HC Bike/Cycling Thread

[MexicanDragon]

the bike looks good too

Yeah, the bike looks good too!

 

**BRENT**

[aerius]

For mountain biking maybe, and that's a huge maybe based on impact loads and abuse.  For road biking, I call bullshit.  Maybe if this was two decades ago, but not today.  Back it up with some facts, which I suspect will be very difficult if not impossible. 

 

It came up in a dinner conversation with Damon Rinard, he coaches my friend's cycling team and he's also the composites engineer at Cervelo.  I brought up aerospace applications and why it works just fine there, as he explained it, and I probably missed a few things, it has to do with the epoxies and stabilizers along with the layup, and also they build with larger safety factors on planes.  I had no idea it happened on bikes, I knew it happened on hockey sticks since they get massively flexed and take huge impacts on slapshots, but apparently it happens on bikes too, it just takes a lot longer.  There were some other fun things such as BB stiffness being highly overrated and that you could break the seatstays on an R3 and it'll still ride just fine.

[n_maher]

And guys like Calfee will tell you the exact opposite, that they've got customers with 100k+ on bikes that still ride and feel like new.  The truth is that there's probably as much variability in frame lifespan between manufacturers as there is cost (which is to say, lots) so maybe Cervelo takes that engineering approach but I don't think you can't paint the entirety of carbon frames with that brush.  It would seem odd that most companies offer lifetime warranties on frames that if raced, would be shagged in a matter of a few years. 

[VPI]

I have not been on a bike in over 2 weeks.  I think I will have to venture out into the cold this weekend for a couple of rides.  Wish I had ordered some winter cycling gear a bit sooner as my stuff should be here some time next week.

[n_maher]

Jeff,

 

If your shoes are ventilated (and they probably are) you'll want to get a pair of booties if you haven't already ordered them.  My feet are the only thing that gets really cold when I ride in sub 50F temps.  My hands, even with half-finger gloves are fine.  My feet are ice cubes after about 45 minutes.  Otherwise I don't use any dedicated cold weather gear.  Just thermal underwear/multiple layers with a thin fleece beanie under my helmet.  It's way too cold here to even think about a ride.  It was 1F when I left for work this morning and topped out around 20.

[aerius]

Gave the hikers a couple days to pack down the trails a bit, then went out for a snow ride today.  The bike went sideways a bunch of times and I got a lot of practice at counter steering and drifting.  The best part?  My wheels & tires are finally clean.

 

[Dreadhead]

Jeff good luck with the rides. Embrocation is your friend if you can't find clothing. If you want to come down my way we should ride.

Nate, Calfee actually has boron to their tubing and carbon for more crash resistance. That is a large part of what pushed me over the edge. That said hearing that Cervelo is happy with only a few years is crazy.

Edited January 3, 2013 by Dreadhead

[VPI]

Cervelo has a life time warranty on the frame so I doubt they are happy with a couple of years.  For some reason the Calfee does not have a life time warranty.

[Dreadhead]

Cervelo has a life time warranty on the frame so I doubt they are happy with a couple of years.  For some reason the Calfee does not have a life time warranty.

Nope. 25 years which is close enough. The Crumpton is 10 I think.

 

Calfee is all about service though and I doubt they'd give too much trouble beyond that time.

Edited January 3, 2013 by Dreadhead

[VPI]

Yeah, I figured as much with the Calfee.

[aerius]

Cervelo has a life time warranty on the frame so I doubt they are happy with a couple of years.  For some reason the Calfee does not have a life time warranty.

 

I don't think warranties have any real relation to how long a bike will last.  Trek has a lifetime warranty on its aluminum frames yet I've broken mine twice in the last 10 years and had it replaced free of charge.  Specialized also has the same warranty and one of my friends has gone through 6 or 7 warranty frames in the past 15 years or so.  Kona and Norco also have lifetime warranties on the bike models that I own, the Norco was the only one I managed to break and that was by slamming it head-on into a tree at high speed when I botched the landing off a big drop.

 

BTW, don't look up "cracked Cervelo" on the 'net...but if it makes you feel better, my Kona is known for snapping at the drive side dropout.  It was a known flaw which is why the '97 & later models have a different dropout design.

[deepak]

I don't think warranties have any real relation to how long a bike will last.  Trek has a lifetime warranty on its aluminum frames yet I've broken mine twice in the last 10 years and had it replaced free of charge.  Specialized also has the same warranty and one of my friends has gone through 6 or 7 warranty frames in the past 15 years or so.  Kona and Norco also have lifetime warranties on the bike models that I own, the Norco was the only one I managed to break and that was by slamming it head-on into a tree at high speed when I botched the landing off a big drop.

 

BTW, don't look up "cracked Cervelo" on the 'net...but if it makes you feel better, my Kona is known for snapping at the drive side dropout.  It was a known flaw which is why the '97 & later models have a different dropout design.

Any idea how good Rocky Mountain are with their aluminum mtb frame warranties?

[boomana]

Getting ready to head out the door and ride with Mike and John, though they'll be doing a longer ride.  This is my first ride on the Calfee, other than in a parking lot, and my first ride with people since early November.  Yay!  

[jp11801]

just me today, I'm headed out in 20 minutes, happy to going on a ride together! 

[raffy]

Great to hear Vicki, good luck with your first time out since the ankle injury and take care! Have a great ride too John, looking forward to riding again with you guys soon! Can't wait for Tuesday to come for my first ride post vacation.

[n_maher]

Have fun, guys and gal!

[tyrion]

I wish I could have joined you guys but family stuff required my presence. Have a great ride!

On another note, I sold my unbuilt DeSalvo frame. Decided I needed the money more than I needed a new frame since my Gunnar was serving me well.

[Dreadhead]

Vicki and John: I hope that that you had a great ride. Vicki I hope you love the Calfee.

Mike: I totally understand with regards to family stuff taking priority. Sorry to hear about your frame but I trust it was the right decision for you.

[boomana]

Dang, Mike re DeSalvo, but I get it.

 

Only did 23 miles again today, though had planned on more.  It was raining most of the way, which wasn't bad.  I met John down towards his place and we rode back up slowly (guessing 12-13), and stopped at Luna Rosa for breakfast.  My ankle felt great on the bike, but was not so happy once off (mostly due to the weather, I think), so I headed home, rather than picking up the 15-ish more miles I'd wanted to do.  At least John got to ride at a more normal speed after I turned off as he was planning on getting in 50 and the rain had stopped.  

 

I think I'm going to love the Calfee, though hard to tell from today since I've only put on 23 slow, rainy miles on it, and I was paying more attention to gabbing with John and catching up than to my bike, which in a way is a good thing, since the bike was not asking me to pay attention to it in any way.  I will say that the best decision I've made in a while was to change out my handlebars from 40s to 38s.  I did so on the Gunnar as well, and tested it out last night for a bit and same feeling.  My whole upper body just relaxed since my hands/arms just land where they're supposed to, and I'm not trying to pull them toward me on the bars just to find a narrower, comfy spot.  I also think I'm liking the Vitesse saddle, though need more miles on it to be sure.  I put my trusty B17 back on my Gunnar and will just have to remember to bring a cover with me as I seem to ride in the rain as often as not.  The Gilles Berthoud was almost the perfect saddle, love the hard leather and overall shape, but just a wee bit too convex near the nose, and I wasn't liking that so much.

 

Anyway, I feel good.  I'm going to do a group ride out of Synergy tomorrow, hang with the C group, and turn back if/when I need.

[Pars]

Good for you Vicki! Glad that the 23 went well, and that you are on your way to recovery and meeting your goals.

[VPI]

Vicki, 23 miles in the rain seems pretty damn impressive to me. I officially went off the deep end and got crazy tights to wear instead of my MTB shorts on the road bikes.

[boomana]

^ That's the way to do it, Jeff!

[Dreadhead]

Jeff I hope that they are neon green.

[tyrion]

I've been gong with my road shorts on the trails. Was wearing shorts over them at first but they just got in the way when getting out of saddle.

[jp11801]

just finished cleaning the bike after the ride, great fun to be back out with V! Did just over 40 miles in constant rain that only increased after Vicki and I separated. One a good note I may have finally found a saddle after 2400 miles and 12 or so demos.