No ... long distance cycling is quite different from touring.

Touring is when you load up panniers full of travel gear onto a rear (and possibly front) rack, and set off on an adventure where you ride, generally, less than 100 km a day over a weekend or several days, weeks, or months. For touring you want a strong, comfortable bicycle with the capability to carry fairly heavy loads.

Long distance cycling (especially the randonneuring type of long distance cycling) is when you try to cover a very long distance in a relatively short period of time. For example, the 300 km brevet has a time limit of 20 hours, including all breaks ... the 600 km brevet has a time limit of 40 hours ... the 1200 km has a time limit of 90 hours. Long distance cycling is more about day events (i.e. a double century, a brevet, or a 24-hour race) or "all-at-once" events (i.e. 1200 km randonnee, Furnace Creeek 508, or RAAM). For long distance cycling you want a comfortable yet relatively light, fast bicycle.

I believe it was coasting who brought up the topic of "sportive" bicycles. "Sportive" bicycles are also known as "sports touring" bicycles, or "audax" bicycles. They have a geometry that is somewhere between that of a touring bicycle and a racing bicycle. They are designed for long distance cycling. And that's what Machak is ... and what I want my new bicycle to be.

I do both long distance cycling and touring ... although I tend to do more long distance cycling than I do touring.

ahh, thanks for the explanation. i get it. from my recent experience with a new Ti bike, it sounds like it is perfectly suited to your needs. cheers!

I debating between silver and black rims. I took a look at the Post Your Titaniums thread (http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...Your-Titaniums), and both look good.

what type of wheels are you considering?

Mavic Open Pro ... most likely.

When life hands you lemons....

Got a name for this one yet?

Kahcam?

Very nice to see you're not letting the loss of your bike stop you from riding. All the best to you!

I can't stop riding just like that ... I've been riding "seriously" (regularly, with purpose ... as opposed to occasionally and casually) for almost 20 years. In fact, I celebrate my 20 year anniversary on April 29th, the day I made the decision to start riding "seriously", and went out on the first of thousands of subsequent rides.


I have wanted a titanium bicycle for years, and it is kind of exciting to have Rowan build one with my input, etc. ....... but I'm having some trouble getting really enthusiastic. My heart isn't in it yet. It is probably a good thing we're building it slowly. So no, I haven't decided on a name, although Kahcam is an idea I will consider.

On the build front ... the brakes arrived today. Ultegra caliper road brakes.

So now I've got:
-- frame
-- bottle cages
-- pedals
-- brakes
-- seat post clamp
-- spacers

I was unaware there was such a thing as 'serious' riding.

But on the other hand... It's only you who's not riding seriously...

One thing we're having a bit of difficulty tracking down is a fork. I would like to go with steel, but steel forks seem to be rather rare. We have tracked some down from St. John Street Cycles.

I have my eye on this one, perhaps ... in dark green ...
http://www.sjscycles.co.uk/product-T...Fork-17674.htm

Tomorrow will be a shopping run. We're planning to head into Melbourne and have a look at several shops.

That's quite a nice fork. Are the eyelets for mounting front rack and fender?

Yes ... and there are light mounts as well. I'm not sure that I'd run a front rack with this bicycle, but I do like front fenders.

kona makes a pretty nice one, we put one on a friends bike, its a well made piece and a great price.

http://store.comcycle-usa.com/Produc...spx?id=5860911

Well ... on the shopping run tomorrow we'll have a look to see if there are any like that here in Australia. Shipping between NA and Australia is cost prohibitive ... it costs way too much to get anything from a US source.

But, that Kona fork looks pretty straight, not much of a curve (rake?) ... I think I'd want more of a curve.

A curved fork does create a bit more of a comfortable ride due to a little longer wheelbase (as the rake is normally a little longer) and a bit more shock absorbtion. A straight fork with less rake would make it more directly responding to steering and would take a bit of comfort away.

Basically, for a long distance bike I would want a bit more comfort and I would go with a curved fork instead of a straight one. For a short ride I'd go with a little less comfort and a straight fork.

We took the train into Melbourne today on a shopping expedition where we visited a heap of bicycle shops. We now have a Dura-Ace cables for shifters and brakes, a SON dynohub for the front wheel, a front lamp, rear lights, a mirror, some tools (some of my tools and bits and pieces that I carry with me on long rides were also stolen), a couple pair of shorts (I have three that are wearing out badly just now, so I've now replaced them), and a rain jacket (my rain jacket was also stolen).

I had quite a few extra things stolen, aside from just Machak. My handlebar bag with a bunch of stuff, a stuff bag attached to my rear rack with a bunch of stuff, and an MEC waterproof breathable jacket were all stolen. Since we've got rides coming up, I've had to recollect a lot of this stuff.

And Rowan has just placed a rather large order with Chain Reaction Cycles for a lot of what we need to actually build the bicycle.


We are, however, still debating about a fork. Personally, I'd like steel, but there isn't much in the way of steel, and people (including Rowan) are trying to convince me that carbon would be a good choice.

This from a guy who's name is Fred.

So true.

This is pretty much wrong across the board. Straight blade forks can and do have just as much rake as curved blade forks. Even if they had less rake, this would increase the stability of the bike, possibly to the point of making it difficult to initiate turns. The difference in shock absorption or road feel between curved and straight blades is slight at best.

I did put the rake thing down wrong, you're correct.

From personal experience I know (or maybe I should say: I have experienced...) more vibration dampening when riding with a curved fork than when riding with a straight fork. Maybe the fact that my straight fork is an aero fork makes it dampen even less, I don't know. It's just something I've noticed.
Concerning the stability, I've noticed my straight fork (which has just a bit less rake than the curved) results in a bit more of a twitch front end, looking forward to each turn whatsoever to take.

As said, I'm speaking from experience when it comes to this, so facts may of course prove me wrong.

Hey, I'm impressed with those welds; those are some pretty good looking welds for something that was made in Taiwan. I remembered seeing the welds on an Airborne a few years ago and they looked awful. They looked like somebody took a piece of bubblegum and wrapped it around as it had the texture that looked as rough as a caterpillar worm.

I suspect these are not really what you're after but Ti, sculptural, Aussie and made by a friend of mine.

http://vuelovelo.com/

The order from Chain Reaction Cycles has been sent. The order contains all sorts of bits and pieces to build up the bicycle. A steel fork is also on its way from Wiggle. That fork is black and the plan is to paint it British Racing Green (or Jaguar Green, or Brooks Green).

I'd like to get the Brooks handlebar tape, but the way I go through handlebar tape, the price is a little scary. So I'm still looking for some green handlebar tape that isn't "lime" or "neon" or "Italian".

And while I'm at it, I'm keeping my eyes open for a green helmet and green gloves.

the deda stuff looks pretty close to british racing green,
http://www.ride-this.com/media/catal...E/DE7116_1.jpg

i like your dark green theme. naked Ti is like a blank canvass ready for riders to apply their own tastes and a change of tyre and tape makes a totally different look (both need changing periodically anyway). I intend changing the look over time. I'm going initially with red on my Ti build, but green is next.

Machka, best of luck with the new build. I wish you went with carbon for the fork (like Easton EC90SL or Reynolds Ouzo), but I'm sure you'll enjoy the steel. Here's a few gloves/helmets
http://www.cyclegear.com/images/offr...RN_310x310.jpghttp://www.rockymountainatvmc.com/im...16_grn-blk.jpghttps://www.helmetsrus.net/nonprofit...del06Green.jpghttp://www.extremesupply.com/images/...GreenWhite.jpghttp://www.2wheelbikes.com/sitebuild...lt-405x341.jpg

Sucks that your beloved bike got stolen and am hoping that it comes back to you in one piece... I am still bitter over my first and last stolen bike as after a while they become more than just objects but a repository for many good memories.

If you go with green cork or cloth I'd consider using clear shellac to seal and protect it... it costs very little and will extend the life of the bar wrap by many factors and not have an unpleasant effect on the ride quality as the damping of the base material is retained.

Will look forward to seeing the finished bike and wonder if you've considered a tandem for touring instead of two singles ?

The green one here might not be too bad. I'm looking for a dark green.

Micargi Bike-Safely Bicycle Helmet (Adult)
Micargi's Bike-Safely Adult Bike Helmet has a sleek, aerodynamic design, twelve air
vents for maximum cooling, adjustable chin straps for added comfort, and a
quick-release strap buckle.

http://www.2wheelbikes.com/bike-acce...cessories.html