Chro Mo

After reading a nice debate Re; stage lengths on velonews, it occurred to me that Froome would be one of the very few able to match Contador's violent accelerations in the high mountains. Wiggins simply would not be able to. The tour will be interesting next year, IF, Froome gets to ride.... On the same site, the question is posed as to how they could race together again. One cannot realistically conceive of a Tour Champion (Wiggins), riding in support of his strongest challenger (Froome) on the same team. Interesting dynamic, to be sure.

Awesome! That would be very cool. Cheers.

Very tasty looking frames!

Hello, fellow retro enthusiasts. Here is my latest project: Early 1990s Francois DuToit hand-made frame Reynolds 653 tubeset Tange headset Pro handlebars ITM stem 105 cranks Suntour shifters (Japanese, not Taiwanese) I have mixed and matched some stuff I had lying around: Tiagra 9sp RD 105 FD Shimano 8spd (12-28) cassette Sram 8sp chain. While not as pretty as my other bike posted here, this bike fits me as if it were made to measure, is super comfortable, and everything works perfectly. I might change the shifters for Shimano if I can locate some. Anyone? Thanks.

Yup, i do! Cheers. Enjoy the refurb, you'll get hooked! I did! Have a good one.

Cool. looking at the head-tube, it looks like a very big frame. Have you measured the seat-tube?

It has to do with the 1:1 actuation of sram derailleurs vs 2:1 on shimano. Although, I have read reports of mtb X7 RDs working with friction shifters(although those were made by Suntour). I may be corrected by someone more knowledgeable, so watch this space.....

You must be tall, man! That is a big bike - must be 61+cm? Looks cool! How many gears do you actually want? That freewheel at the back must be 6 speed or less. 21 will probably be your highest gear. If want/need more, I would suggest purchasing a new rear wheel or wheelset, or lacing the rim to a modern rear hub. You should be able to use the exage RD on a new hub. derailleurs are cheap 2nd hand anyway. All rear derailleurs, except SRAM, will work with the downtube shifters. Good luck, and welcome to the steel tribe. Enjoy!

Keep 'em all, and buy some more!

Yeah. This is why I have learned to do my own servicing and building - everything except shock/fork servicing.Eric, if you want it to work, you need to do the following, and then some: a) Have honesty and intregrity as a cornerstone of your business b.1)treat all people with respect b.2) treat overweight people with respect and honesty, because theirs is an aspirational purchase, they want to better themselves, and don't need to be condescended to when approaching an LBS for advice. I was one of those, but lost 30kgs and am no longer. I was never ever viewed as a serious purchaser. Why? I've since spent close to 80k on bikes/products, and only a fraction of it in the Durban stores. c) Make sure your mechanic(s) knows his sh#t! Mess up a cyclists bike, and you are done! Don't do stuff without permission - I hate that! d) you need the range. I hate walking into a store and asking for something, only to be told that they do not have it. No offer to order it ever arises. Why? e) charge viable prices - for you and the end user - don't tear the ring out of it. f) make your store a destination - coffee/books/friendly staff/talks and seminars etc. The defining criteria in the States for a successful LBS is community. Create a community of passionate individuals who will, in turn, create a passionate and vibrant entity (your shop). g) group rides - herein lies a gap. Unfortunately it takes a lot of PT and lost sleep, but an escorted/serviced ride is a thing we will pay for. Throw in the prospect of GOOD coffee at depart and arrival, and you've got me hooked. h) make sure your staff know their sh#t - if you tell me that something I know to be true is false, do you think I will entrust my beloved bikes to you? One last thing: It takes a relatively short while for a cyclist to become hooked (or "obsessed", as my wife calls it). We can sniff out a lack of passion in an instant. If you are passionate in what you do, you have a greater chance of succeeding, because that passion is transmitted to your customers in that same instant. No-one can guarantee your success, but you may just do it. Mess around, and you will fail - without any doubt. This is Durban, after all. I'll stop boring you now, so end of essay.

That right there is an argument against the progress that modern frame materials have undergone. Just frikking gorgeous!

I use the ubi spoke calculator - generally very accurate http://www.bikeschool.com/tools/spoke-length-calculator as stated above, it is imperative that the erd is measured completely accurately

Damn straight. I have had a 1980s Shimano 600 Rd on a new 12-27 cassette with no issues at all. Friction shifting rocks! It's much more intuitive and tactile anyway.

Stuff said large flat screwdriver in between the pads and depress brake lever as hard as possible. Place wheel back on and do the same with the rotor in place. pads should realign if no air is in the system. This has worked for me in the past.

Shades of Lemond and Hinault '85, though not nearly as bad. I agree with the post saying this was Wiggo's first "micro-crack". Froome will certainly "do his job", but the Pyrennees will be the great leveller .

I think the mountains will decide the selection. Brailsford won't make the same mistake twice - if Wiggo cracks (which is looking unlikely, but it is still early days), they will throw their weight behind Froome. If Wiggins does not crack, it will be difficult for him, as he will be working for Wiggins. Difficult, but not impossible, as witnessed by the Schlecks last year.

His Konica/Minolta days are a thing of the past now. I recall Andrew Maclean saying he was "nothing special" when he was here, so kudos to him and his latent talent that got exposed through Barloworld and Sky. Dave Brailsford is a bit of a genius, I think! I am sure that John-Lee Augustyn would be in the same position, had he not had such a horrendous run with illness and injury. The guy is a star now, and the fact that he still comes back to train and race here speaks volumes.

I was always a supporter of LA, but this just seals it for me. Bogus lawsuits with no substance? Why? This is not a political campaign - though his team seem to be treating it as such. Face the charges and present a comprehensive defense. Win or lose on the merits of that defense. This prosecution is going to play hell with his political ambitions - which he most certainly has.

Nice one for the senior citizens!

Froome is going to win this race one day. I think it will be sooner rather than later. Can't explain how impressed I am with him.

This from Grant Petersen at Rivendell - a great proponent of smaller q-factor - even as far back as the early 80s. I feel that Q-factor is one of those things that scarcely affect us at all - so agree wiith JB there. May impact if there are specific injuries involved. It is a highly subjective issue. Good explanation below, and even better ones if you read the old Bridgestone catalogues. https://www.rivbike....sults.asp?ID=54 Q-Factor. Yes, Q-Factor. It's the distance between the pedals at the outside of the cranks. In other words, it's how far apart the cranks put your feet. Are you walking a tightrope, or giving birth? Pedaling a bicycle or walking like a duck? That's Q (quack)-Factor. At the turn of the century, this crank dimension was called "tread," a term still adhered to by some. We call it Q-Factor because when "tread" was in vogue, tires were all smooth, and "tread" couldn't possibly have referred to the rubber pattern. But these days, "tread" means rubber pattern, so the discussion can't begin until you dig out of that hole. In any case, Q varies from about 135 to 180, with most good road double cranks hovering around 140mm, and most mountain bike cranks around 173mm. With the exception of Ritchey, crank makers do not list Q. Most make high-Q cranks, and would prefer that you not ask. There can be no arguing that a lower Q improves aerodynamics, but a far more compelling and practical reason for attending to your crank's Q is...how it feels. Some riders are not sensitive to it at all. Others have physiological quirks that make them better off with their feet closer together (low-Q) or farther apart (high-Q) cranks. In general, road riders accustomed to the superb, low-Q professional grade Campy, Zeus, TA, and Stronglight cranks have a harder time adapting to modern cranks with higher Qs. They often hate them, and don't even realize what it is until somebody suggests the Q. On the other hand, riders raised on higher Q cranks often think the whole issue is silly, because they can't tell any difference. If you're used to a low Q crank and you pedal a bike with a high Q, it's possible that you'll experience pain on the inside of your knees.

I agree with your lean toward Momsen. Your son will probably pick up better skills with a rigid fork - his bike handling will be better overall.

Nibali has surprised me this year. He is looking good! Let's see how he goes in the second week. Really cool to see a Frenchman on a "smaller" team win!

Lucky, lucky man, you! Enjoy!

That's the prevailing wisdom, although you may be better suited to another ratio altogether - trial and error will sort it out. Get a couple of cogs and test them. You won't waste your money, as you'll be bound to use them sooner or later