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Ok, ready to pay attention to C&V again! :)

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Ok, ready to pay attention to C&V again! :)

Old 02-05-12, 07:42 PM
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Ok, ready to pay attention to C&V again! :)

Well, I've been out on a modern bike bender for a little bit...my intention this year is to ride FAR more than wrench and to be honest I have missed my CAAD9 from a riding perspective. So, I decided to put a modern bike together but still be somewhat true to C&V.

I didn't want a CAAD9 again...not that they're not good bikes but, shoot, everyone () has a CAAD9. I wanted to go aluminum but a little off the beaten path. Enter Klein. Beautiful workmanship, incredible paint and finish...and a horizontal top tube.

Went out today, despite the lying sacks of crap weather people who predicted sunny and 40 today here in the Twin Cities, for the first road ride in 28 and cloudy with a light west wind. I had to cut it short at 15 miles because dufus forgot the booties and that was as much freezing as my toes could take.

Having owned the CAAD9 in the past and putting many miles on it I'm familiar with the ride of an aluminum bike.

I wouldn't have guessed the Klein was one.

Bike setup:
  • 2001 Klein Quantun in Silver Cloud.
  • 2011 Shimano 5700 group (new bike build kit, never used).
  • 2006 Mavic Ksyrium Elite wheelset, Hutchinson Nitro 23mm tires (still waiting on my Conti Grand Prixs from PBK ).
  • Ritchey Pro cockpit (carbon seatpost).
  • Fizik Antares test saddle (pic below will show a different saddle but I'm...testing).
Even with the less than desirable Hutchinson tires the Klein was as smooth as my Fujis. Going over seams in the pavement was reminiscent of my Fuji TSV with 28mm tires. I was quite surprised over the lack of, to use the hackneyed term, "harshness".

Comparing in my mind's eye with the CAAD9 I find the Klein to be a much more pleasant ride. But, in comparison to the Fujis when stepping on the Klein hard out of the saddle the stiffness of the frameset is immediately apparent in the reaction of the bike...a world of difference.

The 5700 group performed flawlessly, amazingly so. I've gained some weight and lost some fitness since I had the CAAD9 so I have the 11-28 cassette and a compact on it...I'm really impressed with how well the short cage RD shifts up the 28T cassette. All 20 combos available without issue...shift, trim, all perfect.

So now, I'm ready to pay attention to some of my C&V projects again. The Klein will get out when it can until spring and live in the trainer for indoor work. So pardon my sojourn to the dark side but, like I said, at least it has a horizontal top tube right? I still LOVE all my Fujis but I have to tell you, I think Mr. Klein knew how to put a frameset together.

I return you now to your usual C&V programming.

Pic, lacking the in-transit Conti tires:

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Old 02-05-12, 08:01 PM
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Beautiful! And a fantastic case for a silver frame with silver wheels - needed one of those for reassurance.
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Old 02-05-12, 08:58 PM
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That is one beautiful looking bike.
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Old 02-05-12, 09:10 PM
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Very Classy for a modern build. Well Done!

Jake
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Old 02-05-12, 09:12 PM
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Very nice!
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Old 02-05-12, 09:13 PM
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I suppose it’s inevitable, C&V will eventually has to accept AL bikes.
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Old 02-05-12, 09:21 PM
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Nice!

That is going to be a fantastic, fast ride for you this season.

You should ride with our training group.

They are rolling the pounds right off me.

We rode right through Woodbury this morning on the way to Afton.

Chilly and clammy but no snow or ice on the roads.

Odd weather here, riding a Colnago in February.
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Old 02-05-12, 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by gomango
Nice!

That is going to be a fantastic, fast ride for you this season.

You should ride with our training group.

They are rolling the pounds right off me.

We rode right through Woodbury this morning on the way to Afton.

Chilly and clammy but no snow or ice on the roads.

Odd weather here, riding a Colnago in February.
Thanks Grady and to all of you for the kind words.

I wouldn't keep up with you right now but ping me offline, I'd like to get hooked up with your group. I would have stayed out a couple hours today...but my toes were just to @#$%^&* cold without the covers. Grrrr.
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Old 02-05-12, 09:38 PM
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Originally Posted by khatfull
Thanks Grady and to all of you for the kind words.

I wouldn't keep up with you right now but ping me offline, I'd like to get hooked up with your group. I would have stayed out a couple hours today...but my toes were just to @#$%^&* cold without the covers. Grrrr.
You might be surprised!

I'm riding with the "fast grandpas" this winter.

I have to, as I have my first race in April.

We'll be out next Saturday, or we can chat at the swap.
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Old 02-05-12, 09:47 PM
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Originally Posted by rothenfield1
I suppose it’s inevitable, C&V will eventually has to accept AL bikes.
Yeah, that's why I said I was on a bender.

But, we already do actually....Alan, Vitus. Maybe even some lugged carbon no?

Like I said...at least I stuck with a horizontal TT right?
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Old 02-05-12, 09:49 PM
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Ok, fast grandpas sounds close, PM me
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Old 02-05-12, 10:06 PM
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I'm glad you love your alu bike. I love my Ridley... It's not as subdued as yours though.
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Old 02-05-12, 10:13 PM
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that bike may be modern, but it's still very elegant. I like it a lot.
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Old 02-05-12, 10:15 PM
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Originally Posted by khatfull
Yeah, that's why I said I was on a bender.

But, we already do actually....Alan, Vitus. Maybe even some lugged carbon no?

Like I said...at least I stuck with a horizontal TT right?
I thought someone would bring that up. It gets to the question of what C&V is, and in my opinion, this forum is going through an identity crisis. Well, maybe not crisis, just an on-going question I guess.

I have no problem with a vintage bike mod, it is just that when I think C&V, it’s got to be lugged steel.
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Old 02-06-12, 01:10 AM
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I like it! A very pleasing contemporary build. And like you stated, it at least has a horizontal TT. And that's alright in my book. Just like my 21st century Trek 1000 daily beater, Al, traditional setups, horizontal TT and some mechanical modernity.

I don't think there's a problem or identity crisis for contributors to show off their modern machines here. Always cool to see what others have, like, desire, and can give a review to share.

What's C&V will have a lot to do with the age of the member...for me that would be 77-90. And aluminum was as much a part of the scene as steel, with CF being introduced near the end.
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Old 02-06-12, 02:01 AM
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Great work Keith. I'm glad to read of your goal to be more of a rider. It's easy, (especially with the relatively inexpensive C&V bikes), to forget that riding and wrenching are two (complimentary, but) separate hobbies. For someone who greatly enjoys riding, the wrenching part can subtly edge out the all important riding part, and that the rider just wont be as happy.

It's like how my favorite hobby used to be sport driving, with a distant secondary hobby of collecting and modifying autos. Well, I kept finding new deals all the time and pretty soon, when I needed new tires, a tank of gas, or to pay registration, I always came up short and went without a car for a while. That pretty disappointing for a guy who could get almost endless enjoyment from just being out on the road in a car with warmed over V8 rear wheel drive car with a 5 speed, good rubber and a well tuned chassis.

FWIW, I find I don't check Craigslist as often on days when I've ridden my bike.

Anyway, enjoy the bike.
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Old 02-06-12, 05:46 AM
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Very nice looking bike, love the silver. Totaly understand about building a modern bike.
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Old 02-06-12, 08:41 AM
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Originally Posted by rat fink
Great work Keith. I'm glad to read of your goal to be more of a rider. It's easy, (especially with the relatively inexpensive C&V bikes), to forget that riding and wrenching are two (complimentary, but) separate hobbies. For someone who greatly enjoys riding, the wrenching part can subtly edge out the all important riding part, and that the rider just wont be as happy.

It's like how my favorite hobby used to be sport driving, with a distant secondary hobby of collecting and modifying autos. Well, I kept finding new deals all the time and pretty soon, when I needed new tires, a tank of gas, or to pay registration, I always came up short and went without a car for a while. That pretty disappointing for a guy who could get almost endless enjoyment from just being out on the road in a car with warmed over V8 rear wheel drive car with a 5 speed, good rubber and a well tuned chassis.

FWIW, I find I don't check Craigslist as often on days when I've ridden my bike.

Anyway, enjoy the bike.
Thanks! And I couldn't have expressed that any better at all. That's EXACTLY my situation.
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Old 02-06-12, 09:20 AM
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Originally Posted by rothenfield1
I suppose it’s inevitable, C&V will eventually has to accept AL bikes.
+1.

I think it's inevitable also, considering that so many companies made aluminum bikes back in the 80's/90's. Even back to the 70's really, if you consider Alan's. I think they get a bad wrap because they were the beginning of the end of steel bikes as we knew them, as more companies began experimenting with lighter materials. One minus for them though, is they were never made in the big numbers that steel bikes were, which might hold there wide-spread popularity down abit. Even so, one has to consider them C&V I think.

I started a thread for aluminum riders to post there bikes awhile back. Some nice bikes posted there -

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...luminum+lovers

Oh, gorgeous Klein by-the-way!
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