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General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

patrick_b

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If you haven't seen any of Lucas Brunelle's videos they are worth a watch. He's bat **** crazy, gives cyclists a bad name and documents himself breaking countless laws but his bike handling skills & fitness levels are out of this world. Skitching and drafting cars and trucks at 50+mph is not my idea of fun but the balls on this guy.

 

smittycl

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If you haven't seen any of Lucas Brunelle's videos they are worth a watch. He's bat **** crazy, gives cyclists a bad name and documents himself breaking countless laws but his bike handling skills & fitness levels are out of this world. Skitching and drafting cars and trucks at 50+mph is not my idea of fun but the balls on this guy.


Basically a closed-casket funeral just waiting to happen.
 

breakaway01

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I revisited the chain situation this afternoon. I put it in small-small, removed the quick link, and pulled the chain ends together until I had what seemed like the minimum acceptable tension. After removing the surplus links, everything's better except I can't get into big-big. That's a tradeoff I'm willing to accept.

late response, I know, but I'd recommend against running a chain that's too short. You risk damaging your RD if you accidentally shift into the big-big combo under power. Better to run a long chain -- only issue is sag or a dropped chain in the small-small combo. You need a huge derailleur capacity to handle 50-34 and 11-42, not sure if there is a good way to handle it. 50x11 is a huge gear (36 mph at a cadence of 100 with 700c wheels), do you really need it? Maybe 46-30 front and 11-36 rear will be more sensible gearing for your derailleur and nearly the same low gear.

I still need to fine-tune the shifting, though. Going up the cassette is perfect, but coming back down from the big to the little cog is inconsistent. Frequently it takes two clicks to get any action, and then it will go down two cogs. I am prepared to accept that the brifter is worn (it is presumably of the same vintage as the derailleur I just replaced), but it's still kind of annoying.

I assume you've tried fine-tuning the cable tension to address the shifting issue? Also check your derailleur hanger or rear derailleur cage alignment.
 
Last edited:

sugarbutch

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late response, I know, but I'd recommend against running a chain that's too short. You risk damaging your RD if you accidentally shift into the big-big combo under power. Better to run a long chain -- only issue is sag or a dropped chain in the small-small combo. You need a huge derailleur capacity to handle 50-34 and 11-42, not sure if there is a good way to handle it. 50x11 is a huge gear (36 mph at a cadence of 100 with 700c wheels), do you really need it? Maybe 46-30 front and 11-36 rear will be more sensible gearing for your derailleur and nearly the same low gear.



I assume you've tried fine-tuning the cable tension to address the shifting issue? Also check your derailleur hanger or rear derailleur cage alignment.
I was thinking along the same lines! I ordered a smaller big chainring. It arrived yesterday, so I haven't had a chance to install it. I have zero use for 50x11, especially on a gravel bike. I wish that I could get a cassette with a 13t little cog. I value tighter gear spacing more than top speed.

As for the shifting, it appears to be an issue only on the stand. When I got out on the bike, it worked just fine. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯
 

razl

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Thanks to everyone for their input + advice. Test road the Domane SL 5 today - literally, first time on a road bike- and while weird/different from my MTB background and recent years on a DualSport4, not as much of a stretch - geometry, riding position, gearing, levers - as I had thought. No where near comfortable yet, but can see my way through it. And, like that, purchased.

While early on I had misdirected myself into "one bike for everything"; I now clearly see keeping the DS for rougher rides, bad weather, the occasional trails (if I ever get back to them) while adding in the Domane as my go-fast road specific bike. Looking forward to the challenge of building a similar but different set of skills with it.

Won't be able to get my pedals on until the weekend; but that's not going to stop my first real world short ride early tomorrow morning - can't wait!

20210623_134530_resized.jpg





20210623_134542_resized.jpg
 

Piobaire

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Love it! Now jump on Amazon and get some Conti 5000 in 30 or 32 mm. It will blow your mind how much nicer the ride is when you get ride of that OEM rubber.
 

razl

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Love it! Now jump on Amazon and get some Conti 5000 in 30 or 32 mm. It will blow your mind how much nicer the ride is when you get ride of that OEM rubber.
Does "getting rid of that OEM rubber" have any connection with the aforementioned xc90+trek=sex-club? :slayer:

Regardless, I've got 14 days to change my mind (99% doubtful, but...) after that it's game-on for mods!
 

HRoi

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Wtf??? I thought it was impossible to get that without a long lead time

(and congrats)
 

smittycl

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Love it! Now jump on Amazon and get some Conti 5000 in 30 or 32 mm. It will blow your mind how much nicer the ride is when you get ride of that OEM rubber.
My Domane (whenever the damn thing gets here) will have "Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite, aramid bead, 60 tpi, 700x32c"

What do you think of those? It already has composite wheels.

1624475778470.png
 

Piobaire

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My Domane (whenever the damn thing gets here) will have "Bontrager R2 Hard-Case Lite, aramid bead, 60 tpi, 700x32c"

What do you think of those? It already has composite wheels.

View attachment 1629394

I'm just partial to Conti, which by the way, I lost when I got my new Zipps as they're not cleared for hookless rims. Why are you going down to 25s? 30 or 32 is the way. Actually lower rolling resistance and also more comfy with lower pressure required.
 

sugarbutch

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I see that Zipp has released a 404 Firecrest. Which is obviously 101 better than the plebeian wheels advocated by some members here…

:lol:
 

Piobaire

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I know you're joking, but in case anyone reading doesn't know, the 303 is the all-rounder whereas the 404 is the aero road wheel for TTs and racing.
 

patrick_b

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Congrats @razl! It's a beauty. I came from MTB as well and after many years of mostly road riding, I'm having just as much fun as I ever had off road.

I've been doing my weekday rides mid-day to avoid traffic. Absolutely perfect weather today, sunny and cool. I'm not breaking any records out there but average speed is going up so that's a nice measurable improvement.



strava_06.23.jpg
 

razl

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Wtf??? I thought it was impossible to get that without a long lead time

(and congrats)
Lucky me, it was sitting on the floor for about 2 weeks which was a big reason why I snagged it immediately. I had previously been thinking of an AL5 but that's out until Feb 22, if then!

My dealer here is David's World Cycle which is actually a larger chain. My store in College Park Orlando happens to be their flagship one and who told me, pre/early pandemic their owner got ahead of the curve and smartly (luckily) pre-orderred a ton of stuff. They said they've had stuff rolling in almost constantly during the past year. They don't have everything, but are much better stocked than most. They've got another SL5 or two a handful of SL7s and lots more ready to go.

Again, I'm just lucky here - right place, right time!
 

razl

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Thanks and that's very encouraging - looking forward to catching up!!!

Congrats @razl! It's a beauty. I came from MTB as well and after many years of mostly road riding, I'm having just as much fun as I ever had off road.

I've been doing my weekday rides mid-day to avoid traffic. Absolutely perfect weather today, sunny and cool. I'm not breaking any records out there but average speed is going up so that's a nice measurable improvement.



View attachment 1629400
 

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