Merida Scultura 5000 - Tools and Accessories

After getting my new Merida Scultura 5000 road bike, it is time to add some accessories to the bike! As I want this bike to be a lightweight road bike, it would be best to minimise the amount of additional weight due to tools and accessories. However, some tools are essential, such as a small hand pump, tire levers and a spare tube.

There are a few ways to carry tools on a road bike. By far the most common is to use a rear saddle bag, but it can be kind of bulky (even the small ones) and spoils the streamlined look of the road bike. An alternative way is to get a top tube mounted bag which rests on the top tube, just behind the stem. However, I find that I will hit the top tube bag when I move down from the saddle during a stop, so that is out of the question too. Some riders will put spares in the back pockets of the cycling jersey, but I am always afraid that the items will drop out too easily.

Finally I decided to use one of the water bottle cages to hold the tools and spares. You can always use an old water bottle to hold the stuff, but I wanted to get a nicer looking tool bottle that can be used to store tools. Although this occupies one of the water bottle cages, leaving only one for the actual water bottle, I feel that this should be enough for most of the rides I do. On longer rides where I will need two water bottles, I will probably put the tool bottle in the backpack.

The two water bottle cages on the Merida frame. One will be used for the tool bottle!

This is the Large sized tool bottle...

...and this is the Small sized tool bottle. What is the difference? Let's find out!

They are similar in circumference, and only differ in height. The small tool bottle is about 133mm in height, while the large tool bottle is about 183mm in height.

I first tried the small tool bottle, but it does not fit tightly in the bottle cage. The catch on the bottle cage is higher than the tool bottle, and the bottle's circumference is slightly smaller than the bottle cage.

The large tool bottle has a depression at the side which is meant for the catch, however it is unable to fit securely.

To get the large tool bottle to fit, I turned the tool bottle around such that the catch on the bottle cage pushes against the flat side of the tool bottle. This creates some interference which fits the tool bottle snugly in the bottle cage.

After some trial and error, I found that all my tools can actually fit in the small tool bottle. However, the small tool bottle cannot be securely fitted to the bottle cage, which is why I decided to use the large tool bottle.

As the tools are unable to fully fill the large tool bottle, they will rattle in the empty space in the large tool bottle. My solution is to fit in 2 pieces of lightweight foam to fill up the space at the bottom of the tool bottle, before putting in the tools. This is kind of silly as the extra space is wasted, but I can't think of a better way for now, apart from stuffing in more tools?

2 x foam blocks are first placed into the large tool bottle. This takes up the extra space in the bottle, and also provides a soft layer to prevent the tools from rattling against the bottom of the tool bottle.

The weight of the empty large tool bottle + 2 pieces of foam inside.

The large tool bottle with all my selected tools and spares! This means that the tools and spares weigh about 400 grams.

The full complement of tools and spares in my tool bottle

Items in my tool bottle:
1) 2 x cable ties. Weigh next to nothing, but useful for tying up loose stuff or cables if they are broken or loose. A roll of tape will also work.
2) Topeak Mini 9 Multi Tool. Bare minimum of tools to adjust and tighten bolts and screws on the bike.
3) Topeak Universal Chain Tool. Necessary if you ever need to fix a broken chain.
4) 11 speed KMC Missing Link (spare quick release chain links). Quick and easy way to fix a broken chain by removing the damaged link with the chain tool, and installing these Missing Links by hand.
5) Schwalbe Tire Levers. Best tire levers for removing tight tires from the rims.
6) 700x18/25C spare tube
7) Park Tool Emergency Tire Boot. Used to patch a torn tire if sliced through by sharp road debris. Different from a tube patch.
8) Park Tool Super Patch Kit. Comes with sandpaper for scuffing the tube and some pre-glued patches for fixing the hole in the tube. Only will be used if the spare tube also gets punctured.
9) Some cash for buying food and drinks, and for taking the taxi home if all else fails
10) Lezyne CO2 Trigger Drive, for quick inflation of a flat tube to the correct high pressure.
11) Lezyne Pressure Drive hand pump (not shown). Just in case the CO2 cartridge fails.

That is a pretty long list of spares and tools! Some may be redundant, but it is better to be safe. If I were to trim down the list, I would remove the Lezyne CO2 Trigger drive and depend solely on the hand pump. The emergency tire boot, patch kit, KMC Missing Link and cable ties can also be removed, but they are so lightweight that there is no reason not to carry them.

The other tools and spares are absolute essentials for me. Multi tool, chain tool, tire levers, spare tube and hand pump are the minimum that I would carry on this road bike.

So how does everything fit into the tool bottle? It is important to fit everything snugly so that there is no space for the tools to rattle about in the tool bottle.

Managed to squeeze everything into the tool bottle. The multi tool (not shown) will be placed on top since it will be the most frequently accessed.

The tool bottle fits nicely into the bottle cage and looks well integrated with the frame. No extra bags hanging around the bike!

Other than the tools and spares, the other accessories would be the front light, rear light and the cycle computer.

For the rear light I am using the Bontrager Flare 3, which was originally mounted on the rear rack of the Dahon Boardwalk.

Bontrager Flare 3 rear light mounted on the seat post.

There are a few accessories on the handlebar which I want to use, so it was quite tricky to arrange everything such that they fit on the narrow drop bar, and yet don't interfere with my hands when holding the top of the drop bar.

Since there are no bags on the bike to hold my mobile phone when I am riding, I had to mount a Topeak Smartphone DryBag on the drop bar. This bag is rather big and takes up one whole side of the drop bar. This leaves only the other side of the drop bar for the cycle computer and the front light.

For the other side of the handlebar, I had to get another of the Bar Fly Bracket for Cateye cycle computers, so that the cycle computer can be moved to the side. This also puts the cycle computer closer to the side so that it is easier for me to reach the cycle computer with my hands. The cycle computer that I am using is the Cateye Strada Digital Wireless.

Lastly, the front light that is on this road bike is the slim Moon Comet front light. I just took one of the two Moon Comet front lights that are on the Dahon Boardwalk and installed it on this bike.

Managed to fit everything nicely on the drop bar!

The Topeak bag is large but necessary for holding the phone.

With the large Topeak bag removed, the handlebar looks much neater. 

Overall view of the bike with the tool bottle and the lights installed. The rear light kind of sticks out like a sore thumb, maybe I will change it to a rear light with a lower profile...

Update:
After getting some new bottle cages, I can now use the small tool bottle on the bike as they fit nicely into the new bottle cages. Click on the link below to find out.

Merida Scultura 5000 - Colouring the Bike

Bicycle Lights for Night Riding

For night riding, it is always a good idea to be well lighted. The more lights the better, as you can be seen more clearly by other vehicles on the road. There are two main types of lights for bicycles:

1) To See
This will refer to lights that you mount on your bike/helmet, for the purpose of enabling you to see the road clearly. These type of lights will have powerful beams, with spot lighting to light up the path ahead. For on-road riding in Singapore, these are usually not necessary as the roads are generally well lighted.

For off-road riding at night, these are essential. You will need a light that is powerful with a good spread to see the terrain ahead. The drawback for these type of lights is that it usually requires a separate lithium battery pack for the power, and the runtime is usually limited to only a few hours at the highest setting.

2) To Be Seen
It is very important to be well lighted during night rides. The aim of being well lighted is so that the drivers can see you and your bike. To be seen clearly is not that easy, as there are a lot of other distractions and lighting on the road, such as from traffic lights, street lights, other cars' lights etc.

A good blinker will be able to draw the attention of road users and announce your presence. The brighter the blinker, the better. If you have a bright flashing light, drivers will be able to spot you from further away, giving them more time to avoid you. No point having a weak blinker that can only be seen when the driver is 50 metres behind you. This gives them too little time to change lanes completely, and indirectly contributes to close encounters.

Front Lights
For me, I have many many lights on my bike. At the front, I have two lights, a S-Sun 1 watt blinker and a powerful headlight in the form of a Busch & Muller IXON IQ light.

S-Sun 1 Watt light

Busch & Muller IXON IQ mounted at front of frame.

The IXON IQ light serves as a dual purpose light. On dark roads, it will be used to light up the path. On well-lit roads, I also turn on the light, as it becomes a steady headlight that can be seen from a good distance. A steady front light plus a front blinker makes you very visible from the front.

Rear Lights
As for rear lighting, it is even more important as you cannot see what is coming up behind you. Therefore you will need to make doubly sure that you are seen and highly visible from the back.

The main rear light I have is the Bontrager Flare 3, which has two 0.5 watt LEDs flashing alternately. This is a good bright light with an attention-grabbing flashing pattern. It is fixed onto the hook on my Topeak saddle bag.

Bontrager Flare 3

Supporting the red rear light is a blue rear light that also flashes to catch attention. This is a Cateye-lookalike light, and is mounted on the light bracket on my rear rack.

Blue coloured rear light fixed onto the rear rack

Additionally, I also have an Infini helmet light to improve visibility. This light has an elastic strap which can be used to fit on almost all helmets.

Infini helmet light

With these 3 lights, I have lighting at my head height, saddle height and wheel height. This should make me quite visible from far.

In order to further improve night visibility, I recently added two more lights at the end of my drop bars. Since these lights are further apart left and right, it will give me more width and make me and my bike even more visible.

Q-Lite Bar End Light

These are actually bar end lights meant for flat handlebars. The design is such that there will be bright beams coming out from the side of the bar end, such that when installed on a flat handlebar, the lights shine backwards like a rear light. It happened that this model has a transparent tip that also glows red, although it is not as bright as the main beam.

Another point to note is that MTB flat handlebars have a slightly narrower internal diameter compared to road drop bars, and thus does not fit snugly on my drop bars. However, with the bar tape on my drop bars, the lights fit nicely. Although they are not tight, it is sufficient to ensure that it will not drop out easily.

Bar End light fitted at the end of my drop bars

Glowing bar ends!

The main beam is rotated such that it points downwards towards the ground

Main beam creates a bright spot on the ground, while from the back, the bar ends glow red.

As an added advantage, the main beams point to the ground and creates a bright spot, which is actually quite visible even on well-lit roads. Not too sure about the visibility from a greater distance, but is an added advantage nontheless.

I prefer my lights to use rechargeable batteries, so that I can recharge the batteries whenever they start to get dim. I don't have to get stuck in the dilemma of throwing away half-used batteries, or continue riding with dim lights. Apart from the small helmet light which uses 2 x CR2032 batteries, my other lights uses standard AA or AAA batteries.

S-Sun: 3 x AAA
IXON IQ: 4 x AA (comes with built in charger)
Bontrager Flare 3: 2 x AAA
Blue rear light: 2 x AAA
Q-Lite Bar End Lights: 1 x AAA each

Overall view of my lighted bike from the back

Journey of the Boardwalk: Part 21 - Bontrager Evoke RL Saddle

This is the next instalment in the Journey of the Boardwalk, seems like this series will be never-ending! This time, there are no major upgrades, just a change of saddle for the Dahon Boardwalk X20-R.

A few months back, I was using the Rido LT Saddle, and I had written a review on it. At that time, I was still getting used to the saddle, and would give it more time to see if it is really suitable for my riding style. However, even after a couple of months on that saddle, I still could not get used to the hardness of the saddle. It was after one Tuas night ride of 50km that I felt I should be trying another saddle with more cushion.

Actually, the Rido LT saddle was not the saddle that came immediately after I changed from the Biologic Aria saddle. I had bought the Bontrager Evoke RL saddle which looks slimmer than the Biologic Aria saddle but still has quite a bit of cushion.

The Biologic Aria saddle on the left, the Bontrager Evoke RL saddle on the right.

I did not do a review of the Evoke RL saddle as I had used it for less than a month before the Rido LT saddle came out, and I switched over to the Rido LT saddle. However, I found that even with padded shorts, the Rido LT saddle can make the butt sore even after rides of only 40-50km. Maybe it is me, but it is not comfortable enough, even after I gave myself a few months to get used to the Rido LT saddle. Riding with shorts without padding is even worse, as the saddle is too hard.

As I said before, the Rido LT saddle is good if you always cycling with padded cycling shorts, and if you always pedal hard, there is less weight on the saddle. However, that is not my style, I will sometimes do leisure rides where I pedal lightly and don't use padded shorts. I had hoped that the Rido LT saddle would become more comfortable as I used it more, but unfortunately, that was not the case.

Prior to the NTU Bike Rally of 128km, I realised that I would have a really hard time if I used the Rido LT saddle. I remembered the Bontrager Evoke RL saddle and mounted it on another seatpost, so that I can swap between these two saddles easily for comparison. I did some training rides on the Evoke RL saddle, of distances of 70+ km. It felt much more comfortable than the Rido LT saddle, and that was the saddle I decided to use for the NTU Bike Rally 128km. That ride would give me the best opportunity to evaluate the comfort of the saddle.

I am pleased to say that the Bontrager Evoke RL saddle is much more suitable for my riding style, since it has more cushion to suit my more casual riding style. After the 128km cycled during NTU Bike Rally, I was pleasantly surprised to know that I had no butt pain at all. If a saddle can prevent butt pain even after going round island around Singapore, it is a good saddle! Seems that I have found my ideal saddle.

The Bontrager Evoke RL saddle. Looks ordinary, but does its job well! 

The Bontrager Evoke RL saddle is also relatively lightweight, weighing the same as the Rido LT road saddle at 230grams. Good balance between comfort and weight.

Comparison between Bontrager Evoke RL saddle and the Rido LT Road saddle.

The full lineup of saddles I have tried.

The Rido LT road saddle is not a bad saddle, but it is not suitable for my style of riding. It would be great for cyclists who go fast and do not put much weight on the saddle. As for me, I will be using the Bontrager Evoke RL saddle, good for all kinds of riding styles!

Journey of the Boardwalk: Part 18 - Boardwalk X20-R

Ever wanted to have a road bike that folds? Imagine how much convenience this can bring to you. You can cycle at a good speed on your foldable road bike (perhaps not as fast as full sized road bikes), but at the end of the ride, when you are tired, you can just chuck the bike into a taxi or take an MRT for your trip home. Or, you can do a long one way trip, and take alternative forms of transport back. This is especially useful for routes that start and end at different places!

Previously, I had changed my Dahon Boardwalk to a bike with bullhorn bars. The bullhorn bars are pretty good, with many advantages over flat handlebars. You can read all about the advantages here at this post. Of course, the folding will not be as compact, since the road shifters and the bullhorns stick out so much from the side of the folded bike. But there is no problem with bringing it along in a car (no car rack needed) or on the MRT.

After 3 months with my bullhorns, my hands are itchy again! Time for more upgrades! I want to use road shifters, but the poor cable routing is a major issue with bullhorn bars, since road shifters were not designed with the shape of the bullhorns in mind. With the Shimano Tiagra 4500 shifters it is still fine, since the shifter cables come out from the side of the shifters, thus they are not affected by the sharp corners encountered by the brake cable routing.
 

 

Shifter cables for the Tiagra 4500 shifters exits from the side of the shifter

At this point, I was very happy with the 18 speed Boardwalk that I have. However, I would like to use dropbars, as I have realised that bullhorns are actually just dropbars without the drops! So in fact, with the dropbars I gain a position in the drops, which will be really useful when the headwind gets strong.

So if I'm changing to dropbars, I can use any road shifters I like. What I noticed is that for the new higher end Shimano road shifters (7900, 6700, 5700), both the brake cable and shifter cables are routed from the rear of the shifter. This means that the shifter cable will not exit from the side of the shifter, and I prefer this setup as the area in between the dropbars will be neater without cables.

For me, a suitable set of road shifters would be the Shimano 105 5700 road shifters, with all the technologies of the Ultegra and Dura-Ace shifters, but at a more affordable price! This also means that I will need to upgrade the rear drivetrain from 9 to 10 speeds. For me, it is not a big problem. I already have the 10 speed compatible Shimano 105 5600 crankset, the Ultegra 6700 10 speed compatible rear derailleur and the Shimano Dura-Ace 7901 10 speed chain. Just need to get the 10 speed cassette and shifters!

Without further ado, I present to you the Dahon Boardwalk X20-R, a 20 speed folding bike with a road bike setup!

ABR Anatomic Dropbars (Diameter 26mm), an affordable aluminium dropbar, weighing in at a healthy 220 grams.

One thing to take note is that the clamp for the Dahon handlepost is for 25.4mm handlebars, but I managed to squeeze in the 26mm dropbars. Together with Fiber Grip, there is no issue with looseness. Do not try this with carbon handlebars!

Bontrager Gel designed to be placed under the bar tape, for greater comfort!

Very nice Fizik bar tape, good to touch. But I find it a bit too thin.

10 speed Shimano 105 5700 cassette. 12-27T (12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 19, 21, 24, 27)

The highlight of the 20 speed drivetrain: The Shimano 105 5700 Double road shifters!

Jagwire Inline Cable Adjusters. Essential for adjusting the cable tension for the front derailleur, since my bike does not have frame or shifter mounted cable adjusters.

1 mm shim needed when installing Shimano 10 speed cassette onto 8/9 speed freehubs

Ta-da! Shiny new 10 speed cassette!

Don't you love a clean cassette?

With the experience gained from installing the bullhorn bars, the installation this time went much more smoothly. I knew how to estimate the length of the cable housing required, where to tape and locate the sections of cable housings, how to route the cables along the bike. Also important is how much extra length the front brake cable housing needs, so that it does not snag or get overstretched when the handlepost is folded down.

Brake cable routed on the inside, shifter cable routed along the outside of the dropbars.

View from the other side. Bar tape not yet put on, need to go for test ride to finalise position of road shifters before wrapping up the handlebar.

2 brake cable housings and 2 shifter cable housings. Any simple and elegant way of tidying up this?

 Beautiful Jagwire inline cable adjusters. I decided to locate them in front of the handlepost for easy access and adjustment while riding.

 In case you are wondering how the cyclocross brake levers fit in, here it is! Split the outer cable housing, and install them either side of the brake levers. The brake inner cable is a continuous cable!

Sweet view of the Shimano 105 shifters. I am using the 10mm adjustment pad to reduce the reach of the shifters, this makes it easier to grip while holding the hoods.

Front view of the bullhorn bars with road shifters

 Side view of the bullhorn bars. The dropbar is tilted downwards so that the drops are comfortable, while the shifters are tilted upwards for more comfort while holding the hoods.

 At the other end of the bike, the 10 speed Shimano 105 cassette with 10 speed Dura-Ace chain, installed on my gold Wheelsport wheels!

After finalising the angle of the dropbars and the positions of the shifters, the Fizik bar tape went on

Practice makes perfect!

With the gel padding underneath the bar tape, it makes the handlebar seem fatter. But it is nice and comfortable to hold!

Shimano 105 Road Shifters in black

 The bell has not been forgotten! Installed at the end of the drops, it does not affect the grip, unlike when installed on the bullhorns.

Wellgo M142 Flat Pedals

 

 More pictures of my Dahon Boardwalk X20-R

I have had this road bike setup for about 3 weeks already, but haven't had much time to test and ride the bike due to the rainy weather. But I must say that the more I ride this bike, the more I like it! The hoods are really comfortable to hold, and is a good primary riding position. The drops are really useful too on long stretches, as it allows you to reduce your frontal profile and reduce aerodynamic drag. Notice that the drops are not so low anyway, due to my relatively tall handlepost. Which is the way I like it, not too much of a drop that requires me to bend over a lot! This road bike riding position really encourages you to cycle fast...

Since the cable routing is now better, the braking feel is also much improved! It no longer feels sticky and draggy as the cable routing is smoother compared to the routing used on the bullhorns. With the new 12-27T cassette, together with the 53/39T crankset, the gear inches for this bike is now 29" to 88". Slightly on the low end, but it is customised to my needs!