It is currently Thu Mar 28, 2024 8:58 am

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]




Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 
Author Message
 Post subject: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:59 am 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:40 pm
Posts: 563
Location: Mt. Helix
Given: 453 thanks
Received: 548 thanks
Bike(s): Ibis Ripley
Favorite Trails: Actual Singletrack
Last Christmas, my wife gave me a single sheet of paper for a present with a hand drawn bicycle on it and the word “coupon” written below. Since we knew there would likely be a baby on the way in the course of the year, it was basically a chance to get a final custom bike before child expenses and madness would make it impractical for a good number of years. I didn’t hold back.

Now, most of my “road” bikes are actually pretty tough multi-surface cyclocross inspired machines, overbuilt for strict road riding. So I decided it would be nice to have something closer to a “pure” road machine. I wanted something lighter and racier than my current bikes, but built for comfort over the long haul: centuries, double centuries, brevets, and the like. I like front-loading Francophile rando bikes, but didn’t want something so “retro” that it felt like I was riding a period piece or engaging in some sort of reenactment exercise. So I wanted to combine the best of old and new.

You can see from the pics below how it turned out. Visually, it’s just stunning. The color, which is paler than in these pics, is a match of a color used on Datsun sportscars in the 50s and 60s. In terms of the ride, I asked Steve Hampsten to use extra light tubes, creating a flexible frame that would be comfortable over long distances. In this, the bike does not disappoint. It’s comfortable, but it’s also fast, measurably so compared to my average times for local training rides. The flexibility of the frame means that it rewards a smooth pedaling style. This is not the bike to take if you want to hammer on the local crit ride, and you can definitely make the front derailleur rub if you stand and hammer up a hill like a kid on a BMX bike.

Handling is terrific—no shimmy, even riding no handed with a load up front, and it takes descents of 30-40 mph with a calm confidence. Still working out a few set up issues in terms of the drivetrain, but so far so good. The brakes, braze-on Paul “racer M,” are simply the best I have ever used. Great modulation, at it doesn’t take much hand strength to bring the bike to a full stop. After riding cantis for so long on my other bikes, these things are a revelation.

Weight is a hair over 21lbs with the front rack, pedals, bottle cages, etc, but not including fenders. It has super-slick mounting for the honjos that Hampsten set up for me, but I'm waiting a month until the rainy season before I attach them.

So that’s the story. Here are a few pics of the flexi-flyer:

Image
IMG_2464 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

Image
IMG_2458 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

Image
IMG_2463 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

Image
IMG_2460 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

Image
IMG_2459 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

Image
IMG_2468 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

Image
IMG_2472 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

Image
IMG_2474 by paleo.velo, on Flickr

_________________
http://paleovelo.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
The following 7 users would like to thank Dustin for his or her post:
Canaan, ewiccami, GP_pilot, jabantik, kettlebell, kreechan, tfitz
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 1:07 pm 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Sat Dec 12, 2009 8:23 am
Posts: 1039
Location: Pissin Distance from SDSU
Given: 587 thanks
Received: 625 thanks
Bike(s): Intense M9
Favorite Trails: Noble, Sycamore, Stonewall
Those brakes are pretty :thumbsup:

_________________
Best riding advice I ever got... "make sure you have air in your tires"


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 2:12 pm 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Sat Mar 14, 2009 10:25 am
Posts: 532
Location: Oceanside
Given: 257 thanks
Received: 428 thanks
Bike(s): Douglas Fusion, Devinci Django
Favorite Trails: your mom*
super sexy. is that a ti rear end with breezer dropouts?


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 3:00 pm 
Offline
Obsessed
Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:35 pm
Posts: 3769
Location: Variable
Given: 5013 thanks
Received: 5052 thanks
Bike(s): Carbine
Favorite Trails: The Googliest
Nice bike! Those Paul calipers look like they will last forever.

_________________
"We'll ride it until they pave it."

-Big Clyde

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 7:50 pm 
Offline
Obsessed
Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Tue Sep 16, 2008 7:47 am
Posts: 2182
Given: 6166 thanks
Received: 6399 thanks
Bike(s): mango. pivot. chumba
Favorite Trails: san jaun. arizona trails
I thought you got a 429 with the coupon or is there no expiration. Nice bike.

_________________
We'll ride it till they pave it. -Clyde
ImageImage


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 8:49 pm 
Offline
Obsessed
Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Sat Jul 12, 2008 8:35 pm
Posts: 3769
Location: Variable
Given: 5013 thanks
Received: 5052 thanks
Bike(s): Carbine
Favorite Trails: The Googliest
I gotta say, I looked at the pictures again and Dustin that is one tight bike. Very nice.

_________________
"We'll ride it until they pave it."

-Big Clyde

Image


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 9:47 pm 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:40 pm
Posts: 563
Location: Mt. Helix
Given: 453 thanks
Received: 548 thanks
Bike(s): Ibis Ripley
Favorite Trails: Actual Singletrack
jabantik wrote:
super sexy. is that a ti rear end with breezer dropouts?


Yep. She be Ti. Steel fork though.

tfitz wrote:
I thought you got a 429 with the coupon or is there no expiration. Nice bike.


This is the coupon bike. 429 was just a frame, and was cheating on my part. :lol: :lol:

Kimba wrote:
I gotta say, I looked at the pictures again and Dustin that is one tight bike. Very nice.


Thanks! Still getting 'er dialed in, but it seems like the start of a beautiful friendship!

_________________
http://paleovelo.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sat Nov 13, 2010 11:19 pm 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Wed Feb 11, 2009 5:17 pm
Posts: 1066
Location: Poway
Given: 168 thanks
Received: 790 thanks
Bike(s): Intense TracerVP / Javlin Road
Favorite Trails: Left Fork Bunker Creek
If you join now you get the rest of Nov. and Dec. as well as all of 2011. If you are looking for long distance rides this is the group. A USRA membership is 20 bucks. That sweet rig was made for big Rando rides. http://www.sandiegorandonneurs.com/ Congrats on the new rig.

_________________
"Give a man a fish and feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and
feed him for a lifetime. Teach a man to cycle and he will realize
fishing is stupid and boring."
--Desmond Tutu


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 5:15 pm 
Offline
Active Participant
Active Participant
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 12, 2009 10:58 pm
Posts: 295
Given: 275 thanks
Received: 170 thanks
Bike(s): heckler, roubaix
Favorite Trails: PCT, PCE and PCH
Sweet looking bike Dustin :cheers:

Still looks like a period piece to me


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:37 pm 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:40 pm
Posts: 563
Location: Mt. Helix
Given: 453 thanks
Received: 548 thanks
Bike(s): Ibis Ripley
Favorite Trails: Actual Singletrack
mongooseboy wrote:
If you join now you get the rest of Nov. and Dec. as well as all of 2011. If you are looking for long distance rides this is the group. A USRA membership is 20 bucks. That sweet rig was made for big Rando rides. http://www.sandiegorandonneurs.com/ Congrats on the new rig.


Yeah, I'm thinking of shooting for an RUSA R-12 this year. Not a big deal, but with a new baby, I'd be happy to be that consistent.

Just got back from my standard east country training loop: 52 miles with 4500ft of climbing. Average moving speed on the Tournesol was a full 1 mph faster than any of my other recorded times. Not exactly scientific, but I’m determined to think I’m faster on it, dammit!

_________________
http://paleovelo.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 6:38 pm 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Wed Jan 28, 2009 5:40 pm
Posts: 563
Location: Mt. Helix
Given: 453 thanks
Received: 548 thanks
Bike(s): Ibis Ripley
Favorite Trails: Actual Singletrack
kettlebell wrote:
Sweet looking bike Dustin :cheers:

Still looks like a period piece to me



Ha ha. Who made your bike again? :lol:

_________________
http://paleovelo.com/


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Sun Nov 14, 2010 7:01 pm 
Offline
Obsessed
Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Fri Aug 15, 2008 2:54 pm
Posts: 3399
Location: San Joaquin Valley
Given: 518 thanks
Received: 1358 thanks
Bike(s): 6 of 'em
Favorite Trails: I don't ride dirt
Sweet ride, but I'm w/ Jacek on this one :D

_________________
A mountain biker who doesn't ride road has no legs
A road biker who doesn't ride mountain has no soul


Top
 Profile  
 
 Post subject: Re: New Road Bike
PostPosted: Wed Nov 17, 2010 10:49 am 
Offline
Moderately Obsessed
Moderately Obsessed
User avatar

Joined: Thu Feb 05, 2009 10:22 am
Posts: 1572
Location: Manila Mesa
Given: 614 thanks
Received: 1848 thanks
Bike(s): SX Trail, Carbine 275
Favorite Trails: PQ, ATT
Image

_________________
~~~~ __o
~~~~ _ <_
~~~ (_)/(_)

My Favorite Trail is unknown to many, everybody here loves it.


Top
 Profile  
 
Display posts from previous:  Sort by  
Post new topic Reply to topic  [ 13 posts ] 

All times are UTC - 8 hours [ DST ]


Who is online

Users browsing this forum: No registered users and 4 guests


You cannot post new topics in this forum
You cannot reply to topics in this forum
You cannot edit your posts in this forum
You cannot delete your posts in this forum
You cannot post attachments in this forum

Search for:
Jump to:  
Powered by phpBB® Forum Software © phpBB Group