Author Archives: Justin Fox

More SL6 goodies in the mail

extralite_stem_100mm_12
A while back I spotted this 100mm -12 Extralite stem on FB Marketplace but the seller reduced the price and thought I’d buy it in case the 120mm -6 didn’t work out.

exs_chinglish
May all the beauty to be blessed. Ah bless the Chinglish! Gotta love it!

exs_handlebars
My order for the Cadex bars through my LBS got refunded (out of stock) so I found these EXS R175 Road Handlebars on Panda Podium. Bit heavier than the Cadex, but quality looks really good.

panda_podium_socks
Check the weight on these bad boys! Free socks! First time dealing with Panda Podium, and man these bars got to me in 6 days. So quick! Very happy.

sl6_eebrake_adapter
We did it guys! The unicorn! The elusive Cane Creek eeBrake adapter for the SL6 Tarmac. Such a tiny little thing for such a massive headfuck!

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Test fit. Yes, perfect. Hnnng! So happy!

More goodies for the SL6 came in the mail today. Super close now!

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Wash Me

washme_allez_sprint

washme

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Hylix SL6 Seatpost + Condor Ti Skewers

hylix_seatpost_sl6_tarmac
Hylix seatpost came in the mail today!

condor_ti_qr_skewers
Condor Ti Skewers.

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Sexy.

Some more parts for the SL6 came in the mail today. Almost there!

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Cane Creek eeBrakes

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sworks

Today I took delivery of a set of SL6 specific Cane Creek eeBrakes which I sourced from Cycling Upgrades in the USA. These have been an object of desire for me for many years (just never had the right bike to put them on!), they’re insanely light and I love how mechanical they look (form follows function!).

I’ve yet to get my hands on an adapter I need to get the rear caliper on the bike, but I have one in transit en-route from Carousell in Singapore.

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Back in my day…

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S-WORKS Tarmac SL6 update

frame_weight_sl6_sworks
Frame weight with headset and BB bearings. Looks like my frame is one of those heavier outliers!

sl6_sworks_tarmac_fork
Fork weight with cut steerer.

spacer_dust_cap
Massive, ugly and heavy conical spacer/dust cover (replacing with a much thinner one).

sl6_tarmac_seatpost_weight
Seatpost + carbon rail clamp.

cover
I have a Hoff carbon replacement coming to replace this frame bung.

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sram_red_22_etap_rear_derailleur_weight
Medium cage, will replace with lighter short cage.

sram_red_22_etap_front_derailleur_weight

campagnolo_direct_caliper_weight
Porky campy calipers.

brakecables
Brake cable inners and outers were heavier than I thought. Not going to go those weenie link ones though as I absolutely hate how they look.

extralite_stem_120mm
Extralite 120mm -6. Was on sale so I pulled the trigger on it, but would have preffered a 110mm -12. Will have to see how it fits (and looks).

ztto_gen3
ZTTO gen 3 11-28 cassette. So light!

berk_saddle
Berk Lipa, was also on sale otherwise would have gotten another Lupina short.

Rode in the rain the other day (Allez Sprint) and now I see why so many people seem to have a “winter bike”. The drivetrain is full of sand, and oil from the road has now contaminated my disc brakes (they now make a deafeningly loud squeal!). Spent some good time cleaning up the drivetrain, bought some brake cleaner for the brakes, might avoid riding in the rain from now on.

Weather has been absolutely crap lately (I’m getting anxiety from not being able to go out and ride!). Perfect weather to be building up a bike, except I’m still waiting for so many parts. I thought I’d at least take everything off the frame in preparation.

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RUST! We go out and inspect the sad state of the ZEN R32 GT-R


Rusty cage.

Been on big ups lately, but going out west to to inspect the sad state of the ZEN R32 GT-R was a massive downer. I’ve got no-one but myself to blame for the state it’s in. Not being one to hide anything, here’s a vid showing the rust damage in all it’s glory.

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The Power of Manifestation

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Cane Creek eeBrake SL6 adapter.

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Photo of an adapter fitted in place.

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Caliper mounted to the adapter.

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The adapter pushes the caliper outward so the brakes don’t hit the seat tube.

Call me a hippy, but I strongly believe in the power of manifestation.

Now that I have a rim brake bike I can finally put on some Cane Creek eeBrakes (some of the lightest rim brake calipers ever sold, also some of the most costly!). Turns out I need an SL6 specific rear caliper and an adapter to get them to fit on my size 52 frame, and guess what? The adapter is no longer in production!

I’ve spent the past week looking for one. Jing at CCACHE let e know that if I do find one, he can scan it and re-make them, so I’ve posted WTB’s on Facebook and the Weight Weenie forums too. I even sent the Cane Creek guys this email:

Hi guys,

The eeBrakes have been an object of desire for me for MANY years. I’ve just never had a bike I deemed worthy enough to put them on, until now!

I’ve just scored a gorgeous Specialized S-WORKS SL6 Tarmac (it’s literally in NOS condition) and the first thing I want to put on it it are eeBrakes, but in doing some research, it looks like I need an adaptor to make the rear brake fit as it’s a size 52 frame.

I’ve searched the entire internet for an adaptor with no luck. My local bike shop CCACHE (who sell eeBrakes) have suggested that I’m doomed as they’re no longer in production.

I’m heartbroken… seriously!

I’m 49, recently sold my house, so now I can finally afford nice things! Is there any chance at all that you might re-stock these?

Thanks in advance for any help!

They sent me an awesome response:

We do appreciate your support and excitment with our eeBrakes.
I have 3 sets (Regular Mount) on my bikes and very happy with them.

Yes – your SL6 Direct Mount design frameset does require the adaptor.
You have done your homework and it is a unique part that was specifically designed for that model.
The 54cm and smaller frames require it to align the caliper to function as required.
Also, the caliper has a ‘short’ arm lever. This is needed for the deep aero seat tube and ensures it will clear the frame.

I imagine that you are going to have some challenges finding this part.
​​I will pass this request over to our product development team for their review.

This morning I went on a search again for the Cane Creek SL6 eeBrake adapter. I clicked every link only to find, again, that every single place that has the adapter listed in their online shop is out of stock, but then… holy crap! I found someone in Singapore selling them on Carousell.

cane_creek_specializedtarmac_s_1727946794_5a6c2fa5_progressive

Listing reads:
Only compatible with Specialized Tarmac SL6 frame
-Material: aluminum ( Mounting Screws are not included)
-Bike body mounting: Direct Mount

I created an account, but can’t chat to the seller as I don’t have a local number. I’ve since found a broker in Singapore who can buy the item, then send it to me. This is looking good!

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Saturdaze at CCACHE

bike
What’s old is new again. I made a batch of these T’s over 10 years ago, still going strong!

ccache
Thought I’d drop into CCACHE instead of dealing with Sunday Riders and Sydney traffic at Centennial Park.

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Picked up some old SRAM Red cranks.

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Some super lightweight Japanese tyres.

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And some lightweight tubes too.

Dropped in to CCACHE to pick up a few things for the SL6 today. That’s a weight savings of 699g over the parts that came off the bike! Weeeeeeeee(nie!).

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Xpedo Thrust pedals

xpedo_thrust
As light as pedals get! Got another set of Xpedo Thrusts for the SL6.

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