent them shooting their eyes out.)

The Speed of Carbon Fiber

In an effort to prove, once and for all, the actual speed of carbon fiber (or fibre, depending on your locale), I performed a highly scientific experiment. Yes, James isn't the only one who can conduct such studies.

You see, it has often been rumored that carbon fiber is fast. This is evident anecdotally by watching the carbon penetration in the pro peloton. Also, why would companies be pushing the material so much through expensive marketing campaigns? I'm certain that they, the companies, have only our best interests at heart.

But, how fast is carbon? For instance, would I be better off getting the slightly heavier, and much more expensive carbon stem over a lighter, stiffer, and less expensive one? Would the inherent speed of carbon make up for the weight? Also, how much can I cut off my time-trial by increasing my Carbon Part Ratio (CPR) on my bike. Could I, in theory, sit up on an all-carbon cruiser and go faster than tucked into a tight aero position on an aluminum time-trial machine? And, is it really the make-up of the deep section carbon rims that make those wheels so fast (in other words, more carbon), as opposed to the "aero" shape?

My Experiment
1. I decided that if I was in top condition, it would be hard to tell how much of my speed was due to carbon, and how much due to my own conditioning. Therefore, for the past few months, for the good of all and the sake of this experiment, I stopped riding so often and I even gained a little weight.

2. My bike already has a lot of carbon on it, so I couldn't replace just any part with carbon. Also, I wanted a part that would obviously not give me any other benefit other than just increasing my CPR. For this experiment, I chose to replace my plastic water bottle cages with carbon ones.

3. Although these two cages probably, collectively, save me about 30-35 grams, I more than made up that difference by gaining weight. Also, I haven't washed my bike lately, which probably comes close to adding that much weight.

Results
The results were disappointing to say the least. Not only did I not gain any additional speed, but it appears that losing conditioning and fitness has a far greater negative impact that merely increasing my CPR can overcome.

Clearly I'm going to have to revisit my methods.

Fi'zi:k K:1

I just got a Fi'zi:k K:1 saddle to review. Technically, this isn't a full-carbon saddle, because it is covered by a thin layer of gel.
Ideas to focus on while perched atop a $400, 150g saddle:
- Wow, I can really accelerate up this climb now that I'm saving all this weight.
- Look at all those chumps I'm passing with their thick, heavy saddles. (This only works if you're passing people--either real or imaginary.)

What NOT to think of:
- This saddle weighs around 50g less than my $90 saddle it replaces... I fluctuate more than 50g throughout my day depending on my eating habits. If I take a drink out of my water bottle, I will have saved more than 50g.
- Too bad people can't tell that I'm riding a super svelte, $400 carbon saddle. Maybe I should stand up and pedal while I pass this guy.

A New Lease

I am very fond of Crank Brothers' Eggbeaters pedals. Though they have, by adding metal or plastic or both, come out with many different pedals--all with the same functionality--I still prefer the standard Eggbeaters.

Among my many sets, I have one from 2002. I'd say it is still going strong, but it isn't. Or, rather, wasn't. You see, my love for the Eggbeaters has grown--ever since I slapped $15 on the barrel-head and bought me a rebuild kit.


For $15, all of the internals (including the bolt holding it all together) are replaced. All I needed was a small flat-head screw-driver, rags for cleaning off the old grease, new grease and snap ring pliers. (For an additional $5 at Harbor Freight, I picked up a working set of these task-specific pliers.)

After about 45min of poking, prying, wiping, and assembling, my old Eggbeaters run like new--even if they don't look like it.

Road Discs

I've spoken about disc brakes on both 'cross and mountain bikes. To save you some time, I'll sum up: I like them in every application I've used them.

I recently stumbled across this post on Bikeforums.net. It's about the beautiful Waterford shown below (imaged taken from the thread).

The bike is undeniably cool. It has clean lines and is utilitarian enough to be useful day in and day out. What really stands out to me are the brakes. This is not a 'cross bike, this is not a mountain bike... this is a road bike. The second thing that I noticed was the fact that those aren't Avid road discs, but, rather, they are Shimano's road discs. That's right, there is now a choice for those of us who choose to run discs with road bike levers. Sort of. There is one catch, Shimano America isn't stocking them.

They tell me that there isn't the demand for disc brakes on road bikes. I say, this is because they haven't educated their customers. What are the complaints against disc brakes?

1st, that they are heavier. This one is true. They do weigh more than canti's or road calipers. In fact it is worse than you'd think. The forks are heavier and the hubs are slightly heavier, too. So this all really adds up to a little over a pound difference.

2nd, they are more difficult to set up. Nope. I'd rather set up a set of mechanical disc brakes than any cantilever or linear-pull brake on the market today. They are dirt simple.

3rd, they are more likely to leave you stranded. This is one that I hear from the touring crowd. Again, this isn't true. They are at least as robust as canti's and they don't rely on the integrity of the wheel to work. The argument goes something like this... canti's are merely a lever, they are easily repared and parts are available anywhere. Well, mechanical discs are merely a lever, with bearings. There aren't really any parts to fail. If you break a cable, you buy a new cable. The pads last 2 to 3 times longer than canti and v-brake pads do. The rotors can handle the heat and friction better than aluminum rims can, too. And, damage a rim and you'll still have brakes.

4th, they interfere with racks and fenders. Unfortunately, this one is also true. I blame the frame builders for this one, though. If you look at the Waterford in the thread that started my rambling, you'll see that they placed the rear caliper on the chain stay, not the seat stay. This opens up the rack and fender mounts and moves the caliper out of the way. Trek (Portland) and Lemond (Poprad) do the same thing.

The benefits, however, are increased pad life, increased rim life, and all weather braking. I haul my son in a trailer behind my 'cross bike, and the increased power in inclement weather has made taking him with me safer. Having enough stopping power in a torrential downpour is worth the extra weight. Having my brake pads last over 4000 miles in grit, dirt and wet conditions makes the fender mounting issues seem trivial.

I use Avid's brakes, I'd like to try the Shimano's. I'd like to see them enter the market if for no other reason than to bring down the price of the Avid brakes. Competition is good for the consumers.