25 Watt Savings & Faster Time Trial Tyres | TT Bike On A Budget Part 3

Ollie's been hard at work scouring the internet for more cheap bargains and budget deals for his time trial bike build. But he's got some brilliant upgrades for the bike that won't cost much to gain an easy 25 watts!
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Would you use latex tubes in your tyres or run tubeless? What other cheap upgrades do you think Ollie should make?
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Watch more on GCN Tech...
📹 TT Bike Budget Build Part One - gcn.eu/3He
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Photos: © Velo Collection (TDW) / Getty Images & © Bettiniphoto / www.bettiniphoto.net/
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[@pedropileca]

The most important question is: Does the rear wheel WHOOOSHH?????

[@deanb61]

Yup, whats the point of a disc wheel that doesn't WUUUMP...WUUUMP when you pass someone?

[@smithythecyclist8764]

Lube and latex is what makes a true cyclist

[@2Petya]

And lycra :)

[@szilardgodi9650]

And shaved legs

[@sillem4337]

Jesus, I can't resist... and a sore ass after a long ride lmao xD

[@maxanderson2925]

Sillem you win, sir

[@johannesspringinsfeld6381]

@@sillem4337 thats why chamois creme is popular in other areas than cycling as well

[@markhagen7777]

Here is the name of an incredible wax based lube for those of you who haven’t found it yet. The retail name for it is “SQUIRT”. After all the latex and lube comments I suppose Ollie just couldn’t come around to calling out the name. It’s great stuff.

[@southpunker]

At least the bottle is identical - I bet it is Squirt. Amazing lube, I've been using it for a couple of years now

[@Pritch0rd]

@@southpunker it is, one of the previous bottles you can see it labelled up on the mantle piece

[@iank5018]

Yip, must be Squirt. After 16 years as my favourite I recognised the bottle immediately.

[@christopherbrown9573]

After watching this video, I checked out some of this at my LBS. (Not sure if it was the same brand.) That bottle at the shop said you can’t degrease with it. Is that correct? How do you clean and maintain it?

[@Pritch0rd]

@@christopherbrown9573 white spirit or petrol get it off easy, as does fairy liquid. All you need is an emulsifier and it'll wash away

[@ErlangS]

Great series, Oli. I really enjoy this approach and find your presentation here insightful and inspiring. Well done, looking forward to see how far you can take this bike.

[@richaw6689]

This is great Ollie.. really interesting and drawing me towards a build of my own. I ride Cervélo road bikes and love their aerodynamic qualities.. best vid you've done since that little trip out in the "O" you never mention .. ever!

[@13rcom23]

Love the series

[@hhansen3551]

Wauw that was a fast editing change from tubes to tires.

[@seanmccullagh94]

Thanks Ollie, great tips for the perfect ride! 👀

[@linusscheitinger1322]

Waited so long for part 3 and cant wait again for the next 👍

[@mrwarfreak7657]

Been waiting for this!!! Finally!!!

[@AstroLaVista]

Thanks so much for this! I bought my first road bike a couple of months back and can't keep off it. I didn't know you could move the seat forward and backwards though lol Out to the garage I go to make sure my knees are over the pedals! :)

[@alexnaturalis1179]

Didn't know latex tubes were a thing, nice one. Glad I subscribed to gcn tech.

[@MrBoggins1234]

Nice one Ollie and GCN best, most realistic series yet!

[@pedropileca]

loving this series. I just might get a buget TT bike aswell

[@JippaJ]

25 will fit. That's why it's got horizontal dropouts, you can adjust the rear wheel to make it fit perfect. And you could use the watts saved by going wider.

[@carlbonthuys3550]

Move the rear wheel on the dropout back a few mm and you'll fit the 25mms

[@brankododig1585]

Wide tires are just not necessary for lightweight riders riding on roads.

[@bluntandy]

That bike has vertical dropouts. I had the same model.

[@Murgoh]

That's what I was going to say too. Adjustable clearance.

[@23andrewgreen]

Tyres need to match the wheel to work properly and be faster. On the older 2nd hand wheels they will likely be a narrower rim and mate more aerodynamically to a 23.

[@pumuckl8784]

how much of a praying mantis are you willing to become? ollie: YES

[@diesistkeinname795]

There are faster posititions than the paying mantis, but the UCI hates that trick...

[@AnthonyLock92]

@@diesistkeinname795 too extreme praying matis is banned from the uci. The top of the extension can't be too much higher that the bottom. But CTT (uk tt govening body) doesn't have the uci rules. Why do people adopt it though as its far more comftable that the other extreme positions.

[@diesistkeinname795]

@@AnthonyLock92 I wasn't talking about extreme praying mantis but an optimized Superman position and the Crouch position.

[@PeterHerget]

Nice video about cycling on a budget - thanks!

[@alexanderwendelbo1447]

i love this series!!! thx Oli!

[@ricecrash5225]

6:24 , that look of excitement putting on a new tyre. Priceless.

[@halnorwood6978]

Ollie still on the Squirt lube despite sponsorship. Been using for the last few years since he mentioned on CW, great stuff!

[@buddyblanco]

+1 for Squirt. I've used it the last 3 years on my road and CX bikes. Saving watts is great but I love how clean it keeps the chain

[@nathanchapman93]

I have they Pirelli P Zero tyres on my Canyon Speedmax and I love their feel. Great tyres!

[@markiemannie]

Lol @ how you avoid naming the squirt as they're not sponsors

[@chesshooligan1282]

Paraffin wax + paraffin (kerosene in US English) + PTFE powder + limonene (or orange terpenes, which is mainly limonene). There, I've saved you a bunch of money.

[@Muzzledoctor]

Yes but where do you get PTFE powder from in the UK? Not piano stores, wrong type. Not eBay or Amazon. So only from the China? Serious question btw.

[@oliverpage2833]

@@Muzzledoctor i got it from china and it took 3 to 4 weeks

[@derekkuhl]

Have had PTFE power on order from China for months now. Still waiting. Look carefully at shipping times if you find a willing supplier.

[@antonhelsgaun]

Stupid question, but how can it be the "wrong" ptfe?

[@chrispyy606060606]

This is a great series. I used to run latex tubes but had them spontaneously pop in the paddock or in the house getting the bike ready to go to a race. It happened three times before I said enough is enough and went back to butyl. (This wasn’t right after install either, it was after a few rides training and a couple races) Not sure what was up but it made me wary of them.

[@doxasnob8137]

Really enjoying the series Ollie.

[@stuartmcgill5065]

Thanks Ollie. Top -tips for Watt-gains.

[@DougTheSnowMan]

I'm that guy with 60-75mm valve stem tubes as spares for my alloy box section wheels just for my one friend with deep sections who always forgets a spare tube.

[@DrJRMCFC]

DougDirtyImp Someone as thoughtful as you deserves more than one friend ;-)

[@hugoyoung4890]

I've been tempted by long valve stems simply so they don't fully disappear into the wheel when I pump them up.

[@reapanomin899]

Looks like someone's the packrat of the rolling group.

[@MrMeowNow]

Great content! I just got 2008 Cervelo P2 SL in mint condition with Shimano Dura Ace groupset for $200... I did replace the 23mm tires to 28mm :) An amazing bike!

[@brankododig1585]

You can descend on Continental Supersonics with disc brakes just fine 😁 I've used Supersonics for the last 5000km with only two punctures (one a huge nail which would've gone through just about anything) after I figured you have to be careful installing them. Latex is better than the light butyl tubes, but Supersonics are really an "extralight" tube, would love to see if they close the gap to latex.

[@oliver_hall]

Love the channel. Watch every video. It’s a shame you mask the squirt brand because they don’t pay you. A balance between sponsor and unsponsored products is really important to keep audience trust.

[@Raptors0524]

I am so mad that you got a tire on that easy. I tried to install a trainer tire and was struggling 😂 Nice video

[@hedleykerr3564]

A little talcum/baby powder always helps in all aspects!

[@owyn768]

A bit of tweaking with those horizontal dropouts and the 25 will have loads of room.

[@jeremys8360]

Lol!

[@richardmannion2779]

i wish tire manufacturers would make the direction indicator easier to see. All that useless stuff in big bright letters, and the direction indicator is a tiny black on black arrow.

[@BrownianMotionPicture]

Tipex!

[@reapanomin899]

Or make the direction indicator part of the lettering. But I agree with you.

[@linconrodrigues4828]

Hey Ollie, first of all, thank you so much for all the amazing contend you are putting up, as always!!! :-) considering this setup and your current weight, what would be the optimal tire(s) pressure (for a very good tarmac)? cheers!!!

[@biskupinn]

Nip over here to Trowbridge and have a rummage through the stock in Julian House Bike Workshop. There's always something interesting. You have a branch just down the road from you in Bath, but the one here has much more stock. Bring Hobnobs for the staff.

[@JessicaSeverin]

mad scientist ollie and his humble P1 TT on a quest to slay the Orbea Super TT. love this series

[@owzdevil]

Loving the tour kom socks

[@mlegrand]

This series is fantastic. WIND TUNNEL THIS BIKE 😆

[@mitchellsteindler]

Wow...did not know about that for the super sonic tubes. Just spend 10 days in the mountains North Carolina on SS tubes.

[@Wildschwein_Jaeger]

I use the latex tubes and the ride is comfortable. I carry a beutile spare.

[@wickedtwix]

I dont even own a roadbike but love your videos. Nonetheless, of i add up all the watts that can be saved with tricks and tips from the last 20 videos I saw, combining them should deliver a bike that crashes the hour record on its own 😂

[@Dragonmellle95]

this video should be titled: 'lube and latex' :D I liked it a lot! thank you, Ollie

[@tobortine]

I once spent hours getting a set of tubeless tyres seated and inflated. About 2 minutes after succeeding I realised they were directional and I'd put them on the wrong way around. Grown man in tears.

[@theparalexview785]

I've had good luck with Continental Race 28 Light tubes on a couple of bikes over the past year, with Conti Grand Prix Classic skinwalls (pretty, but not particularly low rolling resistance) and Ultra Sport II (great cheap tires, feels very much like riding the Grand Prix Classics). No puncture flats. I got them mostly to fit inside a dinky Lezyne Road Caddy bag (they roll up tight and tiny), but ended up riding on 'em. They're quite good as butyl tubes go. We don't have any serious descents here where I'd need to brake often so rim heating hasn't been an issue.

[@mattkemp2749]

Ollie, I’m intrigued by your comments about latex v lightweight butyl tubes and wondered whether GCN could explore this further. I had a blowout on latex tubes which caused me to crash and the crash snapped a chain stay so all told, quite expensive and a bit of a bummer. Not to mention painful road rash! The tyre survived and showed no sign of a puncture. Fortunately it was on a flat stretch of road, but worrying still because I’d just plummeted off a mountain 10 minutes before. I’ve now got lightweight Conti butyl tubes but your comment about descending scared me a bit. I was always under the impression that latex tubes are also prone to overheating. Like I said, maybe GCN could explore this one day.

[@guidospanoghe8896]

I also suffered from a blowout with latex Michelin innertubes. Luckily it was on the way up the Col de la Bonnette! Dubbelcheck your tires after installation when hitting the mountains please.

[@PeterLeder]

Lube and Latex. Best bang for a lad.

[@dominiquecruz7]

Love your socks, Ollie♥️

[@mrmatthewking]

Great series Ollie. How about some aero (non-QR) skewers? Small gain, but pretty cheap. Aero water bottle. Chain - you really needed to discuss cleaning out the old lube first for proper benefit of a wax based lube. And frankly I find wax super easy once you've done the initial cleaning (which isn't hard anyway) and have a quick link and pliers. Plus a gold chain would be faster, you know that. And to nitpick, you totally failed to mention that latex tyres need pumping up before every ride.

[@lukecooper1993]

Yay it’s Ollie tt bike I thought the video usually came out on Saturday but i don’t mind

[@georgehugh3455]

Skipped right over the addition of valve extenders - would have been worth covering how Ollie prevents leaks. Reiterating the PITA daily pumping up of tires with latex tubes seems in order (but I guess didn't mesh with "easier life" motto).

[@guidospanoghe8896]

Just had my first long ride on my classicskin Schwalbe One tubeless tires inflated to 5.5 bar. It felt like riding on Michelin tubulars with latex inner tubes! Since they kept their pressure after mounting ( on Fulcrum alu rims ) and inflation I didn't put the sealant in yet. I'll wait for my first puncture to put some in (on the fly, through the valvestem). I wax my degreased chains with paraffinwax and use Squirt when the chain starts making noise. Rather informative video this time, keep up the good work Ollie!

[@lkms99]

Thought about going 1x and ditching the front derailuer? You could cut off the frame mounting tab. That would be fun to watch. Could swap out the chain ring for a solid one in that same video

[@juliansiefert2330]

He is using Squirt chain lube. Good stuff.

[@andrestapf5764]

#askgcntech Hey Ollie! Thanks for the great content. What do you think about polyurethane innertubes? They should be as light as latex innertubes, provide the same low rolling resistance, while holding the pressure as butyl ones and providing a higher puncture protection. Also the producers claim to need less energy and have a much less water consumption during the production.

[@Pav_1983]

Hi Ollie, I'm loving this project. Can you dig deeper and find out what are the aero savings of narrower bars? Example going from 42cm to 38cm. I think this would be more important for a road bike. I look forward to your update

[@stijndeklerk]

I thought ditching the front derailleur would have been an obvious first step, less is more. Something I've done in the past is, you could use some of that ABS to make aero covers for the big chainring. Nice find on the brake.

[@craighenry7915]

Love the socks.lol.

[@woody9382000]

Lube & latex, also great preparation for wood in another fun activity.

[@vgjgghbgyjn1985]

With a shimano rear hub there are 3 seals that can be removed. What is left is a hub you can fully flush every 50 or 100miles. One of the seals covers the freehub. With it removed the pawls get washed too when flushing. And the pawls engage less at high speed and the sound changes to more quiet. Its really nice. Martha Stewart would say its a good thing

[@jackautomatic8497]

if you have a “gap” between tires and rims you could use silicone to fill it and “emulate” the mavic cx01 blades ;)

[@JS-tb9hu]

Then just hope you never have a flat 😂

[@SuperScotty1974]

Great vid again Ollie. You read my mind re tubes on a normal bike. With my playground being the Peak District I was wondering if latex tubes could hack it on the bad pot holes or not?

[@martindonley4066]

Profile Designs Aero Bars, I have the T4 Carbon bars that I bought for $140 but it looks like quarantine purchases have skyrocketed the price to $250 on amazon. They do make aluminum ones that might be worth it, or you can look on ebay for used ones.

[@garethchaplin3780]

If you pair ollie with his glasses and a snazzy jumper, you get a LOCAL resemblance to ollie plimpsoles from legs akimbo theatre company (great video again).

[@glennoc8585]

Is that a gossamer crank? I had some ultra light butyl tubes and they do puncture easier i found. Went to slighly jeavier maxxis welterweights no problems. Had latex but they didn't hold pressure. Slightly more comfortable but not much in it.

[@neil7769]

Have you considered having your collarbones broken and reset to make your shoulders narrower and more aero, as mentioned by Michael Hutchinson in "Faster"? Expensive to have done professionally no doubt (and you'd probably need to go to Thailand or something), but you could try to bodge it at home, just get some big wrestler or bouncer to do it for you.. Would make a great GCN series, following the recovery process, aero testing before and after, etc.. 😉😂

[@clintnieves]

Lube and latex to make you slippery... in the wind 😜✌🏼

[@pablomegier]

Great socks Ollie.

[@Awnhd]

Maybe as a base bar the Bulls Vuka alu, I had it in the past. It's around 250 grams, maybe depending on the width of it. Sometimes i'm using this one now on my track bike.

[@stevenweir4204]

Giant contact ski bars can be found new for around £20 👍🏻

[@davideaves8719]

Go 1x on the front. Ditch the front mech, shifter, cables etc. Second hand solid chainring will be about £30. Drag to zero make a nice aero chain catcher to stop you dripping your chan. Will all help aero and clean up the bike.

[@ovanis]

Nice polka dot socks! :-)

[@MattPage]

Another tip for latex tube fitting is use a bit of talc as it can prevent the tube from snagging.

[@fredhubbard7210]

Where do you get talc these days? Pretty much off the market around here.

[@MrMeowNow]

More Lube and latex please!!!:) LOL!

[@cpk313]

Ollie's get'n his TT on!

[@abovegroundlevelvideograph1933]

Love the socks mate! Anyone else notice??

[@hebrews11vs5]

Stole my tubes, my tires and my bike lube. The breaks are new to me, I did not know about those. But if you are going for a serious race, get ceramic speed's liquid wax, applied just like the squirt. It's expensive, and I noticed it doesn't store well for long, but it's probably very close to a full on wax chain. It beats squirt for performance.

[@stijnhoogwout8477]

Good thing you took the Squirt lable off. Not sure if this video could handle any more references haha..

[@eriksmith5898]

About that tire gap in the back. If, no when you hit a sticky tarmac and pick up some small flint or pebbles it is going to sound like the frame split in half. I've been there. min 5 mm I say. Also Look says that a narrow clearance slows you down, moving surface close together thingy. Consider drilling a small hole in each drop-out from behind and screw in a small screw to move the wheel backwards. It is standard on some frames. you might even get away with a bigger tire as mentioned below. Do not try to pull the wheel back and let the quick release hold the tire in place, it is futile.

[@panzerveps]

The rotational direction of road tires is pure aesthetics. If the tires have knobs or water draining fins, it serves a purpose, but if not, it's just for looks.

[@SimoD587]

I remember an interview talking about the rotational direction mostly being put on on slick road tires to keep people who NEED to know which way it's supposed to go happy, with negligible difference to performance

[@joskes123]

10:20 - Ollie, a dirty mind is a pleasure forever. Say no more !.. hehe :-)

[@marcustan3833]

what valve extender are you using with the latex inner tubes?

[@sjmclean0]

Hi Ollie, I think Planet X has a good set of budget base bars at very least.

[@neildmoss]

I see the pedals are regular spring-based Look Keo, rather than the carbon blade. Consider putting a strip of duct tape under the pedal to smooth all that out. With a proper sharp craft knife, you can get a really flush fit. Definitely a good watts per pound there, even if it’s half a watt across the two pedals for 10p worth of tape. Team Sky even taped over the pedal axle bolt in the crank. Saw that on a GCN vid a while back.

[@toppersailing]

Hi Ollie, I was wondering why you aren't upgrading your brake pads, I know you don't want to be stopping but they seem like quite a good insurance policy if you do have to brake for some reason during a TT on an open road?

[@davidandreitalplacido7923]

i feel that i waited for years, since the last video about this.

[@simeonmubey9248]

I think Ollie has saved enough watt to cycle without pedaling

[@reapanomin899]

You mean positive watt output,from the components and not the rider. I can't imagine that🤣

[@randompheidoleminor3011]

@@reapanomin899 I reckon you could do it by installing an engine.

[@reapanomin899]

@@randompheidoleminor3011 Oh,wait. You've just used the "common sense" card here,of which I didn't before thinking on what to comment. Nice one!

[@ChrisB200SX]

Halo Hex Key skewers. £8, save some watts when a quick release is a pointless without a team car following you.. Hadn't seen that brake before. I've got a couple of Tri-Rig Omnis off my old Tri bike. You might find the rear brake is the bigger gain as it should reduce the negative air pressure area, in front of the head tube should make less difference. I'd do both.

[@kylewheeler6860]

Instead of buying hi rise extensions I made my own for £8. Bought 22mm dia aluminium tube from tubing manufacturer, measured and cut to custom length and bent to custom angle. Just an idea.

[@darrenconway8117]

Have you considered using heat shrink adhesive film to skin the rear wheel? Very thin and light. Fragile but easy to patch and repair. Cheaps like a bird.

[@jerryjin3427]

I got a “puncture” in the area right across the valve in my super light butyl tube, without seeing any holes in the tire...

[@db613]

I tested latex against Tubolitos (not scientific) but feels that the rolling resistance is better on Tubolitos, and they are lighter too, I also smear some mineral oil to the inside of the tire that touches the the tube and it rolls better than by tubeless setup because they are lighter... Would love to see you do a review

[@myPPPLab]

proper rim tape also if gone use latex tubes

[@janrossvelasco3635]

Yesss

[@MYprefrontalRIDES]

I started to use latex inner tubes a few months ago and it feels amazing. Didn't expect to actually feel the difference. However, I was a bit worried about puncturing and checking air pressure every day so I put some sealant into the latex inner tube. In terms of air pressure it totally works out for me. But has anyone an idea how much this effects rolling resistance?

[@calliope8muse]

@ollie what's your view on latex tubes on Campagnolo WTO carbon rim wheels? vittoria latex tubes don't have instructions as the ones you described.

[@luclarrousselacou5603]

Aha! Lube the latex !!!!!to proper install the latex tube always powder them with talcum ( silicon spray is also ok if you have some), otherwise the outer surface of the tube will "stick" to the inner surface of the tyre and the tube will stretch more on the rim tape area+ if you ride in wet conditions it also helps!

[@chrisk.9469]

If you dont care abt weight the chrono tt bars from deda are super cool and a ton cheaper than other tt bars

[@neil7769]

OK Ollie, you may have convinced me.. Pink latex on order from a continental boutique. It's in quite a small size though (19-23mm), do you think I should order some lube at the same time? :-)

[@nickriffe7766]

10:30 well at least he's honest😂😂

[@discbrakefan]

Was going to be a smarty pants and point out the nitrile gloves... but you did it yourself 🤣