The Bicycle
I ride a
51cm C/C Battaglin road bike. I really like this bike. In fact, the only way
that I would like it better is if it had a lugged and brazed frame rather than
the TIG-welded joints. This bike is everything a good road bike should be
except for not having a lugged frame. Light, stable, comfortable, pretty, quick
handling and predictable are the words that I would use to describe it. It
climbs like a goat and descends without shimmy and both of those
characteristics are really important in Hong Kong where I regularly have to
climb hills that are 5:1 grade. This is a bike that gives me just miles and
miles of smiles. Here are the particulars of this bike:
Tubing:
Columbus SL/OS (This is, I think, now called "Thron") It is a tubing
alloy that has been around for a long time but that does not mean that bikes
made from it are obsolete. The Uni-crown fork is also Columbus SL and is
chromed. The right chain-stay is chromed from just behind the bottom bracket to
the dropout. The photograph does not do justice to the color.
Here
are the particulars
Size 51cm
according to Battaglin but the C/T measurement normally used gives me 53cm.
Top Tube:
52cm
Head Angle:
72.5 (This is by some standards rather slack)
Seat Angle:
74.0
Fork Rake:
58mm
Bottom
Bracket Drop: 73mm
Chain-stays:
40cm
Wheel Base:
985cm (approximately 38 inches)
Braze-ons:
1 Water bottle, Front Derailleur hanger, Rear Derailleur hanger, Cable stops,
Shifter bosses, Internal cable routing. Cable stop for rear Derailleur cable.
Components
I ride a mix of older components and
I do this even though this is a new bike. I purposely search out older parts
and if you want to find out why then please check the "Soapbox"
section under the "The Man" on my main page. The components will
index very well together but I always ride in the friction mode. Since I have
an IQ over 40 I am able to trim my shifts. This is a skill that it takes a
person like me, with normal intelligence about 10 minutes to learn. (Since all mountain bikes are sold with dual indexing on
the front and back Derailleur I have serious doubts about the intellectual
ability of most off road riders. Maybe that explains the tattoos!)
Crank: Suntour XC-Ltd. 172.5mm 110/74 BCD. 24/36/50
rings (1992?)
Headset: Campagnolo Athena
Bottom Bracket: Campagnolo Athena
Hubs: Suntour Superbe Pro (non-cassette,
126mm OLD 1992?)
Rims: Mavic Mothlery Pro 32-hole tubular (predecessor to the GP4?)
Tires: tubular (I’m not
picky about the brand)
Front Derailleur: Campagnolo Olympic (1991?)
Rear Derailleur: Suntour XC-Tech Medium Cage 30 tooth max cog
and about 36-38 links of wrap (1992??)
Freewheel: Suntour 13-14-16-18-21-24-28
Chain: KMC
Shift Levers: Suntour Superbe Pro (1992?)
Brake Calipers: Modolo Professional single pivot, side
pulls. (1980) (These
used to be called "Modolo Speed-attenuators," because they don't stop
unless you really pull hard on the levers.)
Brake Levers: Dia Compe drilled with gum hoods. (The photo shows Superbe with black hoods but those have
been replaced.)
Seat Post: Kalloy
Saddle: Selle San Marco Regal (I could not find a Brooks in Hong Kong)
Stem: Cinelli X/A 120mm
Handlebars: Scott Drop 44cm wide (No groves, no flat sections no funny bends! for people with warped
minds)
Tape: Cinelli Cork (Only
because I cannot get Tressostar cloth tape in Hong Kong)
Pedals: Look model 236 or composite Quill pedals
with clips and straps. (It depends on how much I am
going to have to walk.
Cyclo-computer: Cat-eye Astrale with cadence kit. (So I'm not a complete retro-grouch, sue me.)
Here are the pictures:
Notice: This bike's rear wheel
is against closet door and the front wheel is about 6 inches from the side of a
narrow single bed in our largest bedroom.
