Author Topic: Members' bikes  (Read 2399214 times)

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1400 on: 07 April, 2009, 08:44:46 pm »
The longest distance on it so far is 148 miles, into Wales and back home. I did a week in Scotland on it averaging well over 100 miles per day and it was extremely comfortable. I find the head tube perfect for the well being of my neck and shoulders. I just couldn't get on with the ergo bars so I put the FSA compacts on and I now also find it easy to stay in the drops indefinitely with no problems.

You will love it when climbing, it's like riding a leaf on a gentle breeze  ;D

DO NOT put raceblades on it or you will have to be dealt with  :demon:

btw, don't knock my red tape when you're shod with pink tyres  :P
OnOne Pickenflick - Tour De Fer 20 - Pinnacle Arkose cx - Charge Cooker maxi2 fatty - GT Zaskar Carbon Expert

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1401 on: 07 April, 2009, 08:48:57 pm »
Bloody hell Greenbank. How are you going to get your Carradice on that?

I can forget about keeping up with you for the foreseable future  :)

Hope you have many good miles on it.

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1402 on: 07 April, 2009, 09:37:53 pm »
Greenbank,
That looks fast;D

clarion

  • Tyke
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1403 on: 07 April, 2009, 09:49:48 pm »
Did the bike shop forget to fit the racks & mudguards? ???
Getting there...

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1404 on: 07 April, 2009, 09:56:01 pm »
That's a very small inner chainring.  Permission to call you a wuss?

Sure, you can join me (and the bike) on this wussy ride next year if you want: Club des Cinglés du Mont-Ventoux :)
I will do that this August. I am looking forward to it. One sister lives near Bedoin and the other near Sault so I will be able to say hello to both of them in one day.

That Wilier and its sensible gearing will be perfect for your attempt :-)

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1405 on: 07 April, 2009, 10:00:29 pm »
very nice. I think they're the same geometry as my 'still for sale, get in there quick' condor barrachi which is amazingly comfy over long rides. Hills seem easier too, I've been up some of the lake district on mine with the same gearing as yours, and fitted a 13-29 on the back for something (cant remember what, might have been a ride with frenchie) which worked fine too.

Regulator

  • That's Councillor Regulator to you...
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1406 on: 08 April, 2009, 08:34:49 am »
...
Customary kitchen shot (slightly blurry but spot the Nuun)...



 :P



You never struck me as the religious type Greenbank....


...and I can't see any sign of a wimple.  :-\
Quote from: clarion
I completely agree with Reg.

Green Party Councillor

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1407 on: 08 April, 2009, 09:02:02 am »
Reg - I think you will find it about 10 miles down the A603.

LEE

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1408 on: 08 April, 2009, 12:26:54 pm »
The story of my British Eagle Touristique (BET) rennovation (for Fab Foodie, started on another thread and linked to this)

Bought, Harry Hall cycles in 1986 (by me) £285.

Used as a commuter, short runs, a few 50 mile charity rides and, eventualy, in 2002 on a LEJoG trip.

LEJoG got me interested in Long Distance and, after a few social rides I decided that it was worn out and invested in a Thorn Raven Tour in 2006.

The BET was hung up for 2 years and never ridden.

The Thorn got me around several Audax rides including my Super Randonneur last year but I started hankering for something a bit more sprightly.  After looking long and hard at the Thorn Audax and their MK3 I figured that I may have the perfect bike hanging up in the garage.

I stripped the bike, put the bits in a bucket of white spirit and sent the frame to Mercian Cycles with a design suggestion I did on Photoshop (and was vetted by members of the forum, ACF forum possibly).  The scheme was influenced by Richard Wareham's bike I saw on a few Audaxes.

Mercian fitted new braze-ons for cantis (that would fit 700c wheels), did the respray, lug-lined it (beautifully), new 531 transfers, lettering and stencilling plus a new headset.

When it came back after a few weeks I took the mechs out of the white spirit and rebuilt it.

I can't be happier with the re-spray, it's nicer than I imagined and much redder than any photo can recreate I think.

It's quicker than the Raven and quite lively.  It's not going to win any TTs but I think it should get me another Super Randonneur this year and I hope to use it on PBP.

Here it is in 2002 LEJoG guise.  Loch Lomond (I mistakenly thought that, because I was now in Scotland, I must be nearly there)


Here is is just before I stripped it and sent it to Mercian.  I think it looked tired after 22 years.


Here's my Photoshop design for the respray


Here's what I sent them (wheels removed)


Here's what they sent back


And here's the finished article (it now has black bar tape as per original design)


I had them immortalise it's 1986 birthday



I'm not even going to discuss what it cost me to rennovate but it wasn't so different to the original cost of the bike (I took a lot of Mercian options and £20 here, £15 there soon adds up to a lot).  It certainly didn't cost me as much as an equivalent new bike and part of the pleasure is keeping my old bike going and using it for it's intended purpose, covering lots of miles in comfort and at a decent speed.

Probably more info than Fab Foodie wanted but he has one hanging in his shed and I think the BET frameset has a reputation good enough to warrant keeping them going.

LindaG

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1409 on: 09 April, 2009, 11:21:56 am »
My as-finished-as-it'll-ever-be Dawes Synthesis 653XT. It really does "float" along but might be a little less comfy on its spare tarmac-only wheels/tyres!






Dude, where did you get that bike?!  My brother bought a very similar beast for me, for my birthday, last year.  Mine is British racing green.  I would take a pic and post it, but it is loaned to a friend at the moment.  So it's a good tourer then?!

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1410 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:11:38 pm »
Mrs Mike took a couple of pics of me riding past the house on new TT bike - please feel free to comment mock....   :P





rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1411 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:16:20 pm »
 8) Nice armwarmers.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Chris S

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1412 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:20:03 pm »
You need a silly helmet  :thumbsup:

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1413 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:24:08 pm »
Those in the know refer to them as "pointy hats", possibly acknowledging the fact that one looks a bit of a dunce in one  ;D
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Chris S

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1414 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:27:44 pm »
Oh - and l33t TT'ers generally don't have bottles, bottle cages and saddle packs  ;D

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1415 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:48:17 pm »
Oh - and l33t TT'ers generally don't have bottles, bottle cages....

Tip No.5:
         TT Speed Tips from the Pros
      

Chris S

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1416 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:55:01 pm »
Oh - and l33t TT'ers generally don't have bottles, bottle cages....

Tip No.5:
         TT Speed Tips from the Pros
      


Well well well... you live and learn.

Last time I was at a local TT meet - nobody, but nobody had anything on their bikes other than them.

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1417 on: 10 April, 2009, 01:57:23 pm »
I think it's one of those counter-intuituitive things. As someone who once couldn't walk due to cramps from dehydration after a hot 25 mile TT, I'll carry a bottle almost no matter what (as long as it's a flat course).

Mike - I thought your bars looked a bit high in the bike-only pic, but you look quite aero when riding. Might want to think about going to straight/s-bend extentions to lower you hands though?

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1418 on: 10 April, 2009, 02:11:26 pm »
I don't carry one as I only do "10s".  It's a psychological thing; the bike has to be stripped.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1419 on: 11 April, 2009, 08:27:53 am »
Quote
#6 - Wear Gloves for Speed and Safety

Pro racers usually also always wear gloves during TT races, tests show that clothing and fabric is faster than bare skin ...

I knew there was a good reason for not doing the world naked bike ride. ;D
Actually, it is rocket science.
 

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1420 on: 11 April, 2009, 01:15:48 pm »
Spot the difference.



This is the new frame and forks, just built up, never ridden.  They didn't leave the steerer tube long this time.  The Blackburn rack is rubbish (it needed some hefty bending to get it to fit) but it had to be an EX1 to fit the child seat.

It actually is a full carbon seatpost  :o  I assumed it would be an alu wrap job until I took it out of the old frame.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.

PaulF

  • "World's Scariest Barman"
  • It's only impossible if you stop to think about it
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1421 on: 11 April, 2009, 02:56:10 pm »
Spot the difference.



This is the new frame and forks, just built up, never ridden.  They didn't leave the steerer tube long this time.  The Blackburn rack is rubbish (it needed some hefty bending to get it to fit) but it had to be an EX1 to fit the child seat.

It actually is a full carbon seatpost  :o  I assumed it would be an alu wrap job until I took it out of the old frame.

Very nice

Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1422 on: 11 April, 2009, 04:50:58 pm »
Carbon  :-X on a Rogerzilla steed?  :-X :-X :-X  ;D

Plus, it, has, ummm, I'm not sure how to tell you this, but, ah, GEARS !!

Charlotte

  • Dissolute libertine
  • Here's to ol' D.H. Lawrence...
    • charlottebarnes.co.uk
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1423 on: 11 April, 2009, 05:31:35 pm »
Pretty bike, Roger.  I'd have gone with a shiny seatpost and stem to match the rest of the silver alloy kit, but I'm anally retentive about such things...
Commercial, Editorial and PR Photographer - www.charlottebarnes.co.uk

rogerzilla

  • When n+1 gets out of hand
Re: Members' bikes
« Reply #1424 on: 11 April, 2009, 05:54:23 pm »
I was lucky to get it all for £1000 being as fussy as I was (although I'm only paying 59%, thanks, Darling).  The basic Cheviot now costs that much, without a Brooks, carbon seatpost and upgraded tyres.  There's rampant inflation in the bike market as virtually everything is imported.

Fear not - my commuting bike is, and will remain, a black component-free zone.
Hard work sometimes pays off in the end, but laziness ALWAYS pays off NOW.