Technical Stuff
Seen some great tech stuff? Seen some dreadful tech stuff? Have some tech questions? Then this is the page for you.
If you have tech questions then, if you are lucky you may get some answers. You never know but the answers may even be useful.
Note that for any advice given then it is up to the reader to use that advice advisedly at their own risk.
I just watched the LeMond Fignon ITT on the Champs. I was struck by the position and tactics used by LeMond. First he was in the praying mantis position. In recent years the TT convention has come back to this position after years of using a flat position for aero bars. Once again LeMond has been vindicated. In addition, LeMond employed the strategy of looking down at the road for most of the ride and looking up every few seconds to reassess his line. As most here know, that strategy eliminates the air trap created by the TT riders torso… Read more »
Not to mention bike computers, Earning what he believed to be worth, and his refusal to give up golf!
@Wiscot I was unaware that he was also a bike computer pioneer. After your comment and some research I found this article . I was also unaware that Greg was a pioneer in: Cycling specific eyewear, electronic shifting, power meter training, smart trainers, raised seat hights, pedal stroke analysis (pedaling in circles), HIIT, VO2 max testing, heart rate monitoring, and mitochondrial-based exercise physiology.
In other words, Greg LeMond invented modern cycling.
Yup, dragged it kicking and screaming into the 1980s from the 1950s. He could have been a helluva DS for a team.
I have been a LeMond fan for decades. I knew about some of the things he pioneered but when I see them listed as in the article it is absolutely amazing. What a visionary!
Not to mention he was one of the very first to call out the peleton for doping.
Hello all, I was hoping to get a bit of input on cycling computers. If anyone has experience with Wahoo computers I am trying to decide between the Elemnt and the Bolt. As nearly as I can tell there are three differences between these units: Cost, size, and customizable rows of display. The Elemnt is listed as $50 more expensive than the Bolt on most sites. The units are almost identical in every meaningful way except the Elemnt has two rows of customizable data on its screen compared to one for the Bolt. My feeling is that the extra row… Read more »
I have the Elmnt and I think the size is fine. With my ageing eyesight it’s just right. Re the screens there actually is a single display (I think) and you zoom in/out to show more/less data. You may be able to have more than one screen but as I don’t use cadence or HRM I’ve not had the need to investigate. So you can show your key data in 2 or 3 large rows and then zoom in to 4 or 5 rows – if your eyesight is good enough! Yes speed is available. I’ll photo mine on a… Read more »
Thanks @Teocalli. I am leaning toward the Elemnt but don’t want a cell phone sized head unit. I think I would really use the extra data while riding.
I have the Roam and love it. If you use mapping, their use of color on maps (Elemnt and Bolt are B&W) makes a difference. My review of the Roam on PEZ: https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/wahoo-elemnt-roam-review/
Pic of my Roam on my bike
Thanks, for the perspective.
Wow, what a thorough and complete review. Thanks a lot for the link.
One concern that I have is that the Wahoo link to the phone would drain my phone battery. I love my phone but the battery life isn’t great. Is this an issue?
Rick – Thanks for the kind words. Not a DC Rainmaker review (his are the best if you want to know pretty much everything), but I do my best. I had an iPhone SE and as long as I started a ride with a fully charged phone, never had my battery die or even come close. I now have an iPhone 11 that has a pretty robust battery so no issues. Of course, YMMV.
Thanks, one of the worst things in the world is getting close to finishing a long ride and the computer dies. I am not sure if the computer would keep recording data without the phone or not.
I’ve done rides without my phone so you don’t have to have your phone (or have the two connected to each other) for the computer to work. I think it’s mostly if you want to take advantage of “connected” features that require the phone, e.g., getting texts/emails.
Thanks, I ride to get AWAY from being connected. Although I certainly understand how some people need or want to stay connected.
My thoughts exactly!
Photos of the Elmnt on #1 plus a zoom in of the display – you can customise what goes where via the phone ap.
Thanks for the perspective.
Thanks to everyone for the fantastic input. It is greatly appreciated and getting info from riders who use these computers on the road was invaluable. Perhaps it is a “you kids get off my lawn” complaint but I find current product descriptions and reviews to be next to useless. As I noted above, I want to know what data I can see as I ride. Up until a few weeks ago I was spending quite a bit of time riding in swift pace lines where there is no time to change pages on a computer. I decided on the Bolt… Read more »
I’ll put this in tech since that seems an appropriate place. My Felt FC featured as a Writers’ Rigs on PEZ. https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/readersrigs/writers-rigs-chuck-penas-felt-fc-3t-shimano-speedplay-absolutechainrings-irwinwheels-sellesanmarco/
He all! Sorry I’ve been absent of late. The holidays and then back to work. Hope everyone had a good Christmas and New Year’s. TDU in progress and can’t wait for the spring classics! I’ve gone tubeless on my Hollands. https://irwincycling.com/continental_gp5000_tubeless_tires_review/
My latest for PEZ. Review of Selle San Marco Shortfit Carbon FX saddle. https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/selle-san-marco-shortfit-carbon-fx-saddle/
Hmm, interesting – might take a look at thee in the spring. After my 2018 issues my groin became only Brooks (Cambium) compatible through to late 2019 when I was able to revert back to my Sella Italia Flite. Might have to investigate these when my Stelbel is ready and either go this way on the Pina with the Sella Italia on the Stelbel or vice versa. I definitely notice the benefit of a slightly wider seat on the Brooks vs the Flite and this sounds similar from you write up and measurements. Thanks for posting.
Glad you found it useful. 20-something degrees (F) when I went out the door to ride this morning! But no wind whatsoever so surprisingly “comfortable.”
An interesting video from 1989…..
Ground truth
Enough info on chains to keep you all going for a bit……..
Really interesting. I’ve been happy with my bling-y gold KMC X11EL chain that currently has ~3,500 miles on it and still more than OK per my Park chain wear tool indicator. But not very well rated per this article for both friction and durability. I’d never heard of YBN, but they also make a bling-y gold chain that’s a little less expensive (on Amazon) as the KMC. In fact, it looks very similar with the hollowed-out side plates. Might have to give it a try when I replace my chain and cassette in the spring.
Cripes! If it is possible to justify that YBN Titanium chain it’s eyewaterinw for chain…….
https://www.bike-discount.de/en/buy/ybn-sla-211-s2-titanium-11-speed-chain-hollow-pin-886351?currency=3&delivery_country=190&gclid=Cj0KCQiAz53vBRCpARIsAPPsz8URDD3DLHnBqf_OjuA3JVX9-RfSTIlx3r3g_23NteAb8ZAWX5B2GtwaAtLsEALw_wcB
Gents – I’ve gone tubeless! My latest for PEZ. https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/the-road-to-road-tubeless/
I may well give Tubeless another go with Schwalbe Pro One Tubeless – hoping they will come out with a tan wall version. One thing though – I’m not sure I would go as far as not carrying a spare tube/pump/CO2 though. My previous run with tubeless was not a success as when I did get some punctures they did not seal – so I’m hoping that the sealants are better now. I’m running Orange in my MTB so may try that or the Finish Line that is supposed to last the length of the tyre. Will have to investigate… Read more »
I will probably eventually figure out some sort of tubeless tire repair kit to carry along with a CO2 cartridge, regulator, and mini pump that will fit in a jersey pocket. Something like this: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07WHDQG6R/
I’ve tried those, with some amusing results. Just before I gave up on tubeless first time around (as the sealants were not sealing punctures) I decided to give those a go – fortunately in a controlled experiment – in the conservatory. Put on a tyre that had punctured and put in fresh sealant. Partially inflated and inserted one of those in an existing puncture that had not sealed. Noted to self that in using the tool it appeared to make the hole a bit larger…….. Pumped up the tyre to road pressure, span the wheel and left it a while.… Read more »
I’m hoping that riding tubeless is no different than riding tubes as far as flats go. Per my article, I’ve had four flats in the last 6 years.
This is more expensive for an on-the-road tubeless repair kit, but may not have the problem you had: http://www.dynaplug.com/bike.html
Yeah I saw those too. They would appear to trash the tyre which is a bit of a downside!
The roads I ride tend to have a lot of crushed stone/flint chips from the nature of the geology in the roadside fields and so punctures are a bit of a fairly regular hazard around here.
Not according to this article: https://www.velonews.com/2017/01/news/reviewed-dynaplug-micro-pro-tubeless-tire-repair-kit_428098
The repairs are durable. Last fall, about half way down the Whole Enchilada in Moab I put a 2-3mm tread puncture in a brand-new Maxxis Minion DHF tire. It was its maiden voyage. $70 in the trash bin, I thought. But no. The on-trail Dynaplug repair is still holding, four months later.
I tried to go tubeless on my mtb a couple years ago, gave up when I couldn’t get enough air pressure to seat the tire.
As far as sealant is concerned, I’ve had good experience with Stans in inner tubes an tubulars. After reading good things about Orange I gave it a try with disastrous results. It seeped through the tubes and tires (road clincher, not tubeless compatible), leaving a sticky residue that attracted road debris.
MTB can be a pain to seat if you do not have a compressor. My current rig took me an age to get the tyre in just the right place to seal. That rig does have Orange which seems to have been fine – but is probably overdue for replacing. Having said that I don’t do a huge amount of MTB miles these days. Yeah though – not a great idea to try tubeless on non tubeless tyres – if that is what you did (?). In the first round of tubeless tyres I did try Hutchinson tyres for a… Read more »
Thought this was worth sharing
Interesting short article on comparative tyre rolling resistance. I’m probably going to try Tubeless again via the new Schwalbe One Tubeless with Finish Line Sealant (that is guaranteed to not go off). Mainly as I’m planning an even next year in Nice where it is likely to be a) hot and b) have 3 v long downhills and I’m a bit concerned about heat buildup on the downhill braking and supposedly Tubeless is less prone to overheating blowing the tyre off the rim. Well, according to the Schwalbe blurb anyway.
Both wheel sets on my bikes are tubeless ready. And the Pirelli Cinturatos https://www.bicyclerollingresistance.com/road-bike-reviews/pirelli-cinturato-velo-2018 I’m currently riding can be ridden either tubeless or with tubes. Part of me wants to go tubeless simply out of curiosity. But the other part of me doesn’t want to deal with the hassle of sealant.
Yup – I gave up 3 or 4 years back as I was picking up punctures that would not seal and was noticing that the sealant was forming Coral clusters (clumps) fairly quickly. So I’m hoping that the sealants have moved on since then. Also hoping that the lates Tubeless Tyres may be a little more puncture resistant. I felt that part of the problem I had back then was that the Schwalbe One of that year were pretty sticky rubber. The ride running Tubeless was fantastic but round here we get a lot of little stone flakes in the… Read more »
If puncture resistance rather than rolling resistance is your priority, you should take a look at the Pirelli Cinturato. I’m riding them with tubes and have been very happy with how they’ve held up, i.e., no flats. Per the link in my previous post: As promised by Pirelli, our tests confirm that the Cinturato TLR sets a new level of puncture resistance. On top of that, the Cinturato also offers a very high tread thickness of 3.7 mm where competing tires generally come in at less than 3 mm. All this comes at a cost of a 40% higher rolling… Read more »
I’m after best balance between Rolling and Puncture with min Rolling being the bigger benefit.
But if you roll faster but still puncture/flat, then what price speed?
Ha Ha! True – that’s where risk and probability somehow factor in!
My latest acquisition … Kuat Transfer 2 rack for my wife’s car.
My current car is based on getting my bike(s) in upright with only the front wheel off – more secure when travelling with a bike. I didn’t want and SUV or MPV and discovered that I could manage to get 2 bikes upright in the back of a VW Golf estate. I had to take the seat post out in my previous Saab but found the Golf just works if I take the rear floor/shelf out. The benefits of being a short-arse!
I’ll take some photos in the next few days.
I need this for when we take family trips and I want to take bikes. I can get two bikes inside my wife’s car (on their sides with the front wheels off), but that won’t do if there are three of us with luggage (and my daughter’s and my golf clubs!) My car is a Saab 9-2X (small sport wagon) and I have Thule roof rack on it for carrying bikes.
My previous car was a Saab 9-3 Sportwagen too. Great car but decided it was time for a change after 120,000 miles. It was starting to get a bit pricey to run but was still a great engine (twin turbo diesel).
My 9-2X is affectionally called a Saabaru because it’s actually a Subaru WRX platform that was Saab-ified. Made only in 2005 and 2006. Considered by many a “unicorn” car with something like only 5,000 or so of them made. Mine has low miles (less than 125,000 and 14 years old!) and is great running condition. Body (mostly paint which is crap) is a little rough around the edges. And I had something hit my front bumper and cracked it. Unfortunately, no more replacement OEM front bumpers in the supply chain. So mine is “race taped” repaired (with red duct tape… Read more »
I don’t think those were ever sold over here. I did see one in a concept car Ad some years back and thought it looked really interesting.
Here’s a pic of my little red wagon. To ensure that this post is within the rules, with bikes on the roof rack.
My latest for PEZ … review of the Wahoo ELEMNT Roam. https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/wahoo-elemnt-roam-review/
I recently changed from a Garmin 800 to the ELEMNT. I would probably have gone with a ROAM but it was just in the gap when they were in short supply. I too really like the ELEMNT but the comments I have is that it does seem to loose GPS signal quite easily in trees. Maybe this is common to other units but the ELEMNT maybe just announces it a bit too quickly. On a long ride last weekend I was losing signal when my mate on a new ROAM was not. I have also noticed it going of route… Read more »
Oooooo – is it nearly Christmas………..Stelbel Part 7
That’s some nice kit! The bibs looks great. Not sure about the jersey with clouds or the arm warmers, but I’d wear the rest – and I tend to go old school – blocks of color, rather than patterns.
These are probably more to your liking: https://reggie.bike/collections/the-de-boss-series
I don’t know if kit counts as tech, but my latest review for PEZ. https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/reggie-kit-a-ride-on-the-wild-side-clothing-review/
Looks good, only part I don’t like is the Camo mix on the arms warmers. As I’ve said before, I hate Camo gear with a vengeance!
I guess sunglasses count as tech. My latest for PEZ. https://www.pezcyclingnews.com/technspec/scicon-aerotech-sunglasses-review/
They look pretty good. Not too big. Some of the ski goggles style that are being worn these days just don’t rock my boat at all.
Like this?
Yeah I was thinking of the Yates’
I like a bigger frame on my sunglasses so some Oakleys (Sutros) and 100% glasses work great. But those Scott ones are a tad too much IMHO.
I am 5′ 9″ and ride a size 54 Pinarello Marvel frame. The 120 mm stem that came with the bike is too long for me and I experience lower back pain when I am in the saddle for more than an hour. I am thinking that a 100 mm stem is the correct size for me. Short of a bike fit, is there any good way to tell what the correct size would be? I have to order on line as the stem graphics are older and the new ones wouldn’t match the bike. I base the 20 mm… Read more »
A couple of rough guides I’ve come across are: 1. You don’t want your arms locked out straight when on the hoods, rather you want to be able to comfortably have a slight flex at the elbow without being prostate on the Top Tube. It’s not easy to assess without having alternative Stems to hand but you can experiment a bit by seeing where your hands sit comfortably on the bars just short of the hoods. 2. The other is with your hands on the top of the hoods and a slight elbow flex, look down at the front hub.… Read more »
Thanks @Teocalli. If you are comfortable on a 90 with a Pina frame I would guess that a 100 is about right for me. The 120 is definitely too large for me.
Teocalli’s rough guides are just that and a good starting point. But this is really why a proper fitting can be so important. Everyone’s body dimensions and flexibility are different. I’m 5’8″ and my old school Hollands steel is real frame is 53cm with a 54.5cm top tube. I use a 120mm -17 degree stem with a 10mm spacer above the (threaded) head set. My more modern carbon Felt FC is 54cm but with slightly sloping stop tube that’s 54.5cm horizontal equivalent. With that, I use a 110mm -17 degree stem (slammed on top of semi-tall ~8mm head set top… Read more »
Rick, ask around at a local shop or other cyclists. Stems are one thing that they are likely to have a few used ones kicking around. Borrow a 100mm stem and give it a shot. If that works, buy one that fits aesthetically. I have multiple bikes and run 100, 120, 130mm stems depending upon frame geometry. These are all determined once I get my saddle in the same position on each bike (I use the same saddle on each bike too). The nice thing about modern (not quill) stems is that switching them out is a breeze and doesn’t… Read more »
My riding impressions blog post on Continental Grand Prix 5000 vs 4000 tires for Irwin Cycling.
Here’s a bit of recycling (pun not entirely intended). These Fixings and Fasteners come in a decent weight resealable bag that is just about the right size for a cycling pocket. Need to buy some longer screws but a packet of screws is still cheaper than a purpose made cycling pouch!
I had to re-read that – my first thought was why do you need to carry fixings and fasteners in your jersey pocket? For a long time I was using a zip lock bag, now I have a dedicated cycling pouch.
Thank goodness for UCI rules………….
Barf.
http://www.cyclingnews.com/news/mechanical-on-poggio-ruins-degenkolbs-chances-at-milan-san-remo/
At what point does a marketing gimmick become stupid? Didn’t work for Aqua Blue, doesn’t seem to be working for Trek. Did Degenkolb’s bike have a chain guide/catcher fitted? Crazy.
I saw him bouncing the bike with the chain off but didn’t spot he was on a 1x. Not sure how bouncing the bike would have got it back anyway. If he didn’t have a chain catcher I’d have thought he should have been able to get it back on as he did also reach down. So maybe it did have a chain catcher but still came off.
Mads Pedersen was using this on the cobbles with no apparent problems, and it works in cyclocross and mountain biking, so there should not be any reason for it not to work on the road. This season will be very instructive actually because the riders have a choice here (unlike at Aqua Blue since the 3T frame was 1x only). If we don’t see any Trek riders on 1x in long and flat-ish races later in the year (excluding time trials probably) then there are presumably some real problems with the 1x setup of the group.
I’d have thought that it was less likely to be used on long flat(wish) stages where having the right gear with closer ratios would be more important. Also potentially more likely to be used on TTs where typically a reduced set of gears would not be a problem. I’m also assuming that they would use splittable cassettes to set their own ratios – assuming the rules permit that vs standard shop bought ranges.
If I recall, the early noises last year from Aqua Blue riders were that this was fine on the flat-ish stuff (perhaps surprisingly) but the jury was out for climbing. This was after training camps with the new bikes but before any races. I have heard several others say that they got used to the bigger jumps easier than they expected (and in any case, that’s one thing an extra sprocket really does help with). Also 3T, among others I expect, have been making 1x specific cassettes to deal with range and closeness issues for specific terrain. We might see… Read more »
Squeaking jockey wheels – any advice beyond taking them out, cleaning and refitting?
Take out clean and refit or replace with ceramic bearing ones such as BBB who make some reasonably priced ones.
Pics of my Hollands with Irwin AON TLR 38 carbon wheels. What do y’all think?
Finally got them there! Nice and still with the down tube shifter for the front mech I see.
Though how do you find the different shape of the hoods when riding on the tops?
Yes. I love being able to manually trim the FD.
Modern hood shape along with the they blend with compact bend bars is more comfortable. Feels like you’re riding on top of them. The hoods on my Hollands (circa early 90s) are narrower and it feels like you’re reaching “down” into them. Especially with the shape of my ITM handlebars. But still comfortable enough.
Pictures seem to be fixed now. Let me know if you have any more issues!
Picture still not fixed! there’s no seat stays!
The BB and Chainstays are so stiff they are not needed. All built out of Graphene……………..