I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.

I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung damage.

But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.

Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.

Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.

On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27 AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
> I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
>
> I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung damage.
>
> But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
>
> Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
>
> Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.

I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.

On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 7:08:15 PM UTC+1, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27 AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
> >
> > I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung damage.
> >
> > But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
> >
> > Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles.. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
> >
> > Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.
> I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.

My last build for a friend was a couple of months ago. Acquire all parts, before building check if all the part are in and correct. If that is the case the actual build is just one evening. Last build was a bike with hydraulic disk brakes with internal routing. It took two evenings, all went well without problems. Nowadays however most people buy complete bikes. Building your own wheels is an art that has gone out of fashion a long time ago.

Lou

On 12/20/2023 1:08 PM, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27 AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
>> I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
>>
>> I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung damage.
>>
>> But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
>>
>> Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
>>
>> Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.
>
> I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.
I've built and rebuilt many bikes. I've modified frames and changed
countless components over the years. But I don't constantly churn
through bicycles looking for minuscule performance advantages, claiming
each new bike will be the perfect one until it's not.
--
- Frank Krygowski

On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 10:28:47 AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 7:08:15 PM UTC+1, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27 AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > > I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
> > >
> > > I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung damage.
> > >
> > > But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
> > >
> > > Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
> > >
> > > Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.
> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.
> My last build for a friend was a couple of months ago. Acquire all parts, before building check if all the part are in and correct. If that is the case the actual build is just one evening. Last build was a bike with hydraulic disk brakes with internal routing. It took two evenings, all went well without problems. Nowadays however most people buy complete bikes. Building your own wheels is an art that has gone out of fashion a long time ago.
>
> Lou
Good wheels are so available and so cheap that it is foolish to build you own unless you have an oddball like Catrike.

On Wed, 20 Dec 2023 10:08:13 -0800 (PST), Tom Kunich
<cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27?AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
>> I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
>>
>> I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung damage.
>>
>> But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
>>
>> Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
>>
>> Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.
>
>I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.

It might not be quite the same, but I had to take everything off a
damaged Catrike frame and put it all on the new one. Most of the parts
had already been replaced, anyway. And now I've even built a wheel. I
haven't started relacing the two front wheels yet, but I'll be getting
to it before too long.

On Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:47:15 -0800 (PST), Tom Kunich
<cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:

>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 10:28:47?AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman wrote:
>> On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 7:08:15?PM UTC+1, Tom Kunich wrote:
>> > On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27?AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
>> > > I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
>> > >
>> > > I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung
damage.
>> > >
>> > > But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
>> > >
>> > > Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
>> > >
>> > > Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.
>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.
>> My last build for a friend was a couple of months ago. Acquire all parts, before building check if all the part are in and correct. If that is the case the actual build is just one evening. Last build was a bike with hydraulic disk brakes with internal routing. It took two evenings, all went well without problems. Nowadays however most people buy complete bikes. Building your own wheels is an art that has gone out of fashion a long time ago.
>>
>> Lou
> Good wheels are so available and so cheap that it is foolish to build you own unless you have an oddball like Catrike.

I did buy spare wheels, front and back, so I had something to use
while I was rebuilding the old ones. I might be the oddball one lacing
wheels, but it was something I needed to teach myself how to do.

Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Dec 2023 10:08:13 -0800 (PST), Tom Kunich
> <cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27?AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building
>>> their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save
>>> for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre
>>> but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
>>>
>>> I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is
>>> correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I
>>> have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in
>>> order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement
>>> would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But
>>> winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not
>>> only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all
>>> day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34
>>> ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth
>>> differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the
>>> way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough
>>> climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it
>>> isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has
>>> always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung damage.
>>>
>>> But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb,
>>> it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this
>>> might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of
>>> a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any
>>> better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot
>>> longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just
>>> aren't straining as much.
>>>
>>> Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of
>>> Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The
>>> Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb
>>> is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats,
>>> they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most
>>> certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are
>>> alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though
>>> they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
>>>
>>> Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but
>>> that will start tomorrow.
>>
>> I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be
>> people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.
>
> It might not be quite the same, but I had to take everything off a
> damaged Catrike frame and put it all on the new one. Most of the parts
> had already been replaced, anyway. And now I've even built a wheel. I
> haven't started relacing the two front wheels yet, but I'll be getting
> to it before too long.
>

My old MTB ie the commute beast is running out of original parts…

And to be honest with all my bikes get upgraded as time goes on, for
example had new rear mech for gravel bike recently.

Roger Merriman

On 2023-12-20, Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
> On Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:47:15 -0800 (PST), Tom Kunich
><cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:
>
>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 10:28:47?AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman wrote:
>>> On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 7:08:15?PM UTC+1, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> > On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27?AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> > > I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
>>> > >
>>> > > I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung
> damage.
>>> > >
>>> > > But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
>>> > >
>>> > > Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
>>> > >
>>> > > Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.
>>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.
>>> My last build for a friend was a couple of months ago. Acquire all parts, before building check if all the part are in and correct. If that is the case the actual build is just one evening. Last build was a bike with hydraulic disk brakes with internal routing. It took two evenings, all went well without problems. Nowadays however most people buy complete bikes. Building your own wheels is an art that has gone out of fashion a long time ago.
>>>
>>> Lou
>> Good wheels are so available and so cheap that it is foolish to build you own unless you have an oddball like Catrike.
>
> I did buy spare wheels, front and back, so I had something to use
> while I was rebuilding the old ones. I might be the oddball one lacing
> wheels, but it was something I needed to teach myself how to do.

All the wheels on my bikes are homebuilts.

pH

On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 05:30:54 -0000 (UTC), pH <wNOSPAMp@gmail.org>
wrote:

>On 2023-12-20, Catrike Ryder <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>> On Wed, 20 Dec 2023 11:47:15 -0800 (PST), Tom Kunich
>><cyclintom@gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 10:28:47?AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman wrote:
>>>> On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 7:08:15?PM UTC+1, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>>> > On Monday, December 18, 2023 at 11:42:27?AM UTC-8, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>>> > > I came to this group a long time ago when people that were building their own bikes were looking for advice. Now it looks like no one save for me builds their own bikes. Except for Andrew of course and Andre but it looks like he is now happy where he's at and isn't building any more.
>>>> > >
>>>> > > I find building bikes almost as enjoyable as riding them. Lou is correct that they are not a particularly good investment but so what? I have money to burn, as it were. I worked very hard my whole life in order to do anything I like in my retirement. Although my retirement would probably be better if my strength wasn't waning so rapidly. But winter is here and that is bike building season and I'm returning not only to steel but to 10 speeds as well. I'll no longer be shifting all day to find the gear I want. I am doing Cull Canyon entirely in the 34 ring now and still have to skip gears because all of the one tooth differences in the higher speed ranges. I am in the big ring all of the way down of course but there are three spots where there is enough climbing on the way down to slow me up quite a bit. I can tell that it isn't my heart because the times I've used my heart rate monitor it has always stayed in the acceptable range or even a bit better considering the lung
>> damage.
>>>> > >
>>>> > > But if I crawl around the barrier on Redwood Rd and do the old climb, it is just as easy as I remember it though I am slower. But all of this might be because running the old Campagnolo 10 speed you had a limit of a 28 cog. I'm not in the least sure that the lower ratios are any better. While it is easier to climb in the 32 or 34, it takes a lot longer to get to the top so you're working just as much. You just aren't straining as much.
>>>> > >
>>>> > > Were I going to Moraga, the hardest climbs are right near the top of Pinehurst right at the top and Valley road that leads into Moraga. The Pinehurst climb is only a couple of hundred feet but the Valley climb is a quarter mile. While the old farts are dropping me on the flats, they will no longer even attempt the climbs I do and they most certainly won't try the miles. This means that now 90% of my miles are alone. But no matter since most if them are on seldom used roads though they are used a lot more than they used to be and a lot more than I would prefer.
>>>> > >
>>>> > > Time to work on a bike. I would like it to be assembling the Basso but that will start tomorrow.
>>>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from Andrew apparently not.
>>>> My last build for a friend was a couple of months ago. Acquire all parts, before building check if all the part are in and correct. If that is the case the actual build is just one evening. Last build was a bike with hydraulic disk brakes with internal routing. It took two evenings, all went well without problems. Nowadays however most people buy complete bikes. Building your own wheels is an art that has gone out of fashion a long time ago.
>>>>
>>>> Lou
>>> Good wheels are so available and so cheap that it is foolish to build you own unless you have an oddball like Catrike.
>>
>> I did buy spare wheels, front and back, so I had something to use
>> while I was rebuilding the old ones. I might be the oddball one lacing
>> wheels, but it was something I needed to teach myself how to do.
>
>All the wheels on my bikes are homebuilts.
>
>pH

My hats off to you. In my opinion, there's a great deal of
satisfaction to be had in knowing how to do something and to use that
knowledge to create things for yourself.

On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>
> I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
> would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
> Andrew apparently not.

Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
decided to post a message about their latest build.

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
that to my normal ride"

Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."

Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
proper body type."

Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.

So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?

On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:22:17 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
wrote:

>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15?PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> >
> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
> > Andrew apparently not.
>
>Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
>decided to post a message about their latest build.
>
>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
>"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
>guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
>rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
>that to my normal ride"
>
>Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
>my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
>
>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
>" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
>
>Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
>Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
>higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
>CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
>forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
>
>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
>" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
>The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
>proper body type."
>
>Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
>as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
>morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
>at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
>125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
>
>So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
>own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?

Granted it is much a matter of semantics but Tom doesn't "build"
bikes, he "assembles" bikes. i.e. gets the parts and puts them
together... with a multitude of problems :-)

--
Cheers,

John B.

On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:33:31 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:22:17 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15?PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>> >
>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
>> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
>> > Andrew apparently not.
>>
>>Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
>>decided to post a message about their latest build.
>>
>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
>>"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
>>guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
>>rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
>>that to my normal ride"
>>
>>Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
>>my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
>>
>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
>>" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
>>
>>Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
>>Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
>>higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
>>CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
>>forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
>>
>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
>>" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
>>The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
>>proper body type."
>>
>>Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
>>as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
>>morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
>>at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
>>125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
>>
>>So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
>>own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?
>
>Granted it is much a matter of semantics but Tom doesn't "build"
>bikes, he "assembles" bikes. i.e. gets the parts and puts them
>together... with a multitude of problems :-)

A guy who "assembles" houses out of parts he bought isn't building
houses?

On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:37:24 -0500, Catrike Ryder
<Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:

>On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:33:31 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:22:17 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15?PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>> >
>>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
>>> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
>>> > Andrew apparently not.
>>>
>>>Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
>>>decided to post a message about their latest build.
>>>
>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
>>>"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
>>>guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
>>>rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
>>>that to my normal ride"
>>>
>>>Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
>>>my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
>>>
>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
>>>" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
>>>
>>>Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
>>>Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
>>>higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
>>>CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
>>>forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
>>>
>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
>>>" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
>>>The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
>>>proper body type."
>>>
>>>Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
>>>as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
>>>morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
>>>at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
>>>125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
>>>
>>>So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
>>>own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?
>>
>>Granted it is much a matter of semantics but Tom doesn't "build"
>>bikes, he "assembles" bikes. i.e. gets the parts and puts them
>>together... with a multitude of problems :-)
>
>A guy who "assembles" houses out of parts he bought isn't building
>houses?

One definition I came across was "The first little pig built his house
from straw, the second from sticks and the third from bricks" :-)

But does one order a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen and have
them delivered on a big truck? Or does one order a stack of 2 x 4's
and some boards?

Does on order a frame and two wheels? Or some tubes and lugs and a new
gas bottle for the acetylene torch?
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 12/21/2023 7:22 AM, Zen Cycle wrote:
> On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> >
> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
> > Andrew apparently not.
>
> Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
> decided to post a message about their latest build.
>
> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
> "Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
> guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
> rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
> that to my normal ride"
>
> Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
> my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
>
> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
> " it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
>
> Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
> Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
> higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
> CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
> forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
>
> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
> " What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
> The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
> proper body type."
>
> Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
> as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
> morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
> at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
> 125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
>
> So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
> own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?

So tommy being tommy, rather than address the points here, goes over
to a ten-month-old thread because he's too much of a coward to answer me
directly.

https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/pytqAofIAAAJ

On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 3:14:06 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 11:40:24 AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman wrote:
> > On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 8:28:51 PM UTC+1, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > > On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 6:25:37 AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman
wrote:
> > > > On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 3:02:03 PM UTC+1,
funkma...@hotmail.com wrote:
> > > > > I bought this Pre-Trek Beauty in about 2000 when I decided to
get back into racing after a short hiatus to build career and family.
> > > > >
> > > > > While the ride of this bike was a fantastic stable feel and
response, it was a bit heavy, and as the years of CX racing in New
England evolved to match the evolution of CX bikes, I switched to a Fort
CX which was better suited to the course designs - more maneuverable and
quicker response.
> > > > >
> > > > > So this hung in my basement for a while, until recently when
the Missus asked about getting a gravel bike. "I have just the thing for
you", I told her.
> > > > >
> > > > > The new build is SRAM Force/Apex, with red TRP canti's and
Bontrager CX wheels (post Trek), Vittoria Rubino 30 gravel tires, and
Wellgo pedals with toe straps because she prefers sneakers.
> > > > >
> > > > >
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ut2Ptrk6dhJf6WR2nKT6r0JvLA31ULrh/view?usp=sharing
> > > > >
> > > > >
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ubOYOuOBWMGfnP3-uDKLNb-tSaUmaLq8/view?usp=sharing
> > > > >
> > > > >
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uZvNS-pSrOZPzgyR3F2v4gPNev4pbzB7/view?usp=sharing
> > > > >
> > > > > I took it out for a mostly paved jaunt to shake it out. It
rides as smooth, stable, comfortable, and responsive as I remember, and
even took it for a bit of a school bus draft at ~35 mph.
> > > > >
> > > > > She'll be taking it on some rail trails this year.
> > > > >
> > > > > The first build was Campy Chorus (recently retired from a
Merlin build) with an Ultegra single 38 crank, SRP cantis, and Rolf
Vector Pro wheels.
> > > > >
> > > > > Racing the rig ~2009
> > > > >
> > > > > at Shedd Park in Lowell MA:
> > > > >
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KmsY98jsF5jmMGg2UIhWHRRcEbywe5HY/view?usp=sharing
> > > > >
> > > > > AppleCross in Hampton NH
> > > > >
https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uaCJzHNoPOtbQ1auaQrqy7RpGGy0ex1q/view?usp=sharing
> > > > Have fun with it.
> > > Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer?
Or a guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what
way he rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome.
Compare that to my normal ride:
https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=891068818704535&set=pcb.891069548704462
And the quill stem was dropped another 2"
> > It is set up for his wife.
> >
> > Lou
> Yes, but he infers that it is an older bike of his own. The other
pictures also show him riding 50 or 52 cm bikes,

No, shitferbrains, none of the pictures I've posted show me riding a 52
or 53. Every road and CX bike I've ever owned are either 'medium' or 56
CM. The Bontrager CX is a "medium".

> He's not the person he pretends to be in his postings.

And what do I "pretend" to be?

> As for comments elsewhere - I knew Keith Bontrager and when he was
closing shop after selling out to Trek, he gave me a sack full of
cycling caps. I still have most of them here. So people needn't think
that they're explaining anything to me about Brent or Keith.

No one was, except for the fact that you don't really have clue about
what bikes they built.

> And that fork on that bike is a unicrown fork. While I don't remember
Brent making any of those horrible things, perhaps he did.

It's a Steelman fork, an upgrade option that was available on Bontrager
CX bikes. Here are a few other examples, every one of them has the
Steelman fork, as noted in a few of the listings:

https://www.mtbr.com/threads/my-bontrager-cx-is-finally-done.249222/
https://velomoo.blogspot.com/2009/01/bontrager-cyclocross.html
http://www.cyclofiend.com/cx/2006/cx008-jeromyhewitt0406.html
"hand built Bontrager CX Frame by Keith Bontrager w/ steelman fork"
https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4601179223_79f62ec9aa_o.jpg
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2983880/
"This sale includes the original straight leg Steelman fork"
https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3058034/
"The straight blade fork was a rare option for this generation"

> On a hard bump the wheel can deform on rebound and cut the tire. I
have seen it happen several times.

Sure, that's why Gunnar cycles writes "Nothing beats the strength of the
unicrown design"
https://gunnarbikes.com/site/bikes/forks/

And I'm sure that's why Tom Ritchey puts his name on a unicrown steel
fork - because they're noodly pieces of shit that fail catastrophically:
https://ritcheylogic.com/bike/forks/wcs-steel-adventure-fork

If you've seen them break from impact, it's a cheap fork, it isn't
because the unicrown is inherently weak. But then, you're the moron who
thinks a dent can be ridden out of a top tube with road vibrations.

As usual, you have no fucking clue what you're talking about.

> It is fine that Flunky raced. I'm sure he never did any good but that
is also what all but the top 3 of a field do, so that sort or racing is
for the fun of it.

I've never claimed to be a great racer, never bragged about my results.
I race for the fun of it.

--
Add xx to reply

On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 3:08:10 PM UTC-8, Zen Cycle wrote:
> On 12/21/2023 7:22 AM, Zen Cycle wrote:
> > On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > >
> > > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
> > > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
> > > Andrew apparently not.
> >
> > Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
> > decided to post a message about their latest build.
> >
> > https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
> > "Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
> > guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
> > rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
> > that to my normal ride"
> >
> > Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
> > my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
> >
> > https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
> > " it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
> >
> > Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
> > Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
> > higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
> > CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
> > forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
> >
> > https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
> > " What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
> > The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
> > proper body type."
> >
> > Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
> > as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
> > morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
> > at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
> > 125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
> >
> > So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
> > own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?
> So tommy being tommy, rather than address the points here, goes over
> to a ten-month-old thread because he's too much of a coward to answer me
> directly.
>
> https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/pytqAofIAAAJ
>
> On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 3:14:06 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 11:40:24 AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman wrote:
> > > On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 8:28:51 PM UTC+1, Tom Kunich wrote:
> > > > On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 6:25:37 AM UTC-8, Lou Holtman
> wrote:
> > > > > On Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 3:02:03 PM UTC+1,
> funkma...@hotmail.com wrote:
> > > > > > I bought this Pre-Trek Beauty in about 2000 when I decided to
> get back into racing after a short hiatus to build career and family.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > While the ride of this bike was a fantastic stable feel and
> response, it was a bit heavy, and as the years of CX racing in New
> England evolved to match the evolution of CX bikes, I switched to a Fort
> CX which was better suited to the course designs - more maneuverable and
> quicker response.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > So this hung in my basement for a while, until recently when
> the Missus asked about getting a gravel bike. "I have just the thing for
> you", I told her.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The new build is SRAM Force/Apex, with red TRP canti's and
> Bontrager CX wheels (post Trek), Vittoria Rubino 30 gravel tires, and
> Wellgo pedals with toe straps because she prefers sneakers.
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ut2Ptrk6dhJf6WR2nKT6r0JvLA31ULrh/view?usp=sharing
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ubOYOuOBWMGfnP3-uDKLNb-tSaUmaLq8/view?usp=sharing
> > > > > >
> > > > > >
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uZvNS-pSrOZPzgyR3F2v4gPNev4pbzB7/view?usp=sharing
> > > > > >
> > > > > > I took it out for a mostly paved jaunt to shake it out. It
> rides as smooth, stable, comfortable, and responsive as I remember, and
> even took it for a bit of a school bus draft at ~35 mph.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > She'll be taking it on some rail trails this year.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > The first build was Campy Chorus (recently retired from a
> Merlin build) with an Ultegra single 38 crank, SRP cantis, and Rolf
> Vector Pro wheels.
> > > > > >
> > > > > > Racing the rig ~2009
> > > > > >
> > > > > > at Shedd Park in Lowell MA:
> > > > > >
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1KmsY98jsF5jmMGg2UIhWHRRcEbywe5HY/view?usp=sharing
> > > > > >
> > > > > > AppleCross in Hampton NH
> > > > > >
> https://drive.google.com/file/d/1uaCJzHNoPOtbQ1auaQrqy7RpGGy0ex1q/view?usp=sharing
> > > > > Have fun with it.
> > > > Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer?
> Or a guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what
> way he rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome.
> Compare that to my normal ride:
> https://www.facebook.com/photo?fbid=891068818704535&set=pcb.891069548704462
> And the quill stem was dropped another 2"
> > > It is set up for his wife.
> > >
> > > Lou
> > Yes, but he infers that it is an older bike of his own. The other
> pictures also show him riding 50 or 52 cm bikes,
>
> No, shitferbrains, none of the pictures I've posted show me riding a 52
> or 53. Every road and CX bike I've ever owned are either 'medium' or 56
> CM. The Bontrager CX is a "medium".
>
> > He's not the person he pretends to be in his postings.
>
> And what do I "pretend" to be?
>
> > As for comments elsewhere - I knew Keith Bontrager and when he was
> closing shop after selling out to Trek, he gave me a sack full of
> cycling caps. I still have most of them here. So people needn't think
> that they're explaining anything to me about Brent or Keith.
>
> No one was, except for the fact that you don't really have clue about
> what bikes they built.
>
> > And that fork on that bike is a unicrown fork. While I don't remember
> Brent making any of those horrible things, perhaps he did.
>
> It's a Steelman fork, an upgrade option that was available on Bontrager
> CX bikes. Here are a few other examples, every one of them has the
> Steelman fork, as noted in a few of the listings:
>
> https://www.mtbr.com/threads/my-bontrager-cx-is-finally-done.249222/
> https://velomoo.blogspot.com/2009/01/bontrager-cyclocross.html
> http://www.cyclofiend.com/cx/2006/cx008-jeromyhewitt0406.html
> "hand built Bontrager CX Frame by Keith Bontrager w/ steelman fork"
> https://farm5.static.flickr.com/4053/4601179223_79f62ec9aa_o.jpg
> https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/2983880/
> "This sale includes the original straight leg Steelman fork"
> https://www.pinkbike.com/buysell/3058034/
> "The straight blade fork was a rare option for this generation"
>
> > On a hard bump the wheel can deform on rebound and cut the tire. I
> have seen it happen several times.
>
> Sure, that's why Gunnar cycles writes "Nothing beats the strength of the
> unicrown design"
> https://gunnarbikes.com/site/bikes/forks/
>
> And I'm sure that's why Tom Ritchey puts his name on a unicrown steel
> fork - because they're noodly pieces of shit that fail catastrophically:
> https://ritcheylogic.com/bike/forks/wcs-steel-adventure-fork
>
> If you've seen them break from impact, it's a cheap fork, it isn't
> because the unicrown is inherently weak. But then, you're the moron who
> thinks a dent can be ridden out of a top tube with road vibrations.
>
> As usual, you have no fucking clue what you're talking about.
>
> > It is fine that Flunky raced. I'm sure he never did any good but that
> is also what all but the top 3 of a field do, so that sort or racing is
> for the fun of it.
>
> I've never claimed to be a great racer, never bragged about my results.
> I race for the fun of it.
>
> --
> Add xx to reply
Now that you've shown everyone that you are indeed Flunky signing on in yet another persona so that you can agree with yourself. People will begin to see why I hold you in such disgust. While that Steelman you're riding has a lot of clearance I do not believe that is a one of Brent's forks Unicrown forks are very poorly made. Bontrager, Dennis Ritchey and Steelman all built good custom bikes., If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike.

On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:00:02 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
wrote:

>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:37:24 -0500, Catrike Ryder
><Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:33:31 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:22:17 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15?PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
>>>> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
>>>> > Andrew apparently not.
>>>>
>>>>Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
>>>>decided to post a message about their latest build.
>>>>
>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
>>>>"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
>>>>guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
>>>>rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
>>>>that to my normal ride"
>>>>
>>>>Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
>>>>my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
>>>>
>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
>>>>" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
>>>>
>>>>Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
>>>>Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
>>>>higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
>>>>CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
>>>>forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
>>>>
>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
>>>>" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
>>>>The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
>>>>proper body type."
>>>>
>>>>Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
>>>>as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
>>>>morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
>>>>at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
>>>>125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
>>>>
>>>>So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
>>>>own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?
>>>
>>>Granted it is much a matter of semantics but Tom doesn't "build"
>>>bikes, he "assembles" bikes. i.e. gets the parts and puts them
>>>together... with a multitude of problems :-)
>>
>>A guy who "assembles" houses out of parts he bought isn't building
>>houses?
>
>One definition I came across was "The first little pig built his house
>from straw, the second from sticks and the third from bricks" :-)
>
>But does one order a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen and have
>them delivered on a big truck? Or does one order a stack of 2 x 4's
>and some boards?

...and those are "parts."

>Does on order a frame and two wheels? Or some tubes and lugs and a new
>gas bottle for the acetylene torch?

Tubes and lugs are "parts."

On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 6:37:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>
> Now that you've shown everyone that you are indeed Flunky signing on in yet another persona so that you can agree with yourself.

I've never claimed Zencycle wasn't Funkmaster, dumbass. You seem to be to only one too dense to figure it out.

> People will begin to see why I hold you in such disgust.

newsflash, dumbass, no one here gives a flying fuck what you consider to be disgusting.

> While that Steelman you're riding has a lot of clearance I do not believe that is a one of Brent's forks

Well, gee sparky, the internet is your friend!

https://web.archive.org/web/20030207230412/http://www.steelmancycles.com/cc..html
"The CC frame is equipped with our own exclusive straight blade unicrown fork. "

I guess you could call that 'straight from the horses mouth' - ad copy on Steelmans website stating they make an exclusive straightblade unicrown fork..

He sold the forks separately to frame builders - like Keith Bontrager - for use as OEM options. Here's another:
Steelman CX set up as a singlespeed with a Steelman unicrown fork
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/vintage-ss-fixed-steelman-eurocross-porn-now-functional-wall-art.1221872/?post_id=15979579&nested_view=1#post-15979579
and another:
Moot TI with a Steelman unicrown fork
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/moots-psychlo-x-ybb-titanium-cyclocross-bike.1207320/#post-15690919

And another:
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-700c-atb-mtb-hybrid.459355/page-3

> Unicrown forks are very poorly made.

only when someone doesn't know what they're doing - like you.

> Bontrager, Dennis Ritchey and Steelman all built good custom bikes., If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike.

No, stupid, Brent Steelman made exceptionally high quality steel unicrown forks. He used them on his bikes, and sold them to other custom builders for use on their bikes. There's nothing wrong with unicrown forks.

As usual, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 19:18:22 -0500, Catrike Ryder
<Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:

>On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:00:02 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
>wrote:
>
>>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:37:24 -0500, Catrike Ryder
>><Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>>
>>>On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:33:31 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:22:17 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
>>>>wrote:
>>>>
>>>>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15?PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>>>> >
>>>>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
>>>>> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
>>>>> > Andrew apparently not.
>>>>>
>>>>>Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
>>>>>decided to post a message about their latest build.
>>>>>
>>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
>>>>>"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
>>>>>guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
>>>>>rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
>>>>>that to my normal ride"
>>>>>
>>>>>Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
>>>>>my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
>>>>>
>>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
>>>>>" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
>>>>>
>>>>>Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
>>>>>Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
>>>>>higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
>>>>>CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
>>>>>forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
>>>>>
>>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
>>>>>" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
>>>>>The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
>>>>>proper body type."
>>>>>
>>>>>Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
>>>>>as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
>>>>>morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
>>>>>at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
>>>>>125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
>>>>>
>>>>>So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
>>>>>own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?
>>>>
>>>>Granted it is much a matter of semantics but Tom doesn't "build"
>>>>bikes, he "assembles" bikes. i.e. gets the parts and puts them
>>>>together... with a multitude of problems :-)
>>>
>>>A guy who "assembles" houses out of parts he bought isn't building
>>>houses?
>>
>>One definition I came across was "The first little pig built his house
>>from straw, the second from sticks and the third from bricks" :-)
>>
>>But does one order a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen and have
>>them delivered on a big truck? Or does one order a stack of 2 x 4's
>>and some boards?
>
>..and those are "parts."
>
>>Does on order a frame and two wheels? Or some tubes and lugs and a new
>>gas bottle for the acetylene torch?
>
>Tubes and lugs are "parts."

Well, as I said, it is a matter of semantics just as, I suppose, 2 x
4's and roofing nails are parts of a house.
--
Cheers,

John B.

On 12/21/2023 7:21 PM, funkma...@hotmail.com wrote:
> On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 6:37:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>
>> Now that you've shown everyone that you are indeed Flunky signing on in yet another persona so that you can agree with yourself.
>
> I've never claimed Zencycle wasn't Funkmaster, dumbass. You seem to be to only one too dense to figure it out.
>
>> People will begin to see why I hold you in such disgust.
>
> newsflash, dumbass, no one here gives a flying fuck what you consider to be disgusting.
>
>> While that Steelman you're riding has a lot of clearance I do not believe that is a one of Brent's forks
>
> Well, gee sparky, the internet is your friend!
>
> https://web.archive.org/web/20030207230412/http://www.steelmancycles.com/cc.html
> "The CC frame is equipped with our own exclusive straight blade unicrown fork."
>
> I guess you could call that 'straight from the horses mouth' - ad copy on Steelmans website stating they make an exclusive straightblade unicrown fork.
>
> He sold the forks separately to frame builders - like Keith Bontrager - for use as OEM options. Here's another:
> Steelman CX set up as a singlespeed with a Steelman unicrown fork
> https://www.mtbr.com/threads/vintage-ss-fixed-steelman-eurocross-porn-now-functional-wall-art.1221872/?post_id=15979579&nested_view=1#post-15979579
>
> and another:
> Moot TI with a Steelman unicrown fork
> https://www.mtbr.com/threads/moots-psychlo-x-ybb-titanium-cyclocross-bike.1207320/#post-15690919
>
> And another:
> https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-700c-atb-mtb-hybrid.459355/page-3
>
>> Unicrown forks are very poorly made.
>
> only when someone doesn't know what they're doing - like you.
>
>> Bontrager, Dennis Ritchey and Steelman all built good custom bikes., If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike.
>
> No, stupid, Brent Steelman made exceptionally high quality steel unicrown forks. He used them on his bikes, and sold them to other custom builders for use on their bikes. There's nothing wrong with unicrown forks.
>
> As usual, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

https://framebuildersupply.com/collections/fork-blades/products/columbus-unicrown-fork-blades-25-4mm-round-15-5mm-id-tip-1-2-9-wall-length-410
--
Andrew Muzi
am@yellowjersey.org
Open every day since 1 April, 1971

On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 8:35:01 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
> On 12/21/2023 7:21 PM, funkma...@hotmail.com wrote:
> > On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 6:37:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> >>
> >> Now that you've shown everyone that you are indeed Flunky signing on in yet another persona so that you can agree with yourself.
> >
> > I've never claimed Zencycle wasn't Funkmaster, dumbass. You seem to be to only one too dense to figure it out.
> >
> >> People will begin to see why I hold you in such disgust.
> >
> > newsflash, dumbass, no one here gives a flying fuck what you consider to be disgusting.
> >
> >> While that Steelman you're riding has a lot of clearance I do not believe that is a one of Brent's forks
> >
> > Well, gee sparky, the internet is your friend!
> >
> > https://web.archive.org/web/20030207230412/http://www.steelmancycles.com/cc.html
> > "The CC frame is equipped with our own exclusive straight blade unicrown fork."
> >
> > I guess you could call that 'straight from the horses mouth' - ad copy on Steelmans website stating they make an exclusive straightblade unicrown fork.
> >
> > He sold the forks separately to frame builders - like Keith Bontrager - for use as OEM options. Here's another:
> > Steelman CX set up as a singlespeed with a Steelman unicrown fork
> > https://www.mtbr.com/threads/vintage-ss-fixed-steelman-eurocross-porn-now-functional-wall-art.1221872/?post_id=15979579&nested_view=1#post-15979579
> >
> > and another:
> > Moot TI with a Steelman unicrown fork
> > https://www.mtbr.com/threads/moots-psychlo-x-ybb-titanium-cyclocross-bike.1207320/#post-15690919
> >
> > And another:
> > https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-700c-atb-mtb-hybrid.459355/page-3
> >
> >> Unicrown forks are very poorly made.
> >
> > only when someone doesn't know what they're doing - like you.
> >
> >> Bontrager, Dennis Ritchey and Steelman all built good custom bikes., If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike.
> >
> > No, stupid, Brent Steelman made exceptionally high quality steel unicrown forks. He used them on his bikes, and sold them to other custom builders for use on their bikes. There's nothing wrong with unicrown forks.
> >
> > As usual, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
> https://framebuildersupply.com/collections/fork-blades/products/columbus-unicrown-fork-blades-25-4mm-round-15-5mm-id-tip-1-2-9-wall-length-410
> --

Just for clarity - tom isn't disputing that unicrown forks can be made, even from Columbus tubing. His complaint is that they are an inherently flawed design, and it isn't possible to build a high quality (stiff, light, responsive) unicrown fork - even by builders such as Steelman, Ritchey, and dozens of other reputable builders, even after being shown a statement on Steelmans (archived) website "The CC frame is equipped with our own exclusive straight blade unicrown fork." Tommy's statement "If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike" is beyond laughable - Imagine a framebuilder with a reputation like Steelman, Ritchey, or Bontrager thinking "I'mma grab this cheap piece o' shit fork and slap in on a bike with my name on it".

BTW - just for tommy's edification (if that's even possible), The genius behind Ritchey isn't anyone named Dennis. It's Tom. Ferfuckssake, you'd think even _tommy_ would remember that (I can't believe I missed that the first time around).

And one more note on the issue of whether a unicrown fork can be a good design, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ritchey#Innovations credits Ritchey "1983 - Standard unicrown tapered fork".

Of course we won't hear from tommy on the blatantly obvious fact that he's wrong, after all, in the timeless words of fake-irish shitstain, "tom is always right".

On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 6:37:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>
> Now that you've shown everyone that you are indeed Flunky signing on
in yet another persona so that you can agree with yourself.

I've never claimed Zencycle wasn't Funkmaster, dumbass. You seem to be
to only one too dense to figure it out.

> People will begin to see why I hold you in such disgust.

newsflash, dumbass, no one here gives a flying fuck what you consider to
be disgusting.

> While that Steelman you're riding has a lot of clearance I do not
believe that is a one of Brent's forks

Well, gee sparky, the internet is your friend!

https://web.archive.org/web/20030207230412/http://www.steelmancycles.com/cc.html
"The CC frame is equipped with our own exclusive straight blade unicrown
fork. "

I guess you could call that 'straight from the horses mouth' - ad copy
on Steelmans website stating they make an exclusive straightblade
unicrown fork.

He sold the forks separately to frame builders - like Keith Bontrager -
for use as OEM options. Here's another:
Steelman CX set up as a singlespeed with a Steelman unicrown fork
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/vintage-ss-fixed-steelman-eurocross-porn-now-functional-wall-art.1221872/?post_id=15979579&nested_view=1#post-15979579

and another:
Moot TI with a Steelman unicrown fork
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/moots-psychlo-x-ybb-titanium-cyclocross-bike.1207320/#post-15690919

And another:
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-700c-atb-mtb-hybrid.459355/page-3

> Unicrown forks are very poorly made.

only when someone doesn't know what they're doing - like you.

> Bontrager, Dennis Ritchey and Steelman all built good custom bikes.,
If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike.

No, stupid, Brent Steelman made exceptionally high quality steel
unicrown forks. He used them on his bikes, and sold them to other custom
builders for use on their bikes. There's nothing wrong with unicrown forks.

As usual, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.

On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 8:35:01 PM UTC-5, AMuzi wrote:
> On 12/21/2023 7:21 PM, funkma...@hotmail.com wrote:
> > On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 6:37:16 PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> >>
> >> Now that you've shown everyone that you are indeed Flunky signing
on in yet another persona so that you can agree with yourself.
> >
> > I've never claimed Zencycle wasn't Funkmaster, dumbass. You seem to
be to only one too dense to figure it out.
> >
> >> People will begin to see why I hold you in such disgust.
> >
> > newsflash, dumbass, no one here gives a flying fuck what you
consider to be disgusting.
> >
> >> While that Steelman you're riding has a lot of clearance I do not
believe that is a one of Brent's forks
> >
> > Well, gee sparky, the internet is your friend!
> >
> >
https://web.archive.org/web/20030207230412/http://www.steelmancycles.com/cc.html
> > "The CC frame is equipped with our own exclusive straight blade
unicrown fork."
> >
> > I guess you could call that 'straight from the horses mouth' - ad
copy on Steelmans website stating they make an exclusive straightblade
unicrown fork.
> >
> > He sold the forks separately to frame builders - like Keith
Bontrager - for use as OEM options. Here's another:
> > Steelman CX set up as a singlespeed with a Steelman unicrown fork
> >
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/vintage-ss-fixed-steelman-eurocross-porn-now-functional-wall-art.1221872/?post_id=15979579&nested_view=1#post-15979579
> >
> > and another:
> > Moot TI with a Steelman unicrown fork
> >
https://www.mtbr.com/threads/moots-psychlo-x-ybb-titanium-cyclocross-bike.1207320/#post-15690919
> >
> > And another:
> >
https://www.retrobike.co.uk/threads/show-us-your-700c-atb-mtb-hybrid.459355/page-3
> >
> >> Unicrown forks are very poorly made.
> >
> > only when someone doesn't know what they're doing - like you.
> >
> >> Bontrager, Dennis Ritchey and Steelman all built good custom
bikes., If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike.
> >
> > No, stupid, Brent Steelman made exceptionally high quality steel
unicrown forks. He used them on his bikes, and sold them to other custom
builders for use on their bikes. There's nothing wrong with unicrown forks.
> >
> > As usual, you don't know what the fuck you're talking about.
>
https://framebuildersupply.com/collections/fork-blades/products/columbus-unicrown-fork-blades-25-4mm-round-15-5mm-id-tip-1-2-9-wall-length-410
> --

Just for clarity - tom isn't disputing that unicrown forks can be made,
even from Columbus tubing. His complaint is that they are an inherently
flawed design, and it isn't possible to build a high quality (stiff,
light, responsive) unicrown fork - even by builders such as Steelman,
Ritchey, and dozens of other reputable builders, even after being shown
a statement on Steelmans (archived) website "The CC frame is equipped
with our own exclusive straight blade unicrown fork." Tommy's statement
"If that came from Brent, he bought it to finish a cheap bike" is beyond
laughable - Imagine a framebuilder with a reputation like Steelman,
Ritchey, or Bontrager thinking "I'mma grab this cheap piece o' shit fork
and slap in on a bike with my name on it".

BTW - just for tommy's edification (if that's even possible), The genius
behind Ritchey isn't anyone named Dennis. It's Tom. Ferfuckssake, you'd
think even _tommy_ would remember that (I can't believe I missed that
the first time around).

And one more note on the issue of whether a unicrown fork can be a good
design, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tom_Ritchey#Innovations credits
Ritchey "1983 - Standard unicrown tapered fork".

Of course we won't hear from tommy on the blatantly obvious fact that
he's wrong, after all, in the timeless words of fake-irish shitstain,
"tom is always right".

On Thursday, December 21, 2023 at 4:18:27 PM UTC-8, Catrike Ryder wrote:
> On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 06:00:02 +0700, John B. <sloc...@gmail.com>
> wrote:
>
> >On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:37:24 -0500, Catrike Ryder
> ><Sol...@old.bikers.org> wrote:
> >
> >>On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:33:31 +0700, John B. <sloc...@gmail.com>
> >>wrote:
> >>
> >>>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:22:17 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkm...@hotmail.com>
> >>>wrote:
> >>>
> >>>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15?PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
> >>>> >
> >>>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
> >>>> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
> >>>> > Andrew apparently not.
> >>>>
> >>>>Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
> >>>>decided to post a message about their latest build.
> >>>>
> >>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
> >>>>"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
> >>>>guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
> >>>>rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
> >>>>that to my normal ride"
> >>>>
> >>>>Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
> >>>>my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
> >>>>
> >>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
> >>>>" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
> >>>>
> >>>>Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
> >>>>Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
> >>>>higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
> >>>>CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
> >>>>forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
> >>>>
> >>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
> >>>>" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
> >>>>The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
> >>>>proper body type."
> >>>>
> >>>>Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
> >>>>as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
> >>>>morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
> >>>>at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
> >>>>125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
> >>>>
> >>>>So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
> >>>>own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?
> >>>
> >>>Granted it is much a matter of semantics but Tom doesn't "build"
> >>>bikes, he "assembles" bikes. i.e. gets the parts and puts them
> >>>together... with a multitude of problems :-)
> >>
> >>A guy who "assembles" houses out of parts he bought isn't building
> >>houses?
> >
> >One definition I came across was "The first little pig built his house
> >from straw, the second from sticks and the third from bricks" :-)
> >
> >But does one order a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen and have
> >them delivered on a big truck? Or does one order a stack of 2 x 4's
> >and some boards?
> ..and those are "parts."
> >Does on order a frame and two wheels? Or some tubes and lugs and a new
> >gas bottle for the acetylene torch?
> Tubes and lugs are "parts."

Slocomb is a "qualified machinist" that the Air Force decided to use in a dead-end job so he knows that.....

John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com> writes:

> On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 17:37:24 -0500, Catrike Ryder
> <Soloman@old.bikers.org> wrote:
>
>>On Fri, 22 Dec 2023 05:33:31 +0700, John B. <slocombjb@gmail.com>
>>wrote:
>>
>>>On Thu, 21 Dec 2023 07:22:17 -0500, Zen Cycle <funkmaster@hotmail.com>
>>>wrote:
>>>
>>>>On Wednesday, December 20, 2023 at 1:08:15?PM UTC-5, Tom Kunich wrote:
>>>> >
>>>> > I would have expected that on a bicycles.tech group that there
>>>> > would be people that build up their own bikes but aside from
>>>> > Andrew apparently not.
>>>>
>>>>Gee, let's recap what happened the last time someone besides tommy
>>>>decided to post a message about their latest build.
>>>>
>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/hKCQ4lNXAQAJ
>>>>"Does that look like the bike of a guy who claimed to be a racer? Or a
>>>>guy that is over 5'4" tall? I don't care what size he is or what way he
>>>>rides but misrepresenting himself is bullshit and gets tiresome. Compare
>>>>that to my normal ride"
>>>>
>>>>Let's just set aside the fact that I very clearly stated I set it up for
>>>>my wife who does not race, has never raced, and will never race.
>>>>
>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/OamKR05aAQAJ
>>>>" it has that damned unicrown fork on it that was always a POS."
>>>>
>>>>Let's just set aside that it was actually a Steelman fork (From Brent
>>>>Steelman of Steelman Cycles) - generally considered to be one of the
>>>>higher-end steel forks available, and anyone familiar with the pre-trek
>>>>CX bikes made by Bontrager would know Bontrager didn't put POS unicrown
>>>>forks on his bikes - the Steelman fork was OEM on the Bontrager CX.
>>>>
>>>>https://groups.google.com/g/rec.bicycles.tech/c/h-RVKnBFnds/m/Pht5ZR3sAQAJ
>>>>" What was with that crap that he was going to "return to racing CX"?
>>>>The bike was totally inadequate and physically he doesn't even have the
>>>>proper body type."
>>>>
>>>>Let's just set aside that the bike was marketed by Bontrager (pre-trek)
>>>>as a CX racing bike, and professional CX racers run just as wide a
>>>>morphological range as road racers, with 2022 world champion Tom Pidcock
>>>>at 5'7" 130#, and current CX world cup leader Eli Iserbyt at 5'5" and
>>>>125# on the 'smaller' end of riders.
>>>>
>>>>So tommy, why would anyone want to post anything about building their
>>>>own bikes when they see you being such a fucking asshole when someone does?
>>>
>>>Granted it is much a matter of semantics but Tom doesn't "build"
>>>bikes, he "assembles" bikes. i.e. gets the parts and puts them
>>>together... with a multitude of problems :-)
>>
>>A guy who "assembles" houses out of parts he bought isn't building
>>houses?
>
> One definition I came across was "The first little pig built his house
> from straw, the second from sticks and the third from bricks" :-)
>
> But does one order a bedroom, a living room and a kitchen and have
> them delivered on a big truck? Or does one order a stack of 2 x 4's
> and some boards?

One used to be able to order a house kit, to be assembled on site:

https://thecraftsmanblog.com/the-history-of-sears-kit-homes/

The house across the street from mine is one, built or assembled some time
in the thirties. It's an attractive house.

Today there are all manner of factory built "modular" houses that can be
installed on site, with a bit of finishing required. Some are really
nice buildings, not the stereotypical double-wide.

> Does on order a frame and two wheels? Or some tubes and lugs and a new
> gas bottle for the acetylene torch?

--