Bespoke bicycles

[dopey]



I am reminded of a funny scene from the July 4th holiday. In the morning, I rode with my younger daughter along the West Side bike path down to near the bottom and then back up. On the way up, there was a lot of special cross traffic in preparation for the fireworks show that night - everything from pallets of explosives for the show to food trucks for the spectators. As we stopped to allow one crossing, I turned to look at my daughter just as a man in full regalia with a glorious paunch crowning his yellow Pinarello fell over nearly on top of her, still attached to his bike. I asked if she had caused that, ready to apologize for her (she is still a kind of shaky rider and tends to wobble and veer when she slows down). She said she never touched him - he just stopped and fell over. I started laughing when he grumbled to his girlfriend/wife that the damn shoes are still stuck to the pedals.

 

[Montesquieu]



You have a good eye. I had the frameset made MTO in 2004, the wheelset is the Eurus G3 from the same year. The Campy Record, Zero G brakes, and other components are 2005-ish, when I finally had it built up.
Frameset weight including the integrated headset is in the 2.7lbs territory, and is pretty stiff...I haven't kept track of how much lighter things might have gotten since then. The bike as built up is a around 15lbs...if I put climbing wheels on it, it would be UCI-illegal!
Care to guess the age of the water bottle?

That's newer and lighter than I had guessed. Well done. I'm also partial to Campy and have Super Record 11 on all three of my newer bikes. Eurus are great, all-purpose wheels. If you ever consider an upgrade, take a look at Hyperons. They're not only super light, they're also supremely comfortable and bullet-proof enough to have been used by riders during Paris Roubaix this year. My other wheels are Enve, box-rim DT Swiss builds, HED Belgiums (27mm), and the Eurus; the Hyperons noticeably beat the others in terms of comfort and lightweight efficiency.

 

[Montesquieu]



Beautiful chromed lugs and chain/seat stays! That's a keeper.

 

[oldog/oldtrix]



Beautiful chromed lugs and chain/seat stays! That's a keeper.

Thanks. I don't intend to part with this bike (or the pre-Trek Klein, for that matter), though when I put it together in 1996 it was for more comfortable riding in brevets and multi-day rides over distance, neither of which I expect ever to do again. Here's a slightly better view of the lugs and stays:

 

[MikeDT]



Now that the thread has been moved to parts I don't frequent, please PM me anytime you want to draw my attention back. I understand and can live with the mods' rationale for moving it, even though my intended audience was MC. It reached the right people while there.

Seems to me that the mods made the right decision, keeps the forvm tidy and in order. MC is about well, men's clothing, and this thread is about bicycles.

 

[Gus]

Wow, there are some beautiful bikes on this thread.

 

[F. Corbera]



Beautiful chromed lugs and chain/seat stays! That's a keeper.

In my opinion, Casati silver filet bikes are some of the finest ever made.

This thread reminds me that I need to get my old CIÖCC built up as a hipster fixie. I'll put one of the Deltas up front, so that I can style on the youngsters.

 

[F. Corbera]



Spoiler: Warning: Spoiler!

I am reminded of a funny scene from the July 4th holiday. In the morning, I rode with my younger daughter along the West Side bike path down to near the bottom and then back up. On the way up, there was a lot of special cross traffic in preparation for the fireworks show that night - everything from pallets of explosives for the show to food trucks for the spectators. As we stopped to allow one crossing, I turned to look at my daughter just as a man in full regalia with a glorious paunch crowning his yellow Pinarello fell over nearly on top of her, still attached to his bike. I asked if she had caused that, ready to apologize for her (she is still a kind of shaky rider and tends to wobble and veer when she slows down).

She said she never touched him - he just stopped and fell over. I started laughing when he grumbled to his girlfriend/wife that the damn shoes are still stuck to the pedals.

My brother-in-law has a bike built around an MTO Serotta (prior to buyout) TI frame. We came to a stop, he couldn't get out of his Looks, fell over like a stand of timber, broke his arm.

My best friend has a bike built around a Merlin frame. We came to a stop, he couldn't get out of his looks, fell over like a stand of timber, broke his collarbone.

I tell them it's the TI frames. They note summer and winter road bikes are TI. I tell them that my time will come (but secretly, I know that it will not since I ride with Speedplays.)

 

[furo]

what made the op interested in bespoke bikes?

 

[Montesquieu]



what made the op interested in bespoke bikes?

SyleForum, appropriately enough. I started bicycle touring in Europe in college, then added an Italian steel race bike in 1998, triathlon bike in 2002, and mountain bike in 2003. All were production. By the time I decided that I needed a new road frame in 2009, I had acquired the bespoke clothing bug (thanks to SF) and started researching my options with bikes. I fell in love with multiple concepts/builders/objectives/aesthetics and commissioned several distinct frames over the past few years. Many weeks, I'll ride all three of the new bikes on different days plus the mountain bike with my kids. The bikes in our garage collectively cost more than the three (used) cars did, and they get more use, too.

 

[furo]



SyleForum, appropriately enough. I started bicycle touring in Europe in college, then added an Italian steel race bike in 1998, triathlon bike in 2002, and mountain bike in 2003. All were production. By the time I decided that I needed a new road frame in 2009, I had acquired the bespoke clothing bug (thanks to SF) and started researching my options with bikes. I fell in love with multiple concepts/builders/objectives/aesthetics and commissioned several distinct frames over the past few years. Many weeks, I'll ride all three of the new bikes on different days plus the mountain bike with my kids. The bikes in our garage collectively cost more than the three (used) cars did, and they get more use, too.

Do you gain a performance, comfort, or durability enhancement out of these newer acquisitions, or were they for aesthetic reasons alone?

 

[Gus]

Good question

 

[zippyh]

I'd think that question would apply almost equally, with the same answers, to bespoke suits or shoes.

 

[furo]



I'd think that question would apply almost equally, with the same answers, to bespoke suits or shoes.

Not really. Suits aren't about "performance."

 

[89826]

If memory serves, that is a water bottle from Campy C Record days. The glory years with Delta brakes. I have a basically unridden SLX DeRosa with full C Record. Must have bought it around 1993, but I haven't seen it in 5 years because it is in storage.