What I’m Riding – American Cancer Society Bridge To Beach

Time for the road version of the bikes and products the editors at Bike World News are riding this summer. Just like Ron, I’ve got a lot of really cool products coming through the doors of our east coast service course, and I was excited to use some of them for my 135-mile ride to support the American Cancer Society. In case you’d want to donate, here is my link, which will take donations until September for the 2023 event, but will also work for 2024 and beyond.

The Bridge to Beach has multiple distances to let everyone join in to help fight cancer and support those who are going through their battles. The main course is 66 miles long from the foot of the Ben Franklin Bridge in Philadelphia, through New Jersey, and ends on the boardwalk in Atlantic City. There is an optional Century Loop that adds an additional 34 miles. While it is not an official route, the last two years, I’ve ridden the Century Loop twice to make it 135 miles.

The course is very flat, with only about 1,500 feet of climbing with the biggest climb being the Ben Franklin Bridge. It makes for a fast course, but also means you are on the gas for the entire ride with nowhere to coast. It’s not a race, but I still went with all of my fast gear to help save as many watts as possible to get to the end quicker and fresher. Here’s what I used.

The Bike – Van Dessel Motivus Maximus LTD with Sram Red 22 eTap

Upgrades:

• Shimano Sprint Shifter Hack
• Stages left side power meter
• absoluteBLACK Premium Oval Road Chainrings
• Token Ninja Bottom Bracket with TBT Ceramic Bearings
• Digirit Pulley Wheel Kit
• YBN SLA110 Rainbow Chain
• Molten Speed Wax

You’ve seen the Van Dessel Motivus Maximus in plenty of reviews for road products over the years. It has been replaced in the lineup by the Arch 65, which has an upgraded aerodynamic design and full internal cable routing. The Motivus is a workhorse though. It’s quick and snappy for crits, but won’t beat you up on longer-distance rides. This particular frame was for the CCB-Velotooler team with a different layup to provide more stiffness for better power transfer.

The drivetrain is a previous generation 11-speed Sram Red eTap, with a few upgrades. Starting at the front, only the stock right side crankarm and spider remain. The left crank arm and spindle have been replaced by a Stages power meter to provide accurate power data throughout the ride. The chainrings are absoluteBLACK premium oval rings, helping smooth out my pedal stroke by reducing the gear size slightly in the top and bottom dead zones of your pedal stroke. Helping that all spin is a Token Ninja bottom bracket with TBT ceramic bearings. We will have a full review coming soon for the 7-in-1 kit that allows this thread-together bottom bracket to work with a range of bikes and cranksets.

In the back, the stock cage has been swapped out for a Digirit Pulley Wheel Kit, which features two 16T pulley wheels in a revised aluminum cage. The larger pulleys help reduce friction between the plates as the chain passes around and up to the cassette. The chain is a YBN SLA110 in their rainbow finish, lubed with the latest Molten Speed Wax to keep friction as low as possible.

Touchpoints – Light, fast, and aero

• Prime Primavera Aero Carbon 36cm Handlebars
• PRO Vibe 7S 130mm/-10 degrees
• Tune Leichtes Stück seatpost
• Velo Angel TT saddle
• Velo Elastic Wrap OS bar tape
• Speedplay Zero with upgraded bearings, titanium spindles, and bowties

You’ll see another article coming out soon about “Aero is Narrow” and my quest to go faster on the bike, but here is a preview of some of the changes. The Motivus came with a 42cm center-to-center bar from FSA and a matching 110mm/-6 degree stem, which were selected when I first received the bike. To get into a more aerodynamic position, I swapped to a PRO Vibe 7S stem I had from another bike in 130mm/-10 degrees and a 36cm Prime Primavera aero carbon bar. The goal, as we have seen with many pros over the last few years that have jumped on the trend, is to make yourself as low and as narrow as possible. Now, there are some challenges that I’ll dive into in the article, but I will say this position was maybe a little long for the distance I was riding. A 120 stem might have been a better choice as it wouldn’t have stretched me out quite as much. One nice thing about the 130mm stem, there was plenty of room for notes along the top.

The 36cm Primavera bar was a bit of a change too. The aero-topped bar is significantly more narrow than the original FSA, which helps bring my arms in and more in line with my body. The flat tops make for comfortable hand positions while climbing and offer a more aerodynamic shape.

Velo handles the handlebar tape and saddle with their Elastic Wrap and Angel TT saddle. Both add a bit of comfort to the bike and look for a full review on them soon. For me, the Angel line has become my go-to, including the new Angel Revo, which has found a home on my gravel bike with the additional padding offered in the saddle. The Tune Leichtes Stück seatpost was a lightweight addition to the bike but still seems comfortable compared to the previous carbon seat post from FSA.

Finally, I’m an old-school Speedplay Zero rider, though we did recently get in the new Zero and PowerLink Zero from Wahoo. The dual-sided entry and super adjustable float range have made it a favorite of mine. Look for reviews coming soon on the new pedals, but these were recently refreshed with titanium spindles, bowties and bolts, and a fresh set of bearings inside.

Wheels and Tires – All-Out Speed

• FLO 64 AS Disc
• Pirelli P Zero TLR Race
• Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex Sealent

Definitely keeping with the go-fast vibe, the FLO 64 AS stood out from the crowd. The 64 mm rims were fast on the flat New Jersey course and didn’t suffer much of a weight penalty with the lack of climbing. Even as the winds started to pick up the closer I got to Atlantic City, the FLO’s remained stable and planted.

The latest edition of the Pirelli P Zero TLR Race claims to be even faster than the previous version, which was already a fast tire. We’ll have a full review of them as well, but paired with the Effetto Mariposa Caffelatex sealant, it was smooth rolling with issues, even on the not-so-smooth roads.

Helmet and Glasses – One Last Aero Touch

• Smith Ignite
• Tifosi Rail Race

I could keep going deeper and deeper into everything I used, Vie13 Cargo Warrny suit, Minted socks, custom-painted Lake CX403 shoes, etc, but I’m going to end things with the helmet and glasses. Both products have reviews in the works, but here is a quick bit of info on them.

The Smith Ignite is an aero helmet that is probably due for an update soon. Even so, it is still a relevant product in the aero road category. The four front vents show the Koroyd inner material that helps absorb energy in a crash but still allows for ventilation over typical EPS liners. These vents, along with a few on the top, and multiple on the back, help pass air through to keep you cool, but the shape still provides an aerodynamic advantage over typical road helmets.

Tifosi’s Rail Race is a slight tweak to the lens over the Rail. Small vents have been added, along with an etched outline. The Rail, in general, is a rather large shield lens with lenses that can be swapped by disconnecting the arms and swapping the nose piece from one lens to another. The pink mirrored lens was a nice contrast on the road while staying dark enough for sunny conditions all day.