I hadn’t planned to ride them every day. In fact, I had planned to only ride them once and let other people ride them. But, genius that I am, I forgot my ceramic brake pads and had to source some new ones which was a maddeningly difficult process given that Europe observes something in the neighborhood of 363 holidays per year.
I was more than a little apprehensive, to be honest, of riding a lightweight set of carbon wheels down the cobbles of Paris-Roubaix – let alone on three separate occasions and two days on the kasseien of Vlaanderen. At long last, I got my hands on some brake pads, but then my hopes of riding my Golden Tickets died with the harp hiss emitting from Stefano Museeuw’s back when when he took my FMB-clad Nemisis through a hole big enough to lose him in. One thing for sure, the young talent has the “Look Pro Stop at the Side of the Road in Disgust” nailed. I suppose it helps when you’ve got the Lion of Flanders as your dad and mentor.
But truth be told, the Cafe Roubaix Arenberg wheels were amazing to ride, especially on the tarmac. On the cobbles, they were noticeably less compliant than my box-rim tubs, but they more than made up for it in speed and featheriness on the tarmac bits. And that is the element we so often overlook about Roubaix: we identify so heavily with the 50km of Pavé, but we so easily forget there are 200km of tarmac to deal with as well – which is why Museeuw ultimately lost to Tchmil aboard his ill-fated Bianchi “Throne”. When judging a wheel, all these aspects must be weighed against one another.
One thing of note, however, is that on the roughest secteurs of pavé – in particular the Trenchée and Carrefour – I found it more difficult to discover my rhythm than I did last year. Could it be that the lightweight wheels bounced too much and spent too much time going up rather than forward? I find that notion easier to digest than the notion that there was something amiss with my riding.
I proclaim this knowing full well the wrath I’m sure to receive: even for the enthusiast, the carbon wheel is the future for every discipline of cycling. While my Ambrossios are much more lovable in terms of nostalgia and good-old-fashioned hardman looks, the strength and stiffness of the Roubaixs outmatched the classic box-rim of the Nemesis in every respect from weight all the way down to trueness. On the other hand, three-cross bladed spokes on a deep-dish rim are a real bitch in a Flemish crosswind.
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@eightzero
I'm not worthy to comment on such matters, but I confess that I'm running white tape and black hoods at the moment.
That vid got right to my gut. There was a brief period, a couple of years is all, in the late 80s when I rode with a university club and we had a regular group that managed a brisk and lubricious paceline. I miss that experience so much. To me it's the essence of road riding. Now I'm riding again, and it appears that there's no one living anywhere in this howling wilderness of the Olympic Peninsula who seems interested.
@frank
In'sha Merckx that will happen some time. Meanwhile I'll happily continue talking out of my arse. BTW: a shimmed seat post? I thought you had standards.
@PeakInTwoYears
With ya. Love the feeling of going far and fast. Done right it is the easiest miles you'll ever do. But I fear those ad-hoc pace lines I see in club rides. Examine the riders around you. Add up the Rule violations. If excessive, let them go. Odds are you see one again soon. In the ditch, blood, broken bits. Not good.
Enjoy the ride. Save the pacelines for a Cogal.
@eightzero
This should actually be a Rule: never, ever, pay MSRP. Yes I race, and as an added bonus, I'm one of the DS's of a very well funded and sponsored team. That said, I paid ~$700, with tyres, for the Reynolds. The trick is to get connected to your local race website (they all have one), and buy high $$ stuff used. Racers generally know that they can't pawn off shitty gear to other racers for top dollar. So if you're careful, and inspect before you buy, you can get great deals. I went from compact SRAM Rival to Dura-ace that way, and ended up making $100 on the deal.
@eightzero Speaking of which, don't ride with riders wearing skiing gloves when the temperature is in the teens. Was riding behind one genius on a Sunday morning bunch ride, who was brushing his rear wheel with his hand inside the rear triangle when the glove got snagged and got the hand jammed between the wheel and the seat-tube. He nearly rode out of it, till he grabbed a handful of brake with his other hand. and went over the bars. In the middle of the bunch.
No ski gloves. Evar.
@minion
My tabby cat (a Downton Tabby), who is sitting in my lap, read your post and said, "Raahhr." Which is Tabby for "Who the fuck would ride with such fucking idiots in the first place?"
It's my cat, I say.
Hi Frank,
Great post. I like your bike as well. I too have a Cervelo R3 (2009) but in white. Did you lift you saddle up just for the photo or do you always have that much seat post showing?
Keep up the good work.
TWS
@PeakInTwoYears Gah the Sunday morning rides are usually a steady cruise on the way out and the hammer gets dropped on the way in. You usually just sit and chat on the way out, but it's always the usual suspects lighting it up on the way home, by which time the fodder's OTA. Unless they shove their fucking hand between the wheel and the frame, in which case they're OTA a lot earlier than that.
You have a very perceptive cat.
Ok, here's my 2c.
If you have about $6-700. to spend, carbon wheelsets can be had from fleabay. I have as a test purchased some 60mm carbon wheels from a seller in Thailand to replace some aluminium training wheels damaged in a car altercation.
The main this I looked out for was to get Novatec hubs as my pricier carbon wheels have re-badged Novatecs and they roll amazingly well.
I must say that I'm very impressed with the Thai wheels thus far, so much so that I'll be racing the cross season on them and also I'll be getting a set of 32mm carbon fixed for my track bike build.
@minion
She was just being petulant because she knows I'd kill for a proper group to ride with. Love riding with the VMH and enjoy the weekly mtb group, but never a paceline in sight in these uncivilized parts.