Wednesday 21 November 2012

Biciclista-Want it Wednesday

I came across this cool Italian clothing company a while ago and thought I'd share it via want it wednesday

These are a couple of my favourite designs paying homage to the Belgian classics races







They even do a set dedicated to the spaghetti western film The Good The Bad and The Ugly

Lee Van Cleef- The Bad

  
They look to be really nice quality from the website and they make the team jerseys for Singular cycles so they can't be too shabby . So this weeks want it is Biciclista cycle jerseys... 

Monday 19 November 2012

Project Pompino Finito


Well that's it then the pompino is pretty much finished. It's probably going to be marmite to some as "cool" bikes these days seem to be very understated with black everything and a collar & cuffs approach to component choice. The only matching components are the Thomson stem & seat post binder and KCNC red chain ring bolts & red cable outer end ferrules, Cane Creek brake levers.








Spec list
On One pompino frame
Shimano PRO full carbon fork
Stans Alpha 340 rims,28 f&r black Sapin double butted spokes, red nipples on black Goldtec track hubs
Schwalbe Rocket Ron tyres
FSA carbon pro crankset
Goldtec 38t chain ring, red KCNC chain ring bolts
YBN superlight hollow pin slotted plate 1/8 track chain with KCNC half link connector
Red 18t White Industries ENO freewheel
Look Quartz pedals
Red Chris King Sotte Voce headset
TRP euroX magnesium Ti cantilever brake set with kool stop salmon pads
Goodridge brake cable outer & KCNC red ferrules
Thomson 100mm 0 rise stem
Thomson seat post binder
Planet X Strada compact light triple butted bar
Cane Creek SCR-5C brake levers
Cane Creek carbon cross top levers
Easton cork bar tape
eXotic carbon seat post
Flite XC ti saddle
Pauls funky monkey cable hanger

I'm very pleased with it but I haven't been able to give it a good ride yet as it looks like I will have to get the head tube faced because the Chris King headset is a right old pain in the arse to get set up, everything has to be perfect, at one point I was close to binning it ! The bearing cap/griplock will not sit flush creating a gap at the back  which results in the headset coming loose. I thought it was the cable hanger at first, which resulted in me buying the extravagant at £40, Pauls funky monkey cable hanger.  It was designed to work with the CK headset but I still had the problem so I will get head tube faced and if that doesn't work god knows what I shall do. I've always lusted after a CK headset but if I had known that they were so finicky to set up I would probably gone for something else, I might still if the facing doesn't work. On the CK website they recommend facing your stem but I would hope that a Thomson wouldn't need it.

The wheels feel lovely and light, tubeless definitely feels different and takes a bit of getting used too as this is my first time riding tubeless, almost feeling like having to learn how to ride again. The squirmy feeling is a bit weird so I have put some extra psi in till I can do some proper testing with pressures. I have gone with 28 spokes f&r and only time will tell if this was a mistake, like I said I've not had chance to go off road with them  and test their stiffness yet.

The brake set is proper bling with magnesium & Ti used in the materials-enough said !

The White Industries freewheel is a big difference to the shimano piece and ooze's quality. Now you can hear me coming from a mile away, sounding like a swarm of mechanical bees so hopefully I won't be getting the dirty looks you get sometimes when you approach deaf walkers from behind.

So that's it then project pompino finito,  it's a damn site lighter than when I started it's makeover though I don't know it's all up weight yet but I can't see where I could make it much lighter apart from maybe the crank set and going really mad on it with Ti everything . It pretty much matches the original picture I had in my head so I'm happy to leave it at that and start thrashing it which is what it's designed for....

Monday 5 November 2012

Your never too old !



Cyclist Robert Marchand of France celebrates after setting a world record for cycling non-stop for one hour, in the over 100- year old category, at the Union Cycliste Internationale (UCI) velodrome in Aigle February 17, 2012. Marchand, born November 26, 1911, cycled 24.251 km (15 miles) around the 200 metre indoor track to set the record on Friday.





CHAPEAU YOUNG MAN !

Thursday 1 November 2012

TRP REVOX CARBON - WANT IT WEDNESDAY

Want it wednesday  has had a bit of a makeover after almost being binned but i'm glad Jez Andrews has had a change of heart and kept it going and in this new format of posting on any Wednesday when you have a new want it I think is probably easier as you don't always have anything in mind.
Anyway back to this week's want it which is the new cantilever brake from TRP the RevoX Carbon
I think you will agree this is a very sexy looking brake !



These brakes give you just about all the adjust ability you could want with a cantilever brake with individual spring tension, height adjust and adjustable toe in pads. Carbon brake arms and lightweight aluminium fittings give you a very light and distinctive though not cheap package. Form an orderly queue !

Yes I know it's Thursday...