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Date: 30 Aug 2007 06:50:23
From: bw2117@yahoo.com
Subject: Glad I saved my frame
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Last week I had a bit of a problem getting a stuck bottom bracket out, but eventually I did get it out. At one point I thought I would just buy a new frame and swap over all the components, or just buy a new bike. A trip to the bike shop was eye opening for me. Lots of bikes with sloped top tubes and threadless headsets, not a single one with a horizontal tt and a nice threaded silver stem. I just don't like the look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the traditional style. Bill
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 21:49:43
From: Hank Wirtz
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 31, 2:05 pm, Paul Kopit <pko...@att.net > wrote: > On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:53:16 -0700, Hank Wirtz <h...@wirtznet.net> > wrote: > > >My racing bike has a 1" threadless fork. The only shim involved is on > >the stem. 1" specific stems are available, but the shim works so well > >(I can take the stem off and the shim keeps my headset ajustment) I > >prefer to have it. > > My Colnago is has a 1" threadless and a 1 1/8 stem. I like to shim > down to the headtube and use 1 1/8 spacers. That way, there's no > 'shelf' where the bottom of the stem is. I've got a 1 1/8" welded Ti stem, whose outside diameter is exactly the same as that of the 1" Al spacers. Total serendipity, but I'll take it.
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 20:59:49
From: Paul Kopit
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Thu, 30 Aug 2007 06:50:23 -0700, "bw2117@yahoo.com" <bw2117@yahoo.com > wrote: > I just don't like the >look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, >and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars >about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with >threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I >wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At >that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I >can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't >understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the >traditional style. Not absolutely true that, with sloped toptube, you need large stack of spacers to get bars that are higher up. My 56 cm Soma Smoothie has a sloped top tube but the head tube is signifcantly higher than where th toptube joins. That's not the case with my Cannondale CAAD9 but theres not much slope in that frame. BTW, I don't disagree with you about aesthetics. I'd rather see bicycle tubing instead of seatpost.
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 11:23:51
From: bw2117@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 31, 9:56 am, Ben Micklem <benmick...@hotmail.com > wrote: > You can get 1", 1"1/8 and 1"1/4 threadless, and you can get 1" and 1"1/8 > threaded forks. Threaded headsets for 1"1/8 forks are quite easy to find > (Google Shimano STX threaded headset for one example). > > There are few stems for 1"1/8 threaded steerers- most are mountain styled > and for 25.4mm bars, not road 26mm bars. > > However, as you mentioned, you can use a shim to get a stem made for 1" > steerer to fit. > > Ben When I mentioned using a shim, I was thinking of a sleeve pressed into the 1-1/8 headtube so that it would work with a 1" threaded fork and headset. Bill
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 15:20:53
From: A Muzi
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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> Ben Micklem <benmick...@hotmail.com> wrote: >> You can get 1", 1"1/8 and 1"1/4 threadless, and you can get 1" and 1"1/8 >> threaded forks. Threaded headsets for 1"1/8 forks are quite easy to find >> (Google Shimano STX threaded headset for one example). >> There are few stems for 1"1/8 threaded steerers- most are mountain styled >> and for 25.4mm bars, not road 26mm bars. >> However, as you mentioned, you can use a shim to get a stem made for 1" >> steerer to fit. bw2117@yahoo.com wrote: > When I mentioned using a shim, I was thinking of a sleeve pressed into > the 1-1/8 headtube so that it would work with a 1" threaded fork and > headset. Yes, standard item. There are also headsets with thicker cups expressly for that -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 08:53:16
From: Hank Wirtz
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 31, 6:29 am, "bw2...@yahoo.com" <bw2...@yahoo.com > wrote: > So you can just swap out the threadless fork for a threaded fork? I > thought they were different sizes 1-1/8" threadless and 1" threaded, > are shims used? My racing bike has a 1" threadless fork. The only shim involved is on the stem. 1" specific stems are available, but the shim works so well (I can take the stem off and the shim keeps my headset ajustment) I prefer to have it.
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 21:05:06
From: Paul Kopit
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:53:16 -0700, Hank Wirtz <hank@wirtznet.net > wrote: >My racing bike has a 1" threadless fork. The only shim involved is on >the stem. 1" specific stems are available, but the shim works so well >(I can take the stem off and the shim keeps my headset ajustment) I >prefer to have it. My Colnago is has a 1" threadless and a 1 1/8 stem. I like to shim down to the headtube and use 1 1/8 spacers. That way, there's no 'shelf' where the bottom of the stem is.
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 23:17:01
From: Michael Press
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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In article <ig0hd3d4h2rnj10v6drnl9ftcnmabrga6i@4ax.com >, Paul Kopit <pkopit@att.net > wrote: > On Fri, 31 Aug 2007 08:53:16 -0700, Hank Wirtz <hank@wirtznet.net> > wrote: > > >My racing bike has a 1" threadless fork. The only shim involved is on > >the stem. 1" specific stems are available, but the shim works so well > >(I can take the stem off and the shim keeps my headset ajustment) I > >prefer to have it. > > My Colnago is has a 1" threadless and a 1 1/8 stem. I like to shim > down to the headtube and use 1 1/8 spacers. That way, there's no > 'shelf' where the bottom of the stem is. Neat. I will remember this. -- Michael Press
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 06:29:30
From: bw2117@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 31, 2:25 am, A Muzi <a...@yellowjersey.org > wrote: > > Still an available option any competent LBS which commonly builds bikes > 'to order' or services bicycles. > To say 'the Brand X I saw at Bubba's Bikes is threadless' is not to say > you can't swap forks. > > -- > Andrew Muziwww.yellowjersey.org > Open every day since 1 April, 1971 So you can just swap out the threadless fork for a threaded fork? I thought they were different sizes 1-1/8" threadless and 1" threaded, are shims used? Bill
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 13:44:53
From: A Muzi
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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> A Muzi <a...@yellowjersey.org> wrote: >> Still an available option any competent LBS which commonly builds bikes >> 'to order' or services bicycles. >> To say 'the Brand X I saw at Bubba's Bikes is threadless' is not to say >> you can't swap forks. bw2117@yahoo.com wrote: > So you can just swap out the threadless fork for a threaded fork? I > thought they were different sizes 1-1/8" threadless and 1" threaded, > are shims used? AH to threaded or oversize AH to threaded, both are straightforward. -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 14:56:39
From: Ben Micklem
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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in article 1188566970.369130.164180@k79g2000hse.googlegroups.com, bw2117@yahoo.com at bw2117@yahoo.com wrote on 31/8/07 14:29: > So you can just swap out the threadless fork for a threaded fork? I > thought they were different sizes 1-1/8" threadless and 1" threaded, > are shims used? You can get 1", 1"1/8 and 1"1/4 threadless, and you can get 1" and 1"1/8 threaded forks. Threaded headsets for 1"1/8 forks are quite easy to find (Google Shimano STX threaded headset for one example). There are few stems for 1"1/8 threaded steerers- most are mountain styled and for 25.4mm bars, not road 26mm bars. However, as you mentioned, you can use a shim to get a stem made for 1" steerer to fit. Ben
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 20:22:49
From: Mike Jacoubowsky
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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> Last week I had a bit of a problem getting a stuck bottom bracket out, > but eventually I did get it out. At one point I thought I would just > buy a new frame and swap over all the components, or just buy a new > bike. A trip to the bike shop was eye opening for me. Lots of bikes > with sloped top tubes and threadless headsets, not a single one with a > horizontal tt and a nice threaded silver stem. I just don't like the > look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, > and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars > about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with > threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I > wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At > that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I > can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't > understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the > traditional style. Style points aside, the sloping top-tube design might be exactly what you want to get your handlebars high enough. There are essentially two styles of sloping top-tube bikes. Those that have the top tube slope upward towards a position similar to a "racing"-style road bike (fairly low), and those that use the sloping design to gain you an extra inch+ height at the front end (by sloping up well above what a parallel top-tube bike would typically be). In Trek language, the lower sloping top-tube bikes are called their "Pro-fit" geometry, while the taller ones are called "Performance-fit." The "geometry" and performance/handling is actually identical between the two (same angles & dimensions) except for the taller front end. As for threadless stems not looking as nice, guess I've just gotten used to them. I suspect you will as well, after not that long a time. There are, finally, some very nice, taller threadless stems on the market, in particular the Torelli Bornio. Using one of those, you might not need to have a very tall column underneath the stem (meaning fewer spacer). --Mike-- Chain Reaction Bicycles www.ChainReactionBicycles.com
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 16:26:16
From: Michael Press
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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In article <1188481823.183089.287660@57g2000hsv.googlegroups.com >, "bw2117@yahoo.com" <bw2117@yahoo.com > wrote: > Last week I had a bit of a problem getting a stuck bottom bracket out, > but eventually I did get it out. At one point I thought I would just > buy a new frame and swap over all the components, or just buy a new > bike. A trip to the bike shop was eye opening for me. Lots of bikes > with sloped top tubes and threadless headsets, not a single one with a > horizontal tt and a nice threaded silver stem. I just don't like the > look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, > and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars > about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with > threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I > wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At > that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I > can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't > understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the > traditional style. Sorry. We don't care. We don't have to. We're the phone company. [snort!] On topic, buy the custom frame after shopping for a frame maker that speaks you language. Hang odd bits on it, and upgrade at your leisure. For $1500 you can expect personal service. Or buy a good old 15-35 year old steel frame. You could buy a whole old bicycle with a good frame and throw away everything but the frame set and still have a value. The enterprise can be fun. -- Michael Press
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 12:39:21
From: Scott Gordo
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 30, 2:39 pm, "bw2...@yahoo.com" <bw2...@yahoo.com > wrote: > On Aug 30, 2:17 pm, Scott Gordo <blubberp...@gmail.com> wrote: > > > > > Where do you ride? "Girls' bikes" have been status quo for at least 6 or 7 years now.... > > > Scott- > > I ride in a very rural part of upstate NY, I rarely see another > rider. So I don't see a lot of bikes. > > I think that giving the consumer choice is usually a good thing. So a > bike buyer could say, for example - could you swap out that black > threadless fork and stem for a silver threaded, I just like the look > better. But that's just not an option today. > > Bill Still, you're on the interweb.... Anyway, you can still find this stuff, but, granted, it's not as easy. Sounds like you might have gone to the wrong shop. I don't know where you live, but in NYC there's Trek/Spesh shops, and then there are local bike shops/greasepits. You want option B. Scott
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 11:43:41
From: Camilo
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 30, 5:50 am, "bw2...@yahoo.com" <bw2...@yahoo.com > wrote: > Last week I had a bit of a problem getting a stuck bottom bracket out, > but eventually I did get it out. At one point I thought I would just > buy a new frame and swap over all the components, or just buy a new > bike. A trip to the bike shop was eye opening for me. Lots of bikes > with sloped top tubes and threadless headsets, not a single one with a > horizontal tt and a nice threaded silver stem. I just don't like the > look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, > and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars > about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with > threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I > wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At > that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I > can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't > understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the > traditional style. > > Bill I have the same sense of aesthetics as you. But there are plenty of bikes with horizontal top tubes. Also, chosing the right frame size and geometry, it is not difficult to get a threadless stem/handlebar to within an inch or so of the seat. My 54cm Cannondale CAAD7 has a horiz. top tube and I have the handlebars about 2-3 cm from the seat height. This is a full on racing frame and I think it would be even easier to achieve with a more tour or recreational oriented frame. One of the keys is to not get sucked into the "err on the small frame size" thing. And to not overemphasize standover height, because that can affect drop from seat to handlebars. I'm not disagreeing at all with your aesthetic preferences - I share them. I love the look of a quality quill stem on a classic horizontal framed bike. But I'm pretty happy with the fit of the Cannondale. One of the things I like about the threadless stem is that when messing around with fitting when I first got it (used), it was so simple to experiment with stem lengths and angles. The bike shop pretty much let me try what I wanted - I don't think it would have been possible with quill stems.
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 11:39:07
From: bw2117@yahoo.com
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 30, 2:17 pm, Scott Gordo <blubberp...@gmail.com > wrote: > > Where do you ride? "Girls' bikes" have been status quo for at least 6 or 7 years now.... > > Scott- > > I ride in a very rural part of upstate NY, I rarely see another rider. So I don't see a lot of bikes. I think that giving the consumer choice is usually a good thing. So a bike buyer could say, for example - could you swap out that black threadless fork and stem for a silver threaded, I just like the look better. But that's just not an option today. Bill
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 01:25:33
From: A Muzi
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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> Scott Gordo <blubberp...@gmail.com> wrote: >> Where do you ride? "Girls' bikes" have been status quo for at least 6 or 7 years now.... bw2117@yahoo.com wrote: > I ride in a very rural part of upstate NY, I rarely see another > rider. So I don't see a lot of bikes. > I think that giving the consumer choice is usually a good thing. So a > bike buyer could say, for example - could you swap out that black > threadless fork and stem for a silver threaded, I just like the look > better. But that's just not an option today. News to me. Still an available option any competent LBS which commonly builds bikes 'to order' or services bicycles. To say 'the Brand X I saw at Bubba's Bikes is threadless' is not to say you can't swap forks. Being 'remote' is not a big deal either. Just shipped one to Diego Garcia in the south Indian Ocean . . . Upstate NY is faster delivery -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 11:36:09
From: Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 30, 9:00 am, Tom Ace <tom...@gmail.com > wrote: > "Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <pe...@vecchios.com> wrote: > > > There are horizontal top tubes but the one thing the LBS clone did say > > that was right is it will be custom and probably steel(horrors, that > > old stuff?) and it will look tremendous, ride like a dream and last > > forever..but not of trekspecializedgiantcannondale-esque. > > When I needed a custom frame I figured it would probably be steel too, > but I ended up getting a Ti frame from Mark Hickey (Habanero Cycles). > His price has gone up a little since then (the dollar has weakened) > but you can still get a custom frame from him, with fork, for less > than $1500. When people ask me why I got a titanium frame, I say > it's because I couldn't find a custom steel one for what I paid. > > Tom Ace Waterford custom steel is $1300.
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Date: 31 Aug 2007 01:21:39
From: A Muzi
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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>> "Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <pe...@vecchios.com> wrote: >>> There are horizontal top tubes but the one thing the LBS clone did say >>> that was right is it will be custom and probably steel(horrors, that >>> old stuff?) and it will look tremendous, ride like a dream and last >>> forever..but not of trekspecializedgiantcannondale-esque. > Tom Ace <tom...@gmail.com> wrote: >> When I needed a custom frame I figured it would probably be steel too, >> but I ended up getting a Ti frame from Mark Hickey (Habanero Cycles). >> His price has gone up a little since then (the dollar has weakened) >> but you can still get a custom frame from him, with fork, for less >> than $1500. When people ask me why I got a titanium frame, I say >> it's because I couldn't find a custom steel one for what I paid. Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com wrote: > Waterford custom steel is $1300. And their 'inbetween' model, Gunnar with custom geometry, only $1075 -- Andrew Muzi www.yellowjersey.org Open every day since 1 April, 1971
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 11:17:54
From: Scott Gordo
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 30, 9:50 am, "bw2...@yahoo.com" <bw2...@yahoo.com > wrote: > Last week I had a bit of a problem getting a stuck bottom bracket out, > but eventually I did get it out. At one point I thought I would just > buy a new frame and swap over all the components, or just buy a new > bike. A trip to the bike shop was eye opening for me. Lots of bikes > with sloped top tubes and threadless headsets, not a single one with a > horizontal tt and a nice threaded silver stem. I just don't like the > look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, > and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars > about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with > threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I > wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At > that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I > can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't > understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the > traditional style. > > Bill Where do you ride? "Girls' bikes" have been status quo for at least 6 or 7 years now.... I purchased a new 853 frame from www.gvhbikes.com almost ten years ago. They still deally largely in steel, and I think the prices are fair. Scott
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 11:02:01
From: Nate Knutson
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 30, 6:50 am, "bw2...@yahoo.com" <bw2...@yahoo.com > wrote: > Last week I had a bit of a problem getting a stuck bottom bracket out, > but eventually I did get it out. At one point I thought I would just > buy a new frame and swap over all the components, or just buy a new > bike. A trip to the bike shop was eye opening for me. Lots of bikes > with sloped top tubes and threadless headsets, not a single one with a > horizontal tt and a nice threaded silver stem. I just don't like the > look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, > and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars > about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with > threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I > wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At > that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I > can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't > understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the > traditional style. > > Bill The traditional style is straight up needlessly heavy. Even on a nice who-cares-about-weight-ish retro steel road bike, you're still actually paying a bunch of money for light things. All of the REALLY bad stuff that's transpired in the industry stems from a similar focus on aesthetics.
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 08:00:38
From: Tom Ace
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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"Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com" <pe...@vecchios.com > wrote: > There are horizontal top tubes but the one thing the LBS clone did say > that was right is it will be custom and probably steel(horrors, that > old stuff?) and it will look tremendous, ride like a dream and last > forever..but not of trekspecializedgiantcannondale-esque. When I needed a custom frame I figured it would probably be steel too, but I ended up getting a Ti frame from Mark Hickey (Habanero Cycles). His price has gone up a little since then (the dollar has weakened) but you can still get a custom frame from him, with fork, for less than $1500. When people ask me why I got a titanium frame, I say it's because I couldn't find a custom steel one for what I paid. Tom Ace
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 14:53:49
From: Chalo
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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bw2...@yahoo.com wrote: > > I like the bars > about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with > threadless looks ugly to me. You like the look of a stem that has an elbow aimed at your nards, do you? When feasible, I favor stems that take the shortest distance from point to point. There used to be some nice-looking MTB quill stems which did that, more or less, but they are exceedingly rare now. Here's one from the historical preservationists at Rivendell: http://www.rivbike.com/images/products/full/0000/0638/16-100_site_DD.jpg Threadless stems with ample rise always proceed from headset to bars without zigzagging around. That may not look traditional, but it's a better idea. Chalo
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Date: 30 Aug 2007 07:13:11
From: Qui si parla Campagnolo-www.vecchios.com
Subject: Re: Glad I saved my frame
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On Aug 30, 7:50 am, "bw2...@yahoo.com" <bw2...@yahoo.com > wrote: > Last week I had a bit of a problem getting a stuck bottom bracket out, > but eventually I did get it out. At one point I thought I would just > buy a new frame and swap over all the components, or just buy a new > bike. A trip to the bike shop was eye opening for me. Lots of bikes > with sloped top tubes and threadless headsets, not a single one with a > horizontal tt and a nice threaded silver stem. I just don't like the > look of sloped top tubes, long seatposts, black stems and spacers, > and I suppose threadless is ok for a low stem, but I like the bars > about an inch lower than the seat, and the way that is done with > threadless looks ugly to me. So the guy said I could get what I > wanted custom made, looking at about 1500 just for frame and fork. At > that point I decided I really needed to get that bb out, and I did. I > can understand the move to sloping/threadless, but what I can't > understand is the complete abandonment by major builders of the > traditional style. > > Bill It's all about marketing Bill, not aesthetics nor performance..But making fewer sizes, shoving more people into those fewer sizes and trying to take market share from other makers, in this very flat bicycle market. There are horizontal top tubes but the one thing the LBS clone did say that was right is it will be custom and probably steel(horrors, that old stuff?) and it will look tremendous, ride like a dream and last forever..but not of trekspecializedgiantcannondale-esque.
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