Tom,
I read a few days back that you are thinking of using a road bike for the Nice Triathlon. Could you share with us some of your thought processes regarding the bike you are going to use?
I have enjoyed reading your Colnago review (If you remember your Guru review inspired me to write a review as well). Why are you not considering taking the Colnago to France? Seems like the perfect place for Italian exotica.
Good luck in the race.
Pluto
I sold that Colnago a long time ago.
Right now it loks like I am going to use a Cervelo R2.5 (new version) with FSA Compact cranks and Campagnolo Record 10. The $64 questions is wheels. I’ve like to use tubular Zipp 303’s but I am a little concerned about a carbon braking surface on all those descents.
Have you ever used Corima (red) cork pads on carbon wheels? Use them, you’ll be fine.
Good suggestion. I’ll try that.
Campy makes compact cranks now as well. . . At least I know that their TDF riders can get them and I have heard that they are available to the general public. Why not go for the Full Monty?
The record compacts and the attendant front derailleurs are not available in the U.S. yet.
Have you been training on the R2.5? Any chance of you writing a review on it? That is what I have my eye on … if it fits, of course.
Well…
Doesn’t seem like getting them is an issue so why are you going to use the Zipp 303’s instead of the 404’s?
Any particular reason?
I don’t even have the bike yet. It shipped today. I am quite looking forward to it. I have wanted one for a long time.
I would like to write a review but I have been fiddling around with training, races, girlfriend and general bike business so I have been doing no writing.
I am going for absolute lightest possible rim weight since I will be spending a lot of time below 15 mph on the largest climb of the course, Col de Vonce (?). The damn thing is like a full-on Tour de France climb, prolly a small one by Tour standards, but massive by my standards.
The tallest mountain around here is Mt. Clemens.
Tom, I suspect you will be well below 10 mph on the Col de Vance, unless you are a Lessing like tri stud :-). As for wheels, use the lightest possible and personally, I would prefer to use clinchers. Nothing like descending for 30 min in the Maritime Alpes in 35 degree celsius, with smoking rims and visions of rolling a tubular like Joseba Beloki at 45 mph to make me want to go with clinchers :-). Good luck in Nice. You guys will have a blast.
Hmmmm, yeah, well…
Now you guys are scaring me. Really.
Ah, actually, I just realized:
The last time I raced in France was 1990. I hit a concrete telephone pole at 47 mph on a descent and got a concussion, broken tailbone and broken right arm in seven places.
What am I thinking!?!
Yikes… we are glad you are still with us and hope that you will continue to be. Please use the clincher rims like the Mavic Helium !
I thought he rolled the tire because of the crash, not that he crashed because of the tire.
**I have not done this race but I cycled the route six months ago and I had a similar perception as described by Francois. I think that compact cranks are a bit over the top for this course. I was fine with 53/39 - 12/25. I know some French people in Nice who tend to race using a 53/39 - 27/13. **
I also went for a few long runs around the Promenade des Anglais and I loved the section that goes over a small cliff and then down into the old port. Beautiful place.
hey Tom, I wouldn’t be so worried about the climbs, more the descents. I did Nice in 2001, and climbed really well, got to the downhill and thought I was nailing them…until I got passed by some absolutely crazy athletes. I felt badly about this, thinking I was a wuss only going 75k an hour, until I saw one of my overatkers go over an edge into a ravine…dunno what happened to him.
Watch the downs, maybe go over the course a few times before the race if you can.
6% grade is not hard, but Tom will want to “hold” back in anticipation of smoking to a sub 2:15 30K run split. Thus the statement that he should/will want to stay at 10 mph on the steeper climbs :-). Either way, good luck to Tom. Don’t know if Beloki rolled the Tubular due to the crash or crashed due to the rolled tub, but either way, I think a clincher would have stayed on…get a pair of Mavic Heliums !
Hello,
Frankly I feel safer on long hilly rides with tubulars(sp). If they are glued properly I don’t worry about rolling one. On a long straight decent I alternate braking between the front and back so either has a chance to cool. With clinchers I always picture a front puncture on a winding decent at 60 mph. No way to safely stop with the rim riding on the pavement. With a properly glued tubular you at least have a thick layer of rubber.
Shawn
PS Tom, If I’m not sure when Nice is, but on Memorial day their is the Mountains of Misery ride in W Virginia. Truly an awesome ride. Lots of climbing and twisty decending.