New Low Gear

After a year of cycling on the Central Coast it has become clear that I need at least one more low gear for some of the steeper roads of the Central Coast. I replaced my small 28t ring with a 26t small ring. This required a change in the large chainring from a 52t to a 50t and taking two links off the chain to maintain good chain tension. Even with that done and using a 36/11 cassette the rear derailleur is maxed out. Going small (small chainring)/small (small cassette cog) leaves the chain sagging a bit. But since there is no reason to go small/small it's not a concern.

I added a inner chainring guard to keep the chain in line when dropping down from the 39t to the 26t. Under normal riding conditions with a well tuned derailleur dropping the chain from the 39t to the 26t works fine. However experience has taught me that when rattling around on rough roads the chain can drop off the small chainring while shifting. Therefore the addition of the inner chainring guard. The extra weight is minimal.

The outer guard is to protect me from poking myself and Carrie when the boom and chainring is between the front seats when the trike is loaded in the car. It also serves a second purpose-it shuts down the roadies who like to complain about the dangers of getting impaled on the exposed chainring.

The sacrifice I make on the high end will be made up on the low end with happier legs on the climbs.

Inner chain guard (Volae Granny Guard), 26t, 39t, 50t and Outer chain guard (Driveline)

The small Salsa (on left) and Blackspire (in middle) chainrings have an asymmetrical offset of the teeth. It's just enough to cause the chain to drop or get wedged between chainrings depending on the way you install them. The Vuelta (on right) chainring teeth are centered on the chainring and allow for smooth shifting on the FSA crank.

Crank mounted, two chain links removed, derailleur lowered, cable adjusted and chain lubed. Ready to ride.

Using a 35/622  rear tire (for rougher roads)

Using a 28/622  rear tire

Kojak and Chip Seal

In my last post from March 10th I stated that I usually avoid riding north of Cambria on Highway 1 because of the chip seal. Well I rode north for the the second time in a row. I wanted to try the ride using the Kojak on the rear at 60psi on the rough road (see Speed, Comfort and Tires 8/3/16). Using the Kojak on the rear smoothed out the chip seal a bit. But chip seal (even though mitigated by CalTrans) is still chip seal. There's no doubt it wears you out faster. But the Central Coast is beautiful and worth an occasional ride North of Cambria.

Kojak 35/622 on the rear while keeping the Durano 28/406s on the front.

Destination ahead, San Simeon Pier.

San Simeon Pier, Time for a snack.

San Simeon

I headed North of Cambria on Highway 1 for a change. The chip seal north of Cambria, even though mitigated, is still a bit rough. It's not so much the rough ride as it is the constant vibration, especially at higher speeds. After awhile you get used to it. At least it's not nearly as bad as when some brain dead engineers at CalTrans back in 2013 decided chip seal on a popular bicycle route was a good idea. 

Using 28mm tires at low pressure on my 700 makes the ride enjoyable and still reasonably fast.

Taking Advantage of the Sunny Days

No rain, no wind, blue sky and a nice 65 degrees. Some clouds expected this weekend followed by more days of winter sun. 

Time to get some miles in and enjoy the Central Coast.

Not a Cloud in the Sky

Finally nothing but blue sky for a few days. Although a stiff breeze makes pedaling a little more demanding it's good to be out enjoying the Central Coast sunshine