Opinions on a Marinoni Turismo



"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?


Looks sweet to me. IMO frame weight is not an issue on bikes like this,
since the frame is likely to be only 10% or so of the bike's total weight.
I'd expect such a bike to be outfitted with a rack, fenders, lights, and
other commuter/light touring accessories, and fairly robust wheels and
tires, and thus equipped it'll likely weigh 30lb or more.

I was looking for the chainstay length, didn't see it. Nor the BB drop
measurement. These might indicate a geometry more like a traditional touring
bike vs a cyclocross bike. Didn't see a price, either.

A steel touring frame with disc brakes sure seems like a good place to
start, though

Buy it for the fit and the ride quality, if they're there for you. Would
this be a pre-built bike, or do you get to spec the parts?

HNY,
RichC
 
In article <[email protected]>,
"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> writes:
> Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?
>
> http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/2004/eng_turismo.asp


That's my dream bike. But my dream tour is Iceland -- not
the Circle Road, but straight north up the middle, from
Reykjavik. And my current utility bike ("Ol' Pig Iron",
the Norco Bigfoot) would, I think, be an ideal vehicle ...
with a better wheelset than what I currently have.

The Marinoni Turismo frame is built with SPX tubing,
which Fabrizio would no doubt hate with a passionate
passion. Especially if it's straight-gauge and non-
butted. It's more-or-less a full-fledged touring bike;
it's a bit of a compromise between a sport-touring/
randonneur bike and a 520 pack-mule. The chainstays
are kind of on the short side.


cheers, & Happy New Year,
Tom

--
-- Nothing is safe from me.
Above address is just a spam midden.
I'm really at: tkeats [curlicue] vcn [point] bc [point] ca
 
"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?
>
> http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/2004/eng_turismo.asp


Marinoni has a very good name, particularly amongst the racing fraternity.
However, for touring purposes where reliability and durability are key, they
seem to have gone a bit overboard with a 10 speed Veloce group, Ergo style
brifters, carbon fork and Keba wheels (-whatever they are).
If you are looking for a "full on" loaded tourer, there are other simpler
designs with more use specific components. Nothing wrong with the build
quality I'm sure.

Trek does something similar with their 520 tourer which inherits too much
from their other road designs, e.g. too high gearing and bars way too low.
See:
http://www2.trekbikes.com/en/Bikes/Specialty_Bikes/Touring/520/index.php

Its top 52/11 ratio gives 128 gear inches!!

Regards,

Roy
 
In article <[email protected]>, Claire
Petersky <[email protected]> wrote:

> Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?


> http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/2004/eng_turismo.asp



A few years back I was considering buying a Turismo and had an
opportunity to inspect the built-up Turismo at a LBS (Bicycle
Specialties, Toronto). Marinonis have a reputation of good value for
the money and the Turismo affirmed that impression. The finish was
impressive if not spectacular and the welds clean.

There are presently more options for the Turismo than I remember at the
time I was considering the purchase: Carbon Forks, disk brakes, etc...
I eventually opted for another frameset since I didn't anticipate using
the built-up bike for loaded touring or year round commuting.

But if I was to be in the market for an all-rounder or dedicated
touring frameset, where durability and versatility is a higher priority
than weight and speed, I would most certainly consider the Turismo.
Other (steel) framesets in the running: Jamis Nova (I own one); Surly
Crosscheck or Long Haul Trucker.

luke
 
On Sat, 01 Jan 2005 03:45:31 +0000, Claire Petersky wrote:

> Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?


What money? It sorta depends on what they want for it. I know nothing
about the wheels -- but they look like they have more spokes than most
name-brand wheels. If they are standard spokes, just make sure to
re-tension and stress-relieve the spokes before you head out to the middle
of nowhere with them.

--

David L. Johnson

__o | And though I have the gift of prophecy, and understand all
_`\(,_ | mysteries, and all knowledge; and though I have all faith, so
(_)/ (_) | that I could remove mountains, and have not charity, I am
nothing. [1 Corinth. 13:2]
 
Claire Petersky said:
Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?

http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/2004/eng_turismo.asp

--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
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It's a bit too much a "light touring bike" for my taste. For instance, installing 700x37 tires with fenders is either a tight fit or a no-go, and chainstays are relatively short (guestimate at 43-44 cm from a recent visit in a bike shop). If I remember correctly, it has all the braze ons for racks and fenders, so it would be a perfect commuter, day rider or light tourer.

It could be good for loaded touring if you are not too heavy, don't carry 50 lb of gear (i.e. don,t need to inflate tires at 120 psi), or if you travel on good roads... but I concluded that the Turismo is for "assisted tourism" rather than roughing it out.
 
Sat, 01 Jan 2005 03:45:31 GMT,
<[email protected]>,
"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote:

>Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?
>
>http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/2004/eng_turismo.asp


Their dealer is in Redmond. Do you like the shop?

There was a time Marinoni offered custom sizing for an additional
seventy-five dollars. (re: your long torso and arms) Is that option
still available? I didn't see it on their new site.

How much fun is it to pick paint from 34 different colours (33 not
counting "Bianchi") in sixteen different paint schemes?

Are they still completely chromed before painting?

I seen a few nice old lugged Marinoni's doing commuter service around
here and new ones in local crits.
--
zk
 
"Zoot Katz" wrote

> There was a time Marinoni offered custom sizing for an additional
> seventy-five dollars. (re: your long torso and arms) Is that option
> still available? I didn't see it on their new site.
>
> How much fun is it to pick paint from 34 different colours (33 not
> counting "Bianchi") in sixteen different paint schemes?
>
> Are they still completely chromed before painting?
>
> I seen a few nice old lugged Marinoni's doing commuter service around
> here and new ones in local crits.
> --
> zk


Custom sizing was a $100 option when I bought mine in 1988. A stock frame
was $500 at the time. Back then a Marinoni frame was just that, a frame
brazed together by Giuseppe Marinoni. As of 2001 they offered a custom steel
(Columbus FOCO) frame called the Piuma for $1200. I would guess that as the
company has grown a fair bit, and custom frames are a smaller part of the
operation.
--
mark
 
"Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> Sat, 01 Jan 2005 03:45:31 GMT,
> <[email protected]>,
> "Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote:
>
> >Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?
> >
> >http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/2004/eng_turismo.asp

>
> Their dealer is in Redmond. Do you like the shop?


It's my husband's LBS. They're nice enough.

> There was a time Marinoni offered custom sizing for an additional
> seventy-five dollars. (re: your long torso and arms) Is that option
> still available? I didn't see it on their new site.


This is a floor model, built for Seattle bike expo last spring. The shop'd
"give me a deal" (unspecified), if I were to buy it.


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
please substitute yahoo for mousepotato to reply
Home of the meditative cyclist:
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"Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> "Zoot Katz" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
>> Sat, 01 Jan 2005 03:45:31 GMT,
>> <[email protected]>,
>> "Claire Petersky" <[email protected]> wrote:
>>
>> >Too heavy for the money? Or a sweet bike?
>> >
>> >http://www.marinoni.qc.ca/html/2004/eng_turismo.asp

>>
>> Their dealer is in Redmond. Do you like the shop?

>
> It's my husband's LBS. They're nice enough.
>
>> There was a time Marinoni offered custom sizing for an additional
>> seventy-five dollars. (re: your long torso and arms) Is that option
>> still available? I didn't see it on their new site.

>
> This is a floor model, built for Seattle bike expo last spring. The

shop'd
> "give me a deal" (unspecified), if I were to buy it.
>

I think that all the foregoing responses have reached a consensus -most
unusual for this group:))
You didn't mention its intended use. As a good quality piece of bike
machinery its fine, but if it's to be used in the loaded touring role it
doesn't have the optimum configuration. Of course a lot depends on the
"deal" specifics.

Regards,

Roy
 
"araby" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...

> You didn't mention its intended use. As a good quality piece of bike
> machinery its fine, but if it's to be used in the loaded touring role it
> doesn't have the optimum configuration. Of course a lot depends on the
> "deal" specifics.


I don't plan to use it for loaded touring. In terms of miles, it would be
used for (in order):

Commuting (year round 50 -100 miles weekly)
Club rides (weekly rides of 30 - 100 miles, mostly spring and summer)
Centuries and events (several 70 - 200 mile events annually)
Credit card touring (every year or two)


--
Warm Regards,

Claire Petersky
please substitute yahoo for mousepotato to reply
Home of the meditative cyclist:
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My wife and I have a pair of these bikes, and we have ran fully loaded on them all over Cuba and the east coast of Canada. Fabulous bikes! Not a problem at all. Very comfortable. My only wish is that we had gone for disc brakes rather than canti's. On long steep descents, with a loaded bike underneath you, a little more braking power would have been great. Nevertheless you ride with the conditions and the gear you've got. Honestly, no mechanical issues, no fabrication issues. Would ride them anywhere. Planning to ride them on Tour d'Afrique!