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Message started by goatstick on Aug 13^th, 2009, 5:31pm

Title: Almost
Post by goatstick on Aug 13^th, 2009, 5:31pm

After my first ride on the CA2, I had a fuzzy goal of hitting 40mph flat ground with no tailwind someday. Today some friends and I did a S L O W century ride up to New Braunfels and back. On the way back I was a little tired of going so slowly so had pulled over to let them pass and get a ways down the road. Then I pulled out, cranked up to a little over 30 on a slight downhill and when the road flattened out I hammered. Hit 39.2mph flat ground no tailwind! Admittedly I had a little help getting up over 30 but I held that speed for about a block before I had to back off. So yeah, I think 40mph flat ground will get done. At the start of the ride I was doing 37mph somewhat drafting in traffic through most of downtown Helotes, going just as fast as the rest of traffic there. And I thought the Corsa was a crazy, insane speed bike... :^)

Title: Re: Almost
Post by aikigreg on Aug 13^th, 2009, 9:13pm

Hey, give me a ring tomorrow. i talked to someone who had some good ideas for you to try and fix your other issues with the CA.

Title: Re: Almost
Post by goatstick on Aug 13^th, 2009, 9:38pm

Ok. Thanks. I pfutzed with the seat position and that helped some with the fit. I think I'll just have to grow into the bike the next few weeks as with most new bikes. just enough different from the Corsa to make my body go on the fritz. The chain idler location still causes a problem with long cage derailleurs and low gears but I tweaked the def hanger in (towards the bike) a tiny bit at the bottom and just a tad pointing out at the front and that has really helped, but it's a delicate balancing act to prevent the der idler pulley from making the chain skip and and allowing the gears to shift smoothly.

Title: Re: Almost
Post by FlyingLaZBoy on Aug 13^th, 2009, 11:15pm

That's definitely a fun goal, 40 on a flat!!! Go get 'em... fastest I ever got the Xstream was 37 on the ever-so-slight downhill approach back into Mesquite after a GDB club ride, where everyone uses it as a sprint zone anyway... I can only hit ~31 with the SXP... (without fairing or aerotrunk)

Which reminds me of something I mentioned to Brian at last Saturday's Plano ride:

* They refer to 'bents without fairing as "unfaired"... but since most DF riders consider riding a 'bent as ALREADY "unfair", wouldn't the addition of a fairing be "Even more unfaired"???? :D [smiley=dbanana.gif]

Title: Re: Almost
Post by goatstick on Aug 14^th, 2009, 9:01am

Yeah unfair'ed !!! :^) But as you say, add a fairing and it sure ought to be fair, but I don't think I'd want a fairing on the CA2. Maybe a tiny one that smoothed out airflow over my knees. Prevent the alternating wind buffeting that hits my face as the knees rise and fall. Just by tucking my knees together and pointing my shoes I can noticeably increase speed on a good downhill coast so maybe it'd be worth it to try to do something about that.

I need to try the CA2 without the Aeropod tailbox. It hangs down quite a bit over the rear tire even with the mods I made to lift it off the tire and I have a suspicion that creates more drag than without it. I hit 40mph flat ground on the Corsa *with* a tailwind twice but that was with my coroplast panniers which either gives a little thrust under the right conditions and/or smooths out the airflow across the underside of the seat and prevents much of the tailbox drag.

Or I need to design an aero tailbox for a laid-back seat, which is something I've threatened to do for almost a year now. The Aeropod is a pretty nice tailbox otherwise, which is what has kept me from getting too enthused about making one.

Title: Re: Almost
Post by jcsadowski on Aug 14^th, 2009, 11:33am

Quote:

The Aeropod is a pretty nice tailbox

Where did you get it? Angletech?

Title: Re: Almost
Post by goatstick on Aug 14^th, 2009, 12:12pm

Yes, Angletech Aeropod through Helotes Bicycle. I also have a Bacchetta BrainBox. My daughter used the BrainBox on our cross-country trips and I used the Aeropod. The Brainbox requires a more upright seat position or it will drag the rear tire pretty easily. The zipper works noticably better on the Brainbox. The little pouch on the side of the Aeropod is actually very, very handy. The Aeropod handles a 100oz water bladder but not nearly as nicely as the Brainbox handles a 70oz bladder. Both are pretty good products for slightly different needs, imo.

Title: Re: Almost
Post by jcsadowski on Aug 14^th, 2009, 2:01pm

I have a brain box on mine but I didn't think I would be able to get a 70 oz bladder in it.

Now that I have the headrest I plan on gradually lowering the seat. I may need to get the Aeropod. Or something like it.

Title: Re: Almost
Post by goatstick on Aug 14^th, 2009, 3:23pm

Hydrapak 70 oz fits nicely in the Brainbox. It's fatter and shorter than most though I prefer the bitevalve off of my Deuter.

Stay with the BrainBox as long as you can. Even with the Aeropod I had to rig it and my headrest to support it so it wouldn't rub the rear tire. It does stand up a tiny bit higher. If that wasn't the case, I'd go with the Brainbox as it's generally easier to use and I think a little more durable.

Title: Re: Almost
Post by jcsadowski on Aug 14^th, 2009, 3:57pm

I will have to look at the Hydrapak 70 , I have camelbac and the 70 oz wont fit without serious carmming.

Title: Re: Almost
Post by goatstick on Aug 14^th, 2009, 4:36pm

Hydrapak has (or had?) two different types of openings: 1) you fold the opening over and seal it with velcro 2) some sort of plastic slide. Mine is #1 and it works pretty well. You can see (poorly) both types here http://www.spadout.com/p/hydrapak-50-reservoir/
I suspect the one I have isn't made anymore but I may be incorrect.