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Help Me Dress Up My Paramount- UPDATED

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Help Me Dress Up My Paramount- UPDATED

Old 02-05-13, 04:03 PM
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Help Me Dress Up My Paramount- UPDATED

Now that I've given the backstory for the new bike in the family, I'd like some help with color schemes, tire and saddle selection, etc.

The parameters:


Comfort and price are primary.


Tires: the bike has 700c x 26 right now; we'd like to go up to 28 if we can. Anyone have any experience with tires on this model bike?

Bar Tape: we're thinking red, but are open to ideas.

Cables: leaning white, but not committed

Saddle: this is where we need the most advice. This is my husband's first road bike and my saddle experience doesn't translate. He's planning on using it for recreation, not competition. I'm going to take him to get properly fitted, but after he finds the right saddle width are there any recommendations? Would a Brooks be worth it?

Pedals: He wants dual-sided pedals for the option of riding without clips in traffic and sketchy situations. Recommendations?

All right- here come the pics. Hit me with your best shot.
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Old 02-05-13, 04:05 PM
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Old 02-05-13, 04:07 PM
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Old 02-05-13, 04:11 PM
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Old 02-05-13, 04:20 PM
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Red looks old when it fades. I'd go white on cables, tape and even tires. Vittoria Zaffiros come in white and black and are affordable, mid $20's each. 28's will be fine. Pedals: Shimano pd-a530's are about $57 at amazon. You can probably find Selle Italia saddles in white too, but not a Brooks. If you want to spend less than $30 on a saddle, Origin8 Aero.

This was a flip, before I rewrapped the handlebars.

Last edited by oddjob2; 02-05-13 at 04:33 PM.
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Old 02-05-13, 04:23 PM
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Cool frame! I'm kind of a fan of neon bar tape with 80's paint-jobs like that. I have two examples of my own, but I'm thinking neon green would work well on that frame as well. I'd go black saddle, anyway.



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Old 02-05-13, 04:46 PM
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I highly recommend these MKS Sylvan Touring pedals (about $29) if you are competing with impatient drivers in traffic.

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Old 02-05-13, 05:04 PM
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He may need to break in his butt a bit, so I think you should wait before deciding on a saddle. The more you ride, the more you want a hard saddle.

I think Brooks are great, because they break in for most people. The other saddles are either right or wrong, and they don't get better with age.
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Old 02-05-13, 05:25 PM
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Originally Posted by noglider
He may need to break in his butt a bit, so I think you should wait before deciding on a saddle. The more you ride, the more you want a hard saddle.

I think Brooks are great, because they break in for most people. The other saddles are either right or wrong, and they don't get better with age.
I'll be showing him this post specifically. Some of the most concise advice on saddles I've heard.

Last edited by Cattywompus; 02-05-13 at 05:26 PM. Reason: clarity
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Old 02-05-13, 05:26 PM
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Originally Posted by oddjob2
Red looks old when it fades. I'd go white on cables, tape and even tires. Vittoria Zaffiros come in white and black and are affordable, mid $20's each. 28's will be fine. Pedals: Shimano pd-a530's are about $57 at amazon. You can probably find Selle Italia saddles in white too, but not a Brooks. If you want to spend less than $30 on a saddle, Origin8 Aero.

This was a flip, before I rewrapped the handlebars.

I really like those tires. Great price, too.
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Old 02-05-13, 05:27 PM
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Originally Posted by devinfan
Cool frame! I'm kind of a fan of neon bar tape with 80's paint-jobs like that. I have two examples of my own, but I'm thinking neon green would work well on that frame as well. I'd go black saddle, anyway.




So if I went with neon bar tape, I'd need to go black with everything else, right?
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Old 02-05-13, 05:30 PM
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Originally Posted by auchencrow
I highly recommend these MKS Sylvan Touring pedals (about $29) if you are competing with impatient drivers in traffic.
Those look nice, but I think he wants the option of clipping in on straightaways. He likes the Campus Well-Gos I have on my SLT 12.2, but I think they'd look really clunky on his bike.
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Old 02-05-13, 06:04 PM
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I've always liked Brooks, but a seat is really personal preference. I'd start with what's on there, learn how to adjust and fit it well, then move on when he has a better idea of what he might like.
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Old 02-05-13, 06:54 PM
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Black tires, black saddle, black bar tape.

White cables.

Red anodized ferrules and cable caps.
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Old 02-05-13, 06:58 PM
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I'd vote for a Brooks Team Professional saddle, black or honey, white bar tape and cable housings, black wall or a gum look tyres and some quill pedals with either a regular toe clip and strap or the abbreviated open clips . I am a traditionalist even for newer bikes like the 90's era his Paramount is. Most importantly, what has he said about saddle and any colour choices?

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Old 02-05-13, 07:16 PM
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Originally Posted by qcpmsame
Most importantly, what has he said about saddle and any colour choices?

Bill
We talked about it last night and I told him I would ask everyone here. He's looking forward to seeing some examples as he's pretty new to the scene. He has good color sense, so he'll pick up the details pretty quickly.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:04 PM
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Yellow, a la Gitane?

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Old 02-05-13, 08:06 PM
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Or this looks sort of cool...

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Old 02-05-13, 08:06 PM
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I'm running 700 x 28 Gatorskins on my '89 Paramount with plenty of room. FWIW, my saddle is a Regal.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:10 PM
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Originally Posted by auchencrow
I highly recommend these MKS Sylvan Touring pedals (about $29) if you are competing with impatient drivers in traffic.
+1 I love these pedals. I use them with half toe clips and find them very comfy.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:14 PM
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OR, and people here will hate this, but what about a black brooks and red and blue Cinelli splash tape? I'm not normally a fan of splash tape, but with that paint job...
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Old 02-05-13, 08:19 PM
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These are just my opinion: The frame already has some wild colors going on, I would go subtle with the rest.

White Flite(perforated or not)



White Fizik stuff



grey cable housing and some tan wall tires. Everyone has different taste, so do whatever feels right to you. Nice bike and color.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:25 PM
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Here's a bad photoshop with red.
I really want there to be a light blue part of the splash on that bike to accent with the saddle or tape. Doesn't look like that's there though.
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Old 02-05-13, 08:53 PM
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Lots of good ideas in this thread- thank you for the ideas. I'll report back to let you know what he prefers. I love the photoshop 20grit, hurried or not.
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Old 02-05-13, 10:40 PM
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Shimano PD-M324 Clipless/Clip Pedals

Shimano PD-M324 Clipless/Clip Pedals



Product Features

Combination clip/clipless pedals ideal for multipurpose use
Fully featured SPD-specific clip interface on 1 side of pedals
Other side features standard platform for use with street shoes
Aluminum body with barrel finish; cleat retention adjuster
Includes pair of 2-bolt cleats; pedals weigh 1.17 pounds total

I use these and love them.

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