Zoran Thoughts

Converting Velocity A23 rims to tubeless

2012-01-02T18:32:00.002+01:00

Just a quick post about converting the popular Velocity A23 rims to run them tubeless for cyclocross or road since we’ve been experimenting today. The A23 has a smooth curved inside wall and converts pretty easily to tubeless with the correct products.

Cyclocross tyres
We fitted a Hutchinson Piranha (tubeless ready) with just the NoTubes yellow tape and a 44mm Universal valve stem. The tyre was pretty tight and needed careful use (not damaging the yellow tape) of tyre levers to get the tyre on. It inlated immediately using a standard track pump.
Then we tried a standard Maxxis Raze 700x33C. It went on very easily, too easily in fact with just the yellow tape, and burped easily. We fitted the Cyclocross rimstrip and it inflated a lot easier, either with some vigorous pumping from a normal track pump, or very easily with a compressor. In use it may need a layer of 17mm Velox tape under the rimstrip; we’ll find out soon and add to this page.
Road Tubeless
To be confirmed, but since the Hutchinson cyclocross tyre inflated easily, the road tubeless tyres should too using just the yellow tape and 44mm valve stem. You’ll need 2 layers of yellow tape to withstand the high pressure or it may pop through the spoke holes.
Tyre pressure warning
We’ve said this before but it’s worth emphasising. Do not try and convert standard tyres to road tubeless; only use proper road tubeless tyres. If you want to run your cyclocross tyres over 40psi do not convert standard tyres. Normal tyres will be at risk of popping off the rim at over 40 psi. Over 50psi it’s almost guaranteed to fail. The bead on road tubeless tyres is much stronger than on a standard kevlar tyre.

LIMBURGS MOOISTE Squirt-aktie

2011-06-16T14:03:00.006+02:00

Op vrijdag 24 en zaterdag 25 juni zullen we op FIETSMEKKA aanwezig zijn om kettingen te smeren (bij de Legends stand) .
Zaterdag staan we ook met de Squirttent op de rode lus (raceroute) bij de verzorgingspost in Valkenburg (naast de FUJI MTB Masterstent).
Dus heeft je ketting tijdens de rit aandacht nodig; dan kan dat dus!
Wie weet tot ziens in Limburg.

Royce en Phil Wood hubs

2011-01-11T08:02:00.003+01:00

http://www.royce-uk.co.uk/

Royce hubs are a rare find in this day & age. Extremely high quality cycle
components made in the UK, Hampshire to be precised. Going since the 70's
their hubs & bb's have been used to help break records on the track & give
British riders the edge in the Tour de France.
These hubs are stunning,virtually indestructible, and are designed to be
able to cope with even the toughest of conditions.

http://www.philwood.com/products/hubspgs/mtbhubs.php

Fixed,freewheel or cassette, the durability of Phil hubs is legendary. 15mm
diameter stainless steel axles are standard across the range, and even the
lightweight track hubs spin on an outsize 12.7mm. It is almost impossible to
bend a Phil axle. You have to work pretty hard to wear out the bearings,
too: Mind you, if you do manage to rupture a race, replacement couldn't be
much easier. The hub takes apart with a couple of Allen keys, and the new
bearings pop right straight into the shell--no cones, no adjustment.

dealerlijst

2010-07-08T11:12:00.002+02:00

Onderstaande 59 Fietsenzaken hebben Squirt lube inmiddels in het assortiment.
Er komen nog steeds nieuwe zaken bij, dus we zullen de lijst regelmatig updaten.

Lohman Fietsspecialisten
Amsterdam
Ger Bikes
Amsterdam
Bikelife AlliZi Cycling & Running
Bussum
Piet de Wit
Wormer
Schuitemaker
Andijk
Slikker-Sport
Heerhugowaard
Imming Bikes
Egmond-Binnen
Beukers Bike Center
Petten
Van Herwerden
Voorburg
Rossem Wielersport
Wateringen
Tom Schouten Wielersport
Scheveningen
Wielerstudio Cees Jonkers
Rotterdam
Deko Bikeshop
Zuidland
Rijwielpaleis Bilthoven
Bilthoven
Hommes Wielersport
Soest
Van Hoeijen Rijwielhandel
Amersfoort
Cyclesports
Druten
Camiel vd Bergh
Beesd
Beebikes
Kapelle
Sirocco
Hogerheide
Marc Guns
Putte
Azzuri sport Breda
breda
Ventoux
Tilburg
Henk Baars Bikesport
Diessen
Marc van Otten De Fietsenmaker
Valkenswaard
Allizi Cyclesport
Nuenen
Knoops
Mierlo
Wielerhuis Liessel
Liessel
Fietshoes Va Boches
Bocholtz
Peter Dahmen Cycling
Swalmen
Math Salden B.V.
Limbricht
Evers Cycling
Maastricht
Rijwielshop Jan Harings V.O.F.
Nuth
Toma Cycles
Kerkrade
Kersten Wielersport
Nijmegen
Biklife Sjef van Bergen
Groesbeek
Fietsspeciaallzaak Roelofs
Arnhem
Goossens Raceshops
Borculo
Stappenbelt Bike & Adv.
Apeldoorn
J. Bos en Zn.
Deventer
Bike life Heino
Heino
Harry Buyvoets
Tubbergen
WR Bikes
Nieuw Heeten
WR Bikes
Nieuw Heeten
Bike Tuning Wierden
Wierden
Bikes4You
Emmen
Fietswereld Luppes & Co
Hoogeveen
Vlot en Winters
De Wijk
Stappenbelt
Zwolle
Kokkie Bikes
Lemelerveld
Ten Veen tweewielers
Oldemarkt
't Rennershuis
Leeuwarden
Bike Life Roden
Roden
Vonk Tweewielers
Musselkanaal
Klamer Wielersport
Hoogezand
Kleijberg tweewielercentrum
Diever
Hiemstra
Marum
Cycle Trend
Groningen

Smeermiddel Squirt lube

2010-03-04T17:59:00.008+01:00

Vanwege de grote belangstelling voor Squirt lube(nieuwe wax smeermiddel;zie onze home page)hierbij alvast wat korte info m.b.t. de mogelijkheden om Squirt te bestellen zonder de verzendkosten á € 6.75 te hoeven betalen.

Optie 1:
Indien je 3 flesjes Squirt bij ons bestelt, hoef je de verzendkosten á € 6.75 niet te betalen.
Je betaalt dan dus 30 euro voor de Squirt en we sturen het kosteloos naar je toe.

Optie 2:
Je bestelt 1 flesje Squirt á € 10 en daarnaast bijvoorbeeld 4 binnenbanden á €4
(of andere onderdelen/accesoires uit onze aanbiedingenljist).

Je betaalt hiervoor € 10 + 4 x €4 = € 26
Je hoeft geen verzendkosten te betalen, we sturen het kosteloos naar je toe.

Art. uit onze aanbiedingenlijst:

binnenbandjes
buitenbanden
energierepen
een ketting of cassette
een koersbroek
een wieltas etc .

Meer info: stuur even een mailtje.

Recensie van een klant (m.b.t. Squirt lube)

2009-10-09T11:05:00.001+02:00

"Vorig jaar augustus heb ik een fesje Squirt lube van jullie gekocht. Nu een jaar later met ruim 10.000 kmrs. kan ik niet anders zeggen dan dat het me meer dan uitstekend is bevallen. Dezelfde ketting zit er nog steeds om evenals de cassette. Je weet dat ik geen rustige tourfietser ben en desondanks zit de ketting er nog strak op. Uiteraard is er wel enige slijtage maar de ketting is nog nog steeds kraak vrij! Terwijl ik er vrijwel dagelijks op fiets door weer en wind van en naar mijn werk (dagelijks meer dan 60 Km).
Mijn ervaring is wel dat je iets meer aandacht aan je ketting moet geven dan bij standaard gesmeerde kettingen (siliconen e.d.). Bijvoorbeeld bij nat weer (regen, sneeuw) werkt het het beste om de ketting na de rit droog te maken. Als je dan voor de volgende rit weer wat Squirtlube aanbrengt, draait alles weer als een zonnetje.

In het begin heb ik ‘s ochtends voor de rit wat Squirt aangebracht, na twee weken ben ik met deze dagelijkse smering gestopt en doe het nu gem. 1x per week.
Het enorme voordeel van de droge smering is dat de fiets schoon blijft, het scheelt enorm veel tijd aan onderhoud van de fiets. De fiets blijft schoon, geen vet meer aan het frame, de wielen en de ketting en ook geen aangekoekt vuil op de derailleurwieltjes. Bij het verwisselen van een (binnen)band geen vieze zwarte handen meer. Wanneer je de ketting beet pakt heb je zelfs na xxxx Kmrs. nog steeds geen vieze vette handen! Het enige is wat straat vuil, maar dat veeg je bij wijze van spreken makkelijk aan je broek af zonder het gevaar dat je dat er allen met een sterke ontvetter weer uit krijgt.
Naast het voordeel van de geringe slijtage vind ik dat aspect van de droge smering persoonlijk het prettigste.
Dat je iets meer aandacht moet besteden aan de ketting door hem regelmatig van wat Squirtlube te voorzien weegt daar ruimschoots tegen op.

Kortom ik heb inmiddels ook mijn MTB ketting geprepareerd met Squirtlube, en heb daar grote verwachtingen van. Ik zal je tzt mijn ervaringen daarmee laten weten.

Resume:

Geen verschil gemerkt in rijgedrag. (bijv. geen hogere trapweerstand )
Voordelen: Schone ketting en schone fiets, geringe slijtage.

Nadeel: vraagt iets meer onderhoud (aandacht) zeker na natte weersomstandigheden.

Met hartelijke groet,

Richard Jacobs

Lid van de Dobberieders
Kmrs. p.jr: > 16.000 "

NIEUW smeermiddel SQUIRT LUBE

2009-09-04T14:05:00.006+02:00

Sinds een aantal maanden zijn wij importeur geworden van een nieuw, uniek smeermiddel, genaamd Squirt lube..
Het is het enige smeermiddel dat bestaat uit een emulsie van wax en water (andere smeermiddelen zijn opgelost in een oplosmiddel).Squirt lube bevat hierdoor 38 % (!) wax , het is biologisch afbreekbaar en milieuvriendelijk. Het middel is geschikt voor zowel race –als MTB-fietsen.

Enkele recensies:

1.Cycling Weekly (grootste tijdschrift van Engeland) :

“…this lube is as close as we've come to the Holy Grail of lubes”

“WE'VE seen wax lubes before but this one has finally delivered where others have failed. When applied to a clean, dry chain, the water-based carrier ensures that the wax reaches all moving parts while leaving a dry chain afterwards. Even in the wettest of conditions, the lube kept the chain moving freely and did not wash off like others have a tendency to. Reapplication was only necessary once or twice a week based on riding each day, although wet conditions would make it more necessary. We asked if this
lube was the Holy Grail of chain lubes and it would certainly seem to be the closest we've come.”

Score: 10 (het maximum)

Daarnaast is o.a. Squirt lube uitgekozen als beste nieuwe product van het jaar 2009.

2. Het tijdschrift ‘Fiets’

“...Fijn spul dus”

‘Het bijzondere aan Squirt lube is dat het ook redelijk hecht op een vette ketting en bovendien vrij lang blijft zitten.Het vormt een glad, wit laagje dat piepgeluiden voorkomt. Schoonmaken van de ketting kan met een droge doek en opbrengen van een nieuw laagje is zo gedaan. Fijn spul dus”
(Meer reviews, zie bijlage)
Dus de pro’s op een rij:

** Squirt lube smeert je ketting twee keer zo goed als andere smeermiddelen (die dus veel minder wax bevatten), waardoor je veel soepeler kunt schakelen.

** Ketting en tandwielen gaan 50 % langer mee dan bij gebruik van een gangbaar smeermiddel.

** Je aandrijftrein blijft dus langdurig schoon en je hoeft je ketting nooit meer te ontvetten.

Aanbieding BikeXperto-klanten:

Binnenkort zullen de gespecialiseerde fietsenwinkels in NL en Belgie Squirt lube in hun assortiment hebben. We willen echter onze klanten de kans geven om Squirt lube nu al uit te proberen.
Vraag naar de mogelijkheden om een flesje Squirt lube gratis naar je verzonden te krijgen.
(Normaal gesproken zijn de verzendkosten € 6.75, aangezien het flesje net niet door de brievenbus past...)

Meer recensies / info m.b.t. Squirt lube: zie onze home page.
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Mach1 spokes

2009-04-03T10:17:00.001+02:00

To complement the range of rims, Mach 1 manufacturs their own stainless steel spokes.

Following their very succesfull CFX rims, I experimented with Mach1 spokes for 2 years and I started using them more and more because the results were very good.
The spokes are made from 18/8 Sandvik stainless steel.
A plain gauge 2mm spoke shows a 50% higher tensile strength than the comparable swiss spoke.

www.mach1.fr

ORAN-Z 54 HIGH CARBON RIMS

2009-03-09T20:39:00.007+01:00

For the people who are interested in a wheelset with 58 mm high carbon rims...
The prices you can find on my message from 28-10-2008.

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INFO Niobium rims

2009-01-22T09:42:00.002+01:00

Het smeltpunt van niobium (NB) metaal is 2300 ° C, als gevolg van het enorme verschil in de smeltende punten van de twee metalen, legeren ze samen is een bijna onmogelijke opgave. Kin Lin has developed the brand-new Super Alloy-KLM41 aluminum alloy containing niobium. Kin Lin heeft zich ontwikkeld op de gloednieuwe Super Alloy-KLM41 aluminiumlegering met niobium. Besides a tight-knit structure and fine-textured surface, this alloy offers tensile strength twice that of conventional alloys, enabling equivalent strength to be achieved with considerably less weight. Naast een strak-breien structuur en fijne textuur oppervlak, deze legering biedt treksterkte het dubbele van die van conventionele legeringen, waardoor een gelijkwaardige concentratie te bereiken met aanzienlijk minder gewicht. It is extremely impact resistant after hardness and toughness have been improved by heat treatment. Het is van groot impact resistente na de hardheid en taaiheid zijn verbeterd door een hittebehandeling. Kin Lin has already successfully applied this alloy to the fabrication of rims (Nb-R) and frame tubes. Kin Lin heeft reeds met succes toegepast deze legering aan de vervaardiging van velgen (NB-R) en buizen frame.

Spoke cutting and threading machine

2009-01-21T20:51:00.005+01:00

Finally I have got it!
I'm talking about my new spoke cutting and threading machine (spaken verkorten en een schroefdraad er in aanbrengen).
I struggled to achieve spokes with a certain lenght.
Especially when I have to build a wheel with CX RAy spokes.
The producer of these spokes is like 3 months behind with their orders.
So to avoid this hussle, I decided to buy this machine.
This was missing in order to deliver the wheels of my clients in time.

MAXIM Energy bars

2009-01-14T19:33:00.003+01:00

I am very happy with the Maxim bars. I even tested my blood sugar before and after using the bar. My blood sugar raised from ... to ..... I ate the bar during exercise.

"The Maxim Energy Bar is packed with carbohydrates! These delicious high-carbohydrate (70%), fat-reduced bars contain fruit, cereal, glucose syrup and maltodextrin. Carbohydrates are the main energy source for your muscles during exercise. The combination of fast and slow carbohydrates provides a fast and continuous energy supply.

Consume a Maxim Energy Bar 2 to 3 hours before exercise and you're full of go! The Maxim Energy Bar is also suitable as an energy snack during long endurance exercise or during tournament days between games.

Benefits:

Ideal as a carbo loader for all sports
Ideal during long intensive endurance sports as a fast energy snack.
Ideal during tournament days, between games.
Ideal for every moment you are in need of an energy boost.
Healthy alternative for candy bars
High in carbohydrates, about 70%
Low in fat
For supplying fast and continuous energy
Contains 9 vitamins to support carbohydrate and energy metabolism
Easy to take with you and easy to open
Available in 9 flavours
This product is vegetarian friendly
This product does not contain ingredients which are on the doping list"

Prices you can find on my site by clicking on 'assortiment'and then 'speciale aanbiedingen'.

YOU TRY THINGS UNTILL YOU MASTER THEM !!!

2008-12-24T20:26:00.001+01:00

Take a look at the picture of a rear wheel with a Power Tap hub.
Pay attention to the lacing pattern on the cassette side of the hub!

Whenever I have a hub of which the design allows me to build a wheel
using the same spoke pattern as the pattern on this picture, I will do it.
I was even brave and built a rear wheel using the same spoke
pattern with a Campagnolo Record 2008 hub in 32 holes.
What I have got is an amazingly strong and stiff rear wheel.

The tension of the non drive spokes increased with more than 30%, without increasing the tension of the drive side spokes.

I hope that the hub flange won't crack!!!
This rear wheel was used in the 2008 season,without any hub problem...

The higher the drive side flange of the hub, the better.
Using DT new Aero spokes in the drive side and CX RAY in the non drive side
gives an extremely stiff rear wheel. Perfect for criteriums as well as for
any kind of racing.

With this spoke pattern the number of spokes can be reduced, which leads to a 24 hole
rear wheel which is as strong as 32 holes rear wheel.
Especially with higher flanged hubs.

ORAN-Z 54 stickers

2008-10-28T09:33:00.016+01:00

Finally they are ready, my own brand wheels with the name
"ORAN-Z 54".

The wheels on the upper 2 pictures consist of;

KT hubs (also possible with Edco hubs)
Carbon clincher rims (58 mm)

Rear wheel;
Cassette side; DT new Aero spokes
non cassette side; CX RAY spokes

Front wheel; all spokes CX RAY
Price; 755 euro (with silver spokes - KT hubs)
Price; 795 euro (with silver spokes - EDCO hubs)

Also available with black spokes.
_____________________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________________

The wheels on the 2 pictures below the wheels with the carbon rims (58 mm )
consist of;

Niobium rims
rear 28 holes(XR 300)
front 24 holes (XR 200)
Rear hub M-5 (ceramic bearings)
Front hub Alchemy 24 holes(ceramic bearings)
CX RAY spokes
prolock nipples

644 Euro

Rear wheel; 810 grams
Front wheel; 590 grams
Total; 1400 grams

This is one of the lightest wheelsets with high alu rims.

Of course the ORAN-Z 54 stickers can be placed on other wheelsets as well, provided that they are built by me. Furthermore I must stand behind the quality of the used parts and the way the wheels are built.

NIEUW; Alchemy Extra Light Front hub

2008-10-02T22:10:00.006+02:00

Hereby I would like to show you a very nice front hub. What makes it special is that the flange width is 82mm from outside to outside which makes the front wheel extremely stiff and strong.

"Introducing the Alchemy E.L.F. (Extra Light Front) front hub (pictured

above). This hub uses a 6900 series bearing. The 6900 bearing has a thicker

cross section and uses larger balls than the super thin-section 6800 series

bearings commonly used in other lightweight hubs. Consequently, the load

capacity of this bearing is higher than that of any bearings used in other

ultra-light hubs (I consider 80g as a cut-off for "ultra-light"). In addition, the

Alchemy hub comes standard with Abec 5, grade 5 ceramic hybrid ball

bearings. The Alchemy hub weighs 64g-65g depending on the hole count.

The flanges are angled at 6 degrees and the flange width is 82mm from

outside to outside. The wide flange placement produces a better bracing

angle than is common, which adds significant strength and stiffness to the

finished wheel. In addition, the bearings are positioned extremely far apart

(94.5mm from outside edge to outside edge). The distance between the

dropout and the bearing acts as a lever arm. Design on this hub reduces this

dimension to 2.75mm compared to the more common 10mm-15mm distance.

As a result, axle bowing and flex is virtually eliminated. This contributes to

increased bearing life and to lateral stiffness of the wheel. "

1 front hub costs 160 Euro

review cyclingnews

2008-09-22T21:59:00.002+02:00

As stated on my site , I build wheels for Fast Forward.
It's nice to see that the Cyclingnews guys are positive about my wheelbuilding qualities;

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=/tech/2008/reviews/ffwd_f2r-19008

Interesting new products

2008-09-15T17:06:00.004+02:00

I know that the last time I added something was a long time ago.
So here it is;

DURA ACE NAVEN 7850

Finally I have got Dura Ace 7800 hubs in 28 and 24 holes drilling.
The rear hubs are drilled for DT New Aero spokes.
So I can build very strong rear wheels for kriteriums by using only 28 spokes.

TUBULAR NIOBIUM VELGEN

For all the cyclocrossers and track riders a very unique Tubular Niobium rim. Perfect for cyclocross;

Aero shape 25 mm deep
Avaliable in 32/ 28 and 24 holes.

"Typically just known as "Niobium" (Kinlin call this KLM41) rims, they are made by Kinlin of Taiwan. Now Kinlin isn't a name you hear much of, if at all, but they make custom rims for some of the best known wheel producers in the US, and their stock models are sold under such names as IRD as rims only. The Niobium is actually an alloying element in the aluminum alloy, which offers a nice grain structure and the ability to make very light rims. There are four models offered, the NbR-19 (19mm deep box section ~ 395gm), XR-200 (22mm deep box section ~ 384gm), XR-270 (27mm deep aero section ~ 430gm) and XR-300 (30mm deep aero section ~ 455gm). There is also a tubular rim TB-25 (25mm deep aero section ~ 440gm). All the Kinlin rims we carry are available in a gloss black anodizing... "

I have sold them like cake.
At the moment out of stock,but ordered.
These rims will be here in 2 weeks time.

M5 NAVEN

Furthermore, the past season I have worked with flanged M5 hubs.
These hubs are amazing .
You can read more about in on;
http://www.m5-ligfietsen.nl/site/EN/_m5__Lightweight_bike_parts/Front_and_rear_hubs/

They come only with ceramic bearings.
Better than Tune hubs
lighter than Tune

LIGHTE CARBON VELGEN

I have got some of the lightest carbon rims in the world in stock in 20 mm.

Superperstiff High Tensile TC35 Carbon, reinforced with T700
20mm deep rim
Very good braking performance

With CX RAY spokes and M5 hubs you can have a wheelset lighter than 1 kg.
The price is going to be 1300-1400 Euro.

I have them in 28/24 and 20 holes drillings.

compatibility

2008-04-04T09:02:00.006+02:00

Quite a few customers regularly ask me questions regarding compatibility.

Some tips;

Regarding the chain:
I use a Dura Ace ketting 10 speed for Shimano and Campagnolo.
It works exellent.

If you put a Dura Ace chain on a Campagnolo group then you can use Shimano hubs with a shimano cassette 10 speed.

In case you want to use Shimano and Campagnolo on the same group, some adjusting is neccesary to make it compatible .
A very skilled mechanic can do this work in 15 minutes.

A 10 speed Campagnolo group works also with a 9 speed Shimano cassette.
A 9 speed Campa group works with a 8 speed Shimano .

With a 10 speed system you can mix Shimano and Campagnolo cassettes, by using a Dura Ace 10 speed chain.
This chain is thinner than a Campa chain.
So on a Campa system,a wheel with Shimano 10 speed works without problems,or opposite.

For the lightweight freaks...

2008-03-30T18:11:00.009+02:00

Today I have built a set of wheels which I have put on the scale; 995 grams!!

The sets contains;

Fast Forward F2 carbon tubular rims (21 mm high)
M5 hubs with ceramic lagers

spokes;
front wheel; 20 CX RAY spokes

rear wheel cassette side 12 x PR profile spokes 1.1 mm thick in the flat part of the spoke
non cassette side 12 x CX RAY spokes

all in silver

Prolock nipples 14 mm long brass in the front wheel
Prolock nipples 14 mm long brass on the cassette side
Prolock Aluminium 14 mm long on the non-cassette side.

Price;
1390 Euro

Weight; 995 grams

2008-03-19T20:39:00.001+01:00

NEW!!

This might be interesting for the Time Trial guys!!
Handbuilt of course...

This set costs 795 E.

NAVEN ;KT black, 16 front, 24 back, campa

VELG ; Planet X carbon, 82mm front, 101 rear

SPAKEN; CX Ray, black

It will soon be on my site as well...

Bicycle Weight

2008-02-08T17:27:00.000+01:00

I came across this article on the Torelli website which I thought was interesting:

"Bicycle Weight, the Benefits Quantified"

Everyone talks about bicycle weight. It consumes our discussions.Magazine reviews make it clear that if the very lightest parts are notchosen, if it is not as light as possible, the bicycle being examinedis suspect. Light weight has become the sine qua non of a goodbicycle. A light bicycle is a good bicycle, without any furtherdiscussion of its other merits or qualities.

Can we step back for a moment?

Let's get some numbers. Let us see if, as I believe, the handyavailability of a single number has led people to make poor decisionsin their choice of bicycle.

First of all, weight is important. If it weren't, we would all beenjoying pleasant 75-mile rides on 42-pound Schwinn Varsity bikes. Theroad bikes offered today are a far cry from those mild-steel tanks.We're not talking about riding heavy bikes. I want to limit thediscussion to modern, well-made, well equipped bikes.

My personal favorite bike is a 55-centimeter all Columbus Foco SteelTorelli bike with a steel fork, generously chromed, built up with aCampagnolo Record 10-speed group. It weighs about 19 pounds. Beyondaluminum spoke nipples and double-butted spokes, there is nothingheroic about the equipment to make it lighter. The Squadra HDP saddleis heavy by the usual standards.

UCI regulations limit a racing bike to about 15 pounds. What we arediscussing, from a normal all-steel bike to a super-light, barelylegal bike is about 4 pounds. This is what we're going crazy about, 4pounds. Maybe a bit more with a less expensive groups. In any case,given the usual rider-bike package of at least 180 pounds or more, thedifference is obviously very small indeed.

But how does this weight difference affect performance? Does removingthese few pounds make the bike fly? Is a lighter bike the fountain ofyouth? The September 2003 Bicycling Magazine has a chart that makes iteasy to quantify the performance gains from light weight. James C.Martin, Ph.D., assistant professor in the department of exercise andsport science at the University of Utah provided some interestingcalculations that make the cost of weight very clear.

He posited a 5 kilometer, 7% grade. That's a good, stiff climb. Thelegendary Stelvio climb averages 7.5%. He further assumed a rider whocan kick out 250 watts. A 160 pound rider will take 19 minutes and 21seconds to get up the hill. Every 5 pounds added make the trip up thehill take 30 seconds longer.

That means each added pound adds 6 seconds to the time it takes to getup this hill. That is only 6 seconds on a stiff, 20 minute climb.

So, given our roughly 4-pound range from a full steel bike to asuper-light carbon or aluminum bike, the time difference up this hillwould be 24 seconds from best to worst.

But, most weight conscious people aren't bringing their bikes down to15 pounds because down at that weight, the handling gets very sketchy.17 - 17.5 pounds is the normal range. The real discussion is about 1.5to 2 pounds.

The performance advantage of a lighter bike is greatest when the hillis steepest. What happens as things flatten out? Then, as the speed ofthe bike increases, the resistance comes from the wind, tire rollingresistance, bearing drag, etc. Those 6 seconds/pound grow eversmaller.

The variations in body weight, however, being so much greater, makelarge difference. If that same 160 pound-250 watt rider were to be 220pounds, he would come in 6 minutes, 10 seconds later.

So what do we do with this information?

There are two basic groups of riders to whom this is important.

The first is the serious athlete. A few seconds advantage is notsomething he can give up. No matter what the quality of the ride ofthe bike in question, he must seek every attainable performance gainin his equipment or his body.

Then there is the large body of dedicated cyclists who enjoy the sportat various levels, but do not compete in the higher racing categories.I think this is almost everyone reading this essay. For these riders,the choice of bike and equipment should involve a more complex,qualitative study. Weight is one consideration. But there are others.How does the bike feel? Is it stable? Does it fit? Does it have the snappy, clean, vibrant feel that should be the soul of a great bike?

These basically sensuous questions that are beyond simplequantification. It's not a matter of a 73 degree head tube or 18pounds or 9 sprockets in the rear. It is the whole bike, taken as awhole that must be considered. One should not pick a bike as if hewere one of the 7 blind men describing the elephant.

The fact that these 1.5 - 2 pounds are so unimportant in choosing abike should be looked upon a truly liberating. Now we can to back tojudging bikes on their real merits.

Before leaving this discussion, let's look at the most common"upgrade".

A full carbon fork is considered an upgrade that will add greatly tothe competitive advantage of the bike. A full carbon fork replacing asteel fork can take off a little less than a pound. Remember, that'sour 6 seconds. Clearly, we have all been oversold on the carbon forkas the easy performance upgrade. There is some improvement, but it isminuscule. And it is not without its costs in quality of road feel.For more about carbon, please see my essay on materials.Or in other words, Scarpelli, you can't buy a bike light enough tokeep up me with on a climb."http://www.torelli.com/tech/weight.shtml

I recommend this site for all bike racers and lovers

Bikes which in actual fact (weighed on your scale, not in a marketingadd) get down to 15 -16 lb range (forget about UCI illegal and pie inthe sky sub 15) are going to require a 2lb frame, which meansexpensive carbon or a Litespeed Ghisallo. Try finding one of thosefor less than $2500 or $3000, frame only. When you add your CampyRecord Carbon and your Zipp wheels, etc., your 15 or 16 lb bike can'tby definition can't cost you less than $4500 total - as a practicalmatter much more. A boatload of cash for that 1.5 lb. Somebodyplease do the cost/ benefit calculations.