My Modest steed

MountainMonster

TakeTurns wrote:

wilkij1975 wrote:

If the ad dons are what he likes then that's fine by me. Some proper bike snobs around here. He's out riding and that's what matters not what some think is right and proper. We can't all have £5k super bikes.

Enjoy it fella!

It's a public forum and he has posted his bike up so we have the right to scrutinize or criticize.

I think it's ludicrous that you're buying carbon forks. You can't make a donkey a race horse by adding shinning armor on it.

BTW, of all the bikes I have ever ridden, or test ridden through different shops, this fits me perfectly. The frame may be a bit heavy, but I think that an extra kg there makes sod all difference to my speed. I can go much faster on a bike that fits well then one that weighs 6kg

Paul 8v

Any pics of this with the new gear? These Carerra bikes aren't all that bad. I'm a fan of less is more on bikes, otherwise it ends up looking a bit like some of the old guys you see at CTC rallies with wing mirrors, trailers, flags, coffee grinders et all.

If you really like the aero bars then this is the coolest bike with drops and aero bars I've seen yet....
http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2013/0 ... ll_670.jpg

MountainMonster

Paul 8v wrote:

Any pics of this with the new gear? These Carerra bikes aren't all that bad. I'm a fan of less is more on bikes, otherwise it ends up looking a bit like some of the old guys you see at CTC rallies with wing mirrors, trailers, flags, coffee grinders et all.

If you really like the aero bars then this is the coolest bike with drops and aero bars I've seen yet....
http://cdn.media.cyclingnews.com/2013/0 ... ll_670.jpg

I'm not back in the UK until next week, so it will be Thursday or so before i've got new pictures as still have to mount stuff up. I've taken everything off since the last pictures, so it just has normal bars and no extras since I managed to scrape together funds for a cheap as chips commuter bike.

My next project is a budget TT bike, for which I am saving the clip ons!

rickeverett

aint it always frame first, fittings second. :roll:

Supergoose

MM; I think your bike looks great.

Enjoy your ride

Mod Edit - Cut the language out we don't tolerate language like that on here

Supergoose

I said something alot worse than asterix? It rhymes with hunts.

MountainMonster

rickeverett wrote:

aint it always frame first, fittings second. :roll:

Frame works

Thanks for the kind words Supergoose!

DiscoBoy

Some people here would have been apoplectic with rage 24/7 if they had been cycling in Holland in summer 2009. There seemed to be some sort of fad where aero bars were de rigueur, regardless of what kind of bike you had. Hybrids, town bikes, mountain bikes, you name them, I saw at least one with aero bars.

Brant

Too much brand snobbery around, I borrowed a Carrera MTB a couple of years ago and it wasn't bad at all. Not everyone can afford/wants to ride exclusively Cervelo kitted out in Rapha and high end extras. You do often get what you pay for in life, but expensive/smart looking gear doesn't make you a better rider.

DiscoBoy

Brant wrote:

Too much brand snobbery around, I borrowed a Carrera MTB a couple of years ago and it wasn't bad at all. Not everyone can afford/wants to ride exclusively Cervelo kitted out in Rapha and high end extras. You do often get what you pay for in life, but expensive/smart looking gear doesn't make you a better rider.

I don't see anyone objecting to the brand. In fact the only people mentioning it are people like you waxing lyrical about how everyone hates Halfords and how we should all be nicer.

MountainMonster

Sorry about the delay guys, workload caught up with me after the Christmas holidays!

Here is the newest picture with the new carbon seat post. No idea of weight but it is certainly noticeably lighter than the seat post it is replacing. Can't wait to get out and try the post and see what riding with a carbon post feels like!

Not sure if I mentioned before, and i'm too lazy to read the thread again, but I also added a 105 rear brake which I picked up for a very decent price!

Paul 8v

That looks much better!

MountainMonster

Thanks very much. I'm thinking of cutting the steerer, but i'm still not sure whether to get carbon forks or not, so may not bother. I love the look of carbon

Valy

haha god you guys - you read too many bike magazines it seems like. it's a fine bike where the user not afraid to go outside some retarded "normal look" that is so ingrained into your heads! I

MountainMonster

Valy wrote:

haha god you guys - you read too many bike magazines it seems like. it's a fine bike where the user not afraid to go outside some retarded "normal look" that is so ingrained into your heads! I

Where's the like button on here? LOL.

Too right, I still use it regularly as a do it all bike, so things do get popped on sometimes!

FransJacques

I liked your bike before, looked like a bike a real person rides and enjoys.

My tourer looked very similar to your original picture when I rode London - Nice several years ago. I put aero bars on it (+ rear rack, 1 pannier, lights, rear mud guard) thinking that aerodynamics and a spectrum of hand positions would be an advantage. One difference is we only had 1 teeny lock between the 3 of us (weight and all).

Try to ride your bike at least 1-2 months b4 cutting your steerer, your fitness and the amount of clothing you wear depending on the weather changes how you feel a lot. You could find you need a greater range of adjustment. The real issue is cutting your stem mid summer at the height of fitness/flexibility and wearing minimal kit. In the winter with slippery roads and 4 layers you might wish you didn't

Your new contact points look really well sorted. You seem like the type to experiment for marginal improvements. Keep on truckin!

TakeTurns

It has lost its modesty.

MountainMonster

Sorry guys, I just saw these replies.

I've been really enjoying the bike recently, especially now that the sun is out. I've also convinced my wife to come out a bit more which has been good. Shame we can't have any hard/long rides together, but starts are starts.

I think this bike is staying as it is until I can afford a new shiny carbon blingy machine.

Matthewfalle

MountainMonster wrote:

I can't afford a super nice bike, and I prefer projects. After all, once I have all the other parts and I find a nice frame in my price range (or end up buying a Planet-X one new) then I have a great value bike. I don't have 2k sitting around to spunk all at once, and I never really buy new anyways.

I much prefer building bikes up over time than just buying off the peg, that lacks the creative side of things that I enjoy. Plus it gives me something to do in the garage every few weeks.

Agree 100% - this is how I do it.

Buy what you want, when you want to create the look/bike you want. You also tend to generally end up with a much better spec bike for a fraction of the off the peg cost. It also gives you pleasurable tinkering time in the workshop with the bike adding to your knowledge of servicing, replacing, etc.

It's your bike, your taste, money - forget everyone else.

Chapeau that man for going his own way.

MountainMonster

Well the bike has now bit the dust, well at least the gearing. I've ordered up some new parts to switch it over to single speed, and a few blingy blue bits to make me feel better.

I'll have some pictures up later this week once I have received some of the parts.

Matthewfalle

FransJacques wrote:

Try to ride your bike at least 1-2 months b4 cutting your steerer, your fitness and the amount of clothing you wear depending on the weather changes how you feel a lot. You could find you need a greater range of adjustment. The real issue is cutting your stem mid summer at the height of fitness/flexibility and wearing minimal kit. In the winter with slippery roads and 4 layers you might wish you didn't

Nah - slam the stem, pop the spacers on top, ride for a few rides. Then cut to height.

I've found over the years that clothes/flexibility/etc make no difference at all to height.

nathancom

I thought it was an awesome set of wheels first time around. I would definitely ignore the haters this time around. They should go and see some of Sheldon Brown's bikes and then come back and tell us what a bike has to look like.

Joeblack

Grill wrote:

MountainMonster wrote:

Grill wrote:

Training for what? Considering you have pretty much zero drop, the aero bars will actually put you less aero than riding the drops.

Training for my own fun. I enjoy them so that's that

And I enjoy fat girls, but you won't see me posting pictures of the ones I've ridden.

This is too much!!

I'm still laughing whilst writing this reply

MountainMonster

This is how the bike is looking now. I've got some new chain ring bolts to flash it up a bit.




Sorry for the crappy phone images, and it's rather awkward to take pictures in the garage but you get the gist. Looks much better in person than in the pictures! Took her for a quick spin earlier and the single speed is nice. I think I've got the gearing at a good combination for me here in Cambridge.

MountainMonster

So a new saddle clamp and some locking skewers arrived in the post earlier today. Got them added on earlier, and they look great. I think my only gripe is to shorten the chain by a few links so it looks a little cleaner. I think it is now time to start saving for a carbon bike, so that I can have a fully geared bike for use out in the lanes a bit more.

It's been a tough few rides with the bike so far, it really doesn't like hills in the gearing it has. I'll get strong with time, and I can't get a bigger cog on there otherwise I wouldn't have enough power on the flats.

wellbeloved747

Grill wrote:

Certainly looks like it took a trip through Halfords...

What are the aero bars for?

AHAHAH, so true when they recommend a huge D lock, aero bars because people in the tours use them and a down hill light

oldmuthariley

mountain monster - i really like the way you've responded on this thread.
even when people have been making a few comments about your bike that could be seen to be out and out criticism you've taken it on the chin. good man! safe riding

Mr Dog

Nice bike MM. What really makes me laugh are the fools with their disparaging remarks. The type with the ridiculously expensive aero frames.. just like the kids at school with the fancy footie boots who couldn't control a medicine ball in the desert. Utter tossers.

Paul 8v

Looks good as a SS. That computer wire would drive me nuts though, best to wrap it around the front brake cable then the fork leg ;-)

MountainMonster

oldmuthariley wrote:

mountain monster - i really like the way you've responded on this thread.
even when people have been making a few comments about your bike that could be seen to be out and out criticism you've taken it on the chin. good man! safe riding

Thanks buddy. I don't mind snarky remarks, I have a bike built for the purpose I need it to serve, so i'm happy, which is the only thing that matters at the end of the day.

Thanks for the comments.

Mr Dog wrote:

Nice bike MM. What really makes me laugh are the fools with their disparaging remarks. The type with the ridiculously expensive aero frames.. just like the kids at school with the fancy footie boots who couldn't control a medicine ball in the desert. Utter tossers.

Thanks as well, i'm happy

Paul 8v wrote:

Looks good as a SS. That computer wire would drive me nuts though, best to wrap it around the front brake cable then the fork leg ;-)

The wire does drive me a bit crazy, but I've run out of cable ties, and I can't really be bothered to go to the store just to get them for a brake cable. Maybe if I am driving by it i'll pick it up.

The SS bit is fun, but I've got a hill coming home which kills me off with the gearing it has. No pain, no gain right?