(distorted rumbling)
- Hello there, and welcome to the GCN Tech Clinic.
Now, unfortunately, Jon passed away last week.
So he's..., only kidding,
he's actually at the Tour Down Under in Australia,
busy getting exciting tech content.
So, in the meantime, I'm here
to answer all of your tech questions.
which you can submit using the hashtag #askgcntech.
But without further ado, let's get going.
So the first question is from Mark Nangreave, who asks,
"Hi GCN.
"I am running Shimano 105 R5800 with cable discs."
Now, he wants to change to hydraulic brakes.
"Can I upgrade to 105 R7020 calipers and levers only,
"and keep the rest as R5800?"
Or does he have to upgrade the whole group setup?
"And please are there any internal frame routing problems
"with changing from cable to hydraulic brakes?
"Thank you Mark."
Well, hi, Mark, I was sure that it would work
because all,
it's all 11-speed, but I just thought we'd check
the Shimano product compatibility chart,
and good news, it will.
So, go ahead, and get the new levers and calipers
and it all should be fine.
You don't have to get the whole new group set.
Next question is from S loren, who says,
"Hi.
"Love the show.
"I recently moved in at my own apartment, and now
"I no longer have easy access to my dad's garage
"Well, beyond the standard tools, what would you need
"to virtually do all maintenance on your bike by yourself?
"Basically, what are the tools you can't live without?"
Well, I'd say the first thing is a decent set
of Allen keys or hex wrenches, if you live in America,
and also a torque wrench as well,
so that you can correctly torque up the bolts
on your bike, because that's quite important.
You don't wanna crack any seat tubes or carbon parts
on your bike, and another tool that I think
is particularly important if you've got a Shimano bike,
is the little Shimano lock ring tool
for your Hollowtech chain set,
so that you can get your chain set on and off, but yeah.
I would say they're the most essential items.
Next question is from David race, who says,
"I have a track Madone 5.9 running di2 10-speed,
"but I'd like to upgrade to 11-speed.
"I enjoy bargain hunting on the Internet,
"and can get some levers and front and rear deraileiers
"for a bargain.
"I've already upgraded the front chain rings and cranks
"to Ultegra R8000, and may need a cassette and chain.
"But will I be able to use the existing battery and wires
"or will I need to upgrade those too?
"Many thanks, Dave D Power Race,
from Bradford Cycling Club."
Good part of the world, David,
in Yorkshire, and a man after my own heart,
in that you like a good bargain, nice.
So, as long as you've not got the original version
of di2, so the 7970, you'll be fine
to use the existing battery and cables.
Hope that answers your question.
Next up, we have a question from mathie92, who says,
"Is it true that you can convert a 2x11 drivetrain
"to a 1x11 drivetrain just by putting
"a single chainring on the front
"instead of the dual chainrings it originally has
"or are there other changes you need to make?'
Well, it is totally true that you can do that,
as answer to your question, and it's something
that I've done myself and Jon has done
in a GCN Tech video as well.
But there is a caveat, and that is that when I did this,
I was building a hill climb bike,
and the front chainring I put on was a narrow-wide chainring
and the reason for this is that with a single chainring
and no front derailleur, you're at an increased risk
of dropping your chain, especially when you're running
right across the block at the back,
so, a narrow-wide chainring has slightly higher teeth on it
to help grip the chain holder in place.
For you, I would advise you do that,
but the most important thing is the clutch mechanism
at the back, and there are actually a few rear
mechs out there, they're designed for one by
groups at groups at.
And the biggest difference with them, is
that clutch mechanism on the rear mech,
that keeps the chain tension.
Next question is from edononewheel, who says
"Hi GCN, I'm looking to get a new bike for 2019,
"specifically a Canyon CS SL 7 disc."
Good choice.
"I'm planning on swapping out the the groupset
"for an eTap groupset at some point in the future,
"and I'm wondering if the fact that this frameset was
"designed for a mechanical groupset,
"and not an electronical groupset, will be an issue.
"Will I simply have some unused holes in the frame
due to less cabling? Cheers!"
Well, yes, like you say, that will be the case
with unused holes in the frame.
If you are really bothered about them,
well then you can cover them up with some electrical tape.
That will also prevent water getting in them, too.
But yeah, it's not the end of the world.
The next question is from Ex-Laruaminati.
Who says, "How big of a deal is it to change from
"a 140mm to a 160mm disc?"
He's referring to disc brake rotators.
He's looking at a new bikie that has Ultergra 140mm
rotators on the front and he would like to change it to 160.
Is it possible or practical?
Yup, it's really easy to do if you got flat mount
disc brake calipers, which they should be, on that bike.
They simply allow you to unscrew them with an Allen key
or hex wrench, and then you can slide the caliper
up and down to the desired width of the rotator.
It's really easy.
Next question is from Jack Badwin.
Who says, "Hi Jon.
" I have a trek emonda from 2019, ALR 5."
And he'd like to upgrade the wheelset.
Now, it's a rim brake version, and he was thinking about
buying a front and rear DT Swiss 240 hubs.
"Do you think that these would be too good for the bike?"
Absolutely not.
They'd be brilliant for the bike.
Wheels, is one of the best upgrades
you could make to any bike.
And 240 hubs are an excellent choice.
I've got a pair of 240 hubs.
Well, there really old now, about seven years old.
I think that Jon's got a pair that are 20 years old.
And they're still going strong.
One of the great things about the 240 hub,
is you can service it at home, with next to no tools.
So, yup, I think you should absolutely go for it.
Next we have a question from Erwan Lacoste.
He says, "Hi Jon.
"Thanks for all the good advice.
"I have a thru axle wheel with disc brakes.
"How do I know how much torque I should put
"when tying them up?
"I realize that on that on the back,
"one side of the break pads wears much faster,
"as I tend to screw the axle hard,
"making the disc slightly uncentered. Any tips?"
Well, nice question.
And like much things, in cycling tech,
there is no one size fits all answer.
The first port of call would be to check the manufacturer.
But failing that, 10mm should be okay,
on virtually all circumstances.
But don't quote me on that.
As regards to the uneven wear on your brake pads,
well, the first thing to make sure,
is that your pistons are freely moving.
And also the caliper is centered.
If it's not, you may need to readjust,
and realign the calipers lightly.
Daniel Moorhouse now, and he asks,
"Hi, I would like a disc brake bike for next year's winter.
"And we prefer a carbon frame.
"Is there a huge difference in reliability or durability
"between a threaded bottom bracket and a press fit.
"And if so, should I be looking at the aluminum
"version for winter?"
Well, we're going to open a massive can
of cycling worms here.
Some people have big problems with the reliability of
press fit bottom brackets.
While others, use them without any issues at all.
Personally, I haven't had any big issues or problems
with creaking with press fit bottom brackets
for well, the last few years to be honest.
But, I guess that's famous last words.
Although you shouldn't have any problems if the
bottom bracket shell is perfectly cylindrical.
But, I have to admit that there is something very
appealing about threaded bottom bracket.
And many of us still dream that they were fitted
standard on many bikes,
because they do tend to work very well,
and they're very very reliable.
They are a little bit heavier.
That's something to bear in mind.
And also, threaded bottom brackets kind of a disadvantage
with regards to chainsets if you want to run an
oversized diameter axle or chainset spindle,
as the bottom, as the bearings tend to be smaller diameter.
And this can also mean that they can wear out
a little bit faster too.
But, yeah, it's hard for me to say,
as it depends on the bike, but it's definitely very
good reliability.
If I was building the ultimate apocalypsee bike,
I'd probably put a threaded bottom bracket on it.
Reny Vas has a question now.
"Hey Jon.
"Love the show.
"I was recently given a specialized s-works aerobar,
"and had it installed on my bike, and the bar tape stops
"right behind the hoods.
"I'm not used to having bar tape all around the bar tops,
"and now when I ride, and put my hands on the tops,
"I feel my hands slide even with gloves.
"My question is, besides taping the tops, is there anything
"I can do to feel like I have some grip on the tops?
"Thanks and looking forward to your answer
"Happy new year."
Reny, I've got the solution for you.
And its actually something that our very own
Jon Travolta, Chris Opie, uses on his bike.
And you can get a small section of grip tape,
like the kind of skateboard tape, that you see
skateboarders use on their skateboards.
And you can stick a small section of that,
on the top of your handlebars,
so that you can sort of...He uses it for his forearms,
but you can also use it for your hands, as well.
But, be aware, this can wear through
your gloves or your skin.
Tony Martin, actually used, the German time trialist,
a former world champion, used to put this on his saddle,
to help him stay in position.
And he famously wore through his shorts
in the world championships a few years ago.
So, yeah, just watch out,
but yeah, you can do that.
We have a question from Scott Tomkinson now who says,
"Hi GCN, here's a question for Mr. Travolta,
"a fellow Cornishman.
"In my last year of racing I purchased the
"Sram Etap groupo set when it first launched."
The question is,
"How often do you need to change the coin cell batteries
in the shifters?
"And will it provide any warning, as I fear that I'll be out
"riding and unable to shift.
"And secondly, the shifter batteries rattle around a bit,
"which is a bit annoying on bumpy Cornish roads.
"Can you advise if it's okay to secure the battery
"with a dab of silicone or tape, etc.?"
Well, Hi Scott.
I did consult Chris Opie, a.k.a. Jon Travolta, about this.
And it turns out, you two are mates.
His answer was rather harsh.
He said, " the amount you ride, Scott,
"well, it will last a lifetime."
In all seriousness, it does depend on the amount
that you use them.
But there are warning lights to tell you, roughly,
how much battery you have.
So these are like on the inside of the shifter lever,
and they flash when you change gear, or press the shifter.
If its green, you are fine.
If it's red, you are okay,
and if it's flashing red, well,
then you need to change your batteries.
And lastly, it terms of securing them,
yeah, a little bit of electrical tape can be used
if you are worried about them rattling or coming lose.
That should be absolutely fine.
The last question is from Ian Brewer, who says,
"My bike has 11 speed Shimano 105 shifters,
"front mech and rear mech 10 speed Tiagra cassette
"chain and chainset.
"If I wanted to upgrade to 11 speed, would it be
"as simple as just getting an 11 speed cassette and chain?"
Well, Ian, yes it would.
New chain, new cassette, and you'll be ready to ride.
That's it for this week, thank you very much
for all your questions, and keep them coming.
Using the hash tag #askgcntech in
the comments section down below.
Hope you found this useful, and if you would
like to grab a bargain, and want to head over to
GCN shop, because we've got 40% off
on some items at the moment.
And if you would like to watch another video,
then you can click down here, for the 2019 world tour
bikes guide, which Jon has just shot out in Australia,
of the Tour Down Under.
Some very tasty paint jobs this year.
So, be sure to check it out.