NOW IT FITS

Got my Litespeed Tuscany, and my Kona Jake the Snake fitted by Chris at Joselyn's bike shop in downtown Monterey.

I'm VERY satisfied with the results.

I have measured and sized my own bikes for my whole life, but this $125 investment moved EVERYTHING on both bikes, but especially the seat height and stem length.

Here's my analysis:

Hey, How bout that plastic???

My next venture into the world of plastic parts (yeah I call it plastic because carbon fiber sounds so pretentious, and plastic sounds so "Lego", and innocent).

Realdesign Supersonic 60mm rims from eBay, nearly $500 smackers with shipping. WHOA!

Slightly lighter than MAVIC Aksiums, but way aero, we'll see what happens.

I loved the feel of the Spinergy Rev-X wheelset at speeds up to about 30mph, but then they started to oscillate on me, made me a little nervous.

More reports after my test ride, but for now, they are lost in the miserable world of US POSTAL SERVICE parcel post (40,000 job losses.... I wonder why?)

Finally Settled In

Finally.

After hmmmmmmm, seems like 5 cross fames, I am finally completely satisfied!!!

I decided on a 2009 Kona, 60cm Jake the Snake frame and fork from www.bikeman.com.

I loved the Redline, but it was a SMALL 58cm, and I could not make the geometry work for me. No matter how I set it up, my knees were hitting the bars anytime I was climbing. Bummer.

So anyway, I mounted up the Aksiums, the Carbon crankset, the shifters and derailers, and the stem and bars.

First impression? Well, I crashed in the middle of the street on my first ride!!!

I rode a dirt trail near my house for about 30 minutes, and on my way back home, cut hard into a left turn, and laid it down for about a 6ft skit on my hip, thight, knee and ankle (minimal scratches on the bike thank god).

So it comes right out of the barn with battle scars.

LOVE IT!

Cyclocross Racing and Bad Brains

More plastic parts: A review of "VINTAGE" technology

Spinergy Rev X

At one time, more time trials and stage races were won on these wheels than any other, however, that was 1997...

For me, I saw it as a chance to op-test some equipment for the somewhat reasonable price of $300. I can't find any information regarding the original retail price of these wheels, but I'm guessing it was upwards of the $800-$1200 range, just guessing.

So they get installed on the Litespeed Tuscany, and the first ride report is below:

First LONG downhill, hit 45mph EASILY and would have been a good bit faster were it not for the damn pickup truck only going 45 in a 35mph zone....

At speeds above 20mph, they seem to "want to" go faster than my Ksyriums. I'm assuming it's the fact that nearly all of the weight in these wheels is in the rim where the spokes and skewers are the heaviest part of SSC/SLs because they are stainess steel. It's not so much a question of "aero-ness", but speed and feel.

At speeds in excess of 30mph, the buzz like a helicopter and start to vibrate pretty severely. I honestly think it's the imbalance of having a RIDICULOUSLY long valve stem. Having never had any other carbon/aero wheels, I can't say for certain, but a 4" long piece of brass that isn't counterbalanced on the other side makes for some noticeable undulations in the rotation of the wheel.

The bearings are buttery smooth, and the wheel spins for forever when elevated off of the ground.

The braking surfaces were reliable and had better "grab" than my Ksyrium SSC/SLs.

The look was well worth the $300 bucks. I think it really looks fantastic, and in all, probably added 350-500 grams to the 18.8 pound bike, roughly the weight of a half-full water bottle.

 

Weight training

I have never weighed a bike in my life... until today, and I weighed all 3.

60cm Titanium Litespeed Tuscany with Ultegra group and MAVIC Ksyrium SSC wheelset: 18.8lbs

58cm Aluminum Redline conquest CX with Ultegra/Dura Ace/Bontrager Carbon mix and Aksium Race wheelset: 21lbs

60cm 831 Steel Soma Smoothie with 105/FSA Carbon group and MAVIC Ksyrium Elite wheelset: 21lbs.

I think under the 20lb mark, it would take REALLY EXPENSIVE and REALLY SMALL increments of improvement (grams) to really make any difference whereas a regular human body can probably drop a couple of pounds easily with very little effort.

I'm just interested that the steel, aluminum, and titanium bikes are all comparable, lending a little less credence that frame material is really much of a consequence aside from comfort and durability. That having been said, I have never owned a full carbon frame... I can't imagine the feel, but I'm sure they are pretty amazing (almost ALL carbon is made in China).

The REDLINE Cometh

What's Blue, Light, Fast and Tough as Hell?

Why it's my Redline Conquest, thanks for asking!!!

It got the initial 20 mile dirt ride around Fort Ord and La Mesa fire roads, and it's a HUGE improvement over the off-brand frame and fork I was riding. It feels SOLID, and I could sprint all day on it.

Bye Bye Scattante RLX CX. Next up, Redline Conquest Pro

So a little about the great deal of $225 for Aluminum frame, Carbon fork and Cane Creek headset... It really was a GREAT DEAL, but I just can't enjoy riding it. Even with a full Ultegra kit and brand new Mavic Aksiums (which are the value KING MOFO of CX wheels for their weight), I just don't like it.
- Sloping top tube screws up the entire geometry. Looks bad, rides weird
- Fork is wiggly and vibrates like hell whenever the brake pads start to grab
- I have to cut the steer-tube on the fork. It's just too long.
- Most of all, I'm just damn peculiar and always itching for something new and juicy.

So I was looking at Jake the Snake by Kona ($399 frame fork combo), Soma Doublecross ($425 combo), Surly Crosscheck ($410 combo) and the Redline Conquest ($325 combo). I really like the Surly's beefiness, but the frame and fork for a 60cm was like 8 lbs. The Soma is probably just as tough, and a little lighter, but just above my budget after taxes and shipping. The Jake was backordered (#1 selling CX bike ever), so value or not, I can't wait.

Redline reviews look solid and the aluminum fork should be stiff and light enough. It's a real value as I see it, plus they have gone all out with great looking graphics and thoughtful design characteristics.

I'll be building up with:

Ultegra group, shifters, derailers
FSA Gossamer Mega Exo compact cranks
Ritchey bars and stem
MAVIC Aksium wheels or Open Pros with Ultegra hubs
WTB saddle
Egg Beaters pedals
Kenda Kwick 700X32 tires, kevlar bead

PHAT

Soma Smoothie gets some new BLING BLING

The Soma Smoothie is one fine piece of bike. It's exceptionally lightweight and steady (thanks 831 chromo steel). It was previously outfitted with Shimano WH-550 wheels (sold), and then brand new MAVIC Open Pros/Ultegra hubs. I got an offer to buy some MAVIC Ksyrium Elites for $200, and couldn't resist. I hated the celeste bar tape, so swapped for black Specialized Body Geometry tae (Highly Recommended). I also swapped the Ritchey Pro stem for an Easton EA70 to better match the rest of the group (and the red and yellow decals on the Ksyriums).

It's just beautiful, balanced, and integrated- Most importantly, fun to ride.

Friday 31 July

Short Aguajito Loop to Lover's Point Share your bike routes @ Bikely.com