This is the Bike

[Not Responding]

I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
what I'm looking at now:

http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html

Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
finishing kit should I be thinking of?

David Martin

On 16/12/04 10:11 am, in article 69n2s0548n5nequhject1v8nhjpbf92b60@4ax.com,
"[Not Responding]" <not_responding@dev.null.invalid> wrote:

> I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
> first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
> what I'm looking at now:
>
> http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html

Looks very nice. And you won't get lambasted by your political colleagues
for the colour ;-)

> Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
> finishing kit should I be thinking of?

Finishing kit.. the best you can afford. Good stuff doesn't wear out any
time soon and would last you a long time, especially if cared for.
105/Ultegra minimum from the shimano side, Not sure for campag, probably
centaur/chorus. Will you want a triple? If you want a compact double you'll
have to get that in addition.

Ob wheels. I remain unconvinced by the low spoke count wheels for general
purpose riding. Looking at the site, I'd propbably pick teh cheapest set
with a decent number of spokes, ie the mavic cosmos.

Looks really nice. We look forward to your first time trial report next year
;-)

...d

Pete Biggs

[Not Responding] wrote:
> I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
> first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
> what I'm looking at now:
>
> http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html
>
> Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
> finishing kit should I be thinking of?

The conventional handbuilt wheels are bound to be more practical and'll
save money which can be invested into better build & finishing kits.

Main practical difference between Shimano and Campag is the brake & gear
levers--they feel and work quite differently. Perhaps you could have a
look/feel at some in a bike shop to decide which you might prefer. Note.
Bar bags aren't practical with Shimano STI levers.

For Campag, simply get the most expensive groupset you can afford; there
is no "minimum", in my opinion. I strongly suggest a triple version if in
any doubt about what gear range you'll need.

~PB

Colin Blackburn

Pete Biggs wrote:

> Main practical difference between Shimano and Campag is the brake & gear
> levers--they feel and work quite differently. Perhaps you could have a
> look/feel at some in a bike shop to decide which you might prefer. Note.
> Bar bags aren't practical with Shimano STI levers.

I use bar bags on my tourer, which has STI levers. I use the Klickfix
system with an extender. I've used both an Agu and a Karrimor bag with
no problems at all.

Colin

Sam Salt

Colin Blackburn wrote:
> Pete Biggs wrote:
>
>> Main practical difference between Shimano and Campag is the brake &
>> gear levers--they feel and work quite differently. Perhaps you
>> could have a look/feel at some in a bike shop to decide which you
>> might prefer. Note. Bar bags aren't practical with Shimano STI
>> levers.
>
> I use bar bags on my tourer, which has STI levers. I use the Klickfix
> system with an extender. I've used both an Agu and a Karrimor bag with
> no problems at all.
>
> Colin

Same here.I use a standard Ortlieb bar bag with Ultegra levers and no
problem at all.


Sam Salt

Michael MacClancy

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 10:11:34 +0000, [Not Responding] wrote:

> I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
> first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
> what I'm looking at now:
>
> http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html
>
> Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
> finishing kit should I be thinking of?

Where are you buying it?

The most important thing is that the bike fits you. Unless you know a lot
about these things or get specialist advice you might end up buying a frame
that's not suitable for you. Go to a shop with a fitting jig.

I prefer Campag but only because the cables are tidier. I would avoid
Tiagra components because those on my wife's bike have got to look a bit
shabby.

I have Centaur and have no complaints.

--
Michael MacClancy

Pete Bentley

In article <69n2s0548n5nequhject1v8nhjpbf92b60@4ax.com>,
[Not Responding] <not_responding@dev.null.invalid> wrote:
>I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
>first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
>what I'm looking at now:
>
>http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html
>
>Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
>finishing kit should I be thinking of?

I have a CK2 (maybe too race-like for you, but maybe worth a test
ride) with Shimano 105 bits, and know a couple of other CK2 owners
with Campag bits... None of us has any complaints so as Pete Biggs
said it's going to come down to personal preference. I'd second
what he said about considering a triple too, unless you want to
work hard on the hills.

If you're anywhere near, I can heartily recommend Mosquito Bikes
in Islington as an LBS to try them out in, they're also a tad cheaper
than the website you quoted... http://www.mosquito-bikes.co.uk/

They're a fairly small shop though and don't keep a lot of Tifosi
stuff in stock, so call ahead.

Pete.

Simon Brooke

in message <69n2s0548n5nequhject1v8nhjpbf92b60@4ax.com>, [Not
Responding] ('not_responding@dev.null.invalid') wrote:

> I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
> first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
> what I'm looking at now:
>
> http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html
>
> Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
> finishing kit should I be thinking of?

The Veloce is a perfectly good groupset, and the bits are compatible
with the better Campag groupsets so if you did later want to upgrade it
would be easy. I don't understand why they're charging so much more for
the triple than the double. If you're on a budget I would think the
double would be a better buy, and if you're not I would tend to go for
the Centaur double rather than the Veloce triple (indeed _I_ definitely
would, since a Centaur double is exactly what I've got on my good road
bike). Chorus is nicer but by the time you get that high up the scale
you're definitely into the area of diminishing returns - it isn't
*that* much nicer. I would not pay more for Shimano 105 than for Campag
Veloce.

--
simon@jasmine.org.uk (Simon Brooke) http://www.jasmine.org.uk/~simon/

'Victories are not solutions.'
;; John Hume, Northern Irish politician, on Radio Scotland 1/2/95
;; Nobel Peace Prize laureate 1998; few have deserved it so much

JBB

" [Not Responding] " <not_responding@dev.null.invalid> wrote in message
news:69n2s0548n5nequhject1v8nhjpbf92b60@4ax.com...
>I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
> first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
> what I'm looking at now:
>
> http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html
>
> Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
> finishing kit should I be thinking of?

Generally Tifosi get good write-ups and are seen to be good value. As far as
I can make out the main functional difference is that the front changer for
Shimano moves to 3 fixed positions whilst the Campag one works on a
mini-ratchet system making it infinitely adjustable within it's total range.
If you're going for a triple changer the Campag set-up may well work better
for you. The other differences are in ergonomics and taste plus ability to
fit a barbag with campag due to concealed cables.

HTH
Julia

Arthur Clune

[Not Responding] <not_responding@dev.null.invalid> wrote:
: I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
: first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
: what I'm looking at now:

: http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html

I've got one of those frames for my winter bike. It's very good value
for the money.

--
Arthur Clune PGP/GPG Key: http://www.clune.org/pubkey.txt
It is better to light a candle than to curse the darkness

dkahn400

David Martin wrote:
> On 16/12/04 10:11 am, in article
69n2s0548n5nequhject1v8nhjpbf92b60@4ax.com,

> Ob wheels. I remain unconvinced by the low spoke count wheels
> for general purpose riding.

For Audax/touring I'd definitely agree. A single broken spoke can leave
you completely stranded.

--
Dave...

dkahn400

[Not Responding] wrote:
> I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
> first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
> what I'm looking at now:
>
> http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html

It looks a very nice bike. I was in Pearson's in Sutton the other day
and they were trying hard to interest me in their new audax bike, which
I have to admit did seem very nice. It's in the same sort of price
range - around £1000 - so it might be worth your taking a trip over
there to make a comparison.

--
Dave...

dkahn400

Pete Biggs wrote:

> I strongly suggest a triple version if in any doubt about what
> gear range you'll need.

I'll go along with that too, particularly bearing in mind NR's
post-crash arm weakness which could make climbing out of the saddle
difficult. It should give him some peace of mind knowing that he can
remain seated and wind his way up almost any hill.

--
Dave...

[Not Responding]

On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 11:44:26 +0000, Michael MacClancy
<herzel@nospamo2.co.uk> wrote:

>On Thu, 16 Dec 2004 10:11:34 +0000, [Not Responding] wrote:
>
>> I reckon I've found it. As discussed earlier I've decided I need my
>> first road bike but don't want anything too race-like. So here, is
>> what I'm looking at now:
>>
>> http://www.tifosi-cycles.co.uk/frames/ck7.html
>>
>> Not knowing anything about Shimano vs Campag etc, what wheels and
>> finishing kit should I be thinking of?
>
>Where are you buying it?

Apparently there's a shop in Waterlooville (north of Portsmouth) that
does Tifosi. I'd expect them to be able to size a frame for me. The
alternative is to go a lot further afield for a formal fitting
session. Mosquito bikes charge £75 for this but while I see the value
for a custom frame I'm not so convinced it's needed when selecting
between XS,S,M,L,XL.

>The most important thing is that the bike fits you. Unless you know a lot
>about these things or get specialist advice you might end up buying a frame
>that's not suitable for you. Go to a shop with a fitting jig.
>
>I prefer Campag but only because the cables are tidier. I would avoid
>Tiagra components because those on my wife's bike have got to look a bit
>shabby.
>
>I have Centaur and have no complaints.

A quick glance at the Campag site implies that triples aren't offered
in all their ranges. I'll probably go for the Veloce.