components Archives - Page 6 of 10

Quarq Warranty Experience (Part Deux)

[dc]A[/dc]s I reported back in December, I had an issue with my Quarq Cinqo Saturn unit. Specifically, I had ridden in wet conditions, and the unit died shortly thereafter. On that occasion, Quarq replaced the unit, however with it being around the holidays, turnaround was about 10 days. I received a new electronics pod on the original spider, along with the explanation that "there was a run of bad pods, and this was probably one of them." I was told that there shouldn't be any more issues with my Cinqo. Fair enough, back to training and all was right in my world.

Fast forward to February, 2013. After a training ride for Battenkill (in other words, pissing rain, lots of dirt roads and mud, and overall shitty weather) the magic stopped a second time, and my Cinqo was once again dead. Off to South Dakota with it again, this time overnight, only to be replaced again. I had a brand new electronics pod AND spider in hand in 4 days, I was told that there wouldn't be another problem with it, and again all was right in my world.

Or should I say it was until Friday, April 12th.

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Tags: components, power, reviews|

SRAM True 22 Unveiled

[dc]C[/dc]ampy started the trend a few years back. Shimano jumped on board with Dura Ace 9000. Now SRAM is following suit with the release of their two new group sets, dubbed "Force 22" and "Red 22." Obviously the 22 in the name refers to the total number of gears available, and also obvious is the official release of the Red hydraulic brake offerings that have been teased for months.

What is less obvious are the changes to the existing Red group and the changes to the Force group.

After the jump, we'll take a quick look at those changes.

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Tags: components, news, road bike, wrenching|

Review: SRAM Red Shifters

[dc]I[/dc]t all starts with some spy photos: blacked out parts, blurry shots of cyclocross races, SRAM team guys with suspicious shift levers and cranksets. Then SRAM made a splash early last year by redesigning their flagship group and releasing it just prior to the spring classics. They have marketed their new group as the best mechanical group on the market, making waves about Boonen winning Flanders and Roubaix on the new gear and have Hammered the media with their successes.

But how is it, really?

Some of you may have gathered that I'm something of a SRAM fanboy, and having ridden SRAM for the past 5 years (starting with the old original Force which is still kicking on my cyclocross bike) I wanted to do this methodically, piece by piece. I've started with the shifters, as they're the most important part of the group (in my opinion) and will compare them to the old model Red shifters that they have replaced.

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Tags: components, reviews, wrenching|

Michelin Pro 4 Race Service Course Final Thoughts

[dc]T[/dc]ires are a very personal thing, and changing them can represent a significant investment in the unknown. That being said, last year I published my first impressions on the Michelin Pro Race 4 SC tires that I picked up at Velofest. I was hesitant at the time: I was replacing an extremely durable, nice riding set of Vittoria Rubino Pro IIIs and had poor luck with Michelins in the past. Specifically, the Pro Race 3s that I used had an extremely short lifespan and were somewhat puncture prone. I was hoping that the Pro4s had rectified this problem. Much to my surprise, the Pro 4s gave a very favorable first impression, and were extremely solid during the first 250 miles that comprised my first impression.

Having spent the rest of the season on them it's time for my final thoughts on their performance, their value and make my recommendation.

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Tags: components, reviews, wrenching|

Quarq Customer Service/Warranty Process

UPDATE:

According to Quarq, the electronics pod failure that I experienced was not necessarily weather related; it was more of a "destined to fail" issue. (After searching the web) It appears that there were a bad batch of electronics pods installed on some units. Quarq says "There was a flaw in the molding of the electronics pod that caused a stress crack allowing moisture to get in."

Disheartening that something like this slipped through QC initially, but I'm pleased it was a fast turnaround.

Original Article:

Many of you know that I'm a fan of Quarq and their Cinqo power meter. I was thrilled to hear they had become a division of SRAM and I was excited to see that the new Red group had been built to include an updated Cinqo power meter. I own a Cinqo power meter and I've been very pleased with it (except for the weird 2450 battery that it takes) for the past year or so. But one thing I was always hesitant about was the inevitable change in customer service principles that generally accompanies a large scale purchase such as the SRAM/Quarq purchase. Unfortunately, I recently had to make use of the Quarq warranty process, and fortunately, it is still everything that it has been reported to be.

The Back Story

Here in the northeast, we've been lucky this year: cold and wet weather managed to hold off until late December, making it extremely easy to ride outside and enjoy real, live on-road training as opposed to "illin' with the trainer." In this case, approximately two weeks ago (on a Sunday) we ventured out for a "classics" ride, taking in the rural dirt and gravel roads of southern Hunterdon county. And what "classics" ride would be complete without some damp and drizzle? The rain mostly held off, but we did find our fair share of puddles and grime, and our bikes were well washed off by rain as we drove home.

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Tags: components, drivetrain, reviews|