Epic quote reply incoming...!
Now fingers crossed it was just a bit of scum from the road or some rogue gt85 from when I clean rather than a hydraulic leak somewhere.
Good to hear - one #protip from me - take the wheel out when cleaning. But also when doing anything around the hub/axle with anything other than cleaning stuffs put an old stretchy sock over the rotor!
From now looking at 50+ brands and countless bikes (even alu and titanium), ignoring supply issue (which is massive if you include integrated bar supply) the hardest thing to overlook buying new is how the tcr can be picked up now for 3k on full 12 speed ultegra di2. The gap between pro and advanced has closed due to fork, yes the wheels are terrible but they are on most bikes and whilst not very aero, frame weight is fine and tyre clearance good. I think sub 4k for easy weight around 7.5 (m/l) and some good fast wide wheels with reasonable hubs. Frame design apparently not updating in 2024 either and only two cables now exposed due to wireless shifters. I think to better it you're either spending far more or buying untested Chinese or the like.
Good info and had already reached that point of the TCR myself last year or so when trying to consider an SL6/SL7 even second hand... Getting a new TCR Advanced was still a much more sensible purchase! But the lack of front integration has always put me off... Wires had always bugged me on every previous bike. Even my 2016 Diverge. But now converting that to Di2 and taping the wire to the rear hydraulic hose it doesn't bug me any more... So maybe it's just a 'more than 2 wires' which really grates on me! But still dropping more money than I last spent upgrading the car (~10 years ago) on a bike and not getting 'what I want' means I haven't got to the serious part. Plus now all the talk on delays with aftermarket carbon stuffs means gotta really do it at purchase time anyway.
A bit of a sobering morning yesterday. We met as usual (the local 'club') to be told one of our regulars was involved in a bad cycling accident yesterday and is in intensive care. Don't know a lot, but it's not sounding good. Be safe out there people.
Makes my problems seem trivial, but the creaks have come back to my bike, when climbing under strain. Lbs/Cafe stop had a fiddle, tightened BB and checked rear wheel bearings, but it still creaked on the ride home. Could it be the freehub? If I freewheel for a second, the put the strain through again, it often stops creaking for a minute or so.
Could there be a crack in the frame? (but then why would the brief freewheel stop the noise?)
Sorry to hear about your clubmate, hope he pulls through and continues to improve. Sobering thought for everyone when things like that happen. Be safe all!
It could be a crack in the frame, but generally (not a huge amount of experience here!) a crack will be in a 'high stress' area and crack along a line. Then every time it moves it'll sound more like a 'snap' than a creak. I've cracked an Alu frame and a carbon fork. Both sounded similar.
As mentioned check chainring bolts - easy to make sure they're tight if Shimano (fairly sure you are) without removing cranks. If it's when really under 'strain' when climbing, which I figure you're doing seated, do you also get it when stood? Saddle? If you push a high torque low cadence seated high power type effort does it repeat. Mixing up standing/seated and high/low cadence you can start to eliminate. Grit in handlebar/stem clamp is a classic. As are a few rough/tight links in your chain... Of course cleats are noisy sods too... Then there's the derailleur hanger not being tight/dirt/grit ingress... Or the totally random creaking from a slightly loose spoke, or even them rubbing where they cross - dab of lube easy to do around them may stop it even if one/some of them are not loose.
Sorry last message.
I'm off to Majorca tomorrow and I've rented a bike for the 2 weeks.
Staying near Pollença and realistically can't be out for more than 2 hours as it's a family holiday, so just some 6am rides.
Any recommendations on points I should try cycling to?
Interesting on what hotel you ended up with and what was there - take to private message if you want, or the Holiday thread. I am basically after doing what you're doing - have failed every year to find a 'family' hotel with enough there for the right money and get us to Majorca rather than usual places we've done. We've generally travelled further and further for our holidays - Menorca, Gran Canaria, Kos, Rhodes and Crete.
******* cycling. I go for a nice relaxed ride and avg. 25kph. I go for a much harder effort on the same route and average 27-28kph. Its not a long route at 32km but still. I felt like I was going to have done 22-23kph based on taking it so easy.
Don't know why I bother
Don't get stressed about it, just blame headwinds like the rest of us do!
First time fitting Tubeless to my cross bike ahead of a gravel event next week. Was apprehensive as have heard some horror stories from mates. Tyres went on easy, loaded up with some Stans and managed to avoid any bukakke incidents. Few of hard, fast full strokes of the track pump and I got a seal. So much easier than I thought. Even wasn't too angry when I noticed the froent had been put on in the wrong direction so quickly changed it. I might just now be a convert.
Welcome, brother.
I think tubeless tech has moved on a long way. I’m tempted to give it a try again on the road myself. I’ve already set my wife’s e-bike up tubeless with liners because it’s such a PITA to fix a flat that it gives two additional layers of security to at least get her home and fix it here. My own experiences weren’t so great because the couple of flats I did get didn’t seal which makes the whole thing a bit redundant, but this was 3 or 4 years ago.
Can confirm the more recent tyres and rims are making it easier and easier! Some of those early combinations where a nightmare to get sealed and some alloy wheels just so tight regardless of which tyres. I've not really needed an inflater the last couple I've done.
Been ringing around a few local smaller bike shops this morning and it seems no one wants to install a Di2 groupset for love nor, seemingly lots of, money
Crazy. Where are you? For them not to even give you a high price to dissuade you and 'not get the work unless it really profited them' would be strange. Would think that was an easy job for more reputable shops. Know of the 3-4 around here that I'd get at least 2-3 answers with a cost and then the days they could do it - some probably weeks away at this point. It's a relatively time consuming but easy job - so would consider it generally easy money, but it might be the frame you have they don't want to touch with a barge pole, rather than the build itself. The Di2 components themselves 'just work' and are very much plug&play.
Maybe sealant is better now but unless you’re riding regularly or rotating your wheels it seems like pooling and clogging is always going to be an issue.
Would agree with that, certainly if you're rotating wheelsets between summer/winter then easy to do sealant rotation at the same times.
But would also say it's worth the hassle in the spring & autumn when hedges are being trimmed and you're regularly on lanes, as there's more debris on the roads. Less to gain in the summer, if anything...! But with the extra grip from lower pressures and hitting flooded/snowed over holes in the winter really is what sold it to me. Tending to run as low as 60 psi on the front of my 32mm's is really plush on some rough back roads, so much so I miss it other times!
My partner clearly isn't as stupid as I thought though. She appraised my bike the other day and declared that the only thing that hasn't changed on it was the frame. I tried to explain that it wasn't true but she was having none of it. Apparently the headset, seatpost and thru-axels don't count...
This really made me laugh! I'm lucky that mine is almost the opposite - upgraded her from 8 speed old Sora/Tiagra mix to 105/ultegra 11 speed and took her a couple of weeks to say she actually could tell the difference and then only that she had more lower gears...!
Perhaps for someone who's not an imbecile when it comes to mechanical jobs. Frankly, it's a miracle I managed to set up my tubeless wheels and change a cassette
If you've fitted and setup tubeless and changed a cassette then you pretty much have the skillset to do Di2... It's far less messy and 'just works'!
Well Canyon have said they don't recommended upgrading my frame to Di2 as it's not supported due to it being a mechanical frame... Not sure how much sense that makes when there are Di2 models but that was their advice.
Well Canyon are one of the few manufacturers who do have a distinction between mechanical and electroinic when you're buying a bare frame which makes me think there is a difference... At least for them. No idea if that means mechanical isn't compatible (not sure how they physically could when they have internal cable routing, unless it was something in the seat-tube/BB area where you wouldn't route internal cables).
Every frame is Di2 compatible if you try hard enough, though.
Would agree with that! Did mine and the particular frame (2016 Diverge Carbon Comp) didn't even come with a Di2 option, that was only on the (quite different) S-Works version. Reminds me...
Need to get some of those Shimano rubber grommets to tidy mine up. Can see different sizes mentioned, do I need to measure my holes? (stop sniggering at the back) What part do I measure? I bet
@SoliD knows - you're turning into my di2 oracle
Take some pictures. Can probably come out of the existing hole. I've gave with the seat tube holders, kept falling out. I use bubble wrap and tape... Ghetto but it ensures it stays there.
Same. Bubblewrap, electrical tape and a plastic 'bottle top' (actually used the top off a Locktite threadlock tube as it was perfect size).
I'm guessing the wire to the FD is going up that white looking tube?
Silly question, but how? Though I presume a bike shop will know how to get a wire up that plastic tube thing.
The set says it comes with 1400mm and 800mm lengths of wire. Having never fitted it myself but that doesn't sound like much? Especially if it's routing down from the battery in the seat tube?
I'm probably overthinking this! I've been given the go-ahead as long as I can do it for under £400 (after selling off other bits) so hopefully this will be a winter birthday treat to myself.
Also, what's the feelings on compact/semi-compact chain rings? I have 52/36 with 11-30 on the back. Occasionally when going up a hill I'll be in the 36/30 gear and still feeling like I wouldn't mind something lower (leave my weak legs alone) shall I stick with 52/36 but go 11-34 or would 50/34 with the same 11-30, but now 12sp, offer the similar/easier ratios?
Looks like there is a rubber grommet around the gear outer that's there already. Strange it's white. But could that be the cable itself? Doesn't look thick enough to be an 'outer'. That rubber thing will come out and the hole *should* be big enough to get a di2 cable through. Did that on mine, had a plastic insert which poked through from the BB area with a 'T' type piece behind it so would only come out the one way. You might be able to get at this from the frame cover, I could but with the wires from seat-tube and the downtube all routing through there taking the BB out will allow you more access and to route wires better and make your upgrade far more easier (you'll likely be putting a junction in there anyway).
Di2 wires come in lots of lengths. Always buy slightly over what you need as can tuck wires in and better they annoy you with an occasional rattle (which you can solve/stop) than snag and pull out internally while you're out riding...
Bettershifting has many building and routing guides. Spec & built mine exclusively with details from there. I could reduce some wire lengths but also as I mostly bought my wires S/H on ebay to keep costs down and was doing 2 builds kept my options fairly loose for flexibility. I have several 700/800mm wires tucked in where I could have a 500/650mm, generally found the 700mm lengths are more readily available and picked up cheaper. On my Zwift setup I even have half the build taped on the outside of the frame with 2x 350mm wires using a junction rather than a long wire... Which I've now got, just need to put it all together... One of those jobs to get back to!
I'd say if you're riding 95% the time ok with the 52/36 there's no point changing chainrings. A 32t cassette on the rear is easy and far cheaper option, while also being able to go down to a 34t when you're on di2 if you wanted to - which I did and LOVE it, but I am already on a compact and ridden the whole time with 32t's and like to ride steep stuff...
