After discovering a SBH climbing ride too late to ride it on Saturday, I decided to do Bread-N-Butter Beals going up on the west side and returning on the east, as I have found that more challenging and like the straight and fast early in the ride, and hilly and twisty late in the ride. I was also reluctant to strike out for Rescue alone after just retaping the bars. That could make for a long ride of misery if my thumb-web injury were re-aggravated.
In doing the TT last month I got a whole new awareness of how difficult it is to keep the hammer down relentlessly, without relief, for long periods of time. Since the TT grew out of a coach's challenge meant to separate racers from touring riders, it reinforced my informal observation that tenacity wins races, as I routinely catch and pass riders late in rides.
My goal was simple, and the same as my TT goal - max average HR for the duration of the ride. This not only means keeping the hammer down, but sprinting before known stops, like the stop light at the Hazel Ave Bridge, and since I didn't want to stop at the base of the Beal's climb, before stopping for a few minutes at Negro Bar Pk.
I found a new hold on the aeorbars, which cover the center part of the main bars, which allowed me to climb the top of Beal's upright, and I averaged ~ 12mph. Very happy with that. Might have been a PB. It really helped me breathe and made much better use of my glutes. I can feel that a bit today, but nice that the Syntace bars will support that position.
On the way home I had some great fun riding with a guy on a carbon black Specialized Tarmac. It had what has to be the loudest cassette ratchet on the planet on its aero Roval wheels. I banged on the button, and was waiting for the light to change in Old Folsom when he showed up to wait with me.
Sporting a LiveStrong bodysuit, we had a little conversation about Lance and Contador before heading down the ramp of the Rainbow Bridge onto the ARPT and piling on the power. We rode together all the way to the light at Hazel Ave before he peeled off, and I picked up the wheel of a 2-man team on TT bikes.
They were working together, and doing a decent job of it, so I hung back in their draft and gathered myself. Both were long and lanky, so after flying down the major hill on that stretch under full power, I went around them on the shallow climb out of the river bottom, and dropped them cleanly while averaging 22.50 mph. Pretty happy I still had that in me after 25 miles.
My only food on this ride was half a PowerBar and one bottle of Gatorade. I did bonk a bit the last few miles, but had no appetite even after the ride ended. I was cramping moderately, so I still need to work on timing the pre-ride meal, and its composition, when performing at these high levels, but that will come in time.
Excluding the 3 mile warm-up, my average HR was 143 BPM, which is right at my LT. I also averaged 255 watts for the entire ride, including the warm-up, and did the bulk of the ride between 265 and 280 watts. That's the 2nd highest output I've averaged in 3 years.
Amped on Claritin, I cranked out a 265 average in April, but this ride was all natural. (The first leg in April was done at 290 watts and 96% of max HR. Be careful with Claritin)
My power-duration curve continues to flatten, so I think the focus on keeping the hammer down is paying off!
Showing posts with label Syntace C3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Syntace C3. Show all posts
Monday, October 4, 2010
Wednesday, April 14, 2010
Tweaks
I've been working on my bike, to try to morph it still again, this time into a TT bike. Looking at a shiny new P3 Cervelo at WBP, I have to say, she'd have had a big advantage if we'd crossed paths, but so it goes. Nice eye candy, and I asked her about the Adono seat. She liked it a lot, and claimed it really helped her fit on the 54cm frame at 5'7" of body height. She seemed to be riding in a very forward position, but that should help her power, so all good.
I flipped my stem, moved a token 2.5mm spacer from under to over the stem, jammed the seat forward as far as it would go - about 12mm, installed a 12-23 cassette, and then installed my new front wheel. (Yes, it finally got here, correct color and all)
The stem adjustments were good for about a 28mm drop in handlebar position, giving me a 40mm drop from seat to pads. I never felt stable enough to be comfortable with my old wheel with the stem flipped, but the 32 DT Revolution spokes make for a very solid but supple wheel. I also removed the waterbottle rack from the seat tube, but may move the downtube bottle there as it is, surprisingly, more aero on the seat tube.
In fact, the bike, for the first time, feels well balanced, like the weight distribution on the two wheels is now 50:50. The Roubaix, like all comfort bikes, is designed for a rear-biased, upright position, and it takes a lot of work to get it low enough and forward enough to make good speed on the flats.
I am looking at an Easton EC 70 Zero seat post, which has zero setback, unlike the stock Roubaix's 25mm of setback. The Roubaix seat post is also pretty heavy - about twice the weight of the Easton's 215gr. I'll shave a little off of that by cutting the 400mm post down to 350mm to match the stock post, but carbon doesn't weight that much, so it won't make a huge difference. I do like having a nice piece of carbon tubing laying around. Makes a great aerobar mount for computers or lights.
So what did all this get me? Well, last week I pulled 2 other riders in a draft and managed 21.1 for the 5 miles from CSUS to William B Pond park. Tonight I managed a 21.8, a new PB I think.
I flipped my stem, moved a token 2.5mm spacer from under to over the stem, jammed the seat forward as far as it would go - about 12mm, installed a 12-23 cassette, and then installed my new front wheel. (Yes, it finally got here, correct color and all)
The stem adjustments were good for about a 28mm drop in handlebar position, giving me a 40mm drop from seat to pads. I never felt stable enough to be comfortable with my old wheel with the stem flipped, but the 32 DT Revolution spokes make for a very solid but supple wheel. I also removed the waterbottle rack from the seat tube, but may move the downtube bottle there as it is, surprisingly, more aero on the seat tube.
In fact, the bike, for the first time, feels well balanced, like the weight distribution on the two wheels is now 50:50. The Roubaix, like all comfort bikes, is designed for a rear-biased, upright position, and it takes a lot of work to get it low enough and forward enough to make good speed on the flats.
I am looking at an Easton EC 70 Zero seat post, which has zero setback, unlike the stock Roubaix's 25mm of setback. The Roubaix seat post is also pretty heavy - about twice the weight of the Easton's 215gr. I'll shave a little off of that by cutting the 400mm post down to 350mm to match the stock post, but carbon doesn't weight that much, so it won't make a huge difference. I do like having a nice piece of carbon tubing laying around. Makes a great aerobar mount for computers or lights.
So what did all this get me? Well, last week I pulled 2 other riders in a draft and managed 21.1 for the 5 miles from CSUS to William B Pond park. Tonight I managed a 21.8, a new PB I think.
Saturday, March 20, 2010
Syntace C3 Aerobars: 1 Yr After
It's been about a year since I got my aerobars, and they have turned out to be a god-sent for my sore wrists, wrist numbing, and getting me home when the local Delta Breeze (15-20mph) kicks up in the summer. This was the 3rd kind of aerobar I tried. I hated the other two so much I removed them. The last set were Profile Designs, the other brand I don't recall. It's the shape and mounting system I love about the Syntace C3s. Oh, and the bombproof quality.
The sales info on Syntace's English site is terrible, and their assembly instructions still worse, so I was not surprised when someone considering them wrote and asked me for an in-depth evaluation, and details of my computer mounting system.
There has been a debate raging in my club about the safety of aerobars, and I had been considering writing a follow-up piece anyway, so the request came at an opportune time. I wrote Syntace and offered to write their English site for them in return for products, but they refused. A pretty stupid move given how crap their docs are.
In this view you can see I have swapped brake cables. This allows me to keep my left arm planted, and avoid the instability and weight shift attendant with moving your arms. Having 9-10 gears AND your front brake in your right hand is a huge help in general, and especially with aerobars. I was also able to remove about 3" of brake cable, which gives the front brake lever a lot more feel, allows for a very supple modulation of the front brake, and tremendous power if you need it.
(The front brake had to be in the left hand when using downtube shifters, because the right hand is a LONG ways from the brake handle when shifting. This requirement vanished with the introduction of paddle shifters. Sheldon Brown was a fan of swapping, and the women's road racing champ in Beijing had hers swapped.)
This is your view of the world when riding in the aerobars. My Garmin's signal quality went from good to excellent with no metal to interfere with the GPS signals, and the wireless sensors' ANT+ signals never get lost now. I used more vinyl tubing over the zip ties this time to get more grip, as the tubing not only protects the surface, but is quite sticky when compressed like this. I'm not crazy about the red zip ties though. I might go back to black.
As you can see , this mount is extremely aerodynamic, having almost no frontal area at all. You can adjust the position of the Garmin to get rid of glare by just moving it around. The mount will pretty much stick where you place it. This mount also creates a clean airflow for the altitude sensor, which works off of barometric pressure.
At speed, having it mounted on the top of the stem will put it in a low-pressure zone created by the slope of the stem - throwing off the barometric altimeter. It's much easier to read being this far forward, and provides a stop for your arm when you bring it up onto the bar. You might also notice I have applied skate tape to the ends of the bars to keep my hands from slipping off the ends. Even when my gloves are 'greasy' from being soaked with sweat, this grip is bomb-proof. It's also very reflective as it turns out, which is a plus at night.
This is a pre skate-tape view of the cockpit. I have moved the mounts out as wide as these FSA K-Wing bars will allow, as I have a 47" chest and the shoulders to go with it. I'm considering moving them in a bit on the bar and pushing the pads out though to get a more comfortable position. Always another tweak in the endless cycle of body adapts to machine adapts to body.
A close-up of the zip tie mounting of the Garmin. The mount is a 30mm piece of steering tube sawed off a friend's carbon fork. Ultra light, very strong, and invisible to radio signals. Also note the detail of the C3's mounting on the main bar. The workmanship is just fantastic. Look at that gorgeous weld! You can make a little cleaner profile than I have here by pulling the zip-tie ends up so they're in front of the lower part of the Garmin's body.
I used a needle-nosed Vice-Grip to pull the zip ties tight. You will likely have to work to get the clear plastic tubing positioned correctly on the ties as you tighten them. To get the zip ties through the tubing, lay a book on it to flatten it into the same general flat shape of the zip ties. I tend to cut the tubing a little long, so had to cut 3-4 ties off with a set of wire dykes and try again. The zip ties I got from Kragen Auto Parts. Nothing special. Don't be surprised if you break a tie or two, but you will do better if you pull the ties a few inches away from the catch when pulling them tight.
This should give you some idea how much space is between the main bar and the Syntace bar. Once you get used to it, it makes a pretty good hold when reaching for water bottles or coasting. I have also learned to jam my hand under the ends of the aerobars while hanging onto the ends of the main bar when going over rough road with just one hand on the bar. It is IMPOSSIBLE to have your hand ripped off the bars with such a grip.
When climbing you can get a pretty standard bar-top close hold by placing your hands so the middle of your palm is bisected by the inside edge of the pad, and then wrapping your fingers around the front of the main bar. It feels a little flakey at first, but in time you'll come to trust it, and climbing efficiency will be as good as with flip-up pads.
A closeup of the width markings. Each end can be adjusted 50mm in or out.
A close-up of the zip ties showing how the Garmin mount is first tied to the carbon fiber tube, and then the tube is tied to the aerobar. Note the way the vinyl tubing is pinched between the tube and the bars. This is very important in keeping the mount stuck where you position it. I have never had it move, no matter how rough the road, and that was before adding the extra tubing across the outside and top of the aerobar.
Access to the width adjustment bolt is given by ripping the replaceable pads out of the Velcro-surfaced pad cradle and loosening the 5mm bolt. It never even thinks about moving. Rock solid, even over very rough road. In fact, for really rough road it is my favorite riding position as the Syntace bars have just a bit of give in them, and the pads absorb a lot of road chop.
FSA offers another mounting option for computers they call the Control Center. It clamps around the main bar right against the stem. I am going to use this to mount a MagicShine light below the bars, but for a computer you would position it above the bar. It's not as streamlined, as far forward, nor as sturdy, but it creates needed separation between the light and the aerobars. If you get one of these don't use the included bolts - use a zip tie. Stronger and doesn't rely on the strength of the plastic clamp material. The zip tie has it's own strength and is just squeezing the 'clamp' - which is then completely passive.
I don't have my bars mounted in a real aero way, as avoiding wrist pain was the primary motivation for getting them. They have exceeded my expectations in this area too. As for speed, they add about 1.5 to 2.5 mph at speeds from 19-25 mph.
When drafting, make it a loose 5-10 ft draft unless you know the locomotive pretty well, or he is obviously well versed in pacelines. You will find if you talk to someone you are drafting off of that you aren't sucking on them very much, even with a tight 2-3ft draft. You also aren't going to provide a great draft for someone sucking on your wheel.
In particular, your draft won't be very deep, so expect people to draft you closely in a stiff headwind. It's important to be very smooth and keep your eyes looking up the road in either case. I have never had a complaint about the shallow draft. Everyone is just very happy they don't have to buck those heavy winds alone. If you slow down enough, you can make a lot of friends! In my case, I rarely get to ride with others anymore as I am just blowing right by them. However, when I do get company it's from strong, competent riders and that makes for a lot of fun, high-speed riding. Here's my response to objections raised by my riding club.
The sales info on Syntace's English site is terrible, and their assembly instructions still worse, so I was not surprised when someone considering them wrote and asked me for an in-depth evaluation, and details of my computer mounting system.
There has been a debate raging in my club about the safety of aerobars, and I had been considering writing a follow-up piece anyway, so the request came at an opportune time. I wrote Syntace and offered to write their English site for them in return for products, but they refused. A pretty stupid move given how crap their docs are.
In this view you can see I have swapped brake cables. This allows me to keep my left arm planted, and avoid the instability and weight shift attendant with moving your arms. Having 9-10 gears AND your front brake in your right hand is a huge help in general, and especially with aerobars. I was also able to remove about 3" of brake cable, which gives the front brake lever a lot more feel, allows for a very supple modulation of the front brake, and tremendous power if you need it.
(The front brake had to be in the left hand when using downtube shifters, because the right hand is a LONG ways from the brake handle when shifting. This requirement vanished with the introduction of paddle shifters. Sheldon Brown was a fan of swapping, and the women's road racing champ in Beijing had hers swapped.)
This is your view of the world when riding in the aerobars. My Garmin's signal quality went from good to excellent with no metal to interfere with the GPS signals, and the wireless sensors' ANT+ signals never get lost now. I used more vinyl tubing over the zip ties this time to get more grip, as the tubing not only protects the surface, but is quite sticky when compressed like this. I'm not crazy about the red zip ties though. I might go back to black.
As you can see , this mount is extremely aerodynamic, having almost no frontal area at all. You can adjust the position of the Garmin to get rid of glare by just moving it around. The mount will pretty much stick where you place it. This mount also creates a clean airflow for the altitude sensor, which works off of barometric pressure.
At speed, having it mounted on the top of the stem will put it in a low-pressure zone created by the slope of the stem - throwing off the barometric altimeter. It's much easier to read being this far forward, and provides a stop for your arm when you bring it up onto the bar. You might also notice I have applied skate tape to the ends of the bars to keep my hands from slipping off the ends. Even when my gloves are 'greasy' from being soaked with sweat, this grip is bomb-proof. It's also very reflective as it turns out, which is a plus at night.
This is a pre skate-tape view of the cockpit. I have moved the mounts out as wide as these FSA K-Wing bars will allow, as I have a 47" chest and the shoulders to go with it. I'm considering moving them in a bit on the bar and pushing the pads out though to get a more comfortable position. Always another tweak in the endless cycle of body adapts to machine adapts to body.
A close-up of the zip tie mounting of the Garmin. The mount is a 30mm piece of steering tube sawed off a friend's carbon fork. Ultra light, very strong, and invisible to radio signals. Also note the detail of the C3's mounting on the main bar. The workmanship is just fantastic. Look at that gorgeous weld! You can make a little cleaner profile than I have here by pulling the zip-tie ends up so they're in front of the lower part of the Garmin's body.
I used a needle-nosed Vice-Grip to pull the zip ties tight. You will likely have to work to get the clear plastic tubing positioned correctly on the ties as you tighten them. To get the zip ties through the tubing, lay a book on it to flatten it into the same general flat shape of the zip ties. I tend to cut the tubing a little long, so had to cut 3-4 ties off with a set of wire dykes and try again. The zip ties I got from Kragen Auto Parts. Nothing special. Don't be surprised if you break a tie or two, but you will do better if you pull the ties a few inches away from the catch when pulling them tight.
This should give you some idea how much space is between the main bar and the Syntace bar. Once you get used to it, it makes a pretty good hold when reaching for water bottles or coasting. I have also learned to jam my hand under the ends of the aerobars while hanging onto the ends of the main bar when going over rough road with just one hand on the bar. It is IMPOSSIBLE to have your hand ripped off the bars with such a grip.
When climbing you can get a pretty standard bar-top close hold by placing your hands so the middle of your palm is bisected by the inside edge of the pad, and then wrapping your fingers around the front of the main bar. It feels a little flakey at first, but in time you'll come to trust it, and climbing efficiency will be as good as with flip-up pads.
A closeup of the width markings. Each end can be adjusted 50mm in or out.
A close-up of the zip ties showing how the Garmin mount is first tied to the carbon fiber tube, and then the tube is tied to the aerobar. Note the way the vinyl tubing is pinched between the tube and the bars. This is very important in keeping the mount stuck where you position it. I have never had it move, no matter how rough the road, and that was before adding the extra tubing across the outside and top of the aerobar.
Access to the width adjustment bolt is given by ripping the replaceable pads out of the Velcro-surfaced pad cradle and loosening the 5mm bolt. It never even thinks about moving. Rock solid, even over very rough road. In fact, for really rough road it is my favorite riding position as the Syntace bars have just a bit of give in them, and the pads absorb a lot of road chop.
FSA offers another mounting option for computers they call the Control Center. It clamps around the main bar right against the stem. I am going to use this to mount a MagicShine light below the bars, but for a computer you would position it above the bar. It's not as streamlined, as far forward, nor as sturdy, but it creates needed separation between the light and the aerobars. If you get one of these don't use the included bolts - use a zip tie. Stronger and doesn't rely on the strength of the plastic clamp material. The zip tie has it's own strength and is just squeezing the 'clamp' - which is then completely passive.
I don't have my bars mounted in a real aero way, as avoiding wrist pain was the primary motivation for getting them. They have exceeded my expectations in this area too. As for speed, they add about 1.5 to 2.5 mph at speeds from 19-25 mph.
When drafting, make it a loose 5-10 ft draft unless you know the locomotive pretty well, or he is obviously well versed in pacelines. You will find if you talk to someone you are drafting off of that you aren't sucking on them very much, even with a tight 2-3ft draft. You also aren't going to provide a great draft for someone sucking on your wheel.
In particular, your draft won't be very deep, so expect people to draft you closely in a stiff headwind. It's important to be very smooth and keep your eyes looking up the road in either case. I have never had a complaint about the shallow draft. Everyone is just very happy they don't have to buck those heavy winds alone. If you slow down enough, you can make a lot of friends! In my case, I rarely get to ride with others anymore as I am just blowing right by them. However, when I do get company it's from strong, competent riders and that makes for a lot of fun, high-speed riding. Here's my response to objections raised by my riding club.
The reason they don't allow aerobars in most pro races is because they have huge peletons to draft off of, they ride in close quarters all the time, and it would shorten the race so less event time to sell ads during. I don't use them in close quarters either, and when on club rides, usually only use them when out in front.
This brings up an important point though, just because you have them mounted doesn't mean you have to use them. Especially when drafting in them I am aware of how technical the course is and will come out of the bars when the course gets twisty, bumpy, steep or when approaching traffic.
I haven't noticed a core strength issue, but they do require a few weeks for your upper back and shoulders to get used to. On the other hand, the C3 Syntace bars have so little to do with other aerobars there are limits to making generalizations. If I'm careful to keep my knees to the bar I can crank out 5-600 watts in my aerobars without rocking the bike, but that much power does take some core.
My advice to anyone getting aerobars is to ride alone for a few rides first and then be cautious for a month or so. The biggest adaptation is in where you look going through turns. You have to look further up the trail. In part this is due to the longer riding position inhibiting sharp turns, and in part it's because you're going faster.
As for crashes, I know riders who have ridden in them for years without any accidents. I've had mine for a year now and the only close calls I've had were times I wasn't in the aerobars, but in traffic on the hoods. I did run over a pointed rock on the way down from Monitor Pass and punctured my back tire at 55+mph in my aerobars and got stopped OK. Scary, and I'm sure there was some luck involved there, but having more weight on the front wheel likely helped me there.
One thing I have noticed is I can watch the road better than in the drops, where it's taxing to hold your head up all the time. This is especially helpful when on the bike trail going through turns with oncoming traffic. I can watch them the whole way through the turn.
You can mount parallel brake and shift levers on most aerobars if you like, but I chose not to. The time it takes to get to the brakes or shifters is less than from downtube shifters, and at least for me, less than from the drops.
You can always call out obstacles to anyone riding so close that you are covering the road ahead of them. A loud barking 'WHOOT' works very well. The last time I caught an orange plastic road post in the groin there were a half dozen riders riding without aerobars who said nothing. I bark 'GLASS' all the time from aerobars.
I disagree that they are unsafe in any way, and think they are an excellent idea, especially for thin, lightweight riders. Professional riders use them all the time in TTs, including team TTs, where they are riding with 5-6 riders drafting each other, and are not complaining about them being dangerous. They are also used almost exclusively by Tri Athletes, and again, no complaints about safety.
In summary, I see it as just another body position to be used appropriately. For long training rides, touring, double centuries or those with hand numbing problems, they are a god-sent.
Sizes: S(12.5-14"), M(14-15"), L(15"+)
For sizing, place arm on table, and measure from table top to top of fist. Using this measurement, find which size range it falls into. Mine is a medium.
UPDATE: 5/14/2011
Minor editing, and I removed the caution about the mount failing if the zip-ties fall off. After 2+ yrs, and 3 crashes without issue, this mount is at least as tough as any other on planet Earth. I've even, on occasion, stuck my finger in the mounting tube when climbing and it hangs tough. At the end of the day, time is the best test of durability.
UPDATE: 5/14/2011
Minor editing, and I removed the caution about the mount failing if the zip-ties fall off. After 2+ yrs, and 3 crashes without issue, this mount is at least as tough as any other on planet Earth. I've even, on occasion, stuck my finger in the mounting tube when climbing and it hangs tough. At the end of the day, time is the best test of durability.
Wednesday, February 25, 2009
Syntace C3 Aerobars - 1st Impressions
(see 1 year after report here)
(Artist's rendering of the "Johnny Cash" bridge without chainlink bike barrier)
After days of welcome rain, the skies cleared yesterday, and with temps in the low 60s I headed out for a nice 33 mile ride from my front door to Beal's Point at Folsom Dam. It was the first good outing for my new Syntace C3 aerobars with the "Double Helix Bend" kinkiness that is supposed to support better climbing and produce less shoulder and upper back stress. If nothing else, they'd make great sock drying racks.
The new bridge gives us bikers on the American River Parkway Trail - bought, built and maintained by bikers for bikers at the turn of the last century - our own spectacular underpass. No more weaving through construction zones, forests of orange hazard cones, movable chainlink barriers, and the occasional earthmover or three. There is an 8' tall chainlink barrier, with rolls and rolls of razor-wire on top to keep Al Queda from blowing the bridge supports (roll eyes), but that barrier is all that will keep you from falling head-first 200" into the river below. It makes for a breathtaking view I just have to get some photos of.
I couldn't help myself, and did a bit of racing near the bottom of the descent. The trail is rough and broken in places, but once the descent straightened out a bit I was able to catch and pass my rival. In spite of braking and killing most of my speed to avoid a head-on collision, I ended up on the wheel of a pair of riders I passed going up a short hill. Riding together and drafting into a decent 10mph headwind, they caught me a half mile later. I was surprised how long it took them to rejoin me, and pleased I could pull them for another mile or so before tiring. We took turns at the front of the draft until they peeled off at Hazel St and headed for the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
The wind along the west side of the lake is pretty strong, getting funneled into a narrows flanked by a steep embankment of 150ft or so. The effect of the aerobars was pretty obvious there, and later as I powered home on the bike trail from Hazel to Sunrise.
My upper back is a bit sore today as the hunched position seems to have aggravated an old injury sustained in an auto accident, but not cripplingly so. I have hated ALL of the aerobars I have tried before, but these are much kinder on the back and I am really liking them, so I hope the back strain issues will not prevent me from using them. Part of the problem is my unfamiliarity with them, which is causing me to ride tensed. I kept catching myself and relaxing during the ride. So much nicer riding relaxed.
The climb up to Beal's is from 5-9% grade, and I did all of that climbing in the aerobars. My neighbor who is riding Syntace SLS bars warned me I would not be able to climb in the bars, so I was quite happy he was proved wrong. They are also quite stable in turns, and I think that is because having the elbow pads behind the main bar, the normal biometric motions that make for turning left or right work as expected.
My goals for the bars were to increase my average riding speed, and to get an alternative, comfortable position for long, flat rides. We have a lot of very flat land around Sacramento if you ride down-river, as indicated in my ATOC coverage. Of course, if you head up river you are into some very serious mountains in 15-20 miles. I am happy to report that these bars provide a VERY comfortable position to ride in - cushy even. I find myself favoring these bars when the road gets rough or broken because the combo of the fork, stem, bars, and bar pads makes for a Lazy-Boy recliner comfortable ride - even over 2-3" asphalt washboard.
I made a few changes after a trial ride as follows.
Assuming my low back flexibility issues won't prevent it, I'll probably flip my stem to get the aerobars into a lower position, as I think they are still a bit too high. I wouldn't mind having the drops be actual drops, and if I don't have to ride in them too much, in favor of riding on the hoods or on the aerobars, I think I will have a better set of trade-offs. I'm also considering a front brake handle on the left bar and rear shifter on the right bar so I have my most important controls on the aerobars. The danger seems to be during the transition from the main bars to the aeros and back, so I'd like to eliminate as many of those transitions as possible.
I have thought about going to a long, droop-nosed saddle for climbing, and the forward position those saddles are designed to support, but that purchase has been escalated now because the forward position, and more position choices in general, are needed with the aerobars. At this point I can see myself spending 80% of my riding time in the aerobars, if the injury history of my upper back and shoulder allows it. Spending that much time in a more streamlined position will help on long Century rides - long on the clock - and plowing through strong headwinds out in the Delta this summer.
In summary, in spite of a long layoff due to rains, using these bars made for one of the fastest and most comfortable rides yet up to Beal's point, and with a little luck, will prove a great addition to my bag of riding tricks. I highly recommend the C3 aerobars.
(Artist's rendering of the "Johnny Cash" bridge without chainlink bike barrier)
After days of welcome rain, the skies cleared yesterday, and with temps in the low 60s I headed out for a nice 33 mile ride from my front door to Beal's Point at Folsom Dam. It was the first good outing for my new Syntace C3 aerobars with the "Double Helix Bend" kinkiness that is supposed to support better climbing and produce less shoulder and upper back stress. If nothing else, they'd make great sock drying racks.
The new bridge gives us bikers on the American River Parkway Trail - bought, built and maintained by bikers for bikers at the turn of the last century - our own spectacular underpass. No more weaving through construction zones, forests of orange hazard cones, movable chainlink barriers, and the occasional earthmover or three. There is an 8' tall chainlink barrier, with rolls and rolls of razor-wire on top to keep Al Queda from blowing the bridge supports (roll eyes), but that barrier is all that will keep you from falling head-first 200" into the river below. It makes for a breathtaking view I just have to get some photos of.
I couldn't help myself, and did a bit of racing near the bottom of the descent. The trail is rough and broken in places, but once the descent straightened out a bit I was able to catch and pass my rival. In spite of braking and killing most of my speed to avoid a head-on collision, I ended up on the wheel of a pair of riders I passed going up a short hill. Riding together and drafting into a decent 10mph headwind, they caught me a half mile later. I was surprised how long it took them to rejoin me, and pleased I could pull them for another mile or so before tiring. We took turns at the front of the draft until they peeled off at Hazel St and headed for the Nimbus Fish Hatchery.
The wind along the west side of the lake is pretty strong, getting funneled into a narrows flanked by a steep embankment of 150ft or so. The effect of the aerobars was pretty obvious there, and later as I powered home on the bike trail from Hazel to Sunrise.
My upper back is a bit sore today as the hunched position seems to have aggravated an old injury sustained in an auto accident, but not cripplingly so. I have hated ALL of the aerobars I have tried before, but these are much kinder on the back and I am really liking them, so I hope the back strain issues will not prevent me from using them. Part of the problem is my unfamiliarity with them, which is causing me to ride tensed. I kept catching myself and relaxing during the ride. So much nicer riding relaxed.
The climb up to Beal's is from 5-9% grade, and I did all of that climbing in the aerobars. My neighbor who is riding Syntace SLS bars warned me I would not be able to climb in the bars, so I was quite happy he was proved wrong. They are also quite stable in turns, and I think that is because having the elbow pads behind the main bar, the normal biometric motions that make for turning left or right work as expected.
My goals for the bars were to increase my average riding speed, and to get an alternative, comfortable position for long, flat rides. We have a lot of very flat land around Sacramento if you ride down-river, as indicated in my ATOC coverage. Of course, if you head up river you are into some very serious mountains in 15-20 miles. I am happy to report that these bars provide a VERY comfortable position to ride in - cushy even. I find myself favoring these bars when the road gets rough or broken because the combo of the fork, stem, bars, and bar pads makes for a Lazy-Boy recliner comfortable ride - even over 2-3" asphalt washboard.
I made a few changes after a trial ride as follows.
- Moved the seat back 7mm
- Lowered the nose of the seat 5-7mm
- Raised the tips of the aerobars 30mm
Assuming my low back flexibility issues won't prevent it, I'll probably flip my stem to get the aerobars into a lower position, as I think they are still a bit too high. I wouldn't mind having the drops be actual drops, and if I don't have to ride in them too much, in favor of riding on the hoods or on the aerobars, I think I will have a better set of trade-offs. I'm also considering a front brake handle on the left bar and rear shifter on the right bar so I have my most important controls on the aerobars. The danger seems to be during the transition from the main bars to the aeros and back, so I'd like to eliminate as many of those transitions as possible.
I have thought about going to a long, droop-nosed saddle for climbing, and the forward position those saddles are designed to support, but that purchase has been escalated now because the forward position, and more position choices in general, are needed with the aerobars. At this point I can see myself spending 80% of my riding time in the aerobars, if the injury history of my upper back and shoulder allows it. Spending that much time in a more streamlined position will help on long Century rides - long on the clock - and plowing through strong headwinds out in the Delta this summer.
In summary, in spite of a long layoff due to rains, using these bars made for one of the fastest and most comfortable rides yet up to Beal's point, and with a little luck, will prove a great addition to my bag of riding tricks. I highly recommend the C3 aerobars.
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
Make or Brake
Taking a break from the ATOC for a post, I have been doing a lot of work on my mountain bike, and will be sharing some of my wrenching skills here over the next week or so. Taking time out to make videos and good macro still shots slows things down a lot, but with Sheldon Brown gone I'd like to offer some help to those interested in learning how to maintain their own gear.
Don't be alarmed by my rapid hand motion at the end of the cut. The Dremel is not nearly powerful enough to move your hand out of the way that fast. I was moving my hand to try to prevent the cut-off blade from getting caught and breaking. This doesn't happen very often, but with the light so close and the camera lens to worry about getting showered with sparks it was a bit harder to position myself in the usual way.
Having the use of both hands is also a big help, but if you have a friend to hold the end of the cable and pull on it a bit, and move it slowly so as to open the cut up, it will go very, very smoothly. Just be patient and go slow. If you are doing a lot of cutting (IE: having a re-cabling party with friends) put down an old rug or some cardboard to protect the floor and wear old clothes.
Many, many bikes come assembled with improperly cut cables, being too long or too short, and occasionally, being so poorly cut that it makes brakes and shifters perform poorly. Cables that are too short create kinks, while those that are too long create unnecessary drag and can be a danger for snagging.
Brake cable housing and shifter housing are not the same, and using a shift housing for a brake housing will result in catastrophic failure. This is due to the way the wire is wound, or not wound, as it were, on shifter cables, where the wires run lengthwise from end to end to minimize compression. This makes shift cable much less compressible, but putting a few hundred pounds of load on it will make it burst through the plastic sheathing and leave you without brakes at a really bad moment. Always double check to make sure you are using brake cabling and housing when re-cabling brakes.
Here's a short video showing the simple cutting station I set up with a brief discussion of the important features.
These photographs are from two ends of the same cable. One end I cut off with a Dremel cut-off wheel, and the other is the end the bike shop that sold me the cable made when they cut it off a large spool from the mechanic's bench. As you might imagine, the torn, stretched and cork-screw shaped end from the bike shop will not seat properly, will want to bend and "walk" its way around inside any fitting, turning the cable.
This brake cable would make for very spongy braking with the cable moving around a lot when put under load. If it were a shift cable housing the shifting performance would be very poor, resulting in noisy gears and jumping of gears on the rear dérailleur.
When you cut the actual cable, use some metal duct tape (no, not the plastic stuff, the metal stuff) to wrap the cable with during the cut. You don't want a cable strand coming loose while you cut. The heat of the cut will weld the cable strands together and make a much more durable end. Use the cut-off wheel as a grinding wheel and put a nice dull point on the cable. Again, the heat will weld the cable strands together. It makes for a perfect cut and a cable that will thread perfectly.
I prefer a piece of metal duct tape cut in the shape of a little flag to the little metal ends you get from the bike shop. Squeezing those ends is usually what breaks off a strand, which you don't find out about until you take it off, and then *poof*, you have a frayed cable you'll end up having to replace. If you cut the cable on the frame, which is perfectly acceptable, use something to protect the frame from hot sparks, which will pit paint and carbon fiber clear-coats.
It takes a bit more effort to do this work yourself, but personally, I wouldn't trust something as life and death as brakes to anyone else. Also, I really want my shifting to be as crisp and clean as is humanly possible, so I am happy to do this work myself so I get perfect cabling.
Don't be alarmed by my rapid hand motion at the end of the cut. The Dremel is not nearly powerful enough to move your hand out of the way that fast. I was moving my hand to try to prevent the cut-off blade from getting caught and breaking. This doesn't happen very often, but with the light so close and the camera lens to worry about getting showered with sparks it was a bit harder to position myself in the usual way.
Having the use of both hands is also a big help, but if you have a friend to hold the end of the cable and pull on it a bit, and move it slowly so as to open the cut up, it will go very, very smoothly. Just be patient and go slow. If you are doing a lot of cutting (IE: having a re-cabling party with friends) put down an old rug or some cardboard to protect the floor and wear old clothes.
Many, many bikes come assembled with improperly cut cables, being too long or too short, and occasionally, being so poorly cut that it makes brakes and shifters perform poorly. Cables that are too short create kinks, while those that are too long create unnecessary drag and can be a danger for snagging.
Brake cable housing and shifter housing are not the same, and using a shift housing for a brake housing will result in catastrophic failure. This is due to the way the wire is wound, or not wound, as it were, on shifter cables, where the wires run lengthwise from end to end to minimize compression. This makes shift cable much less compressible, but putting a few hundred pounds of load on it will make it burst through the plastic sheathing and leave you without brakes at a really bad moment. Always double check to make sure you are using brake cabling and housing when re-cabling brakes.
Here's a short video showing the simple cutting station I set up with a brief discussion of the important features.
These photographs are from two ends of the same cable. One end I cut off with a Dremel cut-off wheel, and the other is the end the bike shop that sold me the cable made when they cut it off a large spool from the mechanic's bench. As you might imagine, the torn, stretched and cork-screw shaped end from the bike shop will not seat properly, will want to bend and "walk" its way around inside any fitting, turning the cable.
This brake cable would make for very spongy braking with the cable moving around a lot when put under load. If it were a shift cable housing the shifting performance would be very poor, resulting in noisy gears and jumping of gears on the rear dérailleur.
When you cut the actual cable, use some metal duct tape (no, not the plastic stuff, the metal stuff) to wrap the cable with during the cut. You don't want a cable strand coming loose while you cut. The heat of the cut will weld the cable strands together and make a much more durable end. Use the cut-off wheel as a grinding wheel and put a nice dull point on the cable. Again, the heat will weld the cable strands together. It makes for a perfect cut and a cable that will thread perfectly.
I prefer a piece of metal duct tape cut in the shape of a little flag to the little metal ends you get from the bike shop. Squeezing those ends is usually what breaks off a strand, which you don't find out about until you take it off, and then *poof*, you have a frayed cable you'll end up having to replace. If you cut the cable on the frame, which is perfectly acceptable, use something to protect the frame from hot sparks, which will pit paint and carbon fiber clear-coats.
It takes a bit more effort to do this work yourself, but personally, I wouldn't trust something as life and death as brakes to anyone else. Also, I really want my shifting to be as crisp and clean as is humanly possible, so I am happy to do this work myself so I get perfect cabling.
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