| |
Main
Date: 24 Aug 2006 14:56:37
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: The Search Continues
|
With 8 days left before I leave the country I still haven't found
myself a new mountain bike (preferably used) to take back to China with
me.
Strange as it may seem to some, given how many wonderful things I have
had to write about my local bike shops I am deliberately making a point
of NOT patronizing them.
I already ran afoul of the bike shop wars once and I'm not going to do
that again. Because it isn't just about competition. It's about pride
and anger and I'm not sure which bike shop owner is being more petty
about it.
Some of the bikers have picked sides.
Most make an active point of ignoring the fight and equally patronizing
both shops within certain limitations of stock and price.
But I made a mistake. Well before I even knew that they were enemies
or even competition I became friends with people on both sides. Which
is cool. For the most part the employees and management are doing the
same thing the bikers are doing, ignoring the fight. It doesn't
involve them. It involves Laobanniang and Yongge.
But I became more than just friends. I became Laobanniang's adopted
foreign daughter. I started working as a translator for both sides.
And then after I was well and truly embroiled in the middle of the
whole thing I found out about The Fight.
They know I'm planning on getting a mountain bike.
When I was first asked if I was ever going to get a mountain bike I
said "when my road bike hits 10,000 km" ie never. I was over 12,000 km
when I went home for the summer. And, as the bike club's darling
foreign girl, most improved cyclist in the last calender year, new
member of the bike team, and all that everyone knew.
The big bike shop has promised me extensive discounts if I buy from
them. Well above and beyond my normal discounts which are already
pretty deep.
The little bike shop has promised to help me collect new and second
hand parts, to loan me the work stand and to offer guidance while I
build it myself.
And both owners have rather huffily said in a tone of voice that
indicated that they most certainly did care and most certainly would be
annoyed if I bought from The Enemy that I can shop wherever I want
because it's not like there is anything more than a casual relationship
between my status as customer, my status as employee, and my status as
friend.
So I've decided to get a bike in the US.
I'd rather buy from neither side than risk offending whichever side I
don't buy from.
Currently it looks like I'm going to be getting a nth-hand Cannondale
of unknown vintage with a scary spray can camoflauge job that has
already proven to be removeable with paint thinner and a rag. I wanted
a suspension fork which he only had on his crap bikes (yard sale
collector who likes fixing bikes and placing them in good homes, there
were over 70) but I found a secondhand zocchi fork for another $50
on craigslist and that'll bring the total to $225.
What do you all think?
-M
|
|
| |
Date: 25 Aug 2006 15:46:42
From: marian.rosenberg@gmail.com
Subject: Re: The Search Continues
|
rleone@hotmail.com wrote:
> Hi ian:
> I WAS going to suggest getting a steel Surly or Soma
> (www.somafab.com) frame and building it up, but I like the recycled
> Cannondale idea too. Something JUST weird enough the bike shops on
> Hainan don't stock, so neither can get really offended.
The bigger of the two has a Cannondale catalogue, and sometimes some
Cannondale clothing.
> Just make sure
> the bike fits otherwise you're in for a world of "I'm saying 'I told
> you so'" hurt...
I'd already test rode the C'dale and been very happy with everything
about it _except_ the lack of suspension.
Offroad in Hainan is not particularly suited to a suss fork. Which is
not to say that I haven't done it. On my road bike even. And it was
fun. But I wouldn't call it a good idea. Even if it did win me the
admiration of the cute bike shop manager.
Now that I've gotten a significant portion of the paint stripped off
(enough so to make the scary spray can gold even scarier) the bike is
looking pretty good. Year/model still unknown. Has the Sobe green tea
lizards on it and net surfing indicates that it is probably a CAAD2
frame.
Size seems strange to me because at the one bike shop where I looked at
a potential new bike (Gary Fisher) the 17.5" bike was nearly too big
and despite a sticker saying 20" this fits lovely.
SRAM 5.0 rear derailleur. Shimano unknown hyperglide 8 speed cassette.
Shimano unknown front derailleur. Found Sugino written on the back of
one of the cranks so I'm assuming chainring (which is a triple) is
Sugino. Wheels are 32 spoke "Made in the USA" Weinmann ZAC 19 laced to
unknown hubs.
Even though I'm getting a new fork, I'll probably keep the current
steel fork since it has eyelets for a front rack and I can then swap
them if I want to go touring.
Chain is rusty orange and will need replacing. I'm not particularly
fond of grip shifters but I have a pair of brakes with thumb shifters
currently sitting unused in my apartment. The current pedals (Wellgo)
will be replaced with the eggbeaters that were on my road bike.
Never did find out how much a similar road bike would cost in the US
but the person buying it was the nth one to offer me more than I paid
for it 7000 miles ago and the first one to come up with the money.
I'll be returning to Hainan with the C'dale, the zocchi fork, a
Cateye Astrale 6 computer, and a Peugot road bike from ~1990 without
wheels but with a Brooks saddle. I have a pair of "made in Belgium"
Weinmann wheels sans cassette that I got for free with the
understanding that the ball bearings need to be repacked and that the
rims are some other standard than 700c specifically labelled "16x630 -
27x1 1/4".
If I should choose to invest in bikes as much as I earned from the sale
of the road bike I still have $130 left to spend on a English language
repair manual, a cassette for the Peugot, and who knows what else.
-M
|
| |
Date: 25 Aug 2006 10:11:35
From: Lars Lehtonen
Subject: Re: The Search Continues
|
According to ian.rosenberg@gmail.com <ian.rosenberg@gmail.com >:
>So I've decided to get a bike in the US.
>
>I'd rather buy from neither side than risk offending whichever side I
>don't buy from.
>
>Currently it looks like I'm going to be getting a nth-hand Cannondale
>of unknown vintage with a scary spray can camoflauge job that has
>already proven to be removeable with paint thinner and a rag. I wanted
>a suspension fork which he only had on his crap bikes (yard sale
>collector who likes fixing bikes and placing them in good homes, there
>were over 70) but I found a secondhand zocchi fork for another $50
>on craigslist and that'll bring the total to $225.
I am a broken record on this subject: Find an early '90s steel bike
with a rigid fork. I really like my Stumpjumper, and I'm often tempted
by the nutty-low prices on the Trek 920
|
| |
Date: 25 Aug 2006 04:41:03
From:
Subject: Re: The Search Continues
|
Hi ian:
I WAS going to suggest getting a steel Surly or Soma
(www.somafab.com) frame and building it up, but I like the recycled
Cannondale idea too. Something JUST weird enough the bike shops on
Hainan don't stock, so neither can get really offended. Just make sure
the bike fits otherwise you're in for a world of "I'm saying 'I told
you so'" hurt...
Robert Leone rleone@hotmail.com
ian.rosenberg@gmail.com wrote:
SNIP
> I'd rather buy from neither side than risk offending whichever side I
> don't buy from.
>
SNIP
>
> -M
|
| |
Date: 25 Aug 2006 00:55:59
From: Paul Hobson
Subject: Re: The Search Continues
|
ian.rosenberg@gmail.com wrote:
> Currently it looks like I'm going to be getting a nth-hand Cannondale
> of unknown vintage with a scary spray can camoflauge job that has
> already proven to be removeable with paint thinner and a rag. I wanted
> a suspension fork which he only had on his crap bikes (yard sale
> collector who likes fixing bikes and placing them in good homes, there
> were over 70) but I found a secondhand zocchi fork for another $50
> on craigslist and that'll bring the total to $225.
>
> What do you all think?
>
> -M
I think you typed out 70 lines to ask if you want something.
Do you want it?
\\paul
|
|
