Cannondale 'Headshok'...
Discussion
budgie smuggler said:
Nice bike and those Headshoks are lovely when working. They have so little friction that they really take off 'buzz'.
Thanks. This is all getting done "on a budget" right now. The bike itself was a spur-of-the-moment speculative bid that I won on ebay. What I was really wanting was an aluminium "winter" bike or frame to build (or re-build) with bits of a crashed bike I've had sitting in the garage for a few years.This one came up, and blow me down if I wasn't completely taken with how it looked. It was £53, but for all my worries it was absolutely rideable from collection. I had to replace tyres of course, as they were cheapies and the rear one had been skidded within an inch of it's life. And there are lots of less than ideal (minor) aesthetic elements to it. But slowly and surely it's coming along. The biggest problem (after the necessarily strict budget) has been finding gaps in the rain to work on it as the only space I have is the driveway. But it is coming along now.
I don't want to restore it, nor refurbish it. I don't want to alter it too radically either. I've never "upgraded" a bike before though, beyond tyres and sundries, so I want to improve this one to better suit my needs (wants!). Between my spares box, some generous friends locally, and some incredibly generous offers from PHers, I might actually make some progress on this one, fingers crossed! I'd put some money aside last month to start with a better budget, but I'd forgotten about the car insurance renewal, so back to a shoestring it is...
I have CX interruptor levers on two of my bikes.
The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
Barchettaman said:
I have CX interruptor levers on two of my bikes.
The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
Not sure what you mean by the bit in bold. But I have Googled images of the interrupter levers fitted, and I've realised that the lever "operates" on the bit of outer housing that isn't ever going to be under bar tape. Silly me, thinking it pulled the other way. More inclined to try some now. Maybe?The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
yellowjack said:
Not sure what you mean by the bit in bold. But I have Googled images of the interrupter levers fitted, and I've realised that the lever "operates" on the bit of outer housing that isn't ever going to be under bar tape. Silly me, thinking it pulled the other way. More inclined to try some now. Maybe?
I've got some on my Three Peaks bike, they work just fine, and it's nice to be able to get your weight back more on descents. I have them out as wide as I dare to aid stability, although this might be limited by what handlebars you have. I prefer the Tektro ones myself.Oh, and an "FYI" on the handlebars.
A couple of you good folk have offered me bits and bobs, from stems, and even forks, to interrupter levers.
I got the calipers out t'other day while fiddling with the gear cable. The handlebars are 'straight' across the top (ie: no wider diameter section at the clamp) and the diameter of the handlebar is 25.4 mm, so I'll only be in a position to take you chaps up on your kind offers if the items will fit my bars. No real point in taking stuff that won't fit just because it's free/cheap - I'd rather they went to someone else who had an immediate use for them.
I'm looking at getting a 110 mm stem with a 25.4 mm handlebar clamp and a +/- 5° rise. This is based on replicating the riding position of my main road bike as closely as possible. I'm comfortable on that, so it seems to make sense.
The current stem is more like 60 mm or 80 mm (bizarrely difficult to measure as it's so short) and with at least a 20° rise to it, as fitted. The handlebar itself is a CODA 700R item. Not hugely expensive, I suppose (one sold on ebay in January for $18 in the states), but it's a good match for the 'V' brakes and some other branded CODA stuff on it. Was 'CODA' an in-house Cannondale brand, I wonder? Whichever it is, I'd like to keep the handlebar for the time being. There'll be no swapping stuff for the sake of it with this bike...
...and one last maintenance update. There was a light bracket fitted to the right side of the bars. A "tool free fitting" affair, with a large knurled plastic screw grip on the underside. Only it wasn't a "tool free" operation to remove the damned thing. I wondered why the previous owner had left it on when he'd taken the rest of his accessories off. The nut and screw were corroded, and wouldn't release for love, money, nor liberal application of GT85. So I cut through the screw with a junior hacksaw and binned the bracket, as there's precious little space on the bar tops anyway, and I've no light that would fit this bracket.
These little jobs are just that. Small steps, but steps nonetheless, and mostly in the right direction.
A couple of you good folk have offered me bits and bobs, from stems, and even forks, to interrupter levers.
I got the calipers out t'other day while fiddling with the gear cable. The handlebars are 'straight' across the top (ie: no wider diameter section at the clamp) and the diameter of the handlebar is 25.4 mm, so I'll only be in a position to take you chaps up on your kind offers if the items will fit my bars. No real point in taking stuff that won't fit just because it's free/cheap - I'd rather they went to someone else who had an immediate use for them.
I'm looking at getting a 110 mm stem with a 25.4 mm handlebar clamp and a +/- 5° rise. This is based on replicating the riding position of my main road bike as closely as possible. I'm comfortable on that, so it seems to make sense.
The current stem is more like 60 mm or 80 mm (bizarrely difficult to measure as it's so short) and with at least a 20° rise to it, as fitted. The handlebar itself is a CODA 700R item. Not hugely expensive, I suppose (one sold on ebay in January for $18 in the states), but it's a good match for the 'V' brakes and some other branded CODA stuff on it. Was 'CODA' an in-house Cannondale brand, I wonder? Whichever it is, I'd like to keep the handlebar for the time being. There'll be no swapping stuff for the sake of it with this bike...
...and one last maintenance update. There was a light bracket fitted to the right side of the bars. A "tool free fitting" affair, with a large knurled plastic screw grip on the underside. Only it wasn't a "tool free" operation to remove the damned thing. I wondered why the previous owner had left it on when he'd taken the rest of his accessories off. The nut and screw were corroded, and wouldn't release for love, money, nor liberal application of GT85. So I cut through the screw with a junior hacksaw and binned the bracket, as there's precious little space on the bar tops anyway, and I've no light that would fit this bracket.
These little jobs are just that. Small steps, but steps nonetheless, and mostly in the right direction.
gazza285 said:
I've got some on my Three Peaks bike, they work just fine, and it's nice to be able to get your weight back more on descents. I have them out as wide as I dare to aid stability, although this might be limited by what handlebars you have. I prefer the Tektro ones myself.
25.4 mm diameter handlebars. The Tektro and Cane Creek levers seem to be variously available in 24 mm, 26 mm, and 31.8 mm clamp sizes. Not sure how that works with my bar size though? Would I have to buy levers with a 26 mm clamp and pad them out? Or a 24 mm clamp with a long(er) bolt? Perhaps leave it in the short term, and swap bars (and stem, meaning more expense 
) later? Then I could ensure that the bars would fit with the clamp size at least.Seems like nothing on this bike is going to be simple, what with the 'unique to Cannondale' steerer/stem size, and a seemingly unusual handlebar diameter.
Edit: Googled "25.4mm interrupter levers" and got this back from ebay... https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Cross-top-brake-interru...
...so I should get the (nominal) 26 mm clamp for my bars. At £8.95 for a "copy" of the Tektro levers it might well be worth a punt, unless anyone has some unwanted levers that'll fit.
Edited by yellowjack on Wednesday 4th April 22:26
yellowjack said:
Barchettaman said:
I have CX interruptor levers on two of my bikes.
The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
Not sure what you mean by the bit in bold. But I have Googled images of the interrupter levers fitted, and I've realised that the lever "operates" on the bit of outer housing that isn't ever going to be under bar tape. Silly me, thinking it pulled the other way. More inclined to try some now. Maybe?The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
Barchettaman said:
yellowjack said:
Barchettaman said:
I have CX interruptor levers on two of my bikes.
The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
Not sure what you mean by the bit in bold. But I have Googled images of the interrupter levers fitted, and I've realised that the lever "operates" on the bit of outer housing that isn't ever going to be under bar tape. Silly me, thinking it pulled the other way. More inclined to try some now. Maybe?The make isn´t important, it’s all about the installation. Take your time. You need to wrap the last couple of turns of bar tape inside the shifter housing.
Travel Agents are notoriously hard on cables so no surprise that they’re taking a hammering. Mini-V brakes will work with the cable pull of Sti shifters very nicely.
I might have had a glass of wine or two last night!Right you are then! Shifter/brake confusion now sorted, I presume you mean to wrap the last few turns "inside" the cable housing? Then clamp the lever over the tape?
Anyway, that's accademic right now.
Some progress today. I rode it to the bank to check the refund went through from Planet X for those shonky tyres. Good news, it was in!
Thence to my LBS. I picked their brains about stuff. Cable adjusters and such like. Bought a couple of brake cable inners too, and some new outer housing. Then back to Decathlon for a matching 'spare' gear cable inner. LBS had no in-line barrel adjusters, so ordered one of those for the front derailleur cable, with a view to fitting it when the adjuster arrives. Also picked up some fi'zi:k bar tape.
Back home, after cooking, cleaning, and finishing the laundry, I set about swapping the brake cables over with gusto. Perhaps too much gusto.
I stripped out the left sided front brake. Then ran the new cable to the rear brakes. Damn it all, those "Travel Agent" things are pretty damned fragile. Trying to pull the cable out, I destroyed the hole in the pulley, and it's now an open slot. Bugger! I managed to hook it all up, though, so it was rideable. Got to order up another Travel Agent now, just in case. Or perhaps it's time to reconsider braking options? Mini-V brakes or cantis? There is also some slack in the cable - probably needs the Travel Agent pulley setting up a few degrees further around, but I won't risk pulling the cable out of it again. The brakes work, which is enough for me. Maybe try to put extra tension into the V-brake arms by shifting the spring, and giving them a clean & lube. The outer housing was also too long at first, then I re-cut it slightly too short. again, annoying for me because I know it's there, but most likely no-one else will ever notice.
Right sided rear brake next. This one, I retained the old cable, as it was in pretty good condition away from the very end. Ran a new length of outer housing to the front brake, wired up the Travel Agent (a lot easier than the rear one for some reason?) and clamped the cable. Stripped it out again to remove the ferule I'd put on where the cable should have sat directly into the adjustor in the Travel Agent. Great stuff. Brakes now operate from the "correct" UK style lever arrangement. Right/front, left/rear. And a brief test ride shows that I can lock the rear wheel up, and stand the bike up with the front brake, so happy with performance. The angles and radius' of cables and housings was better when they were connected up the "wrong" way to be fair. Cable runs on the frame are on the wrong side to form ideal routing with the brakes arranged UK-style. I've done my best to make it as smooth and free-running as possible. Considering "uncrossing" the derailleur cables under the downtube now, so as to be able to fit a crud-catcher in there to protect them from filth. Not sure though, as i don't want to do anything to spoil the smooth shifting I have now achieved.
fi'zi:k bar tape next. I "dry" wrapped it to check the length, before committing to peeling off the paper on the tape. Right hand side a little less 'finessed' than the left, but no gaps, no wrinkles. Not happy with my trimming skills at the end though, so it's temporarily fixed with green electrical tape for now. Feels a lot better than those past-their-best foam grips though! I took the opportunity to alter the shifter position too. Hopefully they're going to be more comfortable to use now, both from the hoods and from the drops.
With a race looming, the bike is looking more ready than it was. I've picked up spare brake and gear inners. I now need to swap the saddle over, as it's not particularly comfortable. Next up? Probably need to sort some grippier, lighter tyres really, and get those American Classic wheels fitted to lose a chunk of weight off it. Money's very tight though - I had to go cap-in-hand to my wife to pay an annual direct debit to avoid going overdrawn. Pension goes in on the 14th, but I'll be travelling to the Battle On the Beach on the 13th!
Shopping list for now? A replacement Travel Agent for the rear brake, and maybe those bar-top interrupter levers if I can face trimming cable housings again!
Between re-cabling and household stuff, it was too late to thoroughly test-ride it in the light today. Going to try to get that done tomorrow.
Running total as at 05/04/2018...
Anyway, that's accademic right now.
Some progress today. I rode it to the bank to check the refund went through from Planet X for those shonky tyres. Good news, it was in!
Thence to my LBS. I picked their brains about stuff. Cable adjusters and such like. Bought a couple of brake cable inners too, and some new outer housing. Then back to Decathlon for a matching 'spare' gear cable inner. LBS had no in-line barrel adjusters, so ordered one of those for the front derailleur cable, with a view to fitting it when the adjuster arrives. Also picked up some fi'zi:k bar tape.
Back home, after cooking, cleaning, and finishing the laundry, I set about swapping the brake cables over with gusto. Perhaps too much gusto.
I stripped out the left sided front brake. Then ran the new cable to the rear brakes. Damn it all, those "Travel Agent" things are pretty damned fragile. Trying to pull the cable out, I destroyed the hole in the pulley, and it's now an open slot. Bugger! I managed to hook it all up, though, so it was rideable. Got to order up another Travel Agent now, just in case. Or perhaps it's time to reconsider braking options? Mini-V brakes or cantis? There is also some slack in the cable - probably needs the Travel Agent pulley setting up a few degrees further around, but I won't risk pulling the cable out of it again. The brakes work, which is enough for me. Maybe try to put extra tension into the V-brake arms by shifting the spring, and giving them a clean & lube. The outer housing was also too long at first, then I re-cut it slightly too short. again, annoying for me because I know it's there, but most likely no-one else will ever notice.
Right sided rear brake next. This one, I retained the old cable, as it was in pretty good condition away from the very end. Ran a new length of outer housing to the front brake, wired up the Travel Agent (a lot easier than the rear one for some reason?) and clamped the cable. Stripped it out again to remove the ferule I'd put on where the cable should have sat directly into the adjustor in the Travel Agent. Great stuff. Brakes now operate from the "correct" UK style lever arrangement. Right/front, left/rear. And a brief test ride shows that I can lock the rear wheel up, and stand the bike up with the front brake, so happy with performance. The angles and radius' of cables and housings was better when they were connected up the "wrong" way to be fair. Cable runs on the frame are on the wrong side to form ideal routing with the brakes arranged UK-style. I've done my best to make it as smooth and free-running as possible. Considering "uncrossing" the derailleur cables under the downtube now, so as to be able to fit a crud-catcher in there to protect them from filth. Not sure though, as i don't want to do anything to spoil the smooth shifting I have now achieved.
fi'zi:k bar tape next. I "dry" wrapped it to check the length, before committing to peeling off the paper on the tape. Right hand side a little less 'finessed' than the left, but no gaps, no wrinkles. Not happy with my trimming skills at the end though, so it's temporarily fixed with green electrical tape for now. Feels a lot better than those past-their-best foam grips though! I took the opportunity to alter the shifter position too. Hopefully they're going to be more comfortable to use now, both from the hoods and from the drops.
With a race looming, the bike is looking more ready than it was. I've picked up spare brake and gear inners. I now need to swap the saddle over, as it's not particularly comfortable. Next up? Probably need to sort some grippier, lighter tyres really, and get those American Classic wheels fitted to lose a chunk of weight off it. Money's very tight though - I had to go cap-in-hand to my wife to pay an annual direct debit to avoid going overdrawn. Pension goes in on the 14th, but I'll be travelling to the Battle On the Beach on the 13th!
Shopping list for now? A replacement Travel Agent for the rear brake, and maybe those bar-top interrupter levers if I can face trimming cable housings again!
Between re-cabling and household stuff, it was too late to thoroughly test-ride it in the light today. Going to try to get that done tomorrow.
Running total as at 05/04/2018...
| Cost So Far: | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Item | Cost | Item weight | Weight saving | Notes |
| Bike purchase | £53 | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| Fuel to collect | £20 approx | n/a | n/a | Hampshire to Essex return |
| Broken tyre levers (x 4) | £? | n/a | n/a | Broken removing/refitting tyres |
| 2 x Conti Tour Ride tyres (700 x 42c) | £nil | n/a | n/a | Previously salvaged from a 'dead' bike |
| 2 of 700c x 28-38c inner tubes | £nil | n/a | n/a | Unused spares from garage stock |
| SRAM PG-950 11-32t cassette | £19.95 | 367 g | n/a | Halfords - price match |
| SRAM PG-970 114 link chain | £12.49 | n/a | n/a | Halfords - price match |
| 2 x Clarks 9-speed chain connectors | 2.99 | n/a | n/a | Saddle pack spares |
| Swapped in some Mavic MA2 rims on no-brand hubs | nil | 2,223 g inc. skewers | 144 g | spare wheelset my brother gave me |
| BTwin Anti-friction derailleur cable | £3.99 | n/a | n/a | Decathlon |
| BTwin Derailleur housing, red | £3.99 | n/a | n/a | Decathlon |
| BTwin Derailleur housing ferrules | £1.99 | n/a | n/a | Decathlon. Pack of 10 |
| Road brake inner cables (x 2) | £4.00 | n/a | n/a | Silvester Brothers, Farnborough |
| Shimano Brake cable outer housing (1 metre approx) | £2.49 | n/a | n/a | Silvester Brothers, Farnborough |
| fi'zi:k black 3mm bar tape, 1 pack | £15.00 | n/a | n/a | Silvester Brothers, Farnborough |
| BTwin Anti-friction derailleur cable | £3.99 | n/a | n/a | Dacathlon |
| BTwin brake cable housing ferules | £1.99 | n/a | n/a | Decathlon. Pack of 10 |
| - | - | - | - | - |
| Running Total | £145.87 | - | - | - |
Barchettaman said:
You *might* be alright on the rear brake without the travel agent, if the rear wheel is 100% true & you set up the pads really close to the rim.
I was just out in the garage putting out the recycling, and had another look at it. It's still sitting "in the groove" and braking seems to be OK. I'll see if it holds on a longer ride tomorrow. If it does let go, then I'll just "swap holes" and use it like a noodle to get home. £20 to £25 for a new Travel Agent. Evans sell them so I might order one up to keep in the spares kit. I'm starting to build a few bits for the "race box" now, as I'm starting from scratch with 9-speed and this particular tyre size.Hopefully with the brakes fitted "right way around" I'll have a bit more confidence now. I've been a bit hesitant to really push along up to now, as I've been worried I'll hit the wrong brake too hard and come off. Now I can try to wind it up a bit and have more confidence that my hands will be reaching for the right brake at the right time, and apply the right amount of pressure to stop it smoothly...
...still need to sort lighter, grippier CX tyres, but i'll have to persuade my wife to stump up the cash for them first. I'm looking forward to the "How much???" conversation when I tell her that I need £80 for a pair of bike tyres.
gazza285 said:
I've got an old Scott stem, it's 120mm long though, but you can have it if you want.
Sadly, I don't think it will be of any use. The 1.56 inch steerer on these Headshok bikes means that they're pretty much unique to Cannondale. I'm having second thoughts about the stem length/angle I need now anyway, as I moved the shifters down/forward on the drops when I had the cables and old bar tape/grips off. Definitely more comfortable, and although I know I don't want such a short (80 mm) 35° rise on it, I'm beginning to think a 5° rise would be too shallow. No rush to decide though. I'll give it another ride tomorrow or Sunday if I get the opportunity, but 32 miles on it tonight felt OK. New (or borrowed from another bike) saddle will help as this one is too squishy, and generally not as comfortable as I'm used to.Tonight, too, I was riding along thinking how lucky I was to be riding on such tough, reliable Conti Tour Ride tyres. Then the jinx was invoked, and I rode over some thorns and copped a double puncture. Grrr!
There's a lesson here. "Don't smugly count your chickens before they hatch!"Lovely ride tonight though, punctures aside.
No new bits, no more work done on it, but I took it out for a day on the trails at Swinley yesterday.
It coped remarkably well really. We even set a few PRs together on fire roads and suchlike. Handlebar/shifter position is a lot better now, but still not perfect. I ended up with sore arms in the end, quite possibly as much from vibration travelling through the frame as from poor bar position.
Great day out. Lots of fun, quite challenging in places, and happily I only had to bail out of a couple of drops off rocks early on RED and dab a foot down a couple of times in 'Labyrinth'. Other than that, all stops were intentional. A few stops to chat with random riders, and the bike got a bit of attention with questions about my sanity for riding RED on it.
It's still too heavy. Too heavy to race at any rate. I'm too heavy also. About 6 kg above what I ought to be at least. But I can confirm that the 'V' rim brakes stop it down hills well enough, and I have a great deal more confidence on it now that the brakes are "the right way around".
A link to my Strava upload of the ride... https://www.strava.com/activities/1494646885#comme...
There's a couple of pictures on there too,along with the 'Relive' "video" of the ride here... https://www.relive.cc/view/1494646885
It coped remarkably well really. We even set a few PRs together on fire roads and suchlike. Handlebar/shifter position is a lot better now, but still not perfect. I ended up with sore arms in the end, quite possibly as much from vibration travelling through the frame as from poor bar position.
Great day out. Lots of fun, quite challenging in places, and happily I only had to bail out of a couple of drops off rocks early on RED and dab a foot down a couple of times in 'Labyrinth'. Other than that, all stops were intentional. A few stops to chat with random riders, and the bike got a bit of attention with questions about my sanity for riding RED on it.
It's still too heavy. Too heavy to race at any rate. I'm too heavy also. About 6 kg above what I ought to be at least. But I can confirm that the 'V' rim brakes stop it down hills well enough, and I have a great deal more confidence on it now that the brakes are "the right way around".
A link to my Strava upload of the ride... https://www.strava.com/activities/1494646885#comme...
There's a couple of pictures on there too,along with the 'Relive' "video" of the ride here... https://www.relive.cc/view/1494646885
Right then!
Thursday 12th April, I spent some more money on the bike. I was out Reading way anyway so decided to stop by at Pedal On in Tadley on the way home.
Brakes were an issue, the old insert pads looking rather thin, with very little wear left in them. And the tyres were a massive let-down off road. I'll detail the exact parts, and their cost, later. Suffice to say, on the Thursday it got a free upgrade to American Classic wheels, two Bontrager CX tyres, and some Aztec cartridge pad inserts. The wheels and tyres swap saved around 1.3 kg off the weight of the bike, the bulk of that off the rotating mass of the wheelset. I also removed the 'V' brake arms to clean and re-lube the mounting pivots and springs, so that I could adjust the brake tension/clearance to account for the ever-so-slightly off-centre rim on the new wheels.
I rode it on Friday afternoon, to give it a bit of a shake down, then cleaned off the mud and gave it a once over with a damp sponge, doused the rims in Fenwicks brake cleaner to try to improve the braking a little more, then I towelled it off and lobbed it in the boot of the car. By Saturday afternoon, I had dropped my wife off at the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli and I was down at Pembrey with the bike, registering for the 'Battle On The Beach'.
Overall it may have been a mistake to take this bike instead of the Giant Anthem, but hey? I only had room for one bike in the car, and I really wanted to give this one a proper run out. Together we survived the night time 'Battle In The Dark' time trial with just one instance of the chain dropping off the small chainring. Then we went on to complete the three lap (26 mile) 'Battle On The Beach' main event race. This time it all held together well, with no chain drops, and no other mechanical mishaps. It was quite quick getting up the beach, but sadly I couldn't wring the best pace from it through sticky mud and soft sandy single-track sections. A great experience nonetheless, and a fine test of the bike and my spannering!
I also managed to have a play with the handlebar clamp and got the handlebars into a better position for me, even with the weird stem fitted. That helped massively during the race on Sunday because it meant I could at least find a couple of comfy hand positions while riding. I think I still want to fit a slightly longer, slightly shallower rise stem, but it's not such a priority now. That priority now has to be the procurement of a reasonably priced yet comfortable saddle, because the Specialized branded seat on the bike right now is too "dished" and I find myself slipping about on it even when I don't mean to.
Links for my race activities:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1506633452 (Friday afternoon "shakedown" ride)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1508855020 (event course sighting lap)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1508855072 (Battle In The Dark night time trial)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1510755317 (Sunday's big race)
...and I'll update the parts/costs table in the next few days.
Oh, and Yanto Barker was racing, and Magnus Bäckstedt was there too (his daughter was on the podium at the end), so this random ebay spot from the early to mid 1990s was up against some truly impressive opposition...
Thursday 12th April, I spent some more money on the bike. I was out Reading way anyway so decided to stop by at Pedal On in Tadley on the way home.
Brakes were an issue, the old insert pads looking rather thin, with very little wear left in them. And the tyres were a massive let-down off road. I'll detail the exact parts, and their cost, later. Suffice to say, on the Thursday it got a free upgrade to American Classic wheels, two Bontrager CX tyres, and some Aztec cartridge pad inserts. The wheels and tyres swap saved around 1.3 kg off the weight of the bike, the bulk of that off the rotating mass of the wheelset. I also removed the 'V' brake arms to clean and re-lube the mounting pivots and springs, so that I could adjust the brake tension/clearance to account for the ever-so-slightly off-centre rim on the new wheels.
I rode it on Friday afternoon, to give it a bit of a shake down, then cleaned off the mud and gave it a once over with a damp sponge, doused the rims in Fenwicks brake cleaner to try to improve the braking a little more, then I towelled it off and lobbed it in the boot of the car. By Saturday afternoon, I had dropped my wife off at the Stradey Park Hotel in Llanelli and I was down at Pembrey with the bike, registering for the 'Battle On The Beach'.
Overall it may have been a mistake to take this bike instead of the Giant Anthem, but hey? I only had room for one bike in the car, and I really wanted to give this one a proper run out. Together we survived the night time 'Battle In The Dark' time trial with just one instance of the chain dropping off the small chainring. Then we went on to complete the three lap (26 mile) 'Battle On The Beach' main event race. This time it all held together well, with no chain drops, and no other mechanical mishaps. It was quite quick getting up the beach, but sadly I couldn't wring the best pace from it through sticky mud and soft sandy single-track sections. A great experience nonetheless, and a fine test of the bike and my spannering!
I also managed to have a play with the handlebar clamp and got the handlebars into a better position for me, even with the weird stem fitted. That helped massively during the race on Sunday because it meant I could at least find a couple of comfy hand positions while riding. I think I still want to fit a slightly longer, slightly shallower rise stem, but it's not such a priority now. That priority now has to be the procurement of a reasonably priced yet comfortable saddle, because the Specialized branded seat on the bike right now is too "dished" and I find myself slipping about on it even when I don't mean to.
Links for my race activities:
https://www.strava.com/activities/1506633452 (Friday afternoon "shakedown" ride)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1508855020 (event course sighting lap)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1508855072 (Battle In The Dark night time trial)
https://www.strava.com/activities/1510755317 (Sunday's big race)
...and I'll update the parts/costs table in the next few days.
Oh, and Yanto Barker was racing, and Magnus Bäckstedt was there too (his daughter was on the podium at the end), so this random ebay spot from the early to mid 1990s was up against some truly impressive opposition...
No photos from the main race yet, but this is a link to the event photographer's official shot of me on the Battle In The Dark time trial...
https://www.anthonypease.com/Battle-in-the-Dark-18...
...and it's clear to see that the scales don't lie, and I could really do with losing a kilo or seven!
https://www.anthonypease.com/Battle-in-the-Dark-18...
...and it's clear to see that the scales don't lie, and I could really do with losing a kilo or seven!
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