Techs-Mechs: Holy Week, for wrenches..

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 7:35 PM EDT

Don't get me wrong, this is the pinnacle of the year for me, but not exactly for the same reasons as Chris (but I do enjoy the races). This is the time of year that the barely-UCI legal all carbon climbing machines stay in the trucks in favor of the cobble machines.

Carbon fiber wheels were more common at Flanders this year than in years past, thanks in part to a redesigned Zipp 303 with a wider rim to accomodate the larger tubulars used by the top pros on the cobbles (24-27mm). The 303 was also notiably beefier than the standard model. There where still plenty of alloy box rims out there (and I'm sure they wil be in full force at PR), but the new Zipps would make a nice Christmas gift (hint..Chris). I liked seeing a rim designed with larger tubulars in mind (cyclocross anyone?).

The Cervelo RS was used by Roger Hammond in Flanders and may be the team bike this weekend. I have seen the RS up close, and it looks ideal for Roubaix with the compliant stays, beefy bb shell and longer head tube to allow for a more upright cobblesque position. The R3 won a couple Roubaix's already, so the RS has an excellent bloodline.

Shimano's Di2 electonic shifting will be out in full force as well, and some bikes were running an extra shift..er.. switch (for lack of a better term) below the bar tops to allow for shifting from the more comfy position. To that end, I am sure there will be more than a few bikes with cross brake levers on the bar tops.

In looking at some of the Ronde bikes, I was surprised to see a lot of metal front derailleurs. Campy bikes were using Chorus 11 front derailleurs (metal), and SRAM Red ubikes had a special all metal front derailleur as well. Personally I have been running an all alloy Record 10 on my race bike as of late (merely for asthetics), however I have noticed how crisp and stiff the shifting is. Maybe the pros already figured out that they don't need to save the 5-6 grams by using a carbon fron d cage.

I am anxiously awaiting P-R for the action, the cold Chimay and of course the tech talk.

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Here's a hint:

Hey, George, steel is real.

by Sui Juris on Apr 7, 2009 7:42 PM EDT reply actions

Another cool thing

about Roubaix is the 53/46t cranksets. No need for a climing gear there. Maybe I’ll put my 46t on this week just for the fun of it.

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 7:51 PM EDT reply actions

53x11 solidarity, yo

by Sui Juris on Apr 7, 2009 7:52 PM EDT up reply actions

Museeuw and Boonen's Mechanic

told me the 46t was just to make a chain jump less jarring. When the chain inadvertently gets thrown off the big ring, they would not get the spinning nothing feeling.
It was understood that they would never actually need an inner ring, no matter what size.!

by MavicMoto on Apr 7, 2009 8:42 PM EDT up reply actions

crazy talk

by Sui Juris on Apr 7, 2009 8:43 PM EDT up reply actions

Franzoi

had a neat looking chain guard thingie..

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Yeah chainguard are pretty standard nowadays.

I know Pozzato is running one all week and probably half of the other teams are doing the same.

by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 7, 2009 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions

Some guys who I do cross with

say they like them, but when you’re chain squeezes through it’s a real bitch to get it free.

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 8:47 PM EDT up reply actions

True...

I am putting one on my cross bike this year. I think that the jamming can be avoided as long as you shift smart.

by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 7, 2009 8:49 PM EDT up reply actions

But seriously

that last part, about the carbon cages? Reminded me about what an amazing hold that marketing – and not tech – has on things. You might be able to convince me that such a thing could make an appreciable difference between, say, Steegmans and Devolder at G-W. Between the first and second place at Giro di Coppi? No. Apple Valley? No. Kona? No.

But it sure does look good, eh?

by Sui Juris on Apr 7, 2009 7:51 PM EDT reply actions

Fair point. Mine feels good, but it could be several factors.

Not the least being that it has far less miles and may just have stiffer springs. That being said, SRAM made one for a reason. Maybe just durabilty….?

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 8:00 PM EDT up reply actions

I don't

discount that maybe, if you were making things for the first time, that may be the way to go. I was just recently embittered by reading through M’s Triathlete magazine back issues. Christ, that’s a money train for idiots.

by Sui Juris on Apr 7, 2009 8:18 PM EDT up reply actions

Actually

Racers, not us, have a real problem wearing through FD cages. Mechanics got sick of replacing so many.

by MavicMoto on Apr 7, 2009 8:44 PM EDT up reply actions

but

cf. this?

by Sui Juris on Apr 7, 2009 8:45 PM EDT up reply actions

if that were true

that would mean spending lots of money on every upgrade imaginable would be a waste. And that the rider is more important than the tool used.

I’m afraid you’re dillusional, you must watch more TV and read more ~~PR releases~~ objective reviews.

by jsallee00 on Apr 7, 2009 8:01 PM EDT up reply actions

oh, just you wait

you’re trying to cause a disruption in the space-time continuum, with talk like that.

by Sui Juris on Apr 7, 2009 8:15 PM EDT up reply actions

That reminds me...

It’s like the old argument about the superlight carbon frames….ridden by amateurs racers who are 5-7kilos over weight….what a waste of money.

by bradBordeaux on Apr 8, 2009 3:47 AM EDT up reply actions

They pretty much copied the rim structure from the 1080

and then put it into the 303 after many pro’s raved about how well the 1080 went.
-Though I really have a soft spot for hand built wheels. Ambrosio Nemesis rims with Sapim spokes and Record hubs with some Vittoria Pave 700×27 tires. I would ride these wheels anywhere in any race
-I don’t know if everybody heard but Hammond’s 14,000$! bike was stolen so that might have lead to him using the RS in Flanders.
-I think Boonen runs a 54×42 up front in Roubaix which really is a testament to how flat it really is.

by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 7, 2009 8:07 PM EDT reply actions

And I agree about handbuilts...

I have 2 sets (both built on Record hubs, the 2006 ones, when they were silver..). Velocity aerohead clinchers and my latest set of Campy Barcelona’s tubulars. They are just as nice if not nicer than my Eurus’ only half the price and easier to repair.

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 8:20 PM EDT up reply actions

Here's on of my Favorites

http://www.cyclingnews.com/road/2007/apr07/roubaix07/tech/?id=/tech/2007/features/ballan_leroi_roubaix

Ballan’s bike at Roubaix 2007. Drilled and tapped seat tube (no slipping of the post), a cross fork with the canti posts removed, and a 53/46 chorus crankset. No need for carbon cranks here….

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 8:18 PM EDT reply actions

And well before George's problem

All teams were fitting alloy steerer forks in place of the all Carbon models

by MavicMoto on Apr 7, 2009 8:45 PM EDT reply actions

George was using an alloy steerer, but it wasn't the regular Madonne

fork, it was one wih a longer rake. I read that he was out abusing some carbon wheels during training, and probably put a crack in the steerer. Man that was an ugly crash.

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 8:50 PM EDT reply actions

Man, every year that story changes . . . . .

by Ryan_Liles on Apr 7, 2009 9:02 PM EDT up reply actions

That's what I remember reading 3 years ago.

I’m sure it’s evolved a bit…

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 9:07 PM EDT up reply actions

me too

I even thought they had pulled a fork out of the parts bin that went on a low-end road bike or hybrid. Trek engineers=oxymoron

by MavicMoto on Apr 7, 2009 9:16 PM EDT up reply actions

it was a model from

their Satellite line. I remember he was talking about running 23mm tires as well, which probably didn’t help.

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 9:23 PM EDT up reply actions

This is critcal info that most seem to look past or forget.
That fork was never intended to handle even one day like what is in P-R.

I am just happy the entire team didn’t suffer the same fate.

by Ryan_Liles on Apr 7, 2009 10:44 PM EDT up reply actions

I really don't see the point for carbon in Roubaix...

except for the frame. Unless Zipp comes out with a wheel that is 100% bulletproof it should be all aluminum. Though I think a nice pair of carbon cantilever brakes would be a nice touch.

Maybe a SRAM sponsored team could bring back the Rock Shok forks for ol’ time sake..

by Vlaanderen90 on Apr 7, 2009 8:52 PM EDT reply actions

Flanders is a different animal

I’m sure we’ll see plenty of Mavic Reflex and Ambrosio Nemesis’ at Roubaix. I haven’t ridden either course, but watching P-R for so many years, I’m always amazed at how fast they are riding when they hit the cobbles, and they look to be realy awful. Flanders has cobbles on the climbs, which makes it important to keep your speed and stay up front, but it doesn’t eat equipment like Roubaix.

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 9:03 PM EDT up reply actions

Mavic Reflex are bombproof.

I rode a track bike across 20k of Belgium cobbles, yuo can imagine the shock that produced, on some Reflex, and they were brilliant.

by bradBordeaux on Apr 8, 2009 3:49 AM EDT up reply actions

100 km of flat hwy

then cobbled chaos for the next 160k.
Mavic SSC brings 98 old wheels for neutral support. They are only used at this race.
Big Pave tubulars glued to box section alloy rims, some even tied and soldered.
And they can end up handing out over half of them on a bad weather day, and even dry races end up chewing through equipment due to higher speeds.

by MavicMoto on Apr 7, 2009 9:21 PM EDT reply actions

Fun stuff isn't it?

Do you think tied and soldered wheels help, or is it better to have the spokes flexing independantly? I could see how if a tied spoke breaks it does’t fly into your drivetrain, but do a lot of guys still use them?

by Peter Fontecchio on Apr 7, 2009 9:29 PM EDT up reply actions