buying a bike

FFFFUUUUUUUUUUUU

buying selling a bike

http://newyork.craigslist.org/brk/bik/1614288039.html

you forgot to put size in the listing, you fail at craigslist

i can edit duhr

WANT

how are we the same size, though??? or is 54 secretly too big for me

how tall u?

srsly ev if you want it i'd sell for $1000 to you

I'm 5-7, prolly 31" inseam (in bibs)

will assess my finances, but don't hold yr breath. dang tho

i'm 30" inseam but my torso is the long part of my body. short legs.

gotcha

gahhhhhhhhhhhh i really don't think i can afford this :(

FINE

me in the break on said bike:

http://hphotos-snc1.fbcdn.net/hs132.snc1/5654_1195071429613_1013273219_30611260_5287681_n.jpg

lovin the gulf-inspired colourscheme of yr jersey - been a sucker for that ever since 'le mans' with steve mcqueen

http://www.jonathanadlerracing.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2009/05/lemansuq4-500x486.jpg

woops u can delete that can't u

my IP

ohhhhhh

let us now analyze cuttybreak.jpg

#1) empire guy doing pull: @threshold despite just taking the first few rpms of a pull, sucking massive wind, full lactic acid cramping imminent, creative brifter grip imo
#2) our sweet prince cuttye: smiling, perfect posture, riding the rivet, tucked in the slipstream, slight echelon to the right, white shoes/gloves, epic
#3) empire guy no2: vision blurred/tunnel vision, having focus problems, looks like he'd take the sprint tho if he could keep his eye on the road ahead, thought he was checking out his computer but i don't see one on the bike, could be a weight weenie despite being a heifer (says the heifer).
#4) took a pull, looking back at the chase, probably not smiling like our sweet prince cuttye.

lolllll

re #3: karl did take the sprint

what % of guys wear shoe covers in a rr? cuz i think he deserves to blow up for that. "u saving .4 of a watt-- u stay on the front bitch!"

i have done central park races that averages 27.4mph over 2 hours--pretty fricken fast. shoe covers are used by quite a few guys who are serious about their wattage in the wind

yah, the reason i asked % is that i think the current ubiquity of power meters/figures has changed ppls awareness of issues like shoe covers. i think 10 years ago, youd get clowned here. but ive not raced in so long, ppl probably are doing it here too.

So the weather is good the sun is shining and I'm thinking about longer faster rides and this brings me to thinking about a new road bike to do them on, something light and shiny to get me excited about tackling the rollers outside of town.

I want to spend $1500-$2000 and want toss out all my pre-concieved notions. There's so much out there, especially in that price range. Give me some ideas.

you want a pre-spec'd complete bike or want to build one?

Could go either way, a second hand frame or complete bike that would take a bit of work to get ready would be fine as well. That said a complete bike gets me going faster.

aluminum or carbon?

I don't know, I've never ridden carbon. I worry about long term durability of carbon, especially given the terrible quality of the roads round here. I don't want to hit a pothole, spill and have to junk the frame. Steel and Ti are not out of the question either. I guess I need a hit-list of things to try.

I worry about long term durability of carbon, especially given the terrible quality of the roads round here. I don't want to hit a pothole, spill and have to junk the frame. Steel and Ti are not out of the question either. I guess I need a hit-list of things to try.

― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Thursday, March 18, 2010 9:05 AM (49 minutes ago)

sounds like me pre-carbon bike. Ed, you and I are similarly built ja? I was in the market for an aluminum frame and the shop that I ended up purchasing from has a semi-pro team and showed me 2 versions of the frame I was interested in made by a major manufacturer (*cough*cervelo*cough*) and showed me 2 frames that had been raced on (ie, not trained on, just raced): the first had major fatigue in the BB and then second had a significant fail (shorn off where the Front Derailleur clamps on to the seattube!)... and these were ridden by little guys (130-150#ers who I'm sure are wattage-monsters but still!). I eliminated aluminum from my list after that.

basically the way the shop owner put it to me is that aluminum frames are awesome if you're sponsored and can afford to race on them and retire them when the season is over, but if you are looking for long-term durability: carbon/steel/Ti.

another thing: all carbon frames are made different. some are butted/jointed/lugged, some are monocoque, some are experimental (I saw a dude riding one of those "webbed" looking frames that are transparent and look like they'd shatter over a bump but are supposedly just as strong as most carbon frames).

also, all carbon is different. there is the stuff made in Taiwan, and then there is the USA-military grade stuff that cannot be exported that Cannondale uses on their super high end which is supposedly best in class. ymmv.

ti is really real

Al work hardening does concern me as well.

i guess it comes down to:

Lower end Trek, Focus, Cannondale, Look, Felt etc. in Carbon

That Motebcane Titanium bike that Bikes Direct do and I remain slightly suspicious of (what precisely is wrong with a $2000 Ultegra Ti Bike?)

Picking up at 10-20yr old high end steel or Ti frame on ebay and building it out.

Titanium + Ultegra - x = $2000

What is x?

x = life expectancy of the child slaves welding the frame
x = weld quality
x= alloy

What's wrong with steel?

imo steel has many pros but the main con is the weight compared to the weight of the other materials. wouldn't make much of a difference with me, but for a spindly mantis-like fellow it may.

what kind of fellow are you? ;)

;_;

lol

lol

It think that should be the name of ILX's Sportive Club.

Ti seems to be cheap this year because of Market forces. So now I have a Ti hitlist:

Motobecane LeChampion Ti with FSA/Ultegra Mix, $1699
Motobecane LeChampion Ti with Ultegra, $2000

People seem to like it, a little more compliant than Carbon, semi compact geometry

Planet-X Pro Sport Ti Frame and Fork only, $1179
Veloce Build Kit, $999
Rival Build Kit, $1099
105 Build Kit, $1150

This is a Lynskey build frame, compact geometry, looks more trick than the Motobecane, etched decals

Habanero Classic Road, Frame Only $895
Habanero Classic Road, 105 $2223
Habanero Classic Road, Rival $2273

US made frame, not butted tubes, again seems to be liked, classic geometry.

Next up, carbon and steel

Carbon List

Planet X PRo CArbon Road
Specialized Roubaix
Trek Madone 4.5
Focus Cayo
Felt F5
Felt Z5
Scattante CFR
Raleigh Competition
Fezzari Foré CR2
Motobecane Immortal Spirit

I like the idea of having a Raleigh as my first ever road bike was a Raleigh. I'm sure there is more that I could dig up. It's incredible the range of equipment standard on a c. $2000 carbon bike.

i like specialized or felt

This BMC is looking pretty sweet:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/road-bikes/frame/2009-bmc-road-racer-sl-01-sram-rival-complete-bike-6950.html

That was almost the same exact kind of deal that was tempting me last year (08 cervelo S1 with 09 Ultegra SL) but again it came down to frame material (ie, Aluminum). That said, $1700 is a kick-ass deal.

the look 566 w/ rival on comp cyclist looks a great deal too - although that's $2700, so it's a fair jump up in ca$h unfortunately.

that BMC looks siiiick

So I've been watching Milan San Remo and researching bikes and using ILX as my notebook.I think top of my hitlist is either of the BMCs or the Felt, based on pure gut feeling and looks. The only thing stopping me from dropping $1700 on the SL01 right away is the fact I discounted Aluminium at the start of this process. There are at least BMC and felt dealers in town so I can go and try an approximation to both of these.

unfortunately BMC dealer is not open on sundays and i have committed to go biking and bike mechanicking this afternoon. Open late on Monday though. should probably try the trek and specialized as well.

BMC SL01 Rival
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/road-bikes/frame/2009-bmc-road-racer-sl-01-sram-rival-complete-bike-6950.html

Pros: looks very trick, orange is me, not full carbon, under budget
Cons: not full carbon

BMC SLT01
http://www.competitivecyclist.com/road-bikes/frame/2009-bmc-team-machine-slt-01-sram-force-complete-bike-6949.html

Pros: More Carbon, force gruppo, top tube more horizontal
cons: busting the budget, cutty will disapprove of replica BMC team colours

Scott CR1 Team 105
https://www.racycles.com/product.aspx?catid=2,445,909&pid=3725

Pros: full carbon
Cons: a bit boring looking

Felt F5 105
https://www.racycles.com/product.aspx?catid=2,441,619

Pros: Full Carbon Horizontal Top Tube, looks good, no temptation to jump up a model (too much green or garmin argyle), can try the F4 in pittsburgh which should be good for the frame sizing
Cons: can't find any

Specialized Roubaix Elite 105
http://www.specialized.com/us/en/bc/SBCBkModel.jsp?spid=39265&menuItemId=0

Pros: can actually try this in pittsburgh
Cons: busting the Budget

Eddy Merckx EMX-1
https://www.racycles.com/product.aspx?catid=2,432,608&pid=3708

Pros: natural step form my alu team
Cons: Really busting the budget, the look haitch posted is a way better deal, Merckx paint jobs aren't a fun as they used to be

Trek Madone 4.5 105

Pros: Can try this in pittsburgh, friend of a friend works in the trek store
Cons: Irrational Dislike of Trek

Planet-X Pro Carbon SL lots of gruppo options

Pros: cheaper frame, better gruppo, force under budget, only thing I found with campy, 2 year warranty on the frame, planet-x/On-one seem to have a good rep back home
cons: don't do chorus or athena, only veloce or record, record busts the budget

Planet-X Pro Ti Road Veloce, or Rival
Pros: frame looks trick, has a good pedigree
Cons: not actually in stock

Focus Cayo Team ultegra
http://www.bikebling.com/Focus-Cayo-Team-Replica-Complete-Bike-p/focus-cayo-teamreplica-2009.htm

Pros: Trad geometry, Ultegra
Cons: Milram colours

using ILX as my notebook

^^^ this is dope. v. interesting.