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No more 155km/hr spikes for THIS guy!![]() People who know me - know that when shit doesn't work like it should - I go CRAZY! I know I'm not alone and I also know I'm not alone in the growing number of riders that are bonking on the climbing mountain of distractions that are eroding the zen of the ride and adding to the accumulating pile of gadgets, straps, chargers and wires from stopping that one drawer from closing just right in the garage! It's the reason I have distilled my "equipment entanglements" down to a modest collection of elements that are most likely to let me enjoy my ride without the hinderance of modern vanity squashing, joy sucking metrics that really mean nothing to anyone...not even me. Distraction number one - "Zone THIS!" Gone is the HR monitor - like, do I really NEED a HR monitor to tell me I spend most of my life either in "ZONE 2" or drinking coffee? Battery Dead! Free the strap and free the mind! Distraction number two - "power OUTage!" The WATTS meter.... the pedals that informed me of my power, warned me of my shameful unbalanced pedalling of squares, those vital meters of effort that left me with a sound feeling of mediocrity. Low power warning - no worries - no battery - no problem! Watt was I thinking! Alas - the one set of metrics I do take some joy in being aware of and one item that I find INDISPENSABLE for safety still adorn my steeds whether commuting or Gravel riding or Bikepacking. Those devices are a Garmin Radar sensor. Brilliant! And my Wahoo ELMNTRoam (Now ELMNTRoam v2) I like the Radar for safety. THAT plus my ears allow me to be even more aware of my surroundings. My Wahoo ELMNTRoam I like to navigate on long rides and especially Bikepacking outings and record TIME and DISTANCE with a distant 4th going to speed. (Anyone who has ever tried to "hurry" with 30lbs of bikepacking stuff on their rig knows speed ain't up to much on those trips). I also like it because the screen is just shy of the size of our first colour TV and I can SEE it without my glasses! You can imagine my horror then when, even with my repertoire of gadgets whittled down to just TWO select sources of distraction - I had an issue, specifically with the Speed sensor of my head unit. Granted, "speed" as forementioned, is the least of my interests - the issue however was that it affected distance and time, things that I did need to measure somewhat accurately. Sadly this was an issue I was experiencing with my SECOND Wahoo ELMNTRoam after suffering through a series of "fixes" with the first one. I would be riding along minding my own business when I would glance down and notice a 145km/hr spike, or get home from a ball busting headwind to read that the average on my ride was 32km/hr - about TEN generous, yet merciful km/hr faster than I had actually earned. Anyway - this time I send along a message to Wahoo customer support support.wahoofitness.com/hc/en-us and got "Tyler." Thank goodness for Tyler. The note went like this..... I have a Wahoo Elemnt Roam that - occasionally - has erratic SPEED display - specifically - it jumps from 30km/hr to 90 - to 155km/hr. Although this unquestionably comes under - first world problems, it is nonetheless a complete pain in the saddle. It means that training rides you are on that have specific goals are altered or eliminated, it means that max speeds show up on your STRAVA that challenge the authenticity of your ride you have recorded. In short, it undermines the very purpose of your product. I love my ElemntRoam - I love the mapping - the size of it makes it easier for me to see when on my bikepacking trips without my glasses, the battery lets me navigate ALL day. I paid alot of money for this device. It doesn't work consistently. Help? Tyler's response couldn't have been faster or more appreciated and now we are back on the slow road to nowhere with our few favourite distractions we want and none of the ones we don't! Tailwinds Wahoo, ca.wahoofitness.com/devices/bike-computers/view-all and especially tailwinds to your Support team!! Tailwinds Wahoo Support!
"Skip the instruction page and watch the YouTube!"I take it back!
My hasty "hate-on" that came over me when I snapped my BOA connector pre-ride on a trip in Arizona recently! My wrath of wrathedness that burned inside of me worse than the TexMex I had just inhaled when I had to go and find a lowly SHOE LACE to remedy my plight and put me back on the bike. (an additional item, I advise here, that has earned a worthwhile berth in my "BikepackingTroubleKit") I take it ALL back! For three good reasons.... 1) when contacted Pearl iZUMi customer service regarding my 'Busted Boa" they immediately and promptly replied and directed me to https://www.boafit.com/en-us/support/warranty who asked a few questions about my 4 year old shoes and then immediately sent me replacements for BOTH of the ratchets and cables. 2) the replacements were free and came relatively quickly - like, still carry the shoelaces but.... 3) The instructions were about as easy as replacing normal laces....pretty much especially the YouTube video https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nN4Y9e21tsI Thank you https://www.boafit.com/en-us/support/warranty - the process couldn't have been easier! Tailwinds Peeps! JS I have a hardtail True North Ti "Gravel Bike" that I use almost exclusively for Bikepacking AND for trips to places where I want to ride - but should likely have used a mountain bike! ... with FULL suspension!! As a carpenter, I find the use of my hands, pretty much essential so you can imagine my minor concern on the 320km Michigan Coast to Coast one day gravel ride when my hands became numb. You also likely, can empathize with my major concern when the numbness didn't go away right after the event or even the following few days! As a result - I was on the search for some type of suspension that might help relieve the trauma done to my hands and wrists in long rides. When I had a special bike made up specifically for the purpose of Bikepacking - I had a Lauf Grit fork spec'd in for the custom build. You can imagine my dismay - unfortunately right at the start of the BT 700 - when - under a loaded front - around 20km/hr...the bike developed a pronounced WOBBLE! I loved that fork for normal use but it was back to the search! What I found was an affordable, efficient and easy to install solution that didn't break the bank, result in divorce court or change the geometry of my bike "GravZilla". I love you GravZilla!! The Redshift Suspension stem works! There, review over.....redshiftsports.com/pages/gravel
It is easy to install - like I said, I am a carpenter - no need for a saw or router here (although some may wonder why I have not sawn my steer tube down...) - just everyday friendly allen keys and the ability to read - and know about how much you weigh. The stem comes in a cool little box - which I lost almost immediately - and some vital instructions which I disregarded the FIRST time I installed it - and followed religiously the SECOND and more successful time! Once you have horsed around with the elastomer installation and dialed the system in like you like - the ride is on and the results are immediate! I will leave the technical specs to those who are interested in the exact performance. This ain't no DOWNHILL 160mm front jammer - but rather a subtle, no comfortable solution to the problem EXACTLY for which it was designed. It takes the edge off and then some! You can adjust it for firmness easily and it doesn't effect the handling of your bike when the front handlebars are under load - you can adjust for that. See here if you threw your instructions away like me! redshiftsports.com/pages/faq-instructions They have a cool video as well! https://youtu.be/7yCFq4Y8Nms I can honestly say that this unit has changed the comfort of my longer 120km -200km rides and certainly allowed me to ride the chop I love to ride on MTB trails from Sedona to Spain to right here at home on the Hydrocut Trails in Waterloo. It particularily has been a blessing in longer multi day bikepacking rides like the Log Drivers Waltz www.logdriverswaltz.ca/and the BT700 http://www.bt700.ca/ Hope this helps .... Tailwinds Peeps! |
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