Originally Posted by
stilllearning
First time posting a picture, so hopefully it shows.
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I bought this all original 85/86 Ironman with Shimano 600 last April. I swapped out the handlebars and stem because of my long arms and lowered the gearing due to my affinity for hills. It is serving it's purpose well in helping me get a good workout, but I made the mistake of browsing through this thread and am now suffering from Ironman envy. As a result, I am wondering if there is something else I can do that would keep the low gearing and improve the looks.
It now has a 7 speed Shimano 14-28 freewheel and a Claris 50/34. I couldn't find any other compacts that would work with a 7 speed, but I'm not thrilled with how the Claris looks, which is prompting this post.
Is there a better looking compact crank that would work?
Do you think a triple would look better? (I have a Suntour V-GT Lux long cage derailleur)
What triple could I use without having to cold set the frame?
Or, should I just be happy with what I have as the Claris is an okay crank and doesn't look that bad?
Any suggestions will be appreciated! I wasn't sure if I should have posted this on the other Ironman thread, but since this is primarily about looks, I figured it would fit here.
These pictures have given me some great ideas for the bars, seat, etc. The color of the bike is not as catchy as others, but it is a solid bike and I like how it rides.
Brian
Looks fine to me, but I'm more concerned with function than looks. Heck, my blue/white Ironman has a bright orange seat bag because it was on sale for $7. And it sorta goes with the orange logo colors. Sorta.
I switched my Ironman from the original 52/42 chainrings to 50/39 Vuelta SE Plus; and freewheel from the original Suntour 13-24 to a SunRace 13-25. Easier on hills, but I'm spun out on my favorite fast downhill runs. Not a big deal, for now I'm recovering from injuries and illness so my main focus is improving hill climbs, not my top speed. Your 50/34 and 14-28 seems fine if it suits your terrain and fitness.
What handlebar is that? I like that bend and shorter drop length. That's one of the few remaining tweaks I'd like for my Ironman -- a handlebar with a flatter and shorter reach to the hoods, and shorter drop reach.
And what brake levers/hoods? Those look more comfy than the originals.