Brief History and Description of the Bikes I Ride.
Present quiver of bikes - click on link to jump to review.
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MTB Race |
Race/Travel |
Training |
Fun/Training |
Wify Time |
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Road Race |
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Winter Beater |
Hillclimb |
? 2009 |
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Titus Racer-X
Summary – Barely got a first ride in on this bike before we were buried in continuous snow for months. The bike handles as expected. Pedaling is much more efficient, and the suspension stays active during pedaling. Lock-outs on both the fork and rear shock enable the bike to behave like a hardtail for road or long climb sections. The Bontrager XDX tires really sucked though. Only good for pavement or hard paced gravel roads. Slippery mud or roots, forget about it. They slide every which way. I promptly replaced them with Panaracer Fire XC’s, a good all-arounder, not necessarily a race tire. I work that out later. I have yet to find a Bontrager tire that works for me. I get them cheap through the shop, so I have to at least give them a try. The bike is not a fly weight, weighing in at nearly 27 lbs. I have one race so far on the Racer-X, the Bear Brook Blast. The bike handled the bony descent of Carr Ridge admirably. Plan is to complete my first 100 mile MTB race in the NUE series in 2009. |
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Ridley
Noah
Summary – The bike is extremely stiff and responsive. Not an ideal century bike, but a dialed purebred racing machine. Did not think much of the tire/tube combination, as I immediately flatted. Asking other teammates on these tires, consensus was they are prone to punctures. I was warned about putting just any clincher tires on these carbon rims, as some have tendency to blow off. Michelin Pro2 Race are good, Pro3 Race are not. I put the Pro2’s on and haven’t had another flat. I rarely flat on this, even after I wear them thin. It took a while to get the seat mast set to correct height, taking the tiniest amount of each time. You can’t put it back on once you cut it off. The saddle clamp does have a couple centimeters of height adjustment range, however. The build is a couple pounds lighter than my Dean El Diente and more aerodynamic. I will no longer have equipment excuses for sucky race performance. |
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Dean Colonel SS
The rest of the build spec came 100% from the Scout frame I decommissioned. This was:
The new frame with old components rode surprisingly better, which was not even one of my objectives. The Scout frame had a steep-ish head tube angle, so I always felt a little skittish on the rough and steep stuff. The Colonel SS frame, just like my Colonel geared frame I race on, has a slightly more relaxed geometry to it. It seems to be a little more compliant through rocky chatter too. The tube-set on the Colonel is more formed than on the Scout, perhaps producing its more compliant feel. The frame did weight in a bit heavy at 4 lbs, 2 oz, but this is largely due to the massive eccentric bottom bracket (EBB) structure for chain tensioning. This is the nicest part of the new build: no noisy spring loaded chain tensioner that randomly ejects the chain from the cog. Simply rotate the EBB to tension the chain, and you’re done. Quick releases on rear wheel with vertical dropouts still allow for quick flat repairs and disk brakes. Horizontal dropouts typically used for singlespeeds require tools to align and clinch the wheel in tight, and the horizontal dropout shift makes disk brake positioning challenging if even possible. EBB is a very clean way to go. This is my cleanest looking, most reliable bike. Plan to do at least one singlespeed class race this season with it. |
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Jamis
Durango · Jamis Durango 7005 Series Aluminum Frame · Rolf Dolomite Disk Wheels · Rockshox SID XC fork, 80mm travel, with Cane Creek S2 headset · Shimano XT shifters, derailleurs, crank, cassette, and chain · Hayes Comp hydraulic disk brakes (composite master cylinder housings) · Ritchey Pro stem, Easton EA70 flat bar, Nashbar post, Shimano M535 SPD pedals
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Trek
T1000 Tandem
· Trek ZR9000 Aluminum Frame · Bontrager Clyde 48-spoke wheels · Avid Shorty 7 cantilever brakes · Bontrager crankset with ISIS bottom bracket.
Initial Review: Bike performs very well except for the brakes. After only 150 miles, the pads are heavily worn. Forget about emergency stopping, braking power just isn’t there. This had me very concerned, as we regularly hit speeds approaching 50 mph even on the small hills around our house. I did an extensive study on braking options for tandems. The bike is fitted for a rear drum brake, but these are used only as a drag brake on long mountain descents, not a primary fast-stop brake. The frame cannot readily accommodate a disk brake in the rear – no frame tabs. So this left only one option, a disk brake on the front. This would require a new fork with disk tabs, a new 700c rim laced to MTB disk hub, and a road specific mechanical disk brake caliper. I settled on an 8” rotor, figuring if it works for downhillers on 45lb rigs, it should work for a road tandem. Here’s what I ended up with:
· Dimension 700c cyclocross fork, cromoly, disk specific, 45mm rake · Mavic A719 rim, 36 spoke · Shimano XT Disk Hub, 36 spoke · DT 14 straight-gauge spokes
This new setup offers incredible stopping power on the front now, where most of it is needed anyway. Instills much greater confidence in letting speed build on descents since you know you can stop reasonably quick, although still not as fast as a single seater road bike. Getting the caliper adjusted so there is no annoying pad rub or squeak during out-of-the-saddle hammering has proven challenging. However, pads stay clear during all seated hammering. Fork is reasonably stiff, but not as stiff as the original tandem specific fork. It has a much steeper 45mm rake vs. the original 55mm rake, so bike handles much more responsively, a good thing. Trek should build them this way. November 2004: The custom disk brake setup is performing very well. Over the summer we hit Wachusett, Pack Monadnock, Pead Hill, Mont Vernon, and others. Turned the disk rotor blue coming down Pack, with no brake fade. Also noticing much less brake rub, which might have just been a break-in period thing. With 1300+ miles on the bike, we’re still on original disk brake pads. |
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Trek
5900
Haven’t found the right scale yet, but bike weighs in just above 16 lbs. The ride quality is unlike any bike I’ve been on, and I believe there are two factors behind this. The first is the stiffness of the OCLV 110 composite frame. It is extremely laterally rigid. I am very fussy about BB stiffness, to the point that I had Dean custom oversize chain stays and down tubes on two of my frames. I am very pleased with BB stiffness. The ride is harsher on the road too. This may be undesirable for double centuries, but this bike is optimized for hillclimb style racing. I believe the second reason behind the stiffness in this platform is in the wheel design. This is my first Velomax wheelset. They use straight-pull spokes, that is, they are threaded both ends. There are no elbows to flex under load. Putting these together, this bike is incredibly nimble. Feels like nothing is under you. The acceleration is very crisp. I’m no sprinter, but I could imagine the sprinter types would love the response this bike offers. A very good gamble so far. Hoping for good weather on Mt Washington for a fourth year in a row to see how many minutes I can take off my time riding this platform. Update May 2004. Replaced DA crankset with FSA Compact Carbon. This 110mm BCD (bolt center diameter) allows use of much smaller chainrings in a two-ring setup than the standard Shimano 130mm BCD allows. It comes with 34/50 tooth rings. The 50t may be a little small for flat road races, but the 34t is perfect when combined with a 11-32t cassette for hillclimbs. Seems to be stiff and yet very light. Many hillclimbs have flatter, or even downhill parts that requite much higher gearing than just a 24t granny I see on some rigs. This compact crank should be an optimum compromise so I don’t have to swap out drivetrains between pure hillclimb and road races. New parts bring the total weight (including pedals and computer) to 16.0 lbs. Update July 25, 2005. After much frustration in trying to prevent chain drops when shifting from big to little ring, I got serious with the problem. The front derailleur cannot be adjusted as low as it should be for a compact double without modifying the tab. Didn’t want to do this for the carbon frame even though it looks like it is replaceable. No aftermarket chain minders will work as is on this frame either, as the seat tube is not round in the BB area. It flares out to very large diameter. I had a Third Eye chain minder lying around, basically a molded plastic finger with a hose clamp inside it. I cut away all of the clamp part, leaving only the finger, just enough to squeeze in between the seat tube and chain when on small ring. I used silicone sealer as an adhesive to attach the finger to seat tube, holding it in place with tape until the silicone cured. It works marvelously and weighs only a few grams. I have had zero chain drops in 6 hours of hilly riding now. In action, when chain is (violently) snapped off the big ring, it bounces off the minder nub onto the small ring. It has nowhere else to go. See photos at right for setup.
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Dean Torreys Ti
Summary: January 30 -
An early winter precluded any off-road rides thus far. But with 600
miles on the bike now, a review can be given. First the issues.
The Avid Ball Bearing disk brake pads wear out in one ride in wet
conditions. After talking directly to Avid about this (couldn't get a
straight scoop from anybody else), Avid apologized for a "very small
number" of pads produced that were defective. Avid is now
replacing their B3 pad with the C4 pad, which is claimed to wear longer. We'll
see, they sent me two sets. I've avoided wet riding with this bike
since finishing my second ride brakeless, and I built this bike disk specific
for wet riding. Issue number two: The Hayes Superlight rear free
hub would spin free in both directions at temperatures under 20F. I
disassembled it completely (it's a Hugi 240 Disk, so this is easy to do) and
repacked the ratchet mechanism with a lighter grease. Problem solved,
now works perfectly even in single digit temps. Issue three: I
originally planned to use Shimano 105 derailleur with 32t MTB cassette.
Didn't work well, so stuck long cage XT derailleur on and things
shifted fine. Spring 2009: Sold. Wasn’t riding this bike much any more, and having acquired a couple other bikes recently, I needed to unload this one. |
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Dean Scout
Summary: As of a few off-road rides so far, this is the snappiest bike I have ever ridden. I questioned the head angle and measured it. With 80mm fork, it was right on 71 degrees. I then wondered why my Trek and Ellsworth did not seem as steep. They measured 69 and 67 degrees respectively. The Trek is spec’d at 71 degrees with a 63mm fork. The Scout SS weighs in at 22 lbs, which is reasonable for a SS. I found riding the FOMBA trails with this bike a considerable challenge. The numerous off-camber, sharp, up-hill turns are tough to negotiate with a 34:18 front/rear gear ratio. On rolling, open singletrack, this bike rocks! No shifting to worry about, no drivetrain noise like chain slap, super light, and responsive. On flat sections, you really have to know how to spin (158 rpm for 24 mph), and on hills you need raw strength and good control of weight distribution. It is the strength area I hope to develop by riding a SS. Update November 2004: Always felt a little too snappy on this bike. I concluded this was due in part to a very narrow flat bar, only 23” wide. I ordered a Ritchey Pro oversized (31.6mm clamp) stem and Ritchey Pro Rizer OS bar, which was 27” wide. The added stability from wider bar proved very effective. Out of the saddle mashing through messy terrain was much less skittish. Plus, the oversized bar clamp did add noticeably more torsional rigidity as well. Most singlespeeds are built with beefier bars and stems, now I understand this. Update May 2005: Fully hooked on singlespeed riding, I decided to go full custom, singlespeed specific frame. I ordered a Colonel SS with eccentric bottom bracket from Dean and transferred all of the parts over from the Scout frame to it. I will hang on to the Scout frame unless I get a decent offer for it. May 2007: Scout frame was sold to a friend. |
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Ellsworth Isis SL
Summary: The mono-pivot suspension is a good
compromise from complicated, high-maintenance multi-link designs with
slightly better pedaling efficiency. The pivot is place such that there
is very little pedaling induced bobbing. The AD-12 shock is easily
adjusted to my riding style. The suspension soaks up the New England terrain much better than my Giant did. Since this is a relatively heavy
(6.3 lbs), well designed frame, I don’t expect to break it anytime
soon. Only thing I might change: DT Revolution spokes. The
extreme 14/17 butting makes for flexy wheels. DT Competition 14/15
butted spokes are used on my Rolf wheels and instill greater confidence
negotiating rock gardens. Spring 2009: Sold after buying more efficient Titus Racer-X dualie. |
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Dean El Diente
Summary: This frame is super stiff laterally, just like the Dean Colonel described below. This platform has Mt. Washington Hill Climb written all over it. I’m not much of a roadie, but road hill climbs keep the mountain in biking. In fact, only once a year are cyclist allowed to ride up Mt. Washington, a 4727 foot vertical. Fairly light at 18.5 lbs. May 2007: After 6 years of service, it was time to change a few things on my main road racing steed. With a dedicated hillclimb bike, a winter/wet weather training bike, and a cross bike set up for general road riding most of year, I decided to set the El Diente up specifically for road racing. The heavy triple crank/BB came off, replaced with a Dura Ace double crank and Ultegra double BB. These were lying around from prior bike build/experiments. Also put all new cables and housing on frame and re-wrapped bar tape. For cassette, I went with 27t Ultegra and also swapped 39t ring out for a 38t, the smallest you can go on a 130mm BCD. This gives me a fairly low minimum ratio for some of the steep pitches found in New England hilly road races. To top off the remodel, I bought a set of Rolf Prima Vigor wheels to replace the six year old Rolf Vector Pro’s. In six years of hard racing, 6-gaps rides, and training, I have never had to true the Vector Pro wheels. I hope to get same performance out of the Vigor’s. The Vigor’s are much lighter yet have more aero profile. Have already taken 1st and 2nd place finishes in Masters racing with these new wheels. |
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Dean Colonel Ti
Summary: One awesome riding machine. Ti frames really do take off some of that harsh edge that stiff aluminum frames have. When carving on single track, you forget you’re on a bike! No creaking or snapping sounds from this frame. The points I like about the Dean Colonel frame are Breezer style drop-outs, very large diameter chain stays, and bi-ovalized down tube. This all combines to make one of the laterally stiffest bikes I been on, but yet the frame still seems to deliver some vertical compliance. Welds are as good as Seven or Merlin welds, but frame costs $1000 less. Update May 2004: Put a few upgrades into this bike over the last 12 months. After flatting in the Wahoo race last year, I bought a set of Mavic CrossRoc UST wheels. The Michelin tubeless tires I started with performed terribly. To get any traction at all, they had to be run at very low pressures, but then I shredded the sidewalls. More flats than tube-type tires! I tried Continental Twister Pro UST tires for the Wahoo this year and was extremely happy with them. Also replaced the carbon seatpost with a Thompson Elite. See too many snapped off carbon posts at the races. The Ritchey pedals suck bad in muddy conditions, so they were replaced with the all-time best performing SPD pedals, Shimano’s PD-M959’s. This bike is still my only viable off-road racing platform. May 2007: After nearly six years of racing and epic riding around the country, it was time to replace aging componentry on my favorite MTB. Shimano finally came out with an XTR groupo that I can use again – independent shifters, normal high indexing, etc. After stripping the frame bare, including ragged decals, I polished the Ti with Scotch Brite pads. This took only an hour, and the frame looked literally brand new, but shinier. I bought new decal kit from Dean to finish the job right. Then new XTR shifters, cables, rear derailleur, crank, cassette, and chain went on. Kept the Hayes brakes. Bike rides like a million dollars now. |
May 2007:
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Giant XTC DS1 |
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Specialized Allez Update June 2009: I could have 50,000 miles on this bike by now. On third set of wheels. Ridden mostly in winter months and wet summer days. Still original frame, fork, headset, stem, post, bar, front and rear derailleurs. Nearly everything else has been replaced at least once. |
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Trek 8900 November 2004: Decommissioned. Transferred most of the parts to the new Jamis Durango frame. Frame went to Pelham transfer station to be recycled. |
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Specialized Stumpjumper
Comp |
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Trek 820 |
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