# 7 reasons for new bikes uglynness:



## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

oversized tubing
aluminum
carbon
compact geometry
no heraldic headbadges
black rims,stems, cranks, bars, posts
lightweight saddles


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

colker1 said:


> oversized tubing
> aluminum
> carbon
> compact geometry
> ...


Eight:

High zoot wheels. Lightweight, with those butt ugly kevlar spokes, are the worse....They look like Tinker Toy wheels

Nine:

Carbon ergonomic bars- What's wrong with silver Cinelli Giro 'd Italia bars?

Ten: 

Threadless stems. Nothing is more elegant than a Cinelli XA stem


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

sigh.. i agree. weekend riders on US$1000 wheels... doesn't make any sense. 
and ahead stems with bolts all over the place.


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## Reynolds531 (Nov 8, 2002)

*One more*



colker1 said:


> oversized tubing
> aluminum
> carbon
> compact geometry
> ...


Straight blade forks instead of elegant, graceful curve and taper.


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## Thommy (Sep 23, 2003)

*Twelve*

butt ugly integrated head sets.
Thirteen: carbon, carbon carbon. Too many componants that shoul not be in carbon.
Fourteen: Canondales in Aluminum.
Fifteen: Rivendales. Do we really need those stems a foot in the air?


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Oversized bottom brackets with the diameter of a granny gear...


....the sub $600 fixie....


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## TurboTurtle (Feb 4, 2004)

colker1 said:


> oversized tubing
> aluminum
> carbon
> compact geometry
> ...


Anything with a 'molded' look. - TF


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## midlife_xs's (Jun 18, 2004)

colker1 said:


> oversized tubing
> aluminum
> carbon
> compact geometry
> ...


Is this No. 16? - Colnago carbon fiber diamond holed chainstays. Are these the HPs?,whatever they are called they should be Number 1.


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

midlife_xs's said:


> Is this No. 16? - Colnago carbon fiber diamond holed chainstays. Are these the HPs?,whatever they are called they should be Number 1.


Those are hideous. The Pinarello curved fork and stays aren't much better


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## midlife_xs's (Jun 18, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> Those are hideous. The Pinarello curved fork and stays aren't much better


Those too! 

I thought they just add extra mass with no discernible advantage...except to look different


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

and carbon rear stays / rear triangles. old campy pedals are so beautifull; i give to the modern cleats and engaging system their somewhat superior function but an old record pedal? pure beauty..
cup and cone BBs are nicer and lighter than modern disposable units.


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## bobj (Sep 29, 2004)

17. What about those big ugly STI levers?
18. Rear brake cable stops
19. big fat carbon forks


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## MikeBiker (Mar 9, 2003)

When the replaced the elegant 'ordinary' with the ugly 'safety' frame, the beauty of bikes went downhill.


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## filtersweep (Feb 4, 2004)

Any saddle with a cutout.

Mini frame pumps


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

bobj said:


> 17. What about those big ugly STI levers?
> 18. Rear brake cable stops
> 19. big fat carbon forks


i hear ya. internal cable routing is so sweet and carbon forks..ALL bikes must havea carbon fork. not mine. 
big ugly RATTLING STI levers.


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## Djudd (Jan 29, 2004)

*"Compact" geometry is ruining the TdF....*



colker1 said:


> oversized tubing
> aluminum
> carbon
> compact geometry
> ...


I've waited for years to see the TdF on American TV, now that it is here the bikes are terrible!!!!! Imagine 4 hours of stage coverage in say 1975...Merckx in Molteni colors on the orange bike!!! Or 1986, Lemond and Hinault on La Vie Claire detailed Looks or 1989 Lemond on a Bottecchia...the mind boggles!!!! What do we have now carboned compacted horribly disfigured bike-like things (end of rant ... thank you)


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

now this is beauty imho.


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## merckxman (Jan 23, 2002)

*When You Combine Everything Bad...a De Rosa Tango*

what where they thinking?


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## JaeP (Mar 12, 2002)

*Grumpy Old Men*

You guys all sound like grumpy old men. I used to be that way too until I couldn't pass up a great deal on a Schwinn Fastback frame (2001) and carbon fork. Since I was building up a "new" bike I decided to finally use STI. Let's face it, STI is/was a wonderful invention! (Granted they are no real advantage on long rides with your buddies but they are helpful when you are sprinting to that next signpost with those buddies). So was the threadless system (no more busting your knuckles trying to manipulate two open ended wrenches). The cartridge bottom bracket was a godsend too (see threadless system above). 

Technology can be a good thing.

BTW, 6 of my 7 bikes are steel (including an original Stumpjumper with above bar thumbshifters) and they have downtube shifters.


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## Maybeck (Sep 30, 2004)

Djudd said:


> I've waited for years to see the TdF on American TV, now that it is here the bikes are terrible!!!!! Imagine 4 hours of stage coverage in say 1975...Merckx in Molteni colors on the orange bike!!! Or 1986, Lemond and Hinault on La Vie Claire detailed Looks or 1989 Lemond on a Bottecchia...the mind boggles!!!! What do we have now carboned compacted horribly disfigured bike-like things (end of rant ... thank you)


And helmets. Man do those things look stupid.


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## Djudd (Jan 29, 2004)

JaeP said:


> You guys all sound like grumpy old men.


UHHH yes, we are I think we've been pretty open about that...grumpy old men who love beautiful bikes. Seriously, did you see that monstrosity that is posted above pretending to be a Pinarello. Part of the reason I fell hard for road bikes at 11 or 12 was the beauty of the form. I've only grown to appreciate that form more as I've gotten older. Now garish paint jobs and ugly machines are everywhere...like my granddad used to say "I don't know what's happening but it ain't good"


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## Djudd (Jan 29, 2004)

*I concur !!! nm*



colker1 said:


> now this is beauty imho.


NM NM NM NM


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## bwana (Feb 4, 2005)

Machine made TIG welds


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## Guest (Jul 16, 2005)

colker1 said:


> now this is beauty imho.


This one hurts my feelings.

All those years I wanted a Gios Torino.

I finally find one this year, all record except for the Modolo Master Pro brakes. I buy it, it is way too small.

I FINALLY find, and buy a Gios - only to have to sell it again.

Colker - that is a beautiful bike.


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## vol245 (Jan 20, 2002)

colker1 said:


> now this is beauty imho.


That is a very nice frame and fork. I also hate the look of new bikes with all their black parts - carbon or not. Try to find new non-anatomic silver handlebars. 

My bike is lugged steel with a steel fork and threaded headet. Components are Campy Centaur, Chorus headset and Phil wood bb. Wheels are Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke. It is heavy, but at least it looks like a bike.


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## Maybeck (Sep 30, 2004)

I've never seen a Super Record with chrome. Did yours actually come like that or did you have that done? Still waiting for my SR to back from the paint shop (going on 6 months now). Oh well, next winter's project.


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

vol245 said:


> That is a very nice frame and fork. I also hate the look of new bikes with all their black parts - carbon or not. Try to find new non-anatomic silver handlebars.
> 
> My bike is lugged steel with a steel fork and threaded headet. Components are Campy Centaur, Chorus headset and Phil wood bb. Wheels are Mavic Open Pro 32 spoke. It is heavy, but at least it looks like a bike.


heavy? mine is built like yours but with centaur BB. why would i want a lighter bike?


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

toomanybikes said:


> This one hurts my feelings.
> 
> All those years I wanted a Gios Torino.
> 
> ...


and i want one too! the gentleman holding it i believe to be joe bell, the painter. those gios have the most beautifull paint scheme.. i bet they ride like they look.


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

Maybeck said:


> I've never seen a Super Record with chrome. Did yours actually come like that or did you have that done? Still waiting for my SR to back from the paint shop (going on 6 months now). Oh well, next winter's project.


it's not mine.. picked it from joe bell's website. i've given some thought to those gios super record replicas.


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## collectorvelo (Oct 30, 2003)

*both can be good*

Technology is a great thing - when applied properly

ART is also great

modern bikes work great - but are not nearly as artful as classics

and of course; nothing rides as good as high grade steel


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## Nessism (Feb 6, 2004)

*You won't like my new bike then...*

Garage built frame.

Super oversized tubing: 1-3/8" down tube, 1-1/4" top and seat tube

Thin Foco down tube - .65/.45/65 mm 

Reynolds carbon fork

STI/Ergo cable stops

Ahead stem

Vertical drop-outs

Sorry! At least it uses lugs   


Ed


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Beautiful. Who's garage was it made in?


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## Nessism (Feb 6, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> Beautiful. Who's garage was it made in?


Mine...or maybe I should say my landlords. He gave me the green light to make it and even came around occasionally to check progress.

Kenai is an area in Alaska where my father is from.

Still need to figure out how to reproduce the head tube badge. Frame is a little naked without it.

Ed


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## Dave Hickey (Jan 27, 2002)

Nessism said:


> Mine...or maybe I should say my landlords. He gave me the green light to make it and even came around occasionally to check progress.
> 
> Kenai is an area in Alaska where my father is from.
> 
> ...


Excellent job. Did you take any work in progress pictures? What did you use for a jig?


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## colker1 (Jan 2, 2003)

*actually i do!*

excellent dialetics nessism. it's wrong but then it's right. TASTY. SWEET steel, handmade by you... and black w/ white panels. what else can i ask? hmmm..a level top tube, shrink those tubes back to smaller diameter, a 1 in headtube, horiz drop outs and a steel fork.. voila!perfect!


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## Nessism (Feb 6, 2004)

Dave Hickey said:


> Excellent job. Did you take any work in progress pictures? What did you use for a jig?


Thanks for the kind words. 

No work in progress photos, maybe next time.

As for tooling, I made an alignment plate but do not use a jig per say. A jig saves time but does not assure a properly aligned frame. The key is to take your time and measure everything before brazing. 

Ed


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## midlife_xs's (Jun 18, 2004)

Should be very rewarding to put together a frame as nice as that.

I remember in the '80s while in the Far East, you can buy a set of tubes and lugs from bicycle stores (Tange, Ishiwata, Reynolds, Prestige or ordinary Cromoly) and asked a frame maker to build you one. The framebuilder will use either bronze or silver to weld them together depending how much you'll like to spend. The tubes were put together using a wooden table made as a jig.
If I knew then cycling would become a passion, I would have apprenticed from these guys so I could build myself a frame now. 

A very successful businessman was asked what is his definition of happiness. He said, "not money, but achievement - you can buy the most expensive things but the feeling wont last, not as long as having the feeling that you achieved something."


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## GirchyGirchy (Feb 12, 2004)

About the grumpy old men comment - while I agree a lot of the stuff is ugly, nothing was mentioned about the functionality. I like my STI levers, even though they're not pretty. And my bike has black wheels with a chunky crankset and TIG welds, but it's steel and comfortable.

My next bike's gonna be more æsthetically pleasing.


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## asterisk (Oct 21, 2003)

GirchyGirchy said:


> About the grumpy old men comment - while I agree a lot of the stuff is ugly, nothing was mentioned about the functionality.


I can still hear it now... 

"Get off my lawn you kids with your damned STI levers, threadless stems and aluminum compact frames! Back in my day our bikes weighed as much as subcompacts and we rode them in the big chainring uphill in three feet of snow!"

I still don't think anything with more than one gear is necessarily the pinnacle of aesthetically pleasing velos. Now a vintage track bike, extreme angle threaded stem, lugs, high flange hubs, tubs, sweeping track drops... now that's a bike!


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## Guest (Jul 18, 2005)

Nessism said:


> Thanks for the kind words.
> 
> No work in progress photos, maybe next time.
> 
> ...


Can you give details or even better, a picture or two, of your alignment plate??


I'm getting set up to do thesame thing.


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## Nessism (Feb 6, 2004)

toomanybikes said:


> Can you give details or even better, a picture or two, of your alignment plate??
> 
> 
> I'm getting set up to do thesame thing.


The plate is a slab of steel that was Blanchard ground. Drilled and tapped a hole from 3/4" drill rod and lathe cut a cylindrical pedestal to mount the bottom bracket to. PM me your email and I'll send some photos your way. 

If you don't have access to a lathe, call Joe Bringeli http://bringheli.com/components.html He's a super nice guy and his prices can't be beat.

Good luck.

Ed


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## Jesse D Smith (Jun 11, 2005)

merckxman said:


> what where they thinking?


It looks like it was accidentally left on the car's dashboard with the windows rolled up, parked in the hot sun. That, or an improperly cooked ShrinkyDink. 

I'll add a few more,
Carbon shell saddles.
Carbon weave anything-seatposts, cranks, forks, tubes, handlebars, etc. 
I'll have to put compact geometry at the top of the list. One step away from a department store girls bike.
Clamp-on front derailleurs. 
Quick release seatposts-looks like you're supposed to flip the lever after you're finished wiping. 
Carbon waterbottle cages. If you want a coffee cup holder, ride in a car or sit in a lawn chair.


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## janix (Mar 24, 2006)

lugged steel... yum yum!


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## Number9 (Nov 28, 2004)

Agree in part, disagree in part. Here's my favorite old school bike, a custom Marinoni, and my favorite modern bike, a Colnago C-40 (and the latter is frankly, a much better bike, in the go-fast appliance sense). The new bike is better in every performance related way, and at least to me, doesn't look much worse. YMMV.


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## MDGColorado (Nov 9, 2004)

*Loud Graphics*

Graphics. 

Too much:










Just right:









The Specialized looks like it's going racing--in NASCAR.


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