Any question answered...

It's difficult to hit a frame hard enough in transit to do that, usually needs the weight of a rider behind it to apply enough force. However, it is possible and it's a reason to remove the fork from a frame for shipping.

Have you checked the top tube? Usually if the down tube is damaged the top tube shows signs of being compressed too.

TT looks (to my trained eye ha!) absolutely fine, no bulge or crease or cracks in the paint.

Interesting.

Emailed Matt lets see what happens.

I hope you get it sorted, it looks like a beautiful frame.

It's difficult to hit a frame hard enough in transit to do that, usually needs the weight of a rider behind it to apply enough force. However, it is possible and it's a reason to remove the fork from a frame for shipping.

Well bugger me I'll look at the forks too as they are Easton EC70's!

Have asked before, but without any response and cant find much info in older threads either. I plan on moving to Madrid in a few weeks and am wondering about the cycling scene there. Are there many people out there riding and are there any good roads to ride (out of the city, into the mountains to the north/north-west)?

Fucks sake. Is this salvageable with more hammering?
http://i.imgur.com/pxGB6Qe.jpg

You tried to insert that without using the proper tool, didn't you?

I hope you get it sorted, it looks like a beautiful frame.

Is the downtube swaged on the Atlanta? I.e a larger diameter by the bb than by the head tube

I believe that might have been the case.

DIY headset methods and me don't agree, I've decided.

Any hope to rescue, or drill it out?

Fucks sake. Is this salvageable with more hammering?
http://i.imgur.com/pxGB6Qe.jpg

yeah, just hammer harder.

Any hope to rescue, or drill it out?

I seem to remember getting a skewed star nut out by Dremel once, it's tricky because the access is tight and the star is made from hard spring steel, but it can be done.

Interestingly (to absolutely no-one) I have some Dremel cutting discs winging their way to me as we speak.

Until then it's hammertime. Once it's below the top of the steerer I'm going to try and get a socket in as a makeshift straightener.

yeah, just bash it, it'll come right. a socket extender works well for this

here's how to remove it if you need to
http://gearinches.com/blog/how-to/how-to-remove-a-star-nut/comment-page-1

how much difference does a good pair of handlebars make? I've sort of accidentally ended up with a very nice road bike, but I've never bought drops that were more than £25. Does going from £20 (Deda RM01) to say £50 really make any noticeable difference and if so what should I buy for <£70, compact with an 75mm reach (Dead Zero 100?)

in other news, check the shopping out on this image from the deda website!

Get some RHM02's, they're my favourite handlebars so far, even compared to ones that retail at £300.

Double Post

Is the downtube swaged on the Atlanta? I.e a larger diameter by the bb than by the head tube

Yep. But not as much as a CSI looks like it's 35.3mm at BB to 33.2mm at the head tube.

I've emailed Matt, wonder of he can pop it out?

I think I'll be slightly fucked getting a new tube as Saratoga Frameworks are no more!

Triple Post.

Have asked before, but without any response and cant find much info in older threads either. I plan on moving to Madrid in a few weeks and am wondering about the cycling scene there. Are there many people out there riding and are there any good roads to ride (out of the city, into the mountains to the north/north-west)?

I lived there in 2010, there was very few fixed gear riders and cycling in the city is a bit of a nightmare, most riders I saw were the comedy full-kit-riding-an-mtb-round-and-round-the-park variety, however...

I worked a lot in San Sebastian de Los Reyes, a suburb to the North, and also some suburbs in the South near Getafe, and from there you can get out into what is basically desert real easy, and you'll see a lot of hardcore roadies chainganging it.

Maybe it's changed since then but I remember it as a really car or ped centred city, bikes didn't really feature and it's not really in their consciousness to look out for you (even if they were incredibly apologetic after pulling out on you/opening doors/cutting you up which isn't really useful if they do hit you) which made for some shifty riding.

Sorry can't be of more help-if you speak Spanish I remember there being a fixed gear Madrid website, you could maybe ask there. It's still a fun city to be-lots of amazing museums, parks and leafy squares-I just remember being fucking knackered all the time as the Spanish working day is really long with all the breaks and siesta time factored in, then the weekend is fucking intense with 11pm dinners, going to clubs at 2am, then home at 8 to repeat... Takes it out of you!

Star nut fixed (with judicious use of hammer, screwdriver and socket)!

Problem 2 of the day:

I pressed this button in on my sliding PVC door and now it won't shut because I need a key to unlock it and pop the button out. the people we bought the house off don't seem to have left a key. Where do I get this key? I can't seem to Google it. It looks like a standard round notched key thing.

they're called tubular keys, but i don't think they're universal.

edit: http://www.ehow.com/how_12190196_make-universal-tubular-key.html

edit: that's useless, contact the maker of the doors

Confirmed by Anglian. They're unique but they're trying to get us a new one (on Monday).

Lucky that I live 5 mins from their shop in Streatham.

I was in Madrid last month. And over the past 5 years I've spent more time in Madrid than in Central London.

Everything UG says is true - it is really a car city. I've seen a couple of Fixies floating around Central, or La Chuecha (sp?) and very cool they look too. There's a roadie shop at the bottom of Atocha, and a couple more floating around the city. However, a glance at the condition of the cars in Madrid, and the way they park, will show you that observation and obstacle avoidance is not taught in Spanish driving lessons.

Amazing city. It's impossible to have bad time there. Am very jealous. Have fun.

A colleague is after a road bike after his was stolen. Nothing fancy, maybe a Specialized Allez with Sora, but everything that comes up in his price range is either dodgy as fuck or has been left in a garden ending up with shitty headsets, rusty bolts, cables, and chains. Is £250 too little a budget for a looked after commuter/nodder roadbike??

^ I purchased a barely ridden Trek 1200SL with 105 /Tiagra mix from Tel in that price range.
Alu with carbon fork. They do come up in that price range but winter seems to be a cheaper time to purchase.