Our Calfee Journal

It's been a few weeks since update #6, we've logged a couple hundred more miles, and made a few component changes so it seemed like a good time to bring things up to date. As for changes, most of them were minor: new timing rings, carbon water bottle cages, stoker stem and seat post and the addition of an in-line rear derailleur cable adjuster.  Oh yes, and our evaluation of wheelsets continues with a set of Topolino Technology's Carbon Core Series AX 3.0-T wheelset.

However, before getting into the details let me offer just some minor observations and impressions. I think we're getting settled into the Calfee pretty well now as the novelty and euphoria have finally subsided: it's now just our tandem (period). We still are enjoying the heck out of it but we've put enough miles on it to where we now take the incredible ride qualities for granted and may need to jump back on the Erickson again just to remind ourselves how different it is. Also, like any new tandem with about 500 miles on the clock, it's beginning to act up a bit as the shifter cables stretch and housings seat more tightly and little creaks pop up now and again. Debbie continues to tweak her riding position as she seems want to do each spring once she resumes her 25 mile afternoon rides after getting home from work.

So, despite all of the careful planning, attention to detail, and high-end parts a new tandem is a new tandem. No matter how much you spend or do, there will always be a few things that need tweaking as the miles add up for any one of a variety of reasons, to include "just because you feel like it". That said, here's what's been happening.

Changes

1. In-Line Derailleur Cable Adjuster: Because Calfee integrates cable stops into their head tubes using molded-in guides, the cable stops with integrated barrel adjusters normally found near the head tube on most every other bicycle or tandem are missing. So, to get that on-the-go adjustability, an in-line derailleur cable adjuster needs to be installed in the derailleur cable housing that sits between the shifter and the head tube.

When I first built up the tandem I opted to leave out this in-line cable adjuster, because (a) I didn't have them on hand, and (b) I thought I might be able to get by without one. Unfortunately, my second premise was short-sighted. Despite my best efforts to pre-stretch cables and seat the cable housings, this tandem like all of the others we've owned needs to have the rear derailleur trim adjusted every now and again and invariably it manifests itself during a ride. So, having the ability to reach down and tweak the trim via an in-line barrel adjuster is pretty important.

Now, while the integrated cable guides used on the Calfee are pretty slick, they do have a down side: it's nearly impossible to feed anything other than a nearly pristine brake or derailleur cable through these guides. Therefore, if you have to pull back a cable that's been held tightly by a derailleur pinch bolt or been secured by a pair of grub screws in an 'Easy Split' cable splitter used on a travel tandem, you'll most likely need a new cable. This is because the existing one's damaged end will need to be trimmed off which may leave the cable too short for re-use unless you plan ahead and leave a cable extra long to support at least one re-do. With the Easy-Splits, this isn't always as option depending on where you place them. I've positioned ours to sit just behind the eccentric where they are suspended away from the frame to eliminate rattling on bumpy roads. Therefore, I really don't have enough room to take out the inch or so of damaged cable created by the grub screws in the Easy Split.

2. Timing Rings: When we first built the tandem and spec'd our long-time favorite daVinci crankset, we found our stash of somewhat unique titanium grey and proprietary / CNC'd daVinci timing rings no longer matched the chain rings on new cranks.  daVinci had changed suppliers and was now using FSA's black drive side rings with machined teeth.

Having non-color matched timing and chain rings wasn't a surprise or something we hadn't dealt with in the past as we'd replaced the worn out OEM (White Ind.) ti-grey chain rings on two other daVinci crank equipped tandems with polished TA Specialites rings.  However, because the Calfee was a bit special we wondered if black timing rings might be available.

I called Todd Shusterman at daVinci back in January to find out if they were offering the timing rings in a black finish to compliment the FSA chain rings and the answer was no; however, they were thinking about it. So, if we wanted a set... that could be arranged as a new timing ring production run was in work and a portion of that batch could be given a black hard anodized finish.  Great.  We put in our order and they arrived in early April. 

Unlike the FSA rings, daVinci opted not to remove the hard anodized coating from the teeth, noting that while the machined aluminum teeth look great on the FSA rings, removing the hard anodized coating makes the chain rings wear faster. Once on the tandem they looked pretty good, albeit quite different from the more subtle ti-grey rings.

3. Water Bottle Cages: As mentioned in Update #7, we went to the Tandems East '08 Expo in late March and our tandem was borrowed to support some of the seminar discussions.

At the end of the day I found myself chatting with Craig Calfee, Rafe Schlanger (Topolino wheels), and Gary Forman (Co-Motion) about all kinds of things and drifted into vibration dampening characteristics of the various different frame materials and wheels. Craig then stepped over to our tandem sitting about 2 feet away and said "grab your handlebars" as he plucked one of the four stainless steel water bottle cages: yikes!

The vibration from the cage was transmitted directly into the handlebars where the buzz wasn't just noticeable, it was profound: similar to what you'd feel if you were riding on a washboard road. Craig went on to note this characteristic was discovered through a client who had a medical condition that made him very sensitive to vibration. He purchased a Calfee single bike in part because of the outstanding vibration dampening characteristics. However, the client found he was experiencing 'buzz' in the handlebars and it turned out the unused, 2nd alloy water bottle cage on his frame was the source.

So, as I stood there somewhat dumbfounded and finding it odd how the carbon frame seems to accentuate instead of attenuate the vibrations of the water bottle cages (it migrated to the others and they all were ringing), a few thoughts came to mind:

1. If there are water bottles IN the cages they can't vibrate. Keep bottles in all cages or remove the one that's not always used: problem solved.
2. If you don't strum an empty cage the resonance isn't nearly as dramatic. Note to self, don't strum or pluck the water bottle cages: problem solved.
3. Isn't it amazing how something seemingly as insignificant as your choice of water bottle cages could have such a profound influence?
4. Carbon water bottle cages aren't desirable because most of them look so awful and scream "look at my carbon water bottle cages" never mind the cost.

I opted to go with #1 and #2 because of #4 and life was good... until the aforementioned special ordered black timing rings arrived.

With the black rings on the left side of the bike, the stainless steel water bottle cages now looked out of place. It was, in part, because the similar colored original ti grey anodized timing rings that seemed to tie the cages together with the overall colors and tones on the bike (yeah, we're talking big time vanity here). Moreover, when a fresh coat of UV protectant goes on the frame, the frame has a darker hue which also makes the alloy cages stick out instead of being somewhat invisible. The latter, that almost invisible appearance, was what I'd like about the stainless cages as they didn't draw your eyes away from the lines of the frame.

Anyway, and although somewhat foolish, the aesthetics was the straw that broke the camel's back on the water bottle cages. So, it was onto the internet to see what was available in regard to carbon water bottle cages. As I feared, most were gawd-awful looking and grossly over-priced. Well, how about fleabay? Somehow I lucked out and found two different sellers offering up one pair each of used Profile Karbon Lite KK-2 cages -- quite minimalist in their design -- that I was able to win for about 1/3 of their retail cost.

At the end of the day, here's the rationale behind the water bottle cage change: Given I made the kind of investment it takes to create something like a Calfee Tetra tandem for the expressed purpose of enjoying exceptional vibration dampening, comfort, and performance qualities, why would I keep relatively inexpensive accessories installed once I discovered they were undermining those features and benefits? That they no longer looked quite right eliminated even a bad reason for keeping something when cost was certainly not the issue.

Now, it would be great if the saga ended here. Unfortunately, I had the folks at Calfee position my front water bottle bosses based on where the mounts on the stainless steel cages were positioned, which it turns out is different from how many of the carbon cages are designed. I was warned about this but had no inclination to go with carbon cages at the time I spec'd the frame so no big deal...

Anyway, to get two carbon water bottle cages & bottles to fit in the front triangle opening of the frame , I had to make a pair of aluminum brackets that attach to the frame's bottle cage bosses and move the mounting position of the carbon cages further up their respective tubes.

Lesson Learned: If your builder strongly suggests something, hear them out and keep your mind open to their suggestions.

Had I never changed cages, I was spot on with my specs. However, in retrospect and now that I've messed with the carbon cages I was only 1/2 right. I still think the bottle cages in the stoker compartment do better mounted down as low as they can go if anyone plans to use tall / 25oz bottles (carbon cage spec; I got lucky that my spec. was close enough), but if you plan to use regular size bottles and/or carbon cages on a Calfee, just let Calfee's folks place the bosses where they normally would.

So, what's the net effect of all this? I'm about $80 further into the hole on our uber-tandem, my water bottle cages are no longer a source of any unintentional road buzz, and the bike now weighs 123 grams less than it did before changing the cages. So, was this really a value-added change? Probably not... but that's not always why some folks who aren't as pragmatic as others do things with their tandems. On the up side, Debbie is quite happy with the new cages as she finds them easier to use: that's got to be worth $80, in and of itself.

Update: We've actually grown quite fond of the Profile KK2 cages. They really do make it much easier to extract and reinsert the water bottles vs. the stainless cages they replaced. Moreover, no hint of water bottle ejection on big bumps. We've now secured a few more sets for our other Calfee road bikes.

4. Stoker Stem: The original stoker stem we purchased for our tandem was somewhat prone to creaking, most likely due to the need for a spacer to reduce the 31.6mm seat post clamp to work on our 27.2m seat posts. We were able to secure a replacement stem that was built around a 27.2mm seat post clamp and that seems to have resolved the occasional creaking sounds that would come from under my saddle on hard bumps or when Debbie would really pull on her handlebars.

Update: These carbon stems seem to be a bit finicky. However, post purchase support has been outstanding. Like a lot of high-end, light weight gear the very high price underscores the very high overhead associated with the development and labor intensive fabrication, limited market, and the potential for warranty rework. #2 held up well, but was replaced by #3 in June... and it's doing fine.

5. Stoker's Seat Post: About a year or so ago Debbie was refitted and her recommended saddle position was moved forward quite a bit. So much so that we had to switch her over to a zero set-back seat post on the tandems. However, at least this season, she's finding that she still prefers to ride with a bit more setback. While the Thomson zero set-back seat post still works for her, it positions the clamp all the way at the front of the adjustment range of her saddle. So, at least for the time being, I've put one of our Easton EC-70 set-back posts on the tandem for her and will see how that works. Thankfully, my riding position seems to be dialed in quite nicely on the tandem.

More New Wheels: Topolino Technology AX 3.0-Ts

I thought you said conventional wheels were the way to go? Although I somewhat determined at least one of the more popular low spoke count / paired spoke racing wheelsets wasn't well-suited for our non-competitive riding needs, I believe I foreshadowed my interest in exploring some of the other integrated performance wheelsets. The ones that intrigued me the most were the Topolino Technology Carbon Core Series AX 3.0-T.

The intrigue stemmed from both Craig Calfee's enthusiasm for the wheels, noting it was Craig who encouraged Topolino to offer a tandem-rated version of their composite spoke & hub wheelsets, as well as the time we spent with Rafe Schlanger, the man behind Topolino Technology, at the Tandems East '08 Expo. It was clearly hearing from the inventor and putting our hands on the hardware and cut-away engineering models that really sowed the seeds for an acquisition.

First Impressions: We received the Topolino wheels this past Monday, April 14th, and now with three rides and 100 miles under our belt I have to say they're really quite amazing. They corner predictably and and seem to be every bit as stable as our benchmark set of lightweight conventional 36° White Ind / Velocity Fusion wheelset. That they do these things while being 20% lighter (1,520 grams vs. 1,950 grams) is more than impressive; again, it's amazing.

Although I'm not sure they're any more aero than our benchmark wheels and perhaps even less so, the Topolino wheels seem to spin up very quickly and really shine when you're climbing. They're definitely not as aero as the low spoke count / paired spoke racing wheelset we previously tested and, in retrospect, I probably shouldn't have been so quick to part with low spoke count / paired spoke racing wheelset. It would have been interesting to so some additional back-to-back rides with the Topolino wheels after we complete our comparison rides against our benchmark conventional wheels.

I suspect we won't be able to fully appreciate Topolino Technology's thermoplastic resin and Kevlar/carbon fiber spoke network's ability to dampen road vibration until we get back on our conventional wheels. Moreover, the difference may not be as dramatics as would have been compared to the low spoke count / paired spoke racing wheelset. I say this because, at least on the basis of our time spent riding the low spoke count / paired spoke racing wheelset, what they lacked in lateral stiffness was made up for in radial stiffness: in other words, they were pretty harsh. Therefore, I suspect the folks who have been riding on radially-laced and/or paired spoke wheels with their very high spoke tension will likely be the ones who experience the greatest amount of improved comfort / vibration dampening with Topolino wheels.

More to Follow: Anyway, it's still very early in the evaluation process and I'm still in what I call one of those "pinch me" modes where I have to to remind myself these wheels at 1,540 grams are 410 grams (nearly a pound) lighter than our very robust but lightweight conventional wheels without any degradation in stability or cornering performance.

However, at least at this point, I think Topolino gets it right for tandems in using 30 spokes on the rear wheels and spacing the spokes out using a more conventional spoking pattern. I say this because, as those who have been following our journal will recall, I did one test ride with only the rear paired-spoke / low spoke count wheel and a conventionally spoked 36° front wheel and incorrectly concluded the low spoke count / paired spoke racing wheelset wasn't the source of my early handling issues with the Calfee. Again, and in looking back, it wasn't the front low spoke count / paired spoke wheel that was the source of the instability, it was the rear wheel. Now, if you consider we could easily run a 32° conventional wheelset on our tandem at our combined team weight of 285lbs, and perhaps even 28° with deep section rims and the right spokes, making the stretch to 30° isn't a big jump SO LONG as you maintain a more uniform spoke pattern around the perimeter of the wheel. However, I do believe the paired-spoke/low spoke count wheels are far more aero owing to the effortless feeling the tandem had when cranking along on straight sections of road. Then again, road buzz may have created the illusion of some of that greater speed. Unfortunately, comparing route data from our HAC4 and Polar S720i from the wheel comparisons was inconclusive since the weather conditions were so variable during the first few months of the year.

What's Next? At least for now I'm very encouraged by Topolino wheels and look forward to putting a few hundred miles on and then jumping back to the conventional wheels to see how they compare. We're also still waiting for a set of White Industry / Deep-V wheels that will also use 36° spoking but with 2.0 / 1.8 DB spokes to throw into the mix. So, at least at this point and so long as you leave cost out of the equation, the Topolino's seem like they've really come up with something special. The questions are:

A. Are they 2.5x better than a conventional wheelset?

B. Are they really something that you'd take on tour?

 

Update: The answer to A and B is most likely No. They're different and they're lighter, but they don't possess magical properties that make them 2.5x better than a well-made, properly spec'd set of conventional wheels. As for travel or tours, if you have a failure -- and it's always a possibility -- you'll be looking for another wheel as they can't be fixed in the field. Rule of thumb for anyone with high-zoot wheels: always have a second set of wheels on hand at home or at rallies if you want to guard against any significant down time. These types of wheels will get you home with a broken spoke, albeit on a wobbly wheels, but after that its back to the dealer or manufacturer for repair. More details on life with these wheels can be found in subsequent updates.

 

Final Thoughts

Having a long-time affliction as an equipment freak and bicycle accumulator -- still sitting with more bikes than I can ride or justify at the moment -- I've come to realize building up exotic bicycles and tandems for recreational use is an incredibly expensive habit that has no real benefit beyond self-gratification. At times I feel like Jerry Seinfeld's TV persona and his inability to find the right woman: never able to commit and stick with one because I there may be something better or more interesting out there. I guess my point is, like most addictions it's best to realize it's not rationale behavior and, accepting that, it may not be a prudent path to head down unless you have really, really deep pockets or your kids college is covered along with your retirement.

Like bicycle accumulation, gram counting can also become a bit of an addiction. I didn't realize how bad it can get until I commissioned the Calfee. In fact, while I always had a pretty good idea of what things weighed, I never actually took weight into consideration when making too many decisions because, in the back of my mind, I knew that shaving grams does not deliver a lot of bang for the buck for recreational cyclists, except for the aforementioned euphoria and placebo effect that can be derived from hopping on a lightweight steed. Now, if you're a professional rider making a comfortable living wage, if not six, seven or even eight figures, where every second and gram counts, it's a different story.

Anyway, remembering I bought the Calfee for it's ride qualities, more-so than the light weight, once I had it built and looked at it hanging on the scale... instead of being amazed at how light it WAS, all I could think about was "what could I do to make it lighter?"I'm mindful that that lighter isn't always better... it's just lighter in some cases.

It's still pretty insane... Then again, maybe not. After all, we spend every spare moment we have together riding our tandem so the return on investment is actually quite high. In fact, I can't imagine a better place to have spent this amount of discretionary income that would yield as much goodness as our tandem in terms of quality time spent together, the fitness it affords us, and especially the social engagement it has yielded.

So, at the end of the day, the Calfee was a great move for us. It's a joy to ride, it's easy to maintain, and it scratches my itch as a super-enthusiast given all of the new technologies that is uses.