Spectrum Dilemna

[rbtmcardle]

So, 6 years ago I went to the barn and had a beautiful Ti frame with an incredible paint job by Tom. Purposely it was built with slack geometry, well it rides beautifully but when it's time to ride i just cant seem to select it over the Meivici, so it just hangs in the basement, collecting dust waiting for a ride.

What can or should be done?

I don't travel with my bike and don't really see that happening in the future.. I have a racked and fendered Trek single speed I commute with, it truly is a beater purchased for just that nasty winter weather that is so miserable and cold you just leave the crime for another day.

I know there is no real market for a used Ti frame, regardless of quality nor do I want to part with it as it was my first custom frame, so it's sad but I suppose I just leave it hanging until who knows..

In a forum such as this I am fairly certain there are others in the same predicament..

Any ideas for a re-purposing of this frame?

[buldogge]

Paging Aaron...

Is it a 56? This has Aaron O's name written all over it.

Slack angles...Will it also take decent size tires (28s?)?

-Mark in St. Louis

[eddief]

or is it that you won't get anywhere near what you paid for it? if it has a 58 top tube and a long headtube, some big bikes lookers are the market.

So, 6 years ago I went to the barn and had a beautiful Ti frame with an incredible paint job by Tom. Purposely it was built with slack geometry, well it rides beautifully but when it's time to ride i just cant seem to select it over the Meivici, so it just hangs in the basement, collecting dust waiting for a ride.

What can or should be done?

I don't travel with my bike and don't really see that happening in the future.. I have a racked and fendered Trek single speed I commute with, it truly is a beater purchased for just that nasty winter weather that is so miserable and cold you just leave the crime for another day.

I know there is no real market for a used Ti frame, regardless of quality nor do I want to part with it as it was my first custom frame, so it's sad but I suppose I just leave it hanging until who knows..

In a forum such as this I am fairly certain there are others in the same predicament..

Any ideas for a re-purposing of this frame?

[Liberace]

http://forums.thepaceline.net/showthread.php?p=318825#post318825

[rbtmcardle]

or is it that you won't get anywhere near what you paid for it? if it has a 58 top tube and a long headtube, some big bikes lookers are the market.


No reasonable market for my bike.. I had my last name placed on the TT so a soft market for Ti is really soft when it would need a repaint, plus it's more about me not wanting to sell. Frankly i usually would rather let things go at extremely low prices for a super quick sale rather than sit on something holding out for the fair market price. 56.5 TT.

[Peter B]

Sounds like a really nice bike. Why not just take it out one weekend and rekindle the romance?

[beeatnik]

Force yourself to ride it.

For fast rides I'm always hesitant to take the Ti bike since I'll be the only dude not riding race carbon. It's the same thing I feel when I'm too lazy to shave my legs. I know I should get over it but it can sketch dudes out. Short story long, after I put the hammer down and the bike does what it was built to do, I'm always glad that I have the option of a "comfortable" race bike. She never lets me down.

[djg]

No reasonable market for my bike.. I had my last name placed on the TT so a soft market for Ti is really soft when it would need a repaint, plus it's more about me not wanting to sell. Frankly i usually would rather let things go at extremely low prices for a super quick sale rather than sit on something holding out for the fair market price. 56.5 TT.

Beautiful bike, and I don't blame you for not wanting to sell, but I don't see the issue with the name if it fits somebody. Anybody could put a decal or sticker over it, or have a decal made that's a mini-panel with the new rider's own name. If Tom painted some other guy's name on your custom 4k Ti super, and sad "oops, my bad" (and he'd never do that), sure, you'd be put off and might think that the bike "needed" a respray before you'd want it. But used, at the typical huge discount from new ti? If it fit me (it doesn't) and the angles worked for me (dunno), and I were shopping for another road bike (not), I'd definitely go with a second-hand Spectrum over many alternatives, and a perceived need for a sticker wouldn't be that big a deal.

I dunno, I might try to ride it if I were you. Or if it will take larger tires, do longer road + dirt road rides. Or whatever. Or just put it away and see if you feel differently next year. But if it really doesn't work for you, and you know that, find the bike another rider.

[merlincustom1]

Just ride the thing already. Sounds like a (hold your ears, politically incorrect statement to follow) white people problem to me.

[beeatnik]

Hahahah. First world problem all the way.

[chismog]

I have a similar gorgeous custom frame. Mine is steel (not a Spectrum). Same predicament- I have other bikes I reach for first, but it's so awesome I just don't want to sell it.

Finally found just the purpose for the bike. Last year we went to Lake Como and Bormio on a 2 week riding vacation. Given that airlines aren't going to insure a high zoot carbon bike at anything close to replacement value, I realized my sturdy, slightly slack angled metal bike was exactly the right thing to take. Light enough, good for all-day rides, and unlikely to get damaged unless something catastrophic happened.

That Spectrum is always going to be a nice frame. If you have the means, just keep it. The right purpose will come up. Or you could just cut to the chase, get a couple plane tickets to France or Italy, and purpose it sooner.

[slowgoing]

If you have out of town relatives you visit, send it to them and you'll have a nice ride when you visit. I have a nice bike waiting for me at my brother's house in Colorado.

I have also had a couple of used bikes with other people's names on the top tube. I didn't care enough about it to even cover them with a decal. They're used bikes, I don't expect them to be perfect.

[Gothard]

Particular geometry should not be a hindrance in selling. Some people will not fit or will not like steep angles. some others *need* steep angles.

If you want to sell it, list it with precise measures and it will go.

As for using it: you know what it does well. Gauge your fitness/tiredness/mood before every ride, and rather sooner than later you'll feel that this bicycle fits the mood of the moment.

[jamesutiopia]

if you have out of town relatives you visit, send it to them and you'll have a nice ride when you visit. I have a nice bike waiting for me at my brother's house in colorado.

+1

[christian]

Bob - your red/white spectrum is a beauty. One of the best looking long-and-low modern Ti race bikes I've ever seen. Unless there is something you actively dislike about it, I would hold on to it - one day soon it will grab you again.

That said, 72.5 STA and 56.5cm TTs always get me interested. And they say red bikes are faster!

[rbtmcardle]

That Spectrum is always going to be a nice frame. If you have the means, just keep it. The right purpose will come up. Or you could just cut to the chase, get a couple plane tickets to France or Italy, and purpose it sooner.

I often travel to Italy for business, next trip in the end of September to Verona /Lake Garda, generally I rent a bike, well, to be honest, generally I just eat and drink wine. Perhaps I will extend my stay and bring my bike..

If you have out of town relatives you visit, send it to them and you'll have a nice ride when you visit. I have a nice bike waiting for me at my brother's house in Colorado.

I have also had a couple of used bikes with other people's names on the top tube. I didn't care enough about it to even cover them with a decal. They're used bikes, I don't expect them to be perfect.

Never thought of this option, my brother is in upstate NY have never ridden up there, but at least it would give me a reason to visit more.

[FlashUNC]

Unless you've got a compelling reason to sell (need to clear space in the garage, new project coming in, cutting back to one bike for everything, The House CFO is unhappy...) then I say there's nothing wrong with holding on to it.

You have some attachment to the bike, and as others have mentioned, there are options for getting use out of it.

[dekindy]

58-61 effective ST, 56-57 effective TT, 19+HT, red ti, and I am highly interested; send pm to me and we will talk!

What is saddle height, drop to bars, and excess spacers in picture; assuming the fork has not been cut in the meantime, has it?

[cmg]

she's a beauty. why not upgrade and experiment. change out the seat post with one with more setback like an easton ec70 and go with a tubular wheelset built for climbing or speed. used easton carbon tubulars can be had on eBay for half cost. If you purge/upgrade to lighter weight junk it could complete with anything made of carbon. and it's a fun project. do it with eBay/forum bought stuff. do a search on weight weenies for inspiration.

[jr59]

Bob - your red/white spectrum is a beauty. One of the best looking long-and-low modern Ti race bikes I've ever seen. Unless there is something you actively dislike about it, I would hold on to it - one day soon it will grab you again.



I think I agree with this! ^^

That bike is WAY to nice to be selling.
Look at it this way, The Ti market is very soft, so you won't be able to recover much of what it cost new, and the bike is already paid for, and doesn't eat much!

I guess what I am saying is to hold on to it, and some day down the road it will speak to you again.

[malcolm]

If you don't need to sell and have the room why not just keep it and periodically take it out for a relaxed cruise. I have several I'll probably never sell that don't get a ton of miles I just like them so I don't consider selling.

[christian]

I think I agree with this! ^^Nah, I changed my mind. He should sell it to me. I'll put a 130mm -17d stem on it, 3TTT Rotundos, Record 10s, and some Boras. And then I'll go hunting for plastic bikes! :)

[rugbysecondrow]

You could always post "For Trade" ad and see what comes up. Maybe it is a way to get something else cool that you can and will use.

For me, I have bikes I ride more than others depending on the time of year. I hadn't ridden my fixed gear in about 4 months, took it out 3 weeks ago and it is all I have been on since.

[jmoore]

+1

+2

[Joachim]

Nah, I changed my mind. He should sell it to me. I'll put a 130mm -17d stem on it, 3TTT Rotundos, Record 10s, and some Boras. And then I'll go hunting for plastic bikes! :)

I'll join you on my level top tube lugged steel with steel fork (did I mention it has a 72.5 degree seat angle, 56.5 top tube, -17 degree stem and Richissimo lugs with TT OX/S3/Spirit tubing?)... I rode into work this morning on my Spectrum Super Ti. It only needs Enve Smart 6.7's.

[rbtmcardle]

Thanks for all of the replies.. I really have no need to sell it.. just was doing some maintenance and thought back to the excitement of purchasing it, the anticipation of waiting for it to be finished and the thrill of driving up to the barn to pick it up..

it has been modified slightly from the original picture.. the brooks is now black, it has a 130 stem and still wears those Ergott built 240s with Velocity escapes.. maybe I will just take it back out this fall for some long rides in the pine barrens..

It is funny to hear some friends say "what happened to your good bike, you do really well on that old tank" during a group ride..

Though I must say the simplicity of a single bike for the road sure is appealing.. I would get rid of the Meivici though if that were the case..

[woolly]

I'm late to the party, but. . . . sell it & you'll regret it.

[Aaron O]

Paging Aaron...

Is it a 56? This has Aaron O's name written all over it.

Slack angles...Will it also take decent size tires (28s?)?

-Mark in St. Louis

I was reading with great interest until he said he wouldn't part with it! I want to give a big DAMN YOU! to all the folks who encouraged him to keep it, he should have been encouraged to sell :D

There was actually a really nice one on eBay a couple of weeks ago, but it had the grease guard BB and I'd rather not go that route again. It was also road bike, and I have enough of them!

To answer the OPs question, I have two bikes I rarely ride...the Bauer Merckx and the Sachs tourer. The Bauer Merckx just doesn't fit me as well as some others and I usually prefer OS tubing. It's currently wearing Campy 8sp record, but I'm probably going to switch it to DA 7400 soon. If it's going to be wall art, it might as well be original. The Sachs tourer is just too perfect and pretty, and I have a tourer perfectly set up for my preferences that I use as a commuter.

I feel guilty about both of them - and like I should sell them to someone who will ride them - but I like owning them too much to sell.