CycleBanter.com

CycleBanter.com (http://www.cyclebanter.com/index.php)
-   General (http://www.cyclebanter.com/forumdisplay.php?f=5)
-   -   Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick (http://www.cyclebanter.com/showthread.php?t=233578)

Anton Berlin January 20th 12 04:21 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.

I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.

My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.

I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)

The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?

And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.


Kerry Montgomery January 20th 12 05:19 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 

"Anton Berlin" wrote in message
...
I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.

I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.

My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.

I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)

The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?

And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.

Anton Berlin,
I was very happy with a (aluminum) cyclocross bike with one set of wheels
with cyclocross tires, and another set with road tires. Derailleurs. Don't
know about discs - if they don't slow wheel trading, I'd try them.
Otherwise, cantilevers.
Kerry



AMuzi January 20th 12 06:33 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
Anton Berlin wrote:
I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.

I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.

My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.

I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)

The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?

And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.


I can't help specifically but even I, a well known cheap
*******, can't manage with only one bicycle.

--
Andrew Muzi
www.yellowjersey.org/
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

DirtRoadie January 20th 12 07:00 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
On Jan 20, 10:33*am, AMuzi wrote:
Anton Berlin wrote:
*I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.


I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.


My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.


I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)


The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? * Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?


And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. *Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.


I can't help specifically but even I, a well known cheap
*******, can't manage with only one bicycle.


+1
Speaking only for myself, I can mostly get by with 2 but that's the
minimum - one for road, one for off-road. All of the questions asked
by the OP are specific to intended uses that fall squarely into the
YMMV category.
DR

(PeteCresswell) January 20th 12 07:16 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
Per Anton Berlin:
I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.

I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.

My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.

I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)

The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?

And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.


I don't have 10 machines, only five, including a hard tail, two
FS's, and a single speed. But I'm probably one of those nuts.

Since I built up my Salsa Fargo, it has been used for 90+ percent
of my riding. This would validate your cyclocross-style
predilection although I do not aspire to tours or touring.
My typical rides are 1.75-3.5 hours, 80% on paved surfaces.

I think I paid something like six-hundred bucks for my Fargo
frame. Maybe it's not up to a Ti custom, but it's durable,
comfortable, fits my weird-ass body well enough... and probably
has 80 percent of the function at 20 percent of the price.


I favor:

- 700C wheels bc, in narrower widths like 38's they roll
perceptibly better over rough ground/soft grass. With
55's, I can't say I can feel the diff although others
say they can.

- MTB Rims. Mine are Delgados. I can put 28's on them and
that's about as skinny as I ever want - and I don't even
use them very often because they beat me up too much. My
favored tires are 38's, but I *could* mount Big Apples some
day if/when I had too much money laying around.

- Cable-actuated disc brakes. Cable bc it's good enough and
do not require periodic bleeding. Disc bc they are more
fault-tolerant and predictable.

- Rohloff hub bc it's bombproof, quick to shift 3-4 gears,
and I don't have any extra brain cells to spare worrying about
which front chain wheel I am on. I would qualify that
with the observation that my initial attraction was the
"bombproof" aspect and, since I'm riding mostly on
paths now that's moot. It's also ungodly heavy and
expensive. That being said, I still wouldn't go back.
OTOH, if I just *had* to go back, it wouldn't be the end of
my world by any means. In fact, I kind of enjoy the light feel
of my one der-powered FS (the other one runs Rohloff)

- I like the sound of S&S couplings although I do not use
or need them. Had them on another frame that never worked
out for other reasons and found them tb fault-tolerant and
generally bombproof. i.e. they do not depend on tightnesss
to function and there are not small parts to fall into the
grass and become lost Also had the Ritchey system on still
another aborted frame. If you go with a breakdown system,
definitely go for the S&S and do *NOT* go with Ritchey.

- Flat, not drop bars - but with 6" extenders on them facing
forward and slightly down. Reason: in tight turns, they do
not get in the way of my legs, I have a greater range of
fore-aft hand positions, they support the Roholoff shifter,
getting on the forward-facing extensions out of the saddle
going up hills is really nice; and the hand positions/comfort
are good enough. The comfort is not as good as being
on the hoods of drop bars, but it's close enough.

- Those German ergo grips. They're super-easy to put on/take off
when it's time to move things around or make adjustments and
their shape prevents the hand numbness that used to plague me.


--
Pete Cresswell

SMS January 20th 12 07:57 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
On 1/20/2012 7:21 AM, Anton Berlin wrote:
I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.

I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.

My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.

I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)

The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?

And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.


If you want S&S Couplers you should start your search for a TI bicycle
on http://www.sandsmachine.com/ as you can't retrofit these yourself.

The problem with MTB wheels is that there aren't a lot of good road
tires for MTB wheels.

Forget about internal gearing.




Postman Delivers January 20th 12 08:02 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
On Fri, 20 Jan 2012 07:21:44 -0800, Anton Berlin wrote:

I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a custom
made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection of
disc wheels and H3s etc.

I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.

My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.

I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour extensively
on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and multiple through
Europe)

The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?

And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. Thanks in advance for your
thoughts and input.


* * *
AB,

I have 8 bicycles currently & several more two wheel projects, and I also
need to reduce the number, but can not seem to part with them. I know I
have to many downtube shift Aluminum bicycles, but each one has a
different story and memories. I must keep a fixey to work on my peddling
skills each week. A 1987 Novara XR, that I ride quite often with its 26x
1.25 tires absorbing a lot of the local pavement irregularities. I love
the Mercedes ride of the Jamis Ventura when spending 3 hours or more in
the pedals.

I have a Takara grocery getter with a steel frame I can chain without
worry of seeing a new scratch while shopping. I built the old frame to
carry groceries, and avoid using an Aluminum frame bicycle that attracts
scratches & dents. Also a light weight Aluminum/CF bicycle with decent
components lashed to a tree or bicycle rack/stand is to great of a
temptation for unsavory bicycle resellers of bicycles they do not own.

Yes, it will be quite difficult to reduce the number of bicycles, but it
would be a nice respite, until the next must have was found in a garage
sale needing a few parts and some TLC.

JR the postman

Chalo January 20th 12 08:19 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
SMS wrote:

Forget about internal gearing.


The opinion of someone who's never lived with a Rohloff.

It's a hassle to set up initially, it has handlebar compatibility
issues, it weighs four pounds, and it's very expensive. But it blows
away any other kind of gear changing mechanism, bar none. Derailleurs
are as smooth and sophisticated as pipe wrenches compared to this.

Chalo

Jay Beattie January 20th 12 09:11 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
On Jan 20, 9:33*am, AMuzi wrote:
Anton Berlin wrote:
*I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.


I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.


My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.


I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)


The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? * Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?


And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. *Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.


I can't help specifically but even I, a well known cheap
*******, can't manage with only one bicycle.

--
Andrew Muzi
* www.yellowjersey.org/
* Open every day since 1 April, 1971- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -



Jay Beattie January 20th 12 09:17 PM

Getting down to 1 bike - what would you pick
 
On Jan 20, 9:33*am, AMuzi wrote:
Anton Berlin wrote:
*I am one of those nuts that has 10 machines in the garage. From a
custom made Columbus Max with SR an Aquila titanium with a brand new c-
record large flange group, to several carbon frames and a collection
of disc wheels and H3s etc.


I am in the stage where I want to simplify and feel that I could get
practical and get down to one bike and be content with that.


My current idea is a titanium cyclocross style bike that uses mtb
wheels, has a long wheelbase and is set up for touring (fenders,
panniers, etc) would be the best compromise of all worlds.


I want a bike that is flexible enough to ride everyday, tour
extensively on (already have 2 cycling trips around the world and
multiple through Europe)


The open questions are rim brakes or discs ? * Derailleurs or internal
gearing (rohloff or sram) ?


And the pros and cons of using s&s couplers. *Thanks in advance for
your thoughts and input.


I can't help specifically but even I, a well known cheap
*******, can't manage with only one bicycle.


You can get by with a 1975 Raleigh International -- a red one.
http://www.sheldonbrown.com/retroral...rnational.html

Fully serviceable in even the most remote locales, and if you need it
smaller for packing, you can hack through the top tube and down tube
and braze it back together later. Sew-ups for racing, fat tires for
touring, and ten (count 'em ten) different gears.

Now, I do own over forty bikes, all of them C-Record or better -- and
six with Super-Duper Record and two with Crotch of Doom -- many made
of exotic materials and with aerodynamic wheels. It is an impressive
stable of bikes. I even have valet parking. I have also ridden
around the solar system twice, and can state with certainty that the
only bike anyone needs is a 1975 Raliegh International.

-- Jay Beattie.


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 10:10 PM.
Home - Home - Home - Home - Home

Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
CycleBanter.com