Drivechain - Shimano XTR and SRAM XX1 Mash-up!

Some more drive chain detail.

Yes, the XTR mech works flawlessly with the XX1 cassette straight out of the box. I did notice the larger jumps of the SRAM cassette, but I hope it is worth it for the extra ratios. SRAM XX1 offers eleven gears ranging from 10-42 compared to 11-40 from Shimano.

I've been running Rotor Q-Rings for a couple of years. As you can tell from the wear on the cranks! Totally convinced they help me stay on top of a harder gear and spin up the climbs. Haven't found a lighter solution than the Specialised crank with Rotor spider and 32t ring. I run 170mm cranks.

I-Spec shifter uses the same clamp as the brake, really tidying up the handlebar. I do need to re-bleed the brakes as my first attempt didn't work.

S-Works Stumpjumper HT - First Ride Impressions

First ride this morning on the new S-Works Stumpy. Initial impression was "Whoa this thing is fast!" The next thing to hit me was how the XTR gears are almost telepathic. The Shimano mech and shifters work perfectly with the XX1 cassette.

Unfortunately I then realised that my first attempt to bleed the brakes after shortening the cables had not been so successful.
 
Handling is nice and direct and it was noticable how comfortable the ride was.

S-Works Stumpjumper 2015 Build

New build ready to start.

Frame: S-Works Stumpjumper
Fork: Rock Shox SID Brain
Wheels: Light Bicycles Rims / Stans 3.30 Hubs
Shifter: XTR M9000
Mech: XTR M9000
Cassette: XX1
Brakes: XTR M9000
Rotors: KCNC
Saddle: Specialized Romin
Seatpost: Specialized
Stem: Ritchey WCS
Bar: S-Works
Crankset: S-Works 32t Rotor Q-Ring
Pedals: Eggbeater 3

Staying Close to Home

This weeks blog was going to be a race report from round 2 of the Gorrick spring series at Crowthorne. However, Mrs Connor is not very well, so instead I spent the morning changing nappies and playing trains! Due to the generosity of a friend who took the young man off my hands for a few hours, I was still able to get out for some quality trail time.
 

This was my first local off-road ride of the winter and it felt great to be exploring familar routes again after months of road training rides. I set out to get in some decent climbing, which I've felt has been missing from my riding recently. Not the short, sharp climbs that we get at races, but the longer 5 to 10 minute gradual hauls you find around the South Downs. 

Boy I needed the practise, as it was hard work! 950m of thigh burning climbing was made that much harder because the 9 speed road cassette I was running only had a biggest sprocket of 28 instead of the 36 I'm used too! Conditions were pretty dry so at least I didn't have mud to contend with.

It wasn't just the uphills that were challenging. I'd forgetten how unforgiving riding with rigid forks was. I was suffering badly from arm pump, made worse since I spent much of yesterday trimming the hedges at home!

I am sure I could feel some heat from the sun as I glided over Kingley Vale, which made a very welcome change after a week of snowy and icy commuting. So although I didn't race I really enjoyed my day in the sunshine, it should prove to be good training for year ahead and it was great to have my first local trail ride of 2015.

Nine Years!

Gorrick 2006

 

January 2007 - Shorts!

Southern XC - 2008

National Marathon Champs - 2009

Chichester Challenge - 2010

Gorrick 100 - 2011

Gorrick - 2012

Erlestoke - 2013

2014

Masters Category Axed for 2015

Quote from British Cycling:
“There are one or two changes to the (British National) series in 2015, principally the absence of a separate category for masters.”

In summary riders aged 30-39 now fall back into the ability based classification system of Sport/Expert/Elite. “The Commission has felt for some time that riders of masters age (30-39 years) are still competitive in the ability based categories”, a British Cycling spokesman said. 

While this is undoubtedly true for the leading Masters, riders like myself are now plunged into a Sport category field undoubtedly swollen as a consequence of the merger. 10th or 15th Master in the country sounded pretty good and achieving this goal was something to strive for. I am not inspired by a national Sport ranking.

There may still be a Masters category at the National Championsips in Essex, which is good because I have unfinished business at Hadleigh farm. Two years ago I crashed while practicing the course on the Saturday, breaking two ribs, so was looking forward to actually racing at the London 2012 Olympic venue.

I’ll admit as a 37 year old this news has come as a bit of a blow to my motivation for the year ahead. The recently released Southern XC venues and dates had inspired me to target series points. Some readjustment will now be necessary to my plans and goals for 2015. Perhaps this even means moving my focus purely to the longer marathon races before turning 40 in a few seasons. It might also be an opportunity to focus on personal cycling goals outside of racing.

Happy 3rd Birthday Miss Madone!

My Trek Madone is celebrating becoming my most travelled bike! The first commute of the new year took it beyond the 14,000 mile mark and it is still going strong.

I bought the bike from South Downs Bikes in Goring at the end of January 2012. Averaging 400 miles a month it has stood the test of time and is still ferrying me backwards and forwards to work 3 or 4 times a week; plus holding its own during regular weekend social rides. It has dabbled with timetrials, a road race, several Sportives and century rides. It’s tackled local roads as well as trips to Tenerife and France. Admittedly apart from the frame a lot of components have been replaced or upgraded, but the heart of the bike is the same. Amazingly the original bottom bracket is still going strong, despite fording floods and swollen rivers several times over the years. 

Back from another evening commute!

The Madone was one of those bikes that just felt immediately ‘right’. Even a professional bike fit only subtley tweaked the set-up by a few millimetres.  As much as I love riding it, truth be told I can’t bring myself to spend money on what I view as the commuting bike. Although the Shimano 105 groupset has just about survived intact as parts wore out and were replaced, the wheels are a very cheap and equally heavy (robust!) pair of Campagnolo CX’s. The contact points match the mountain bike, so Eggbeater pedals and a Specialized Romin saddle, which just seems to suit me perfectly. The bike fit did move me to a longer stem and lower bar height, leaving the Madone feeling like an old comfy slipper, getting on with the job of efficiently moving me from A to B.

The Trek is beginning to look its age, with a scuffs from mudguards on the seatstays and cable rub marks around the top of the forks. When it does finally come time to say goodbye a switch to disc brakes is about all I’d want to really change.