Current Projects chat and miscellany

Not mutually exclusive.

Ass savers do next to nothing, buying race blade XL have made commuting on wet roads so much less awkward.

Yes, changed it to a different one pretty much straight away. I wish there was some more velcro inside too, currently using two paperclips to hold it together, lol.

I've changed mine to a buckle, it's better but not perfect.

Im getting poppers added to the corners - dry cleaners should be able to sort you out

Amey, I have the fluro already but would take another one, if you're getting rid

i have the 'tracko' version thats got a buckle thing, worked fine so far for me

What's the width/height of those saddlebags, when flat/empty like in the stock photos?

Having got used to the 42cm bars on my mile-munching functional bike, the 40cm Campione Del Mondo bars (pre-90s, 26.4 clamp) on my posh bike have annoyingly started feeling too narrow (even though I've used them on and off for 25+ years...) Also I've never been entirely happy with the deep drop. So I'm considering options for a more satisfying bar size whilst staying with the classic shape + quill stem arrangement...

1. Straight swap with Giro D'Italia 42cm, NOS or VGC.
   1b. Take the opportunity to also swap out the 1A stem for an XA, which I had on there originally and prefer the aesthetics.
   
2. Start afresh with new quill stem/classic style bars (with something approximating the configuration of Giro D'Italia + XA stem.)
   
   

So a few questions...

• Will I get the same flat(-ish) transition with GD'I + SRAM as with the CDM?
  
• Is the XA stem really a functionally inferior design to the 1A or is there nothing in it? I'm not racing any criteriums, I just want to keep my teeth going down Westerham Hill on a Sunday afternoon.
  
• Old-school romanticism of Cinelli aside, if I went for new equipment, what's recommended? Nitto? I'm not interested in stems with ugly sharp edges; any improvement in stiffness/performance would be nice but again, not a major consideration. (And I can't say I'm very impressed with the finish on the NEW Cinelli GD'I bars.)
  
• And a proper noob question; I've never set up SRAM myself (LBS job when I put the bike together.) How much of a hassle will the swap-over be? Can I just transfer over all the cables as is??
  
  

What's the width/height of those saddlebags, when flat/empty like in the stock photos?

any reason, I can get mine out later and measure, are you trying to fit somethingg?

in other news.. can this rack (http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/vavert-advancer-front-rack-prod30449/) be mounted to fork dropout eyelets an the brake hole?

(is that where its supposed to be mounted?)

any reason, I can get mine out later and measure, are you trying to fit somethingg?

It's ok now, I just made up some measurements and things seems to have worked fine!

Rack looks like it mounts at fork eyelets/brake hole, but might be difficult to adjust the vertical struts to get the platform level...

the decals are ugly.

Easily removed

^^^ Looks like it, though if the hole is otherwise occupied you can use one of these

Real nice that. What size is it?

Easily removed

Without ruining the black? :D

Psee is bringing the heat.

Without ruining the black? :D

Definitely on my R530s, not sure how they write on other models.

• Will I get the same flat(-ish) transition with GD'I + SRAM as with the CDM?
  
• Is the XA stem really a functionally inferior design to the 1A or is there nothing in it? I'm not racing any criteriums, I just want to keep my teeth going down Westerham Hill on a Sunday afternoon.
  
• Old-school romanticism of Cinelli aside, if I went for new equipment, what's recommended? Nitto? I'm not interested in stems with ugly sharp edges; any improvement in stiffness/performance would be nice but again, not a major consideration. (And I can't say I'm very impressed with the finish on the NEW Cinelli GD'I bars.)
  
• And a proper noob question; I've never set up SRAM myself (LBS job when I put the bike together.) How much of a hassle will the swap-over be? Can I just transfer over all the cables as is??
  
  
  

• maybe, it depends what angle you put the drops on. probably not as GdI's tops and drops are quite a long way from 'parallel'
  
• no idea most quill stems seem much the same to me
  -nitto bars are nice, but pricey. compact bend bars from bontrager or soma are popular these days. depends what shape you like, plenty out there to choose from. I think the flat transition is overrated but it's very much personal preference.
  -yes you can just unwrap the tape from the bars and move to new bars without disconnecting cables, and wrap the new ones.
  

Real nice that. What size is it?

56/55cm. The long headtube makes it look bigger.

Thanks Timmah, lots to consider there. Since converting from down tube shifters I'm spending a lot of time alternating between hoods and tops so a flat(ish!) transition is nice. Looking at new stuff, I like the Soma Hwy One, and I might consider pairing with a Nitto Dynamic stem which looks very elegant. (But open to suggestions.)

Different levers here but I like the squareness of this Soma/Nitto set-up.

I love my HWYs

Really comfy in all positions.

One point to note is you have to be careful with lever positioning, so you can reach them from the drops; too high up and the angle will be all wrong

perfect.

I know you've got sliders, but would a chain tensioner give you a little more chain wrap?

^^ Made me doubt my sexual preference

Btw, is that Finland? Looks suspiciously much like a lake I've seen...

ye it's finland. And that is the baltic sea!

^^^^^ Sram S500/900 levers would be the icing on that cake

greatgreatgreat. i hope that there will be enough snow here soon to do some snowcx.

hope the bike will get a matching wheelset asap!?