# I have drunk the Kool Aid



## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

New owner of a Windsor Fens here. Just arrived yesterday, but waiting on pedals (Nashbar Look clones) and a new saddle (Sette Lynx) to take it for a spin. The saddle that comes with these is an abomination, but other than that nothing to complain about for the money. Little porky at 21 lbs, but nothing surprising looking at the wheels and crankset. Still lighter than my '89 Schwinn Prelude that has been converted to 7 speed Sora STI, stiffer too I'm sure. I'm 37 and just quit smoking two weeks ago so this bike is ABOVE what I'd ever really need. Kinda evident by the flipped stem I'm a little more recreation based right now. MIGHT upgrade wheels in a year, but that's more dependent on my level of riding and not just for upgradeitis.


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## needforspeedsteve (Sep 23, 2004)

Good for you and welcome back to the sport! I would recommend getting a cyclocomputer (I like the Cateye line, but there are tons of makes and models and basic one are only around $20 to $30). It adds a lot of enjoyment to the ride knowing how far you went, avg speed, etc. Good luck with your new ride. Like Eddie Merckx says, to get better "ride lots".


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

Nice bike. Many people like it from what I've read. 
Ive looked at the Fens myself, although Im not sure how to get a reliable fender set up on that bike. I expect to commute mostly, so Im more inclined to toss in with the Motobecane Fantom Cross.

But aside from the name, it has most of what you could want.


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## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

Yeah the Fantoms would be the way to go if fenders are going on. Fens has eyelets for racks, but the cantilevers of the Fantoms clear up fender room. 

Will take the bike out tomorrow for it's maiden voyage. Got my pedals in today. I've adjusted the hub bearings, trued wheels up slightly, swapped the saddle, shortened up the cables, and put the bottle cages on so I'm ready to roll. I worked as a bike mechanic years ago and work in industrial maintenance now so buying a bike like this is a great way to save money. At this pricepoint it's nice to have 105 components. A lot of people want to upgrade wheels so I don't see the ones that come with the Fens a deal breaker. When I rode 15ish years ago we always had two sets of wheels anyway. One for training and another (tubular generally) for racing. Kinda don't get people's obsession with low spoke lightweight wheels for daily riding, but cycling is definitely a snobbier hobby than it was years ago so I can see where that comes from. WOULD be nice to see a more modern outboard bearing crankset, preferrably (more like guaranteed) a little lighter as well although there's nothing functionally wrong with the FSA. Matter of fact I have a FSA Vero Compact on my Schwinn. I think it's a good value for $700 for those mechanically inclined. Maybe truing/tensioning wheels should be left up to a shop, but other than that there's nothing hard about building a bike.


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

I'm in the same business as you - industrial maintenance. I don't have any worries about the setup or assembly, and I was building bikes when I was 12. Now, I'm not obsessed with the details of components and makers as some are, but I'm learning fast here at RBR. 
However, I reckon that if I can maintain, program, control and manage an entire pharmaceutical manufacturing department, then I can work on a bike! 

(BTW, truing wheels is not more difficult than anything else, if you have the proper tools. About all you need is a spoke wrench, a magic marker and a way to support the bike so you can work on it.)

I chuckle a little, in fact, when I hear it said that without a bike shop, you are adrift on the cycling sea. So many layers of esoterica and "mystery" are set up around cycling, yet the nuts and bolts of it are dead easy. Much of this strikes me as self serving for the snobs themselves, giving them an outlet for that certain haughty exclusivity they seem to enjoy. 

The bike shop has two things going for it, though: a stock of items and warranty service. They can have a selection of things on hand you may want, so you don't have to wait on the mail. And when warranty becomes an issue they can generally do something about it right now. 
But BD, SportyMama and others have gotten much better at handling these things by all accounts, much to their credit. So even those lines are starting to blur.

Congrats on your Fens and lets hear how the first ride went.


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## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

Truing a wheel isn't hard, but proper tensioning goes a long way towards reliability. I pluck them with my fingers to listen for an even tone, but don't know what the tension is other than looking for them to be about the same. 

Rode the bike for a 10 mile loop around the house. Pretty comfortable to be honest. Maybe that's because the tires are huge, 700 x 23 my azz! The 700 x 25 Nashbar Prima 2s on my Schwinn are narrower than these alleged 700 x 23 Michelin Dynamics. Straddling the fence on whether or not to change tires. Shifting was good and it felt good out of the saddle. Like the handlebars better than what's on the Prelude, which are pretty narrow at 38cm C-C. Fens has 44cm C-C iirc from my measurement. Plus I'm digging the ergonomic bend so a handlebar swap is in the Schwinn's future. I'm keeping it to be for rainy days and easier rides with a little more upright positioning. It'll take a few weeks for my cyclocomputer to get here though, $5.04 shipped straight from China. 

Looking forward to putting more miles in the legs and getting the cardio back in shape after years of smoking. Hoping to do the three gap or six gap ride next year so I've got some goals to fulfill.


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

ohvrolla said:


> Truing a wheel isn't hard, but proper tensioning goes a long way towards reliability. I pluck them with my fingers to listen for an even tone, but don't know what the tension is other than looking for them to be about the same.
> 
> Rode the bike for a 10 mile loop around the house. Pretty comfortable to be honest. Maybe that's because the tires are huge, 700 x 23 my azz! The 700 x 25 Nashbar Prima 2s on my Schwinn are narrower than these alleged 700 x 23 Michelin Dynamics. Straddling the fence on whether or not to change tires. Shifting was good and it felt good out of the saddle. Like the handlebars better than what's on the Prelude, which are pretty narrow at 38cm C-C. Fens has 44cm C-C iirc from my measurement. Plus I'm digging the ergonomic bend so a handlebar swap is in the Schwinn's future. I'm keeping it to be for rainy days and easier rides with a little more upright positioning. It'll take a few weeks for my cyclocomputer to get here though, $5.04 shipped straight from China.
> 
> Looking forward to putting more miles in the legs and getting the cardio back in shape after years of smoking. Hoping to do the three gap or six gap ride next year so I've got some goals to fulfill.


Sounds great! Im half convinced to snag a Fens and let the fender situation work itself out!
Im really a road biker at heart, anyway, so...
I got me one of those little $5 cyclocomps, too, just for the heck of it. Im mostly interested in elapsed time and some approximation of distance traveled. All the other features that the big dog computers have aren't all that important to me.

I spotted those Nashbar pedals today, like you got. $25, right?


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## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

Yeah, that's the pedals. Jury is still out on them though until I ride with the new cleats that came with the pedals and after tightening the release up. Spindle could be smoother.


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

ohvrolla said:


> Yeah, that's the pedals. Jury is still out on them though until I ride with the new cleats that came with the pedals and after tightening the release up. Spindle could be smoother.


Cool! I found a Gavin Acele for $375 today, on Craigslist. It's got about 50 miles on it and it's similar to the Fens. Maybe a short step below. Same general Taiwanese frame, undoubtedly the same negatives because its not a Trek, Giant, Felt, etc....

It has Tiagra/105 gearset, carbon fork and a Truvativ/SRAM crankset.
At the price, I can make it work. If the deal goes through, Ill look out for those pedals. Ride on, dude!


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## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

Criagslist is less than impressive for my area, so good for you for finding anything!! 

Pedals feel fine with the supplied cleats, and the new ones still clip in the the older Looks just fine as well. Good luck!


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

ohvrolla said:


> Criagslist is less than impressive for my area, so good for you for finding anything!!
> 
> Pedals feel fine with the supplied cleats, and the new ones still clip in the the older Looks just fine as well. Good luck!


I consider the Gavin a lucky find, for sure. My local area CL doesn't usually see many bikes worth owning. Im just looking to get going, though, so I hammer it as part of my acquisition strategy.

I do like that Fens, though. Fenders would be a challenge, but not an insurmountable one. 
You'd think they could have come up with a slightly more sensible name, though. Fens?


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## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

Haha, I can only imagine when Windsor was a "real" company they produced a bike called a Fens. Just took a look at a Gavin Acele, same basic recipe as the Bikes Direct bikes. Nothing wrong with that imo as can be seen by my purchase! My weakness demands a triple though, haha.


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

ohvrolla said:


> Haha, I can only imagine when Windsor was a "real" company they produced a bike called a Fens. Just took a look at a Gavin Acele, same basic recipe as the Bikes Direct bikes. Nothing wrong with that imo as can be seen by my purchase! My weakness demands a triple though, haha.


I think I can live with a double, as I don't have but one hill I really have to contend with. Thats the deal with CX bikes 'aint it - 'Crossers carry their bikes up hills, so who needs those low end gears?! Having the triple seems a good idea, but I also know that the differences between the gears is subtle... and maybe moot. For the money, I'm trusting I can make do. But if I can find just one person who has fendered his Fens (Fendered Fens), I could think otherwise.

The Acele is indeed what you say - "the same basic recipe." Gavin/RBI claims it is a Tri bike, which I guess they can. I don't really get that, myself. But the same basic recipe can be found with most bikes in the under $1200 class, regardless of advertising hype.

For example, I just heard from an LBS in the next city about my wishes for a bike. I told them I was looking at the Motobecane 'Fantom Cross' for commuting and they came back recommending low end CX bikes from Giant and Specialized. Both with inferior components all around... Shimano 2300/Sora, no carbon fork, generic Alex wheels and so on.

I know they have to push their brands. But when you make a side by side comparison of the bikes, add in my own mech skills and then factor in that they are 45 minutes away just to hit their door, well... the lines begin to blur, once again. I'll buy component parts from them when I'm over that way, but I don't think I will be buying a new bike there.


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## biken (Jul 20, 2010)

Great looking bike.. I am considering the Motobecane Vent Noir for the same price as your Fens.. Hope you don't mind me asking, but how tall are you and what size bike did you get?

I really want to order one online, but I am worried about selecting the right size.. Any tips?

THANKS!!!


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

biken said:


> Great looking bike.. I am considering the Motobecane Vent Noir for the same price as your Fens.. Hope you don't mind me asking, but how tall are you and what size bike did you get?
> 
> I really want to order one online, but I am worried about selecting the right size.. Any tips?
> 
> THANKS!!!


I think what matters is how tall are YOU and have you checked your stand over inseam height? There isnt much you can do about fitting length of pull (seat to bars) - youll just a have to adjust the seat and work with different stems to get that right.
The Vent Noir is a nice bike, and comes well regarded by some knowledgeable people. I like the Fens just a little more for it's full 105 kit, though .


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## biken (Jul 20, 2010)

Yeah I am 5'11'' with a 33.5" inseam.. According to the online fit calculators I should be on a 57cm bike... So that puts me right in the middle of the 56 & 58 bikes.. I noticed that BikesDirect is sold out of both the 56 and 58 size Fens... So I was hoping to go with the Vent Noir as the next best option.

However, my concern is do I go with the smaller 56 or the larger 58?


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

biken said:


> Yeah I am 5'11'' with a 33.5" inseam.. According to the online fit calculators I should be on a 57cm bike... So that puts me right in the middle of the 56 & 58 bikes.. I noticed that BikesDirect is sold out of both the 56 and 58 size Fens... So I was hoping to go with the Vent Noir as the next best option.
> 
> However, my concern is do I go with the smaller 56 or the larger 58?


Generally, the larger, when the difference is small. Watch the 'Tour riders, a little. Those guys have some serious leg extension - a somewhat larger frame shouldn't hurt. When a frame is grossly over sized, though, it can become both a comfort and safety issue. But you can adjust seat posts and stems on a _slightly_ larger frame - whereas you run out of options when your frame is too small. 
Remember you adapt to the cycle when you buy online. You get it as close as you can, and then you have to make it work.

BTW, did you measure that stand over? You arent using your trouser length are you?


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## biken (Jul 20, 2010)

Yeah, I used the 'level between the legs' to measure it.. Here's the site I used:

http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

biken said:


> Yeah, I used the 'level between the legs' to measure it.. Here's the site I used:
> 
> http://www.competitivecyclist.com/za/CCY?PAGE=FIT_CALCULATOR_INTRO


Good enough


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## ohvrolla (Aug 2, 2009)

I'm somewhere between 5'8" and 5'9" riding a 54cm Windsor. One thing to be mindful of is top tube length, which is probably the most important measurement as long as you can straddle the top tube. Let's say you're long legged with a shorter torso, you'd more than likely go for the smaller frame for the shorter top tube. Of course short legged, long torso would steer towards the larger frame for the longer top tube.


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## dahut (May 13, 2010)

ohvrolla said:


> I'm somewhere between 5'8" and 5'9" riding a 54cm Windsor. One thing to be mindful of is top tube length, which is probably the most important measurement as long as you can straddle the top tube. Let's say you're long legged with a shorter torso, you'd more than likely go for the smaller frame for the shorter top tube. Of course short legged, long torso would steer towards the larger frame for the longer top tube.


These are fair points. Im a middle of the road build, so I can go with a longer, larger frame. I think, in general, that this is best, since you can move the seat forward and the shorten the stem if needed. I'm all about leg extension, anyway - I hate being cramped down below. I'm willing to make concessions for that.
But for those with notable size differences as you mention, the top tube could be the overiding factor (no pun intended). Great comments on a fine point of fit and sizing.


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## biken (Jul 20, 2010)

ohvrolla said:


> I'm somewhere between 5'8" and 5'9" riding a 54cm Windsor. One thing to be mindful of is top tube length, which is probably the most important measurement as long as you can straddle the top tube. Let's say you're long legged with a shorter torso, you'd more than likely go for the smaller frame for the shorter top tube. Of course short legged, long torso would steer towards the larger frame for the longer top tube.


Yeah that makes sense.. Seeing that the Fens are sold out in my size, my next best option is the Motobecane Vent Noir. According to the online fit calculator, my top tube size should range from 55 - 57.5cm. The 56cm Vent Noir has a top tube of 56.5cm and the 58cm has a top tube of 58cm.. So, it sounds like the 56cm should fit my torso better.. Is this the size I should go with?


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