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my four other bikes are steel. three of those are lugged. can't a guy change it up once in a while?

frame showed up today. sucker is light, too.

ViralDoctor wrote:

I finally bought a bike.
(And I didn't nearly pay that much, probably only 65% of that—last year's bikes were on clearance.)

I don't plan on riding it for a couple weeks, it will get dirty in the current weather.

Bikes can be washed too, you know... 

From Sheldon Brown's website

Toe in" the brake shoes, so that the front edge of the shoe hits the rim slightly before the rear edge.

Clean the rims with a good, oil-free solvent (citrus, alcohol, something like that.)

If the pivots of your brakes are adjustable, make sure that you've eliminated as much play as possible without causing them to bind.

Different brake shoes may help. I particularly recommend Kool Stop salmon colored units.



Try those tips Tria. More info can be found on a Bike Forums search or Park Tools Website if need be.

more parts and tools showed up today:



taking it to the LBS to have this installed Saturday:



i don't have reaming or facing tools, a headset press or a crown race driver. i'm not going to spend that much money for something i do as infrequently as replace a headset.

custom Red/White/Blue Chris King headset with Ti cap bolt.

looks even sexier installed.



bikes and Macs; what more does one need?

Gusboh wrote:

From Sheldon Brown's website

Toe in" the brake shoes, so that the front edge of the shoe hits the rim slightly before the rear edge.

Clean the rims with a good, oil-free solvent (citrus, alcohol, something like that.)

If the pivots of your brakes are adjustable, make sure that you've eliminated as much play as possible without causing them to bind.

Different brake shoes may help. I particularly recommend Kool Stop salmon colored units.



Try those tips Tria. More info can be found on a Bike Forums search or Park Tools Website if need be.

Thanks!

:raises hand:

Well, only once a week, weather permitting. Not this week though, supposed to drop to lows of -28 C. :brrrr:

I've been riding a 1999 Trek VRX 200 lately with a bunch of custom stuff on it.

I'll have to do a write-up and post some pics one of these days.

Last edited by Vokbain (2006-02-19 4:24 am)

uncreativename wrote:

I got a question,

I weigh around 205 lbs and I wanted to buy a Giant TCR or OCR Road bike, should I be worried about crushing the frame or bending the rim from bumps and random other weight  issues? I live in Chicago and there are a bunch of potholes and curbs all over the place.

Do you all think that may be an issue?

jhota wrote:

i weigh a little more than you do, and i looked at the TCRs and OCRs before i bought my Bianchi. the frame should be just fine, barring an accident. the rims may be a little less durable, but i don't think you'd have any terrible issues; i wouldn't ride it off kerbs or anything, though.

What jhota said. If you bend that fram you will have hit something very hard! The rims should also be sweet unless you drop off of curbs everyday.

If you are looking for a more durable bike that is *nearly* as quick, try a cyclocross bike. Make sure that the wheels are at least 32, preferably 36 spoke jobs. Replace the tyres with some road specific ones and you are set. mind you, 205 pounds isn't all that heavy, and you will be less pretty soon if you start to ride alot.

uncreativename wrote:

I got a question,

I weigh around 205 lbs and I wanted to buy a Giant TCR or OCR Road bike, should I be worried about crushing the frame or bending the rim from bumps and random other weight  issues? I live in Chicago and there are a bunch of potholes and curbs all over the place.

Do you all think that may be an issue?

If you're going to be using this bike exclusively for commuting, consider a different bike.  As a previous poster said, consider buying a cyclocross bike, which is built to be a little more heavy duty.  You can take a 'cross bike over curbs without much worry, you can't do that on a road bike.  The weight difference might make a one or two minute difference in your ride, and when you're riding in a city setting there are lots of other things that will slow you down more than one or two minutes.

thanks people. i just wanted a 2nd bike to ride on trails or long distances with friends, my normal city bike right now is a full suspension NRS2 Giant which i jump off curbs and other somewhat high surfaces, ride down stairs and occasionally do off-road stuff, the rear suspension locks up when you start to pedal hard, so no loss of energy there. it's an awesome city bike.

thanks.