Going to miss Nic on the podcast. Controversial opinion… Jimmy vs. Nic (Ying and Yang stuff.) on the Pod much more entertaining than Jimmy vs. Francis (Flat back and forth.) UDH great idea and worth mentioning that SRAM mtb mechs have crash protection and if they do get damaged, essentially can be replaced in two parts. Props for the Muussstarrrd (on the beat) coloured Cannondale jersey!
I use one of those garden sprayers for washing my bike. Rinse the bike, spray bike wash, scrub with brushes, then rinse off. The car wash idea is good for extreme mud, on your way driving home from the trail.
Nick's opinions are often ill-informed. His comments on insurance are simply wrong - ignoring the stats to suit his own agenda. If you break a contract (insurance is just one example) it becomes null and void. It's pretty simple.
I wash my bike in an apartment block. I bought a small karcher portable pressure washer. Roughly £100. Best investment in bike cleaning. Does roughly 2 bikes on 1 tank. Can fill it with luke warm water. It’s perfect.
Finally someone cycling in The Netherlands that's not Dutch complaining about the wind here. I do a lot of riding in the polders. It's flatter than a pancake and there's always, always, always, wind. It's cold, harsh wind that's constant. I actually plan my rides the day that I'm riding based on the wind direction, head winds first and tail wind on the way back. However... the wind often changes direction so some times you just spend battling head winds the entire ride. Dutch mountains are no joke.
This podcast is the best cycling-related content on U-tube IMHO. It always makes me laugh and makes me think, and there are always non-mainstream sensible opinions that I completely identify with (as well as the other ones, of course). Keep it up!
I live in a first floor flat that has a small area outside, unfortunately directly alongside a busy city centre road. For years I've washed my bikes using a watering can full of water and a bucket with brushes, bike wash, ect. It doesn't need much space outside and silly as the watering can might look, it really helps get the water where I want it. I'm just amazed I've never had a random pedestrian tell me no matter how much I water it I'll never grow a new bike!
We've watched almost all your podcasts and videos from the start. Excellent entertainment. Have you ever thought of doing a show? Like once a year in a theatre when fans can pay to come? Almost like a panel show with Jimmi, Emily, Francis, Nic, Chris, James. Lawrence etc etc. You could have all the usual segments (planned over a longer period) and a Q&A session. And some high profile guest like Ned (he was so entertaining) or someone from GCN like Connor or Hank? I'd pay and I'm willing to bet you could video it as well for the wider worldwide fan base. Just food for thought. Keep up the great work.
Im with Nick, I use an old aluminium clunker bike that I've had for years, ditched the rear wheel and it now lives on the turbo. Simples. Theres also hundreds of cheap bikes on marketplace etc that would be perfect for puting on the turbo.
I agree with Nick about British insurance companies. I always say about them that, 'at least Dick Turpin had the good grace to wear a mask when he robbed you'.
Some insurers are not too bad. But overall as a market sector, there’s a really high proportion of flat out robbers. Thing is, most robbers deep down probably know they’re doing something morally wrong. When you cross horns with an insurer, you know there’s no conscience of any kind.
Some of what he said is fair, but he's not understanding risk. Any 19 year old, especially males, are a massive risk driving. That's proven in all historical statistics. So they should pay more insurance. It doesn't matter what they drive because the damage can be done with any vehicle. Under 25s should pay way more than a 60 year old with 40 years of clean driving.
I very much doubt I could get insurance for a 200K super car for less than a student gets it for a Micra. The reason UK insurers take the driver into consideration when insuring a car is because there is more risk if the car is being driven by an inexperienced driver, it’s fairly simple. They are also not trying to get out of liability- they are not liable if you break the contract you signed with them.
JD: I'm at 718 hours of activity in 2024. Just passed 10,000 riding miles. I need to track down the Strava group. Love the pod (and Francis's riding shenanigans).
33:25 toe overlap entered the chat... Nic is totally right: the solution to this problem is actually more sizes and more incompatibility (due different wheel sizes) and not the other way around. The availability of small bike sizes is really a thing, but XL is still needed.
Depends also on foot size, cleat position, steering angle and rake. I have nearly 10cm room on my MTB, because it's much slacker then my gravel and road bike (where I have toe overlap).
I'm in! I've done 276 hours of riding this year (so far) and i was going to try and step it up next year so project 400 sounds good to me. and Nic's completely right about smaller wheels, as a mountain biker i prefer 27.5 as I'm 5 foot 9, there's a slight disadvantage with rollover but the wheel strength, nimbleness and clearance to my backside on steep terrain is a huge advantage, i had a gravel bike and much preferred the 650b wheels than the 700c too
I recently purchased 2021 De Rosa SK Pininfarina which has a proprietary rear mech hanger - out of concern that De Rosa will someday stop making the hangers, as soon as I took possession of the bike I reached out to De Rosa and bought 5 hangers (they are cheap) and 5 kits of all the proprietary little rubber gaskets that go around the head tube and seat post. I usually keep a bike for 10-ish years and buy used "interesting" brand bikes so I just always buy multiples of those type small parts everytime I purchase a new bike...UDH would be so much better.
A watering can works wonders to wash the bike after a mucky ride. I've heard some people use garden sprayers that you have pump up with great effect, and there are some portable chargeable pressure washers that have their own water container, some MTB racers use those to rinse down the bike before putting it inside the car.
To Phill, who wants to re-spray his bike. I would suggest hydrographic dipping, also known as water transfer printing or hydro-dipping. You can get all sorts of crazy patterns and designs this way and it will cost you a fraction of a re-spray price. I think prices start at around £120 for a frame (it may depend on a frame size) and around £70 for a fork, If you can strip down your bike and clean/de-grease the frameset. I had my 2009 Boardman Pro done this way and it looks great. Also, you won't have to face any surfaces, as in reality, it is just a very thin foil/sticker. As for the re-spray cost, £500 - £800 would get you a super nice, second-hand bike these days, so maybe it is not the best idea. Whatever you decide, enjoy your ride, mate!
Just a suggestion. plot a route in flanders and the Netherlands in the summer together. You get to experience the flemmish classicsvibe and the Amstel goldrace for two or three days. And lots of easy miles for the rest of it. In summer the wind is mostly one or two beaufort. A 100 km can be done easily at 25kph average for any cyclist even with bags. Some bikeshops, clubs. cafe`s "fans" probably would like to meet you guys in person aswell. So might be good for networking aswell.
when removing your wheel from a disc brake bike, always put something in to prevent the calipers from closing by accident. doesn't have to be fancy, i use a piece of folded cardboard.
I worked for a Car Insurance company in the UK, working total loss claims. I have never heard such poppycock of a tow bar invalidating the insurance, this smacks of a crap insurer just trying to avoid paying for a claim. A tow bar is not a modification, it will never make a car quicker. If anything, it will make for a safer driver when towing. I would complain to the Ombudsman
Just to be more accurate the Full Mount version from SRAM is not hanging off the frame. It’s hanging off the axle. The axle is taking the full load so the frame doesn’t have to. That’s the clever part of the design. You can literally stand on the derailleur and nothing happens because the axle can cope with that load.
When in doubt, declare *any* modifications to your car - they're not all going to cause higher premiums or invalidate your cover. In my case a dashcam counted as a modification when I renewed, but it resulted in a premium reduction for me. Similarly, the one person mentioned on the show that told their insurer about their tow bar received a small premium rebate. I think there's a connotation that modifications are a problem to insurers, so people tend not to pay attention to them when taking out or renewing their insurance.
I agree, but ... I don't think a modification that is completely unrelated to the claim in question should be used by an insurance company to wriggle out of paying. I accept there will be grey areas. A fair and reasonable approach works both ways, or should.
400 hours is 7.7 hours/week or more than an hour a day. If you miss just one workout, you’ve upped the next week’s requirement to almost 9 hours. Let’s see how many people actually make it to 400, because I’ll find it very impressive.
Omg, the statement, there is no achievement for a headwind is spot on. I live in very flat Florida and am constantly dealing with wind. The bane of my cycling experience
He’ll be back next time Francis is on a jolly. And to be fair, he makes an excellent stand in. A bit controversial at times, certainly don’t always agree with him on everything; in fact definitely not. But a good addition to the team for sure. Much, much, much, much better than any ‘special guests’ because although they are special, they never have any chemistry.
Totally agree that the UK insurance market is a total con. If the tow bar contributed in any way to the crash or increased the severity of the crash, then sure you could understand them rejecting the claim. Maybe if you were actually towing a trailer at the time you could understand it. Otherwise it's completely irrelevant.
It’s not irrelevant. This person modified the car that they had declared to their insurer, therefore invalidating the policy. Even in a system like they have in South Africa that Nick describes, I doubt SA insurers let you make modifications without informing them.
@@rob-c. The insurance company have a duty to define and inform what is considered a relevant modification. If you fit non-OEM windscreen wipers or non-OEM oil filter then this would technically be a modification, would they deny insurance because of this? Some insurance companies consider a tow bar to be a modification, others not. What's completely mad is that Allianz-owned Flow insurance who denied the claim have nothing about tow bars on the web site. Allianz themselves have a statement on their website covering modifications that states clearly that tow bars are covered "We also cover air conditioning, fog lights, parking sensors and tow bars"...
Bike Cleaning: I have a 60V Greenworks cordless power sprayer. It is just enough to spray off my RAV4 and perfect for cleaning bikes. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a cover for carrying warm water through the house. Just keep some distance from the sprayer and use just enough pressure to remove dirt.
Sram's proposed new indoor trainer design fixes a problem that doesn't exist. it is more complicated and still requires you to remove the thru axel--you might as well just pull the wheel and pop it on the direct drive trainer. And, Cannondale makes great bikes. I have a couple. They are super light and ride nicely. The AI rear end is not a problem even if you want to switch wheels. Re-dishing a rear wheel to fit is not a huge issue.
What happens, if you have a crash on your rear derailleur with a full mount derailleur? The rear mech hanger is not there any more to bend or brake. What will brake then? The derailleur or the frame or the axle additionally destroying the hub? Will you be able to replace any of them at the same cost as a rear mech hanger? I doubt it. Will the warranty of the frame cover such an accident? I'm not sure. But I am sure Sram will love to sell you a shiny new derailleur at full price. Don't get me wrong, I think a standardized rear mech hanger is a great idea, but getting rid of the hanger bears the unnecessary risk of making a crash much more expensive.
Sram says if you crash on your derailleur, it's robust enough to take most typical front and side impacts, so nothing should get irreparably damaged. You may need to readjust it, but that's typical of most equipment post-crash. I checked online and the forums, and there's almost no reports of anyone sustaining unreasonable damage crashing on a t-type derailleur, let alone crashing at all. Only instance I could find was a youth racer getting mixed up in a pile-up at a race and having poor shifting (which was resolved at an LBS). What I gather from the evidence, if you're crashing hard enough to cause major damage to the derailleur, which is modular and repairable with parts from Sram, or the frame, that would've been the case whether the bike was equipped with a full mount deraiileur or not.
If the derailleur sits on the axle, as suggested, the only thing that takes the impact is the axle and nothing else. That means, nothing breaks or bends. I guess you could say that the axle can get dented but it'll take so much force that it would mean the derailleur itself should be broken or bent.
UDH seems good idea if just kept at hanger level. but feel like we will transfer to direct mount, and hanger mount will phase out so older bike be hard to get parts for. there is battery operated bike washers that i found handy Karcher do one
Zwift cog would solve all of Nic's turbo woes, obviously not compatible with them all but it could be as seen by JetBlack having compatibility in their new one
@NicVieriMechanic I don't know if it's Zwift locking down the software or whatever but it would be good for us consumers if all the turbo apps could use it. Of course that would be bad for Zwift so my hopes aren't high
@@NicVieriMechanic do you mean trainer road? Training peaks integrates perfectly with zwift. and yes the zwift cog is amazing. any bike can go on it, you dont need to worry about cassettes or hub spacing.
Currently sitting at 400hr 55min ride time in the past year. 480hr 22min for all activities. I don't track some of my hiking so I'm probably around 500hrs total. Blessed to fit in that much but the vast majority is just riding the turbo trainer at 5am so that I can get it done before work.
According to my Strava I logged 385 hrs so far in 2024, down from 430 hrs in 2023, because I am injured more this year. I am still injured right now, day 32 of resting already and still my hip is not healed. I will rest until there is zero pain, forget about the 400.
Back in 2003 I bought a second hand ford focus 170 from a dealer. I had an accident and the insurance wouldn’t pay out because the 17 inch alloy wheels were sprayed black from the last owner, apparently this is a modification but I was unaware. Obviously learned the hard way.
I think the tow bar issue is a bit complicated. You buy a new with factory fit tow bar. Do you have to declare it to insurance? You buy a second hand car where previous owner fitted tow bar, you haven’t modified the car they did. Are we all risking the insurance being invalidated by speccing options. Maybe this is not so clear cut
Any options specced with a new car will be on the build database that the insurance companies have access to, so they will already be aware when quoting - they aren't classed as a modification. Any change after the car was built (not sure about dealer-fitted) will be counted as a modification, whoever made them. It's the responsibility of the purchaser of a 2nd-hand car to find out what isn't standard. Agreed this isn't always clear. However, you can always go to a dealer and ask for the built sheet to help identify any differences.
The only point I am unsure on with mechs been fixed mount is what happens in a crash? No longer have a sacrificial part? Was the one bit I thought that was going to be discussed but then it went in another direction. Other then that UDH seems a win all round. PS great Pod as always and Merry Christmas all.
So the mech disengages itself. And all the exterior parts are replaceable. They even showed people standing and jumping on them. It’s pretty impressive tech.
@NicVieriMechanic cheers! Might have to go on a RUclips journey of discovery to see it in action. So much change since my bike mechanic days in the early 2000's Ps love the jumper!
For what it's worth, living in the same situation in the same area as the listener at the end, I had good success with a cheap home Depot garden sprayer for bike cleaning purposes. Obviously a spigot and hose are going to work better but that was not available to me.
A garden hose doesn't prevent you from having to scrub unfortunately. I have a pressure washer and still have to scrub.. I may as well have just stayed with a bucket and sponge, at least then I could have spent the pressure washer money on bike bits instead 😅
Back in the early 80's I rode raleigh chopper type bike cheap alternative (it was called a Scrambler and a Halfords brand, it was Purple with white tyres and looking back I don't know I don't know how I survived riding it...until my BMX came along and later a race bike). My mate had a 5 speed racer with Cow Horns....on the downhills my Scrambler was considerably faster without pedalling...but on the flats I'd struggle to keep up.
Was lucky enough to be able to get a new Orbea Terra through my works leasing plan, sadly they still only have 170mm+ cranks so now I'm riding on cranks that are 10mm to big :(
Nick you bought a Battaglin Roma? Will you make a video of it? That bike looks fantastic!! Dream bike land! ps: Equilbrium Bikes Elysion is similar but instead of Stainless steel it's made of Titanium also pretty cool.
I did the same Nick suggested and made a "Zwift"-Bike from a rim brake carbon bike that has been damaged in an accident. Fixed the frame with lots of epoxy resin, removed the brakes and also replaced the front wheel with a solid block so it is super rigid and stiff. As I ride a lot and sweat a lot indoor and do a lot of sprints I don´t want to put any of my bikes on it that I ride outoodrs. Putting a disc brake bike on DirectDrive trainer is also annoying as for the brake block required, and it takes more time to mount. Then sweat is dripping on the brake pads. I stopped putting my good disc brake bike on the indoor trainer for these reasons. I run 11s campa indoors, using up old parts...using a Wahoo Kickr v5. I had to buy a campa hub as it did not come with one, annoying. Then Wahoo sent me a replacement for my broken hub that allows both campa and shimano cassettes - tested it but it appears not to take all Shimano cassettes for some reason. Wahoo trainers come with adapters for all kind of diameters, it is not so hard to get wrong but I get your point "this could be a lot better". Then I think Direct Drive trainers at people that are willing to do some stuff themselves, and for this reason they are the "best cheapest" smart bike option. Otherwise just need to spend more and all these issues are gone.
I live in Tasmania where we have strong winds and and many mountains and hills, on a recent ride there was a strong head wind at the same time as an 8ish % gradient, that was "fun"
As a owner of 2 cannondale bikes i have never had trouble with the pair of them ,granted one is a year 2000 cad aluminium cafe de columbia , but i have had 2 carbon synapse one a rim brake the other a disc ,sold the rim brake one to my eternal regret but still like the disc one
if you bought your dream life time bike 5 years ago you'll be fucked if you want a new top end groupset. Then again, if you bought it ten years ago you probably already are, Riding uphill into a headwind is where it really starts to suck.
I have a few issues with SRAM but UDH is a Godsend. I need to have 5 different hangers for all my different bikes that range in price between $45 for a Specialized to $127 for my Commencal😮
bike washing - use a 5 litre pressurised garden sprayer with a lance to spray down - it feels like a faff but the reward in the ease of use use is worth it
I paid about 300 for my frame - carbon, then 1500 for the gearset, and 2 wheels about 800 tho I do also have a custom steel frame, did used to use it but like the carbon ride, tho I do plan to put the gearset on that and buy another to put on either a custom carbon ideally so I can't stay on rim - brakes as they're just much simpler from the 'go..
I have a Wahoo Kickr Rollr because my bike has a propietary rear axle that makes it impossible to install on a direct drive turbo trainer. At first I was bummed that I couldn't use a direct drive, but the Kickr Rollr sidesteps all of the cassette compatibility issues and the requirement to remove the rear wheel. The one downside for some people is that you must provide your own power meter because the Kickr Rollr does not have one built in. I have Favero Assioma Pro MX-1 power meter pedals that I can quickly swap onto any of my bikes. As far as resistance and responsiveness of the resistance in Zwift it seems fine to me.
When I worked as a mechanic in the Netherlands I could not understand why so many people had Triathlon bars on their Dutch bike. Then I went for a ride in the “Polder” (the totally flat land reclaimed from the sea) 😂
As a bicycle technician based in USA, I’ve had countless conversations with vendors, reps and SRAM about the desire for “full” or “direct” mount rear derailleurs by removing the UDH combined with the removal of limit screws on T-Type (Transmission) derailleurs. Collectively many of us within my circle of industry professionals believe this is specifically directed at the consumer market and NOT professional bicycle technicians. T-Type Drivetrains by SRAM have an app that tells the installer EXACTLY how to install it, how long the chain has to be and which cog the chain needs to be on to complete the “setup” process. From a pragmatic viewpoint, these new derailleurs/drivetrains are consumer driven NOT Bicycle Industry Professional driven. Again this could be hyperbole from my perspective…but it seems this is SRAM’s intention. Just my $.02 of an opinion.
My wheel-off turbo trainer is the perfect excuse to keep a beloved old bike that would otherwise serve no function. I imagine this is true for many people who frequently use their trainers.
Oh, imagining my friends bikes already falling in price (for used market) because of being non UDH compatible (most of them just made this step up when buyer wont be just an amature who buying first road bike "to touch" the road cycling). And I'm so glad to having brazing kit to change dropouts on a beloved steel frames to whatever I want.
The Canondale AI should have been the new standard across the industry. It actually makes a lot of sense. As for the direct mount trainer, how can you have a problem with pulling your brake? As soon as you take the wheel out, put in a spacer. It is pretty simple. And that SRAM trainer won't save hassle. You still have to pull out your through axle. And how will it work with bikes that now have the axle end covered?
I entirely agree on Nick's point about smaller bikes and 650B wheels. It doesn't make sense to have the same wheelsize on very big and very small bikes, the frame to wheel proportions are totally different. I like how Surly does it with the Straggler where the small frame sizes are 650B, the mid sizes can be bought in either 700C or 650B and the big ones are 700C. Also I don't understand why anyone would want a 100+mm stem, If I could I'd never touch a stem that's longer than 80mm again in my life. Short stems for life. My daily commuter Surly straggler (56cm, I'm 183cm) has a 75mm stem rather than the recommended 100 and I could never imagine a 100mm stem on that bike.
Isn't the idea of a mech hanger to prevent damage to the frame and mech in event of a crash? Isn't a Full Mount Mech going to be damaged in a crash, potentially at least? Great so we get stuck with a big bill for an electronic mech!
Going to miss Nic on the podcast. Controversial opinion… Jimmy vs. Nic (Ying and Yang stuff.) on the Pod much more entertaining than Jimmy vs. Francis (Flat back and forth.) UDH great idea and worth mentioning that SRAM mtb mechs have crash protection and if they do get damaged, essentially can be replaced in two parts. Props for the Muussstarrrd (on the beat) coloured Cannondale jersey!
I use one of those garden sprayers for washing my bike. Rinse the bike, spray bike wash, scrub with brushes, then rinse off.
The car wash idea is good for extreme mud, on your way driving home from the trail.
Nick opinións are the best, smart and cold data, period.
Nick's opinions are often ill-informed. His comments on insurance are simply wrong - ignoring the stats to suit his own agenda.
If you break a contract (insurance is just one example) it becomes null and void. It's pretty simple.
Gonna be sad to see Nick gone but at least we get more of him on his own channel.
Is it possible to expand the pod to have Jimmy, Francis AND Nic at the same time?
I wash my bike in an apartment block. I bought a small karcher portable pressure washer. Roughly £100. Best investment in bike cleaning. Does roughly 2 bikes on 1 tank. Can fill it with luke warm water. It’s perfect.
Finally someone cycling in The Netherlands that's not Dutch complaining about the wind here. I do a lot of riding in the polders. It's flatter than a pancake and there's always, always, always, wind. It's cold, harsh wind that's constant. I actually plan my rides the day that I'm riding based on the wind direction, head winds first and tail wind on the way back. However... the wind often changes direction so some times you just spend battling head winds the entire ride. Dutch mountains are no joke.
This podcast is the best cycling-related content on U-tube IMHO. It always makes me laugh and makes me think, and there are always non-mainstream sensible opinions that I completely identify with (as well as the other ones, of course). Keep it up!
I live in a first floor flat that has a small area outside, unfortunately directly alongside a busy city centre road. For years I've washed my bikes using a watering can full of water and a bucket with brushes, bike wash, ect. It doesn't need much space outside and silly as the watering can might look, it really helps get the water where I want it. I'm just amazed I've never had a random pedestrian tell me no matter how much I water it I'll never grow a new bike!
We've watched almost all your podcasts and videos from the start. Excellent entertainment. Have you ever thought of doing a show? Like once a year in a theatre when fans can pay to come? Almost like a panel show with Jimmi, Emily, Francis, Nic, Chris, James. Lawrence etc etc. You could have all the usual segments (planned over a longer period) and a Q&A session. And some high profile guest like Ned (he was so entertaining) or someone from GCN like Connor or Hank? I'd pay and I'm willing to bet you could video it as well for the wider worldwide fan base. Just food for thought. Keep up the great work.
I think that’s a genius idea
Just checked the club on Strava and there are now 1,706 members. Let's get it to 3,000 before the end of the year!
Im with Nick, I use an old aluminium clunker bike that I've had for years, ditched the rear wheel and it now lives on the turbo. Simples. Theres also hundreds of cheap bikes on marketplace etc that would be perfect for puting on the turbo.
Same here....there's plenty of old rim bikes out there to setup a dedicated turbo...but I guess it depends if you have the money and space
I agree with Nick about British insurance companies. I always say about them that, 'at least Dick Turpin had the good grace to wear a mask when he robbed you'.
😂
Some insurers are not too bad. But overall as a market sector, there’s a really high proportion of flat out robbers.
Thing is, most robbers deep down probably know they’re doing something morally wrong. When you cross horns with an insurer, you know there’s no conscience of any kind.
Some of what he said is fair, but he's not understanding risk. Any 19 year old, especially males, are a massive risk driving. That's proven in all historical statistics. So they should pay more insurance. It doesn't matter what they drive because the damage can be done with any vehicle. Under 25s should pay way more than a 60 year old with 40 years of clean driving.
Just ride bikes instead.
@@garrywhelan9211 Spot on. The actuarial statistics don't lie
I very much doubt I could get insurance for a 200K super car for less than a student gets it for a Micra.
The reason UK insurers take the driver into consideration when insuring a car is because there is more risk if the car is being driven by an inexperienced driver, it’s fairly simple.
They are also not trying to get out of liability- they are not liable if you break the contract you signed with them.
Well said 🎉
I'd like to point out that it seems like the new Colnago Y1RS also has UDH - so adoption seems to be trickling to the Road scene as well.
JD: I'm at 718 hours of activity in 2024. Just passed 10,000 riding miles. I need to track down the Strava group.
Love the pod (and Francis's riding shenanigans).
33:25 toe overlap entered the chat...
Nic is totally right: the solution to this problem is actually more sizes and more incompatibility (due different wheel sizes) and not the other way around.
The availability of small bike sizes is really a thing, but XL is still needed.
I’m 6’4” and have toe overlap on all my bikes. It’s just inevitable for some body sizes.
Depends also on foot size, cleat position, steering angle and rake.
I have nearly 10cm room on my MTB, because it's much slacker then my gravel and road bike (where I have toe overlap).
I'm in! I've done 276 hours of riding this year (so far) and i was going to try and step it up next year so project 400 sounds good to me.
and Nic's completely right about smaller wheels, as a mountain biker i prefer 27.5 as I'm 5 foot 9, there's a slight disadvantage with rollover but the wheel strength, nimbleness and clearance to my backside on steep terrain is a huge advantage, i had a gravel bike and much preferred the 650b wheels than the 700c too
I recently purchased 2021 De Rosa SK Pininfarina which has a proprietary rear mech hanger - out of concern that De Rosa will someday stop making the hangers, as soon as I took possession of the bike I reached out to De Rosa and bought 5 hangers (they are cheap) and 5 kits of all the proprietary little rubber gaskets that go around the head tube and seat post. I usually keep a bike for 10-ish years and buy used "interesting" brand bikes so I just always buy multiples of those type small parts everytime I purchase a new bike...UDH would be so much better.
Shimano years ago brought out the Hone groupsets where the rear derailleur attached to the hub axle.
Ahhhh, a discussion of SRAM's 'Trojan' Hanger - the only thing to say is Well played SRAM, well played.....
A watering can works wonders to wash the bike after a mucky ride. I've heard some people use garden sprayers that you have pump up with great effect, and there are some portable chargeable pressure washers that have their own water container, some MTB racers use those to rinse down the bike before putting it inside the car.
I really like it when Nick is on the podcast. I think we are cut from the same cloth, which means we would argue with each other incessantly.😂❤❤❤
I love a good debate 👌🏽
To Phill, who wants to re-spray his bike. I would suggest hydrographic dipping, also known as water transfer printing or hydro-dipping. You can get all sorts of crazy patterns and designs this way and it will cost you a fraction of a re-spray price. I think prices start at around £120 for a frame (it may depend on a frame size) and around £70 for a fork, If you can strip down your bike and clean/de-grease the frameset. I had my 2009 Boardman Pro done this way and it looks great. Also, you won't have to face any surfaces, as in reality, it is just a very thin foil/sticker. As for the re-spray cost, £500 - £800 would get you a super nice, second-hand bike these days, so maybe it is not the best idea. Whatever you decide, enjoy your ride, mate!
Well there's only one place for the Project 400 ride - Commondale in North Yorkshire, Nick can bring his new Cannondale
Just a suggestion. plot a route in flanders and the Netherlands in the summer together. You get to experience the flemmish classicsvibe and the Amstel goldrace for two or three days. And lots of easy miles for the rest of it. In summer the wind is mostly one or two beaufort. A 100 km can be done easily at 25kph average for any cyclist even with bags. Some bikeshops, clubs. cafe`s "fans" probably would like to meet you guys in person aswell. So might be good for networking aswell.
when removing your wheel from a disc brake bike, always put something in to prevent the calipers from closing by accident. doesn't have to be fancy, i use a piece of folded cardboard.
Great podcast guys!
Gonna miss Nic though!
😢
Have a great Christmas and New year!
I worked for a Car Insurance company in the UK, working total loss claims. I have never heard such poppycock of a tow bar invalidating the insurance, this smacks of a crap insurer just trying to avoid paying for a claim. A tow bar is not a modification, it will never make a car quicker. If anything, it will make for a safer driver when towing. I would complain to the Ombudsman
Cannondale deserve all the glory and praise, just for the BB drop on the 20" kids bike alone
To many brands are still so far behind on this
Just to be more accurate the Full Mount version from SRAM is not hanging off the frame. It’s hanging off the axle. The axle is taking the full load so the frame doesn’t have to. That’s the clever part of the design. You can literally stand on the derailleur and nothing happens because the axle can cope with that load.
100% on the Tour Divide. Some friends and I have been section riding it over the past few years. Incredible nature, views, and gravel riding.
When in doubt, declare *any* modifications to your car - they're not all going to cause higher premiums or invalidate your cover. In my case a dashcam counted as a modification when I renewed, but it resulted in a premium reduction for me. Similarly, the one person mentioned on the show that told their insurer about their tow bar received a small premium rebate.
I think there's a connotation that modifications are a problem to insurers, so people tend not to pay attention to them when taking out or renewing their insurance.
Well said. Just be honest with your insurance company
I agree, but ... I don't think a modification that is completely unrelated to the claim in question should be used by an insurance company to wriggle out of paying. I accept there will be grey areas. A fair and reasonable approach works both ways, or should.
@@edlazda3245 the point is they wouldn’t have offered a quote if he declared the tow bar when applying for the policy .
I just rang Admiral and they told me tow bar is counted as a small modification so doesn't need declaring. The more you know!
@@rosa__lux692 I would have charged you an admin fee
400 hours is 7.7 hours/week or more than an hour a day. If you miss just one workout, you’ve upped the next week’s requirement to almost 9 hours. Let’s see how many people actually make it to 400, because I’ll find it very impressive.
I done so far 830h activities this year 😃🤩 also joined 400 club on Strava 💪🙋♂
Wild Ones is the best thing to come out of the north east since the Durham Miners’ Gala.
Omg, the statement, there is no achievement for a headwind is spot on. I live in very flat Florida and am constantly dealing with wind. The bane of my cycling experience
Its also dull as hell.
bane ... i think
@davewright8206 ooops.... stupid auto correct
@@mctrials23 absolutely. I use Rouvy to get my climbing in, which is still not as nice as real world, but at least I can put a movie on.
Thanks Nic. It was a fun ride. Cheers.
He’ll be back next time Francis is on a jolly.
And to be fair, he makes an excellent stand in. A bit controversial at times, certainly don’t always agree with him on everything; in fact definitely not. But a good addition to the team for sure.
Much, much, much, much better than any ‘special guests’ because although they are special, they never have any chemistry.
Funniest thing I've seen this year, Emily yawning during turbo trainer problems conversation. Priceless 😂.
Totally agree that the UK insurance market is a total con.
If the tow bar contributed in any way to the crash or increased the severity of the crash, then sure you could understand them rejecting the claim. Maybe if you were actually towing a trailer at the time you could understand it. Otherwise it's completely irrelevant.
It’s not irrelevant. This person modified the car that they had declared to their insurer, therefore invalidating the policy. Even in a system like they have in South Africa that Nick describes, I doubt SA insurers let you make modifications without informing them.
Just declare the modification and you'll be ok
@@rob-c. The insurance company have a duty to define and inform what is considered a relevant modification. If you fit non-OEM windscreen wipers or non-OEM oil filter then this would technically be a modification, would they deny insurance because of this? Some insurance companies consider a tow bar to be a modification, others not. What's completely mad is that Allianz-owned Flow insurance who denied the claim have nothing about tow bars on the web site. Allianz themselves have a statement on their website covering modifications that states clearly that tow bars are covered "We also cover air conditioning, fog lights, parking sensors and tow bars"...
Bike Cleaning: I have a 60V Greenworks cordless power sprayer. It is just enough to spray off my RAV4 and perfect for cleaning bikes. My only complaint is that it doesn't have a cover for carrying warm water through the house. Just keep some distance from the sprayer and use just enough pressure to remove dirt.
I am new to strava and am unable to find the Project 400 club. Is that the full and correct strava name for it?
Found it!
Sram's proposed new indoor trainer design fixes a problem that doesn't exist. it is more complicated and still requires you to remove the thru axel--you might as well just pull the wheel and pop it on the direct drive trainer. And, Cannondale makes great bikes. I have a couple. They are super light and ride nicely. The AI rear end is not a problem even if you want to switch wheels. Re-dishing a rear wheel to fit is not a huge issue.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year Bella 🤍
Virtual hug on the sleigh
❄❄
🎄🦴🐿
What happens, if you have a crash on your rear derailleur with a full mount derailleur? The rear mech hanger is not there any more to bend or brake. What will brake then? The derailleur or the frame or the axle additionally destroying the hub? Will you be able to replace any of them at the same cost as a rear mech hanger? I doubt it. Will the warranty of the frame cover such an accident? I'm not sure. But I am sure Sram will love to sell you a shiny new derailleur at full price.
Don't get me wrong, I think a standardized rear mech hanger is a great idea, but getting rid of the hanger bears the unnecessary risk of making a crash much more expensive.
Sram says if you crash on your derailleur, it's robust enough to take most typical front and side impacts, so nothing should get irreparably damaged. You may need to readjust it, but that's typical of most equipment post-crash. I checked online and the forums, and there's almost no reports of anyone sustaining unreasonable damage crashing on a t-type derailleur, let alone crashing at all. Only instance I could find was a youth racer getting mixed up in a pile-up at a race and having poor shifting (which was resolved at an LBS). What I gather from the evidence, if you're crashing hard enough to cause major damage to the derailleur, which is modular and repairable with parts from Sram, or the frame, that would've been the case whether the bike was equipped with a full mount deraiileur or not.
If the derailleur sits on the axle, as suggested, the only thing that takes the impact is the axle and nothing else. That means, nothing breaks or bends. I guess you could say that the axle can get dented but it'll take so much force that it would mean the derailleur itself should be broken or bent.
About the small bikes, Canyon gravel bikes are 650b on their smaller sizes
UDH seems good idea if just kept at hanger level. but feel like we will transfer to direct mount, and hanger mount will phase out so older bike be hard to get parts for.
there is battery operated bike washers that i found handy Karcher do one
Best bike cleaning option for apartment dwellers is a self serve car wash.
Zwift cog would solve all of Nic's turbo woes, obviously not compatible with them all but it could be as seen by JetBlack having compatibility in their new one
I like the idea of that. But had a customer last week who refuses to ride on zwift. He wants it for training peaks. 😞
@NicVieriMechanic I don't know if it's Zwift locking down the software or whatever but it would be good for us consumers if all the turbo apps could use it. Of course that would be bad for Zwift so my hopes aren't high
@@NicVieriMechanic do you mean trainer road? Training peaks integrates perfectly with zwift. and yes the zwift cog is amazing. any bike can go on it, you dont need to worry about cassettes or hub spacing.
Currently sitting at 400hr 55min ride time in the past year. 480hr 22min for all activities. I don't track some of my hiking so I'm probably around 500hrs total. Blessed to fit in that much but the vast majority is just riding the turbo trainer at 5am so that I can get it done before work.
According to my Strava I logged 385 hrs so far in 2024, down from 430 hrs in 2023, because I am injured more this year. I am still injured right now, day 32 of resting already and still my hip is not healed. I will rest until there is zero pain, forget about the 400.
Back in 2003 I bought a second hand ford focus 170 from a dealer. I had an accident and the insurance wouldn’t pay out because the 17 inch alloy wheels were sprayed black from the last owner, apparently this is a modification but I was unaware. Obviously learned the hard way.
Regarding cleaning bike... Karcher OC3 7l version. Expensive but fantastic and they are selling a collapsible version as well
Just joined Project 400 :), and with a new bike coming early next year.....fun times.
Nick is spot on. Every manufacturer is all in on 700c. Under 50cm, the compromises become obvious. 650 would solve this.
15:30 British cycling don’t care.
What happens when you pull the rear disc brake on a direct drive trainer?
For apartment bike cleaning. Get a 2 gallon pump sprayer. Fill it up and carry it out to where you are cleaning the bike.
I think the tow bar issue is a bit complicated. You buy a new with factory fit tow bar. Do you have to declare it to insurance?
You buy a second hand car where previous owner fitted tow bar, you haven’t modified the car they did.
Are we all risking the insurance being invalidated by speccing options.
Maybe this is not so clear cut
Any options specced with a new car will be on the build database that the insurance companies have access to, so they will already be aware when quoting - they aren't classed as a modification. Any change after the car was built (not sure about dealer-fitted) will be counted as a modification, whoever made them. It's the responsibility of the purchaser of a 2nd-hand car to find out what isn't standard. Agreed this isn't always clear. However, you can always go to a dealer and ask for the built sheet to help identify any differences.
I still have my Cannonade Campagnolo edition mountain bike that I bought back in 1988!
The only point I am unsure on with mechs been fixed mount is what happens in a crash? No longer have a sacrificial part? Was the one bit I thought that was going to be discussed but then it went in another direction. Other then that UDH seems a win all round.
PS great Pod as always and Merry Christmas all.
So the mech disengages itself. And all the exterior parts are replaceable. They even showed people standing and jumping on them. It’s pretty impressive tech.
@NicVieriMechanic cheers! Might have to go on a RUclips journey of discovery to see it in action. So much change since my bike mechanic days in the early 2000's
Ps love the jumper!
For what it's worth, living in the same situation in the same area as the listener at the end, I had good success with a cheap home Depot garden sprayer for bike cleaning purposes. Obviously a spigot and hose are going to work better but that was not available to me.
A garden hose doesn't prevent you from having to scrub unfortunately.
I have a pressure washer and still have to scrub.. I may as well have just stayed with a bucket and sponge, at least then I could have spent the pressure washer money on bike bits instead 😅
Ooh, I hadn't thought about a garden sprayer, and it looks like they're pretty inexpensive! Thanks.
Back in the early 80's I rode raleigh chopper type bike cheap alternative (it was called a Scrambler and a Halfords brand, it was Purple with white tyres and looking back I don't know I don't know how I survived riding it...until my BMX came along and later a race bike). My mate had a 5 speed racer with Cow Horns....on the downhills my Scrambler was considerably faster without pedalling...but on the flats I'd struggle to keep up.
Need to make Nic a regular
You guys don’t put a spacer in your rear brake caliper when you put it in the trainer?
Was lucky enough to be able to get a new Orbea Terra through my works leasing plan, sadly they still only have 170mm+ cranks so now I'm riding on cranks that are 10mm to big :(
UDH means I think no derailleur hanger. My rear mech mounts direct to the frame on my Enve Mog
Does this mean that CUES will become a direct mount groupset?
Nick you bought a Battaglin Roma? Will you make a video of it? That bike looks fantastic!! Dream bike land! ps: Equilbrium Bikes Elysion is similar but instead of Stainless steel it's made of Titanium also pretty cool.
Yes, I’ll film it next week hopefully. Has to stay wrapped under the Christmas tree till then 😋
@NicVieriMechanic 🤩😍🤩👍🏾👍🏾
I did the same Nick suggested and made a "Zwift"-Bike from a rim brake carbon bike that has been damaged in an accident. Fixed the frame with lots of epoxy resin, removed the brakes and also replaced the front wheel with a solid block so it is super rigid and stiff. As I ride a lot and sweat a lot indoor and do a lot of sprints I don´t want to put any of my bikes on it that I ride outoodrs. Putting a disc brake bike on DirectDrive trainer is also annoying as for the brake block required, and it takes more time to mount. Then sweat is dripping on the brake pads. I stopped putting my good disc brake bike on the indoor trainer for these reasons.
I run 11s campa indoors, using up old parts...using a Wahoo Kickr v5. I had to buy a campa hub as it did not come with one, annoying. Then Wahoo sent me a replacement for my broken hub that allows both campa and shimano cassettes - tested it but it appears not to take all Shimano cassettes for some reason. Wahoo trainers come with adapters for all kind of diameters, it is not so hard to get wrong but I get your point "this could be a lot better". Then I think Direct Drive trainers at people that are willing to do some stuff themselves, and for this reason they are the "best cheapest" smart bike option. Otherwise just need to spend more and all these issues are gone.
Amen nick! Insurance here in the UK is the biggest scam, but our consistently poor government allow them to get away with it
I live in Tasmania where we have strong winds and and many mountains and hills, on a recent ride there was a strong head wind at the same time as an 8ish % gradient, that was "fun"
18:30 it's not "skew" he's talking about, but "SKU" meaning "stock keeping unit"
As a owner of 2 cannondale bikes i have never had trouble with the pair of them ,granted one is a year 2000 cad aluminium cafe de columbia , but i have had 2 carbon synapse one a rim brake the other a disc ,sold the rim brake one to my eternal regret but still like the disc one
Cant Nic stay? 4 way pods would be great. Love his input from a bike shop owners prospective
if you bought your dream life time bike 5 years ago you'll be fucked if you want a new top end groupset. Then again, if you bought it ten years ago you probably already are,
Riding uphill into a headwind is where it really starts to suck.
did a ride the other day into head wind. over 50% battery used into 15% back
I have a few issues with SRAM but UDH is a Godsend. I need to have 5 different hangers for all my different bikes that range in price between $45 for a Specialized to $127 for my Commencal😮
From a bike shop perspective, I’m gonna miss Nick…. 😢
Romain Anonymous is probably a great name to stay under the radar on strava
😂😂😂
A trainer that you don't need worry about interface and/or wheel removal - it exists -> Wahoo Kickr Rollr
bike washing - use a 5 litre pressurised garden sprayer with a lance to spray down - it feels like a faff but the reward in the ease of use use is worth it
Headwind vs incline - totally agree.
The CO2 process is a fitness test - it's not a training tool...it's a bit like saying you have to not exhale while doing a Vo2 test...
Can we get a marathon of nicks rants of 2024
I paid about 300 for my frame - carbon, then 1500 for the gearset, and 2 wheels about 800 tho I do also have a custom steel frame, did used to use it but like the carbon ride, tho I do plan to put the gearset on that and buy another to put on either a custom carbon ideally so I can't stay on rim - brakes as they're just much simpler from the 'go..
Live the purple jacket - which one is it?
I've always described myself as a headwind specialist.
Why don't they combine rollers and a turbo trainer? Make the back wheel sit on rollers and the roller end has a turbo trainer mechanism attached
Wahoo do something like this.
I have a Wahoo Kickr Rollr because my bike has a propietary rear axle that makes it impossible to install on a direct drive turbo trainer. At first I was bummed that I couldn't use a direct drive, but the Kickr Rollr sidesteps all of the cassette compatibility issues and the requirement to remove the rear wheel. The one downside for some people is that you must provide your own power meter because the Kickr Rollr does not have one built in. I have Favero Assioma Pro MX-1 power meter pedals that I can quickly swap onto any of my bikes. As far as resistance and responsiveness of the resistance in Zwift it seems fine to me.
When I worked as a mechanic in the Netherlands I could not understand why so many people had Triathlon bars on their Dutch bike. Then I went for a ride in the “Polder” (the totally flat land reclaimed from the sea) 😂
As a bicycle technician based in USA, I’ve had countless conversations with vendors, reps and SRAM about the desire for “full” or “direct” mount rear derailleurs by removing the UDH combined with the removal of limit screws on T-Type (Transmission) derailleurs.
Collectively many of us within my circle of industry professionals believe this is specifically directed at the consumer market and NOT professional bicycle technicians. T-Type Drivetrains by SRAM have an app that tells the installer EXACTLY how to install it, how long the chain has to be and which cog the chain needs to be on to complete the “setup” process.
From a pragmatic viewpoint, these new derailleurs/drivetrains are consumer driven NOT Bicycle Industry Professional driven.
Again this could be hyperbole from my perspective…but it seems this is SRAM’s intention.
Just my $.02 of an opinion.
I'm 5'8" I'm usually a size small , most brands make xs and xxs seems like small sizes are abundant
Please give Nic his pro title back.
😂😂😂
@ asking politely for a friend
@@thomashosang2595 Yes Emily, listen to your viewers 😋
Great episode. 😊
Project 400 Zwift group rides?
My wheel-off turbo trainer is the perfect excuse to keep a beloved old bike that would otherwise serve no function. I imagine this is true for many people who frequently use their trainers.
Oh, imagining my friends bikes already falling in price (for used market) because of being non UDH compatible (most of them just made this step up when buyer wont be just an amature who buying first road bike "to touch" the road cycling).
And I'm so glad to having brazing kit to change dropouts on a beloved steel frames to whatever I want.
The Canondale AI should have been the new standard across the industry. It actually makes a lot of sense. As for the direct mount trainer, how can you have a problem with pulling your brake? As soon as you take the wheel out, put in a spacer. It is pretty simple. And that SRAM trainer won't save hassle. You still have to pull out your through axle. And how will it work with bikes that now have the axle end covered?
I entirely agree on Nick's point about smaller bikes and 650B wheels.
It doesn't make sense to have the same wheelsize on very big and very small bikes, the frame to wheel proportions are totally different.
I like how Surly does it with the Straggler where the small frame sizes are 650B, the mid sizes can be bought in either 700C or 650B and the big ones are 700C.
Also I don't understand why anyone would want a 100+mm stem, If I could I'd never touch a stem that's longer than 80mm again in my life. Short stems for life. My daily commuter Surly straggler (56cm, I'm 183cm) has a 75mm stem rather than the recommended 100 and I could never imagine a 100mm stem on that bike.
Isn't the idea of a mech hanger to prevent damage to the frame and mech in event of a crash? Isn't a Full Mount Mech going to be damaged in a crash, potentially at least? Great so we get stuck with a big bill for an electronic mech!