plastic bikes: ok, I get it now

[pavel]

after years of resisting carbon frames and riding steel and ti bikes, I finally broke down and picked up a Fuji Altamira CX 2.1 frameset. Built it with a mishmash of parts, glued grifos on my road tubies and dropped something like 4.5 pounds from my previous cross bike, a steel Gunnar with Centaur/Veloce mix and Chorus/Synergy wheels. At 133 pounds race weight, that made all the difference in the world.

After two cross races, I can finally say "I get it." This thing is really nimble, great for sprinting, easy to run with - one of the worst things about racing on the gunnar was trying to shoulder 22+ pounds of standard sized steel tubes. Ouch.

32h 3x "Torelli" rims (ambrosio) to miche hubs, grifos, centaur UT shifters/derailleurs, paul brakes, ultegra crank with the shimano cx rings, deda newton bar, shimano stem/post, romin.
18.3 lbs or so. Have some exustar pm 215 pedals incoming to drop a bit more weight, though I honestly dont know what else I could do without getting really light wheels (I think these are around 1500g) to shave much more weight.


https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/ePBiBB0vY7y2PphVxWhdNXCXnYglXR5JjHZzW2DEdqk=w1598-h901-no

obligatory tire clearance porn
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-0JodScLwupY/UorIqZ1jjxI/AAAAAAAADPA/XHoZt4uHrqQ/w561-h994-no/IMG_20131118_180258_040.jpg

obligatory "beefy bottom bracket" shot
https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-Gue-D1gDJRk/UorIppssR5I/AAAAAAAADPY/SNYibf4U2jU/w1598-h901-no/IMG_20131118_180227_128.jpg
https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-IFsghQpAMfU/UorIpkiVQzI/AAAAAAAADO8/UG_f76xMhJM/w1598-h901-no/IMG_20131118_180052_953.jpg

[Gummee]

I have a 1.0. Like it better than my Van Dessel Full Tilt Boogie. Built the Altamira as a 'backup bike' and have ended up racing it instead of the FTB!

M

[Elefantino]

The road version of the Altamira is the only carbon bike I would ever consider getting. It's that good.

[CiclistiCliff]

The road version of the Altamira is the only carbon bike I would ever consider getting. It's that good.

SST is up there as well.

Too bad you're a wannabe dentist

[ORMojo]

The road version of the Altamira is the only carbon bike I would ever consider getting. It's that good.

Not to highjack the thread, but this is of interest to me. Just this morning, my wife noticed the 2011 Fuji Altamira LTD Di2 framesets (f/f/hs) are on close out for $1,000 and asked me to look into it for her. Further thoughts on this from anyone will be appreciated.

[Gummee]

Not to highjack the thread, but this is of interest to me. Just this morning, my wife noticed the 2011 Fuji Altamira LTD Di2 framesets (f/f/hs) are on close out for $1,000 and asked me to look into it for her. Further thoughts on this from anyone will be appreciated.

Do eet! They're great-riding bikes.

You'll have to endure the 'nose in the air because you're not riding a SpecialHuffy/Truck/whathaveyou*' but the joke's on them. They got to spend LOTS more on a bike that's 'as good' as the Altamira.

M

*I know cause before I bought my Altamira, I WAS one of those 'nose in the air' types. Now I know better.

[FlashUNC]

Both the Altimira's and the Diamondback Podiums get rave reviews from everyone I know who has ridden one.

I certainly wouldn't kick either out of bed.

[TimD]

Don't drop it on any rocks :eek:

[roguedog]

I think Fuji's are great underrated brand. Great value for the $. They're kinda like Giant was a decade or so ago. And they've been making great bikes for decades.

[ergott]

Nice bike, now get a better camera:bike:

[AgilisMerlin]

Nice bike, now get a better camera:bike:

http://www.graterwhitersmiles.com/big%20smile.jpg

[witcombusa]

Just say no to plastic bikes :eek:

[EchelonLeft]

At some point in the mid-90s, the majors really nailed aluminum and it became seemingly impossible to make an aluminum bike that rode for crap.

It seems that carbon's tipping point has come.

That said, if I'm off-road, I'm on steel or aluminum.

[Lewis Moon]

Nice bike, now get a better camera:bike:

Indeed. I blame the ubiquitous phone camera for the demise of amateur photography. We have a lot more phorographs but at a much lower quality.:mad::mad::mad:

[binxnyrwarrsoul]

Nice wheels.

[sitzmark]

No guarantees, but plastic off road can be pretty durable too.

http://youtu.be/xreZdUBqpJs

At some point in the mid-90s, the majors really nailed aluminum and it became seemingly impossible to make an aluminum bike that rode for crap.

It seems that carbon's tipping point has come.

That said, if I'm off-road, I'm on steel or aluminum.

[HugoBear]

No guarantees, but plastic off road can be pretty durable too.

http://youtu.be/xreZdUBqpJs

Yeah, surprisingly, I feel more comfortable on a carbon bike on the trails than on a carbon bike on the road.

[TRACK]

sweet ride

[Gummee]

At some point in the mid-90s, the majors really nailed aluminum and it became seemingly impossible to make an aluminum bike that rode for crap.

It seems that carbon's tipping point has come.

That said, if I'm off-road, I'm on steel or aluminum.Best-riding mtn bike I've owned was my mid-90s S-Works carbon mtn bike. No Ti lugs tho. :cry

Next mtn bike is likely to be carbon as well. Holding out for a 27.5er from Fuji.

M

[pavel]

Indeed. I blame the ubiquitous phone camera for the demise of amateur photography. We have a lot more photographs but at a much lower quality.:mad::mad::mad:

I assure you that the device has very little to do with the fact that my photography skills are just terrible.

[Elefantino]

Both the Altimira's and the Diamondback Podiums get rave reviews from everyone I know who has ridden one.

I certainly wouldn't kick either out of bed.
We have a new '12 Podium Pro with DA 7900 in the store for $1.7K. Don't know why it's still there.

[oldpotatoe]

We have a new '12 Podium Pro with DA 7900 in the store for $1.7K. Don't know why it's still there.

Inna bike store? How much ya losing on that one, at $1700??

[buddybikes]

Did you know back in the 70s there was a real plastic bike, even components. flexy as hell very light. not sure what their name was

[AgilisMerlin]

I assure you that the device has very little to do with the fact that my photography skills are just terrible.

http://www.graterwhitersmiles.com/big%20smile.jpg

[Elefantino]

Inna bike store? How much ya losing on that one, at $1700??
Not sure what our cost was. Two of them were sitting in the back, unbuilt, until a couple of months ago.

[CiclistiCliff]

Not sure what our cost was. Two of them were sitting in the back, unbuilt, until a couple of months ago.

let's just say that only the customer will come out on top.