That's pretty keen. I suppose you've considered getting into the bizz?

Cervelo aren't gunna have a steel bike in 2005.

I assume people could buy a bike on the spot? At lower prices?

G'day,

Actually it was very noticable the lack of anything new or interesting in steel frames. iasked the bloke at the Cervelo satnd about the super prodigy thing & he said that Cervelo felt that its future rested in composite technology & had done all they could do with steel!....It was the same with everybody there, none of the marque Italian steel manufacturers were there....it was carbon, carbon, carbon. As a carbon man myself it's good to see manufacturers 'getting with the strength', but It's depressing as well....I don't want everyone on carbon bikes!....hang onto those '853's' they are gunna be collectors items. Fair dinkum, in 10 years, if this years show is anything to go by, you'll tell young blokes that they used to make bikes outta steel & they won't believe you!

Hitchy

Ah bloody forums back up.

Thanks heaps Hitchy. Good to see you took some liberties with my budget you cheeky bugger. You know how much trouble I'm having stopping myself from spending way more than I should.

Ooo man, I love the carbon and silver jobbie! Had a look at Orbea.com, and couldn't find a centaur one. In Campy they had Veloce and Century. WTF is Century? Is that what they call Centaur over there?

I tend to hate compact frames until I see bikes in real life, then I don't mind it so much. $3.7k with 105 though? Ouch. Still decent components on what must be an excellent frame. Exclusive out here to boot. Might see if I can find a dealer.

Man, you're only recommending that so you can bag me out. Hitchy recommending a Giant?

Hrm. Don't know about pumping so much money into the NZ economy. They wouldn't know what to do with their new found wealth. Buy some bling for their sheep I guess.

Spend a shedload of money on her first?

I noticed at the Orbea website they have a some steel in their 'Spirit carbon' frameset. Its triple butted, air hardened Columbus Spirit steel and Columbus Muscle carbon fiber composite seatstays. The 'retro blue' colour I like especially.

This is obvious, but I'm serious: trade yours in for one in similar colours and she'll never notice

G'day,

I think what Scott have done is try to get something in 'carbon' into the 'giant' price range. The guy at Orbea admitted this was the reason for the 'Onix' being released. Scott have come up with a very nice frameset but have skimped a little on the components to hit that price. Carbon rules at this years bike show, no-one had anything much other than carbon.....your price range was taking a beating...theres really not that much around up to about 3K....certainly nothing with decent componentry....If you add another 'K'...you're starting to talk about very, very nice stuff. Dunno what 'century' is...never seen it...don't tell me the 'spaghetti sauce' gruppo is changing all their names again!....I think they did that 2 years ago...kept 'record' & chorus & changed all the rest, just to add some confusion. I threw the Giant Euro in just as something to think about...Had a long discussion with the Giant guys about them.....they think that the new frames are a quantum leap over the old model in terms of stiffness & handling...so might be worth a look...as always ya gotta ride everything....I was really taken with the 'Onix though...extremely nice looking frame. The Scott was Ok, but I'm not sold on 'fat' top tubes on compact frames. Trek didn't have any pricing on the 5.2 or 5.9 thingo's...but they've morphed into compact frames & apparently you can choose from heaps of colour schemes...might be worth a look.....mmm carbon

Hitchy

ahhh...but the new one doesn't come in blue.....I'd already weighed up the chances of getting away with that!......my mates are all egging me on (barstards!)...there telling me I absolutely can't be seen on last years model!...lol...its only 4 mths old!

Hitchy

Sounds like you had a good drool over the weekend Hitchy.

I think I might head out on the bike track. See if there's anything(one) worth drooling over out there today.

hey scoz,

just got an email from Dave @ Ride media.....he tells me 'Ride' will be posted on thursday...they have had some delays...apparently we will understand why when we get the mag...(now i'm excited...what goodies are instore for us?)

Hitchy

My expectations for this next issue are high, because so much has happened since the last.

I went to their website and they say its a 'special souvenir edition' with a three page fold out cover. The postie had better not fold this issue to get it into the mailbox, and this issue is gonna be fat at '200 pages'. Maybe I should get one of those pipes to go on the side of the mailbox...

Anyone else find it funny that when you go to the BITS show, you have to pay for the privalige to be sold to?

Naturally I didn't go - too many people there I'd want to punch out. Oh yeah, and I was hungover and hate carbon fiber.

Hey guys...anyone....... is it my imagination, or could the much lighter front end of my Kervello be getting buffeted around much more in windy conditions, compared to my heavier bikes?

Exactly like a cover charge at a pub. You have to cue up (??), then pay a door charge for the "privilege" to pay 5 bucks for a 2 buck beer.

...just as well you stayed in bed. I was hungover too...but i love the smell of carbon in the morning!....(with apologies to Francis ford copola!)

could be, although I can't say I've noticed it with the 486, (except when the cosmics are on!)...you didn't change wheels as well?

Hitchy

EXACTLY why you won't find me there.

Nah, I've got a got an Open Pro on the front. Could be the wider blades on the Columbus Muscle..dunno. It was pretty windy late last week.

$15 IS abit steep....but i had all thris drool saved up & I had to find a 585 frame to slobber it on!

Hitchy

Did you fling a Mavic Io at Guy Thompson like a ninja star, Hitchy?

Hey Ed, you mentioned the other week that you had a stack of bike mags in your garage; well, that's nothin'! When I left high school, this guy gave me all his old Muscle & Fitness mags, so I've got a dozen from 1978 to 1981, plus a whole pile from 1984 to 1989. I even have the 1980 Olympia edition, including all the controversy.... I hope you know who won in 1980.

It's funny, in the old mags they talk openly about steriods, then as the years rolled on, Joe Weider pretended they didn't exist.

I hope you still follow the "Weider Principles"

Did you know walking was a Weider Principle?

Jeez, I hope you were allowed to go on your own, or did the Hitch clan tag along?

...you was AWOL on friday Ed, Keo's turned up!...very nice too...worth the wait. I did have a VERY interesting conversation with him though....I'll tell you about someday...the laws of liable don't allow me to expand any further in open forum!

Hitchy

Incredible....leafing through those old mags is a classic. I chucked out about 100kgs of mags a few weeks ago...but I had to keep a 1988 Bicycling (US) Buyer's Guide for the year....awesome. Steel De Rosas, Gitanes, Gios, carbon Alans, Vitus, Look. I think I was 14 when I bought that!!

PM me.....I love a bit of gossip!

nope was allowed to go on my own.!....credit card, check book, house title, car ownership papers all confiscated before I left....I was even on a 'promise' if i didn't spend any money!......unfortunately the Pearl izumi socks were calling my name...as was a poster & tee-shirt of the classic 2001 paris-Roubaix photo of Hincapie, Meesuuw covered in *****....the caption says..."Go hard or go home".......it was all I could afford!......(but i did spend along time sucking up to the groupe sportiff dudes!)

Hitchy