Tag Archives: Weight Weenie

Andel RSC1 crankset upgrade for Cell Bikes fixie

I decided to upgrade the cranks on my Cell Bikes fixie because I want to ride this bike on Chandler Velodrome. The original cranks were 170 mm and 130 bcd. I also wanted to be able to swap chainrings with my Wabi Special which has 144 bcd cranks/chainrings, so decided to upgrade the cranks on the Cell Bikes fixie to 165 mm 144 bcd Andel RSC1 cranks. This meant also changing the bottom bracket to a 107 mm Shimano BB-UN55, as well as an assortment of chainrings.

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The complete build list is:

  • Andel RSC1 165 mm 144 bcd crankset (562 grams)
  • Chainring bolts supplied with Andel crankset (21 grams)
  • Shimano BB-UN55 107 mm bottom bracket (288 grams)
  • Generic bottom bracket bolts (27 grams — pair)
  • Kirrawee Cycles BBK 144 bcd chainrings 49 tooth (119 grams), 50 tooth (137 grams) and 51 tooth (124 grams).

 

Marvinator rims with Quando track hubs

Last week I picked up a Marvinator wheelset from Gear Brisbane. The wheels are Gear Brisbane’s bottom-of-the-range wheels (and do not currently appear on their web site). The Marvinator rims from Colossi are built up with Quando hubs with sealed bearings. I am not sure what the spokes are. The Quando hub is a flip/flop hub.

Apparently the wheels are handbuilt in Brisbane by their “master wheel builder”. Pretty good value wheels for $230.

I weighed the Marvinator wheelset at 1048 grams for the front wheel and 1129 grams for the rear wheel, without rim tape or a sprocket/freewheel.

Marvinator wheelset still in their plastic wrap

Marvinator wheelset still in their plastic wrap

Marvinator wheelset

Marvinator wheelset

I am planning to put these wheels on my orange Cell Fixie frame, Wonder Woman, moving the wheelset from that bike to Project Beetlejuice.

Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle and Continental Grand Prix 4000S tyres

I have started the process of customising my Wabi Special from Wabi Cycles. I have replaced the front tyre with a Continental Grand Prix 4000S. I plan to replace the rear tyre when my new freewheel, chain and chain ring arrive.

The original tyres on the Wabi Special were Kenda Koncept tyres. My previous experience with Kenda bicycle tyres had not been particularly good, so I was keen to replace them. According to my wife’s digital kitchen scales, the Kenda Koncept tyres weighed in at 221 grams, with the Kenda tube at 94 grams.

The Continental Grade Prix 4000S weighed in 213 grams, while the Vittora Ultralight tube I fitted was 82 grams. Curiously, a second set of identical Continental/Vittoria tyres/tubes weighed at the same time tipped the scales at 217 grams and 92 grams respectively. I have saved the heavier tyre/tube set for fitting to the rear wheel.

In retrospect, the Kenda Koncept tyres actually were pretty good value and quite okay as OEM equipment. The difference in weight is only 20 grams comparing the Kenda tyre/tube set with the lightest Continental/Vittoria tyre/tube set. The road feel of the Continental tyres was not noticeably superior to the Kenda tyre either. Unless you are a serious weight weeny, the Kenda Koncept tyres are quite okay as OEM equipment. Wear them out and then replace them with your favourite set of rubber. For me, the Kenda Koncept tyres will be used on a new bike build, Project Beetlejuice.

Continental Grand Prix 4000S fitted to Wabi Special

Continental Grand Prix 4000S fitted to Wabi Special

I have fitted the Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle to my Wabi Special. There was nothing wrong with the original saddle from Wabi Cycles, but I use the Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle on my other bikes, so I have also fitted it to my Wabi. More info on the saddles is here. I am planning to use the OEM saddle also on Project Beetlejuice.

Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle on my Wabi Special

Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle on my Wabi Special

For more posts on my Wabi Special, explore the Bloke’s Lens Tigger tag, or Bloke’s Post Tigger tag.

White Industries ENO freewheel 17 tooth

I am collecting parts to customise my Wabi Special from Wabi Cycles. This is a 17 tooth White Industries ENO freewheel. I could not justify spending $110 on a freewheel on my other cheap singlespeeds, Bumblebee and Wonder Woman; but I can on my beautiful Wabi Special that I have named Tigger. Thanks to Gear Shop Brisbane for supplying the freewheel.

My plan is to mate the 17 tooth freewheel with a 52 tooth chainring. The 52/17 combination will effectively give me the same gear ratio (80.4 gear inches) as using a 46/15 chainring/freewheel combination (80.6 gear inches). This is one tooth up on the 46/16 combination that I am currently riding. Freewheels generally only come in 16/17/18 teeth, so purchasing a 15 tooth freewheel was not an option.

For the record, the 17 tooth White Industries ENO freewheel weighs in at 174 grams on my wife’s kitchen scales.

White Industries ENO freewheel 17 tooth

White Industries ENO freewheel 17 tooth

Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle

I am customising my Wabi Special from Wabi Cycles, that I have named Tigger. First off is to replace the saddle with a Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle.

I have ‘borrowed’ this saddle from Project Beetlejuice, which is on the backburner now that I have the beautiful Wabi Special in my fleet.

There is nothing wrong with the standard Wabi Cycles black racing saddle. The saddle is perfectly okay for its intended purpose and is quite comfortable for rides several hours in length. I just prefer the Selle Italia SLS Kit Carbonio Flow saddle as I am using the same saddle on some of my other bikes.

For the record, the original Wabi saddle weighed in at 262 grams; the Selle Italia SLS weighed in at 215 grams on my wife’s kitchen scales.

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Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W — Project Beetlejuice

Project Beetlejuice now has a frame — a 56 cm track/fixie frame from Cycling Deal. Follow the build progress here. The challenge with this build is going to be to not overcapitalise the frame. While it is tempting to up-spec various parts, this is still going to be a budget build.

Boxed Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W

Boxed Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W

Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W

Cycling Deal fixie/track frame TF-56W

I met up with four guys riding fixie bikes around the Brisbane River Loop on the weekend. Two of the fours guys were riding these track/fixie frames from Cycling Deal. They were very happy with the frames, although one guy had needed a shim to make the seat post fit.

The 56 cm frame/fork/headset was advertised as being 2.4 kg; by my kitchen scales, the frame is 1752 grams and forks are 882 grams — a total of 2.634 kg. That is a bare weight without the seat post or headset supplied with the frame. I also have not cut the steerer tube yet.

The frame and forks were well packaged in plastic bags and bubble wrap. The welding is ugly in places — this is a cheap frame and I guess that is the price you pay.

There are several old posts on the internet where people have had to use shims to get the seat post to fit correctly. I had hoped that this problem may have been fixed with later model frames, but on first inspection this does not appear to be the case. I will look at this more closely when I actually go to build the bike. Update: it looks like the seat post does fit correctly in my frame without needing a shim.

For more information on this bike, explore here and here.