How to make your Vendetta as fast as possible

[Derek]

@Andrew Wilson - if you’re not being honest about your desire to have snapped up the cover, you are in luck. WheelBuilder just got back to me with the following note.

Derek,
Sorry for the delay. We have some minor scratched sets we can use and just sell you one set.

Rich​

If you want me to loop you into the email thread so you can buy it, just PM me your email addy.

 

[Andrew Wilson]

Thanks
I also have been in touch with Rich. I got the same info on some scratched sets they would be willing to sell. Waiting on him to get back with me with ordering and payment info.

 

[Derek]

Right on!

 

[Andrew Wilson]

Woot!!! Rich has shipped a set of Covers for me

 

[GetBent]

Wish I had seen this thread earlier. Bought Monokote and a trammel set to make wheel covers for the last Cruzbike challenge, and never got around to making them. Nope, just found out that the Monokote did not stick to the rim. I cut the covers out to be about 0.5 mm radius less than the rim. Big mistake. Forgot about the wheel being dished. Stapling the Monokote in the four corners on a piece of plywood works well for cutting with the trammel set, just make sure the staples do not go through before doing that on the dining room table.... Not sure why I did not think of just putting on the Monokote as a square, then trimming to fit the rim.

Off to the hardware store for rubber cement....

 

[M.J]

I've been very happy with my Monokote covers. I have more than 500 miles on one side, a little less on the other. I had to replace the drive side cover because the glue wasn't holding.
When I replaced it, instead of glue I used two sided tape that is meant to hold window covering film on. It's sold by the brand "Duck". I was going to post a link but it came out super long, so just Google "Duck window film tape"
The tape is super thin, transparent, and sticks well to the rim and the film. It's held flawlessly through lots of rides. And it's easier and cleaner than glue.
Next time, I might do clear "stealth discs". The same company makes a window film that is the same thickness as Monokote but doesn't have the adhesive on the back. It's much, much cheaper and easier to come by and if you buy the kit, it's the Duck "Max" window film kit, you get the tape included. Monokote is about $20 to do one wheel, the kit would do at least three full wheels for about $8 and I wouldn't have to go across town to the hobby store or order online. It's clear shrink plastic but could be painted if you didn't want clear stealth discs.

 

[GetBent]

Thanks!

After doing one side, I realized gluing to the rim with the rubber cement was not the best route. On the other side, I put a thin film on the rim, let it dry, then put the Monokote on. The Monokote would stick to the dried rubber cement like a "Post It". That allowed me to line it up with the edge of the rim. Then I stuck it in place with the iron. The rubber cement stuck to the rim, and the Monokote stuck to the rubber cement. After hitting with the heat gun, it looked really nice.

The technique shown in the video looks easier than the method I used, and I will try that one if I do this again.

 

[GetBent]

Got up this morning and found that my nice new wheel covers were not as tight as yesterday. Maybe due to temperature drop from 90's to 60's? Hit it with the heat gun, and looking good. Went on 12 mile ride, hit 38 mph (yes, that was downhill), no problems. Got back, and noticed that is was not as tight as when I left. Hit it with the heat gun, looking good again. Then I noticed something odd. The Monokote was no longer coincident with the edge of the rim. Apparently, every time I tighten up the Monokote, there is enough give in the rubber cement to allow the Monokote to be drawn radially inward towards the hub. So I put a very thin bead of super glue around the circumference of the Monokote. We shall see what tomorrow brings.

 

[GetBent]

Any one tried a drum brake on the back wheel of a Cruzbike?

 

[M.J]

It sounds like the dried cement/Monokote adhesive combo doesn't hold well enough.
Monokote is designed to stick to wood and, from what I've read, doesn't seem to stick to much of anything else.

 

[GetBent]

Correct. I only used rubber cement because it was used in the video. The super glue trick worked. I did an 80 mile out and return yesterday. The covers stayed tight. The only problem was that a rock went through one side of the cover and got stuck in between the covers. Fortunately, holes in Monokote are easily repaired. Covered one of the front wheels yesterday. I could not find the brand of window film you mentioned, got Frost King locally, because it was the thickest, at 1.25 mils. Held up no problem overnight. I used Monokote on the outside, and window film on the inside. The window film cover looks seriously ugly, but is a lot less expensive. Thought that would make a good test between the two cover materials. The double stick tape is clearly better than the rubber cement, but more difficult to work with.

So, my impressions:

If you absolutely positively have to have wheel covers and:

1) you have more time than money
2) are a total weight weenie
3) have metal rims (I am sure one could do this with carbon rims, but if you can afford carbon rims, you can afford "real" wheel covers, right? Besides, solvents to remove the glue could damage carbon rims.)
4) have drum or disc brakes

Then, this is a viable system.

I will be doing a century in less than two weeks from now, so will keep y'all posted.

 

[cpml123]

1) you have more time than money

This is so hilarious !

 

[M.J]

I fit all those criteria except that I have rim brakes.

 

[jond]

Plus one with mj use two sided tape. Works very well no mess. I did it on carbon and aluminium wheels. Forget the rubber cement.. I posted a thread. Cheap disc wheel.

 

[M.J]

Here's how my bike sits today. I've been gradually testing and refining the setup with the main goal being ~10 mile TT races and segments and secondary goal being speed for an hour on a local half-mile, 4 corner "crit course".
I don't know who made the seat. It came on my MetaBike and I switched out the Thor seat for it. This seat works better at the low angle and drops my shoulders down flatter while still providing proper support.
Seat padding is very minimal, just enough to make rides of about 40 miles tolerable. It's actually still pretty comfortable. Replacing the Ventisit with this padding drops me down almost an inch, which helps get my shoulders and head out of the wind.
Bars are some cheap aluminum 44cm drop bars that I cut the drops off of to use them as bullhorns. This width puts my hands just outside of my knees and the height and angle let me pull my elbows in and keep my forearms behind my legs. It also turns out to be a pretty good power position.
Rear wheel is Monokote covered, front is stock. I need a deep front rim! It's not in the budget, though. It's too windy around here for a front disc cover.
This morning I did my fastest time on a flat 8.5mi out and back segment at 19:19, 26.7mph.

 

[Frito Bandito]

She looks fast M.J. If I might suggest electrical tape or something similar to get the cables out of the wind and clean up the view. I bought this 1cm thick sticky backed foam to put under my Ventisit. It is pretty stiff so it cushions my weight very well. A few strategically placed strips gives me lumbar support, and if you simply don't put any under the shoulders it will not raise your head up so much that you will be head butting the air

 

[M.J]

Thanks!
The cables are about as cleaned up as they're going to get until I do a re-cable over the winter. If I move them at the bars they stick out from the boom and my legs hit them. They're not as in the way as that pic makes them seem.
I wasn't that into the Ventisit and I like how low I sit with the minimal padding. It helps me tuck in my elbows better.

 

[vosadrian]

Looks good MJ!

I notice that many Vendetta riders have their arms much higher than me. Not sure which is faster? I have the curved slider to lower the bars. I have some cheap 44cm (mildly flared ) bars with about 50mm cut off the bottom (as this area is not useful on a bent where you grab them more from behind then above). My normal riding position is in the drops. This results in my arms being quite low (my upper arms sit right beside my torso and the lower arms extend forward raising just a little to get into the drop position). My lower thighs have about a 5-10mm gap to my thumbs in the drops. I might get away with 42cm bars but happy with these so far. I'm not saying lower is quicker as I don't know... but low does seem to work. I did some CdA simulation on a ride I did recently and I seem to be comfortably under 0.2 CdA with 50mm deep wheels (probably around the 0.17-0.18 range). Expecting some 88mm wheels over the next few weeks, so it may get a little better. I'm only about 5"9 tall and around 70kg, so on the smaller side which probably helps my CdA. I was also using an air attack helmet (got one second hand used once cheap!!) and tight cycling kit. My bike also has DI2 groupset, so removes much of the exposed cabling in the groupset.

 

[M.J]

The bars made an immediate difference for me over the stock ones. It was noticeably faster having my hands a little higher, closer together, and my forearms mostly behind my legs. It's one of those things that doesn't look fast in isolation because it looks like the bars are just sticking up in the air, but when you put a rider on board it comes together.
If I was feeling ambitious I would go narrower to get my hands behind my legs and use TT style brake levers and electronic shifting, but I don't have money to spend on stuff like that.

 

[vosadrian]

My stock bars were very wide. I felt like I was riding a harley. Maybe it is the narrower width that makes the biggest difference rather than the height? Would be interested to see some front photos of the different setups to see how the A is effected by bar position.