|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
Well, last weekend I finally ditched the clunky old lumps of steel that were
weighing my bike down and replaced them with my lovely new (well, secondhand) wheels - 32-hole MA3 rims on 105 hubs, fitted with Vittoria Rubinos. The verdict? Well, the short version would be: Wheeeeeeeeeee! My first proper ride was the Sunday morning club run. We did a fairly undulating route and the uppish bits seemed significantly less of a struggle than previously. Not surprising really - I tried to weigh the difference between the old and the new wheels and it seems I've suddenly dropped something in the order of 2kg off the overall weight of my bike. I've also gone from chunky 1 1/4" touring tyres to 23mm high-pressure slicks - the difference in rolling performance is such that on smooth tarmac it feels like I'm gliding with the new wheels, although less-than-smooth surfaces suddenly seem a lot harder than before... The wheels may be secondhand, but they have been well looked after. The hubs are a dream and I reckon there's plenty of life left in the rims - but even if there isn't and I need to replace the rims soon, £35 for a pair of 105 hubs would still be a bargain. Today I was working up in the big town and decided to take my bike so that on the return journey I could get off the train a stop or two early and get a short ride in. And it was abso-bloody-lutely marvellous. This morning's rain had all disappeared and the afternoon sun had nicely dried up the roads, leaving a pleasantly mild evening - perfect cycling conditions, in fact, especially when you factor in the slight tailwind. I blasted through the 12.6 miles in a little over 38 minutes - an average speed of 19.6mph, which I'm sure is some kind of record for me. And it felt wonderful- even though I compensated for the lighter weight of the new wheels by having a backpack (containing all my day-in-the-office accoutrements), the difference in the way my bike feels with the new wheels meant that the route suddenly seemed somewhat flatter than before... Another big difference with the new wheels is the gearing. I've gone from having a five-speed 14-28 freewheel to an eight-speed 11-28 cassette, so I've now got two extra gears at the top end (11t and 12t) and one extra gear in the 14-28 range (only one, but it's enough to make a noticeable difference). I was a bit dubious about needing the 11t sprocket, but it's hard to find off-the-shelf cassettes that give a closer-spaced range combined with a lower top end, especially on my budget. And I do still appreciate having the 28t big sprocket (my small chainring is 42t, so my bottom gear is still not especially small, even by modern road bike standards - my calculations tell me 42*28 is the same as 39*26). Having ridden it, I'm glad to have the 11t sprocket - paired with the 52t chainring, that's a pretty big top gear I've got now (and a huge increase on my previous top gear), so I've only used it a couple of times, on the odd occasion when I've had a proper hill to go down, but those occasions have been almost obscenely good fun. Anyway, I am one very happy bunny. With recent upgrades to my brakes and now my wheels, I've breathed new life into my old bike (next job I'm saving up for is a respray) and further boosted my enthusiasm for cycling - of course it's not just the wheels, it's partly my rapidly improving fitness that's making the difference, but when your bike allows you to convert improved fitness into increased speed, rather than just sucking up your extra energy and wasting it, it does give you a lot of extra motivation. My club mentor (it's an ad hoc designation I've just come up with for want of better words) is talking about entering a local road race in September, a prospect that not so long ago would have scared me witless - but now it's something that I would relish. Roll on September! d. |
Ads |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
"davek" wrote in message
... Well, last weekend I finally ditched the clunky old lumps of steel that were weighing my bike down and replaced them with my lovely new (well, secondhand) wheels - 32-hole MA3 rims on 105 hubs, fitted with Vittoria Rubinos. The verdict? Well, the short version would be: Wheeeeeeeeeee! MA3s, hmm? How many spokes have pulled through the rim so far? :-) -- Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen |
#3
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
Mark South:
MA3s, hmm? How many spokes have pulled through the rim so far? :- None yet, but I've done less than 70 miles on them so far. Give the a chance.. How far back does this problem with MA3s go? ie when did they change th design so that spokes pulling through became a problem - or have the always been like that Anyway, like I said, I paid a mere £35 for the pair and the hubs are i fine condition, so if I have to get new rims some time soon I won't b too upset (as long as they don't fail on me at an awkward moment) - I'l just have an excuse to fit fancy new rims d - |
#4
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
(next job I'm saving up for is a respray)
once I've drank me tea I'll be off to the local powder coating place to pick up my Raleigh frameset, the fixed cog project is moving on a pace... anyway, they have done it for £17.50!!! Bless... not seen it yet though, so it could be horrid... bfn, Tony B |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
davek wrote:
Mark South: MA3s, hmm? How many spokes have pulled through the rim so far? :-) None yet, but I've done less than 70 miles on them so far. Give them a chance... How far back does this problem with MA3s go? ie when did they change the design so that spokes pulling through became a problem - or have they always been like that? Like a lot of things, MA3s get mixed reviews, though mostly good. Don't know what Mark's talking about. Enjoy the new wheels. I couldn't believe the difference between my old OEM wheelset and a brand new pair of Open Pro/Ultegra. Felt like the bike could just roll forever. When you get a fancy set, it makes you conscious of the need to keep your bearings correctly adjusted. |
#6
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
"Simonb" wrote in message
.. . davek wrote: Mark South: MA3s, hmm? How many spokes have pulled through the rim so far? :-) None yet, but I've done less than 70 miles on them so far. Give them a chance... It'll be good to hear how you get on with them. How far back does this problem with MA3s go? ie when did they change the design so that spokes pulling through became a problem - or have they always been like that? There have been a lot of reports of spokes pulling through when the wheels are correctly tensioned. This has been attributed to the eyelet design in these rims, which is a place where mavic has saved some cost and weight. It's less of a problem with undertensioned wheels, but i that case one can expect to start breaking spokes. Like a lot of things, MA3s get mixed reviews, though mostly good. Don't know what Mark's talking about. Mark's talking about hearing lots of reports of spokes pulling through MA3s. But I suspect you did know that. Enjoy the new wheels. I couldn't believe the difference between my old OEM wheelset and a brand new pair of Open Pro/Ultegra. Felt like the bike could just roll forever. When you get a fancy set, it makes you conscious of the need to keep your bearings correctly adjusted. Amen. -- Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
Mark South wrote:
Mark's talking about hearing lots of reports of spokes pulling through MA3s. But I suspect you did know that. No, I didn't. That's why I'd no idea what you were talking about. |
#8
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
"Simonb" wrote in message
.. . Mark South wrote: Mark's talking about hearing lots of reports of spokes pulling through MA3s. But I suspect you did know that. No, I didn't. That's why I'd no idea what you were talking about. It must have been clear from the context. Maybe I'm just one of those heathens.... -- Mark South: World Citizen, Net Denizen |
#9
|
|||
|
|||
new wheels = new bike
"Mark South" wrote in message ...
"davek" wrote in message ... Well, last weekend I finally ditched the clunky old lumps of steel that were weighing my bike down and replaced them with my lovely new (well, secondhand) wheels - 32-hole MA3 rims on 105 hubs, fitted with Vittoria Rubinos. The verdict? Well, the short version would be: Wheeeeeeeeeee! MA3s, hmm? How many spokes have pulled through the rim so far? :-) I've had mine 18 months with no trouble whatsoever and done servile 2-400's on them |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Comfort Bike ???? | Mattearoadie | Techniques | 7 | May 25th 04 01:06 AM |
Canadian Tire bike: Super Cycle Gravity | cam | Mountain Biking | 15 | March 22nd 04 08:11 AM |
How old were you when you got your first really nice bike? | Brink | General | 43 | November 13th 03 10:49 AM |
Can you put 700c wheels on a 27" old bike ?? | Joe Potter | General | 7 | July 29th 03 12:29 PM |