ojwithbikes

it is normal to feel this way in winter, if you dont have an issue of storage, give it till spring, ride and then assess

Alright, a few weeks of ruminating on what direction to go to acquire a chiller bike has culminated in this weird thing

Cycling has been taking a bit of a backseat in terms of the things I want to spend my free time lately on so I wanted a chill’er bike that felt less turbo, more silly, and a bit more ‘practical' (not sure how long the #brakeless thing is gonna last).

For the cost of a used rack off a mate, some pedals and straps, and some sweepy bars, it’s kinda achieved all that.

All in all, its fun, it’s made me dream of having a cargo bike, or more particular still, it’s strangely made me look forward to the day the Kepler and all its components are old and beat enough to retire to city duties; whack on a steel fork with a front rack, full guards, squishy slicks and some riders or something. Good stuff.

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great bike, great decision

awaking from 6 or so months of no ‘proper’ cycling to post on here

thinking about selling my Kinesis road bike and the Kepler to get something that I actually want to ride, wants and whims change, kinda fed up of having two bikes on the wall that just aren’t sparking joy for me anymore, would rather just get rid and follow my heart <3 to get something I’m excited about

I need to do a service on both of them as I’ve not looked at them for months
but, all things considered,
What kinda price would you guys say is sensible to list at for them as complete bikes?

(Pics below to save scrolling)

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before you sell the kepler ask yourself this 'will I be able to afford a bike like this if I regret selling?'

something like that would cost £2.5k now I assume

Dibs that carbon fork if you split

On a more helpful note - I have found I like my bikes more, the more I ride them. And the less I ride them the more I think about fettling, changing parts, or just outright selling and buying new.

yeeeaaaah that is one sensible way of looking at it, but it also seems kinda silly to have that much ‘money’ sat effectively depreciating whilst I have no desire to use it, so it’s a gamble on emotion and money either way I guess.

But like you say @stelfox, perhaps I just need to use them again, just not sure I actually want to haha

for context:
for one reason or another trail running and backpacking has kinda taken over the itch that gravel used to scratch. The road bike buy was a bit of an impulse decision when I thought I’d give ‘serious cyclist’ life a try. But I still get so much joy from cycling for utility around the city, so the fixie is still fun.

So, fresh off a couple days in Copenhagen with a burning desire to try to mimic a small little slice of that idyllic European city, cycle friendly, slower pace of life, up at 10am to ride with some friends or a S/O to grab a coffee and a pastry or to a park for a nap, kinda life. I am led to the conclusion that buying an Omnium Mini Max is the answer to all my wants, problems, and desires.

fresh off a couple days in Copenhagen

🤭🤭🤭

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Sell both but keep the parts needed to build a 2X rim brake OG gravel bike?

GREAT, now there’s another thing i want

Rim brake CX bikes will never again be as easily available as they are now...

I'm still holding out for a big Kepler showing up on ebay in my price bracket..

I’d say just size down but there’s a lot of sizing down to be done between us

The next best thing to a cx alu canti is a carbon one.

often when we are infatuated with a culture, a way of life, an aesthetic or a new muse we focus on what consumer items said aesthetic/ muse/ culture/ way of life buys/utilises or desires. The process being that buying said items will somehow bring us in line with what it is we hope to emulate. We often skim past the fact that the desirable traits of what we covet are actually the product of their environment rather than a synthesis of their aesthetics.

that kepler looks every bit a copehagen city splitter as a stridsiland baby carrier or wheelied omnium, the issue is where it's ridden is a gremlin island where rent is so high it makes one think about if they can justify the modest asset of a nice bike. any copohagen inspired bike will be trapped by the same conditions, but with the added layer of dissonance from its environment forever making it feel some what of a simulacra.

I'd sell the road bike (the kepler works fine as one) and use the funds to either return to coponhagen, maybe even with the kepler. failing that, put said funds to wards a nice sticker pack and an evening course or hobby you can cycle too in the cool, london evening air once a week.

that said if they're not sparking joy:

a grand for the kepler (on fb market place or the like, maybe split here)

600 for the roadbike if you split i reckon - it's rim and a sad state of the world

concur with the lads, a nice rim brake cross bike with flat bars and a set of jorts.

Eloquently put as usual Maj! Luckily I too have a nonsensical MA from Goldsmiths also so I can appreciate your comments haha.

It was a tongue in cheek joke more than anything. Fundamentally, I’m just not currently arsed about ‘cycling’ yet also like riding bikes around so I don’t need to rely on public transit as I don’t intend on buying a car as long as I’m here in the big smoke of hellhole brexit island. But the thought of moving furniture, taking my S\O out without having to endure the tube, and doing silly errands for friends does make me smile (: Like everyone who likes bikes, we’ve all dreamed of owning a cargo bike, figure I may as well give it a try.

Also about to engage in a bit of a career change that means my free time for the next 2 years is gonna be very minimal, no time for long bike rides :(

+1 for jorts though

And for the price estimate! Everyone else vote pls

cargo bike and a laka plan sounds perfect imo

athein looks nice, what are the wheels ?

I have a kepler and have struggled to make riding it joyful as well so I feel you pain.

What size is yours? I have a 56 and find it too large

often when we are infatuated with a culture, a way of life, an aesthetic or a new muse we focus on what consumer items said aesthetic/ muse/ culture/ way of life buys/utilises or desires. The process being that buying said items will somehow bring us in line with what it is we hope to emulate. We often skim past the fact that the desirable traits of what we covet are actually the product of their environment rather than a synthesis of their aesthetics.
that kepler looks every bit a copehagen city splitter as a stridsiland baby carrier or wheelied omnium, the issue is where it's ridden is a gremlin island where rent is so high it makes one think about if they can justify the modest asset of a nice bike. any copohagen inspired bike will be trapped by the same conditions, but with the added layer of dissonance from its environment forever making it feel some what of a simulacra

This thought is so well put out that i've already came back a couple times to read it again and elaborate on it. Food for thought, really @Maj

@Glws Some light bicycle rims on novatec A291SB hubs, they’re pretty cool if i do say so myself.

@jmg412 mine is a 54. I hear what you’re saying, some may say the geo isn’t ‘best suited’ for some shenanigans. But to be fair, it’s not the bikes fault per se, I had loads of great times on it. I just don’t have infinite free time and I’ve been choosing to spend what I do have doing things that don’t involve riding it!

came back here for the baudrillardian reading of oj’s holiday brain worms… which made me think am i building a cargo bike for the same reasons?

then when you sell the omnium you can justify custom bri’ish steel such as shand, varonha, stayer etc.

Specifically the envy of bike-friendly European city life or just the general gist of ‘we try do things that will make us happy i.e. we try, one step at a time, to create for ourselves the lives we want to live, which inextricably involves consumption’ ?