Viking owners club.

[steven1988]

2013 viking peloton owner here. but i do like the bling

 

[S.Giles]

I'm not a big fan of graphics on bikes. It seems a shame to distract from a bicycle's inherent simplicity by cluttering it up with fancy graphic designs.

That said, I do have a grudging fondness for the quirky graphics on my (probably 90's) blue Carrera Kraken.

Steve

 

[Nigelnaturist]

If we are posting pics of Vikings, this is before any real changes (winter 2012-13)

 

[simon the viking]

Just because a complete Tw*t is associated with a product doesnt mean the said product is rubbish/undesirable after all Peter Sutcliffe drove a Ford Cortina........ That association didn't do Ford any harm....

 

[Colin_P]

So fully finished the bike now and have added some clutter back onto to it. Also flipped the stem, thanks Nigel for the tip. I've covered about 15 miles on it today and am very pleased with how it rides.

Quite a difference

 

[simon the viking]

looks fab..... nice and stealthy.... It will catch a few bike snobs out when you're riding it..... Don't know if I would have had the nerve to strip and paint a brand new bike though....

 

[Colin_P]

I won't be catching anyone, with a heart condition and being on a massive dose of beta blockers, I am slow! On the flat I can cruise only at about 13 to 15mph with short bursts in the low 20's. Hills I crawl up as well hence me wanting and needing the triple on the front.

It is strange hardly ever getting out of breath as my heart doesn't beat fast enough due to the beta blockers. I am the equivalent of the HGV limited to 56mph whilst everyone else whizzes by at 70+.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

This is funny as in ironic, a road I go through the estate I

I won't be catching anyone, with a heart condition and being on a massive dose of beta blockers, I am slow! On the flat I can cruise only at about 13 to 15mph with short bursts in the low 20's. Hills I crawl up as well hence me wanting and needing the triple on the front.

It is strange hardly ever getting out of breath as my heart doesn't beat fast enough due to the beta blockers. I am the equivalent of the HGV limited to 56mph whilst everyone else whizzes by at 70+.

Must be the bike I am no faster, avg for the month 15.26mph

 

[Colin_P]

Arh, but I only do short runs as well. 13.7 avg over 8.2 miles and 13.1 avg over 6.3 miles earlier with minimal (70 & 131) elevation gain. Longest ride I've done this side of the age of 40 has been 27.6 miles on my Giant Hybrid at a lowly 11.6 mph avg. Looking to improve that on this new bike.

 

[Nigelnaturist]

@Colin_P it took me a year to get towards the speeds I do now and the elevation, just take it a step at a time.

 

[Colin_P]

I'm sure I mumbled something about shiny brakes earlier on.

Well I had / have a ancient pair, probably at least 20 years old, Shimano Sora 3300/3500 calipers gathering dust.

So I polished them up. I'd already competed one before I thought of pictures.

One finished the other to do, they were quite grubby.

Dismantled

One arm polished

All polished

Job done

Does my bum look big in this? Do they suit the bike LOL

I know all I said about bling earlier on but the kind of bling I don't like are all the stickers, I liken then to your bike wearing Elizabeth Duke jewelry from Argos. Anyway I like plain and shiny bling. The Shimano brakes look the same, in every way, to the ones on the bike and although 20 odd years old are probably better, oh and are shiny.

Question is, do I fit them ?

 

[Colin_P]

An update;

I've been enjoying the bike and have ridden it precisely 78.9 miles to date. That is a single ride for a lot of you but for me it is over about 6 rides! One thing that bothered me is the lack of suicude levers as fitted to the 80's racers of my youth.

Today I solved that by fitting some cross top levers. I've not test ridden it as yet so cannot report on how they are but I like them!

I took a few pictures of the fitting process which is quite easy. I did make a schoolboy error though. I fitted the rear no bother at all but on the front I forgot to pull the inner out of the outer before I cut it. D'oh! I had a spare brake cable so no bother there.

Below, the front just before the fateful cut, rear already fitted.

I added a ferrule end to the cut cable, the ferrules don't come with the levers

Front on

All done

I also took the opportunity of swapping the brakes over to the newly polished shimano ones.

I don't know if it is in my mind and bearing in mind I've not test ridden it yet but the brakes feel much better now. I don't know if it is the better calipers or the cross top levers or a combination of the two. I'll report back when I have taken it out for a spin, which probably won't be tonight as it is raining (boo-hoo).

 

[Nigelnaturist]

Can I ask you Colin have you weighed it yet, as mine comes in with mudguards and a saddle bag about 12.5kg with a Spa Cahinset and 105 running gear and brifters, RS11 wheels and Tektro 356 brakes.and just wondered the weight of one stripped down.

 

[Colin_P]

Nigel, no I have not weighed it yet but could do. The factory weight is stated as 12.5kg

Mine is a 59cm frame so it could be heavier due to having more metal in it. Assume yours is the same, 59cm ?

 

[chewa]

It looks great. I've been thinking about cross levers to fit to my Flying Scot (if that isn't heresy) so be interested to hear how you find them.

We bought a Viking Saratoga tandem on Ebay a year or three ago. It's been reliable and the only thing I've changed were the brakes (from Cable Alhonga discs to Shimano hydraulics).

Was impressed by the quality of the frame though.