8/2/15 1:38 PM

Some field laps near by the house. A few hill repeats and some general pavement rolling for a few miles total for inaugural feel...

Neutral and fast responding machine, feels a very light machine more so than actual and steel might suggest. Even with 42C Conti Speed Rides.

Road tires/wheels tomorrow, 27mm Paves on the light CX set. Glad I am running all center lock hubs as I only have one 180mm Rotor. ;)

Carl knows his craft, no doubt about that.

Stem and Midge bars on the money, thought the 13CM Stem might be too long, but perfect. Hand positions on these bars seems more intuitive and ergo in the wrists thus far.

Going to find out tomorrow with road tires and a long ride if that is the case for the duration on the bars.

Road wheels/tires: [feels like a road bike ;), a nice riding steel one with 27mm tires]



Last edited by Sparky on 8/2/15 10:39 PM; edited 1 time in total

8/2/15 6:15 PM

rear "brake bridge" area, seat-stays beneath the seat-cluster above the tyre.

8/2/15 11:28 PM

There is a pic on the Strong Facebook page showing that area....


Not that I'm creeping, but an old friend lives in Bozeman and he was doing some work for Strong. I don't think he does anymore though.

8/3/15 12:14 AM

http://www.strongframes.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/07/Robert-L5.jpg

8/3/15 12:57 PM

I really like the green and that looks like a fine ride. Just my size too :)

8/3/15 3:46 PM

"Just my size too :)"


I knew that was coming you realize... ;)


Just got back from 40 mile road ride. The last 7 miles on the return is 650 ft gain, 475 of that in 1.8 miles from the river. Then some recovery rollers, a dip of 60 ft and a much nicer 250 or so gain over 4 miles which is a gift after the first part. Except that first part tires you for the second part. ;) There was triple granny ring involved, but no zig- zaging like with the compact double on the steepest section of the 1.8 mile portion. ;). Just happy to be able to get up it frankly...

Anyway, bike rides and handles like it was made for me. Not dfcas. ;)

It is a good road bike I guess the ride shows. There are a few gravel sections of a mile here and 2 there the way I went out bound. I had 85 lbs in the 27mm Paves for the paved mostly portions. I am sure 65 lb would have been a lot better for those gravel sections.

The Midge bars I like I can say now. Just wish they were not quite so wide. You spread your arms out in the drops so much it brings your face/head lower. A bit to much in that regard.

8/3/15 8:02 PM

Interesting and definitely custom frame that the shifter cables run along the top tube...Was that your idea or did the builder recommend such? Or is that commonly the setup with barcon shifters?

8/3/15 9:36 PM

My idea, and Carl did not baulk or have any reason for not doing it. Not really bar con specific I don't guess. Walter and I had a little email covo about the full housings. I figured for maybe 80 grams it was no biggy. But I think when you do a steel fork you don't have the grams as a priority. I got my Addict for the weight weenie in me.

Said it before, I have really come to prefer a steel fork.

I was thinking and just felt strongly about a powder coated steel frame/fork for banging dirt/dust/and bit of rocks on VS carbon.

I am so used to my Kewins on pavement, But I struck and lost a little candy today.

Thanks for all the compliments y'all.

8/4/15 8:31 AM

There are at least 4 of us here that ride almost the same size. Walter, Dan E., you and I. I bet we are within a few mm's in all directions.

8/4/15 9:13 AM

Looks like you went with a lot of BB drop, too. What did you choose?

I went with 8cm drop.

8/4/15 9:56 AM

8 CM BB Drop. I thought Carl would stick with the 7.5 of the first frame. Being it can fit such big tires I guess was the logic for the 8CM. When he said 8CM during a consult I was temped to say maybe same 7.5, but questioning the guy with the torch did not make much sense. I inquired, we briefly discussed it, and stuck with his first choice on that. Making a mistake on a custom geom is really something you are going to have to live with.

We did have a compromise or two in which the number in the middle was chosen on both the chain stays and the head tube. But on the BB, having just cobbled the 753 bike together with 8CM BB drop also, I just went with his first choice there.

Having said that, I had a pedal strike with the 27mm tires on yesterday. But it was an odd circumstance in tight with a buss that I had to go out into the intersection when he seemed to have trouble getting stopped before the nose was entirely past the walkway. To the point where I saw the 'walk' light through the bus. I was too busy giving him some stinky eye exaggerating my getting around the bus to pay attention to my pedal orientation.

Plus as I said already, I am so used to Keywins which are sick with clearance as compared to every two sided pedal, and a lot of one sided pedals maybe. In this case Crank Bros Candy I traded some Speedplays for while collecting parts for the build. Which seems like a fair off piste choice. Can't remember that last time I did that... We will see if it becomes a repeating situation or not...

8/4/15 10:13 AM

what tubing, diameters, thicknesses?

8/4/15 10:25 AM

Columbus Life [previously called Foco] with OX top and down tubes, Carls choice.
I think the old bike also has a OX top tube, and a pear shaped Columbus option not necessarily of the 'Foco' tubeset IIRC.

I believe the OX mixed in for tubes Carl choose to target my stiffness desires for the frame. But he does call most of his frames Carls/Blend and in fact has decals on both the first one and this one stating so. I believe he chooses wisely based on my two Strong Frames. [and pork]

The usual pretty thin center butts for high end steel, look at the life set on the Columbus site. Walter is asking dangerous question I might note. ;)

TT=32mm
DT-35mm

Although when I just used my digi-caliper to make sure my memory was on target I realized how thick the Powder is. Like 2mm apparently. 32/35 actual tube DIA.


EDIT: must have caught Carl doing eMail duty, just got a reply:

"The tubes are the OX plat 31.8 and 34.9, 7/4/7 wall."

So the PC is even thicker than I thought. ;) I seem to recall the shaped DT on the road Strong had .035 in the middle of the butt.

8/4/15 10:59 AM

I am going to add this for anyone that might consider a custom frame and/or using Carl.

The fact that this is my second frame from Carl say something of course. But perhaps my closing message to Carl regarding the transaction/experience say even more. So I share that which expresses my feeling on the process/transaction:

"Thanks for everything Carl. It is always the most pleasure​ to work with you. I can not imagine that the experience [again] could be more comfortable on any/all levels."

8/13/15 11:02 AM

Some combination paved and gravel yesterday, with the 27mm smooth Pave tires. I hit a short steep hill of fine gravel and lots of dry fine dirt/dust on a short trail. And anothe few with some vegitation [roots] to tighten up the surface. Seated, the bike had perfect traction and balance as far as staying hooked up, more impressed than expected to be on that dry loose and gravel stuff. Comparatively with the TCX I'd have had to hit it fast and maintain momentum of spin out. i wonder what all are the ingredients for the performance boost.. never had the Paves on the TCX, only Racing Ralphs and the bigger Speed Rides, or just All season contis for pavement.

Are the Paves that good on loose small stuff, or does Carl get some more credit?

8/13/15 2:03 PM

Looks like the plastic ends of the pedals might have saved your ride (and your hide?).

Catching aluminum against asphalt tends to be much more violent!

8/19/15 10:34 PM

650B 2.1 Kenda Slant6Pros just fit. Probably need to go a bit smaller. 3mm clearance ain't enuff. For 15.00 ea. per on a crazy sale and Tubeless I just hadda try.

What is impressive is that it is exactly the same clearance at all points, seat and chain stays and fork too. And I mean exactly to the mm, all 3 of them.

8/20/15 5:21 AM

N+1


the number of bikes Sparky has... :)

8/20/15 7:03 AM

actually traded in a couple bikes on the way to getting this one. combined value similar, but aggregate number is reduced

8/20/15 9:35 AM

See "Want..."...

8/20/15 10:36 AM

...slightly compromised?!

8/20/15 11:52 AM

Just popped them on to see fit, obviously the cassette and rotors are not yet installed.

As Walter notes on the N factor, I am making the garage bigger on average basically.

Thus N minus
- Disc Roubaix
- non Disc Roubaix
- Colnago Victory
- Bridgestone 400
- 1982 Yamaha XV8920R
Still for sale, Gary Fishy 29er

+ Green Machine Swiss Army Knife bike. [replaces a few]
+ Copper Reynolds 753 bike.

I may let the Paramount go too, due to the copper bike doing what it does better.
Never cared for the 2" rake on the 70s bike much, and I grab that Copper bike A LOT!


So as to N+ factoring, I am in remission pretty much, reorganization at a minimum. And I have no loose groupos so I should be safe for a while as well...

Last edited by Sparky on 8/21/15 12:55 PM; edited 1 time in total

8/21/15 11:35 AM

Cow Bell 2s went on last night. Just could not get used to the Midge bars as low as i had them. They really need to be pretty much 'touring' heights to be effective in the drops. Not to mention the width moving the bike around, total PITA.

I think with the bar cons some bar end shortening may be in order. Just not willing to cut them being brand new last night when I popped them on. ;)

I guess the flare on these is more in line for what a roadie is used to, thus feel more natural at CX use bar heights? Today's ride will tell me more.

8/21/15 3:33 PM

oh boy, that is better.... I will miss the little Midge Mouse in the stem cap window though... ;)