tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.comments2023-05-06T07:40:51.507-07:00Pedaling ZenGrey Beardhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comBlogger474125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-11077115442496559962023-05-06T07:40:36.863-07:002023-05-06T07:40:36.863-07:00Update:
I did a lot of 55-65 mile rides in 2020, m...Update:<br />I did a lot of 55-65 mile rides in 2020, most finishing in 100+ degree weather. A typical ending point for the bulk of those rides had a nice hydration & bathroom stop. This stop was on a 5mi loop which I would do for 2-5 times before heading home 7 miles.<br /><br />Given that I had plenty of water available I usually added a Nunn to my Gatorade & Emergen-C mix. The latter makes up for the fact that Powerbars are not available, and the last couple of years they were they stopped putting vitamins in them. Emergen-C is an excellent alternative, added to powdered Gatorade.<br /><br />At the end of rides though, since I was also resting for 20-40 minutes, I added the Nunn for sodium and it was a big boost. Nunn comes with caffeine, but while I carry some with me, I seldom use it. Caffeine is a diuretic and should be saved for desperate times when you otherwise wouldn't make it home. Otherwise, the boost you get you pay for later, and dehydration is never welcome.<br /><br />YMMV, but in general, you don't want to increase your metabolism to increase performance, you want to increase your efficiency at any given level of metabolism - IE: at any given HR. Co-Q-10 and Pterostilbene as well as vitamins all help increase that efficiency.Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-90216783846904319282023-05-06T07:38:51.999-07:002023-05-06T07:38:51.999-07:00This comment has been removed by the author.Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-17293580366838878232022-06-23T11:38:10.952-07:002022-06-23T11:38:10.952-07:00You're welcome Lee. This added 4 more good yea...You're welcome Lee. This added 4 more good years to the bike, but in the end, the much smaller engagement area of the Cane Creek (and any brand for that matter) replacement bearings meant eventually the aluminum insert in the carbon frame got peened out from constant fork hits on rough roads. <br /><br />I ended up replacing the bike in 2020 bc the headset developed a squeak I couldn't get rid of. It would quiet down for 100-200 miles if I put thick grease on the bearings, but then it was back to squeaking again. Chris King's criticism of this type of bearing have a lot of merit. Amzoil makes a grease with a very high pound-out rating for heavy, off-road earth moving equipment I was going to try, but I was too busy riding and customizing my new bike, so I never took the 60mi round-trip drive to buy that grease. <br /><br />I am hoping my new Pinarello, which uses highly compressed carbon and no aluminum insert, will fare better, but only time will tell. In my view, this type of headset is really planned obsolescence so bike mfgs can sell you a whole new bike in a few years. If I had been rolling on Conti GP5K-TL tires at 65psi instead of Michelin tires at 120lbs the headset would have lasted longer.Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-15654731035210800732021-11-12T04:11:25.630-08:002021-11-12T04:11:25.630-08:00Thankyou for this valuable info. I was completely ...Thankyou for this valuable info. I was completely stuck. Great article .Lee Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17584977462252088287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-27135914968141850762021-09-18T07:43:45.230-07:002021-09-18T07:43:45.230-07:00It's a .25mm (1/4th of a mm) shim, and no, the...It's a .25mm (1/4th of a mm) shim, and no, the brass shim probably won't work as it's thicker and softer. <br /><br />The shims make the gap between the top of the headset and the headset bearing's seal disappear, so visual inspection after trial assembly where you torque down the stem's bearing preload that fits inside the fork tube. Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-7495672772178133972021-08-21T23:18:43.808-07:002021-08-21T23:18:43.808-07:00Hello, this is a good article.
one question is h...Hello, this is a good article. <br /><br />one question is how would I know if I need shims underneath the top cover? what should I look for? it seems that the top cover seats flush on top of the head tube. <br /><br />Also, i cannot find, the 2.5mm spacer that you've mentioned to go underneath the stem, anywhere online as it seems they're sold out. So is the brass shim from page 2 a fix for that?<br /><br />Thank you. zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05421637187350578976noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-79741277591028537142020-11-18T18:22:07.694-08:002020-11-18T18:22:07.694-08:00Always a pleasure to help out a fellow wrench, and...Always a pleasure to help out a fellow wrench, and sorry this is so late in coming. How's the fix held up? I now have a creak in the headset I can't seem to fix, and suspect it has been peened out with time and the very rough roads around here. I am going to try AmsOil's Offroad Polymeric Grease for its "Pound-Out" resistance, but I replaced my Roubaix this spring because of the relentless creaking. I'm going to give this headset problem one last go, hoping to sell the Roubaix in a bicycle market starved for units. <br /><br />Cheers!Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-15539290421971616972020-08-04T10:39:10.097-07:002020-08-04T10:39:10.097-07:00Good job on riding so much you wore through your s...Good job on riding so much you wore through your shoes! Rachel Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01019654226124676984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-29947528582760333462020-07-28T11:07:13.975-07:002020-07-28T11:07:13.975-07:00Well done Matt. The Zip Tie cheat is so brilliant ...Well done Matt. The Zip Tie cheat is so brilliant I can't believe it took me so long to think of. I'm happy I was able to help in some small measure. The GP5KTL tires have been a God-Send for me here in the desert where there are so many needles, goat-heads, and pools of broken beer and whiskey bottles. <br /><br />I still ride in the right wheel track most of the time, but if I have to ride on the edge of the road I feel confident I can roll over pretty much anything without having a blow-out and ending up under a vehicle. We have a LOT of trucks because of all the warehousing, so that's a huge relief. <br /><br />These tires have had a profound impact on my riding - my 25-30 miles rides are now 45-75 mile rides. I hope you have a similar experience, riding when and wherever you want to with no worries about getting home on schedule. Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-78431230854113454682020-07-27T12:54:37.439-07:002020-07-27T12:54:37.439-07:00Love your blog! Just mounted my first set of road...Love your blog! Just mounted my first set of road tubeless (GP5000). My Shimano RS500 wheels have unique valves without removable cores !*&?!!. So I just dumped about 50ml of Stans in the last bit of open exposed tire before muscling the last part of the tire on the rim. I DID use a plastic tire iron - no worries about pinching a tube! Also used a compressor. I can't believe how awesome these tires are. So glad I read this blog, which convinced me to not discount tubeless for roadbikes. I didn't get the part about the zip ties until I mounted the tire, which I accomplished by acrobatically pinning the wheel between my knee and a stury wood stool, then awkwardly reaching over as the tire slowly kept slipping off the bead... NOW I UNDERSTAND! Will use the Zip tie method from now on! (I thought it was to force the tire to the center of the rim to eek out a tad more space to mount the tire... DOH!Matt Cirillohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04327498554730754236noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-29287416355719853042020-06-12T07:26:22.569-07:002020-06-12T07:26:22.569-07:00I hate flats! On my last ride, I must have hit som...I hate flats! On my last ride, I must have hit something because the next morning, it was flat and wouldn't hold air. Those are the best kind of flats though--the ones that happen after the ride. <br /><br />Thanks for continuing to visit my blog despite my long absences. I'm planning on sticking around.Rachel Rhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01019654226124676984noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-80402484713077217702020-04-24T15:44:32.498-07:002020-04-24T15:44:32.498-07:00great information, thankyougreat information, thankyouAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10795776920469804827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-25748907929545272312019-04-27T17:49:15.612-07:002019-04-27T17:49:15.612-07:00Colin Fletcher, whose book “The Complete Walker” w...Colin Fletcher, whose book “The Complete Walker” was where I learned of these, also described a homegrown version, which was to take a round pebble about an inch in diameter, ball that up in the tarp, and tie a piece of paracord around the gathered neck of the tarp just below the rock. It puckers the tarp a bit more than the Visklamp, but it holds just as well — at least if you use a serviceable knot. My favorite knot is Clifford Ashley’s “constrictor knot,” with both ends then tied in a loop, into which you fasten your guy rope with a sheet bend, with ITS two sides then joined in a bowline. Has never ever failed me. I have a four-thickness folded-up tarp installed as the bed cover on my pickup truck, with the rear corners secured that way, and they’ve held for hundreds of miles at 70 mph for nearly three years.<br /><br />Another excellent product, also a lot like a jumbo garter clip, is the Byers Super Snap (https://www.creativesalescompany.com/byers--home.html), made of a yellow tough-flexible-polymer noose (polyurethane?) and a yellow rigid-plastic disc to fit within it. I’ve had very good luck with these as well. BEWARE, though, that there are knockoff versions that look quite similar but are made of stiffer cheaper material and are much harder to use. (And then for a while there were also some kind-of-similar-shaped ones on the market that actually didn’t work with the same garter-clip principle at all, and were totally worthless.) So study the Byers web site package photo, and make sure what you buy has all the details of that, USA flag and all. Also it may be possible that even the genuine ones can be pulled loose if used on overly thick tarps in really high winds. I can’t be sure, since the instance of that which I suffered was with some that I later realized were knock-offs. Byers itself, though, actually does offer a second version for heavy-duty use.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00112011247960016162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-88315993782144727912018-12-04T18:21:06.276-08:002018-12-04T18:21:06.276-08:00Colin Fletcher (wrote The Complete Walker, publish...Colin Fletcher (wrote The Complete Walker, published in three editions in 60's and 70's or so) recommended these, but also the low-tech counterpart, which is to find a round pebble about the size of those balls, and push it up into the tarp the same way, and then take your rope and tie it in place of the garter clip so as to strangle the gathered tarp around the underside of the ball. <br /><br />Since the easiest way to get the rope secure is to cinch it up completely tight (tighter than the wire loop of the clip), the rock and rope approach does pucker the tarp a little bit more, but as long as you know your knots it's no less secure.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00112011247960016162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-78137083820190223762013-07-23T07:42:52.658-07:002013-07-23T07:42:52.658-07:00I happened upon this blog while searching for tips...I happened upon this blog while searching for tips on replacing trashed headset #2 in my '06 S-Works Roubaix. I too settled on a Cane Creek 110. Being a long time fan of Chris King (who has sworn to never design and sell and integrated headset), I saw a write up for the CC110 that claimed it was the Chris King of integrated headsets.<br /><br />So yesterday there I was somewhat flustered with trying to figure out how to fill the gap between the steer tube and the top assembly. I really didn't want to take the frame down to the LBS and have the steer tube faced. Certainly I thought there had to be others out there who experienced the same dilemma. I had pretty much thought that I'd be spending this morning calling CC for support.<br /><br />So it was with great delight that I found your blog. After reading about your use of the crown race as a spacer, I immediately went back into the garage and tried it out. Low and behold it worked. <br /><br />Thanks much. Dobike Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12648605201808207644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-10243186921169069082013-03-14T14:42:23.543-07:002013-03-14T14:42:23.543-07:00Wow, I have to sit back, relax and sip on a cup of...Wow, I have to sit back, relax and sip on a cup of tea while reading this. You really did your research!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05767701897797783487noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-87927702305435041302012-08-20T12:00:39.255-07:002012-08-20T12:00:39.255-07:00Thank you so much for sharing your research and wr...Thank you so much for sharing your research and writing such a complex, yet easy to understand article! I am researching complex/simple carbohydrates for a presentation on general nutrition and found a treasure trove of insight and information in your article. MUCH appreciated!ISpeak4Uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15392758006222690309noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-86968988502989830002012-06-15T06:43:15.715-07:002012-06-15T06:43:15.715-07:00I'm not impressed with the 10440 cells. They d...I'm not impressed with the 10440 cells. They don't seem to hold the advertised power, and except on low, I don't trust the reliability with the excessive heat generated. <br /><br />For testing the higher settings, I'd RX dropping the flashlight in ice-water after turning it on "HI". <br /><br />I usually have the light in default mode with the stock NiMh battery, as that fills in ahead of my MagicShine bike light without diverting my focus, so not sure why I'd want to risk damaging the light for brightness I don't need. <br /><br />In very cold conditions, the light might be OK using the 10440s, like riding in winter, but also not when you want to risk ruining the light. <br /><br />I think the best decision is to just buy a single 18660 Fenix flashlight, and use it at spec.Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-14885618447543949262012-06-12T06:53:05.519-07:002012-06-12T06:53:05.519-07:00I recently bought an LD01 and a couple of 10440...I recently bought an LD01 and a couple of 10440's for it, as I'd heard how bright it could be. I am delighted with this light for general use, and amazed at how bright it is using the 3.7V cells. I only run it for a few seconds at a time on the higher 10440 outputs, as it does get hot very quickly. <br /><br />Have you noticed any problems with your 10440 cells after using them in the LD01? Mine have gotten squished down, so the pole is almost flat with the top, instead of sticking up like it did when new. I expect this is due to the fact that the cell is slightly longer, and twisting the LD01 down to turn it on must be pushing the top down more than it would an alkaline cell.<br /><br />I'm concerned about the health of my 10440 cells, since it would seem that compressing them isn't doing anything good for their structural integrity.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03451516553981756702noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-11976275783399580712012-05-12T06:16:39.253-07:002012-05-12T06:16:39.253-07:00An amazing and well thought out article Roy. You ...An amazing and well thought out article Roy. You certainly did your homework on this one!Sandy S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/06227481245538705872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-26999980908967400952012-02-22T01:35:31.586-08:002012-02-22T01:35:31.586-08:00Thanks for the well wishes Stephanie. Take care of...Thanks for the well wishes Stephanie. Take care of yourself and those leg fractures.Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-14077720550667529962012-02-16T08:37:18.547-08:002012-02-16T08:37:18.547-08:00Ouch!!! So, so sorry to be reading this. And I'...Ouch!!! So, so sorry to be reading this. And I'm glad you're ok!!! Looks like we are both a bit damaged at the moment. Take care, rest, and treat yourself a little!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-49650988052925606792012-02-15T21:20:14.471-08:002012-02-15T21:20:14.471-08:00What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger. Especi...What doesn't kill ya makes ya stronger. Especially when you aren't in a cast. Bon Courage!Velocodgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11461347465806639954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-31578449503875438982012-01-24T23:18:24.449-08:002012-01-24T23:18:24.449-08:00Thanks for the reality check. That's some beau...Thanks for the reality check. That's some beautiful scenery.Velocodgerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11461347465806639954noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4048496041370417301.post-34640506215584233152011-12-27T15:55:22.495-08:002011-12-27T15:55:22.495-08:00I wouldn't mind a little thicker fleece on top...I wouldn't mind a little thicker fleece on top, or maybe a windproof outer layer, but there's not much room under the typical helmet. My standard knit balaclava is far too thick to fit. <br /><br />One thing I would be willing to try, is to have two, long, overlapping flaps in back, mimicking the way a scarf is folded over itself in front under your jacket in street clothes. <br /><br />This would allow you to turn your head, perhaps pulling a small amount of fabric up out of the collar in back, but on just one side. Each side might be pulled up a bit, but since they overlap, you'd still have good coverage, especially if the material were stretchy. <br /><br />Maybe the solution is just to wear a scarf around the back of my neck, crossed in front, under my shells. Hummm... think I'll try that.Grey Beardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02238917041257429804noreply@blogger.com