Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - which Marinoni Machka??? anyone else

Good morning everyone.

I hope all is well.

Well in about a week or so ill be driving to vermont to get measured for a custom Marinoni frame.

As a Recap im a clyde, short legs long toso and havnt found anything off the rack that works.

My cross check is too small in the top tube and head tube.


although Im mostly commuting I do get in longer rides 30mile -metrics and benifit rides .I hope to partake in some group centuries this year (always time permitting) .

my commute is 19 miles one way 3.5 + seasons (if roads are clear) I use a carradice long flap nelson and a Ortlieb handlebar bag. I dont haul books or a laptop or anything heavy mostly clothes

Im asking for help from this forum since you cyclists as a group ride the most balanced setups with regard to speed, handling ,comfort and load carrying capacity.

anyway the geometry will be custom and Im specifying top routed cable Like the Fango cross model regarless of which model I choose.

here are the Base choices one note I decided against the Cyclo due to the tire size limitof 25 with fenders, I run 32 and 28s with fenders, I rode 35 for awhile but found them too clunky though comfy.

1) The Fango : Cross model similar to my cross check , im not crazy about the higher BB but it would be the sporty choice , brazeons will need to be added and a much taller headtube. This can be made to handle 35 tires or 32 with fenders.



2) Tourismo: same weight as the fango, plenty of standard brazeons a tad more relaxed but I would request top cable routing like the fango and make sure head tube is tall enough ,this model im told will handle 32 with fenders.

3) turismo extreme: the heavy weight, heavier than Turismo or fango will handle big fat tires 35-37 with fenders and seems made for the big load

again since the geometry will be custom It might not matter.

Im torn on what brakes to use, Stick with Cantis or use the new Extra long reach side pulls?

I have 2 good sets of cantis a set of Pauls and a set of Shimano Br550 (new this year) I have no problem with canti set up so the maintenace is not an issue.

my wheels are velocity dyads the rear is an 8 speed 40 spoke 135 spacing my front is also a velocity Dyad 36 spoke and soon to arrive a Schmidt hub on a 36spoke dyad rim (tired of big batteries)

I use original barcons for shifting


the only other issue is the fork .,

I was emailed by marinoni and it was mentioned that they will be offering a steel fork with the touring models next year . right now its either aluminum (Yuk) or carbon (maybe)

if the steel fork from the factory is not avail should I get a 3rd party steel fork and attempt to have the paint matched or Try the carbon offering (I never rode a carbon fork)


thats it for now , any other suggestions please advise Im all eyes!!

NOTE: I do own a road bike that I love its a 1992 falcon 531 frame and fork SS right now , so If I want a club ride bike I have one .

Your input is very welcome and needed.

happy spinning

"John"

Vermont? Is there a Marinoni dealer somewhere in Vermont?

I have a very customized Marinoni Ciclo. When I got Machak, he had a steel frame (custom-built) with carbon forks, crank arms, and seatpost. I replaced the forks with steel, replaced the seatpost with aluminum (after it cracked), and have recently replaced the whole crankset including crankarms to get lower gearing.

If you want steel forks, just ask them. My steel forks came from Marinoni, and when I ordered them it sounded like I could have gotten them instead of the carbon when I first ordered Machak, but the dealer didn't tell me that at the time.

In fact, anything special you want ... ask. You never know. If you can't get exactly what you want you might be able to make a deal with the dealer. I did that with my rear cassette. The rear cassettes that came on the Marinonis were one of 2 or 3 choices. I didn't want any of them, so the dealer ordered my Marinoni with the one he wanted the most ... one he knew he could sell ... and then installed the rear cassette and derailleur I wanted.

FWIW, it doesn't sound like Marinoni has exactly what you want. I was under the impression Marinoni was a cutom builder. If they don't offer what you want, they aren't.

Johnny Coast is located in New York and will you build you exactly what you want -- down to the last detail -- for $1500...

[QUOTE=Machka;5375367]Vermont? Is there a Marinoni dealer somewhere in Vermont?

Hello Machka, Yes there is a Marinoni dealer in Vermont , Villiage bike repair in Richmond.

as a matter of fact Luc at marinoni suggested working with Gene Bell at villiage bike repair.

Gene is very familiar with marinoni and has been to the factory many times and has a good working relashionship with Luc.

Again Im only getting a frame as I have everything else already with the exception of the headset Ill have the shop press one in.
any suggestions on what frame???

"John"

hello six jours,

good point on the its custom so anything should go.

as far as Coast cycles go well I cant have Lugged constuction I need a sloping top tube , and fillet brazed construction, if Johnny builds frames using fillet Joints (I know he does stems fillet brazed) a fillet brazed frame would be well out of my budget. close to 2k im sure.

thanks for the input

any suggestion on any of the frames I mentioned.

"John"

john -- in direct reply to your query, I am not a fan of higher bottom brackets either, and would go for the Turismo. Given that the bulk of your mileage will be commuting and event riding, I don't think you'll need the weight and stability of the fully loaded Turismo frame, but the middle choice sounds like a good option.

with regards to the tradeoffs of larger tire sizes vs. smaller, there are some ways to get around a lack of clearance on the rear triangle. You could run 650b wheels. You could also run with cantilever brakes if the appropriate brake bosses can be added.

however, to echo Six Jours, you should clarify whether your Marinoni will be fully custom (as in everything to your spec) or semi-custom (as in formulated frame just slightly tweaked for your body measurements). If it's a custom frame, then you should be able to work with Marinoni and your dealer to see about getting something like the Fango with a lower bottom bracket. If it's semi-custom then you might want to ask your dealer their thoughts on putting 650b wheels on that bike.

Also, if you're willing to go with TIG welded instead of fillet brazed and want to work with a guy in Massachusetts, I always recommend Mike Flanigan at ANT. He built my Club Racer as a more-or-less custom frame, and his price was way below 2k.

I am extremely happy with my 2005 Marinoni Tourismo 10 spd, c/w disc brakes, Carbon Forks and all. I am just shy of a clyde myself, and usually pack 80 lbs of gear when touring.

http://www.aye1.com/adv/quadra/HB1387.jpg

I have toured New Zealand (http://www.aye1.com/NZ2006/NZ2006.html) and ridden metrics, centuries, and double metrics (http://www.aye1.com) without any trouble. Without a load it is a fast, responsive ride. It feels like a bike should.

Marinoni builds custom frames ... you send in your measurements, and they send you a bicycle built for your size. The rest of the components on their bicycles, however, can be relatively standard. Perhaps that's why their prices are so good.

When I first got Machak, his frame was the only bit of customization .... 4 years later, everything has been customized!! I think the only original bit on him now is his custom frame.

But that's the thing ... if you get a frame built to be the right size, you can change (or add) everything else yourself.

Oh, and I'll add this ... I went with the Ciclo because it is the "sport touring" bicycle. I've used Machak for everything from commuting, to the local century, to long distance racing. to randonneuring events, to fully loaded touring ...... and I've been very happy with him.

But that's the thing ... if you get a frame built to be the right size, you can change (or add) everything else yourself. except for wider tires, different size wheels or different types of brakes ;)

imho, John J's initial parameters are good ones since they're the ones that he will generally have to live with for the life of the bike (highest size of tires that they'll ride with, expected braze-ons for racks, fenders yes/no, preferred brake type). Sure, there's some wiggle room with swapping out 700c wheels for 650b's, but, in general, it's best when the bike is designed from the outset to support a certain range of wheel/tire/brake combinations.

As to John J's question about brakes -- personally I prefer long-reach sidepulls for simpler maintenance (I find properly toeing cantilever brakes to be a tedious business), but would use cantis if I expect to use tires that are wider than 30mm (or 32mm if I am not running with fenders) or if I expect that most of my braking would be the "OMG-I-need-to-stop-NOW" variety rather than just trimming speed.

except for wider tires, different size wheels or different types of brakes ;)



Actually you can change the brakes ... Machak's front brakes are not original. He originally had whatever is on the back (sidepull?), but when the shop changed his front fork from carbon to steel, they also changed the brakes to V-brakes.

Because of the brake change, I can use my front fender very easily, but the rear one is a pain.

Oh yes, then Rowan added a travel agent to my V-brakes, so even they are customized. :D

Actually you can change the brakes ... Machak's front brakes are not original. He originally had whatever is on the back (sidepull?), but when the shop changed his front fork from carbon to steel, they also changed the brakes to V-brakes.

right, but that's because of a different fork. there's less flexibility in changing the rear brakes, and many folks prefer keeping both brakes to similar types to simplify maintenance.

right, but that's because of a different fork. there's less flexibility in changing the rear brakes, and many folks prefer keeping both brakes to similar types to simplify maintenance.

Yeah. To change the rear brakes, you'd need something like Moots Mounts to pull that off - as well as burly enough seatstays to withstand the tortion (i.e. probably not carbon).

Been very happy with my 2006 Ciclo w/carbon fork. Takes fenders and rack without protest. Used it for randonneuring, club rides, and commuting. It's strength is that its supple yet doesn't weigh too much. Lots of good steel bikes out there, but most are hefty. The double butted Columbus Zona is a nice balance of tough (see Machka touring pics!) and reasonably light. I'm looking at getting a second fork for it to give it more touring capability. So far, I've had zero heel strike issues with my commuter pannies. As for tires, there are several ways to make 25's work with fenders (eg fender splits etc). With OpenPro's and 700x23 michelin krylion's I find the ride is super smooth with great grip: bottom line is that not all 23's and wheelset are created equal and some don't beat you up like others. So don't assume that going to a 28 or 32 is the only way to smooth out the ride.

So lots of other Marinoni's in my BC Randonneur club, all were very happy. The Vermont connection is undoubtedly Marinoni's strongest tie a US shop, and I'm sure Gene would be a great one to buy from. Other dealers with tons of experience with custom fitting Marinoni's are Noel out Cloverdale Cycle Centre (604) 574-5515), Ed at Mighty Riders (Vancouver), and Bicycle Specialties in Toronto.