Racer Tech Thread
#3126
Senior Member
so it adds flexibility in that it lets people adjust to a variety of stem angles but removes flexibility in the ability to move the stem up and down the steerer. how is that "useful?"
#3127
Nonsense
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test: is the expander plug's bottom above or below the bottom of the stem? if it's below, you're good to go.
specialized now supplies as default it's longer expander plug...so unless someone is doing something very weird with spacers, everyone should be good to go. you don't really NEED the expander plug, but it does distribute the forces on the stem and prevent slight/accidental over tightening from instantly ruining the steerer. one could even do some JRA with a huge spacer stack to dial in position before cutting...if one is careful.
specialized now supplies as default it's longer expander plug...so unless someone is doing something very weird with spacers, everyone should be good to go. you don't really NEED the expander plug, but it does distribute the forces on the stem and prevent slight/accidental over tightening from instantly ruining the steerer. one could even do some JRA with a huge spacer stack to dial in position before cutting...if one is careful.
#3128
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Sort of OT: I'm on a Cdale Evo which I had the stem slammed. Then I switched to a different stem which was a little taller where it clamps to the steering tube. I was in a very gentle crash, basically laid the bike over and when it was checked out, the steering tube was cracked. I am not sure if the crash caused the damage or if it was caused by tightening the stem onto a steering tube that was essentially a few mm too short.
@tetonrider: I have never heard of those sleeves; is that a diy type of thing or can they be purchased?
@tetonrider: I have never heard of those sleeves; is that a diy type of thing or can they be purchased?
Last two years we've had the Cannondale EVO, MASI Evolution, two S-Works - Venge and Tarmac. The last 3 made in Taiwan. The head tube for the Specialized bikes will not take the expander plug that the Cannondale and MASI would. In simple terms - the ID is smaller, the walls thicker.
#3129
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yea i wouldn't imagine it crushing either. I think if anything the concern for some manufacturer would be that if the stem clamps 'air' then there is only one bolt holding it on, and the top cap is pretty aestethi for connecting the bars to the bike
#3130
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Top cap is only necessary to pre load the headset in the designs I'm aware of. You could take the cap off after tightening the stem and have no mechanical change. You might have a steerer tube full of water if it rains, but the joint will work just fine.
#3131
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yea i agree with u, im saying the top cap doesn't offer much in the 'hold the stem down'. Is absolutely necessarily for preload.
#3132
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#3133
Rides too much bike
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I think that there is a boatload of anecdotal evidence that while this may be "best practice" it is certainly not absolutely necessary.
#3134
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basically spacers above or below the stem are ugly. #aestheticsareeverything
#3136
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i've had SPD pedals that came with my bike, but I was kind of wondering about spd-sl, or other more traditional road setup. based on what I've seen, any difference in power transfer might be pretty negligible, so I'm not really thinking of upgrading. but maybe someone can convince me otherwise...
#3137
Senior Member
Power transfer is a non-issue, but I prefer the firmer connection and greater security you get from a road pedal when on the road. I started racing with SPDs back in the day and pulled out once or twice while sprinting. I don't think that's really much of a danger if you have things adjusted tightly and your form is good, after all I've been sprinting on SPDs in cyclocross and that's fine. But I still feel better on road pedals.
I'm not going to try too hard to convince you. If money is no object, yes, do it. If you're looking to be frugal, new pedals and shoes might not get you a lot of bang for the buck. I try to buy nice shoes, infrequently. It's worth waiting and saving to get something great you'll wear for a long while.
I'm not going to try too hard to convince you. If money is no object, yes, do it. If you're looking to be frugal, new pedals and shoes might not get you a lot of bang for the buck. I try to buy nice shoes, infrequently. It's worth waiting and saving to get something great you'll wear for a long while.
#3138
Senior Member
admittedly tearing apart my only working bike in the middle of a busy week at work was not by best decision, but I was sick of fighting with my barely functioning old rear derailleur and I'm done boy. oh boy does 6800 feel nice. just hoping it doesn't explode when i ride tomorrow.
#3139
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admittedly tearing apart my only working bike in the middle of a busy week at work was not by best decision, but I was sick of fighting with my barely functioning old rear derailleur and I'm done boy. oh boy does 6800 feel nice. just hoping it doesn't explode when i ride tomorrow.
#3140
Senior Member
yeah but snapping inside the shifter was an issue on 6700 as well.
first ride with the new stuff this morning...still some fine tuning to do on the fd adjustment but jfc this stuff is like magic.
first ride with the new stuff this morning...still some fine tuning to do on the fd adjustment but jfc this stuff is like magic.
#3141
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I may upgrade my power meter from a Stages to an Infocrank in the Spring/Summer. Thoughts? I get a 15% discount, so it'll be something like $1300.
#3143
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"InfoCrank" - what a great name! Who should have that user name? Certainly somebody!...lots of candidates, but who's the euro guy who's not around much anymore but always used to say, "Incorrect!"?
#3146
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#3147
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I was wondering if this needs its own thread. Anyway - what rim width and profile do you use for what and why? Junior almost always chooses the lower profile (30mm) while many others are using the 60mm. I have not seen rim width matter so much.
#3149
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I use a set of 50mm wheels almost exclusively. They're 25mm wide and I run 25 (or 26) tires on them. Exceptions include a disc and deeper front wheel for the TT bike when TT'ing or a set of alloy wheels if I know I'll be in the rain.