Little tweaks

[DavidCH]

OMG... The comfort ventisit seat pad has gone. What happened? Did someone yank it off the bike and ran away with it?

Hell no, Hardy mentioned in a different thread about the negative aerodynamics of the ventisit seat pad compared to other options.

Well I have been busy today and done the other option.



Well here it is. A gym mat of better quality 15mm rubber compound cut out and Velcro'ed and then taped up the sides to increase air flow. I haven't got figures yet to say how fast she is but she is faster. The boom had to be brought in. It feels way different... I might be able to get away with it as I am a lot lighter. The Vendetta is looking more like a racer for sure! For touring and demonstrating I can always put the ventisit seat back on.

 

[DavidCH]

Well, this Friday was like a 13th:

I got a flat on my deep rim carbon wheel at 25mph ; something I never had so far. So what did I do? Muttered some expletives and very pleased that I was just going straight. I had an inner tube that had sealant in it. But it's been working over a very hot summer so I don't think it was too good at filling the holes. I inspected the tire and could see only one piercing. So it was a deep rim with an extender on the valve. The tube still had air in it and it was impossible to deflait the tube as the extender was glued solid. So I tried pumping in more air and heading home. Alas the tire deflated. This time whilst pumping the extender snapped. Fun. So I walked back. Not surprisingly I saw a lot of glass on the road that looked like from jackos throwing their empty green bottles out of their car's Windows. I counted three bottles.

I decided to remove the carbon wheels and switch to the quieter aluminum rims. They are better in the wind. The idea carbon rim would be best without extender. Perhaps a 50mm tubeless? Being Black Friday , there has to be a bargain.

So the rest of the day I did some enhancements. I put the bbinfinite ceramic pulleys on the deuralier. Now that makes me want to get on the bike !

 

[DavidCH]

Well I think I might take Bob's advise and buy 3 XMC X11 SL Gold chains. JensonUSA are selling for $210 but ebay seems awfully cheap. Can anyone give me a link to a chain that I can trust my life with?

 

[ratz]

Well I think I might take Bob's advise and buy 3 XMC X11 SL Gold chains. JensonUSA are selling for $210 but ebay seems awfully cheap. Can anyone give me a link to a chain that I can trust my life with?

IF you remove the factory oil with a sonic cleaner and relube or wax then:

Fasted chain is the Shimano CN-7901 (Dura Ace Cahin)
SRAM PC1091R and KMCX11SL Gold are tied for 2nd 0.6 watts slower
​

IF you leave the leave the factory lube on; then the SRAM chain is 3.2 watts slower.

The KMC-X11SL is the strongest by over a factor of 1.5 (don't have the report handy to look it up exactly)
The DLC stuff is stronger but much more expensive and slower.

http://www.ebay.com/itm/KMC-X11SL-G...838863?hash=item464b2b49cf:g:JJoAAOSwawpXu4Ws

 

[DavidCH]

I read somewhere that triathlon racers use latex tubes with sealant. But someone in the LBS tells me that I shouldn't use ammonia based sealant like Stan's in a latex tube. How long do I have before the tube degrades?

I also read that latex tubes with sealant in is a better combination than butyl tubes with sealant in. Some sealant is better than others. But knowing latex tubes runs better than butyl and as there isn't any easy way of patching latex I thought I would take the sealant approach.

Since adjusting aero bars and seat cushion and changing the wheel set ... I haven't had a chance to open the engine up. The engine seems to be converting something - sore throat and runny nose. LOL.

The seat oddly enough isn't uncomfortable but definitely warm... good for the winter and spring months. For the first time yesterday I didn't return home with a sweaty phone.

 

[trplay]

The seat oddly enough isn't uncomfortable but definitely warm... good for the winter and spring months. For the first time yesterday I didn't return home with a sweaty phone.

No surprise here. Glad it's working out.

 

[DavidCH]

It feels way different...

I have had to add more foam to the seat and lumbar region

 

[DavidCH]

As Jason did such a magnificent effort at Borrego Springs, I thought that his bike mods with fairing tweaks were worthy... So I am putting my hand to that.


I want to buy covers for my Bontrager aura 5 front wheel (non drive). Any ideas where I can get them from?

I also recently changed from aluminium handlebar to carbon and with the new Cruzbike seat I should be a kilo lighter - for racing next year (without the excess weight of Ventisit comfort and the drag that comes with it)

 

[ratz]

As Jason did such a magnificent effort at Borrego Springs, I thought that his bike mods with fairing tweaks were worthy... So I am putting my hand to that. I want to buy covers for my Bontrager aura 5 front wheel (non drive). Any ideas where I can get one from?

Wheelbuilder.com email benny@wheelbuilder.com tell him the wheel type and ask for Qty 2 non-drive side covers. He should be able to send yo a quote. You may have to measure you wheel for them but I believe they have the dimensions for the that one.

 

[DavidCH]

Not the sort of tweak I like today. I did try to do a Ben Hur impression against a chain fence. I was fortunate not to have too much traffic around me. I took a corner too quickly and it was covered with dust and gravel. I recently changed my wheel sets over back to the aluminum alloy and am trying a shwalbe one with a latex tube. I don't think the grip is as good as the Bontrager but it's faster. So the bike started to slide. Not a cool feeling when the steering goes as light as a feather. So instead of leaning in I decided to straighten up and immediately hit the brakes. Guess I should have pumped them but panicked. The chain fence was a Godsend; took all the impact and wanted to bounce me out like a trampoline so I grabbed it in the nick of time and saved the bike and me for a fall. Still scratched up the crank. I was going too fast because the batteries went flat on the wahoo and couldn't tell how fast I was going. It had been working for a year without needing a charge and found a battery replacement in the first shop too.

 

[DavidCH]

Wheelbuilder.com email benny@wheelbuilder.com tell him the wheel type and ask for Qty 2 non-drive side covers. He should be able to send yo a quote. You may have to measure you wheel for them but I believe they have the dimensions for the that one.

Thanks!

 

[DavidCH]

Well these arrived yesterday, they are approximately half as light as the 3T aluminum alloy version. They can stay in Florida until I arrive late in January. I regard them as a birthday present as lately the only achievements have just been losing in the weight department.

I am looking forward to rerunning the cables internally as I am sure that would improve the airflow.

 

[DavidCH]

I have been looking at the front of the bike with my hand on shifter. That's quite a big drag in air resistance if you take into consideration that there are two hands. I know some of you have gone with aero brakes and levers but is it better?

I just love being able to get my hand around the handles and giving the biceps a great work out and the abs.

Has anyone tried both? If so what did you prefer? You might have preferred one way and got a better result the other. I am interested.

With my current setup I don't feel as though I have a descent grip of the brake lever, the levers are pointing directly in front. If I am traveling at 30mph I am going perhaps 10m in half a second. Well the roads over here in Spain aren't as wide in America so in terms of safety and aero efficiency I might go with aero brake levers.

 

[ReklinedRider]

Wait....what? More pics...please? Love the 3T aerobars, would love to see what you're doing with them on the Vendetta

 

[DavidCH]

Wait....what? More pics...please? Love the 3T aerobars, would love to see what you're doing with them on the Vendetta

Well I live in Spain mostly and these 3T carbón aerobars have been delivered to my brothers address in Florida. They are similar to the ones I have at the moment ... The Vola... I want to run the cables inside without having to drill holes. If I don't drill holes I don't think the existing ultrgra brifters are going to fit so I am using my imagination to manifest a wonderful set of aero levers that will reduce the weight of the bike by 200 grams and make the bike 3watts faster. Then I just need to relearn the set up.

The bike is crazy fast at the moment but I luv tinkering. I was out yesterday, in between showers. I didn't realize how dirty the bike had got when I needed to use the brakes... Geeee I had dirt and grime all over the braking rims and I thought the brakes weren't working. So take care out there. Give yourself extra braking distance.

 

[super slim]

Dave convert to DISK brakes and the rain and grime will NOT effect the braking, especially the rear wheel!

 

[DavidCH]

Dave convert to DISK brakes and the rain and grime will NOT effect the braking, especially the rear wheel!

I know... I sure do. I use disk brakes twice as much on my other bike than the V. I don't like getting the V extra dirty. Just don't want the extra expense and if I do it will be with the new V20 coming out soon. It would have to be hydraulic too.

 

[DavidCH]

I have another poor reason to keep the existing brake configuration. I think it makes the bike faster on a flat TT course. Hills and mountains are a different matter. Disc brakes allow late braking and will allow you to break all existing records on mountain races. Aka the Jason. But it takes nerves of steel.

 

[DavidCH]

Ok decided. I am a backer of xshifter. Gone for the combo and I will go with the TT remote. Shame I won't use it for Sebring 2017. So what shall it be now. The century, the 12 hour or the 24 hour? Never done a race but I am sure any of those three would be orbital. Norwegian air only charges €60 to bring a bike from Madrid to Orlando. I am flat packing it in a transparent bike bag with lots of bubble wrap and wrap packed. It should look quite something. Florida ... Here I come

 

[DavidCH]

I just started to work with carbon fiber. Rick ... You are one mighty clever man!

Prep is key with this stuff and it helps to have another pair of plastic gloves to put over the sticky ones in case you make a mess.

Early days yet. Pretty sure I can improve my average speed by 15%.

(What reward should I give myself for that goal? 15% of 35kph is 40.28... If I go that speed for a century I will be pleased as punched)