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SubscribeP4/Di2 Liveblogging build
Wed, 11/18/2009 - 10:26am by Andy
Mark Purdy received a P4 build with Di2 from a not-to-be-named customer. The P4 was not designed with Di2 wiring in mind, so this is going to take some 'customization'. Mark is at my studio now, and we'll chart his progress through the course of the build.
All this has to go on or in the bike. Mark's plan is to house the battery in the P4's water bottle since the P4 wasn't designed with dedicated Di2 mounts.
10:26: Filing the shift cable opening to fit the Di2 plug.
10:30: The cables and control box have to route through these holes somehow.
10:35: Shifter cable holes in the extensions were enlarged to fit the plugs.
10:38: That hole under the armrest has to fit a brake cable and a shift wire. These will be filed as well.
10:40: Mark trying to figure out where to put the control box. Those big plugs make it hard to route the wires internally.
10:55: Wire fed through handlebars. Brake cable run through backwards to be a guide for housing.
10:58: Cervelo's cable routing system, where the cables enter the top tube and hit a stop in the downtube (housed in that big hole) is, according to Mark, "an indescribable pain in the ass". But at least in this case he only has to run one cable through it.
11:05: Kitty already bored. Thanks for asking.
11:08: First brake lever installed. Shimano recommends putting heat shrink tubing over the plugs for waterproofing. Mark thinks there'll be a handlebar upgrade soon, so he's using electrical tape for now.
11:13: The TT version of Di2 has a splitter: one cable goes to the extensions, the other goes to the brake lever. Being able to shift in both positions is one reason why Di2 is well suited for TT bikes (and the insanely rich).
11:16: The insides of the shifter.
11:20: Kitty getting interested again.
11:23: One side done.
11:30: Front brake hooked up.
11:38: Second side done. Things are looking clean with the extra cable jammed back into the bars. Next Mark has to decide how to route the wires of the control box. He'll probably have to route it down the side of the downtube and into that big cable stop hole. It would've been cleaner to go through the top tube, but that would've required dremeling out the top tube quite a bit.
11:50: A notch will be filed out of the cable stop as well as the downtube to accommodate the wire.
11:58: Notch cut in frame.
12:00 Cable stop was filed out to be a wire guide.
12:07: Mark about to pull the cables and snap everything into place.
12:12: All in.
12:18: The rear brake will have to be completely set and adjusted before the crank goes on. The shift wire is at the left. It'll go up the side of the downtube and into the bottle.
12:25: Just 222 grams.
12:30: Adjusting the pads. And it's lunchtime.
1:07: Back from lunch. By the way, Mark is available at 414-731-5802 or sensei@ifixbyx.com for mechanic work.
1:10: Brake cable all set, neatly tucked away.
1:14: Crank goes on temporarily so Mark can install the front derailer. It'll have to come off again to wire everything up.
1:20: The front derailer has a set screw that rests against a metal tab (the silver square at left).
1:28: Front derailer goes on. (Mark's front derailer setup article here.)
1:38: The battery will be bolted down with the water bottle bolts. The bottom of the water bottle will be cut away so it'll slip over the top as a cover.
1:42: The wire to the rear derailer is just barely long enough. Mark plans out the wire path.
1:50: The battery is in, just barely. It needs room to slide out, and a locking tab needs room to flip open. The extra mount protruding out of frame will be cut off.
1:55: This piece is called the B junction, and would normally replace the BB cable guide. Mark's going to cut off the mounting tab on top and tuck this away inside the bottle as well. Also, the first electronic whirrs of derailer movement were just heard.
2:02: All wired up, everything working.
2:05: Mark files a notch into the bottom cover for the shifter wire.
2:13 Notching the water bottle cage for the derailer wires.
2:20: Wiring all connected and routed. Time to adjust the derailers.
2:35: Spoke too soon. Taping down wires with guides supplied by Shimano. Mark also wants to make sure the inner ring won't rub the wires by the BB.
2:58: Mark spent a lot of time making sure the inner ring would clear the brake and the wiring. Now the chain's going on. Mark likes the grease that the chain comes with, and recommends keeping it on for as long as possible before lubing up with your usual chain lube.
3:05 Chain's on, and it shifts pretty damn well already. It's really cool to see the front derailer auto trim. As soon as the chain gets near it, it automatically sets itself.
3:19: Shifting all adjusted. Set the limits screws, then put the chain on the fifth cog, put the system in adjustment mode, and tweak it until it's quiet. And then you're done. Mark really likes setting the limit screws on Di2 – without a cable involved, it's a wholly independent adjustment.
3:29: Cutting the water bottle to turn it into a battery cover.
3:35 Bottle trimmed and mounted, battery hidden away.
3:42 Wrapping the bars, ear canals still impeccably wax-free.
3:55: The front end all cleaned up. Mark's solution is a whole lot cleaner than all the setups I saw at Interbike.
4:06: Bottom cover goes on, build is basically done.
4:30: Six hours later, all done. Once again, Mark is available at 414-731-5802 or sensei@ifixbyx.com for mechanic work.
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Why didn't the installer cut the plug off the end of the wire, drill a hole that now only needs to accommodate the diameter of the wire and then solder the plug back on when the routing was done. Smaller holes would look better and most likely be more structurally sound.
i'm more impressed with the last picture--no traffic. awesome.
Once again for those who don't read...the stem and spacers haven't been set yet.
Purdy built the bike up from scratch. Then it can get fitted.
Build - then fit. Difficult to do in reverse.
Once again for those who don't read...the stem and spacers haven't been set yet.
Purdy built the bike up from scratch. Then it can get fitted.
Build - then fit. Difficult to do in reverse.
Why on EARTH is that stem not slammed?
Is one of those guys TT Vegan?
WAIT!!!!! This is TT Vegan's bike!!!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eMI9_Mj6_84&NR=1&feature=fvwp
for your egotitsical viewing pleasures..
This bike is so big pimpin', it hurts.
Will the government provide carbon tax credits for a bike of this carbon caliber?
operating the rear brake is called "english". wha da matter wit dat?
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/brakturn.html#whichside
in the October issue of pro cycling, Marcel Wust tests the Rabobank Giant Team bike. Now I don't know who puts these bikes together for the tests but if you are going to have a bike tested in a magazine I'm pretty sure you won't use me for instance to do the build. This bike had the left hand operate the rear brake caliper, very thin tubular tires mounted with tufo tape and the wrong brake pads for carbon wheels for the test. Wust complains about the stopping power of the 7900 dura ace brakes and we all know those have some great stopping power. So, who did they get to build that bike up?
What's more silly- spending $3,000 on a bike when you make $50,000 a year or spending $10,000 on a bike when you make $600,000?
Sparticus!
People should stop counting other people's money, this could be a drop in the bucket for some and believe it or not, expensive innovation usually trickles down in price, if those that can afford it initially show there'll be demand for it.
...why? purchased out of irony? that's expensive irony.
Seriously, chill out. This is, like every other bike in nyc, a toy. I'm sure the mystery owner, whoever s/he is, did not buy this bike thinking it would drop TT time in CP by 3 minutes. Clearly, whoever bought this has a sense of humor and more perspective than all you clowns combined.
Shame on you guys for ripping the piss out of someone for spending ~$10K on a bike. I'm sure this beast won't QUITE make as much a difference as your full carbon SRAM Red under-16-pound over-$6K bikes, but you can't blame a guy for having fun with a new toy.
Baby Cobra! You're back! Missed u
What is the clearance between the iner ring and bearing seen on second to last pic?
Nice Zipp logo on back of chainring...
Mark Purdy must be the most innovative cycling mechanic NYC has ever seen! Serious, that is very SANO, so fresh and so clean! Once the race wheels, front brake/bars/fitting, aero helmet, skinsuit/speedsuit, tt gloves, tt booties, fully shaved and embroculated rider gets on that thing, it will be flying!!! Faster than the Giraffe on the BMC Time Machine and Lightweights...but one thing that would make it 100% TT trick is the extra aero rear brake lever spliced 2 into 1 cable for "staying aero while brake checking tight corners that you still pedal through"...McCarthy, "Smiley", or Charlie would have surely broke the 11 minute barrier for Central Park.
lame. The bike, the setup, the comments, this site. all of it.
But what crap for bars and stem! Yo, you need to rock some nice USE or HED setup.
Oy, such a bike. I should be so lucky
disassembling a Di2 equip'd bike is the same as a cabled up bike...no need to disconnect anything. Granted I'd be damn sure it was packed correct & precautions were made to protect the rear der (better yet remove it). You don't necessarily need to re route the cables (frameset) if you are adjusting or changing handlebars, the shifters disconnect from the main frame wiring. Excess wiring (within reason) can be tucked back into the bar.
I'll assume by the lack of setback that the owner is a triathlete(?) thus not subject to any UCI crap, so bottle (functioning or otherwise)not an issue...Finally, That P4 needs a sweet Simkins' Egg Brake caliper to clean it up www.simkinsdesigns.com friends don't let friends ride crappy stock generic calipers...ever...
If you can afford this bike you can afford to buy a custom made water bottle that covers the battery yet still holds water.
was it a happy blue ribbon ending for everyone?
No, but we stopped into So Good for some ribbons and trimmings.
i can't stand it when i see riders with seatbags racing. i don't know why- it just looks so fred-esque and iit makes me feel like a fred by association.
Did you stop in Havana Restaurant and have a cuba libre, you revolutionary man, you?
And in this matter I believe there is room for interpretation. Ultimately there will be a ruling on bikes like this sometime. You call it a fairing? I say it is integral to the funtion of the system as a whole. It is simply a containment system that prevents unnecessary wear and tear on the delicate parts. Also, there is room inside for a spare tube or CO2 cartridge. Is your seat bag illegal? I'm not trying to be an asshole here. I think that, as the regulation is read, this setup is legal. I am interested in What Alan has to say, though.
for answering the questions. What about the UCI regulation?
This new owner must reveal himself. Let's see...a golden toilet, owning the park...it's Bloomberg!
If I yell "P 4!" at the new owner, will he yell back, "Awww, you sank my battleship!"???
Cool shit, NYVC. Purdy, your winter beard is looking good... a few more weeks and you'll be at the right level of "totally creepy".
Oh, and the guy who owns that bike pwned most of you in the park last summer. That's a fact, bitches. And he has a golden toilet.
throw a simkin front brake on there. that would be the foshizzlemynipple.
...So try to follow along.
A.) as far as the fit is concerned...the only issue remaining for the rider is the stem height. i left it tall for the build so i wouldn;t have to add on to teh rear brake. Ifthe bar drops, so what. All I have to do is shorten the front brake housing. (which is pretty easy to do.)
B.) Stop all the whining about filing on the frame. the ONLY frame member (you can skip the obvious joke) that was touched with any type of file was the drive-side cable entry port. I removed about 1/8 inch from a rounded corner with a very fine round file. Although technically this does create a "stress riser", believe me, far worse is done on a reguar basis to all types of carbon frames in the pro peloton successfully. Besides, it isn't your bike, so chill out.
C.) Can you travel with it? Seriously? how far do you normaly disassemble your bike when YOU travel? There is no need to do anything different with this setup than you would normally do.
D.) That is definately one of the coolest cats I've known. He "helped" all day long and only took two short naps. Bravo gato!
E.) I'll take the extra $250, but trust me...YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE ME NAKED!
Mark
TT Vegan is going to love his new rig!
Now that the Water bottle doesn't hold water it is in direct violation of UCI regulation
1.3.011 Any device, added or blended into the structure, that destined to decrease resistance to air penetra-tion or artificially to accelerate propulsion, such as a protective screen, fuselage form of fairing or the like, shall be prohibited.
It is a fairing now for the battery.
what happens if you travel?
Do the wires unplug for dis-ass-embly? and when the new bars are fitted, will they be a bit long/tall, or will Mark have to re-route all over again?
Nice parts, but couldn't the front caliper be upgraded like Beyonce? Throw an old Delta, or even old Shimano DX??? OR perhaps a new Trek fork could be "filed" to fit the steerer tube, so the brakes are hidden up front as well, as we know the hidden brake thing makes you so much faster?
Trek TTX still makes a fast and practical bike as is Cervelo's P2...really, why bother? When so impractical? Unless Mr. Purdy will be traveling will Cyclist X...
and another thing, Powertap or new Vector/Victor Powerpedals?
Sick build. It should have a rear fender so as not to catch Darth Vader's cape.
the deal with all the spacers?
Congrats to the new owner and good work Mr. Purdy
For the extra $250/hour you could have had Purdy photo this blog-o-mentary in the nude.
Can you mount a wind vane on that steerer by any chance? It's kinda up there, might as well take advantage of it.
the rider will probably just use a camelback bladder system.
It's a shame Shimano can't clean up the wiring (ie: smaller diameter, smaller connections) A brilliant Groupo with butch esthetics...nothing works better ,nor looks worse (cables). I'm not brave enough to start reaming out holes in my frame to try to clean up the butch wiring of Di2. I cross my fingers for Di2Mach2
I've carried water on 40k TT's and have always forgotten to drink. I think he'll use some saddle mounted setup for training, and race without water. The spacers will be dropped.
looks like the same attention to care in trimming bar tape is applied to trimming ear hair.
bravo!
This is a brand new bike. Why would the owner get fit on the bike and then get it built? You have to stop shopping at thrift stores for your bikes.
Is this bike, when the build is finished, actually going to have that large amount of spacer stack and such a short stem?
Kind of begs the questions of whether the bike actually fits the owner, doesn't it?
This has been great to follow all day. I appreciate the effort on this one. I'm sure you've had this discussion with the owner, but where is the rider going to place an actual bottle for riding with the battery going in the water bottle?
your company was great about 5 years ago, you have not innovated anything new in a while
giant and trek and even specialized are making a better bike now.
Can't wait to blow by this parched rider as my two-minute man.
Set it and forget it.
Zap! Pow! Zowie!
is the pussy magnet located
that guy has impressively clean ears.
will the bike owner be rocking a haartz flea collar?
Distaster... Save the money and get a P3.
I have no idea what's going on in any of these photos (except the cat one0 . I thought this was a bike site?
That P4 is a real pussy magnet
At what point does the bike turn into Optimus Prime?
Is that thing staying in the water bottle "cage".
Hard to trust a tt bike that is more aero with the water bottle in than without.
My 'white cyc' is set paper that the cat has torn to shreds. Check the 2nd photo.
i love tender vittles.
I dare you to touch andy's white syke with your hand...I dare you.
Mark needed to file both. The frame has a shoulder for the cap which overlapped the cap.
I haven't laid a hand on that bike, so sue the cat and Mark.
+1
at pic 11:58, why didn't you just drill a small hole in the plastic cap/insert for the wire to exit, instead of filing away crabon fibre?
Anonymous Customer v. Mark Purdy, Andy Shen and A Certain Fluffy Cat
This entire thread is hereby designated as Exhibit A in the above-referenced lawsuit.
I really, really don't get why you would have someone gash your frame.
Don't file my hole.
Eddy didn't need no electronic shifting.
Di2 is for poosies. Like all the pros on Garmin who use it on their TT rigs.
Btw/ the total incremental cost over standard 7900 is less then $,1500 - not cheap, but not the end of the world either.
As for what you get, to start shifting from both the hoods and while in the aero drops. Can you say technical TT?
Also instant shifting between little and big rings up front, even under full load. (Ever loose time hunting for the right position on the manual shifters, say on the turn around?)
K, all done. Now back to your regularly scheduled hating.
Cervélo does not warrant against damage caused by normal wear and tear, improper assembly, improper maintenance, or installation of parts or accessories not originally intended for use with or compatible with the frame or bicycle sold.
Cervélo does not warrant against damage or failure of Cervélo bicycle frames caused by accident, misuse, abuse or neglect. Any modification of the frame or its components shall void this warranty
As a structural engineer I have a concern about notching of the frame in the corner. The frame is designed with a radius corner putting a slot there will likely lead to a crack from that point radiating out. Also this is a area of the frame that see substantial loads. You should have modified the cap only. You surely have voided the warranty.
kristin spelled a smart race.
is that like an adult spelling bee?
did she use spell checker?
Kristen Armstrong won the Word TT on a P4.
"how long does it take to file a fng hole."
that's what she said!
are cyclists always this antagonistic or is this just limited to nyc cyclists?
mark has great scalp skin. oil of olay? noxema? what's his secret?
The fact that Cervelo spent thousands of hours in the WT on this one and tries to convince the buyer that the side pull front brake did not need to go behind the fork is simply assinine. Now that back brake, THAT one needs to be hidden from the wind.
Well, at least the fastest disc made (Zipp Sub 9) fits.
Oh, it doesn't. That's right.
Did any pro have a result on a P4 this year?
just think of how many seconds this owner will save in an average tt on this badass black boomstick, thanks to the instant shifting of di2, the aero frame, and that swank crank. it's incalculable. it's unfathomable. shop smart, shop s-mart.
why does he keep chipping the paint like that? is the finish that bad or is he just rough like that
the use of electrical tape in order to make things work is a nice touch on a $10k (+/-) bike.
Di2 is for poosies.
since this build-o-blog is surely read worldwide (or at least in 3 or 4 local zip codes), the owner of this bike shall henceforth be damned to be known as "that guy" with the di2-equipped p4. look for him soon as a runcible spoon near you.
Cervelo did not consider the Electric Gruppo when building this god ugly and disgustingly expensive piece of plastic.
I am sure this bike will be out in CP tomorrow doing 16mph interval laps.
Next on Bravo: Super Dork Bike Build Eye for the Jealous P3 Guy.
new record for nyvc... no, not even close.
wow, there's enough spacers in there to fit a bento box, a microwave, and a small lcd from which to watch the rearview-mounted camera.
what does the "p" stand for in "p4" by the way?
?
what does the kitty think of all this bike building?
wow - 16 minutes until a douche chimes in - new record?
this isnt live blogging, how long does it take to file a fng hole.
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