Originally Posted by
Bad Lag
Agreed, good grief, who teaches that mantra, "steel is heavy, rim brakes suck"? It is bogus.
Buy some new brake pads!
If you are worried about weight -
Get rid of the brifters and use down tube shifters and simpler brake levers; .
Get rid of that bag and rack.
Get rid of the fenders.
Get rid of the cyclometer and wiring.
Get some light weight wheels and tires.
Why did you buy a bike that looks to be 3" to 6" too small? It means a super-long seat post and the short top tube means you added a long stem and bar extenders? Actually, I like the stem but it does not look light in weight.
I just read about your accident. OUCH! Here's hoping all are recovering from the trauma.
I think I clarified this already, but I'm not concerned with any of the bullet points from the first post. Those are things I hear others saying about old bikes, and I wanted to make it clear that I'm not bothered by them. Looks like it backfired, as you're not the first person to think I was worried about it. I bought this bike because I wanted this type of old touring bike. I want the brifters. The rack isn't negotiable That bag is sometimes too small when I'm out touring, so if anything it's getting heavier rather than lighter. Cyclometer is gone, simply because I don't have the head unit. I will soon replace it with a functioning one. Fenders are worth the weight for my daily commute.
I agree the stem isn't light. The bike came that way, and it's a pretty good fit. Would a larger frame size be better than extending the stem? Yes, it would. But this bike already fits me well, so I'm going to leave well enough alone. At least...for now.
