Fuji Pics and TRP Euro X Review

Behold the new handlebar set up. With the 17 degree stem I am up about an inch or more higher than I was previously. In about an hour I am going out to ride it. Hopefully I can get it fine tuned today.

UPDATE: The bike still needs some work. I get a kink in my neck after about 15 minutes in the aero position. I must not be very flexible at all in my back. It needs come up about at least a half inch, if not a whole inch where the arm rests are. We must have stopped about 10 times so I could make little adjustments along the way. But since it was DTP with me and he isn't training for anything I didn't feel bad. Nevertheless, it was an improvement or the last set up.



Product review: TRP Euro X Brakes



I really like these brakes. They stop well, they are easy to set up and they squeal very little. In addition, it is important to note that the brakes have not caused my fork to shudder at all. Whether this is due to the fork--a Ritchey WCS carbon--or to the brakes, or both I am not sure. I have to toe-in the front brakes on my Curtlo cross bike quite a bit to make it so the Pauls Neo Retro brakes don't cause my Alpha Q CX fork to shudder in a scary way.

The brakes come with carbon pads as well as regular pads for those who have more money to burn on cross wheels than I do. The pads are probably not the best wet weather pads out there but the work well enough that I won't install a salmon or some other wet weather pad until these wear out.

Set up was pretty easy to figure out. This means I didn't have to read the instructions to install them and get them working well. I did play around with the height of the yoke, but nothing difficult.

The brake arms ca be set really wide so that with many tires I don't have to even bother releasing the straddle cable to get the wheels out. This is a huge plus.

Negative stuff. The only bad stuff is that the set screws tended to back out at first. I put a little loctite on them and all is well. I ended up losing one of the set screws on the yoke but it doesn't affect the performance of the brake at all. The set screws there just hold the straddle cable in place and so having two of them is sort of redundant anyway. Sometimes the brake rattles just a bit. This only is evident when I just barely have the brake hitting the rim. The brake moves on the brake posts on the frame and fork just a bit no matter how much I tighten them. I could put a little washer in between the brake and the brake bolt that holds each arm on, but it hasn't affected the performance at all that I can tell and I usually can't hear it rattling at all on any rides, so I haven't bothered.

Overall this is a very well done brake.

Misc. stuff.

I finished making changes to the Fuji Aloha CF2 today. I have only been working on it when I am on break at work or during lunch. So it took me over a week to get it done. I will post pics later this week. But in the mean time, I swapped out the integrated Vision Tech Trimax bar for a separate set up. I put on a Ritchey Pro stem with a 17 degree rise and then a Vision Tech TT base bar and then some Profile Design Carbon Stryke Aerobars. There was also a saddle swap and a brake swap. I am now running some Dura Ace brakes and a Profile tri saddle that I picked up on a special deal from the shop's manager. Love those type of deals. Sold the old integrated bar which paid for the new bar set up which is pretty nice. I think this new set up is actually lighter. It was crazy how heavy my original Vision Tech aluminum integrated unit was. But if I could have actually have gotten the old set up even close to fitting me I would not have gone through all this trouble. I think it is dialed now. I will see on Friday for sure.

The bike, with the carbon wheels weighs in at 17.3 lbs. Not bad for a TT bike.

Product Review: Performance Chamois Cream

I have to say that this is the worst chamois creme I have ever used. Not that I have used a bunch. This stuff is no better than hand lotion. It sure makes my skin nice and soft, as long as I am not riding a bike after applying it. After about 45 minutes of riding it is like I never put anything on. I would not have even purchased it except that it was recommended by a guy at work. I thought this guy actually rode a bike. Now I am questioning this. Maybe he just has someone else do the riding for him so his bike gets dirty. Either that or he has a chode of steel to be doing the type of rides he says he does with this crap. Totally a bogus product in my opinion. I will stick to the Chamois Butt'r thank you very much.

Flu Virus Benefits

Besides the fact that one gets to feel so miserable that trying to survive seems like a questionable endeavor, the flu has a positive side: It has accelerated my return to fighting weight. I was sitting at about 7 lbs heavier a couple of weeks ago. This is nice! I don't have as big of an appetite and I am trying not to increase that appetite by eating just enough to stave of crankiness that comes from my normal weight loss plans. Having the flu seems to have shrunk the size of my stomach. This is great! I could only eat half of a Muchos Gracias burrito for lunch, and prior to the flu I would have eaten the whole thing.

I would just like to lose about a pound a week for the next while. That would be sweet. Much more than that and I think I will pay for it during Vikingman, because I think I would lose strength.

Product Review: Fuel Belt Helium 4

This thing is freaking awesome. I have run with all the bottles filled on it and I don't even notice it while running. The bottles are very secure and relatively ease to get out and back in without stopping. Getting the bottles located on the backside can be a bit of a bother without stopping, but it can be done pretty quick. This is the best accessory I have purchased--excepting my shoes--for running. It has 4 bottles and each hold 8oz of fluid. 32 oz total is great. During a tri there will be refuel stations so I will be able to refill once during the half marathon portion. If I can down about 20 to 24 oz per hour I should be in decent shape at the end. There is also a pouch that is big enough for about 3 or 4 gels. Perfect. Again, I love this thing and I wish I would have had it last year.

Health Update and Triple Triangles

I am getting better. I still cough quite a bit, but it is a drier cough. I am getting more energy, however at work I wasn't feeling too peppy. I just sort of tried to stay out of the way. I did sell a nice full carbon Fuji though, so I wasn't useless.

I ran a bit. I didn't want to over do it though. I start coughing when my heart rate gets in the 150's. Also, my heart rate elevated more easily when I was running up the hills. So if my heart rate got to 160 I just shut it down and walked until it went back down. My purpose was just to get out of the house and do something productive. I will go out again tomorrow for a similar time--maybe a bit longer.

Friday the weather is supposed to turn nice finally so I am going on a longer ride. I plan on going out to Hagg Lake and doing some laps there. The goal is a nice 40 mile ride. DTP is coming and so he will be the one that keeps me from going too fast and pushing it too much. I will still be recovering from this illness then I am sure, but I gotta get some time on the saddle.

The shop is going to start carrying Kestrel. I am not sure what to think of them. Fuji is now doing the manufacturing which means that they should be more dependable. But, I think they are sort of ugly. But the EP deal would be good. The fuji fits ok, but not perfect. It rides really nice though and I have almost fixed the fit issue. But if I replaced the Fuji, I would only do so with another carbon bike. I am sold on have a carbon bike for road. The ride is so nice. Not as good as steel maybe, but then the carbon is lighter and the tube shapes are better for aerodynamics during tri's.

GT Zaskar
Also, will someone please let GT know that the Triple Triangle is stupid, useless, outdated, outmoded, and out of style. It is at this point form over function. A fellow bought a carbon GT Zaskar today from us. Very nice except for the extra material in it used to make that little triangle at the seattube/seatstay/top tube juction. It is just stupid. It is as if they think no one will buy a GT without it. Hell, I won't buy one because of it at this point. Especially on a flipping carbon frame. The designers of a carbon frame have so many options on tube shapes and frame design shapes that they are somewhat freed from the conventional wisdom of frame design. Here they are doing the triple triangle when it makes absolutely no functional sense. It is purely a fashion statement or something used to make sure that people know it is a GT without even looking at the label, since GT is the only one inane enough to do it these days. The thing is, the bike was very smartly spec'd and will surely be a sweet ride. But I am hung up on this one aspect and it ruins it for me. That and the fact that it is a 26er instead of a 29er.

I mean, it certainly can't be for strength that they do it. The frame would be plenty strong with out it I am sure. And since it is a monocoque frame, there aren't the same benefits that come from have those longer seatstay tubes. I am not an engineer, but I just can't see any reason to continue this holdover from the 1980's. Will someone please convince me otherwise?

Another thing about the guy that bought it--he had no idea what he was getting. He just wanted a nice bike. He just put some silly flat pedals on the thing. He said that he didn't go for these "clipless pedals thingys", he couldn't see why they have caught on...yeah really he said that. He didn't know XTR from Deore. No wonder he bought a bike that still uses the stupid bike with the triple triangle.

Feedback from Sentamentality Post
Some folks were surprised and slightly sickened about the number of bikes I have had.

Yes, it is true I am the Shawn Kemp of bike owners, but in my case it has been a good thing. I mean just about all of those bikes were purchased at wholesale or EP pricing so I didn't lose much on them. And think of the joy those who bought my discarded bikes have had. They usually all got great deals and got a well cared for bike. It is like I have been performing a great service if you think about it. It is not as crazy as one might think.

I thought of a couple of more bikes that I left out, by the way.

1992 Schwinn High Plains
2004 Trek 4600 (commuter bike)
2007 Fisher Rig (how bad is it that I forgot a bike I had just last year)

Post Ride Impressions: Lapierre

Wow.

Freaking Awesome.

Frame fits like my custom Curtlo.

Tubular tires are all that they are cracked up to be. Truly if you ain't running them, you should for cyclocross. Better traction, softer ride, amazing.

SRAM Rival is all right. Not the best, but it will do just fine.

The frameset feel great. Stiff, light, and FAST.

One friend leaves, another arrives

The Cannondale CAAD 9 is gone. In its place is this lovely Lapierre XLite cross bike. Amazingly light.

Parts:
Ritchey WCS carbon fork
Ritchey Pro Logic headset
SRAM Rival Shifter/Brake levers
SRAM Rival Front derailleur
SRAM Rival Rear derailleur
Shimano Dura Ace 12-27 cassette
Ritchy WCS 4 Axis Stem
Ritchey WCS handlebar
Thomson Elite Seatpost
Selle San Marco Aspide (very old, very broken in saddle)
Mavic Ksyrium ES Special Edition Wheelset, Tubular
Tufo Flexus Tires
TRP Euro x brakes
Crank Bros. Eggbeater SL pedals
FSA SL-K Compact Carbon Crankset

I am going to go ride it today for the first time.

Two Reviews for the Price of One:

SO I have two items I have had some recent experience with. One was surprising and one not so much. First the review of the not so surprising item.

Craft Winter Bib Knicker

I admit it, I have a thing for bibs. Whether they be shorts, tights or knickers I prefer they be in the bibs style. I blame this on my friend Fish. Not that he forced me to buy my first set or anything. It is just that he wore them most of the time. I eventually bought a set and I havently looked back. I like how they stay in place over just regular spandex shorts. They get hung up less on the back of my saddle. Anyway, I have had lots of different bibs and lots of brands. My newest set of bibs are these Craft Winter Bib Knickers. They rock. They keep me pretty warm, but not as warm as a full tight obviously. Even with a little bit of leg showing I haven't gotten too cold. Cool, yes, but not cold. Unless it is near freezing, I don't think I need a full tight. There is a brushed inside layer which feels nice. The outside is fairly wind proof, but not totally. Not really rainproof either, but that is ok. For mostly dry, cold days these kinckers are great. Very comfortable. The pad is thick in all of the right places. The material is very form fitting. I have some Adidas bib Kinckers and they are just way too elastic. The material in the Craft bib also keeps heat in much better than my other bibs. I do believe that I will be taking back the old Adidas bibs to my local Performance Bike Shop, where I got them. They suck comparatively to these Craft bib knickers. Craft stuff is a bit spendy but worth it. I have a lot of their insulating jerseys. They are musts for cross season and thru the winter. I give this Bib Knicker a solid A grade.

Cane Creek Volos XL Wheelset

Another admission here. I was going to sell these wheels when they came with my Fuji CF2. They are heavy for high end wheels--around 1800 grams. So really, they can't be all that highend--even if they come with a bike that retails for over $3000. My other wheels I have owned recently have weighed much less. I was going to use them this season for cross, but I never flatted and never needed them. So they just sat in the pits each race. After the season was over I again going to sell them, but never got around to it. The Fuji had been outfitted with some spendy carbon tubulars. But when the Fuji got put regular road duty, the carbon wheels weren't going to cut it. Not durable enough. Until I figured out what I was going to run I thought I would just run these. The heft of them bugged, but oh well. But then something surprising happened, I started to like them.

These wheels have a great feel. They are very solid, and really inpire me to rail through turns. Maybe they are have much less flex than I have gotten used to with my lighter wheels. Regardless of cost, they are the best feeling road wheel I own or have owned. I have had custom built DT240s on DT RR1.1 rims, Tune hubs on IRD 19mm Noibium rims with CX-Ray spokes, Bontrager X-Lites, King hubs on Mavic Open Pros and probably some others that I am forgetting.

They roll well enough that I didn't notice the extra weight. I like them. I really like them. Weird. I am not sure I can help upgrading them eventually--they are pretty hefty; about a half pound heavier than my cross wheels and almost 580 grams heavier than the American Classic Carbon Wheels that I will run for my triathlons (pictured in my former post about the Fuji), but for now they are more than good enough. For the money, the wheels are more than worth it too. I noticed that they can be had online for about $300 to $350 brand new. Retail is $500. Grades: Value A, overall B.

Review: Pearl Izumi Vagabond II

The lightweight jacket is a great addition to a guys fall and maybe winter cycling wardrobe. It works well as a shell, as it blocks wind very well. It also allows your body to breath because of the venting that it has. There is a mesh area on the back that is great for allowing body heat to escape. Then of course the best thing about it are the removable sleeves. The two sleeves can be removed from the vest easily and quickly. They don't come off separately, the sleeve come off in one piece. Once off the sleeved piece sort of looks like a shawl because it only covers the shoulders and arms. What is left is a vest that allows for wind resistance for your bodies core.

The Vagabond II is great for temps in the low 40's up to the 50's. Above that range and I wouldn't bother, and below I think that one would either have to layer quite a bit or the cold would get to you pretty quick.

The water resistance but it is quite good as well. Eventually the water will get inside. In Portland, Oregon during the winter the rain is not usually heavy, just consistant. If this jacket were worn for commuting an hour or so a day I think it would be great all winter except in the heavy rains. Of course, we don't get below freezing often and so the jacket is pretty ideal for around here.

On the downside, the sleeves don't vent that well. My arms got kind of sweaty and so when I took off the sleeves after riding for about 30 minutes they felt pretty cold as the cool air hit my long sleeved jersey I was wearing underneath. The temp at the time was in the mid 40s and the ride was at a good pace.

Grade: A-

2007 Fisher Rig / White Brothers Rock Solid 29er Review

The Gary Fisher Rig is not my first singlespeed frame. I have owned a 2004 Cannondale 1FG and a Niner One 9. This is the best of the three. The Niner was almost a pound lighter but it did not inspire the confidence that this frame does, especially when descending. The Rig has the Genesis 1 geometry and not the new Genesis 2 geometry that the 2008 bikes employ with the additional fork offset. I have always had a thing for the Genesis geometry. But not always for the reasons that Fisher states as the goal of the geometry. The longer top tubes allow me to run a smaller frame than I would otherwise desire. I like around a 23.75" to a 24" effective top tube on my mountain bikes. One many brands this would mean around a 19" seattube or large frame size. On a Fisher this is the 17.5" frame size. This means more standover for my short legs and the appropriate top tube length for my longish torso. The frame with the EBB weighed in at 4.35 lbs.

My Rig came as a frameset and thus has little in common with Fisher's complete bikes that come off the self at your LBS. I set it up with a White Brothers Rock Solid 29er rigid fork. This is my second rigid fork. The previous one was on a Dean 29er and was made by James at Black Sheep. The Rock Solid 29er has aluminum dropouts, crown and steerer tube. The legs are carbon. The fork weighed 780 grams uncut on my scale. Not too bad and much lighter than anything with some squish. But of course you need to be somewhat masochistic to ride rigid these days with how well suspension forks work. But in Oregon, where I ride most of the time, I don't seem to miss suspension forks too much. I did miss it while riding one particular trail near Benny Creek in Utah earlier this month. The cattle had turned the trail into something that was almost torture even with a suspension fork. Nevertheless, 95% of the time I prefer rigid these days.

The bike without some fatter tires would be difficult to ride long distance because the trail vibrations and bumps tend to weary me prematurely. However, I have found that with good fat tires I can ride longer than my legs can push. I ride a Panaracer Rampage on the front with 22 to 25 lbs of pressure (I weigh around 200 and have had no problems pinch flatting at all). On the back is a Michelin ATX, but I am not sure that it is the best rear tire out there. But it is not bad.

The Niner One 9 that I had probably climbed slightly better than the Rig, but not enough to worry about. The confidence that the Rig inspires when descending is the best of any of my hardtail 29ers so far. Obviously I am not doing drops of 3 feet but through the twisty woods or bombing down some of the fun stuff at Browns Camp in Tillamook forest is much more fun with the Rig. Not twitchy. If you like twitchy or very quick handling bikes then I would guess that the Niner would be the better choice. The frame is rigid and I don't get any frame twist when mashing up hills. I wish there was slightly more tire clearance, but it is enough for any of the 29er 2.1 tires out there. maybe some 2.2 tires but I haven't tried to fit any back there.

The fork while be more rigid feeling than my Ti Black Sheep fork that was on my Dean 29er is a better riding fork. It steers more accurately, yet seems to take just enough edge off the trail. There is no visible fork flex either, unlike the ti fork. It is set up with discs and the fork does not stutter at all, and the set up was easy.


Gary Fisher Rig: B+ It is kind of porky but for the money it is a great bike. I wish there wasn't such so much seat tube exposed without some sort of a gusset above the top tube.

White Brothers Rock Solid: A- Great fork. Can't fault it at all. I just can't give a perfect score so early in this blog