@gcntech are the puncture proof bike tyres a gimmick or do they really work? Examples: Tannus Armour, Schwalbe Durano Plus, Specialized Nimbus Armadillo Reflect, etc. #askgcntech
#askgcntech Hey Alex & Ollie, I have a matte grey coloured bike and would like to know if there is any way or method to make the paintwork be more resistant to scratches/dirt something or even make the surface of the bike glossy? DK
I've been using TPU tubes for almost two years. I tried the repair patches that are supposed to suit them and have always had to remove/replace them. My non-fail method these days is to use 3M Scotch external double sided mounting tape. It's super sticky and industrial strength - they use it to fix glass panels to buildings. I cut a patch, round off the corners, stick it over the hole and leave the red peel-off layer in place. Once it's had some pressure on it (like a heavy book) it's bonded for life, and the red backing does not come off. I've even patched a tube and fitted it immediately and pumped it up. The tube pressure is sufficient give the tape full bond strength. I've never had a fail with this stuff.
I find a way to repair the TPU, as soon as i apply the glue i patch it, if you let the glue drying it will not stick. You can use old tpu chamber to make your own patches.
I've found that TPU inner tubes flat a lot easier than rubber inner tubes and latex inner tubes require pumping up before every ride. For someone who rides a lot it is a lot of bother. I pump my tires up to the old Silca standard and let them bleed down to the new lower pressure standard before pumping up again. That is three or four rides. I have yet to find a restaurant pump head that works well.
I upgraded my mechanical 105 to 105DI2, which is the best thing I have ever done. I don't regret it for a second. I constantly had to adjust the front derailer, but with DI2, that's a thing of the past. The hassle-free and ease of maintenance made it worth it for me.
I have two bikes one with mechanical 105 and one with Ultegra Di2. One of the biggest differences no one ever talks about is how much more comfortable the Di2 hoods are (that they can be a lot smaller/narrower) way better from an ergonomic perspective. Beyond that I use the FD way more in the Di2 bike and find myself always in the right gear as I change way more often, where as I find I will grind it out on the mechanical 105.
@@cmarnold78@ cmarnold78 I've heard that many think the hoods are more comfortable, I have large hands, so I find the DI2 less comfortable than the mechanical, but marginally so.
My Cannondale Evo is 10 years old and has a BB30 bottom bracket. When I removed the crankset after 7 years to add a power meter the bearings felt silky smooth so I left them in place. The bike now has over 40K miles on it. The BB still feels smooth and is totally silent.
There are tools you can get for PF that allow you to remove and install the BB without the need for a hammer. I have one for my DUB BB for my PF86 Shell. Super simple to use and takes me maybe 5 mins to remove and replace. Worth it's weight in gold.
I have had a perfect success rate with repairing TPU tubes. What I do is always to apply the patch, and after a minute of applying pressure, I mount the tube in a tire, and inflate to perhaps 60-70% of normal pressure.... Let that sit overnight, and the patch sticks perfectly.....
I've had bottom brackets run for over 15 years before without taking them apart. If the cranks are still "tight", rigid against side to side movement (no "play" in the bearings), and there's no noise when pedalling, I just leave them for another year.
I was just thinking about moving from Mechanical to Di2, so I'm glad you covered it here. And the upgrade path is, as you say, better if you can get it piecemeal and on sale. That's basically what I did to get the components I have now. I bought the brakes and 'brifters' (grips and shifters?) separately. Then found a deal on the derailleurs, also separate from each other. Saved me about half of what it would have cost to buy the full groupset. Not sure you can do that with Di2, but it's a thought.
I have no success with self-adhesive patches. They leaked after couple of hours. Finally, I've cut old TPU tube into pieces and I've glued them using B7000 glue. Works perfectly fine.
The key is to use a polyurethane glue like E6000/B7000, gorilla glue, or shoe goo. TPU = Thermoplastic Polyurethane, and it requires different adhesives than what you'd use on butyl rubber tubes.
Same. Multiple brands have failed in hours to at most a week, never longer. The Pirelli kit has done several repairs with no failures. Use real glue for sure. I will look into the B7000 glue when my current kit is used up.
Thanks for the answers and thoughts, guys! My instinct after a bunch of "research" is that any gains will be negligible. And that there are no (alloy, at least) rims recommended for 32mm tires, which adhere to the rule of 105%. Anecdotally you can do it...but it's outside specs for the tire. The comfort difference with a slightly narrower rim is not something I knew about. In the end...I'll probably aim for something deeperish, and good looking.
Ofc the triathletes had problems, they always wait for the Friday before their races to bring it in. If you need a shop to tune it up do that at least a month out, if something needs to be ordered you should still get it back in time.
@@MarkArthur they don't require lower pressure. They can't support as high pressure as tubed. But honestly, nobody except track riders need as high pressure as stated on the tyre wall.
The park tool patches are a great get me home fix for TPU! But I've not had one last too long. all of my punctures have been small pin holes on the rim side of the tube, likely due to how I've installed them!
so... Shifter, front mech and rear mech are consumables and wear out? Really? It's a honest question because I have no experience with those parts (made the switch from Shimano to Campagnolo ~40 years ago - back then 105 has been very poor quality...), but my Super Record (road bike) is in use for 10 years, Athena (commuter bike for more than 25 years) and they work as fine as on the first day
Strip a frame. Build it back up with whatever you want. Specialized will sell you a bare frame. I removed the Campag Gran Sport off a 1951 Moorson and put on Cyclo Benelux three speed 1/8" chain. This was because the Campag Gran Sport wasn't introduced until 1953.
The thing nobody seems to be saying about road tubes is that with typical pressures they lose air pretty quickly for optimal pressures to be very practical for all uses. I inflate the 25s of my daily commuter at 110 psi simply because I can rest assured that I can go on at least for four days without having to reinflate my tyres. When I reinflate, pressure has gone down to 80. I could put 90 psi all right, but at the second or third day I would risk having a pinch flat or my rim bottoming out.
What kind of tubes are you running? I run TPU tubes with 37mm tires at 70psi and it would take me at least 2-3 weeks to lose enough pressure to risk a pinch flat.
@@Pellagrah I use TPUs, which loose air a bit quicker than butyl. I think it's mostly narrow tyres at high pressure that do this and at your tyre width it shouldn't be an issue. Another argument for wider tyres I guess, but my fixie commuter barely takes 28s and the roads here are bad enough that I've knocked the rim at 80 psi, so to me 90-100 leaves a safety margin even if it's not optimal for comfort and speed.
@@kalijasinIt's tolerable but surely not optimal. I simply want to be able to grab the bike and go without having to worry about reinflating for half a week.
Hi GCN Tech! I have two road bikes, one of them a Giant Defy Rabobank edition from 2011 (shimano 105) who I only use for commuting 20 km's to work. It is still riding quite well but it is due for some serious maintenance (new chain, cassette, chainrings, wires, ...). Is it still worth changing all the parts or should I look to replace by a new or second hand bike (f.e. gravel type bike for commuting)? When do you consider a bike as "worn out"? #askgcntech
These are my rules of thumb on when a frameset needs to be replaced: 1. Structural damage 2. Incompatibility with parts you need to use (ex. wider tires and wheels) 3. Frameset replacement parts are impossible to source and when you're unable to enlist a machinist's help
#askgcntech Love to hear your thoughts on this. When dealing with tires and have to choose which is more important. Tread pattern or compound? Is tread a crutch for poor compound? Does it vary on cycling disciplines? (road, MTB, gravel, etc) GO!
On the road, tire compound is more important as a road tire is so slim it's impossible to hydroplane. Yes, tread pattern and structure does vary between cycling disciplines. Gravel and MTB tires feature knobs to help dig into loose terrain. For MTB tires, XC tires aren't as knobby as trail, all-mountain, enduro and DH tires.
On the subject of new tyres, is there an optimal 'bedding in' distance for them to get to their minimum rolling resistance? The difference in flexibility between an old tyre and a fresh-from-the-box one is marked, and I'm betting this makes a difference to how the tyre will behave when rolling on the road. #askgcntech
It's also very important to NOT use CO2 to reinflate a repaired tube if you use self-adhesive patches, unless they specifically say they work with CO2...the cold temperature will wreck the adhesive and it will just let go.
how long is "the allotted time", as the Q&A videos vary from just over 10 mins to just under 15 mins? Just wondering if the allotted time is meant to be 15 minutes and you are both sneaking off early to the pub for a pint 🤣🤣🤣
I just had my first puncture on a TPU tube, it was the tiniest of wholes in between wall side and top of tube, it was so small that the only way for me to find it was to pump over 20psi and listen/feel. I really do wonder how it happened as the tyre isn’t punctured. Perhaps a tiny rock came into the tyre while riding via the valve hole
#askgcntech After having DNF'ed a number of TTs due to puntures I've decided to upgrade to a tubeless set up & intend to belt & braces it with Vittoria Air-Liner Inserts My question is will these inserts cost me any of the performance gains that tubeless gives me ? Many thanks Phil
#askgcntech This is a serious question. I struggle to find any bib shorts/tights that don't show the outline of my manhood quite clearly? This isn't about the size of mine or anyone else's pecker, but I genuinely have to wear baggy shorts over the top because it doesn't seem right to walk into a coffee shop mid ride while Dorothy's tucking into her scone and I walk past at eye height with a clear outline of my bits on show! Is there actually any solution to this or any make of bib tight that hides these areas better? Or is wearing baggy sports shorts over the top the best option? Thanks in advance!
I want to change the colour of the decals on my giant tcr without having to get a custom paint job. Is there a way I can do this? I.e. are vinyl decal stickers worth it or can you get just the decals resprayed? Thanks!
Are there any aftermarket 12 speed cassettes that have gearing for us flatlanders? Nearly all Shimano SRAM cassettes start with an 11 t cog. I currently run an Ultegra 11 spd 14-28 cassette and have never used the 14 or 15.. If I go to 12 speed Shimano, I will actually have fewer usable gears than I do on my 11 speed cassette. The only brand I know of is Miche.
Your not making much sense to me here. you dont use the smallest gears on your cassette only the larger gears which are usually the ones used to go up hills. But you also say your riding flatland, fast flats are where you should be able to get into that smaller gear to ride fast.
@@branbroken Just slamming the bike into a bigger gear (smaller cog) will not make me go faster. I don't have the watts or a downhill to push the big gears anymore. My big watt days are about 30-40 years in the past. I do not need silly 11, 12, 13 cogs on my cassette, but I use the cogs on the 14-28, except never have used the 14 and 15, and rarely the 28 since it is flat. So on this 14-28 11-speed I have 9 usable cogs. On the new Shimano 12 spd 105 which only comes in a 11-34 the individual cogs are 11, 12, 13 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27, 30, 34 , so basically I would use the 17, 19, 21, 24, 27, and maybe the 30 occasionally. So by upgrading(?) to a 12 speed I get 3 or 4 FEWER usable cogs. Would like to have a 14-30 12 speed if I ever bother to go to 12 speed. So the question remains. who makes such a cassette?
Mechanical shifting is good, but let's agree on one thing. If you're buying fully integrated bike, electronic shifting is the only way. Mechanical will work but because of countless kinks and bends in gear cables shifting performance will decrease over time. Di2 is reliable and if cared for will work at the same level. Not to mention the cost of labour for replacing worn out gear cables (on fully integrated bike).
I put a wheels manufacturing bottom bracket on my Caad12 and it took care of the maintenance and creeking. My question would be 26 or 28 mm Pirelli Pzero Roads on my Caad12 running Reynolds AR41 wheels? I’m a 5’11, 220 pound 65 year old endurance rider.
Regarding Aero wheelsets: Always go with the most expensive solution. Everyone knows a fat wallet is less aero. Make your wheels and wallet more aero. 🤣
#askgcntech Hello Ollie and Alex. BB question for you. I have switched from an FSA to a Shimano crank, along with changing out the bottom bracket. In doing so, I've noticed that my new Shimano crank is hitting the front derailleur. As such I've added two spacers as provided by my Wheels Manufacturing bottom bracket. Seemed like that did the trick, but should I only add it to the drive side? And is this expected when switching to different cranks? Why is that? Previously, I've only ever used Shimano hollowtech. As always, thanks for the helpful videos you guys produce!
Hello Ollie and Allen. I live in a tropical climate and I use two types of lubes, drip wax for summer and oil-based lube for the rainy season. I usually degrease the chain everytime I switch lubes. Should I have two separate chains instead, one for drip-on wax and one for oil-based lube? Should I continue to use one chain and degrease it thoroughly before switching lubes? Thank you! #askgcntech
#askgcntech I have a BMC Roadmachine Five and looking at getting carbon rims. Does the tire clearance specifications for the bike (33mm) correlate at all a max external rim width? I was looking at Reserve 42|49 and the front rim has an external width of 34.4 mm, will I have any issues with this fitting my frame?
Most likely. Make a mark on your fork where the zone of your current front rim sits at, remove the front wheel, use a pair of vernier calipers to open it up to 34.4 mm and see if the jaws touch the fork in the zone you've marked. If you have little to no clearance, this wheelset is a no-go.
#askgcntech I kicked off my indoor training season and noticed that when I'm putting out power, I tend to push forward on the handlebars with my hands. This creates noticeable tension between the contact points of my hands and the saddle. Is this a good thing, or does it suggest that I need to re-evaluate my bike fit or riding position?
If you ride on tarmac but the roads are not the best (potholes, etc), would you better off utilizing carbon or saprin cx-ray spokes on a carbon wheelset?
My experience is that the CAAD (aluminum) Cannondale BB30 BB shells were fine. Maybe Cannondale, like aother manufacturers, had some issues with carbon frames. Certainly my CAAD 10, with over 18K miles, is good. I did have to replace the bearings after a long wet ride, but removal and replacement went as expected and no indication of anything out of spec.
@@stephenturkLA think, I should have specified it's not that much the manufacturer itself but service regularity is the indicator, but it all comes together well. And yes, carbon frames have higher risks of slipping through QC.
#askGCNTech in some other sports (Soccer/Rugby) people are using Grippy Socks to keep their feet still in boots. As shoes are designed to keep the foot steady, is there potential for this in cycling?
Some cycling shoes do have grippy heel cups. One shoe I know in particular, the Specialized S-Works 7, has barb-like fabric in the heel cup, like a cat tongue's barbs.
Nothing wrong with doing work on your bike just before a race. Ive completely reinstalled both shift cables 2hrs before a 24hr race before. Just do it right.
I think it’s a wise idea to only upgrade the necessary components. If you keep your crankset, cassette and chain you can save hundreds of dollars, and the mechanical versions are the same as the electronic ones. SRAM actually sells upgrade kits to convert your mechanical drivetrain to electronic. The kit includes just the electronic bits and is about half the price of the full groupset.
Why do bikes manufacturers ship saddles which almost certainly won’t suit the purchaser, why not ship them without a saddle leaving the purchaser to buy the one which suit them. I’ve been left with two useless saddles and had to go to the extra expense of ones which fit.
Use #askgcntech to ask your burning cycling-related questions!👇
@gcntech are the puncture proof bike tyres a gimmick or do they really work?
Examples: Tannus Armour, Schwalbe Durano Plus, Specialized Nimbus Armadillo Reflect, etc.
#askgcntech
#askgcntech
Hey Alex & Ollie, I have a matte grey coloured bike and would like to know if there is any way or method to make the paintwork be more resistant to scratches/dirt something or even make the surface of the bike glossy?
DK
I've been using TPU tubes for almost two years. I tried the repair patches that are supposed to suit them and have always had to remove/replace them. My non-fail method these days is to use 3M Scotch external double sided mounting tape. It's super sticky and industrial strength - they use it to fix glass panels to buildings. I cut a patch, round off the corners, stick it over the hole and leave the red peel-off layer in place. Once it's had some pressure on it (like a heavy book) it's bonded for life, and the red backing does not come off. I've even patched a tube and fitted it immediately and pumped it up. The tube pressure is sufficient give the tape full bond strength. I've never had a fail with this stuff.
I find a way to repair the TPU, as soon as i apply the glue i patch it, if you let the glue drying it will not stick. You can use old tpu chamber to make your own patches.
With the right adhesive, the patches, or a piece of old tpu tube, work perfectly.
I've found that TPU inner tubes flat a lot easier than rubber inner tubes and latex inner tubes require pumping up before every ride. For someone who rides a lot it is a lot of bother. I pump my tires up to the old Silca standard and let them bleed down to the new lower pressure standard before pumping up again. That is three or four rides. I have yet to find a restaurant pump head that works well.
I upgraded my mechanical 105 to 105DI2, which is the best thing I have ever done. I don't regret it for a second. I constantly had to adjust the front derailer, but with DI2, that's a thing of the past. The hassle-free and ease of maintenance made it worth it for me.
I have two bikes one with mechanical 105 and one with Ultegra Di2. One of the biggest differences no one ever talks about is how much more comfortable the Di2 hoods are (that they can be a lot smaller/narrower) way better from an ergonomic perspective. Beyond that I use the FD way more in the Di2 bike and find myself always in the right gear as I change way more often, where as I find I will grind it out on the mechanical 105.
@@cmarnold78@ cmarnold78 I've heard that many think the hoods are more comfortable, I have large hands, so I find the DI2 less comfortable than the mechanical, but marginally so.
My Cannondale Evo is 10 years old and has a BB30 bottom bracket. When I removed the crankset after 7 years to add a power meter the bearings felt silky smooth so I left them in place. The bike now has over 40K miles on it. The BB still feels smooth and is totally silent.
There are tools you can get for PF that allow you to remove and install the BB without the need for a hammer. I have one for my DUB BB for my PF86 Shell. Super simple to use and takes me maybe 5 mins to remove and replace. Worth it's weight in gold.
I have had a perfect success rate with repairing TPU tubes. What I do is always to apply the patch, and after a minute of applying pressure, I mount the tube in a tire, and inflate to perhaps 60-70% of normal pressure.... Let that sit overnight, and the patch sticks perfectly.....
“I am not bald, I am aero optimised, thank you very much!”
Marginal gains 🚀
@@gcntech We’ve got the margins covered. Looking for gains in the middle. 😂
I've had bottom brackets run for over 15 years before without taking them apart. If the cranks are still "tight", rigid against side to side movement (no "play" in the bearings), and there's no noise when pedalling, I just leave them for another year.
I was just thinking about moving from Mechanical to Di2, so I'm glad you covered it here. And the upgrade path is, as you say, better if you can get it piecemeal and on sale. That's basically what I did to get the components I have now. I bought the brakes and 'brifters' (grips and shifters?) separately. Then found a deal on the derailleurs, also separate from each other. Saved me about half of what it would have cost to buy the full groupset. Not sure you can do that with Di2, but it's a thought.
I have no success with self-adhesive patches. They leaked after couple of hours. Finally, I've cut old TPU tube into pieces and I've glued them using B7000 glue. Works perfectly fine.
thanks for share your experience
The key is to use a polyurethane glue like E6000/B7000, gorilla glue, or shoe goo. TPU = Thermoplastic Polyurethane, and it requires different adhesives than what you'd use on butyl rubber tubes.
Same. Multiple brands have failed in hours to at most a week, never longer. The Pirelli kit has done several repairs with no failures. Use real glue for sure. I will look into the B7000 glue when my current kit is used up.
Di2 is SWEET! Go for it!
Thanks for the answers and thoughts, guys! My instinct after a bunch of "research" is that any gains will be negligible. And that there are no (alloy, at least) rims recommended for 32mm tires, which adhere to the rule of 105%. Anecdotally you can do it...but it's outside specs for the tire.
The comfort difference with a slightly narrower rim is not something I knew about. In the end...I'll probably aim for something deeperish, and good looking.
Thanks for answering my question!
Ofc the triathletes had problems, they always wait for the Friday before their races to bring it in. If you need a shop to tune it up do that at least a month out, if something needs to be ordered you should still get it back in time.
Di2 was life-changing for me. My frame was a nightmare to change cables and di2 took away the need for this.
Isn't the reason why tubeless require lower pressure is because there is more air volume on it vs a tubed setup? Not because of etrto standards
@@MarkArthur they don't require lower pressure. They can't support as high pressure as tubed.
But honestly, nobody except track riders need as high pressure as stated on the tyre wall.
The park tool patches are a great get me home fix for TPU! But I've not had one last too long. all of my punctures have been small pin holes on the rim side of the tube, likely due to how I've installed them!
so... Shifter, front mech and rear mech are consumables and wear out? Really? It's a honest question because I have no experience with those parts (made the switch from Shimano to Campagnolo ~40 years ago - back then 105 has been very poor quality...), but my Super Record (road bike) is in use for 10 years, Athena (commuter bike for more than 25 years) and they work as fine as on the first day
Technically, a long-term consumable since it takes a long time to fully wear them out.
Strip a frame. Build it back up with whatever you want.
Specialized will sell you a bare frame.
I removed the Campag Gran Sport off a 1951 Moorson and put on Cyclo Benelux three speed 1/8" chain. This was because the Campag Gran Sport wasn't introduced until 1953.
The thing nobody seems to be saying about road tubes is that with typical pressures they lose air pretty quickly for optimal pressures to be very practical for all uses. I inflate the 25s of my daily commuter at 110 psi simply because I can rest assured that I can go on at least for four days without having to reinflate my tyres. When I reinflate, pressure has gone down to 80. I could put 90 psi all right, but at the second or third day I would risk having a pinch flat or my rim bottoming out.
What kind of tubes are you running? I run TPU tubes with 37mm tires at 70psi and it would take me at least 2-3 weeks to lose enough pressure to risk a pinch flat.
@@Pellagrah I use TPUs, which loose air a bit quicker than butyl. I think it's mostly narrow tyres at high pressure that do this and at your tyre width it shouldn't be an issue. Another argument for wider tyres I guess, but my fixie commuter barely takes 28s and the roads here are bad enough that I've knocked the rim at 80 psi, so to me 90-100 leaves a safety margin even if it's not optimal for comfort and speed.
110 psi? 😳
@@kalijasinIt's tolerable but surely not optimal. I simply want to be able to grab the bike and go without having to worry about reinflating for half a week.
Get ur pump out and inflate the tire it’s not that hard Jesus
Hi GCN Tech! I have two road bikes, one of them a Giant Defy Rabobank edition from 2011 (shimano 105) who I only use for commuting 20 km's to work. It is still riding quite well but it is due for some serious maintenance (new chain, cassette, chainrings, wires, ...). Is it still worth changing all the parts or should I look to replace by a new or second hand bike (f.e. gravel type bike for commuting)? When do you consider a bike as "worn out"? #askgcntech
These are my rules of thumb on when a frameset needs to be replaced:
1. Structural damage
2. Incompatibility with parts you need to use (ex. wider tires and wheels)
3. Frameset replacement parts are impossible to source and when you're unable to enlist a machinist's help
My last BB was about 25,000 miles old!
#askgcntech Love to hear your thoughts on this. When dealing with tires and have to choose which is more important. Tread pattern or compound? Is tread a crutch for poor compound? Does it vary on cycling disciplines? (road, MTB, gravel, etc) GO!
On the road, tire compound is more important as a road tire is so slim it's impossible to hydroplane.
Yes, tread pattern and structure does vary between cycling disciplines. Gravel and MTB tires feature knobs to help dig into loose terrain. For MTB tires, XC tires aren't as knobby as trail, all-mountain, enduro and DH tires.
Bits worn out ??
My Deore XT Shift system (3x9) have 250,000 km on them, 22 years old and are still working great.
Rumors are that Lemond beat Fignon because of Fignon's ponytail.
On the subject of new tyres, is there an optimal 'bedding in' distance for them to get to their minimum rolling resistance? The difference in flexibility between an old tyre and a fresh-from-the-box one is marked, and I'm betting this makes a difference to how the tyre will behave when rolling on the road. #askgcntech
It's also very important to NOT use CO2 to reinflate a repaired tube if you use self-adhesive patches, unless they specifically say they work with CO2...the cold temperature will wreck the adhesive and it will just let go.
how long is "the allotted time", as the Q&A videos vary from just over 10 mins to just under 15 mins?
Just wondering if the allotted time is meant to be 15 minutes and you are both sneaking off early to the pub for a pint 🤣🤣🤣
I just had my first puncture on a TPU tube, it was the tiniest of wholes in between wall side and top of tube, it was so small that the only way for me to find it was to pump over 20psi and listen/feel. I really do wonder how it happened as the tyre isn’t punctured. Perhaps a tiny rock came into the tyre while riding via the valve hole
#askgcntech After having DNF'ed a number of TTs due to puntures I've decided to upgrade to a tubeless set up & intend to belt & braces it with Vittoria Air-Liner Inserts
My question is will these inserts cost me any of the performance gains that tubeless gives me ?
Many thanks Phil
#askgcntech This is a serious question.
I struggle to find any bib shorts/tights that don't show the outline of my manhood quite clearly? This isn't about the size of mine or anyone else's pecker, but I genuinely have to wear baggy shorts over the top because it doesn't seem right to walk into a coffee shop mid ride while Dorothy's tucking into her scone and I walk past at eye height with a clear outline of my bits on show!
Is there actually any solution to this or any make of bib tight that hides these areas better? Or is wearing baggy sports shorts over the top the best option?
Thanks in advance!
Use uni black ones, white or other bright colors show more contours
I want to change the colour of the decals on my giant tcr without having to get a custom paint job. Is there a way I can do this? I.e. are vinyl decal stickers worth it or can you get just the decals resprayed? Thanks!
Are there any aftermarket 12 speed cassettes that have gearing for us flatlanders? Nearly all Shimano SRAM cassettes start with an 11 t cog. I currently run an Ultegra 11 spd 14-28 cassette and have never used the 14 or 15.. If I go to 12 speed Shimano, I will actually have fewer usable gears than I do on my 11 speed cassette. The only brand I know of is Miche.
Your not making much sense to me here. you dont use the smallest gears on your cassette only the larger gears which are usually the ones used to go up hills. But you also say your riding flatland, fast flats are where you should be able to get into that smaller gear to ride fast.
@@branbroken Just slamming the bike into a bigger gear (smaller cog) will not make me go faster. I don't have the watts or a downhill to push the big gears anymore. My big watt days are about 30-40 years in the past.
I do not need silly 11, 12, 13 cogs on my cassette, but I use the cogs on the 14-28, except never have used the 14 and 15, and rarely the 28 since it is flat. So on this 14-28 11-speed I have 9 usable cogs. On the new Shimano 12 spd 105 which only comes in a 11-34 the individual cogs are 11, 12, 13 14, 15, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27, 30, 34 , so basically I would use the 17, 19, 21, 24, 27, and maybe the 30 occasionally. So by upgrading(?) to a 12 speed I get 3 or 4 FEWER usable cogs. Would like to have a 14-30 12 speed if I ever bother to go to 12 speed. So the question remains. who makes such a cassette?
Yes they exist; look for youth / junior cassette, they start with a 14t
@@RKKRT besides Miche and the Ultegra 11Spd 14-28 I cannot find any others. Perhaps,in Europe, but in the US not finding any.
Mechanical shifting is good, but let's agree on one thing. If you're buying fully integrated bike, electronic shifting is the only way. Mechanical will work but because of countless kinks and bends in gear cables shifting performance will decrease over time. Di2 is reliable and if cared for will work at the same level. Not to mention the cost of labour for replacing worn out gear cables (on fully integrated bike).
I put a wheels manufacturing bottom bracket on my Caad12 and it took care of the maintenance and creeking. My question would be 26 or 28 mm Pirelli Pzero Roads on my Caad12 running Reynolds AR41 wheels? I’m a 5’11, 220 pound 65 year old endurance rider.
28 mm tires are more compliant, but make sure you have at least 4 mm of clearance between the frameset and tires.
Regarding Aero wheelsets: Always go with the most expensive solution. Everyone knows a fat wallet is less aero. Make your wheels and wallet more aero. 🤣
#askgcntech Hello Ollie and Alex. BB question for you. I have switched from an FSA to a Shimano crank, along with changing out the bottom bracket. In doing so, I've noticed that my new Shimano crank is hitting the front derailleur. As such I've added two spacers as provided by my Wheels Manufacturing bottom bracket. Seemed like that did the trick, but should I only add it to the drive side? And is this expected when switching to different cranks? Why is that? Previously, I've only ever used Shimano hollowtech. As always, thanks for the helpful videos you guys produce!
Are the front derailleur's limit screws set correctly?
Hello Ollie and Allen. I live in a tropical climate and I use two types of lubes, drip wax for summer and oil-based lube for the rainy season. I usually degrease the chain everytime I switch lubes. Should I have two separate chains instead, one for drip-on wax and one for oil-based lube? Should I continue to use one chain and degrease it thoroughly before switching lubes? Thank you!
#askgcntech
If you're concerned about drivetrain wear consistency, stick with one chain.
#askgcntech I have a BMC Roadmachine Five and looking at getting carbon rims. Does the tire clearance specifications for the bike (33mm) correlate at all a max external rim width? I was looking at Reserve 42|49 and the front rim has an external width of 34.4 mm, will I have any issues with this fitting my frame?
Most likely. Make a mark on your fork where the zone of your current front rim sits at, remove the front wheel, use a pair of vernier calipers to open it up to 34.4 mm and see if the jaws touch the fork in the zone you've marked.
If you have little to no clearance, this wheelset is a no-go.
#askgcntech I kicked off my indoor training season and noticed that when I'm putting out power, I tend to push forward on the handlebars with my hands. This creates noticeable tension between the contact points of my hands and the saddle. Is this a good thing, or does it suggest that I need to re-evaluate my bike fit or riding position?
This sounds like a weight distribution issue. It's better if you have your fit re-evaluated.
I have had problems with the valves breaking on TPU tubes!!!!
If you ride on tarmac but the roads are not the best (potholes, etc), would you better off utilizing carbon or saprin cx-ray spokes on a carbon wheelset?
Wheels with steel spokes are more compliant. Also, you avoid potholes, not ride through them.
@@yonglingng5640 no kidding on potholes. Riding on roads with cars can be dangerous.
Come on boys....forget hairodynamics! Laurent Fignon proved it all wrong! Legendary ponytail!
Cannondale and annual bottom bracket swaps? No worries about damaging the shell: it left the factory already out of spec.
My experience is that the CAAD (aluminum) Cannondale BB30 BB shells were fine. Maybe Cannondale, like aother manufacturers, had some issues with carbon frames. Certainly my CAAD 10, with over 18K miles, is good. I did have to replace the bearings after a long wet ride, but removal and replacement went as expected and no indication of anything out of spec.
@@stephenturkLA think, I should have specified it's not that much the manufacturer itself but service regularity is the indicator, but it all comes together well. And yes, carbon frames have higher risks of slipping through QC.
#askGCNTech in some other sports (Soccer/Rugby) people are using Grippy Socks to keep their feet still in boots. As shoes are designed to keep the foot steady, is there potential for this in cycling?
Some cycling shoes do have grippy heel cups. One shoe I know in particular, the Specialized S-Works 7, has barb-like fabric in the heel cup, like a cat tongue's barbs.
I'm going to guess that last question was from an Aussie, or maybe a famous Finn who is dating an Aussie
Nothing wrong with doing work on your bike just before a race. Ive completely reinstalled both shift cables 2hrs before a 24hr race before.
Just do it right.
Only if you know you won't screw it up. Not everybody does rush jobs error-free.
@@yonglingng5640 really you should do it correctly regardless of the speed 🤣
@@galenkehler I know I can, but I won't hold it off till the last minute.
Ollies pandemic style haircut screams for a barber shop!
All the fast boys have mullets.
Mullets? The fish or the hairstyle?
#askgcntech Are gravel Superbikes faster or better than, an entry or midteir bikes on the road?
so if mathieu van der poel doesnt win the world championships, we know its because of the little goldy locks
Why not just upgrade the groupset instead of doing all that nonsense?
I think it’s a wise idea to only upgrade the necessary components. If you keep your crankset, cassette and chain you can save hundreds of dollars, and the mechanical versions are the same as the electronic ones. SRAM actually sells upgrade kits to convert your mechanical drivetrain to electronic. The kit includes just the electronic bits and is about half the price of the full groupset.
Still can't believe anyone voted for this lot. You could see it coming a mile off.
The Silca calculator can very easily give me an optimum pressure in excess of the ratings of hookless rims. They should be banned.
Why do bikes manufacturers ship saddles which almost certainly won’t suit the purchaser, why not ship them without a saddle leaving the purchaser to buy the one which suit them. I’ve been left with two useless saddles and had to go to the extra expense of ones which fit.
Why not sell your stock saddles? There may be a rider or two out there that fit them fine.
@@yonglingng5640 yes, but that’s not the point I’m making.
Comment 4.
Keep pushing yourself! 💪
Lee Nancy White Barbara Moore Karen
Why would you want to convert ol' reliable, easy to fix on the road 105 for some Chinese made electronic garbage?
That's gonna be a no for me, dawg.
He definitely hasn’t achieved that by utilising low-carb diets like the rubbish you teach! 😂
do we advocate low carb diets!? for cycling performance i certainly dont!
@@GCNuser123 For nothing you should. Low-carb diets are just fad diets.
Fire Alex Paton.
Why?
@@888julianman Alex got his wife pregnant!
@@savagepro9060ok and?
@@savagepro9060 4 vs 1 vid? This does not confirm Alex is the father...