Waterford Bike Test+tire clearance

[Ken Robb]

In my ongoing quest for bicycle heaven and infinite knowledge I just bought a used RS1100 to compare with our CSi, Rambouillet, etc. It came with the original steel fork and a newish Profile Design AC1 all carbon fork. This will be my first time to be able to compare steel vs. carbon fork on the same bike. The RS has slightly relaxed angles and longer chainstays than Waterford's Road model (43cm). It was advertised as a 61cm. W'ford measures c-top. When it arrived I found it was 61cm c-c w/59cm top tube so the 12cm stem is a bit long for me. A 10cm with a bit of rise should be about right. The shop that packed it sent a 27.2 post hacked down too short to use anywhere I should think. It doesn't matter because until very recently Waterfords used 27.0 seat posts.
In my 2 hours of riding thus far I think I can say it's just what one could expect: Noticeably quicker handling than my Rambouillet and not quite as quick as the CSi. I have 700x28 Contis on Rambo and 700x25 Contis on CSi(the biggest that will clear the F1 fork). The Waterford came w/700x23 Michelin Open Pros. I rode those at 120psi and found the ride quite buzzy on coarse pavement and will try 110psi next time. The good news is that I was able to put the wheels from Rambo with 700x28 tires on the Waterford with more clearance than I have on CSi with 700x25 tires. For our friends who were asking about how much clearance for tires a couple of days ago this confirms what I guessed: on many bikes the critical factor will be the fork, particularly at the top, and ot the brakes. I have the longer reach Ultegras on Rambo and standard reach 105 on Waterford. I can go to 700x38 on Rambo.

[rnhood]

Tire pressure made a big difference for me. I have Conti Attack/Force and run between 85 and 95# in them. It provides a great ride with zero loss of efficiency. At 110 or 120# the ride is also buzzy or electric feeling.

[Orin]

Put 23s on the Rambouillet and it will have noticeably quicker handling...

Big difference from Ruffy-Tuffys (700x27) to Michelin Axial SuperComps (700x23). Ruffy-Tuffys were soggy and slow much below 100psi (always felt like I was having a bad day), harsh much above 100 psi.

Orin.

[mls]

i have been riding veloflex tires this year as
compared to contis for many years . I like
the velos better as for rolling w/no squish
but am thinking of going to 25s for a little
more comfort but veloflex doesnt make them
in that size what can you folks recamend

[dbrk]

Carbon forks nowadays are like cranksets and brakes: we have a zillion options and they are all the same. This overstates the case marginally but how many short reach caliper brake options do we have? How many 130 and 135bcd cranksets can we see listed? And how many plug-in carbon fork with crappy clearances and no eyelets can we put on our "race" bikes? My rant is not that these things are only bad but that they limit options that don't have to so limited. The situation with tires is completely different. We have all sorts of nice tires that many of us can't use because of the fork clearance issue.

Cyclists in America spend their money (apparently) like racerwannabes when it comes to equipment they want or what they are sold (since the Shimagnolo monopoly gets to dictate as much as we get to demand. I am not _at all_ sanguine about the putative powers of free markets to bring "the people" what they "want."). There's nothing at all wrong with go fast riding but it makes other ways of enjoying bicycling seem marginal when so, so many people _would_ be enthusiasts if there were more sensible options. The comment about how some "bike geeks" see Serottas for old, slow, fat, rich guys is typical of what the _industry_ does when it treats us to so limited a view of bicycling.

Perhaps trends will change. I'm hopeful for the possibilities of 110bcd cranks, for example. But since racing and professional looks drive the road bike market (in America) it is more likely we will have to go to the peripheries to find things that suit other tastes.

dbrk

[Ken Robb]

A small update: I swapped the stem and got the bars about 2" belowthe saddle, still pretty racy for me. I had an Icon carbon w/ 1" steel steerer on a 57cm LeMond Zurich 853 steel bike and it was vague and flexy under my 210 lbs. I had both Ouzo Pro and Ouzo Comp on my 59cm Litespeed and they were stiffer and more precise. I could not tell any difference in the ride between those 2 1" forks on the same Litespeed. The F1 on our CSi is a wonderfully precise fork. The Profile Design AC1, all carbon 1" fork on this Waterford feels as good as the F1 and is lighter with more tire clearance.
I plan to ride it for a while and then switch to the steel Waterford fork for a real comparison of ride qualities. Stay tuned. Or not.

[ajs122]

Does the RS1100 use 753 rather than 853 steel? How wide a tire can the RS1100 handle? 32C? I'm looking foreword to your impressions. Thanks for posting.

[Ken Robb]

I don't know what blend of tubes are used excepth the downtube is 531. There is still a bit of room with 700x28 Continental Ultragatorskins. The steel fork would have more room than the Profile Design AC1 carbon fork now installed so I think with it you might get 700x32 tires to fit.