PedalSmart.blog

Minimalist Tool Kit While many people like to be “prepared for anything”, I have always strived to have the smallest and lightest toolkit that will simply “get me home”. For me this means:  fit flats reconnect broken chains adjust critical bolts and screws. In tube tire days, I needed a spare tube, tire levers and arguably a bigger pump for 120 psi tires. With a hooked bead tubeless configuration, I carry only a tubeless repair kit. I know, you can carry spare tubes but I find that to be impractical. Converting to tubes on the road takes a lot of time and is messy. Also, I use only hooked bead rim and TLR tires. They don’t come off the rim in a blowout like hookless rims commonly do. This improves the odds of getting by with just a tubeless kit. After many iterations, here’s what I settled on: 1. Old versus new: As mentioned above, just a tubeless repair tool and “bacon strips”. I carry only the hex wrenches I need (that’s 3, 4 & 5 mm since I have replaced all screws on my bik...

What's Your favourite Chain Lube? Asking random people for opinions on chain lubes is not going to tell you much. Poor chain hygiene will wear out chains over the course of months and thousands of kms. Few riders will be able to distinguish good from bad on their own. Not to mention wax zealots who are well intentioned but don't know that they must clean and re-wax every 300km (that's weekly for me) to get the stellar numbers that wax can achieve. Better news: Chain lube testing is getting better.  Zero Friction Cycling Lube Testing  is probably the best testing site out there. They test lubes over extended periods, in different dirt/contamination/touch-up/wetness conditions (called blocks), to simulate real world performance. Zero Friction is not only about watts (FWIW: I have zero interest in watts saved). Friction induces wear that forces you to replace chains ($100), cogs ($200) and chainrings ($600) faster than you need to. Use a good lube ($30) properly and you will ...

 HOOKED VERSUS HOOKLESS RIMS (ROAD BIKE) IMHO: There are two types of tubeless tire riders, those who get stranded and those who don't. Riders who get stuck the most have hookless rims that allow the tire to fall off in a blowout. They can't get the tire re-seated and need to call for help. The other tubeless camp has hooked rims (includes me). Ours tires rarely come off. We can patch with a tubeless repair kit bacon strip in 5 minutes. We don't even need to carry a spare tube. My limited sample: On club rides this year, about a half dozen people have needed to call home home after getting a tubeless flat. All were riding hookless rims. Few people seem to know the difference and vendors are pushing pretty hard to sell us hookless rims. Does this pass the smell test? DEJA VUE ALL OVER AGAIN? Hookless Rims remind me of Press Fit Bottom Brackets 15 years ago. Vendors insisted they were great. Reality for most people was different: Noisy, loose fitting and bearings that faile...

 MANY MAGIC LUBE METHODS Here's the thing about novel and well-intended chain lube methods: How do you know it works? Lubrication is a long game. Wear is measured over months and 1000s of kms. How can any one person tell if their method is valid? You might be personally happy but you really don't know if you're creating more drivetrain friction and wear compared to a more conventional approach. In the auto industry, we have independent testing so we can use the right lubricant, in the proper manner, for the correct time interval. I might think olive oil and WD-40 is a great crankcase lube. Testing will say otherwise. Not so in the bike world. Independent testing is scarce. ZERO FRICTION Many in this group know about https://zerofrictioncycling.com.au/lubetesting/ . Good work is being done here. Understanding their testing protocols requires some work - but worth it if you ask me. SOME TAKEAWAYS ZERO FRICTION TESTING: Long term chain wear is their indirect indicator for fric...

 3D PRINTED SADDLE I bought this saddle from Ali Express. The Specialized version of this 3D design costs around $500. The Fizik version costs about $400. My no-name 3D printed saddle set me back $90. I have mounted it on my indoor bike for the winter. This saddle is comfortable. No pressure points and no urge to stand up during long indoor sessions. That's a first. My only concern is longevity. Will this saddle last? UPDATE: October 2023 After 4 months indoors and 6000 kms outdoors, this saddle is still pristine.  And still comfortable too. 

Indoor Bike Rocker Plate on the Cheap Here are the latest updates to my DIY indoor bike "Rocker Plate".  I want side-to-side movement for comfort and especially when do sprints. Commercial product are too big and unwieldy.  They also provide for and aft movement that I don't find particularly helpful. The Stages SB20 bike footprint is essentially the same as before. It rides surprisingly well thanks to dual density foam. A padded centre-line offers support and good dampening.  

 NOISY PRESS FIT BOTTOM BRACKETS My Cannondale 2010 era BB30 has been noisy for 10 years. I have tried multiple fixes. In the end: Two complete bearing failures and a damaged frame shell. All appear to be related to poor alignment of the bearings that induces movement between at frame shell junction. For BB30, and most press fit BBs, primary interference (i.e., the place where the bearing is supposed to be firmly seated and immovable) is between the bearing and frame. FWIW: Electric motors I have worked on, have the interference between the axle and bearing - with frame friction being lower. This is generally a better design - especially when you want quiet operation. Only Campagnolo Ultra Torque has this axle interference design. Go figure.  Long story short: My BB30 bearing had too much movement where it mates with the frame. I tried using red Loctite as a permanent fix. That only lasts a few rides. Same for pumping in large amounts of grease. REPLACEMENT SLEEVE I purchased ...

 My Zwift Cockpit (with updates) What's Here? Stages SB20 Smart Bike Left iPad: Stages Cycling App.  Shows virtual gear, L:R pedal balance, 1s Watts and Cadence Right iPad: Zwift app. iPad 9th generation - all that's currently needed for optimum Zwift performance Wireless charger for iPhone with on/off switch . Useful for showing the Zwift companion app in group rides Garmin Computer . Why a Garmin Computer? Zwift automatically records speed, distance, cadence and power. Much of this is based on Zwift's internal physics model that includes calculations for road surfaces, hills and wind resistance. Nice but it doesn't include: L:R balance and pedalling dynamics data. Data that Garmin uses for TSS and IF metrics plus ongoing V02 Max estimates. Warm-up and warm down segments. I do a lot of Zone 2 training.  My warm-up and warm-down is a significant part of my workout. I want to see this data. I use a Garmin computer to record all my workouts, winter and summer. The pow...

Here is my new cycling blog that focuses on improving fitness and longevity while saving money at the same time. In 2023, desirable road bikes cost $6000 and up. Indoor smart bikes cost almost as much. I have some ideas to improve performance while spending less. A wise person (probably) said: "It takes no great skill to overspend on bikes and their maintenance". Let's go.