Wal-Mart Italian Road Bike for $1198

In article ,
Aeek writes:
On Sat, 3 May 2008 22:40:29 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

Madone frames, like all CFRP frames, are made from charred
polyacrylonitrile resin-- that's plastic, by the way-- in a matrix of
epoxy resin. Which is, y'know, plastic. Plastic is the least
marketing-termish thing you could call them.

I love my 08 Madone 6.9, its an awesome race bike.
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's the main thing. shrug Who can complain?
Nothing beats a bike that's a joy to ride, as well
as a pleasure to just ~have~.

Which reminds me: I've gotta get around to doing
something about my heron-motif-edition Raleigh Twenty.
It's a beauty, but the stock chrome wheels are so
fubar'dly out of true. I dunno whether to keep 'em
(and the whole bike) stock & original, or stick more
practical alu-alloy rims on there. I'm still thinking
about it. Some decent steerer bearings wouldn't hurt
either, if I could replace the existing nylon bushings.
I've also thought about replacing the flexy front brake,
but that's part of what makes a Twenty a Twenty.

I bet your Madone cuts through headwinds way better
than my daily whip (an old-skool Mountain Touring Bike,
with more emphasis on the "touring" than the "mountain".)

That said, my daily ride is an alloy track bike with front brake.
Neither of them are exactly practical, but my steel-is-real tourer has
barely been ridden in 9 months. Its time will come again.

If you use it, it's practical.

You are obviously saving your tourer for "best",
like your best suit. Nothing wrong with that.


cheers,
Tom

--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On May 4, 2:51 pm, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
Aeek writes: On Sat, 3 May 2008 22:40:29 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

Madone frames, like all CFRP frames, are made from charred
polyacrylonitrile resin-- that's plastic, by the way-- in a matrix of
epoxy resin. Which is, y'know, plastic. Plastic is the least
marketing-termish thing you could call them.

I love my 08 Madone 6.9, its an awesome race bike.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's the main thing. shrug Who can complain?
Nothing beats a bike that's a joy to ride, as well
as a pleasure to just ~have~.

Which reminds me: I've gotta get around to doing
something about my heron-motif-edition Raleigh Twenty.
It's a beauty, but the stock chrome wheels are so
fubar'dly out of true. I dunno whether to keep 'em
(and the whole bike) stock & original, or stick more
practical alu-alloy rims on there. I'm still thinking
about it. Some decent steerer bearings wouldn't hurt
either, if I could replace the existing nylon bushings.
I've also thought about replacing the flexy front brake,
but that's part of what makes a Twenty a Twenty.

What makes a Twenty great is the frame and the rear hub, the rest is
mainly junky. Get some Alex DM24s laced up for it for cheap. Steal a
fork from a kid's bike so you can use a good headset.

What's the brake reach? Either something bmx or that new reeeeeally
long reach dual pivot Tektro might fit the bill.

WalMart has a bike department?

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

From: (DennisTheBald)

An Italian bike with Japanese
components? go figure.

Hey, if the French are able to at least make an attempt at
standardizing, why not?

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

From: (Cathy*Kearns)
snip

However, the guys and girls on my rides
all have 700c tires. When someone has
an extremely bad day, and goes through
their stash of tubes, the others can loan
them tires. If I have an extremely bad
day I'm getting a ride home. (But with
the cute little wheels the bike will fit in
any car.) My husband and I needed two
different stashes of tubes at home. I
have 650c wheels, and I can tell you,
you don't want 650c wheels.

Two words:

"Patch Kit"

One size really does fit all!

- -
Compliments of:
"Your Friendly Neighborhood Wheelman"

If you want to E-mail me use:
ChrisZCorner "at" webtv "dot" net

My website:
http://geocities.com/czcorner

On May 2, 7:17 pm, "Cathy Kearns" wrote:

However, the guys and girls on my rides all have 700c tires. When someone
has an extremely bad day, and goes through their stash of tubes, the others
can loan them tires. If I have an extremely bad day I'm getting a ride
home.

Although it's not ideal, it does work to substitute a 700c tube in a
650 tire. Just fold over the extra length and make sure it's tucked
away so the tire still sits properly with the bead in the hook of the
rim. In fact on one ride we successfully put a 700c tube into the 12"
wheel on the trailer one rider used to tow his daughter up Mt. Diablo.

Substituting for a tire would be more of a problem, but it's not that
often that anyone has a spare tire along anyway.

In article ,
landotter writes:
On May 4, 2:51 pm, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
Aeek writes: On Sat, 3 May 2008 22:40:29 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

Madone frames, like all CFRP frames, are made from charred
polyacrylonitrile resin-- that's plastic, by the way-- in a matrix of
epoxy resin. Which is, y'know, plastic. Plastic is the least
marketing-termish thing you could call them.

I love my 08 Madone 6.9, its an awesome race bike.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's the main thing. shrug Who can complain?
Nothing beats a bike that's a joy to ride, as well
as a pleasure to just ~have~.

Which reminds me: I've gotta get around to doing
something about my heron-motif-edition Raleigh Twenty.
It's a beauty, but the stock chrome wheels are so
fubar'dly out of true. I dunno whether to keep 'em
(and the whole bike) stock & original, or stick more
practical alu-alloy rims on there. I'm still thinking
about it. Some decent steerer bearings wouldn't hurt
either, if I could replace the existing nylon bushings.
I've also thought about replacing the flexy front brake,
but that's part of what makes a Twenty a Twenty.

What makes a Twenty great is the frame and the rear hub, the rest is
mainly junky.

Steel handlebars have earned my respect.

The only thing junky on my Twenty is
the fat-assed aftermarket saddle.

The chainring with its fretworked herons
in the spokes is to die for. The pedals
are pretty with their relief herons in the
rubber. The paint is plum brown with gold
highlights here 'n there. The fenders are
sparkling chrome. If I obtained the stock
saddle, matching-coloured frame pump and a
S-A faceplate, it'd be like new out of the box.

Get some Alex DM24s laced up for it for cheap. Steal a
fork from a kid's bike so you can use a good headset.

What's the brake reach?

Almost a foot.


cheers,
Tom
--
Nothing is safe from me.
I'm really at:
tkeats curlicue vcn dot bc dot ca

On May 4, 7:15 pm, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
landotter writes:



On May 4, 2:51 pm, (Tom Keats) wrote:
In article ,
Aeek writes: On Sat, 3 May 2008 22:40:29 -0700 (PDT), Chalo
wrote:

Madone frames, like all CFRP frames, are made from charred
polyacrylonitrile resin-- that's plastic, by the way-- in a matrix of
epoxy resin. Which is, y'know, plastic. Plastic is the least
marketing-termish thing you could call them.

I love my 08 Madone 6.9, its an awesome race bike.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

That's the main thing. shrug Who can complain?
Nothing beats a bike that's a joy to ride, as well
as a pleasure to just ~have~.

Which reminds me: I've gotta get around to doing
something about my heron-motif-edition Raleigh Twenty.
It's a beauty, but the stock chrome wheels are so
fubar'dly out of true. I dunno whether to keep 'em
(and the whole bike) stock & original, or stick more
practical alu-alloy rims on there. I'm still thinking
about it. Some decent steerer bearings wouldn't hurt
either, if I could replace the existing nylon bushings.
I've also thought about replacing the flexy front brake,
but that's part of what makes a Twenty a Twenty.

What makes a Twenty great is the frame and the rear hub, the rest is
mainly junky.

Steel handlebars have earned my respect.

The only thing junky on my Twenty is
the fat-assed aftermarket saddle.

The chainring with its fretworked herons
in the spokes is to die for. The pedals
are pretty with their relief herons in the
rubber. The paint is plum brown with gold
highlights here 'n there. The fenders are
sparkling chrome. If I obtained the stock
saddle, matching-coloured frame pump and a
S-A faceplate, it'd be like new out of the box.

Oh, it's a trailer queen! Yeah, usually you can salvage Brit chrome,
but I don't see the point in running stock rims unless it's a display
bike. Same goes for saddles and grips. The brake calipers on Sports
can be made quite functional with modern levers, pads, and cables.

On May 2, 11:56*pm, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Cathy Kearns wrote:

"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
Cathy Kearns wrote:

I have a women's geometry 5000 trek from a few years back. *I
remember test riding a slightly larger 5000, which we determined was
too large. And a different model women's trek the size of my bike. *
Both had 700c wheels. *I ordered the my bike, and didn't ask if it
would have smaller wheels, since the neither of those I test road had
the smaller wheels. Yes, they certainly look precious, but the bike
does fit me.

However, the guys and girls on my rides all have 700c tires. *When
someone has an extremely bad day, and goes through their stash of
tubes, the others can loan them tires. *If I have an extremely bad
day I'm getting a ride home. *(But with the cute little wheels the
bike will fit in any car.) My husband and I needed two different
stashes of tubes at home. *I have 650c wheels, and I can tell you,
you don't want 650c wheels.

Calling ISO 571-mm (aka 650C) wheels small is very odd.

I believe I called them smallER than 700c wheels.

And you also called them "cute little wheels".

*Really, you think they are the same size or something?

No, ISO 571-mm wheels are actually quite large.

This is a bicycle with cute little wheels:
http://www.cycleurope.co.jp/2008/novt.html.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful- Hide quoted text -

- Show quoted text -

Cathy's "cute little wheels" are only quite large when compared to
something like the 14" wheels on the folding stem bike in the link you
posted but *both* seem tiny in comparison to the front wheel of a
nineteenth century ordinary. All things are relative.

Regards,
Bob Hunt

Bob Hunt wrote:
On May 2, 11:56 pm, Tom Sherman
wrote:
Cathy Kearns wrote:

"Tom Sherman" wrote in message
...
Cathy Kearns wrote:
I have a women's geometry 5000 trek from a few years back. I
remember test riding a slightly larger 5000, which we determined was
too large. And a different model women's trek the size of my bike.
Both had 700c wheels. I ordered the my bike, and didn't ask if it
would have smaller wheels, since the neither of those I test road had
the smaller wheels. Yes, they certainly look precious, but the bike
does fit me.
However, the guys and girls on my rides all have 700c tires. When
someone has an extremely bad day, and goes through their stash of
tubes, the others can loan them tires. If I have an extremely bad
day I'm getting a ride home. (But with the cute little wheels the
bike will fit in any car.) My husband and I needed two different
stashes of tubes at home. I have 650c wheels, and I can tell you,
you don't want 650c wheels.
Calling ISO 571-mm (aka 650C) wheels small is very odd.
I believe I called them smallER than 700c wheels.
And you also called them "cute little wheels".

Really, you think they are the same size or something?
No, ISO 571-mm wheels are actually quite large.

This is a bicycle with cute little wheels:
http://www.cycleurope.co.jp/2008/novt.html.

Cathy's "cute little wheels" are only quite large when compared to
something like the 14" wheels on the folding stem bike in the link you
posted but *both* seem tiny in comparison to the front wheel of a
nineteenth century ordinary. All things are relative.

Compared to what the devil rides, ordinaries have small wheels:
http://www.bicimilano.it/images/diavolodeltour.jpg,
http://cache.daylife.com/imageserve/080nbPO1PoeBA/610x.jpg,
http://www.corriere.it/Media/Foto/2006/02_Febbraio/04/fdg/BICI.jpg.

--
Tom Sherman - Holstein-Friesland Bovinia
The weather is here, wish you were beautiful