Upgrading Your Road Bike – An Illustrated Guide

[Benotti69]

My feedback and comments are charged at an hourly rate to multinationals. To my LBS free.

 

[Master50]

Full of wrong precepts. you need to do a lot more research on materials especially aluminum. your seatposts say aluminum seatposts last longer. this is patently wrong. eventually all aluminum parts break. Aluminum fatigues by every bending cycle and must be built with this in mind. Unless carbons is stressed to a point of failure it should last indefinitely. Easton a great carbon user demonstrated their carbon bars on a stress jig early in their introduction. Aluminum failed in 40,000 cycles. tell in 80,000 and carbon went to 200,000 where the test stopped. The bar had not failed.
Carbon does demand proper design in the clamping and in the construction. it can hide a flaw as you would never see a dent in Carbon but a delamination might be hidden from inspections.
Get the technical details right and this might have some promise for newbies.

 

[ray j willings]

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

 

[Master50]

Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

I probably couldn't ride that for more than a few Km. too much drop. saddle too narrow and wheels look like there might be something much lighter than metal rims?

I am sure I would like the weight. My only weight weenie parts are Camillo brakes at 158 grams a pair. with 2 bottles a pump, computer and spares my bike is under 20 pounds which is about as light as I care for now. Maybe after the mortgage is retired I will upgrade the heavier parts like the cranks and wheels. I almost got my lightweights this year but a tandem came up and my wife's winter bike is a brick so I guess my wheels are still for later.

Nice scoot.

 

[winkybiker]

Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

You couldn't cut off the extra derailleur cable?

 

[ray j willings]

Re: Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

You couldn't cut off the extra derailleur cable?

I use Powercordz on my cables but the rear mech one was a pain in the ar$$ ,kept stretching and thus I had to re adjust, They are not supposed to do that. so I threw that one on for now. I will replace that soon enough so I did not cut it as my cable cutter is in the box on the landing and I couldn't be bothered to get it.

Wheels are Kinlin xr200 rims, dati hubs and sapim super spokes, 1180 grms pair "clinchers"

 

[Jspear]

Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

That seat looks painful! Does it have any cushioning? Do you find it comfortable?

 

[BigMac]

Re: Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

That seat looks painful! Does it have any cushioning? Do you find it comfortable?

Looks carbon, tried one once, it was okay.

 

[ray j willings]

Re: Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

That seat looks painful! Does it have any cushioning? Do you find it comfortable?

No Cushioning its a one piece seatpost- saddle combo. I love it very comfy. No issues whatsoever.
IMO the less movement " padding etc" between saddle and bum the less friction, less chance of being sore.
From my own perspective I have never had any issues in that area long or short rides but friends who have switched and were not sure now only ride full carbon saddle.

 

[ray j willings]

Re: Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

That seat looks painful! Does it have any cushioning? Do you find it comfortable?

Looks carbon, tried one once, it was okay.

I would definitely recommend riding a full carbon saddle. Go for it.
You can pick some very cheap ones up here , They use the same carbon as ones that would cost up to £200.


http://www.aliexpress.com/wholesale?catId=0&initiative_id=AS_20150601123044&SearchText=carbon+saddle

 

[Master50]

Re: Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

You couldn't cut off the extra derailleur cable?

I use Powercordz on my cables but the rear mech one was a pain in the ar$$ ,kept stretching and thus I had to re adjust, They are not supposed to do that. so I threw that one on for now. I will replace that soon enough so I did not cut it as my cable cutter is in the box on the landing and I couldn't be bothered to get it.

Wheels are Kinlin xr200 rims, dati hubs and sapim super spokes, 1180 grms pair "clinchers"

I tried Power Cordz and found they do not stretch as much as loosen and slide around the anchor bolt. I tried them with my Nokon housing and the liner was so flimsy the housing went in every direction such they just look ugly and random. they actually worked for me in terms of adjustment but the convoluted directions they allowed the Nokon beads to turn eventually put me off for ascetic reasons and nothing to do with slipping which I never had a problem with. In the end Stainless cables delivered good performance and maintained the clean lines a bike should have. stiffer lining might have cured that? I took them off my bike after 2 years and the cord was almost as good as new. they might have been a really great cable had they spent more time on some of these issues. I still think they had the potential to last 5 years of steadfast and reliable cables. If they still exist I might try them again assuming they fix all their problems which is a result of their slipperiness which should have been a recipe for perfect cables?

 

[ray j willings]

Re: Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

You couldn't cut off the extra derailleur cable?

I use Powercordz on my cables but the rear mech one was a pain in the ar$$ ,kept stretching and thus I had to re adjust, They are not supposed to do that. so I threw that one on for now. I will replace that soon enough so I did not cut it as my cable cutter is in the box on the landing and I couldn't be bothered to get it.

Wheels are Kinlin xr200 rims, dati hubs and sapim super spokes, 1180 grms pair "clinchers"

I tried Power Cordz and found they do not stretch as much as loosen and slide around the anchor bolt. I tried them with my Nokon housing and the liner was so flimsy the housing went in every direction such they just look ugly and random. they actually worked for me in terms of adjustment but the convoluted directions they allowed the Nokon beads to turn eventually put me off for ascetic reasons and nothing to do with slipping which I never had a problem with. In the end Stainless cables delivered good performance and maintained the clean lines a bike should have. stiffer lining might have cured that? I took them off my bike after 2 years and the cord was almost as good as new. they might have been a really great cable had they spent more time on some of these issues. I still think they had the potential to last 5 years of steadfast and reliable cables. If they still exist I might try them again assuming they fix all their problems which is a result of their slipperiness which should have been a recipe for perfect cables?

I use them on the brakes and they are fine. If you look at my brakes you will see the Powercordz are not clamped, they are just wrapped around and tied. I will stick another one on the rear mech at some point.
The issue with powercordz is the clamping. You only get one go at clamping down and if its to tight you go through the outer casing. But the benefits are good and the weight is sensational.
I use old Tune outer housing. I take the outer casing off and am just left with the inner. It weighs nothing, Its way lighter than Nokon , mini I links etc. Very simple as well, just outer and powercordz.

cheers

 

[Bustedknuckle]

Re: Re:

One of my bikes " the workhorse" ,,nothing left to upgrade or make lighter.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/131970499@N02/

You couldn't cut off the extra derailleur cable?

I use Powercordz on my cables but the rear mech one was a pain in the ar$$ ,kept stretching and thus I had to re adjust, They are not supposed to do that. so I threw that one on for now. I will replace that soon enough so I did not cut it as my cable cutter is in the box on the landing and I couldn't be bothered to get it.

Wheels are Kinlin xr200 rims, dati hubs and sapim super spokes, 1180 grms pair "clinchers"

I tried Power Cordz and found they do not stretch as much as loosen and slide around the anchor bolt. I tried them with my Nokon housing and the liner was so flimsy the housing went in every direction such they just look ugly and random. they actually worked for me in terms of adjustment but the convoluted directions they allowed the Nokon beads to turn eventually put me off for ascetic reasons and nothing to do with slipping which I never had a problem with. In the end Stainless cables delivered good performance and maintained the clean lines a bike should have. stiffer lining might have cured that? I took them off my bike after 2 years and the cord was almost as good as new. they might have been a really great cable had they spent more time on some of these issues. I still think they had the potential to last 5 years of steadfast and reliable cables. If they still exist I might try them again assuming they fix all their problems which is a result of their slipperiness which should have been a recipe for perfect cables?

I use them on the brakes and they are fine. If you look at my brakes you will see the Powercordz are not clamped, they are just wrapped around and tied. I will stick another one on the rear mech at some point.
The issue with powercordz is the clamping. You only get one go at clamping down and if its to tight you go through the outer casing. But the benefits are good and the weight is sensational.
I use old Tune outer housing. I take the outer casing off and am just left with the inner. It weighs nothing, Its way lighter than Nokon , mini I links etc. Very simple as well, just outer and powercordz.

cheers

Oh dear..and you forgot a ferrule at the brake, altho I know they are pretty heavy..

 

[ray j willings]

Busted wrote "Oh dear..and you forgot a ferrule at the brake, altho I know they are pretty heavy"

Ferrules on powercordz, are you insane ....does not compute