Ok, this will probably be a bit of a long one. I basically posted something up on a bike forum a few months back about over the counter performance enhancers. Testosterone Boosters basically however, I will not limit this to discussion to only that as the thread also discussed items that help to increase your endurance. Products such as Optigen and Sport Legs as well as recovery drinks.
Now I caught some flack from fellow board members that feel that these OTC products are simply doping at its lowest level. Perhaps they are in a sense and I am sure that some of the testing guidelines might even consider you testing positive for some over the counter products. But I don't know all the rules specifically. I also don't race any more so it really isn't an issue for me. Even when I did race at a CAT 3 level, blood testing wasn't even an issue at local events because it costs too much and it wasn't like we were winning great sums of money either. Nor did we have huge factory sponsorships on our backs.
So things sort of got blown out of proportion when I mentioned trying to come up with a supplement stack that would basically mimic what pro riders were doing (the real doping plan). The idea was to take an otc test booster in combination with an endurance product such as Optigen HP. I thought it was a sound idea even though I knew it wouldn't have the same results as a real cycle such as Test and EPO but both of those are illegal and expensive. But could such otc products offer a bennefit at all to the local weekend warrior.
Unfortunately, the weather and my daily schedule crept in and I haven't been out on the bike as much. Instead I started lifting again because I needed to be doing something. I decided I would go ahead and give a test booster a try anyway since I already know what Optigen HP can do for you. (more on that later)
I picked up some Muscle Tech Premium Test Booster from Sams Club for about $19. I have been taking it for about 6 weeks now. I am basically on my second bottle and take 4 pills a day first thing in the morning. I have no intent of buying another bottle at this point. That is not to say that it hasn't worked at all mind you. I just don't think that it is worth my continuing with it in my plan. I don't really feel any stronger and I can't say that the weights I am lifting have increased much faster over not taking the product. I can't say that I recover any quicker either. But I do think it has contributed to my gains over all and is simply part of the big picture if you will.
I honestly believe that I could stop taking any one of the supplements I am on and not see a very noticeable difference in improvments right away. However, they all seem to come together to make a pretty good muscle building stack if you will.
So this is what I am currently taking on a daily basis:
1. Muscle Tech test booster (4 pills) every morning when I get up.
2. Muscle Tech Whey protein (1-2 scoops) every morning when I get up. I may take another shake later in the day after a workout (maybe an hour or so post workout) if I am not already eating a meal. If I feel hungry later in the evening or want some sort of snack after say 8 PM then I may take another one. But really, I am trying to focus on getting the bulk of my protein from whole foods instead.
3. Muscle Tech pre workout drink: I typically take this before I workout. Usually just a half dose (1 scoop) unless I am planning on a hard workout like for legs or shoulders. This particular drink also has creatine in it which is a bit of a plus as it helps to increase blood cell size which means that each cell can now carry more nutrients to the muscles. It also has nitric oxicide which helps to generate a muscle pump. Again this is good because we are trying to get all the nutrients we can to the actual muscles. However, on a bicycle ride, I wouldn't want to take this as your legs would just feel like they were going to explode.
4. Vitamin Shoppe BCAA's (1 scoop) right after I workout. I think this would also be good to take as soon as you wake up but because money is a factor here I have tried to keep it just for post workout as I can't afford to go thru it that fast. Why BCAA's if you are taking a protein shake? Well, even though Whey protein is one of the faster digesting proteins, your body still has to break it down to micro nutrient level. Basically your body is trying to get the BCAA's out of it. So when your body is craving nutrients right after you workout why not skip that step and give it what it needs? So I take a BCAA drink right after mixed with my recovery drink...
5. Vertigo Recovery drink (1-2 scoops). Again this depends on how depleted I feel. I typically take just one scoop as it is basically a carbohydrate drink. My goal is to put on some lean muscle so I am doing a bit of carb restriction if you will. I try to limit how many carbs I am taking in so consuming a huge amount at one time right after a workout tends to bog down my metabolism. But if I had a hard workout then I will take the full dose which amounts to about 70 carbs and 240 calories. Again, why the drink? Recovery drinks are designed to help preserve muscle tissue and help to jump start the recovery process. You don't get bigger or stronger when you are actually working out. You grow when you are resting! These drinks help to replenish your bodies glycogen stores which inturn helps to preserve muscle tissue.
This particular powder is flavorless so you can mix it with just about anything. I normally mix one scoop of my BCAA's powder with it since its a melon flavor and that is what I drink as soon as I'm done working out.
So, as I mentioned, I think that the combination of the supplements along with a strong and relatively clean diet really do make a difference. I feel that I couldn't get as far as I have with just diet alone though that has helped tremendously. I'm still a little up in the air as far as the recovery drink but that is only because I want to stay lean and it is just extra calories. But I can't say that I have put on a lot of fat so far so I guess its ok. I don't plan on continuing on with the Test Booster when my supply runs out in a couple of weeks. We will then see if there is any noticeable loss in strength. Right now, if there has been any gain it has been subtle.
Over the past 6-8 weeks I have been keeping an eye on my weight. I started out back in January at a weight of about 176 or so. Today I hopped on the scale at 191. I'm not really looking to gain weight any more so of course this concerns me and I know I need to get some more cardio into my daily life. Once the weather breaks this will be much easier mind you. For now however, I have to watch my carb intake and try to go at it from that angle.
My goals with all of this is to put on a little more muscle. I don't want to be huge mind you but I still feel that for my height, I still look somewhat lanky. I'm 5'9" and weigh 190 for crying out loud and I still don't think I look stocky in the least! Hell, half the people that know me can't believe I weigh 190. In the end, I could very well hit 200 lbs before I really start to focus on leaning out but summer is just around the corner so I only have so much time to work on this before I have to start leaning out so I don't look like a pig at the pool this summer!
As far as the combination of the otc test booster and say Optigen HP, I think it would work but I honestly haven't seen a lot of results from the test booster. My current opinion is go with a similar supplement plan as I have listed above and add in the Optigen HP and remove the Test booster. I think this would net you the best results for otc products but that is just my opinion.
Monday, April 1, 2013
Thursday, March 28, 2013
Time for a change
Well, I have spent quite a bit of time riding the bike over the past couple of years and I guess mentally, I just needed a bit of a break. Not that the weather and the kids schedule didn't help with that mind you. None the less, I have been on the bike far less since late January. Once we started getting some crappy weather I found myself working out instead. All of a sudden lifting seemed exciting again and my body was pretty much healed up. Don't get me wrong, I still want to get out and ride but the trails are soaked and we have had nothing but windy days lately (and rain/sleet). But the gym has been warm and inviting. Even the gym in my basement has been fun.
I did get out for a ride last weekend with a couple of friends. The trails really had some wet/muddy spots in them and like a dork I had my racing wheel set up on (w/ racing tires if you will). It was nice to hear the loud buzz of the Hope cassette hub but dang if my legs didn't get tired! My buddies were on their full carbon, fully geared, and fully suspend rigs and I was on my 32:17 rigid SS. At about the 9 mile mark I started feeling fatigued and just wanted the ride to end. It was starting to not be fun and felt more like training than a good time.
With that in mind, I realize why things had changed. Mentally, I simply needed a break. Riding was feeling more like training than fun. Every ride had a purpose. I either needed to get in a certain distance, so many intervals, so many climbs or sprints. The goal had become keeping up with the fast group or not getting dropped in a road group ride and staying at the front. Hell, none of these were even races! Sure I had a sense of pride when the ride was over but I really didn't have a lot of fun while I was actually pedaling. I had more fun building the bikes and waiting for parts to show up than I was actually having being out on it! Certainly it is not supposed to be this way.
The gym of course is a change. It provides new challenges and new goals. The odd part is that it is training period. At the same time it doesn't really feel like it. In my mind I have set goals but they are not so much about how much weight I lift or how much I weigh. Instead, I have a few areas that I would like to see improve. Basically, I want to make my arms and shoulders a little bigger. At least that was how it all started.
I have pretty much been lifting about 4-5 days a week now for the past 2.5 months. I'm still excited about it though I have put on some weight. Back in late Dec/early Jan I weighed in at about 172 lbs. Today at the gym I hopped on the scale and it read 185.5 lbs. While that is a bit of a jump mind you I assure you, last week it said 190.5 lbs! I realized that I wasn't just putting on muscle here so I cut back my carb intake and started trying to do some low impact cardio (spin bike or elliptical) at a slow pace but keeping my HR between 110-120 bpm. That seems to be helping...I'm frickn starving and want a Big Mac tho!
Ok, so now you know the story. I'm lifting again and have gotten bigger. My arms have already grown about 1/2" (not much but I did measure them in the begining and can see a measurable difference). My traps look taller and my shoulders are looking rounder. Guess I am on my way to achieving my goals there.
I started taking some supplements about a month ago as my diet wasn't quite where it needed to be then. Basically just a prework out drink and some whey protein post workout. Then about 2 weeks ago, I changed things a bit. I still take my pre workout drink but post workout I take a recovery drink that helps to replenish your glycogen stores as well as mix it with some BCAA's which is what your muscles need to help them repair themselves. BCAA's are in whey protein but your body has to break the protein down to get them to their simple form. By taking them as a dedicated supplement in their simple form, your body can process them faster and get the muscles the needed nutrients faster. This is great right after a workout when your muscles are most receptive (30-45 min post workout). I then try to eat within an hour and a half after my workout. If I can't actually eat a meal high in protein then I will add in a shake but I have really been working on cutting back on the number of shakes I take and try to get my nutrients from whole foods instead. As a result, I typically have a shake first thing in the morning and then one before bed (maybe, depends on if I feel hungry or not). I think the results speak for themselves so far.
This is not to say that it has been easy. It has been a struggle to make sure I am eating good meals and on a regular basis. Honestly, my work days are easier than the weekends. Basically because my lunch box sits right on the side of my desk and I have access to it every 2 hours or so when it is time to eat. On the weekends, I'm constantly running all over the place and struggling to get in my normal amount of meals in a day (about 6). As a result, I end up eating fewer but larger meals which in turns slows your metabolism down as you body starts to hold on to the food because it doesn't think it is going to get fed again for a while. Then Monday rolls around and I have to get my body used to eating more frequently all over again! So on Mondays, I don't feel too hungry and almost feel like I am force feeding myself and then on Saturdays I think I'm frickn starving all day! But I am getting better. I actually pack a lunch box and take it with me now when ever I think we are going to be gone for more than 2 hours somewhere. Ridiculous? YES! But it has definitely helped quite a bit.
I hit a little bit of a road block earlier this week when I woke up to some tendonitis in my left elbow. This is the same sort of thing that happened to me about 4 years ago when I was lifting pretty hard. I have however learned a bit since then and have been icing it and taking Motrin. I have also been stretching more this go around and not doing exercises that irritate it. I have made sure to rest it and just 4 days after the pain came, it feels much much better. Because of the holiday coming this weekend and going out of town, it will actually get a 4 day rest period as well. Hopefully things will feel much better next week.
So am I going to get back out on the bike? You bet. I know I started getting frustrated on the last ride when I was feeling tired but still trying to keep up with a friend. Someone I could ride away from last year. I know that when I get back out on the bike on a more regular schedule things will be a little different. I won't get as tired as fast for one thing. At the same time, I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I feel that I have to keep up with folks. I'm simply going to ride my pace and focus on having a good time! Same goes for the road bike. I plan on getting out at lunch for some nice little rides in the park and simply focus on maintaining a lower HR so that I can count those little rides as my cardio for the day and simply burn some calories.
In the end, the goal is to be back at about this same weight but have less fat and more muscle. I suspect that I will probably continue to go up in weight over the next month or two but the goal is to lean back out by July. So basically, I'm on a bit of a bulking phase right now. I expect that I will put on a little bit of fat along the way but the goal is to keep that to a minimum as I am finding that it is harder to drop fat now that I have gotten older!
I almost forgot. I have started running off and on as well. This is largely because one of my daughters wanted to do one of these mud/obstacle course races. Since she is only 14 I really can't send her out on the trails to go running by herself so I get to do that with her. Since I have to go out and train with her, I figured I would sign myself up for the race as well so it will be something we are doing together. It's funny to see her so excited about this sort of race. I on the other hand only have flash backs of having to do this sort of crap in basic training, air assault, airborne, and SFAS classes and I certainly did not have a good time! But like I said, it is something that we are doing together so I will put all that aside and just do it!
I guess that is about it for now folks. Time go eat again!
I did get out for a ride last weekend with a couple of friends. The trails really had some wet/muddy spots in them and like a dork I had my racing wheel set up on (w/ racing tires if you will). It was nice to hear the loud buzz of the Hope cassette hub but dang if my legs didn't get tired! My buddies were on their full carbon, fully geared, and fully suspend rigs and I was on my 32:17 rigid SS. At about the 9 mile mark I started feeling fatigued and just wanted the ride to end. It was starting to not be fun and felt more like training than a good time.
With that in mind, I realize why things had changed. Mentally, I simply needed a break. Riding was feeling more like training than fun. Every ride had a purpose. I either needed to get in a certain distance, so many intervals, so many climbs or sprints. The goal had become keeping up with the fast group or not getting dropped in a road group ride and staying at the front. Hell, none of these were even races! Sure I had a sense of pride when the ride was over but I really didn't have a lot of fun while I was actually pedaling. I had more fun building the bikes and waiting for parts to show up than I was actually having being out on it! Certainly it is not supposed to be this way.
The gym of course is a change. It provides new challenges and new goals. The odd part is that it is training period. At the same time it doesn't really feel like it. In my mind I have set goals but they are not so much about how much weight I lift or how much I weigh. Instead, I have a few areas that I would like to see improve. Basically, I want to make my arms and shoulders a little bigger. At least that was how it all started.
I have pretty much been lifting about 4-5 days a week now for the past 2.5 months. I'm still excited about it though I have put on some weight. Back in late Dec/early Jan I weighed in at about 172 lbs. Today at the gym I hopped on the scale and it read 185.5 lbs. While that is a bit of a jump mind you I assure you, last week it said 190.5 lbs! I realized that I wasn't just putting on muscle here so I cut back my carb intake and started trying to do some low impact cardio (spin bike or elliptical) at a slow pace but keeping my HR between 110-120 bpm. That seems to be helping...I'm frickn starving and want a Big Mac tho!
Ok, so now you know the story. I'm lifting again and have gotten bigger. My arms have already grown about 1/2" (not much but I did measure them in the begining and can see a measurable difference). My traps look taller and my shoulders are looking rounder. Guess I am on my way to achieving my goals there.
I started taking some supplements about a month ago as my diet wasn't quite where it needed to be then. Basically just a prework out drink and some whey protein post workout. Then about 2 weeks ago, I changed things a bit. I still take my pre workout drink but post workout I take a recovery drink that helps to replenish your glycogen stores as well as mix it with some BCAA's which is what your muscles need to help them repair themselves. BCAA's are in whey protein but your body has to break the protein down to get them to their simple form. By taking them as a dedicated supplement in their simple form, your body can process them faster and get the muscles the needed nutrients faster. This is great right after a workout when your muscles are most receptive (30-45 min post workout). I then try to eat within an hour and a half after my workout. If I can't actually eat a meal high in protein then I will add in a shake but I have really been working on cutting back on the number of shakes I take and try to get my nutrients from whole foods instead. As a result, I typically have a shake first thing in the morning and then one before bed (maybe, depends on if I feel hungry or not). I think the results speak for themselves so far.
This is not to say that it has been easy. It has been a struggle to make sure I am eating good meals and on a regular basis. Honestly, my work days are easier than the weekends. Basically because my lunch box sits right on the side of my desk and I have access to it every 2 hours or so when it is time to eat. On the weekends, I'm constantly running all over the place and struggling to get in my normal amount of meals in a day (about 6). As a result, I end up eating fewer but larger meals which in turns slows your metabolism down as you body starts to hold on to the food because it doesn't think it is going to get fed again for a while. Then Monday rolls around and I have to get my body used to eating more frequently all over again! So on Mondays, I don't feel too hungry and almost feel like I am force feeding myself and then on Saturdays I think I'm frickn starving all day! But I am getting better. I actually pack a lunch box and take it with me now when ever I think we are going to be gone for more than 2 hours somewhere. Ridiculous? YES! But it has definitely helped quite a bit.
I hit a little bit of a road block earlier this week when I woke up to some tendonitis in my left elbow. This is the same sort of thing that happened to me about 4 years ago when I was lifting pretty hard. I have however learned a bit since then and have been icing it and taking Motrin. I have also been stretching more this go around and not doing exercises that irritate it. I have made sure to rest it and just 4 days after the pain came, it feels much much better. Because of the holiday coming this weekend and going out of town, it will actually get a 4 day rest period as well. Hopefully things will feel much better next week.
So am I going to get back out on the bike? You bet. I know I started getting frustrated on the last ride when I was feeling tired but still trying to keep up with a friend. Someone I could ride away from last year. I know that when I get back out on the bike on a more regular schedule things will be a little different. I won't get as tired as fast for one thing. At the same time, I'm not going to put myself in a situation where I feel that I have to keep up with folks. I'm simply going to ride my pace and focus on having a good time! Same goes for the road bike. I plan on getting out at lunch for some nice little rides in the park and simply focus on maintaining a lower HR so that I can count those little rides as my cardio for the day and simply burn some calories.
In the end, the goal is to be back at about this same weight but have less fat and more muscle. I suspect that I will probably continue to go up in weight over the next month or two but the goal is to lean back out by July. So basically, I'm on a bit of a bulking phase right now. I expect that I will put on a little bit of fat along the way but the goal is to keep that to a minimum as I am finding that it is harder to drop fat now that I have gotten older!
I almost forgot. I have started running off and on as well. This is largely because one of my daughters wanted to do one of these mud/obstacle course races. Since she is only 14 I really can't send her out on the trails to go running by herself so I get to do that with her. Since I have to go out and train with her, I figured I would sign myself up for the race as well so it will be something we are doing together. It's funny to see her so excited about this sort of race. I on the other hand only have flash backs of having to do this sort of crap in basic training, air assault, airborne, and SFAS classes and I certainly did not have a good time! But like I said, it is something that we are doing together so I will put all that aside and just do it!
I guess that is about it for now folks. Time go eat again!
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Ordering Italian
Ok, so a while back I ordered my current ITM handle bars. I picked them up from ebay and now feel like quite the sucker if you will. Don't get me wrong, they look identical to the set my friend has (prior to my scraping the clear coat off of them). I even paid $185 for them so they must be real...right????
Well after posting my previous post about "made in Italy...really" I now have to wonder. I am thinking that I basically got ripped off. Of course it is too late to do anything about that short of bang my head against a wall. If only I had read up on this all a little bit more prior to making the purchase.
I am saying this because while the bars are actually made in Taiwan for ITM, they should have been sold from an ITM dealer if you will and not some ebay store that was shipping them from China. Hmmm, how the hell did I miss that one? Especially when paying that much for the damn bars to start with! Frustrating really. Especially now that I am looking to replace them already.
The good news is that they won't just get pitched. I figure I'll just slap them on the fixie instead. I have my original ITM bars on that bike (the ones I got with my Bianchi). Ones that the guy that sold me the bike (who happens to own a bike shop and is very up on gray market crap) and ordered them specifically because of the logo colors (matched the bike) when he was building it. I would bet a lot of money that they came from the same damn factory that the ones I bought came from.
In any case, I have decided to buy Italian again via China! Yep, I'm going to order a bar from AliExpress. I have ordered a couple things from them in the past that have turned out to work quite well so I figure why not. At least I know I'm getting a knock off this time!
The weight is supposed to be about 174g which is right in line with the real thing and all the logos look the same. Hopefully they will hold up but I really don't doubt that at this point. I was going to oder them last night but that just didn't work out so I am hoping to get that done this evening. Basically I have to be nice to my wife because I want to use her credit card for this. They only take certain forms of payment and I would much rather use a real Visa rather than one tied to a bank account. So we will see what happens.
Still no update on my damn wheel yet. Just ridiculous really.
Well after posting my previous post about "made in Italy...really" I now have to wonder. I am thinking that I basically got ripped off. Of course it is too late to do anything about that short of bang my head against a wall. If only I had read up on this all a little bit more prior to making the purchase.
I am saying this because while the bars are actually made in Taiwan for ITM, they should have been sold from an ITM dealer if you will and not some ebay store that was shipping them from China. Hmmm, how the hell did I miss that one? Especially when paying that much for the damn bars to start with! Frustrating really. Especially now that I am looking to replace them already.
The good news is that they won't just get pitched. I figure I'll just slap them on the fixie instead. I have my original ITM bars on that bike (the ones I got with my Bianchi). Ones that the guy that sold me the bike (who happens to own a bike shop and is very up on gray market crap) and ordered them specifically because of the logo colors (matched the bike) when he was building it. I would bet a lot of money that they came from the same damn factory that the ones I bought came from.
In any case, I have decided to buy Italian again via China! Yep, I'm going to order a bar from AliExpress. I have ordered a couple things from them in the past that have turned out to work quite well so I figure why not. At least I know I'm getting a knock off this time!
The weight is supposed to be about 174g which is right in line with the real thing and all the logos look the same. Hopefully they will hold up but I really don't doubt that at this point. I was going to oder them last night but that just didn't work out so I am hoping to get that done this evening. Basically I have to be nice to my wife because I want to use her credit card for this. They only take certain forms of payment and I would much rather use a real Visa rather than one tied to a bank account. So we will see what happens.
Still no update on my damn wheel yet. Just ridiculous really.
Monday, February 4, 2013
Status updates...
Hmm, so where to start....
1. Nothing new has been done to the bike(s) really. I did order some KCNC inner brake cables and a Far and Near 11t lock ring for my cassette. Placed the order last Wed evening from Fairwheel. Paid for the cheap shipping (USPS Priority) and it was in my mailbox on Saturday! Kick @$$ really! However...
2. The rear wheel is at the bike shop due to some dimwhit crashing into me at an intersection. Not a car mind you, another rider when we were on a group ride. In any case, the wheel got knocked out of true. This of course happened about 3 miles into the ride but I went ahead and did the whole ride (which probably didn't help things). So that was some 3 weeks ago and the wheel is still at the shop. Again, not sure what the frickn hold up is. Seems to happen to just about everything I turn in or order from this place. I get no communication as to the status of the repair or order. Then when I pop by the shop to check in I am given a bunch of excuses as to why it is still there or hasn't been ordered...more on this later.
3. Haven't installed the cables mentioned above yet. I also got a set of Ashima Reaction cables (both brake/der) as a Christmas gift from a friend. Actually, we got two sets of der cables. For whatever reason, he kept getting sent two der sets instead of one of each. He sent them back twice to one place and then the other place sent the wrong thing. As it turns out Ashima uses the same outer cable housing for both sets so I just told him to keep the inner cables and I would order some brake inner cables (KCNC). As mentioned, they have not been installed but that is because....
4. I'm thinking about getting a different handle bar again. I love the compact shape of the ITMs that I have and am quite glad I gave the compact design a shot. However, even after all my research prior to purchasing these bars I must admit that I am not happy. The bars have a flat top design, however, they are not exactly flat. One would think that the leading edge would be thicker towards the front and thinning out towards the back (sort of like a birds wing if you will). But for this particular set, the leading edge is thinner. Then on the back edge there is actually an angle in the bar right where you palm would rest. This results in either rotating your hands forward to be on the flat part thus requiring your thumb to be wrapped around the bar (stretched to a degree) or rotating your hands backwards to be on the smaller part of the flat and creating a larger break in the wrists. In both cases, this is somewhat uncomfortable.
I was very into the idea of having a flat top bar that had internal cable routing so that I would not have to wrap the entire bar. But in doing my research there are only limited bars out there that meet this criteria: flat top, compact, internal cable routing, under 215g. I appear to have chosen the wrong one for me!
Now I am looking at the Zipp Vuka Sprint and/or the 3T Ergosum.
Vuka: First of all it would match my stem. 2nd, it's a flat top, compact, internally cabled, under 215g (barely at 210) bar. Pretty much hits every aspect of what I am looking for (aside frm having a bunch of logos on it). It looks like the flat top is designed closer to what I am looking for as well.
3T: This bar is round, compact, no internal cables but weighs in at about 175g! Hmm, I have ridden a round bar all my life (ok, I did have a flat top on my Blue for about 2 months way back). I really think the big thing is that the bar has a compact design with a short reach and short drop. The fact that it weighs in at 25g less is a plus for sure.
So for the moment, I am leaning towards the 3T bar. I know it won't match my stem but neither does the current one. It would be a weight savings over all (between what I have now as well as with the Vuka) and I have found it for a couple of $$ less than the Vuka. I will then however have to wrap the entire bar but at least I know that would in turn give me a little more padding on the bar top over no wrap at all.
Planning to get the bar ordered today if I can and will figure out what bar tape I'm going to go with once it gets here or shortly after ordering. That is up in the air as well. I like the grippiness of the Lizard Skin dimpled tape that I have but it really doesn't offer much padding. Dimples don't seem to be available in the thicker version of the tape. The other option is the specialized tape that I had before. It sort of resembles suede to me. It has a good texture to it, provides grip when wet or dry and also offers a little more padding. It's actually still pretty damn light as well since it is still foam based if you will. But it all depends on what is available when I go shopping for it. Both tapes are over priced in my opinion. I mean when you have to pay some $25+ for some damn bar tape, you know things are getting stupid! Just ridiculous really.
So that is about all that is going on. The shop continues to jack me when I place an order or turn something in for repair. I don't know if it is just set on the back burner because the owner and I have known each other for years or if this happens to everyone. But I swear, I show up at the shop all the time and the owner is doing something on the computer and the mechanic is working on something other than my part. In this particular case, the mechanic said he didn't even know it was in the que and thought they were ordering a new rim for it. Apparently my decision to just true the wheel did not get passed down stream and therefore, nothing got done with it.
At the same time, I placed an order for a new tail light. I wanted one of those rubber style ones that has the band that simply wraps around the seat post. To my surprise the shop sells these things for almost $30! But I had a few dollars on a store credit and told him to just order it. I stopped by the shop 3 days after the day it was supposed to have come in, only to be told that he couldn't find it available anywhere so it basically hadn't been ordered. For crying out loud, I could have gone to frickn Performance and picked one up or ordered it online. But I am trying to support my local shop here.
I just don't understand why they can't let you know what is going on. I don't understand why this seems to constantly happen to me when dealing with this shop. I don't understand why the shop owner seems to get upset when he sees something new on my bike that was not purchased thru his shop. HELLO! You can't seem to turn thigns around or order a simple frickn bike light without a delay...why the hell would I give you $100 more! The fact that they charge more for damn near everything doesn't seem to help matters either. Just frustrating!
Fortunately the weather has sucked and I haven't been out riding much so not having the wheel on hand hasn't been too bad. I have the other set on the bike right now anyway so I'm good.
I got a ride in yesterday. Not quite what I expected but interesting. I started out and there were a few flurries. Then it turned to sleet, then to little ice pellets ripping away at the exposed skin on my face, then a light mist, then flurries, finally damn near nothing as I turned into my driveway 15 miles later. Just odd. Short of outright rain I think I saw it all yesterday! Oh, and it was about 27 degrees. I did pull off and snap a quick picture of the bike on the side of the road with my Blackberry (sorry for the quality). I should add that I originally had the SS mtb all set up to go out on but when I opened up the garage, I realized that the snow had started to melt and things looked mushy so I swapped bikes and headed out on the road.
Tuesday, January 8, 2013
Made in Italy....really?
I guess that is more of a question at this point. My frame has a sticker on it that says it is anyway. However, after doing a little research I am now not so sure. Perhaps I should rephrase that. I don't know how much of it or what was actually made in Italy. Perhaps it should read, "assembled or painted in Italy".
Yep, this has been going on for quite a while. Many of the "name brand" companies have been fielding out production overseas for cheaper costs. This should not however be confused with it being a cheap product. Yes, there is a degree of advertising you are paying for but as it has been said before, ultimately, you are paying for a name and a story. I like that idea. I mean names such as Copi, Bianchi, Colnago, Pinarello are all common to us. They seem to have a ring of cycling history to them for sure.
So does this mean that the $600 Dogma replica you see on line is the same as the one you get from your local dealer for $4500? Not by a long shot! These name brand companies charge more for the product because they paid for the R&D behind the product. They paid for the engineering and the rights to said product as well as the molds they are made from. The more stringent the build script or plan is the longer it takes to produce it and the more it costs. Throw in the certification testing and the price continues to esculate. The knock off frame you just saw, well..., we don't really know. Many OEM and ODM companies make their own models. With that in mind they own the molds and can sell them as they see fit. A brand can come in and say we like that and we want you to make it only for us so they buy the molds and slap their logo on it. In other cases, several different brands may agree to use the same mold so we see several different frames out there that look exactly alike. The flip side to a lot of this is that we don't know what testing or research has been done prior to the sale of the product. We don't know what techniques were used for the lay up or how the raw materials were stored all of which play a roll in the quality of the finished product.
In some cases these replica's look exactly the same with just subtle changes here and there which help them to get around the various patents that might already be out there. I confidently say however, that these replicas are not over run productions of the same name brand part that was then slipped out the back door. The OEM companies that make the name brand parts wouldn't allow that. Instead it is the smaller companies that don't have as much at stake that are doing this sort of thing.
Also keep in mind that a bike/frame made in Tiawan isn't a bad thing. Companies like Colnago have openly stated that they have the bulk of their frames made over seas. The quality is there for sure. Why else would such an established name go there?
What bothers me about it all isn't that my "Made in Italy" bike might have been made somewhere else. Its the fact that these big name brand companies try to hide it from the consumer. I mean the OEM factories they use are good enough to make their product but not good enough for the consumer to know they are partnered with someone else. What hypocracy.
Just as an fyi, only about 50% of the total cost of the product needs to be made in the country who's lable is going to be slapped on it (ie. made in ....) Since raw materials are actually pretty cheap the frame in this case could simply be slapped into a jig and welded up. So only the cost of materials and the labor to weld it are counted against it. All the engineering, tubing material choice, painting, logos, end assembly, and labor for all that counts against what label will be slapped on the product.
I guess I sort of have a sour taste in my mouth as there are only a few companies out there that have been open about their partnership with overseas manufacturers and I think that is great. Fuji, Colnago, and Pinarello are just to name a few. So now I am thinking that my next frame might actually end up being a custom build. Nothing wrong with that of course. I mean, I'll get exactly what I want and even in steel it can come out being pretty darn light. But custom comes at a cost. Then again, I think a Pinarello Dogma would still cost me more money! Custom is sounding better and better I tell ya!
Rear Derailleur (RD) weights
So I had some time yesterday to pull my rear derailleur off the bike and get some weights. Actually the idea was two fold as it really needed to be cleaned up pretty bad as well. Unfortunately, the easy way would have been to break the chain but since it is a C-10 it pretty much requires new pins to be installed when putting it back together as well as a special chain tool. Neither of which do I have. So I pretty much had to pull it apart just to get it off the bike.
So here is what I came up with:
188g Total weight/stock
22g Jockey wheels (for the pair or 11g ea)
4g Cable adjuster bolt w/ spring
10g Rear cage plate (aluminum)
3g Jockey wheel bolts (for the pair)
4g Pinch bolt and washer
<1g Limit screws and springs (for the pair of them-2 screws and 2 springs)
So when you look at the weight of the RD it is about 30g heavier than the new Super Record version. From what I have seen, both have the same pulley wheels (well the SR has an 11t so perhaps they are slightly heavier) and I believe they both have an aluminum rear cage plate. That being said, there is room to drop a tad bit of weight off the new SR RD but not that much.
A set of Fiber Lyte jockey wheels weigh in at 8g for the pair. That said we are talking about a difference of 14g. Cost = $90
A Fiber Lyte carbon rear cage weighs in at 8g also. The difference would only be 2g. Cost = $35
I don't have weights on what aluminum replacement bolts would be for the other little bolts I weighed yesterday but when you look at the weights of the stock parts you can see that there isn't very much room to drop any. However, a friend of mine is going to make me a few cable adjusters out of Delrin which should weigh even less than the stock one. I will also use two of them on my frame near the head tube to replace the plastic/metal ones that came stock with the frame. Unfortunately, I haven't weighed them so I have no idea what that will shed.
I may still go ahead and replace some of the bolts with aluminum versions. While it may only shave a few grams I have to look at the big picture here. The bottom line is that it all adds up and aluminum bolts are pretty cheap. So I'll probably go ahead and put an order together for Toronto Cycles for bolts for both the front and rear derailleurs:
Pinch bolts
Limit screws
I will then try to set some money aside and once ready pick up some Fiber Lyte jockey wheels, rear carbon plate, and some new aluminum jockey wheel bolts from Fair Wheel.
On a good note, I started working on a bolt order yesterday but realized that I needed to get some measurements on a few of them. So it ended up being a good thing that I tore it all apart. The bottom line is that a lot of the bolts on the Record RD are titanium which is pretty much why the weight reduction is not that significant. However, going ahead and swapping some of them out to aluminum is WAY cheaper than saving for a SR RD. I mean, I can get all the bolts I need for under $15 vs the $350 I need for a new RD. Of course the jockey wheels and carbon plate will add up to about $125 but I'm still under the $350 RD price.
With that in mind, doing the little nuts and bolts is one thing. But I am pretty sure that before I buy the jockey wheels and carbon plate I will take care of a few bigger things first.
1. Get my hands on a set of used Record Ergo 10 spd levers. These weigh about 30g less than my current levers. But more importantly, they are more functional than the current Centaur levers. Aside from saying Record on them and having ball bearings in them, they also have solid carbon levers (not aluminum wrapped crap like the Centaurs). You can rip thru more than one gear at a time on them (or all of them in one stroke if you feel the need) and you can better trim the front derailleur with them. I have about 6 different auctions on my watch list right now so hopefully in the next week I will either have a set in the mail or a better idea of how much more money I need to save.
2. Brakes. I really do like my Record brakes. The current skeleton versions are not as stiff as the older versions but they do work quite well. I have ridden a set of Zero G's on an old bike of mine and while they were flexy they also worked decent on metal rims (not so much w/ carbon rims). So I am leaning towards a set of KCNC C7's. They cost less than some of the more exotic brakes on the market, work as well, and weigh the same if not less than models costing twice as much. Best thing here is that they are just about 100g lighter than my current Record brakes. I believe they come with ti hardware but will evaluate that once I get them and perhaps swap out some bolts there as well. That is a ways down the road and something I hope to have done by the summer some time.
3. I have my eye on a Record FD and RD. Both are the 10 spd versions. The rear is just like the one that I have now. But the idea is that if it goes for really cheap then it may be worth picking up since Campy is already starting to phase out 10 spd at the higher levels. At least I would have a back up if you will. The FD is of the same era (newer than my current one) so they would match. It is also the braze on version which is what I am looking for. This will allow me to purchase a Parlee carbon mounting clamp for it. The weight reduction will be minimal at about 10-15g maybe. If the prices are too high then I will bail on both and just hold out and buy a SR FD and the Parlee clamp later on. That would net me about 20g savings over my current model.
With all that in mind the next place to attack will be the crank/chain rings/bolts. Not sure what I am going to do here. My initial thought process is to upgrade the rings and bolts or even get my hands on a used Record crank and swap the rings/bolts. In any case, I can't get the damn rings off the crank! Apparently Campy has a frickn special tool for everything. My chain ring bolt tool doesn't fit so you have to put a screw driver in the back side which of course simply strips out the bolt head (not what I want to do) and the allen wrench front bolt head looks like a 4mm but indeed is a 4.5mm! I know I had one in one of my sets but after tinkering with the RD last night I didn't waste any more time trying to find one knowing that I didn't have a tool for the rear. So at this point, I still have no idea what the weight of the stock rings are! Unfortunately, I need to know that in order to come up with a plan or determine if it is even worth it. Honestly, I think the better approach would be to simply get a used Record crank as that will be lighter right off the bat. But that is another $250+.
So there you have it. Things are rolling along. I have a new set of Ashima shifter cables but am going to wait to install them until the spring or until the new cable adjusters show up. Figure I will save myself the frustration of messing with the bars/cables more than once if I can. I'll probably pick up a set of the brake cables as well so they will match. But again, will wait to see if I win an auction for some new levers.
Keep your fingers crossed for the auctions...whatever you do, don't go bidding on them! I need them for as cheap as I can get them!!!
So here is what I came up with:
188g Total weight/stock
22g Jockey wheels (for the pair or 11g ea)
4g Cable adjuster bolt w/ spring
10g Rear cage plate (aluminum)
3g Jockey wheel bolts (for the pair)
4g Pinch bolt and washer
<1g Limit screws and springs (for the pair of them-2 screws and 2 springs)
So when you look at the weight of the RD it is about 30g heavier than the new Super Record version. From what I have seen, both have the same pulley wheels (well the SR has an 11t so perhaps they are slightly heavier) and I believe they both have an aluminum rear cage plate. That being said, there is room to drop a tad bit of weight off the new SR RD but not that much.
A set of Fiber Lyte jockey wheels weigh in at 8g for the pair. That said we are talking about a difference of 14g. Cost = $90
A Fiber Lyte carbon rear cage weighs in at 8g also. The difference would only be 2g. Cost = $35
I don't have weights on what aluminum replacement bolts would be for the other little bolts I weighed yesterday but when you look at the weights of the stock parts you can see that there isn't very much room to drop any. However, a friend of mine is going to make me a few cable adjusters out of Delrin which should weigh even less than the stock one. I will also use two of them on my frame near the head tube to replace the plastic/metal ones that came stock with the frame. Unfortunately, I haven't weighed them so I have no idea what that will shed.
I may still go ahead and replace some of the bolts with aluminum versions. While it may only shave a few grams I have to look at the big picture here. The bottom line is that it all adds up and aluminum bolts are pretty cheap. So I'll probably go ahead and put an order together for Toronto Cycles for bolts for both the front and rear derailleurs:
Pinch bolts
Limit screws
I will then try to set some money aside and once ready pick up some Fiber Lyte jockey wheels, rear carbon plate, and some new aluminum jockey wheel bolts from Fair Wheel.
On a good note, I started working on a bolt order yesterday but realized that I needed to get some measurements on a few of them. So it ended up being a good thing that I tore it all apart. The bottom line is that a lot of the bolts on the Record RD are titanium which is pretty much why the weight reduction is not that significant. However, going ahead and swapping some of them out to aluminum is WAY cheaper than saving for a SR RD. I mean, I can get all the bolts I need for under $15 vs the $350 I need for a new RD. Of course the jockey wheels and carbon plate will add up to about $125 but I'm still under the $350 RD price.
With that in mind, doing the little nuts and bolts is one thing. But I am pretty sure that before I buy the jockey wheels and carbon plate I will take care of a few bigger things first.
1. Get my hands on a set of used Record Ergo 10 spd levers. These weigh about 30g less than my current levers. But more importantly, they are more functional than the current Centaur levers. Aside from saying Record on them and having ball bearings in them, they also have solid carbon levers (not aluminum wrapped crap like the Centaurs). You can rip thru more than one gear at a time on them (or all of them in one stroke if you feel the need) and you can better trim the front derailleur with them. I have about 6 different auctions on my watch list right now so hopefully in the next week I will either have a set in the mail or a better idea of how much more money I need to save.
2. Brakes. I really do like my Record brakes. The current skeleton versions are not as stiff as the older versions but they do work quite well. I have ridden a set of Zero G's on an old bike of mine and while they were flexy they also worked decent on metal rims (not so much w/ carbon rims). So I am leaning towards a set of KCNC C7's. They cost less than some of the more exotic brakes on the market, work as well, and weigh the same if not less than models costing twice as much. Best thing here is that they are just about 100g lighter than my current Record brakes. I believe they come with ti hardware but will evaluate that once I get them and perhaps swap out some bolts there as well. That is a ways down the road and something I hope to have done by the summer some time.
3. I have my eye on a Record FD and RD. Both are the 10 spd versions. The rear is just like the one that I have now. But the idea is that if it goes for really cheap then it may be worth picking up since Campy is already starting to phase out 10 spd at the higher levels. At least I would have a back up if you will. The FD is of the same era (newer than my current one) so they would match. It is also the braze on version which is what I am looking for. This will allow me to purchase a Parlee carbon mounting clamp for it. The weight reduction will be minimal at about 10-15g maybe. If the prices are too high then I will bail on both and just hold out and buy a SR FD and the Parlee clamp later on. That would net me about 20g savings over my current model.
With all that in mind the next place to attack will be the crank/chain rings/bolts. Not sure what I am going to do here. My initial thought process is to upgrade the rings and bolts or even get my hands on a used Record crank and swap the rings/bolts. In any case, I can't get the damn rings off the crank! Apparently Campy has a frickn special tool for everything. My chain ring bolt tool doesn't fit so you have to put a screw driver in the back side which of course simply strips out the bolt head (not what I want to do) and the allen wrench front bolt head looks like a 4mm but indeed is a 4.5mm! I know I had one in one of my sets but after tinkering with the RD last night I didn't waste any more time trying to find one knowing that I didn't have a tool for the rear. So at this point, I still have no idea what the weight of the stock rings are! Unfortunately, I need to know that in order to come up with a plan or determine if it is even worth it. Honestly, I think the better approach would be to simply get a used Record crank as that will be lighter right off the bat. But that is another $250+.
So there you have it. Things are rolling along. I have a new set of Ashima shifter cables but am going to wait to install them until the spring or until the new cable adjusters show up. Figure I will save myself the frustration of messing with the bars/cables more than once if I can. I'll probably pick up a set of the brake cables as well so they will match. But again, will wait to see if I win an auction for some new levers.
Keep your fingers crossed for the auctions...whatever you do, don't go bidding on them! I need them for as cheap as I can get them!!!
Friday, December 28, 2012
@$$ woopin! Tuning sucks!
Ok, I'm a little frustrated at this point. My attempt at tuning my Centaur front derailleur kicked my butt.
Flash back to earlier in the day...I was on the WW forum getting all excited after reading thru WeeracerWeenie's thread, "Show us your tuning" and decided that I needed to give it a crack. I figured since I am stuck trying to save up some money at the moment and recover from playing Santa for my kids that I would try to do some tuning (practice) on an old front derailleur that I have. I then reached out to a buddy of mine and borrowed his vice and some Dremel tips, pulled out all my files and went to town.
I weighed the fd first and got 115g. I then figured I would start with modding the actual clamp area by cutting a slot in it. I used a cutting wheel to cut the slot and then started trying using some of the attachments I was given. They didn't do much but wear out quickly proving that none of the attachments he gave me were made for metal work. In the end I used a wire brush attachment to smooth things out but the damn little brush just started falling apart and I had all sorts of little metal wires on my shirt (make sure you wear safety glasses!!!). I finally pulled out my little key file kit and got some better results doing it by hand.
None the less, it looks like butt! I have since gotten a few pointers and will be trying some different sand paper by hand to smooth things out and take of some more metal on larger areas.
After tinkering with one side for a while I threw it on the scale again and realized that something had been resting against the back of the scale throwing my weights off and got ticked off. Once that was straight I realized I had shaved a whopping 1.5g! Just ridiculous really. So I went back to work on the other side of the clamp, cut a slot out, hit it with the wire wheel and files...Total weight savings so far is 2g! WTH???
I actually went over the entire FD with the wire wheel as well and removed the logos and what not. After spending about 2 hours tinkering with this thing I decided I needed to take a break. I wasn't seeing the results I was looking for and was just getting frustrated. It looks rough at this stage of the game but will be going back to it a little more today and try to smooth things out and make it look prettier. Gonna also take a look at some other FD tunes to see what all they did. Of course no one has tuned a Centaur but I should be able to get some more ideas of what to attack on this thing. I know I wont get the same results or come in where I want with this FD simply because it is over built and there just isn't enough material to remove without causing structural issues. But since this one is for practice, it doesn't matter too much.
I'm not going to lie, I will probably still end up buying a Super Record 11spd FD braze on style and then get a Parlee clamp. That alone should drop some weight over my current set up. I will then tune it with different bolts and what not and call it a day. This project however is just to give me some tuning experience none the less, I can't help but feel frustrated and somewhat defeated at the moment.
On a good note, the sanding of the logos on the seat post went really good. It took me about 10 minutes to do since the graphics were basically on top of everything. I started with 600g wet. Once they were off, I switched to 1500 wet and went around the whole post to blend it all. Since the post was finished in a matte finish it was pretty simple and it now looks like it came nude! Gotta get the pictures of it off the camera when I get back home later today and post them up. Honestly, it just looks like a nude carbon post so you aren't missing much.
I am hoping to try to sand down my bars to remove the 87 logos off of it as well as attack my brake lever blades. Both of these will take a little longer to complete. The graphics on the bar are under the clear coat but not sure how far down. It also means disconnecting all cables and unwrapping the bars to do this. This all adds up to more time spent dialing everything back in again.
The lever blades will be a little bit different because I first have to remove them from the levers which obviously have to be removed from the bike so I can do the handlebars. I will be attacking the levers blades with a razor blade as I am told that is the easiest approach and that the clear coat actually comes off pretty easily. I'm a little skeptical but I am being told this from folks that have already done it so we will see.
I will be off work for the next 4.5 days so I figure I have some time to play around with this. I may try to squeak a ride in today if I can work it out but we are supposed to get snow again tomorrow so I'll obviously have some time to kill over the next couple of days. I really need to get my mtb back from my buddies house so I have something to play on in the bad weather.
I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.
Flash back to earlier in the day...I was on the WW forum getting all excited after reading thru WeeracerWeenie's thread, "Show us your tuning" and decided that I needed to give it a crack. I figured since I am stuck trying to save up some money at the moment and recover from playing Santa for my kids that I would try to do some tuning (practice) on an old front derailleur that I have. I then reached out to a buddy of mine and borrowed his vice and some Dremel tips, pulled out all my files and went to town.
I weighed the fd first and got 115g. I then figured I would start with modding the actual clamp area by cutting a slot in it. I used a cutting wheel to cut the slot and then started trying using some of the attachments I was given. They didn't do much but wear out quickly proving that none of the attachments he gave me were made for metal work. In the end I used a wire brush attachment to smooth things out but the damn little brush just started falling apart and I had all sorts of little metal wires on my shirt (make sure you wear safety glasses!!!). I finally pulled out my little key file kit and got some better results doing it by hand.
None the less, it looks like butt! I have since gotten a few pointers and will be trying some different sand paper by hand to smooth things out and take of some more metal on larger areas.
After tinkering with one side for a while I threw it on the scale again and realized that something had been resting against the back of the scale throwing my weights off and got ticked off. Once that was straight I realized I had shaved a whopping 1.5g! Just ridiculous really. So I went back to work on the other side of the clamp, cut a slot out, hit it with the wire wheel and files...Total weight savings so far is 2g! WTH???
I actually went over the entire FD with the wire wheel as well and removed the logos and what not. After spending about 2 hours tinkering with this thing I decided I needed to take a break. I wasn't seeing the results I was looking for and was just getting frustrated. It looks rough at this stage of the game but will be going back to it a little more today and try to smooth things out and make it look prettier. Gonna also take a look at some other FD tunes to see what all they did. Of course no one has tuned a Centaur but I should be able to get some more ideas of what to attack on this thing. I know I wont get the same results or come in where I want with this FD simply because it is over built and there just isn't enough material to remove without causing structural issues. But since this one is for practice, it doesn't matter too much.
I'm not going to lie, I will probably still end up buying a Super Record 11spd FD braze on style and then get a Parlee clamp. That alone should drop some weight over my current set up. I will then tune it with different bolts and what not and call it a day. This project however is just to give me some tuning experience none the less, I can't help but feel frustrated and somewhat defeated at the moment.
On a good note, the sanding of the logos on the seat post went really good. It took me about 10 minutes to do since the graphics were basically on top of everything. I started with 600g wet. Once they were off, I switched to 1500 wet and went around the whole post to blend it all. Since the post was finished in a matte finish it was pretty simple and it now looks like it came nude! Gotta get the pictures of it off the camera when I get back home later today and post them up. Honestly, it just looks like a nude carbon post so you aren't missing much.
I am hoping to try to sand down my bars to remove the 87 logos off of it as well as attack my brake lever blades. Both of these will take a little longer to complete. The graphics on the bar are under the clear coat but not sure how far down. It also means disconnecting all cables and unwrapping the bars to do this. This all adds up to more time spent dialing everything back in again.
The lever blades will be a little bit different because I first have to remove them from the levers which obviously have to be removed from the bike so I can do the handlebars. I will be attacking the levers blades with a razor blade as I am told that is the easiest approach and that the clear coat actually comes off pretty easily. I'm a little skeptical but I am being told this from folks that have already done it so we will see.
I will be off work for the next 4.5 days so I figure I have some time to play around with this. I may try to squeak a ride in today if I can work it out but we are supposed to get snow again tomorrow so I'll obviously have some time to kill over the next couple of days. I really need to get my mtb back from my buddies house so I have something to play on in the bad weather.
I'll keep everyone posted on my progress.
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