Bike porn

braces for hate

For a start - lightweight/performance-driven modern parts on a noodly, lugged steel frame? The frame will negate most of the performance gains of the components. Descending on wobbly steel with deep section wheels, sounds like a nightmare. I know no-one gives a toss about that here, but...

I don't think a custom modern fillet brazed steel frame is comparable to the old skinny "performance" frame of the past.

It's still going to be bendy as hell Ed, and heavy.

If it's custom, something has gone very wrong to end up with that headtube/stem set up, no?

lugged steel frame

Fillet brazed, innit?

It's still going to be bendy as hell Ed, and heavy.

Bit of a sweeping statement, if you don't mind me saying, we don't even know what tubing it's made of.

By way of comparison - this build makes perfect sense (if a bit heavy). Oversized steel modern, carbon fork, classic road geo. It's going to be fast, reasonably stiff and about 8kg.

It also looks lovely :)

If it's custom, something has gone very wrong to end up with that headtube/stem set up, no?

Not really, custom = no need for spacer Shirley?

Fillet brazed, innit?

ah sorry - saw fork crown and jumped to conclusions.

Not really, custom = no need for spacer Shirley?

Nonsense - the rider doesn't need the extra height if he's running a -17 stem.

you're assuming things.
How do you know its bendy?
How can you judge the geo from this perspective?
maybe the stem is there for trial, maybe he's waiting for the deeper bars and stem the build was made for?
maybe he swapped it for one race?
Maybe he got more flexible and decided to go deeper?
If you had a bargain on a schmolke, say somebody would sell saddle for 50quid, wouldnt you put it on your bike? It is an improvement, no?
are rotor cranks such a ww component?

Please dont bother answering these questions, I am just stating the point.

skinny tubing does not equal noodly ride, like alu frame does not equal stiff ride.

you're assuming things.
How do you know its bendy?
How can you judge the geo from this perspective?
maybe the stem is there for trial, maybe he's waiting for the deeper bars and stem the build was made for?
maybe he swapped it for one race?
Maybe he got more flexible and decided to go deeper?
If you had a bargain on a schmolke, say somebody would sell saddle for 50quid, wouldnt you put it on your bike? It is an improvement, no?
are rotor cranks such a ww component?

Please dont bother answering these questions, I am just stating the point.

No worries, I can't be arsed anyway. Fwiw - rotors are pretty heavy, but stiff (though I don't know how stiff those 'drillium' style rings are).

skinny tubing does not equal noodly ride, like alu frame does not equal stiff ride.

Ed, the properties of steel are such that thin tubing WILL equal flex, in the bb, stays and in the fork under heavy braking. You can't debate that. It's science, maths, magnets etc :)

How much flex is OK is totally up to the rider and what they want from the frame obviously. Maybe this guy figures that having really stiff cranks and wheels will compensate for flex - who knows?

nice!

^^this looks like a nightmare about a dystopian future where these things come to impose conformity on people's lovingly built unique bikes

I'm guilty of quite a few of your points on my new bike.

I'm using oversized stainless steel, fillet brazed- I'm hoping that the very-oversized headtube and downtube will result in quite a stiff frame though.

There are no out-right WW parts being used, but equally I have tried to use parts that are lighter if they are available- Ward Ti spindles in the Speedplays for example.

Oh, and I did grab an R1 Arione the other day.

I've gone for Rotor because they are stiff and very flexible in terms of mounting options- BSA or BB30 etc etc.

They are a bit of a default choice I guess, but then what's the alternative?

Penis cranks

Would be an alternative

^^ Good shot, I forget there's a difference.

Apparently the Vitus is more repairable as their main issue is usually by adhesive failure, the Alan's issue however are the lugs cracking.

Do anyone know a good site I can read up on Alan/Vitus frame?

I don´t know , ed, I just find out something in the net, (searching before buying myself an Alan ) but not really a speciffic or a specialized site.

I don't totally know where to put this.
It's very pretty so here?

skinny tubing does not equal noodly ride, like alu frame does not equal stiff ride.

Vs. overall diameter, wall thickness has very little bearing on overall stiffness. Anything else you're taking into consideration?

I'mma say no to the Kingdom sorry.

I don't totally know where to put this.
It's very pretty so here?
more info?

^ http://prollyisnotprobably.com/2013/04/beautiful-bicycle-northside-wheelers-porteur/#1

I love this. ^

Vs. overall diameter, wall thickness has very little bearing on overall stiffness.

That kind of arm waving won't do, there were commercially available tubesets in the olden days using the same ODs where one was twice as stiff as the other thanks to thicker walls.

On the other hand, everybody calm the fuck down; the standard 531 tubeset was stiff enough for most people, and going just ⅛" oversize all round sorts it out for the few large riders who genuinely struggled with old-school tube sets.