Hi Folks,
I'm just returning to cycling after a variety of car accidents/and years of wine women and song (and have spent a fair sum on a nice second hand bike with Durace Ace). I'm as much of a gadget and gear weenie as the next guy but ultimately. Isn't all of this a tad academic.
I mean unless you happen to be in the top 1% or 2% of cyclists out there is the flex going to make much difference once you've got to all carbon/top of the range alu and other exotic materials? Is the flex in Campy v's the flex in Shimano or somethig else really going to make a difference. If you're doing a long ride I would have thought that a little flex might be good for fatigue purposes in terms of taking some road shock fatigue out of the equation (which presumably could have an equally beneficial effect on performance). Likewise takign a slightly different line in the road avoiding some minor crack or bump could also have an effect.
I can't see that 1 mil of deflection on a crank is going to make the difference between me getting up the next hill and not. If I was Lance on the other hand and I had a fit Ullrich or Rasmussen next to me then pyschologically speaking it might make a difference.
Having said that I'm asking not telling so am interested to hear thoughts.
Oh and nearly forgot as this thread satrted out on the new Shimano carbon cranks personally I like the way they look but wish they didn't have Durace Ace plastered down the crank arm (looks tacky). Less is more.
My cranks say Time ASX and are in no way needing replacement (damn I'll have to wait ;->)
and I can't help but notice that
I'm just returning to cycling after a variety of car accidents/and years of wine women and song (and have spent a fair sum on a nice second hand bike with Durace Ace). I'm as much of a gadget and gear weenie as the next guy but ultimately. Isn't all of this a tad academic.
I mean unless you happen to be in the top 1% or 2% of cyclists out there is the flex going to make much difference once you've got to all carbon/top of the range alu and other exotic materials? Is the flex in Campy v's the flex in Shimano or somethig else really going to make a difference. If you're doing a long ride I would have thought that a little flex might be good for fatigue purposes in terms of taking some road shock fatigue out of the equation (which presumably could have an equally beneficial effect on performance). Likewise takign a slightly different line in the road avoiding some minor crack or bump could also have an effect.
I can't see that 1 mil of deflection on a crank is going to make the difference between me getting up the next hill and not. If I was Lance on the other hand and I had a fit Ullrich or Rasmussen next to me then pyschologically speaking it might make a difference.
Having said that I'm asking not telling so am interested to hear thoughts.
Oh and nearly forgot as this thread satrted out on the new Shimano carbon cranks personally I like the way they look but wish they didn't have Durace Ace plastered down the crank arm (looks tacky). Less is more.
My cranks say Time ASX and are in no way needing replacement (damn I'll have to wait ;->)
and I can't help but notice that
sideshow_bob said:it's not only insignificant, it's also a single data point that is measured perpendicular to the crank axis on a jig.
a) the flex may or may not be linear as a function of force (or more accurately is probably linear over a range though the resulting slope will be different for different materials) applied, a single data point tells you exactly nothing.
b) the force is applied in a direction that generally doesn't see any significant force applied in a pedalling action, unless maybe you are sprinting and thowing the bike around between + and - 45 degrees from the perpendicular plane.
it's a marketing experiment nothing more and nothing less.
--brett