caloso

Arundel looks like it's exactly what I want. Thanks.

hack

I use the Scicon Elan. Plenty small, but I carry a tube, a CO2 cartridge and chuck, and a lever with ease:

SCICON ELAN 210 FLUO COLLECTION | SCI'CON Bags

shovelhd

Youre very welcome. I've been using one for a few years now. I found out about it when I was looking for carbon bottle cages. I use the Dave-O.

Ygduf

SciCon Elan 210 Seat Bag - Seat Bags | Competitive Cyclist

if you look around you can find the all-black version. it's perfect, and cheap.

hack

this x2

waterrockets 

Doesn't the bag touch your bibs? I can't stand anything that has any chance of chafing bibs, which is why I carry everything in pockets. That Arundel bag looks like it has half a chance of not touching the bibs.

Oh, and from the Competitive Cyclist page, this might be signature-worthy

hack

I've got "thicker thighs" and I dont make contact with that bag. It snugs up nice under the back of the saddle.

rankin116

I have tree trunk legs (not a brag, trust me) and I don't touch the Arundel at all, the vertical nature of it makes it perfect. I have two of them.

shovelhd

Same here, and you can call me Twiggy.

Hida Yanra

this was actually a good reminder to get that Arundel Tubi bag that I've been meaning to get for a year.
Thx

shovelhd

Don't tell us what you paid for it.

Hida Yanra

hey now- I actually paid money for this one! (I know, unheard of, but I did)
It was ebay, so including shipping I was within a couple % of MSRP- just didn't want to wait.

FWIW- anything that Arundel makes, I'll buy- I've had nothing but stellar experiences with their take on "buy it once and forget about it for years" bike parts.
I've got carbon cages from them that I've had for 5 years old, and were 2nd hand to me - they've gotten abused to no end... and they've never lost a bottle or broken.

For the purposes of this thread, "advice from racers to not-so-much racers": bottle cages, seatpost clamps, cleats and such other things simply aren't worth buying "make-do" items. Failure of any of those parts can be the end of a race winning move, year-long goal, etc... not worth the extra $5 that it would cost to buy the option that wouldn't fail on you.

Example: I had a teammate with GREAT legs DNF the collegiate nats RR a month ago because his bottles got ejected on the cobbled descent, in high heat+high humidity that meant (eventual) game over. He came back, didn't ride bikes for three weeks, then won a stage race with no team support... no way of knowing how he would have gone at the nats RR, could he have kept going. He's graduated now, so there's no opportunity to try again.

Hida Yanra

For those of you over a certain age, "Remember when Ritchey made reliable parts with that motto?"
too bad about them.

thechemist

tested out a teammates 56cm venge yesterday on our crit course( I am 6'1"). MAN...that venge felt perfect. I am riding a 58cm tarmac with a 100mm stem( i would like a longer stem but just doesn't feel right when I swap with 110mm). Rode the 56cm venge with 120mm stem and man it really felt like a perfect fit.

I wonder if part of it is that I am "in form" right now and pretty limber but it makes me want to immediately swap to a smaller bike and switch from tarmac to venge

My reach and stack from a few years ago when I was fit(not flexible and on a cannondale synapse):
393/603

the reach of the 56cm venge is 395 and my 58cm tarmac reach is 402 so i may actually to better on a 56cm


hmm

tetonrider

that's a cool one. thanks for posting.

looks like it might work on my TT bike. my saddle's pretty far forward and i've struggled to find a bag that will actually work with it; this one might.

don't love carrying stuff in my pockets in that position.

tetonrider

slight tangent, but i was at my local shop today and they are motivated to move a 2012 s-works venge (basically at cost...it's a 56 w/ 7900, i believe) as well as a set of 303s & 404s, both carbon clinchers.

(i ride a venge & tarmac in 56 w/ 120 stem; i prefer the handling of a longer stem. i almost could go 54 but don't want to run 140...i needed to remove the tall dust cap on the venge and replace it with one that is basically zero stack in order to get the right drop. that's what would make me move to a 54.....headtubes keep getting taller!)

Ygduf

whats the deal on the 303 clinchers. $$ wise.

carpediemracing 

I find that unless I have my hands at about the same point relative to the front wheel I am not happy with the way the bike handles when I'm out of the saddle or when diving through turns. A longer bike pushes me back relative to the front wheel, even if the reach/etc are the same. It may be that you liked the more forward weight bias of the shorter bike.

I didn't bother looking anything up regarding geometry etc but that's usually the big difference between two size bikes, with bar/stem relationships virtually identical (meaning drop and reach between the two). On the shorter bike the shorter top tube will usually bring the front wheel closer in/under the rider, making for a more forward weight bias bike.

thechemist

Yes, I really like that feeling. I feel so much better and in more control. Would I get a similar effect right now by removing some spacers and extending my stem length?

shovelhd

You might, and then again you may upset the balance and be comfortable in one position and not in others. I would suggest that you make one change at a time and not near any important race.

revchuck 

Is there any kind of quick-and-dirty rule on how to determine the right size time trial bike? I've got a chance to get a Giant Trinity, complete less wheels, for a good price. It's a large, and I tend to fit on Giant road bikes that size, but am clueless as to whether that might apply to a TT bike.

Grumpy McTrumpy

TT bikes tend to come in just a few sizes now. Unless you are borderline medium then I'd say you got the right size

tetonrider

It can be complex, but I generally recommend to size down one size.

I am 5'11" and ride a 56 road bike with a 120 stem and ride a small tt bike with 75mm stem, just as one example. Most often riding the same size tt bike as road will result in the rider on a tt bike that is slighty too big, but issues like torso:leg ratio, flexibility, experience, duration of event, etc factor in.

Guess I'm saying I would recommend a little caution as a deal on the wrong size sometimes winds up costing more in the long term.

Opinions on this vary.

Ygduf

you didn't answer before, your shop is motivated to move 303 or 404 clincher sets. How motivated?

carpediemracing 

It's tough to say. For example if you're just extending your arms out a bit more, then no, not really. If your torso moves relative to the front wheel then yes. Generally speaking, on the frame, usually not, since a longer/lower stem really means you're just reaching more (assuming you fit properly before doing the longer/lower stem). With a smaller frame with a shorter top tube the front wheel is closer to the BB so given the same saddle setback the front wheel is tucked under your body more.