flippin_bikes

Check out my new bike! It is awesome and is so light I can pick it up with just one hand. I think it weighs like 30 lbs! Its a 10 speed I think (8 gears in the back + 2 in the front = 10 right?).

The guy at the bike store said that this is what Lance rode before he got famous. Also, the back part of the frame is curved which makes you go faster (like a spring that pushes you forward when you peddle). The breaks are really cool with extra levers and stop on a dime.

Sorry about the bad pictures. My wife wouldn't let me bring it in the house so I could photograph it in front of the stove which I have been reading here makes a great backdrop for a photo. You can still tell how good the bike is and I hope I didn't make anybody jealous showing it off.

Doohickie

Pretty sweet. Then again, my roadie is a 1983 Raleigh Super Course. Opinions of others may vary....

Great writeup by the way... had me chuckling in several places.

Gonna be running some cyclocross?

dspaff088

uhhh dont feed the trolls

Velo Gator

Homebrew01

8 x 2 = 16
um .. well .... I think the idea is that is dampens road vibration a bit .... sounds like you had a creative sales-person.

Get out there & ride.

Hard to tell .... kinda new to be trolling already, but ya never know.

dspaff088

no put your pop corn away, there is nothing to see here.

Velo Gator

Yes there is, didn't you notice he has directly challenged pcad to a bench duel?

flippin_bikes

You are talking to a guy who loves classic road bikes. My frame reminds me a bit of a Hetchins, just without all of the nice lug work, attention to detail, or a general level of pride that goes into making a nice bike. I do think the curved seat stays are a nifty touch.

Glad you could tell I wasn't serious. It seems some others weren't as keen to my true intentions. Had I really wanted to trick more people into thinking I was truly a naive beginner cyclist, I would have taken a photo of the non-drive side of the bike from a really awkward angle. This would look a lot like a bunch of ads posted on craigslist by people who have no idea about bikes. I have also scored quite a few bikes from such people who have no idea what they have (such as an early 90s Bianchi CX bike in mint condition w/ Suntour XC Pro components for $150 or a Jamis Aurora touring bike for $100).

Running cross? Nah, just threw on some fat tires to deal with the crappy roads and gravel around where I live. Its nice to know that your wheel won't fall through the monster cracks in the road or that I can explore a dirt road without worrying about getting a flat or dinging up my rims.

patentcad

Racing?







Actually it's guys like this who show up on bicycle like this one @ Cat 5 races in sandals and socks and lap the field.

rjones28 

Nice bench.

Spookeay Bird

Ok, I get most all of the humor but some one explain to me the reason for that breaking system?

Velo Gator

It's beginner-friendly.

dspaff088

because its broken

flippin_bikes

I assure you, this is not me. I used to have expensive mountain bikes, but not so much on the road bike side of things. My "nicest" bike was a mid 80s Crack-n-Fail SR500 with Shimano 600 components that I promptly sold since it rode so poorly. My first bike with STI brifters was my 2008 Jamis Aurora touring bike with Tiagra/Deore components. I like to ride for fun, exercise, and to see the countryside, so I don't need or want something light weight or with little tire clearance. I live on the edge of a small metropolis and 5 miles away are rural roads galore, but they are on a deferred maintenance schedule. Having a smooth riding bike with room for big tires make sense for me. I'm the guy riding in baggy shorts and a cheap athletic shirt from the big box store.

I do like hearing stories of someone wearing "jorts" and a t-shirt with the sleeves torn off who shows up at a race and hands everybody their spandex rear end.

Spookeay Bird

Haa,,, ok.

Spookeay Bird

Hey,,, easy now..........

flippin_bikes

Thank you. It looks dirty, but in reality, it is terribly dilapidated.

For years, I have used that bench as a backdrop for my photos I shot of bikes that I flipped on craigslist (now you know how I chose my user name). It sorely needs to be refinished. Can't decide if I want to paint the wood or sand and refinish. Thoughts anyone?

rjones28 

Sand and refinish.

flippin_bikes

That is what I was thinking. It might looks nice to stain it a bit darker, but use a lighter stain on a couple of the strips which will add a bit of visual flair.

Such an improvement to my bench might increase my bicycle flipping sales by double, or maybe not. I was just trying to segway back to bicycles since I am getting off topic. Pretty slick how I did that, huh?

Mr. Embrey

They come in handy if you use your bike to walk a small (or slow) dog on a leash. It's hard to brake with one hand on the hoods or in the drops, plus I preffer to ride on the tops anyway when I'm going that slow. I have some on my Allez, but I'm going to switch them over to the rain bike next time it's due for new bar wrap.

urbanknight

Why would you want it to be wet?

iqbal624

what's sad is there are people who actually think this way...

WhyFi

The little in-line brake levers are not uncommon with cyclocross bikes - they just give you another hand position with access to the brakes. I do a lot of riding in heavy traffic, and I've thought about adding a set (I sometimes like to sit more upright in traffic to see over cars a little better), but haven't yet... probably not going to, at this point, but we'll see.

rangerdavid

I covet the pcad bench. More than his bikes actually. Well, maybe.

boogoshea

[QUOTE=flippin_bikes;12520705]Check out my new bike! It is awesome and is so light I can pick it up with just one hand. I think it weighs like 30 lbs! Its a 10 speed I think (8 gears in the back + 2 in the front = 10 right?).

The guy at the bike store said that this is what Lance rode before he got famous. Also, the back part of the frame is curved which makes you go faster (like a spring that pushes you forward when you peddle). The breaks are really cool with extra levers and stop on a dime.

Sorry about the bad pictures. My wife wouldn't let me bring it in the house so I could photograph it in front of the stove which I have been reading here makes a great backdrop for a photo. You can still tell how good the bike is and I hope I didn't make anybody jealous showing it off.


Uh Jack Keefe? Ring Lardner wrote this? Very good thank you.