Mini V-brakes Suck.

Road levers and mini v-brakes are a very un-ideal setup:
- Very mushy feel
- Mediocre leverage/power due to shortened arms
- Pad-to-rim clearance has to be very close to acheive proper lever pull - meaning pad positioning has to be 100% perfectly flat and your rim 100% true or else there's a good chance it'll rub. Also, this means you rely on the barrel adjusters to release the brake to remove wheel which is no longer a "quick-release".

Better choice?
Normal V-brakes with the Travel Agent V-brake adapter = exact same crisp feel, power, modulation AND quick-release as a normal V-brake. A lil heavier and pricier though. The adapters cost $20 incl. shipping each on eBay. Year ago I couldnt find em thru any traditional suppliers, interestingly. But now that Norco/Live to Play has acquired Problem Solvers this may change.

2013 Shimano Dura Ace 9000 11 speed Ribbed Polymer Cables to 2012 Dura Ace 7900 10 speed Shifters

At last, we can make our 10 speed Dura Ace 7900 shifters work as good as it should...thanks to the newer Dura Ace 9000 polymer coated and ribbed cables, right??Theortetically, yes. But, what about the extra clamping force that Shimano says is needed for these cables because they are sooo slippery?

Well, let's find out....when I install em later this month....possibly tomorrow Tuesday 16th...

You know these cables are good when they're packed like this.

Be back in a bit...

We're back!

Yes, they worked as expected. Marked improvement over stock 7900 setup to the point where it's excellent. 

What I did:

Used new Dura Ace 9000 polymer, ribbed cables with my stock new average housings on 7900 shifter + 6700 r.d. + 11-32 XT cassette on Rocky Mountain Prestige carbon road bike (typical external cable routing).

 

Friggin awesome!  Of course, not as quick/shorter-throwing or light as the current 9000 shifters BUT, pretty darn close and way better than any stock 7900 setup due to the 9000 cables alone.  They do make that much of a difference just as Shimano claimed (20-27%? reduction in friction). So far no issues with the cable clamping but if so, I figure one could simply remove the coating by abrading it off.

Also, big money saved as I avoided approx. $800 to fully upgrade to 9000. While I got the biggest benefit of the 9000 group (super slick shifting via polymer cables) for about $20. But, I got em by getting the complete pair of 9000 shifters.  I still do not know if these cables are available for sale alone. I know they are not available through any of our suppliers. However, I have not checked Shimano Canada...

$157 Full Carbon Rim Tubular 700C Wheel - 530g

  Third wheel I've purchased direct from an Asian manufacturer/seller.  This one was from Shanghai via eBay.com. 

So far, so good. The first wheelset I never rode because it was for a special fundraising build but, I did receive and install them on the bike with no problems. They were fully and professionally well-packed and sealed. Nothing fishy. Just as you would get it if ordered new from a local supplier like Live to Play, OGC, etc. 

  As was this front, 700c carbon rim tubular wheel. Full UD carbon matte finish. Aero/bladed spokes, Novatec sealed bearing hubs with minimal shell and flanges. All black. Claimed 530g w/o skewers. $157.25 + 50.00 shipping CAD.  Received it in about 9 days! Very impressive. Unbeatable price, even for the most killer deal from a used equivalent and even compared to my inside bike employee discount...you cannot get a better deal than this. Period.

Here it is, straight outta the box:

Conti Sprinters to be mounted and I'll b be back later this July with a follow up & test and hopefully actual weights...