As far as riding goes, I can and do get by on very little. However, I often daydream about what the perfect set-up would be if I put it all together piece by piece. Do you guys think there are certain parts that go together or don't? (Like mixing an Italian frame with japanese parts or whatever..) Or like is it wrong to use a vintage frame with newer stuff like Surly hubs or the opposite and use a frame like a Soma or something with vintage Campy hubs or cranks or whatever..?? I know of course that all this stuff will work functionally but I am just interested in your opinions from a style standpoint.

-Jason

the only thing i'm really particular about are my wheels. high flange hubs only. anything else that isn't on a road bike looks gross to me...oh, and road drops on track bikes never look right.

I have my De Bernardi Columbus Thron frameset, Sugino 75 cranks, surly hubs, blah blah blah, NJS, Mavic, blah blah blah...I just want a bike that works. And this is it

If I'm running a front brake, I always use single pivot calipers with lugged frames. Also with lugged frames, THREADED stems only, please.....
I think with non-lugged frames, anything's fine....
It not just a bike.
My car is just a car.....

George

Whatever works. It's a bike, not a beauty contest.

As long as the threads match, everything works. I have a friend who actually made a Huret Jubilee derailleur work with Shimano indexed shifters. Not that I'd recommend that.

Plus... Look how purty she is.

I agree with everybody else, too. Make your own style. Your own style is like your soul: you ownly have to make of it what you want to make of it.

It is fun to set up a bike with all matching parts. Not that it makes the bike any better. Just a style points issue. Next year I am going to set one up with all NJS stamped parts. It won't make it a "better" bike, but it will satisfy my obsession. Just make sure that whatever parts you use on the drive train are compatible as to chain size/cog/chain wheel size. Everything else is just discretionary flash.


Fixedgearhead

Function before fashion for me. And good deals never hurt swaying me either if the part performs...

As long as the finished article looks good, I'm ok with it. And sometimes even if it doesn't.

But quills do look better on lugged frames, high flange hubs and track drops are best for proper track bikes, and mismatched bar tape is just odd.

I keep looking for those Sakae Modolo FX bars, but can't find them anywhere. None of the LBS's have anything with a Sakae brand name (I even had to bring in a spare set of Sakae SR custom drops I had laying around to prove that they existed).
These are the same bars in that pic you just posted, right?
They're sexy as all get out, but I'm at a loss as to where to find them... None on eBay, etc.
Any ideas?