Complete, or just frame/fork?

Ah, I should have been more clear. Frameset.

What color paint ? If it is Celeste, then probably up to $500. Otherwise, not very much.

BTW, I have a 2006 in Celeste, and I plan on keeping it to the grave.

Black 55cm 2003. The price ask is steep IMO, but to your point it seems like a "forever bike" once you build it how you want it. $800 for frameset - although it's pretty minty, the price is steeeep. I see a complete 2003 black 58cm (ending in 3h) for $800 on ebay, then a frameset for 600/800. So hard to gauge since it's a complete seller's market for the early Concepts.

Well, you can buy a brand new black Super Pista frameset for about $750 with shipping, and get very close to the original Pista Concept in terms of quality and design. So, frankly, unless you have some kinda hard for older Bianchis, I just don’t see it except if it is CELESTE.

Don't forget that the chain will last (slightly) longer with the bigger sprockets, too. If chainstay clearance didn't limit me to a 45T, I'd go bigger.

Thanks for the responses, [MENTION=362748]SquidPuppet[/MENTION], [MENTION=251447]ThermionicScott[/MENTION]... "more lube/more work/higher mainenance cost" is pretty much a dealbreaker though.

Yes. It's exactly two extra links.

If you amortize the cost of the additional lube over the life of the bike, it can become financially overwhelming. The additional wear and tear on the cleaning devices (Rags/toothbrush) must be factored in as well. But, one mustn't neglect to consider the increased life expectancy of the hardware itself as an offset.

I accept the weight penalty and higher maintenance costs associated with larger sprockets because I prefer their increased operating smoothness and silence.

Hmmmm. Increased rag wear and a few grams weight penalty on a 10kg bike... I'll assume the performance increase is proportional (perhaps amplified by the placebo effect?)... seems like I'm really looking at six of one, half dozen of another unless I'm striving for pro-track perfection, yes?

Don’t forget the reduced drag and parasitic losses with larger sprockets that will improve your competitive performance by milliseconds.

Placebo > truth

Rode fixed today 16 mi, and it was kind of noisy. At first I thought it was the cranks, but the chain is now measuring 0.5% wear (measured it a few weeks ago and it didn't measure any wear at all, so it just happened). I can also pull the chain off the front chainring with my fingers. Should I tighten up the chain a bit? Do worn chains get more noisy?

Dave

If you can pull the chain off the chainring, then for sure it is too loose, so yeah, I’d remove some slack in the chain. A stretched chain on a new cog will make more noise, but more importantly it will a accelerate wear on the cog. What brand and model chain are you using ?

The cog is the same one i've had for a while. The chain was recommended and installed by my former lbs:

410H(IGH)Single Speed Chain


Dave

Paint the machine red to compensate...

OK, so how much wear do you see on the cog teeth ? Do they look like shark teeth ? How about the chainring ? l’ve never heard of that chain brand, but being made in Taiwan it’s probably decent quality. Regardless, you need to adjust the slack in the chain so that it’s no more than 1/4” at its tightest point.

The teeth on the cog are definitely starting to look pointy. The chainring is relatively new, and the teeth look pretty good. To give some perspective on the cog, it came with the rear wheel, so it is probably the cheapest 1/8" cog in existence. When I get a chance, i'll take a picture with a decent camera.

As far as picking up the chain, I can lift it off the chainring, but not above the teeth on the chainring if that makes a difference.

Dave

This was a reference to explain how high the chain could be moved off the chainring. Here are some pics, which should explain better (this is after I tightened the chain).

Dave

How did you measure chain wear? Some of those chain wear tools are pretty wonky.

Best bet is to hang the chain from a nail and measure with a steel ruler. Or something like that.


-Tim-

It's very red; all calculations have included this crucial modifier.

Tim,

I used the Park cc-3.2, and took 3 or 4 measurements at different points on the chain, but can try the ruler method too.

Dave

Dave - So, you can lift the chain UP on the chainring, not OFF it as in dropping the chain from the sprocket. You can always do this to some extent, and it tells you very little in regards to whether the chain “tension” is correct. The only good way I know to do this is the measure chain slack midway between the chainring and cog when the chain is tightest.

As to the Park tool, it is just a go/no go type tool, and .5% is not very much chain stretch. Also, the results can be skewed if the chain rollers are not very precisely made. Anyways, the direct measurement method that Tim suggests is much more reliable.

Let me recommend that you replace that worn Origin 8 chainring and replace it with something better.

The Park tool is notorious. Try a ruler.

I find it difficult to believe that the chain wore 0.5% in a few weeks.


-Tim-

The wear is from about 600 miles of riding total. I'm not totally sure of the last time it was measured (might have been December). So when I measured it, it might have been on the verge of the .5% wear, and now the mileage from this year has put it over the edge. Totally a guess here.

Dave