Members' bikes

[TimC]

SRAM? Confuses the hell out of me. How'd you get on with it?

Edit: apart from being 6" too tall, it looks a nice, classic bike.

Once Torslanda offered me the frame it seemed a good opportunity to have a bike which was completely different from what I have had before and as I've never used SRAM kit it was an obvious choice, so far its working well.

Does your 6" comment infer it would be too big for you?  If so I thought it might be too small for me but feels OK.  The geometry is much tighter than I'm used to, it feels like the track bikes we ride at the velodrome.  But it was surprisingly comfy on Saturday's 70 mile ride.  It's bloomin' quick though!

It does imply it would be too big for me. I inferred from the photograph that the top tube would be roughly chest-level on me, and thus better as a polevault apparatus than a bicycle! As for SRAM, I'd be ok with eTap (given the dosh), but the double-acting manual levers are not my cup of tea. Anyway, as long as it suits you that's all that counts!

[Samuel D]

The Tour de France has been won with those SRAM shifters.

How tall are you, Oscar’s dad? Anyone with a shin as tall as a wheel is a giant in my mind. You look good on the bicycle, though.

[Blodwyn Pig]

I shall be adding a single shade of grey shortly.

<f5>

My new (old, classic) bike from John's (aka Torslanda's) Bikes. More pictures and words to follow when I have more time ...

I think that is rather splendid, quite unusual to see 'shot in' seat stays these days, but it is an older frame.  love the colour.

[Cudzoziemiec]

The Tour de France has been won with those SRAM shifters.

I don't think anyone's saying they're bad shifters. TimC is simply saying he wouldn't get on with them. OD has not had them long, hopefully he will remain happy with them. I guess shifters, like bars, pedals and saddles have always been, are now a contact point and therefore a matter of individual taste.

How tall are you, Oscar’s dad? Anyone with a shin as tall as a wheel is a giant in my mind. You look good on the bicycle, though.

All true!

[TimC]

The Tour de France has been won with those SRAM shifters.

How tall are you, Oscar’s dad? Anyone with a shin as tall as a wheel is a giant in my mind. You look good on the bicycle, though.

OD has the very ones that won the TdF??! Much respect - where did Tors get hold of those?

I can confirm he's quite tall. I amn't. Were it possible, and not slightly odd, l could have a face-to-face conversation with his navel.

[Oscar's dad]

I'm very keen to do a proper write up on me new bike with pictures and everything but work only allows me to post snippets, very annoying, I want to retire.

I am a gnat's cock under 6'2" and yesterday I swopped PMs with Robh for whom the frame was built in 1990.  He is just under 6' so potentially the frame is a little small for me but not by much; Saturday's 70 miles didn't reveal any comfort issues. 

I always thought the Ribble (60cm) which the TJQ has replaced was a bit big and the Surly (also 60cm) feels smaller than the Ribble but has proven comfy over long distances, the record so far being 117 miles with 28kg of camping kit on board.  One day I will get one of those posh bike fits done.

[Samuel D]

Oh, I know TimC wasn’t saying they’re bad shifters, just that he doesn’t fancy them. I just thought I’d throw in that titbit about DoubleTap shifters having been used to win the Tour.

I thought the frame was perhaps older than 1990. What was the original OLN spacing then?

[Oscar's dad]

What was the original OLN spacing then?

No idea!  What's OLN spacing?  Paging Torslanda!!!

And what are shot in seat stays?

[Samuel D]

Over locknut dimension. (Perhaps OLD is more correct than OLN – that’s what Sheldon Brown uses.) I meant at the back, i.e. the space between the rear forks. It grew a few millimetres over the years to accommodate more cogs.

[Oscar's dad]

And shot in seat stays?

[Samuel D]

Not the faintest clue. I tried to guess by staring at your seatstays but nothing struck me. Photo too small too!

[Oscar's dad]

Not the faintest clue. I tried to guess by staring at your seatstays but nothing struck me. Photo too small too!

It may be something to do with the fact that seat stays are built in to the seat post clamping do-dar.  Not something I've seen before but then I'm not used to owning classic bikes.

[Robh]

Shot-in seat stays: there have been numerous designs over the years but, basically, it's where the seat stays meet at the back of the seat tube (typically around the seat clamp in my experience) rather than running out at each side of the seat tube/clamp.

[Oscar's dad]

Shot-in seat stays: there have been numerous designs over the years but, basically, it's where the seat stays meet at the back of the seat tube (typically around the seat clamp in my experience) rather than running out at each side of the seat tube/clamp.

Got it. What's the thinking behind the idea?

[Robh]

Don't know. When I asked for it on that frame, it was purely an aesthetic decision, 'cause I thought it looked cool.

[Oscar's dad]

Don't know. When I asked for it on that frame, it was purely an aesthetic decision, 'cause I thought it looked cool.

Which is as good a reason as any!

[Cudzoziemiec]

Don't know. When I asked for it on that frame, it was purely an aesthetic decision, 'cause I thought it looked cool.

Which is as good a reason as any!

I disagree most strongly with this aesthetic frippery.





It's actually a far better reason than most engineering-based justifications, which are either spurious, so marginal as to be irrelevant, or contradicted by other equally valid considerations. 

[hubner]

I think that is rather splendid, quite unusual to see 'shot in' seat stays these days, but it is an older frame.

Don't all tig welded steel, alu and carbon frames have shot in/fastback stays? There are various styles, but basically the stays join the back of the seat tube, instead at the sides.

Although back in the days of lugged steel frames, 'shot in' seat stays were less common, usually seen on top of the range frames, or as an option on custom frames which cost extra. The stays joining the seat tube sides doesn't even have a name, I don't think.

[slope]

My first ever custom built touring frame from George (and then several more tandems and trikes and . . . )

Sported shot in stays. 1992

Just sexy

[Oscar's dad]

 

[Cudzoziemiec]

According to "Waterford Precision Cycles USA" the other style is called 'side tack'.

http://waterfordbikes.com/w/ordering/function/frame-details/

[Torslanda]

What was the original OLN spacing then?

No idea!  What's OLN spacing?  Paging Torslanda!!!

And what are shot in seat stays?

I'm inclined to believe Robh. It was built in 1990/91. 8 speed/130mm was quite common by then.

I haven't altered a thing. The frame accepted a 130 OLN wheel without so much as a squeak.

[hubner]

According to "Waterford Precision Cycles USA" the other style is called 'side tack'.

http://waterfordbikes.com/w/ordering/function/frame-details/

I think they made up that name!

[Blodwyn Pig]

My first ever custom built touring frame from George (and then several more tandems and trikes and . . . )

Sported shot in stays. 1992

Just sexy

I don't believe that they are shot in stays. IIRC the stays are combined with the seat bolt, so that each stay is fixed to either side of the clamp. A close of of Oscar's Dad's rear end! will show what it is actually like.

[slope]

My first ever custom built touring frame from George (and then several more tandems and trikes and . . . )

Sported shot in stays. 1992

Just sexy

I don't believe that they are shot in stays. IIRC the stays are combined with the seat bolt, so that each stay is fixed to either side of the clamp. A close of of Oscar's Dad's rear end! will show what it is actually like.

Yet another topic going astray Sorry

Dear departed George just asked if I wanted 'shot in stays' when discussing me custom touring frame build.

I said yes

Maybe 'wrap around but not entirely and a bit short' would be a better description?