Incoming.... New Super commuter, well, Zwift bike.

[weeksy]

Been getting a little frustrated with the Parkwood lately on Zwift and at times it's lack of gearing. I very rarely use anything other than 2 gears, especially when racing. The fact that it's also the smallest 2 cogs also means potential drivetrain losses and wear. I've tried everything over the years to fit new cranks, chainrings etc, but the simple fact is, you cannot run anything bigger than a 40T chainring on it.

So i've just ordered this



This comes with a triple chainset (i really wanted a double but couldn't find anything in the price bracket with the right double)

It'll be perfect for Zwift riding with 28/38/48 and also should me and Crust get out to Wevelgem one day it'll do a fine job at the Sportive too.

The Parkwood has served me well over the years and will either be kept in the loft of shipped out for £350-400 to cover the cost of this.

It'll actually make someone a cracking cheap 29er MTB.

[Mr Moofo]

What is the super commuter above?
Do you have bicycle clips for it?

[weeksy]

https://www.tweekscycles.com/uk/raleigh ... 1-2012131/

Raleigh Cadent 2..

Chosen for weight, gearing, brakes as i'm hoping it gets over to Belgium. I could have gone lower price/spec for Zwifting, but it would have only saved me £50 and wasn't worth saving that for the actual possibility of it going outside on a Sportive etc.

[weeksy]

2021-01-11_02-25-15 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Well it's here, setup, ready and good to roll.

It's well, as you'd expect for a £400 bike, a bit cheap in some aspects, but it'll never go outside, so doesn't need to be great. It's exactly what it needs to be though.

[formula400]

slightly off subject but we use Wessex mill flour at work for our bread. brilliant flour

[Mr Moofo]

Have you sold it yet?

[weeksy]

Lol you said that with the Parkwood too. It lasted 6 years.

It's everything it needs to be

[weeksy]

One thing i did notice yesterday was the shifters are horrible. They're proper old school type Shimano with one shifter underneath and the other on top of the shifter. Not a massive issue, but i'm certainly considering raiding the spare box.

However, the shifters and brakes are integrated into the same item, so i'll need

Left hand shifter (3X)
Right hand shifter
Front brake
Rear brake
chain
cassette
rear mech.

Out of that list, I'm only missing a right hand shifter 10sp. So i could easily do it, all the rest of the parts are in the spares box. But then i'm thinking, well, really, isn't that a bit excessive having all of them bits on a bike that's unlikely to ever see the outdoors. I could arguably not bother fitting any brakes at all, but as soon as i do that, me and Crust will find an event and i'd need to fit brakes to it

Something to think about in the coming weeks and decide if i want to swap it all over for nicer SRAM stuff.

[formula400]

do it, you seem to spend a lot of time on it, so that makes it worth it.

[weeksy]

do it, you seem to spend a lot of time on it, so that makes it worth it.

I decided you were of course correct.

First job was chain and rear mech removing.
2021-01-12_10-41-06 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

That also meant shortening the outer, well, techincally not as i wanted to keep all the standard stuff the same, so i used a shorter spare piece of inner and trimmed to length.

2021-01-12_10-40-47 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Then everything was removed from the bars.

Brakes removed from the calipers and then fitted the SRAM Guide RSC
2021-01-12_10-40-37 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Massive overkill there, but hey, it may go outside one day
2021-01-12_10-40-27 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2021-01-12_10-40-18 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

Internal brake routing can be a pain, but got this one first time, really easy, lucky !!!
2021-01-12_10-40-00 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

2021-01-12_10-39-50 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

The eagle eyed among you will see the SRAM rear needs a barb and olive, but not got round to that just yet.

2021-01-12_10-39-40 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

10 speed rear derailleur and wheel/cassette fitted.

Also fitted some Whyte slightly wider bars, about 40mm wider.

Jobs left

1. Purchase a 3 speed shifter
2. Fit 10 speed shifter once it arrives from Ebay
3. Fit barb and olive on rear brake
4. Bleed rear brake.

[weeksy]

Well we got there,

2021-01-15_01-56-45 by Steve Weeks, on Flickr

I ordered a SRAM X7 10sp shifter which arrived and a 10sp chain. Both went on without issue.

I used a 2 speed front shifter for the rings, which does mean i don't have the granny ring, but there's no way i'll need a 24T ring anyhow, so not an issue.

The only minor complications were getting the tension on the front mech so it's not using the small ring, just needed my lad to help me there with an extra hand.
Lastly was chain length, with the standard cassette being a 28 cog biggest and this one being MTB and a 36, i needed to add in a couple of chain links, which wasn't an issue. Just needed a 2nd quick link in there.... But it's all done and smooth as silk.

Can't ride for another 7-10 days so won't bother setting lever positions etc just yet or bar angle, but will get them done before jumping on it.

Slightly excessive i agree the way i've done it, but it only cost me £23 to change all the bits and make it right, so no biggy there.

[weeksy]

Had this outside today in a pretty random ride, it was set up terribly with a dragging back brake as I don't usually have a rotor on it, 8 speed cassette and 10 speed shifter, bars too narrow and a seat post that dropped a bit ha ha.

[Ditchfinder]

Chris the brakes on your zwift pony are wayyyyy posher than what I trust my life to on Lake District passes

[weeksy]

Chris the brakes on your zwift pony are wayyyyy posher than what I trust my life to on Lake District passes

Yeah they were spares so I just threw them on there. Tbh I don't even slightly need them as they are, but they were just hanging round in the box

[Ditchfinder]

Spares box envy

[weeksy]

Well after the Cadent had it's falling apart at Wevelgem i stuck on some new cranks. Went for a set of Raceface in the end as it was easier to get the spares for it. Threw on a new Bottom Bracket and away it went.... Well, almost. I've got a 38T chainring which isn't quite enough for some of the flat out short races on Zwift, i've also got a 40T but that's horribly noisy on the teeth, so bought a cheapo 42T which will be fine for Zwift racing and as i don't see the Cadent going outdoors again, that's all it needs to be really. If i can shake this last bits of man-flu by the end of the weekend, it should be ready to test on Monday.

[weeksy]

Now the outdoor stuff is out of the way i'm also going to stick this thing back to 10 speed.

The reason i moved off the 10 speed was that either the shifter or more likely the rear mech isn't brilliant and 10 speed is only about 9.5 gears, actually at times it's arguably 8.5 until you trim it... lol. But it is usually right at the climby end of the cassette which on Zwift doesn't really matter

Why go to it then ? Well, if i'm honest, the Shimano shifting is kinda pissing me off lol. Running the SRAM setup on all other bikes, both are thumb shift under the bars, but the shimano has 1 thumb shift and 1 finger shift... all day yesterday i was out on the Trek and trying to change gear with the finger shift that's not actually there ! So sod it, i want a bit of consistency.

[weeksy]

Chatting with Crust in the pub today and discussion went to Gent Wevelgem next year and we're in for it

Which means I need to do some sorting on the super commuter.

First thing it needs is a new set of cranks. It's running 1x gearing at 42T ring. Which won't get me up the Kemmelberg. So I think a Shimano GRX crank should see me right.
It'll then need some brakes as I stole the front for my lads bike recently, so TRP Slate DH brakes will go on it.

Lastly some new rubber, unknown on that yet

[Crosshair]

I have some barley run-in 28mm tubeless Schwalbe Ones you’re welcome to buy half price.

[weeksy]

I have some barley run-in 28mm tubeless Schwalbe Ones you’re welcome to buy half price.

28s may be a bit small, but next time you're about and passing I wouldn't mind a peek?