Upgrading/fine-tuning/tinkering/tricking-out our new rides

   A quick pro racing note: if you need to understand why I don't like Alberto Contador, witness another one of his pre-planned victory celebrations as he crossed the finish line in Madrid as winner of the Vuelta a España (Tour of Spain). Contador held up seven fingers, to acknowledge his seven Grand Tour titles…wait he has only won five titles legally. Two of them were stripped because he was found to have a banned substance in his system while competing in the 2010 Tour de France. Hey, I have no problem with maintaining that the ingestion of the substance was accidental, but the bottom line is that you won a race with an illegal drug in your body. A victorious return to competition is not the time to make a gesture that effectively thumbs your nose at the rules and the governing body that enforces them!

   I also quickly want to mention that I’ve had it with the Lance Armstrong investigation, not that I think he is innocent. His influence is so far beyond the sport now, which makes me question somewhat the motives behind his accusers. The work he has done for cancer awareness and research has helped so many that I feel pursuing this any further is counterproductive. So what if his Tour titles are stripped - he has reaped all the benefits from them already. These wins are now so long ago that awarding a victory to anyone else during those races, even if you could find a clean winner from those podium places (or even top ten, for that matter), would be meaningless. I feel bad for those few athletes who attempted to compete fairly in professional cycling during that era and were robbed of the excitement of winning a spring classic or a major tour, as well as all of the perks that come with having achieved such an accomplishment.

   I finished the repair/refurb job on the K2 mountain bike for Carrick (photo right). Besides replacing a severely worn rear tire, I also purchased a new seat, since the original had a few tears in it. I changed out the handlebar grips, which had turned into a deteriorating glob of rubber, and some of the cables that were rusty. Carrick was excited to try out the bike, and although he is certainly used to front shock absorbers, he found that the rear suspension will take some getting used to. This might be something we’ll want to adjust in order reduce the amount of sag flexing in the frame.        

   I am in the process of tuning up my son’s old Schwinn and the GT hybrid I also received in the Cannondale deal. Both bikes have really decent frames with remarkably little paint loss, but the handlebars, derailleurs and other parts have taken quite a bit of knocking around! The Schwinn was fairly abused by Carrick and the GT, which was a shore bike and displays the expected rust from exposure to salt air, certainly isn’t going to be perfect, but the two are definitely usable. With a little work, I hope to get a few bucks for them both.

  Thinking over my current collection of bikes and how I wanted to use them, I’ve determined that after nearly a full season of cycling, the Pinarello has become my “everyday” bicycle. Its lightweight frame and comfortable gearing are perfect for the Schuylkill Valley, which is dominated by short, steep climbs. I consider the Colnago as a bit of a luxury bike, something I’ve always wanted and really like to show off. Its Campagnolo shifting is super smooth and the bike just feels fast, but it’s not the best climber, so it is relegated to the flatter courses I ride.

   I found from my test rides on the Cannondale that it has gearing very similar to the Colnago – far more appropriate for the professional racer that can grind the big rings. However, I love the look and fit of the Cannondale, and would rather put it to regular use, instead of just on trails, which was my intent when I purchased it. What I decided to do, with much input from others, was change up the gearing on the bike completely, making it my “go to” machine for rides that contain more climbing. That would leave the Trek to be my trail bike, and its generous gearing would be appreciated on some steeper paths; one particular section of the nearby Perkiomen Trail at Spring Mountain comes to mind. I have a couple cyclocross tires ordered for the Trek, and that will be a simple setup.  

   The Cannondale, however, will not be so easy. I knew that I would have to change the current 53/39- tooth chainring set, but I wasn’t sure that I wanted to go to a triple chainring configuration, because that would mean having to purchase a new shift lever with that extra shifting capability and sinking a whole lot more money into the project. The current Shimano 105 Hollowtech crankset, which is in excellent condition, should easily re-sell and help make up some of the replacement cost, but used levers usually aren’t in as much demand.

   Some research on internet forums and a conversation with the excellent staff at Bikesport helped to nail down a plan. With the increasing number of tourist riders who desire to tackle roads the pros take on in the Rockies and Alps, bicycle manufacturers now use a compact double configuration with a smaller chainring set in the front and, more importantly, a rear cassette very much like those found on a mountain bike. Besides providing a bit of reduced weight with one less ring, a two chainring system features smoother shifting with pressure on the pedals, which can be very important when changing gears on the hills - just ask Andy Schleck during the 2010 Tour de France!

   At Bikesport I was shown one of Trek’s new models that had the compact double setup as standard, and I immediately noticed the longer rear derailleur cage necessary to accommodate the larger cogs. Since the Shimano 105 derailleur on my Cannondale was of the very short, racing variety, I knew this would have to be changed. The 105 lever is nine-speed, so as long as I purchased a cassette with the same number of speeds, this wouldn’t be a problem.

   At this point I am awaiting the delivery of parts, so next week I will describe some of the trials I faced trying to acquire everything needed and provide some details on the assembly!