dbrk
10-31-2005, 08:19 AM
This will be the first of two ride reports (if there is any interest in the first). The reason is that I hope to ride the bike again for some distance when I'm feeling better. Yesterday was my first longish ride, a bit over two hours because, well, sometimes you get the bear and sometimes the bear gets you. The bear had a feast on my sorry self yesterday; first I thought I just couldn't warm up, then I felt plain horrible and recovered enough to make that last 35 minutes okay. Enough complaining but how _we_ are tells us a great deal about what we think the bike is, no?
We rode rollers at a rouleur pace. There are few flats just north of my Finger Lakes home but it's not nearly as up and down as it is here, a bit further south. I'd swapped out the Dugast 27c wheelset for Avocet 32c clinchers primarily because I didn't have a properly prepared spare tire and I've not the time lately to spend detailing the bikes. (I'm working on other folks' bikes, Tournesol!) These are fat, comfortable, and slick tires that take 95psi max. They tend to roll a bit slower than RolyPoly/RuffyTuffy tires but they give you as posh a ride as ever you'd like. I was with two guys on skinny tires and felt no disadavantage for the "slower" tires (it wasn't the tires that slowed me down yesterday...). I think tires are "the other third" of the way a bike feels: there's you, the frame/fork, the tires. The other equipment on the bike is the fourth third (you do the math), lagging far behind frame/fork and tires/wheels. When you ride a 32c Avocet it almost makes no difference what wheel you ride because the feeling is all in the tires. I will ride the Terraplane again with Michilen 25c next week if the weather holds up.
The bike has a sit-in feeling for me. That is, it is designed to have about 2cm of bar/saddle drop and to _plant you_ on the Brooks B17. Unless you have had this sensation it is hard to describe: with a B17 or comparable saddle you sit in it rather than on it. The ride wants you in the seat, and you start to relax your shoulders and neck, you pedal to cadence. The "downside" such as it is is that you feel less inclined to sprint and far more inclined to ride at pace without fast accelerations. The bike responded just perfectly to what lame advances I made in effort but what was clear was that the frame was as entirely planted as the saddle. It was like a match made in heaven. I have a few frames that feel like this: Goodrich-made Rivendell, a Mariposa, and a Singer, all of which are seamlessly part of the whole experience of _being in the saddle_. You want to stay down, pedal in constant happy strokes, and plow along taking hills, flats, descents, and turns with an easy aplomb. Never for a moment does the bike hesitate or flinch: you want to sit in and just ride and ride and ride.
In fact, had the bike not been so forgiving and kind, I'da' had a heck of a time because I felt so poorly physically. The bike has a kind of oldschool design with a 1" top tube and no oversized tubes elsewhere. I don't need more stiffness and usually I like less. There was no way I could rub the front derailleur or get other untoward responses out of the frame: it is balanced, straight, and clean as a whistle. Some bikes are better at slow speeds than others and this bike isn't demanding that you race it. That was exactly what I asked for and I think Mr Kirk can build a bike to suit its purpose just right. Kudos for hitting my own preferences.
I did get in one excellent descent. Since I'm not keen on turning sharply or testing if my bike "rides like its on rails", I resort to more mundane experiences like taking my hands off the bars when the descending, usually at about 40 or so mph. Then I hold the bars softly again and go as fast as I can. A great bike keeps the line, doesn't wobble, and instills confidence that you aren't going to die today. Personally I think this sort of test tells me more about a bike than any kind of crit-style runs but that's likely because I no longer give a hoot for tight turning speed. I want a bike that will go all day through hill and dale, down steep hills, not fuss to climb, respond to input just so, and invite you to enjoy the road, the scenery, the ride without having to pay too much attention to keeping it straight, solid, and going along. The Terraplane hits the mark, 10 out of 10. Bravo. It is the peer of the best bikes I own.
As for the terrplane rear...perhaps I was not in countenance to tell if it has any particular effects or advantages. I can say this for certain: the rear never skipped, did not hesitate, kept me planted on the road even when the pavement turned sketchy. I made a point of going over rough road and some pot holes but yesterday was no day to test the powers of acceleration or of daring-do, I just wanted to be on a bike that gave me as much forgiveness as I could ask for (and still keep up with my friends, I rode with two pals yesterday though I usually ride alone). Certainly the terraplane rear is nothing like the YBB or the DKS, both of which are more active as suspension. In contrast, I think the terraplane simply adds to the essential solidity of the bike, perhaps as much a feature of other design aspects. I will try to say more about it in the future.
The only oddity in bits on this bike are the Paul's Racer centerpulls and I have to say that I like them aplenty though likely no more or less than long reach/std reach 57mm calipers. They stop better than any cantilevers I have used (yuch, cantilevers...) and swapping tires and the rest is easy enough. Good stopping power, enough for me though some people seem to think that they need more and more (I don't). The Nitto Randonneur bars are like old friends and the TA pedals with clips and straps make me wonder why I use an clipless at all. Oh, the Brooks leather wrap was excellent: just enough, not too squishy (I think it is more positive than cork tape. I have grown to dislike cork tape over simple cotton, preferring a more positive feel. I think the leather wraps like this Brooks and Jitensha's Fujitoshi tape are the best place between cork and cotton). The feel on the wrap is very positive, not slippery and that is a very good thing.
More later about this all but for now let me say that I could not be more pleased with fit and feel, with performance and choices. The bike suits my tastes just right, from design to finish: elegant, precise, and bringing out the best qualities of its builder. 10s all around, I say.
dbrk
We rode rollers at a rouleur pace. There are few flats just north of my Finger Lakes home but it's not nearly as up and down as it is here, a bit further south. I'd swapped out the Dugast 27c wheelset for Avocet 32c clinchers primarily because I didn't have a properly prepared spare tire and I've not the time lately to spend detailing the bikes. (I'm working on other folks' bikes, Tournesol!) These are fat, comfortable, and slick tires that take 95psi max. They tend to roll a bit slower than RolyPoly/RuffyTuffy tires but they give you as posh a ride as ever you'd like. I was with two guys on skinny tires and felt no disadavantage for the "slower" tires (it wasn't the tires that slowed me down yesterday...). I think tires are "the other third" of the way a bike feels: there's you, the frame/fork, the tires. The other equipment on the bike is the fourth third (you do the math), lagging far behind frame/fork and tires/wheels. When you ride a 32c Avocet it almost makes no difference what wheel you ride because the feeling is all in the tires. I will ride the Terraplane again with Michilen 25c next week if the weather holds up.
The bike has a sit-in feeling for me. That is, it is designed to have about 2cm of bar/saddle drop and to _plant you_ on the Brooks B17. Unless you have had this sensation it is hard to describe: with a B17 or comparable saddle you sit in it rather than on it. The ride wants you in the seat, and you start to relax your shoulders and neck, you pedal to cadence. The "downside" such as it is is that you feel less inclined to sprint and far more inclined to ride at pace without fast accelerations. The bike responded just perfectly to what lame advances I made in effort but what was clear was that the frame was as entirely planted as the saddle. It was like a match made in heaven. I have a few frames that feel like this: Goodrich-made Rivendell, a Mariposa, and a Singer, all of which are seamlessly part of the whole experience of _being in the saddle_. You want to stay down, pedal in constant happy strokes, and plow along taking hills, flats, descents, and turns with an easy aplomb. Never for a moment does the bike hesitate or flinch: you want to sit in and just ride and ride and ride.
In fact, had the bike not been so forgiving and kind, I'da' had a heck of a time because I felt so poorly physically. The bike has a kind of oldschool design with a 1" top tube and no oversized tubes elsewhere. I don't need more stiffness and usually I like less. There was no way I could rub the front derailleur or get other untoward responses out of the frame: it is balanced, straight, and clean as a whistle. Some bikes are better at slow speeds than others and this bike isn't demanding that you race it. That was exactly what I asked for and I think Mr Kirk can build a bike to suit its purpose just right. Kudos for hitting my own preferences.
I did get in one excellent descent. Since I'm not keen on turning sharply or testing if my bike "rides like its on rails", I resort to more mundane experiences like taking my hands off the bars when the descending, usually at about 40 or so mph. Then I hold the bars softly again and go as fast as I can. A great bike keeps the line, doesn't wobble, and instills confidence that you aren't going to die today. Personally I think this sort of test tells me more about a bike than any kind of crit-style runs but that's likely because I no longer give a hoot for tight turning speed. I want a bike that will go all day through hill and dale, down steep hills, not fuss to climb, respond to input just so, and invite you to enjoy the road, the scenery, the ride without having to pay too much attention to keeping it straight, solid, and going along. The Terraplane hits the mark, 10 out of 10. Bravo. It is the peer of the best bikes I own.
As for the terrplane rear...perhaps I was not in countenance to tell if it has any particular effects or advantages. I can say this for certain: the rear never skipped, did not hesitate, kept me planted on the road even when the pavement turned sketchy. I made a point of going over rough road and some pot holes but yesterday was no day to test the powers of acceleration or of daring-do, I just wanted to be on a bike that gave me as much forgiveness as I could ask for (and still keep up with my friends, I rode with two pals yesterday though I usually ride alone). Certainly the terraplane rear is nothing like the YBB or the DKS, both of which are more active as suspension. In contrast, I think the terraplane simply adds to the essential solidity of the bike, perhaps as much a feature of other design aspects. I will try to say more about it in the future.
The only oddity in bits on this bike are the Paul's Racer centerpulls and I have to say that I like them aplenty though likely no more or less than long reach/std reach 57mm calipers. They stop better than any cantilevers I have used (yuch, cantilevers...) and swapping tires and the rest is easy enough. Good stopping power, enough for me though some people seem to think that they need more and more (I don't). The Nitto Randonneur bars are like old friends and the TA pedals with clips and straps make me wonder why I use an clipless at all. Oh, the Brooks leather wrap was excellent: just enough, not too squishy (I think it is more positive than cork tape. I have grown to dislike cork tape over simple cotton, preferring a more positive feel. I think the leather wraps like this Brooks and Jitensha's Fujitoshi tape are the best place between cork and cotton). The feel on the wrap is very positive, not slippery and that is a very good thing.
More later about this all but for now let me say that I could not be more pleased with fit and feel, with performance and choices. The bike suits my tastes just right, from design to finish: elegant, precise, and bringing out the best qualities of its builder. 10s all around, I say.
dbrk