My new Hewitt custom roadbike
nickwill
Posts: 2,735
Here are some pictures of my new machine. It has a made to measure tig welded, Columbus Life frame, Easton SLX forks, FSA seatpost, stem and shallow drop bars. The Campag Neutron wheels and mainly Centaur groupset came from my old bike.
The welds are absolutely spot on.
Here is a picture of the front end with the Easton SLX forks and FSA compact bars.
After the first couple of short rides, I was slightly concerned that the oversized tubing was making for too harsh a ride. However I checked the tyre pressures and the front tyre was at 110psi instead of my usual 100. I dropped the pressure and the problem was sorted. The ride had become smooth without damping out all the feedback from the road.
I did 72 hilly miles on Sunday, and the bike was a revelation. I found myself riding much too hard early on because the bike encouraged me to ride fast. On rolling sections of road it seemed to maintain momentum in a way that my old Zona framed bike could not. On hitting the hills, I felt as if none of my efforts were being wasted. By the time I hit Gummers How and Scout Scar at the end of the ride, I was tired. Even so, I was able to spin my way over without ever feeling I was likely to bonk.
Paul Hewitt's fitting was perfect in this instance. I felt totally comfortable all day, even when tired. The bike felt like an extension of myself. I was able to really wind it up on the descents, the bike went exactly where I pointed it, and I had total confidence that it wouldn't play any nasty tricks on me.
Although not a lightweight by carbon fibre standards, it weighs in at a respectable 19lbs, which isn't bad for steel! It does however feel much lighter than that when being ridden. If I hadn't gone for oversize tubing, I suspect that the bike would have been marginally lighter, but it would have lost many of the qualities which make it such a good ride
It always feels like a bit of a gamble ordering a made to measure frame, because by definition you are ordering sight unseen. I needn't have worried. My first impression is that it exceeds all my expectations.
The welds are absolutely spot on.
Here is a picture of the front end with the Easton SLX forks and FSA compact bars.
After the first couple of short rides, I was slightly concerned that the oversized tubing was making for too harsh a ride. However I checked the tyre pressures and the front tyre was at 110psi instead of my usual 100. I dropped the pressure and the problem was sorted. The ride had become smooth without damping out all the feedback from the road.
I did 72 hilly miles on Sunday, and the bike was a revelation. I found myself riding much too hard early on because the bike encouraged me to ride fast. On rolling sections of road it seemed to maintain momentum in a way that my old Zona framed bike could not. On hitting the hills, I felt as if none of my efforts were being wasted. By the time I hit Gummers How and Scout Scar at the end of the ride, I was tired. Even so, I was able to spin my way over without ever feeling I was likely to bonk.
Paul Hewitt's fitting was perfect in this instance. I felt totally comfortable all day, even when tired. The bike felt like an extension of myself. I was able to really wind it up on the descents, the bike went exactly where I pointed it, and I had total confidence that it wouldn't play any nasty tricks on me.
Although not a lightweight by carbon fibre standards, it weighs in at a respectable 19lbs, which isn't bad for steel! It does however feel much lighter than that when being ridden. If I hadn't gone for oversize tubing, I suspect that the bike would have been marginally lighter, but it would have lost many of the qualities which make it such a good ride
It always feels like a bit of a gamble ordering a made to measure frame, because by definition you are ordering sight unseen. I needn't have worried. My first impression is that it exceeds all my expectations.
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Comments
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Wonderful! It deserves a place in the 'check out my ride' section surely? I know Hewitt's reputation for wheelbuilds but didn't know that he had his own brand of frames.
Well, enjoy this sunshine while it lasts ....Where\'s me jumper?0 -
thats really nice but do they do one in blue?
'dont forget lads, one evertonian is worth twenty kopites'0 -
fast as fupp wrote:thats really nice but do they do one in blue?
Funny you should mention that. I originally specified cobalt blue., and then saw a red one in the shop and asked to have mine in the same colour. I'm sure I would have liked the blue one just as well if I'd seen it first! I'm told red is faster though!0 -
Piccie wont work because of the work filter
you were correctly informed about the red though 8)winter beast: http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff016.jpg
Summer beast; http://i497.photobucket.com/albums/rr34 ... uff015.jpg0 -
Loverly bike, well done for a good choice of build. It looks very elegant, something a steel bike always seems to have over other materials. VERY jealous.Norfolk, who nicked all the hills?
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3013/243 ... 8d.jpg?v=0
http://img362.imageshack.us/my.php?imag ... 076tl5.jpg
http://img216.imageshack.us/img216/3407 ... e001af.jpg0 -
That's a really nice bike Nick.
That's something I'm always telling people about! They seem to think that the pressure figure marked on tyres is a minimum value rather than a maximum. I know one guy who used to put 135 psi in a tyre rated at 120 psi max - crazy!Nickwill wrote:After the first couple of short rides, I was slightly concerned that the oversized tubing was making for too harsh a ride. However I checked the tyre pressures and the front tyre was at 110psi instead of my usual 100. I dropped the pressure and the problem was sorted. The ride had become smooth without damping out all the feedback from the road.
I take it further than you - despite being much bigger than you (6' 1", currently 15 stone) I have my 23C tyres inflated to only about 95-100 psi rear and 85-90 psi front. That's because the road surfaces round here can be really awful in places. If we had decent roads I'd put another 10 psi in.
I find that there is a fairly narrow range of pressures below which there is a risk of snakebite punctures (pinch flats) and rolling resistance increases too much, and above which riding on rough roads becomes uncomfortable.0 -
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:P drool :P
Thats all I'll say0
