# How to ruin a bike..



## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

Take one Dura-ace 2006 Scott CR-1, add a big cushy 'memory foam seat', a flat bar, kevlar tires, schrader tubes (drill out the ksyriums to accommodate), and a kickstand.. Did I mention the Kevlar tires? 

http://delaware.craigslist.org/bik/2947323490.html


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

Oh, my. That's sad. Especially the kickstand.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Almost as bad as putting an upturned Books, a giant dangling saddle bag and a giant bar full of commuter sh!t on a Pinarello.


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

... which reminds me, I need to get the rear wheel rack installed on the Colnago.


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## davez26 (Nov 15, 2010)

Wow, why would you spend $260 on a bike and do this? 
I don't get it. 
Oh, the humanity!


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## Terex (Jan 3, 2005)

Such a douche.


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

People just do some weird a$$ $hit! 
Drilling out yer rims and putting on kevlar tires is an upgrade? Damn, I just wasted good money on some Vittoria Evo's.


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## j.carney.tx (Jun 15, 2011)

Does it come with a scarf and a mustache?


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## draganM (Nov 27, 2001)

I don't see what the problem is? He obviously made it "better"  You guys are getting upset, I think it's funny as hell. I wonder what the guys at the bike shop thought as they helped him turn it into a joke?
Why didn't he just buy a $400. commuter bike? Sounds like he was sold something he had no need of and was clueless about Then had (the same place ?), butcher it? my favorite line 


> I had the bicycle shop convert it to straight handlebars for better steering control, which could mean the difference in saving you from having an accident when the front wheel of your Kevlar tires with 115 lbs. pressure hits a pot hole, since it gives more leverage for better control than the narrower curved type handlebars.


 Man somebody better tell those Tour De france guys that they have poor control over their bikes and are unsafe


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## draganM (Nov 27, 2001)

oops, I spotted a problem. Seats too small


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## bio_research (Apr 1, 2012)

why would someone spend the money for a carbon fiber frame and just ADD extra weight like a huge seat and kickstand...


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

draganM said:


> oops, I spotted a problem. Seats too small


Does kind of look like it came with a sofa, doesn't it?


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

Love this part of the ad:



> I bought it in 2006, and I noticed that over 60% of the professional bicycle racers at a race I saw back then all had the same type of Scott bicycle as mine. So I presume the "R" in the model designation "CR-1" stands for racing model.


Yup, I'll bet all those professional racers had racing bikes that looked just like this one.


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## BigTex_BMC (Dec 30, 2011)

Someone should report that to BPS, that's some serious bike abuse.


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## jpatkinson (Jun 10, 2007)

That bike HAD to be stolen. Seriously.


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## mikelsaurus (Jun 21, 2010)

That's a sweet kickstand though.


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

draganM said:


> oops, I spotted a problem. Seats too small


At least he doesn't have the money invested like this *person*:
.


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## gordy748 (Feb 11, 2007)

mikelsaurus said:


> That's a sweet kickstand though.


Nice!!


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## qatarbhoy (Aug 17, 2009)

Surely one of the biggest pie plates ever seen...


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## tihsepa (Nov 27, 2008)

qatarbhoy said:


> Surely one of the biggest pie plates ever seen...


Thats stock Mavic. 


I dont know why anyone would give this guy a hard time. So what its his bike. 

Its not like he took some crappy china frame and branded it something it is not. There are thousands of pages of that crap here and nobody is calling them dorks. They should be but they are not.


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## ultimobici (Jul 16, 2005)

> *The bicycle shop told me this was one of the last USA made Scott bicycles, before they switched to having their bikes made for them in Taiwan.* I bought it in 2006, and I noticed that over 60% of the professional bicycle racers at a race I saw back then all had the same type of Scott bicycle as mine. So I presume the "R" in the model designation "CR-1" stands for racing model.


Seems to me they saw him coming and likely just took his money every time and smiled. Don't think the CR1 was ever US made, IIRC. Gullible f***wit!


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## laxpatrick (Jan 22, 2012)

I LOVE that he had the rims drilled out for Schraeder valve stems - cause screwing a couple of adapters on would've totally ruined the look... Or maybe he was afraid of having them stolen.


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## mtnroadie (Jul 6, 2010)

The kick stand is bad, but the plastic spoke/derailleur protector irks me the most.

The drilled out rims wow! Now thats some custom s#!t!:mad2:

Got to give the guy credit for one thing though, he knows what he likes and does not give 2 s#!ts about what us bike snobs think. A new meaning to "dialed in"!:ciappa:


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## Dan333sp (Aug 17, 2010)

I started a thread on bikeforums about something similar recently, here are some of the better efforts at wasting good road bike components on flatbars and commuters-








same trek posted above, someone is proud of that baby. 
















Granted, this is supposed to be a commuter bike, but HED deep dish wheels for a ride to work with a bladed carbon fork? Whatever floats your boat, I guess. 








This is just a straight hipster conversion, but I love the spinergy track wheel finding its way into something like this. I'd also never trust the strength of a carbon wheel that has lettering peeling off and scrapes/scuffs. That's asking for an asplosion right in front of your friends at the coffee house while you're running a red light.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

cda 455 said:


> At least he doesn't have the money invested like this idiot:
> 
> 
> 
> ...


That "idiot" is a friend and former customer (from when I worked at Bike Wave). His name is Bart Kaufman. That is his Arizona bike. His Indiana bike is a Cervelo Soloist Carbon set up exactly the same.

Bart rides more than half of the people on this board probably, even though he has had 3 knee replacements.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

> I had the bicycle shop convert it to straight handlebars for *better steering control*, which could mean the difference in saving you from having an accident when the front wheel of your Kevlar tires with 115 lbs. pressure hits a pot hole, since it gives more leverage for better control than the narrower curved type handlebars.





> I noticed that over 60% of the professional bicycle racers at a race I saw back then all had the same type of Scott bicycle as mine.


This guy sounds like a used car salesman. I didn't realize Scott had cornered the market on supplying bikes to professional racers. 60%... WOW!


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## Bikephelps (Jan 23, 2012)

Bikes are a reflection of their owners personalities. It's well known that "fit" is the most important attribute of a bicycle. All these "unique" bicycles probably "fit" their owners personalities perfectly. Even though I wouldn'tt be caught dead on one of those bikes, they probably woundn't be caught dead on one of mine.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

I don't really understand all the self-righteous snobbishness at his choices. Sure, he'd probably have been better off to get a city-type bike in the first place, but he had the $ for this one, and he made changes that suit his riding style. Some of the ad copy is silly (especially about the handlebar), but the only choice I'd really object to is the Shrader valves, which are a PITA with high-ressure tires. Kevlar-belted tires to reduce flats are a reasonable choice for a city rider who doesn't much care about weight.

Anyway, it's just a bike, not an antique or a work of art. People can do what they want with theri own bikes.


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## smoothie7 (Apr 11, 2011)

I wander if the kickstand is very aerodynamic?


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## Chainstay (Mar 13, 2004)

*Ugly but sort-of functional for commuting?*

If you wanted a light weight commuter with an upright riding position, were paranoid about flat tires and had a money's-no-object approach, one of these babies would be somewhat viable. 

It's not how most of us would approach it but unlike race bikes there is no singular design for a light weight commuter.


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## Oxtox (Aug 16, 2006)

making some questionable alterations to a relatively nice bike isn't that big of a deal.

people should save their criticisms for the person who actually shells out money to buy such a CF...


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

Oxtox said:


> making some questionable alterations to a relatively nice bike isn't that big of a deal.


I agree with this and other comments pointing out that it's his bike, his money and his choice. And I suspect everyone else agrees as well. I think all that's really bothering anyone is the pearls upon swine aspect, that it was a nice bike with some nice features that went completely unappreciated.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

the flatbars make me cringe, but it's not my bike.

i think the humor is in the "salesmanship" the ad poster is using to sell his bike. 

if he just said hey, "here's my customized flatbar carbon bike. spent XXXX dollars, selling for XXX obo" people would probably not have THAT much to laugh about.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

charlox5 said:


> the flatbars make me cringe, but it's not my bike.
> 
> i think the humor is in the "salesmanship" the ad poster is using to sell his bike.
> 
> if he just said hey, "here's my customized flatbar carbon bike. spent XXXX dollars, selling for XXX obo" people would probably not have THAT much to laugh about.


although the salesmanship is pretty much on par with the crap spewed by bike and component manufacturers alike.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

PlatyPius said:


> That "idiot" is a friend and former customer (from when I worked at Bike Wave). His name is Bart Kaufman. That is his Arizona bike. His Indiana bike is a Cervelo Soloist Carbon set up exactly the same.
> 
> Bart rides more than half of the people on this board probably, even though he has had 3 knee replacements.



Hey Platy, the good news is that he's now riding 10 minutes less per week now that he got those nice dish wheels. He really cut down on his commute time. Average increased to 10.3 miles per hour with a tailwind.


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## Ridgetop (Mar 1, 2005)

PlatyPius said:


> That "idiot" is a friend and former customer (from when I worked at Bike Wave). His name is Bart Kaufman. That is his Arizona bike. His Indiana bike is a Cervelo Soloist Carbon set up exactly the same.
> 
> Bart rides more than half of the people on this board probably, even though he has had 3 knee replacements.


Oh, and sell him a @#[email protected]#$ real bike lock!!!!!!!!!:thumbsup:


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## arkitect (Apr 25, 2011)

Thanks for posting, i was in desperate need of a good laugh today!

By the way, I can't believe that he is trying to sell that bike without reflectors......


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## cda 455 (Aug 9, 2010)

PlatyPius said:


> That "idiot" is a friend and former customer (from when I worked at Bike Wave). His name is Bart Kaufman. That is his Arizona bike. His Indiana bike is a Cervelo Soloist Carbon set up exactly the same.
> 
> Bart rides more than half of the people on this board probably, even though he has had 3 knee replacements.



Ouch; shame on me :mad2: !

My apologies; I jumped on the bandwagon and got carried away   .



I got that pic from a thread here last year or so. I believe it may have been _the_ subject of the thread.

In addition; He can't be all bad, he's a Hoosier  ! (And a lawyer  !)



Edit: Said post corrected.


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## charlox5 (Jan 31, 2011)

den bakker said:


> although the salesmanship is pretty much on par with the crap spewed by bike and component manufacturers alike.


touche!


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## draganM (Nov 27, 2001)

I'm still surprised a Shop took the liability of frickin drilling rims on wheels already engineered to the limit of safety?
At that point, IMO, any decent shop would have offered him a different bike/ trade-in. Of course they might have and he refused, hard ot tell?


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## Dan333sp (Aug 17, 2010)

My favorite bike description on Craigslist has to be the "hipster ass hipster bike for hipsters"... There was a thread on here about it a few weeks ago, google it to have a good laugh. :thumbsup:


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## jne3 (Sep 14, 2011)

draganM said:


> I'm still surprised a Shop took the liability of frickin drilling rims on wheels already engineered to the limit of safety?
> At that point, IMO, any decent shop would have offered him a different bike/ trade-in. Of course they might have and he refused, hard ot tell?


Oh but he put kevlar tires on it:idea:


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

draganM said:


> I'm still surprised a Shop took the liability of frickin drilling rims on wheels already engineered to the limit of safety?


it's frigging mavic wheels. 
The reason they hold up in the first place is because they are not engineered to the limit of safety......


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

draganM said:


> I'm still surprised a Shop took the liability of frickin drilling rims on wheels already engineered to the limit of safety?
> At that point, IMO, any decent shop would have offered him a different bike/ trade-in. Of course they might have and he refused, hard ot tell?


Enlarging presta to shrader removes less than a millimeter all around the hole. It's not going to cause wheel failure.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

draganM said:


> I'm still surprised a Shop took the liability of frickin drilling rims on wheels already engineered to the limit of safety?
> At that point, IMO, any decent shop would have offered him a different bike/ trade-in. Of course they might have and he refused, hard ot tell?


They clamped a heavy steel kickstand to a thin carbon chainstay. You think the drilled rims are their biggest engineering liability?


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## Matsushita (Mar 18, 2012)

cda 455 said:


> At least he doesn't have the money invested like this *person*:
> .


Ouch! All he needs on that is an espresso machine and he'll be set.


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## Matsushita (Mar 18, 2012)

nightfend said:


> They clamped a heavy steel kickstand to a thin carbon chainstay. You think the drilled rims are their biggest engineering liability?


The real question is what bike shop would do this to a bike?


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## Soundtallica (Sep 24, 2011)

It burns my eyes! Why would someone deface such a work of art like that CR-1? If you want flat bars, a kickstand, schraeder valves, and a cushy seat, just get a $400 hybrid! :mad2: 

"I had the bicycle shop convert it to straight handlebars for better steering control, which could mean the difference in saving you from having an accident when the front wheel of your Kevlar tires with 115 lbs. pressure hits a pot hole, since it gives more leverage for better control than the narrower curved type handlebars."

Nonsense. If drops are so unsafe, how come EVERY road bike comes with them? In fact, drops are an advantage on any bike that's being ridden on anything easier than technical downhill singletrack. Out of all the bikes in my stable, road and mountain and everything in between, only my 6" travel all-mountain screamer has a flat bar. 

On the other hand, this bike at $1200 is a steal if you have extra components lying around that you could replace his "upgrades" with.


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

Soundtallica said:


> It burns my eyes! Why would someone deface such a work of art like that CR-1? If you want flat bars, a kickstand, schraeder valves, and a cushy seat, just get a $400 hybrid! :mad2:


There you go. It struck me there must be thousands of teenagers who'd drool over that bike in its original configuration and would have appreciated how special it was. But for them, it's completely out of reach. It's sad when you see something really nice, really special getting wasted in the hands of someone who couldn't appreciate it when there are so many others who might have.


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## martinrjensen (Sep 23, 2007)

Did you ever ask him why he would do this? I mean, really it defies normal reason. There has to be a reason more than just wanting to waste a couple thousand bucks. Does he realize what this bike says about him? and it definitely says something about him, make no mistake about that. weather you like it or not this guy wants to stand out from the crowd in an extremely eccentric way. that's about the nicest way I can put it. he's pushing the envelope on normalcy here.
EDIT: On further reflection I was a little harsh, but still the question needs to be asked. Why do this if not to incite violent reaction. This could "no way" have resulted in a better riding bike than one designed for this purpose, plus it would have cost what, 4 times as much as a bike designed for easy bike trails, which I would have to say this one would be suited for,; that and grocery shopping. I will stick by my statement that the person wanted to make a statement and that is what this bike is about. I will back of on just what statement he is trying to make but I will say he definitely wanted to be noticed. I mean he had to go way out of his way to do this. definitely outside of the box thinking going on here.


PlatyPius said:


> That "idiot" is a friend and former customer (from when I worked at Bike Wave). His name is Bart Kaufman. That is his Arizona bike. His Indiana bike is a Cervelo Soloist Carbon set up exactly the same.
> 
> Bart rides more than half of the people on this board probably, even though he has had 3 knee replacements.


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## markrhino (Nov 28, 2011)

Ha ha ha, that's awesome. More money than sense.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

martinrjensen said:


> Did you ever ask him why he would do this? I mean, really it defies normal reason. There has to be a reason more than just wanting to waste a couple thousand bucks. Does he realize what this bike says about him? and it definitely says something about him, make no mistake about that. weather you like it or not this guy wants to stand out from the crowd in an extremely eccentric way. that's about the nicest way I can put it. he's pushing the envelope on normalcy here.
> EDIT: On further reflection I was a little harsh, but still the question needs to be asked. Why do this if not to incite violent reaction. This could "no way" have resulted in a better riding bike than one designed for this purpose, plus it would have cost what, 4 times as much as a bike designed for easy bike trails, which I would have to say this one would be suited for,; that and grocery shopping. I will stick by my statement that the person wanted to make a statement and that is what this bike is about. I will back of on just what statement he is trying to make but I will say he definitely wanted to be noticed. I mean he had to go way out of his way to do this. definitely outside of the box thinking going on here.


yeah how silly paying 4 times what is really needed for a decent bike for the purpose. 
Did you notice the trek domane thread?


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## Guest (Apr 10, 2012)

martinrjensen said:


> Did you ever ask him why he would do this? I mean, really it defies normal reason. There has to be a reason more than just wanting to waste a couple thousand bucks. Does he realize what this bike says about him? and it definitely says something about him, make no mistake about that. weather you like it or not this guy wants to stand out from the crowd in an extremely eccentric way. that's about the nicest way I can put it. he's pushing the envelope on normalcy here.
> EDIT: On further reflection I was a little harsh, but still the question needs to be asked. Why do this if not to incite violent reaction. This could "no way" have resulted in a better riding bike than one designed for this purpose, plus it would have cost what, 4 times as much as a bike designed for easy bike trails, which I would have to say this one would be suited for,; that and grocery shopping. I will stick by my statement that the person wanted to make a statement and that is what this bike is about. I will back of on just what statement he is trying to make but I will say he definitely wanted to be noticed. I mean he had to go way out of his way to do this. definitely outside of the box thinking going on here.


IF someone wanted to go for a nice flat-bar city bike yet still get something a lot nicer than say a $500 off the shelf hybrid, they could get a titanium touring bike frame with integrated rack mounts, a nice panniers set, bulletproof custom-laced wheel set with dynamo hubs to power lights for city use, etc.

IMO something like that, while not my style (I still prefer drop bars) would be money well spent for its purpose.


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## Bill2 (Oct 14, 2007)

robdamanii said:


> Almost as bad as putting an upturned Brooks, a giant dangling saddle bag and a giant bar full of commuter sh!t on a Pinarello.


Lol :thumbsup:


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

martinrjensen said:


> Did you ever ask him why he would do this? I mean, really it defies normal reason. There has to be a reason more than just wanting to waste a couple thousand bucks. Does he realize what this bike says about him? and it definitely says something about him, make no mistake about that. weather you like it or not this guy wants to stand out from the crowd in an extremely eccentric way. that's about the nicest way I can put it. he's pushing the envelope on normalcy here.
> EDIT: On further reflection I was a little harsh, but still the question needs to be asked. Why do this if not to incite violent reaction. This could "no way" have resulted in a better riding bike than one designed for this purpose, plus it would have cost what, 4 times as much as a bike designed for easy bike trails, which I would have to say this one would be suited for,; that and grocery shopping. I will stick by my statement that the person wanted to make a statement and that is what this bike is about. I will back of on just what statement he is trying to make but I will say he definitely wanted to be noticed. I mean he had to go way out of his way to do this. definitely outside of the box thinking going on here.


Bart likes what he likes. He has always had "racing" bikes. As he has gotten older and had knees replaced, back giving out, and such, he has moved from drop bars to flat/riser bars. He knows what a good bike feels like and isn't ready to give that up. Hence a Trek and a Cervelo with high-end wheels, flat bar, XTR shifters, etc. He doesn't commute on the bikes much. He rides the Indiana bike 20 miles to a restaurant for breakfast and then back.

As for the money...well, that isn't a problem, is it? If you look closely at the small picture of his bike, you can see a note taped to the handlebar. That's for his "personal assistant". It tells the assistant to drop off the bike at the shop and what he wants done to it. If you look at the big picture of his Arizona Trek you'll notice numbers on his tires. He marks the mileage every time he replaces tires, which he does right around every 1500 miles. He doesn't like flats.

What I think the bike says about him is that he knows what he likes and doesn't give a flying [email protected]#$ what anyone else thinks. It's one of the reasons I like him.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> There you go. It struck me there must be thousands of teenagers who'd drool over that bike in its original configuration and would have appreciated how special it was. But for them, it's completely out of reach. * It's sad when you see something really nice, really special getting wasted in the hands of someone who couldn't appreciate it when there are so many others who might have.*


So....you don't think people in a wheelchair should be able to buy nice shoes either?

Is it really wasted if the guy actually rode it?
And please... It's a Scott CR1. I sell Scotts, but I'd hardly consider them fine art or "special". It's a made in China carbon frame. Whoop.


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

I "get" Bart. He didn't ruin the bike - he simply installed flat bars. That bike (and likely his cervelo) can be "restored" back to what it was designed to be. 

The Criagslist guy, not so much. The wheels are trashed and for no good reason. The kickstand on the thin carbon stay? While it may not have done damage, but really? And then there's all the missing pieces. A bar and stem, and two dura-ace brake/shifters? - even at ebay prices you are looking at at least $500 to replace, plus another $300-500 for a wheel set. After spending $1200-1300 on a 7 year old bike.. 

The guy basically bought a porsche carrera 4, then went and had it jacked up so accommodate 33" super-swampers. What he really needed was a jeep. It just makes no sense (and his ad copy reinforces it). 

Now if he’d just written – “I wanted a lightweight, quick handling commuter bike and I didn’t care about the cost” – well then I would respect that. But he didn’t. He’s quite proud of how he ‘fixed’ all the things wrong with the race bike to make it his ‘tool around the neighborhood’ bike. And that’s sad.


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

PlatyPius said:


> So....you don't think people in a wheelchair should be able to buy nice shoes either?


Good question since the circumstances are so completely identical that no one could tell them apart.

Not.


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## Karcas (Mar 23, 2012)

PlatyPius said:


> *Bart likes what he likes*. He has always had "racing" bikes. As he has gotten older and had knees replaced, back giving out, and such, he has moved from drop bars to flat/riser bars. *He knows what a good bike feels like* and isn't ready to give that up. Hence a Trek and a Cervelo with high-end wheels, flat bar, XTR shifters, etc. He doesn't commute on the bikes much. He rides the Indiana bike 20 miles to a restaurant for breakfast and then back.
> 
> As for the money...well, that isn't a problem, is it? If you look closely at the small picture of his bike, you can see a note taped to the handlebar. That's for his "personal assistant". It tells the assistant to drop off the bike at the shop and what he wants done to it. If you look at the big picture of his Arizona Trek you'll notice numbers on his tires. * He marks the mileage every time he replaces tires, which he does right around every 1500 miles. He doesn't like flats.*
> 
> What I think the bike says about him is that *he knows what he likes and doesn't give a flying [email protected]#$ what anyone else thinks*. It's one of the reasons I like him.


Sounds like good people. I'd have coffee with the guy.

When I look at these bikes I have some of the same thoughts everyone else has.... but would I make a thread about it? Nope. 
If the money didn't come out of my pocket what the hell do I care what anyone else does with their bike. Bunch of judgmental children in here so far.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> Good question since the circumstances are so completely identical that no one could tell them apart.
> 
> Not.


If the circumstances were "completely identical" (as opposed to slightly identical??), it wouldn't be a comparison, would it?


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## Benjamin Less (Apr 9, 2012)

The only two issues that would concern me over that Scott CR-1 are, *clamping force* on the rear kick stand compromising the *carbon fibre* and the improper seat rail compatibility with a high end seat post.


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## nightfend (Mar 15, 2009)

I agree with others. I can't figure out why someone like this Bart guy would not go to a custom steel builder like Hampsten, and get a custom Titanium bike that fit his flatbar requirements. Heck, he could even have went to Crumpton and gotten a custom carbon bike that fit better. Instead, he wastes a ton of money on a stock frame and then tries to make it work for a situation it was not designed for. Weird.

Also, he would be far better served with a different choice of wheels. Those 808's do very little other than look "cool" on that bike.


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

PlatyPius said:


> If the circumstances were "completely identical" (as opposed to slightly identical??), it wouldn't be a comparison, would it?


But in your hypothetical, there's basically nothing similar, much less identical. It's just a dumb non sequitur.


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

Bill2 said:


> Lol :thumbsup:


robdamanii doesn't understand camera angles. You can tell that from the Craigslist-style pictures of his own bikes.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> robdamanii doesn't understand camera angles. You can tell that from the Craigslist-style pictures of his own bikes.


You mean the bikes that don't have a giant light and botard bell on the front? Or the "I can stuff a midget into this bag" saddle bag?

And I thought you were ignoring me? 

I'm so flattered.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> Love this part of the ad:
> 
> 
> 
> Yup, I'll bet all those professional racers had racing bikes that looked just like this one.


And I bet they all ride 13.9 cm frames, too. 

He did write that the frame was 139 mm, didn't he? I'm not imagining that, am I?


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

laxpatrick said:


> I LOVE that he had the rims drilled out for Schraeder valve stems - cause screwing a couple of adapters on would've totally ruined the look... Or maybe he was afraid of having them stolen.


He probably kept snapping the valve cores when he went to inflate his tires.



nightfend said:


> They clamped a heavy steel kickstand to a thin carbon chainstay. You think the drilled rims are their biggest engineering liability?


I smell a do-it-yourself project here--regardless of his claims that the shop did it. :wink:


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> But in your hypothetical, there's basically nothing similar, much less identical. It's just a dumb non sequitur.


Scott CR1 as a hybrid/commuter bike - bad because the guy isn't utilizing the bike to its full potential.

Nice shoes - bad because the guy isn't utilizing the shoes to their full potential.

I'm not seeing the problem here.

The CR1 guy likely can't ride the CR1 as a comfort-race bike, and the guy in the wheelchair obviously can't use the shoes for what they were intended.


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

PlatyPius said:


> Nice shoes - bad because the guy isn't utilizing the shoes to their full potential.


Doesn't mean he can't appreciate them. I don't "utilize" any art I've ever bought, but I do appreciate it.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

The bike isn't ruined. The bike is just different than it was.

Why would someone do this?

How about this- He bought the bike years ago (2006). He never really rode it. rather than buy a whole new bike he thought, Hmmm... 600 for new or 250 to alter this one? why not? it's a nice bike, maybe this will make it ride better.

A lot of his mods speak to the inherent flaws in modern bike design- that super cush saddle is there because that bike can't fit tires wider than 25s. The bars are higher because frankly, that's more comfortable. And kickstands just make sense on a commuter bike- if you haven't used a kickstand lately, try it. you'll be amazed. 

a $10,000 superbike that just hangs on a peg in your living room and looks pretty, that you ride maybe 100 miles a year is not a good bike. It's not even good art. 

a bike you ride is a good bike. a bike is a tool, nothing more. and altering that tool to make it do what you want isn't ruining it, it's making it better.


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## mpre53 (Oct 25, 2011)

My problem with kickstands is a more practical one than aesthetics. I've yet to see one that'll keep any bike from blowing over in even a moderate wind.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

nightfend said:


> I agree with others. I can't figure out why someone like this Bart guy would not go to a custom steel builder like Hampsten, and get a custom Titanium bike that fit his flatbar requirements. Heck, he could even have went to Crumpton and gotten a custom carbon bike that fit better. Instead, he wastes a ton of money on a stock frame and then tries to make it work for a situation it was not designed for. Weird.
> 
> Also, he would be far better served with a different choice of wheels. Those 808's do very little other than look "cool" on that bike.


The bigger question is, why the f**k does it matter to you? Is there a shortage of overpriced wheels with dubious benefits? Is there a shortage of Madones?

Makes me wish I'd kept my old colnago and added a basket just to piss people off.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

Lotophage said:


> How about this- He bought the bike years ago (2006). He never really rode it. rather than buy a whole new bike he thought, Hmmm... 600 for new or 250 to alter this one? why not? it's a nice bike, maybe this will make it ride better.


Or how about this- He won the bike in a raffle. Had it given to him. Got it on clearance at a super deal. etc etc.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

tlg said:


> Or how about this- He won the bike in a raffle. Had it given to him. Got it on clearance at a super deal. etc etc.


Yup, either way, as long as he was riding it, who cares?


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

mpre53 said:


> My problem with kickstands is a more practical one than aesthetics. I've yet to see one that'll keep any bike from blowing over in even a moderate wind.


Yup. This is why kickstands disappeared about 40 years ago. In the 50s and 60s, pretty nearly all bikes had kickstands, even the "3-speeds" like the Austrian-made J.C. Higgins I had back then. But here's what Eugene Sloane wrote in his 1974 bicycling bible of the day, _The NEW Complete Book of Bicycling_, written just as they were disappearing. I studied this book like it was an engineering text  that year when I bought my Paramount and can remember reading this. You'll like the last sentence.



> You'll never find a kickstand on a good bicycle for at least four reasons. First, if the kickstand is bolted on chainstays, it will eventually loosen and when you tighten it, you squeeze and weaken the stays. Second, if it's welded on, stays are weakened at the weld due to the heat stress. Third, kickstands, even aluminum ones, add weight. Fourth, a good breeze, or a passerby, can knock over a bike propped up by a kickstand, with possible damage to derailleur, finish, brake levers, or handlebars; it's much better to *lean* the bike against a wall. ... So please wipe that look of dismay off your face because good bikes are "missing" a kickstand; it's a negative feature.


Just noticing that this passage was clearly written pre-Loctite.  Still, it's been good advice for decades.


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## den bakker (Nov 13, 2004)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> Yup. This is why kickstands disappeared about 40 years ago.


keep telling yourself that.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> Yup. This is why kickstands disappeared about 40 years ago. .


Gotta disagree.

On the right bike, a kickstand is the most useful thing ever. I would not own a "city bike" without one. 

You're at the food carts. you don't need to lock your bike up but you need to put it somewhere where it's out of the way. Kickstand. Done. Don't have to worry about anything falling out of the basket. A bike laying on the sidewalk is a tripping hazard. A bike standing up with a kickstand is polite. Never had anyone get mad at me for using my kickstand. I have had people get mad at me for leaning my bike on their window. 

And on a city bike, who cares if you've added a pound or 2? 

And, as for no good bike ever having one, these folks would disagree.

Atlantis

Porteur Double Kickstand - Chainguards, Stay Protectors, Kickstands - Accessories


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Kickstands disappeared? From high-end bikes, mostly, yes. But not from all bikes, and shops are putting aftermarket kickstands on customers' bikes every day. They're a quite functional item for some people.

Eugene Sloane wrote a lot of wise stuff, but that quote is about 75% hogwash. People who buy fancy expensive bikes at bike shops don't want kickstands because they're not cool. They (including me) have learned to live without them. But I don't disparage anyone who chooses to put one on.

Pre-loctite? Chemistry professor Vernon Krieble invented anaerobic threadlocker adhesives in his basement lab at Trinity College here in Hartford in 1953, and it went on sale under the name Loctite in 1965.


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

JCavilia said:


> Kickstands disappeared? From high-end bikes, mostly, yes.


That's all I meant and all Sloan was referring to. The book was oriented toward to serious riders who getting their first 10-speeds with drops.



> Pre-loctite? Chemistry professor Vernon Krieble invented anaerobic threadlocker adhesives in his basement lab at Trinity College here in Hartford in 1953, and it went on sale under the name Loctite in 1965.


Okay, fine, but when's the first time you can remember hearing about this stuff? I don't think I remember hearing anyone talk about using Loctite on anything until probably at least the mid 80s. I sure hadn't heard of it in 1974.


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## AndreyT (Dec 1, 2011)

What a weird thread. Let's see...

* A foam seat - a matter of personal preference and an easily exchangeable component. Could be a necessity for some people. No problem here. 
* A kickstand - an attachable component. Remove at any time, put it back at any time - no harm done to the bike. In certain kind of use could be a necessity. Again, no problem here.
* Drilled rims and tires - an easily exchangeable component. No problem here. 
* A flat bar - a matter of personal preference or even a necessity, depending on the intended use of the bike. Not even mentioning that it is an exchangeable component (as virtually everything on the bike).

So, what do we have here... The original post claims that the bike is "ruined". Ruined? Why does it claim that? Hard to say, but apparently the author of the original post has some issues that make him come up with bizarre statements about other people's bikes for no reason whatsoever. Not such a rare occurrence, usually indicates a concealed inferiority complex.

Read further down the thread... Wow! Most of it looks like a douchebag roll call (borrowing the term from post #6), where the local "talent" crawls out of their hiding holes, happy to dice some unknown person's bike for whatever reason. At the same time I'm glad to see that there are normal people here as well.

The bike is perfectly OK. Nothing to write home about. In fact, give that guy a medal for what he did to his bike. A kickstand is a small price to pay for making so many poseurs to mouthfoam like that.


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## Captain Duderino (Apr 10, 2012)

These mish-mash race-upright bikes seem to me to be the pedal-bike equivalent of the kaw z1000 motorcycle- far sportier than a harley whilst not being a back-breaking extreme-"uniform required" race bike. Those and their kind are referred to as "standard" and "sport-standard" mcycles. Most non-cyclists don't see a difference in any bicycles except between "normal" tires and "those crazy skinny (der, how do you even balance on those?)" tires. We're all moving targets whether we're aero or comfy. The only crime I see is shops cruelly selling pillow post-ends.


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## Bill2 (Oct 14, 2007)

mpre53 said:


> And I bet they all ride 13.9 cm frames, too.
> 
> He did write that the frame was 139 mm, didn't he? I'm not imagining that, am I?


That must be the stem. Only a lemur could ride a 13.9 cm frame.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

AndreyT said:


> What a weird thread. Let's see...
> 
> * A foam seat - a matter of personal preference and an easily exchangeable component. Could be a necessity for some people. No problem here.
> * A kickstand - an attachable component. Remove at any time, put it back at any time - no harm done to the bike. In certain kind of use could be a necessity. Again, no problem here.
> ...


Thank you for bringing some common sense to this thread... 

There is nothing wrong with that bike...


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

Dave Hickey said:


> Thank you for bringing some common sense to this thread...
> 
> There is nothing wrong with that bike...


Yep, nothing at all. Everyone should spend ~$3500 dollars to build a $500 townie bike.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Aside from the bolt-on kickstand which has real potential to damage the thin carbon chainstay, nothing has been done that can't be undone (except the kickstand issue.) 

The mechanic that installed that kickstand should be beaten with it.


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

ClancyO said:


> Yep, nothing at all. Everyone should spend ~$3500 dollars to build a $500 townie bike.


Some people wear $5000 watches to tell the time.

Who cares?


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

ClancyO said:


> Yep, nothing at all. Everyone should spend ~$3500 dollars to build a $500 townie bike.


Yes how silly to spend ~$3500 for a townie. No one would ever do such a thing. There's just no need or demand for it.

But then why does Cannondale sell a flat bar carbon fiber townie for $3,300? 
https://www.cannondale.com/2012/bikes/recreation-urban/recreation/quick/2012-quick-carbon-1-21014


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

ClancyO said:


> Yep, nothing at all. Everyone should spend ~$3500 dollars to build a $500 townie bike.


Im'a guess this $500 townie bike cost around 6k.

Vanilla Bicycles - The Bikes

Same with this POS. Vanilla Bicycles - The Bikes
it's even got a kickstand. What a dork.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> Okay, fine, but when's the first time you can remember hearing about this stuff? I don't think I remember hearing anyone talk about using Loctite on anything until probably at least the mid 80s. I sure hadn't heard of it in 1974.


Can't remember when I first heard of Loctite, but I'd guess much earlier than that.

I also committed a typo. It went on sale in 1956, not 1965.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

ClancyO said:


> Yep, nothing at all. Everyone should spend ~$3500 dollars to build a $500 townie bike.


For 99.9% of the population, spending $3500 on _any _bike is insanity...

It's amazing to me how judgmental people on this board are about the looks of someones bike...

Who the hell cares as long as they are riding it....


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

ClancyO said:


> Yep, nothing at all. Everyone should spend ~$3500 dollars to build a $500 townie bike.


Does everyone have to do the same thing? Does a thing have to be the right thing for everyone, or else it's wrong? 

The apparent need for conformity among little groups of enthusiasts always amuses me. This happens in all kinds of activities, not just cycling. We so easily jump from "I wouldn't do that to my bike," to "he committed a sin by doing that to his bike." We seem to have a need to Balkanize ourselves into smaller and smaller groups. Adults who regularly ride bicycles in the US are probably less then 5% of the population. Isn't that a selective enough group? Do we have to disparage another cyclist because he puts a different handlebar on his bike?

Nobody needs to spend $3000 to get a townie bike. But nobody needs to spend $10,000 on a racing bike, either. And yet, some do.

I've said this before in other contexts on this board, but I'll say it again: I'm always glad to see anybody riding a bike, even if it's not the kind of bike I'd ride, and even if they don't ride the way I choose to. As long as they're not endangering anybody, it makes me smile to think of an adult choosing to ride a bicycle. 

Even hipsters who turn classic frames into fixies ;-)


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

JCavilia said:


> Can't remember when I first heard of Loctite, but I'd guess much earlier than that.


Perhaps you were just more aware of this stuff than I was then. But it doesn't appear Sloane had heard of it by then, either. It's not mentioned anywhere in the book, even though it's a standard mention today, e.g., in _Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance_, p. 70. I concede the stuff apparently existed and maybe if I or Sloane had known to go look for it, it could have been found easily enough. I do remember cyanoacrylates showing up sometime in the 70s as Crazy Glue (I remember the TV ads) but I just don't remember it being promoted (widely enough that I remember it) for keeping fasteners from loosening. But after 40 years, memories fade.

Peace.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

Dave Hickey said:


> Who the hell cares as long as they are riding it....


C'mon Dave, you know very well the looks of someone and their ride can reveal a LOT about their level of skill and what they are like as a rider.

Like the guy who shows up in full Saxo Bank kit with a Saxo bank S-Works Tarmac and then proceeds to ride like an ass...


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## Blackbeerthepirate (Apr 26, 2011)

Being happy is hard. If that bike, set up that way, makes that guy happy, great! If that big seat means he can ride longer, great! If those flat bars make him feel safer, great! If schrader valves mean he can air up his tires anywhere, great! If that kickstand means he can park his bike without having to worry about scuffing it up, great!

Not everyone has the same goals in cycling. Not everyone has the same physical abilities. 

I'm just wondering why he's getting rid of the bike.

Maybe, just maybe, he has his eye on a Dogma, and wants to put apehangers, a paperboy basket and bamboo fenders on it. If that makes him happy, great!


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

Blackbeerthepirate said:


> Maybe, just maybe, he has his eye on a Dogma, and wants to put apehangers, a paperboy basket and bamboo fenders on it.


LOL. The apehangers especially made me laugh. Thank you. It's helpful to get a little perspective. It could always be worse.


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## cchase86 (Mar 9, 2010)

The description is the funny part, moreso than opinions on the bike. The poster comes off as rather full of himself.


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Nicole Hamilton said:


> Perhaps you were just more aware of this stuff than I was then. But it doesn't appear Sloane had heard of it by then, either. It's not mentioned anywhere in the book, even though it's a standard mention today, e.g., in _Zinn & the Art of Road Bike Maintenance_, p. 70. I concede the stuff apparently existed and maybe if I or Sloane had known to go look for it, it could have been found easily enough. I do remember cyanoacrylates showing up sometime in the 70s as Crazy Glue (I remember the TV ads) but I just don't remember it being promoted (widely enough that I remember it) for keeping fasteners from loosening. But after 40 years, memories fade.
> 
> Peace.


Chemistry marches on. I remember when superglues came along, late 60's or early 70's -- seems like there were some brands before Krazy Glue, but I'm not sure. There was a lot of talk about surgical uses, and that has finally started to come about. Also remember horror stories about eyelids and fingers.

The "miracle adhesive" that I first remember being advertised was epoxy. "One drop holds two tons!" That was probably in the late 50's (I think I have a couple years on you).

peace to you, too


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## jne3 (Sep 14, 2011)

The fact of the matter is that it's unusual to see that bike modified in that way. We would probably all notice it if we saw it chained up somewhere. Some of us may laugh and some of us may pull the stick out of our butts to whack the laughers with. To each his own on the bike, and to each his own on the reaction to it. The ad is what makes it amusing.


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

I don't really care what anyone does to their bikes, but in the words of a 6 year old, "he started it!"
The guy in his ad was the one telling everyone that we were doing it all wrong. And he has corrected all of the cycling industries errors with his wonder bike.


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

AndreyT;3866221
So said:


> I agree. The thread should have been titled, "how to correct what's wrong with road bikes".:thumbsup:


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## ClancyO (Mar 20, 2011)

T K said:


> I don't really care what anyone does to their bikes, but in the words of a 6 year old, "he started it!"
> The guy in his ad was the one telling everyone that we were doing it all wrong. And he has corrected all of the cycling industries errors with his wonder bike.


^^^ What he said.

The bottom line is that he's using the wrong tool for the job. 

If it makes him happy, if he takes pride in it - who cares. I really don't. When I initially read the ad it made me laugh, then cry. It's a free country and I support his right to do whatever he wants. Now that he wants to sell his creation, the economic truth of what he's done will be revealed to him. Then again, he might get lucky and find the one other person on this planet who shares his beliefs and is willing to part with $1300 for that bike. Who knows...

For those of you that think he did nothing wrong probably find this solution (below) to be perfectly acceptable as well:


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## Nicole Hamilton (Sep 5, 2010)

ClancyO said:


> For those of you that think he did nothing wrong probably find this solution (below) to be perfectly acceptable as well:


Well, that appears to be a full-size Lincoln or maybe an Olds with a vinyl roof. Those are worth keeping and fixing up.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

cda 455 said:


> At least he doesn't have the money invested like this *person*:
> .



LOL,
I'd take the wheels and leave the frame! It's just a Trek


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

ClancyO said:


> ^^^ What he said.
> 
> The bottom line is that he's using the wrong tool for the job.
> 
> ...


Red Green would be proud.


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## tlg (May 11, 2011)

ClancyO said:


> The bottom line is that he's using the wrong tool for the job.


No he's not. If his goal is to get from point A to point B without walking, I'd say his tool does the job just fine.
There are often multiple tools to do the same job. Which of these is the wrong tool for the job? They both do the exact same job. One is much fancier and easier to use. And costs 1500% more money.

$300









$20









If you're the ultimate bike snob.... errr I mean hammer snob, you can get a carbon fiber wrapped titanium hammer for $80. Just 400% more than the wood one. :thumbsup:


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

T K said:


> I don't really care what anyone does to their bikes, but in the words of a 6 year old, "he started it!"
> The guy in his ad was the one telling everyone that we were doing it all wrong. And he has corrected all of the cycling industries errors with his wonder bike.


You have to admit, that bike is pretty much made of cycling industry errors.


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## Lotophage (Feb 19, 2011)

ClancyO said:


> ^^^ What he said.
> 
> The bottom line is that he's using the wrong tool for the job.
> 
> ...


Any bike you ride is a good bike. 

As for the economic reality, the economic reality is that, even if the bike was un-altered, he'd be lucky to get 1k for a 6 year old bike. If he broke 700 I'd be surprised, even if it was completely unaltered.


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

robdamanii said:


> Red Green would be proud.


I love Red Green. Didn't he turn his van into a boat or somthing?


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## jne3 (Sep 14, 2011)

Guess he didn't know about this "upgrade"...


https://i1247.photobucket.com/albums/gg638/jneverett3/strangevehicle4.jpg


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## seeborough (Feb 3, 2004)

PlatyPius said:


> That "idiot" is a friend and former customer (from when I worked at Bike Wave). His name is Bart Kaufman. That is his Arizona bike. His Indiana bike is a Cervelo Soloist Carbon set up exactly the same.
> 
> Bart rides more than half of the people on this board probably, even though he has had 3 knee replacements.


Good for your friend to ride quite bit - it's always inspiring to hear stories about people cycling despite their medical limitations. 

But honestly, Tom Boonen could ride this bike and it still would be ugly as shite.


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## robdamanii (Feb 13, 2006)

T K said:


> I love Red Green. Didn't he turn his van into a boat or somthing?


I think he's made everything into....everything.

This is one of my favorites:


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## Salsa_Lover (Jul 6, 2008)

you haven't seen nothing yet


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## JapanDave (Mar 11, 2012)

I once considered adding flat bars to a road bike, b/c I thought road bikes looked to proffesinal and I did not want to look like a poser.Glad I didn't though.


PlatyPius said:


> Bart rides more than half of the people on this board probably, even though he has had 3 knee replacements.


Just curious, if you know that is, what was his diagnosis on his knee to require 3 knee replacements?


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## Zombie John (Jul 25, 2011)

Yeah, the guy can ride what he wants to. Its a free country.

But you have to admit the bikes pictured here are quite funky and eccentric. 

To me, its all about how the rider/owner feels about the bike. I had a friend that drove a 1982 Datsun pickup everywhere he went. It looked like utter crap and he thought that was hilarious. Over the years it got more dents and more rust spots but he never fixed it. It was a joke to him and that was cool.

However, if he'd pulled up next to a Corvette and acted like his **** didn't stink that would be a different story.

The ad in the OP sounds like the latter.


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## Dan333sp (Aug 17, 2010)

I posted this earlier in the thread, either he got a new saddle/bar rubber or there are 2 people this foolish on the planet!


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## askmass (Sep 28, 2009)

That's a markedly different position between the two above.

The first is fairly aggressive, with an SLR tilted down.

In the second, we've got the straight bar jacked up with an extendo stem, plus the seat tube has been chopped to nothing and a plush Prologo in red has been added, nose up.

I wonder if it is the same guy, and what is the story behind this story, lol...


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## loskaos (Apr 26, 2009)

even the lock is awfull


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## terrabyss (Apr 17, 2012)

people are getting more weird this time around...


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## mitali (Apr 17, 2012)

Bart has a very unique style. I wonder if the drag he creates with the upright back position balances out with the aerodynamics of those Zipp 808.


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## Dan333sp (Aug 17, 2010)

I'd hazard a guess that the gain you get from riding in the drops vs. the hoods on the average road bike on a flat road makes a bigger difference in power saved at a given speed than going from a good pair of non-aero wheels like Kysrium Elites or something to Zipp 808s. With that in mind, there is absolutely no way having deep dish wheels like those would "offset" riding nearly vertically on flat bars. Still, although we laugh, if I had virtually unlimited disposable income I'd have something similar for around town errands just to stick it to the unwashed masses :thumbsup:


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## tom_h (May 6, 2008)

*reminds me of this ...*

"Bert & the Evolution of the Road Bike"
.


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## lancerracer (Nov 22, 2004)

I would like to know the whole story behind that bike. There was a lot more things done to it than just the flat bars etc. The dura ace group isn't from 2006, it is more from the late 90's, early 00's...


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## some123 (Apr 21, 2012)

Thanks


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## PlatyPius (Feb 1, 2009)

some123 said:


> Thanks


You're not welcome.

What is so hard about boosting your post count by posting something *real*?


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

PlatyPius said:


> You're not welcome.
> 
> What is so hard about boosting your post count by posting something *real*?


Yeah. 
Whoo hoo! 977 posts, 1000 here I come!


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## Bobcataville (Sep 19, 2012)

*I'm quite proud of mine*

I've done a flat bar conversion, quite proud of it actually.
It's high spec with lots of vintage MTB stuff on it, I don't commute, but it's my townie.
Built from scratch with traded/salvaged components.
Where's a link to the bikeforums thread you started? 
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-LosFnxTy6M0/UFnnponXrFI/AAAAAAAADfI/N6O0TRQK1zQ/s912/IMG_2425.JPG">
<br>
<img src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-bIeeFXXYIT4/UFnnpgqXv2I/AAAAAAAADfI/YTcWHendr3g/s640/IMG_2426.JPG">


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## just2wheels (Sep 19, 2012)

and I betcha the guy thought it's worth more with all this stuff.... LOL:lol:


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## Bobcataville (Sep 19, 2012)

CycoBob said:


> Gotta give people credit for making their bike into what they want it to be- without regard for convention or popular opinion. Albeit, some of their choices may be foolish or counter-productive.....


Probably depends on how many bikes you have. I've got a proper 20sp carbon that actually gets ridden, this was fun to build and is faster than anything else of the same purpose. 

I get so many compliments on the bike, from riders to racers to chicks checking it out on the street (unfortunately, the bike not me). 

What is convention & popular opinion? They sell purpose build flat bar road bikes in mass quantities. 

I've got a pimp ride to scoot around town on...where's the counter-productivity? 

Now your post, that's foolish & counter-productive. Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all?


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## JCavilia (Sep 12, 2005)

Bobcataville said:


> Now your post, that's foolish & counter-productive. Didn't your mother ever tell you that if you don't have anything nice to say don't say anything at all?


I don't know what the rest or your post meant (or why Cyco dredged up this 5-month-old thread), but I've gotta defend him against this baseless accusation. How can you say he had nothing nice to say when his post began, "Gotta give people credit . . ."?


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## Bobcataville (Sep 19, 2012)

JCavilia said:


> I don't know what the rest or your post meant (or why Cyco dredged up this 5-month-old thread), but I've gotta defend him against this baseless accusation. How can you say he had nothing nice to say when his post began, "Gotta give people credit . . ."?


I had dredged it back up posting pics of the town bike I had built (essentially a flat bar road bike), I can't see them anymore so maybe the moderator thought they were that bad.

The post didn't seem to be about giving credit, the basis was "without regard for convention or popular opinion" and "foolish or counter-productive"
I'll retract any accusations.


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## ziscwg (Apr 19, 2010)

tlg said:


> Yes how silly to spend ~$3500 for a townie. No one would ever do such a thing. There's just no need or demand for it.
> 
> But then why does Cannondale sell a flat bar carbon fiber townie for $3,300?
> QUICK CARBON 1


Because someone will buy it that only wants to cruise 10-30 miles and be comfortable. I have seen 2 out in the wild.


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## King Arthur (Nov 13, 2009)

martinrjensen said:


> Did you ever ask him why he would do this? I mean, really it defies normal reason. There has to be a reason more than just wanting to waste a couple thousand bucks. Does he realize what this bike says about him? and it definitely says something about him, make no mistake about that. weather you like it or not this guy wants to stand out from the crowd in an extremely eccentric way. that's about the nicest way I can put it. he's pushing the envelope on normalcy here.
> EDIT: On further reflection I was a little harsh, but still the question needs to be asked. Why do this if not to incite violent reaction. This could "no way" have resulted in a better riding bike than one designed for this purpose, plus it would have cost what, 4 times as much as a bike designed for easy bike trails, which I would have to say this one would be suited for,; that and grocery shopping. I will stick by my statement that the person wanted to make a statement and that is what this bike is about. I will back of on just what statement he is trying to make but I will say he definitely wanted to be noticed. I mean he had to go way out of his way to do this. definitely outside of the box thinking going on here.


I guess I don't understand why all the cycling "haters" here. Got a few folks I know with either bad backs or post surgery on back or neck, and need a more upright position.
I heard of one person, who did not have the money for a "new bike" but had a road bike and with a little investment could make their bike "ridable" for them.
Before you begin to judge someone, perhaps walking a mile in the other person's shoes may be desirable.:thumbsup:


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## Bobcataville (Sep 19, 2012)

My bad on the 1st reply. Cheers


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## RubyRoad (Sep 14, 2012)

Bobcataville said:


> I had dredged it back up posting pics of the town bike I had built (essentially a flat bar road bike), I can't see them anymore so maybe the moderator thought they were that bad.


I can still see you original post, so it is not deleted. Probably you have figured it out by know, that if you don't set the forum display mode to linear than it organizes the posts in a weird order, may be that is why you did not find your original post.
And on the subject, I know how good is it to ride around town in a fast and comfortable bike. Enjoy your bike!


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## MXL (Jun 26, 2012)

cda 455 said:


> At least he doesn't have the money invested like this *person*:
> .


That's how we often find stolen bikes. It's usually some vagrant who unwittingly hauls off with an expensive bike and adorns it with crap - it's not the bike that impresses their friends but the stuff hanging from the frame and handlebars.


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