Ultimate Bike Thread....

[Jeff Alton]

^^^ well he does have a hat under his helmet after all...

[look 171]

I know, that front of that helmet is half way up the top of his head. But, he looks cool.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by look 171

What do you think about those new Merckx frames compare to the Time. Tell you this, you are absolutely correct about the Time frame. This this is the best frame I have ever ridden. I have owned a few carbon frames over the years. Its like a Cadillac over bumps but no give on the BB off the saddle. If those Merckx, Chipollini or other higher end frames ride better then that, then they must be amazing.

I'm impressed with the Merckx bikes! they're stiffer than the Time bikes and it's my style of bike. I really want to try one of the 525 disc frames!

[look 171]

I had to look up 525 Disc frame. Sounds like a really fun bike. I also have a Ridley Damocles that's a about 5 years old. This thing is stuff, but beats me to death on some of the bigger bumps. This is where the Time really shines.

[Jim Bremner]

Originally Posted by look 171

I had to look up 525 Disc frame. Sounds like a really fun bike. I also have a Ridley Damocles that's a about 5 years old. This thing is stuff, but beats me to death on some of the bigger bumps. This is where the Time really shines.

Two different tools.

Love both but the time would do better on a century.

[look 171]

The time seems to be a bit longer for comfort. I find it a bit lazy coming out of a turn compared to my other bikes like the Ridley or my Torelli. I think its the typical French philosophy on stage or road bikes.

Are you still involve with Time or the bike industry?

[Otter74]

My primary commuter for the past 6 months or so, built up as a parts-bin bike. Versatile, comfortable, quick and fun.

[intakexhaust]

^ Otter, you must have a fun parts bin to dig thru! First I've heard of this brand. Sounds like a British name but tell us more. Has a neat retro-mod appearance, comfy upright rider with variety of hand re-positioning.

Room to spare for mudguards and wide tires. What's the wheel and rubber set-up? Though looks close for possible toe overlap.

[Racerbvd]

Originally Posted by LEAKYSEALS951

My first job was in a bike shop too in 1985! We didn't sell Nishiki, but sold Bridgestone and whatnot. I later worked in several other bike shops as a teenager. It was odd, that working there, I felt the same way you did, and nostalgically, it was the best of times, but at the time, it reminded me of "the industrial smell" thread, which made me think of how as much as I love the smell of a bike shop (and smelling like one)- doing it for a living made me want to go ahead and go back to school. I went to college, and during a recession in 92, went back to working in a bike shop I worked in in 87'- at 1987 prices.

Since then, I have had the privilege of owning/riding a good number of fine bikes-from free to $10,000- but when I think of the MOST fun I have had- especially most fun per $- the three bikes I pulled out of trash cans, or was given- were tops!

Here's a silly gratuitous pic I made of a Trek 930 frame I pulled from a trash can around 1995:

Here's a pic of my wife riding a warranty bike frame (Chigaco- Schwinn Cimarron) I was given from the owner of Rowlett's bikes in Richmond va after a summer of hard work in his shop 1987:

The other bike I pulled from a garbage can was a schwinn continental, which I bolted a rear cog to the front crankarm to make a poor man's MTB. Intake's Schwinn reminds me of it a little. It was before the cimarron, and in the name of Chevy Chase's Vacation, I named the "family truckster" and was as fun as anything!

Good times!

My 1st job was at Lake Shore Schwinn, did the same stuff..

[Otter74]

Kogswells were a series of 4-5 different frames (D, G, P, P/R off the top of my head) created and sold by a guy named Matthew Grimm. Designed by him in CA, built in Taiwan.

Yes, I guess I've got a nice parts bin But the rules for parts-bin bikes are such that once you've been riding it for some arbitrary period of time, it's OK to start 'upgrading' parts. Since its original build, I added the stem riser (ugly, but the PO had cut the steerer and the bars were way too low for me), twiddled with stems to get reach and height right, swapped for a different set of bars in the bin, added some new Sora brifters (I know, it's Sora, make fun of me, but they cost me something like $15) - I haven't gotten around to cabling the front yet, so there's still the DT shifter there - added interrupter levers, switched from a mystery Sugino triple with a 12-28 to a 48-34 double and a 12-32, saddle was originally a Champion Pro but nothing beats a B17 for me so I picked up another broken-in one, and also replaced the wheelset and added the dynamo lighting. Bars are the only bars I could find with both ergo drops and some sweep on the top, which I really really like. Noodles are my favorite bars but I like the hooks on these better.

Original wheelset was DA740x/Mavic MA40 and then one of the rims failed (age) so I retired the wheelset and the guy who I bought the frame from offered me the wheelset he used to use on it for super-cheap so I bought that and added the spare B&M IQ Cyo that I had sitting around. Now everything I ride for commuting/transpo has dynamo lighting. Wheels are a 9-speed 105 rear hub and Shimano -71 dynohub with Velo Orange rims but I can't remember which ones without looking. Box section, double wall, polished. Tires are Jack Brown Green Labels, I think nominally 32mm but they're really more like 30mm. Biggest that will fit under the fenders. Annoyed that a front rack (I like rando bags) is difficult to fit as a Nitto Mark's Rack is pretty much the only thing that will work. I have a spare Velo Orange rack but the fork crown mount won't fit. My main bike has 650bx42mm tires on it and I wasn't sure I'd like 30mm on this bike but the tires are good and I'm happy with it. Not as zippy as GB Cypres, but good tires. As you can see, my riding conditions are not friendly to beige sidewalls There is overlap, which is irritating but livable (I ride with cleats all the way back on the shoe). I would like to find another fork for it with slightly lower trail, eyeglass rack mounts and about 15mm more axle-to-crown.

I wanted something that split the difference between my Rawland, which is fantastic and super-versatile but a bit of a tank, and my Vendetta, which is my sports-car bike and a joy to ride but doesn't take weight well so I can't use it for transportation. This does a great job of that. Fun to ride, and still comfortable when you spend all day on it.

Originally Posted by intakexhaust

^ Otter, you must have a fun parts bin to dig thru! First I've heard of this brand. Sounds like a British name but tell us more. Has a neat retro-mod appearance, comfy upright rider with variety of hand re-positioning.

Room to spare for mudguards and wide tires. What's the wheel and rubber set-up? Though looks close for possible toe overlap.

[jyl]

Just made a deal for this old frame . . .

The vision for the bike is, a warp in time has collapsed the past 30 years, 1986 is 2006, and Bernard Hinault and Greg LeMond will be fighting it out at the 1986/2016 Tour de France, on their Look 753 frames built down to the UCI 6.8 kg limit with carbon fiber galore.

But Mavic doesn't make a group anymore, so - how should I build this bike?

Usage will be roadie rides. Don't need lower than 42x26 or higher than 53x11.

[look 171]

Huba huba. That's a great find.

There's only one choice, Campy from the late 80s. If I was going to really ride this thing, I say Dura Ace mechanical 10 speed, if you can still find them. Depending how many hills you have to pull and how you like to climb, I say a 39x52 with the largest 24 cog. If not, 42x52 with a 25 cog.

[greglepore]

I would take the time to source the Mavic parts from ebay. Time warp bikes are great, I have a 2000 Marco Pantani Bianchi EV2 that needs a carbon Record crank one of these days. Don't ride it much, but when the mood strikes, I break out the Mercantone Uno kit. There's a web seller in China that still offers LaVie Claire kits, and they're actually pretty nice for around $60.

Sweet frame.

[jyl]

I could do a tout Mavic period build. But l already have three such bikes: my daily commute bike, my Cannondale, and my son's high school bike, are tout Mavic.

I'm thinking about carbon Record . . . maybe mixed with some vintage Mavic?

[Jeff Alton]

Originally Posted by Gus Berges

Full Ultegra, lots of Bontrager parts as the previous owner is sponsored by Trek. Too bad my back injury has reared its ugly head, and after three pro fittings, I can feel the pain settling in after an hour on the seat. Hopefully can find a local buyer sooner than later.

Nice ride!

[LEAKYSEALS951]

Before:



and after:



Well here it is... Inspired by Patz's bike thread, the "Good enough vs. Perfection" Thread, and the "Before and after" thread, I slapped the nishiki together and it is great. Do I want to polish the aluminium rack and parts? Yes! Will I ever get around to it? Nope! Instead, I will set it in the sun and crank up the exposure on the camera 1 stop, and leave it at that.
I got some cyclocross treads in the 27x1 3/8 size, fenders, and mounted a spare 24 tooth chainring on the front crank to make it a triple. Put on a set of modolo bars and a cinelli stem, and went with a far more comfortable (but not really period correct) Avenir seat. Cork tape, and a little chain lube. Easy peezy!

Call er' done

[patz]

It's the stickers.

[herr_oberst]

2012 Spesh SWorks Tarmac SL4.

Just bought a NOS SRAM Red 10speed gruppo

Open to suggestions on a wheelset.....

[look 171]

Dang Herr, that's a nice looking frame. Gotta tell me how it rides. I am a huge fan of Mavic wheels. A bigger fan of their Ksyrim SSC wheels. They took a lot of beating and stayed true (I am not very nice to my wheels). For the past couple of years, I started to ride carbon Cosmics. Man, those thing are tough and fast. I haven't true them once. Everyone raved about the Zipp 404s. So I have them sitting in the office but have yet to get my cassette on it because of my lazy ass. I hear they are fast and light. I will report back in a couple of weeks. I should have some time to play with it. What kind of riding do you do?

I am looking to order a 13 tooth locking cog so I can run a straight stack. I am missing a 18th tooth cog, my favorite with a 39x53 on my Time.

[look 171]

BTW, I run Sram Force 10 spd on my Ridley with a Red crank (compact). I will say this, it is the best feeling brake lever I have ever held. Love the small curve section under the lever where your middle finger sits ( it doesn't eat into my middle finger like many other levers). Its never missed a shift on me yet and I am a huge Shimano fan. Is this your first time with SARM?