Crius AEV20 1x11: Seatpost, Saddle, Pedals

When riding a bike, most of the rider's weight will be on the saddle and pedals, with a fraction on the grips. As such, it is important to choose the right saddle and pedals for proper comfort and performance.

First, let's choose the seatpost for the Crius bike. A seatpost's main purpose is to support the saddle, therefore it needs to be strong enough. It is also one of the easiest places to save weight, if you use a Litepro seatpost that is both lightweight and strong.

Stock seatposts are rated for a maximum rider weight of around 105 kg, as that is the maximum that is safely allowable by the bike manufacturer. However, if the rider is not that heavy, we can change to a lighter seat post with a lower maximum weight limit.

Litepro A61 aluminium seatpost is lightweight and strong

Maximum allowable weight is 80 kg, which is due to the more lightweight construction.

Minimalist saddle clamp design to reduce weight

The support plate for the saddle rail has been improved from the previous version, with a longer support area to minimize the bending of the saddle rails.

376 grams for the Litepro seatpost. Slight weight increase from previous versions.

As for the choice of saddle, I will not know what works best, as everyone has a different butt shape that will prefer different saddle shapes. What I can do is to choose a cheap saddle of decent quality, so that it is a good start. If the rider finds a more comfortable saddle, he or she can change it out without hesitation as the original saddle is not that expensive anyway.

From my experience on the Avanti Inc 3, the Selle Italia Q Bik saddle is cheap (around $30) and is quite comfortable, although it is not that lightweight. Basically it is a good saddle to get you started so that you can ride the bike.

Good and affordable Selle Italia Q Bik saddle

This is the model of the saddle

Decent design and appearance

Good workmanship, without unsightly folds or staples visible.

Standard steel saddle rail (FeC = Iron + Carbon Alloy = Steel?)

273 grams, which is a decent weight for a cheap and comfortable saddle.

Finally, the choice of pedals. What is required is just a pair of smooth rolling metal pedals that have a comfortable platform for pedaling. Plastic pedals are not recommended as they are prone to breaking under higher loads.

As a folding bike, it will be better to have folding or detachable pedals as it can reduce the folded size. Folding pedals such as the MKS FD-6 (now FD-7 I think) are compact, but the grip is not sufficient, while it is also heavy.

I decided to get detachable pedals, as the grip is better, while also being of lighter weight and is also slightly cheaper.

Wellgo M111 detachable pedals

Model number M111 printed here

Quick release mechanism links the crankarm to the pedal axle. Different from the MKS mechanism that I am using on the Brompton.

Another view of the quick release mechanism

Instructions here. Pull up the red cap to release or insert the pedals to the mechanism.

As seen here, pulling the red cap will release the pin that allows the pedal axle to be inserted or removed.

Hexagonal profile aligns to the mechanism, while the undercut area is locked when you release the red cap.

Decent looking profile that should give a decent grip on any rubber soled shoe.

Contact rubber seal on the pedal axle, to minimize the intrusion of dust and dirt, while keeping in the grease. Not the best seal design as it is quite exposed.

A pair weighs 337 grams including the mounts, which is quite good. Lighter than the MKS Promenade EZY pedals on the Brompton.

Comes with a few thin washers, to be used between the crankarm and the mount.

Purpose of these thin washers is to allow adjustment of the mount angle, as the red cap can be pointed anywhere depending on where the pedal thread starts.

Using two thin washers, I was able to position the red cap exactly within the crankarm when tightened, which is the neatest position. 

However, on the left side, no matter I use zero, one or two thin washers, I was not able to place the red cap within the crank arm. This was the best orientation that I could get.

As you can see here, the problem with having a preferred orientation on a rotational part is a problem, as you will not always be able to align it properly. It does not affect the quick release function or the pedaling, just that it does not look so neat.

Wheelsport Fantasy Flat Handlebar 2x10 Speed: Part 2 - Bike Disassembly and Component Weight

Part 1: Original Bike Components

After documenting the stock components on the Wheelsport Fantasy 2.0 flat handlebar bike, it is now time to give it an upgrade! First, I will be removing all the components from the bike, and also clean up the frame. At the same time, I can weigh all the components. This will enable me to give an accurate part-by-part summation of the weight of the full bike. Another thing to note is that I only weighed the parts which I plan to use on the upgraded bike. Those components which I am not using again will not be weighed.

I started with removing the wheels from the bike frame. I did not remove the tires and tubes from the wheelset as I will be using the same tires and tubes. As such, the weight of the wheels are inclusive of the tire and tube.

Front wheel + tire + tube: 866 grams

Rear wheel + tire + tube: 1054 grams

Assuming a tire weight of 250 grams each, and a inner tube weight of 100 grams each, the weight of these 451 wheels can be estimated to be 516 grams for the front wheel, and 704 grams for the rear wheel. This gives a wheelset weight of 1220 grams which is a good weight. Compared to the 406 sized Wheelsport Sunny wheelset on the Dahon MuEX (484 grams for front, 709 for rear), the weight is quite similar.

Nice set of Wheelsport Sunny 451 wheelset with Kenda tires

Weight of the Wheelsport QR axles. Comparatively heavy compared to the more lightweight titanium QR axles

After removing the cassette, I took the chance to clean and lubricate the freehub mechanism. The construction is slightly different from the earlier Wheelsport hubs, as can be seen from this maintenance guide.

Close up look of the folding handlepost. It is similar in design to Dahon/Fnhon/Tern handleposts, with a centre compression bolt and 2 side clamp bolts.

Not too heavy at 401 grams

However, the fork is rather heavy, as it is aluminium with a steel steerer tube

Feels solid but is rather heavy at almost 700 grams

External type of headset bearings, different from Dahon/Tern internal type design

Close up look at the sealed bearings of the headset. The bearing size and angle can be found marked on the bearing.

The headset parts from left to right: Crown race, lower bearing, upper bearing, compression ring, shim, headset cover

Together, they weigh 54 grams (excluding the top cap and bolt which are not shown)

FSA aluminium stem with a decent weight of 134 grams

Stock aluminium handlebar, 235 grams

LitePro foam grips, lightweight at only 77 grams

Wellgo QRD M111 Quick Release Pedals

Original aluminium kickstand. Quite heavy at 100 grams more than the one I have on the Dahon Boardwalk

Original saddle, also quite heavy at over 300 grams

FSA Energy aluminium seatpost, with an OK weight of 275 grams

This frame can accept a seatpost of diameter 27.2mm

Finally, the bare frame with every component removed!

After removing all the components, the bare frame can now be weighed. Inclusive of all the hardware such as the seatpost clamp, RD hanger, headset cups, BB guide and cable adjust bolts, the frame weighs about 1.8kg. Adding the fork (697 grams) and handlepost (401 grams), the total Wheelsport Fantasy 2.0 frameset weight (folding handlepost version) is about 2.9kg.

For comparison, the Tyrell FX frame weighs 2.2kg, with a fork weight of 909 grams, giving a total frameset weight of around 3.1 kg. The difference is, the Tyrell FX comes with additional folding capabilities, which accounts for the higher weight due to the folding joints. Non-folding Tyrell frames such as the aluminium-carbon CSi or the titanium PKZ would be lighter in weight.

In the next part, I will be reassembling the bike with some of the original components and also some new components.

Click here for Part 3

Wellgo M142 Flat Pedals

Just a short review of my new pedals! Previously I was using LitePro pedals, which are very decent pedals in itself. It has relatively smooth bearings, and looks good too! But the problem is that the platform is rather small. When I cycle in my covered shoes, the size is still OK. However, when I cycle in my slippers, which I do quite often, the larger slippers mean that my feet cannot rest on the pedals properly. The fourth and little toes will tend to hang over the end of the pedals.

Since Chainreactioncycles has free shipping for now, I decided to make use of this opportunity to get new pedals for my bike.

Welllgo M142 Flat Pedals

LitePro G017 Flat Pedals

These pedals actually look very similar, I think they are probably made in the same factory! The axles are practically the same. The main difference is the length of the pedal platform. The Wellgo pedals have a longer platform, which means that my fourth and last toes will have something to rest on! First, a closer look at the Wellgo pedals.
 

Grease port on top, for you to inject new grease if needed. Don't think I will ever use this?

 

Time to compare the two pedals, the smaller LitePro pedals with the larger Wellgo pedals.

 Comparing the lengths with the help of a ruler

When the axles are laid flush with each other, the longer Wellgo pedals extend about 1.5cm more than the LitePro pedals. This is approximately a 20% increase in pedal area. The Wellgo pedals actually come with screw studs at the end of the pedal for improved grip, but I removed them because they are too sharp.

 The LitePro pedals have rounded edges, while the Wellgo pedals have sharp corners for better grip.

If you want to compare the dimensions of these pedals with your current pedals, the end of the Wellgo pedals is 100mm from the crankarm when installed. The width is 60mm, while the thickness is 20mm at the thickess part (top of the edge) and 15mm between the "valleys" on both sides.

What I don't like about these pedals is that the edges are too sharp! They are meant to be sharp for better grip, but then again I didn't have any problems with grip when using the LitePro pedals. Just have to be more careful so that you don't cut your legs with the pedals.

Weight wise, these two pedals have very similar weight, about 220 grams per pair. The smoothness of the bearings on these Wellgo pedals are not as good as the other pedals I have tried.


Smoothness of axle bearings:
MKS FD-6 > LitePro G017 > Wellgo M142 > Stock Suntour folding pedals

When you spin the pedals with your fingers, you can feel the difference in smoothness easily. However, when pedalling, the friction from the pedals are quite negligible, you can't really feel any difference in the smoothness.

These pedals are quite decent for the price, and looks pretty good too. Lightweight construction and relatively good sealed bearings are the other plus points.