Originally Posted by
ihm96
I dont think it was the top level bike they had available but from my limited knowledge it sounds like it was made with some pretty well repped components and had good reviews. Does the paint typically have to be done when the frame is aligned? I found a local shop doing online research that was recommended by the now defunct Spectrum Cycles of Tom Kellogg but the price the link shows seems fairly high , its called Bilenky Cycles . I tried to post a link to the page Im talking about but Im too new to the forum. Not sure if a lot of that stuff is overkill for what I need but it sounds like it would be almost 1000 to get it done up by them
I dont really plan on doing any racing but im starting to do a lot of regular 20-50 mile rides around Philly and my modern hybrid bike is not as good as putting on the miles as this. I was kind of regretting purchasing a Hybrid since I already am outgrowing it with the distances Im doing and was worried I might have to stick it out and get a better road/gravel bike next summer but then I remembered I had this bike. I rode it yesterday and it rides really nice and eats up the miles. Im not doing any racing so I figured I might as well get this tuned up and start riding it regularly rather than getting the itch to buy something new
It does have a little click noise that I feel as I go through the pedal stroke and I accidentally smacked it off a pole while slowly coming onto a sidewalk but I dont think it did any other damage than destroying the vintage cat eye reflector where I hit the pole . It feels like it rides fairly straight but if I look at the wheels they both look a little misaligned in the frame. Im fairly novice to actual cycling , I mostly just rode bikes around the neighborhood as a kid so any advice is majorly appreciated. Biking as an adult feels like a whole new world, especially with the great trails Philly has. I never realized before how easy it is for me to zip downtown and back to the suburbs and all on a bike. Can ride down and get a beer at the park without dealing with any of the traffic , its honestly amazing
Bilenky is a fantastic builder. Might be a touch of overkill for what you're needing, though I wouldn't hesitate to let anyone there touch my bike. Top notch.
Engin Cycles in Chestnut Hill might also be able to help.
Enjoy your riding there. I dearly miss my days in Philly. It's so easy to get on a bike and "accidentally" wind up in Phoenixville.
EDIT to add this small anecdote: I just got my frame back from being aligned. I'd checked it over myself but turns out it needed a little love. I don't live in a very hot bike area these days and my searches were all dead ends. I happened to spend enough time in the Mechanic and Framebuilder sections of this forum and found a local guy who was up to the task. If you search/ask around those spots you may get lucky.