New Hew

[P.H]

Nice bike jim, you'll have many thousands of happy miles.
I've been out today on Cheviot SE, first time for a couple of weeks, as always a pleasure to ride. I was thinking as I cleaned the mud off afterwards how well the paint has lasted, five years old and hardly a mark, the polished dropouts are a great touch.

Spacers who cares? My Hewitt has the same number of spacers as my Thorn, that's the right number. What I don't like is the spacers and stem not matching, I think it looks better if the bars, stem, spacers, headset and seatpost match. This wasn't the case when I got my Hewitt, although I'd asked for it, but Paul was good enough to replace the non matching bits and didn't want the others back.

 

[john28july]

I think that possibly this hatred of spacers is somehow due to them only being available to certain qualified cyclists. Those cyclists who cherish cycles and cycling. Those cyclists who ride quality cycles. Those cyclists who have bikes that actually fit them to perfection.
Cyclists all over the World use spacers. Those who do not are either riding bikes with quill stems, riding bikes with steerer cut down and riding this cycle with bum high head low. Racing cyclists. Not real long distance quality tourists?
Or just maybe these scornfull people want spacers and envy those who have them?
Once ridden a cycle with spacers is so good-you just know that it makes sense. Some people love them so much they leave the steerer uncut and lower the bars but keep all the spacers. They were paid for, so why not?
Enjoy your day.
John,

 

[col]

The bike looks great,i hadnt even noticed spacers in this way until it was pointed out on here some time ago,still doesnt matter,its part of a way to adjust?What are we going to moan about next?How many times we wrap bar tape ?

 

[john28july]

The bike looks great,i hadnt even noticed spacers in this way until it was pointed out on here some time ago,still doesnt matter,its part of a way to adjust?What are we going to moan about next?How many times we wrap bar tape ?

Strange you should mention bar tape. I have a fetish about bar tape. I must yes must have two layers on my bars to keep vibration down.
I must also have Brooks saddle on every bike. I must have Continental or Schwalbe tyres. I just got to get it the best I can.
I just got to get out-more than I do!
Actually this is the very first weekend for months that I have not been out riding. I was in Coronary Care ealier this Year and was told that the medication I now take would mean I felt the cold more. More? I was going out Saturday and I felt like I was in the Arctic, so i stayed home nice and ,,well not so cold.
I have had to buy warmer gear for riding and that has cost me. One reason why I was selling of some clothing was simply because I needed thicker warmer gear.
Back to those spacers. I wonder if the person who discovered this way of adjustment knew what he/she was about?
John.

 

[col]

Hope your medication has sorted your problem.I like a softer grip on my bars now too,but as its a moutain bike i dont need bar tape,its just a push on handle which does the job.As for spacers,I didnt understand them when i first encountered them,i was used to just a long tube which was tightened by a nut on top of the handlebars,but it doesnt detract from the look of the bike at all for me.

 

[john28july]

Col,
Yes thanks the pill regime I am now on seems to be working well. I inherited this heart problem and its down to good healthy living and exercise! Never mind.
As to the spacer issue, I like you had always been used to the standard quill stems. Now I have Ahead with spacers I wonder why it was started before now. As to those who ridicule?
John.