Hey guys,
I’m new on here, so I thought I’d better start off by introducing myself and my bikes. Firstly, my name’s Brent, and I’m an Engineering student at Swinburne Uni. I also work at a bike shop in Box Hill, so I’m pretty well-acquainted with most things bicycle-related, so I should be able to help with technical questions. Enough about me, here’s what I’ve got at the moment:
I grew up always wanting a road bike of my own, and as soon as I was old enough to reach the pedals on my dad’s 58cm Raleigh, I pretty much claimed his bike as my own (he doesn’t ride much, if at all).
It’s a 1980 Raleigh (not sure if it has a name), and at first glance, it looks pretty average, but when I looked closer, it’s actually got some good bits on it. Here’s as much info as I have on the bike, in it’s original form:
Frame: Tange steel, made in Japan
Headset: Tange
Bottom Bracket: not sure what it is, can’t find any markings?
Groupset: Suntour AR/ARX
Brakes: Diacompe
Rims: Araya 27 x 1 1/4, made in Japan
Hubs: not sure
Saddle: Kashimax Aero (black)
Pedals: MKS w/MKS toe clips
The bike is in near original condition, and I’ve made sure I’ve kept everything that was originally on the bike. Recent changes include Brooks saddle, new rear derailleur (i snapped the original ARX one), and apart from that, it’s just as it should be.
I finally bought a bike in 2007. I was looking for a road bike, and didn’t end up with a road bike:
It’s a 2007 Cannondale Bad Boy, which was kept stock until I sarted working at the bike shop. Since then it’s had the following done:
Brakes: Hayes El Caminos
Grips: ODI Cross Trainers
Groupset: SRAM X-7 (from 8-spd Alivio)
and the most recent upgrade, which is my favourite:
Velocity Deep-V rims, with red Velocity hubs, which I built with DT Swiss Competition spokes (double butted) and red DT nipples. Finished with veloplugs and a set of Schwalbe Ultremo tyres. They’re so much nicer to ride than the Mach1 wheels that came on the bike, and somehow they’re much lighter!
Since then, I’ve been getting more and more hooked on single speed bikes. So earlier this year I picked up this single speed from one of our old mechanics, Haison, who is now the Rockshox service guy at Monza Imports:
It’s an Allegro M1, 26" single speed. It’s really great for just about anything. I know there’s a lot of Allegro haters out there, and I’m not a fan of Allegro bikes, but I haven’t had a single issue in 6 months of riding it, so until I start having problems, I guess that makes me a fan of Allegro? :lol:
I’ve also got a Colnago CX-1 on layby, which I’m expecting to have paid off by early next year, which I’m pretty excited about. The other thing I’m getting excited about is the Starfuckers Xenon frame. Hopefully before christmas I should have a few photos on here of the Xenon I’m preparing to build. I’m not revealing too much as yet, but I’m expecting a pretty nice finished product! Stay tuned! 