Bicycles - anyone ride?

Bicycles - anyone ride?

  • fixed wheel

    Votes: 29 10.4%

  • single speed

    Votes: 50 17.9%

  • all the gears and then some

    Votes: 201 71.8%
  • Total voters
    280
I'm planning on selling my Masi road bike for a more forgiving - all-rounder like a steel framed cross bike or light tourer. I'm not kidding anyone that I'm actually going to race. Why not be comfortable on those fatter tires, steel frame, Brooks saddle and more upright position? Bit of retro-grouch tendencies developing here.

I'm leaning towards a Soma "Double Cross" or "Smoothie ES" or Surly "Cross Check". Anyone else have any thoughts?
 
Ron: You'll get no argument from me. Even my go-fast bike will be made to give a more-forgiving ride than the knife's-edge racer du jour machines. I still like speed (within limits), but never at the expense of versatility or comfort. The frames you mention sound pretty good, but I'm presently partial to the new lugged Soma Speedster (multi-speed) and Delancey (single-speed/fixed-gear), as the less-expensive of their example, but that's simply an aesthetic thing on my part.


- Barrett
 
Visiondr,

Remember that the wheels and tires make more of a difference to the ride of a bike than the material and joining technology of the frame.

Before you sell the Masi, you might try it (if possible) with a set of 28mm tires at 90 psi. Apologies if you have already tried this...

Most people get a high performance road bike outfitted with the narrowest possible tires pumped to the highest allowable pressure, to reduce "road resistance". There have been studies (and I'm sorry I'm not enough of a nerd to properly cite them) that slightly wider tires at more moderate pressures actually perform better on typical asphalt than narrower tires at very high pressure. My own experience confirms this. I'm 6'0", 160 lb, and ride my Cannondale with 28mm tires, 90+/- in the front and 100+/- in the back. I set the bike up this way after going to one of my club's Wednesday night hammerfests with my commuting bike (27 X 1-1/8, 90 psi) and found the commuting bike didn't handicap me at all. When I built the Cannondale, I had the rims and spokes around for an intended refresh of the commuter, so I used them...makes an unusual set of wheels for sure (Campy 10 speed Chorus, 36 spoke, wiiiiiidddddeeee rims) but it works well for me.

Tire size/pressure is a very controversial topic, and you may find you need to experiment yourself.

Ed

visiondr said:
I'm planning on selling my Masi road bike for a more forgiving - all-rounder like a steel framed cross bike or light tourer. I'm not kidding anyone that I'm actually going to race. Why not be comfortable on those fatter tires, steel frame, Brooks saddle and more upright position? Bit of retro-grouch tendencies developing here.

I'm leaning towards a Soma "Double Cross" or "Smoothie ES" or Surly "Cross Check". Anyone else have any thoughts?
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Thanks Barrett and Ed.
I too have heard that the frame material is less significant than the cross sectional area of those fatter tires and the low pressures. I'm not sure the Masi will accept much wider tires. There just doesn't seem to be much clearance. I'll look into it though. Still, the streets here aren't getting any smoother and I'm not getting any younger.

Another reason for the switch is the issue of racks and decent coverage fenders (not race blades). The Masi will not work with those.
 
I have 8 bikes in my stable. These are the ones I ride most often - 2006 Cervelo R3, 2000 custom Columbus tubed Ryffranck, 1999 Bianchi Pantani Replica, 1999 Specialized S Works Stumpjumper, and 1979 Pogliaghi track. All my bikes are fitted with Campy Record except for the Stumpjumper which is pretty retro as far as components are concerned. It has a mix of 7 speed Shimano, Suntour, and Sram.
 
A Rivendell Rambouillet, the all-around bike for the Santa Cruz mountains, bicycle camping, etc.

A Motobecane Grand Jubilee. Beautiful Nervex lugs. Transformed into a fixed gear, and used for the daily commute.
 

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Ron,

In addition to the Seven I have a Moots Psychlo X YBB. Very plush especially with 38mm rubber but still a bit too aggressive riding position for me now. It's a stock frame a custom frame could fix that. It has a Brook saddle too!

Joe

I also have a '73 Woodrup - Reynolds 531 DB tubes forks and stays as they used to say...that I bought new with a mix of kit ( Stronglight, Universal, Record, Mavic) and sew ups. Also a very confortable ride,, I'm thinking about making into a single speed , no sew ups, for short trips around the city....
 
crusius said:
A Rivendell Rambouillet, the all-around bike for the Santa Cruz mountains, bicycle camping, etc./QUOTE]

Dude, that is one sweeeet ride. I have been drooling over that Rambouillet for some time. Sadly, Rivendell says they've stopped production on that bike in favor of the A. Homer Hilson model. I think the Rambouillet is more my style, though.
Click to expand...
 
jobe said:
Ron,

In addition to the Seven I have a Moots Psychlo X YBB. Very plush especially with 38mm rubber but still a bit too aggressive riding position for me now. It's a stock frame a custom frame could fix that. It has a Brook saddle too!
Click to expand...

Wow, that Moots frame is nice (and very expensive). What do you think of the Titanium? Light, stiff and a forgiving ride (or so I've heard).
 
It is indeed a very nice bicycle. I sold a lot of stuff to get one from the last orange batch. And it has by far the best head badge, that furious sheep!

I didn't know they decided to cease production. That's a pity. The Rambouillet and the Atlantis are the best non-custom bicycles coming out of Rivendell. If you can't have the Rambouillet, I'd stick with the Atlantis. A co-worker got one, it is also sweet (and truth be told more versatile). Too bad (a) it is not orange, and (b) doesn't have the furious sheep head badge.
 
Ron (visiondr),

Glad you like the bikes. Yep, it is T. Monk. What can be said tha has not already been said about his genius? You have a swell shop in Portland: River City Bicycles, owned by an old friend and ex-bike shop boss of mine, Dave Guettler. I suggest you work with Dave and build up a Surly Cross Check as they are well made and a good value. Maybe add his hand made wooden fenders.

ernstk: does your Gios have the coins in the fork crown?
 
i ride fixed but not for rides longer than 50 miles. it's good for strength, cadence and pedal stroke training but not good for my knees.

* specialized tarmac pro for racing (my new tar-baby) http://thefsb.org/P1010607_2.jpg

* serotta cour d'acier for boston-montreal-boston (and i've qualified for paris-brest-paris in august 2007) http://thefsb.org/bmb/report/index.html

* mercian super vigorelli for fixed-gear fun (home designed and buit) http://thefsb.org/mercy/supervig.html

* santana noventa for fast tandem riding http://thefsb.org/noventa/noventa05.php

* bike friday tandem for taking on airplanes
 
DMG said:
excellent - Mark I did ride it fixed for about an hour LOL but it really did kill my knees when braking, ...
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i will not use back-pedal force for braking on my fixed gear. it's very bad for the knees. i use a rim brake instead. legs for pedaling. breakes for breaking.

the breaking issue shouldn't keep you from using the fixed side of that flipflop. in fact, better replace that hub with a real track hub.
 
visiondr said:
My dream bike is a Rivendell Rambouillet.
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those are so expensive for what you get. for less money you can have a full custom serotta with whatever tire/fender spacing, brake/rack mounts you need. much better frames. and no nerdy tolkein references.
 
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