So I just got back from a 30k shake-down ride and Il Gruppo Progetto is exactly what I expected. You will get no Huangisms from me. I'll just say it's a bomber steed with some classic touches that's good old-skool fun to ride. It'll fit the rain bike need perfectly. Thanks again for your input everybody.
[dmalbum path=”/velominati.com/content/Photo Galleries/m.carlson@vcc.edu/Il Gruppo Progetto/”/]
I know as well as any of you that I've been checked out lately, kind…
Peter Sagan has undergone quite the transformation over the years; starting as a brash and…
The Women's road race has to be my favorite one-day road race after Paris-Roubaix and…
Holy fuckballs. I've never been this late ever on a VSP. I mean, I've missed…
This week we are currently in is the most boring week of the year. After…
I have memories of my life before Cycling, but as the years wear slowly on…
View Comments
@Marko
NICE!! That is hella sweet. A similarly cool thing happened when I bought my Zip and came across someone who had scanned the entire Bridgestone catalog from that year. Wow, the cycling community is just rife with idiots like us, isn't it? How cool.
Nice job on the build. The only thing I think is a nicer touch than what we did is the American seat post in the catalog shot; that's a sweet post. The bars with the classic bend look way better that what's pictured, and I think I heard a few people recommend the Flite saddle, which is the coolest looking saddle in history. Not for my undercarriage, but the coolest looking one for sure.
Some subtle differences in the frame make yours a bit nicer, too - like the paint scheme on yours with the exposed alu rear triangle and BB area.
@frank
Word on the seat post. Since I had that one in the shop I went with it but it'll be replaced at some point. And if you remember, I do have a Flite saddle that currently resides on the ALAN. I've thought about swapping the Fizik and Flite on these two bikes but I'll see what I end up riding more. The Flite did me right for many years but it must be wearing out as I lose "sensation". Not good. Maybe I'll try it on the Serotta though and it'll be comfy again. Who knows? Goddam if the Antares isn't the sweetest saddle out there for me though. I don't even know it's there.
No kidding. I wandered the wilderness of numbness and saddlesores for years after the Flite stopped working for me, switching saddles between bikes to trade off pressure points, etc, until that sweet thing appeared. I think the first time I saw a picture of an Antares saddle I thought "damn - I'll bet that's really comfy". I used one on my new carbon ride (will put together a bit for The Bikes someday) and darn if it wasn't love at first sit. Now saving my pennies to put an Antares on every other bike I own (not a small undertaking when one has been following Rule 12 as diligently as I do....).
I need some Velominatus wisdom on the topic of rain bikes.
My current rain bike is a 1998 Cannondale that has always been too big for me. It fits the bill of a rain bike though - not too nice, don't mind getting it dirty, don't mind locking it up (also my around town bike). But, the TT is so long that after riding it a few days in the rain the handling of my other bikes feels odd. (have a 60mm stem to help compensate). I've decided life is too short to ride a bike that doesn't fit, even just in the rain.
Thus, I'm in the market for a new bike/frame. I've considered getting a frameset and just moving over all the parts. But then I realize I don't really like Shimano 105 stuff that much (don't like the shifters/shifting/reach after using Campagnolo stuff - shifting from the drops is made MUCH easier for medium-sized hand guys with Campag shifters).
So I've thought about complete bikes and then just selling off the Cannondale.
I'd rather steel, as this is my winter miles/rain bike. No carbon, no Al, Ti is out of my price point.
But as I look around at framesets I keep running into a conundrum. I can get a beat up, mid level steel frame for $200 or $300. Or I could aim for a full bike at a higher range, somewhere in the $700-$800 range. Or, I could grab a nice steel frameset and build that up. A lot to be found around $400-$500.
But, I keep on running into the question of will I want to/is it wrong to ride around a nice, rather high quality steel frame in the rain and sleet and winter muck? Plus, I already have two nice steel Italian bikes. Is getting a third nice, steel bike silly? (One is my Sunday very nice weather, very special bike, one is just nice and also doesn't see much rain).
I've dug up a few nice, older steel frames and would love to build them up, but I don't know if I can resist the temptation to hang nice parts on it. And if I do then I might be reluctant to ride it in the rain. Or, I can simply accept it is lowest on depth chart and just ride the damn thing in any weather.
Can't fit another bike into the current living space. And I do want a geared road bike I can ride in the rain and bad weather. And my GF also has a decent steel bike she hardly ever rides. That could be my lockup bike and a new-to-me one could be more my rain bike, but not really around town lockup.
Anyway, as you can tell I'm a lost Velosoul and need some advice from the sage Velominatus.
I've got a frame and fork, 2 pairs of wheels and a 600 groupset. It's got a one inch headtube with an ahead fork, and couple of pairs of wheels that'll be getting set up with an 8 speed drivetrain, with an old pair of dura ace cranks. Wanna get a nine speed dura ace grouppo to roll with it down the line.