mpemburn
Well-Known Member
Not long after getting back into cycling some five years ago, I purchased a 2006 Trek Pilot 5.2 on eBay for a decent price. It was my first carbon-framed bike, and was equipped with the 6600 series Ultegra groupset. It was a sweet bike, and it ramped up my enthusiasm for riding considerably.
Because of the way I'm made with pipestem-thin arms, I am prone to "tennis elbow". This is probably exacerbated by age and a tendency to muscle things heavier than I should because sometimes you have to while maintaining a house and land. In any event, I was working on a good case of lateral epicondylitis (the elbow thing) when I started riding the new bike.
The Trek used a triple crankset on the front, and the action of shifting to the large chainring required considerable force. As time went on, the elbow kept getting worse, and it was getting harder and harder to make that shift. I decided enough was enough, and went into physical therapy.
Did you know that the twisting motion required to shift up a chainring is one of the things that makes tennis elbow worse? I didn't, but I found out. Cleaning and lubing helped, but it was still pretty bad.
About this time, I got a new job and was in a position to make the upgrades to the bike I'd been planning. I purchased newer (6800 series) Ultegra drivetrain components, and a set of Fulcrum wheels that would accept an 11 speed cassette, and made the change-out over a weekend.
When I got back on the road, I discovered that the force required to shift the compact double front gears was negligible compared with the old triple. Therapy had pretty much cured me and, knock on wood, the problem hasn't returned.
See, spending money can be good for your health!
Because of the way I'm made with pipestem-thin arms, I am prone to "tennis elbow". This is probably exacerbated by age and a tendency to muscle things heavier than I should because sometimes you have to while maintaining a house and land. In any event, I was working on a good case of lateral epicondylitis (the elbow thing) when I started riding the new bike.
The Trek used a triple crankset on the front, and the action of shifting to the large chainring required considerable force. As time went on, the elbow kept getting worse, and it was getting harder and harder to make that shift. I decided enough was enough, and went into physical therapy.
Did you know that the twisting motion required to shift up a chainring is one of the things that makes tennis elbow worse? I didn't, but I found out. Cleaning and lubing helped, but it was still pretty bad.
About this time, I got a new job and was in a position to make the upgrades to the bike I'd been planning. I purchased newer (6800 series) Ultegra drivetrain components, and a set of Fulcrum wheels that would accept an 11 speed cassette, and made the change-out over a weekend.
When I got back on the road, I discovered that the force required to shift the compact double front gears was negligible compared with the old triple. Therapy had pretty much cured me and, knock on wood, the problem hasn't returned.
See, spending money can be good for your health!
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