General Bike Thread (Desiderata, Questions, Pics)

[Althis]

Thank you! Mosaic bought Spectrum, I remember speaking to them at NAHBS a few years ago. Alchemy does their own paint inhouse but I went with minimal anodized logos: downtube/headtube/seattube. Their ti quality in on par with Mosaic, though recently I discovered Sturdy Cycles and Prova Cycles with their 3d printed parts and am drooling a bit.

Regarding my drivetrain, I run a 3T Bailout 9-32t cassette with a 42t front ring which gives me the equivalent of 52/36 11/28. The Bailout cassette has 1t jumps from 9-13t where it matters most and bigger jumps higher up. I have gearing to climb and sprint still and after over a year I don't see myself going back to 2x. 1x will only get better with time as options develop from SRAM and new DA coming

 

[venessian]

2004 Kish Fabrication custom titanium 3/2.5 straight-gauge
(still in daily use, but with different components/fork now.)

2008 Colnago Extreme-Power
(special frame by Colnago for Rabobank's (Joost Postuma) 2008 Paris-Roubaix team. This was Postuma's back-up frame, never used when I acquired it.)

 

[Fueco]

Thank you! Mosaic bought Spectrum, I remember speaking to them at NAHBS a few years ago. Alchemy does their own paint inhouse but I went with minimal anodized logos: downtube/headtube/seattube. Their ti quality in on par with Mosaic, though recently I discovered Sturdy Cycles and Prova Cycles with their 3d printed parts and am drooling a bit.

Regarding my drivetrain, I run a 3T Bailout 9-32t cassette with a 42t front ring which gives me the equivalent of 52/36 11/28. The Bailout cassette has 1t jumps from 9-13t where it matters most and bigger jumps higher up. I have gearing to climb and sprint still and after over a year I don't see myself going back to 2x. 1x will only get better with time as options develop from SRAM and new DA coming

Interesting. I’ll admit to being a bit on the retro grouch spectrum. My road bike, cyclocross, and mountain bikes all have 2x10 gearing.

The low gears on my road and cx rigs are both 34-32 (Ultegra Di2 on the roadie and SRAM Force on the cx). I’m also not young anymore, so the lower gearing is nice.

 

[Althis]

Ah eventually there will be more gears and gearing options, right now it's basically rolling terrain/race gearing but that's ok for my type of riding. I have a 10-42 if I really need it for big mountain days but mostly so I'm just not staying in the 32t on my 3T cassette the whole time and wearing it out.

 

[Piobaire]

Think I'm finally going to get back into road cycling again and make a purchase either this fall or fall 2021. I have my eyes on a Cannondale Synapse Carbon 105. Looks to be just want I want in a bike, namely, all day comfort but still able to sprint up a hill coupled with the ability to take some wider tires if the ride warrants it. I like the hidden fender mounts too. Gear sets have advanced so much since I stopped cycling 20 years ago I'm thinking today's 105 will perform like DuraAce of the late 90s.

 

[venessian]

That general spec is pretty much what everybody wants these days, so there are many options. The Cannondales are good, reliable. The best thing about 2020 105 is that it will not perform like late-90's (7700) Dura-Ace. But, regardless, get Chorus instead. ;-)

 

[Piobaire]

My last bike was a Trek aluminum, can't remember the model at this point but in the middle of their line up, with an Ultegra grouppo. Imma guess this is going to be a much smoother ride.

Feel free to toss out some other options as looking is half the fun.

 

[venessian]

My last bike was a Trek aluminum, can't remember the model at this point but in the middle of their line up, with an Ultegra grouppo. Imma guess this is going to be a much smoother ride.

Feel free to toss out some other options as looking is half the fun.

Treks are/were very good too, (the actual alu Kleins were really super before Trek bought them, amazing, and I assume some of the tech was passed across), but yes a 2020 c-f frameset will generally feel smoother than an 90s alu Trek.

That said, c-f is no magic, some is good and some is crap, and anyone who tells anyone else that frame material is the leading contributor to rider comfort is just bsing. Tire pressure (especially in the slightly larger tires you are considering) has generally a far greater effect than frame material, and is free. Saddle choice makes a huge difference obviously too. I do not buy the "this material is the best!" marketing anymore.

These "all-purpose" bicycles are the latest rage, but nothing is free, and there are compromises if one isn't careful. I think a lot of people buy these, thinking they will really use them, don't really use them for the designed purposes, give up on them fairly soon. (Hence, the used market is actually fantastic.) So I guess sometimes it is best to ride the old bicycle again for awhile if returning to the activity, and see if the love is still in fact there.

It would be silly to recommend anything without knowing your general location (ie brand availability if shopping local); budget; preferred groupset brand (if any); actual terrain type to be ridden most often; climate (ie ride a lot in wet = definitely hydraulic disc brakes; not so much = maybe overkill); etc.

Is there a particular reason you are looking at carbon-fiber? Or Cannondale Synapse in particular?

If you are serious about "all day comfort but still able to sprint up a hill coupled with the ability to take some wider tires if the ride warrants it" and looking for a long-term investment, I would seriously look at titanium actually, for much better durability (esp in gravel/off-pavement), at least equal comfort, simplicity of finishes; titanium is a very appropriate material for your purposes.

You may or may not find stock ti with all the braze-ons (fender mounts, etc) that you want (but you might; I have not looked and there is plenty of time between now and fall 2020 or fall 2021) but if not there are many custom ti builders, from good budget builders such as Carver or Waltly, Leon, etc., up to to very high $.

Of bicycles recently posted here, Alchemy (Althis posted above) are great; Kish (that I posted above) are great.
There really are quite a few, if titanium interests you.

 

[Piobaire]

When I said "Imma guess..." I was really saying, "I don't expect to pee blood from a bumpy century ride." My old Trek was great for stiffness, I used to flex the hell out of a bottom bracket in my heyday (TWSS!), but the ride was harsh. Couple that with highly inflated road tires, a racing saddle, and Michigan roads and that's not something I'd want to do in my old age. I figure 90% of my riding will be done on the 120 or so miles of interconnected mutli-use paved paths we have in my area.

 

[venessian]

OK. The Synapse c-f will be more than fine for that terrain/purpose. Nice frames.
Have fun.

 

[Fueco]

My last bike was a Trek aluminum, can't remember the model at this point but in the middle of their line up, with an Ultegra grouppo. Imma guess this is going to be a much smoother ride.

Feel free to toss out some other options as looking is half the fun.

Of my bikes, the smoothest ride is the steel framed Rock Lobster. It’s custom, and is exactly what I need for all day riding. The carbon fiber road bike (Look 595 from 2008) is snappier and faster, but not quite as comfortable (mostly, it’s more jarring on rough roads).

My mountain bike (Giant Anthem Advanced 1 from 2014) is great, but I can’t compare the frame material directly because of the suspension.

 

[venessian]

Of my bikes, the smoothest ride is the steel framed Rock Lobster. It’s custom, and is exactly what I need for all day riding. The carbon fiber road bike (Look 595 from 2008) is snappier and faster, but not quite as comfortable (mostly, it’s more jarring on rough roads).

My mountain bike (Giant Anthem Advanced 1 from 2014) is great, but I can’t compare the frame material directly because of the suspension.

?
Perfect. Rock Lobster are so great, in steel or alu. One of the great (and nice) builders for years. Plus, that mint-green RL color is especially beautiful (but all his standard colors are excellent, simple, basic, rich tones).

 

[otc]

Come on guys.

Piob is clearly the target market for a Pinarello!

 

[Fueco]

?
Perfect. Rock Lobster are so great, in steel or alu. One of the great (and nice) builders for years. Plus, that mint-green RL color is especially beautiful (but all his standard colors are excellent, simple, basic, rich tones).

Mine is black with silver decals. ??‍♂️

 

[Biscotti]

My road bike. Steel Eddy Merckx. Mostly vintage Dura Ace. Was towying around with different heights and what not. Just started riding again after a 10 year hiatus. Yes, those are platform pedals, I need new cleats.