Long Distance Competition/Ultracycling, Randonneuring and Endurance Cycling - New Bike: First Look

Took me forever talking and talking and researching and shopping for deals and waiting for shipping....

When I finally got it all put together, I neglected to mention it.

Anyway, here's a first pic. I've been riding it about a month now, and don't quite have everything dialed in just right.


https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GNisK-9LilY/TrrasgyEkkI/AAAAAAAAAW8/BHz0mr1U1ko/s640/20111109_145335.jpg

Nice looking bike. It looks Speedy too! ;)

Very nice....

https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-GNisK-9LilY/TrrasgyEkkI/AAAAAAAAAW8/BHz0mr1U1ko/s640/20111109_145335.jpg

Is that a chuckwagon hanging off your seat? :eek:

Looks like it might bring the showdown (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=481) while looping (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=143) or crossing a lake (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=1242) or while in search of coffee in Carthage (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=952) or Clayton (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=1074) or Spanish Moss near Tar Heel (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=589). It might also pull some mules (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=792) getting 'er Dunn (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=878) over some ham and yam (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=1178).

And that thing hanging off the seat? Clearly part of a lost whirligig (http://www.rusa.org/cgi-bin/permview_GF.pl?permid=1006).

Or it could be a henway hanging off the seat post. And you may ask what's a henway ? About 3.5 lbs

For those of us learning about bikes on BF, could you talk little more about the bike (brand, components, etc.)?

Or it could be a henway hanging off the seat post. And you may ask what's a henway ? About 3.5 lbs

You should have left the straight line hanging. I would have jumped in and asked the question. ;)

For those of us learning about bikes on BF, could you talk little more about the bike (brand, components, etc.)?

Frame is from a smaller steel-framebuilder, Handsome Cycles (http://handsomecycles.com/)

Components are mostly SRAM Apex, with an SRAM Rival Front crank (180mm arms, so longer than the standard 170mm). Gearing is 50/34 front, 12-32 rear.
Brakes are Avid Shorty-4's
Fenders are SKS Longboards in cream.
Saddle is a Brooks B17.
That funky-looking red seat-post thing is a Velocity SPT (literally, "Seat Post Thing"), with two generic aluminium bottle cages on it.
Above that, wedged under the seat, is a seat wedge of some brand or another. Tools, spare tube, etc. Also, apparently, reflective piping.
Frame Pump is a Planet Bike adjustable frame pump. One size fits most.
Front hub is a shimano generator; came with a shimano headlight (shown on left fork). Hub is good; the light is just barely better than nothing.

Nice lookin' bike! Thanks for the details. Is the seat tube painted those colors or are those bands of reflective tape? (If the latter, that seems like a good idea since as your legs move back and forth across the seat tube you'll get some apparent motion that will attract driver's attention.)

Seat tube is painted in stripes of red and cream.

All of the non-black paint on the frame/fork is intentionally painted in a distressed pattern - that is, the fact that the cream stripes seem a bit dirty, and the 'D' in Speedy seems a bit worn are not artifacts of the picture; that's how it came. The stars are given the same treatment, but it's less obvious.

I'm thinking you may well have moved-up your intended SR "attempt" from 2013 to this coming year, yes?

nice looking :), yeah what are you hauling in the wagon.. overhead projector and some staplers? lol

A beauty! Enjoy!

I'm thinking you may well have moved-up your intended SR "attempt" from 2013 to this coming year, yes?

Darn, you have a good memory.

It'll definitely put me on the path to starting a series in 2012. With several 200ks behind me, and a new bike purpose-built for LD, 300k and 400k distances don't seem quite so daunting. I have a feeling that I'm going to have several problems to figure (e.g. sleep) out after my first 400 before I attempt a 600k.