Members' bikes

[IanDG]

My audax/tourer (guards and carrier removed)



IMG_3091 by windy_, on Flickr

[Oscar's dad]

You've taken the two best bits off!    Why?  Have you had a big bump on the head or something?  Gentlemen do not ride round on bicycles devoid of racks and mudguards.  

PS - and the yellow tyres?

Other than that it looks a most smashing bike   

[itsbruce]

PS - and the yellow tyres?

What's wrong with yellow?

[citoyen]

PS - and the yellow tyres?

What's wrong with yellow?

I followed a young lady along the City Road yesterday for a short while who made me think of you. Yellow bike, yellow tyres, yellow jacket... even the cord of her headphones was yellow. I did briefly consider asking for her number to pass on to you.

d.

[IanDG]

You've taken the two best bits off!    Why?  Have you had a big bump on the head or something?  Gentlemen do not ride round on bicycles devoid of racks and mudguards.  

PS - and the yellow tyres?

Other than that it looks a most smashing bike  

Why? - Ullapool Sportive on 25th Sept (I need all the help I can get)

Yellow Tyres? - 23C tyres off a different bike (all my other tyres are 25 or 28C) again extra 'zip' (or pose value?) for the sportive.

Have I had a big bump on my head? - probably

[DrMekon]

After comments upthread on my setup, I've started to play. Two stems, various spacer moves and a new seatpost later, I am much happier. The catalyst was doing a 300, and they guy I rode with asking if I had back ache being all hunched up. That prompted me to look up my top-tube size - it's just 572mm, despite it being an XL. This compares the usual being around 580+ in equivalent sizes on comparable bikes. That the shortness of the steerer tube was making me use a 40deg 100mm stem to get the bars anywhere near the level of the seat only exacerbated the problem. Seeing some setups on here gave me inspiration - if I could get the seat back and put a longer but less steep stem on, I could get some room in the cockpit and reduce the the height difference between the bars and the saddle. Cue a Titec Hell Bent post, with 37mm of layback and a 135mm 17deg Thorn stem. Having ridden such a short bike for so long, it's taken a week or so to get used to being so stretched out and the relative stability of the steeriong (I am used to <50mm bmx/mtb stems). However, it's now made the straight parts of the bar feel useful, whereas before I felt like I was riding a dutch bike on them, and I can use the hoods, rather than perching my palms on the dimples on the top. It's also transformed the bike for standing climbs, as before I was worried about banging my knees.

Do I still want a Dave Yates Super Randonneur? Yes (in that milky brown or bright orange, please). However, I don't think I need one this year now.

[Domestique]

Nice. Do Ribble's have relatively short top-tubes, or just appear that way in photos?

Afaik the top tubes on Ribbles are on the long side in comparison to other framesets

[Oscar's dad]

You've taken the two best bits off!    Why?  Have you had a big bump on the head or something?  Gentlemen do not ride round on bicycles devoid of racks and mudguards.  

PS - and the yellow tyres?

Other than that it looks a most smashing bike  

Why? - Ullapool Sportive on 25th Sept (I need all the help I can get)

Yellow Tyres? - 23C tyres off a different bike (all my other tyres are 25 or 28C) again extra 'zip' (or pose value?) for the sportive.

Have I had a big bump on my head? - probably

Sounds great - have fun!

[DrMekon]

Nice. Do Ribble's have relatively short top-tubes, or just appear that way in photos?

Afaik the top tubes on Ribbles are on the long side in comparison to other framesets

They were one of the frames that I compared my Aravis to, and they are much longer - I think they are 600mm in the largest size, compared to 572mm on my XL.

[2_Flat_Erics]

Now finished and first test ride by 2_Flat_Erics completed  

54cm Ribble Audax/Winter frameset
ITM Visia forks.
Brooks B17 standard.
PBK carbon seat post.
Sora 8 x 3 sti’s.
Tiagra front and rear mechs.
Stronglight Impact compact triple chainset 30/40/50.
CXP30’s laced onto Ultegra 8 speed hubs 12-25 cassette.
25mm Gatorskins
Ultegra brakeset.
SPD’s.

I dunno what half that stuff means but it rides gooooood 

[Pippa]

Having had Ti bikey for just over a year now it has morphed from this...



....to NEKKID bike 
New wheels, seatpost, pedals and bars. Have lost the mudguards, rack and frame stickers.

[PaulF]

Like the odd red spokes. Is it the camera angle or is the drive side chainstay lower than the other one?

[SpaceBadger]

I prefer the new guise. Very nice. 

Red spokes make you faster, but what are the wheels? They don't look like Kysrium SLs as the red spokes stop short of the rim, yet the front hub looks the same.

[Pippa]

I prefer the new guise. Very nice. 

Red spokes make you faster, but what are the wheels? They don't look like Kysrium SLs as the red spokes stop short of the rim, yet the front hub looks the same.

Thanks 

The wheels are indeed Kysrium SLs but I think these are the new 2011 model where the design has been slightly updated...

Is it the camera angle or is the drive side chainstay lower than the other one?

The camera angle

[Ray 6701]

I prefer the new guise. Very nice. 

Red spokes make you faster, but what are the wheels? They don't look like Kysrium SLs as the red spokes stop short of the rim, yet the front hub looks the same.

Thanks 

The wheels are indeed Kysrium SLs but I think these are the new 2011 model where the design has been slightly updated...

Is it the camera angle or is the drive side chainstay lower than the other one?

The camera angle

They are indeed the 2011 model.

[JenM]

Thorn XTC ready to go off to France.

[Torslanda]

Mrs Torslanda, she of the horned helmet and heavy metal breastplate, has just asked me 'How much crap can you get on a bike?' 

Nice! How does it ride with all that crap luggage?

[JenM]

How does it ride with all that luggage?

Really well - bike almost seems happier with luggage than without, definitely no shimmy on descents, and with some low gears I don't have to walk too often.

[John Henry]

Lovely pic, JenM. Stripped down racing exotica is all very well, but that's that sort of picture that really inspires me.

My XTC frame (a bit older than yours, and shamefully abused over the last decade) is being resprayed at the moment. I really like it. It's supremely comfortable and just handles everything you throw at it without drama. I've done several camping trips with it loaded down with crap, and it just takes the weight in its stride. I agree that it seems to prefer a load, if anything.

It's nicely made, as well - Thorn got this one right, I think.

[Deano]

Continuing the theme, I've just packed for a few days in the Lakes:



Just waiting for the rain to stop and the roads to dry now.  Maybe I'll have another cuppa.

[CrinklyLion]

Did you pack your cake?  Actually, did you get your cake?

[jogler]

Mrs Torslanda, she of the horned helmet and heavy metal breastplate, has just asked me 'How much crap can you get on a bike?' 

For the benefit of Mrs. Torslande:SotHH&HMB: it should be considered that
Jen M has room for a barbag
Deano has room for low riders

so enough capacity for tons of crap.

Bon Voyage to you both

[Chris N]

My Inbred in it's latest setup, somewhere above Penygarreg in the Elan Valley:

[GruB]

That is a monster bike   

[2_Flat_Erics]

How does it ride with all that luggage?

Really well - bike almost seems happier with luggage than without, definitely no shimmy on descents, and with some low gears I don't have to walk too often.

I find exactly the same thing with the Ridgeback Panorama. Rides much better and smoother when loaded up.