Monday, July 11, 2016

Coming To Some Conclusions

It was another beautiful Saturday and I got out for a decent ride.
Saturday I swapped over the 650B Velocity Aileron wheel set shod with the WTB Horizon 47 650B tires to the Twin Six Standard Rando frame. I have wanted to do this ever since I got the wheels and tires for a few reasons.

One was that I thought they would look cool on that bike. Something about tan sidewalls. Secondly, I thought maybe that these tires could be wide but in the end actually leave me more frame clearance than 700c X 40+mm tires do on this bike. Success? I'd say pretty much on all counts here.

The tight spot on this bike, ironically, was never the chain stays. It was always the spot just below the monostay in back and right under the fork crown. Twin Six made some concessions to make fenders and 32mm tires have that perfect look, so this is why it is that way. Unfortunately, one has to put up with small stones getting lodged underneath these two places and rolling around on the tire. Eventually the stone comes zipping out of there, but what worries me is that a bigger stone might actually jam the wheel, even momentarily, and cause me grief. So, the Horizon 47mm tires give me that needed girth without the tight spots underneath the fork crown and monostay. And they do look cool on the bike. See for yourself.......

I think these wheels and tires look better on the T-6 than they did on the Raleigh.

Conclusion: Yes, I do like the way this is working out here. But, is the bottom bracket too low? Well.......I've never had so many stones bounce of the fronts of my shoes, if that is any indication. I don't see why it won't work though. The Horizon 47 and these Velocity Ailerons are about as good as it gets for this bike though. Any wider of a rim and I don't think I would feel comfortable running them in this frame. There is barely enough clearance at the chain stays now. The good news is that the Ailerons and the Horizon 47's seem to work really well together. I'd have no reason to switch them out anyway.

The other thing I am ready to say I like a lot is the Brooks Cambium C-17 saddle. It was a gamble when I got it, but so far I see no reason to believe it won't stay on this bike for the long haul. Comfort is very good over rougher gravel, and it doesn't create any pain after three hours of riding. Obviously, the weather proof covering is a benefit, but one may not realize that sweat isn't affecting it either, which it does with leather. Anyway, this one seems to be a winner.

It was still a good ride for flowers, but they are fading quickly now. In a few weeks there will be very few out there.
Chunky goodness!! I got yer chunky goodness right here!!

The last thing I have come to a final conclusion on is that a summer weight merino wool jersey is the bomb. Yep! Put a base layer on underneath it and you have a super comfy climate around your midsection that never clings, feels suffocating, nor feels all wet and saturated with sweat, even on a hot, sweaty day. I definitely was sweating this past weekend too. Just look at my hand in that image above and you can see that I was. Yet, I didn't ever have that clammy, "garbage bag on my skin" feeling you can get with synthetic jerseys. So, I will be looking at getting a couple more of those types of jerseys or riding "T"'s eventually.

Old bridge on Killdeer in Bremer County
Freshly cut hay drying in the Sun
So, that was a pretty productive ride, as far as sorting things out. The weather was really great, and typically hot. The roads? Well..... I ran into several miles of deep, fresh gravel, and in some spots on Ivanhoe Road the road was oiled and laid with some aggregate that I suppose cuts down on dust. Well, that made the road so smooth it was better than pavement. I had everything in between too. Quite the variable conditions out there!

Thanks for reading.....

8 comments:

tntmoriv said...

Hi GT, do you think the extra stones hitting your shoes are because you are closer to the ground and scraping in the deeper/softer stuff, or are more getting thrown up at you by the wider tires?

Guitar Ted said...

@Todd Tillinger: Yes and yes? This needs more time to figure out. The wider Horizons and the preponderance of deep, fresh gravel this past weekend in my area had some effect, no doubt. The lowering of the bike, (not by a whole lot, but some), was a factor for sure. That the T-6 Standard Rando has a 75mm bottom bracket drop anyway certainly has an effect.

Notice that I didn't ever seem to find this to be true with the Raleigh when these wheels were on it, and it might point more toward the looser, deeper gravel than it does the other things. The Raleigh's BB is a tic higher than the T-6's. Hmm......

In the end, the main thing I was worried about- that these wheels on the T-6 would be too low- wasn't the case at all. So, the rock throwing thing is maybe a slight annoyance, but definitely is not a deal breaker.

But again- I need more time/miles to sort out what it is for sure and if it is anything to be concerned with in the long run.

eBikeADV said...

Ted,

Can you tell me what baselayer you're using? I have a merino long-sleeve, and it's basically a base layer in and of itself. So should I get something super thin for wearing underneath that is a tech layer, or also merino?

Guitar Ted said...

@STF_ill- I'm using a Bontrager tank top style base layer. It is a super thin one for hot weather.

Tyler Loewens said...

Those sidewalls .... Mmmmmmmm. So good

Barturtle said...

I wish Smartwool still made their lightweight jersey, it's my hot weather fav. I've not found any other wool jerseys nearly as thin. Paired with the DeFeet UnDLite it's truly comfortable in 90+ weather

Guitar Ted said...

@Barturtle: I was advised to look at a Smartwool jersey, but was disappointed to see that they no longer offer one. Bummer!

Dr. Giggles said...

I am glad you are enjoying wool jerseys in Summer. I rode TD wearing a short sleeve Icebreaker 150 merino baselayer, Rapha Brevet jersey, Smartwool bib shorts & arm warmers, Ibex tights, and DeFeet Woolie Bollie socks. Wet or dry, hot or cold, the wool riding clothing kept me comfortable. BTW--Giro makes an excellent light weight wool jersey with a zippered back pocket--the Road Merino Wool Polo.