Okay, that's it, no more making Grace's bike lighter and faster. Screw project 18, it's time for project fill-the-damned-seat-tube-with-lead-shot. We rode on Friday with BVL and Lance, where I was happy to discover that I wasn't the slowest of the group-- Lance hasn't been riding at all and had him a good suffer fest on his singlespeed... on the other hand, Grace did really well, passing me on several occasions.
Then, Saturday, I took the opportunity to swap her tires for the Kenda Karmas, and we got out last night to ride. This time it was just me and her, and she stomped me like a bucket of grapes at the winery. Stomped me like a bug. She just stormed right up the hills, she took off on the flats, and she even rocked the downhills. We didn't have much light, thanks to a late start, so had to bail out early and ride back on Forbidden, and towards the end, I couldn't even hang onto her wheel. The sprint at the end was utterly out of the question.
So she was getting fast before, and now she's officially there. She loves the tires, said she could feel a real difference on the climbs, and I felt a real difference trying to keep up with her on Forbidden. She didn't even notice that I had swapped out her 11-34 cassette for a 11-32, saving over 40g in the process.
So am I bitter? Will I stop making her bike lighter and faster? Hell no! I'm just gonna have to step it up and see what I can do about catching her. :)
Monday, March 24, 2008
Thursday, March 20, 2008
18lbs, here we come...
Anyone who knows me in a bike context probably knows that I'm what's called a "weight weenie". I like light bikes, always have, back from the days when I was younger and bought a gram scale from a coworker at the bike shop. It was a scientific beam scale -- more accurately a "balance" and had a range of 0-300g with a resolution to .01 grams. In retrospect I probably should have wondered why he had a gram scale accurate to .01 grams... but I never did... I was just happy I could weigh my stuff. Using that I had my Cannondale road bike down to 18.5 lbs, which at the time actually WAS an accomplishment.
Oh, and yes, I recorded every part I weighed in a notebook, and listed the weight all the way down to a hundreth of a gram. That should give you a pretty good idea of how I approached things. I would weigh 10 bolts and use the two lightest... even though we're talking a 10th of a gram difference.
For a while, my weight weenieism was in remission... probably had something to do with me owning a Rocky Mountain Element, which was going to be heavy no matter what. Recently, however, it's been flaring up... first with Grace's Santa Cruz, now with her Scott. I had her Santa Cruz down to 22.8lbs, which is REALLY good for a full suspension bike. But when we got her the Scott Scale... well, look at the name... the "Scale". You know this is a bike made specifically for weight weenies, and you also know you can't go hanging heavy parts on it.
So, with that in mind, I built it up using what we had on hand, and it came out to be around 20lbs... just a little over. I wound up stealing more and more parts from her Santa Cruz, and as it stands right now, the bike hangs from the scale at 20.00lbs. DAMN!
Well, there's hope. To fit the bike to her, I was using various stems that I had on hand, and the one that wound up being the most comfortable was a 105mm no-name brick of polished aluminum that weighs in at 170g. I just ordered up a 106g Syntace F99 -- she's got a 90mm on the Juliana already. So that's 64g.
Next, I convinced her to let go of her trusty Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires. They're reasonable at 580g, but the Kenda Karmas she'll be trying are 450g -- 130g lighter a piece, for 260g total reduction, and at the wheels where it makes a bigger difference. I ran those tires for most of last summer, and thought they worked great, so she should like them better than the Schwalbe Racing Ralphs we tried a while back.
Another big difference will be in losing the e-type LX front dérailleur. Right now I am using the front derailleur as a chain guide, since the bike is set up as a 1x9. At 185g, that chain guide is almost as heavy as the downhill/freeride/4x chainguides available now! Plus, I run an outboard "ring guard" to keep the chain from jumping off to the outside... and even as a lightweight Spot guard, it's still 60g. Ditch the two of those, and you're looking at 245g of weight saved! I'm currently talking to a guy in Canada who has a carbon fiber chain guide which weighs in at around 10g!
Finally, I'm looking to replace the full run dérailleur housing with Nokon housing and a special rigid aluminum tubing I've been testing on my bike.
With all these changes -- the bike should wind up under 19lbs... my estimates are at around 18.6lbs! That's for a mountain bike... and it's in the same range as my old Cannondale road bike.
Awesome!
Oh, and yes, I recorded every part I weighed in a notebook, and listed the weight all the way down to a hundreth of a gram. That should give you a pretty good idea of how I approached things. I would weigh 10 bolts and use the two lightest... even though we're talking a 10th of a gram difference.
For a while, my weight weenieism was in remission... probably had something to do with me owning a Rocky Mountain Element, which was going to be heavy no matter what. Recently, however, it's been flaring up... first with Grace's Santa Cruz, now with her Scott. I had her Santa Cruz down to 22.8lbs, which is REALLY good for a full suspension bike. But when we got her the Scott Scale... well, look at the name... the "Scale". You know this is a bike made specifically for weight weenies, and you also know you can't go hanging heavy parts on it.
So, with that in mind, I built it up using what we had on hand, and it came out to be around 20lbs... just a little over. I wound up stealing more and more parts from her Santa Cruz, and as it stands right now, the bike hangs from the scale at 20.00lbs. DAMN!
Well, there's hope. To fit the bike to her, I was using various stems that I had on hand, and the one that wound up being the most comfortable was a 105mm no-name brick of polished aluminum that weighs in at 170g. I just ordered up a 106g Syntace F99 -- she's got a 90mm on the Juliana already. So that's 64g.
Next, I convinced her to let go of her trusty Panaracer Fire XC Pro tires. They're reasonable at 580g, but the Kenda Karmas she'll be trying are 450g -- 130g lighter a piece, for 260g total reduction, and at the wheels where it makes a bigger difference. I ran those tires for most of last summer, and thought they worked great, so she should like them better than the Schwalbe Racing Ralphs we tried a while back.
Another big difference will be in losing the e-type LX front dérailleur. Right now I am using the front derailleur as a chain guide, since the bike is set up as a 1x9. At 185g, that chain guide is almost as heavy as the downhill/freeride/4x chainguides available now! Plus, I run an outboard "ring guard" to keep the chain from jumping off to the outside... and even as a lightweight Spot guard, it's still 60g. Ditch the two of those, and you're looking at 245g of weight saved! I'm currently talking to a guy in Canada who has a carbon fiber chain guide which weighs in at around 10g!
Finally, I'm looking to replace the full run dérailleur housing with Nokon housing and a special rigid aluminum tubing I've been testing on my bike.
With all these changes -- the bike should wind up under 19lbs... my estimates are at around 18.6lbs! That's for a mountain bike... and it's in the same range as my old Cannondale road bike.
Awesome!
Monday, March 17, 2008
I'm not a flippin' speedbump, man!
Ok, if you're reading this, please just do me a favor. Think when you drive. That's all I ask. Walking to the train today I came within about a foot of getting hit by some person in an Infiniti G35 who just couldn't be bothered to actually stop at a stop sign, and either didn't bother to look for me or didn't bother to care. All I knew was I was crossing the road on my way to the train, and this car came zipping up Clinton, slowed a *little* at the stop sign, then hooked a left right at me in the crosswalk. I literally had to jump forward and was just missed by their mirror. I yelled, and they stopped just up the road, I guess maybe they were trying to figure out what the hell that was that "just jumped out" in front of them.
Who knows. All I know is it shouldn't be this fucking dangerous to cross the road at 6 in the morning. I mean, had they actually came to a stop at the stop sign, I'd have been all the way through by the time they went by. If they didn't get on the gas so hard after "stopping" I'd have been all the way through. Hey, I've been there, I know it's fun to go fast and I've driven a G35, I know it's fun to accelerate in one of those... but the simple fact of the matter is even at 220lb, I'm a bit out of my weight class against a car, and just a LITTLE bit of paying attention would go a really really long way to me being able to remain healthy.
Just please pay attention out there. It was too dark to see, but who of us would have been surprised if the driver was on the phone?
Who knows. All I know is it shouldn't be this fucking dangerous to cross the road at 6 in the morning. I mean, had they actually came to a stop at the stop sign, I'd have been all the way through by the time they went by. If they didn't get on the gas so hard after "stopping" I'd have been all the way through. Hey, I've been there, I know it's fun to go fast and I've driven a G35, I know it's fun to accelerate in one of those... but the simple fact of the matter is even at 220lb, I'm a bit out of my weight class against a car, and just a LITTLE bit of paying attention would go a really really long way to me being able to remain healthy.
Just please pay attention out there. It was too dark to see, but who of us would have been surprised if the driver was on the phone?
Sunday, March 16, 2008
History repeats itself...
Back in 2002, we got Grace a Santa Cruz Juliana Superlight. On her first ride, she wasn't on it for five minutes when she proclaimed it a "night and day difference" over her previous Jamis full suspension bike. She absolutely loved the bike, and that got me thinking about maybe some day getting myself a Santa Cruz Superlight. It's one of the few full suspension designs that has stood the test of time, virtually unchanged through the years... which is a pretty good indication that it just plain works.
Well, soon after we got that bike for her, my current bike, a Rocky Mountain Element Race, developed a problem with the Truvativ bottom bracket -- part of it broke and I couldn't get it out of the frame! Of course, I used this as the opportunity to bring up a Superlight for me. Surprisingly enough, Grace agreed, although she remains convinced I broke the BB on purpose. Soon after, I had a Superlight of my own, and after I built it up, I took a picture with the two bikes together behind my car. That's the picture to the right.
Fast forward to the present. Grace has always loved carbon fiber bikes, ever since she got a chance to ride a carbon fiber Giant road bike. Unfortunately that one didn't fit her right, but when she heard of the Scott Scale which is full carbon and amazingly light, well, she wanted one. We agreed in the summer of last year that the Scale would be her Christmas present, and I started watching for used ones -- because the price of a new one was just stupid. I managed to find her one just before Christmas ( perfect timing! ) and built it up soon after.
Well, it turned out to be the same "night and day" difference all over again. Along with the Juliana, we had gotten her an aluminum Giant hardtail, which was really light at 1338g (2.9lbs) but way overbuilt with some seriously oversized tubes. This made for a stiff bike which had a pretty punishing ride. Enter the Scott, which was insanely light -- 1006g for a bare frame! -- and had the wonderful ride of carbon, and she was lovin' life all over again.
See where this is going? Yep. Wouldn't you know that my rear shock on my Santa Cruz would start acting up around the same time as she got the Scale? Again, I claim complete innocence, but what better way to avoid problems with a rear shock than not have one? I started watching for Scales in my size, but honestly more out of amusement than anything. Well, as luck would have it, I put in a low bid on an eBay auction for an XL scale frame, and wound up winning it!
Well, it took me a little while to get it built up, but I finally did... and I figured I had to duplicate the two bikes together, behind the car picture:
As you can see, the ridiculous size difference still remains...
How does it ride? Just like carbon. I have a carbon fiber road bike too, and they're surprisingly similar in the ride. The best way to describe it would be a softtail suspension bike, with just a teensy little bit of travel in the back. It smooths out the little junk on the trail or the road to an amazing degree. However, hit a sharp bump, and you are reminded that the carbon frame is still a very, very stiff frame. Sharp bumps are ... well, sharp. But then again, every aluminum hardtail I've ridden is like that on all bumps! Stand up and jam on the pedals, and the bike just simply shoots forward.
Weight? Well, Grace's is now hovering right on the edge of 20.0lbs. Mine is at 24lbs, but that's with very heavy wheels and tires. At some point (hopefully soon) I'll get better wheels and lighter tires, and I expect to see my bike dip below 23lbs. Pretty respectable since my bike is still a 3x9! I had my Superlight under 24lbs configured as a 1x9, but the Scott rides like it's already 4lbs lighter.
I've always been a fan of well constructed carbon fiber bikes... and this new one just serves to reaffirm that.
Well, soon after we got that bike for her, my current bike, a Rocky Mountain Element Race, developed a problem with the Truvativ bottom bracket -- part of it broke and I couldn't get it out of the frame! Of course, I used this as the opportunity to bring up a Superlight for me. Surprisingly enough, Grace agreed, although she remains convinced I broke the BB on purpose. Soon after, I had a Superlight of my own, and after I built it up, I took a picture with the two bikes together behind my car. That's the picture to the right.Fast forward to the present. Grace has always loved carbon fiber bikes, ever since she got a chance to ride a carbon fiber Giant road bike. Unfortunately that one didn't fit her right, but when she heard of the Scott Scale which is full carbon and amazingly light, well, she wanted one. We agreed in the summer of last year that the Scale would be her Christmas present, and I started watching for used ones -- because the price of a new one was just stupid. I managed to find her one just before Christmas ( perfect timing! ) and built it up soon after.
Well, it turned out to be the same "night and day" difference all over again. Along with the Juliana, we had gotten her an aluminum Giant hardtail, which was really light at 1338g (2.9lbs) but way overbuilt with some seriously oversized tubes. This made for a stiff bike which had a pretty punishing ride. Enter the Scott, which was insanely light -- 1006g for a bare frame! -- and had the wonderful ride of carbon, and she was lovin' life all over again.
See where this is going? Yep. Wouldn't you know that my rear shock on my Santa Cruz would start acting up around the same time as she got the Scale? Again, I claim complete innocence, but what better way to avoid problems with a rear shock than not have one? I started watching for Scales in my size, but honestly more out of amusement than anything. Well, as luck would have it, I put in a low bid on an eBay auction for an XL scale frame, and wound up winning it!
Well, it took me a little while to get it built up, but I finally did... and I figured I had to duplicate the two bikes together, behind the car picture:
As you can see, the ridiculous size difference still remains...
How does it ride? Just like carbon. I have a carbon fiber road bike too, and they're surprisingly similar in the ride. The best way to describe it would be a softtail suspension bike, with just a teensy little bit of travel in the back. It smooths out the little junk on the trail or the road to an amazing degree. However, hit a sharp bump, and you are reminded that the carbon frame is still a very, very stiff frame. Sharp bumps are ... well, sharp. But then again, every aluminum hardtail I've ridden is like that on all bumps! Stand up and jam on the pedals, and the bike just simply shoots forward.
Weight? Well, Grace's is now hovering right on the edge of 20.0lbs. Mine is at 24lbs, but that's with very heavy wheels and tires. At some point (hopefully soon) I'll get better wheels and lighter tires, and I expect to see my bike dip below 23lbs. Pretty respectable since my bike is still a 3x9! I had my Superlight under 24lbs configured as a 1x9, but the Scott rides like it's already 4lbs lighter.
I've always been a fan of well constructed carbon fiber bikes... and this new one just serves to reaffirm that.
Life is good... again.
Needed to work on the bikes on Saturday... yes, I should be working on the house, but working on the bikes is funner. It was sunny and warm (for mid-March) so I set up the Minoura stand on the side porch and got to work. It reminded me of the good times of working on bikes at Monica and Rich's in North Carolina.This made me realize something. I was reading some bike magazine, and they had an interview with this mechanic who has worked for many of the biggest MTB racers. I remember looking at the picture of a big, kinda chunky guy, with a HUGE smile. Since then, I've often thought that sometimes I enjoy wrenching more than riding. Not all the time... but after a crappy ride, I can't help but think of that fat, happy mechanic and wonder if I should just stick to the wrenching. :)
Friday, March 14, 2008
Everyone should do this test...
God bless the Brits! They have come up with a health test that everyone should take:
I'm feeling healthier already!
I'm feeling healthier already!
Monday, March 3, 2008
One month to Utah!
In a month, Grace and I are joining some friends and doing a long weekend of riding in Utah, with a stop in Las Vegas for a night when we're done. I've been hitting the gym and riding the rollers, as well as eating better, but I'll still be totally unprepared for it.
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