Truing a wheel with bladed spokes

...I have recently purchased a second-hand Zipp 202 wheelset with bladed spokes. The rear wheel was a bit out of alignment so I quickly trued it and went for a ride this morning. When I got home I was a little disappointed to see that at least half the bladed spokes were almost 90 degrees out of alignment...

Let me preface this by saying that I am not Jobst Brandt, nor do I wrench for a living. I don't own a wheel truing stand nor a bike work stand. Heck, I don't even own a spoke key! However I do have a very high quality adjustable wrench, a good quality broad-nosed pliers and a bike stand that support the front or rear wheel. Not particularly refined but seems to do the trick.

The method

1. set the wheel that is not being adjusted into the bike stand

2. it goes without saying, but the brake blocks should be adjusted so that the tops are close to the outer edge of the rim and parallel when looked from the front/back (toe in when looked from the top does not make any difference for wheel alignment). The brake blocks are the wheel alignment guides and should be centred on the frame.

3. lightly lube the spoke nipples with a penetrating lubricant (eg WD40) and the point where the spokes enter the hub flange (if the spokes are straight and without an elbow then they will twist here as well)

4. this is the important bit - correct the spoke twist by detensioning the spoke - this is done by grabbing the rim and pulling it towards the seat stay on the same side using one hand. The spoke can be aligned by twisting the spoke flat using your fingers, turning the spoke nipple with a spoke key or fine adjustable spanner, or using a pair of pliers (make sure the grasping edges are parallel) and a cloth to twist the spoke at the round portion where it meets the rim or the hub flange. Often a combination of all three is required. Do not twist the spoke flat with anything other than your fingers!!

5. spin the wheel to identify the lateral wobble

6. correct the wheel wobble as you normally would. Spoke wind-up is easily seen on bladed spokes as it twist out of position. This is again easy to correct by detensioning the spoke by the method above. Often an overcorrection is required (eg half turn clockwise with 1/4 or 1/8 turn anticlockwise) to maintain spoke alignment. Indeed I have since discovered that spoke wind-up should always be corrected even if the spokes are the conventional round shape with an elbow...

7. basic check of spoke tension using fingers

8. take the bike out for a spin and check that alignment is maintained

Good luck and ride safely!

Reflections on Campagnolo Record Corsa

Did you know that when Campagnolo started selling it’s magnificent Record Corsa (C Record) groupset in 1985 that:

- Suntour had introduced the slant parallelogram rear derailleur (Grand Prix) in 1964, a design that allows the RD to track closer to the rear cogs for faster shifting
- Suntour had introduced indexed shifting in 1969 (Five-Speed Click with Unit-Hub) which Shimano resurrected & perfected in 1984 (Dura-Ace 7400)
- Shimano ensured the reliability and dependability of index shifting by introducing the cassette hub also in 1984

None of these innovations were seen on C Record. The Japanese clearly had a huge technological advantage (not to mention cost advantage) than the venerable but slow-moving Campagnolo. Even when C Record was launched Campagnolo was already pipped to the line for aerodynamic groupsets as Shimano had already introduced (and withdrawn) an aerodynamic groupset (Dura-Ace Ax) in 1980.

Admittedly Campagnolo caught up quite rapidly during C Record’s 10 year span from 1985-1994. During this period it adopted the slant parallelogram RD, indexed shifting (albeit with hiccups of Synchro 1 & 2), cassette hubs with Exadrive then Hyperdrive, and finally realized that delta brakes were an expensive mistake with the introduction of the wonderful Record dual pivots. It even adopted Ergopower in 1992, just one year after Shimano introduced STI dual-control brake shift levers in 1991. It all ended in 1995 when Campagnolo upgraded the C Record crankset and front derailleur and started labeling the individual groupsets. Wonderful as it was, and innovative as it has been since, it just ain’t the same…

On One SS

My favourite bike at this point in time is a 2002 On One single speed. Nothing rewards & punishes as much as riding a single speed off-road (except maybe riding off-road on a fixie). The frame appears to have been made in China (or Taiwan) and the welds aren’t super clean, certainly not to the standard seen on some custom boutique frames. But the frame is bombproof and the geometry spot on. Long in the top tube and short in the seat tube for superb handling. No suspension for added simplicity. The geometry of this older frame does not accommodate suspension forks (unlike the current On One frames) allowing massive clearance of the top tube. A riser bar puts the handlebars to the same level as the saddle allowing for perfect weight distribution and balance. Keep long and loose to let your body float over the frame. Grunt & grind as the single track steepens skywards without the unnecessary bounce of a suspension fork. Massive clearance for 23mm+ tyres front and back allows you to roll over the majority of obstacles. No disc brake bosses as single speeds without suspension don’t need them. A BMX for grown-ups. Love it.

Frame – On One Inbred SS 2002
Forks – On One rigid 2002
Wheels – Surly SS hubs with DT single gauge spokes laced cross 3 to Sun Rhynolite rims
Cranks – RaceFace Evolve XC
Gearing –32T with 16T freewheel (13T fixed used occasionally on road)
Brakes – XTR V-brakes (yes the front brake squeals but change the front brake blocks to el-cheapo softer pads and get the awesome control and stopping power without the annoying noise)
Stem – AC
Bars – no name but style matches the frame and it ain’t broke yet
Headset – Chris King bling in pewter colour
Seatpost – GT (seen this around lately?)
Saddle – Terry Fly

old bikes

There are a lot of bikes out there.

Many people collect bikes and each has their own reason. Some are lucky enough to collect bicycles of great value or importance and are admired by many. Even the uninitiated will go “wow that’s Eddy Merckx’s bike” (or “wow that’s Lance Armstrong’s bike” to bring it into today’s context).

Like many others I didn’t plan to collect bicycles, rather it grows out of an irregularity of logical thought and a passion for something that exists in the real world. Once started it takes a life of its own. Collections that have a large pool of varied items (like bicycles) change over time as the collector finds other pieces that they would like to add.

There are road bikes and track bikes and mountain bikes and cyclocross bikes and touring bikes and work bikes and commuting bikes and “lifestyle” bikes. There are bikes that are made of steel, aluminium, titanium, carbon fibre and other rarer composites & materials. And within those broad categories are many varied types and subcategories that boggle the mind of those that do not have the passion to focus on the details.

Some collectors are very focused and collect certain pieces within a defined context. The collections of Colnagos, Bianchi’s, Hetchins or Rene Herse attest to these collectors. Some collect bicycles or bicycle components from certain periods. Other collectors buy whatever catches their eye and have a more ad hoc and often more interesting and varied collection (at least to the average bicycle enthusiast). The lucky collect so much that they have collections within collections.

It is a small but magnificently diverse world for these enthusiasts. The enthusiast of steel bikes with decorative lugwork may take a Bill Hurlow frame and plonk it beside a Ron Cooper or Art Stump. There are comparisons of workmanship (and all handcrafted frames show subtle differences), details of the lugwork, paint (and if it has that desired original and unrestored paint), date of manufacture, and provenance if someone of importance once rode it (esp to victory in an important race). There are others who will look at the same frame and wonder if it is the right size for them to ride it. Whether the wheels are true. Whether the brakes work. Of course many enthusiasts are both, appreciating both the workmanship and function that so characterizes the bicycle.

Here is part of a collection of bikes that have importance to me (an average and undistinguished club racer in my younger days). They are all essentially production racing frames which any amateur could purchase from a frame builder or bicycle store. They are lugged steel frames in the standard diamond configuration. The lugs are simple and without any embellishments although some are more refined than others. Their previous owners could have raced them at the very highest level if they had the qualities and good luck to become a champion.

Campagnolo delta brakes

Campagnolo delta brakes are simply the most beautiful if flawed brakeset in the whole of bikedom. They appear to have come in 5 incarnations with the first generation appearing at a trade show in 1984 then debuting in the Record C groupset in 1985. Unfortunately, even in their final incarnation, they offered little modulation, were difficult to adjust, and often squealed under load. And they were heavy! Many club riders shunned the top end caliper for the lower tier Chorus monoplanar brakeset or the still-available Super Record. This was in part due to them being exceedingly expensive but even top pros like Sean Kelly shunned the deltas. By 1991 they were hopelessly outclassed by Shimano’s dual pivot brakeset and subsequently dropped by Campagnolo the following year.

In my opinion the 1st generation delta caliper is the most aesthetically pleasing brake caliper ever made. That brakeset, along with the 1st generation Campagnolo Record C crankset are icons and highly prized among bike collectors. The calipers have the engraved logo, and the body is slightly smaller & more curvaceous in profile when compared to the later generations. A quick release is incorporated where the brake cable enters the body which is relocated to the lever in later versions (and continues in the Campagnolo range today). The brake blocks are brown and, like the body, smaller than those of later versions. The calipers are hand polished in every nook and cranny, even in areas that can only be seen with the brake removed from the bike! What is harder to appreciate in pictures of the 1st gen deltas is that the polish has a satin sheen giving a warmer glow than the later 4 incarnations of the delta brake.

The 1st generation brakeset was recalled by Campagnolo apparently because of failure of the locking hex nut. However I suspect the quick release wasn’t too reliable either as the cam mechanism slips a little too easily under load which could have been a problem… Campagnolo replaced the deltas with the Cobalto brakeset for a year whilst they sorted the problem out. Because of the recall, there are very few 1st generation brakesets around (I believe it’s a couple of hundred) so they are the most coveted of the deltas.

1st generation deltas sans quick release

The 2nd generation brakeset, like the first, had 3 internal pivots (excluding the fixing bolt) but the quick release was now on the lever. The brake cable enters through a serrated ferrule that allows for cable length adjustment. The cable is fixed using a nonstandard 3.5mm diameter hex bolt (the 1st generation deltas came with 3.0mm bolts) and the matching Campy-labelled allen key came with the calipers when new. The faceplate had the laser etched Campagnolo winged wheel logo and lost the retaining clip seen on the underside of the 1st generation caliper.

The levers allowed both aero and standard cable routing with a small (& fiddly) guide that slots at the top of the blade that redirected the cable back through the body for the “modern” aero look. As an interesting aside, the 1st generation deltas came with a frustrating hex head retaining bolt that made the aero set-up near impossible. Picture an Italian road bike in full first generation C Record regalia – the in-your-face cable routing seems out of place with the aero profile of the C Record group. Yet the overall visual effect works (to me at least). Later versions had an allen head screw. The Pentadrive adjustment screw (through an oval hole at the front of the lever) was introduced in 1988 and allowed further cable adjustment. Pentadrive was a nice touch but probably unnecessary (though it did make the delta’s a lot easier to adjust) and added weight. It was sadly lost on the final incarnation of the deltas.

The 3rd generation deltas retained the 3 internal pivots with the main cosmetic change being the tidier-appearing cable adjusters at the top of the body. They had a smooth profile with an O-ring and white-grey bellows to cover the adjustment threads. They apparently had internals that were more resistant to rust.

1st & 3rd generation deltas

The 4th generation deltas went to 5 internal pivots (excluding the retaining bolt) and were slightly bigger and heavier. Their performance was claimed to be improved because of this but in my opinion the deltas are a flawed design with poor modulation and the additional two pivots didn’t make much difference. As the brake pads come together the mechanical advantage increases because of the parallelogram lever arms. So the pads take a while to meet the rim then as further pressure is applied to the lever a smaller amount of cable pull leads to greater amount of pressure at the rim. In practice this means pulling the levers to bring the pads to the rim then maintaining control of the lever pressure to prevent the wheels from locking – not so easy if you are caught off guard. The 5th generation was essentially the same as the 4th with black bellows and black brake lever hoods (sans Pentadrive) to match the aesthetics of the day. At that time Campagnolo already had their version of the dual pivot brake in the pipeline and the deltas were on their way into bicycle folklore.

1st, 2nd & 5th generation delta's

(note the quick release on the 1st gen calipers)

Addit:

This article just describes the delta brakes found in the Record groupset. There were deltas in the Croce d’Aune group as well but they were not as well-finished with external leaf springs (behind the body) and a conical cable adjuster on the top. Let’s just say that they were not missed when Croce d’Aune merged with the Chorus group and retained the wonderful chorus monoplanar brakes…