Bicycle Mechanics - Two Quick and Easy Madone Questions...

These will be easy ones for those in the know...

1) For the Madone's with the 6700 Ultegra drivetrains...can you swap the new "directional" Shimano chain for a non-Shimano one? I much prefer SRAM chains, so I can take them off to clean, but I don't know if the new directional chain is proprietary with the Ultegra groupset.

2) The new "seatmast" on the Madones...can these bikes still be mounted to a "clamp-type" bike repair stand? Right now, I put my Ti frame up on the stand by the seatpost, but I don't know if the shape of the seatmast will work with the clamp on the bikestand. Also, don't know if I can clamp up anything made of carbon...I'm kind of afraid to break something.

Thanks in advance!

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1) SRAM chains will work, perhaps not quite as well as the directional chain, but it will work. There
may or may not be some minor decrements in shifting performance that may or may not matter
to you. Another option is to use a quick link on the Shimano chain next time you crack it for
cleaning, though several of the QC links are 'one use only' in the 10spd so not much better than
Shimano any way. The directional chain is proprietary to Shimano.


2) A real conundrum as clamping bike stands are not recommended on frame or seatposts of
carbon. The seat mast/post is a whole lot stronger in compression than the frame, and the
usual solution of using an aluminum post in the frame may or may not work, depending on
how far the cross section of the mast departs from circular. If there is a circle inside the mast
maybe an aluminum post tangent to the circle might be clampable in the frame, if not then
you clamp carefully on the post, safer and cheaper than clamping on the frame.

Trek makes an adapter for the seat mast to be clamped in a repair stand. Here ya go:

http://bontrager.com/model/07156

http://media.bontrager.com/images/products/square/white/390/10bo403494.jpg

This adapter is the new one that has two sets of soft rubber inserts: one for oval Madone seat masts, one for the new round ones.

The Madone with the 6700 chain comes from the factory with a KMC Missing link 10speed. Model 559 something or other. Look at your chain. The KMC M/L 10s is reusable and you can buy spares at http://www.ebikestop.com/kmc_missing_link_10_fits_59mm_chains-CH4057.php

I have the clamp from Bontrager posted above. It's supposed to fit around the mast cap. They must have sent me one for an earlier year. Anyway, June is sending me the proper insert for the 2010 Madone if she can locate a set. If not, they are backordered and will ship the first or second week of March.

I'm using a Park PRS-25 workstand that I just got from http://aebike.com/page.cfm?action=details&PageID=30&SKU=TL8608
I'm just hanging the bike from the padded part of the clamp for cleaning and oiling. The Park clamp works with aero posts or round posts. It takes very little clamping pressure to hold the bike securely. However, if I'm doing any work on the bike ( bottom bracket ) that might require some force. I thought why not use the Bontrager adapter for $35. If I have a seat post or cap problem, Trek can't say I used too much clamping pressure.

Here's another possibility if you plan on having the bike clamped in the stand for a period of time. I'm not sure what the id of the seat post is?
http://www.parktool.com/products/detail.asp?cat=24&item=ISC%2D4

These will be easy ones for those in the know...

1) For the Madone's with the 6700 Ultegra drivetrains...can you swap the new "directional" Shimano chain for a non-Shimano one? I much prefer SRAM chains, so I can take them off to clean, but I don't know if the new directional chain is proprietary with the Ultegra groupset.Thanks in advance!


The SRAM 10 spd chains are compatible with Shimano. I use one on my otherwise Ultegra drivetrain.

However, the 10 spd "powerlock" master link is not reusable - it's a one time use link Some say they've reused them, and removed the masterlink with the help of a masterlink pliers (see Park Tool).

Wow the new workstand clamp is so much better than the old version. they really did a good job of changing it up. In the older version you had to rotate the workstand jaws 90 degrees to use it.

Wow the new workstand clamp is so much better than the old version. they really did a good job of changing it up. In the older version you had to rotate the workstand jaws 90 degrees to use it.

Yeah, the old one is a nuisance.

Wow...lots of info here! As far as the chain goes, I like the idea of the KMC "missing link"...sounds very much like the SRAM chains. Those links can be attached to any of the Shimano chains? (I don't have the bike yet to look at...)

Wow...lots of info here! As far as the chain goes, I like the idea of the KMC "missing link"...sounds very much like the SRAM chains. Those links can be attached to any of the Shimano chains? (I don't have the bike yet to look at...)

As long as the speeds are the same yes. Paging Davesss?