The upgrade I promised myself

McWheels

McWheels

Off the long run
For those who wondered what happened to it, I was the lucky so-and-so that got in quick enough on @rfneep 's sale of a lightly used and superbly specced S40 back in late June. Despite being in the UK, it also happens that my brother-in-law lives rather close to the point of sale, so arrangements were made.

Shipping to the UK wasn't straightforward, but because it came with no pedals, I reasoned it couldn't be considered a complete bike, and therefore the parts would attract rather less import duty than a complete whole. There may or may not have been other tunes played on how with did that, and those who wish to know more may PM me, but for now that'll do.

The shipper was actually quite efficient once we found them, bikeinnabox I think they're called, and the packing required my in-law relative to find a no-so-local Bike Shop who would even touch it. But we got there.

I came out of the 2 boxes looking a bit like this. Perhaps without the copius spares it would have been 1 box?
20200724_135551

20200724_135551

Out of the box but not the good quality wrapping

And built up with very little trouble into what I have to consider is pretty much a racing outfit.
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20200731_124659

Assembled and new bar tape applied

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20200731_124709

As delivered from the front

I remain hugely impressed with the care given to this bike and the upgrades over the stock components, and hope the following post(s) do justice to it. For I didn't buy it to race; it's going to be a long distance commuter bike - something my current machine - The Last V2k could do, but it's a cast-iron shed and not an exercise in efficiency and lightness.
 
McWheels

McWheels

Off the long run
Into the workshop:

The eagle-eyed among you may have noticed the first addition if you paid close attention to the sale pages - and that's the nukeproof electron evo pedals in black. I've had the white ones on the V2k for 3 years and they've been excellent, so no need to change a winning formula. Also resin so not heavy.

I've always had dynamo lights on my commuting bikes, and I've established the pattern on the V2k by building my wheel, and that's what I've done here. However to try and keep to the spirit of lightness I've invested in a Shutter Precision PV-8 28h. The current wheels are 24h, but getting one of those from Taiwan in black would have been 3 months, so I settled for 28h in silver and centre-lock. It also makes the rim a little more affordable. Spokes are Sapim cx-ray blades with blue nipples as a highlight that pick out the blue aspects of the rear triangle and the granny gear up front. Tyre is the Pirelli Cinturato Velo TLR; in 700x35c it's a little bigger in diameter and nearly as wide as the current setup. It's not the fastest road tyre out there, but it does score very well on pucture resistance - and that really matters to me. Overall hopefully an honourable addition if not a pure race choice.
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20200815_204620

Another view of the new rear wheel
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20200815_204627

SP PV-8 28h hub dynamo, shimano rotor, Sapim cx-ray spokes & blue nipples, matching hub and...

I need a rack, and there's a selection of narrow ones, but I went for the Tortec velocity. There's 2 that are exquisitely narrow on top, but I had to go with the slightly wider one (hybrid) to be sure of clearing the tyre and mudguards. This in turn was a difficult choice because the point of attachment to the frame is the wrong side of the rear-axle. This took some thinking but the answer, after researching several disc-brake compatible racks, is a pair of 10mm M5 connector nuts. Pushes out the stays wide enough to clear the frame and the brakes, and tightened up enough makes a solid connection with minimal shearing risk.
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20200818_122643

Rack spaced out with M5 10mm connector nuts
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20200815_182947

Installed with rack and mudguards

Then there's the mudguards. Metal would add too much weight but I want proper protection, therefore it had to be the SKS Longboards. This took a little fettling at either end. At the front the fork angle is shallower than upwrongs, so it has to be mounted fwd of the crown. The only way to get it in there was to twist it and feed it in mud-flap first from the front (unless you remove the wheel!). Even then it wasn't far enough forward for my liking so another pair of 10mm M5 connector nuts on a longer bolt did the job. I now have nearly the same coverage as the old V2k has with 2 mudguards back-to-back. I also had to get 2 pairs of mudguard QR stay extenders. Even with the L-shape it needs a couple of washers either side for the QR axle to tighten up properly without buckling the stays. Similar story back aft with the stay extenders doing a job. I also found I needed a second bridge to firm up the positioning round the 700x35 tyre so there's one on each part of the triangle. But it's quiet and solid so job jobbed.
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20200818_122905

SKS longboard mudguard fittings. QR stay mount, 2x 10mm M5 connector nuts fwd of fork crown to...

Final part is the lighting. I don't bother with a switch for lights on or off, and with the dynamo at the rear that'd double the wiring travel so they're always on. This time I haven't built my own lights because the market has exceeded my capabilties and component pricing. On the rack there's a B&M topline small in clear, and on the mudguard a Herrmans H-trace mini. Both charmingly small and in keeping with the spirit, but still a really good presence in the dark. Only a tenner each from Rose Bikes. I managed to weasel a thread on a needle with a magnet through the frame, which drew the wire after it with only some swearing, and connected the front light from the V2k, a B&M Cyo Premium senso plus onto the boom clamp. I like it higher up there; it's never hidden from the side by knees or legs, and although there's foot-flash, the view of the road is good.

This is the finished article at my local cricket club where I took lunch this afternoon.
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20200818_122742

The final iteration with B&M light mounted to boom clamp and wired through the frame.
 
G

Greg S

Well-Known Member
Very nice! I've not put fenders on mine yet. I did change it to rim brakes which should make things a bit easier. I need to post a picture of mine in its current form.
 
B

bladderhead

Zen MBB Master
Mudguards look great but the front one is too short. When I had my mudguard like that the BB got absolutely pelted. But I am surprised that you got such wide tyres on there.

McWheels said:
I managed to weasel a thread on a needle with a magnet through the frame, which drew the wire after it with only some swearing
Click to expand...
Very clever indeed. But could you get a hydro brake hose through there? My poor Silvio has heard some appalling language. But it is Australian. It did not come to fuck spiders.

I like the location of the front light. As long as you are sure your BB is in the right place, otherwise it will be a pain. Reflections off your shoes is good. Better visibility from the side.

Have you got cable disk brakes?
 
McWheels

McWheels

Off the long run
@ak-tux, the sales page lists it as: SRAM XG-1195, with added Wolf Tooth GCX 46t large cog (blue); XD compatible; 10-46t range. The cranks are 152mm and it seems fine, I've not felt sensitive to the difference to 170mm ones. Top gear is just enough, and the granny one is ridiculous. 1x works.

@bladderhead, Brakes are mechanical discs, and the rear cable is through the frame from the stbd side inlet and exiting port aft. There's a spare outlet stbd aft which the wire goes into, but it has to come out the underneath threaded hole unless I want to make new openings in the head tube. :emoji_scream:. I'm not totally sure the BB will get ruined, it's got pretty similar coverage to the V2k and this BB is higher up, but a few wet commutes will prove it one way or the other.


Fit and Function

Getting the pedals in the right place wasn't too hard, but the adjustment of BB and handlebars over each other took a few goes. I would probably push the handlebars an inch or so further away but for my thighs hitting the tops. As it is the arm bend is only slightly more than slight. The view is loads better as the hand position is much lower and I look clearly over the top of the bar tape - it's a feeling I'll get used to.

In race trim (i.e. before I'd completed the dyno wheel) I did my Cruzbike TT challenge on it. Still new to the bike I only managed a 90-95% effort and wasn't totally wrecked on completion. It was a 3 minute pb, and that despite the cumbersome westerly wind on the final uphill and the previous V2k pb being flat calm. So there's probably another 2 mins to squeeze out I reckon.

I also did last year's TT's challenge course, a rather more hilly affair, and took 6 minutes off that. At Castle Coombe, there's a Tuesday night cycling thing on the race circuit - went a lot faster there too. Wide racing tyres are noticeably more comfortable than the narrower touring tyres on the V2k. and if you believe some corners of the internet, faster than ultra-narrow high pressure ones too.
 
B

bladderhead

Zen MBB Master
I have XG1195. If you add the Wolf Tooth it must make it wider. Do you have to push the forks apart to get the wheel on? They tell me that this is a bad idea with aluminium. But 1x works. Double chainwheels give me the right ump.
 
rfneep

rfneep

Well-Known Member
Adding the Wolf Tooth does not increase the cassette width. It simply replaces the stock 42t largest cog with a 46t (blue) one. Gets you very close to the range of an Eagle group.

It’s also nice that they come in varied colors. I have a red one to add a little bling to my S30.
 
McWheels

McWheels

Off the long run
I've realised I never put up a pic from the back-end. I don't have a trunk-top bag or brain-box, alhough I did think about it. I do have various panniers, so in the interests of not solving for a whole new solution this is what happened.

Lower light's wire routes through the plastic peg (as designed) behind the mudguard, is hot-glued to the inside of it and pops up behind the upper light mounting plate to make connections with more solder, electrical tape, cable ties and hot glue again. Sounds a lot, but I've got better at Less is More in this regard. This has been a lot quieter than the floating wire I started the V2k with - no tapping or creaking.

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20200929_1232252

 
cranky cyclist

cranky cyclist

Guru
I looked at this bike and almost purchased it. Just had some misgivings because of the pain I had in my butt at the time. I did buy a new S40 eventually and have now solved the pain in the butt issue.
 
cranky cyclist

cranky cyclist

Guru
Merczak73 said:
What was the solution to your PITB issue?
Click to expand...
I used a piece of foam about 3 inches long and an inch and a half thick and pulled the tray on the seat out to maximum. The foam has velcro on both sides to attach to the seat plate. The foam came from the foam sold on Cruzbike site wedge foam insert that I wasn't using. My pain in the butt is gone and I don't feel like I am slipping down as the ride goes on.
 

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Frito Bandito

Frito Bandito

Zen MBB Master
cranky cyclist said:
I used a piece of foam about 3 inches long and an inch and a half thick and pulled the tray on the seat out to maximum. The foam has velcro on both sides to attach to the seat plate. The foam came from the foam sold on Cruzbike site wedge foam insert that I wasn't using. My pain in the butt is gone and I don't feel like I am slipping down as the ride goes on.
Click to expand...
Sounds like you sent the PITB off for a ride into the wild blue yonder and now enjoying the good life:D
 
S

Sonnybea

Active Member
cranky cyclist said:
I used a piece of foam about 3 inches long and an inch and a half thick and pulled the tray on the seat out to maximum. The foam has velcro on both sides to attach to the seat plate. The foam came from the foam sold on Cruzbike site wedge foam insert that I wasn't using. My pain in the butt is gone and I don't feel like I am slipping down as the ride goes on.
Click to expand...
I wish you posted this 3 days ago I would of saved $340 on a thor seat
 
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