the architect’s MAMIL build

?
so it's an arione?
fabric.

Just seen this thread. Carbon clinchers for riding in the lake district is an amazingly bad idea. At least the SwissStops aren't Yellows.

Slow descending of steep stuff hard on the brakes is exactly what leads to carbon rims heating up (and carbon clinchers rim-beads separating from the rims).

I'm amazed nobody on here mentioned this.

Sorry wrong link. It's an Antares http://www.fizik.it/saddles/road-saddles/antares-00/

At the risk if sounding like an asshole, but why would you ever want to descend slowly?

Descending quiet mountain roads is mostly fine. I descended a mountain road full of caravanettes, and was constantly on the brakes though. This melted the feck out of my cheap carbon clinchers. The deformations in the bead hook were a full 3-4mm. I have no idea how the tyre didnt explode off. I InFact didnt even notice how screwed the front rim was untill the next time I tried to ride it and the brakes went into a fit.

Just a heads up.

I'm sure if you take this into consideration, and pump the brakes, allowing them time to cool. You'll be fine.

You've done a great job on the bike BTW. Looks real nice in a 'I'd really want to ride that' kinda way.

By slow I mean with a lot of time on the brakes. I thought you rode up Hardknott? If so you'll be familiar with extremes of Cumbrian the roads?

Coming down similar, narrow and twisting 20% roads that are open to traffic/sheep doesn't really let you do anything else unless you're on a mtb. Especially if your braking on carbon.

When @smallfurry is decending nordic moutains his speeds will be pretty high and that cool, high mountain airflow will help reduce heat buildup. On twisty small roads closer to sea level it's altogether different.

Descending Hardknott has popped Chinese carbon clinchers in the past.

looks great man!

Mine really should have popped. The braking surface was pretty poor though. My basalt braking surface is a lot better. more effect, and less heat build up. I've taken to scrubbing speed With the rear brake, before moving to the front to get Down to a managable turning speed though. To spread the heating.

To be honest I've started to fecking hate road clinchers. Such a pain in the arse. Going to swap the fixie beater to alu tubulars when I have the funds.

How do you find the aero bottles. Going to get a pair of them for mine Felt.

I just walked into the Evans near oxford circus, they had (the plastic base not the carbon version) in stock. I'm sure that you can buy it cheaper elsewhere though! http://www.bike24.com/1.php?content=8;navigation=1;menu=1000,5,128,68;product=73439
one word of warning, they rattle A LOT!

Regarding braking surface, I had reservations about full carbon wheels myself. More to do with power as I tend to be a full beans 'slam on the brakes' rather than a sustained braking slow and steady kind of rider. As @HoKe will attest, I managed to skid whip it during the toys hill descent yesterday, so I'm happy with it.

Apparantly the Elite CXs play Nice With the Aeros of my frame. Piss about the rattling though. Cheers for the link and heads up.

Its not out'n'power. Its heating of the brake surface. Or rather lack of heat loss. This softens the epoxy binder. Which unfortunately is also, at the same time, under 110 psi from the clincher tyre. So the bead gets pushed out. At best ruining further braking. At worst, explosively ejecting the tyre.

On tubulars you can bury the pads in Your rims, every apex. All that happens is that the heat build up makes the pads grabby. I've tried peeling off a tubular tyre when my rims are at epic temps. The glue (conti carbon specific. Horrible stuff to use) still held them solidly.

Anyway this is a clinchers v tubulars derail. Sorry about that.

No problem! Out of interest what rims do you use? There is a lot of talk about zipp etc providing special breaking surfaces for better stopping and heat dissipation. Is any if that true?

I have some HongFu tubular rims. The spoke bed is a bit thin. I havent had an issue. But my mate With basically the same Wheels managed to crack a spoke hole. Bit of user error there. But hes moved onto ACE (Asian Cycle Equipment or something). I'm buying Nextie rims NeXT. Which look to be the same as the ACE.

These rims have Basalt in the braking surface. Which really makes a difference. Tune add alu filings to theirs. Xenith add alu powder or something. Zipp probably use something similar to the Basalt. I dont have the details to hand, and am a bit lazy. But basically, yes, there is a lot of Tech out there. Personally the basalt surface on the better asian OEM rims has been great for me.

http://www.nextie-bike.com/road

I'm pretty sure that mine are farsport rims (similar to Mavic) so quite narrow, but they do have a basalt braking surface. before I rode them, I had them rebuilt by Cadence Performance and I upgraded to hubs to Novatec SLs, so they run pretty true at the moment. They weigh sub 1500g, so I doubt there is much scope to upgrade without spending silly money.

I noticed a big improvement moving to basalt. I can say that much.

The only way to lose decent weight would be to buy seriously expensive hubs and spokes. Which wont give much Return.

The Novatec SLs are quite light already I think? I was thinking of them for my wheel build

My 56mm deep, 25mm wide Wheels are sub 1300g. Granted they are tubulars. But most of the weight is saved With expensive hubs and spokes. The hubs are on their second pair of rims, and I was planning to use them for a move to 60mm deep, and even wider, rims. So its not a terrible Investment. But a hundred grams at the hubs isnt much of a performance gain for the cost of Tune hubs.

Yes the wheels originally had the standard Novatecs but they weren't 11 speed compatible. I think I got the SLs from a wheel builder out in wales (for some reason I can't find the link). novatec claim that the SL set is about 80g which that achieve by drilling an extra set of holes in the spoke flanges. Not exactly what you would call aero, but it does the job!

Ok with the season nearly over (only two more sportives left, both of which I'll do on another bike) it's time to set new targets and see how the s2 can be improved.

This year's target was to do the C2C (hardknot etc) in under 10 hours. We finished in just under 11 (including stops) without any real injury, so I'm pleased.

Lessons learnt: 1) never ride up 30% inclines. They are just stupid, and it seems that no amount of weight saving on the bike or indeed my body make it any easier.
2) carbon rims are rubbish - what goes up, must come down. Although @HoKe said that the sight of me tail whipping the s2 down hardknot looked impressive, I was infact MELTING the rear rim.

3)spin to win.... Er no - if anything the 50-34 was too compact for climbing. Meaning that I was forever hanging on to the big ring on climbs and then trying to shift at too low cadence. Unfortunately in the world of Q rings that automatically results in losing the chain.

4)aero really is EVERYTHING - apart from the steepest climbs which are few and far between, I quickly realised I needed to spend the rest of the time on the drops with the elbows in. Over a 10 hour ride, it made a huge difference.

So why am I going off on one I hear you ask? Well I'm 2016 I'll be doing the 305km dragon devil ride on the s2. has anyone ridden it recently? I'd appreciate any advice

So why am I going off on one I hear you ask? Well I'm 2016 I'll be doing the 305km dragon devil ride on the s2. has anyone ridden it recently? I'd appreciate any advice

I did it this year, but on my Planet X and not my S2. It's a long day in the saddle, but as long as you pace yourself it's not too bad. The 25% climb up the Devil's Elbow (comes at around the 200km mark, I think) is steep (obviously) but it's quite short. Make sure you get the pasta at the Devil route only stop (both there and back - you visit it twice). Certainly helped keep me going.

I found that the Devil Route was up towards the upper limit of what I could do and still enjoy it as a ride (I did it in 12h37m overall, 11h43m moving time). The Alpenbrevet Platintour was definitely on the other side of that dividing line...

tasty! https://www.strava.com/segments/4138820

@HoKe and I are working our training plans for next year so barring injury, this looks ok.

one thing I have done to the bike is bought the new design rotor chain catcher, which looks more adjustable than the K-edge that I have fitted

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Bontrager Aeolus 5 wheelset with Schwalbe one 25s fitted. Lizard skins to try to dampen the rock hard ride

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So the the s2 rode like a dream during the etape du tour... See suitably sexy image of myself and @modan in our LFGSS skinsuits

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That was until I crashed at 65kph on a descent and destroyed the front sti and bars. Somehow I got her to the finish, but it's time for an upgrade....

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I was thinking of going more MAMIL and getting aerobars like 3T aeronova. However the reach is a good 25mm longer than my current Ergonovas. Does this simply mean changing stem from 130 to 110mm or should I stick with? Any advice welcome!

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