sensibilites

General Pub
1

getting rid of bikes makes me wonder why i love some and not others… if you know me, you’ll know that i have strangely strong views on some brands and trends. i dont want to impose anything on anyone and i’m sure someone will post a reply along the lines of “its all good, just love bikes” but i’m not trying to shit on anyones ideas, lots of people prob reckon my bikes are shizer and i dont mind that at all… i’d like to hear what people love, dont love and dont understand about what they see on fixed gear bikes these days… and i’d also like to hear any dis/agreements with what i think :slight_smile:

what i like and look for…
individuality: i dont want to ride the same bike as lots of others… the TSX frame is great as i only know one other in melb and its a very different beast.

quality: it had to be at least decent when it was new…so long as it was, i dont care how old it is… but i do find myself buying up late 80s-early 90s gear more than other periods. it has to be of consistent quality too… i hate a weakness in a bike and also dont really like a part to be too far above the rest in quality.

colour: after i put the contact on the TSX frame, i was 110% happier riding it around… it looked a bit serious before that and i didnt realise how stuffy it made me til i changed it. happy looking bikes are the best looking to me.

material: this is a biggy… the material needs to suit the company and its history. it’d be easy to say steel is the only way to go, but if i had a chance to grab an Al Klein or a Ti Merlin then i’d chase hard.

lugs: used to not care about em but now cant keep my eyes off em. BUT they can be over the top… some of their ultra high level frames have lugs that i find a bit much. i really really really love it when a company stamps their mark on each lug.

femi-cycles: :slight_smile: any bike that is ridden by a girl is a great one, and there should be more of em.

what i dont give a shit about:
fit: i f%^kin love that Des rode big bikes around, and i love that i ride 55s. and nobody should ever not get a frame they like cos someone else tells em its too big or small.

track v road: this is a funny point to think about. both frames and parts… i’d like to hear what others have to say. i personally dont see anything wrong with riding road bikes fixed, and i dont mind making my fixed roadies look like roadies with road parts. i dont mind seeing full on track bikes on the road, though i do sometimes wonder about dropbar height… one of my fave bikes of all time is the pink panasonic on FGG with the honey swift… but i doubt that dude has given the drops much use at all… esp considering his seat angle. so people who ride trackies with drops, do you ever use the drops? only out of the saddle sprints? grinding off braze-ons makes sense to me if youre after the “clean” aesthetic but people changing dropouts to track-ends has me bamboozled. if youre into it, good on you, and i’m keen to learn why.

weight: weight

shimano vs campy: i once read some shithead refer to shimano as shitmano… what a genius. if anyone thinks shimano products are shit then they need to study some timelines of innovation comparing the big two.

brakes: i saw a t-shirt saying “brakes are for pussies” on some gallery… i always think to myself “who do these people think they are? does riding a bike without brakes make you a tough guy? no. we RIDE BICYCLES. theres nothing hardcore about it. we’re not street fighters or hitmen… as much of a suprise as it may sound to some, we dont live on the edge, sure we get knocked off sometimes, but its not glorious and badass… its bad luck and no matter how big your gear or how good you are at skidding or if you have a brake fitted or not, youre prob gonna say it hurt a bit.” that one got to me big time. “badboy fixie riders”… honestly. brakes can be beautiful. but i usually prefer the aesthetic of a brakeless bike.

2

I just like bikes that make sense when the owner is sitting on top.

For me: I like 'em light so I can throw 'em around (nothing against heavier bikes: I’m just weak). And as simple as possible, ideally I’d like an integrated seat-post, no cable guides, no bottle bosses, no break holes, integrated bars/stem, and everything else (seat/wheels/cranks/pedals/fork) on the same sized allen-key.

In black, of course.

3

everything on the same sized allen key… gold. i like the way you like your bikes :slight_smile:

4

Johns - i agree strongly on one point:

It’s the combination of rider and bike that really does it for me :slight_smile: A rider can destroy even the most porno bike - or alternatively bring out the beauty in the most otherwise repulsive beast.

I like the bikes I like :slight_smile: Lame cliche: There’s no accounting for taste

5

Everyone is in a different state of evolution.

A rider’s style will change over time, driven by individual circumstances.

I’ve gone through alot of bikes in my short riding lifetime. Most of them not lasting more than a year before I sell them. Much like yourself JP, I used to buy a bike, pimp it out, discover I didn’t like it very much and sell it for next to nothing.

I don’t do that anymore mainly because my financial situation has changed and I have a better awareness of what sorta bike setup works for me. I don’t quite care these days about weight/brand/pimpness/etc of various components. I just need my bits to work well for the sort of riding I do at a reasonable price and last a long time.

I like my current bikes and it shows when I ride them. I think that’s what make riders stand out … that one-ness with your machine.

Des

6

‘spot on’ chain-line and good bearings are my idea of zen. I agree with Des, parts and/or bikes don’t need to be ‘pimp’, but functionality and quality, equal longevity.

(i think that was the point of this post?!?! :|)

7

My view on bikes is that I will pretty much ride anything, but my preference for ownership (and keeping hold of it) is based usually on the quality and feel of the bike, which sometimes only becomes aparrent after loads of riding.

The most impoprtant things to me are (1) comfortable rider contact points and (2) a good set of wheels, as long as (1) + (2) are kept apart by a frame that I am happy to look at, then it’s all good…

8

With that shitty headwind and steamy temperature ridin home after work tonight I was very greatful my bike weighs next to nothing. (Diagram of me riding home below)

:smiley:
O O

9

Shitty? No way!

Was that you, your ram and a ladyfiend riding near victoria parade tonight? You shoulda stopped and said hi damnit! I waved a big craw but you were gone by the time my pedal allowed me to turn around :confused: If it was you - that Ram looks v-nice!

10

If we’re being totally honest it wasn’t until I hit St Georges Rd that the wind really pissed me off… and that was me ridin’ the red sheep with close lady friend/work collegue on purple/pink fixie. Would have happily said g’day if one of us had caught your craw in time.

11

I like to ride!!!

Preferably with mates, but if none are around, am more than happy to have some quiet time on my own.

Nuff said…