More Project Reports

The mechanical technical aspects of our pastime are, to some of you fascinating.  To others, what follows will be as dull as ditch-water and dry as stale toast.  If you are not one of those who find intriguing the "greasy bits," then please do feel free to skip today's offering.  Tune in tomorrow for fare that is less mechanistic and more lively.  Thank you ~ your most humble etc.

We mentioned recently that we would be doing more follow-up reporting on some of our equipment projects.  We also dropped a few hints about a newer “secret” project.  Today the curtain goes up, with mixed results.

The following bit is a touch technical.  If you want to skip that, feel free to drop on down to “Conclusions” and “Riding Impressions” at the bottom of each of these project reports.

PROJECT X: Modifying Shimano Groups for Super Low Road Gearing

Background:

It seems to us that Shimano have a definite opinion about gearing.  This has been a source of frustration with us for many years.  The wonderful folks at the redoubtable Japanese component maker have very strong feelings about how low a road gear-set should be.  For the longest time the lowest “authorized” Gearing was on a “road double” driveline, with a low gear combination of 39 X 27.  That yields a ratio of just under 1.5:1.  That’s okay if one is riding in the flats, or climbing the occasional hill.  It seems to work well for young racers.  But for those of us who have older knees, or weigh a bit more, or wish to climb much taller things on a regular basis, it’s just not adequate.

Eventually, Shimano (grudgingly, it seemed) introduced road “triples.”  (A lot of us were already adapting mountain triples for use on our road bikes.)  That was a little better.  Now we had a low combination of 30 X 27, yielding a bit over a 1.11:1 final.  Better, but many of us wanted more.  And besides, triples are heavier, more complicated, and less reliable.

During the 9-Speed Era it was possible to do some interesting things.  At that time, components from both road and mountain groups could be mixed and work well together.  This led to some interesting possibilities.  For instance, a road double of the 53-39 type could be paired up with a 34-11 cassette and a mountain rear derailler.  That gave a huge high gear of 4.82:1, and a low of 1.5:1.  That’s a very adequate high.  The low leaves a bit to be desired.

The road triple, combined with the same rear treatment, resulted in 27 possible combinations from a low of 0.88:1 up to a high of 4.73:1.  That’s some serious range!

All that ended with the advent of the 10-Speed Groups.  Mountain gearing was restricted to 9-Speed, and the 10-Speed road groups were completely incompatible.  The advent of the compact cranks helped some, but not enough.  For those of us desiring truly low “digger” climbing gears, or the gearing for hauling heavy loads up hills, the road groups were out of the question.

That Brings us to NOW:

Thanks to some stiff competition from another component maker, Shimano has recently introduced 10-speed mountain groups!  Ah ha!  We thought that it just might be possible to again combine the mountain stuff with the road and yield wonderful results.  Alas, this turns out not to be the case.

Shimano has deliberately engineered the crucial mountain rear derailler to be completely incompatible with the road shifters.  The “pull ratios” needed to activate the deraillers are quite different.  That means road levers just will not operate the new 10-speed mountain deraillers.  There may yet be a way around this, and research is on going, but as of this writing the two are incompatible.

We wouldn’t want to give the impression that Shimano are prosecuting some vendetta against us.  There are sound engineering reasons for the incompatibility.  But the fact remains, the road shifters just do not work with the mountain deraillers, and the road groups do not allow the sub 1:1 low ranges we desire.

Conclusion:
As of this writing, it is just not possible to combine Shimano’s 10-Speed road and mountain equipment to yield super low gearing and usable highs from the same driveline.  This project is on going, and we’ll post more news and results as we have them.

~~//~~

PROJECT SRAM APEX “WiFli”:  Super Wide Road Gearing

Possibly some of you will remember references we made to testing the SRAM Apex component group.  Apex is SRAM’s entry level road group.  For our money it performs right up there with Shimano’s vaunted 105 level of components.  But wait there’s more!

SRAM has, quite deliberately, taken pains to integrate  their products and to actually promote cross-group compatibility.  That means that absolutely anything in any of their road groups will work with the stuff in another road group.  Apex, Rival, Force, and even the top of the line Red group are completely cross-compatible.  Now that’s cool!  (But wait!  There’s still more!)

All of SRAM’s 10-Speed road equipment is completely compatible with their 10-Speed mountain groups.  (Say what?)  Yes, SRAM’s 10-Speed road shifters will operate their 10-Speed mountain deraillers, across any of their 10-Speed cassettes!  Yowza!

We evolved a pretty good setup.  There was a bit of trial and error to match things up so that they would produce exactly the desired result.  Here’s the current state.

Brakes:  SRAM Apex

Shifter/Brake Levers: SRAM Apex

Front Derailler:  SRAM Rival

Rear Derailler: SRAM X7

Crankset:  SRAM Apex Compact 50-34

Cassette:  SRAM PG 1030    11-36

Chain:  SRAM PC 1071

Changes from a complete Apex Group:

First off, we substituted the Rival front derailler for the Apex unit.  This was done to achieve a bit smoother, lower effort front shifting.

We choose the PG 1030 cassette in order to avail ourselves of the widest possible gear range, with the lowest possible low gear.

The Apex WiFli rear derailler was capable of handling the huge low gear, but only just barely.  On some bikes, with shorter stays, or somewhat more aggressive hanger positioning, there are problems with this setup.  The WiFli unit is an SG, or medium long cage derailler.  We found that rear shifting improved dramatically when we substituted the X7 SGS, long cage unit in.

Riding Impressions and Conclusions

Six month riding impressions:

We’ve used the basic Apex set for about two months, and then made the above-mentioned modifications.  Over the entire six month period we have had very little to complain about.  The initial setup of the SRAM driveline is very precise and procedural.  It should be noted that there is a bit more post-installation adjustment required than with Shimano equipment.  However, once this initial dial-in process is complete (usually in a couple of weeks to about a month and a half, depending on volume of use) the equipment performs flawlessly.

The adaptation part is simply getting used to using one lever to operate both up and down shifts.  For users who are new to road bikes this is a non-issue.  For those with experience and habits formed by Shimano or Campy, the adaptation usually takes about a week.  After that it’s as natural as walking. 

NOTE:  We routinely switch between bikes equipped with Campy, Shimano, or SRAM systems, as well as singlespeeds or fixies.  There’s always a moment or two of confusion, and then the brain just goes,  “OH!  Right!” and no further thought is needed or given.  That said, it did require about a week to become fully comfortable with the DoubleTap controls.

Additional note:

The SRAM equipment does work in a very different fashion.  Riders who are accustomed to Shimano or Campagnolo will find that there is a bit of adaptation necessary in switching to SRAM’s Double Tap ™ system.  There is also a bit of different technique required.

Some folks may find that the addition of SRAM’s Chain Spotter ™ is well worth the additional cost of approximately $35.  And for anyone who is operating this equipment on a carbon fiber frame, I’d say this is a must have!

It should be noted; one particular bit of technique is required for good riding.  When upshifting from the small chainring to the large, it is best to make one’s recovery downshift at the rear first, and then effect the upshift while spinning the “unloaded” chainring.

Conclusion:  The SRAM setup (especially with their WiFli™ options) may be for you IF…

·     You are frustrated with a driveline that does not give you a low enough low.

·     If you are a “spinner” and like lower ranges for climbing.

·     If you do a lot of mountain work.

·     If you want to build up a “mountain specific” bike.

·     If you just have some older knees and want to save them a little longer, and you just don’t care how long it takes to get to the top, as long as you are not walking before you get there.

·     If you are building up a utility bike, a commuter, or a tourist, and want to avoid the complexity of a triple while still developing the widest possible gear ranges.

The stuff works, and it works well.  Once dialed and adapted to, it is precise and reliable.  It contains possibilities for amazing performance.

Your First Three Years ~ Part 13:

“Training in the Off-Season”  &  “Spin Class?”

A Guide for Beginner (and Experienced!) Cyclists, to the Art and Practice of Cycling.  Becoming Proficient, Fit, and Happy on your bike.

(Hopefully, during the just past hiatus, you’ve been out simply enjoying your bicycle!  Now let’s get back to business.)

Seasonal Shift:

Even the most die-hard among us will admit that Autumn and Winter require a different approach.  It’s just not possible to ride outside as much now.  It’s time to think about some varied activity.

This is actually a good thing in disguise.  It’s not possible to maintain peak fitness all the time.  The darker months are a good time to back off some, to rest up, and to re-group.  Of course, taken to extremes, this results in the dreaded “de-conditioning.”

What’s the solution?  Simple.  Do less, but work on specific skills, and targeted activity.  Done correctly this approach will avoid deconditioning, provide a variety of activity, and prepare one for the following year.

Enter Spin Class!

Shameless Self Promotion:

We put on a dandy class at Bicycles Unlimited.  It is a carefully calculated program, designed to improve skills and increase the basic fitness a cyclist needs.  Please, check us out!  (Classes will be starting on Tuesday, November 6.  Cost is reasonable, and the program has been tested.  It works!)

Before we go father  ~~  Let’s face it, trainer work can be boring.  Done right it is rewarding, but complicated.  And there’s the whole accountability thing.  It’s really hard to keep getting on your own trainer, and working alone.  You start.  For two weeks you are good and conscientious.  Then you miss a session.  Then two…

If you are signed up for a class, you know the class is meeting.  Miss one, and people will ask you about it.  There is a kind of sick and twisted camaraderie to these things.

The Bicycles Unlimited Program:

Unlike most spin classes offered by commercial gyms, ours is “cyclist specific.”  It is designed to address weakpoints, to improve efficiency, and to increase skill.  Of course there is a strong fitness benefit too!

Class Structure:

Classes meet twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.  Each class is approximately an hour long.  Tuesday classes are shorter, but with higher net intensity.  Thursday Classes are a bit longer, but the net intensity is lower.  (It will not feel that way!)

During the first two weeks of class, we teach and lead a “directed warm up.”  After the first two weeks, class members are expected to be responsible for warming up on their own, prior to the start of the class.

Improving the Spin:

During the first two and a half months of classes work is done on increasing cadence (pedaling speed), and on muscle development.  Work is specifically targeted at the weaker muscle groups so that power can be evenly applied all the way around the crankstroke.

The second two and a half months see the emphasis shift to more targeted cardio-vascular workouts.

A Step-Interval Program:

No two classes are alike.  The intensity and volume of the work changes constantly through the progression of the classes.  The early classes are less strenuous.  As the instruction progresses, intervals become longer and more demanding.  In the later months more work is done on “active recovery.

The work is “Individualized”

You do not have to be a super-athlete to gain a lot of benefit from our program.  On the other hand, this is not a “beginners only” system.  Advanced athletes most definitely will realize a powerful benefit.

We manage this trick by relating the training efforts to individual heart rates or to individual ”perceived exertion.”

What’s needed for class?

Minimum:  You, your bicycle, a stationary trainer, summer cycling clothes, a towel, two full bottle of water.

To get the most out of the class…

In addition to the above, you will need a heart rate monitor, a recent Lactate Threshold Test, and a cycle-computer with a cadence feature.

By the way…

It helps if you have a tolerance for puns, silly jokes, and strong music!

Next Week: Dealing with Fear

~//~

This series began with the post on Tuesday, 19 June 2012.  It is intended to continue for three years.  Each week, we will discuss exercises, skills, practices, and activities designed to bring the new (or “experienced”) rider a high level of cycling competence.  We’ll address common problems, and (always) stress safe practice.

~//~

A Note on Timing:  This series uses Mid-June as the starting point of the “Cyclists Year.”  We do this because this is the time that most folks decide to start riding.  If you are following this guide, you can “adjust” the timing to fit your personal “first three years.”  Do note that some of the posts will concern weather and seasonal changes.  When that starts to happen, just swap the “months” around to fit your personal timeline.

Monday Catching Up!

It’s been a while since we posted anything.  We’re catching up.

Upcoming Ride News:

One week from tonight!  The Mid-Fall Celebration Night Ride.

This one is the (in)famous “Sleepy Hollow Ride.”  It will be dark and seasonally approprate.  We’ll ride to the covered bridge, and approach it from the dirt road side.  (Please note:  There will be about three miles of unpaved road on this one.)

Start/Finish:  The Hollonville Opry House, in Hollonville, GA.  (ntersection of GA-362 and Kings Bridge Rd.)

Time:  Ride starts at 7:30 PM (sharp!)

Distance:  Approx 41 miles

Conditions/Pace:  Ride goes rain or shine.  Group will stay together at a comfortable pace.

Requirements:  Good strong headlights.  Good bright tail light.  Reflective vest or sash and reflective ankle bands.  Helmets at all times when on the bike.

Update:  The Re-Purposed Bike

We introduced this thing as a completed build almost a year ago, back on the post of 22 Nov 2011. 

Here are some thoughts and impressions after we’ve lived with this project for most of a year.

The base bike and core of this project is a 2011 Giant Escape 1.  That’s not a super-lightweight frame.  We kept the wheels.  They aren’t light either.  Add fenders, a rack, panniers, and a Brooks B-17 saddle, and the result is anything but light.  Of course, this project was not intended to produce a light bike, but rather a serviceable one, rugged and capable.  This was intended to be a bike that could haul stuff, while demanding very low maintenance.  As such, it has worked out very very well.

We’ve ridden it in a lot of rain.  It’s been down a lot of dirt roads.  It’s led a fair number of rides on Peachtree City’s multiuse paths.  It’s been a faithful commuter, going back and forth to the job, while carrying a “short ton” of stuff.  It’s gone grocery shopping.

The bike's handling is solid.  It takes a bit more "authority" to corner it than any of our "fast bikes," but it is predictable and repeatable.  An unlooked for bonus, it doesn't seem to matter whether it is loaded or not, the handling is just about the same either way.

The solid wheels and more voluminous tires handle rough roads (or lack of pavement) with aplomb.

Did we mention that it isn’t light?  It’s not!  But we’ve used it on a goodly number of group rides, and we’ve managed to keep up okay.  We can usually stay well within the “B Group” range, even with a pretty fair load on it.

So far this has been an imminently practical and comfortable ride.  Its low gearing, reliably shifted by bar-ends, has severed well.  The brakes are amazing.  They are a combination of “Drop Vee” road type levers (designed to pull linear type brakes) and Shimano Deore V-Brakes.  They work to haul this bike and its loads to a stop, downhill, in the rain, in any conditions.

In short this project has yielded a very versatile, capable, and reliable bike.  The best testimony we can offer in its behalf is that it is the one bike that is accompanying us on our vacation.  A very similar build would make a superb loaded tourist, and would do so at budget prices.

(See this coming Wednesday’s post for another project update.)

Cheers!

Greetings to you all on this somewhat challenging Monday morning.  For a rare change, I am truly glad that I had no plans to ride this morning.  I awoke, as many of you did, to the sound of thunder and torrential rain.  I am equipped and experienced for riding under these conditions, but I can think of far more pleasant ways to start a week.

Here it is the middle of October, and we have been having ourselves one glorious Autumn.  The weather for the coming week looks like a continuation of the trend.  The early climatology forecasters are not being forthcoming with strong opinions yet.  It looks like even money on a “normal” Winter, or a Winter that is “typical” of a weak El Nino.  If it’s the latter, we will get larger swings of temperature and moisture, but the average will be close to the norms.  In short, for cyclists and other outdoors types, it’s likely to be an interesting and challenging Winter.

Continuing Project Updates:

Commuter Build: This project has turned out to be a serviceable and versatile machine.  (Some of you will remember this thing.  I took a Giant Escape, basically a hybrid, and re-worked it as a heavy commuter.)  We’ll be doing a more detailed follow-up on this one in the near future.

SRAM WiFi Rework:  This one has yielded amazing results.  I re-fitted my Defy 1 with a full suite of SRAM Apex equipment, with the odd upgrade.  The mix took a bit of tinkering, but it works and works amazingly well.  Again, look for a full write up in the future.

New Secret Project:  This one is still under “wraps.”  I’m doing some testing on an idea that could prove to be very advantageous to you Shimano equipped road riders.  That’s all I’ll say on that one now.  Keep watching.

May you all have a good and prosperous week.

Anticipation ~ Things to Eagerly Await

Look ahead with me now.  What looms ahead of us?

• Fall-Winter Novice Road Rides ~ Begin this Sunday, and then every month, on the second Sunday of the month.
• Mid-Fall Seasonal Celebration Night Ride ~ Monday 5 November
• Spin Class Starts ~ Tuesday 6 November
• Thanksgiving ~ You know when this is!
• Christmas Lights Road Ride ~ Monday 17 December
• Christmas Lights Path Ride ~ Wednesday 19 December
• Christmas ~ Tuesday 25 December
• New Years ~ Tuesday 1 January
• New Year Day Penance Ride ~ Tuesday 1 January

Implicit in the above is the upcoming onset of THE HOLIDAYS.  Seems like just about everyone you are associated with, and any organization with which you have any even slightly tenuous connection will plan some kind of Holiday Themed Event…  And they expect you to attend!

In one sense we are no different.  (See the Christmas Lights Rides)  On the other hand, we don’t feel any need to compel folks to attend.  Instead we think that cyclists are most likely looking for some reason to go ride their bikes and take an hour or two away from all the “other stuff.”  At least that’s our fondest hope.

Good Autumn to you all!

Ride Report: Autumn Equinox Night Ride

A week ago we went out to ride in the night.  No broken spokes!  Yippee!

I have a particular fondness for this route.  For the most part it’s quiet and almost traffic-free.  Yes, there are a couple of spots that require close attention, but something like 35 miles of this fall into that “almost-no-cars” category.

It was a bit cool at ride time, with a prediction of fairly rapid cooling to come.  Most folks had heeded the warning to dress for a cooler ride.

We pulled out right on time, and after just a wee bit of fumbling at the start, got ourselves sorted out and proceeded in good order.

It got dark right on schedule, but a rising half moon and a crystal clear night added charm.  I didn’t see anyone with inadequate lighting.  Folks handled traffic and road conditions very well.  I was pleased with the mutual courtesy and good humor exhibited by all.

We did take the unusual step of stopping about mid-way through to allow for “clothing adjustment.”  (It was getting kinda cool out.)

Other than that one fumbling incident at the beginning, it was a smooth and nearly flawless ride.  I’ve mentioned that twice, and I know enquiring minds will want to know.  It was no big thing.  There was a bit of miscommunication when one rider decided to withdraw early.  Easily fixed and not a major incident at all.

The cooler temps added a bit of spice to the whole evening.  We kept up a 15+ mph rolling average, which is not at all bad for a night ride.

I particularly enjoyed this one, as it was a blend.  I saw several old friends who haven’t been around for a while, and there were several new one too.

Present for the trip were (In no particular order) Chris, Judy, Bob, Jim, Scott, Dan, Van, Travis, Mike, Courtenay, Phil, Theresa, Amanda, and your correspondent.

I can just about wait for the next one.  It’s the Samhain Mid-Fall edition, sort of a “Sleepy Hollow” ride, and very seasonally appropriate.  (A caution, this one will have a few short miles of dirt road in it.)  The Samhain Mid-Fall Celebration Night Ride goes on 5 November, and will leave from the Hollonville Opry House.  Be there!