By popular demand, and quite a few requests lately, here's a rare look into RogueMechanic HQ. It's where everything pretty much happens relating to the business. As you can see in the photos, it's a fully equipped shop that has everything that I need to get the work done and then some. Besides shorage for bikes that are in the queue, two stands, my tools, and a 5HP 22 gallon compressor, it also has a Crest Ultrasonics 5.75gallon heated ultrasonic cleaner. I hope that this satisfies some of your curiosities. Thanks for checking in and as always, let me know if you have any questions or comments. -John
I thought that I'd share with you the latest "haterade" comment that I received. As you might guess, it's about the Campagnolo Ultra Torque non-issue....
"There weren't enough failures showing up in the field yet for this relatively new part to cause market flashback". It appears from the email that the author experienced this alleged issue in 2010. Ultra Torque was released in 2006. Its now 2012. How many ultra torque cranksets do you think have been sold in this time? A google search still shows just you and your pathetic little campaign. No "market flashback" yet. Meanwhile... in the real world: http://forums.cervelo.com/forums/p/2519/15292.aspx Read it and weep. You're fooling nobody. Idiot.
Thank you for your comment. I'm sure that you have more experience than I do with this. What flavor is that kool-aid?
I found out about this when I tried to view a photo that they posted and subsequently tried to follow on Twitter... After a long day, I have to admit that it kinda made me smile...just a little. -John
Just checking in. Hope that all of you are enjoying this Holiday Season. I'm trying to take care of all the things that I put on the back burner when my work load was nuts. One of the things that I had to change is adding comment moderation to this blog because of the ammount of spam that happens to get through the "filter" the Typepad has... Anyway, I hope that you have a Merry Christmas and a Happy Hanukkah as well as a blessed New Year. I can't say this enough but I'm going to say it again... I appreciate all of your support and I never take any of your business that you send my way for granted.
Here's a quick video of a Campagnolo Super Record Ultra Torque crankset that I just installed onto a Scott Addict that has a BB86 carbon bottom bracket shell. I used the Campagnolo Ultra Torque BB86 Adapter and installed everything to spec... Normal?
Every once in a while, I find a cycling related article that I can actually read all the way thru without falling asleep or losing interest. The article in the latest Bicycling Magazine titled "The Italian Job" by Bruce Barcott that's about Campagnolo was one of them. Below are some of my thoughts that I took away from it...
Shimano cycle-division sales of $2.1 billion to Campagnolo's $150 million.... -Wow. I would like to know what SRAM's sales are...
No surprise that Campy's current market is older, more affluent riders. I find this to be true.
"About 95 percent of the bicycles and components sold today originate in Taiwan or China." - Wow. Just wow.
"Campagnolo employs about 400 people in Vicenza. Like most Italian workers, they are strongly unionized and well paid." - I expected more employees. I wonder if the unions over there are structured like ours here in the US...
"The electronic gruppo problem illustrates a larger dilemma for Campagnolo. Its engineers must not only compete with a company more than 10 times its size. Their executives must not only find profit margins while paying 10 times the hourly wage of its competitors."- What a challenge. This certainly is a reflection on the price differences between Campy and Shimano.
"The refusal to compromise quality moved Campagnolo from a company to a cause. Some call it a cult." -This is somewhat true.
"Technology transfer—some would call it idea theft..." - This is so true. There's a lot to be said about this...
"Romania—a country famous for a man who drank blood and another whose name included the phrase "the impaler." Its remote location and spooky cultural reputation act as their own barriers to technology transfer..." - Ha... That's funny but probably true.
"A combination of outsourcing fatigue (those long flights to Shenzhen for quality control take their toll), rising labor and transportation costs, and the let's-rethink-this mindset of the recession have dampened the business world's enthusiasm for Asian manufacturing." - This makes me very happy.
"If the demand for Campagnolo'stop-level $2,500 carbon-fiber groupset, the Super Record, exploded tenfold, the company couldn't simply hire 10 times as many skilled machinists and ramp up production. Those machinists don't exist..." - This is so true and a valid problem that most consumers, both IBD's and end-users, don't understand.
"FSA's Mukilteo headquarters—a warehouse and a tidy suite of offices staffed by young dudes and their dogs—Van Enkevort says, "I can't help but feel this was a vendetta against us for having the gall to compare our product to Campagnolo's..." - You can't compair a FSA crankset with a Campy crankset... a world of a difference.
"Tom Kattus...has one of the toughest jobs in the American cycling industry: He's the general manager of Campagnolo North America." - I'm going to have to agree with this statement.
"...fixing the new chain required a special, $299 tool—the most expensive chain tool ever produced. If you ask a bike mechanic making $12 an hour what he thinks of the new 11-speed gruppo, prepare to get an earful about the chain tool." - Yet another true statement. Crazy expensive even at wholesale cost.
"The United States represents only 14 percent of the company's sales..." - Interesting.
...this is interesting to say the least. I must say that I am more impressed with Campagnolo as a whole after reading this article. There's definitely something to be said about Campy and why they do what they do.
I was thinking recently while overhauling and replacing a broken component in a Campagnolo 10 speed Ergolever that proportionally, I don't nearly see the same amount of shiftlever failures with Shimano Ultegra or Dura-Ace as I do with Campagnolo Chorus and Record. I would say that 75% of the Campy levers that I worked on this season had broken spring carriers and or springs and the rest just needed cleaned, relubricated, and the typical replacement g-springs.
My question is, did the engineers in Vicenza design these levers to be serviceable because they were aware of the durability/longevity of the internal components with a positive PR spin of being completely rebuildable? I don't know... Maybe the loyal masses don't mind tossing $65+ not including parts per lever to their mechanic every so often. I'd be the first to say that that's a whole lot cheaper than having to replace the complete lever, but from my perspective, I'm seeing the equivalent shift controls from Shimano lasting a great deal longer under the same conditions. But hey... I'm not complaining, it's more work for me.
Believe it or not folks, it's almost too good to be true... Coming to your inbox really soon is the new RogueMechanic Newsletter!!! Now all that you have to do is
Click here to subscribe!
Or....if you have one of those fancy phones....you can scan this...
I've been asked numerous questions about the short video of my Crest Ultrasonic cleaner that I posted on YouTube a while back, so I figured that I'd post some info about it and some things that I learned using it.
Efficient
This single piece of equiptment has made probably the biggest difference in my productivity. It allows for me to essentially "work" on two bikes at once. I can get a start on one bike by removing the drivetrain components, which typically include the cassette, chain, front and rear derailleurs as well as the crankset, while I continue to work on the bike that's on stand #1. Gone are the days of taking those said components to the parts cleaner and scrubbing away with a brush.
Does a Dang Good Job.
I'm not going to get into the science behind how ultrasonic cleaners work beyond the fact high frequency sound waves cause "tiny explosions" or cavication bubbles on the surface of the item that's being cleaned. Bottom line is that it works (better if you use the right solution and temperature).
Solution
I've tried alot of different solutions in my ultrasonic cleaner at different concentrations and at different temps. Some definitely work better than others. Temperature certainly makes a difference in the end result as well as the time required to clean the item. After trying everything from off the shelf Simple Green to even a few products that are ultrasonic cleaner specific, I have come to really like Extreme Simple Green Aircraft & Precision Cleaner. This stuff really works. Unfortunately, it's not as easy to obtain than the regular Simple Green product is, and it also costs more. I get mine from Simple Green Guy. As far as the concentration, this is powerful stuff. Don't be fooled. A little goes a long way. I typically use a 1:4 or 1:5 concentration and add more solution or water as necessary.
Bottom Line
If you can afford one, get one. You're going to wonder why you waited so long...
" Dear John,
I got out tonight for a quick ride... The Trek ran like a top, like butter on a hot skillet, smooth like a baby's bottom, like a shot of Johnnie Walker Blue, . . well you know what I'm trying to say, like a brand spanking new 5.9 Madone! Thank you again for another job well done!
Your grateful customer and greatest billboard,
A.R"
PR said...
"My search for a highly qualified, honest and reliable bike mechanic is over. Not only is John (RogueMechanic) a superb mechanic, he is also very knowledeable about equiptment... I have never been disappointed."
Dr. M said...
"John is a top flight mechanic. His knowledge, expertise and superb customer service surpasses everyone else... His personal integrity and high standards are reflected in his work on my bikes..."
Recent Comments