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29 Aug 2011

Star ‘Cross’d Lover

I’ll make no attempt to cover up the fact that I’m definitely one of those mechanics with a shit car, or plumber with leaky taps, if you prefer, type person. When you spend enough time on other peoples’ bikes, the thought of doing pretty much anything to your own just smacks of being forced to do your homework or wash the dishes, so it’s really only when the squeaks of the drivetrain din above the blaring of your headphones that you think “Maybe I should squirt some shit on the chain?”.

Earlier on in the week I finally got my Tephra XK, which is a KVA Stainless Steel based Cyclocross frame, so this was good motivation to strip the commuter and move the parts over that I was going to move, and add the new ones specific for this frame. My ‘daily driver’ for years now has been one of the very first Thylacines - a Tephra SL - built sometime back in 2004. It started off it’s life as a straight road bike, then converted to a flat-bar road bike, and finally to a drop bar commuter. I have no idea how many kilometers this thing has done, but suffice to say from a guy who doesn’t drive, it’s done a fair few.

The one thing I have to praise big-time, is Dura Ace 7700. I have absolutely smashed my 7700 gruppo, changed the chain, front small chainring, and cassette a few times, but it just keeps powering on. The rear derailleur after a swap of the pulleys looks brand new, and the shifters just keep on going, clack after clack. They’re sloppier now than when they first came out, but that’s probably fixable if I could be bothered. It’s the last of the classic Dura-Ace and I really can’t think of any reason to change it.

The only issue I have now is the cranks. Seriously, I put these things on half a decade ago and left them there, and when I pulled the non-drive side off, the neon green Shimano grease was still neon green. The drive side however, when I tried to back out the self-extracting crank bolt, the outer plate that it pushes against jumped it’s threads. Of course, as with all shit mechanics I don’t have that specific tool, so looks like another trip to Cyclic is on the cards.

Part of me wants these cranks to be toast, but another half doesn’t. I wouldn’t mind something a little stiffer, but they’ve been so bomber it seems a waste. The other problem is, as a lifetime Shimano user, I wouldn’t actually mind trying some Campag for a change, so if I go some Campag cranks, I’d have to change the drivetrain over. Dilemmas, dilemmas.

Okay, quick visit to Evan and Cyclic, a few bashes and scratches later and the cranks are off one frame ond onto the new one. Not so bad afterall.

Now, come brief comments on the new bits.

SDG Bell-Air saddle (brown/brown) / Fizik microtex bartape (brown).

  • In case anyone cared, the colours of these two match perfectly, making the Fizik a great tape for those wanting an alternative to leather. I just wish it had a little more stretch to it. The Bell-Air saddle looks wicked - now I just have to hope the shape suits my butt, but after a quick tootle it seems pretty damn nice. Time will tell.
TRP EuroX Cantilevers
  • Man, these things have every imaginable form of adjustability except for height, which is a minor bummer because the mounts on the Wound-Up fork are a tad low. After putting these things on you’ll wish you were an Octopus, but once you’ve put one set on, the second set is much easier. Complicated, but fairly well designed. Boy do they stick out a lot - I’ll get my calves to report back after a few dismounts.
Wound-Up Team-X Fork
  • I’d actually forgotten how awesome these forks look, and they do look pretty damn high-zoot. However, they are horribly, terribly, ridiculously over-engineered, making them a full 150g heavier than they need to be, which is a little bit nutty. I like brawn and brains, and these really only have the former. Took a good 30 minutes to Ghetto-rig a Specialized cable mount/guide to the crown, too. They really should CNC their own (remind me to send that email). However, still a lovely bit of kit and I’m happy to rock them.
Wheels : H-Plus-Son TB14 HA rims, DT Comp spokes, C-4 FH80 / RH220 hubs
  • Okay, so I just placed an order for literally more rims than I’ve ever seen in one place at one time, so really looking forward to receiving them. Clearly, these wheels are not reality yet, but this is what I’m going to be running. Still undecided on tyres, but I thought I might try out some Hutchinson Bulldog’s just because a) Still a bit damp around here in places, b) They’re black and grey, and c) Simple and solid knobby pattern with no weird stuff going on.
  • The Commuter set of wheels will get the Tune rear / Hope front hub combo which refuse to die, and 32c Michelin City tires which are shit but are as tough as old boots to the point I’ve only ever punctured once. Which shouldn’t surprise anyone who’s held a pair.
  • The C-4 hubs should be cool, are super dooper value, and I’ve gone for the sensible weight/model/specification. Being able to change cassette carriers with no tools is just me preparing myself for a probable switch to Campag in the near future (if I can justify it, or suddenly get rich enough where spending a grand for no good reason whatsoever sounds like a good idea for a Cross-Commuter that is going to be thrashed). I hope these are good enough to receive the Thylacine Stamp of Approval (or THYSTOA if you’re a Kiwi) so I can recommend them on.
And now, clickr on my flickr for preliminary build pix…….

Posted by warwick @ 6:58 am

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