Mavic R-SYS Wheelset, Yet Another Way to Spend Money on Your Bike

Well, here is another way that you can spend money on your bike. Mavic has come out (in June 2007) with a half-carbon spoked wheelset using the TraComp system that is publicized as stiffer, lighter, and better than the current Mavic  Kyserium ES race wheelset. The weight is 1355 gms for clinchers and 1340 gms for tubulars.

The basic technology centers around the fact that the round and hollows 4mm carbon spokes, which have a 2.6 mm internal diameter, won't compress under load like stainless steel or alloy. So they are fragile (think carbon), but less prone to fatigue. Since the rim cannot move as much, the wheelset is deemed pretty inelastic. The spokes and wheel, over time, will hopefully  not snap, go out of true, or flex when you stomp on the pedals.

The wheelsets aerodynamic qualities are still under review from the biketechnorati. Mavic's technology allows the spoke tension to be lower and the angle at which the rim is braced to be steeper. Mavic had a few TdF pro riders testing prototypes this year. (David Millar Mavic's time-trial wheel test rodent, had his disc (not R-SYS) wheel blown up to kingdom come within 100 meters of a TdF the starting ramp. So, if you are extra cautious, you may want to avoid first generation manufacturing.)

There are some special tools that Mavic includes with the wheelset to service them, since you have to remove an alloy retension-type ring inside the hub to change a spoke. And for the alloy spokes, you service them the way you service Kyserium SLs and ESs.

If anyone who generally destroys equipment is riding these wheels, put up a post. And tell us how you did or did not break your carbon-spoked wheel. (Driving over your wheel by mistake after you forgot to put it in the car does not count.) Also, list your yearly mileage.

http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-6833227.html

Dura Ace Black is the New Black

Well, Shimano has finally launched a carbon crankset. The word was that they had been testing carbon for years, but they were not satisfied with its strength-to-stiffness-to-weight measurements. Evidently, black is the new black. Shimano puts the weight with BB cups at 709 grams with crank arms lengths: 170, 172.5 and 175mm. The FC-7800C is slated for delivery in Spring 2008.

   

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/shimano-launches-carbon-dura-ace-crankset-12255

Remember The Hammer

You think that double straps are going be the answer?

Now, get on your fixie, and on your way to get a Slim Jim and bottle of blue Gatorade, remember The Hammer and beat that frickin beige Toyota Camry to the next light.

Ok, she wears lycra and a face shield when she sets these records, but 3K in 3:30.213 minutes?

Hello? Can you hear me?

Can you hear me now? 

Something like 32 mph spinning 90 gear inches at like 115 rpm?

I am not sure how well she can skid. But, she did win two world championships.

 

Millar "Isolated" Wheel Failure on Stage 19 of the 2007 TDF?

Um..."isolated," to most, means that the same thing would not happened again to the same talented skinny guy riding the same type of wheel twice within less than 2 minutes?

photo: Agence France Presse

"Millar was using a prototype Carbon Comete rear disc wheel from team sponsor Mavic. As compared to the existing Comete, this new model was said to be substantially lighter, at least partially due to the use of a lighter aluminum rim extrusion. Upon further examination of the race footage, it became obvious that Millar's wheel failure came about as a result of a complete separation of that bonded rim section from the disc on both occasions.

Sean Sullivan, Marketing Director for Mavic Inc., confirmed the failure mode. " "David was using a prototype Carbon Comete [that was] much different and lighter than a regular stock version. I'm told the extrusion totally separated from the carbon flanges of the disc wall. At this time it hasn't been determined exactly why it happened, but it was some sort of failure of the bond between the surface of the aluminum extrusion and the inside of the carbon flange." "

" "While a lightweight prototype, I don't think the occurrence was necessarily from any new technologies that were used," continued Sullivan. "It just appears to be more of a freak isolated incident with the preparation of the surfaces or the bonding process on his particular wheel and not a common failure with our competition prototypes or our production Cometes. Mavic prides itself on the quality and durability of our products and while we like to push the limits of technology for our racers' benefit, we would never put any racer on a wheel that we thought might have a catastrophic failure of this nature and it's horrible that it happened.""

Mavic apparently places at least some blame on the initial shock from the starting ramp, but that does little to explain the second failure. According to Sullivan, " "This incident happened right out of the start gate after the slight impact from hitting the pavement off the start ramp, which then uncovered the flaw in the bond in this particular wheel. David rode the same wheel with no problems in the Prologue. It's terribly unfortunate for David to have this happen during such a critical stage of the Tour on a day where he was sure to do very well." "

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2007/news/08-20

Ice Ice Baby: .25lb Lighter Ultegra

Don't be surprised if some day component makers come out with entire groupsets in periwinkle or sage.

From VeloNews: "The new Ultegra SL, sporting a new 'Ice Grey' color scheme, drops close to a quarter of a pound from standard Ultegra. The new group likely come's in response to the increased competition within the mid-level road market, a direct effect of SRAM entering the fray with its economical Rival components. While the new color is striking, Shimano invested the majority of its efforts into functional changes in an effort to make up ground on Dura-Ace."

 

http://velonews.com/tech/report/articles/12439.0.html

Interview with Grant at Rivendell

Bike radar is another site that is filled with a jillion different bits of info.

Read this interview with Grant. Someone needs to make a gorgeous pump. My Quicker pump for $35 msrp is decent, and smaller than the too-heavy for jersey pocket Topeak road Morph. Velonews did a real-world pump-it-up review of the tiny jersey pumps on the market, and brutally dismissed most of them. But a lovely pump would be a treat. Don't want to spend 3 big-headed Ben's on a pump, but I'd pony up some coin for something that is elite.

Rivendell's adventurous leader, Grant Petersen. (Gary Boulanger)

http://www.bikeradar.com/news/article/grant-petersen-rivendell-bicycle-works-11523

The Mechanics at REI Will Rejoice

Shimano FINALLY changed the hideously ugly and irritating-to-true hub design. People in the bike industry, and R&D groups working for giant component makers, please keep irritating aero, lower rotating mass, hidden nipples that require magnets to move, proprietary spokes that take 6 months to arrive, 500-lb of pneumatic rim tension that can rarely be replicated once a spoke breaks type of wheel designs in the realm of way too expensive to spec on weekend warrior bikes. Just by doing that, you will make the world a better place.

The newly updated hub
Photo ©: James Huang

"Not surprisingly, the WH-7850-SL wheelset will retain its compatibility with Hutchinson's Road Tubeless system and receives the same updated hub design as the rest of the Dura-Ace family. Gone are the hub-located nipples in favor of a more conventional straight-pull spoke, leaving only nipples at the rim for easier truing. Visually speaking, WH-7850-SL abandons last year's somewhat staid appearance for the more eye-popping red-and-black look of the current XTR wheelset. "

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2007/news/08-20

Carbon Chains without the Chain and Direct Drive a la 1903

This is not necessarily a new system, per se. Direct drive motorcycles and shaft-driven bikes that utilize synthetic belts have have been around for a while. However, making decent frames that allow for the belt to be installed via a dropout that has a slot into which the contiguous belt can be slipped is kind of recent. Spot being interested is really recent.

Photo ©: James Huang/Cyclingnews.com

"...The embedded carbon fibers are also said to transfer tension faster than conventional roller pin chains for more immediate response to pedal inputs, and CDS even claims belt lives up to 10,000 miles for its 'endurance' model (a smoother running 'performance' system supposedly offers only marginally shorter lifespans). Gaping ports in the troughs of the cog and chain ring teeth also appear rather capable of evacuating even the nastiest goop, and after eight iterations of design refinement, CDS is confident in the final product.

So what's the catch, you ask? The system will almost certainly be forever limited to fixed-gear or singlespeed applications, and the belt currently cannot be separated and respliced so you probably won't be able to use it on your current rig very easily. However, CDS is working with singlespeed maverick Spot Brand to bring the system to market on a wide range of bikes thanks to a clever 'keystone' dropout that allows users to easily split the drive side chain stay and seat stay with virtually zero visual indication that it's anything out of the ordinary. The dropout is only made in steel for now but CDS says titanium and aluminium ones are imminent..." http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=tech/2007/news/08-28

If you want a look at an early direct drive belt, check out the rear wheel in the photos below. This article is a good read: "For Sale: c1909 California Autocycle. Motor Needs Work," by Leon Mitchell  Adelaide, South Australia  November 1998.

Wooden rims, and the guy went across America. Hello! Lots of people are cracking the iPod phone, but let's see you take a couple of corks, two metal probes, and a cable and cross a country.

"I've often wondered whether I could repeat it: to cross the continental US from San Francisco to New York on a gutless motorcycle with wooden wheels. But there are roads now. When George Wyman did it in 1903 there were only tracks, and he had to retreat to the railway crossties to make any progress at all. When he completed his 3800-mile journey on the afternoon of July 6, 1903 he became the first person to cross the continent with a vehicle powered by an internal combustion engine. The stuff of legends."--Leon Mitchell,  http://www.bikernet.com/news/specials/yalehistory.asp

***If anyone has constructed a small engine that runs on vegetable oil and can power a scooter or bicycle, think Lambretta, Vespa, indestructable steel Nottingham Raleigh, please comment on this post. 

Henrik's Custom Titanium Lynskey

Henrik designed his Level 2 Lynskey Custom Ti frame and bike as retro ride with a modern twist. The guy really put some thought into this; and it shows, from the style and color to the Chinese characters representing his name on the top tube.

He requested that the famed Reynolds brothers match the brown on the frame to the brown of the Velocity bottle cage and Aerohead rims. The light Carolina blue frame paint matches the center stripe of the light blue Michelin Pro 2 Race tires. The Wheelgirl hand-built wheelset should make a fast-touring-cycle-training-Ultimate-frisbee-playing athlete really happy. The black Chris King classic road hubs match the black Chris King headset. The race-ready frame has subtle braze-ons for a rear rack and a pump peg, if a fast touring adventure presents itself.

The bike sports a 10-speed, Ultegra triple groupset and a Ritchey build kit. The Reynolds Ouzo Pro steerer will get cut after the stem height is confirmed by some hours of riding. Then, the bars will get wrapped in Carolina blue Deda cork bar tape.

If you have ever seen Chinese characters on a top tube of a custom Ti bike, please drop us a line. Building up gorgeous one-of-a-kind bikes never gets tiring.

Beautiful Oslo on 20-Inch Rented Wheels

1. Buy a 24-hour Bike Rental card at the Tourist Office in Oslo.You can rent a bike as often as you like within a 24-hour period, and you can replace it at any time in any bike rack in the city.



2. Put the card in card reader located on the vertical post at the end of the bike rack.



3. Norwegian instructions and a number will appear on the LCD screen on the card reader. If you can't read Norwegian, join the club. Simply, go to that number on the bike rack. The light on the bike rack next to your bike will be blinking green. Remove the bike from the rack. Easy as pumpkin pie.



4. However, if you remove your bike, and it has low air in the tires or a flat, wait about 30 seconds after you remove it, and then replace it in the rack in a lower numbered slot. When you replace the bike, make sure to wait until the locking red light on the bike rack next to your bike stops blinking. So, let's say bike with a flat is on #4, make sure to replace it slots 1, 2, or 3. Put your card in the card reader again, and the card reader will remember that the last bike to be removed was #4, and it will continue on its programmed path to number #5, presumably a bike in better shape than #4.



5. Joy ride around Oslo, and replace the bike in any one of the dozens of racks around the city when you are through. Or, replace the bike in a nearby rack instead of locking it, when you reach your destination. Then rent another bike when it is time to go home.

Tom's 32H 3x Formula Sealed-Bearing Track Hub on Sea Green Velocity Deep V

• Formula 32H sealed-bearing flip flop hub 120mm black



• Velocity Deep V 32H Sea Green Rim (Non-Machined)



• 3 Cross Pattern



• Sapim DB 14/15/14 Stainless Steel Black Spokes and Black Polyax Nipples
  • Spokes for the Rear Fixed Side = 16 x 280mm
  
  
  
  • Spokes for the Rear Free Side = 16 x 280mm

This is going on Tom's light blue vintage Centurion fixie. The machine-built wheels could not withstand the rigor of his riding style.

Eavon's 28H 3x Chris King Classic Road Hubs on Velocity Aerohead

• Chris King Classic Road Hubs 28H 130mm Black



• Chris King Classic Road Hubs 28H 100mm Black



• Velocity Aerohead 28H Front Rim and 28H OCR Rear Rim (Machined)



• 3 Cross Pattern



• Sapim DB 14/15/14 Stainless Steel Silver Spokes and Silver Polyax Nipples
  • Spokes for the front= 28 x 298mm
  
  
  
  • Spokes for the Rear Non-Drive Side = 14 x 296mm
  
  
  
  • Spokes for the Rear Drive Side = 14 x 294mm

These are going on Eavon's road bike, so that he has sealed-bearing, high-performance training and fast touring wheels.

Campagnolo Gruppo Catalogs with Photos

If you know you need to identify a Campagnolo part, try to find it in one of these catalogs. Friends don't let friends randomly guess about manufacturing dates.

• Campy Catalogs of Components

Damon's Spoke Calculator: Because of Damon and Sheldon, We Get to Eat Cupcakes

This is a great little spreadsheet containing many, many hub and rim measurements.
The Excel does get updated. So, make sure to download the sheet periodically. Yes, if you are rebuilding a  wheelset for customer Tony's beloved Bridgestone road bike, complete with the original 7-speed Shimano 600 hub set, you can find the flange dimensions for the hubset here, and with the time you save, since Damon spent his time making this great resource, you can briskly walk down to Betty's Oceanside Diner and get a cupcake.

If you've ever had your older hubset rebuilt, and you see Damon R., buy him a cupcake. Buy Sheldon one, too.

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/spocalc.htm

Sit Down by The Campfire with a Stick and Some Data from Weight Weenies

OK, you have completely optimized your power-to-weight ratio on the bike.

You have not had a Snickers bar in two years.

You don't smoke when you feel completely stressed or right before your period.

You are losing a place on the podium by a +-1% time difference to the same exact guys or gals.

Now it is time to sit around the campfire, and grill on a stick the data contained in weightweenies.

weightweenies

The Money to Satisfy the Need for Silent Speed Helps to Fuel Our Captivity.

When you wonder why you continue to sit inside a 10x10-foot cube that has no ceiling and no door for money, take a look at some of these rides and gear reviews.

Yes, some owners have a questionable sense of aesthetics. Yes, some fixie owners show us that they were bad wedding photographers in a past life. But overall, you feel the joy, and you now know why you open boxes in a warehouse, ride in elevator boxes with 50lb man purses containing inane documents, or sit in a veal-fatterning cubicle typing code that will be obsolete in six weeks.

The money to satisfy the need for silent speed helps to fuel our captivity. While you should be working check out some fixed creations.

http://www.fixedgeargallery.com/

Wheel Stiffness: Does It Matter If You Ride Your Track Bike to the 7-11 to Get Cigarettes?

Read Damon R's wheel stiffness testing observations. Now, make sure before you sell more plasma for that special set of wheels, that the information he shares acually matters when it is applied to the type of riding you do.

"The load is 25.78 pounds (11.7 kilograms or 115 Newtons). There is no magic significance to the 25.78 pound load, but it has some advantages over larger or smaller loads:

It is large enough to avoid some of the difficulty of measuring smaller deflections at lower loads.
It is small enough not to damage any wheels.
I have a convenient 25 pound weight that hangs nicely from a 0.78 pound rod ;-)."

---D. Rinard

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/rinard/wheel/index.htm

Russian Dorm Tetris

Because some people cannot sit still.

http://gizmodo.com/gadgets/clips/russian-dorm-tetris-284988.php?autoplay=true

Gizmodo is the place to go if you want to see what useful and inane things people who can sit still all day can create.

http://gizmodo.com/?view=full

Thanks to a Lady, We Have Laureate

Charles Simic Named U.S. Poet Laureate

"The Pulitzer Prize-winning poet succeeds Donald Hall and joins a list of distinguished poets who have served in the position, including Ted Kooser, Louise Gluck, Billy Collins, Stanley Kunitz, Robert Pinsky, Robert Hass, Rita Dove and Robert Penn Warren."...

"Simic, who lives in Strafford New Hampshire, arrived in the United States in 1954 and said he started writing poetry in high school to get girls' attention."

If you have to sit around and wait for friends and loved ones to get out from work or school, bring a copy of Robert Pinsky's The Inferno of Dante: A New Verse Translation, Bilingual Edition (Paperback). It is a gorgeous way to wait. Lose yourself in several lines of poetry, and you will be happy that you are sitting alone in the cold car or on a park bench.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070802/us_nm/usa_poet_dc

"Bitchin Bike Shop" Says Local Paris H.

Eric G.'s Profile

7 Photos

"I AM Paris Hilton"

• 17 Friends



• 210 Reviews



• 110 Firsts



• 4 Fans



• 15 Local Photos    

5 star rating
First to Review

1717 4th St.
Berkeley, CA 94710
(510) 524-1400

Wheelgirl

Category: Bikes
Neighborhood: Fourth Street

Bitchin' Bike Shop

Wheelgirl fixes your bike while you stroll 4th street shops. Or, you can spend the whole hour in Cody's, or, sit on the couch and watch them work.

I made an appointment for a tune-up and my bike came back in tip-top shape. They explained what needed fixing and gave me a few hints on my braking technique that was wearing down the wheel rims. I always like it when I can get fixed AND learn something,  whether it be at the dentist, massage parlor, or cheese shop.

They also do custom bike builds and upgrades. Road, Track, or MTBs are welcome.

(Might be a good idea to go to Cody's so they don't completely die.)

04/20/2007

http://www.yelp.com/user_details?userid=yZyUc9ChBerAAeUY8ygSfw

Rolling Resistance: Tires That Make You Feel Like You Can Fly

If you are used to spending $10 on a latte and a piece of cheesecake, skip a few weekends of dessert, and buy yourself some tires that make you feel like you can fly. You will find that the best tires are not inexpensive, and that they are rarely sold for less than manufacturer suggested retail price.

For those who ride clinchers, the top three best rolling tires are as follows:

• Deda Tre Giro D'Italia



• Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX



• Michelin Pro 2 Race which will soon become Michelin Pro 3 Race
  http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-6950748.html

Here is the study that has been cited a few times in the bike pubs:

• http://www.rouesartisanales.com/article-1503651.html

Here is Tom Compton's calculator. Use his calculator when you should be working on a project deadline.

• http://www.analyticcycling.com/ForcesTires_Page.html

Tubular Rolling Resistance: http://ddata.over-blog.com/xxxyyy/0/02/72/10/tubular-specs.html

Clincher Rolling Resistance: http://ddata.over-blog.com/xxxyyy/0/02/72/10/clincher-specs.html

Park Tool Bike Repair & Sheldon Brown

If you a new to bicycle repair, it has gotten a bit more complicated over the years. But there is no reason that with the proper tools and resources you can't learn over time to fix your own bike.

Having said this, if you are used to staying upright on a bike, pay a professional mechanic to adjust your do-it-yourself fixie's chain line for the first time. Then, read, ask, watch, copy, practice the right way to do things.

Good professional bicycle mechanics perform repairs and services faster, more accurately, and more thoroughly than hobbyists. 

This Park tool site coupled with some words of wisdom and practical experience from Sheldon Brown is a good place to start.

Remember, bicycle repair is not rocket science; consequently, bike parts are not as strong as rocket parts. So refrain from dropping expensive alloy components on the cement floor in your garage.

http://www.parktool.com/repair/byregion.asp

http://www.sheldonbrown.com/articles.html

T. Olsen: Tell Me A Riddle (Fiction)

"'You have important business, Mrs. Inahurry?' The President waits to consult with you?" He shouted, for the fear of the future raced in him." ---T. Olsen

J. Winterson: The World and Other Places (Fiction: Short Stories)

"It's fashionable now to say that any mistake is made by both of you. That's not always true. One person can easily kill another."

--J. Winterson

J. Winterson: Lighthousekeeping (Fiction)

"Tell me the story, Pew. A story with a happy ending.
There's no such thing in all the world.
As a happy ending?
As an ending."

--J. Winterson

L. Tolstoy: Death of Ivan Ilyich (Fiction)

Oh, he can tell a story, and I will read that story, even if there is no one in the story that I like.

Electronic Groupsets from Campagnolo and Shimano

Campy and Shimano have to keep their R&D departments active and engaged.

Remember when you used to be able to fix your car? Well, someday in the future, you won't be able to fix your bike either.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/tour07/tech/?id=/tech/2007/features/tour_tech_407

http://www.velonews.com/tech/report/articles/13022.0.html