I bought this frame off eBay several years ago. I don't remember why, but I think it was cheap. Last year I bought, cheaply, a Shimano 105 gruppo from a guy in the club who was upgrading. I had a few parts around and figured I'd throw together a touring / commuting machine.
Well, a front wheel here, a Nitto stem there, and I spent a few hundred dollars more getting my "cheap" beater on the road.
Worth it, though. I think this is the most comfortable and nice-to-ride bike I've ever owned with the possible exception of the Bianchi Virata. Somehow the geometry worked out perfectly, with the short stem and seat shoved fully forward in the seat post.
This is, however, not a light bike. The frameset alone weighs over 9 pounds! It's a bonded frame, with aluminum main tubes glued into steel lugs, and a steel rear triangle. Who knows what they achieved with that innovation? The fork, which is all steel, is quite flexible. I've never seen a fork bounce so much, but it really does soak up the road vibes.
I built a cromoly front basket to make it more useful as a commuter, and have done an extended ride to the Berkshires on it. I believe there will be many more. I've been commuting to work on it daily in the spring and summr of '11 since getting sick of the J. Nachlin #1.
Update March 2012: This bicycle has been retired, or more precisely the frame has been retired and replaced with a lighter steel touring frame which I built this year.
I bought this frame off eBay several years ago. I don't remember why, but I think it was cheap. Last year I bought, cheaply, a Shimano 105 gruppo from a guy in the club who was upgrading. I had a few parts around and figured I'd throw together a touring / commuting machine.
Well, a front wheel here, a Nitto stem there, and I spent a few hundred dollars more getting my "cheap" beater on the road.
Worth it, though. I think this is the most comfortable and nice-to-ride bike I've ever owned with the possible exception of the Bianchi Virata. Somehow the geometry worked out perfectly, with the short stem and seat shoved fully forward in the seat post.
This is, however, not a light bike. The frameset alone weighs over 9 pounds! It's a bonded frame, with aluminum main tubes glued into steel lugs, and a steel rear triangle. Who knows what they achieved with that innovation? The fork, which is all steel, is quite flexible. I've never seen a fork bounce so much, but it really does soak up the road vibes.
I built a cromoly front basket to make it more useful as a commuter, and have done an extended ride to the Berkshires on it. I believe there will be many more. I've been commuting to work on it daily in the spring and summr of '11 since getting sick of the J. Nachlin #1.
Update March 2012: This bicycle has been retired, or more precisely the frame has been retired and replaced with a lighter steel touring frame which I built this year.
