Not my Xmas presents

[alienator]

No these things are just things I'm testing for a few months. They are pretty spiffy, though. Brake real nice w/ Swissstop green pads. Tires center up dead easy on the rims. Of course they're sickly light. The Tufos aren't my idea or my choice: the company sent 'em with the wheels. FWIW, the stem/bars on the bike are leftovers from riding with injured neck and back. I'm too lazy to change 'em out before I get my new frame.

As it happens, my Xmas present to myself will also have wheels, although those wheels aren't quite as light. That present is the last pic.

 

[CoppiRidesOn]

Dude forget the Tuono- get yourself a hog !

 

[Cycler6n]

nice, what new frame you gettin?

 

[alienator]

nice, what new frame you gettin?

Look 595.

 

[matagi]

I prefer Ducati myself, but the Tuono is a nice bike.

(selling all that Nike Puma Adidas Nokia Sony Castor Oil is obviously paying off)

 

[alienator]

I prefer Ducati myself, but the Tuono is a nice bike.

(selling all that Nike Puma Adidas Nokia Sony Castor Oil is obviously paying off)

Man, what's with this Tuono stuff? This is a Tuono:

This, what I'm getting, is an RSV1000R:

I used to be Duck guy, and this time around I came real close to getting another Duck 888, like I had before. Then I remembered how high maintenance it was. If I won the lottery, though, there is one and only one Ducati I would buy: the Desmosedici D16RR. Man, that is one *****in' Camaro.

 

[matagi]

Man, what's with this Tuono stuff? This is a Tuono:
http://tiscali.portalmotos.com/www/...ajes/Motos_Naked_2007/Aprilia Tuono 1000R.jpg
.......

Oh dear! How embarrassing - just put it down to a small screen and early morning and being too lazy to look at the attachment, so I just read what CoppiRidesOn posted and it was all downhill from there.

 

[kytyree]

Alienator, for the 595 are you getting the Origin or Ultra version?

 

[alienator]

Alienator, for the 595 are you getting the Origin or Ultra version?

The Origin. I rode an Origin for a while, and it were just fine.

 

[kytyree]

That frame is on the short list when I replace my current frame, probably later this year.

Since you have ridden it what are your thoughts on the integrated seatmast?

I haven't ridden the 595 but I think I would prefer the Origin. Sometime it would be interesting to compare the two or something like the Extreme Power frame to their respective counterparts. I have always been curious about how much different the rides would be for frames made stiffer like those.

 

[alienator]

That frame is on the short list when I replace my current frame, probably later this year.

Since you have ridden it what are your thoughts on the integrated seatmast?

I haven't ridden the 595 but I think I would prefer the Origin. Sometime it would be interesting to compare the two or something like the Extreme Power frame to their respective counterparts. I have always been curious about how much different the rides would be for frames made stiffer like those.

Well, I can say that I don't know that the seatmast contributed anything to the ride. A Look rep said the seatmast is intended to provide better comfort and that it's not a feature that's supposed to increase stiffness.

I very much liked the way the 595 felt. On a 21% grade, it seemed to climb very well, but I likely attribute that to a geometry that better suited me: taller headtube; less steep head tube angle. I was just more comfortable. The less steep head tube angle (73 vs. 73.75 for my current ride, with the same fork offset) also made for a more comfortably steering bike. From the climb, I can't see how I'd need a stiffer bike. I'm no powerhouse, but on that climb, I generally put out 1000-1200 W for the steep section (1/4 mile long.). Thor Hushovd would certainly stress a frame more than me.

Frankly, I like the seatmast for its aesthetics. I also like it because one leg is very sensitive to saddle misalignment. 20 fractures over a few years and accidents have left my leg with a creative geometry. If the seat ain't pointed in the right direction, my leg broadcasts that to me.

I do think Look has produced the best solution in a seatmast: it's plenty adjustable for height; it fixes the saddle in the right direction; and it's mucho caliente. I could care less about resale value. I buy bikes to ride, not as interim seats for my ass between purchases.

The only things I didn't like about the bike were:

1. The Dura Ace components. While they shifted ok, the feel was totally craptastic.
2. The bike was white.
3. The Ksyrium ES wheels: totally overblown, uninspiring wheels.