RogueMechanic

Shimano R700 Crankset

This should have been out this past season.  Shimano would have sold boatloads.  This is the long-awaited entry into the compact road crankset market.  Shimano has dubbed it the R700.  The suggested retail is still to be determined.  All standard lenghts are being produced.  The rings are the standard 50/34 but modified for better shifting performance (because of the large size difference between the two rings) AND designed to work with a standard front derailleur.  No need to get a compact-specific front derailleur.  I will be watching for when the rings become available.  These will be a great upgrade to the current Shimano compatible compact cranksets that have been in the field for the past 1+ seasons.  It's hard to beat the performance of Shimano chainrings. 

Sky, Bianchi, and SRAM 10

While reading an article in an industry publication, I came upon a quote from Sky Yaeger who is Bianchi's product manager that I couldn't help but to comment on.  Mainly because in my opinion, it's not completely true.  Here's her quote;

"None of us (product managers) would be stupid enough to spec anything on a road bike that didn't work as well as Shimano, so it's a given that in order for us to spec it, it has to be totally dialed."

I agree on the part that it's going to have to be completely dialed, but I have an issue with the first part of her statement.  You can look on just about any road bike from any manufacturer that's not a Campy equipped bike and you'll find parts such as cranksets, bottom brackets, chains, and brakes that are not Shimano.  I would make the argument that most do not work as well as the Shimano equivalent.  It's truly hard to beat the shifting performance of a Shimano drive train.  The fact of the matter is is that it's more a fiscal decision rather than overall performance.  There's really nothing wrong with this, it's just the way that it is.  Availability probably also factors in to the equation, but for the most part, it's an issue of profit margins. 

All of this being said, I'm interested in seeing the new SRAM 10 speed road components.  I hope that they're well thought out and of the highest quality.  I believe that competition breeds excellence.  I'm looking forward to it.

Zero Gravity Brakes

I'd have to admit that I was somewhat skeptical when I was asked to install a set of Zero Gravity brakes a month or so ago.  I remembered the last round of cnc'd components that came down the pike.  They looked better than they actually worked and they were a pain to initially set up.  But as usual, I'm always up for a challenge. 

Every bike has it's "design constraints".  One of the constraints on the bike that these brakes were going to be installed on is the internal routing of the rear brake cable/housing.  This was going to pose an issue because the housing length is more critical due to the self-centering design of the calipers.  To make a long story short, I made them work.  I'd have to admit that the design actually works and works well.  These brake are extremely light and seem to be stiff with good modulation.  They are also expensive.  But in this case, you're paying a premium for a premium product.  Now are they worth the extra $$$ compared to the Dura Ace brakes?  That's really up to you to decide...

Corrosion...

I've been meaning to post on this subject for awhile. I think that most people think their aluminum or even Titanium bike is impervious to the elements.  It's pretty natural to think that aluminum doesn't corrode and you've probably been told that titanium doesn't either.  Let me first preface this by saying that I am by no means an expert in the area of metallurgical properties.  This being said, I'd like to just touch upon the effects that the elements (rain, road salt, and even sweat) have on your frame.  Here's some eye-opening info...

Corrosion is the primary means by which metals deteriorate. Most metals corrode on contact with water (and moisture in the air), acids, bases, salts, oils, aggressive metal polishes, and other solid and liquid chemicals. Metals will also corrode when exposed to gaseous materials like acid vapors, formaldehyde gas, ammonia gas, and sulfur containing gases.

Corrosion specifically refers to any process involving the deterioration or degradation of metal components. The best known case is that of the rusting of steel. Corrosion processes are usually electrochemical in nature, having the essential features of a battery. When metal atoms are exposed to an environment containing water molecules they can give up electrons, becoming themselves positively charged ions, provided an electrical circuit can be completed. This effect can be concentrated locally to form a pit or, sometimes, a crack, or it can extend across a wide area to produce general wastage.  Localized corrosion that leads to pitting may provide sites for fatigue initiation and, additionally, corrosive agents like seawater may lead to greatly enhanced growth of the fatigue crack. Pitting corrosion also occurs much faster in areas where microstructural changes have occurred due to welding operations....

It continues...

Corrosion is the disintegration of metal through an unintentional chemical or electrochemical action, starting at its surface. All metals exhibit a tendency to be oxidized, some more easily than others...

Here are a few photos of a Colnago that I recently worked on.  Notice the corrosion that's occurring under the paint...

This type of problem is more common than you think.  Consider yourself warned... Thanks for reading. -John

Life is so good...

What more can I say...