As probably all of you know, the premier showing on the big screen of Race Across the Sky happened last Thursday in many theaters nationwide. Up front, I have to admit that I was fairly pumped to see it, especially after watching the trailer more than once.
This years LT100 race was different for me than the other five that I had attended over the years. This is because it was the first time being there for the event and not racing. My reason for being there was to prep some bikes the day before and to crew the day of the race. I have to admit, that it was pretty cool seeing it from a different perspective and worlds easier.
Now, after seeing it and letting it sink in for a few days I'd like to share with you my perspective. First, let me say that I can't really complain about ANY movie on the big screen having to do with the LT100. How cool is that! I bet Ken and Merilee are thrilled to have this amount of exposure for the event that they put a ton of effort into. I am very happy for them. But..... I would be lying if I said that I wasn't more than a little disappointed when the screen when black after Ken pulled the trigger on the scattergun, and here's why.
I think that the producers might have missed focus about what this race is all about for the vast majority of those who go out to tackle this event. We all know that Lance, Wiens, and Brown can ride fast and kick butt on any given day. Why focus the vast majority on them? They ride for a living. The rest of us who suffer like dogs do not. I'm not blind to the fact that having Lance in the movie will definitely sell tickets and put butts in the seats, and that can't be ignored. So, here are a few things that I think were missed (or ended up on the editing floor) that I believe might have played a significant role it the other "ninety percenters":
Signing in at the starting line, and the nervousness of the start mid-pack and back...
The bare-knuckled narrow rocky descent back down from the columbine checkpoint when you have riders pushing their bikes on your left...
The first aid tent at the finish...
Merilee draping the finishers medals on the riders after they cross the finish line.
The awards ceremony with the handing out of the buckles and the sweatshirts with your name and finishing time...
Something about the rider(s) who can see the finish line when they hear the BOOM.
The Last Ass Over the Pass award (Last rider to finish under the 12 hour mark)...
To wrap this up, all in all, it was good, but I thought that maybe having the Last Ass over the Pass winner and the person who was the first to miss out on the coveted La Plata Grande with Lance, Dave, Travis, et al during the discussion after the movie would have been the icing...
I started this thread on the weightweenies forum a couple days ago:
Hello again,
Well, I'm excited to be back here. It's been a while... For those of you that have experienced or are still experiencing noise and other issues related to their Campy Ultra-Torque bottom bracket/crankset (by the sheer volume of emails and comments that I have received over the past 12+ months, there's quite a few folks that are dealing with this...), I finally had the chance to publish a permanent fix/solution on my site. Additionally, I have a parts kit now available. Here's the link:
Check it out if you are inclined and let me know if you have any questions....
I returned to the forum yesterday to see if there were any comments that I needed to reply to. For the life of me, I couldn't find my post. I sent one of the moderators a PM for help. This is the response I received this morning from "Powerful Pete", one of the mods:
Hello there RogueMechanic. As you may have noticed, we have pulled the thread that you started on the UT fix. It came across, in the opinion of the mods, as a bit too much like spam - in others, that you were trying to sell a product without coming clean that you were involved in some manner.
I realise that this may have been an honest mistake on your part, or that we mods may have misinterpreted your post.
We of course welcome your participation in the forum, and it sounds like you could add a lot of value here, but please do read the forum rules before posting and try to avoid posts that could be interpreted as being spam.
Please let me know if you would like to discuss further, Thanks.
Oh, here are the three comments in their entirety (one of them mine) that were posted as replies to my initial post (I actually saved them for my records...)
<<<<<<<<<< coloclimber >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>
$35 + $5 shipping for 8 washers to solve a problem that shouldnt exist in the fist place......
I completely agree. The problem shouldn't exist on with a product of such high quality... I know that if I dropped the big $'s on Campy UT, I'd be hacked off myself.
<<<<<<<<<<<ritcheykestrel >>>>>>>>>>>>
Hey Rogue!
I mentioned your fix on here when someone was talking about their crankset. Glad to see the fix is available.
As for other who have posted here or on RBR, I have to say, I have more than one UT crankset. None have issues. But, that isn't to say there are not people out there without issues.
Things happen. Plain and simple. If John has experienced issues with his clients, I would believe him. He is VERY skilled and a great tech.
So, for those who have had issues and they keep popping back up, I would go his route. And no, John has never worked on one of my bikes. But we have raced many times against each other in the past and know each other through the grapevine.
********* End***********
I have yet to respond to Powerful Pete, and half of me doesn't want to. Unless I'm way off base, I didn't think that I came across as aggressively pushing my solution and/or my "Wavewasherectomy" Shim Kit...
In closing, I'm wondering what these forums are for anyway, or if my thread just got wacked from this forum because it butted heads with the sacred component gods in Vicenza and their followers (See link above to Powerful Petes blog) ...
Update: I have corresponded with Pete and after having a polite discussion, I realized that I was in violation of the forum rules by offering a product for sale. I was wrong and for that I apologize. FWIW, the weight weenies forum is probably the most civil cycling forum out there. -John
Since this evolves around eliminating the wave washer, there needs to be something
added to the equation to make up for it and the variations in bottom bracket shell
width. This is is achieved by adding a combination of spacers between the non-drive
side cup and the frame. In fact, every bike that I did this to required unique combinations of spacers.
This takes a lot of time and effort. Take your time to get it right.
Assuming that you already have the crankset installed on your bike, you are going to have
to remove it along with the bottom bracket. Obviously, you are going to
need the right tools. You can get the .pdf installation file from Campagnolo here. Just reverse
the procedure to remove it.
Once you have the crankset and bottom bracket cups removed from the frame, you want to take the time to clean and inspect the cups and the bearings. If one or both of the bearings and/or cups look like this (see photos below), then it's time ti replace those items.
Strong Suggestion: Take the time to properly face the bottom bracket shell. If you do not have to cutting tool, take it to the LBS that you feel is the most competent to do this task and say a prayer that they don't screw it up...
Now you want to go ahead and install the drive side cup as per the instruction manual. For what it's worth, I have installed numerous UT cups following both the loctite 222 method noted in the instructions and the more traditional grease-the-heck-out-of-it method. For the record, I prefer using grease (or anti-seize) and torquing to 35-40Nm. Partially install the retaining spring onto the cup and then after liberally applying a high quality grease to the bearing and internal surfaces of the cup, install the drive-side crankarm fully into the shell. Now you want to push the retaining spring ends into the corresponding holes.
This is where I abruptly veer from the SOP described in the official Campy instructions....
Step 1
Install the non-drive side cup dry (i.e. without any grease). Thread cup into the shell just to the point where it comes into contact with the face of the bottom bracket shell. DO NOT TIGHTEN.
Step 2
Fully insert the left side crank arm, without the wave washer, making sure that the crankarms are properly aligned. (It's easier/cleaner to not apply grease to the bearing and cup at this point, so don't bother.) Insert the fixing bolt into right side (drive-side) semi-axle and torque to 42Nm. At this point, the NDS or left bottom bracket cup and crankarm should look like this (See Fig. 1):
Step 3
Now you want to unscrew the NDS/left cup to the point where it contacts the crankarm (See Fig. 2). This is possible because of the dimension/thickness of wave washer is no longer part of the equation.
Step 4
I have found that instead of using feeler gauges to determine the amount of gap that's between the cup and the shell, it's better to find the size of the gap by using different combinations of shims contained in the kit. Keep in mind that at this point, we are only getting our first estimate of the amount of space that has to be made up. So grab the shims and find the combination that best fits (See Fig. 3).Set this combination of shims aside and write the thickness of the shims down so that you have your starting point. Note: I recommend using at least one of the 1.0mm shims and then add one .5mm shim, etc., going from thickest to thinest. If you try to add one .5mm shim to the 1.0mm shim and it doesn't quite fit, replace the .5mm shim with two .2mm shims... I think that you get the idea.
Step 5
Now you want to remove the fixing bolt (from the drive-side/right semi-spindle), the left crankarm, and the left bottom bracket cup from the frame.
Step 6
Insert the combination of shims that you determined in step 4 (and steps 9 and 10) onto the left bottom bracket cup, and thread back into frame (still without grease/antiseize, etc.). With the bottom bracket tool, tighten cup to 35Nm-40Nm. If you do not have access to a torque wrench, just snug it up without going crazy...
Now this is where we need to get picky... We want this to be balls-on, or as close to balls-on that we can get. This is when we determine if we have to add more thickness to the equation, or remove some. Usually with the first attempt, I find that I have to add... If the crankset spins freely (move the chain out of the way), then you know that you have not added too much thickness in spacers. So either you have nailed it the first time, or you need to add more because of axial play...
Step 9
The way that you determine if you have any play or side-to-side movement is by grabbing onto the left crankarm and either the seattube or downtube and moving the crankarm towards and away from the frame, or perpendicular to the frame. Sensitivity to movement is key here...If you feel just some movement or play, you will need to add to the thickness of the shims. Add in small increments because it's easier to add thickness and decrease the play than it is to add too much. Important:It is crucial that you do not add too many shims. Adding too much thickness could lead to damage to the bearings and not allow the Hirth joint to completely come together as designed which in turn could lead to failure. It's not difficult to get this right. For example: If you started with one 1.0mm and two 0.2mm shims for a total of 1.4mm of shim thickness, and you still have some play/movement, I would replace the two 0.2mm shims with one 0.5mm shim giving you 1.5mm of shim thickness...and so forth. So, if you feel some movement, you need to go back to step 5, make the shim adjustments while doing step 6 and then complete step 7.
Step 10
Check for axial movement as described in step 9 above. If there still is some movement (which should be less than before), then add to the thickness, and repeat steps, 5,6, and 7. (Chances are that you will get to the point when the crank is too tight and/or binds against the left cup. If this occurs, just subtract the smallest amount of shim thickness that you can.) If you do not have any side movement.... You're done!!! Well... not really, but almost... Proceed to step 11.
Step 11
Now that you have determined the correct amount of shims, go back one last time the step 5. While completing step 6, apply grease/anti-seize to left cup and bottom bracket shell threads and then tighten left cup to torque spec mentioned above. Finally, when you are doing step 7, apply a good amount of high quality grease to the internal cup surfaces and the bearing. Make sure that you insert the fixing bolt into the right side semi-axle and tighten to 42Nm. (See Fig. 4)
Congrats! You are done! Now all that you have to do is clean up.
Coming Soon... Wavewasherectomy Shim Kits for Italian Bottom Brackets!
Made in U.S.A.
I hope that this helps. Based on the volume of emails and comments that I received about this issue, I believe that there are more people experiencing Campagnolo Ultra-Torque problems than those few folks on some of the cycling forums would like for you to believe. I really appreciate your patience and all of the kind comments that I have received here and via email. If you have questions, just let me know.
Way back in September of 2008, I published my initial post about what I thought was a problem with the Ultra-Torque design. Now going on a year later, I am even more confident with my initial theory. But now I have a solid solution to the problem that some who have a Campagnolo Ultra-Torque crankset/bottom bracket may have experienced.
First, I want to make a couple points...
I will not deny that for the most part, Ultra-Torque is a good design. Where it fails is in its capability to allow for shell width variances. This may seem like a a minor flaw, but it has major consequences.
For the life of me, in this day and age, and with all of the current technology, why can't frame manufactures make their 68mm bottom bracket shells 68mm and their 70mm shells 70mm?!?! If this was the case, there wouldn't be a need for the wavy washer in the Ultra-Torque design.
The wavy washer is a legit component in certain applications in many industries. But in this instance, it's a band-aid.
If it's OK to have axial or lateral movement to the non-drive side, why is the Ultra-Torque design the ONLY design out there that has this movement? If any of the other systems exhibit this movement, it means that either the bearings are shot, or you didn't install the proper bottom bracket and/or spacers.
Based of the volume of emails and comments I have been receiving about this "non-issue", I believe that it's fairly common. Over the last few months, I have applied my "fix" to several bikes. All with success. The end result has been a very smooth, very stiff, axial-movement free Ultra-Torque system. Just now I believe Campagnolo wanted to be. Next up, step by step details. Thanks for checking in. -John
If you can believe it, finally I am really close to posting my official solution to the Campagnolo Ultra-Torque "non-issue" that I came upon several months ago. I will have a post with details including step by step instructions on how to correct the issue that doesn't exist (this is directed towards all of those who showed me sooooo much love on a few cycling forums...). I will also have Parts Kits available for purchase. I'm trying to come up with a cute/serious name for the kit... Currently, all I can come up with is the RogueMechanic Wavywasherectomy Kit.... I kinda like it.
I was able to make a quick trip out to Leadville this year to crew for two buddies and to prep bikes for other riders that where there. It was the first time for me being there at the race without racing... wow... what a completely different perspective! Anyway, I kinda threw this video together in minimal time and effort. I set up "camp" just outside the pipeline checkpoint (outbound) and was able to catch Lance both outbound and inbound. Check out the video at approx 4:34 and see what I was able to come away with (photo below)... Very cool! Anyway, bottom line is that both Chris and Marcus was able to come back to Leadville this year to finally claim the Silver Buckle that has been just out of reach in past attempts. Did I miss not racing this time around? Maybe just a little. Did being there put a spark back in me to do this event for the 6th time? Maybe... Finally, check out the "guest" appearance at the end of the video. Enjoy!!!
Here's what Lance didn't need to bring home the win in record time...
Here's a quick, poorly taken video of what happens when the Quick-Link wears prematurely. This is not good. What really gets me hacked off is that to date, instead of coming out and admitting that the Quick-Link is defective because it wears faster than the rest of the chain, Shimano has quietly stopped shipping 7900 chains with the Quick-Link.
Here's a direct message that I received from @ShimanoCycling on Twitter after "shaking the tree" all day yesterday...
"ShimanoCycling: The link is not up to Shimano standard and can wear out/stretch before the rest of the chain. The link can cause noise or skipping issues. We will send out “7900pinkit” (which is 10 links and 2 connecting pins) to replace that section of the chain. You may only have to use the connecting pin or add links if the chain if it’s too short one the quick link is removed We are not asking for the quick link back-discard properly."
I guess my beef is when is Shimano going to let everyone who dropped $70 on their 7900 chain know that this is an issue...
... that I actually do it based on my track record, BUT I am seriously considering getting back into this blog thing because I think that I have so much info to share. I think that people are hungry for the truth that's based on facts and first-hand experience. All of this being said, don't hold your breath and I won't hold mine. I'm hoping that I surprise myself this time... We shall see. -John
Hello all. I'm just crazy/busy keeping my clients on the road and trails. Definitely burning the candle at both ends. I thank all for the recent referals. Finally, if you feel so inclined, you can follow me on Twitter at @RogueMechanic.
That's it for now. -John
Happy New Year everyone. Just a quick post to let you know that I'm not MIA... Just really busy. Happy problems I guess.... Thanks for all of your emails and comments. Hopefully I'll post something soon. -John
Just wanted to quickly say that I am well on the way to a fix for the Campy UT "non-issue". All of you who have contacted me regarding this, hang tight, I should have something to share posted here soon. Thanks for your patience. -John
Wow... What and eye-opener... Lesson learned, or at least a reminder, about what goes on on the some of the cycling related forums...
I just wanted to let those of you who emailed me and posted comments here regarding the Campy UT post know that I haven't backed down or considered walking away from this just yet. It's just too common of an issue. Please understand that this just might take some time. I am aware of the situations that surround what's going on... despite what's being thrown around on the forums and I am currently working on a viable solution or solutions. As soon as I have something definitive, I'll post it here. Thanks for checking in. -John
I have a theory that I want to share about the Campagnolo Ultra Torque crankset and bottom bracket system. I'm going to systematically lay out, in detail, what I believe is a design flaw, or at least, a short coming that has lead to and can cause issues. I've spent a considerable amount of time thinking this out and I have even consulted with a mechanical engineer... WARNING: This is going to be a long post and has the potential to be REALLY boring if you have zero interest in this topic.
But first, a brief overview of the design. Here's a CAD drawing.
Here's my extremely simplified description of the Ultra Torque design:
This system is designed around the Hirth joint, which joins the two semi-axles. These semi-axles are held together by a special fixing bolt. The bearings are pressed onto both of the semi-axles. Installation includes inserting the drive side of the crank into the driveside cup. It is then secured by a retaining spring. The non-drive side is then installed into the non-drive side cup with a wave washer placed on the semi-axle between cup and the bearing. The cups are supposed to be installed free of grease, with Loctite 222, hand tight. Install the fixing bolt, torque to spec, wait 24hrs (for the Loctite to cure), then off you go...
Ok.. Here's the rub.
Well... not so fast. First some history.
When Campy first introduced this new system and I had the chance to install one, right off the bat, a red flag went up. What I didn't like or didn't understand is why would they design a system like that has a fixed distance between the bearings that doesn't much allow for the discrepancies in bottom bracket shell width??? I thought that I must OBVIOUSLY be missing something... But like a good little bike mechanic, I followed the installation instructions provided and completed the installation as specified ( I have to admit that I really struggled with myself when it came to the installation of the cups...). More on this later...
Fast forward sixish months and approximately 3k miles later I get a text...
John, I have a creak/knock and I think that the bb might be loose can you take a look?
It didn't take long for me to find the cause of the noise... actually in his driveway. And after a few more questions, I was heading back to my shop. What I found was to say the least, suprising.
Here's the rub.
Here's what I found. When compressing or squeezing the non-drive side crankarm laterally towards the drive side, I was able to make the whole crankset move laterally to the drive side of the bike. I could see the drive side of the crankset move out or away from the bottom bracket!! I was able to do this by squeezing the non-drive side crankarm towards the down tube or seat tube, like this (the poorly drawn red arrow vaguely shows where I was able to see the lateral movement)...
And here's a video: (Look at the area near the "center" of the crankarm and the bottom bracket cup..)
This generally is not good. This specifically, really is piss poor (not a technical term, but works well with this application).
I then repeated the same procedure on the drive-side, like this...
No movement. Rock solid.
I immediately had a really good theory about what was happening...
Ok, here goes...
My theory is that because of the use of the Hirth joint, which when joined, has a fixed distance between the bearings. This doesn't allow for any discrepancy in the bottom bracket shell width. In fact, I believe that Campagnolo built in some "wiggle room" (another technical term...) to account for a certain range of shell widths. It states in the installation instructions that:
The Campagnolo Ultra Torque crankset is compatible with bottom bracket shells having the following widths:
English: 67.2mm - 68.8mm
Italian: 69.2mm - 70.8mm
...that's a 1.6mm range or +/- .8mm each side of standard widths.
After 1-3k miles, the chances for lateral or horizontal movement increases due to the minute increases in the ID of the cups and/or the OD of the cartridge bearings.
This lateral or horizontal movement towards the drive side in related to the compression of the wave or spring washer and the inability of the retaining spring to stop the movement of the system (see video 2).
This occurance is probably more evident in composite frames because of the amplification of the sound or the resonating qualities of these frames. This is not to say that it’s not possible with frames made of other materials. I have just observed this issue with multiple composite frames.
I found that this happens with both English and Italian bottom bracket shell designs.
Two of the frames, one with English and the other Italian bottom brackets, had bottom bracket widths of 68.1 and 70.03 respectively. These measurements are pretty darn close to industry standards. So I believe that this can happen on bikes with shell widths well within normal.
Please allow me to go off on another related tangent...
Hello? Campy tech support...
Before I dove head-first into this little puzzle, I called and spoke with a kind gentleman at a large US distributor of Campagnolo the ask if he has heard of this issue. To make a long story short, he verified if I installed everything as per the instructions including the wave washer. I said that I did. He then recommended that I might add another wave washer because it is “wafer thin”…I asked if “wafer thin” is a technical term… I knew that I wasn't going to get very far info-wise, so I ordered a few to have on hand and when on my way…
While you're here, check out video 2:
The meat and potatoes
After taking accurate measurements of everything related to the bottom bracket and crankset, the only solution to this problem was to add spacers to the equation to take up the space that was allowing the movement. This had to be done to the point that there wouldn’t be any binding or side-loading of the bearings. started systematically adding spacers, starting with a .36mm spacer between the non-drive side cup and shell…
I assembled, checked for play…. Still there.
Added a .30mm spacer inside the cup between the wave washer and inside face of the non-drive side cup, reassembled, checked for play… better, but still there. Now, I thought that I was getting somewhere…
I added yet another .30mm spacer in the same location as the prior one. I then assembled again, checked for play, this time no play, or pretty darn close to no play. I was satisfied, so at this point, I disassembled it again, but this time I applied the Loctite 222 to the NDS cup threads and lubricated all of the spacers that I added.
Now, let's look at the numbers...
Bottom bracket shell width: 68.1mm
Spacer placed between NDS cup and frame: .36mm
First spacer added: .30mm
Second spacer added: .30mm
Total amount of spacers added: .96mm
This essentially adds up to the effect shell + cups width of 69.06mm. So theoretically, if you have a bike with a bottom bracket shell width of 69.6mm and you install an English Ultra Torque crankset/bottom bracket system, you won’t have the problem of lateral crankset movement.
So, the day after I deliver the bike back, I receive this text…
Perfect… 40 miles so far and no noise.
I thought, great! Problem solved… Not that I was happy about the need for the fix, but was still relieved. But wait! Not so fast… About two weeks later… another text…
My bottom bracket click has returned…
Damn… I thought, but I wasn't totally surprised. After a brief phone call, I am told that it’s not the knocking now, but a click. Back to the drawing board, but I knew that I was getting somewhere…
Round Two...
After the first fix, the knocking noise went away, but a clicking/ticking developed after < 1k miles. This mainly occured at the 6 o’clock non-drive side crankarm position when riding the bike. I was also able to produce the sound while bike was on stand. I think that this happened at the 6 o’clock position while on the bike because that is the lowest point of the power curve and most of the input force was removed from the system allowing the slight movement of the crankset to produce the click….
After closely looking at everything closely for anything that might cause a click, the only thing that was somewhat concerning was that some of the silver coating on the wave washer was rubbed off (See photo below).
I added a third .30mm spacer…Too tight. To cut to the chase, I removed a .30mm spacer and added a .34mm spacer in its place. This added .04mm to the total amount of spacers. And if my math is good, that’s a sum of 1mm. I assembled…again, and took it for a test ride…. No click. Tried to replicate the noise in the stand. Nadda. Good news.
My opinions...
1. I can’t accept this as being normal if this is the only crankset/bottom bracket design on the market that has this lateral movement...
2. I believe that the constraints of the Hirth joint and the inability to account for the normal discrepancies of bottom bracket shell widths lead to the use of both the wave washer and the retaining spring.
3. If all frames with English bottom bracket shells had exactly 68mm shell widths and if all frames with Italian bottom bracket shell widths had exactly 70mm widths and Campagnolo produced the Ultra Torque systems for those respective widths WITHOUT needing to use the wave washer and the retaining spring, there wouldn’t be this issue.
4. I think, albeit kinda far fetched, that one of the reasons why the instruction say to only tighten the cups hand tight and to use Loctite 222 is to not decrease the overall width of the shell and cups any more than it already is… We’re not talking much but as you will see, we’re not talking much anyway.
In Conclusion:
I believe that Campagnolo pigeonholed itself into this problem by incorporating the Hirth joint into the design of their Ultra Torque system. The inability of the Hirth joint to adjust for variances in shell width dimensions forced the use of the wave washer and the retention spring. Because of this limitation, they somehow agreed upon a spindle length (actually the distance between the bearings…) that was greater than the standard widths and added the washer and retention spring to make up for the range of shell widths. This is obvious because I observed this situation on a bike with a 68.1mm English bottom bracket shell as well as a bike with an Italian shell measuring 70.3mm. All of this being said, is this just me or am I missing something? I welcome any and all comments and questions. And please, correct me if I'm way off base. Thanks for checking in. -John
Now, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that by taking this position, I will more than likely upset a few folks. I guess that goes with the territory. Perhaps it would be best to break this down into two major groups. Parts and people. In reality, the two overlap somewhat… Like a Venn Diagram (Here’s a quick 5th grade math review…)
In this example, A=People and B=Parts. The overlapping middle area could be peoples' influence on parts, such as approving a design for production and sales before it has been thoroughly tested, or some yoyo improperly installing a component, etc... I think you get the idea.
I guess that I can just write about all the components and bikes that I like, and I just might do more of that. But I think that there's plenty of sunshine being blown up you-know-where on just about every site out there. Most of them are carefully written as to not upset the manufacturer who may or may not be an advertiser or sponsor.
I like to, every once and a while, share with you some of the good stuff that impresses me, and more often, I find something that frustrates me to no end. These situations sometimes boil over and end up as a post on this site. Again, let me make my intentions clear. I write this stuff with you in mind. I get hacked off just like every other person (ok... probably more...) when I have to deal with some inferior product that's dressed up as something high-quality or when someone doesn't do their job. But when I do get to writing about something, I think that a greater part of you like to "see it like it is" instead of words regurgitated from some company's marketing department.
In conclusion, my aim is to share with you my real-life experiences with products and services, in a professional manner. Wow... that sounded good. What's more than likely going to happen is an insight into my intolerance it idiocy, incompetence, apathy, mediocracy, and piss-poor design... delivered , of course, in a professional manner... You know...keeping it real. Just like you like it. To Be Continued....
For quite some time now, I’ve been struggling with myself with regards to the “tone” or direction of my posts. In other words, how I should present things here. People who know me, for the most part, understand my thought processes and how I form my opinions.
Recently, I’ve been trying to look at my posts more objectively. What I find somewhat disheartening is that it could be easily perceived that some of my posts have a negative slant. While this is not my intention, I can see that they can be taken that way. I want everyone to realize that this is really not where I’m coming from. My objective is more in line with being an advocate for you, the end-user… the one who drops his/her hard-earned $$$ on some product or service and rightfully assumes that it will work as advertised..... To Be Continued...
Just in case you were wondering... This is what a $7800 bike looks like... Oh, and if you want it with Campy 11 instead of SRAM Red, then it's more like $8300.... holy cow...
I forgot how much I LOVE replacing the rear deraileur cable on a Kestrel Airfoil without damaging it in the process...
Again, this "required" a modification to improve shifting or decrease cable friction...
You know, one of the many things that I LOVE about everything Campagnolo is having to spend $169USD on the new chain tool that is required to install their new 11 speed chains.... God, I love that... really.
Here's an ongoing issue that I've seen more than once. I recently revisited an issue with a 2003 Trek 5900 headset. Now, this is a nice bike ( I think that I owned on in the past...). Trek did a nice job. Light and stiff. In an effort to save some grams, they utilized a proprietary lower cartridge bearing. This was installed directly onto the crown race of the fork, thus eliminating the use of a crown bearing race. It is my understanding that this bearing was borrowed from Klein. Anyway, to cut to the chase, water likes to collect in the headtube area and cause a whole bunch of problems. This is what I'm talking about...
Well, this mess now only reeked havoc on the lower bearing, it also is evidence of the corrosion/ degrading of the aluminum steertube. Check this...
I needed a plan to stop any further degrading of the aluminum, so I got on the blower to my buddy Dr. J who is like a chemistry god and asked him for advise. He gave me a simplified lesson about what was going on and the nature of aluminum and corrosion and then he told me what to do and I did it. Here's a pic of the steertube and bearing before I installed it back into the headtube... (this is what a $45 bearing looks like...)
Btw... I recommended that the fork not be ridden and should be replaced because there is no way to confirm that the steertube is still structurally sound...
That's it for now. Thanks for checking in. -John
Recently, I was working on 2008 Trek Madone....Nice bike. There's technology in this frame that is something to write home about, but this post isn't about promoting the Trek Madone...Here's what it looks like...
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Anyway, before I get off on a tangent... It can with a Bontrager compact crankset, Dura Ace front and rear derailleur, SRAM 10spd chain...PC 1090 and SRAM OG 1070 cassette. I was installing a Dura Ace 7800 12-27t cassette for a lower gear range and Shimano R700 compact chainrings to improve front shifting. I was going to keep the 1090 chain because in the past when dealing with 9 speed chains, I found that there was only a slight difference between the Shimano and SRAM equivalent chains. Well, I was not at all happy with how the 1090 chain meshed or interfaced with the Dura Ace cassette. In fact it sounded more like a chainsaw than it did a top-end drivetrain. Not good. Don't get me wrong, it worked, but it didn't work nearly as well as the Shimano chain that I replaced it with. So, if your stuck in some small town, this side of East Podunk, and the local shop just happens to only have SRAM 10spd chains, it will work.... but it will sound like you're being chased by my Stihl...
Here's what the upgraded Bontrager crankset looks like...
One of the many things that have wanted to vent about lately evolves around proprietary parts that are spec'ed by bike companies. Believe me, there's a lot of that going around lately and even more to come...
My latest "episode" had to do with a Trek 5900, that in and of itself is a great bike. But, in an effort to shave off grams, they incorporated a "proprietary" bearing that, it's my understanding, was borrowed from Klein. It's the lower cartridge bearing of the headset. Otherwise known as the crown race bearing.
Anyway, to make a long story short, it's make specifically for Trek/Klein, and therefore has to be ordered thru a Trek dealer... oh god...
Cutting directly to the chase, I got Eric at Trek Technical Service on the blower and got the Trek part number as well as checked availability. Being a "RogueMechanic", I couldn't order it directly....(that's a topic for another time...). Soooooo, I called the closest Trek dealer (the name rhymes with Freedies....) and tried to cut to the chase and told them EXACTLY what I needed... including the Trek part number.... Well, I knew that they wouldn't have anything like it in stock and they assumed that I didn't know what I was talking about. After verifying that I did indeed have the correct part number, the guy said that it was going to run me $44.95. I said, "Ouch!... order me two." I was ready to give him my CC number to pay for the two bearings in advance when he said that I would have to come in to the store to order them... I was like.... you're kidding me. I was paying if full for both bearings and I STILL had to drive to the store to make the transaction.... I was not happy....
After repeating EVERYTHING to the clerk that was available, and being looked at like I have something growing out of my forehead, they took me card and said that it should be a week... We'll see. So, the "P" word is proprietary... More on that later. Thanks for reading and checking in. -John
I completed this build of a new Ridley X-Fire Cross bike yesterday. Looks nice. The fit/finish is clean and it felt really solid during my short test ride. Time will only tell how it will hold up. If it's anything like my three favorite things that come from Belgium... beer, chocolate, and waffles... I think that it's a safe bet that it will be enjoyed.
Hello Everyone. With this post, I want to make some confessions...
Ok.. here goes.
First of all, I've been less than motivated to post on this blog (as if you can't tell...). In fact, it just about takes someone to put a gun to my head to do so. Mainly because, quite frankly, I don't make money doing it. When the day comes to an end and I'm tired putting the fix to bikes, I just haven't been able to bring myself to do it. It's certainly NOT because I don't have anything to say.
I guess that another reason why I haven't posted much is that I think that I'm getting to the point that whatever I'm going to say is either going to A) Tick someone off, or B) Going to be construed as "bitching" (And I think that there's plenty of that already in the cycling industry).
Now, I'm well aware that by merely opening your mouth there's a good chance that you're going to tick someone off. In some respects, I'm ok with that. What I REALLY do not what to happen is to be grouped with those that bitch about everything. See "B" above.
So where do I go from here? Based on the volume of emails, calls, and comments that I have been receiving during the last 6 or so months since I posted, I strongly believe that people what the hear and read what I have to say. I also think that "end users" (that's you...) what are involved with cycling really want accurate information and ultimately, the truth. I remember someone once said, " If you're not catching flack, you're not over the target." How true.
So here goes... I'm going to give it another shot. We'll see what happens. Thanks for sticking around and thank all of you who have written and called. I hope that I helped in some way. -John
Just checking in. Been doing a lot of projects and retooling for the 2008 season. Thanks to everyone for your emails, phone calls as well as your comments... Keep them coming! Thanks! -John
Check this out...
I FINALLY had some t-shirts made. Typical me, I couldn't go with just regular quality t-shirts, I went with higher quality shirts from American Apparel. With quality comes cost. These are great shirts and come with the v1 logo. Keep in mind that this are fitted, which means they run small.
Here's your opportunity to get a barely used 2005 Zipp 900 tubular disc wheel that's in great condition before it lands on eBay... I'd say less than 200 miles on it. Zipp lists the product weight at 940 grams!!! It's aero, fast, and light!!! It's 700c and currently has a Shimano freehub body. The Tufo Elite Jet <160g tubular tire is included. Contact me with any questions. Shipping should run $25.00 anywhere in the US except Alaska and Hawaii... Those of you who know, will realize that this is a great deal. O.k...I'm going to take off my salesman's cap now...
Just an FYI... Mavic did the right thing and covered this issue under warranty. They rebuilt the wheel, replacing the hub and the spokes. No complaints. Nice job Mavic.
Hello All,
Some quick updates...
I'm busier than ever... Thanks to all who referred new customers. It's greatly appriciated!
I'm in the process of moving and redesigning the RogueMechanic shop. Exciting and crazy. This has created a whole new level of craziness...
The number of subscribers and listeners of the RogueMechanic Podcast has been consistantly growing as well as the amount of e-mails and comments. I haven't had the time or energy to publish another episode. I promise one soon. Remember, bikes come first...
Last but not least, I recently aquired a new Ultrasonic parts cleaner (two actually...). I'm impressed! Thanks for checking in and for spreading the word. ~John
Here's an odd one. This shows that even some of the best products in the market can fail. What you're looking at in the first photo is the part of the hub that the freehub body is installed over. It's where the pawls are located (pawls and springs not shown in photo).
This photo shows the failure...
Here's a closer look..
This should fall under Mavic's warranty policy. The wheel has been sent and I'm just waiting to hear back from the Mavic warranty department. If by some odd reason they say it's not covered....oh.... there's going to be some issues... I'll keep you posted.
Most people don't think too much about their headsets. It's one of those components that's absolutely critical but often ignored. When it goes south, it's due to corrosion and/or bearing/race failure. One of the bad things that could happen if you let it go too far is actually damage to the steer tube of the fork. Watch for really tight, loose, or "indexed" steering. Be aware that even cartridge bearings go bad, and most are easy to replace. And for all of those with Chris King headsets, stay on top of the maintenance of those bearings so that it will turn smooth for years. The ten year warranty does not mean ten years maintenance free...
" Dear John,
I got out tonight for a quick ride... The Trek ran like a top, like butter on a hot skillet, smooth like a baby's bottom, like a shot of Johnnie Walker Blue, . . well you know what I'm trying to say, like a brand spanking new 5.9 Madone! Thank you again for another job well done!
Your grateful customer and greatest billboard,
A.R"
PR said...
"My search for a highly qualified, honest and reliable bike mechanic is over. Not only is John (RogueMechanic) a superb mechanic, he is also very knowledeable about equiptment... I have never been disappointed."
Dr. M said...
"John is a top flight mechanic. His knowledge, expertise and superb customer service surpasses everyone else... His personal integrity and high standards are reflected in his work on my bikes..."
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