DISCLAIMER/DISFLAMER: I am not making any claims about safety, quality, etc....just griping...well, maybe questioning the design a little bit...read on...
I got one of these things this winter to replace the antiquated (but still serviceable) circa '1990 T-Gear Rails system I had for making a roadie frame geometry act somewhat like a steep angled tri rig. I ride a GT Vengeance right now and for anyone familiar with that ridiculous saddle-mounting system and the T-Gear thingy you know why I was looking for an alternative.
The Power Module has about 25mm less forward adjustability than the T-Gear rig, but seemed to be adequate because I never really used the T-Gear at full extension anyway.
I echo complaints from other posters/owners (I searched the archives) about how the Power Module rails somehow end up narrower than standard saddle rails from the manufacturing process. I had several "spare" sets of GT mounting hardware so I threw a rat tail file in the power drill and carved out some clearance on one of them. Bingo.
~150mi and no problems until I switched to the Azoto Triathgel saddle. Love the saddle, BTW. Slammed it all the way forward in the Power Module and I was in positional heaven. Right up until I was 4mi from home on a strong 40mi tempo ride and the Power Module broke.
The shaft of quick-release that allows you to shift fore-aft on the fly (not for me, but I suppose some people might) had snapped at about 30mph and my saddle and other little Power Module bits were bouncing along behind me in short order. Not Fun. Never did find the topnut, but got everything else out of the roadway and into my jersey pockets and stood up all the way home.
Upon inspection, I thought there was something fishy about that QR and shaft. Seemed awfully small for the job...especially for an aggressive multisport position where you're going to put in most of your time out at the tippy tip tip of a foreward setup. And then it dawned on me...I pulled the nut off a spare wheel QR and was able to thread it right onto the remaining bit of the Power Module QR.
Then I looked at my collection of old seatposts and their saddle clamp bolts...all of which were AT LEAST 2x the diameter of this cut-down wheel QR.
HMMMMM......
I found one somewhere in between which happened to fit thru the Power Module holes (barely) and a washer and nut to match and that's holding me for now...but I'm seriously considering drilling that thing out for a REAL bolt.
I weigh 154lbs and the Power Module with Triathgel slammed forward gives me an effective seat tube angle of 79.5deg by Dan's nifty chart. All in all a not-uncommon combination, and I'm well within the 180lb weight limit m2racer puts on the PM. All that cantilevering out there on the nose is NOT something they planned for, though, IMHO, when they spec'd a freekin cut-down wheel QR.
But I could be wrong.
File it in your anecdotal file, folks. You pays your money and you takes your chances.
FWIW, I did race on it this past weekend, rode it for my commute today, and have every intention of using it at the Blackwater Traverse Du this weekend.
Carl Matson
I got one of these things this winter to replace the antiquated (but still serviceable) circa '1990 T-Gear Rails system I had for making a roadie frame geometry act somewhat like a steep angled tri rig. I ride a GT Vengeance right now and for anyone familiar with that ridiculous saddle-mounting system and the T-Gear thingy you know why I was looking for an alternative.
The Power Module has about 25mm less forward adjustability than the T-Gear rig, but seemed to be adequate because I never really used the T-Gear at full extension anyway.
I echo complaints from other posters/owners (I searched the archives) about how the Power Module rails somehow end up narrower than standard saddle rails from the manufacturing process. I had several "spare" sets of GT mounting hardware so I threw a rat tail file in the power drill and carved out some clearance on one of them. Bingo.
~150mi and no problems until I switched to the Azoto Triathgel saddle. Love the saddle, BTW. Slammed it all the way forward in the Power Module and I was in positional heaven. Right up until I was 4mi from home on a strong 40mi tempo ride and the Power Module broke.
The shaft of quick-release that allows you to shift fore-aft on the fly (not for me, but I suppose some people might) had snapped at about 30mph and my saddle and other little Power Module bits were bouncing along behind me in short order. Not Fun. Never did find the topnut, but got everything else out of the roadway and into my jersey pockets and stood up all the way home.
Upon inspection, I thought there was something fishy about that QR and shaft. Seemed awfully small for the job...especially for an aggressive multisport position where you're going to put in most of your time out at the tippy tip tip of a foreward setup. And then it dawned on me...I pulled the nut off a spare wheel QR and was able to thread it right onto the remaining bit of the Power Module QR.
Then I looked at my collection of old seatposts and their saddle clamp bolts...all of which were AT LEAST 2x the diameter of this cut-down wheel QR.
HMMMMM......
I found one somewhere in between which happened to fit thru the Power Module holes (barely) and a washer and nut to match and that's holding me for now...but I'm seriously considering drilling that thing out for a REAL bolt.
I weigh 154lbs and the Power Module with Triathgel slammed forward gives me an effective seat tube angle of 79.5deg by Dan's nifty chart. All in all a not-uncommon combination, and I'm well within the 180lb weight limit m2racer puts on the PM. All that cantilevering out there on the nose is NOT something they planned for, though, IMHO, when they spec'd a freekin cut-down wheel QR.
But I could be wrong.
File it in your anecdotal file, folks. You pays your money and you takes your chances.
FWIW, I did race on it this past weekend, rode it for my commute today, and have every intention of using it at the Blackwater Traverse Du this weekend.
Carl Matson