V20 rack in back!

[TransAm]

@TransAm That is one sweet looking, high visibility bike. Is the chain line ok for the rear derailleur? It looks as though you have two headlights one above the bottom bracket and one behind it on the chain stays. Is that a light or something else?

I'm not sure what you are asking about the chaiine. But I'm wondering if the Eagle derailleur is too big for the soft, bendy hanger. I"m having no luck keeping it shifting propetly. If I set the microadjust on a ride, it doesn't seem to hold.

Yes I have a light between the chsinstays. It projects the chainring shadow on the sidewalk.

 

[TransAm]

The bungee around the bag is just for securing the bike on a train, but I could also use it to hold loose clothes.

So I took my V20 to the city, but only to get to the other side. Not surprisingly, the V20 is not a good city bike. Obviously you can't bunny hop the potholes. And starting and stopping in traffic is not fun. So I took the E-Train all the way across town from Jamaica, Queens to the WTC:

Then hopped on the Staten Island Ferry and across the new Gotheals Bridge bikeway to N.J.

This was my first overnight trip on the V20, but it almost ended early. About an hour in, and still before sunrise, the chain shifted over the big cog and into the spokes. I got it out, but then the chain was hanging slack. I limped to a lit place to figure out what was wrong, and it turned out the chain was suddenly too long. If you look at the last pic in the post above, you can see the chain is at minimum length, running straight through the pulleys. But I had to remove a pair of chain links to make the bike ridable again. After that it shifted fine, but a drive-side spoke broke probably from the damage. The other 35 held, so I didn't have to quit for mechanical reasons.

 

[Mathew Fy]

Today I learned: carry a rope or bungie cord.

TA, I wonder if your derailleur hanger was well seated. I remember you had some shifting troubles before this episode. I agree it's not an ideal method, maybe a fixed location for the hanger on the chain stay would be more stable. I like having it release easily when I take off the wheel and load the bike into my car/SUV, I'd be worried I'd bend it. No issues yet with shifting. Knock on wood.

Also, seeing the V20 in NYC reminds me. I have dreams of riding the newly completed Hudson Valley Greenway Trail + Erie Canalway Trail from NYC to Buffalo. Someday...

 

[Frito Bandito]

It is possible to get the wheel on and the skewer through without the RD being seated properly. I did it the other day when switching to tubeless. When spinning through the gears to check if they needed indexing, I heard the spokes barely contacting the RD. A quick look under the bike showed the RD wasnt seated properly so I pushed it into place. It stopped the contact, but I the gears might need indexing again. Always watch out for that RD being seated properly though after removing the wheel.

 

[TransAm]

Yes, I've noticed that the hanger can get jammed in the wrong position. The rest of the story is that I replaced the hanger just before the trip because the old one had been bent too many times and finally yielded when I tried to straighten it again to set up the gears. Also the radius outside the derailleur bolt hole needs to be filed down to mount the Eagle derailleur. But I had it shifting OK before I left and then an hour later it's a mess.

The chain thing happened before when the drivetrain was originally installed by my LBS. They got it set up and shifting fine, and then I was back the next day with a slack chain and they had to shorten it. Could be the hanger wasn't seated then. But I have had no problem with the chain length since I lengthened it to accommodate the longer chain stays a while back, then suddenly I did. F'in mystery....

 

[TransAm]

Here's an update on the V20 rack project. After trying several different rack-top bags, I decided to go with the Topeak MTX waterproof bag. That required a rack adapter to mount the MTX bag on my Blackburn rack. I had to cut away most of the deck plate on the rack top to mount the adapter. Here's the a side view of the bag on the bike:

I think it looks better than some of the brain-bag adaptations. Maybe not as aero, but totally waterproof!

Here's a detail view of the Topeak MTX adapter without the bag:

Note that I had to move the front rack-top cross rail from above and around the headrest rails to below and behind (see pics above for reference). To secure the rack to the headrest, I used a couple of 3/4" U-bolts and a pair of 3/8" tubing clamps from the hardware store. Somewhat inelegant, but functional for now. I also put a third screw in front through the adapter and the remaining piece of deck plate for extra security.

I don't have any in-service experience with the setup yet, so I'll post a further update when I do.

 

[super slim]

Here's an update on the V20 rack project. After trying several different rack-top bags, I decided to go with the Topeak MTX waterproof bag. That required a rack adapter to mount the MTX bag on my Blackburn rack. I had to cut away most of the deck plate on the rack top to mount the adapter. Here's the a side view of the bag on the bike:

I think it looks better than some of the brain-bag adaptations. Maybe not as aero, but totally waterproof!

Here's a detail view of the Topeak MTX adapter without the bag:

Note that I had to move the front rack-top cross rail from above and around the headrest rails to below and behind (see pics above for reference). To secure the rack to the headrest, I used a couple of 3/4" U-bolts and a pair of 3/8" tubing clamps from the hardware store. Somewhat inelegant, but functional for now. I also put a third screw in front through the adapter and the remaining piece of deck plate for extra security.

I don't have any in-service experience with the setup yet, so I'll post a further update when I do.

What is the weight of the rack + adapter, and the Volume and weight of the waterproof bag?

 

[Frito Bandito]

Looking good braddah. For those of you who saw the Tetrarack R2 system, it doesn't work on the V20 unless you break out a hacksaw and a welding machine. The idea of connecting it to the chain stays is a great idea in regards to wheel removal or installation. You wouldn't have to touch the rack system when you get a flat. However, that is where the party ends. It is virtually impossible to get any bag on the R2 after installation even though the deck plate is adjustable. It simply isn't adjustable enough even if you reverse the deck plate. The cross bar that the bags lock on to has to fit between the CF seat and the headrest bars which means you can't lock a bag onto it.

 

[TransAm]

What is the weight of the rack + adapter, and the Volume and weight of the waterproof bag?

If you look at the first pic up top, the rack is rated at 990g. The bag is 930g and the adapter is 230g. The bag is 12.1 L / 735 ci.

 

[TransAm]

P.S. I also had my first crash on the V20. Hit some deep sand on the shoulder from tropical storm runoff and instantly fell over. Just minor road rash (fortunately there was an open hose bib right where I went down, so I was able to get cleaned up and continue). Anyway, the rack skidded on the tie-down points at the bottom (the handlebar ends and pedals were the other two legs of the stool). So I think the rack helped protect me and the bike.

 

[Frito Bandito]

Glad you are relatively unscathed braddah. I didn't think about it because I haven't really crashed mine yet, but its good to know that the bar flares help a bit.

 

[jond]

P.S. I also had my first crash on the V20. Hit some deep sand on the shoulder from tropical storm runoff and instantly fell over. Just minor road rash (fortunately there was an open hose bib right where I went down, so I was able to get cleaned up and continue). Anyway, the rack skidded on the tie-down points at the bottom (the handlebar ends and pedals were the other two legs of the stool). So I think the rack helped protect me and the bike.

as long as the bike is okay.......

glad you’re okay. Crashing hurts everything.

 

[TransAm]

Glad you are relatively unscathed braddah. I didn't think about it because I haven't really crashed mine yet, but its good to know that the bar flares help a bit.

My bars are not flared, so the grips got ground down on the side.