Fuji Touring vs. Bianchi Volpe

[wafflycat]

"rdclark" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
>
> OK, I'll bite. What is the one spec that is one of the most important
> considerations in a true touring bicycle?
>
> RichC
>
Well it helps if it has wheels ;-)

Cheers, helen s

 

[SMS]

rdclark wrote:

> OK, I'll bite. What is the one spec that is one of the most important
> considerations in a true touring bicycle?

Frame material. While AL is fine for most types of bicycles, you never
want an AL touring bicycle.

 

[wafflycat]

"SMS" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> rdclark wrote:
>
>> OK, I'll bite. What is the one spec that is one of the most important
>> considerations in a true touring bicycle?
>
> Frame material. While AL is fine for most types of bicycles, you never
> want an AL touring bicycle.

I beg to differ. My other half has a lovely tourer which is
aluminium-framed. Done many touring miles on it too.

Cheers, helen s

 

[rdclark]

SMS wrote:
> rdclark wrote:
>
> > OK, I'll bite. What is the one spec that is one of the most important
> > considerations in a true touring bicycle?
>
> Frame material. While AL is fine for most types of bicycles, you never
> want an AL touring bicycle.

I knew you were going to say that. I'm aware of all the arguments. The
one thing I'm not aware of is documentation of Cannondale touring
frames failing in the field any more frequently than any other touring
frames.

I'm not a Cannondale owner myself; my three bikes are ti and steel and
steel. But I've ridden a T800 and found nothing particular to criticise
about it. I think it's a valid choice for a bike being ridden in the US
mainly for commuting. )

RichC

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

I submit that on or about Tue, 27 Sep 2005 17:45:59 GMT, the person
known to the court as SMS <[email protected]> made a statement
(<[email protected]> in Your Honour's bundle) to the
following effect:

>While AL is fine for most types of bicycles, you never
>want an AL touring bicycle.

Yes, much better to use steel so you can feel macho lugging the extra
weight around (it can't be a strength thing; in the only test I can
recall, the steel frames were the ones that broke...)

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

 

[SMS]

rdclark wrote:

> I think it's a valid choice for a bike being ridden in the US
> mainly for commuting. )

Yes I agree. What it isn't a valid choice for, is a bicycle being used
for touring all over the world, or even just in the U.S.. Sure it'll
work, but it's not the optimal choice for reasons that we are all aware of.

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

I submit that on or about Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:11:08 GMT, the person
known to the court as SMS <[email protected]> made a statement
(<[email protected]> in Your Honour's bundle) to the
following effect:

>it's not the optimal choice for reasons that we are all aware of.

And any day now you will post some actual evidence to back that
assertion.

FWIW, I can only recall one upright bike which has failed on any ride
I've been involved in. It was a very high quality handbuilt gents'
double marathon tandem, and the fork failed. This is consistent with
the only formal test of which I'm aware.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

 

[Hell and High Water]

In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...

> Hey there is a 2005 Fuji Touring sitting at my LBS on sale for $700. A
> new Volpe is $850.


Get the Bianchi.

When you have a chance to purchase something Italian, and you fail to do
so, there's no doubt that you will regret it later.


My $00.02


-Bianchi Bob

 

[rdclark]

SMS wrote:
> rdclark wrote:
>
> > I think it's a valid choice for a bike being ridden in the US
> > mainly for commuting. )
>
> Yes I agree. What it isn't a valid choice for, is a bicycle being used
> for touring all over the world, or even just in the U.S.. Sure it'll
> work, but it's not the optimal choice for reasons that we are all aware of.

If by "we all" you mean you, making an unsupported assertion that few
agree with, then sure.

The cant that says "ride steel so you can get your frame repaired by
some backwoods welder if it breaks while you're in the middle of
nowhere" is about as useful as a diciding point as "don't ride steel
because you might pass too close to a giant magnet that will bend your
frame."

Meanwhile, the experience of many Cannondale touring bike owners, who
feel that the extra rigidity of these frames is a great benefit in
loaded touring, and that any ride-quality issues that might apply to
steel-vs-aluminum tend to disappear when a bike is heavily loaded,
suggests that your assertion has valid counter-arguments.

RichC

 

[gds]

rdclark wrote:
>> Meanwhile, the experience of many Cannondale touring bike owners, who
> feel that the extra rigidity of these frames is a great benefit in
> loaded touring, and that any ride-quality issues that might apply to
> steel-vs-aluminum tend to disappear when a bike is heavily loaded,
> suggests that your assertion has valid counter-arguments.
>

And some actually prefer the ride of a stiff frame. I do.

 

[SMS]

Hell and High Water wrote:

> When you have a chance to purchase something Italian, and you fail to do
> so, there's no doubt that you will regret it later.

Hmm, so you're saying that the Bianchi Volpe is made in Italy? Funny stuff!

 

[SMS]

rdclark wrote:

> The cant that says "ride steel so you can get your frame repaired by
> some backwoods welder if it breaks while you're in the middle of
> nowhere" is about as useful as a diciding point as "don't ride steel
> because you might pass too close to a giant magnet that will bend your
> frame."

More likely that you'll want to get it repaired in the middle of
somewhere, rather than nowhere, but the salient point is that it is
repairable. But it's not just the fact that it can be repaired, it's
that it's much less likely to need repair in the first place.

 

[Just zis Guy, you know?]

I submit that on or about Tue, 27 Sep 2005 21:51:18 GMT, the person
known to the court as SMS <[email protected]> made a statement
(<[email protected]> in Your Honour's bundle) to the
following effect:

>More likely that you'll want to get it repaired in the middle of
>somewhere

Er, no. More likely that it won't break in the first place.

Guy
--
May contain traces of irony. Contents liable to settle after posting.
http://www.chapmancentral.co.uk

85% of helmet statistics are made up, 69% of them at CHS, Puget Sound

 

[Reid Priedhorsky]

On Tue, 27 Sep 2005 20:51:43 +0100, Just zis Guy, you know? wrote:
>
> I submit that on or about Tue, 27 Sep 2005 17:45:59 GMT, the person
> known to the court as SMS <[email protected]> made a statement
> (<[email protected]> in Your Honour's bundle) to the
> following effect:

Please cut this quotation introduction down to one line.

> >
> > While AL is fine for most types of bicycles, you never want an AL
> > touring bicycle.
>
> Yes, much better to use steel so you can feel macho lugging the extra
> weight around (it can't be a strength thing; in the only test I can
> recall, the steel frames were the ones that broke...)

Steel frames aren't any heavier than aluminum.

Also, do you have a reference on the test you refer to? I recall reading
about a frame test with such a result (steel broke sooner) that turned out
to have methodology flaws rendering the results useless.

Reid

 

[Pat]

:
: Er, no. More likely that it won't break in the first place.
:
: Guy


Two words: derailleur hanger. Been there, done that. Glad my bike is steel.

Pat in TX

 

[Pat]

: Hell and High Water wrote:
:
: > When you have a chance to purchase something Italian, and you fail to do
: > so, there's no doubt that you will regret it later.
:
: Hmm, so you're saying that the Bianchi Volpe is made in Italy? Funny
stuff!

I think he's saying it was designed and planned there by Italian engineers
and bicycle riders who have a lot of experience.

Pat in TX

 

[catzz66]

Pat wrote:
> : Hell and High Water wrote:
> :
> : > When you have a chance to purchase something Italian, and you fail to do
> : > so, there's no doubt that you will regret it later.
> :
> : Hmm, so you're saying that the Bianchi Volpe is made in Italy? Funny
> stuff!
>
> I think he's saying it was designed and planned there by Italian engineers
> and bicycle riders who have a lot of experience.
>
> Pat in TX
>
>


They're made in China, right?

 

[rdclark]

SMS wrote:
> rdclark wrote:
>
> > The cant that says "ride steel so you can get your frame repaired by
> > some backwoods welder if it breaks while you're in the middle of
> > nowhere" is about as useful as a diciding point as "don't ride steel
> > because you might pass too close to a giant magnet that will bend your
> > frame."
>
> More likely that you'll want to get it repaired in the middle of
> somewhere, rather than nowhere, but the salient point is that it is
> repairable. But it's not just the fact that it can be repaired, it's
> that it's much less likely to need repair in the first place.

Do you understand the difference between an unsupported assertion and a
demonstrable fact?

RichC

 

[Pat]

: >
: > More likely that you'll want to get it repaired in the middle of
: > somewhere, rather than nowhere, but the salient point is that it is
: > repairable. But it's not just the fact that it can be repaired, it's
: > that it's much less likely to need repair in the first place.
:
: Do you understand the difference between an unsupported assertion and a
: demonstrable fact?
:
: RichC

bent derailleur hanger. If he was in the middle of ...fill in the
blank...would they have another derailleur hanger for an aluminum bike? On
my steel bike, the LBS guys just bent it back out.

Pat in TX
:

 

[Pat]

..
: > :
: > : Hmm, so you're saying that the Bianchi Volpe is made in Italy? Funny
: > stuff!
: >
: > I think he's saying it was designed and planned there by Italian
engineers
: > and bicycle riders who have a lot of experience.
: >
: > Pat in TX
: >
: >
:
:
: They're made in China, right?

I dunno about the Volpe. My Veloce was made in Italy.

Pat in TX