Damn - that hurt! Part III - a new beginning.

[uMP2k]

For anybody who might have been following the saga of my little run in with a Jag (parts I and II here and here), well my new (at least new to me ) bike has now arrived and I have just finished putting it together.

At this stage all I can say is WOW, no I take that back, what I meant to say was WOW. This is the first non-steel framed bike I have ever owned and I cannot believe how light it is.

I will post some proper photos (one I have it cleaned up from its bus trip across the country) if anybody is interested. Already lined up a ride with a mate this Sunday so hopefully I will be able to give it a good work out!

[sogood]

At this stage all I can say is WOW, no I take that back, what I meant to say was WOW. This is the first non-steel framed bike I have ever owned and I cannot believe how light it is.

Someone has to say it and it might as well be me... Steel is REAL!!

[uMP2k]

At this stage all I can say is WOW, no I take that back, what I meant to say was WOW. This is the first non-steel framed bike I have ever owned and I cannot believe how light it is.

Someone has to say it and it might as well be me... Steel is REAL!!

Don't get me wrong, I am not turning completely against Steel. I am on the look out for a nice steel frame to build up into my main commuter.

[MountGower]

Things

[europa]

The biggest weight issue I have with my steel framed bikes is an accessory I find rather essential to the enjoyment of the whole ride ... me

Richard

[mikesbytes]

There's the good bad and ugly in all frame materials and it also depends on what kind of rider you are and what you want the frame to do.

For me lateral stiffness for efficient transfer of power is important and bump absorption so not to put too much shock thru my stuffed shoulder. Weight is not so important as I am a heaver stronger rider, in comparison with a weight weenie.

Burn plenty of Glycogen
Frame Size Calculator.....Park Tools Repair Guides Frame Size Calculator.....Rolling Resistance.....Rolling Performance.....Sheldon Brown's Bicycle Technical Info

training log

[uMP2k]

Things other than frame material contribute to a bikes weight. Your old bike could have been made from 4130 CRMO and have low quality components and the new one could be made from Columbus Airplane and have Chorus all over it.

Columbus have a steel tube set out now that weighs 1115 grams. The weight of a bike could be down to anything.

My old bike was reasonably good quality cro mo (531 I think) and had mainly 8spd Campag Chorus, but it did have some god awful heavy wheels and other components like the bars, pedels etc.

My new bike is a mix of 10spd Chorus and Centur (with a lovely Chorus headset, which is definately my favourite part so far!) with Mavic wheels. Not sure of what sort of tubing, but I do know that Masils are still hand built in Portugal and it shows - the welds are amazing.

The main thing is that you like the new bike. Regardless of anything else it's hard to beat a new bike. Go hard and good to see a happy ending to the story.

Will the avatar change or is it a memorial to the old bike?

Planning to get out on it a lot this weekend.

I will be keeping my Avatar I think, in memory of 'old yellow'

[MountGower]

xfgjh.

[europa]

Aaaaaaaaawwww, how fitting. I'm starting to feel for Old Yellow, a life cut short.

Wadaya mean, a life cut short - she's coming back as a fixie, that's even better than being reborn

Richard

[uMP2k]

Aaaaaaaaawwww, how fitting. I'm starting to feel for Old Yellow, a life cut short.

Wadaya mean, a life cut short - she's coming back as a fixie, that's even better than being reborn

Richard

That is certianly the current plan - haven't taken her off to the frame builder yet to check on if it is doable, but I am hoping!

[uMP2k]

Well I have taken the new bike for its first ride and I am blown away, by how much more responsive and just damn fun it was.

Now I am at the very very unfit stage of getting re-acquinted with riding and I was a bit worried that all this new firepower would be wasted on me but I really noticed the difference. Hills (well remember this is Perth so what I really mean is a gently rising road ) that would normally have seen me crawling up in my granny gear, I actually found myself reaching for the lever to change up a gear (into my not quite so granny gear!).

Pity rain is forcast for the next few days, I cannot wait to get out there again.

[Mulger bill]

If you can't be riding, you've got plenty of time for some photography

[uMP2k]

If you can't be riding, you've got plenty of time for some photography

As it happens I did take some photos after I put it together and cleaned off the dust of a trans-Australia bus trip.

Click on the images to get a larger picture.



I really love the head tube badge and the chorus headset. Not to mention the lovely smooth welds .