Root's 853 Goff

im not sure about the statistical confidence on this sample size but it seems pretty damning.

so I think my frame should be getting started some time this month. That means I have to decide about a colour scheme. I'm thinking about going green...

flamboyant green to be precise (excuse the shit photoshopping). I've like/wanted the colour since I first saw it on johnQdarwin's goff (pictured below for ref) but thought that would be copying. I have since gotten over this childishness and decided to get the colour I wanted.

My parts bin is emptier that I thought and I will now in need of some finishing kit, any recommendations for:
compact drops (was thinking the planet x ones?)
A non-thompson non-shouty stem (also thinking the planet x cnc stem)
non shouty seatpost. I have a USE alien seatpost which could be fixed with a new bolt. Do you think it will look out of place on this build.

I'm thinking cheapish components at the minute, I may upgrade when the austerity measures are over.

Pro PLT compact are also nice if PX ones are out of stock

Zipp service course would look nice as a complete finishing kit.

I find specialized finishing kit is nice and a good price or deda Or go fizik if you want posh.

Pro PLT compact are also nice if PX ones are out of stock

The pro LT ones were only 18 quid at PBK so I've gone for them, got a matching stem from elsewhere for 18 as well. It doesn't look too lairly in the photo, i might try and remove the decals when it arrives. Also just bought a M:Part elite headset as it was the only one with a round bottom cup that wasn't silly money.

best decal remover:

The other day someone thought I paid for 3T 'stealth' stem .. lol

I've become a ritchey fan boy lately.
the wcs alu line offers very good weights for the price.

Most of the PX components seem to be pretty decent. Those CNC ones look good for the money. Otherwise have a look for second hand ones. There's also that really cheap light one that I think Chainbreaker used on his superlight/supersafe, and bmxed had on his TCR, only available in 110mm iirc.

For bars I think the FSA compacts are nice and cheap I have the Omega's but a few have said the Fsa wing pro are better.

IMO unless you can buy the finishing kit you really want, I'd just go for the cheapest stuff that works and upgrade when you can/want.

Also just on colour if you're going flamboyant on the green I'd go for silver rather than grey for the panel outlines. Otherwise it might look a bit matt. I'd guess the black + lacquer will "pop" without needing sparkles.

IMO unless you can buy the finishing kit you really want, I'd just go for the cheapest stuff that works and upgrade when you can/want.

Right !
http://www.schmutzie.com/weblog/2011/10/18/poor-people-cannot-afford-cheap-things.html

I think you forgot to read the whole sentence.

I said the cheapest stuff that works. Most finishing kit isn't rocket science and provided you keep it simple and choose wisely there's no need for more expensive kit. I am a firm believer in there being sensible price points for most products.

For e.g. I bought one of these ITM stems for a tenner.

http://i.ebayimg.com/t/ITM-Visia-Alloy-Oversize-Road-Bike-Handlebar-Stem-unbranded-/00/s/NjIyWDkzNg==/z/BDQAAOxyUXVRCo6d/$T2eC16JHJHQE9nzEyOonBRCo6duRT!~~60_1.JPG

It's heavy and not the prettiest. But it's simple, black and looks unobtrusive. It has 4 bolts and is forged with no machining (pretty certain about this from the size/finnish). It served me well and I can't see how a more expensive stem would *function *better (assuming the only function is to hold my bars and secure to the steerer).

Also while that article has a sensible overall point most of it is retarded. Who the fuck chooses to sleep on a futon for 3 years? If was so cheap and he only had to wait a couple of months for a better bed why didn't he buy a better bed 4-5 months later and then use the futon as a sofa/spare bed? Or just buy a mattress to put on the top. Even better would have been to just buy a mattress, put it on the floor and buy the frame later. Basically his purchasing rational was just poor. It had very little to do with buy cheap/buy twice.

It also completely ignores the modern world where tons of "quality/expensive" products are heavily marketed and loaded with gimmicks to add value and function no better than well chosen cheaper ones. It also ignores low production costs in the developing world that allow us to buy cheap.

#rantover

IMO unless you can buy the finishing kit you really want, I'd just go for the cheapest stuff that works and upgrade when you can/want.

Exact same approach I have for finishing kit. On the latest build I spent about £30. Its just finishing kit; if you dont prefer the aesthetics sharpie it.

Those pro lt bars came today, pretty pleased with the shape of them they are very compact. Came in an absolutely massive box

i was hoping to get some opinions from some people today re details. Roboto on the forum was kind enough to knock these up for me (I'm shit at photoshop)

I think the the one with two decals looks best the problem is though on the drive side the I don't like the way decal reads.

I'd prefer if I could have it like this

but i (and Roboto) think the text will be too small to read or the panel will need to be too big to fit on the tube. What do people reckon to something like this?

Opinions much appreciated. Anybody have any other ideas of what could go in that panel? I don't really like the look of it empty.

unfortunatelly you have bars allready. Would look classy with Ritchey Classic seatpost, stem and bars.

I don't think you have to have the text that small on the downtube, it could always wrap around a bit to have it the same size as the downtube text.

hehe I read that "goff, steve goff" -decal instantly with a certain movie caracter in mind.

unfortunatelly you have bars allready. Would look classy with Ritchey Classic seatpost, stem and bars.

I'd considered this but funds didn't allow it at the minute, I also thought that having the more classic silver look may of made the rival groupset look out of place.

I don't think you have to have the text that small on the downtube, it could always wrap around a bit to have it the same size as the downtube text.

The problem I had envisaged is making them larger makes the whole panel longer and it won't leave enough space for the 853 decal. I admit the mockup isn't the best depiction of this.

hehe I read that "goff, steve goff" -decal instantly with a certain movie caracter in mind.

Maybe I'll sneak a comma in behind the cranks. I hadn't noticed this but quite like it now.

I personally think it would look better if you had the same size font on each tube. Whether that means cutting it down to the single name on the seat tube may depend on how much room you've got to play with, but maybe this helps for reference??

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Why not leave seat tube green and just have the black on the downtube?

That was the original idea, I though the frame looked a bit more balanced with two panels.

If your frame is "getting started sometime this month" this means you'll have around 6 months or so to deliberate paint.... i speak from experience.
Time works differently in Skelmersdale.
Top builder though :)

Rang him the other day to see if I could change a few things on the order and he hadn't started it yet, I was pretty pleased with this as it allows the changes but johnnettles post seems a bit more likely now. Anyway it looks like i've got a little while to sort out the colour.

I've changed my mind and now going for a longer brake drop to provide more clearance. An annoyance on my current frame is the limited space afforded by my calipers I find i have to adjust them every now and again. I also rode a bike with r650 calipers and couldn't really tell any difference between those and some sram short drops.

I'm going to have 853 fork blades as well, I couldn't find much information on these but I'm hoping they will lighten up the front end a bit.

Last change isn't frame related but I'm probably going to go shimano 105 for the group, assuming I can get rind of my rival set.

Colourwise I'm leaning towards a gun-metal again. I was worried this might be too dark with the rival but now i think silver 105 gear should lighten it up.

Well another update from Steve and the bike has been started. He is hoping to get it in the painters before he's off on his jollies. I'm pretty pleased as I have almost given up hope. Now its looking like I might have it as a birthday present. Although this post will probably jynx that.

In the mean time I have bought, built and been riding this:

I am now trying to justify keeping it.

Painters next week apparently, a week for paint. Its almost here!