Jamis-KsyrimSL Photos
Immortal Force FAQ
If you want to register the bike, where is the serial number?
it's found stampted in the grey area inside the left rear dropout. The number begins with your
frame size - 59xxyyzz
What kind of bike is this?
This is a road bike, called a Motobecane Immortal Force, and purchased in September 2008 from the
Texas distributor for Motobecane, called BikesDirect.com.
Who makes this frame?
Of course, Motobecane is only a label used by the BD distributor and they don't manufacture frames. So who really makes this frame? Here's a
forum post which seems to say that the frame originated as the 2005-06 Garneau (LG), made by Kinesis from Taiwan.
What are some weaknesses found in a brand new IF?
Mine had a lot of overspray on the front dropout. At first I didn't realize the impact of this. Well
you will start to hear clicking from the front quick-release/dropout. To fix this, take a plastic
knife and carefully scrape off any paint where your QR mates with the dropout. The dropouts are
shiny AL, not carbon, and they should be clean, bare metal.
The brake pads likely will be off center or riding high on the braking surface of the wheels.
Don't take one ride till this is remedied.
The FSA Team Issue crankset will likely give you fits in the first month. There are 2 issues.
For the first few weeks of use you will need to check the torque on the bolt (M18) and the
dustcap (M27) on the left crank arm.
The OEM black bar tape is ugly and hard on your hands. When I put on red tires, I wrapped on some red Easton cork tape. Wow, when I exposed the
shifters OEM had triple wrapped some thick clear tape to secure the black backing tape to the shifter - not good. My tape job
might be way easier on the shifter action and I did have problems with the left shifter with the OEM tape.
What is the deal with the Team Issue Crankset?
The good news is the left arm bolt (part number M18) is now alloyed steel - it was a cheap
AL only a few years ago. Check this with a magnet. AL does not respond to a magnet.
I have carefully disassembled this crankset. Everything is kosher except the factory didn't use the
recommended loktite 641 (yellow) on the splines that fit on the left arm.
To tighten the M27 dustcap, you will want to buy a tool with the correct nipple pattern, like a Park SPA-2 (red). I got
mine at www.nashbar.com
For the M18 bolt, you need an 8mm hex tool. To get the required torque, the usual hand sized hexset
is too small. I prefer using a 7" long, (3/8)" drive ratchet tool with an 8mm socket. This will work
fine for getting the 35 foot-pounds of torque needed to hold the bolt when it bottoms out. To install
the left arm on a new crankset you will almost certainly need more torque than this to get the left arm on.
A more powerful tool may be necessary.
What about the short chain stays?
Yes, the IF has minimum chain stays, measuring 410mm for all frame sizes. The seat tube is
arched and formed to the rear wheel, a design feature which goes with the short chain stay. This is normally seen in a Tri-geometry so they
can make a steeper seat tube angle (>74). My frame has a 73 degree ST angle. The short stay is tough on big-footed folks like me. On my
former bike the Look cleats were set toward the toe. On my first ride of the IF, my right heel rubbed on the chain stay. I was a little
worried that I'd chosen the wrong frame size. When the cleats were moved towards the arches, all was well again. There were no serious
frame size issues, and only the chain stay issue worried me.
What is the chain length for the Compact crankset? If I want to convert to a Standard crankset, what
are the issues, and what will the new chain length be?
Go here for a nice calculator for chain length. It gives values in agreement with my experience after I had gone through the
Zinn method for the Standard crankset.
The Compact value is 53" and the Standard value is 54".
For the chainstay value, all IF frame sizes have a 410 mm chainstay (16.4 inches).
To install a Standard Crankset, you will need another chain with an extra 1" in length, plus the front
derailleur must be raised about 1/4". Then both the front and rear derailleurs should be readjusted.
How can you remove the left crank arm?
For the left arm to back off the splines, you need to undo the M18 bolt with the
M27 dustcap still on -- don't remove it first. This is known as a self-extracting system.
What removable chains can be used?
Any Shimano compatible SRAM chain will work fine. I'm
currently using a Forte/KMC DX10SC 10 speed chain with the "Missing Link".
When I go back to the Compact crankset I expect to use the KMC link with the original HG chain.
When the chain is shifted from big to small front sprocket, it's sometimes thrown to the inside.
When the bike is new this may happen, sooner or later. In fact, if you try and shift to the small front ring anytime the
chain is slapping or whipping, it can happen. It's not always possible to be on the smoothest of roads, so
watchout where you shift. The relevant adjustment is the front derailleur L-stop. To set this, shift to the
big/big combo and turn the inner stop screw clockwise to narrow the derailleur/chain gap down to as
close to 0.5 mm as possible - try for 1mm or less.
Rear Derailleur Hanger
This part is replaceable, which means if the hanger bends, your frame gets to live some more!
As far as I know, this part is custom to Motobecane (quite possibly it's universal) and they sell it here:
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/parts/der_hangers.htm
Miscellaneous Biking Facts
pedals on IF: nashbar Z71 Look
wheels on IF: Mavic SSC SL (new in 2007)
favorite shoes: SIDI Ergo-2, size 46
saddle: WTB Silverado
current crankset: FSA SLK Standard 53/39
fastest speed ever: 47.2 mph, descending Hacienda Road (aka Beach Blvd) from the summit towards Pomona
most miles: 116 miles in 2 days
longest ride: 70 miles to Lake Irvine and back from Los Alamitos
Any clubs which are good for group rides? In the Long Beach area I've ridden with Lightning Velo. They ride a very tight peloton.
vital stats: height=188cm weight=81kg
resting heartrate=43 bpm
