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Topics - carbonazza

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1
Component Deals & Selection / 250g rims from Lightbicycle
« on: August 22, 2022, 02:54:23 AM »
Lightbicycle is offering two new rims.
One for XC and one for gravel both at around 250g !

The XC924 and the AR25

Apparently the AR25 has a different layup to make the hooks stronger for 4.8bar/70psi tire pressure and 2.8bar/40psi for the XC924.
Otherwise they look quite the same.

Not sure about their hybrid hook except it looks pretty  :)
I run 29er hookless 300g rims on my gravel and never lost a tire.

2
29er / Carbonda FM-1306A a 69° Hardtail
« on: August 17, 2022, 11:21:50 AM »
Happy day... for me at least, as I was not particularly happy trying another seller recently..
Carbonda is selling again a hardtail that in addition has an interesting geometry.
The FM-1306A, anyone ordered it already ?

3
Some competition to SRAM:
https://bikerumor.com/wheeltop-wireless-mtb-drivetrain-12-speed/
It can(still not sure how) be configured for 7 to 12 speed cassettes.

4
Road Bike Frames, Wheels & Components / Lightbicycle WR40 wheels
« on: May 26, 2022, 09:08:58 AM »
Back in January, it was time for a new (light) road frame !

flybike-asia.com had one I really liked: https://www.flybike-asia.com/product/145.html
But Carbonda told me the MOQ was 30 ;D

At the same time a friend got me a super deal for an Aethos frame... and boum! I fell off.
Then looking for a light wheelset, I took the WR40 rims: https://www.lightbicycle.com/700C-road-bicycle-rims-32mm-wide-40mm-deep-symmetric-clincher-road-disc-brake-available.html

The finish is just beautiful UD carbon weaves with a shiny epoxy straight out of the mold, no coating.
Which apparently is more scratch resistant.
The wavy shape and the finish makes them stand out from the boring wheels around and that I had for years.

1334g, with DT240 Exp hubs and CX-ray spokes.
Always no spoke holes now, so no need ever to tape them.

They are 32mm wide.
28mm GP5000 tires fit perfectly for the aero.
And provide a very smooth and comfortable ride on the not so good roads here in Belgium.
They have now about 4 months and 3000km, and are still as new.

5
29er / Did the FM936 post reach the page limit of the forum ?
« on: January 20, 2022, 10:36:58 AM »
The page 130 returns a blank page:
http://chinertown.com/index.php/topic,2079.1935.html

The page 129 and others, are still working:
http://chinertown.com/index.php?topic=2079.1920

6
29er / 256 frame drop outs in 135x9mm
« on: October 30, 2018, 10:33:42 AM »
By any chance, is any euro(well for a faster shipping, but world is welcome !) owner of a 256 frame, is interested to sell me their 135x9mm dropouts ?
You know these we usually get by default on the frame, and throw away as we will never have to use them  ;)

I plan to offer a second life to my broken-seat-stays 256 as a home trainer bike, and 135mm would be better than the 142x12.

7
Component Deals & Selection / Praxis 1x Wave Ring
« on: May 15, 2018, 08:29:18 AM »
Anyone tried the Praxis Wave rings ?
They come with a different approach than narrow/wide rings.
And seems compatible with Eagle chains.
https://r2-bike.com/PRAXIS-WORKS-Chainring-Direct-Mount-Wave-SRAM-DMA-34-Teeth

I was riding with a big 38T ring for a couple of years now.
And it was fine for my mostly flat Belgium, suffering a little on the short bumps here.
Flying on the flat sections and even at occasions overtaking stunned roadies.

However during a recent race with long climbs, it revealed as a very very poor choice ::) ( burning legs, low heart rate).
It took me 3 stages to understand ??? and switched to a 32T, where I could rev up the engine properly.
Now I'm looking for a 34T and don't plan to ever go bigger.

8
Component Deals & Selection / Squirt and Paraffin wax for your chain
« on: January 12, 2018, 03:56:37 AM »
A year or so ago, I had a contact with Marcin from Absolute black.
He advised me to try Squirt, a paraffin emulsion(with water) instead of traditional lubes.
And that my drivetrain would last much longer than my usual 5000km.

On top of being much cleaner, it seems he is right about the longevity of the drive train.
I kept a little bottle in my bag, in case of really bad, long, muddy rides to add some mid ride.

However few months ago I found Oz cycling video about waxing your chain:


His answer to questions are very interesting too, part 1:


And part 2:


Recently GCN made an awful disservice to the cause, with a really poor video compared to Oz.

So I tried.
Got the paraffin in a 5kg pack, the 20€ rice pot, a plastic cocktail shaker to clean the chain.
I will probably go the ultrasonic cleaner route soon, to avoid the diesel cleaning and other dirty fluids.

At the beginning it is messy, you need to be careful to not end with paraffin everywhere.
And it last longer than a usual chain cleaning. But it comes better with practice.
I get it done in about 5' of net time now.
Do that in a well ventilated place, as paraffin, although it is the same you get in home candles, is not very good to inhale.

The result is impressive. Ultra smooth, silent and most importantly clean drivetrain.
After each muddy ride, or multiple dry rides, I just shake the chain in hot water and soap.
Rince it. Dry it. And in the paraffin rice pot.
When the temperature gets to about 52°C get the chain out, wipe it.
And mount it back.

I tried the paraffin/xylene Oz recipe to get a bottled lube.
But it doesn't look to be adapted to colder weather, I can't get it liquid on the trails.

Squirt is already a very good option for a medium/good clean chain.
But paraffin is the best if you learn how to use it.

9
Cyclocross Frames, Wheels & Components / Carbonda Gravel CFR505 build
« on: December 21, 2017, 03:49:49 PM »
Finally !! After about a year of mental convolutions, I decided for this gravel frame:
http://www.carbonda.com/road/gravel/cfr505.html

My contact at Carbonda was Hedy Lee.
Perfect communication, very professional and kind during the whole process.

I received the frame, fork, bar and seatpost today from Carbonda.
Along with a matching pair of ultra light rims from Peter( 29er hookless, 300g - 19mm inner width )
What a day !
 

Just a couple of screws to tighten and ready to ride !  ???

First impressions are great.
The frame looks of very high quality, outside as well as inside !

The objective is to have a winter training road bike, that can ride in the forest too.
Making the parts as interchangeable as possible between my 041 and my ultra posh Canyon Ultimate.

10
With the winter coming, the idea of building a Gravel is coming back.
Last year I dropped it as I didn't find a right frame.

Here is one that I really like:
A picture from Taipei Cycle Show 2017 https://froomeycyclistfriends.blogspot.be/2017/03/gravel-gallery-from-taipei.html




And a picture from this link https://www.bikerumor.com/2017/03/02/boyd-cycling-goes-wide-w-new-650b-gravel-wheels-plus-prototype-2018-sneak-peeks/  with an interesting twist on wheels for a gravel




It has a tall headtube, short chainstays, the room for 40mm or 650B tires, and I find it particularly good looking :)



Peter was considering it last year but preferred to go with another model.

There is a web site that sells it $branded$, but it looks only for the US.
https://www.fezzari.com/cyclocross/shafer-endurance-disc-assault-all-road

Anyone knows where to find it ?
Did someone already contacted Carbonage ? An email?
I only found a phone number, I'm too shy to call, so far http://www.wheelgiant.com.tw/publication/tbs/en_sup_data.asp?type=overseas&para1=CN&para2=0011&para3=China-Shenzhen&sup=005308

11
29+ & 27+ / New 29+ Frame (CS-496) build
« on: February 24, 2017, 12:27:21 PM »
We are starting the build of a 496 frame with a friend as a 29+
It is my first boost, so I start this build post with some doubts  :)

  • We will put an SRAM Eagle on it. Does it need the boost version of the crankset or is the frame already takes care of the 52mm chainline?
    The groupset was bought complete, but I'm wondering the crank need to be exchanged.
    The BB is BB92, and the width of the BB shell is... 92mm !
     
  • It will be my first set of boost wheels too...
    cmh sold me his 29" rims(42mm/36mm wide)
    They finally landed in Belgium ( they transited in a friend's luggage from Phoenix AZ to Europe recently  :o ).
    From what I understood the 3mm offset goes:
    • to the right of the front wheel
    • to the left of the rear wheel
    Is it right? Does someone has a good article dealing with the specifics of building asym wheels?
    Anything special I need to take care about?

12
29er / Changing the pivot bolts on the 036
« on: December 27, 2016, 05:40:09 PM »
Did someone changed the bolts of the pivots that came with their 036 frame?
If so do you have the references?

I checked my brother's bike today, as he had a very poor shifting with his Eagle drive train.
The surprising reason was the chain was cut just too small.
And when the derailleur was moving to the smaller sprocket, a piece of the derailleur itself was touching just a little the top pulley and prevented it shifting easily.
Now with two links more, the derailleur presents another angle when coming to the smaller sprocket and shifts perfect as expected.

But then I checked the pivot bolts, and they were almost all loose( bad me, I didn't check them after receiving the frame... )
Luckily none of them was lost.
I re-tightened them all, with some Loctite.
However the hex heads are really poor and I would like to change them.

13
29er / my 041 - Take 2
« on: December 05, 2016, 05:21:28 AM »
After another Carpe Diem moment, I finally ordered the parts needed to re-build my long due 041.

Unpacking the box. Always an exciting moment :)
Extremely quick delivery from r2-bike.com, and it had the better prices.



The huge Eagle cassette.
No, I definitely could not take the high-bling gold one.



The wait is over dear 041!!
This is the replacement frame I received from Peter, few months ago, after mine cracked due to a defect.
Pressing the BB92 was easy.
Finally the rear wheel I built few months ago will be used.



I love the design of a straight line between the headtube and the rear wheel



One worry I had was... does a 38T fit ? Well... yes



The bike finished. Not yet ridden.

No time sinks this time( usually headset mismatch, bad internal routing, rear brake bleeding after cut, brake caliper hard to align, hard to bead tires on the rims).

Here again is my proven receipt, if you have a hard to bead tire( almost guaranteed when putting a thinner tire on a larger rim ):
  • Take the tire out of the box.
  • Put a tube in the tire( without wheel ) and inflate it to the max it can.
  • Then abandon it there a couple of hours, while you build the bike.
  • Put the tire on the rim.
  • Remove the core of the valve. Pump it, until it pops twice.
    No need of soapy water or any other sorcery.
  • With a seringue put the sealant through the valve.
  • Put the core back, and inflate.
  • Rotate the wheel in all directions to send the sealant in any existing hole.

The internal routing of the 041 is very easy.
And I didn't have to bleed the rear brake after cutting it( experience is coming :) )

8.1Kg finished as pictured.
It will go below the psychological barrier of 8kg with summer tires and Time Atac pedals  8)



I'm a big fan of the Hope X2 brakes.
They are great to stop me. Very light.
But very expensive.



I took off the Lauf fork from the 062.
The front wheel was already in use on the 062 too.



Big change to my usual setup. I moved from a 660mm to a 700mm bar(not sure I will stay that large).
And 80mm stem from 90mm.
I'm do not like the SRAM grips you get with the Gripshift, but they are ok for now.
And I'm sooo happy to have a Gripshift again. The bar is so neat.
This one, is much better than what I remember of the XX1.

Or maybe it is the whole shifting that is better on Eagle.
I screwed the cable to the derailleur.
And shifted perfectly directly, not any fiddling needed.

Another striking property is the silence of the transmission when riding.
I was used to the grinding on higher sprockets. Here nothing.
And no chain drop issue when back pedalling on the bigger sprocket either.

Compared to my singing rear Hope's hub, the DT240 is adding quietness too.
I'll need a bell now. With Hope's hub, just stop pedalling and the walkers jumps out of the path in fear :)

The engagement angle is much much bigger on the DT240, that is a disappointment.
When free wheeling then pedalling again, there is a big gap before it takes on.
With Hope hubs it is immediate.



Here is the bike after the first ride.
I should have taken the picture before cleaning, with the mud!



Although on paper it has the same gears ratio as before, I felt the 38T to be a bit harder on steep climbs.
Either my quads will learn, or I will go down to 36T when my transmission dies.
One thing sure is now on the flat, this is flying!

Another thing that surprised me is how I didn't miss my beloved oval ring.
Quite the contrary, I had the impression of a fuller pedalling. Except may be the steep climbs, that seem harder(I worked to improve my pedalling these last months).
So... I guess this oval/round debate is definitely personal, if not just mood :)

The new master link is much more visible.
When lubing the chain, it is easier to spot you did a full revolution already.



r2-bike, had only the gold version of the derailleur in stock with Gripshift.
I would have preferred the black. But anyway I love it !



To avoid the stupid bend of the shifter entering the right of the frame.
I tried something else this time. Using the front derailleur holes.
And zipping :( the hose to the right seatstay.

So not fully internal routing, but the line is much shorter.
And no hard bends at all, usually found: out of the shifter, entering the frame, under the BB, out of the chainstay.
I hope this will result in better long term shifting.

I had to drill the little aluminium caps to run full housing.



I took a strange route for the front brake, to avoid a strong bend too to the left of the fork( from an MTB2223's advice on another bike ).

I'm impressed how the bike manufacturer ignore that in Europe we have the front brake on the left( make some forks with the damn caliper on the right!! ).
And that with a 1x11 shifter( on the right ) it is better to enter the frame on the left ( This is international, Peter ? )


For the ride... I did say it many times and it stay.
This frame/bike is the best of the ones I tried( 256, 062 and even the new FSi I recently tried ).
Obviously for what I like: XC, out-sprinting friends and arriving first on the climbs  ::)
Very stiff under load. It doesn't move at all.
And extremely precise to ride.

Did I say I'm very happy?  :D ;D :D

Now, I will rebuild my 062 as my second bike.
Maintain the hubs. Put my old wheels, and the Lefty.

And ride with it when it is really wet and the mud gets deeper.
This season is exceptionally dry compared to last year, hope it will stay this way.

14
Component Deals & Selection / Maintain a front DT240 hub
« on: December 01, 2016, 11:54:31 AM »
Did anyone tried to maintain/change the bearings of their DT Swiss 240 hub ?
I have the front 100x15 like this one: https://www.bike24.com/i/p/1/9/35391_00_d.jpg

I can only unscrew one of the end cap.
And don't see how to disassemble it any further.  :-\

The technical document doesn't help me much: https://www.dtswiss.com/Resources/Support/HUBS/DT-Swiss-Hubs-240s-Technical-Manual
And videos seem to deal only on the rear hubs.

15
29er / Building a CS-036 for/with my brother
« on: August 05, 2016, 01:00:57 PM »
My brother inherited from my old Cannondale Rush a year ago, and wanted a 29er as an upgrade.
He tried my 062 and found it to harsh to ride. And he didn't want a plus either.

So I looked for a 29er full suspension and didn't find much than the good old 036.

This was our first full suspension build.
The build was comparable to my 3 past hardtails, although with a few surprises to deal with...

But first here are some pictures.

As usual... Any color as long as it is black.




The huge Eagle cassette. Look at that bottom jockey wheel !
We removed the front derailleur gear, and replaced it with two 5mm plastic screws.




The rear shock which gave us way more work than planned( and is still not finished )



I left 25mm of steerer tube, just in case. And will cut it in a few rides.



As he wanted a nice bike, here are the components:
  • Frame, seatpost, bar, 2 spare derailleur hangers and a Neco headset from Peter( thank you for the great service as usual )
     
  • The wheels as well from Peter, these are the 30mm rims without holes and DT240 hubs( unfortunately my brother got hit by the 48.5% anti dumping tax on built wheels... )
     
  • Procraft alloy stem
     
  • The SRAM Eagle groupset: a mix of X01 and XX1 components, very easy to tune
     
  • XT brakes+KCNC Razors, my brother found the 90€ for 90g upgrade to XTR useless( to put in perspective this is 1000€/Kg! so ok)
     
  • A seat from Aliexpress, full carbon with a thin gel pad, and leather finish, I love this $50 saddle
     
  • Rockshox Sid XX fork and Monarch XX rear shock
     
  • Rocket Ron snakeskin front and rear, tubeless
     
  • A DT swiss rear axle
     



The few misses and surprises were:
  • We planned an XLoc full sprint, but didn't know we needed the connectamajig thing(ordered it, but not sure how this thing even works)
     
  • I never paid attention to the posts here about the 036, and brutally discovered some bushing were needed for the rear shock :(
    Not sure it is the same on all 036 frames but it was the 21.8mm x 8mm, and you need two of them(one for each axle)
     
  • It was not possible to pass the hose of the rear shock through the hole next to the shock.
    We just pulled back the white hose guide a little inside the frame.
    Then used a round file to make the hole bigger.
    Push back the white hose.
    Connect the hoses and pull it through the frame( + bleeding the xloc )
     
  • I forgot the 160/180mm adapter for the front brake :(
     
  • The aliexpress carbon seatclamp I use on my bikes was to wide at 15mm, the 036 need a 10mm clamp
     
  • The hoses are not fully internal, and some zippers or clips are needed to attach the rear shift and brake hoses to the chainstays
     
  • The Rocket Ron 2.1, although TLEasy were particularly hard to inflate.
    So I used the trick of inflating a tube inside the wheels and leave them for the night.
    Then remove the tube. Put some air, to get effortlessly that gratifying double pop. Try it if you have a recalcitrant tire.
     

He did a first real ride today in our local forest and as you may imagine coming from a 26" 2010 Rush, he was ecstatic.
He was particularly impressed by the lightness of the bike and the silence of the ride( DT240 freewheel is dead silent compared to my musical Hope's hub ).
And how smooth was the ride on some of our Belgian cobbled roads.

The weight? Well, I couldn't find my scale yesterday after the build... But for a full sus, it feels very light :)

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