Rotor 3D Cranks
Carlos Sastre's pink Giro edition 3Ds (pic borrowed from the nice folk at Road Cycling UK)
Brought to market through a collaboration which made use of the Cervelo Test Team, and a fruit of the very reason for being of the team (i.e. one of working with team partners to develop, test and prove new products) the 3D crank seeks to strengthen Rotor’s position in the market gained through their previous flagship model, the Agilis. It’s a beefier looking addition to their lineup which is actually also marginally heavier (546g Vs the Agilis' 507g published weight), but I’m pretty sure there’s good reason for Rotor to be comfortable with a heavier but stiffer product.
Why ‘3D’? More than just a name, 3D refers to the ‘Trinity Drilling System’ used to create the three hollow channels that run through each crank arm (as illustrated below). Trinity, tri, three… you get the idea. As you can see there’s a significant amount of material eliminated through this process, particularly coupled with the CNCing to create the channels externally of the crank arm. Yet it is also clear to see how they would maintain stiffness given that the strength would be maintained in the ‘ribs’ running the full length of each arm.
So how do they perform? I have a theory when it comes to bike components: if you don’t notice it then it’s doing what it should do, and is therefore ‘good’. This is the yardstick by which I have come to judge most things bike related – sure you will often ‘notice’ the good stuff, but generally if it’s good and you’re noticing it then you’re noticing the difference that component is making or the improvement it's bringing.
Anyone interested in the 3D cranks will be pleased to hear I don’t notice them. That is to say I don’t notice them aside from when I’m off the bike – at which point I notice them quite a bit, mainly because I think they look bloody lovely. It’s probably a good time to point out that I opted to run standard round rings rather than Rotor’s own elliptical design. And yes, being the Bike Tart I am this decision was partly based on the look of the elliptical setup… ok I confess, it was entirely based on looks. I am intrigued by the elliptical rings though so the time may yet come where I bite the bullet and give them a go.
But what’s the significance of ‘not noticing them’? Cranks are a critical part of a bike, you don't need me to tell you that. They’re the lever that allows you to transfer the power you put through the pedals into forward motion (I know, you don't need me to tell you that either). The theory is that you waste more energy powering a bike with a flexy crank than one with a stiff crank. True though that may be, it’s not going to make a significant dent in a sportive finish time, although you could argue that with a stiffer crank you might finish that sportive a little stronger or more fresh. What I’m getting at is I have had cranks where I have noticed things like visible chainring movement, which could be attributed to a weak spider or movement in the axle. This can manifest itself in an annoying sporadic rubbing of the chain on the front derailleur in certain gears or out of the saddle for example. Nothing on these cranks budges at all, and I’m talking arms, axle and spider. And let’s face it, if they’re stiff enough for big Thor Hushovd (and less-big-but-no-doubt-equally-powerful Carlos Sastre) then I’m damn sure they’ll be stiff enough for me!
Weight is an issue I seem to be focusing on more and more of late, especially now that I'm trying to out the Lynskey on a diet. Thankfully the Rotors are far from hefty, but the more weight conscious might want to bear in mind that they’re not quite Clavicula-light (546g without BB Vs 420g with BB). Given that at £245 they’re also significantly less than Clavicula money (which are circa £650, in case you're wondering) I don’t see this as an issue – they’re a very good weight for the price and much less precious than the Claviculas or the equivalently weighted Zipp Vuma Quad (which at £750 are actually well above Clavicula money, although the Zipp’s 580g weight does include BB and chainrings). You can now also spend a little more on a Ti axle for the 3Ds which drops the weight by a not insignificant 75g and reportedly stiffens them up a bit too. Expect to pay an extra £150 for this. As I mentioned on my Lynskey review, I'm looking into getting this as an upgrade if such a thing is possible.
What else? Well, not a lot as it happens. They clean up easily although some of the weight-saving nooks and crannies might need a bit more attention than say the smooth finish of a Campag crank. It has to be said I also love the beefy look with the channelling cut into it. For those who are interested, I paired mine with a set of Stronglight CT2 chainrings for an all-black stealthy look (like silver brake tracks on alu wheels, I hate seeing silver teeth on black chainrings!) in 52/36 – a slightly odd choice of ring sizes I'll freely admit, but one that straddles the compact / standard double divide quite nicely, and depending on cassette choice gives me a 36:28 to 52:11 ratio spread. With that I should be able to get up most things as well as going down quite rapidly. I also use a gold KMC X10SL chain. Nothing to do with weight, I just love the look of them and they seem to work well.
So there you have it. All in all they’re a worthy contender and I’m pleased I took a punt on them.
Now, I wonder if I can change the black end cap for the natty anodised red one to match my red skewers…
Rapha Backpack
When it arrived a couple of weeks ago I thought to myself “how the hell is this tiny pack going to hold a laptop (occasionally sometimes two even), notebooks, power leads, mouse, bits and bobs, change of clothes, yadda yadda??”. And then I unzipped it.
“Ah, cool – so this goes here, that goes there, this in that pocket… *smug snigger* oh, that bit is neatly designed, ahh and look at that…”
And still room to spare. Clever. Honestly, the word ‘tardis’ springs to mind.
Off to work wearing your cycling shoes? Unzip the extension (shaped narrowly at the bottom and wide at the top to fit shoes), pop your shoes in, maybe even tuck your trousers and shirt in there too if you’ve not already put them in the main compartment, hop on your trusty vélo de jour and off you twiddle. At the other end there’s no need to empty out your whole pack to find the shoes you put at the bottom to avoid getting the rest of your kit dirty.
A dedicated padded laptop sleeve? Check. Loops to carry a pump? Check. A hidden pocket to keep your wallet and keys? Check. A zipped pocket for ‘bits & bobs’? Check. A soft pocket for your sunnies? Check. Carry handle designed into the main straps? Check. Waist strap? Check. Chest strap? Check. Tidy little clips to stop the strap excesses flapping about? Check. Neat little pocket to slip your waiststrap into when you’re not using it? Check. Are these last two important? Probably not, unless you’re like me and HATE having things dangling and flapping unnecessarily.
It’s all about the detail... on the subject of which, neat little pink touches? Check.
Other handy trinkets include loops and attachments for lights both front and back, a headphone port (if you’re that way inclined – personally I’d rather hear the traffic), two handy front pockets, waterproof zips and reflective thread sewn into the fabric. The headphone port and front light loops would also allow for adaptation to hydration pack use should it ever need to be considered.
Thankfully the fit of the pack is also incredibly comfortable. This is genuinely the only bag I’ve used that I would actually use to cycle the 60 miles back to my friends and family on the Sussex coast – having done that before with a highly regarded courier bag, and having tried a fair few other bags to cycle with (all of which resulted in discomfort) that is a big win. It will still make your back warm despite the channelling on the back of it, but I’ve never known a backpack or hydration pack of any kind that doesn’t (although I’m not implying that such packs don’t exist).
Clearly, at £125 the pack isn't 'cheap' per se, but a decent courier bag is likely to set you back a good £80-£100 anyway – this example from Rapha is easily as well thought out, more compact and far better for carrying smaller loads on the days that you don’t need to cram it full. To coin a phrase, I reckon it’s ‘reassuringly expensive’.
Nice? Nope. Lovely. A very impressive piece of kit. So much so that I've been looking at other parts of the range more closely to see if the thought process carries through. As I said before, it's all about the detail...
Remember that Rapha cap I mentioned earlier? Consider it duly doffed.