Functional bikes. Not Porn not Anti

I want one of them now.

I have a Thorn Audax gathering dust at home. I was knocked off it by a car and it was written off by the bike shop because of a tiny, tiny crease in the top tube. It's currently powdercoated cream and has Velo Orange porteur bars on. It's in a sorry state (not frame-wise, just needs a bloody good service, maybe chain, pads etc). Essentially it's unused, gathering dust and looking sorry for itself. Does anyone think they could make some use of it? I wouldn't watch much for it at all...

https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/215101/#comment9203961

What size is it? After something for the girlfriend.

In my workshop, getting brazed.

Thanks ed. I'm not sure I agree with lots of that, but I appreciate your ongoing commitment to educating people about tyre width. If only British cyclists were as enlightened as their American cousins!

I've been reading 'Bicycling Science 3rd Ed.' from the MIT Press, and they still seem to conclude that thin, high-pressure tyres are better. That said they mainly focus on pure rolling resistance as their measure of performance. This is measured using rollers with smooth surfaces. On most roads in real-world conditions, they acknowledge that harder, smaller tyres force the rider to expend more energy in vertical motion over obstacles, as well as causing more abrupt velocity changes, so I think that this area of performance merits more investigation. Perhaps the rollers could be 'surfaced' with varying degrees of roughness?

I got the book because I thought it would inform my framebuilding, but so far it seems to indicate that HPVs are the way to go...

they mainly focus on pure rolling resistance as their measure of performance

There you have it

http://www.lfgss.com/comments/9203701/

;p

@LeMesjeu @rive_gauche I'll have a measure tonight and post the details. It needs a bloody good overhaul, but it'd be nice to know it's getting some love and use.

I did indeed. I had the idea like I always do of building it slowly over the next few months, but excitement got the better of me and I have ordered pretty much everything I didn't have yet and will hopefully have it built in a week or two.

Reckon it'll be a very handy bike and full build should be about £500 or so I think so cheap too.

That Bridgestone is bloody amazing.

Any ideas what the rack on the geekhouse is?

Haulin' Colin

@LeMesjeu @rive_gauche Just measured it up: top tube is 570mm CTC, seat tube is 575mm CTC. I snapped some poor quality pics too.

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I'm interested, it looks the right size for me....

It's in a sorry state. Pump up the tyres and you could ride it home though. Just about. £150 takes it. Wheels are SOLID touring wheels. Shimano cranks, XT mech, Middleburn chainrings... Sorry about the pink cables. No idea what I was thinking.

That's a magnet Sugru-d to the bars. Have a front light with similar treatment. Instant mount... I'll leave that on.

What brand is that frame?

@sparky @ lemesjeu @platypus - thanks for pics, I'll pass

Sadly too big for the girlfriend, thanks anyway.

Id be interested in giving it a good clean and riding it. I can't see the ripple in those picks. Is it very tiny? Please give @platypus first refusal though.

It's very tiny. I'd have to say that it's for ornamental porpoises only, to cover my back, but when you see the size of the crease you'll form your own opinions I'm sure...

Now it's morning and I've looked again I think I'll have to pass, sorry...probably can't justify another bike at home! @root all yours :~)

Verging on anti for me

@spotter my next bike will be a Shand.