Eddy Merckx

I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.

On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes..

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed.

On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed.

Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?

-- Jay Beattie.

On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 3:45:16 p.m. UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed.
Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?

-- Jay Beattie.

I was at Zehrs store here in Ontario, Canada and whilst waiting for my niece to get off work I browsed the entire non-food sections of the store. I could NOT find ANYTHING that was not made in China. I don't know about where you are but it seems to be getting harder and harder to buy stuff that isn't made in China.

Cheers

On 3/2/2021 3:06 PM, Sir Ridesalot wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 3:45:16 p.m. UTC-5, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed.
Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?

-- Jay Beattie.

I was at Zehrs store here in Ontario, Canada and whilst waiting for my niece to get off work I browsed the entire non-food sections of the store. I could NOT find ANYTHING that was not made in China. I don't know about where you are but it seems to be getting harder and harder to buy stuff that isn't made in China.

Cheers

Yes, you're right. There are categories of things we now
generally buy as used vintage USA made. Recent example: a
right angle pneumatic drill. Bought it from the son of a
deceased aircraft factory worker. Not made in PRC!

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 12:45:16 PM UTC-8, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed.
Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?

So you think that a 2018 Emonda with Di2 is 2004 technology? Don't tell that to Trek.

On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 12:45:16 PM UTC-8, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed.
Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?

-- Jay Beattie.
You could be correct about Chinese Ti forks not being particularly safe. But there are local frame builders that can supply GOOD aluminum forks. Remember that Felt is local.

On 3/2/2021 3:35 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 12:45:16 PM UTC-8, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed.
Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?

-- Jay Beattie.
You could be correct about Chinese Ti forks not being particularly safe. But there are local frame builders that can supply GOOD aluminum forks. Remember that Felt is local.


Local in Taiwan ROC or local in PRC depending on which Felt.
They're no more American than Trek.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 1:33:09 PM UTC-8, wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 12:45:16 PM UTC-8, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part..

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed..
Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?
So you think that a 2018 Emonda with Di2 is 2004 technology? Don't tell that to Trek.

That is a perfectly nice bike, and it will sell if the price is right -- but I don't pretend to know what the right price is. My son's Emonda with Ultegra just didn't sell. It was a fine, well maintained bike, but it apparently lacked sex appeal. It was also a 62cm frame, which makes it harder to sell.

-- Jay Beattie.

On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 2:17:24 PM UTC-8, AMuzi wrote:
On 3/2/2021 3:35 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 12:45:16 PM UTC-8, jbeattie wrote:
On Tuesday, March 2, 2021 at 11:41:05 AM UTC-8, wrote:
On Sunday, February 28, 2021 at 4:42:25 PM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
I thought I posted on this already but I don't see it here.

I received the Eddy Merckx via FedEx today. I like the design. They are using a thinner than normal aluminum so they are using more complex shape to achieve the desired stiffness in the correct directions.

With the headset, seat collar, steel bottle screws, the cable adjuster, the under BB plastic cable guide and a heavy stem on it it weighs in at 5.3 lbs.

I just drove down to Piedmont and got a 3T Prima handlebar from a guy and almost fainted at the weight. It was so light that my car almost floated on the way home. Getting a stem worthy of that bar will be a hard part.

The only thing missing from assembling it is a new Campy cable set. So I should be able to set it up as soon as I get the Felt off of the workstand. That is mostly awaiting the Lower fork race driver. That is scheduled for April but these days the Chinese are giving you the worst possible travel times and so they are usually more than a month over predicted.

After I get the Felt together, I'll take it out on a gravel ride and if it handles like a cyclocross bike I'll have to apologize to Jay. If it doesn't I get to rag him about it.

Then I will assemble the Eddy Merckx Elite. I've even Found a Chinese company that sells Titanium forks so that I can change out the carbon fork if the bikes rides well. The difference in weight would be nil but the bike would then be 100% metal except for the Record parts.
This morning I decided that I couldn't take deep carbon wheels anymore since the type of riding I do simply isn't fast enough to gain any advantage for normal riding. I don't give a damn how steep the hill is, the roads and garbage on the roads is such that you are limited by 100 things other than the aerodynamics of the rims. And let's face it head on - carbon rims are not only ****ty braking, but they are dangerous as well since if you have to do a lot of heavy breaking you can overheat the rims and break a clincher out of the rim. That is a large reason that they are turning to disk brakes.

What I'm seeing is that we got pretty near the top of the food chain with the late 90's steel and aluminum bikes unless you're someone with a full time power output of over 400 watts. If you're climbing Mt. Ventoux you certainly could go faster on a 16 lb. bike than a 24 lb. bike. But isn't the entire object of sport riding to tire yourself out? Are you a Europro? How many of the people here EVER developed a FTP over 200 watts? Is getting to the top of a climb faster more important than getting to the top? If so, why?

So, since I like to be able to stop and carbon rims are not good at that (though they're better with Campy pads than with the no-name brand) I decided to go back to aluminum wheels for the Eddy. This also has the advantage that I don't have to buy stupid expensive long Presta valve tubes.

So in the last ten years since my concussion I've bought up to the very top-of-the-line bikes and they are all now on the market. Though since nothing is moving due to the likes of the Democrats and Biden, I expect it will be a long time before they move. I am moving down and steel or aluminum are the bikes you don't have to wonder about as you're descending at speed..
Top of the line when? 2004? Good luck selling last-gen CF bikes with odd-ball components. It's not Biden's fault they're sitting on the market. My son couldn't sell his Emonda during the Trump administration and had to part it out. It was a great bike, too. OTOH, his Specialized sold fast. I like both brands, but the latter tends to have better resale, particularly S-Works. Even old S-Works go for a lot of dough.

And have fun with those no-name Chinese Ti forks. The difference in weight should be substantial, and if it isn't, then the Ti forks will ride like noodles. If you want metal forks, get some nice steel forks -- from a reputable manufacturer. https://www.somafab.com/archives/pro...d-crmo-49-fork

Chinese Ti forks would not instill confidence in me. And why must you support the Chinese? Are you a communist? Are you willing to take a face plant for the Chairman?

-- Jay Beattie.
You could be correct about Chinese Ti forks not being particularly safe.. But there are local frame builders that can supply GOOD aluminum forks. Remember that Felt is local.

Local in Taiwan ROC or local in PRC depending on which Felt.
They're no more American than Trek.
--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971
The top line of Trek are all built in Waterloo. Just like the three top lines of Shimano are built in Japan while the rest are built in China. Felt regardless of where they are built have a very good quality control. I would not be talking about them if I was not highly impressed with their workmanship.