I picked up my '97 T900 last spring to get back into cycling after a couple decades of pretty much 'utility-only' biking on old English 3-speeds. It was as much out of nostalgia as anything else, as the last 'real' road bike I had was a '90 ST600 that I
loved (stolen in France on a tour...). I didn't recall the ST600 being harsh, but I pretty quickly found the T900 uncomfortable on the crappy roads where I am. Of course, I was 30 years younger on the ST600, so maybe it
was a harsh ride and my more flexible self just absorbed it! But getting the fit better (it
is a little small for me, but works), a Brooks saddle, thick bar tape and, most of all, 38c Rene Herse Barlow Pass tires transformed the bike (the '97 brochure says the T900 originally had 38c tires, but these are an
extremely tight fit between the chainstays...). I've had to swap out/upgrade a bunch of stuff, but I'm really enjoying the bike now. Bars still aren't right- I need a little more reach and a bit more drop, maybe a bit wider. Headset has a 'straight ahead' notch, which I think makes the handling seem a bit squirrelly at times- need to pull it apart and see what's up (hopefully new bearings/grease will take care of things for a while).
I am, though, casually looking for a vintage steel-frame 'all-road' candidate too, to see what all the 'steel-is-real' fuss is about...
'97 T900
'97 T900