noodle soup

Not the crankset I would've chosen, but it's still a huge improvement.

FTR, I like white saddles. They look better with white tape, but that can be a PITA to keep clean.

That's a really nice ride.

It's probably just the photo, but damn that saddle is nose high.

noodle soup

I remember TJ having a little brake issue. Is that the one?

smashndash

Oh whoops. Didn’t realize there were multiple. This one was Remi Cavagna’s descent in stage 3. There was a lot of debate as to whether his descending was just utter garbage or if his brakes were failing on him. His time is still in the top 3% on strava, but he had both lanes to work with, which is a huge advantage, of course. The reason that descent is tough is because it’s steep (10%), rough, blind and sweeping. There’s no good braking points because as soon as you’re out of one turn, you’re in the next. That’s why it’s so challenging for brakes.

noodle soup

Tejay's issues came when he swapped bikes with a teammate, that had his brakes reversed(right lever front, left lever rear).

superdex

4-arm doesn't bother me too much, and the black does balance the aesthetic better. I've had white tape, then I had yellow/dirty tape. Not worth the PITA like you said.

The way the Toupe is shaped, I have the back 1/2 of the saddle effectively level, which raises the nose a touch... and the pic exaggerates it too...

smashndash

So I did the chalk thing:


I was able to wipe off chalk 3mm deep into the sidewall. I was pushing the bike fairly hard and was either in line with the bike or had the bike very slightly lower than me but I never went to the absolute limit. Plus, this was all on flat roads. I definitely am nowhere near what more experienced riders around me do on a regular basis.

Are there other people running 25mm tires on these rims or similar? It seemed like there were a lot when I was doing my homework. One user Hexsense actually posted about using 25mm P Zeros on this wheel on WW. At this point, I'm not sure what the correct course of action is. Should I assume that this isn't an issue since Cannondale, Hunt, Enve, Specialized, Cadex, Light Bicycle etc. all say so? I'm tempted to switch at least my front tire to a Corsa to get just that little bit of extra tread but I'm not sure if even that would be enough - 5mm more tread means 2.5mm on each side. I'd prefer more like another 4mm on each side, at least on the front. Maybe 3 on the rear. I can definitely fit a 28mm rear, but a 28mm up front would leave me with 2mm of clearance to the fork crown - tight.

What do you guys think?

robbyville

I don’t know much about this, but given how many tires I’ve had that with slicks does it even make a difference? I was always told that the tread on a bike tire made little difference... but have no idea if that’s true

robbyville

Update if not on the wheels then the tape that the NA folks use for builds and tubeless compatible. I bought the wheels in September and have now had to replace the rim tape on each wheel. First the front about a month ago and today the rear. Woke up twice to a flat tire on each. When pumping up it seemed like air was being lost at the valve but in the end the tape was punctured and air coming out of a hole somewhere nearby. With the heat in the desert sealant seems to evaporate pretty quickly too. I’ve replaced the tape with Stan’s and all is well again. I’ve also moved the bike from garage (100+ degrees every day and night) into the house.

smashndash

Sorry, let me clarify. I don't mean the tread pattern - that's not nearly as serious of an issue (though many companies such as Vittoria, Specialized, Rene Herse, Pirelli and Continental believe that it helps feel by meshing with the road). By "tread" I mean the part of the tire that's intended to bear weight and roll against the road. I am concerned because if the sidewall (the part below the line) isn't designed to grip the road, this could lead to a sudden loss of grip. For example, if you have a cotton tire, you can bet that rolling onto the sidewall will a) cause damage and b) give you almost no grip. The pirelli has rubber on the sidewalls too so it's unclear whether this is intended behavior.

I asked Hexsense what he thought about the Pirellis (he runs 25f 28r on these wheels):
I ran an old 28 p zero front at 38psi today and it felt worlds better than a 25 front at 55psi or so. I sent it way harder today. I still used about 3-4mm of sidewall on the front but the bike never felt "chattery". But I am fairly confident that Hexsense pushes harder than I do so if he thinks a 25mm p zero is good on these wheels, then I'm inclined to believe him. I might have to drop pressures a bit and just take the rim dings but we'll see where this goes. I have only about 2-2.5mm of clearance with a 28mm tire on these rims so this is only a last resort.

smashndash

The tape that LB provided only covered the central channel. Does your Stan's tape do the same? Seems like an unreliable fit. I've seen more tubeless tape jobs that cover the entire rim bed.

WhyFi

Both Reynolds and HED spec tape that covers the entire bed. I can't imagine that covering only the center well would hold as well/long.

zinedrei

going for disc on my new build and the frame and groupset have been ordered already.

went for colnago clx evo disc since it's on a good price at merlin and then paid the deposit on my LBS for a force axs set.
need to wait for 60 days for the 165mm crank to arrive.

only thing missing now are the wheels.
initially decided to go with reynolds ar 58 due to the great price and lifetime warranty although sourcing the xdr freehub is a pain.
however, both the wheels and freehub are out of stock so i am looking for an option.

light bicycle rims paired with industry nine hubs seem to be a good alternative.

my question is which rims should i go for in case i will be using a 25c tyre?
and anyone has an idea where i can find a few anodized spokes like the ones that industry nine offer? only need around 6 pieces.

tia...

noodle soup

+1

Light Bicycle tape is hot garbage. I didn't have problems with leakage, but after 3 months(2850 miles), the tape was peeling up at the edges, when I replaced the rear tire.

I've never seen this from any other tape, and never even heard of this being a common issue with tubeless tape from any other manufacturer. When I saw this I replaced the tape immediately.

robbyville

Agreed and thanks. I always though tape was tape. The new Stan’s seems to cover the same acreage as the LB tape but seems more flexible. I wonder though what or how the tape was punctured at point of spoke hole. Pressure?

noodle soup

I'd always used Stan's or "Tesa 4289" tape, and had never seen an issue like this(peeling). I thought it might be the sealant I was using( https://www.truckerco.com/product-pa...nt-34-us-fl-oz ), but hadn't seen any complaints about this causing an issue.

robbyville

Funnily enough since I moved the bike inside the house from the 120+ degree garage, I seem to be losing practically no air. 2 days now, no need for even a couple hits with the pump. Go figure. Some folks were telling me that one of our local shops tell them that it’s not good for the grease in the bearings to be left out in our heat all the time, doesn’t compute for me, I would think that the bearings generate more heat simply via friction and that grease is made to withstand just like in cars.

noodle soup

It doesn't make sense to me either.

I've worked in several shops(in Southern Nevada + Phoenix), and never once heard anyone say this.

blazin

Any advice on whether to go j-bend or straight pull spokes (dt240 hubs, if it matters)?

Also, looking at rims from CarbonFan as well, who can build rims to UST standard (ie no spoke holes). I know this complicates wheel building/repair, but given problems people are having (and I have previously had) with rim tape, I wonder if it is worth it?

WhyFi

Or you can just install the proper width rim tape.

Kimmo 

If you can afford it, straight pull for the win. Elbows flex and fail.

I'm surprised this is even a question...

noodle soup

There used to be an availability issue with straight pull spokes, but that's not an issue anymore.

blazin

I had heard concerns about availability, good to know it's a non-issue. Thanks!

Kimmo 

I've seen a couple of straight-pull spoke heads busted, but at a guess I'd say it's a fair bit smaller proportion of those than busted elbows... Hard to say, it's tough to imagine how many you've seen of each.

robbyville

i had a set of Yoeleo’s prior that had no spoke holes. Nice wheels but the fit and finish was not as good as the LB’s. I personally don’t worry about the repair hassles since broken spokes are a rarity for me. By the same token, I wouldn’t let my feedback on their rim tape be a deterrent either. First time in a very long cycling life that this has happened to me and an easy fix that took less than 20min including tire removal clean up, etc.

as for the straight vs bent heads, I think that’s been answered.

good luck!

Sy Reene

So.. dumb question time.. why is there such a thing as a J-bend spoke? What purpose do they serve?