I'm traveling today so I don't have a special topic to write on. But as my friends told me, I thought I should take this opportunity to perhaps show you one of the bikes I ride these days. This one's a bit new, and I have shown you my primary bike some years ago. See here.
My bike on top of Rock City Hill, Olean NY (2400 ft above sea level)This one is a pre-HP B stay Colnago C-40 lugged carbon bike in Mapei theme with all Campagnolo Super Record 11 Speed gruppo. C-40 has been one of most prolific of Colnago's offerings (sadly no more), and it has won more Paris Roubaix's and World Championships than any other. The lugs of course are beautiful to look at and they are one piece molded and hand finished. The bike not only rides buttery smooth, but it is a good climber, and a great downhill bike as well. The ride is very stable and precise that I imagine it must somehow be laser guided from a control room at Colnago's headquarters.
The seatpost is a Thomson Elite, handlebars are 3T's Rotundo Pro's adorned with Brooks leather handlebar tape stopped with sweet cork plugs. The saddle is a Brooks Swallow with titanium rails, while the fork is a straight bladed Easton EC90 topped off with a Chris King Titanium headset. The wheels are no-nonsense Dt Swiss 1450s and tires are Vittoria Open Corsa's at 320 TPI, which to me are pretty supple. The braking comes from a pair of KCNCs in red. This is one of the few brakes I have seen in the market that have some character in looks, are lightweight, and are very easy to adjust on the go. The bike was put together by Dennis Baldwin at the Elicottville Bike Shop, in Elicottville NY. Show him some love, ya'll!
As you can see, this bike is a medley of the classic and the latest in components. I like straight geometry and lines, and prefer curves mostly on my woman. The dashboard has no GPS or crazy computer systems. This is one of my pet peeves. I like to give my brain a workout and commit orientations, roads and street names to memory. If I get lost, I'll stop and ask a person which I feel is much better than having to stare into a dum computer screen on the saddle all day. Cadence? I'll just count. Miles? Who cares. Just ride.
In the end, beauty aside, I pedal this bike real hard and I expect to increase the size of my lungs, thighs and calves on it.
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Posts
I thought this post was going to be about my mom. my mistake.
ReplyDeleteThe thing I find about my Garmin 705 GPS is that I take roads that I would have never taken before because I know how to incorprate them into a good ride. I also spend less time fighting traffic and stop lights. It's just smarter way to cycle.
ReplyDeleteAnt1 : You're mistaken. I did talk about your mom...somewhere in between, I mentioned I like the curves on my woman...
ReplyDelete:) JK
Alloy : Right. I agree with you on how it can be useful. However, I live in such an area that this kind of information is mostly useless because these 'new' obscure roads are most likely going to be unpaved. While I do like unpaved roads, I don't prefer riding steep ones on my skinny tires. For a city setting, I can see how a GPS will allow you to find roads to quickly get out of the clutter. But hey, that hasn't been impossible to do by sitting with a map or talking to some people either. :)
ReplyDeleteNice bike. How do you like the 11 speed super record?
ReplyDeleteTwo words: SWEET RIDE
ReplyDeleteRon,
ReplyDeleteSounds like you need a Titus "X" to take advantage of all those unpaved roads. http://titusti.com/07/press/09X_MountainBikeAction.pdf
Nice bike.
ReplyDeleteTaking a quote from your post, I am interested in your specific insight on the matter-
"The bike... is a good climber, and a great downhill bike as well."
Wondered if you would quantify what you find makes a bike a good climber, or a good descender. Also, is there such a road bike design that is a good climber but poor descender, or vice versa? That would seem like bad planning, wouldn't it!
Thanks for maintaining your blog. It is a real contribution to online cycling resources.
Nicholas : What I meant is that the frame is stiff enough to aid in climbing, and the geometry and weight (around 17lbs) is such that it makes for very stable descender, even on twisty roads. I know some bikes that are so lightweight that they sacrifice some ability to go downhill fast. Other bikes have a geomtry that make them pretty sluggish at cornering (as in, more rider input and control is needed to reach output). Then there are bikes that are poorly made or built up that it shimmies on descending. Boy, that is scary. You have to ride a bike that makes you confident.
ReplyDeletePhil : 11 speed super record is .... well... touchy. If you set it up right using the proper tools recommended, you won't be upset. I can personally tell you that looking at the slim chain, it is very easy to bend or break a rivet out of the links if you use the wrong chain tool.
ReplyDeleteRock City Hill is a real gut-buster. I first rode up it on a mountain bike outfitted with slicks whilst visiting in-laws in Limestone, NY. Lots of really nice hills to ride in that area and the summer-time weather is just fantastic.
ReplyDelete