Help me! Road Bike Part Grades for Dummies

[alpinerabbit]

Thanks dear,

I was mainly commenting on "componentry vs. car nomenclature". Perhaps regular double is a tuned Ford Mustang, Triple is an SUV and compact double is... well I'm not that into cars. Something small that goes up mountains, anyway.

I am set on what I want - getting 50-34 / 12-28. Even better for the mountains I climb / the power I have compared to these ambitions - 36-26 would not be enough. I am not at all worried on the high end - 50 is peachy for me.
I disliked Shimano shifters so far because of the bug antennae-like wiring. Now I am getting Nokon cables and they just hide away. Almost like my old Campy.

[rij73]

What are Nokon cables? Do they make it possible to route shifting cables under the bar tape? That would be very

I'm loving the creative responses on this thread... FWIW, I went with 105 except for the R700 shifters (they are short reach for small hands and Ultegra-level) and the R700 compact crankset (also Ultegra level). These are 2007 parts. I think that for 2008 you can get a compact crank at any parts level.

[alpinerabbit]

Correct. These are cables or, more specifically housings that allow very sharp turns.



Fine German jewellery....

[rij73]

Correct. These are cables or, more specifically housings that allow very sharp turns.
Fine German jewellery....

Oooh... Very purty!

[sundial]

Speaking of 105's, Slipstream boys are using this. They chose 105's over Dura Ace so that their bikes were a legal weight.
Now I feel extra zoomy!

[rij73]

Speaking of 105's, Slipstream boys are using this. They chose 105's over Dura Ace so that their bikes were a legal weight.
Now I feel extra zoomy!

Seriously? That is completely bizarre... Why not just ride a heavier frame?

[sundial]

I dunno. Maybe they want to think outside the box.

[alpinerabbit]

Seriously? That is completely bizarre... Why not just ride a heavier frame?

Usually they would stick little lead pieces to the saddle.

[melissam]

Correct. These are cables or, more specifically housings that allow very sharp turns.



Fine German jewellery....

<Sigh> Just when you thought there was nothing left to buy for your bike...

[KnottedYet]

Hmmm, I'll refrain from remarking that Campy makes the whole slick-cable thing extraneous...

(oops, I said it! )

(oh, man, now I gotta find a pic of my Campy Athena and the "look Ma, no cables" effect for y'all)

[Idealmuse]

OK, so if 105's are basically what I want or better... what Campy level would that translate to do you think?

[KnottedYet]

Centaur?

[melissam]

Hmmm, I'll refrain from remarking that Campy makes the whole slick-cable thing extraneous...

(oops, I said it! )

I know, I know, but my bike came Shimano-equipped from the factory. At least the slick-cable thingy is a cheaper route than switching to Campy. Or upgrading to the new Shimano group that brings cable-routing back to the aerodynamic advances of the mid-80's.

-- Melissa (who's reminding herself that the problem isn't aerodynamic drag so much as an inefficient motor)

[KnottedYet]

MelissaM -

(me and my olde worlde Campy, we get up to 20 mph on a good day!)

[Beane]

I know, I know, but my bike came Shimano-equipped from the factory. At least the slick-cable thingy is a cheaper route than switching to Campy. Or upgrading to the new Shimano group that brings cable-routing back to the aerodynamic advances of the mid-80's.

-- Melissa (who's reminding herself that the problem isn't aerodynamic drag so much as an inefficient motor)

wait, so is shimano making new brifters that don't have two cables coming out of the tops of them (bug antennae effect) ?

p.s. ditto on the inefficient motor thing, but, (according to my DH-- so this may be a "DH fun fact") something like 80% of the work you do biking is fighting wind resistance.