Went to Taiwan recently, thus I had the chance to buy some special components that cannot be found in Singapore, and possibly outside Taiwan!
As always, I like to keep to my colour scheme of gold and black, thus I already had in mind what I wanted to get before I went to Taipei. Also prepared a list of bike shops to visit, as can be seen from the previous blog post.
Initially wanted to get an aluminium Vitesse frame, but they did not have the type of frame I wanted (with luggage mount at front). Thus I decided to keep my trusty Boardwalk frame and upgrade other components instead!
Bought an Aerozine Road BB in gold colour, with ceramic bearings! Just spinning the sealed bearings by fingers, it feels a lot smoother than the original BB. Goes really well with the black 105 cranks. However, when actually riding the bike, the difference is quite negligible. The drag from the BB is quite small compared to other forms of drag, such as aerodynamic drag.
Also bought some gold coloured brake pad holders, which add to the bling! However these brake pad holders are "thicker" and "taller", and I had problems aligning the brakes to the rims properly. In the end I only mounted the gold brake pad holders onto the rear brakes. Note the alternating layers of black and gold across the brake area!
Also got a gold headset for my Dahon bike, but only when I tried assembling then I realised that the bearing races are press fitted into the frame and onto the fork. Thus I could only change the spacer/cap that is at the top of the headset.
More bling to come! Even the small details will not be overlooked, check out the gold brake cable housing!
The biggest change of all is the wheelset! Check out the gold rims with some slight profile, brings out the gold look of the bike! The spoke pattern is quite special too.
6 pawl freehub, slightly more drag but stronger.Opened up the freehub mechanism and found that there was actually quite little grease in there. Decided to add in more grease to make the freehub smoother, but the additional grease will cause the noise level to drop. Note that the freehub grease is not your normal grease, it is actually a mixture of oil and grease, giving a grease that is very light.
Before changing the components, I found it easier to just strip the whole bike, clean everything and then assemble with the new components. Enjoy the pictures!
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ReplyDeleteIs there any factor to look into when changing wheelset??
ReplyDeleteMaybe you could help me with the knowledge you know. Pls refer to the link.
http://www.lovecyclingsg.com/t683-all-about-wheelset
Hi im thinking of changing wheel set for my p9..was looking at wheel sport, Litepro kpro, kinetix pro... Main purpose is to weight reduction... I noticed ur wheelset is 1140 but I was told tat the wheel sport actually weigh 1400.does the weight difference btw the stock kinetix comp n the wheelsport make a great improvement? Or Shld I jus stick to stock
ReplyDeleteNo the wheelsport wheels weigh slightly over 1.1kg, definitely not 1.4kg. I think the lower spinning weight will make a noticeable difference in your acceleration. worth changing in my opinion.
ReplyDeleteI'm considering btw Litepro kinetix n the wheelsport... Other than a esthetics... Any comments btw the two?
ReplyDeleteThey are quite similar, either one will be fine
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteIn your opinion, which affect the speed,acceleration more. The wheelset or the crank? Thinking of upgrading but can only choose one first. Thanks!
tires would be the first choice, use slimmer tires to reduce rolling resistance. then the wheelset, change to a wheelset with smooth rolling bearings. followed by crankset that has a large BB and stiff cranks, such as Shimano Hollowtech II.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve,
ReplyDeleteThank you very much. So for now, I can retain my wheelset and just change to either Kojak or Durano tyres? After which I can upgrade to Wheelsport or other brands of wheels. Btw, mine is a D7 2013 model.
Yes once you change your tires you will immediately notice a difference in speed.
ReplyDeleteHi Steve, I currently own a Tern Verge P18. What would you recommend changing if I change handlebar from straight to a drop-bar, besides changing shifters, brake levels, and brakes.
ReplyDeleteYou cannot install drop bars easily as you cannot fit the bar through the current handlebar clamp. You need a stem to install the handlebar.
DeleteYou need at least new shifters and caliper brakes.
Hi can I ask if the Dahon will accept Bottom Brackets of this size, "BB: 68mm English threaded (1.370" x 24tpi), external bearing"?
ReplyDeleteYes this is the most common bb shell specifications and a standard Dahon will fit that bb
Deletehi, I am thinking of upgrading the tyres and wheel sets my Tern D8. I have two questions. 1) Will there be an increase in rolling performance and weight if I change the tyres to Kojak first, and changing the wheel set later? 2) for the wheel set, it is 74 /130 right and not 100/135?
ReplyDeleteThank you for your advice. I enjoyed reading your blog.
Both upgrading the tires and the wheelset will reduce the weight and and improve the rolling ability. So either one will be fine. Although it is more convenient to do it at one go, so that you don't need to install and remove the tires again.
ReplyDeleteYes the wheelset OLD is 74/130mm.
You mention using the gold spacer, the one that fits between the headset and handlepost. Do you recall if the original was rubber or steel? I'm trying to figure out if they are interchangeable, or whether one must stick with the original type.
ReplyDeleteThat is not actually a spacer, but sort of a cap that allows the handlepost to rest on the compression ring of the headset. If you change it out you need to replace it with one that has the same design. It is made of aluminum.
DeleteThanks! That it's a cap and not a spacer is an important distinction that I was having difficulty understanding.
ReplyDeleteHi,
ReplyDeleteI m thinking of changing to wheelsport sunny on my 7-speed bike which is a freewheel. Can I use a 8-speed cassette for the sunny? As 7-speed cassette are hard to find now. Will there be any shifting issue?
Thanks.
You can install an 8 speed cassette on the Wheelsport Sunny rear hub. The shifting components and drivetrain will also need to be 8 speed, which means an 8 speed shifter, RD and chain. What bike are you riding and what are the current shifters and RD?
DeleteDahon eco3. I have changed tyres to Kojak and they do roll better. Was thinking of further changing the wheelset for even better speed but reluctant to change the entire drivetrain. Is it better to find a freehub 7-speed cassette instead?
DeleteI think it is not wise to upgrade the Eco 3 as the frame is not a frame worth upgrading. The joints and handlepost are of lower quality than the newer models.
DeleteMy suggestion is to ride the bike as it is, or sell the Eco 3 and get a new bike to upgrade.
Do you know if I can change the handlepost for eco3 to one of those from Fnhon? Compatible?
DeleteNope not compatible. Headset and frame design is different.
DeleteHi! may I know how or where u changed ur brake cables to gold color?
ReplyDeleteI would like to change the color of my cables too on my Boardwalk..
Sorry I can't remember where I got the gold cable outer casings. Probably have to try online sources such as Taobao.
DeleteHi, currently I'm using Kinetix comps wheelset. From your experience, will changing to Wheelsport sunny wheelset yield a significant improvement in performance with regards to acceleration and speed?
ReplyDeleteDefine significant?
ReplyDeleteThe Wheelsport Sunny wheelset is betteer than the Kinetix Comp, there is no question about that. It is lighter in weight and also smoother rolling. There will definitely be an improvement, but how much is hard to quantify. All I can say is that the difference is big enough to be felt.
Thanks for the reply.
ReplyDeleteAm looking for 3-5 km/h gain in speed. Achievable?
One more question, are you aware if using 451 wheelset, would my existing V-brakes be usable?
If you also change to slim tires such as Kojak or Durano, this speed increase should be doable.
DeleteIf change to 451 wheels, you will need longer V brakes or v brake adaptors. Can check with MyBikeShop for the parts.
Wondering if anyone could tell me what does Hub 74/130 and 100/130 mean?
ReplyDeleteIt refers to the Over Locknut Distance (OLD) of the hubs, which means the width of the hubs when installed on the bike.
DeleteRoad bikes have a front hub OLD of 100mm, and a rear hub OLD of 130mm. Some folding bikes such as Dahon/Tern have a narrower front OLD of 74mm.
Before getting the wheelset, check the frame to make sure that the wheelset you get will fit the frame.
hi, can a java mini velo change to a V brake instead of the current disc brake ?
ReplyDeleteIf the frame and fork has V brake mounts then you can.
DeleteHi Steve, I was trying to get info here in Argentina, asI would like to upgrade my Tern D8, to a 105, 5800 11 speed drivetrain from Shimano, but I do not know what type of flat handlebar shifters could I use? since I can only find Dual Control levers, can you suggest something? thanks in advance, also, which wheelset would you suggest for the 11 speed 105 Shimano? thanks in advance
ReplyDeleteFor Shimano road 11 speed drivetrain, you can get the SL-RS700 flat handlebar shifters.
DeleteAs for the wheelset, you can try to get 11 speed Controltech wheelset from Thorusa.com.
Hi Steve,
ReplyDeleteWhere do you get the wheelsport wheelset? Thanks