New bike dilemma

rjsterry

itboffin wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

TWH, that paint scheme is hella ugly.

ITB, stop messing about with £400 frames and buy a superbike. You know you want to. Buns is spot on.

So this is my theory, I have a habit of crashing and breaking bikes I'm also a serial over-tightener therefore I figure if I buy a decent groupset and wheelset and sit it on a cheap carbon frame then when I have that crash I won't be in tears at the loss just the pain of whatever I've broken or torn this time.

Makes sense no?

Oh and LIT people with orange bikes can NOT give style advise

Is that not a bit 'flashy alloys on a Vauxhall Corsa' - i.e. nice wheels, but it's still a Corsa. For something completely different, how about an Enigma? If you fancy stainless steel frame, there's the Extensor, or any of their other Ti frames as TWH suggests.

rjsterry

lost_in_thought wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

@LiT: Eh? have you looked at your Viner recently? I'd say that Kinesis is quite restrained in comparison. Eye of the beholder an' all that though.

Horses for courses.

I look at that kinesis and think 'ugh, drab school gym bags, the mid-90s'. I look at my viner and think 'oooh pretty'.

It's not a matter of restraint, I just don't like the Kinesis' colours, the design, the font, anything in fact!

Now that you mention it, it is a bit '90s - too much writing. I quite like the current Condor colour schemes - nice and minimal, with just a dash of colour to liven it up. I also like the yellow lining to forks and stays of the otherwise all-black Boardmans for similar reasons.

lost_in_thought

rjsterry wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

@LiT: Eh? have you looked at your Viner recently? I'd say that Kinesis is quite restrained in comparison. Eye of the beholder an' all that though.

Horses for courses.

I look at that kinesis and think 'ugh, drab school gym bags, the mid-90s'. I look at my viner and think 'oooh pretty'.

It's not a matter of restraint, I just don't like the Kinesis' colours, the design, the font, anything in fact!

Now that you mention it, it is a bit '90s - too much writing. I quite like the current Condor colour schemes - nice and minimal, with just a dash of colour to liven it up. I also like the yellow lining to forks and stays of the otherwise all-black Boardmans for similar reasons.

I haven't really seen the Condor schemes, and their site is down, but I do like the Boardmans - apart from my bike snob side which is shouting 'ugh but they're so HALFORDS daaaaaahling'.

rjsterry

MatHammond wrote:

will3 wrote:

Hang on, you need opposable thumbs for campgnolo shifters, whereas you can operate shimano with any hoof or paw

You can shift up and down / front and rear from the drops with Campag, you can also shift up the sprocket riding on the tops with your right hand little finger which I don't think you can do with Shimano. You can also shift up and down several sprockets at a time.

I tend to hold the drops quite low down (none of that compact low-drop nonsense), so I don't think it's anatomically possible for me to even reach the little side toggle on Campy shifters from there. I can shift down up to three sprockets at a time, but I've never found the need to shift up that many - you'd have to be spinning like a ... spinny thing to start with.

rjsterry

lost_in_thought wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

@LiT: Eh? have you looked at your Viner recently? I'd say that Kinesis is quite restrained in comparison. Eye of the beholder an' all that though.

Horses for courses.

I look at that kinesis and think 'ugh, drab school gym bags, the mid-90s'. I look at my viner and think 'oooh pretty'.

It's not a matter of restraint, I just don't like the Kinesis' colours, the design, the font, anything in fact!

Now that you mention it, it is a bit '90s - too much writing. I quite like the current Condor colour schemes - nice and minimal, with just a dash of colour to liven it up. I also like the yellow lining to forks and stays of the otherwise all-black Boardmans for similar reasons.

I haven't really seen the Condor schemes, and their site is down, but I do like the Boardmans - apart from my bike snob side which is shouting 'ugh but they're so HALFORDS daaaaaahling'.

The Halfords in Putney also (at least used to) sell some high end Van Nicholas and Condor bikes. Quite who would blow £4K at Halfords I don't know. Plus, you can buy Boardmans direct I believe.

EDIT: http://www.flickr.com/photos/condorcycles/4818028320/

prawny

Comtat bikes are well sexy. Just putting that out there. 8)

UndercoverElephant

Right, first off, on my bikes I have Shimano Tiagra and RSX shifters, both work splendidly. I never have to adjust anything. I've never ridden a Campy bike so what I say is based purely on what I read/have seen.

Campagnolo shifters contain 2-3 times fewer parts than their Shimano counterparts. If they do go wrong (and I'm led to believe this is slightly more likely than with Shimano), you have a hope of getting them fixed locally. With Shimano, all you can do is send them back to the mother-ship and hope they're still within warranty.

I had to fix my RSX shifters myself when they failed, it was possible. I'm pretty sure it's completely impossible with the more modern Shimano ones.

jonginge

http://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBP ... ed-edition

Edit: upgrade the wheels to the DA option, that's a steal

rjsterry

UndercoverElephant wrote:

Right, first off, on my bikes I have Shimano Tiagra and RSX shifters, both work splendidly. I never have to adjust anything. I've never ridden a Campy bike so what I say is based purely on what I read/have seen.

Campagnolo shifters contain 2-3 times fewer parts than their Shimano counterparts. If they do go wrong (and I'm led to believe this is slightly more likely than with Shimano), you have a hope of getting them fixed locally. With Shimano, all you can do is send them back to the mother-ship and hope they're still within warranty.

I had to fix my RSX shifters myself when they failed, it was possible. I'm pretty sure it's completely impossible with the more modern Shimano ones.

+1 for RSX. 13 years and still going strong. Just a clean out and re-lube every now and then when they get a bit sticky <finds bit of wood to knock on nervously> [oldfart] They don't make 'em like that any more [/oldfart]

bigmat

rjsterry wrote:

MatHammond wrote:

will3 wrote:

Hang on, you need opposable thumbs for campgnolo shifters, whereas you can operate shimano with any hoof or paw

You can shift up and down / front and rear from the drops with Campag, you can also shift up the sprocket riding on the tops with your right hand little finger which I don't think you can do with Shimano. You can also shift up and down several sprockets at a time.

I tend to hold the drops quite low down (none of that compact low-drop nonsense), so I don't think it's anatomically possible for me to even reach the little side toggle on Campy shifters from there. I can shift down up to three sprockets at a time, but I've never found the need to shift up that many - you'd have to be spinning like a ... spinny thing to start with.

That's true, hands need to be in "covering the brakes" position on the drops, but we're talking a shift of a couple of inches really. Shifting up more than a gear at a time is handy when cresting a steep hill and starting a descent, say, but I gues its something people can live without otherwise Shimano would be out of business!

tailwindhome

lost_in_thought wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

rjsterry wrote:

@LiT: Eh? have you looked at your Viner recently? I'd say that Kinesis is quite restrained in comparison. Eye of the beholder an' all that though.

Horses for courses.

I look at that kinesis and think 'ugh, drab school gym bags, the mid-90s'. I look at my viner and think 'oooh pretty'.

It's not a matter of restraint, I just don't like the Kinesis' colours, the design, the font, anything in fact!

Now that you mention it, it is a bit '90s - too much writing. I quite like the current Condor colour schemes - nice and minimal, with just a dash of colour to liven it up. I also like the yellow lining to forks and stays of the otherwise all-black Boardmans for similar reasons.

I haven't really seen the Condor schemes, and their site is down, but I do like the Boardmans - apart from my bike snob side which is shouting 'ugh but they're so HALFORDS daaaaaahling'.

You've both ruined it for me now

Thanks a bunch

wgwarburton

itboffin wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

... stop messing about with £400 frames and buy a superbike. You know you want to. Buns is spot on.

Why, thank you Ma'am.

So this is my theory, I have a habit of crashing and breaking bikes I'm also a serial over-tightener therefore I figure if I buy a decent groupset and wheelset and sit it on a cheap carbon frame then when I have that crash I won't be in tears at the loss just the pain of whatever I've broken or torn this time.

Makes sense no?

No.

If I were in your shoes, I wouldn't buy a carbon frame (especially a "cheap" one) until I had, at the very least, test ridden something made of Reynolds 953.

Cheers,
W.

rjsterry

For example:

http://www.brianrourke.co.uk/rourke-reynolds-953-cycle-frameset-p-245.html

Note the reference to armour plating ITB.

Buns speaks the truth.

itboffin

At the end of the day it's all about saving weight the ribble is 960g + 350 ish for the forks that's pretty light, SRAM make the lightest groupset currently but I dont swing that way baby...!

So it's looking more like 6700 just because it has the right look, price and no doubt performance they chorus doesnt come in black or compact, so not cool. 8)

prawny

Mmm Sexy



And £1800 with a centaur carbon group, or can I say gruppo if it's Italian?

msw

itboffin wrote:

I'm also a serial over-tightener therefore I figure if I buy a decent groupset and wheelset and sit it on a cheap carbon frame then when I have that crash I won't be in tears at the loss just the pain of whatever I've broken or torn this time.

Makes sense no?

If you're a serial overtightener (I am too) then aren't you going to knacker the posh groupset anyway?

UndercoverElephant

msw wrote:

itboffin wrote:

I'm also a serial over-tightener therefore I figure if I buy a decent groupset and wheelset and sit it on a cheap carbon frame then when I have that crash I won't be in tears at the loss just the pain of whatever I've broken or torn this time.

Makes sense no?

If you're a serial overtightener (I am too) then aren't you going to knacker the posh groupset anyway?

Or just buy a really good frame and groupset plus a torque wrench or two.

tailwindhome

One of the youngsters turned up for this morning's club ride on one of these

Planet X Superlight

Got chatting to his father who was very complimentary about Planet X's level of customer service and advice.

ETA the photos on the website don't do it justice

itboffin

Yep torque wrench is top of the shopping list

rjsterry

itboffin wrote:

Yep torque wrench is top of the shopping list

Top tip from when I bought a torque wrench: they tend to just have a square drive for standard sockets (1/4" or 3/8" IIRC), so it's handy to get an adapter and a set of hex/allen and torx heads (or you'll take your shiny new wrench out of the box, only to realise that you can't adjust anything with it :oops:).

jonginge

TailWindHome wrote:

One of the youngsters turned up for this morning's club ride on one of these

Planet X Superlight

Got chatting to his father who was very complimentary about Planet X's level of customer service and advice.

ETA the photos on the website don't do it justice

Argh. Quite tempted by the SRAM Red nano....

cjcp

TailWindHome wrote:

Ti?

@ITB - /\ /\ /\ /\ !!!!!!!!

The manufacturer may also be willing to wrap it in kevlar for you .

bigmat

I can recommend the Ritchey Torq key, very handy bit of kit, deals with most bolts you'll be tightening / untightening on a regular basis.

biondino

lost_in_thought wrote:

itboffin wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

ITB, why don't you just buy yourself one really bloody brilliant bike and stop faffing around?

I am duh!

Ribble sportive?

OUCH PWND

I second the high-end steel suggestion. Would kill for a 953 frame - how about this:

http://www.andersoncustombicycles.com/J ... index.html

This is nice too:

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/bike-revie ... /3315.html

rjsterry

biondino wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

itboffin wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

ITB, why don't you just buy yourself one really bloody brilliant bike and stop faffing around?

I am duh!

Ribble sportive?

OUCH PWND

I second the high-end steel suggestion. Would kill for a 953 frame - how about this:

http://www.andersoncustombicycles.com/J ... index.html

This is nice too:

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/bike-revie ... /3315.html

Or a Pegoretti Marcelo?

http://www.mosquito-bikes.co.uk/htdocs/cms_ul/Bike/marcelo.htm?item_id=281

Huh-muh-nuh, Huh-muh-nuh[/url]

lost_in_thought

rjsterry wrote:

biondino wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

itboffin wrote:

lost_in_thought wrote:

ITB, why don't you just buy yourself one really bloody brilliant bike and stop faffing around?

I am duh!

Ribble sportive?

OUCH PWND

I second the high-end steel suggestion. Would kill for a 953 frame - how about this:

http://www.andersoncustombicycles.com/J ... index.html

This is nice too:

http://www.roadcyclinguk.com/bike-revie ... /3315.html

Or a Pegoretti Marcelo?

http://www.mosquito-bikes.co.uk/htdocs/cms_ul/Bike/marcelo.htm?item_id=281

Huh-muh-nuh, Huh-muh-nuh[/url]

Finally, someone saw what I meant.

Oh and you and I will never argue over a bike, RJSterry.

:twisted:

stuaff

itboffin wrote:

At the end of the day it's all about saving weight the ribble is 960g + 350 ish for the forks that's pretty light, SRAM make the lightest groupset currently but I dont swing that way baby...!

So it's looking more like 6700 just because it has the right look, price and no doubt performance they chorus doesnt come in black or compact, so not cool. 8)

Athena's the same sort of money....

Aidy

What happened to the Litespeed Archon plans?

stuaff

rjsterry wrote:

Or a Pegoretti Marcelo?

http://www.mosquito-bikes.co.uk/htdocs/cms_ul/Bike/marcelo.htm?item_id=281

Huh-muh-nuh, Huh-muh-nuh[/url]

Read the reviews in the comic & Cycling Active....lovely bit of kit.

itboffin

Went and had a look at a couple of 6700 equipped bikes this afternoon my first impressions are yuk what horrid tin & plastic looking rubbish. Gues I have to test performance.

At the moment its very much looking like campy wins again now do I do chorus or centaur?