Frame Recommendations

pip For 300 quid you can get a Bob Jackson, which are both pretty and fast.
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That Alta bike thing is the whole bike, which is not too bad for £450.

That's a ~20k journey isn't it? In 30min? You're sh1tloads faster than me.

Comparing the Alta with sh1tty Halfords bikes certainly wasn't a recommendation for it.

I've been talking with one of our club members (heavier build, ex-trackie, similar to me) and he's gradually allaying my fears of full-carbon frames. Offered his for a tester.. hehe little does he know...
Nowadays, I'm not racing, so I don't reckon there would be any reason to avoid carbon in favour of the ("perceived" to be) stiffer and more crash-durable aluminium jobbies.
Almost every fecker I ride with has a carbon bling machine that comes out for nice weather. I'm jealous. I want a cyclefit and then I'm going bike p0rn shopping.. Options open as always :)

Peacemaker: 1800g (not sure which size or if it includes fork, etc)
Charge Plug: 2500g, Fork 912g (not sure if that's included in frame weight)
Langster: 1587g (conversion from 3.5lbs) (again not sure what's included or frame size specified)
Surly Steamroller (56cm): 2010g, fork 916g
On-One Il Pompino (54cm): 2150g, fork 843g
Pearson Touche (56cm): 1720g, fork 577g
Dolan FXE (58cm): 1920g, fork 620g
IF Steel Crown Jewel Track Frameset: 1620g
Soma Rush: 1814g (frame only)

Thanks for the info Hippy, I'd never have the Langster frame was that light, I may have to go back and look at the bits it fitted with and see where the weight is? Thanks for mentioning the Pearson, I'd forgotten about them.

One thought worth sharing about the whole carbon fibre bike thing is the issue of just how much easier it is to crush damage carbon bits by over tightening things, the other thing I wasn't expecting was to have the (carbon fibre) seat post get all bound up in the seat tube, I got it out eventually but it made all sorts of scary noises and the friction made the frame get perceptibly warm to the touch all around the seat tube/top tube area, that was scary! I ended up working it out a couple of millimeters, then leaving it 15-20 minutes to cool down before working it out another couple of millimeters.

If I can afford it (and it won't be for at least several years) next time I'll got for a frame with titanium main frames but a carbon fork and rear triangle, something like the Seven Cycles ID8, well we can all dream can't we. I still love the Pedal Force but the whole carbon fibre seat post stuck in carbon fibre seat tube and making very scary squeaking noises coming out has heightened my anxiety about carbon fibres long term strength/reliability.

poly as a possible alternative how about this.
titanium track bike for about £225, add in 30 or so quid for shipping and another sixty odd on this end for customs charges ands you could have a titanium track frame for under 400 smackers.
frame weight is 1520g
I brought one of these frames from this guy off ebay, took a while to arrive, but the frames in perfect nick and I've spent the last couple of months buying bits for it. Still not finished but I'm dying to get it done and to start riding it.
http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Titanium-Tracker-bike-frame-AeroTi-Brand-New_W0QQitemZ190146065589QQihZ009QQcategoryZ2904QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

I swapped out the full-carbon fork on the Soma for an alu steerer one for the same reason - crushing carbon tubes.
I don't have a torque wrench and I don't trust myself to avoid over-tightening the stem clamp. It probably would've snapped in half when I crashed into the mtb twat the day after the swap.. still need to swap that headset.. 1" threadless Chris King anyone?

hippy I swapped out the full-carbon fork on the Soma for an alu steerer one for the same reason - crushing carbon tubes.
I don't have a torque wrench and I don't trust myself to avoid over-tightening the stem clamp.

You heathens.

Best tools I ever bought was a pair of torque wrenches 5-20nm and 19-110nm - I no longer crush, over tighten or under tighten stuff, and guess what ? All those loose BBs, squeaking headsets, bent saddle rails and stripped threads no longer happen !

I never said I don't have a torque wrench, I've just never quite got round to using it, which of course is really stoopid. I've got one, but it's a 1/4" jobby and all my tools/sockets/adaptors are 1/2", or is it 1/2" and eveything else is !/4", ah damn, can't remember. But the point is you're right torque wrenches are a good idea and I should use one.

Don't think that would have solved the carbon to carbon binding problem though and thats what really freaked me out. Anyway I now have a nicely shimmed down USE Alien aero seat post fitted to the Pedal Force which is super lovely and a plastic shim between the post and the seat tube which I'm hoping will prevent binding from occurring again.

polybikeuser Don't think that would have solved the carbon to carbon binding problem though and thats what really freaked me out. Anyway I now have a nicely shimmed down USE Alien aero seat post fitted to the Pedal Force which is super lovely and a plastic shim between the post and the seat tube which I'm hoping will prevent binding from occurring again.

That should do it !

I am sure you are aware, but in case your not, you do know you must not use grease (of any kind) on carbon parts, it causes them to delaminate - which to me and you would appear as the carbon swelling (and binding).

On my carbon parts I use assembly paste, it stops carbon from slipping and makes it easy to slide carbon parts out (seat posts especially).

leeww

You heathens.

Yes?

Best tools I ever bought was a pair of torque wrenches 5-20nm and 19-110nm - I no longer crush, over tighten or under tighten stuff, and guess what ? All those loose BBs, squeaking headsets, bent saddle rails and stripped threads no longer happen !

I've not crushed anything but I do have loose parts. I've only bent saddle rails crashing and I've not stripped a thread.
How much are tourque wrenches?
How much do I care to actually use one? My bike is lucky if its cranks stay on for a single ride.. and I'm still not going to ride a full-carbon fork

hippy I've not crushed anything but I do have loose parts.

Loose parts wear faster !

hippy I've only bent saddle rails crashing and I've not stripped a thread.
How much are tourque wrenches?

All my bolts and parts are super duper light alloy/titanium and pre-torque wrench I was always ruining things.

Torque wrenches aren't cheap, a Park Torque Wrench will set you back around £30 and this will only cover one range (maybe 2nm - 15nm) which might be fine, but to cover yourself you might need two, These Park Torque Wrenchs are the beam sort, which are easy to re-calibrate if they drift out.

I have got a pair of the 'click' sort which are great to use, but expect to pay £50 each (!!!!!)

Can you ever spend too much money on your bike ?

hippy How much do I care to actually use one? My bike is lucky if its cranks stay on for a single ride.. and I'm still not going to ride a full-carbon fork

Like I said I used to get all the usual loose crank, loose BB, a creak here or there, a slipping seatpost and all the usual bike problems we all get now and again, but since the torques moved in I have had zero bike problems (which is a revelation to me !!).

The day before this years London to Brighton I built up a complete bike from the ground, installed BB, fork, brakes, headset etc etc - I then rode the whole 54 miles (70 including getting down to my friends place) without a worry - I would have never risked this before as I pretty much know something would come loose, fall off or fail during the first few rides if not correctly torqued.

leeww
Loose parts wear faster !

It's ok... they're Campag parts.

All my bolts and parts are super duper light alloy/titanium

I prefer strong to light. Stronglight is ok :)

a Park Torque Wrench will set you back around £30 and this will only cover one range (maybe 2nm - 15nm) which might be fine, but to cover yourself you might need two

£60 for tools I'd probably neglect to use most of the time is why I've not got any :)

Can you ever spend too much money on your bike ?

My Scottish heritage says "yes!" :)

there's nothing "super duper" about alloy bolts!

Yeah there is! The price! :P

the bareknuckle

Mine one is just sweet, light, fast and just nicely not too conspicuious, but then I haven't sat on mine (Imoncrank's) or ridden mine into a ditch (LPG's)....

buddha: Is it still just a frame? Can you weigh it for us?

as nice a chap as you are I can't be arsed to strip it down and then go out and buy some digital scales can you goggle it..?

the-smiling-buddha as nice a chap as you are I can't be arsed to strip it down and then go out and buy some digital scales can you goggle it..?

Sorry, I thought you had it in bits. I tried google. Didn't get far with this one. I could keep looking but you know.. beers to be finished and stuff..
I emailed hubjub.. let's see if they come up with something?

Don't buy non spcuific bike tools like a tourque wrench from park tools. You wil pay a premium for the fact that it has park writen on it. A good qulity tourque wrench from a tool shop will do just as well.

The langster frame is probably as light or lighter than any steel frame unless you start spending a lot of money on OS 853 or something. If you want to make it lighter then I would change the stock wheels, look at the weight of the current fork and then look at finishing kit (seatpost, saddle, stem, bars).

The stock langster wheels aren't that great and something like 32 hole hubs laced to OPs should be stronger and lighter. I think you said you've got the alloy fork so look at a carbon one which might also ride nicer. You can probably save a fair bit of weight on finishing kit if the current stuff is the stock stuff. You could also take off the rear brake and lever (if still attached).

I agree somewhat with Tommy, but I've actually found the little beam torque wrench from Park easier to use than a 'click' style one I replaced it with. I'm actually going to switch back. For larger torques, the Park beam one is pretty pony as its hard to read when you're leaning on stuff and not that acccurate.

Story about weight.. and pink.. found on a friend's blog: http://www.teamalameda.com/FlashBlog/?p=14