Your century bicycle(s)
02-15-11, 10:01 PM
#651
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That still is more or less the case. Although the 200k events seem to bring out many people that just want to check it out, but are not regulars. But then, in SD, I think you see mostly race bikes because that's really all people ride around here. Even to commute. I've yet to do PBP, but I have heard about the differences in equipment amongst nationalities. As a friend of mine put it - the French all have classy steel with front bags, the English all have less classy steel with big saddle bags, and the Italians are all on race bikes. I know that's not entirely true, but that was one impression he came away with from the 3 editions he did.
02-15-11, 11:25 PM
#652
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...As a friend of mine put it - the French all have classy steel with front bags, the English all have less classy steel with big saddle bags, and the Italians are all on race bikes. I know that's not entirely true, but that was one impression he came away with from the 3 editions he did.
)
02-19-11, 11:07 AM
#653
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Have you done PBP? What I said about it being a regional thing is based on my observations over the years. At a ride like PBP you can almost tell what nationality/region a person is or came from by the type of bicycle they are riding. People from countries (or regions) where the riders have to ride in bad weather often (such as England and NW U.S.) tend to have the more rugged bikes with fenders and lots of baggage capacity. People who are from warmer climates tend to be on the lighter bikes with no fenders and little or no baggage. It tends to be a result of necessity. If you ride in bad weather equipment wears faster, you carry more clothes etc. If you ride in good weather you don't need all that stuff so a carbon race bike becomes more user friendly. Heck, I can spot a group of Italian rides just by their bikes. I haven't done a brevet in SD in a few years so I don't know what the demographics are down there anymore but it used to be pretty much dominated by "race" style bikes and a few recumbents. Maybe that's changed?
I haven't done a brevet in SD in a few years so I don't know what the demographics are down there anymore but it used to be pretty much dominated by "race" style bikes and a few recumbents. Maybe that's changed?
Even on 600km I don't take much but what I can put in my jersey pockets. I even did a 600km on my P3 with a Speedfil some gels and flat repair. 
from my last 200km in January (Cervelo Soloist SL with Di2)
pictured here with Chris Kostman of AdventureCorps
Last edited by Vireo; 02-19-11 at 10:39 PM.
02-19-11, 09:20 PM
#654
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Vireo's set-up is pretty typical for the SoCal randonneur, in my experience. I think he might even have been one of the guys making fun of my fenders a couple of years back. Hard to remember for sure, though. All those plastic bikes look alike to me. 
02-19-11, 11:50 PM
#655
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What's that thing Kostman's on? I bet you a buck it's some 70's thing, or older, with six speed and down tube shifters. Vireo, did you make fun of him having fenders on a SD brevet? I would have. It never rains in SD... actually, the last 300k I did in SD it poured buckets on us the whole ride. Made coming down off of Palomar Mtn. much more fun than usual!
It never rains in SD... actually, the last 300k I did in SD it poured buckets on us the whole ride. Made coming down off of Palomar Mtn. much more fun than usual!
02-20-11, 12:26 AM
#656
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What's that thing Kostman's on? I bet you a buck it's some 70's thing, or older, with six speed and down tube shifters. Vireo, did you make fun of him having fenders on a SD brevet? I would have. It never rains in SD... actually, the last 300k I did in SD it poured buckets on us the whole ride. Made coming down off of Palomar Mtn. much more fun than usual!
It never rains in SD... actually, the last 300k I did in SD it poured buckets on us the whole ride. Made coming down off of Palomar Mtn. much more fun than usual! What year did you do the rainy 300km in SD? I have done a few rainy 300kms. If you are talking about coming off of Palomar there were a couple of years we went up South Grade down East up Mesa Grande to Santa Ysabel and then up to Julian. In March 2005 I finished "first" and in March 2006 I am in "third" that year from the freezing rain and hail. Those years sucked but then there was 2010 300km also rained like hell. Here and here after mile 90 things get really bad.
02-20-11, 12:56 PM
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Um, yeah, it was 2005 or 2006. 
I was just cruzing with some friends, rode a fair amount of it with Barkley. We definitely went up the south grade of Palomar and down the East followed, by Mesa Grande and Julian. It was a lot of fun because I got to ride my bicycle on all the roads I cut my motorcycle racing teeth on when I was younger.
I was just cruzing with some friends, rode a fair amount of it with Barkley. We definitely went up the south grade of Palomar and down the East followed, by Mesa Grande and Julian. It was a lot of fun because I got to ride my bicycle on all the roads I cut my motorcycle racing teeth on when I was younger.
02-20-11, 02:07 PM
#658
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Um, yeah, it was 2005 or 2006. I was just cruzing with some friends, rode a fair amount of it with Barkley. We definitely went up the south grade of Palomar and down the East followed, by Mesa Grande and Julian. It was a lot of fun because I got to ride my bicycle on all the roads I cut my motorcycle racing teeth on when I was younger.
I was just cruzing with some friends, rode a fair amount of it with Barkley. We definitely went up the south grade of Palomar and down the East followed, by Mesa Grande and Julian. It was a lot of fun because I got to ride my bicycle on all the roads I cut my motorcycle racing teeth on when I was younger. Last edited by Vireo; 02-20-11 at 02:33 PM.
02-20-11, 02:23 PM
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I hear ya. My "local" rando crowd (in Portland, almost 200 mi away) is very tolerant of equipment choices. Here in Bend OTOH, if it ain't a racing bike, then what the **** are you doing riding it?? Whatever. Funny thing is, the higher level the riders are the more they appreciate my "antiquated" bike. It's the cat-5 wannabe's that are the worst.
I love humanity - it's the people I can't stand.
SP
Bend, OR
I love humanity - it's the people I can't stand.
SP
Bend, OR
02-20-11, 11:34 PM
#660
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What's that thing Kostman's on? I bet you a buck it's some 70's thing, or older, with six speed and down tube shifters. Vireo, did you make fun of him having fenders on a SD brevet? I would have. It never rains in SD... actually, the last 300k I did in SD it poured buckets on us the whole ride. Made coming down off of Palomar Mtn. much more fun than usual!
It never rains in SD... actually, the last 300k I did in SD it poured buckets on us the whole ride. Made coming down off of Palomar Mtn. much more fun than usual!
02-21-11, 12:07 AM
#661
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02-21-11, 12:22 PM
#662
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02-21-11, 11:28 PM
#663
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Have you done PBP? What I said about it being a regional thing is based on my observations over the years. At a ride like PBP you can almost tell what nationality/region a person is or came from by the type of bicycle they are riding. People from countries (or regions) where the riders have to ride in bad weather often (such as England and NW U.S.) tend to have the more rugged bikes with fenders and lots of baggage capacity. People who are from warmer climates tend to be on the lighter bikes with no fenders and little or no baggage. It tends to be a result of necessity. If you ride in bad weather equipment wears faster, you carry more clothes etc. If you ride in good weather you don't need all that stuff so a carbon race bike becomes more user friendly. Heck, I can spot a group of Italian rides just by their bikes. I haven't done a brevet in SD in a few years so I don't know what the demographics are down there anymore but it used to be pretty much dominated by "race" style bikes and a few recumbents. Maybe that's changed?
I haven't done a brevet in SD in a few years so I don't know what the demographics are down there anymore but it used to be pretty much dominated by "race" style bikes and a few recumbents. Maybe that's changed?I only started randonneuring in 2008 and it's been exclusively on Seattle Randonneur events, so I don't know much about how the rest of the country and the rest of the world do it. But I was a bit surprised by the bikes I saw on the Cascade 1200 last summer. I was used to seeing the local boys and girls with their steel bikes, aluminum fenders, front bags, and Brooks saddles that show up for all of the local events. But the C1200 draws people from all over the world. The only people there riding lugged steel with level top tubes were us locals. Nearly everyone else was on something racier, lighter and more carbony (carbon-ish?). So it really does seem to be a regional thing. What I don't understand in the least is why anyone cares what someone else is riding.
02-22-11, 11:18 AM
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You've got a point there! I don't know if "cares" is the right word. I like to look at other peoples bikes just to see what they are doing because they might be doing something in a way that will work well for me. I've been doing it long enough to have a pretty good idea what will work for me and what won't but not long enough to know everything. A lot of it is just like people watching at the beach. Sometimes I'll see someone on the beach and think to myself "you really shouldn't be wearing that" but then I might see someone wearing a suit that might look pretty good on me. Unfortunately there are too many people out there that think their way is the only way. People are just people.
02-22-11, 02:34 PM
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You've got a point there! I don't know if "cares" is the right word. I like to look at other peoples bikes just to see what they are doing because they might be doing something in a way that will work well for me. I've been doing it long enough to have a pretty good idea what will work for me and what won't but not long enough to know everything. A lot of it is just like people watching at the beach. Sometimes I'll see someone on the beach and think to myself "you really shouldn't be wearing that" but then I might see someone wearing a suit that might look pretty good on me. Unfortunately there are too many people out there that think their way is the only way. People are just people.
Sorry, just ranting...
02-22-11, 06:27 PM
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...or maybe some people are just *******s. I'm torn.
02-23-11, 07:01 PM
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Ah ha... so that's what you do with a PhD in philosophy.
Edit: I think I'm gonna go with the annihilation.
Edit: I think I'm gonna go with the annihilation.
Last edited by lonesomesteve; 02-23-11 at 07:08 PM.
02-23-11, 07:20 PM
#668
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And to take this thread in a less existentialist direction and back toward it's original intent, I'm going to post big fat pictures of my bike because I just remembered I haven't posted this one here yet.
It's a Velo Orange Randonneur. I just put this bike together last fall so I've only done a few rides of 100 miles or more on it so far. I expect it will see some long rides this spring and summer.
It's a Velo Orange Randonneur. I just put this bike together last fall so I've only done a few rides of 100 miles or more on it so far. I expect it will see some long rides this spring and summer.
Likes For lonesomesteve:
02-23-11, 08:30 PM
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02-23-11, 10:32 PM
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What********** Fenders in that sunshine********** And, downtuuuube shifters**********? Sorry, had to do my part to head us towards annihilation.
Nice looking bike! I'm seriously thinking of heading up to Canada to do the RM1200 again next year as long as it doesn't conflict with RAAM. That's not too far from you. Maybe I'll get a chance to see that thing on the road in person????
Sorry, had to do my part to head us towards annihilation. Nice looking bike! I'm seriously thinking of heading up to Canada to do the RM1200 again next year as long as it doesn't conflict with RAAM. That's not too far from you. Maybe I'll get a chance to see that thing on the road in person????
02-24-11, 02:08 AM
#672
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I'm very happy with it. The handling is solid. It takes some input to initiate a turn, but once in a turn it's easy to correct. The ride with 28mm Paselas is like buttah, very cushy. Climbing isn't it's greatest strength, but it feels like a lot of decent quality classic steel bikes when you get out of the saddle and stomp on it. The thing I notice most is how it feels on fast descents. I usually start getting nervous at about 40 mph, but on this bike I've hit 45 a couple times and it felt stable and safe. It's a keeper for sure.
The RM1200 is definitely on my short list. If I see you there you'll have to ride slow so I can keep up. The downtube shifters really slow me down, ya know.
Originally Posted by Homeyba
What********** Fenders in that sunshine********** And, downtuuuube shifters**********? Sorry, had to do my part to head us towards annihilation.
Nice looking bike! I'm seriously thinking of heading up to Canada to do the RM1200 again next year as long as it doesn't conflict with RAAM. That's not too far from you. Maybe I'll get a chance to see that thing on the road in person????
Sorry, had to do my part to head us towards annihilation. Nice looking bike! I'm seriously thinking of heading up to Canada to do the RM1200 again next year as long as it doesn't conflict with RAAM. That's not too far from you. Maybe I'll get a chance to see that thing on the road in person????
02-24-11, 06:25 AM
#673
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What********** Fenders in that sunshine********** And, downtuuuube shifters**********? Sorry, had to do my part to head us towards annihilation.
Nice looking bike! I'm seriously thinking of heading up to Canada to do the RM1200 again next year as long as it doesn't conflict with RAAM. That's not too far from you. Maybe I'll get a chance to see that thing on the road in person????
Sorry, had to do my part to head us towards annihilation. Nice looking bike! I'm seriously thinking of heading up to Canada to do the RM1200 again next year as long as it doesn't conflict with RAAM. That's not too far from you. Maybe I'll get a chance to see that thing on the road in person????
02-24-11, 06:44 AM
#674
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hee.. i'm pretty fond of the annihilation then. nice bike steve!
i'll posit the completo version having just upped the ante with a new set of cranks-- all that's left is building a set of wheels NOT geared toward farm road riding, and she'll be fully in business.
i'll posit the completo version having just upped the ante with a new set of cranks-- all that's left is building a set of wheels NOT geared toward farm road riding, and she'll be fully in business.
02-24-11, 06:13 PM
#675
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Well, would you look at that! Suddenly there's a slew of beautiful steel bikes with aluminum fenders, fat-ish tires, big clunky french style handlebar bags, Brooks saddles, no brifters in sight... maybe even some friction shifters!!! Let the annihilation begin...
BigDaddyPete, I already complimented your bike in another thread, but I'll say it again. Beautiful bike!
Shorthanded, I've always been partial to the panel paint jobs on those Masi's. Very classy. And are those the new fancy CNC machined DiaCompe centerpulls I see? If so, what do you think of them? I hate to give the carbon fiber overlords more ammo with which to judge, but I really like centerpull brakes. They have great feel and modulation. I'm thinking of "upgrading" my VO with some old DiaCompe 610s I have on my commuter bike.
BigDaddyPete, I already complimented your bike in another thread, but I'll say it again. Beautiful bike!
Shorthanded, I've always been partial to the panel paint jobs on those Masi's. Very classy. And are those the new fancy CNC machined DiaCompe centerpulls I see? If so, what do you think of them? I hate to give the carbon fiber overlords more ammo with which to judge, but I really like centerpull brakes. They have great feel and modulation. I'm thinking of "upgrading" my VO with some old DiaCompe 610s I have on my commuter bike.
