Current Projects chat and miscellany

Cheer up Skully.

ha! indeed, yeah, your comment cheered me up..

Skelly I ran 37 Vittoria Randonneurs on an MA2 on my commuter without any problems. I was pretty careful to keep my tyres inflated regularly, not to full pressure written on the tyre but a little below.

BIG OLD VAN NIC TRACK BIKE

fuck me thats a BIG drop from saddle to bars. Let us know how your neck feels in a couple of months ;)

Why would carbon handlebars be particularly stiff in comparison to alloy bars?

There's no need for them to be either stiffer or less stiff; it depends which carbon bars and which aluminium bars you choose to compare. At the limit, you can make a carbon bar slightly less stiff while remaining reliable, because aluminium ones will fatigue very fast if they are designed to operate at high stress, but typically carbon bars will be stiffer than aluminium bars of the same outline and weight.

Absolutely love the VN track; pretty much as nice as it gets IMO.

Anyone got any experience with removing Van Nicholas decals? I'm sorely tempted to get one myself and the only way I can see to improve it is to remove the branding.

There's no need for them to be either stiffer or less stiff; it depends which carbon bars and which aluminium bars you choose to compare. At the limit, you can make a carbon bar slightly less stiff while remaining reliable, because aluminium ones will fatigue very fast if they are designed to operate at high stress, but typically carbon bars will be stiffer than aluminium bars of the same outline and weight.

My point was that the carbon bars may not be particularly stiffer than any other bar. As with frames. If I've understood all the talk about using carbon over the years making a frame using carbon means that you can make it flex where you want it to. So you still have a bike which is stiff but at the same time it flexes enough to make it comfortable. Also there's the weight, or lack of it.

As you mention there's the weight:strength ratio.

Going back to the point of the stem. are you really going to notice a massive difference in stiffness by using a carbon one? The only time I've noticed a real difference in the stiffness of a stem was when I went from a cheap 2 bolt 120mm to an expensive 120mm 4 bolt.

Changing that stem to me seems to a a pointless action. As with replacing a standard SLR saddle with a full carbon unpadded saddle. More shiny shit for a marginal weight loss

Going back to the point of the stem. are you really going to notice a massive difference in stiffness by using a carbon one?

He was planning to switch to a Thomson "to make up for the carbon bars", which made me wonder what defect in the carbon bars needed rectification by whatever putative advantage a Thomson stem holds over the one he already has.

The usually indicator of stem stiffness is stack height, since the torsional stiffness (the only important consideration, everything else looks after itself if you get that right) rises very fast as you increase the diameter of the extension tube, so making space for a bigger OD by going from 40mm stack height to 44mm can make a big difference.

In general, I agree with the other people who have said that switching to a Thomson will just be spending money to make the bike look worse without any material gain in performance.

People seem to have an obsession with Thompson as being the best thing out there. Because of everyone's hype about them I now think they're just overpriced products with good marketing.

yawn.

The seat posts are good, if you want in line. The stems not so much; forged Taiwanese generic ones at lower weight and half the price do the job at least as well.

Okay let me give you my side of the story.

I'm studying as a mechanical engineer and is therefor a man of numbers and data... mostly.

This is a stiffness comparison I found for the X4 and some other stems
http://caletticycles.blogspot.com/2008/08/stem-testing-torsional-stiffness.html

Its not the stiffest no, but it seems to be quite good value. Its heavy yes, but I need stiffness.

Also, how come most of the Australian National track team run them if they weren't stiff?


... or girls at least.

People seem to have an obsession with Thompson as being the best thing out there. Because of everyone's hype about them I now think they're just overpriced products with good marketing.

but Thomson don't really do any marketing.
the clamps are easy to use, the finish is very durable compared to others, they do just about every size and length you could require, the machining is of a high standard, they have a good warranty/back-up.

I'm sure they are stiff, but there are stiffer and cheaper stems which may or may not look better, depending on your personal aesthetics. Also, look at Vicki P's stem; cheap and nasty 2-bolt job, doesn't seem to hold her back.

Oh nearly forgot, why would I change...

Well, the stem I have now is Deda Zero01 stem. Its budget stem, quite light actually, but if I stand over my bike and hold the frame still between my legs and try to twist the bars far most of the flex seem to come from the stem visually. Of course there is flex in the tires, fork and wheel but it doesnt seem to bad in comparison.

When I ride on the track I seem to feel that flex as well (I know that's typical placebo). I tryed to be logical about it and it seems to be a little flexible, so i thought I'd try the Thomson.

End of the day you want a Thomson, a good 50% of the people on here probably have a thomson item on their bike, you feel it will help improve stiffness, proving it is dificult, but it's your bike, so as long as it makes you happy and doesn't ruin the pornyness of the bike who are we to argue...

Stems doesn't look to bad no, but its no where near stiff enough to make up for the carbon bars so a change is needed.

I still don't get how the carbon bar is a problem which will be solved by a stem swap.

I'm sure they are stiff, but there are stiffer and cheaper stems which may or may not look better, depending on your personal aesthetics. Also, look at Vicki P's stem; cheap and nasty 2-bolt job, doesn't seem to hold her back.

I'm not saying you are wrong. There probably is.

I just want a stiffer stem and I personally think a Thomson would fit nicely with the build. And I know, that might being a little poser-ish but in the end its my money and my bike.

I still don't get how the carbon bar is a problem which will be solved by a stem swap.

Okay maybe I've been to blury about it. So lets get it cleared out.

Bars are really stiff.
Stem is flexy.

If the bars transfer almost every bit of energi into a flexy stem which just makes it into heat (atomic friction) instead of torqe that would be a bit of waste would'nt it?

If the weakest link is the stem thats what you would upgrade right?

ive got two thomsons considering a third for current project can I have a prize please?

I still don't get how the carbon bar is a problem which will be solved by a stem swap.

no. but by now you must be familiar with the spurious, rehashed, misinformed and 2nd hand bullshit available on the internet?

no. but by now you must be familiar with the spurious, rehashed, misinformed and 2nd hand bullshit available on the internet?

Familiar? I wrote most of it!

Ha. At what point do one start referencing ones own BS posted years ago?

Ed must have done this. I might be guilty.

Got it back.
Some better pictures as promised.
Thinking of stripping it and clear-coating after. Fork seems to be chromed up to crown.
Will go check local DIY shop for nitromors.

Finished it few days ago. Maybe i'll change pedals eventually but that's it for now.

Nice build. gumwalls?