So what does this have to do with putting makeup on a swine? Not much, but it sure is a silly image.
Actually, there is a connection. In previous posts I have mentioned that my primary commuting, riding, racing, adventure, do everything bike is a Surly Long Haul Trucker. It's a super comfy and very sturdy (read HEAVY) bike. You may say it's a bit of a pig (but in a good way). However, as summer looms and the weather gets better I find myself riding a bit more with some of the FAST guys at some of the group rides around Omaha. And I do mean FAST!
Being the competitive sort, I like to "try" keeping up with them. Unfortunately, when your riding a pig, it's hard to go SUPA-FAS for long without either herniating yourself or spewing your lunch all over your front front wheel (thank goodness for fenders). OK, I've never had either happen, but I've come close to doing the later on a couple occasions.
So what is the solution, shy of buying a whole new bike that is lighter, faster, and way more expensive than I can afford right now? Lipstick of course!
This week I started putting some lipstick on my Long Haul Trucker (LHT) in the form of some new lighter components and an SRAM Rival drivetrain. I'll drop a picture on my blog after I've finish the project. As of Monday, the LHT was nothing but a bare frame. Tuesday I cleaned the frame and got it ready to start receiving that lipstick. As of last night, it has everything back on it accept for brakes and the wiring of brakes and shifters still needs to be completed.
Stay tuned...
9 comments:
Did you weigh the LHT before swapping parts? I'm curious to know pre/post weight comparisons.
Sounds like a fun project. Please keep us posted. And, yes, pictures are required.
I'll have pictures up soon. I emailed you guys with pictures already though.
I did not get the pre-refit weight. But the post-refit weight is 22pounds (give or take 1/2 pound) on my bathroom scale.
Fenders will got back on until the rainy season is over, but then they will stay off till fall so I don't have to carry them on the longer rides I have planned this summer.
Gotta love that Rival. great gruppo.
wheels. lightweight wheels make all the difference. But they also cost more than the average complete singlespeed. Any idea what your bare LHT frame & fork weighs?
tires may be another cheap lightweight upgrade. Continental GP4000 's have been very resilient for me. 700x23mm. Good balance of lightweight, good traction, long lasting, cut resistant.
If you're running 28-32c wire bead tires, you'l drop another pound just by swapping out rubber.
The emailed pictures are sweet. It'll be interesting to see how 700x23c would look on that Fatties Fit Fine Frame. Already the 700x28c look a lot different than what you were running previously.
5.15 pounds for bare frame and fork in 58cm. From what I've read, rotational weight is about 2 times more expensive (wattage wise) than static weight. So you get more advantage dropping rotational weight than static weight. The new drivetrain reduced a lot of rotational weight.
From my reading (I read a bit too much sometimes) the biggest wattage waster is aero drag, but only at higher speeds. So fenders and loose fitting clothes are a big issue at higher speeds. If your going slow, it's less of a factor.
I'm not sure what my wheelset weighs in at, but it's not light with XT hubs and Mavic A719 (touring) rims and 28c Continental 4season tires. A light wheelset is probably the biggest performance change I can make on the LHT at this point. Beyond that, I'd need a lighter frame. I also can't use the Rival brakes on the LHT frame, so those are still just sitting in a box...so sad.
My rims are WIDE. So 28c is as small as I can go. The conti 4 seasons I have on there are Kevlar bead, so there not all that heavy.
Brady... I was running 35c this fall/winter/spring. These 28s like tiny in this frame. Look at the gap between the rear tire and the seat tube.
A 23c tire would look pretty silly. But hey, coming from the guy that does the group rides wearing spandex on a bike with fenders, silly is not a big deal.
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