First, Wahoo Fitness makes some innovative products for using your iPhone as a bike computer. You can use the Wahoo Protector Case and just rely on your phones GPS, or step up to the Wahoo Bike Pack for iPhones and get the accuracy of  ANT+ wireless speed and cadence sensors. Use the Blue HR Heart Rate Sensor with your favorite iPhone fitness app for the most data with the simplest set-up.

The Wahoo Blue HR, Protector Case, ANT+ Key, and Bike Kit.

Next up is the Bar Fly, a custom-made handlebar mount for your Garmin Edge 200, 500, and 800. This is a great product, and increases the usability of your Garmin Edge.

The Bar Fly handlebar mount securely positions your Garmin Edge in a more viewable and aesthetic position.

These are a must-have for your Garmin Edge!

And finally, the Oakley Radarlock, the same awesome Oakley Radars with a new feature that makes switching lenses easier than ever.

Oakley's new Switch Lock feature opens the side of the Radarlock's frame.

This week we have a big one for you, so settle in and enjoy.

Question

Hi Daniel, I’ve read your excellent blog on compatible BB / Crank systems.

This was really useful in getting my head around what will work with my new Cervelo S5. I’m currently pondering 3 powermeter crankset options:

1)      Rotor 3D Quarq CinQ (using Rotor BBright 24 press fit BB)

2)      Rotor 3D+ SRM (using OE FSA PF30 BB)

3)      Sram Red 2012 GXP Quarq Power meter(using OE PF30BB + Enduro BBright / GXP adapters)

SRAM Red 2012 GXP Quarq Power Meter Crank

You are probably wondering why I have not included the BB30 Sram red option also. The reason is that I have a 2011 Cervolo P4 which I would like to use the power meter on too. You would know the P4 uses a traditional English threaded BB which would not be compatible with the Sram BB 30 option (where as it will work with the Rotor 3D+ using with BSA 30 Rotor cups, or the Rotor 3D using my existing BB)

I’m leaning at the moment to the 3D+ option as it is the lightest / stiffest solution (no need for adapters with either frame I own). Alternatively I’m seriously considering the new 2012 SRAM red Quarq GXP, but I’m a little uneasy about using the enduro BBright GXP adapters in the S5. Would I notice a difference? Is it likely to be as stiff / durable as a system where the spindle interfaces directly with the bearings as the rotor 3d+ does. The Rotor BBright 24 press fit BB also looks good as there is no additional interface between the bearings and the spindle (though this won’t work with GXP).

To throw something else in I’m using Di2 – though I don’t think this will pose an issue with any option. From: Matt

Answer

Thanks for your question, Matt. Here is a quick answer: I would go with either of the Rotor options. GXP doesn’t always play well with adaptors, even when everything is done by the book, and with the Rotor cranks that is not an issue. While they won’t shift quite like Dura-Ace, your Di2 system should work more than fine with the Rotor cranks and rings. Between the two Rotor options I suppose it likely comes down to your budget, availability, and power meter preference, but I would go with the 3D+ SRM for the 30mm spindle; but you really can’t go wrong with either option, as Quarq makes a great power meter and is a good company to work with. Congrats on the new S5!

Question

I have a Shimano Deore M525 rear hub that came on my Specialized Stumpjumper FSR that came loose. I have tightened the nuts on the hub with my hands but they keep coming loose and the axle doesn’t spin very smoothly after I adjust it. What am I doing wrong? From: Jeff

Cup and cone hubs are nothing to fear

Answer

Many people hate cup and cone style hubs such as your Deore M525 for precisely the problem that you are experiencing. I believe however, that like most hatred; it is born of ignorance.

All Shimano hubs use this system and I can assure you that their engineers are not the type who slept while seated along the back row of their math classes. Cup and cone hubs offer many advantages over their cartridge bearing counterparts. The geometry of the cup and cone function as an “angular contact bearing” that resists side-loading far better than a cartridge bearing.  They are rebuildable down to the individual ball bearings and offer a great deal of setup options as far as grease and adjustment are concerned. Best of all, they can be serviced without any special bearing pullers or dies that are specific to a given size of cartridge bearing (there are often 2 to 3 different sizes of cartridge bearings in any rear hub of this type). Cup and cone hubs just need a little more frequent adjustment than cartridge hubs. This is especially true of the mid-priced and lower end hubs of this type (most OEM hubs on bikes under $1500 use cups and cones).

Now that my defense of cup and cone hubs is done I can answer your question.

To start overhauling your own hubs all you need are a few basic tools. A chainwhip like this one should be in every rider's toolbox.

Step 1: In order to make the adjustment you first need to remove your cassette. With the wheel off of the bike and the quick release skewer removed place a chainwhip on a cog toward the middle of the cassette. Then place a cassette lockring removal tool into the lockring. Then, using a long handled wrench turn the lockring tool counter-clockwise while holding the cassette with the chainwhip.

Step 2: Before beginning the next portion of the adjustment make sure that you are working over an area that is well lit and is over rags laid out like a rug beneath the wheel. There is a high likelihood that individual ball bearings can fall out of the hub at this point, so be careful. The rags will prevent the balls from bouncing and rolling away. Always keep the wheel standing vertically during the next portion of the instructions to keep the bearings inside the hub where they belong.

Step 3: With the cassette removed you are ready to get to the axle. On the non-drive (disc) side of the hub remove the dust cover with a screwdriver. Then using a 15mm cone wrench hold the cone in place while you use a 17mm standard wrench to remove the axle locknut by rotating it counter-clockwise. Remove the non-drive locknut from the axle. Then back off the cone until it nearly reaches the end of the axle. This will allow you to push the axle through the hub to expose the drive side cone and locknut. With these parts exposed, tighten them against each other using your cone wrench and 17mm wrench. Make sure there is 4mm of axle exposed at the end of the drive-side after you have tightened down on the cone and locknut.

Step 4: Now push the axle back into the hub from the drive side. Tighten the cone down until it fully engages the bearings on the non-drive side. Then replace your non-drive locknut and make it finger tight against the non-drive cone. Then use your cone wrench to hold the cone while your tighten the 17mm locknut down with your standard wrench. Don’t worry about which of the two is turning and which is stationary. The vast majority of the time the cone will move and the locknut will be stationary.

Step 5: Now check the axle to see if there is play within the hub, or if the axle is binding against the bearings (if it is binding, undo the non-drive side and start with the cone backed off a quarter turn from the last time you adjusted it. Repeat this process until you get it where you want it). Most likely, the axle will be loose once you have tightened down the non-drive side. Then use a 17mm wrench on each locknut and tighten them against each other just 1/8^th of a turn. Check the bearing play again and repeat the process until the axle no longer rattles but don’t go so far that the axle does not turn freely.

Now just reinstall the non-drive side dust cover, put your cassette and skewer back on, and you are done. Now that you know how to do this you can rebuild your own hub when the time comes. To rebuild it just replace the damaged parts as needed and you will be back in business.

Question

Hi Daniel.
I recently purchased Team Sky (Arvesen’s) TdeF Dogma 60.1 with Di2 shifting. But, I don’t have wheels for it.  I do not know what parameters I need to know when purchasing wheels and rear cluster. Can you help? From: Mark

Answer

I am happy to help, Mark. Any standard road wheelset will work fine. The wheels should be 700c (this is the industry standard diameter for road bikes) and should have 130mm rear hub spacing (again, this is the industry standard at this time). The freehub body for your wheels should conform to the Shimano 10-speed cassette spline standard, which is by far the most common. All you really need to worry about is not buying a rear wheel with a Campagnolo freehub body. There are some very rare SRAM Red only rear wheels that you should also avoid, if you can even find them in the first place. In short, anything on this page will work with your bike so long as Campagnolo is not in the title. The wheels marked as “(SRAM/Shimano)” will all work as well. While pros always race on tubular wheels and tires, I would avoid these for everyday riding because it is difficult to change flat tubular tires without a good deal of prior experience working with them.

The gorgeous Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR M10

If I might make a recommendation, I would choose the Mavic Cosmic Carbone SLR M10 wheels for their outstanding balance of weight, aerodynamics, ride quality, and uber cool techy carbon fiber finish.  Another lower priced choice that would also be worthy of your ride is the HED Jet 6 FR wheels.

For the rear cluster any Shimano 10-speed unit will work but you will want to get a Dura-Ace 7900 cassette to match the rest of your outstanding race machine. As for cassette size, you might try a 12-27 for its wide range, yet relatively tight spacing that will work well wherever you ride. If you do a lot of climbing however, then I would recommend the 11-28 to get a slightly lower gear for the steep uphills and a slightly higher gear for the steep downhills to follow.

Congratulations on your new ride! I hope to see you out on the road sometime soon.

Follow Up Question

Thank you so much for the clear and easy to read answer. One question: When I look at the wheels on the website I am unsure if they are 23mm. I notice a lot of riders(or at least many of the riders I ride with) are going with a wider wheels/tires than in previous years.  Do you notice the trend? and how do I know if a wheel is a “23″? From: Mark

Answer
Rim width is a hot topic these days with everyone moving toward wider rims, and for good reason. The current crop of 23mm rims offer improved aerodynamics, a smoother ride, lower risk of pinch flats, and greater strength. If you can’t tell, I am a fan of them too. Information with respect to rim width can be found on our website under the “Features” tab between the “Product Description” and “Customer Reviews” tabs.

HED Jet 6. Wide wheels like these are the future.

HED pioneered the wide rim movement and all of their offerings are 23mm.  This Powertap wheelset is also 23mm wide if you are interested in a power meter option. Zipp rims are technically 23mm wide but only at the widest point, rather than at the bead where it really matters, at which point it is 21.5mm wide.

Daniel Slusser is a professional bicycle mechanic with over ten years of experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from HSU and a master’s degree in history from Cal Poly University. When he is not riding, wrenching, or writing he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

Rotor's Q-Rings minimize the dead spot in your pedal stroke, increasing your efficiency on the bike.

We recently had the good fortune to have Christie O’Hara from Rotor come by and tell us a little more about what’s going on at Rotor and some of the science behind the Q-Rings. The interview is somewhat paraphrased to make it readable but the information is the same. Enjoy.

1. What’s the history of Rotor and what makes Rotor rings different from BioPace or other non-circular designs?

            “In 1995 two aerospace engineers in Madrid worked on the original Rotor cranks. Rotor as a company was founded in 1999. The cranks were offset to eliminate the dead spot. The problem was that they were too heavy, so no one wanted to use them in competition. In 2005 Q-Rings were released to accomplish the same goal yet be light enough so that pros wouldn’t shy away from them. Pedal stroke analysis shows that maximum torque isn’t produced at 90 degrees [with the pedals perpendicular to the ground] but just after [on average around 108 degrees]. By increasing the chainring size at the point of maximum torque, and decreasing it at the very top and bottom of the pedal stroke, Q-Rings decrease the amount of time spent in the dead spot. Biopace had the right idea, but the wrong orientation. Biopace puts the largest part of the chainring at the dead spot of the pedal stroke, which it turns out causes knee problem and that’s why it was taken off the market. The engineering just wasn’t there.  Bradley Wiggins rides with O-Symmetric rings, which have a flat spot and then ramp up. These rings have much greater ovality than Q-Rings which isn’t a bad thing. However, they aren’t engineered well so the shifting is terrible. Chris Froome also uses them and will attest to that.

An easy way to think about Rotor rings is that you’re pushing a bigger gear on your downstroke, a 56 instead of a 53 [if you're running a standard setup]. Your chainring velocity is slower at that point because you’re pushing a bigger gear. Because you’re going through that portion slower it allows your muscles to fully activate at the right time. With a regular round ring, by the time your muscles are activated you’ve already pushed through the power zone and are moving through the dead spot.  So a bigger portion of the chainring in the power zone allows your muscles to fully activate and produces more positive work and less negative work. At top dead center [absolute highest part of the pedal stroke] you can’t create any power, so it’s considered negative work. Since on a rotor ring that portion is smaller than a standard round ring, you spend less time in the dead spot and therefore are producing less negative work.”

2. What can riders expect to feel when trying Q-Rings for the first time?

“Some people don’t feel any difference when riding Q-Rings. It just feels natural. Some people feel a huge difference. When it feels normal, it’s a sign that the rings are in the right position.”

3. Is there an adjustment period?

“Yes there is an adjustment period, however it’s very quick. You are not using different muscles, your muscles are neuro-muscularly firing differently. Generally, you should be adapted by a week of riding. You have to mentally realize you’re pedaling a different shape, but many people feel that the rings are more natural feeling than standard rings, so for some people the adaptation process takes almost no time at all. Your muscles will adapt to it pretty quick.”

4. With all the adjustments available with Q-Rings, how can a customer set-up their Q-Rings and know they are getting the maximum benefit?

“We start everyone including our Pro riders on position 3, the neutral setting, which is the middle position (108 degrees). There is also a Setup Guide online that you can reference. It has nearly every sensation you could possibly feel after installing the Q-Rings.  Generally, if something doesn’t feel right, then you simply need to move the ring position one slot. For example, if you want to feel the resistance a little earlier, you would move the rings to position 4. If you want to have the resistance a little later in your pedal stroke, you would move the rings to 2. One thing that’s not uncommon is to have different positions in your inner ring and your outer ring.”

5. What Pros are currently riding Q-Rings?

“We have Garmin Barracuda as our biggest team. We also sponsor Suar Sojason. Jerome Coppel is their best rider. Jonathan Hivert, Ryder Hesjedal, Tyler Farrar, Robbie Hunter, Coldo Fernandez, Murilo Fisher, Alex Rasmussen, Johan Van Summeren and Heinrich Haussler are all riding Q-Rings. The riders aren’t forced to ride the Q-Rings, however the Sports Scientist at Garmin is trying to get them all on the rings. Currently, Dave Zabriski is not riding Q-Rings because he’s attempting to do everything how he had it in the 2008 season. Since he wasn’t riding Q-Rings at that  point in his career, they aren’t on his bike currently. It’s really unfortunate because time trails and triathlons are where Q-Rings can reap the greatest benefit because the athlete is virtually in one position the entire time.”

6. Are there any exciting projects on the horizon that you can share with us?

“There is a new TT spider that will have an alternative bolt hole placement. Normal Rotor spiders have the holes positioned so the rider experiences the largest part of the chainring at 108 degrees with the other holes at + or – 5 degrees. The TT spider will offset those positions by 2.5 degrees. We are also releasing a Rotor Powermeter. It will have the strain gauges placed in the 3 holes of the Trinity drilling of the 3D+ cranks. It will have strain gauges in both arms so you’ll be able to measure both legs independently. For the first release it will use a CR 2032 battery that will be easily accessible similar to Quarq. We also have something really big coming out in the fall, but I can’t tell you about it.”

Back on home soil, the Amgen Tour of California is underway and Peter Sagan (Liquigas-Cannondale) has come to defend his green jersey of the last 2 years. Sagan won the sprint into Santa Rosa by more than a bike length over second place Heinrich Haussler (Garmin-Barracuda). More incredible than his win was the way in which he won it. Sagan suffered a puncture in the last 10 kms, but managed to bridge back up to the peloton and claim the win. On stage 2 into Santa Cruz, Garmin-Barracuda set about making the pace just difficult enough to make everyone uncomfortable over the Bonny Doon climb. Descending into Santa Cruz, Liquigas-Cannondale set about the pace making at the front of the peloton for race leader Peter Sagan. Inside of 3k Rory Sutherland made a bid for glory, but it wasn’t meant to be as he was swallowed up by the peloton soon after. The finish featured a tricky sharp right that seemed to slow everyone but Sagan. He easily claimed his second victory and remains in the Leader’s Yellow Jersey. Heinrich Hausler wears the Sprinter’s Green Jersey after finishing second to Sagan on both stages. David Boily (Spidertech Powered By C10) wears the Climber’s Polka Dot Jersey, and Lawson Craddock of Bontrager Livestrong Team wears the White Young Rider’s Jersey.

Peter Sagan rides a Cannondale SuperSix Evo with a full Sram Red 2012 Group… almost. He uses previous generation Sram Red chainrings and a Sram Red Steel Cage Front Derailleur. A Fizik Aliante Carbon Rail Saddle as well as Fizik Microtouch Tape and Speedplay Stainless Zero Pedals provide his connection points. A bit harder to see but just as important, Sagan uses Gore Professional Ride-On Sealed Cables.

Shred Fest

Kyle Baldock BMX Dirt Jump Session: Gorge Rd New Zealand

If you were wondering what fast looks like, here it is.

Since we’ve watched those guys risk their lives, a helmet debate

We all need food, and a lot of us live in cities.

Even though you’ll probably be watching the Tour of California this weekend, you might want to pretend you’re surfing in Rio

And last, be glad you weren’t on this ride. But check out the sweet bunny hop-over-human. Must be a former mountain biker!

2012 Sram Red Exogram BB30 cranks showed up… sort of. We got a 170 and a 175 in stock so far. The crank is truly much nicer than the previous generation with its massive X-GlideR chainrings. Just picking it up, the first thing you think is, “wow this is light!” Our scales confirm this with a 175 coming in at an impressive 562 grams. Best of all, Sram got rid of the wavy washer, finally!

Noisy Avid brakes? Rejoice! A few of the boys here have put these Swissstop pads through the ringer and can attest to their silent, powerful braking. One rider thinks they actually have more stopping power than Avid versions. Though that has yet to be confirmed, one thing is for sure, these Swissstop Disc 26 pads for Avid Elixirs and XX make brake squeal a thing of the past.

Renthal SR4 Chainrings are now in stock for all you moto and DH guys. They are everything you’d expect from a Renthal product, and they are much stiffer than you’d expect a ring this size with this much machining to be.

Renthal Integra Stems are also instock. These stems are sweet! The machining is amazing and the anodizing looks great too. This is the only stem on the market to use only six-bolts and not require you to remove everything from your handlebars to install them.

29er Continental Trail Kings are in stock! 2.4 and 2.2 Folding bead versions are available. Unfortunately Continental doesn’t yet make RTR Protection or Apex versions so we’re encouraging you to flood Continental’s inbox  with emails until they do!

The defining moment of the 2011 ATOC - Chris Horner's win on Sierra Road.

The 2012 Amgen Tour of California will be the hardest edition of the race ever with even more mountains than last year’s route. The 8-day race is in its seventh year and will cover 735.6 miles with new features such as a climb up Mount Diablo, a time trial in Bakersfield and a final stage in Hollywood. The battle for the overall win is really up for grabs with defending champion Chris Horner the favorite. But the 40-year-old will face stiff competition from a host of young guns and veterans alike.

Here are our favorites to claim the golden leader’s jersey:

1. Chris Horner - RadioShack Nissan Trek

Horner absolutely crushed the field on stage four last year finishing over a minute in front of his rivals on the super steep summit finish on Sierra Road. Only his teammate Levi Leipheimer could hang with him on the seventh stage that finished atop the infamous Mount Baldy. Horner suffered a nasty crash during the Tour de France that derailed the second half of his season. But he is back to full strength and focused on California glory.

2. Tejay Van Garderen – BMC

Tejay Van Garderen will look to improve on his 5th place finish last year.

It’s hard to believe Van Garderen is only 23 years old considering everything he’s accomplished. The lanky American finished fifth last year in the ATOC and third in the USA Pro Cycling Challenge, winning the best young rider classification in both races. The Tour of California is a major goal for the young pro so look for him to be at the front of the race on the key climbs.

The 2010 Vuelta a España winner has had a stellar start to his 2012 season, winning the overall at Tirreno-Adriatico in addition to a second place finish at  Liège–Bastogne–Liège and a third at Milan-San Remo. “The Shark” is poised for his best Tour of California finish ever and should contest for the overall win.

5. Andrew Talansky - Garmin Barracuda

Talansky is the dark horse on this list but consider his breakthrough second place finish at the Tour de Romandie a few weeks ago. The 23-year-old nearly beat Bradley Wiggins in the final time trial. If he can find his climbing legs, look for Talansky to surprise the world with another podium finish. Check out this video filmed from the follow car behind Talansky at last year’s time trial in Solvang.

6. Levi Leipheimer - Omega Pharma Quickstep

Levi Leipheimer is still recovering from a crash in April.

The three-time winner may not even toe the start line this year. Leipheimer is still recovering from a broken fibula sustained in a crash on April 1st. He was hit by an elderly driver the day before the start of the Vuelta al Pais Vasco. If he does start, we don’t anticipate he’ll be close to contending for the overall win because of the training he’s missed in the last month. But it’s hard to count Levi out, especially since the first stage of the race starts and finishes in his hometown of Santa Rosa.

There are plenty of other riders who could contend for the overall including Laurens Ten Dam and Robert Gesink of Rabobank and Rory Sutherland of United Healthcare. Other big names to look out for include the green jersey winner of 2010 and 2011, Peter Sagan. Sagan could face a huge challenge in the points competition from Tom Boonen, who has had a magical 2012 season, winning Paris-Roubaix, the Tour of Flanders, Gent-Wevelgem and the Tour of Qatar.

In addition to watching the big name riders, we also enjoy watching the domestic pro teams such as Bissel, Exergy and Optum p/b Kelly Benefit Strategies duke it out with the best teams in the world. We’ll be rooting for at least one stage win by an underdog team.

Specialized OSBB cups without bearings installed

In this post Daniel discusses how to reduce foot pain on long rides and what the difference is between OSBB and the other bottom bracket standards on the market.

Question

I have a quick question about toes cramping and feeling a burning sensation. I have tried everything from moving the seat post up and down and same with the cleats. Everytime I go riding within two hours I get like a burning sensation and cramp like feeling on my right toes. I have two pairs of shoes, one is a tight fit, and the other is a good loose fit. Any ideas of how to get rid of this sensation?  – Omar

Answer

Oftentimes our love of cycling is paid for by the foot. This is a problem that lots of cyclists struggle with, but is solvable; it just requires a bit of experimentation.

For some guys, riding with full carbon soled shoes causes problems because the pressure on the foot remains essentially the same throughout the ride rather than changing slightly as the foot goes through the pedal stroke and the sole flexes. That is the expensive potential solution if you currently have two pairs of carbon shoes.

The more cost effective solution is to get new footbeds. I recommend either getting some heat moldable offerings like those from Fizik that will provide you with a custom fit, or a stock offering that is adjustable such as Giro’s Supernatural Fit Kit.

An option representative of the latter that I personally use is the Specialized BG footbeds. In my case they have been the cheapest speed I have ever purchased. Just switching to these insoles and experimenting a bit with the included shims, I found I was able to go 1 gear harder on all of my regular climbs without any perception of increased difficulty (sorry I don’t have power meter data to confirm this anecdotal evidence). These took care of some hot spots I was experiencing too, but I must admit that I do get numbness in my left foot from time to time (as I said, it is a process). The fact that you are having a problem on one foot only would imply that there is an imbalance. This imbalance can be adjusted out somewhat with the BG shims.

You might also try pedaling out of the saddle more frequently as this tends to change where the pressure is exerted on the foot and gives the affected area a break.

Recently I took up walking barefoot along our local dunes and I feel that the sand has done wonders for my feet. Walking on the sand feels like a deep foot massage and it strengthens the muscles in the foot, which is always a good thing. Since doing this, my bad left foot has improved quite a bit. Your mileage may vary. If all else fails, see a podiatrist.

May you soon be footloose and fancy free my friend.

Question

Hi, was reading your blog post on demystifying BB’s but it didn’t mention Specialized’s OSBB. I have done a bit of searching on the internet and have not found a site that tells you anything other than the official blurb from Specialized. Is it just a standard BB that they have dressed up and called something fancy? I would like to get my bike up and running as soon as possible but am having problems figuring out a crank/BB solution and would like to see what options I have as I have no desire to use Specialized’s own in house crank. -  Angus

Answer

The story behind Specialized’s OSBB bottom bracket is an interesting one. The open BB30 standard used by the entire industry was conceived and named by Cannondale. Specialized was one of the first adopters of the standard (to be fair it wasn’t much of a standard at this time, as is was so rare) but Specialized was loathe to advertise a Cannondale-designed system used on their bikes; hence the name, OSBB.

So the short answer to your question is that any BB30 road crank will work with your Specialized OSBB road frame. The same is true of mountain BB30 cranks working with Specialized OSBB mountain frames. There are many versions of OSBB with respect to frames with some being exactly the same as BB30, and others that are similar or identical to PF30 (PressFit 30).

Plastic Specialized OSBB cups for a Tarmac SL4

Currently, on Specialized’s aluminum road bikes OSBB=BB30. On their full carbon road bikes, with carbon bottom bracket shells, OSBB is comprised of a pair of plastic bearing cups (see photo) that press into the frame and accept standard BB30 bearings without the use of the steel snap-rings typically included in replacement BB30 bearing kits. PF30 bottom bracket cups and bearings will not work if installed in one of these bikes, as the spacing of the cups is different, even though the spacing of the bearings is identical (I know it is confusing, but trust me). On current Specialized mountain bikes OSBB=PF30 so you can simply use a standard PF30 bottom bracket and any BB30 mountain crank.

Some earlier S-Works mountain bike models and many of the carbon road bikes with alloy bottom bracket shells used the BB30/OSBB standard, so please don’t apply these remarks to anything prior to 2012 as they differed from year to year as OSBB evolved.

I hope this clears up any confusion without raising too many more questions. I am really looking forward to the industry settling on a true standard. What I think will likely happen however, is that mid to low-end bikes will settle on a couple of standards and the high-end bikes will continue to use proprietary, or nearly proprietary, standards in order to optimize the bikes as the engineers, designers, and marketing departments see fit.

While these don’t apply directly to your case, I will pass on these bottom bracket dimension drawings so readers can take measurements of their frames in order to better determine which “standard” they use.

Daniel Slusser is a professional bicycle mechanic with over ten years of experience. He holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from HSU and a master’s degree in history from Cal Poly University. When he is not riding, wrenching, or writing he enjoys spending time with his wife and two children.

In honor of America’s biggest stage race, we’re having a contest during the month of May to give you a shot at winning some awesome prizes. Just click here to go to our Facebook page where you can enter to win. Prizes include a Garmin Edge 500, Oakley Radars, a $50 Art’s Cyclery Gift Certificate, a Tour of California Leader’s Jersey and an Art’s Cyclery Jersey. That’s almost $650 worth of stuff! Winners will be selected and announced on June 1st.

We also have a great selection of Tour of California apparel in stock. Our favorites this year include the Most Aggressive Rider Jersey and the Men’s CA Flag T-shirt.

As handlebar widths have grown wider and wider, most of us here at Art’s Cyclery have embraced the longer levers along with the increased leverage and control they bring. In fact, several riders here are riding bars well beyond the 750 mm mark. In our quest to find the perfect widebar  bend and rise, we’ve sampled many different handlebars, some of which flex so much it’s visible to the naked eye. Thus, when Easton announced the release of the new “oversized”—as 31.8 was called when it debuted—we were instantly intrigued. Here is the breakdown, giving you a chance to decide if you think the Easton 35 cockpit controls will fit into your game.

The Havoc 35 Carbon is the strongest and lightest DH bar in the world

Apparently, all the complaints to our Easton rep about 750 mm being too narrow for an aggressive handlebar were not in vain—someone was listening, and decided there was a market for 800 mm handlebars, thus the Havoc 35 bars. If 800 seems a little much, just cut it down to where you like it, (780 works well for me.) As they went wider and wider, Easton discovered that 31.8 bars became flexier and flexier. Unacceptably so with bars that were light enough for the pros. So, drawing on the success of their 35 mm moto bars, Easton went back to the desktop and designed a new handlebar and stems to go with it, without the constraints of the 31.8 mm clamp diameter standard. Not only is the fat middle section bigger, it’s longer as well, with a weight-and-stiffness-optimized taper (diameter-wise) to allow for a 20 mm rise. The mixture of increased diameter, taper, and Easton’s premium EA90 alloy resulted in a handlebar that’s 800 mm wide, 10-15 % stronger, 21% stiffer, and amazingly 10% lighter than 31.8 mm bars. Weighing in at 220 grams, the Easton Havoc 35 carbon handlebar is the lightest DH bar on the market.

The Havoc 35 bolt-on stem reminds us of the E13 Ali.

Of course, an amazing new 35 mm diameter handlebar is useless without a stem to hold it, so Easton has released the new Havoc 35 stem as well, in two different flavors—steer-tube and direct mount. The direct-mount version is inspired by an all-time great, the E*Thirteen Ali stem—a split design that eschews a faceplate for a more secure pinch-type bar clamp. Easton’s Havoc 35 direct mount stem’s bar clamps use wider spacing, and wider bar interfaces than similar stems. Plus it’s light. At 110 grams it’ll make any roadie jealous. It will be compatible with Fox 40s and Rock Shox Boxxer forks, has a -5 mm rise, and is adjustable to give a 45 or 50 mm effective length. Since wide bars aren’t just for DH bikes, there is a standard steer-tube mounted stem also, which is basically a bigger, wider version of the popular Havoc stem. It’s only available in a 50 mm long, zero-degree rise version. Both of  the stems are made from Easton’s premium EA90 aluminum alloy.

So, if you like to ride wide handlebars, meaning 750 mm and beyond, the Havoc 35 bar and stem are worth considering, especially if you are a bigger rider or ride rocky/big-hit terrain. While the Havoc 35 is not necessary for every rider, for some, it will definitely enhance the mountain biking experience.