Wickwërks Chainring upgrade (and mod)

I love spending money on bike shit. Jesus, If I rode a mike for every dollar I spent, it would be a phenominal amount of miles. 

So, when Paul crushed me, among other things that occured to me (lose weight, htfu, buy aero wheels), was that I’d been eager to try Wickwërks chainrings. 

I ordered the 50/34 set for my 5-arm SRAM Force crankset, only to find out they didn’t fit! The chain keeper pin was too long, argh!

So, I did want anyone else who just spent $170 on a set of custom-machined chainrings would do: I got out the file and went to work. 



Perfect fit, even managed a reasonable radius to match the crankarm. 


Heh. 

Teravail Galena 32c tubeless setup

Not the easiest tubeless tire to set up on a Velocity A23 with two turns of Stan’s tape. They went on too easily, and required quite a bit of the irish (remove stem cores and slam them with a shop compressor) to get the beads seated.  

Each tire has 30 ml of Orange Seal and the sidewalls seem to be pretty porous, as evidenced by the soapy bubbles ;). 

Originally, these were intended to be on my 2nd gen Salsa Colossal, but at a reliable 34mm measured width on both a HED C2+ and a Velocity A23, they wouldn’t comfortably fit. Now, they will ride on my Campagnolo-equipped Soma ES road+ bike, which has a bit more room. 

Crushed

Friday, after work, I rode with a co-worker who is better equipped, more fit, younger, and 70lbs lighter than I am. 

I rolled out on a 10.5kg steel road bike with a leather saddle, and he rolls out with a BMC Road Machine on HED Stinger wheels. 

You’re killing me, Paul. 


Next ride, I’ll take my Colossal. Not any lighter, but a bit more pro. I’ve been riding this bike on the trainer, in a vain attempt at building some fitness before Land Run 100. Which, naturally, got me to thinking about changes.

Some things, like the lever position on the bars, are things I never got right during the rebuild. Others, like the Wickwerks chainrings, are because SRAM front shifts suck butt. 

Rides I want to do: Amtrak 2 day gravel road rando

Amtrak 2 day gravel road rando

2 nights, 2 days Amtrak Lincoln (LNK) to Holdrege (HLD) ($36.00 one-way) load bicycle on train, arrive in Holdrege at 03:00, nap, have  breakfast, and depart at first light. Ride 81 miles to Twin Oaks Motel in Clay Center, NE on Day 1, ride 88 miles to Lincoln on Day 2.

I’d pop my Salsa Colossal onto the train in Lincoln, and stuff a little gear into a bag, and ride back home on gravel and paved roads.

 

**update** this wont work, Amtrak loads bicycles as luggage, which is available in Lincoln, but unloading luggage is not available in Holdrege. I had an opportunity to speak with the conductor in Lincoln about this. Damn.