FUGIO is back as a Ridley!!!!

ugo.santalucia

I've just built it, from the ashes (read components) of my previous Croix de Fer. It's a Shimergo setup, with 9 speed Veloce Ergos, Daytona derailleur, Dura Ace 7450 square taper chainset, Ultegra top pull FD and various bits... Brooks saddle and tape of course. The wheels are Velocity A 23 laced onto Novatec 711/712. It comes at 9.9 Kg with the Vittoria Randonneur PRO 32 tyres and probably 9.5 with Vittoria CX 23

greasedscotsman

Would look better with a black Brooks saddle and bar tape.

ugo.santalucia

greasedscotsman wrote:

Would look better with a black Brooks saddle and bar tape.

As discussed elsewhere, it would look plain and boring... I think a less tired brown might look better, but after 4 years of use, this is the brown you get...

bendertherobot

Lush

Now, how does it ride?

And, are you putting a black seat post on it?

ugo.santalucia

bendertherobot wrote:

Lush

Now, how does it ride?

And, are you putting a black seat post on it?

I need some challenging roads... from here to the end of the road rides the same as its predecessor. Weight distribution is different... more weight goes at the front... the fork is a lot stiffer than the CdF one... just a few thoughts from here to the end of the road

No, I'll keep the Chorus Steel seat post, don't see why I should get a rubbish and inferior anodised one or even worse spend money for a plastic one

Besides, the bike is dark grey and not black...

nweststeyn

You're right on the brown, Ugo. It needs it...

ugo.santalucia

nweststeyn wrote:

You're right on the brown, Ugo. It needs it...

I think the worst bit are the white hubs... they were bought to go on the Croix de Fer... but they are still very good with their original bearings, so it'll be a while before they get replaced, I suspect...

smidsy

ugo.santalucia wrote:

nweststeyn wrote:

I think the worst bit are the white hubs... they were bought to go on the Croix de Fer... but they are still very good with their original bearings, so it'll be a while before they get replaced, I suspect...

Or you could use them to build my CDF disc wheels and get some nice black ones for yours :-)

napoleond

That looks ace!

ugo.santalucia

Thanks NapD!

Smidsy, were you a vultur in your previous life?

greasedscotsman

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I think the worst bit are the white hubs... they were bought to go on the Croix de Fer... but they are still very good with their original bearings, so it'll be a while before they get replaced, I suspect...

I quite like the white hubs!

ugo.santalucia

greasedscotsman wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I think the worst bit are the white hubs... they were bought to go on the Croix de Fer... but they are still very good with their original bearings, so it'll be a while before they get replaced, I suspect...

I quite like the white hubs!

Good, 'cause they ain't going anywhere

ugo.santalucia

And these are my first impressions after my 13 miles commute, mainly offroad

The Fugio: marginally better than the Croix de fer but it's difficult to say how much better without using the common bullxhit dictionary... the frame feels exactly the same, whilst the main difference are the forks which are significantly better than the CdF ones... stiffer laterally in view of the massive blades, yet a tad more compliant vertically... you notice it on very rough ground, like scattered cobbles or stony ground. The commute along the canal was marginally faster, but that could be the unusual easterly breeze, to be honest (although at times I had it in the face anyway).

All in all, if you could buy the Enve forks with a straight steerer instead of a tapered one to fit the Croix de Fer, you would probably get the same result, although you won't save much money if buying all new.

The geometry is slightly different, more of the rider weight is at the front of the bike... improved control and I suppose more chances to get over very steep climbs whilst sitting on the saddle, but at the same time slightly more difficult to lift the front of the bike and hop obstacles. I still manage to lift it 10-15 cm or so needed to hop onto the pavement, but it did seem easier on the Croix de Fer... not one for the wheelies

smidsy

ugo.santalucia wrote:

Smidsy, were you a vultur in your previous life?

Just budget savvy me old mucker :-)

bendertherobot

I wonder whether genesis would sell the fork to fit the croix, might be a nice upgrade

rajMAN

Square taper BB, there was nothing wrong with that design! well done nice looking bike.

ugo.santalucia

Bender, I don't think so, even the futuristic CdF in 931 has a steel fork, so they have no plans for that I'm afraid. I have to say the Fugio is finished better... my CdF dropouts were not as neat as these and fitting the rear wheel was at times a challenge, while this is perfect. Maybe you have a more recent CdF which is better built, mine was Mach 1 in 2010 and it was a bit all over the place... I even had to file the front dropouts to fit a wheel when new. The eyelids were badly designed and could not fit a rack either, unless via the quick release.

Rajman: indeed, I have abandoned the external bearings design and went back to square taper... for the riding I do it makes a lot more sense

mroli

I like it a lot Ugo. Still not sure about the Vittorias though - even given the amazing prices they sell for! White hubs are ok for me - they match the flash of white on the fork.

ugo.santalucia

mroli wrote:

I like it a lot Ugo. Still not sure about the Vittorias though - even given the amazing prices they sell for! White hubs are ok for me - they match the flash of white on the fork.

Thanks... well this has to commute along the grand Union Canal from Brentford all the way to Iver... most of it is offroad, there is a lot of glass, especially around Southall and hayes... lots of people smashing bottles. These have done 7 months puncture free on that terrain, so they are staying. They are also pretty nippy tyres... they're not the CX, but the CX would not last a week on that terrain

FocusZing

Not sure about the colour combinations. Fabulous 853, brooks, disc... setup though.

majormantra

You're ahead of the curve Ugo. Everyone who's anyone (and by that I mean a bunch of internet blowhards and time-wasters) is banging on about 'gravel bikes' and whatnot.

Nice bike. Headtube seems very short...

ugo.santalucia

MajorMantra wrote:

You're ahead of the curve Ugo. Everyone who's anyone (and by that I mean a bunch of internet blowhards and time-wasters) is banging on about 'grave bikes' and whatnot.

Nice bike. Headtube seems very short...

I like to think so... while some are still riding the long and frankly now tired carbon wave, I embrace the new trend of do it all bikes... it's a new Marin County revolution here in Britain... although I have no Gary Fisher resemblance....

The headtube is significantly shorter than the Croix de fer, which is probably the reason why more weight drops on the front of the bike etc... it should handle like God on gravel and cobbles... I just need more of it to find out.
Someone more CX oriented might have kept more of the forks, but I have always ridden my bikes with low bars and this makes no exception

Re. the colour scheme... frankly not the best in the world, I think it is a grower... we'll look back at it as a classic, like those early Look carbon frames of the 1990s

mroli

I think that line of "fluorescent" standard colour is pretty popular at the moment - its a bit like the Venge or the new Condor Super Acciaio....

ugo.santalucia

mroli wrote:

I think that line of "fluorescent" standard colour is pretty popular at the moment - its a bit like the Venge or the new Condor Super Acciaio....

It was a battle between this and the Condor Terra... I went for this as it is steel and I have an aversion for aluminium

Yossie

ugo.santalucia wrote:

I've just built it, from the ashes (read components) of my previous Croix de Fer. It's a Shimergo setup, with 9 speed Veloce Ergos, Daytona derailleur, Dura Ace 7450 square taper chainset, Ultegra top pull FD and various bits... Brooks saddle and tape of course. The wheels are Velocity A 23 laced onto Novatec 711/712. It comes at 9.9 Kg with the Vittoria Randonneur PRO 32 tyres and probably 9.5 with Vittoria CX 23

Nah - well smart that is. Very cool. You glance at it and you go "ooooh" then you look harder at its cooler than you originally thought but you don't know why.

Chapeau that man.

rowlers

Sweeeet!

lawrences

I'm afraid I'm not a fan of the discs and leather bar tape/saddle and that chainset.

Still it does look like a bike you could do pretty much anything you wanted on.

samsbike

ugo.santalucia wrote:

mroli wrote:

I like it a lot Ugo. Still not sure about the Vittorias though - even given the amazing prices they sell for! White hubs are ok for me - they match the flash of white on the fork.

Thanks... well this has to commute along the grand Union Canal from Brentford all the way to Iver... most of it is offroad, there is a lot of glass, especially around Southall and hayes... lots of people smashing bottles. These have done 7 months puncture free on that terrain, so they are staying. They are also pretty nippy tyres... they're not the CX, but the CX would not last a week on that terrain

I am not sure of your exact route, but I much prefer the road from Southhall to Ruislip where you can then join the canal near the A40. Drop me a line if you want to chat about it. I guess the canal is slightly better since they tarred the bit between the Greenford and Ruislip

ugo.santalucia

samsbike wrote:

ugo.santalucia wrote:

mroli wrote:

I like it a lot Ugo. Still not sure about the Vittorias though - even given the amazing prices they sell for! White hubs are ok for me - they match the flash of white on the fork.

Thanks... well this has to commute along the grand Union Canal from Brentford all the way to Iver... most of it is offroad, there is a lot of glass, especially around Southall and hayes... lots of people smashing bottles. These have done 7 months puncture free on that terrain, so they are staying. They are also pretty nippy tyres... they're not the CX, but the CX would not last a week on that terrain

I am not sure of your exact route, but I much prefer the road from Southhall to Ruislip where you can then join the canal near the A40. Drop me a line if you want to chat about it. I guess the canal is slightly better since they tarred the bit between the Greenford and Ruislip

The tarmac bit is actually worse as tree roots have grown underneath and cracked it quite badly in places... some bits are very good, like behind Ealing hospital, where there is a descent and a series of locks, other bits are very rough. The dirt part from Southall to Uxbridge is actually not bad when it's dry, but there is a lot of glass

arthur_scrimshaw

When I first saw the pics I thought the tyres were Schwalbe Marathon pluses, what are the Vittoria Randonneur PRO 32 tyres like as I need to replace my SMP's on my CX soon and quite fancy something a bit lighter and not so dead!
I like the bike BTW!

ugo.santalucia

Arthur Scrimshaw wrote:

When I first saw the pics I thought the tyres were Schwalbe Marathon pluses, what are the Vittoria Randonneur PRO 32 tyres like as I need to replace my SMP's on my CX soon and quite fancy something a bit lighter and not so dead!
I like the bike BTW!

They are touring tyres and as such they are exceptional. Fast rolling on tarmac, sure footed on gravel and loose. Not so good on mud and soft ground, they are not CX tyres after all. What they are exceptional at is avoiding punctures and big mileage. Weight is about 400-450 per tyre, so not a feather, but not a stone either. Overall it is the best tyre I have ever ridden, if you ride on mixed on-off road and can't afford the luxury of proper race tyres