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Main
Date: 09 May 2007 08:17:48
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: Race Bike
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It's still a far far way from being my dream bike.
And it's a far far way from being the secondhand bike I thought I was
going to be lucky enough to be able to buy.
But it's still probably worth a great deal more than I paid for it.
The owner wasn't especially clear when he said that it was up for sale
and I just assumed it was going to be in as is condition. In the
condition it was in when I borrowed it for the criterium on May 1st.
So I was pretty surprised at the astonishingly low price tag when I
asked the mechanic if Wang Yi's old race bike had a new owner yet.
Around half what I'd been planning to offer.
It's a completely different bike.
As in everything on it had changed.
On my current road bike I've changed everything but the frame,
headset, brakes, brake cables, seat post, and front tube. When it
comes to things that have been changed this race bike is about the
same. Compared with the bike I looked at a week before the only
things still the same are the frame, fork, headset, and spacers. Not
one other visible item is the same. One could possibly conceive of
the idea that the derailleur hanger or the bottom bracket are the same
but nothing else is.
It'd been stripped of everything exceptional and replaced with a lot
of seriously not bad (but also unexceptional) parts that had gotten
only light use (because he upgraded early and often) and was now just
something nice.
But it was still a race bike that fit me (well, it's a little small
but not too small) and which was going for cheap and... shit, I'm
rationalizing and I know it.
Kinesis "Kinesium" aluminum/titanium blend frame with carbon fiber
seat stays and chain stays
Bianchi carbon fork
Cane Creek headset
Sora brakes, triple, and front derailleur. Condition is lightly used.
Tiagra rear derailleur with clear crash damage scratches. Shifts
fine.
105 brifters in like new condition.
Shimano Wheels WH-F550 16 spokes (front) and WH-R550 20 spokes (back).
Bontrager Race X-Lites 23mm tires.
Selle Italia saddle that is neither impressively comfy or painful.
2800rmb
Followed by a purchase of a seatpost (the one which had been put on
didn't properly fit the frame), a bottle cage, road shoes, and my
first clipless road pedals for a further 836 rmb.
Choosing the shoes and the pedals was an exceptionally easy task. I
never thought choosing shoes and pedals could be so easy. With so
many options on the market and so many different price ranges to
choose from and weights and performance issues one might think that
picking out a pair of pedals would be difficult. This presumes either
a willingness to wait or inventory having been done recently.
I got the only road pedals left and the only shoes that fit.
Total weight is 9.67 kilo (21.274 pounds) and the total price comes to
3636 rmb ($450).
-M
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Date: 12 May 2007 08:56:11
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Race Bike
|
On May 12, 8:57 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca > wrote:
> In article <1178909399.279104.60...@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com>,
>
> "marian.rosenb...@gmail.com" <marian.rosenb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On May 11, 2:10 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote:
> > > In article <1178800951.003495.241...@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
> > Wouldn't you like to be almost 17 and a bike lover whose parents are
> > willing to spend over USD 5500 on your new bike? (And after hearing
> > the news of the 23 year old not-a-pro's parents saying he couldn't be
> > a real racer his parents have also said that they would support his
> > choices if it ever came to pass that a team wanted him.)
>
> > -M
>
> These days I mostly blame my parents for not pushing me into bike racing
> as a teenager, and also for an insufficient genetic legacy of leanness
> and high VO2 max. :)
It never would have occured to my parents to push me into bike racing
as a teenager. Or any sport for that matter. In fact I think they
are slightly confused by their bookworm whose enticement for being
drawn outside was frequently that she could read more quietly in the
forest now being someone who is seriously interested in sports and not
merely seriously interested but actually doing reasonably well at
them.
> Seriously though, my club has an active youth-development squad, and
> there are some great bikes out there. One kid is riding a very serious
> BMC that was bought cheaply from an older, more prosperous club-mate: it
> was a bike bought for his wife and not used much.
I'd like to see something like that. Some of the guys bring their
kids along and some of the kids (like Fearless Leader's 6 year old)
show definite promise of eventually turning into cyclists but there is
definitely a long way to go before youth development programs of any
kind let alone active ones.
> Similarly, the 17-year old phenom in the club gets loaned special
> equipment from the national organization, most particularly a Look track
> frame worth, roughly, infinity thousand dollars.
Wow...
> That wasn't the coolest part of the Look frame. The coolest part was
> that it came in a soft carry-bag, that, through whatever twists and
> turns of fate, bore the complete home address of some guy named "Andy
> Hampsten."
Double wow.
> I took a photo, which for the sake of Mr. Hampsten, I have not put
> online.
>
> Like Krabbe, I started late,
-M
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Date: 11 May 2007 11:49:59
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Race Bike
|
On May 11, 2:10 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca > wrote:
> In article <1178800951.003495.241...@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
>
>
>
>
>
> "marian.rosenb...@gmail.com" <marian.rosenb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > On May 10, 2:50 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote:
> > > In article <1178723868.696312.66...@e51g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
>
> > > "marian.rosenb...@gmail.com" <marian.rosenb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > > It's still a far far way from being my dream bike.
> > > > Kinesis "Kinesium" aluminum/titanium blend frame with carbon fiber
> > > > seat stays and chain stays
> > > > Bianchi carbon fork
> > > > Cane Creek headset
> > > > Sora brakes, triple, and front derailleur. Condition is lightly used.
> > > > Tiagra rear derailleur with clear crash damage scratches. Shifts
> > > > fine.
> > > > 105 brifters in like new condition.
> > > > Shimano Wheels WH-F550 16 spokes (front) and WH-R550 20 spokes (back).
> > > > Bontrager Race X-Lites 23mm tires.
> > > > Selle Italia saddle that is neither impressively comfy or painful.
>
> > > > 2800rmb
> > The frame is a bit too small and I'm not too sure I'm keen on the idea
> > of carbon seatstays and chainstays nor am I thrilled with the over
> > fancy internal routing for the cables so that'll be next.
>
> I wouldn't fret over either carbon stays or the internal routing. The
I'm not exactly fretting over them, but they aren't features that
would convince me to buy a new frame and might, in fact, keep me from
a certain frame if I have multiple choices in the same price range.
It would take someone more knowledgeable than myself about tech
matters to say whether or not they are bad per se but they feel like
unnecessary marketing gimmickry to me. A selling point that doesn't
actually add any real value to the item being sold. Like the
"kinesium" alloy that is basically aluminum with a drop of titanium
thrown in.
> trick with internal cable routing is that it's only hard to deal with
> the first time the cables are installed. The trick for dealing with
> internal cables after that is pretty simple: Tie a thread to the end of
> the old cable before you draw it back through the frame, then tie the
> thread to the new cable's end, and pull it back through the frame with
> the free end of the thread that's still hanging out the back of the
> routing. You did make the thread longer than the internal routing,
> right? :)
>
> There's also a trick where you use a thread and a vacuum cleaner to do
> the first routing.
>
> > I'd also like to change the triple for a double.
>
> There's reasons to do that, especially if you want to upgrade the crank.
> You might consider compact double, but I don't know your needs well
> enough to recommend that, especially for a road bike. What I like about
> compact is the reduced overlap between the high and low ranges, but that
> also means you are now dropping around four gears when you shift from
> big to small. The shifting on the front should also be theoretically
> more marginal, but on my rather new compact double crankset (Truvativ
> Rouleur on my CX bike), the shifting is clean and easy, and I'm just
> using a Tiagra fder to move the chain.
My other road bike is only indexed on the rear and has downtube
shifters. All it needs is the addition of some proper racks and it'll
be a really good tour bike for mountain roads (today I got asked if
I'd like to ride to Tibet but it seems I'm always just starting to be
busy after a recent long period of inactivity when I get these
invitations). The front triple is a 53/39/30 and the rear is a 8
speed mountain bike cassette and Alivio derailleur with an 11 tooth
high and a 28 tooth low. There is a real bastard of a hill that I've
used the low on and I've very briefly shifted into the high on a few
downhill occasions before deciding that I was going more than fast
enough thankyouverymuch and should perhaps consider NOT continuing to
accelerate.
Even at my absolute fastest combination of strong tailwind and our
local not-a-pro leading the paceline I don't get above the second gear
(53/13??) on the flats and that's pushing it. It also doesn't last
very long. The very wide range of gears on that bike is probably most
useful for the way it plants some of the more useful gears into the
middle of the range where I can more easily shift on and off them.
(The local not-a-pro's mom and dad are willing to indulge his 'silly
hobby' to the tune of a 12,000rmb wheelset but, even with a real team
trying to recruit him this past winter, they aren't willing to indulge
him to the point of sports as a job.)
The large 53 is a purely coincidental extra unrelated to the reasons I
had for choosing that crankset for the other bike. I doubt I really
need anything above a 50 and should be able to go smaller than that (I
don't know compact crank numbers off the top of my head) without any
real problem.
> > > > I got the only road pedals left and the only shoes that fit.
>
> > > Ah, the convenience of not having a choice! But you know, all the cool
> > > kids race on SPD-type pedals. I'm using Crank Bros stuff now, because
> > > even on my racing bike, I hate not being able to walk. It doesn't hurt
> > > that I routinely multi-mode commute on my trip to and from the Tuesday
> > > night crit...
>
> > Last year's road bike had eggbeaters which have since been moved over
> > to my mountain bike.
>
> > I really wanted to see how road pedals differ from mountain pedals and
> > having shoes that make it so I'm not able to walk long distances isn't
> > a real hardship since I flat out can't walk long distances and really
> > shouldn't be trying to anyways.
>
> Should be a good experiment. Should you tire of it, there's an available
> Crank Bros. cleat that will bolt to a 3-hole (Look) shoe.
I've already discovered the unwalkability of them by falling down the
wheelchair ramp at the Espinozas' house tonight.
> And the road-specific Quattro pedals.
>
> > > > Total weight is 9.67 kilo (21.274 pounds) and the total price comes to
> > > > 3636 rmb ($450).
> > Best of all, even though I liked the 'feel' and weight and etceteras
> > of the stuff originally on the bike when I looked at it, these parts
> > have a lot less wear and tear than the Ultegra that was there.
>
> That matters.
Yeah. I was originally really disappointed when I discovered it had
been stripped and rebuilt. I thought about it a bit more and decided
that the only item I really mourned the loss of was the saddle.
Thought about it a little longer and decided that the likelihood of
getting another chance at a bike like this at a price like this were
pretty slim and went for it.
-Ultegra (triple specific) brifters that had scruffs and scrapes from
having been crashed more than a few times versus 105 (non specific)
brifters that still have shiny enough plastic that I had to perform a
fingernail check to see if the protective film was still there.
-Ultegra triple that I didn't want versus a Sora triple that I don't
want.
-Mavic Aksium Race scarily low spoke wheels versus Shimano 550 wheels
with slightly more spokes (still scary few).
-21mm Michelin tires (those were nice) starting to look a tiny bit
worn on those wheels versus 23mm Bontrager Race X-Lites that appear
completely unused (comparable wear and tear to the same tires on my
other road bike and that bike has had them for only 1500km)
-Ultegra brakes for Sora brakes and hey I was already planning on new
brakes instead of new brake pads in another couple thosand klicks for
the other bike. I'll move the Sora from this bike to that bike and
upgrade then.
-10 speed cassette and skinny 10spd chain for 9 speed cassette and
9spd chain.
-The carbon seatpost was a single bolt type as was the wrong diameter
aluminum seatpost that was in when I got it. 80rmb later and I've got
a double bolt type that fits properly.
-The carbon handlebars were more comfortable than the aluminum ones
now on it, but (even if they were more comfortable than these) they
still weren't the ones I wanted and would have eventually been
replaced anyways.
-Waaaay overlong carbon stem of unknown brand for shorter (possibly
slightly too short) aluminum Bontrager stem. Too short can be solved
by moving the bars down a spacer. Too long can only be solved with a
different stem.
---
Backstory:
Around a year and a half ago the owner got a road bike that was the
same as the bike I had last year. Although the frame was too big for
him he upgraded parts at least once before deciding to make the move
to frameset. A nice frame that fit better was bought for him either
without considering (or caring) that he was not yet 16 and likely to
continue to growing. That was equipped with nicer parts. He
continued growing. These nicer parts were upgraded. He continued
growing. These nicer parts were used. He continued growing. These
nicer parts were crashed and abused. He continued growing. It became
clear that the frame was now insanely too small for him.
All the nicer parts that were stripped off of this nicer (too small)
frame are now on the first road bike's lesser frame (which now fits)
as a training bike. My new bike's brakes are original to that frame.
Nothing else is and I have no idea where any of the other original
parts have gone. Some parts that I now have may have been on that
first frame at one time or another. Other parts I have are probably
original to the first build this frameset but the time gap between
'new bike' and 'now having Ultegra' on the new bike wasn't very long.
The new Dura Ace parts are on the new T-Mobile team replica frame.
Wouldn't you like to be almost 17 and a bike lover whose parents are
willing to spend over USD 5500 on your new bike? (And after hearing
the news of the 23 year old not-a-pro's parents saying he couldn't be
a real racer his parents have also said that they would support his
choices if it ever came to pass that a team wanted him.)
-M
|
| | |
Date: 12 May 2007 00:57:11
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Race Bike
|
In article <1178909399.279104.60110@l77g2000hsb.googlegroups.com >,
"marian.rosenberg@gmail.com" <marian.rosenberg@gmail.com > wrote:
> On May 11, 2:10 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote:
> > In article <1178800951.003495.241...@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
> Wouldn't you like to be almost 17 and a bike lover whose parents are
> willing to spend over USD 5500 on your new bike? (And after hearing
> the news of the 23 year old not-a-pro's parents saying he couldn't be
> a real racer his parents have also said that they would support his
> choices if it ever came to pass that a team wanted him.)
>
> -M
These days I mostly blame my parents for not pushing me into bike racing
as a teenager, and also for an insufficient genetic legacy of leanness
and high VO2 max. :)
Seriously though, my club has an active youth-development squad, and
there are some great bikes out there. One kid is riding a very serious
BMC that was bought cheaply from an older, more prosperous club-mate: it
was a bike bought for his wife and not used much.
Similarly, the 17-year old phenom in the club gets loaned special
equipment from the national organization, most particularly a Look track
frame worth, roughly, infinity thousand dollars.
That wasn't the coolest part of the Look frame. The coolest part was
that it came in a soft carry-bag, that, through whatever twists and
turns of fate, bore the complete home address of some guy named "Andy
Hampsten."
I took a photo, which for the sake of Mr. Hampsten, I have not put
online.
Like Krabbe, I started late,
--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
|
| |
Date: 10 May 2007 07:04:30
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Race Bike
|
> The frame is a bit too small and I'm not too sure I'm keen on the idea
> of carbon seatstays and chainstays nor am I thrilled with the over
> fancy internal routing for the cables so that'll be next.
Link to the manufacturer's picture of the frame
http://www.kinesis.com.tw/products_frame_g9100-2004.htm
Or a reasonable approximation thereof since mine doesn't have a place
for water bottles on the seat-tube and has over fancy internal routing
for the cables and a slightly different paint job.
But it's the closest thing on the site to the frame I've got...
-M
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Date: 10 May 2007 05:42:31
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: Re: Race Bike
|
On May 10, 2:50 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca > wrote:
> In article <1178723868.696312.66...@e51g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
>
> "marian.rosenb...@gmail.com" <marian.rosenb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > It's still a far far way from being my dream bike.
> > Kinesis "Kinesium" aluminum/titanium blend frame with carbon fiber
> > seat stays and chain stays
> > Bianchi carbon fork
> > Cane Creek headset
> > Sora brakes, triple, and front derailleur. Condition is lightly used.
> > Tiagra rear derailleur with clear crash damage scratches. Shifts
> > fine.
> > 105 brifters in like new condition.
> > Shimano Wheels WH-F550 16 spokes (front) and WH-R550 20 spokes (back).
> > Bontrager Race X-Lites 23mm tires.
> > Selle Italia saddle that is neither impressively comfy or painful.
>
> > 2800rmb
>
> You're probably better off with this bike at half the price than the
> other bike at full price. Derailers are cheaper to upgrade than
> brifters, so you're already ahead of the game. Remember the rule for
> racing bikes: don't race anything you can't afford to crash. Don't make
> me drag out the story of the kid who trashed a Zipp wheel in a spring
> training race...
<wince >
> This bike is not that far off what I race, but honestly, upgrades from
> here (except possibly to the crank) would pretty much be pure vanity and
> style stuff.
I suspect much of the difference in the "feeling" of the bike is cause
by it being heavier than it was when I borrowed it, also 23mm
Bontrager tires instead of 21mm Michelins, and a change in wheelset
from Mavic Aksium to Shimano.
I'm going to start by finding out the exact brand and model of the
saddle that was on it the day I borrowed it and immediately purchase
an identical one. It _looked_ like an instrument of torture but for a
short ride it was as comfortable as my Brooks.
The frame is a bit too small and I'm not too sure I'm keen on the idea
of carbon seatstays and chainstays nor am I thrilled with the over
fancy internal routing for the cables so that'll be next.
I'd also like to change the triple for a double.
> > Followed by a purchase of a seatpost (the one which had been put on
> > didn't properly fit the frame), a bottle cage, road shoes, and my
> > first clipless road pedals for a further 836 rmb.
>
> > Choosing the shoes and the pedals was an exceptionally easy task. I
> > never thought choosing shoes and pedals could be so easy. With so
> > many options on the market and so many different price ranges to
> > choose from and weights and performance issues one might think that
> > picking out a pair of pedals would be difficult. This presumes either
> > a willingness to wait or inventory having been done recently.
>
> > I got the only road pedals left and the only shoes that fit.
>
> Ah, the convenience of not having a choice! But you know, all the cool
> kids race on SPD-type pedals. I'm using Crank Bros stuff now, because
> even on my racing bike, I hate not being able to walk. It doesn't hurt
> that I routinely multi-mode commute on my trip to and from the Tuesday
> night crit...
Last year's road bike had eggbeaters which have since been moved over
to my mountain bike.
I really wanted to see how road pedals differ from mountain pedals and
having shoes that make it so I'm not able to walk long distances isn't
a real hardship since I flat out can't walk long distances and really
shouldn't be trying to anyways.
> > Total weight is 9.67 kilo (21.274 pounds) and the total price comes to
> > 3636 rmb ($450).
>
> Good deal for a good bike. Not that I'd bother, but the Sora rings are
> probably steel, at least for the inner two, and the crank/BB/rings are
> probably the only place you're likely to cleanly shave a pound or two
> off the bike. Of course, the nice thing about steel rings is that they
> wear like iron (er...).
Right now I'm amused that my new race bike has something on it
(anything on it) that's lower spec than my road bike.
Best of all, even though I liked the 'feel' and weight and etceteras
of the stuff originally on the bike when I looked at it, these parts
have a lot less wear and tear than the Ultegra that was there.
-M
|
| | |
Date: 10 May 2007 18:10:51
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Race Bike
|
In article <1178800951.003495.241410@h2g2000hsg.googlegroups.com >,
"marian.rosenberg@gmail.com" <marian.rosenberg@gmail.com > wrote:
> On May 10, 2:50 am, Ryan Cousineau <rcous...@sfu.ca> wrote:
> > In article <1178723868.696312.66...@e51g2000hsg.googlegroups.com>,
> >
> > "marian.rosenb...@gmail.com" <marian.rosenb...@gmail.com> wrote:
> > > It's still a far far way from being my dream bike.
> > > Kinesis "Kinesium" aluminum/titanium blend frame with carbon fiber
> > > seat stays and chain stays
> > > Bianchi carbon fork
> > > Cane Creek headset
> > > Sora brakes, triple, and front derailleur. Condition is lightly used.
> > > Tiagra rear derailleur with clear crash damage scratches. Shifts
> > > fine.
> > > 105 brifters in like new condition.
> > > Shimano Wheels WH-F550 16 spokes (front) and WH-R550 20 spokes (back).
> > > Bontrager Race X-Lites 23mm tires.
> > > Selle Italia saddle that is neither impressively comfy or painful.
> >
> > > 2800rmb
> The frame is a bit too small and I'm not too sure I'm keen on the idea
> of carbon seatstays and chainstays nor am I thrilled with the over
> fancy internal routing for the cables so that'll be next.
I wouldn't fret over either carbon stays or the internal routing. The
trick with internal cable routing is that it's only hard to deal with
the first time the cables are installed. The trick for dealing with
internal cables after that is pretty simple: Tie a thread to the end of
the old cable before you draw it back through the frame, then tie the
thread to the new cable's end, and pull it back through the frame with
the free end of the thread that's still hanging out the back of the
routing. You did make the thread longer than the internal routing,
right? :)
There's also a trick where you use a thread and a vacuum cleaner to do
the first routing.
> I'd also like to change the triple for a double.
There's reasons to do that, especially if you want to upgrade the crank.
You might consider compact double, but I don't know your needs well
enough to recommend that, especially for a road bike. What I like about
compact is the reduced overlap between the high and low ranges, but that
also means you are now dropping around four gears when you shift from
big to small. The shifting on the front should also be theoretically
more marginal, but on my rather new compact double crankset (Truvativ
Rouleur on my CX bike), the shifting is clean and easy, and I'm just
using a Tiagra fder to move the chain.
> > > I got the only road pedals left and the only shoes that fit.
> >
> > Ah, the convenience of not having a choice! But you know, all the cool
> > kids race on SPD-type pedals. I'm using Crank Bros stuff now, because
> > even on my racing bike, I hate not being able to walk. It doesn't hurt
> > that I routinely multi-mode commute on my trip to and from the Tuesday
> > night crit...
>
> Last year's road bike had eggbeaters which have since been moved over
> to my mountain bike.
>
> I really wanted to see how road pedals differ from mountain pedals and
> having shoes that make it so I'm not able to walk long distances isn't
> a real hardship since I flat out can't walk long distances and really
> shouldn't be trying to anyways.
Should be a good experiment. Should you tire of it, there's an available
Crank Bros. cleat that will bolt to a 3-hole (Look) shoe.
And the road-specific Quattro pedals.
> > > Total weight is 9.67 kilo (21.274 pounds) and the total price comes to
> > > 3636 rmb ($450).
> Best of all, even though I liked the 'feel' and weight and etceteras
> of the stuff originally on the bike when I looked at it, these parts
> have a lot less wear and tear than the Ultegra that was there.
That matters.
--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
|
| |
Date: 09 May 2007 18:50:22
From: Ryan Cousineau
Subject: Re: Race Bike
|
In article <1178723868.696312.66920@e51g2000hsg.googlegroups.com >,
"marian.rosenberg@gmail.com" <marian.rosenberg@gmail.com > wrote:
> It's still a far far way from being my dream bike.
> Kinesis "Kinesium" aluminum/titanium blend frame with carbon fiber
> seat stays and chain stays
> Bianchi carbon fork
> Cane Creek headset
> Sora brakes, triple, and front derailleur. Condition is lightly used.
> Tiagra rear derailleur with clear crash damage scratches. Shifts
> fine.
> 105 brifters in like new condition.
> Shimano Wheels WH-F550 16 spokes (front) and WH-R550 20 spokes (back).
> Bontrager Race X-Lites 23mm tires.
> Selle Italia saddle that is neither impressively comfy or painful.
>
> 2800rmb
You're probably better off with this bike at half the price than the
other bike at full price. Derailers are cheaper to upgrade than
brifters, so you're already ahead of the game. Remember the rule for
racing bikes: don't race anything you can't afford to crash. Don't make
me drag out the story of the kid who trashed a Zipp wheel in a spring
training race...
This bike is not that far off what I race, but honestly, upgrades from
here (except possibly to the crank) would pretty much be pure vanity and
style stuff.
> Followed by a purchase of a seatpost (the one which had been put on
> didn't properly fit the frame), a bottle cage, road shoes, and my
> first clipless road pedals for a further 836 rmb.
>
> Choosing the shoes and the pedals was an exceptionally easy task. I
> never thought choosing shoes and pedals could be so easy. With so
> many options on the market and so many different price ranges to
> choose from and weights and performance issues one might think that
> picking out a pair of pedals would be difficult. This presumes either
> a willingness to wait or inventory having been done recently.
>
> I got the only road pedals left and the only shoes that fit.
Ah, the convenience of not having a choice! But you know, all the cool
kids race on SPD-type pedals. I'm using Crank Bros stuff now, because
even on my racing bike, I hate not being able to walk. It doesn't hurt
that I routinely multi-mode commute on my trip to and from the Tuesday
night crit...
> Total weight is 9.67 kilo (21.274 pounds) and the total price comes to
> 3636 rmb ($450).
Good deal for a good bike. Not that I'd bother, but the Sora rings are
probably steel, at least for the inner two, and the crank/BB/rings are
probably the only place you're likely to cleanly shave a pound or two
off the bike. Of course, the nice thing about steel rings is that they
wear like iron (er...).
--
Ryan Cousineau rcousine@sfu.ca http://www.wiredcola.com/
"I don't want kids who are thinking about going into mathematics
to think that they have to take drugs to succeed." -Paul Erdos
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