Cyclaholic

G'day folks,

This my new ride, I've had her for about 4 weeks now, been commuting for 3 weeks...





She was born in Taiwan and christened 'Toscana 20/26' but shortly after delivery I converted the front end from a 20" to a 26" which led to a significant overall improvement. I've also upgraded the drivetrain to LX 9 speed, except for the front derailer, also upgraded the headset to an FSA Orbit XLII. I'll be upgrading the crank and front derailer soon, also want to do something about the cheap & heavy wheels.

My questions... What sort of performance gain can I expect with light & aero wheels like Zipps or a disk rear plus a zipp front wheels? ...how much performance gain would I see with wheel covers on these wheels? Wheel covers would be the much cheaper option but that doesn't address the weight and poor quality bearing issues, but if they provide a substantial percentage of the performance gains of an expensive wheelset then I'd be happy with that.

ken cummings

Cy, A nose cone or front fairing paired with a fabric hull or fairing will be so much more effective then wheel covers.

BlazingPedals

My experience says that if you can cruise at 20-22 mph now, covering the spokes or getting a disk wheel for the back will help another 2 mph at cruise. At speeds below 20 mph, the difference will not be perceptible. In front, a high profile rim and low spoke count will help, but not as much as covering the spokes in back.

And yes, the spoke covers will provide almost as much boost as a fancy Renn wheel, for substantially less $$$. Get the spoke covers; they are a much better bang for the buck.

Cyclaholic

Cool!, thanks BP, I'm definitely going to give the rear cover a go. I can cruise right in that 20-22 range now.

Recumbomatic

I'm a Toscana 26/26 owner myself, and it looks like the bike has plenty of clearance in back for a 700c wheel. Converting to dual 700c might add some speed, but also raises issues - what to do with rear brake, 135mm hub spacing, front brake that will clear the chain, and reaching the ground at stops. The reason I've thought about this is because inexpensive, good quality 700c wheels and forks are readily available on Ebay.

Jeff Wills

Why is 135mm hub spacing an issue?

Recumbomatic

Only because standard road bike hubs are 130mm. Its a lesser issue, and I'm sure there's a simple way around it.

Cyclaholic

How are you finding your Toscana? is it an OSS or USS?

Mine is actually a 20/26 that I converted to 26/26. Seat height is pretty much at it's upper limit for me so 700c rear is not an option, although a quick trial fit indicates that the 700c rear is feasible with the addition of a method to mount brakes.

Going from 20/26 to 26/26 netted such a huge benefit for me that I'm very happy to stick with it, and don't lament not going to 700c at all.

Recumbomatic

Mine is OSS. I believe the frame for the 20/26 and 26/26 are the same.

I like the Toscana a lot. Here's the bike this past Saturday:




I've made various changes: new bars, new BB, new cranks with 28/38/48 rings, Frog pedals, FSA Orbit MX headset, Time Millennium 650c fork with Bachetta front brake, Bachetta double idler, Deore rear derailleur, Kool-Stop brake pads, Rolf Propel 26" front wheel and Bontrager Race X Lite rear, open cell seat pad. Oh yeah, that's a 1-gallon bleach jug on the seat (w/ hinged lid for storage), and a 1-liter water bottle with drinking tube underneath. The bike has been an ongoing project.

The Toscana's ride seems very cushy to me and very stable on fast descents. However, with the boom out as far I have it (and perhaps you too) the front end is a bit flexy under heavy cranking. Overall, it seems like what the Toscana lacks in raw speed it makes up for in long distance comfort.

Jeff Wills

Oh, that... the rear wheel on my Tour Easy has a Shimano 105 "road" hub respaced to 135mm width. All you really need is a 5mm spacer. If you're finicky, you might want to install a longer axle (I did).

JanMM

I usually cringe when I see pictures of big plastic containers converted to panniers but the bleach jug looks kinda appropriate and a bit humorous. And, looks like it provides a great surface for reflective tape.

aikigreg

I have to say that IMO covering the rear wheel is the single best thing you can do to increase your speed. And it doesn't have to be an expensive ZIPP either - coroplast will work.

cat0020

If anyone is interested in the Toscona 20/26 recumbent, available for cheap or trade.