How Do These Airborne Specs Look?



Au contraire -- I didn't even notice the wheels, as exclaimed in my
posts. Now that I'm counting the spokes, I'm like, huh?!

I don't get it...who the hell are these bike companies building for
anyway? I expect something like Huffy to get into gimmicks, but
Specialized and Trek, too???



Jasper Janssen wrote:
>
>
> Because it sells. It looks cool, it weighs nothing, and it looks expensive
> -- we all saw *you* were impressed by them, at least at first. Whether
> something will last 3 months or 30 years is not something you can usually
> see in a shopfront window, so people don't even think about that.
>
> Jasper
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>
> Rich Clark wrote:
> >
> >
> > One is a flat bar bike, the other is a drop bar bike. They are not
> > comparable. If you don't know whether you're in the market for one or the
> > other, you shouldn't be considering either one.

>
> I prefer the more upright one (flatbar), but I'm thinking its
> components may be less than desirable, since it's a titanium frame
> selling for the same as the aluminum one which the same manufacturer is
> claiming to be spec'ed-out nicely (which may well be true since it
> actually weighs in slightly less than the ti!).


The Ti has a 105/Deore mix, which is fine if you don't need the lightest
possible setup, but it is still perfectly functional. My Tourer came
with a Tiagra/Deore mix, and I love it. About 5k miles on it in 2
years.

>
> > I can attest to the quality and overall wonderfulness of the Airborne Carpe
> > Diem I bought four years ago, FWIW. It's still my #1 bike, with somewhere
> > around 14k miles on it.
> >
> > RichC

>
> Yes, I know Airborne has a good reputation in general...just wondering
> about these particular models.
>
> Are titanium frames stronger than aluminum ones, typically? Lighter,
> more flexible or less? Etc.


It all depends on the design criteria, but the Ti is *probably* more
flexible. It will certainly be more corrosion-resistent, though, which
would be a strong point in its favor if you ride all year round in an
area that has a real winter (like me). If you're in Phoenix, though, it
wouldn't matter at all.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>
> Rich Clark wrote:
> >
> >
> > One is a flat bar bike, the other is a drop bar bike. They are not
> > comparable. If you don't know whether you're in the market for one or the
> > other, you shouldn't be considering either one.

>
> I prefer the more upright one (flatbar), but I'm thinking its
> components may be less than desirable, since it's a titanium frame
> selling for the same as the aluminum one which the same manufacturer is
> claiming to be spec'ed-out nicely (which may well be true since it
> actually weighs in slightly less than the ti!).


The Ti has a 105/Deore mix, which is fine if you don't need the lightest
possible setup, but it is still perfectly functional. My Tourer came
with a Tiagra/Deore mix, and I love it. About 5k miles on it in 2
years.

>
> > I can attest to the quality and overall wonderfulness of the Airborne Carpe
> > Diem I bought four years ago, FWIW. It's still my #1 bike, with somewhere
> > around 14k miles on it.
> >
> > RichC

>
> Yes, I know Airborne has a good reputation in general...just wondering
> about these particular models.
>
> Are titanium frames stronger than aluminum ones, typically? Lighter,
> more flexible or less? Etc.


It all depends on the design criteria, but the Ti is *probably* more
flexible. It will certainly be more corrosion-resistent, though, which
would be a strong point in its favor if you ride all year round in an
area that has a real winter (like me). If you're in Phoenix, though, it
wouldn't matter at all.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...
>
> Rich Clark wrote:
> >
> >
> > One is a flat bar bike, the other is a drop bar bike. They are not
> > comparable. If you don't know whether you're in the market for one or the
> > other, you shouldn't be considering either one.

>
> I prefer the more upright one (flatbar), but I'm thinking its
> components may be less than desirable, since it's a titanium frame
> selling for the same as the aluminum one which the same manufacturer is
> claiming to be spec'ed-out nicely (which may well be true since it
> actually weighs in slightly less than the ti!).


The Ti has a 105/Deore mix, which is fine if you don't need the lightest
possible setup, but it is still perfectly functional. My Tourer came
with a Tiagra/Deore mix, and I love it. About 5k miles on it in 2
years.

>
> > I can attest to the quality and overall wonderfulness of the Airborne Carpe
> > Diem I bought four years ago, FWIW. It's still my #1 bike, with somewhere
> > around 14k miles on it.
> >
> > RichC

>
> Yes, I know Airborne has a good reputation in general...just wondering
> about these particular models.
>
> Are titanium frames stronger than aluminum ones, typically? Lighter,
> more flexible or less? Etc.


It all depends on the design criteria, but the Ti is *probably* more
flexible. It will certainly be more corrosion-resistent, though, which
would be a strong point in its favor if you ride all year round in an
area that has a real winter (like me). If you're in Phoenix, though, it
wouldn't matter at all.

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).
 
threefire wrote:
> You must be joking. You think economically sanctioning a country will
> help improve its human rights? You think the ruler rather than the
> regular people are going to suffer more from a poor economy? The
> "enemy" thing is nothing more than a fear out of ignorance. When was
> the last time China was of any real and actual threat to the US?


Try this on. It is an obvious and well published fact that the Chinese
are building their military for a future invasion of Tiawan, no doubt
about it. When they do, then it will be interesting to see what the US
and others, like Japan, who will also be threatened, will do. Is China
a threat to attack the US? Of course not, not any more than the former
Soviet Union was. But USSR was a threat to the economic center of
Europe and China is a threat to the economic strength of Asia, and
hence a threat to Europe and the US. To ignore this is foolhardy.

How
> many of the claims you made were from first hand experience instead of
> politically motivated propaganda (you believe everything said on TV?
> they also say you can lose 70 pounds in a month on TV)? The human
> rights violation theory is way overrated. It's in many people's
> interests to exaggerate these things.
>
> Besides, half of the goods sold in this country are made in China. You
> better stop buying anything now.
>
> Gooserider wrote:
> > >> Airborne is fine, if you don't mind buying a Chinese bicycle. I don't
> > >> support communist dictatorships. I own three Taiwanese bikes, and an
> > >> American bike. The American bike is head and shoulders above the
> > >> Taiwanese quality wise, but it was far more expensive, too. I wouldn't
> > >> buy the Airborne, but that's purely on an ethical level. I'm sure the
> > >> quality is fine.
> > >
> > > I don't mind buying Chinese bikes, I have three of them from this
> > > manufacturer. Whether a dictatorship is communist or capitalist is all the
> > > same to me.
> > > My titanium mountain bike has taken a pounding and is still going strong.

> >
> > The problem with buying Chinese goods is the very real possibility that
> > doing so supports our enemy.War with China over Taiwan is not out of the
> > question. The Chinese have a horrible human rights record, you know. People
> > there are routinely put in re-education camps, undergo forced sterilization,
> > are placed in forced labor camps, and face other such horrible acts. Every
> > dollar you spend on Chinese goods goes to strengthen them both economically
> > and militarily. I would no more buy Chinese goods than I would buy conflict
> > diamonds.
 
threefire wrote:
> You must be joking. You think economically sanctioning a country will
> help improve its human rights? You think the ruler rather than the
> regular people are going to suffer more from a poor economy? The
> "enemy" thing is nothing more than a fear out of ignorance. When was
> the last time China was of any real and actual threat to the US?


Try this on. It is an obvious and well published fact that the Chinese
are building their military for a future invasion of Tiawan, no doubt
about it. When they do, then it will be interesting to see what the US
and others, like Japan, who will also be threatened, will do. Is China
a threat to attack the US? Of course not, not any more than the former
Soviet Union was. But USSR was a threat to the economic center of
Europe and China is a threat to the economic strength of Asia, and
hence a threat to Europe and the US. To ignore this is foolhardy.

How
> many of the claims you made were from first hand experience instead of
> politically motivated propaganda (you believe everything said on TV?
> they also say you can lose 70 pounds in a month on TV)? The human
> rights violation theory is way overrated. It's in many people's
> interests to exaggerate these things.
>
> Besides, half of the goods sold in this country are made in China. You
> better stop buying anything now.
>
> Gooserider wrote:
> > >> Airborne is fine, if you don't mind buying a Chinese bicycle. I don't
> > >> support communist dictatorships. I own three Taiwanese bikes, and an
> > >> American bike. The American bike is head and shoulders above the
> > >> Taiwanese quality wise, but it was far more expensive, too. I wouldn't
> > >> buy the Airborne, but that's purely on an ethical level. I'm sure the
> > >> quality is fine.
> > >
> > > I don't mind buying Chinese bikes, I have three of them from this
> > > manufacturer. Whether a dictatorship is communist or capitalist is all the
> > > same to me.
> > > My titanium mountain bike has taken a pounding and is still going strong.

> >
> > The problem with buying Chinese goods is the very real possibility that
> > doing so supports our enemy.War with China over Taiwan is not out of the
> > question. The Chinese have a horrible human rights record, you know. People
> > there are routinely put in re-education camps, undergo forced sterilization,
> > are placed in forced labor camps, and face other such horrible acts. Every
> > dollar you spend on Chinese goods goes to strengthen them both economically
> > and militarily. I would no more buy Chinese goods than I would buy conflict
> > diamonds.
 
threefire wrote:
> You must be joking. You think economically sanctioning a country will
> help improve its human rights? You think the ruler rather than the
> regular people are going to suffer more from a poor economy? The
> "enemy" thing is nothing more than a fear out of ignorance. When was
> the last time China was of any real and actual threat to the US?


Try this on. It is an obvious and well published fact that the Chinese
are building their military for a future invasion of Tiawan, no doubt
about it. When they do, then it will be interesting to see what the US
and others, like Japan, who will also be threatened, will do. Is China
a threat to attack the US? Of course not, not any more than the former
Soviet Union was. But USSR was a threat to the economic center of
Europe and China is a threat to the economic strength of Asia, and
hence a threat to Europe and the US. To ignore this is foolhardy.

How
> many of the claims you made were from first hand experience instead of
> politically motivated propaganda (you believe everything said on TV?
> they also say you can lose 70 pounds in a month on TV)? The human
> rights violation theory is way overrated. It's in many people's
> interests to exaggerate these things.
>
> Besides, half of the goods sold in this country are made in China. You
> better stop buying anything now.
>
> Gooserider wrote:
> > >> Airborne is fine, if you don't mind buying a Chinese bicycle. I don't
> > >> support communist dictatorships. I own three Taiwanese bikes, and an
> > >> American bike. The American bike is head and shoulders above the
> > >> Taiwanese quality wise, but it was far more expensive, too. I wouldn't
> > >> buy the Airborne, but that's purely on an ethical level. I'm sure the
> > >> quality is fine.
> > >
> > > I don't mind buying Chinese bikes, I have three of them from this
> > > manufacturer. Whether a dictatorship is communist or capitalist is all the
> > > same to me.
> > > My titanium mountain bike has taken a pounding and is still going strong.

> >
> > The problem with buying Chinese goods is the very real possibility that
> > doing so supports our enemy.War with China over Taiwan is not out of the
> > question. The Chinese have a horrible human rights record, you know. People
> > there are routinely put in re-education camps, undergo forced sterilization,
> > are placed in forced labor camps, and face other such horrible acts. Every
> > dollar you spend on Chinese goods goes to strengthen them both economically
> > and militarily. I would no more buy Chinese goods than I would buy conflict
> > diamonds.
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...

....

> I think "stem" is the word you're looking for, and that can be very
> difficult with threadless stems, since the height is changed with
> spacers, and the steerer's often already been cut too short to add more.
>
> You can get a riser add-on, but I haven't tried one.


I have one on my main bike, and they work fine.

....

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...

....

> I think "stem" is the word you're looking for, and that can be very
> difficult with threadless stems, since the height is changed with
> spacers, and the steerer's often already been cut too short to add more.
>
> You can get a riser add-on, but I haven't tried one.


I have one on my main bike, and they work fine.

....

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).
 
In article <[email protected]>,
[email protected] says...

....

> I think "stem" is the word you're looking for, and that can be very
> difficult with threadless stems, since the height is changed with
> spacers, and the steerer's often already been cut too short to add more.
>
> You can get a riser add-on, but I haven't tried one.


I have one on my main bike, and they work fine.

....

--
Remove the ns_ from if replying by e-mail (but keep posts in the
newsgroups if possible).
 
Quoting NYC XYZ <[email protected]>:
>Hmmm...I thought it had to do with the mechanics of the pull of the
>cable...a V-brake seems more powerful, from a mechanical POV, than a
>cantilever...I can't quite imagine in my mind's eye the same difference
>between a V-brake and caliper brakes operationally, but I have heard
>that V-brakes are second only to disc brakes.


You might hear a lot of things.

On a single bike, any brake of sensible design, not abysmally low quality,
competently installed and adjusted, will lock the rear wheel (rear brake)
or lift it (front brake).

You cannot have more braking than that, so the theoretical brake "power"
(which tandems find out, with surprising results) is quite irrelevant.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!
Today is Gaiman, July - a public holiday.
 
Quoting NYC XYZ <[email protected]>:
>Hmmm...I thought it had to do with the mechanics of the pull of the
>cable...a V-brake seems more powerful, from a mechanical POV, than a
>cantilever...I can't quite imagine in my mind's eye the same difference
>between a V-brake and caliper brakes operationally, but I have heard
>that V-brakes are second only to disc brakes.


You might hear a lot of things.

On a single bike, any brake of sensible design, not abysmally low quality,
competently installed and adjusted, will lock the rear wheel (rear brake)
or lift it (front brake).

You cannot have more braking than that, so the theoretical brake "power"
(which tandems find out, with surprising results) is quite irrelevant.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!
Today is Gaiman, July - a public holiday.
 
Quoting NYC XYZ <[email protected]>:
>Hmmm...I thought it had to do with the mechanics of the pull of the
>cable...a V-brake seems more powerful, from a mechanical POV, than a
>cantilever...I can't quite imagine in my mind's eye the same difference
>between a V-brake and caliper brakes operationally, but I have heard
>that V-brakes are second only to disc brakes.


You might hear a lot of things.

On a single bike, any brake of sensible design, not abysmally low quality,
competently installed and adjusted, will lock the rear wheel (rear brake)
or lift it (front brake).

You cannot have more braking than that, so the theoretical brake "power"
(which tandems find out, with surprising results) is quite irrelevant.
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!
Today is Gaiman, July - a public holiday.
 
David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote:

>Quoting NYC XYZ <[email protected]>:
>>Hmmm...I thought it had to do with the mechanics of the pull of the
>>cable...a V-brake seems more powerful, from a mechanical POV, than a
>>cantilever...I can't quite imagine in my mind's eye the same difference
>>between a V-brake and caliper brakes operationally, but I have heard
>>that V-brakes are second only to disc brakes.

>
>You might hear a lot of things.
>
>On a single bike, any brake of sensible design, not abysmally low quality,
>competently installed and adjusted, will lock the rear wheel (rear brake)
>or lift it (front brake).
>
>You cannot have more braking than that, so the theoretical brake "power"
>(which tandems find out, with surprising results) is quite irrelevant.


An interesting (to me, at least...) data point is that I designed my
new tandem around regular road caliper brakes, never having been
really happy with the performance of canti brakes on my previous
tandem. The stopping ability of the new tandem is considerably better
than the canti brakes (and presumably better than V-brakes with cable
pull adapters would be).

David's right - there's no braking test platform better than a tandem.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame
 
David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote:

>Quoting NYC XYZ <[email protected]>:
>>Hmmm...I thought it had to do with the mechanics of the pull of the
>>cable...a V-brake seems more powerful, from a mechanical POV, than a
>>cantilever...I can't quite imagine in my mind's eye the same difference
>>between a V-brake and caliper brakes operationally, but I have heard
>>that V-brakes are second only to disc brakes.

>
>You might hear a lot of things.
>
>On a single bike, any brake of sensible design, not abysmally low quality,
>competently installed and adjusted, will lock the rear wheel (rear brake)
>or lift it (front brake).
>
>You cannot have more braking than that, so the theoretical brake "power"
>(which tandems find out, with surprising results) is quite irrelevant.


An interesting (to me, at least...) data point is that I designed my
new tandem around regular road caliper brakes, never having been
really happy with the performance of canti brakes on my previous
tandem. The stopping ability of the new tandem is considerably better
than the canti brakes (and presumably better than V-brakes with cable
pull adapters would be).

David's right - there's no braking test platform better than a tandem.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame
 
David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote:

>Quoting NYC XYZ <[email protected]>:
>>Hmmm...I thought it had to do with the mechanics of the pull of the
>>cable...a V-brake seems more powerful, from a mechanical POV, than a
>>cantilever...I can't quite imagine in my mind's eye the same difference
>>between a V-brake and caliper brakes operationally, but I have heard
>>that V-brakes are second only to disc brakes.

>
>You might hear a lot of things.
>
>On a single bike, any brake of sensible design, not abysmally low quality,
>competently installed and adjusted, will lock the rear wheel (rear brake)
>or lift it (front brake).
>
>You cannot have more braking than that, so the theoretical brake "power"
>(which tandems find out, with surprising results) is quite irrelevant.


An interesting (to me, at least...) data point is that I designed my
new tandem around regular road caliper brakes, never having been
really happy with the performance of canti brakes on my previous
tandem. The stopping ability of the new tandem is considerably better
than the canti brakes (and presumably better than V-brakes with cable
pull adapters would be).

David's right - there's no braking test platform better than a tandem.

Mark Hickey
Habanero Cycles
http://www.habcycles.com
Home of the $795 ti frame
 
I submit that on or about Mon, 25 Jul 2005 06:31:00 -0700, the person
known to the court as Mark Hickey <[email protected]> made a
statement (<[email protected]> in Your
Honour's bundle) to the following effect:

>there's no braking test platform better than a tandem.


A fast recumbent isn't bad either.

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
 
I submit that on or about Mon, 25 Jul 2005 06:31:00 -0700, the person
known to the court as Mark Hickey <[email protected]> made a
statement (<[email protected]> in Your
Honour's bundle) to the following effect:

>there's no braking test platform better than a tandem.


A fast recumbent isn't bad either.

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
 
I submit that on or about Mon, 25 Jul 2005 06:31:00 -0700, the person
known to the court as Mark Hickey <[email protected]> made a
statement (<[email protected]> in Your
Honour's bundle) to the following effect:

>there's no braking test platform better than a tandem.


A fast recumbent isn't bad either.

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
 
Quoting Mark Hickey <[email protected]>:
>David Damerell <[email protected]> wrote:
>>You cannot have more braking than that, so the theoretical brake "power"
>>(which tandems find out, with surprising results) is quite irrelevant.

>An interesting (to me, at least...) data point is that I designed my
>new tandem around regular road caliper brakes, never having been
>really happy with the performance of canti brakes on my previous
>tandem.


Certainly plain ordinary calipers can work just fine, but did you try
fiddling with the straddle cable? I've got it as high as will just permit
me to bottom out the lever (higher, and you're just getting lower
mechanical advantage; lower, and the input force is lower, as I'm sure you
know) with maximum grip, and the front brake is certainly good enough to
produce an alarming DOING sensation from the front fork...

[The back brake's a Suntour self-energiser, so I've no idea how well a
conventional canti works on a tandem.]
--
David Damerell <[email protected]> Distortion Field!
Today is Gaiman, July - a public holiday.