3T Strada sub 6kg goal with cable disc and mechanical shifting

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AnkitS
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by AnkitS

Something to note is that the clamp for carbon rails with the ritchey clamp is pretty heavy (~10g heavier than the round rail version iirc). You can replace that M6 bolt with a alloy one but knowing you; you probably already have it ordered. Getting a saddle with round rails like a custom berk will probably net a lower combo weight.

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gSporco
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by gSporco

takolino wrote:
Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:36 am

IMG_0344.jpgIMG_0346.jpg
Besides wheels on my Strada build (slow build. Thanks USPS). The seatpost is the last piece of the puzzle to shed some serious weight from my build.

I cant tell from the picture how the Ritchey clamp attaches to the Racemax post. But do you think the Strada post can be cut and shaped to match the yoke of the Racemax post to allow the Ritchey clamp to work?

Also, in your current seatpost mod, how do you access the front tilt bolt as the threaded post is hidden inside the seatpost, not sticking out.

Lastly, i came across a reddit thread of Strada owner that all posted cracking along the rear inlet of the seatpost insertion point of their frames. At first I thought it was just one owner, but then five or more posted pictures of this. I wonder if this was an early production issue or the seatwedge not tightened enough causing rearward stress in the insertion point or if they were running their seatpost higher than the minimum insertion point causing lots of rearward flex and stress.

I mention this, because if the Racemax seatpost is on the smaller side (circumference) the extra play could stress the insertion point of the frame. I would think tighter is better? Have you noticed; is the Racemax post snugger or losser?

As always, well done! My wallet hates you!
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MattMay
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by MattMay

Over in the New Exploro Racemax thread I posted the final seat post weight of 145g, with a TI bolt instead of the Ritchey steel one. Got the bolt from eBay. I’ve had a few weeks on the post and it’s solid, no slippage. Huge improvement. FYI, for others considering, Ritchey offers several rail clamp sizes and they each come with a for-carbon option ( grooves in the clamp). Ordered mine from Worldwide Cyclery because the carbon option wasn’t listed on the Ritchey site.

yeahdext
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by yeahdext

gSporco wrote:
Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:19 pm
Lastly, i came across a reddit thread of Strada owner that all posted cracking along the rear inlet of the seatpost insertion point of their frames. At first I thought it was just one owner, but then five or more posted pictures of this. I wonder if this was an early production issue or the seatwedge not tightened enough causing rearward stress in the insertion point or if they were running their seatpost higher than the minimum insertion point causing lots of rearward flex and stress.
I'm can't PM here. You've got a new follower and PM on Instagram...

takolino
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by takolino

MattMay wrote:
Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:39 pm
Over in the New Exploro Racemax thread I posted the final seat post weight of 145g, with a TI bolt instead of the Ritchey steel one. Got the bolt from eBay. I’ve had a few weeks on the post and it’s solid, no slippage. Huge improvement. FYI, for others considering, Ritchey offers several rail clamp sizes and they each come with a for-carbon option ( grooves in the clamp). Ordered mine from Worldwide Cyclery because the carbon option wasn’t listed on the Ritchey site.
That's a great weight! I have an alloy bolt that's 5g but not sure if it's strong enough to hold 12Nm. Since i have a few of them, I may test it to breaking point to see if it's usable. The steel one that comes with the clamp kit is 14g so it's a decent weight saving.
Are you using it in the Strada frame? Any issues?
gSporco wrote:
Sun Feb 28, 2021 7:19 pm
takolino wrote:
Sun Feb 28, 2021 10:36 am

IMG_0344.jpgIMG_0346.jpg
Besides wheels on my Strada build (slow build. Thanks USPS). The seatpost is the last piece of the puzzle to shed some serious weight from my build.

I cant tell from the picture how the Ritchey clamp attaches to the Racemax post. But do you think the Strada post can be cut and shaped to match the yoke of the Racemax post to allow the Ritchey clamp to work?

Also, in your current seatpost mod, how do you access the front tilt bolt as the threaded post is hidden inside the seatpost, not sticking out.

Lastly, i came across a reddit thread of Strada owner that all posted cracking along the rear inlet of the seatpost insertion point of their frames. At first I thought it was just one owner, but then five or more posted pictures of this. I wonder if this was an early production issue or the seatwedge not tightened enough causing rearward stress in the insertion point or if they were running their seatpost higher than the minimum insertion point causing lots of rearward flex and stress.

I mention this, because if the Racemax seatpost is on the smaller side (circumference) the extra play could stress the insertion point of the frame. I would think tighter is better? Have you noticed; is the Racemax post snugger or losser?

As always, well done! My wallet hates you!
I assume no liability for your relationship with your wallet. :)
It will be very difficult to make the WCS clamp work with anything other than a WCS seat post. It's a proprietary design and the carbon protrudes beyond the width of the Charlie seatpost by quite a bit. At the widest point, it's about 33mm, 10mm more than the Charlie.
The front bolt on my mod is accessible from the top. I cut a slot in the tip of the bolt so you can turn it with a screw driver. This will be difficult with a non slotted saddle. If I were using a closed saddle, I would have flattened the side at the tip of the bolt so I can use a wrench. Either way, I loosen the back before adjusting the front. Takes a few tries but once set, it should stay put. I say should because this setup tends to loosen up over time. This is the achilles heel of this type of clamp. On a long ride, I sometimes have to tighten the bolts when it starts to rattle. I may switch to the WCS for this reason and since it's actually pretty light.
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takolino
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by takolino

@gSporco, I forgot to ask. Let us know if you find any additional info about cracking the seat tube. The RaceMax post seems to fit pretty similarly as the Charlie post. They seem identical to me. Using calipers, they are within .1mm difference. Width seem identical. Front to back length seem like the Strada may be just a hair bigger, by .1mm. The Charlie post has a marking that says "for strada only". It's a mystery.

I'm looking at the photo below and I just noticed that the corners may be a tiny bit sharper on the Charlie. Could that lead to cracking the seat tube? I'm not sure. Maybe photos of cracked seat tubes may reveal what's going on. My guess is it's due to overlightening the wedge. I'll reach out to 3T again this week to see if I can get clarification.

the RaceMax post is on the right
the RaceMax post is on the right

gSporco
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by gSporco

So here's the thread with owners with all the same damage: https://www.google.com/amp/s/amp.reddit ... xperience/

I am hopeful that this only plagues first generation Strada in Red or Blue. Maybe they changed the manufacturering ober time?

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takolino
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by takolino

Thanks @gSporko!
Looks like that post is 6 months old so hard to know how old the affected frames are. Also hard to deduce how common this problem is. I vaguely recall a video review last year where the presenter's seatpost was slipping at specified torque so he asked Gerard Vroomen and he told him to just tighten it a bit more. Didn't seem worried about the seat tube cracking.

gSporco
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by gSporco

takolino wrote:
Mon Mar 01, 2021 10:16 am
Thanks @gSporko!
Looks like that post is 6 months old so hard to know how old the affected frames are. Also hard to deduce how common this problem is. I vaguely recall a video review last year where the presenter's seatpost was slipping at specified torque so he asked Gerard Vroomen and he told him to just tighten it a bit more. Didn't seem worried about the seat tube cracking.
Yeah that was the VeloNews review of the Duo.. Received great reviews, but you are right, he had issues with the SP slidding down and GV said torque it more lol
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MattMay
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by MattMay

@takalino I have an Exploro LTD frame.

ethancui
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by ethancui

takolino wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2021 7:32 pm
gSporco wrote:
Tue Feb 02, 2021 6:00 pm
What RD are you using with the Ratio? Does the mod work on Sram Road RD or only 11speed Sram MTB RD?
I'm using Red Wifli RD. Any Exact Actuation RD should work without any mods. The Wifli RD barely clears the 36t cog. If I want more range, I can also use the MTB XX 10 speed RD for up to 40t according to what I've read. They are spec'd for 36t but should clear the 40t and are still pretty light, around 180g. Another road RD that works is the Force 1 but these are a bit heavier. Cassette choice may be an issue as the spacing may be slightly different. I've tried to find out if Eagle and XG1290 are the same but did not find definitive info.

Another issue is this may or may not work for 2x setup since chain capacity will become an issue for the bigger range cassettes. The 10-33 may be good for that.

Ratio sells a plastic blade that converts MTB X-actuation derailleurs to Exact Actuation for wide range cassettes. So you have a lot of derailleur choices. But watch out for how the cable will rout to MTB derailleurs on a road frame. Ratio calls that out and has some solutions for that.

Hi takolino, amazing works in this post!

I want to confirm were you able to run 12 speed cassette with the 11speed red RD and shifters with the ratio kit? I thought officially the kit required a 12 speed mountain RD and was thinking how to make 11 spd RD work with the spacing difference between 11 spd and 12 spd cassette.

Also, have you noticed any difference in shifting performance after installing the kit?

Thanks again for such an informative post and I've really enjoyed following it.

takolino
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by takolino

Welcome to WW @ethancui! :beerchug:

The Ratio ratchet is working really well on my setup. In fact, I totally forgot I had it and that's a good thing. Shifts are really accurate. No issues with slow or delayed shifting. Shifters feel the same as it did before.
My setup is Red Wifli RD completely stock. I'm using Rotor 11-36 cassette and it shifts well. B-screw needed adjusting to clear the top jockey wheel but not too extreme.

Let us know how it goes with your Ratio setup.

takolino
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by takolino

MattMay wrote:
Mon Mar 01, 2021 4:46 pm
@takalino I have an Exploro LTD frame.
Gotcha.

BZE
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by BZE

@takolino (and anyone else contemplating using the RaceMax post on a Strada), I got word directly from GV: don't do it. "The post goes in, but it doesn’t fit. The shapes are not the same, and tightening the clamp will damage the seattube." Have not tried (and will not try) myself, but just wanted to share the info.

takolino
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by takolino

Thanks @BZE! You may have saved some ppl from cracking their frames!
I noticed that the kamm tail edges are sharper on the Strada but it's not consistent. I bought a used small Strada seatpost last year and it had really sharp edges. On the other hand, I have an XL post with very rounded edges that is very similar to the Exploro. I can see how a mismatched seatpost can easily crack a frame. I was considering building up the seatpost with epoxy and matching it to the frame.

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