I treated myself to a Condor “winter” bike last year, this would finally get me the pure summer bike I’ve never had

Another 5 years to go and I always wanted am Enigma Road bike. I’ve seen a few Condors about and quite like them and am turning to that idea. It won’t be helped that I’ll be in the London shop Tuesday taking a wheel in for repair, no doubt they’ll be shiny bikes on display…

For my 40th I had been exploring getting a custom ANT mudguard utility bike which began well until Mike stopped responding, so I got an Ian Hamilton Finlay print instead. Have no idea for my 50th, I might have ordered a Bokeh just before Christmas last year and it might have been built up with the first delivery of eTap HRD.

I did, but treated myself to two bikes. Capra and a Jeffsy.

I did for my 40th… A CX / Winter steel number…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Zf1tD7]IF-PlanetX-24[/url] by anthonyjholden, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Zf1vpm]IF-PlanetX-6[/url] by anthonyjholden, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/ZCQGpv]IF-PlanetX-3[/url] by anthonyjholden, on Flickr

[url=https://flic.kr/p/Zyw9KU]IF-PlanetX-16[/url] by anthonyjholden, on Flickr

Since much of my road training and commuting tends to be fixed, I thought I’d add to the Paddy Wagon. I did think I’d just replace the PW frame with a replica in Ti (come on Kona). But I do like high end steel and now have a Ti cross bike. And swapping the fork and guards is a bit of a pain.

So probably a Rourke fixed road frame to mate with my Ritchey WCS fork. I’m normal proportions and don’t really need custom. This one won’t need mudguards. Colour will be black, possibly stainless with unpainted rear. Drivetrain and brakes will be shiny. Wheels handbuilt probably with the new open pros. Finishing kit carbon Ritchey.

Weight would be sub eight kilos, but not sub seven. Need carbon for that. I already have a dolan Seta carbon bike for track, but that has poor geometry for road use.

Oh and the one custom item would be a rear hanger to give me the option of Etap 8) I love it on my TT bike.

I bought a new bike for my 40th, and for my 50th, and I did it again this morning and its not even my birthday. One of these arrives next weeeknd

TiRed, that sounds very nice. I presume you’ve seen the fixed frames/bikes on Rourke’s gallery – I especially like the polished rear ends on the 953 frames.

Drivetrain…will be shiny

Sugino, Dura Ace or Campag Record (like the blue singlespeed on Rourke’s gallery)? Bottom bracket choice might not be entirely straightforward to get both the chainline right and get reasonable quality sealing on the bearings for road use. SKF would be perfect, but they only do 111mm in ISO taper, not the 109mm required for square taper Sugino or Dura Ace. Royce maybe, or possibly Phil Wood?

Wheels handbuilt probably with the new open pros.

I like Mavic, but I’m not so sure about the aesthetic of the the new rims and the change of the rim depth around the spoke holes, other possibilities might be HED Belgium or H Plus Son TB14 in the grey anodising. More importantly however, shiny drivetrain and brakes calls for shiny hubs – again Royce maybe? (Harry Rowland likes building with Royce hubs). That said, Royce hubs (and Phil Wood for that matter) apparently are not compatible with the best EAI sprockets, although you could always get a Royce sprocket.

Incidentally, there’s no need to go for a track hub for the front, a Royce Ultralite front hub with a Royce QR skewer would be perfect, and I’m sure Cliff will be willing to sell me you a single skewer.

New bike at 50, arent you a bit to old to still go cycling on the road or trails.

New to me Shand Stoater of older brazed variety.

Another Shand Stoater of older variety. Still gives me great pleasure each day. Thank you wife

Very nice Meesterbond

@thebrowndog that’s a pretty bike. Enjoy.

I’m 46 next month, bought this new bike last week.

If and when I turn 50yrs I know I’m going to be treating myself to a carbon super hover bike.
😛

I plan on doing something epic with my existing bike for my 50th

I’ve bought enough custom built frames to realise its a waste of time as most production bikes are better and I already have more than enough bikes to keep me happy.
For my 50th next year I think I’m going to treat myself to an illegal allnighter in the woods somewhere in Wales with a huge sound system and a big bag of class A treats.
#Reliving 91-92 😮

Whilst waving about some truss Jones forks in the air like you just don’t care yeah 😛

I’ll be waving something about in the air but I don’t think it’ll be a truss fork. 😆

jonnyboi – Member
I plan on doing something epic with my existing bike for my 50th

got my 60th coming up, fiftieth had a great ride out with friends, pub lunch and big BBQ – meant a lot more than the Ti bike I bought – 60th think will go for a big big long ride

Yep, carbon Santa Cruz 5010 for my 50th, been a while since I’d got a new bike as I usually get second hand, nice to treat myself for making it to a half century. Probably be the last bike I’ll buy until I need/have to buy an e-bike. Although I find myself fat-curious at the mo, wouldn’t mind a go on one but not sure if the South Downs is real fat bike territory.

Not quite approaching 50 yet, but I did buy a new bike for my 40th.

Just get on and do it, you don’t have to wait until your 50th, just say it’s for your 50th.

The only plus I see to E-bikes is that they could help me carry on cycling into my sunset years, I might get one for my 70th 😀

Fantastic stuff pennine!

I’ve bought enough production built bikes to realise custom bikes are better, built to measure for what I want it for and not going to be lost in the pile of generic Canyons and Giant appears re just to own. I already have more than enough bikes to keep me happy. Life’s too short for smug Puritanism, more so when you’re hitting the big five o.

Slowster, I am rather partial to Royce hubs. And Harry Rowland, who builds my wheels, loves them. I like Dura A track cranks, but I’ve also had campag in the past. And yes I’ve seen the Rourke gallery. Truth is I don’t need custom, but there are limited fixed options.

My wife bought me this frame for my 65th – not exactly bling though….

@singlespeedstu , that takes me back to 90/91 trip up the m6 to quadrant park then onto some new age traveller festival in Ruthin , good times but don’t think I could handle the madness of those yrs again

Nice Indy !

I’m 60 next May and giving serious thought to treating myself to a Snowdon Paradox.

However, the age old question beckons, disc or rim brakes…..

@singlespeedstu , that takes me back to 90/91 trip up the m6 to quadrant park then onto some new age traveller festival in Ruthin , good times but don’t think I could handle the madness of those yrs again

Not sure I can any more but i’d like to give it a try.
kilo.
You must be special to need a special bike. 😉

Having nice things is nice, you should try it 😉

Designed and built this for my 50th, getting on 3 years ago:

and for the last couple of winters taken it for a ride in the arctic:

526 weeks till my 50th, but aye good idea, I’ll get back to youse about it! 😆

Having nice things is nice, you should try it

Oh i have. Turns out the things I thought were nice were a bit shit.
Far better things to be had that actually have some kind of quality control and testing behind them…
I’d give you a list of the different so called high end custom frames I’ve had but they’ve all been embarrassingly shit so I’ll just move on and put it down to learning a lesson.
Edit.
Back to the OP.
If you want a road frame that’s custom built and it’ll make you happy go for it.
If you want something else that’s going to have a harder life maybe consider it a bit more.

TiRed, part of the reason for my interest in your planned build is because I am also planning a custom steel fixed, albeit with mudguards and a steel fork.

However, I think my component choices may be a lot more straightforward than yours if you plan to have rear spacing to allow conversion from fixed to derailleur, even more so if you also plan to swap between single and double chainsets (unless you would change the bottom bracket each time you convert to/from gears). It sounds like it could be a very interesting project.

My wife bought me this frame for my 65th – not exactly bling though….

I certainly like it!

I bought me a new bike when I was 40. Just shy of 50 I went backpacking and Cycling across Thailand, Vietnam and Cambodia. No excuse needed just do it. 50 at Christmas btw.

Not yet, but I’m 46 next week. However for my 50th I’m getting a KTM 1290 Superduke and taking it to Portimao.

jonnyboi – Member
I plan on doing something epic with my existing bike for my 50th

I’m 40 in a couple of years and I’ve gone off the idea of a fancy new bike, I think I’d get more from an epic trip away doing something I’d never get a pass out for normally. Any suggestions?

I was thinking 10 days in Whistler or an epic mountain journey or something that’ll give me an incentive to train for.

Rubber_Buccaneer – Member
13 months away for me. I want to use it as an excuse to do something special rather than buy something

I am so full of shit 😀 Less than a week later I’ve put down £2k for a titanium hardtail frame with pinion gearbox that I don’t even have much information about just a big dose of faith in those Sick Bicycle blokes. I had to borrow the money. I am an idiot. Oh well, YOLO n’ all, will be like a 49yr old kid at christmas waiting for it to arrive 😀

guilty

I made my own…

[url=https://flic.kr/p/YayA2p]IMG_20171006_123047057_HDR[/url] by Paul Stanley, on Flickr