Third Time's a Charm: Litespeed T3

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RyanH
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by RyanH

@ericoschmitt

If you start through this thread in the beginning you'd see that I've had nearly every boutique part on this build at one point. What's on it now is a culmination of 5 years experience with the lightest parts and what works as well as generally accepted heavy parts and what doesn't.

Brakes. I've had THM Fibulas which are the 2nd lightest brakes you can get. They had very good power but the tiniest bit of grit from rain would cause them to seize and not release. I then had eeBrakes on (I actually think I've had 3 pairs on this bike) but this time around I have been yearning for better braking after having been on 9100 brakes and Super Record for awhile. Super Record brakes are 235g all in with the tuned pad holders, only a 65g penalty over ee and they have better power, modulation and feel than ee.

Headset. I've told everyone this whenever I get a chance but do not buy the extralite upper, it will cut your fork over time. It wears a groove into the fork since they use a non clamping type collar that interfaces with the fork steerer. I have a Cane Creek Slamset which saves 22g over the CK upper and is probably only a 10g penalty over the extralite.

Powercordz Swift. LOL, no.

For the most part, there isn't a single component that I'd be willing to swap for something lighter on my bike. Maybe Schmolke Evo bars but other than that I'm pretty much maxed out on this bike as far as upgrades go.

by Weenie


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Nefarious86
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by Nefarious86

Function vs efames.... who have you become

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RyanH
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by RyanH

My top cap is clicking on my stem, has anyone else dealt with this and have a resolution? I want to say it's only happening with the Specialized stem (and yes, everything was torqued down correctly with a torque wrench).

Also, does anyone know if the new Campy black ano'd barrel adjusters are the same shape as the old? If so, how would I go about ordering that part?

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Not sure what you mean by your top cap?... you meant the top cap above your stem that sets the preload, or the top cover of your headset? Kind of assuming you mean the top cap above your stem. Well, there’s movement between parts somewhere thats causing it. Maybe a light smear of grease on the mating edges of the cap and stem or where any spacers meet might help, but if everything is locked down it’s hard to imagine where the click is coming from. How about your compression plug in the steertube?

Re the barrel adjusters, are you talking about the in-line cable adjuster for the front derailleur of actual barrel adjusters that screw into the cable stops on your frame? I didn’t even know there were “new” ones available.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ

RyanH
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by RyanH

Sorry, should have clarified.

Noise is definitely coming from the top cop (the one above the stem) as loosening it makes it go away. What is more or less concerning is that the only way for noise to happen is if there's movement and I don't feel like the stem should be moving.

Regarding the barrel adjuster, I meant the black brake cable adjusters on the new brakes.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Oh, the brake cable adjusters. You mean the 12sp Group version. Good luck in finding those as a separate item. I was laughed at when trying to get a complete brake set, separate from the whole group, at this time.

That stem is really light right? How much steertube do you have in the stem stack? All the way through. Is the top cap kind of light, thin and flimsy. Need I go on? Is the steertube carbon? If so, be very carful torquing down the stem as the edges can create stress risers on the steertube. Not sure of your stem’s design but those are things I pay particular attention to with lightweight materials around the steertube. Can you try a different too just to try to isolate where the tick actually is coming from. How do you know it’s definitely coming from the top cap itself.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ

RyanH
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by RyanH

It's 134g, which I'd put in the mid-weight category but the clicking happens with all top caps, even the FSA all in one. It could be just that the Specialized stem is poorly designed as I don't recall having the problem with the Pro Vibe stem or even, gasp, the 80g Ax stem.

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Calnago
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by Calnago

Hmmm... got me... hope there isn’t s crack somewhere. How about the compression ring at the headset and fork? Ok? Hard to say otherwise without being there. But ticks are annoying. Find it. And kill it!
Last edited by Calnago on Fri Jun 22, 2018 2:58 am, edited 1 time in total.
Colnago C64 - The Naked Build; Colnago C60 - PR99; Trek Koppenberg - Where Emonda and Domane Meet;
Unlinked Builds (searchable): Colnago C59 - 5 Years Later; Trek Emonda SL Campagnolo SR; Special Colnago EPQ

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themidge
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by themidge

Could it be your iLinks creaking? Mine do it and I thought it was a headset issue too, until I took off the bars and realised they made the same sound independently of the frame. Unless you aren't using I links anymore... :noidea:

glepore
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by glepore

Didn't you recently change the upper headset?
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

ericoschmitt
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by ericoschmitt

RyanH wrote:
Tue Jun 19, 2018 2:11 pm
@ericoschmitt

If you start through this thread in the beginning you'd see that I've had nearly every boutique part on this build at one point. What's on it now is a culmination of 5 years experience with the lightest parts and what works as well as generally accepted heavy parts and what doesn't.

Brakes. I've had THM Fibulas which are the 2nd lightest brakes you can get. They had very good power but the tiniest bit of grit from rain would cause them to seize and not release. I then had eeBrakes on (I actually think I've had 3 pairs on this bike) but this time around I have been yearning for better braking after having been on 9100 brakes and Super Record for awhile. Super Record brakes are 235g all in with the tuned pad holders, only a 65g penalty over ee and they have better power, modulation and feel than ee.

Headset. I've told everyone this whenever I get a chance but do not buy the extralite upper, it will cut your fork over time. It wears a groove into the fork since they use a non clamping type collar that interfaces with the fork steerer. I have a Cane Creek Slamset which saves 22g over the CK upper and is probably only a 10g penalty over the extralite.

Powercordz Swift. LOL, no.

For the most part, there isn't a single component that I'd be willing to swap for something lighter on my bike. Maybe Schmolke Evo bars but other than that I'm pretty much maxed out on this bike as far as upgrades go.
Sorry, I read the first couple pages and some 8 last ones.
Have you considered using better brake front, lighter rear? I usually use front most of the time for power, and rear only If I'm in despair mid corner and still have to brake. So power in the rear is not that important to me. Wheel will skid anyway if I brake hard.

Thank's for the tip about Extralite Upper. I was actually considering it over my Columbus Compass. Extralite Lower might not make sense to me since it saves only 9 grams I think. Had you actually used them and lost a fork because of it? But then I got Extralite expander and top cap, that saved me 40g over the Columbus expander and cap.

I haven't had Powercordz (yet), got Alligator I-Link which are steel inners, and the shift set weights the same as Powercordz. I was thinking about possibly changing the brake set for that, but then your comment... What's the deal, besides careful installing?

RyanH
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by RyanH

Since the Boras needed the rear tire replaced, I decided to redo my tire/wheel pairings so that it would be:

22mm Veloflex Extreme on LW Gips
25mm Veloflex Arenberg on Bora 35s
27mm Veloflex Vlaanderen on Nemesis

I fortunately did not have an issue with the Vlaanderen plumping up so my brake clearance in the rear was still good. I also put the 130mm Pro 7s stem back on, mostly due to the Specialized stem ultimately causing a creak through micromovements. 130mm is a tad long putting my saddle to bar reach around 55cm but I'll see how I get on with it after another week or so.

Here she is on weekday kit:

Image

I've been riding the Lightweights for the past two weeks straight and they're a little too much for daily riding. It's like having a track car as your daily driver.

glepore
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by glepore

That is a sweet quiver. I missed out on a cheap pair of Vlaanderens on another forum, and I've been wanting to try them, but I'm worried about clearance issues - 25's are tight to get into my rear triangle, due to the bridge location, but fine once on. I feel like I'm missing out on something, as I really like how the Corsa 25 clinchers ( 28mm on A33's) feel, even with the sluggish turn in.

The rig looks really sweet. Interesting that it was the stem itself causing the creak, could you tell where? Are you still running the CK lower with the cane creek upper?
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

RyanH
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by RyanH

Ride quality between sizes from clincher to tubular don't translate well. I can get a slightly smoother ride over chipseal with 25mm veloflex than Vlaanderen with less perceived mushiness and better handling. On dirt and most of Hollywood Hills where road imperfections are measured in inches rather than fractions, then Vlaanderen reign supreme. The only application that might be counterintuitive is on flat fast rides, just absolutely adore Vlaanderen pumped up to 80/85 (very high for my weight) as the sensation of speed is unparalleled.

Regarding the creak, it's definitely due to the stem. I loosened my top cap midride and the noise went away. It was happening with the CK upper and then the Cane Creek slamset upper (Extralite lower has been the same since day one). Ultimately, the headset compression will become slightly undone over time, which makes sense, creaking means movement and movement of stem means it's possibly going somewhere and that somewhere is up. Pro 7s is back on and rock solid, creak free.

by Weenie


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zico88
Posts: 10
Joined: Wed Dec 28, 2016 12:38 pm

by zico88

Hi Ryan,
Any views on the lite speed t5 gravel used mainly for road riding?
Too relaxed geometry, i.e. Higher stack and longer chain stay for fast group rides?
Thanks

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