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Softride slippage in Lanzarote!
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So here I am in Lanzarote, at the La Santa Long Distance Triathlon camp, trying to enjoy the miserable winds and barren lava landscape... (kinda’ like Kona except even windier, a third world economy, and every other person in the resort is blonde and Danish). But I packed my almost brandy new Softride Rocket TT out here and the beam suspension was doing a superb job smoothing out some of the incredibly rough roads (reminded me of the lava rock jeep doubletrack that dominates the Xterra Maui mountain bike ride). But on the second day here, I noticed that my seat was feeling lower and lower. I started to adjust the beam, higher and higher until I finally hit the high stop. After the third day it becomes painfully obvious from my screaming quads that the seat is still too low – so I look for the real problem – it dawns on me that the beam clamp assembly has slipped a good half-inch along the beam itself, accounting for the lower beam angle and thus seat height. Agghhhhh!!! Any Softride owners ever have this problem? I’m 99% certain that there’s nothing I could have done to cause this problem – none of the beam adjustments affect the way the beam is clamped to the pivot assembly… And it’s not like I’m a exactly heavyset – 150 lbs dripping wet if that. Frustrating to say the least. So I get to spend the rest of the training camp gutting it out on a hotel-provided aluminum Cannondale road bike. What doesn’t kill me makes me stronger…



By the way, this training camp is well worth the money (only 140 Euro, about $180 bucks for 8 days) if you can get a very cheap airfare from the states or live in Europe. This is the first year they’ve done it and it filled up with 30 triathletes, most of whom are serious age-groupers doing a summer Ironman somewhere. Good coaches, fairly challenging schedule, some very fast age-groupers and a few pros in the mix (Jody Swallow joined the fast group today for the 5 hour bike ride). Nothing much to do here on Lanzarote other than the triathlete mantra -- eat, swim, bike, run, and sleep/repeat following day. And the wind here gives you very good resistance training – today, Day 4, was the first day the wind was not howling at least 20-25 knots steady. Oh, and there’s a lot of European hardbody athletes walking around doing everything from swim team training to track and field. Francois, I have yet to see the topless girls doing 100s in the pool on the 1:30 but I’m keeping my eyes open. Now for that I may take some photographic evidence.



FIST Certified Fitter
Salt Lake City, Utah
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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I like Softrides but the mechanical issues associatied with the beam, especially during travel, have been a source of frustration.

I've always said they need to charge an extra $700 for the bike and just make some kind of super nice, very durable machined clmap system that is durable and strong. If they had that, I'd sell more.

Tom Demerly
The Tri Shop.com
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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Not softride related....but, am interested to hear more about the camp - in particular the coaching. What kind of swim (video, technique?), bike (fit?), or run coaching is there? or is it pretty much turning up and doing what you're told with no feedback. It sounds like the days are pretty busy - what kind of mileage are we talking?

tom




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Searching for the bliss of ultimate exertion.
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [callidus] [ In reply to ]
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No swim video, but the coaches have been giving pointers here and there especially to the slow lane. No real technique discussions for the bike and run either -- I think it's pretty well assumed if you're doing the camp you don't need advice unless you ask for it (and the coaches will be happy to give you it). The milage is pretty good -- usually the bike rides split up into 3 or 4 groups and the fast group is as fast as you would want it -- unless you're a male pro cyclist or triathete. Yesterday the fast group did a 85 mile ride on the Lanzarote bike course, fairly windy, at an average speed of 17.7 mph. Today we did a morning run of 24 km, followed after lunch by another fairly hard (hilly and windy of course) 2 hour bike ride. Then there's a late afternoon swim session. I'd say there's enough milage for just about anyone -- haven't heard any complaints!



FIST Certified Fitter
Salt Lake City, Utah
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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Do you have contact information for this camp?
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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It sounds as if you are saying that the beam is up but the seat clamp is sliding down.

Are you sure you tightened the upper and lower allen screws? sometimes the alloy pieces holding the upper side of the clamp and the saddle will crack and need to be replaced. Try PMing Adam at softride.

I keep an extra pair of those with me on trips, etc.

_________________
Dick

Take everything I say with a grain of salt. I know nothing.
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [Richard R] [ In reply to ]
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Here you go: http://www.clublasanta.com/...ler/Triathlon_UK.pdf

Looks good.




------------------------------------------------------------
Searching for the bliss of ultimate exertion.
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [docfuel] [ In reply to ]
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No, it's not a seat issue -- I wish it was. What has slipped is the clamp on the beam which connects it to the frame -- I couldn't believe it. I just wonder how common this problem is...
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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god, you leave Hawaii home of the blistering hot and windy lava fields and then where do you go, Lanzarote. I think you miss it out here. Granted we definetely don't have topless women doing 100s at our pool but with the world cup we had here last weekend there are a few danes and lots of euros out here lately. Two Hawaii boys raced btw, Tim and Matt both did the pro race and did fairly well. Anyways, enjoy the camp, sounds like a blast, I'm jealous. Tell T hi for both C and I. C is bumming recently, stress fractures from too much running. Her air cast is off soon though and then she'll have to decide if she wants to get back into this insane tri world again;) Jimmy, Tim, Will and I are headed for Wildflower next week so maybe we'll get out topless cheering section there!
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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Sorry to hear about your problem. Beam issues is the primary reason I sold my rocket for a TitanFlex. As you are probably aware, there is a detailed beam pivot procedure on the Softride site that must be followed exactly to avoid the problem you are having. You need to have the right loctite and a torque wrench, plus a fair amount of patience. If you follow the procedure exactly, you should be ok. Good luck.
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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It sounds like the rubber that surrounds the beam is de-laminating. This happened to my Rocketwing and was a problem on the Rockets a few years ago. Softride had a bad batch of beams that eventually de-laminated and slid. Unfortunately, I don't think there is any fix other than replacing the beam assembly. Softride was very good about taking care of it, but that probably isn't going to do you very much good unless there happens to be a SR dealer around or a spare bike somewhere you can borrow the beam from.

Sorry for the bad news.

Haim

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"Sometimes you need to think INSIDE the box!" -- ME
"Why squirrel hate me?"
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [Haim] [ In reply to ]
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Thanks for the explanation -- that makes sense. No worries, I just checked out a Cannondale bike from La Santa and that was fine. Softride has already contacted me and I'm sure I'll get a new beam from them.

Marty
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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Marty,

Do a search on this forum with "softride" as the search criteria. I think the thread was about replacing a softride beam. Easy to do. Follow the maintenance on Softrides website. I've never had a problem. It's not complicated. Do not grease the tapers of the pins or your frame, just the internal mechanism

Place a permanent mark with a gold, silver, or white sharpie marker on your frame and the lower adjustment assembly. If it is going loose in this area you'll notice the mark is now not lined up.

If the marks remain in-line then it's most likely another problem.

ShaRRky
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [ssn759co] [ In reply to ]
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I was there last month for the traditional few weeks before the spped training starts. Is Ben Price coaching on your camp?







"Language most shows a man: Speak, that I may see thee. It springs out of the most retired and inmost parts of us, and is the image of the parents of it, the mind. No glass so mirrors a man's form or likeness so true as his speech." - Ben Jonson, Timber, or Discoveries made upon Men and Matter.
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Re: Softride slippage in Lanzarote! [GBJ] [ In reply to ]
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Yep, Ben was here, left this morning for San Croix. Steffen Liebetrau and Silke Heinrichs were also coaching. Pretty experienced coaching staff, very friendly and open as well.
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