Condor Pista/Tempo

andrewleitch86 [quote]willski
What are the attributes of a typical Condor owner?

1. Devilishly handsome
   
2. Witty
   
3. Charming
   
4. Total Wanker
   [/quote]
   

See that's just rude. Item 4 should have been..

1. Compulsive Liar :)
   

i don't see how the pista is a rip-off compared to some of the builds coming from BLB. they are well made (in italy) and have a very good paintjob done over here, bit expensive if you buy frame only but the full build is good value. have you looked at the bits on a cannondale capo or a willier pista? way overpriced and make the condor look a bargain.

i think peoples beef is with shop and it's staff rather than the product.

this post doesn't mean pista owners are uptight, just very discerning.

condor pista owners are borderline asperger syndrome, nervous wrecks.

but the bikes do seem half sensible for the money, Nihmburst's bike didn't cost anywhere near as much as Smit's and it's got some decent bits on it, is light and apparently rides well.

the stock saddle is utter, utter shite though. good only for throwing at schoolchildren or OAPs

I was in there today looking at the Pista. It is a lovely frame. However, the Pista Clasico (sp?), the coffee and white one with chrome details is simply stunnng. I remember seeing it at the Cycle show a couple of years back - a lovely bike indeed. Bit more £'s though...

RPM condor pista owners are borderline asperger syndrome, nervous wrecks.

You know me better than I know myself ;)

I can make no comment on the moral fibre or taste of Pista owners other than I'm with BMMF on the St Peters Brewery beer. (Gotta love the Jerusalem Tavern).

My only advice: just don't buy the frames with the lead ballast in them.

my geared bike (dedacciai steel):

now, where's my pipe, slippers... and why are there only 7 pigeons? that's not a prime number. what the fuck?

Mouse I can make no comment on the moral fibre or taste of Pista owners other than I'm with BMMF on the St Peters Brewery beer. (Gotta love the Jerusalem Tavern).
.

I used to like that beer, used to buy it in Brixton tescos, I did. many yeards ago...

never seen the stout though, I want to try that

yeards?

rhymes with beards.

RPM never seen the stout though, I want to try that

The cream stout is amazing - a bit like Fullers London Porter, but richer. St Peters Old Fashioned Porter is alright, but tastes a bit thin after their stout, and their Honey Porter is interesting, but a bit perfumed and sickly.

You can buy cases of 12 from the Jerusalem for £32, made up to your spec. I'd go for 12 x Cream Stout :)

oh cool, I fucking love fullers london porter!

Jerusalem's a bit far to go though, maybe I'll get it online

pj yeards?

yes. It's a unit of time measured by how long it takes to grow several long beards.

Nihmburst's bike didn't cost anywhere near as much as Smit's

i take issue with that...

I got a new Pista a couple of months ago and I have no complaints whatsoever. I went for a 48:18 ratio, which will probably suit me for a few more months, and upgraded to the OpenPro wheels like Willski. The stock saddle isn't doing me any harm but I may go for a Swift for aesthetic reasons when I can justify it to myself. At some point I'll fit a cross lever front brake because my reactions ain't what they used to be.

The one thing to watch out for with Condor is the build time: mine took about six weeks, which seemed like an eternity. I'd had my last bike (a geared hybrid commuter I'd built on an old mountain bike frame, and which I'd had for years) nicked, and missed a lot of summer commuting, and weekend excursions.

The other thing to watch out for - it may just be me - is paranoia that your new and desirable Condor bike is going to get nicked. I have to leave mine outside work (in Holborn) all day and have invested in this frickin enormous Kryptonite NY U-Lock (even bigger that the Fahgeddaboutit) plus Abus shielded cable plus Abus lightweight D-Lock. AND I have wrapped old inner tubes round most of the decals so it looks to the untrained eye like a piece of old crap (from a distance). It kills me.

Reading this back it looks like it has been written by a borderline Aspergers nervous wreck. But we Condor owners are happy - in a way.

yeah, i share your paranoia, and i don't have to park it outside or anything.

The build time for me was fine, as i was expecting it, and also it was a little bit faster than they said it would be, so i didn't feel messed about. The other good thing about the 6 week wait was that i paid a big chunk when i ordered it, then was able to get lots of bling upgrades when it came to be built, as i had by then forgotten about the first chuck of money i paid! really helps spread the blow. Their service was good, i made sure to go there on quiet weekday afternoons, and they took a good bit of time measuring me up and so on. I didn't feel patronised as some poeple say they can be.

bad stuff : I found them a bit annoying with some of the upgrades, that's my only complaint. They didn't have any goldtec hubs, and were a bit unhelpful about getting more in, so i had to pay more for the condor goldtec ones. personally i think they should have offered those for the same price, but hey. a small point perhaps.
Also, as RPM pointed out, they put 170mm cranks on -i forgot to specify, being a trusting fixed-newbie. would feel better with some 165s on it.

I was nervous when i went to pick it up, as wasn't quite sure how it would look - but i was knocked out, i have to say. it's very, very nice, and is just my style. Overall i know that i paid a little bit more for certain bits cos it was from Condor, but i enjoyed it. I guess it's like goign to get a Savile Row suit - you can get it done cheaper elsewhere, but sometimes it's nice to pay your money and let someone take care of it all for you. The result was well worth it, and i feel in no way 'conned' - quite the reverse.

Thanks for all your comments. Looks like it is worth considering upgrading the wheels at a minimum to open pros and i think a cross lever front brake sounds like a good idea too.

(was thinking the tempo is a better idea because of the option of mudguards and a rack - think its identical to the pista except for changes to accomodate these things)

From HolyMoly, 8th June this year....

Sour Cream

A mole spotted a certain British guitar legend in a bicycle shop recently (Condor on Grey's Inn Road, if you insist) and described him as resembling 'a rather haughty tanned scrotum'.

The shop assistant was fawning over his famous client so much that he was beginning to resemble Gollum meeting the Queen, and his gasps of delight when a bike was finally sold to the great man were a joy to behold.

Eventually, the cap-doffing shop boy began to take the guitarist's details, inevitably requiring various bits of information.

"And sir's e-mail address?"

The reply was just a touch surprising for our lurking mole.

"Yes," said the man once described as 'God' by some fucking idiot with a spray can and an expanse of whitewashed wall, "My e-mail address is lordknobrot@**********.com."

Without raising an eyebrow or missing a beat, the toadying continued: "And can I ask, is sir spelling that with a 'K' or an 'N'"?

So 165 cranks too!

Nimhbus do you think it is worth upgrading the hubs as well as the rims?

miche hubs aren't crap and are better than all the formula copies on cheapo wheels. if you like the look of condor or goldtec hubs and upgrading isn't taking money that's better spent upgrading something else then why not.

i don't know if it's necessary, i'm sure the stock ones are fine. As i say, i waited so long that the money had grown back in my account, so i decided that if it's worth doing, it's worth doing right - it's not everyday, after all, that ones gets a bike built for one. So i upgraded everything i could, basically. I wanted it to be light, and the pista can be a little heavy with nothing but stock parts ( cough, Mouse).

My upgrades

Condor/Goldtec Hubs
Thomson seat post
sugino 75 cranks ( the stock Miche is fine, very nice in fact, but this year only available in black, and i wanted silver)
Dura-ace front brake
open pro rims

cough fuck off cough

;o)

Mouse's upgrade list

Lead lined Frame
Cast Iron Hubs by Le Creuset
Solid Rubber Tyres
Brooks Pb Rail Special Edition
Solid Gold Seatpost

ONLY JOKING MATE

i think he shouldn't have worn his cycling cap as they thought he was a messenger so ripped him off. the only one time when wearing a pink shirt will get you good service ;)

Le Creuset hubs - LOL! (That's such a middle age middle class reference tho).

middle class
middle aged
middle management
middle England

U IZ CONDR BKS