- Location
- London
ah, I had assumed it was 700 due to the "hybrid" in the thread title - that's what I take to be the hybridness - MTB frame characteristics mated with 700 wheels - is it steel?, if so what sort ? make a good tourer?
Feels like a stigma to what I ride..
- Thread starter Leemi1982
- Start date
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Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
People are strangely tribal about very odd things. Look at the reasons people judge fellow humans as "other" every day; compared to that brakes are almost a logical reason...
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
Ah, yes; that makes sense. Most bikes here seem to be 700c hybrids...
As far as I know (I was pretty clueless when I bought it) the main frame is chromoloy and the forks and rear stays seem to be Hi-Ten steel. After the Xtracycle and wooden deck and extra handlebars were added on the back end this became pretty immaterial. It's a lovely comfortable touring bike because you sit in the middle, not over the wheel, and the weight of your luggage is spread out low down on the back.
- Location
- London
sounds good - straight chromo is a good tough material for a tourer I think - Surly realised/promoted this but of course for some time now have seriously ramped up their prices as if they are delivering something exotic. My old bought secondhand Ridgebacks are straight chromo (though of different weights), not butted or superthin - if I was to head off round the world I would trust these frames more than most.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
Looking at the experiences of @HobbesOnTour I'd agree with you: as he shows there's no reason to look down on straight bar bikes...
By the way, I recently was told that all butted bikes are chromoly. is that correct?
- Location
- London
over to someone more expert than me on that question andy - I'm not a materials expert.
I think a lot of basic chromo is what is termed 4130 chromo.
I think that's what Surlys and my Ridgebacks (cost £30, £30 and £21 before I started adding gubbins) are.
Twilkes
Guru
At a closing speed of 30+mph halfway through a ride? Really? I couldn't tell you what colour shoes the rider who just passed me was wearing, let alone what brakes they had on their drop bar bike.
If someone who passes you doesn't wave at you, it MIGHT just not be all about you.
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
Ah, there's the problem, you seriously overestimate my speed...
Also, the brakes are silver and easy to recognise at a distance. Even if not there are there are other clues like a lack of shades or race kit, no smart phone on handlebars. If that doesn't give a hint there's the hub dynamo and permanent headlight (you'll see that), spoke reflectors, cargo trousers, big fat Marathon plus tyres, a single pannier, and of course the worst faux pas of all, a leather Akubra hat...
There is a definite if entirely anecdotal difference in response between the other commuters and the "serious" road riders; it's thankfully not as clear as it was in Stuttgart but still very definitely there. Mind you, many of the regular commuters on my route recognise each other, and I get high-fives from some of the lads cycling to school...
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Twilkes
Guru
No-one is looking at your brakes while they ride towards you.
Closing speed, so two cyclists approaching each other at about 15mph, not fast at all.
The biggest thing I'm getting from the thread is that 'roadies', whatever they are, are generally getting on with doing what they're doing, and people with non-road bikes are the ones with a chip on their shoulder about the way 'roadies' dress and the equipment they use, and the majority of people on both sides don't care either way.
Punkawallah
Über Member
Of course it’s not ‘all about you’ - it must, of course, be ‘all about ME’ :-)
classic33
Leg End Member
Used to get, as in you no longer have it?
Andy in Germany
Guru
- Location
- Freiburg im Breisgau
More that I'm not riding it very often because I'm about 150km away from it...
HobbesOnTour
Guru
- Location
- España
I was staying out of this thread..
To look at my bike there's lots and lots of reasons to look down on it. Most of those are various colours of nail polish covering spots on the frame
Even I looked down on the first bike I rode as an adult - a rusty, knackered BSO that lasted a few weeks before the pedal sheared off. But that piece of crap got me out on the road. And a journey began.
It's not about the bike, it's about what the bike lets us do.
If we spent a bit more time on the possibilities of riding a bike and less on all the "others" and what they do or don't do I think we'd enjoy ourselves even more.
mudsticks
Obviously an Aubergine
I was staying out of this thread..
To look at my bike there's lots and lots of reasons to look down on it. Most of those are various colours of nail polish covering spots on the frame
Even I looked down on the first bike I rode as an adult - a rusty, knackered BSO that lasted a few weeks before the pedal sheared off. But that piece of crap got me out on the road. And a journey began.
It's not about the bike, it's about what the bike lets us do.
If we spent a bit more time on the possibilities of riding a bike and less on all the "others" and what they do or don't do I think we'd enjoy ourselves even more.
Tbh since I've got a fancy new(ish) hybrid, to replace the slightly less fancy older hybrid, I've found myself feeling less able just to park it any old where, and feel confident that it will be there when I get back..
I've even taken to locking it up sometimes.. which is a blooming nuisance.
Cos then I've got to carry a lock and remember the combination .
I guess I've not had my radar tuned in sufficiently to discern whether I'm getting more or less respect, now that I've got disc brakes..
But as you say, there are possibly in the region of three thousand more interesting things to think about, and see, whilst riding a bike , rather than whether or not another cyclist is 'judging' us for our choice of steed, in some way..
No one here has actually fessed up to doing any of that, to anyone else, so I suspect our op can relax on the issue..
If anyone is judging , and was foolish enough to say so..
Well then, they're going to look a tad foolish right ??
battered
Guru
Yes, I get that, but it's still like equipping a transit van with a small roofbox big enough for a bag of shopping. I don't have a problem with it, it's a cargo bike after all, it just seems a bit pointless. Now if it had a seat on it big enough for 3, fair does. A bike that you need a PSV licence to ride.
