What bikes do we lust over?

http://www.trekbikes.com/images/bikes/2009/large/fuelex8_blackwhite.jpg

Trek Fuel. Is one in the window of my local Evans (semi-decent chain store). Nice looking geometry.

trek has stepped it up a ton lately... the new fuel EX's are great bikes. back when i worked in a trek shop, we couldn't compete with specialized stumpjumpers and enduros, but my friends who still work there say they can't keep these in stock. i demo'd one on my favorite loop in southern california, and it was a treat.

WANT : 80s miyata road bike

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_iSuG3TH8ee4/RpW4YPr8IrI/AAAAAAAABC0/H6Fd2O-JA7Q/IMG_0203.JPG

http://i233.photobucket.com/albums/ee57/brendanpleonard/Miyata615D.jpg

http://lh6.ggpht.com/_iSuG3TH8ee4/RpW4YPr8IrI/AAAAAAAABC0/H6Fd2O-JA7Q/IMG_0203.JPG

^^ not sure why picasa is acting so stupid but it's that blue miyata with the white bar tape and black seat that really does it for me.

not quite as classy as the ones above but still quite dope

http://cgi.ebay.com/NOS-Miyata-Team-Road-Frame-and-Fork-56-cm_W0QQitemZ270246399187QQcmdZViewItemQQptZRoad_Bikes?_trksid=p3286.m20.l1116

ohhh shit should i buy it

http://sandiego.craigslist.org/nsd/bik/1035036651.html

kind of a lot of $ for a pretty low end 1990ish gruppo imo. no idea what the tubing is, but id expect a straight cromo frame with a hi-ten fork for that setup/era. if its japanese built ishiwata triple or quad butted or other good tubeset with a similar fork, i guess its not too bad, but i'd lowball that, esp if youre looking at conversion costs.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_whtVpXkKwlQ/R2CXfjQprPI/AAAAAAAAAjc/S4xR3fpahNo/s1600-h/img277.jpg

its bonded aluminum main triangle with a cro mo fork?

now that i thing of it, a friend of mine who was a rec rider had one of these from 1990 or so, it was ok. i have no idea how long a bonded alu frame lasts. my bonded alu frame from 1987 was very very soft (raleigh).

I wouldn't be so keen on an 80s aluminium frame. Alu hardens up and gets brittle over time as it flexes.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_whtVpXkKwlQ/R1xa1jQprGI/AAAAAAAAAiU/8e-wJYFtz5c/s1600-h/img222.jpg

WOW

indeed, that is beautiful.

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_whtVpXkKwlQ/R1w0ITQppbI/AAAAAAAAAU8/nvB4FfKmhc8/s1600-h/img126.jpg

find the funny bike.

i'm not converting anything, probably just putting on new tires / tubes and white griptape to make it match my dreambike up there. i'm not much of a gear nerd and i do my tooling around on a hybrid as it is so i just want something ... i dunno, w/ a sleek classic look.

what'd be fair? $300? $350? the seller sounds like a nice guy.

basically i want to show up the lame fixie posers around here w/ an oldschool road bike

if it really is that minty and doesnt need any overhaul or replacement stuff other than tires id say $350 is a good start.

any suggestions on how to evaluate this one? i'll be paying attention to frame stiffness and so on ... anything else?

OK it was shit anyway ... still looking for my magical miyata

showing up fixie posers = just toolin around on a sweet old bike, enjoying some nice-ass weather

basically if you are not threatening vehicles with yr fists or doing pointless skids then you are in the clear. and i say this as someone who does all of the above, on a track bike :(

Guys - what are your thoughts on this bike, and what kind of price would you expect to pay for it?

http://www.bikeradar.com/forums/viewtopic.php?t=12607533

That's a really nice bike. Frame wheels and cranks are all top shelf. Can't really give a price, tho, since Brit prices are likely to be way higher?

Probably, yes. The guy wants £800 (which is about $1100?) for it. The hubs lone (new) are worth about $250, apparently. I suspect it's worth it, if not necessarily a bargain. I'm test riding it tomorrow night. Exciting!

definitely worth it. frame aside, very similar to my everyday bike. looks cherry.

It's a nice looking bike. Solid spec for sure.

Saw it yesterday. It's a smashing bike. Now I just need to figure out whether I have £800 going spare...

guys what nice bike parts should i get w/my tax refund???

ha, all my federal tax refund just went to components for my new caad9. sram force with sram red shifters. ritchey WCS carbon bars, seatpost, and stem.

tax dollars should go into procuring a hot, short-hair, fixie-riding, cycling mädchen.

xpost - that must have been a hell of a tax refund! nice choice, though. i've never ridden the red components, but i love sram stuff across the board (it's on both of my bikes).

My tax refund is going into our home remodeling fund, but if I were to splurge on bike bling, my list would be this:
1. Wound-up carbon fork. http://www.woundupcomposites.com/road_fork.html
2. White Industries freewheel. http://www.whiteind.com/singlespeedgearing/freewheels.html
3. Mavic Open Pro and Formula hub wheelset.

Ed is clearly otm, but $$$ can't buy me love :(

was thinking about upgrading Cross-Check's wheels to 105s laced to dt swiss 1.2s (for durability + looks), converting to a 1x9 setup (upgrading crankset in the process), and getting an alternative rear wheel for switching to SS/fixed in the winter.

alternately:
- doing a dingle speed setup: surly dingle cog/white industries dingle freewheel

love riding SS/fixed, but maybe i should just leave that to the track bike (which could benefit from a nice wheelset and new cranks as well)

definitely need new pedals, tho. my cheapo eggbeaters are rusty and bent. trying to decided between more crank bros, or jumping to time atacs. anyone have an opinion?

third possibility: forgoing upgrades to either bike, and investing in a dedicated *road* bike, for actual road riding, not commuting or street racing

i've never ridden the red components, but i love sram stuff across the board (it's on both of my bikes).

supposedly the shifters are the biggest bang for the buck in red upgrades. although i would love the red cranks with the GXP ceramic BB.

i raced atacs for 5 years, then went to sl eggs, first just for cx, then for mtb too. id keep eggs for racing, but for just xc ridin, the atacs have a better more positive feel and the platform is noticeably more stable. if you like a light action mech, the eggs are easier

see, eggs are the only clipless i've ridden, so i dunno if i like a lighter mech or not. in this weather (SNOWY AS HELLLLL) light is good so i can dab in an emergency (see also trackstands gone rong), but a light mech is bad for sprinting/skidding. i've had some horrifying pull-outs w/my eggs (back when i was riding brakeless).

http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc169/cyaplustard/Miyata%201000%2063cm/?action=view¤t=Miyata100063cm.jpg

http://s212.photobucket.com/albums/cc169/cyaplustard/Miyata%201000%2063cm/?action=view¤t=Miyata100063cm.jpg

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech/2009/shows/nahmbs09/?id=/photos/2009/tech/shows/nahmbs09/nahmbs094/Signal_white

fussy retro isnt totally my bag, but niiice.

yes

truth nahmbs

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=/photos/2009/tech/reviews/schwinn_paramount09/Schwinn_Paramount_70th_full_view

just fugly

sounds great on paper, to me, but those lugs are too baroque and the new dura-ace looks bad on it. unless you were just kiddin?????

no, its all wrong to me. hate the steel + sloping tt. hate the skinny tubes plus os fork. i like the lugwork and stays. but polished lugs plus dark ano cranks. man, its just like all wrong to me.

i cant believe they let that bike in front of the lens with the decals as they are, either (the article points that out). i mean its a $7000 ride wtf?

they need to visit nahmbs. man am i cranky or what?

nah, yr right, the total look is....off. it looks like design by committee.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/tech.php?id=/photos/2009/tech/reviews/schwinn_paramount09/Schwinn_Paramount_70th_seat_cluster

^^^ credit where due, thats straight sexxx

Love the way you guys have such an eye for these - they all just look like road bikes to me! Ok I'm not a roadie, but even that trek mtb I posted above, I couldn't really say why I like it, it just appeals on a subconscious level.

lots of these bikes: http://cyclingnews.com/tech/2009/shows/nahmbs09/?id=/photos/2009/tech/shows/nahmbs09/nahmbs095/gallery-nahmbs095

http://cyclingnews.com/tech/2009/shows/nahmbs09/?id=/photos/2009/tech/shows/nahmbs09/nahmbs096/Peacock_copper

jeez