Continuation from Part 1 (→here).
For a while now, I've been thinking about whether I could assign rear derailleur shift-up/shift-down to the left lever of an electronic groupset
and eliminate the right bracket entirely.
As I've written many times in the past,
I only use the left front brake,
and I don't maintain a position holding both left and right brake levers continuously.
So I basically never stand and pedal while climbing
(though I do sometimes on the drops).
The electronic groupsets that match these conditions are two: Shimano's Di2 and
Campagnolo's WRL (wireless).
As a tangent, Campagnolo insists on calling the EPS system "EPS" rather than "Campagnolo's electronic,"
and on calling the WRL system "WRL" rather than "wireless EPS."
They're particular about this.
With Campagnolo's WRL, in my case using a front single-speed,
what I need to buy is
a left lever set + (Japan specification) rear brake set,
sprocket, chain, rear derailleur,
battery, charger,
and either a rear hub or rear wheel compatible with the N3W freebody.
The rear brake attached to the left lever can have its long hose cut and converted to front use.
The battery comes as a set sold for both front and rear mechs, but
since the shapes differ between front and rear mechs,
I can't use the unused one as a spare.
When I asked about this at a distributor who's most knowledgeable about Campagnolo in Japan,
they said, "Of course we know that, but we can't do it because sharing batteries
between front and rear is SRAM's patent."
With SRAM's RED e1 lever,
there's another shift switch besides the lever itself
(around the area marked with blue tape in the image above),
but it can't be reached while holding the top bar or drops,
so I don't really count it as a 2-button lever.
So I bought the wireless version of SRAM's Blips.
This is what Shimano would call a sprint switch.
The Rival eTap AXS lever I'm using
doesn't have a port for a wired Blips connection,
so it only works with Bluetooth wireless Blips.
Installation can be done by mounting it on a bracket with the included zip tie,
temporarily securing the bracket with double-sided tape and wrapping it with bar tape,
or sticking it directly to a flat surface with double-sided tape without using the band.
As a ridiculous business practice by POLAR (the heart rate monitor maker),
the speed sensor and cadence sensor batteries can't be changed, and their official answer is
that when the battery dies, you throw it away and buy a new one.
These sensors currently can't be found through the "Accessories" section on the Japanese website,
and the direct link shows the cadence sensor without image or price,
the speed sensor alone is listed at ¥6,380 including tax,
and the speed/cadence sensor set is ¥10,780.
However, since these use Bluetooth standards, they work with other manufacturers' products, so there's no problem.
Furthermore, the older CS series heart rate monitors using the proprietary W.I.N.D standard
only work with genuine sensors,
and those were discontinued long ago,
so people had to take responsibility for opening the clamshell-style case like shucking oyster shells
and changing the batteries themselves.
Or, even though the sensors weren't discontinued at that time,
some people resisted the business practice of forcing complete sensor replacement
and changed the batteries themselves at their own risk.
I'm bringing this up because
the wireless Blips also have a non-replaceable battery spec.
It's supposedly for improved water resistance,
and the internal battery is said to use a type that barely loses capacity in dormant mode,
with a lifespan of 4-7 years.
This range is way too wide. If you mount them on both left and right of the handlebar
(which is actually the normal usage),
it's quite likely one will die before the other,
creating a difference in service life.
I'm only using one of the two-pack set, but
trusting the dormant talk and the minimum stated lifespan,
I'm hoping the first one lasts 4 years before dying,
and the second one I use afterward also lasts another 4 years.
Since removing the right lever means I'll be using the Blips 100% for shifts toward the big cog,
battery drain will probably be faster than when using both levers.
At the time of this article, the wireless Blips retail for ¥21,940 including tax.
So I removed the right lever.
Whether it was the brake hose tension, the lever weight, or both,
the steering feel became noticeably lighter
(though it's nowhere near rim brake lightness).
The uneven weight distribution doesn't bother me.
There's no sense of having to adapt to it—
it feels like I've been riding this setup for years already.
Glad I did it.
Initially, before wrapping bar tape, I mounted the Blips on the left side,
but it hit the back of my thumb when holding the drops, so
I mounted it on the right side at about the same height as the bottom of the left brake lever.
With Campagnolo's mechanical Ergopower levers, when shifting the rear derailleur to the top while holding the tops,
I often shift with my right pinky,
and from this Blips position, I can also shift toward the top from the tops.
As for shifting, that's settled,
but I need to install a functional rear brake, at least for appearance.
For the brake lever, I mounted a sub-lever on the stem's 31.8mm clamp diameter section
and used a cable-actuated disc brake caliper.
The brake levers come as left-and-right sets for sale,
but I shouldn't let it bother me that the unused left lever
looks quite different from the right one.
I mounted the lever pointing almost straight down
because my fingers would hit the lever when gripping the tops
and when switching from tops to drops.
I didn't push the lever band all the way inboard because
(↑Just tightening the set screw to shorten the lever stroke
without actually gripping the lever)
when I squeeze the brake lever, this part interferes with the stem's front cap.
It's thick here, so I could shave it down a bit
I'm changing the brake outer curvature (the lateral bulge)
using a Diacompe Flexie.
When I turn the handlebar fully right until it hits the top tube,
if I set the length so it doesn't stretch too far,
this bulge gets larger
and the brake outer was constantly rubbing my left thumb.
Initially I set the length so that "with the bar fully right hitting the top tube,
the brake outer wouldn't hit the head tube,"
but later changed it to "the outer touches the head tube but doesn't stretch."
In the image above, the bar is turned 90° right, not fully right,
so the outer doesn't hit the head tube.
During normal steering range, I never turn 90° right or more,
so you might think I could trim the outer shorter,
but
if I shorten it even one outer guide length,
the Flexie and front disc hose interfere,
so the current length is effectively the shortest possible.
Conditions might vary depending on the brake lever band position and angle, though.
The brake lever position has quite a few constraints.
I won't go into detail this time, but
my frame is a Niner RLT9 Steel,
and there's also a separate Niner RLT9 aluminum frame.
The aluminum version has the disc brake hose routed internally in the down tube,
while the steel version has it zip-tied to the rear of the down tube.
I modified my steel frame to route it internally,
and I'm running the disc hose/brake outer through the hole for the mechanical front derailleur shift outer
on the upper part of the down tube, which also affects this routing.
I attached a Goose Island bottle cap (→here) to the fork column top cap
because the Niner frame-included top cap is shaped like a beer bottle mouth
and can accept any beer bottle cap.
It's also sold individually under the product name "YAWYD NINER TOP CAP"
at ¥2,900 including tax, but as of writing this article,
the distributor has no stock. It should be in again eventually.
When I had the brake lever mounted at a diagonal-down angle,
what I thought would be reasonable for actually gripping,
when I squeezed the brake lever,
it scraped against the light
mounted on the back of my cycle computer bracket.
If the front light position changes in the future,
I might adjust the lever angle again.
For the rear brake, I went with a PROMAX Decord R,
a mechanical disc brake.
The paper catalog image was unclear, so
while this blog rarely uses anything but self-taken photos,
I'll post the official manufacturer image.
The "R" in Decord R doesn't stand for rear—it means road-use.
PROMAX is a brake manufacturer often used on budget-tier crossbikes,
but this Decord R retails for ¥6,930 including tax, which is fairly pricey.
Before explaining why I chose this, let me explain why I posted the official image instead of my own photos:
because the actual appearance differs significantly from the official image.
The reason I chose this brake is that the front brake is SRAM.
I don't know if the Decord R is compatible with SRAM road brake pads,
but when I overlay the pad holes and compare,
the base plate width and pad position relative to the base plate
are roughly the same.
The base plate mounting method has
aluminum on one side of the brake body hole,
and a grommet on the other side
compatible only with split-pin mounting.
I drilled through with the tap pilot hole diameter
and cut threads matching the SRAM bolt pitch.
↑Like this
When I thread it down completely, the C-ring slot appears
at just the right depth,
so I can use the C-ring as insurance against the bolt loosening.
This lets me operate the rear brake
as a holder for SRAM spare brake pads.
SRAM explicitly states that
the replacement time for disc brake pads is when the combined thickness
of base plate and pad drops to 3mm or less.
There's no other official information,
but the image above is a new brake pad I measured,
and the combined thickness of base plate and pad
measured to about 3.95mm.
This is also measured, but the 3.95mm breaks down as
base plate 2.15mm + pad 1.8mm.
So the pad alone goes from 1.8mm → 0.85mm for replacement.
If I replace pads at a trailhead and remove the brake pads
that have worn to 3mm or less overall thickness
and install new pads on the front brake,
with no tools to retract the caliper pistons,
there's no clearance between the pads and
no way to work the disc rotor in to spread things open.
So the brake pad I keep in this pad holder
(which I barely call a brake anymore)
is worn to about 3.2mm—
just worn enough that I can make it home alive that day.
For a while now, I've been thinking about whether I could assign rear derailleur shift-up/shift-down to the left lever of an electronic groupset
and eliminate the right bracket entirely.
As I've written many times in the past,
I only use the left front brake,
and I don't maintain a position holding both left and right brake levers continuously.
So I basically never stand and pedal while climbing
(though I do sometimes on the drops).
The electronic groupsets that match these conditions are two: Shimano's Di2 and
Campagnolo's WRL (wireless).
As a tangent, Campagnolo insists on calling the EPS system "EPS" rather than "Campagnolo's electronic,"
and on calling the WRL system "WRL" rather than "wireless EPS."
They're particular about this.
With Campagnolo's WRL, in my case using a front single-speed,
what I need to buy is
a left lever set + (Japan specification) rear brake set,
sprocket, chain, rear derailleur,
battery, charger,
and either a rear hub or rear wheel compatible with the N3W freebody.
The rear brake attached to the left lever can have its long hose cut and converted to front use.
The battery comes as a set sold for both front and rear mechs, but
since the shapes differ between front and rear mechs,
I can't use the unused one as a spare.
When I asked about this at a distributor who's most knowledgeable about Campagnolo in Japan,
they said, "Of course we know that, but we can't do it because sharing batteries
between front and rear is SRAM's patent."
With SRAM's RED e1 lever,
there's another shift switch besides the lever itself
(around the area marked with blue tape in the image above),
but it can't be reached while holding the top bar or drops,
so I don't really count it as a 2-button lever.
So I bought the wireless version of SRAM's Blips.
This is what Shimano would call a sprint switch.
The Rival eTap AXS lever I'm using
doesn't have a port for a wired Blips connection,
so it only works with Bluetooth wireless Blips.
Installation can be done by mounting it on a bracket with the included zip tie,
temporarily securing the bracket with double-sided tape and wrapping it with bar tape,
or sticking it directly to a flat surface with double-sided tape without using the band.
As a ridiculous business practice by POLAR (the heart rate monitor maker),
the speed sensor and cadence sensor batteries can't be changed, and their official answer is
that when the battery dies, you throw it away and buy a new one.
These sensors currently can't be found through the "Accessories" section on the Japanese website,
and the direct link shows the cadence sensor without image or price,
the speed sensor alone is listed at ¥6,380 including tax,
and the speed/cadence sensor set is ¥10,780.
However, since these use Bluetooth standards, they work with other manufacturers' products, so there's no problem.
Furthermore, the older CS series heart rate monitors using the proprietary W.I.N.D standard
only work with genuine sensors,
and those were discontinued long ago,
so people had to take responsibility for opening the clamshell-style case like shucking oyster shells
and changing the batteries themselves.
Or, even though the sensors weren't discontinued at that time,
some people resisted the business practice of forcing complete sensor replacement
and changed the batteries themselves at their own risk.
I'm bringing this up because
the wireless Blips also have a non-replaceable battery spec.
It's supposedly for improved water resistance,
and the internal battery is said to use a type that barely loses capacity in dormant mode,
with a lifespan of 4-7 years.
This range is way too wide. If you mount them on both left and right of the handlebar
(which is actually the normal usage),
it's quite likely one will die before the other,
creating a difference in service life.
I'm only using one of the two-pack set, but
trusting the dormant talk and the minimum stated lifespan,
I'm hoping the first one lasts 4 years before dying,
and the second one I use afterward also lasts another 4 years.
Since removing the right lever means I'll be using the Blips 100% for shifts toward the big cog,
battery drain will probably be faster than when using both levers.
At the time of this article, the wireless Blips retail for ¥21,940 including tax.
So I removed the right lever.
Whether it was the brake hose tension, the lever weight, or both,
the steering feel became noticeably lighter
The uneven weight distribution doesn't bother me.
There's no sense of having to adapt to it—
it feels like I've been riding this setup for years already.
Glad I did it.
Initially, before wrapping bar tape, I mounted the Blips on the left side,
but it hit the back of my thumb when holding the drops, so
I mounted it on the right side at about the same height as the bottom of the left brake lever.
With Campagnolo's mechanical Ergopower levers, when shifting the rear derailleur to the top while holding the tops,
I often shift with my right pinky,
and from this Blips position, I can also shift toward the top from the tops.
As for shifting, that's settled,
but I need to install a functional rear brake, at least for appearance.
For the brake lever, I mounted a sub-lever on the stem's 31.8mm clamp diameter section
and used a cable-actuated disc brake caliper.
The brake levers come as left-and-right sets for sale,
but I shouldn't let it bother me that the unused left lever
looks quite different from the right one.
I mounted the lever pointing almost straight down
because my fingers would hit the lever when gripping the tops
and when switching from tops to drops.
I didn't push the lever band all the way inboard because
(↑Just tightening the set screw to shorten the lever stroke
without actually gripping the lever)
when I squeeze the brake lever, this part interferes with the stem's front cap.
I'm changing the brake outer curvature (the lateral bulge)
using a Diacompe Flexie.
When I turn the handlebar fully right until it hits the top tube,
if I set the length so it doesn't stretch too far,
this bulge gets larger
and the brake outer was constantly rubbing my left thumb.
Initially I set the length so that "with the bar fully right hitting the top tube,
the brake outer wouldn't hit the head tube,"
but later changed it to "the outer touches the head tube but doesn't stretch."
In the image above, the bar is turned 90° right, not fully right,
so the outer doesn't hit the head tube.
During normal steering range, I never turn 90° right or more,
so you might think I could trim the outer shorter,
but
if I shorten it even one outer guide length,
the Flexie and front disc hose interfere,
so the current length is effectively the shortest possible.
Conditions might vary depending on the brake lever band position and angle, though.
The brake lever position has quite a few constraints.
I won't go into detail this time, but
my frame is a Niner RLT9 Steel,
and there's also a separate Niner RLT9 aluminum frame.
The aluminum version has the disc brake hose routed internally in the down tube,
while the steel version has it zip-tied to the rear of the down tube.
I modified my steel frame to route it internally,
and I'm running the disc hose/brake outer through the hole for the mechanical front derailleur shift outer
on the upper part of the down tube, which also affects this routing.
I attached a Goose Island bottle cap (→here) to the fork column top cap
because the Niner frame-included top cap is shaped like a beer bottle mouth
and can accept any beer bottle cap.
It's also sold individually under the product name "YAWYD NINER TOP CAP"
at ¥2,900 including tax, but as of writing this article,
the distributor has no stock. It should be in again eventually.
When I had the brake lever mounted at a diagonal-down angle,
what I thought would be reasonable for actually gripping,
when I squeezed the brake lever,
it scraped against the light
mounted on the back of my cycle computer bracket.
If the front light position changes in the future,
I might adjust the lever angle again.
For the rear brake, I went with a PROMAX Decord R,
a mechanical disc brake.
The paper catalog image was unclear, so
while this blog rarely uses anything but self-taken photos,
I'll post the official manufacturer image.
The "R" in Decord R doesn't stand for rear—it means road-use.
PROMAX is a brake manufacturer often used on budget-tier crossbikes,
but this Decord R retails for ¥6,930 including tax, which is fairly pricey.
Before explaining why I chose this, let me explain why I posted the official image instead of my own photos:
because the actual appearance differs significantly from the official image.
The reason I chose this brake is that the front brake is SRAM.
I don't know if the Decord R is compatible with SRAM road brake pads,
but when I overlay the pad holes and compare,
the base plate width and pad position relative to the base plate
are roughly the same.
The base plate mounting method has
aluminum on one side of the brake body hole,
and a grommet on the other side
compatible only with split-pin mounting.
I drilled through with the tap pilot hole diameter
and cut threads matching the SRAM bolt pitch.
↑Like this
When I thread it down completely, the C-ring slot appears
at just the right depth,
so I can use the C-ring as insurance against the bolt loosening.
This lets me operate the rear brake
as a holder for SRAM spare brake pads.
SRAM explicitly states that
the replacement time for disc brake pads is when the combined thickness
of base plate and pad drops to 3mm or less.
There's no other official information,
but the image above is a new brake pad I measured,
and the combined thickness of base plate and pad
measured to about 3.95mm.
This is also measured, but the 3.95mm breaks down as
base plate 2.15mm + pad 1.8mm.
So the pad alone goes from 1.8mm → 0.85mm for replacement.
If I replace pads at a trailhead and remove the brake pads
that have worn to 3mm or less overall thickness
and install new pads on the front brake,
with no tools to retract the caliper pistons,
there's no clearance between the pads and
no way to work the disc rotor in to spread things open.
So the brake pad I keep in this pad holder
(which I barely call a brake anymore)
is worn to about 3.2mm—
just worn enough that I can make it home alive that day.