If you change the drops to regular uprights do you sometimes use the all-rounder bars like they we used to see on early Lotus bikes at Proteus? What is your favorite comfortable upright bar?
Mark(wants to ride sitting upright sometimes) Cutufelli Laurel,MD
-----Original Message----- From: classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org [mailto:classicrendezvous-bounces@bikelist.org] On Behalf Of Brian Baylis Sent: Wednesday, October 15, 2003 4:15 PM To: Neill Currie Cc: classicrendezvous@bikelist.org Subject: Re: [CR]Frame quality issues.
Neill,
Very well said.
One other tidbit I've noticed about bikes. A lot of what you get out of your frame depends on how you set it up. I have several vintage Italian road bikes that are set up as "city bikes" pretty much the way ones sees retired racing iron being ridden by old men around the cafes of Europe. There are lots of possibilities for bikes and only a very small percentage of them are for racing. My racing days are over; I now ride strictly for fun and to be with my friends. I enjoy the bike and the experience every single time.
Parts selection can make a drastic difference in how a bike feels when you ride it. A drastic example of this came to me when I set up my trike with a double chainring and a 7 spd FW. It was very hard to ride and wasn't very much fun. Then I decided to outfit it with a triple chainring and a little lower gearing on the FW. Suddenly the bike was a blast to ride and I can actually get it going pretty fast. It's still a chore to ride but it is fun now that it has proper gearing for my needs. I was beginning to consider selling it until I "rediscovered" it.
Brian Baylis
La Mesa, CA
> Well, thought I would just chime in here, having
> read the thread about "what makes for a great
> frame and why".
>
> I have frames that are made extremely well, in my
> opinion. Sometimes their aesthetic appeal jives
> well with my personal preferences, sometimes not.
> Sometimes these bikes ride very nicely,
> occasionally not. I have a frameset I made myself
> 18 years ago: super tight clearances, all
> internal cable routing.......the ride is tight,
> the aesthetic appeal to me is great, yet it is
> not a bike I would want to ride for more than,
> say, 50 miles.
>
> I have frames that are made not so well also.
> Sometimes though, these not only look very
> pleasing to my eye, but they have a very special
> ride, often for some particular set of reasons
> combining to produce that ride. I am thinking of
> an example in this case: a 1950's Peugeot. Not
> made with any great care or attention to detail,
> yet the combination of generous fork rake, pencil
> stays, long wheelbase etc, contribute to a
> magical ride that one would want to ride many
> extra miles on........and what better attributes
> could one get from a bike, I ask? It also cost me
> just $25.
>
> I have a bike that fits in a 3rd category too:
> pretty nicely made, though not GREAT. The
> downtube cracked and needed replacement after 3
> years of reasonably heavy use, and has been fine
> since. The paintjob and attention to detail on
> this bike attracts attention from others like
> almost no other bike however........and it has
> the most lively ride, with cat-like acceleration.
> This bike stands out in this respect.
>
> So, I say "love them all", at least the ones that
> you feel are deserving of your love, for all
> sorts of reasons. In my case there seem to be
> many more reasons to like different bikes for all
> sorts of different reasons, than there are
> reasons for being too discriminating. Appeal,
> interest, intended use, quality of construction,
> etc.....are all valid reasons for liking and
> preferring certiain bikes. Just don't overlook
> the real gem however, just because it doesn't fit
> your mindview or prejudice.
>
> =====
> Neill Currie, Portland, Me 04102, USA.
> ------------
> I usually have classic bicycle components for sale at good prices.
> Please
email me for a current list. A reasonably current list may be seen here:
> http://www.geocities.com/
> ------------
> The Mountain Goat website is at:
> http://www.geocities.com/
> ------------
>
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