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Finicketty I know, but doesn't modern rubber look awful on skinny steel frames?
I think it because the bar tape on the Shand is fairly anemic, it needs to be darker to match the saddle. Otherwise it looks nice.
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here's mine. Frame is actually pretty light, current build not so much....
I'm seriously coming round to the thinking of considering a road bike despite years of riding my old mtb frame done up as a ss roadie and telling myself a road bike wouldn't be any better, thing is i would never consider a plastic bike as i dislike plastic bikes of all description despite selling them in the shop, i could even get one for trade price but i'd hate it, and alloy for a road bike frame? - Nah, soulless and horrible chunky welds.
So that leaves one (three actually) option, custom 953 stainless or steel or titanium, I'd need to go custom as my spine is ****ed and fused in so many places that i find it hard enough to get down to the hoods of a roadbike never mind attempting the drops and it'd be the sort of bike that i buy once and once only - i'm not one for chopping/changing every few months like some folk.
I really like the look of the shands and i've spent many an hr or two browsing their gallery of bikes, also enigma with their ti frames is another option...perhaps next time i'm up in the central belt i'll give shands a ring and pop round - see what they could do with regard to my ungainly (stif-arsed) position on a roadbike
i would never consider a plastic bike as i dislike plastic bikes of all description despite selling them in the shop, i could even get one for trade price but i'd hate it, and alloy for a road bike frame? - Nah, soulless and horrible chunky welds.
See, to me it depends who's riding it.
If it's plastic you need the legs to justify it othrwise you're just a balding man in a 911 soft top.
If it's steel then you have to be balding and middle aged (or downright old) but have been riding since you were 3 months old and casualy humiliate everyone in the town sign sprints by leisurly spinning past everyone and off the front, or knocking centuries every weekend, double centruies are mandatory if you mention it's smooth/comfortable/gliding/zing. Otherwise you're a fixie poseur with gears.
Aluminium just hard as nails and the owner probably races crits.
Lovely Shand.
Aluminium just hard as nails and the owner probably races crits.
thanks.
ctually it's the cheapest boardman on b2w, but i like your description better 😉
I literally just got hold of a Ribble steel winter bike. First impressions are it's heavy, but it is pretty! The ride quality is actually really good, I was worried it was going to be a tad rough and feel cheap, but it doesn't. Handling seems good too. For the money I don't think you can complain really. All that's going to happen to it is it's going to get trashed on the roads up here.
Yeah it's no Baum or Enigma, but not too bad.
I've got an equilibrium and it is a lovely winter/training bike that I ride a lot. It's comfy on crap roads, the handling is relaxed which is fun in a cruising sort of way, and it descends brilliantly. But it is heavy and clearly not as quick as my sunday best plastic bike.
Would love to try a proper top quality steel bike that was a bit racier.
If it's plastic you need the legs to justify it othrwise you're just a balding man in a 911 soft top.
* removes 911 from midlife crisis car list 😳
thisisnotaspoon - But i don't fit into any of those categories so i'll tick "none of the above" on your checklist, i almost fit into the middle-aged man section but i've just turned 41 so i don't consider myself middle-aged just yet - i like to think of myself as "run-in correctly and fit for thrashing" 🙂 , I'm not fat as i've still got the same waist size i had when i was 16 and i'm definitely not balding or anywhere near it, i ain't no fixie poseur either.
The young boy who rides for the shop has just took delivery of his new Lapierre Xelious 400, personally i thin it looks gopping as it's a walking billboard of stickers and acronyms, yeah it's incredibly light but it doesn't have an element of soul or beauty about it, you know it's came out of a jelly mould and is the same as any other mass-market led bike that anyone else can buy - i'm sure he'll win races on it though so it's the perfect bike for him but it leaves me cold, i spent more time Ooing/Ahhing over a 25yr old rusty brompton that someone brought into the shop than the £2.5k carbon Lapierre.
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or
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^ want that one
I've got an equilibrium... It's comfy on crap roads
Try a ti seatpost - I broke mine and changed to carbon and then realised that it was the seatpost (USE) that was providing most of the 'spring' in the ride.
i've one of these:
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not much to compare it to but i'm happy enough ( and it was a stonking deal! ). original, [i]gopping[/i] saddle has gone though!
I've one of these
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not used it much over the last year, seem to spend more time on the plastic road bike. Some nice bikes on this thread but I'm defo not a fan of straight steel forks
I ride this most often on the grey stuff...
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Loved my Lemond La Sarthe. many years of service. replaced it with a Croix de Fer (725) hate it.. stripingit down and going back to my beloved Lemond..
looking at Gunnars or Waterfords as well.
Liking that Shand a lot.
There are two on here that tickle my fancy, the Colnago Master in Orange and the Condor in Black and White. I have pondered on more than on occasion on boring Saturday afternoons when the weathers been appalling and I've meandered on over Clerkenwell way..
£6.5 in that build..
Tempting.
looking at Gunnars or Waterfords as well.
Well since you ask, here are my two
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Oh and a couple owned by friends of mine.(sorry poor photo though)
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and
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I'm tempted to dig out my old 853 raleigh frame to post on here... it was a nice ride but to be honest, I actually preferred a cheap alu Airborne frame (the thunder bolt) I had at the time as it was comfier, livelier and faster. I only stopped riding the Airborne because the top tube was a bit flexy when going up anything steeper than 15% out of the saddle.
I now mostly ride a Giant OCR and a Defy on the road and they are both very good bikes.
Speedvagen sex wee..............
or
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^^ nice that ^^
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Its an old piccy, and the garden was not mine etc but:
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Wanted a Cielo, could afford a Surly.
[url= http://www.flickr.com/photos/23544219@N06/7459007864/ ]Surly Pacer[/url]
I'd like one of the new Salsas
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that Baum is loverly
have tried googling Brum but come up with nowt
Baum
[url= http://www.baumcycles.com/ ]http://www.baumcycles.com/[/url]
ta, looked like and 'R' 😳
they are very nice bikes I must say
My bit of Real Steel
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Another Pego, though used all year to the tune of 15000km a year. When I bought it they were half the price they are now, if I were to buy again I'd have that Condor on page one.
From Sunday, doing some long bottom gear [s]climbs[/s] grovels..
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Although this happened yesterday, also gouged the seatstay and bent the hanger.
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I'd like one of the new Salsas
so would i but the warbird is alu - so get it off the steel thread 😉
Would still love a Peg 8)
I've got a skinny tubed Dave Yates 653 brazed and lugged with 10sp record. It was my first proper race bike in the mid nineties. Absolutely fine ride for pootling but not too stiff. I've also got a Dave Yates 853 with oversize tubing which rides beautifully. I like them as much as my plastic bikes in another way.