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Control Box: Which bike should i get?

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  1.  
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      CommentAuthorxperiotto
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2008
     
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      CommentAuthorfromemory
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2008
     
    Don't want to come across as any sort of old-timer here, I've been on the circuit just over 6 months. My 2p: I love my LeMond racer to bits but I do sort of regret choosing it as my main work bike. I want to clean it, get it fully serviced then hang it up on the wall and only use it for long rides. It's built for the hills but instead it's getting a battering on the streets. When I get my next bike, it's going to be a good single-speed but I don't want to feel bad about giving it the unavoidable beating-up that it's going to get. Get a bike that will be devoted to taking the shit the streets will put it through.
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      CommentAuthorwill
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2008 edited
     
    You'll probably find everyone has their own idea and preferences. The Langster seems perfectly good for a first bike, there's lots of them about and a few couriers using them. You might want to wrap the frame in tape or old inner tubes to make it look less attractive to thieves though. I'd go for that one.
    If you start Monday you're leaving it late aren't you mate?
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      CommentAuthorsteff
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2008 edited
     
    Standard disclaimer that I'm not a courier, but it'd be worth taking a look at the Charge Plug, I reckon. Same price and it's a steel frame, albeit a straight-gauge one.
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      CommentAuthorwill
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2008
     
    good call steff; well worth a look.
    • CommentAuthorsleepy
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2008
     
    this is awesomely cool.
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      CommentAuthorsteff
    • CommentTimeAug 3rd 2008
     
    That is indeed gorgeous. Kinda should be for £800 though. I think you could pretty much build up a Mercian track frame for that (430+vat for the 631 version with forks).
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      CommentAuthorEye Man
    • CommentTimeAug 4th 2008
     
    the steel version of the pearson touche might be worth a look.
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      CommentAuthorEye Man
    • CommentTimeAug 4th 2008
     
    • CommentAuthorsleepy
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2008
     
    if there's any short person that's after a T1 i can do a brand new (manufacturers warranty etc) one in 54cm for 600 :smile:

    call 0208 340 4284 tuesday, wednesday or saturday and ask for joe.

    /hawker
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      CommentAuthorGertie
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2008
     
    you rubbing it in you tall lanky git! Just 'cause I'm 50cm riding dwarf ya go an call 54cm short! hah! that's the last time I buy you a beer!:bigsmile:
    • CommentAuthorsleepy
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2008
     
    lol!

    sorry gertie! have one on me:

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      CommentAuthortofu
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2008
     
    Remember when people wanted Italian and French and (gasp!) British bikes?

    I hate Taiwanese bikes. You should too.
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      CommentAuthorGertie
    • CommentTimeAug 5th 2008
     
    You're rubbing it in now! You know I only drink cider!
  15.  
    None of you have any taste.

    All those listed bikes are red-headed step child ugly.

    Why don't you ride the bike your used to? Lord knows I wouldn't want to get used to a new occupation on a bike I'm not used to. Not only that but it will give you a feel for what sort of bike you would prefer to work on. I, for example, ride a very spinny low gear fixed gear and a frame that's a little on the small side for me, where as fromemory rides a fairly posh and light weight road bike. Our bikes suit our styles of riding, and both of us have figured out what we want to change about our bike through riding bikes that were imperfect (My first one was too big for me and I started on a near-track gear ratio).

    I'd say the most tolerable cheap frame is the IRO, at least they're steel and not too offensive (IE the plug. God I hate that bike. Nothing says I just started this job and I have no taste like a plug or a bianchi pista. Fact).

    Good luck!
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      CommentAuthorwill
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    Better make sure my two red headed step children Pista and Plug don't see this then. Their Mum Mrs Langster won't be happy about it either.
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      CommentAuthorsteff
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    Where does IROs in this country? Google isn't really finding me anything. I'd always thought they'd be a bit pricier than xperiotto had in mind, too.
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      CommentAuthorwill
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    Cavendish cycles, I think.
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      CommentAuthorsteff
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    Cheers, chap. Not too pricey either - looks like an excellent call from Nhatt to me, though I'd be tempted to DIY the build or get someone else to do it.
  20.  
    I live in different place with different wants and needs in a bike for example I'd want clearance for a pair of these bad boy's http://www.suomityres.fi/w240.html but if I moved I'd take a steel frame over aluminum any day. I'd look at Surly and IRO and Soma if anyone in the UK. sells them.
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      CommentAuthorUr-Ma
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    heh heh heh ... wonder can you get em in 700c 23 slicks ... mind yer toes ! oops !
  22.  
    They make some other tires that are skinnier but not as heavily studded. Back in the day (early nineties) when you couldn't find any commercial studs that were worth a dam, we made our own using sheet metal screws on big mountain bike tires. The look of terror I once got from some young attorney while riding towards him fast outside of the courthouse was priceless.
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      CommentAuthorselim
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    You have to get your tires from Finland? Seems a bit of an effort.

    And I know for a fact that Cavendish Cycles has a backlog on IRO frames and they don't know when the next batch is coming in so unless your name is on some special list I doubt you'll be getting one.
    If you are looking for a track frame Kiwi cycles have some in. Yes they're Taiwanese but it feels a hell of sturdier than the rusted pile of junk I had before. And for 150 squid wasn't too bad.
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      CommentAuthorJosh
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    I was thinking about the axe new handle & new head = new axe? thing in connection to bikes earlier anyway latest incarnation of my work bike now has an IRO frame and its as good as any of the earlier ones, the only bit left from the first version of this incarnation is the stem, mutant but that hasn't been on all the steps.
    First frame Geoff Butler compact ally (broken by Ryan air - Bastards)
    then old, old possibly Belgian steel track frame from bike jumble, lasted well but flexed badly,retired to Smokin Joe's hockey bike in Sydney,
    Avanti steel 80's grass track frame from Cairns was quite nice but snapped round headtube (old salt laden air and humidity damage?)
    Dolan ally frame, retired to Larry's bike, too scared of breaking it.
    Then IRO frame, seems good so far, solid, good handling. The Geoff Butler was great too though, fast, very fast it was. Mioght have forgotten a frame or two in that line up.
    So I suppose that the moral is that you work out what you like as you go along but manage with what you've got whatever. But IRO frame is a good recomendation for sensible money, did take 4 months to turn up from Cav tho.
  25.  
    selim, you can find a lot of the tires in Anchorage bike shops. The W-240 perhaps the best 700c tire for Anchorage I had order from a shop in New Hampshire as none of the local shops had them. They had a bunch of these http://www.suomityres.fi/w106.html A fine winter tire for most places except Anchorage, they don't handle ice ruts well at all, trust me.
    So I'm off work due to illness and I spend my time on a London messenger forum instead of looking at porn, I must be worse off then I feel
  26.  
    Started out on my hybrid school bike at 18, with a kick stand and a backpack. Moved up to a wheeler mountain bike with suspension (couriers loved suspension back in the 90's in aus). Bought a second hand avanti road bike with deep dish rims, real shiny, brought it to london and snapped the frame not long after. Bought some cheap road frame just outside london, snapped it in a couple weeks. Bought a cougar road frame, nice (ended up being used by jamie-cyclone, jono-metro and now caspar owns it). Got my first fixie care of helmet, neuron steel, the nuts. Damn crazy girl shook it when it was locked to fence, hair line fracture eventually snapped. Oh yes next came the veto, everyone was riding those frames bout 6 years ago - weighed a tonne and made of cement, eventually sold it to buy a T.J. Quick. It was the business but snapped in 6 months on down tube, gutted. Invested in a lance armstrong trek-smooth, bollocks snapped the dropout. I thought i would never buy a condor frame but a series of events lead me to owning a pista. I didn't like the look of it, hammered the shit out of it and guess what, it's still in one piece. Wicked courier frame, strong, lightish and rides well. Boom.
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      CommentAuthorJosh
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008 edited
     
    You might of loved suspension in the 90's I was all for rigid steel :cool: '95 explosif still one of my favourite work bikes, I ought to dig it up and rebuild it before I stop curyering.

    I was starting to write all the bikes I had then couldn't remember a patch - it was the cougar road frame, the one I had was a real heavy POS though, used to race on it too.
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      CommentAuthorwill
    • CommentTimeAug 13th 2008
     
    I've only ever ridden steel. My new raleigh is really nice but the Colnago was better; if someone could help me get the bottom bracket out of it so I can rebuild I will be very grateful.
  29.  
    my condor snapped , so im sat at home this week :0( arghghghghghgh
    hmm might go to work on mi skate board
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      CommentAuthoroverdrive
    • CommentTimeAug 14th 2008
     
    Did it snap around the top of the seatpost?Cause that's what happened to me and I heard it's a design fault.I took mine back and Grant gave me a new one FOC.
  31.  
    nah bottom bracket , im gettin one fr cost + just been all week :0( arghghgh
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      CommentAuthorfromemory
    • CommentTimeAug 19th 2008
     
    "I, for example, ride a very spinny low gear fixed gear and a frame that's a little on the small side for me, where as fromemory rides a fairly posh and light weight road bike"

    I was thinking the other day, what exactly do you mean by lightweight?

    :confused:
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      CommentAuthorwill
    • CommentTimeAug 19th 2008 edited
     
    All I know is if the package weighs more than my bike it's not going in my bag.
    Spotted you at Cambridge today From. I was looking at the traffic and thinking "This is madness isn't it, really?"

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