Biggest weight-weenie ever...
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Biggest weight-weenie ever...
did you know that Armstrong uses downtube shifters on big mountain stages because it saved 150g over STI? Talk about a weight weenie...
Quote from VeloNews:
Quote from VeloNews:
Dear Ian and Tom,
In all of Armstrong's Tours since 1999, he has used a standard (non-integrated) left brake lever and a downtube shift lever for the front derailleur on mountain stages. Given that a standard Dura-Ace, non-integrated brake lever weighs 130 grams and a Dura-Ace 10-speed STI lever weighs 210 grams, you are looking at a simple weight savings. The downtube shift lever can add as little as 30 grams, plus you save a bunch of grams in extra cable and housing you don't need looping around the front of the bike. You don't shift the front derailleur often on a mountain - once at the bottom and once at the top - so there is not much efficiency lost. So you can give up looking for a hidden light on his bike, Ian.
Lennard
In all of Armstrong's Tours since 1999, he has used a standard (non-integrated) left brake lever and a downtube shift lever for the front derailleur on mountain stages. Given that a standard Dura-Ace, non-integrated brake lever weighs 130 grams and a Dura-Ace 10-speed STI lever weighs 210 grams, you are looking at a simple weight savings. The downtube shift lever can add as little as 30 grams, plus you save a bunch of grams in extra cable and housing you don't need looping around the front of the bike. You don't shift the front derailleur often on a mountain - once at the bottom and once at the top - so there is not much efficiency lost. So you can give up looking for a hidden light on his bike, Ian.
Lennard
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Last edited by bdcheung; 02-18-07 at 01:09 PM.
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^^ my first pic looks pretty alloy to me, in the seatpost area...
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Originally Posted by bdcheung
^^ my first pic looks pretty alloy to me, in the seatpost area...
I'm genna ask a noob question. Do you only change once at the bottom and once at the top because you get into your lowest gear at the bottom or is it a question of changing rings once. Personally I can't handle down tube shifters, got them on an old bike and they're a nightmare because of their position! I would just take the 150g!
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Originally Posted by bdcheung
did you know that Armstrong uses downtube shifters on big mountain stages because it saved 150g over STI? Talk about a weight weenie...
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Originally Posted by bdcheung
Just think how much weight he could have saved by not wearing those ridiculous knee-socks!
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Originally Posted by dekalbSTEEL
Just think how much weight he could have saved by not wearing those ridiculous knee-socks!
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Originally Posted by dekalbSTEEL
Just think how much weight he could have saved by not wearing those ridiculous knee-socks!
#14
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I think he did it because DT shifting on the front does give you a very positive feel and probably can shift cleaner from the small to the big CR under power. Can't believe it was a weight thing.
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Originally Posted by San Rensho
I think he did it because DT shifting on the front does give you a very positive feel and probably can shift cleaner from the small to the big CR under power. Can't believe it was a weight thing.
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I always sort of thought it didn't matter--when you throw the uber-light climbing wheels to those bikes, don't you need to ADD weight to get them up to the UCI limit?
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Originally Posted by DrPete
I always sort of thought it didn't matter--when you throw the uber-light climbing wheels to those bikes, don't you need to ADD weight to get them up to the UCI limit?
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Originally Posted by Eatadonut
Yeah, but then maybe he could add the weight somewhere else
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^^True, true.
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seriously, he also knew (and still knows i'm sure) that indexed front derailleurs really are pointless and friction allows any gear combination without rubbing.
eventually campy will market it as the new big thing, just like they do with single pivot brakes...
eventually campy will market it as the new big thing, just like they do with single pivot brakes...
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If you lower weight even more, you can run more aero wheels and have a more aero bike while still staying right at the weight limit. Cervelo explains this in their website on the Carbon Soloist SL. Sure, CSC can have a UCI limit bike with the Carbon Soloist by running Zipp Z2's. But with the Carbon Soloist SL, they now can run Zipp 404's and still be at the UCI limit.
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