on 5/21/10 1:15 PM, Tyler at mock...@gmail.com wrote: > Thanks for the input everyone! > > * I've checked the whole bike for "drag" except the wheel bearings, > I'll give those a look.
Small drag differences can be big after a while. Freehub lagging (look for slack n the chain when you coast), wheels not completely seated in the dropouts, binding in the hubs when you clamp the wheels down. And, of course, the classic brake pad rubbing. > * I need to confirm that my body position is the same between bikes. > I tried to set them up as close as I could but it's possible one or > both configurations have drifted from the original setup after dozens > of tweaks over the last year. I particularly need to look at saddle > setback given that the bikes have different seat tube angles. My comparison is between the Quickbeam and the Hilsen, which are probably closer - especially since I tend to run the same tires on each. I definitely notice a difference when I switch between them, but I've usually got the QB in fixed-gear mode, so for me, I think it's more of a difference of fixed versus coastable. However, it took about a year of subtle tweaking to make the setups match. The final step was swapping to a slightly shorter stem on the Hilsen. (And by "match" I really mean reasonably similar - they don't match, the bag/rack arrangements are different, I have different saddles on them, etc.) One thing that I notice is that after I've been riding the QB for a while, switching to a coastable, many-geared bike just beats me up. My legs are sore and I'm more tired. It may be because unlike the Quickbeam, the cadence is not tied to the terrain. The other thing I notice is that the Hilsen feels less efficient for maybe a ride or two, and then it seems normal. By the third ride in a row, I'm riding the bicycle a bit more efficiently - using the gearing differently and feeling more fluid on the bike. You may want to play with riding the Bleriot for a few days straight, and see what you learn. It doesn seem to me that different models have different personalities, and sometimes you have to find the way it likes to be ridden. hope that's of some help, - Jim -- Jim Edgar cyclofi...@earthlink.net Cyclofiend Bicycle Photo Galleries - http://www.cyclofiend.com Current Classics - Cross Bikes Singlespeed - Working Bikes Gallery updates now appear here - http://cyclofiend.blogspot.com "Steel's what you want for a messenger bike. Weight. Big basket up front. Not cardboard with some crazy aramid shit wrapped around it, weighs about as much as a sandwich." -- William Gibson, "Virtual Light" -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "RBW Owners Bunch" group. To post to this group, send email to rbw-owners-bu...@googlegroups.com. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to rbw-owners-bunch+unsubscr...@googlegroups.com. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/rbw-owners-bunch?hl=en.
