Little tweaks

[DavidCH]

One step backwards...
What ever you do, don't try this pipe adapter with a tubeless tire. It deflates and the bead pops off the rim.

You are better off just taking the covers off after your day's adventure and put the usual clasping hand pump on the valve.

 

[ratz]

One step backwards...
What ever you do, don't try this pipe adapter with a tubeless tire. It deflates and the bead pops off the rim.

You are better off just taking the covers off after your day's adventure and put the usual clasping hand pump on the valve.


View attachment 4164

odd I've used that one a bunch; but you have to put in on the pump first; then on the tire.

 

[DavidCH]

odd I've used that one a bunch; but you have to put in on the pump first; then on the tire.

It's got a screw thread on it so I guess you need an adapter? Probably just tried to rush.
(I can't tell you how irritated I am)

 

[ratz]

It's got a screw thread on it so I guess you need an adapter? Probably just tried to rush.
(I can't tell you how irritated I am)

It needs shrader value pump usually.

 

[DavidCH]

I just bought this pump. My brother's pump wasn't working properly so I bought him one. All his 700c tires were down. One bike had 83 psi and the other 60 psi.

Do you notice anything odd with it? Usually I have the type reversing mechanism but this is different.

 

[ratz]

That's a US style shrader head but the internals of most modern popups support both; what's the make and model if you want to be sure.

Don't worry we'll have pumps in the pits aglore I'm sure.

 

[DavidCH]

You just need to be quick and put your finger on it.

 

[DavidCH]

Well had the race. I finished in quite a good time considering I took the wrong turn three times, my chain fell off and I had to wait for a train to pass thru a level crossing. A lot of the return trip from frostproof was isolatery. So I definitely could contest third place by shaving twenty minutes. So how would I do that? Not stopping. Less cramp in the left leg and left foot and by changing to a shorter crank. Next year's
Objective perhaps. There again perhaps a different frame set might help.
If I go with a Sram 145mm crank then the BB would have to change and with it the Q Rings.

So it might be an idea to sell the V2 for a V20. It's still one heck of a bike.

 

[DavidCH]

So I am back to fiddling around on the Vendetta. 5cm has been taken off the headrest. A cylindrical piece of wood has been fitted by a couple of small screws each side. It looks strong enough to last for 10 years. LOL

So it should be a very interesting ride tomorrow.

I would love to be able to cut down the Shimano ultrgra cranks down to 150mm but it seems impossible. Is there any other crank that I can use so that I can still use all my existing 11 speed chain rings? I can just see it as a big expense coming my way.

 

[DavidCH]

I have been riding this bike for quite a long time. It quite amazes me how many different combinations I can come up with. So three more amendments. 5cm off the headrest. So now the top of the headrest is about the same height as the handlebars.

The boom/fork attachment has been inverted with a added spacer and cables rerouted. This allowed the handlebars to be further back and lower and I could extend out the boom another cm.

I cut the boom down to an appropriate size. And took out a link from the chain as the daisy cutter seems to have less tension than the 52t chainring that I was racing with at Sebring.

 

[ratz]

That's how I use to lower my Yellow boom too; when you realize it's reversable the light goes on. Of course then you try it on the new ones and find out it doesn't work.

 

[Emeljay]

Nice pics, David, the first one especially, since it reminds me of my dog from 20 years ago putting his nose right up to the camera lense! I love the yellow Vendetta! There is one locally up for sale, but I'm cash strapped, but may still find a way!

 

[DavidCH]

I awoke at an ungodly hour this morning thinking about an adaptation to my Ultegra hollow cranks. It was a fascinating idea so much so that I didn't go back to sleep.

With my bike in its current superb configuration and with me in early season fitness I am thinking of using the wahoo element strava live segment feature and take a number of KOMs. To date they have been a little bit beyond me but now there is a big opportunity.

Before Sebring I would work on my average speed, but now with the power tap/power cal combination I can work with power. It seems to be that piece in the jigsaw that was missing.

So if the KOM is still out of reach after a month of trying... I will spend a few hundred euros down the machine shop with the idea I had this morning.

Remember everything is possible in time and space because it's not real.

Discipline is still key and strength of mind a must.

So let's go get the KOM.

You don't really want to be a zen master
when you could be a KOM master

 

[DavidCH]

The plan. Reward is key...

So strava live segments is working.

Suitable long KOM segments selected. The reward plan is if I reduce the gap by 50% , 75% , 90% & 100% I would do something to the bike. Just got to wait for the weather to settle as its been blowing really had for the last few days. I don't think you should use wind power to achieve a KOM. I also don't believe in vehicle assistance in achieving a KOM. Before I start out I just need to balance my deep rimmed wheel after fitting the new schwalbe tubeless valve that arrives tomorrow.

One of the rewards will be a 150mm rotor crank. That might just be the first one that can push me thru the other reward thresholds quickly.

 

[DavidCH]

Well since I got back to Spain... Lots of things had got in the way of getting back on the bike. The last thing I did when leaving the USA was to use Mike to replace the non tubeless deep rim for a tubeless deep rim from LightBicycle.com. It was such a good deal and I have been itching to want to use it but getting the right valve and extension was a real pain. Thanks to @ratz for that one! Excellent. So then my brother came over and wanted to ride the via verdes on the mountain bike. That was good but nothing quite like the Vendetta.

I got the same fast Sebring configuration on. No front gear selector and the dura ace cassette 11:28 and now just bashing against the strava live segments using the wahoo element.

I don't have any other contention except that gadget that seems too much of a distraction.

But hey... I luv it. It adds to the ride. What would have been an endurance ride becomes a race.

I smashed 6 PBs today. The bike is so much more aero by taking off 5cm from the headrest and lowering the bars and getting the Pro One 23mm mounted on the front wheel.

So much so that 5 of the segments that I had PBs with ... I wasn't even trying.

The one live segment that I have jumped up at me. I bettered the segment time by 31 seconds. Still can't believe it and that was with the wind against me.

 

[DavidCH]

Well it fits with not too much effort but I won't move the controls onto it until
I have shaved another 20 seconds off the longest strava live segment.

I compared both the KOM to my own and the biggest difference seems to be getting up to speed on a DF is faster than a Vendetta. This is so at the start of the segment and coming out of a circular junction.

Just need a windless day or perhaps a wind in my favor

(it needs to be a southerly)

 

[DavidCH]

Well perhaps I should use those aero bars ASAP. I had another good day today. It was a struggle to upload the data from the elemnt to strava. The only way I found was to email myself the fit file and then manually feed it into strava on the PC.

Sebring this year was a pivotal point. At the time it felt like a pinnacle point.

Oddly enough the bike is doing great things and that is only at 90 psi. The pro ones can go up to 110 psi but next attempt at the segment goals will be at 100 psi.

 

[bazzawill]

Well perhaps I should use those aero bars ASAP. I had another good day today. It was a struggle to upload the data from the elemnt to strava. The only way I found was to email myself the fit file and then manually feed it into strava on the PC.

Sebring this year was a pivotal point. At the time it felt like a pinnacle point.

Oddly enough the bike is doing great things and that is only at 90 psi. The pro ones can go up to 110 psi but next attempt at the segment goals will be at 100 psi.
View attachment 4574

High pressure is not the be all and end all any more particularly with tubeless and not worrying about pinch flats.
See http://trstriathlon.com/talking-tires-with-joshua-poertner/ there is also a great audio discussion but I can't find it anymore. I run around 70 - 80psi. Silca also have a very indepth series of articles

 

[DavidCH]

I am getting a setup for a couple of real big tweaks. Currently what's been happening. Planning. And now for the execution which isn't for the immediate. So what's up?

One of my biggest headaches is I have been itching to use shorter cranks. After forking out some bucks for shimano Ultegra hollowtech cranks, I find that they are impossible to shorten.

Well why do I want to shorten them?

A number of reasons. I do have weak knees but that's not the main reason.

Easier to get up the hills? This is not my main reason.

Easier to go longer distances? Still not my main reason.

The ability of going even faster? This is a fantastic reason and one that I hope will bring me a KOM from all these DF fanatics that I have around me

So what's involved. Just for $7.15 I can get a conversion kit from real world cycling to change my BB to SRAM GXP. THATS INCREDIBLE. I thought that was going to be an extra $100 bucks.

A SRAM rival 11 speed 172.5mm GXP crank for €95 from chainreactioncycles wasn't bad either. That's now been sent for a cut down job. Then all I need to do is order the aero Q ring. So not sure which size to get. If I want it for hills then I guess the 50t might be good. But I don't like spinning out on the downhills (must be mad).

Let's see. Any recommendations out there?

I am getting the cranks cut down to 150mm.

 

[trplay]

Be careful the chain ring size will be restricted by your spyder size but I think you already know this.