Why do Pros in tours use bigger chain rings?

Wheels of Happiness

1.  They can run at 60 kph+

2.   Less friction of chains are in middle cogs.   Therefore more efficient.

Why do Pros use bigger chain rings?

How to be more efficient rider? Secret - drafting

Wheels of Happiness

Its really amazing how easy it is to complete a 100 km ride with a nice bike and constant practice

Wheels of Happiness

Am really amazed how easy and efficient it is for me to ride 100 km lately despite an advanced age.   Constant practice, and a well built bike:   nice GS and WS make for effortless ride.   And pacing yourself well.  

It takes 3+ hours to complete the ride, whereas before it takes 6 hours or more.   

Suggestions on how to manage your upgraditis the sensible effective way (upgraditis weight winnies and costing)

                                               

A lot of inventory sales are going on and many companies are unloading their excess inventories.  The marketing hype  is driving bikers crazy and many may be making unwise investments

The bottom line, the objective  in upgrading is to make you ride faster and better with less efforts and
body ache

Here are some suggestions based on my readings and experience regarding upgrading.

Efficiency  is the key.  You must exert less effort in your ride.  Your equipment must be efficient.  Less friction, less drag in your aerodynamics (the wind resisting your forward motion)

And here LIGHT IS MIGHT.

1.  Thus with regards to the bike and your equipment

          1.  Concentrate on your drive/power train and this includes:

               1.  Shoes.  The only light shoes are carbon fiber soled shoes.  If your shoes are heavy. say by
                     100 grams each vs the carbon fiber soled models, 200 grams x  say 10,000 revs in  a ride
                      translates into 2,000,000 grams additional efforts or  2,000 tons. Wow.  Thats the
                      amount of effort you will exert if you wear a modest carbon fiber soled shoes

                     I have two pairs:   a Shimano and Scott.  The Shimano cost me P3,500 and Scott 5k

                     According to Weigh Weenies, some of the light shoes are:

                     Mavic  Huez                                                      210 grams each

                     Pearl Izumi Tri Fly Carbon                                 521 grams a pair

                     Shimano M221                                                  710 grams

                     SIDI   Genius 3                                                 552 grams

                    Specialized Pro Geometry                                  542 grams

                     Vittoria Racer                                                   240 grams (each)

                     Thus even the lightest shoes are .0.5 kg each. Imagine if you were wearing a 1 kg shoe
           
                 2.  Pedals

                     Invest in high quality light pedals

                     Shimano pedals would be about 200 grams a pair now (a very good development0

                     Speedplay would be about 180 grams a pair;  but Exustar, and I have one carbon fiber                            tips the scale only 88 grams  (176 grams for the pair) with Ti axle (referred to me by
                      Engr. June....  Budget was P7,000+

             3.   Cranksets

                   The Shimano cranks are heavy.   But Red of SRAM is very light and so are FSA line of cranks
                    built from machined alum and carbon fiber. (Both SRAM and FSA are Taiwan producers)

                   Comparison of crankset from Bike Radar

                    SRAM   Red                        594 grams

                    Ultegra                                 699 grams

                    Shimano 105                        759 grams

                    FSA force                            567 grams

                    Durace                                 636 grams

                    Campagnolo Athena             650 grams

       4.   Cogs

             The manufacturers are very  competitive now with cogs weighing  200 grams on the average for
             Shmano SRAM and Campy

Total Cycling   - SRAM claims to have produced the first sub 2 kg group set  (Durace and Super Record
                         are just about even

       5  Wheelsets

                  The name brands are not necessarily the best and the lightest.  Carbon fiber wheelsets are not
                   not necessarily light.  There are plenty of materials needed for the aero design, hence to be bit
                   heavier in the long run. But the aero design is supposed to cut and  slice through the air and thats
                   what matters for speeds beyond 30 kph.

                  So I have an old model wheelset with 36 spokes and my its heavy.  It must weigh 2,000 grams
                   even with Alex 22 rims

                  So some comparison, and I was lured by marketers to buy:

                  Fulcrum   7                                    1,845 grams
         
                 Shimano RS 10 and 11                   1,845 grams

                 Fulcrum Quattro Alum                    1,700 grams

                 Light ones:

                 Am Cla 350                                  1,396 grams    @! P5,500

                 Novatec Jet Fly                             1,435 grams    @  12,500

                                                         Novatec Jetfly only 1,435 grams

I got an affordable Giyo Floor Pump from Marauder MTB in Antipolo today

Wheels of Happiness

Rizal Philippines
December 28, 2015

Having heard from Engr. June Francisco that there is a floor pump available at Marauder MTB in Mahabang Parang Antipolo, I immediately texted Mike, the American owner of the bike shop.  Yes there is at P525 (this sells for double the price elsewhere)  It comes with a gauge. For the same price, I bought a GTS floor pump for P500 without gauge.

So I MTB'd to Mike this morning and got this floor pump.  It is more convenient to pump air into the bike tires and not guess the air pressure.  I found out that my MTB is under inflated by 40 psi and the road bike by 40 psu also.  It took just about 2 dozen pumps to get the correct pressure

Its brand is Giyo from Taiwan

What is the importance of good foot pump with gauge to riding?