My Planet X Just Arrived

NWLondoner
NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
edited February 2009 in Road beginners
Yes, my Planet X Dura Ace C18 arrived at 8am this morning.

My god it is light.

Will test ride shortly with pics and full report later or tomorrow.
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Comments

  • chrisw28
    chrisw28 Posts: 187
    Awesome, finally it's come! Glad to see you are happy! Looking forward to the pics 8)

    EDIT: you need to change your HAVE and ON ORDER things in your sig now :lol:
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    Better than chritmas eh mate? Happy riding on it. And yes, piccies please ....
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    First thoughts

    Out of the box i could not believe how light it was. It is also dead sexy (for a bike that is)

    As you know i ordered the C18 Dura Ace build although as you know it is actually a bit of a mongrel with parts from different brands. The front mech was supposed to be Dura Ace however they fitted Ultegra, which is ok considering it is still a deal of a bike. Even better though they fitted a Ritchey Pro Carbon bar (the same as on the FSA Build) instead of the Planet X one listed :D

    Now this is my first drop bar bike and to be honest the position will take me a while to get used to. I'm glad i went for the L and not as the XL as that would have been to far a reach for me.

    The bike is very light to handle like it wants to get away from you, so i'll stick to the hoods for a while before i attempt the drops,also remembering which lever to press to go up a gear etc will take a couple of rides as well.

    Gear changes are smooth but like others have said the 34T is almost useless on the flat so i will stick to the 50T for most conditions.

    One thing when i hit the back brake the whole back of the bike seems to judder and this gets transferred through the bike. There is plenty of clearance so hopefully it is just the rubber getting to grips.

    Sadly i cannot shake off the flu i has over xmas and after a couple of miles started to feel really faint etc so it won't be until next weekend or the one after that i can give it a real ride.

    I am kitting it out soon so will post pic's later today.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Glad you got it, I was very taken with mine from the moment I pulled it out of the box!

    I think the bars more than make up for the Ultegra front mech - very little difference to DA.

    I don't get brake judder - is the calliper firmly fixed? Is the rear wheel straight in the dropouts? I did change my rear pads for Koolstops as it felt a bit inefficient, maybe the pads are too hard or something.

    Or is it the join in the rim, is it once every revolution?
  • felgen
    felgen Posts: 829
    Congrats NW londoner! See you in RP soon and maybe for a ride!

    Re: juddering - it may be either the pads bedding in, or the toe-in is off on the pads - to stop juddering, the front part of the pad should touch the rim just before the back part if you see what I mean.

    If you think its light - wait until you find a decent hill - it zings up. I climb half decent on it and I weigh 95 kgs!!
    Steeds:
    1)Planet X SL Pro carbon
    2)Nelson Pista Singlespeed
    3)Giant Cadex MTB
    4)BeOne Karma MTB
  • bazbadger
    bazbadger Posts: 553
    I got my C18 Pro SL this week as well.

    3201086049_0dc789e917.jpg

    Like NWLondoner I could not believe how light the bike is!

    The ride is also very smooth.

    Took a couple of goes to get the headset right - needed a shakedown ride first followed by a adjustment, but seems fine now.

    Plan to put some pics and a mini review up soon.

    really pleased - and the ritchey bar upgrade is pretty sweet too :D
    Mens agitat molem
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    bazbadger wrote:
    I got my C18 Pro SL this week as well.

    3201086049_0dc789e917.jpg

    Like NWLondoner I could not believe how light the bike is!

    The ride is also very smooth.

    Took a couple of goes to get the headset right - needed a shakedown ride first followed by a adjustment, but seems fine now.

    Plan to put some pics and a mini review up soon.

    really pleased - and the ritchey bar upgrade is pretty sweet too :D

    has a can of blue paint exploded over yours??
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    What are they? About 8kg?
    I like bikes...

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  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    What are they? About 8kg?

    just under, approx 7.71kilo/17lbs
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    edited January 2009
    3209717789_b50babd577_o.jpg

    3210573616_e2f2095590_o.jpg

    3209717789_031bb1408c.jpg
    Not the best photo being taken indoors, however in my area try taking a photo of this outside and you will get mugged for either the bike or the camera or BOTH!!!

    Don't you love the pro race 3 tyres :twisted:

    Sadly my fenix torch mount does not fit the oversize bars :shock:

    Notice my M540 pedals instead of the much derided flats 8)
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    god damn it another black planet x and this time in NW London, I'm in barnet. Maybe we could have a Planet X ride? Matching bikes, get some matching kit... look like a proper team

    how many garmins do you need out of interest?
  • softlad
    softlad Posts: 3,513
    NWLondoner wrote:

    just under, approx 7.71kilo/17lbs

    'approximately' 7.71kg..? Do you not have an exact figure.. ? ;)
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    spasypaddy wrote:
    god damn it another black planet x and this time in NW London, I'm in barnet. Maybe we could have a Planet X ride? Matching bikes, get some matching kit... look like a proper team

    how many garmins do you need out of interest?

    Barnet eh?. I'm in the lovely posh area of Colindale LOL :?


    My 605 to navigate a set route and upload to garmin Connect.

    My 205 to track my route and upload to mapmyride. I can't upload with my 605 to mapmyride.
  • spasypaddy
    spasypaddy Posts: 5,180
    NWLondoner wrote:
    spasypaddy wrote:
    god damn it another black planet x and this time in NW London, I'm in barnet. Maybe we could have a Planet X ride? Matching bikes, get some matching kit... look like a proper team

    how many garmins do you need out of interest?

    Barnet eh?. I'm in the lovely posh area of Colindale LOL :?


    My 605 to navigate a set route and upload to garmin Connect.

    My 205 to track my route and upload to mapmyride. I can't upload with my 605 to mapmyride.
    fair enough.

    now do you fancy going out for a ride sometime, we can be team Planet X North London
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    nice bike but..

    (and I am sorry cos you did say no pedal comments)

    .....what the hell are those pedals doing on that bike?? - the look like they fell off your 12yr old brothers BMX

    get some clipless on there - a nice set of keo carbons or time RXS ulteams would suit it best!
  • Lagavulin
    Lagavulin Posts: 1,688
    Very nice. Pleased you finally got it.
    NWLondoner wrote:
    One thing when i hit the back brake the whole back of the bike seems to judder and this gets transferred through the bike. There is plenty of clearance so hopefully it is just the rubber getting to grips.
    Wheel sat in dropouts correctly? Quick release tightened sufficiently? Is the brake caliper centered? I've experienced that if the brake has taken a knock.
    NWLondoner wrote:
    ... Just keeping this in a straight line is bad enough without worrying about clipping in and out :lol:
    Its easier when you're properly connected to the bike. :wink:
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    gkerr4 wrote:
    nice bike but..

    (and I am sorry cos you did say no pedal comments)

    .....what the hell are those pedals doing on that bike?? - the look like they fell off your 12yr old brothers BMX

    get some clipless on there - a nice set of keo carbons or time RXS ulteams would suit it best!

    LOL you swine :D

    To be honest the thought of riding this with flat pedals does make me weep.

    I have now put my M540's on so fingers crossed
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    I forgot to say how easy it was to get the Pro 3's on these wheels. I managed to get them on with my bare hands with hardly any resistance.
  • bazbadger
    bazbadger Posts: 553
    NWLondoner wrote:
    bazbadger wrote:
    I got my C18 Pro SL this week as well.

    3201086049_0dc789e917.jpg

    Like NWLondoner I could not believe how light the bike is!

    The ride is also very smooth.

    Took a couple of goes to get the headset right - needed a shakedown ride first followed by a adjustment, but seems fine now.

    Plan to put some pics and a mini review up soon.

    really pleased - and the ritchey bar upgrade is pretty sweet too :D

    has a can of blue paint exploded over yours??

    It's an HDR photo - which might explain the blue tinit. But the bike is actually black!
    Mens agitat molem
  • giant_man
    giant_man Posts: 6,878
    NWLondoner wrote:
    gkerr4 wrote:
    nice bike but..

    (and I am sorry cos you did say no pedal comments)

    .....what the hell are those pedals doing on that bike?? - the look like they fell off your 12yr old brothers BMX

    get some clipless on there - a nice set of keo carbons or time RXS ulteams would suit it best!

    LOL you swine :D

    To be honest the thought of riding this with flat pedals does make me weep.

    I have now put my M540's on so fingers crossed
    But he's right. You don't want flat pedals. For gods sake get into some clipless, you will feel an immediate advantage. Looks quite amateurish with those things mate :lol:
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    Hey look my photo is now updated.

    No more flat pedals 8)
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    Well today i finally managed to go on my first proper ride on my PX.

    Handling wise it was a first very twitchy and i sometimes found myself drifting and the lightness was emphisized when getting hit by a crosswind. As i have only just come over from a flat bar this is just me getting used to the feel of a drop bar and by the last 10 miles i was taking it in my stride 8)


    The chain set and gears are SUPERB!!! Very smooth peddling and gear changes are effortless. They have a nice smooth changing action and NEVER missed a single change over. On my old triple i found myself using the middle ring as my main ring but would have to change up to get more speed and change down to get up some hills. Today i rode 95% on the 50t and only had to drop to the 34 to get up broomfield hill and some other sections when my legs had gone. I can't judge yet whether the 12-25 is suitable for me for large climbs as i cocked up the gear changes so many times getting up that hill i will have to see next time :oops: (Thanks Tim for being there as i would have thrown in the towel had i been be myself LOL )

    Positioning wise i have had to take a hit and miss approach as i have no prior experience with drops but i think i have got it right first time. Time will tell if this is the case or not. I have not yet tried riding on the drops but hope to when i hit Watling Street in the not too distant future

    I managed to get along fine with my clipless pedals with only 1 or 2 missed clip ins. Although i was more cautious at traffic lights, whereas i would dart in and out on my flat pedals i decided to play it safe and queue behind. I almost had a clipless moment when doing a U turn from a stationary start on the Fulham Palace Road. My left foot slipped on the pedal and hit the front wheel. Thankfully i saved it and didn't end up flat on my face in front on the oncoming white van :oops:


    My only quibbles are that the brakes are a bit of a let down and don't do the bike justice. While they may only be bedding in i do not have full confidence in them. I may upgrade these as soon as money allows instead of the wheels. Also as others have said before the 50t does not give enough speed when you really want to go flat out.

    Apart from those 2 i am really pleased with my purchase and if anyone is in the market for a new bike then quite frankly it is a real no brainer to go and get one of these.
  • alfablue
    alfablue Posts: 8,497
    Hey, at last NW :D

    I think all drop bar bikes will feel twitchy after flats.

    I agree about the brakes, but I improved the performance by fitting Koolstop Salmon pads. They are fine now. The Tektro pads seem to be a bit hard.

    I also changed my cassette to a 12-27 (I'm a wimp) but find I can manage everything I could do on the triple. The light bike and wheels compensate for the higher gearing.

    I hope you enjoy it!
  • Your bike looks brilliant what size is that bike I got focus cayo and the planet x looks like a better bike
  • gkerr4
    gkerr4 Posts: 3,408
    NWLondoner wrote:
    Hey look my photo is now updated.

    No more flat pedals 8)

    yeah - but you've put MTB pedals on now..

    next to go is that massive sofa-sized saddle!

    (Glad you like it really!)
  • redddraggon
    redddraggon Posts: 10,862
    NWLondoner wrote:
    Also as others have said before the 50t does not give enough speed when you really want to go flat out.

    Hmmm, that's not true.

    50-12 @ 100rpm (a modest RPM by all accounts) gets you to nearly 33mph.

    50-12 @ 120rpm (ie flat out) is over 39mph

    ..........and then 50-11 is even bigger.........

    50-11 @100rpm is 35.5mph

    50-11 @120rpm is 42.6mph

    No are you telling me you are struggling to get over 40mph because of your gearing?

    I used to think that bigger gears were better, but I learnt that pedalling faster is the key.

    Hell, 50-11 is bigger than 53-12, and plenty of better riders than you or I seem to manage on 53-12 :wink: Eddy Merckx only had something like 52-13 as his biggest gear....
    I like bikes...

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  • Lagavulin
    Lagavulin Posts: 1,688
    Hmmm, that's not true...
    That's the bit I don't understand in reviews when they use words to the effect of "the choice of a compact chain set is a strange one".

    While my views might be biased with having crap legs - the outer chain ring on my 53/39 shod Allez Sport could well out live me - I'd of thought the vast majority of people buying off the peg bikes would find 53/11 or 53/12 a fairly redundant gear.

    Running 50/34 and 12-25 on my Izoard and on the flat I've never felt under geared. In fact I've barely made it into top gear on anything other than a fairly steep downhill. :oops:
  • The emu
    The emu Posts: 347
    gkerr4 wrote:
    NWLondoner wrote:
    Hey look my photo is now updated.

    No more flat pedals 8)

    yeah - but you've put MTB pedals on now..

    next to go is that massive sofa-sized saddle!

    (Glad you like it really!)

    Yeah change that saddle, your crotch will thank you for it if you ride anything beyond 10ks.

    Nice bike but.

    The long grazed legged one
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    edited January 2009
    gkerr4 wrote:
    NWLondoner wrote:
    Hey look my photo is now updated.

    No more flat pedals 8)

    yeah - but you've put MTB pedals on now..

    next to go is that massive sofa-sized saddle!

    (Glad you like it really!)

    LOL no pleasing you is their :D

    Don't knock my saddle. it's the most comfortable i've ever had. I will probably get a Spec Toupe at some stage.

    Speedplay pedals may also be on my list. I just like the idea of the concealed cleats on the SPD's.
  • NWLondoner
    NWLondoner Posts: 2,047
    The emu wrote:
    gkerr4 wrote:
    NWLondoner wrote:
    Hey look my photo is now updated.

    No more flat pedals 8)

    yeah - but you've put MTB pedals on now..

    next to go is that massive sofa-sized saddle!

    (Glad you like it really!)

    Yeah change that saddle, your crotch will thank you for it if you ride anything beyond 10ks.

    Nice bike but.

    that saddle has got me to 50 miles with no crotch problems 8)

    I like a hole in mine.