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A distraction. What's your opinion about this bike?

snoogly

Maximum Pace
Oct 14, 2007
695
48
Our minds are full of serious thoughts right now, but it can be relaxing to think about bikes ... This bike was built up by the author of a blog I frequent:

http://thelazyrando.wordpress.com/2011/03/11/boulder-bicycle-all-road-build/

I wonder what your thoughts are about this bike. It was built for randoneering, and I am sure it is comfy, but how well do you think a build like this would do in Japan? I don't know what it weighs, but I wonder how well it would in them thar hills.
 
Not distracting at all.

Shared DNA?

<pics below>

Narrow mavic rims but w/32mm schwalbe marathons. Rockshock seat shock. Basic mtn gearing, I forget exactly what, probably 34 for lowest gear in back. Better brakes than the original canti ones that came on it. Generally Deore, but XT for RDR. Originally a cannondale C600, something like 15-18 yrs old.

Rode it yesterday, and twice last weekend. It's like a heavier/bigger car that you might want for a more comfortable long-haul trip, like riding the rails. Everything about it works fine, but if I were going to replace it, I'd go Surly LHT.

on edit: that bike looks fine, but white?? And someone comments about adding white tires? My preference would be for a color a little more amenable to being usable/dirty, rather than a show bike.
 
Looks like a nice machine. Balance looks good even when loaded up.
650B rims and tyres would be very hard to find and 26" would be a better choice. 1" headset seems willfully retro-for-its-own-sake and again would make replacement parts hard to find. Plenty of gears to get up the steep hills!

Not meant as criticism of the build - just some things I would change for Japan. Seems to be a full custom frame anyway so you could choose exactly what you wanted.
 
Of course the fenders will not be bike-bag friendly.

I am often tempted by a dyno hub, but are they heavy beasts? Though the weight of battery packs is probably more than a dyno hub...

I wonder what it weighs. I asked him via a comment, but he wasn't forthcoming.
 
I've had my papa-chari on a night train, but it is certainly heavy and b*tch to carry. I used two of the largest trash bags I could find and some tape, front wheel off and in the triangle, bars lowered and turned sideways, with an improvised shoulder strap between the stem and seat. Rear wheel and rack stayed on, pans carried separately. As of yesterday:

C600b.jpg

C600a.jpg
 
That stem length is an epic distraction. How tall are you?

It's a nice looking bike by the way.

This is the year of the Rabbit, perhaps a rabbit theme is also something to explore.

bunnyonbike.jpg
 
I'm building something similar - but different:

1) Upright geometry - like that
2) Titanium w/carbon fork
3) Internal gear hub
4) S&S Coupler
5) Tektro Lyra DB
6) Custom Ti Rack
7) Carbondrive (belt)

Will post pix when I can ... just got tired of stuff breaking, heavy or being un-essential to the purpose of getting from one place obscure to another yet more obscure.

(i.e. - ever jump on your bike at 3.30am from a Greek Freighter and find the brakes have been nicked?? Not fun.)
 
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