On the Horns of a Dilema



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A

Andy Welch

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Woe is me I have two bikes but I really need three.

OK woe is putting it a bit strong, but it's a thorny one none the less. You could say that I'm in a
fortunate position. I have a good solid tourer (501 frame, sora triple, not light but a reliable
workhorse) and a Windcheetah trike. A thing of beauty (pictured from more angles than you can shake
a stick at on http://windcheetah.fotipic.net).

Thing is, I'll be 40 next year. Not a problem in itself but I've decided that I'd like to do
something to commemorate the occasion and riding the Etape sounds like just the thing. Mentioned it
to the wife and she was all for it. Reckons we could go on one of the organised trips as a family
and make a nice holiday out of it. Problem is I don't think either of my machines are really
suitable for the job and I really can't justify another expensive bike barely a year after getting
the trike (especially with a new baby bouncing around the house and draining our bank accounts).

So as far as I can tell I have a number of options.

1. Sell the trike and buy a light road bike for the ride. Sounds OK in theory but as soon as I ride
(or even look at) the trike this seems like a very unattractive option.

2. Ride the Etape on the tourer. Certainly possible but surely if you are going to ride a mountain
stage of the Tour de France it really should be done on a race bike. Bit hard to pretend that you
are Lance on a 30lb workhorse. More to the point, from what I've read, the Etape is a pretty
tough event and lugging that much extra weight around would make it even tougher.

3. Give up on the Etape idea and go for a challenge that I can do on my current steeds. There are
any number of Audax events that ought to fit the bill. Problem is that, while I quite fancy the
idea of an Audax, it just doesn't have the romance of riding a Tour stage.

So come on gang, what would you do?

Cheers,

Andy
 
[email protected] wrote:

> So come on gang, what would you do?

Ride it on the tourer. Strip off some of the stuff you don't need for a day ride, and it will not be
significantly worse than a `proper' road bike. I imagine you'll want the triple chainset anyway (but
maybe not).

James
 
[email protected] wrote:
> Woe is me I have two bikes but I really need three.
>

Only three?

Put the tourer on a diet and buy it a few presents. I doubt you'll notice much difference for laying
out a load of dosh on a new bike.

Tony

http://www.raven-family.com

"The single biggest problem in communication is the illusion that it has taken place" George
Bernard Shaw.
 
[email protected] wrote:

: Woe is me I have two bikes but I really need three.

My suggestions:

Option a:

New lightweight wheels (nothing too post, just Ultegra hubs, race rims, db spokes) and some race
tires (Michelen Pro Race are very nice) for the tourer. Remove rack and mudguards. (if you've got
135 mm dropouts then replace ultegra hub with something suitable)

The difference in the way it feels will be large, cost a few hundred quid.

You'll probably want a triple anyway.

If you really want to, you should then be able to buy/borrow a race bike for the event itself (+ at
least two weeks before to adjust!)

Option b:

Buy a second hand race bike. You can get a nice race bike for 500-600 quid second hand. This will do
the Etape nicely. Again, but some new, top quality tires. Sell after the Etape for (say) 400 quid.
Cost a few hundred quid.

I'd go for (b) myself.

Just do the Etape. It's a truely memorable experience and gives a real focus to the year since you
know you have to get very, very fit.

Arthur

--
Arthur Clune http://www.clune.org Power is delightful. Absolute power is absolutely delightful -
Lord Lester
 
In article <[email protected]>, [email protected] wrote:

>2. Ride the Etape on the tourer. Certainly possible but surely if you are going to ride a mountain
> stage of the Tour de France it really should be done on a race bike. Bit hard to pretend that
> you are Lance on a 30lb workhorse. More to the point, from what I've read, the Etape is a pretty
> tough event and lugging that much extra weight around would make it even tougher.

whatever you decide about a bike, ride it on a triple. It's a hard stage this year.

My DH brought a new team issue Scott with a triple and thought it was excellent. More roady than his
Dawes, but not too superweight to be knackering (i.e. it had enough gears!!).

Becka

--
Becka Currant All views are my own blah blah blah "From now on we're going to have a little less
ritual and a little more fun around here". Spike in Buffy
 
On Wed, 22 Jan 2003 13:13:03 GMT, [email protected] wrote:

>
>Woe is me I have two bikes but I really need three.

I got a new thermos thingy for Christmas, complete with bottle cage. I said I neeed another bike to
put it on as all my bottle spaces were already full. This was Not Approved.

<snip>

>3. Give up on the Etape idea and go for a challenge that I can do on my current steeds. There are
> any number of Audax events that ought to fit the bill. Problem is that, while I quite fancy the
> idea of an Audax, it just doesn't have the romance of riding a Tour stage.

Yebut this year is PBP year. 1200 km in 4 days in the company of, ooh, lots and lots. Do it on the
Windcheetah.

Tim
--
fast and gripping, non pompous, glossy and credible.
 
<snip>
> Woe is me I have two bikes but I really need three. <snip> (especially with a new baby bouncing
> around the house and draining our bank
accounts).
>
> So as far as I can tell I have a number of options.
.....
> <snip>
.....
> So come on gang, what would you do?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Andy

Andy, You seem to have missed one of the more obvious options out mate ! we're all aware of it,
surprised that no-one else has commented on it yet..... Do you realise how much you can sell a
nearly new baby for these days ?? - talk about an opportunity. You could actually make enough to
split 50/50 with your wife and use your half to buy a quality bike!!.... If, after the event you
decide the baby was fun after all, just make another one!!!..and you get to keep the bike!! Glad to
have been of service, Cheers and all the best ;-) Dave (father of three (from time to time))
 
[email protected] wrote:

> 1. Sell the trike and buy a light road bike for the ride. Sounds OK in theory but as soon as I
> ride (or even look at) the trike this seems like a very unattractive option.

Have you taken leave of your senses, man?!?!

I'd buy a road bike anyway. Always remember: it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission :-D

Actually you can get a perfectly acceptable road bike for 500 quid, although it won't have ShelBroCo
Superleggero ball bearings, POWerwheels or geomagnetic booster.

But wait - there must be somewhere in France that will hire you a Colnago for the day?

--
Guy
===
I wonder if you wouldn't mind piecing out our imperfections with your thoughts; and while you're
about it perhaps you could think when we talk of bicycles, that you see them printing their proud
wheels i' the receiving earth; thanks awfully.

http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#103 http://www.highwaycode.gov.uk/09.shtml#104
 
[email protected] wrote:

> So as far as I can tell I have a number of options.
>

Option 4: Give yourself a real treat instead of the Etape: www.transrockies.com

James
 
[email protected] wrote:

>
> 1. Sell the trike and buy a light road bike for the ride. Sounds OK in theory but as soon as I
> ride (or even look at) the trike this seems like a very unattractive option.
>
> 2. Ride the Etape on the tourer. Certainly possible but surely if you are going to ride a mountain
> stage of the Tour de France it really should be done on a race bike. Bit hard to pretend that
> you are Lance on a 30lb workhorse. More to the point, from what I've read, the Etape is a
> pretty tough event and lugging that much extra weight around would make it even tougher.
>
> 3. Give up on the Etape idea and go for a challenge that I can do on my current steeds. There are
> any number of Audax events that ought to fit the bill. Problem is that, while I quite fancy the
> idea of an Audax, it just doesn't have the romance of riding a Tour stage.
>

4) Buy a nice light Campag record equipped racing bike, with silly wheels. This is not the sensible
option, it is the only option, you have to ride a bike like this once and this is your
opportunity. Get it properly fitted you will still love your tourer but will yearn to ride the
racing bike all you can. I know I do.

> So come on gang, what would you do?
>
> Cheers,
>
> Andy

--
Chris dot Gerhard at btclick dot com.
 
[email protected] wrote in message news:<[email protected]>...

> (especially with a new baby bouncing around the house and draining our bank accounts).
> 2. Ride the Etape on the tourer. Certainly possible but surely if you are going to ride a mountain
> stage of the Tour de France it really should be done on a race bike. Bit hard to pretend that
> you are Lance on a 30lb workhorse. More to the point, from what I've read, the Etape is a
> pretty tough event and lugging that much extra weight around would make it even tougher.

Take the kid on the ride with you, then. They used my route to work as the Prologue for the tour
last year and thought it too hard:

"I'm not a big fan of having the Tour de France start here. The roads are narrow and always going
up-and-down in short, steep climbs." - Bobby Julich

Ha! I do that daily on a lardy hybrid + trailer + two kids.
 
[email protected] wrote:

<snip Etape musings>

> So come on gang, what would you do?

I've got quite a few friends with rather nice racing machinery, so I'd try and arrange to borrow
some of it (you could leave a Windcheetah to play with in lieu, so I don't think there'd be any
complaints!) . Since it's the sort of country where people go to play on racers, is anyone out there
hiring anything suitable?

Pete.
--
Peter Clinch University of Dundee Tel 44 1382 660111 ext. 33637 Medical Physics, Ninewells Hospital
Fax 44 1382 640177 Dundee DD1 9SY Scotland UK net [email protected]
http://www.dundee.ac.uk/~pjclinch/
 
"James Annan" <[email protected]> wrote in message news:[email protected]...
> [email protected] wrote:
>
> > So come on gang, what would you do?
>
> Ride it on the tourer. Strip off some of the stuff you don't need for a day ride, and it will not
> be significantly worse than a `proper' road bike. I imagine you'll want the triple chainset anyway
> (but maybe not).

Assuming you are not some waif, you will lose a few pounds training for the etape so the all up
weight on the tourer will less than a less fit you on a super light weight machine.

Buy the tourer some nice gizmo to celebrate your coming of age -- e.g. a new saddle with
titanium rails.

Alternatively, be different and ride the etape on the Windcheater -- or is that considered bad form?

T
 
On 22-Jan-2003, "Arthur Clune" <[email protected]> wrote:

> My suggestions:
>
> Option a:
>
> New lightweight wheels (nothing too post, just Ultegra hubs, race rims, db spokes) and some race
> tires (Michelen Pro Race are very nice) for the tourer. Remove rack and mudguards. (if you've got
> 135 mm dropouts then replace ultegra hub with something suitable)
>
> The difference in the way it feels will be large, cost a few hundred quid.
>

Doesn't sound too bad. But the tourer has 26" wheels. Actually started life as a rigid MTB but now
it's sporting drops I reckon tourer is the best description. Dropouts are 130mm and it currently has
32 hole Sora hubs with Mavic X-517 rims (lighter than Open Pro) and DB spokes. I could try to find
some lighter rubber or change to 700c wheels with race tyres as you suggest. I'd need to ditch the
cantis and fit a deep drop caliper but it would work. Problem is that the wide frame clearance looks
pretty silly with narrow tyres (I've tried using 1" slicks in the past but the 1.3" S-Licks just
look better)

> You'll probably want a triple anyway.
>

Undoubtedly

> If you really want to, you should then be able to buy/borrow a race bike for the event itself (+
> at least two weeks before to adjust!)
>

Certainly an idea, but would 2 weeks really be enough to adjust.

> Option b:
>
> Buy a second hand race bike. You can get a nice race bike for 500-600 quid second hand. This will
> do the Etape nicely. Again, but some new, top quality tires. Sell after the Etape for (say) 400
> quid. Cost a few hundred quid.
>

Hmmm sounds tempting to me. Let me see. "No dear I'm not buying another bike. I'll sell it after the
Etape, honest. So it's really just renting." Might work if I'd only just met her but even then I'd
have trouble keeping a straight face.

> I'd go for (b) myself.
>
> Just do the Etape. It's a truely memorable experience and gives a real focus to the year since you
> know you have to get very, very fit.

Thanks for the encouragement. Getting very very fit is certainly part of the appeal. A quick two
fingers at the grim reaper as the 40th birthday approaches. Come and get me sucker, but you better
come prepared for a fight
[1]. OK, I know, 40 is hardly old. But I come from a long line of men who dropped dead in their
50s and 60s.

Cheers,

Andy

[2] Now where did I steal (and misquote) that from?
 
On 22-Jan-2003, "Dave" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Do you realise how much you can sell a nearly new baby for these days ?? - talk about an
> opportunity. You could actually make enough to split 50/50 with your wife and use your half to buy
> a quality bike!!..

Tempting :) but I hear the Kilshaws went bankrupt so maybe the bottom has fallen out of that
particular market. And given what falls out of the bottom of our little bundle of joy at the moment
I reckon we'd be hard pushed to make enough for a gas-pipe clunker let alone a quality road bike.

Cheers,

Andy
 
On 22-Jan-2003, "Just zis Guy, you know?" <[email protected]> wrote:

> Have you taken leave of your senses, man?!?!
>

Undoubtedly

> I'd buy a road bike anyway. Always remember: it is easier to ask forgiveness than permission :-D
>

True, but I hear divorce lawyers are very expensive.

> Actually you can get a perfectly acceptable road bike for 500 quid, although it won't have
> ShelBroCo Superleggero ball bearings, POWerwheels or geomagnetic booster.
>

Surely those are essential items for any semi-serious cyclist these days.

> But wait - there must be somewhere in France that will hire you a Colnago for the day?

True, but bear in mind that most of my miles over the last six months have been on the Windcheetah
so it's going to take a while to toughen my rear up again.

Cheers,

Andy
 
>"Arthur Clune" <[email protected]> wrote:

>> The main difference between what you have and a race bike will be
in the
>> handling.
>
> I take it you mean that a race bike will have much quicker steering. Actually I've always thought
> that my tourer (ex rigid MTB) had pretty quick steering. Certainly hard to ride it no handed. I
> figured this was because it was designed for use off road where you might need to make quick
> changes of direction. But maybe I just don't know what quick is.

Actually, MTBs tend to have more trail than road bikes, so they are easier to keep going where
you want them when they encounter trail bumps. However there are some MTBs designed for use on
very tight singltrack that have less trail precisely for the reason you suggest. Maybe you have
one of those.

-Myra
 
On 23-Jan-2003, Chris Gerhard <no_spam@not_btclick.com> wrote:

> 4) Buy a nice light Campag record equipped racing bike, with silly wheels.
>
> This is not the sensible option, it is the only option, you have to ride a
>
> bike like this once and this is your opportunity. Get it properly fitted you will still love your
> tourer but will yearn to ride the racing bike all you can. I know I do.

Now this is more the sort of answer I was looking for :) OK Record maybe pushing it a bit but you're
right I do have to ride a well fitting lightweight race bike, even if only so that I can appreciate
how much pain and discomfort the pros put up with.

Cheers,

Andy
 
On 23-Jan-2003, Peter Clinch <[email protected]> wrote:

> Since it's the sort of country where people go to play on racers, is anyone out there hiring
> anything suitable?

Possibly but I reckon I'll need many months of practice on the relevant steed before tackling
something like this. Training on my Torer (or Windcheetah) then hopping onto a Colnago for the event
sounds like a recipe for disaster.

Cheers,

Andy
 
On 22-Jan-2003, Tim Hall <[email protected]> wrote:

> Yebut this year is PBP year. 1200 km in 4 days in the company of, ooh, lots and lots. Do it on the
> Windcheetah.

I said that I wanted a challenge to prepare for my 40th, not that I'd taken all leave of
my senses :)

Cheers,

Andy
 
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