Bike parts to avoid
After 150000 km of road bike riding I dare a criticism on some parts which nobody ever again should use. From good bike parts I expect durability, functionality and little weight. In that sense "parts to avoid" should be understood.
In the end, I also acknowledge the following universal wisdom
"Strong. Light. Cheap. Pick Two." (Keith Bontrager)
- Part to avoid
- Justification
- Exustar E-PR-200-CK-Ti
- pedal body worn after 5000 km (more than 2 mm mechanical clearance), bearing loose after 10000 km
- Shimano PD-R 540
- pedal body immediately worn
- Novatic rear Hubs
- Bearings of the free hub crack after 2000 km, in best case (experienced on my two "Road light", F172SB)
- Dura Ace 7900 shifters
- huge shifting forces (due to inside passed wires), huge levers throw (nearly 3 cm until anything happens), all in all miserable compared to my Shimano 5600 levers
- Shimano R55C3 brake pads
- destroy your braking surface mush faster, guess this is a brake pad producer - rim producer - connection to enhance sales. Now Shimano offers a soft version you have to replace more often. I personally favour changing brake pads instead of rims.
- Shimano cycling shorts
- miserable seat cushion on my XTR-shorts, like sandpaper. Actually no problems with seating, except XTR-shorts, spots at the ass after one week
- any kind of bottom cream
- wasted money. Take hand cream instead (e.g. Nivea, the blue one), it stay longer at the critical skin regions, and does not smell to obtrusive (tried Assos, Sixtufit and another one i cannot remember)
- Cratoni C-Bolt
- test results claime super ventilation, but I never experienced so mush sweat in the eyes ever before. For good ventilation go to MET Stradivarius or Giro Aeon instead. Finally the plastic had lace broke out of the blue
- Schwalbe Ultremo
- No improvement for several years, instead numerous spoiled rides in group, when the tires again and again suffered from their bubonic plaque. A textbook example of testing bad products at customers.
- Schwalbe Rim super HP
- to heavy, not durable, not resistent against heat. I'm still wondering how often I used these rim tapes ... because you can get it everywhere, which is a mad argument.
- seat bags fixed by plastic
- ... will soon crack, at least if you're not living in the asphalt paradise with smooth roads everywhere. Get textile fixture instead.
