This is what was in the docket for last Friday. It’s a really nice Italian build (except for the Enve wheels). Beautiful spec’d setup. It’s also the newest 2015 F8 frameset. Check it out!
I got an excellent opportunity this morning to join my fellow mechanics and gaze at the new 2015 Campagnolo Record group brought by the US rep to explain new features and designs. It really packed a punch aesthetically and is sure to be a powerhouse to compete with the other major drivetrains out there. That being said — onto the good stuff!
The first component we looked at are the new shift/brake levers and how they differ from previous generations. The hoods and body of the brifter are the same shape as the prior edition, but have small improvements. The hood has a different pattern that contours the brifter better and helps to eliminate the ‘crease’ that some worn in hoods experience after heavy use. This is also reflected on the inside of the hood where they created a thicker mesh under pressure points for better vibration dampening and a more secure fit. A small print of “Campagnolo” is displayed in white at the outer front side of the hood. Here are a couple photos:
The internals look basically the same with the exception of a different ratcheting shift mechanism that corresponds to the way the rear derailleur will travel up and down the cogs (actuation ratio). This does mean that it is incompatible with the prior generation.
The crank was totally redesigned with the newer four arm spider made of carbon fiber and the chainrings each using 4 chainring bolts to attach to the arms. This, along with the profiling of the top of each arm over the outer chainring is expected to confidently support the near 45Nm torque of the front derailleur shifting from the inner to the outer ring. Also, I should note that the downshift is slightly different and acts much more like its electronic cousin, EPS. When dropping from the outer ring the inner ring, the derailleur will drop to a low trim position — one slight click up from its innermost position. This should help greatly in eliminating a chain dropping. Here is a photo:
Next was the front derailleur which ties into the prior paragraph about the 45Nm torque of the shift. This is an improvement of about 10Nm more than the last generation and only 7Nm less than its EPS counterpart. A 3D molded carbon cage exists on the Record and Super Record mechs and is an alloy cage on the Chorus level. The improvement of the shifting power is mainly due to the added length of the arm used to anchor the cable. Here’s a couple views:
The rear derailleur was definitely the best part about the entire presentation. It boasts an incredibly light weight and features carbon fiber all over in both the Record and Super record levels. The Chorus level will have an alloy outer parallelogram plate. The reintroduction of a B-tension screw will help to eliminate differences in frame manufacturing specifications and allow the derailleur to be dialed in the exact same way on any number of bikes. It’s best feature is a spline drive inside the anchor pivot that winds the spring tighter as the derailleur moves up and down the cogs. Its benefit is to keep the upper pulley moving with the same curved slope of the cogs to prevent missed shifts and smoother transition. Check it out:
Lastly, here are a few photos of the EPS bike with current generation Super Record 11 EPS:
One of the guys I work with arrived early this afternoon to a surprise that his frameset had arrived earlier than expected from Italy. As one of the most interesting people to work with in the industry I have met, I waited for his reaction to opening the box, eagerly handing scissors to cut the packaging. It had been three months of waiting. This is the first one to hit the United States. It’s a limited edition Pinarello Dogma Think 2 65HM1K World Champion Edition frameset. As far as I am concerned, there are lighter framesets out there and maybe even more elaborate paint jobs, but combine the two and you have this Dogma. I installed the headset bearing, races, and spacers and ziptied the steerer tube so we could set it up for some photos.
For those of you reading who have never ridden a Pinarello Dogma (particularly I mention the Dogma due to its reputation above the other frames in Pinarello’s lineup, all of which, of course are also very good framesets), I would like you to envision the coolest tech gadget or hobby or passion you have and think of what the absolute best version of that in the entire world would be. Got it? This is one of the best designed bicycle frames in the entire world. I was really happy to be there at the right time to see it. The asymmetric carbon frame is made by a company called Torayca. Their use of Pinarello’s designed 65HM1K carbon fiber with Nanoalloy construction alloys them to create extremely responsive feel and strength in their frames. For instance, carbon fiber ribbing stretches down the downtube near the bottom bracket on just the drive side to reinforce the unequal power distribution in the frame between right-side thrust (drive) + pull on chain and the left-side thrust (non-drive) + pull on chain. Classic breaks on many carbon frames of the past have been implemented into the design to be reinforced in these areas as well, creating something truly race worthy or simply as the ultimate thrill of flying down descents and roads with less fatigue, better performance, and comfort all the way through.
It’s a beautiful frame in both form and function. If you find an opportunity to ride one, do it. Let’s put it this way, “I really hate my Pinarello. It really just doesn’t ride well and I’ve had so many problems with it” … said no one ever in my experience…
So this is one of the first really cool overhauls that I am handling in the new shop. It’s really old. It needs quite a bit of work. I am pretty sure that it’s going to turn out nicely with enough rejuvenating and assembling. It’s a Colnago Super frameset built with Campagnolo Nuovo Record. That’s one of the first really nice component sets equipped to a handbuilt steel lugged road frame noted as some of Italy’s finest. Here are the photos I took today of the parts being removed from the frame for cleaning and servicing. It was quiet in the shop and the winter storm created a good mood for bringing back a vintage Italian classic. More to come this week about the process of restoring and tuning.
So, I have been working some time on gathering up older Campagnolo parts for an Italian frame I’ve used on and off over several years to re-finish and rebuild. It is nothing really unique, but the Columbus tubing has stayed in good shape and the feel of a steel frame on the road is hard to beat for comfort and classic. I plan to use it for some touring, but primarily designated as my “flyfishing” bike.
Between friends, infrequent finds, and front and rear Campagnolo Victory derailleurs, the bike has all of the parts necessary to work and I have begun to start the frame re-finish on the fork. I may switch a few parts and will definitely add more as time progresses this winter, but wanted to show some “before” photos for later article comparison. Below is a slide show of the bike presently and following will be about what I am going to do in the next few steps.
Being a flyfishing road bike, I am set on a vintage look and build. When building a flyrod with my dad in Blue Ridge, GA last summer, I saw that the hardware on the flyrod could be “blued” like rifle barrels from old Winchesters I have seen. Immediately I thought of a bicycle frame with the same classic style along with a nice leather case for a 4-piece rod, leather pouch under the saddle for reel and flies, and a front rack large enough for a creel basket to sit in or water pack. Sanding the frame clean of the old paint will really give it a nice “brushed look” that will give accent to the bluing process, which will then be clear powder-coated to protect the look. I plan to write a special article with plans for the PVC shell leather rod case. I like the idea of PVC because of its strength and light weight. The bike will be outfitted with much of the same Campagnolo parts already equipped and I am considering making / designing the rack myself. The only major change I may make is to glue some cross style tubulars on the wheels so trail riding will be more robust and stable.
– SNC
I was able to attend six of the eight classes offered at the 2013 Park Tool Summit. They were the following: Campagnolo, Cane Creek, FSA, Fox, Mavic, and Shimano. I am going to cover each one and what I thought were the best points to take and apply in the shop. Right below is a slide show of photos I took (sorry for fair quality with cell phone) before the summaries of each class.
The same instructor, who deals with just about every Campy warranty and issue in the US department, was informative and innovative considering that a pallet of half the working material was still somewhere between the headquarters and the summit. Inside views of the Romanian factories and the home factory in Vicenza, Italy. Before recently, Campy was high on security and secrecy to protect larger companies from gaining insight on their special technologies and process. Now, however, they have adopted a much more transparent view of both the parts diagrams and breakdowns and the environment itself in which the parts are produced. Because of the demand for such quantities of these quality components, special precise training was exacted for the employees of their two Romanian parts manufacturing facilities dubbed Mechrom 1 and Mechrom 2. Most of the final assembly of parts is done in these facilities. They have a great traceability program to ensure that the products and parts are accounted for and distributed correctly. For instance, every wheel built has a dot matrix code attached that contains information as to the individual that built the wheel and the exact final tension specs, ensuring the rider that the product is as perfect as possible.
Also, various innovations have been discovered and engineered by Campy that have spread to other industries because of the care and accuracy they hold their standards to. NASA aerospace chassis designs, the formula for casting magnesium (a very very light material), and the first magnesium wheelset are but a few of them.
Great focus on chain design was taught. Every chain created undergoes over 1200 lbs of force to “pre-stretch” them so they last longer and run smoother than any other chain. No rider can exert this type of force which entails literally zero broken chain other than if the installer does not install it correctly. Also, as a side note, installing a “quick link” voids the warranty as they believe only their chain pins meticulously pressed in will be strong enough to support it. In addition, they recommend installing the chain in the smallest chainring and smallest cog to get the right amount of tension.
It was obvious for this seminar that Cane Creek is highly focused on connecting riders together and sharing their experiences for the best ride possible. They seem to have an attitude of figuring out how to make each rider’s bike settings and technologies work best for that individual by developments in things like changing the angle of the fork and detail tuning their new Double Barrel rear shock.
One surprising note to mention in regards to their very successful headset sizing system (S.H.I.S) is that almost all headsets on the market have been narrowed down to 6 top bearings and 4 bottom bearings, making the system even easier. As far as changing the angle of the fork mentioned earlier, bowl-shaped cups hold the bearings that are placed in eccentric matching cups in the headset for several different angles that they include as one set, so you can try different combinations for better climbing or better descents, etc. Also, even with this new system, Cane Creek has a headset fit finder with a database of over 10,000 bikes already and adding new ones each day when submitted by mechanics and other in the industry. This is awesome as it compiles so much data from so many companies and locates it in one place, leaving the guessing game far behind.
The biggest highlight for me was a detailed summary of their 110 headset. From cutout diagrams, you could see the multiple seals keeping the bearings sealed up nicely and backing up the 110 year warranty. Essentially, it is waterproof and to me, rivals the Chris King headset that is also popular by name and by its own sealed system. I mainly think it is just good to have a choice of two almost indestructible headsets. Plus, regardless of which one it goes with, they will quickly replace it if you somehow are able to destroy it.
The Double Barrel rear shock is a great product to explore as well and has so many options for fine tuning without problematic issues that usually arise with other rear shocks with leaking, etc. Seal replacement was very easy and clear to understand and the hands-on experience of doing so really “sealed” in the information.
FSA:
FSA (Full Speed Ahead) was all about ensuring that their products get better and better and flaws and defects get smaller and smaller with genuine rider honesty of feedback and a willingness and commitment of the company to fix any problem. They were the first company to develop a carbon crank with longevity. Their SLK series has been continually refined with each season of testing as well as their Gravity line for downhill bikes. Being that they are located near Whistler and other major downhill areas, the testing grounds put the equipment and research through extreme trials to bring us what we have today. One cool addition for customer service was a placement of an office on the East Coast to help eliminate the waiting period of time zones to contact representatives. This creates a faster turn around and closer connection of rider to mechanic to rep.
They also have a headset that was developed much like the one I mentioned earlier with Cane Creek, but their point of interest was to develop one that had fewer parts and a more robust interface that could be depended on in harsh conditions. Great length was also taken to “creaks” and “clicks” in integrated bottom brackets, so naturally I wanted to turn a keen ear since I wrote an earlier article on bottom brackets and issues that arise. Several things like the correct materials for installing bearings and retaining them with loctites and compounds that wasn’t as clear before as to how essential it is to choose the correct one. Moving from so many different types of crank spindles and bottom brackets has led them to the development of their BB386 spindle and bearings that is the same size for all of their cranks. They make different qualities of these, but all of the are the same so compatibility is a non-issue.
Fox:
Fox seemed to hold a different approach than any other class. They split theirs into three separate mini-classes with hands-on working at each. The groups rotated and gained insight on several areas from bushing and seal replacement on forks to lockout tuning and rebound damper adjustment. The most useful in a business sense that they now offered is the bushing and seal replacement. Developing a new tool with Barnett’s Institute, it allows bushing replacement on any fork including Fox and passes the ability to do some services at the shop level rather than always sending it to Fox to have work done. This means that I can get a rider back out on the trail faster and that makes a happier rider.
After the first day of learning, I got to speak with the Fox rep at the social hour following the day. He showed me a suspension unit that is installed on the new Raptor off-road truck. I lifted it and it was quite heavy as trucks are far less concerned with being light rather than strong. It led to something that I wouldn’t have expected. He said that most people think that the bike fork technology and suspensions are derived from their larger parts on off-road trucks and ATVs, etc. He said that this was quite the opposite. The bike technology was hardest to innovate because it not only had to be really strong, but also light enough to ride and that this technology was what actually trickled up to ATV suspensions and then to off-road vehicle suspensions. Pretty cool. They also seemed to be having the most fun out of the other companies.
Mavic was, personally, a beautiful sight to see. Slick blacked-out wheels and carbon spokes all over the place with matching yellow hinting everywhere was the realm of high-end wheels and superior technology. Not only were several points of misconceptions I had cleared up, but it was also confirmation of several things I had been doing right.
Mavic has a philosophy that their wheels are made as a system from the center of the hub all the way to the ground — including the tire. This is why all of their wheels are sold with tires installed. From flashy animations of hub overhaul procedures to French dialogue speaking of dedication to ultimate advancement in technology, they covered essential procedures for replacing carbon spokes in two different wheels (R-SYS and Cosmic Carbone). Plus, the guys teaching the class were the guys that fix the wheels or rebuild them when we send one back for service. It was like finally meeting the guys who had done all the great work I see coming back in shipments and on display in the shop and getting a flavor of their standards and tips.
One thing that really stuck out that I didn’t know before was that they use mineral oil inside the freehub body with a bottom seal. Mineral oil, they said, wasn’t some magical liquid, but just that it was exactly the right “weight” to stay inside and give the freehub years longer of usage and, in its absence, is why some riders have described a high-pitched squeal at times on fast descents.
While much of the material that was covered in the presentation part of the class was what I had recently just finished training on, it was still reinforcing and provided confidence in the hands-on tuning of the new Dura-Ace 9000 drive-train. With its sleek machined appearance and unbelievably improved smooth performance, I have to contend that all three major companies (Shimano, Campagnolo, and SRAM) have narrowed the gap between each other and the game is at its highest level ever.
The new and improved cables and casing also surprised me to its superior feel and had me thinking they snagged the designer for the Gore Ride-On cables that were just discontinued. Coming now in seven colors, the PTFE coating is uniquely applied so wear doesn’t affect performance nearly as much as before, allowing riders to use them for longer with better results. The motto, “friction is the enemy,” really rang true here and great effort was placed into decreasing it and its effect on rider fatigue.
Summary:
All in all, as stated above, the technologies are getting more and more efficient and precise with faster rides and sexier designs. It’s going to be really exciting to see how far they can go in the next couple years.
– SNC
As I finish compiling all of the knowledge I gained at the Park Tool Summit, I thought I would distract you for a moment to show some photos of a recent pro build on Wednesday that was scheduled after having the frame refinished. The frame is a Seven Cycles Axiom SL titanium frameset with Campagnolo Super Record 11 and Rolf Prima Vigor RS wheels. What a sweet ride!
Interbike 2012 was a great success this year. We had ten people from five stores attending and applied all our our power to cover the event as much as possible. From “The Lab” with new technologies not yet on the market and original concepts to the main floor of the Sands Expo with thousands of booths, tables, bikes, gear — you name it. All of the top companies attend, of course with their best limited edition bikes tricked out with every bell and whistle you could imagine.
One of my favorite finds was the Sworks Allez that Specialized had on display. A beautiful aluminum frame with deep dish carbon clinchers, carbon this and that, and Dura-Ace. If marketed, it is sure to be a hot bike in demand. Hutchinson released a tubeless cross tire that shows good promise for those still no clinchers.
In the Italy section, Pegoretti had some stellar track bikes painted with his unusual, yet flashy style. It was built with sheriff star Campagnolo Record hubs and a Campagnolo track drivetrain. Campagnolo was in full force with EPS shifting taking the highlight along with a time trial Bora Ultra carbon crank.
One of my favorite booths was the Paul Components display. Simple wooden tables with the most precise machined components polished to perfection. Paul was a really cool guy to talk to, as well as his collegues. They had their brand new road hubset on display, which uses an Industry Nine ratcheting pawl system combined with CNC machined hub shell and freehub body. It is both 10 and 11 speed Shimano and Campy compatible.
White Industries was also in full force with their styled CNC machined components, including the popular ENO hub, which I have ran through the ringer for years without any single issue.
Meetings were scheduled with some our major brands, including Continental, Geigerrig, Ortlieb, Thule, and Optic Nerve. Several of our normal reps were there to run through exciting new items, programs, and technology advances. Prominent in many brands were the replacement of buckles for helmets and saddlebags with rare earth magnet clasps that worked exceedingly well and operating and keeping closed when it should.
QBP showed us all the new tech in helmets and Salsa Cycles, which uniquely had display models of all the employees bikes, so they were covered in a little road / trail use.
The hippest place in the show had to be the Chrome exhibit. Picnic tables, on-demand bag making with sewing machines and limited edition photo styled Citizen messenger bags, fresh screen printed T-shirts, a DJ spinning tunes at 4pm every day. The reps were great to talk to and it was nice to associate behind the people that handmade the bag you’ll use day in and day out.
This was the anticipated build of the season. Campagnolo Super Record EPS on a Lynskey polished titanium frame from Interbike 2011 and topped off with Campagnolo Bora Ultra CULT wheels. Talk about a beautiful setup for adventure and thrill. Once installed, the components actually were a bit tricky to fully understand, but step-by-step following of instructions along with a healthy amount of experience from mechanics on the build brought the perfection to light. While there are many things in the cycling industry that I love and admire, this drive-train group lit my eyes up and had me at a loss for any other components better built or operated.
Shift it up, shift it down. Dump the cassette, go from high to low flawlessly. Tune individual gears with memory by the system so those favorite cogs still ride true and smooth through the life of the cassette and chain. It reminded me of an almost cybernetic system that was the realization of the technology. Electronic Power Shift. Digital Tech Intelligence. It works. I couldn’t make it slip gears once. Slow cadence pedaling also revealed a beautifully smooth upshift from the small chainring to the large chainring even with some torque on the pedals.
Campagnolo Super Record EPS is a thumbs-up. That is, if you’ve got somewhere around $5k to put down on it. 😉
– SNC
This was a great build that really presented the Campagnolo Athena 11 group perfectly. A well-thought daily rider setup with alloy components, strong Mavic Ksyrium SL wheels, and 3T handlebar, stem, seatpost. The Athena 11 set up easily and precisely. Once installed, the shifts clicked away crisply and gave the confidence of a solid ride. Butted titanium frame design gave the bike a presentable weight and a fit like no other.
secondnaturecycling 