if you're doing city riding you definitely do not want lightweight wheels as they probably would not last very long. The probably the most popular upgrade are (for good reason) mavic open pros rims laced to ultegra hubs with decent spokes (dt swiss?). In cycling, like most things, the 2/3 rule is in effect: cheap, light, strong (pick 2).
And no offense but initial acceleration is not a big deal compared to potholes, steel grates, rail tracks, shitty roads, etc. So yes, you may lose that precious 0.5 second on your commute to work but hey, at least your wheels will stay true year round!
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 04:15 (thirteen years ago) link
I AM OFFENDED!
Yeah, I don't hit too many honest-to-betsy potholes, but there are always roads that have been patched way too many times.
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 05:48 (thirteen years ago) link
Also, accelerating is less about losing time on the way to work than it's about getting the hell out of the way. You ride in city traffic much?
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 05:49 (thirteen years ago) link
Only about 2500 miles in the last year.
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Wednesday, 21 July 2010 06:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah, I anticipated that answer. It's tough riding. I will never understand people riding down Broadway with earphones on.
If lighter wheels will be worse in the long run, then I've learned something new. I was just thinking that getting through intersections and up what few hills we have in the road a bit faster could only do me good.
― kenan, Wednesday, 21 July 2010 06:42 (thirteen years ago) link
Bike: yep. Ridgeback Comet 2004 (maybe 2003? Bought it new July '04 anyway)Frame: Aluminium, I guess.Forks: Yep.Gruppo: SS conversion with a Surly Singleator. The bike's original 48T chainring, and an 18T on the back.Wheels: Shimano R500. They were on offer and I thought they'd look cool, and be a bit faster, also spokes kept breaking on the originals.Tyres: Schwalbe Marathon Plus, 700x25. These are great.Pedals: Shimano PD-M520Handlebars: Yep. Flat ones, at that.Stem: Yep. The old-style kind.Computer: Nup.Also SKS mudguards and a Topeak luggage rack.
Can now add the following mod:Frame: Massive crack all around the base of the seat tube. RIP bicycle.
― useless chamber, Friday, 6 August 2010 11:30 (thirteen years ago) link
On the plus side, it's time to go shopping for a new frame! There are always awesome deals on frames, and they're a LOT cheaper than full bikes.
― Mark C, Friday, 6 August 2010 12:21 (thirteen years ago) link
6 years out of an aluminum frame seems pretty good. Sorry to hear about your crack though.
― _▂▅▇█▓▒░◕‿‿◕░▒▓█▇▅▂_ (Steve Shasta), Friday, 6 August 2010 12:43 (thirteen years ago) link
A tasty 80% off?
http://www.chainreactioncycles.com/Models.aspx?ModelID=50178
― Mark C, Friday, 6 August 2010 13:26 (thirteen years ago) link
Hmm. Really hadn't thought of building a bike like that. Was too blinkered by prospect of cycle2work goodness. Which bits would be worth keeping from the old bike? The wheels are half-decent, not sure if I'm going to stick with single-speed or not atm. I'd need new forks, stem and bars I guess. Also apparently Ridgeback have a lifetime guarantee on frames, so I might not even need one. Right now I'm still a bit distraught and can't even think properly about where to go next. Will hit ILTRMB for advice.
― useless chamber, Friday, 6 August 2010 13:45 (thirteen years ago) link
keep all components and transfer to the £35 frame mark posted above then use C2W goodness to bag a nice wee road bike : )
― cozen, Friday, 6 August 2010 14:16 (thirteen years ago) link
I think almost everything's worth keeping from the old bike, certainly the wheels, tyres, guards, drivetrain (if sticking with SS), pedals. Do you have the space to have two bikes? Rebuild this one for cheap as a hack/pub bike, and then C2W something shiny and lightweight for longer rides.
― Mark C, Friday, 6 August 2010 15:25 (thirteen years ago) link
full carbon + sram red for just over £1k ooofthttp://www.planet-x-bikes.co.uk/i/q/CBPXSLPR/sl-pro-carbon-sram-red
― cozen, Friday, 6 August 2010 17:34 (thirteen years ago) link
ah it's £1k for rival, £1.4k for red
― cozen, Friday, 6 August 2010 17:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Ridgeback are replacing the frame. Am pleasantly surprised, as I thought my singlespeed conversion would lead to some sort of small-print warranty-voiding, but they've said they'll give me a frame with horizontal dropouts instead. Presumably a Ridgeback Solo. So, not so bad, hopefully (I reserve the right to be too overjoyed until I have a working bicycle with all the bits I had before).
― useless chamber, Monday, 9 August 2010 12:09 (thirteen years ago) link
Meh. Replacement brand new Ridgeback Comet, they kept my pedals and lock, lost my rack (am picking up a free replacement later), tensioner and wheels.
Am going to flog this as soon as I've located a nice steel ss that will take rack and guards.
― useless chamber, Friday, 3 September 2010 14:29 (thirteen years ago) link
like the look of this ss as a commuterhttp://www.evanscycles.com/product_image/image/2dc/d13/944/33633/large/ridgeback-solo-2009-road-bike.jpg
― ultimusmoron (cozen), Friday, 3 September 2010 14:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Yeah, that's the Solo isn't it? Evans have them on sale at £400, but I think they're out of my size, and I'm pretty loath to use them again (I swore I'd never use them again after I bought my bike there back in 2004).
There's really nothing else that comes close to my wants without being a Condor Tempo, and I don't actually have £900.
Gah, if they hadn't teased me with the promise of a nice replacement bike I could've just bought one of those already.
― useless chamber, Friday, 3 September 2010 14:38 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm almost back on the road. Some bits still to arrive, have raided E's bike temporarily, will slowly substitute back
Condor Bivio frameITM vista forksChorus 9 speed levers (from merckx)Tektro CR720 cross levers (lucky dip at Kraynicks)Tektro CR720 brakesKraynick's mystery cable housing and cablesTTT alloy bars (from merckx)Gossamer Triple chainset (from E's bike) (also I get to pick two out of three rings, this needs to go, quickly)Miche campy compatible 9 spee 13-28 cassetteChorus 10 speed front mech (from E's bike)Champ triple rear mech (from E's bike)90s campy chorus wheelset (from merckx via E's bike)big fat schwalbe marathon plus (from E's bike)
this puts me in a bit of a bind. I either put all the campy back on E's bike and have to get a whole gruppo when I replace, or put shimano/SRAM on E's bike and keep the campy on mine (not a problem as she is on bar end shifters anyway). The difficulty is new wheels and mainly because E would not be happy if I didn't give her back the yellow merckx v's. So either I spring for campy compatible hubs (expensive over here) or get her yellow velocities.
None of this is too much of a problem, just annoyed by the cost of campy and general incompatibility.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:35 (thirteen years ago) link
Right now? 8 speed mongoose rigid bike shaped object. Heavy and slow as he'll, but not bad for pottering around center parcs. Didn't bring the felt in the end as we found that our borrowed bike rack didn't play nicely with our car.....about 10 minutes before we set off..... So bang went le tour de Lower Trent valley.
― problem chimp (Porkpie), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:43 (thirteen years ago) link
i am getting the bartape re-done tomorrow. chrome tape looking rather un-chrome in various spots, time for a spring clean! (also need the brifters aligned a bit better, they're all over the shop atm.)
― the brostep hump (haitch), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:48 (thirteen years ago) link
I just ordered glow in the dark bar tape, I hope it is actually cool rather than somewhat disappointing.
― American Fear of Pranksterism (Ed), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 12:51 (thirteen years ago) link