View Full Version : New ANT Club Racer
spokenword
03-22-07, 11:45 PM
Took delivery of my new ANT Club Racer today. All I could think of was ... gosh, it's shiny.
http://users.rcn.com/crisc/images/bike/bikeside.jpg
more photos to follow tomorrow, but basic bike stats
Shimano Ultegra triple crank and front derailleur
Shimano Deore XT rear derailleur
Chris King headset
Nitto Noodle handlebars
my own handbuilt 36 spoke 700C wheels with Mavic Open Sport rims
Grand Bois Cypres 700x30 tires
front Schmidt SON dynamo hub
rear Ultegra hub
dual E6 lights mounted to custom rack
Shimano Bar-end shifters
Tektro long-reach brakes
Honjo Fenders
custom built rear rack
http://users.rcn.com/crisc/images/bike/antlogo3.jpg
I've taken it for a couple of spins around the block just as a getting to know you exercise. Aiming to ride it 14 miles to work tomorrow to see how it feels with some distance. Undecided about whether or not I'm going to to take on this weekend's 200k.
PhattTyre
03-22-07, 11:48 PM
That sure is purdy. Nice build!
very very nice!! i heart ant bikes.:) :) :) :beer:
That's a very fine looking bicycle. The dual E6s on that front rack look fantastic.
If I had just gotten that bike, it would definitely be going on a long ride this weekend.
Enjoy your new machine.
I love absolutely everything about that bike (well, maybe not the saddle, but that is between you and your butt). Ant makes such nice bicycles.
Very nice. I'm sure it will give you thousands of miles and smiles.
Goonster
03-23-07, 09:16 AM
Gorgeous. Absolutely fantastic. You've got to love a complete bike.
Is that a front rack, or light brackets only? If the latter, that would be the first time I've seen such a rig.
How do you like the tires? Easy to mount? Do they feel fast? What pressures are you running?
beautiful bike - how long was the wait? more pics?
jim-bob
03-23-07, 10:50 AM
Mmmmmm, ant.
spokenword
03-23-07, 01:12 PM
I love absolutely everything about that bike (well, maybe not the saddle, but that is between you and your butt). heh, true. I've been reluctant to make the leap to Brooks or Selle Anatomica since the Specialized Body Geometry saddles just work well for me, you know. But enough people praise them that I'm tempted. I'm still weighing the idea of moving the saddle back to my Trek 520 and then getting an SA for the ANT, but haven't decided yet.
spokenword
03-23-07, 01:20 PM
Is that a front rack, or light brackets only? If the latter, that would be the first time I've seen such a rig. Light brackets. It's not designed or intended to carry weight. We were originally planning on just having the E6 mounted to the rack bosses on the fork, but a month ago, when I was dropping the wheel off at ANT, Mike broached the idea of building some kind of bracket system to protect the lights in case of a tipover or minor crash. I liked the idea, and later on, after the VBQ article came out that compared illumination from fork mount, rack mount and handlebar mount positions, we figured that a rack mount would be a good midpoint between the handlebar (bright but washes out details on road conditions) and fork (shadows provide good highlights of road conditions, but less bright and you get shadows from the wheel)
How do you like the tires? Easy to mount? Do they feel fast? What pressures are you running? The tires are nice enough. They were easier to mount on the 520, with its canti brakes. For the Tektros, the tires need to be deflated a bit in order to fit through. They don't feel particularly fast, and when I used to commute with them on my 520, they were only marginally faster than Pasela T-Serv's that I used for the 2006 brevets. What is nice about them, though, is that they have a significantly cushy ride. I don't feel nearly as beaten up with them as I did with other tires, and they're still fast enough. I roll with 80psi.
ldesfor1@ithaca
03-23-07, 02:59 PM
Hey Cris, sweet ride, glad youve got it together finally. May i suggest conti 4 seasons 28c? They feel very quick and with a steel frame and flexy stem should be quite smooth. I just got my wheelset in for my KHS rebuild and am really happy with these tires. Congrats, man and hopefully you are a bit faster on this bike than the 520. 23-25 pounds i would guess... is that close?
spokenword
03-23-07, 04:13 PM
I have no idea, Leo. It's definitely +20 lbs. A little lighter than the 520, but it's still got the heft of steel. Out of curiosity, does one just go to their LBS when they want their bike weighed?
I've heard a lot of good things from folks about Conti 4 seasons and I will definitely keep those in mind if I consider switching the Grand Bois' out.
as far as additional pics, unfortunately the weather really isn't cooperating with bringing on the sunlight, but here's a few pics of the front lighting rig for people who are curious, taken in the flourescent glory of the server room at work that is also my erstwhile office garage.
spokenword! i'm just sayin' but i may steal your bike. i will take very good care of it. but never let it out of your sight!!;) :D ;) :D :)
georgiaboy
03-24-07, 06:40 AM
Spokenword, what an amazing bicycle :beer:
FWIW, that's the one I have been lusting after. Give us a ride report, soon.
heh, true. I've been reluctant to make the leap to Brooks or Selle Anatomica since the Specialized Body Geometry saddles just work well for me, you know. But enough people praise them that I'm tempted. I'm still weighing the idea of moving the saddle back to my Trek 520 and then getting an SA for the ANT, but haven't decided yet.
I am a fan of BG saddles as well. I have not tried the Anatomica, but I have a few Brooks that have worke well for me (especially in regular street clothes). As with all things saddle, YMMV.
That lighting system is fantastic. How much light does it put out? Generator hubs are getting so much nicer. It used to be it felt you were riding into a minor headwind because of the resistance they imposed, but the new ones are getting hard to even notice. I might steal it too, so fair warning brunop.
Well done spokenword.
Nice ride.
Can't wait to see it in person at some brevets... and hopefully I'll be joining the group for the Fleche!
Congrats. Very, very nice.
I have no idea, Leo. It's definitely +20 lbs. A little lighter than the 520, but it's still got the heft of steel. Out of curiosity, does one just go to their LBS when they want their bike weighed?
I've heard a lot of good things from folks about Conti 4 seasons and I will definitely keep those in mind if I consider switching the Grand Bois' out.
I've taken my IF to the LBS and hung it on the scale. Interesting exercise. I knew what the frame weighed, and I also weighed it after we built it... I have yet to weigh it fully rigged for Rando.
I was thinking of weighing it with my Caradice (full of typical stuff), waterbottles, SON, and lights - as that is how I usually ride it.
The ANT (even rigged as you have it) has to be lighter than the 520. My 520 was a tank!
Per the Contis - I've been running GP 4 seasons for the last year and a half. I have 23s on my light wheels, 25s on my wifes (my old) LeMond, and I just mounted 28s on the IF. I have a century on the 28s and so far so good - but I had the pressure way too high and took a pounding. I was running the 25s at 90-95 psi - so I think I can run the 28s at 85.
I ran the 25s for most of the brevet season last year. They are on the wife's bike now so they aren't seeing much use - but I really liked them. These were the same tires I used on the 600k - and they stood up to the gravel and roads.
Are those the narrow Honjo's? I've the same on the IF.
Do you know if the Tektro's have the same clearance as the Shimano long reach? I'm using the Shimano long reach and barely fit a Schwalbe Marathon 28 and fender on it. (it seemed to measure more like 30). The Conti 28's have more room - so I should be able to mount a slightly wider tire... its nice that you can run the Cypress at 30's, even if you have to deflate a bit. (I'm using Campy levers and Shimano brakes - so I can open the calipes w-i-d-e)
spokenword
03-24-07, 08:12 AM
Can't wait to see it in person at some brevets... and hopefully I'll be joining the group for the Fleche! hell, I can't wait to see yours. Haven't seen you on your IF since you got it.
and yeah, dude. you'd best turn up for the fleche. Getting our bikes together would be like some weird meeting of mechanical cousins
(for folks who are not aware, bmike's Ti IF Club Racer is essentially of the same lineage as my ANT. Mike Flanigan designed the Club Racer and Steel Independence for Independent Fabrications back when he worked there, but carried over the design when he left to form ANT. It'll be interesting to see if there've been tweaks to the original formula over the last few years)
The ANT (even rigged as you have it) has to be lighter than the 520. My 520 was a tank! Oh, it definitely is lighter. Just not the feather light weight that I've felt from friends' alu and carbon fiber bikes. Still, even when loaded with panniers for the commute, it's noticeably faster than the 520.
I ran the 25s for most of the brevet season last year. They are on the wife's bike now so they aren't seeing much use - but I really liked them. These were the same tires I used on the 600k - and they stood up to the gravel and roads. yeah, the one thing that I am nervous about with the Cypres is that they aren't the most durable tires in the world. They've been dealing with the occasional bits of light gravel fine, but I haven't taken 'em on any fire roads yet. However, I've already had two punctures (one of which was almost self-inflicted -- a reflector fell out of the combo platform/spd pedal on my 520, shattered on the ground and one of the fragments punctured my rear tire .. priceless)
Honestly, I'm not sure about differences in clearance between the shimanos and tektros. I seem to recall, in talking with Mike F., that they were about the same, but I couldn't tell you with surety.
yeah, the one thing that I am nervous about with the Cypres is that they aren't the most durable tires in the world. They've been dealing with the occasional bits of light gravel fine, but I haven't taken 'em on any fire roads yet. However, I've already had two punctures (one of which was almost self-inflicted -- a reflector fell out of the combo platform/spd pedal on my 520, shattered on the ground and one of the fragments punctured my rear tire .. priceless)
First ride on my LeMond about 4 years ago (brand new, and my first real bike in like 10 years) - the rear reflector slid off those goofy aerospoke bontragers and shattered when it came around and jammed between the chainstays. No permanent damage aside from some scratches, but man was I po'd. I should have taken em off before I rode... but was lazy.
Speaking of fire roads - you thinking about the DRR again?
as far as weighin' your rides, just use your bathroom scale! mine's pretty accurate to a tenth of a pound. just weigh yourself then weigh the bike with you holdin' it. voila!
actually, i need to do that with my IF club racer (essentially the same bike as bmike's but i think bmike is rockin' record! i put 25 contis on mine.:) :) :) )
Sweetness.
Personally, I'd have gone with Moustache bars and a basket up front, but then it wouldn't be a Club Racer.
Still a nice looking ride.
spokenword: what kind of saddlebag is that?
spokenword
03-24-07, 04:20 PM
spokenword: what kind of saddlebag is that?
It's a Topeak Medium Aero Wedge (http://store.bicyclerevolution.com/tomeaeweseba.html). Basically your generic $20 seat pack that I've owned for years.
hey spoken! how 'bout a few more pics and a review of the ride!!!!:) :) :) :beer: :beer:
...and how was the brevet? you did take the new ride... right?
spokenword
03-26-07, 09:08 PM
...and how was the brevet? you did take the new ride... right?
yes, indeed, and the ride isn't so shiny anymore, but it (can't decide if it's a he or a she) has proven itself well.
We were initially getting forecasts for snow and hail, but the precipitation thankfully held off and instead it was just mid-to-low 30s with a lot of wet on the ground but not in the air. My friend and I drove in to Northampton the night before to crash with another friend who used to be a messenger and semi-pro racer. We whiled away the night eating lasagna and sharing stories about our bike crashes.
"I remember one day, while riding through downtown in the midst of the Big Dig and this car turned right in front me ..."
"That reminds me of a time when I was mountain biking as a kid, and there was this hairpin turn with a blackberry bush on one side and a cliff on the other ..."
"Oh yeah? Let me tell you about this time I was riding through the Alps and fell of the side of a mountain ..."
It was totally that scene in Jaws with the guys taking turns showing off each other's scars. Except w/ vegan lasagna.
Anyway, ride day comes around, we drive out at 5:30, get lost, need to find gas, and next thing we know, we're arriving in Westfield 15 minutes late for the start. Fortunately, we caught Don & co. just before they were rolling out and he handed us brevet cards and told us to get going ASAP. One other gotcha with 30mm tires on long-reach caliper brakes -- need to deflate them if I need to take off a front wheel. Gets tricky for situations like, say, mounting a bike on a fork mount rooftop car rack. Also full size front fender needs to be uninstalled and reinstalled if you need to put it up on a rack. That complicates matters.
Eventually started at 7:45 for a 7:00 ride; but were thankfully able to make up time along the way; catching up with the tail end of the pack at the second control. The route was a semi-figure 8 with two loops. First loop had some long, gradual climbs off the start, as you got out of the Pioneer Valley, with a longer shallow flat in Connecticut, followed by another series of rollers as you returned to Mass. Second loop had some steeper monsters that put the RAAAA! in randonneuring.
At the beginning, I was feeling more than a little anxious because I was way off my training. No centuries since, like, November. Nothing longer than a 50 miler since January. Just a few 14 mile commutes with some hills and a couple of 25 mile circuits of Manhattan, and that was it. I felt the deficiency in the hills, as I had little explosiveness in my legs; but the bike helped me out in the flats, making it easy to reach and maintain 15-16 mph on a flat, when I used to only do 13 with my 520. Eventually finished with a time of 11:11 -- or 10:26 if you take off the late start; which isn't great but still better than my time on last year's 200k.
Nice memories ...
Most of the route was through farm country in the Berkshires and as we passed cows, horses, sheep and goats, I mentioned to my friend that all we needed to see were llamas, and our barnyard tour would be complete. Then, wouldn't you know it, 15 minutes later, we roll past a llama farm. Spent the next 15 minutes calling out other animals that we wished to see ... "all we need to see are ... antelopes!" "ostriches!" "wildebeests" Though the only other animals that we got to see were two mules humping in a nearby paddock.
About halfway between the second and third control, we happened to catch up with another pair of riders, Larry and Gary from Sutton. Gary recognized the ANT headbadge on my bike, and got all excited about the new paint scheme and told me his story about how he wanted Mike to build him a touring bike, but the schedule didn't work out. Spent the rest of the ride to the third control geeking out on ANT, IF, Rivendell and other randonneur wet dream bike builders.
Just leaving the third control, we rolled past a meadow teeming with Canadian geese, who all suddenly took off in unison. Watching a hundred geese take flight simultaneously, and I couldn't decide if I felt awestruck for being surrounded in an impromptu National Geographic documentary or trepidatious over being carpet bombed by a hundred geese who had obviously just eaten their fill.
JeffRoss
03-27-07, 10:52 AM
That light rack is just begging for a set of Groucho eyebrows and a mustache under the fender. The mustache could act as a front tire scrubber/cleaner as you ride :-)
Beautiful bike!
ldesfor1@ithaca
03-27-07, 11:00 AM
great ride report Cris, doing any BBS rides in the next month??
spokenword
03-27-07, 12:51 PM
That light rack is just begging for a set of Groucho eyebrows and a mustache under the fender. The mustache could act as a front tire scrubber/cleaner as you ride :-) yeah, it seems to be a generational indicator whether or not my lighting rig reminds someone of Groucho or the Praying Mantis from Space Ghost Coast to Coast. I figure for Halloween, I'll stick a pair of round translucent decals on the lower curve of the lights just to give it that googly-eyed silhouette.
great ride report Cris, doing any BBS rides in the next month?? I'll be out of town for the Boston 200k, but am planning on riding the 300, 400 and 600. Hopefully see you and bmike there.
JeffRoss
03-28-07, 09:43 PM
yeah, it seems to be a generational indicator whether or not my lighting rig reminds someone of Groucho or the Praying Mantis from Space Ghost Coast to Coast. I figure for Halloween, I'll stick a pair of round translucent decals on the lower curve of the lights just to give it that googly-eyed silhouette.
Busted! I've never even heard of Space Ghost Coast to Coast!
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