What a beautiful morning

A cold morning in the suburbs of Stockholm seeing the queues grow and the sun rise. There is something special with extending the commute and get some air and time in the saddle before start working, a little time to think, to breath and just to spin by the carpeople. Ending up on a quiet dry hardpack gravelroad thinking of animals instead of cars and starting to think of that you can turn your lights off as it’s so light

Riding the last part on roads I used to commute on remembering old times (last month) and got passed by a stressed commuter…

Map and stats: Strava

Last ride this year with roadshoes, now was a day too late to switch to mtbpedals and shoes as the roadshoes sucks when walking in mud and snow 😉 Welcome mtbshoes:

and new wheels, I’m spoiled and can’t help liking good parts 😉 The rear wheel I’m not sure about but Roval SLX 24 disc is a must have, best allround wheels to have.

Funny I keep on thinking I want to change those boring mechanical discbrakes to good hydraulic ones but the Sora gearing works too good to be changed :p

E-Diverge

Last week should have been the start of a new season for me. Back to work and back on gravel on my own bike. I got injured so no work and no riding. But Specialized still delivered a bike for me to ride until it dies.

I ordered a Specialized Diverge E5 Sport. It had 2×9 Shimano Sora with mechanical disc brakes. Cheapest Diverge on our market but it got the Open Road Geometry, it got 12mm thru axles and flat mount brakemounts. A modern frame with cheap parts.

I will use the Sora gears and the Tektro mechanical brakes as I got it to be cheap and to be able ride long in salty slushy weather all winter or just commute to work. It will get fenders and studded tires too.

But I wanted to change a couple of things making it fit me better like a longer lower stem, a slimmer handlebar (40cm is my favorite) and I had a Sram Red22 crank laying around and a CG-R seatpost for some comfort.

As I don’t understand front derailleurs I mounted a Garbaruk 44t chainring I ordered last year for my Sequoia but never got use of it.

40cm handlebar is available in different types and shapes. I like the Specialized Shallow bend, or RHM as Deda calls it and Jimmie had a bar over:

With wheels it’s always nice to have a couple extra, can’t get enough of wheels. The original will be used with studded tires but my Roval SLX24 with Roubaix 30/32 tires isn’t used for my roadbike at the moment and they are a bit better than original.

Got a set of Time pedals from a colleague as my old ones broke in the crash. Now just waiting to get my rotoradaptors back and for a cool bar tape:

Me building a cheap bike ended like it used too. Saddle may be changed too. 8,1kg as on the picture so under 8,5kg finished. The weight will rise a bit then with fenders, orginal wheels and studded tires but without studs as long as possible. Pretty happy with my new winterbike 🙂 Now just rehab for my leg so I can use it, hopefully in a month…

E-Diverge like in E5 Diverge, no engine.

Le Peloton #143

It looked warm and dry this morning. After 2 hard days I had a plan of riding easy the shortest loop with Magnus. And I did with company by a couple of others too and it went great until Älta. Then the rain everyone thought not should come came. Not just some drops but a lot. Water all over both from the sky and from the wheel in front of me. On the last stretch from Skarpnäck I got enough, went into the front and didn’t stop going until the sign came and the others have dropped 😉 So cold my hands had trouble move and it felt like a mess when we came to Le Mond. Washed my face and tried to heat up my hands a bit in the sink.

Got saved by breakfast and a nice blanket. Everyone looked just wet and frozen. Happily I got to sit and get warm again and got company by a friend who is in Stockholm over the weekend. Nice to catch up sometimes, so many good friends all over 🙂

Of course the rain stopped pretty fast and it was almost sunny when I rode to work…

My bike got a wash and I had a warm shower 🙂 Really like the Sequoia even when it’s not as fast as a Diverge.

Map and stats: Strava

Le Peloton #142

or the 3000km pass. Passed 3000km ridden this year on the way to Le Peloton this morning 🙂 And my Sequoia passed 5000km on the way home from work. Never ridden a winterbike so far before so maybe it will give some results.

And seeing this picture missing me, Emil and Stefan is showing spring is here 😀 15 riders, mostly without studs and not everything in the wardrobe to keep warm. Today was fast, my fastest time this year and even when me, Fredrik and Michael got dropped in Storkällan it went fast. The fastest Emil and Nils was on studded tires which helped the rest of us a bit but they were really strong and fast as usual, maybe I had too wider tires? But today I didn’t just tried to hold wheels, I was in the front some times and even attacked on the climb up to Hellas just because I could. Not my smartest move but after I did the test on Aktivitus last Sunday I thought I need to push harder and push the limits higher. The knowing of that there is more to give when you feel tired is really good.

But in Storkällan I couldn’t keep up with Emil and Nils when they sailed away. Me and Fredrik became a chasing duo and on Flatenvägen the headwind hit us hard, never ridden there with so much headwind before. But we kept on as fast as we could and even passed 3 others who had taken the Älta shortcut.

Too tired to sprint so Fredrik got todays 3rd place and I was just happy to finish 😉

Map and stats: Strava

We filled Le Mond with bikes:

And ate all their food, was super:

Then I tried to keep up with my Adventure friend Johan to work, heavy legs but satisfied.

Headwind vs. Tailwind

This is Sweden in March.

This weekend a couple of years ago I rode my roadbike with a big group to Ösmo. Today we had studded tires and fenders, not because it was needed so much but because it’s still winter.

But instead of headwind at usual we had tailwind to Ösmo and I had the wheel of Emile so it sometimes went really fast. Got faster times on some sections today than on Velothon 2015 😉

Headwind also means higher speed and hard pushing as it’s fun to go faster so down at Ösmo Plantshop we all were pretty cooked and happy to get some food. Instead of my usual panncakes I was serious and ordered a nice sandwich which Madde took a picture of 😉

Full of food it was time for the Headwind part, it was hard.

No one took the train back but the riding got a bit messy with many heavy legs and our small group ended in smaller groups with some gatherings along the road. And after Handen it was a matter of surviving, not so much speaking and people tried just to go as fast as they could. It may have been hard and the bodies may have been tired but as much as I like the grey late winter weather it’s something special when people just keep on pedaling instead of just give up. The only thing that gave up was the battery in my watch so had to log the last part on my phone 😉

Back at Le Mond I got a nice carrot cake that Kalle put on scale

It helped me all the 11km home 😀

Thanks all for a great day in the saddle. And Emile for the pictures on me. There are so many beautiful things about cycling and things can be beautiful even when it’s hard and you’re suffering. While some was suffering from the harsh cold today I was warm, with my lovely Café du Cycliste wool socks:

Map and stats: Strava 1st part, Strava 2nd part

Le Peloton #140

7 riders at the photo moment, then Oliwer joined too so same as Wednesday. But not as fast today so even I could go up front some times. It was hard but manageable until Hästhagen. Was in front when Oliwer did a massive attack, and then Michael and Christan attacked too instead of just passing. I tried to catch up but didn’t have a chance and my legs stood straight out…

Instead I got company by Karl and we rode the rest of the loop together a couple of minutes after the first 3. A hard morning, and really wet so happy Karl had long fenders too.

Had a nice breakfast at Le Mond and after me and Oliwer got up the heat a bit we left for work, wet and dirty today

And maybe not the best weather for a windjacket, should have gone for a rainjacket 😉

Map and stats: Strava

And then it was time to find out how to get faster. Tested to see if my frame got space for the worlds fastest tire. Specialized S-Works Turbo 2Br in 28mm:

Good with space on the wide SLX24 rims so will be awesome when the spring arrives 😀

When the wind stops you

The plan today was to ride to Ösmo (and eat pancakes), Ena the guide talked about roadbike so I got frightened and changed to summer wheels and Sawtooth tires on my Sequoia. Widest tires today 😉

Met at Le Mond at 10 and had a espresso, maybe to early for the year so we were just 4 today. Me, Johan, Magnus and Ena. Not so many but happy anyway and rode south.

Was a bit wet on the roads and was just Johan who had fenders. Happily it didn’t go so fast so I could sit in the front a lot 😉 And then we turned towards Årsta Havsbad and the wind began. After Fors it got worse and Ena started mumbling about taking the train back. We changed our Ösmo plan and took a shortcut through Segersäng to Västerby where I’ve had fika once before. Almost 2 years ago 😉

Ena took a groupie:

For once I’m not so dirty 🙂 Happy about that. Fika and then we left for Tungelsta where Ena and Magnus took the train. I don’t understand that trainpart and happily not Johan either so we rode towards Stockholm. I started to be a bit tired in Jordbro and tried a couple of different ways to handle it. First being in front and setting the pace to one that worked for me, and then a bit before Sköndal I hanged onto Johan’s wheel instead. Happy he was there 🙂

It all got a great ending except the dirt on my bike:

Map and stats from the sunny winterend: Strava

New year, new rings

It’s not all mtb. My roadbike had some plans for this year and now part 1 is finished. Last year I rode 1×11 and it was great except for that it didn’t work with a Force1 rear derailleur and I couldn’t ride with bigger cassette than 11-32. Maybe too short chainstays.

It all ended with rebuilding the bike with Red22 except a Force22 rear derailleur. Mounted my Aboslute black 36/50 rings I had on my Diverge and rode a couple of rides before the winter. But the small ring wasn’t straight and I never got happy with the shifting.

Lead up to now and new chainrings, got a set of Rotor Q-Rings from a friend:

38/52 and #aeroiseverything thing. Will be nice with a 38t that is usable even here in flat Stockholm when just spinning.

Still to do is change stem to a -17° when I found the right one and probably set up the wheels tubeless to ride faster 🙂 Really satisfied with my Tarmac and looks pro now too, clean and simple but so fun to ride.

Roval SLX24 disc

The wheelset on my Sequoia was 2170g and tires 605g each with a pair of 140g tubes. Easy to understand it takes wattage to get that rolling. Great rubber and pattern in the tire and the wheels feels good but heavy. Great for super long rides, not for 30km flat out.

I found a lighter wheelset that isn’t too slim, 20mm internal width and with right adapters and tubeless veloplugs:

Those with sub 500g Trigger 38mm tires and tubeless setup will be awesome 😀 A little lighter 11-36 cassette will suit for it too. The best thing is almost the look:

Zipp Course 30 got beaten 😉 These are lighter, cheaper but 1mm slimmer inner width. And they got DT 350 star ratchet freehub