if the preload system is the same as the way it used to be (sounds like it is), the preload adjuster is threaded. the gap you describe is on the threaded area and is intentional. as long as the preload washer is holding on by a few threads, ti should be goo. now, if it is held on by a single thread that might be different.

if you don't have stepped washers, though, i'd look into that ASAP.

send a pic along if you like and i can confirm, but i think all is good.

Still works the same way. Some cranks use a wavy washer too.

My SRM is on its way back from Colorado. Battery replacement, calibration, decal change. I installed Red 22 rings before sending it out. Good for another 1800 hours, which for me is between 2-3 years.

In in the meantime I have been training with the Stages compact. What I have noticed about it is that the cadence jumps around a lot. This makes the power, even the 3s power, jump around a lot. I don't know if mine has an issue or if this is expected behavior with accelerometer based cadence. I will call them about it once the SRM is back on the bike.

Right on. Yeah, the gap is along the threaded side of the preload. It just worried me that the play is limited by this plastic threaded washer. I'll have to grab some stepped washers/dust caps, then build it up. I'll shoot you a pic if things get wonky.

Could you use a Stages and SRM at the same time? Maybe add a Vector and Power Tap and then we could really see something. Like a man with 4 watches.

I only have two watches.

DC Rainmaker has done that a few times in his comparison reviews. I think up to 4 meters running at once.

there shouldn't be TOO much lateral load on your cranks, so you should be good. if you are concerned, i would thread the preload ring all the away off so that you can count the # of threads. then i'd thread it all the way on (=no preload), and count the number of full turns until you get to proper preload. you'll then know how many threads the washer is connecting. if it is one thread (plastic), maybe i'd be concerned.

if you do the above we'd have something real to evaluate.

again, you're just talking about seeing preload which is not much force on the bearings. the fact that there is no play means that the lateral forces you do exert are not amplified by a loose spindle.

based on what you've posted i think you're good, but if you're still concerned do the above and post or send a pic. i'm sure we can eliminate your concern.

Cool, thanks much for the response. Kind of makes me miss the simplicity of Shimano.

no one can fault shimano cranks, but technically they're 2 bolts and they do have a threaded plastic preload adjuster (albeit the threads are metal). doesn't require the tool, but it is easier to adjust with the tool.

the sram bb30 crank is a 1 bolt setup (well, there is that 1.5 or 2mm set screw), and a tool-less preload adjuster. works out reasonably well. this is better than before they had that preload adjuster--you had to use nylon washers as spacers (in addition to the delrin 10mm spacer).

I got my new bike, a Specialized Allez Comp Race. Pictures and ride impressions will be in another thread, just wanted to throw a few techie-type notes in here.

I originally was going to get a Tarmac Pro Race, but found a TT bike at a good price and scaled back the road bike expectations. I thought about getting a Tarmac Elite, which comes with Ultegra and aluminum wheels and the bottom level 9r frameset. We had one in the shop in 56 (I need a 58) so I weighed it - 18 lbs. 13 oz., sans pedals. VeloNews did a test of the Allez Expert last year, and in 56 it came in at 17.5 lbs with Ultegra and the same wheels. I've never had a problem with aluminum frames - my new bike replaces my deceased 2012 Allez frameset with DA7800 - and the Allez comes with a taller head tube, which fits me better. Plus carbon wheels on the Comp Race. :) So I chose the Allez over the Tarmac.

When I built it up, I swapped the stock Turbo Pro tires for a pair of Michelin Pro4 Endurance 700x25s, about 40g/tire heavier, added the Look Kéo Classic 2 pedals (346g) and a pair of King stainless bottle cages (48g each), then weighed it. 18 lbs., 6 oz. The weight without the stuff I swapped/added would be just over 17 lbs. Had it come with Ultegra rather than 105, it'd be hovering just over 16 lbs.

The wheels are Roval CL40s. The P4Es in 700x25 measure ~27.2mm on those wheels. The brakes are Specialized's house brand Axis 2.0, which appear to operate the same as current production Shimano brakes, and have plenty of clearance with those tires. 28mm tires would fit fine. Shoot, 30mm tires would probably fit. Pads are SwissStop. I may replace the brakes with Shimano, just for looks.

I really like the hood shape on the shifters, they seem to combine the best of the last two generations. I've got my fourth hand position back - palms down on top of the shifters. :) Shifting seems a bit less distinct than I'm used to on the other Shimano drivetrains I have - 4500, 6600, 7800 and 7900. It shifts well, though.

Overall, I'm pretty happy with it.

ditching a magnet for use as a cadence sensor is something many folks clamor for, but an accelerometer winds up making things more complex.

a magnet is not ideal as crank velocity can vary in a rotation. an accelerometer has the potential to measure these changes, but no matter how many are taken ANT+ devices are just recording one measurement per second anyway, so essentially a source of complexity is introduced for no real benefit.

it's not a bad thing, just a trade-off. IME with folks using stages, they are least accurate for short efforts and/or abrupt cadence changes. they tend to smooth out over longer durations, but it's still power from one leg. (not an issue for some but material for others.)

The one thing accelerometers really seem to have going for them is handling oval rings. Niche case, but it would let you compare numbers more accurately compare road/track efforts without having to "convert".

Does anybody make classic bend (or at least not compact) 38 cm bars?

after riding for years, cadence is the one thing I don't even put on my screens anymore.

Nitto Classic may fit the bill, but you're likely not interested as it is 25.4 clamp diameter. Thought I would mention it anyway.

.. yeah that's something I rarely care about as well.

funny, the more I ride in the opposite.

I spun 100 before I knew it was cool!

I don't have muscles to push hard, so I push often instead.

I have a pair of 3ttt TdF bars that are the most comfortable bars I've ever had. They're on my son's bike now. See VeloBase.com - Component: 3ttt Ergopower Due Tour de France

But you'd probably have to find a set of NOS or lightly used set on eBay. And you'd need a 26.0 mm stem.

I'd be willing to shim I guess. I may look at the aluminum nitto 123's. Trying to find narrow bars is more proof the bike industry discriminates against track riders!

You can get shims from Problem Solvers, IIRC. I shimmed the bars for Lucas' bike. But then he only weighs 75 pounds and isn't going to be torqueing the bars like a full-grown trackie.

He mentioned in a recent post comparing all the PMs now on the market that he's never used an SRM.

It is mandatory for some of the workouts I do.

a powertap handles oval rings, too.

i'm not an expert on the subject, but it seems to me that a problem with oval rings is the crank velocity varies more dramatically than it does for round rings within any given revolution (i think--basically by definition), and most head units can record at 1Hz max.

as long as that is the case (1Hz), a magnet and accelerometer are equal, and the magnet is less complex (one could say better/cleaner, though there's that weight penalty).

measuring power at the pedal would solve the problem. no one seems to be measuring at the pedal AND the spider simultaneously. if someone knows of that data i'd love to see it.

wouldn't that be 5T? i've heard of 3T and TTT before it, but 3TTT is new to me. :)

yes. he does thorough reviews of products from an unboxing/feature perspective. the power stuff tends to gloss over some things like shorter intervals, cadence changes, etc. this makes sense given his athletic hobbies. not good or bad, just noteworthy.

the lack of SRM comparison data has been notable in a few of his reviews i've read over the years, but he also has a perspective on SRM as a dinosaur. maybe he's right. (i don't agree based on data i see from various meters.)