View Full Version : Cool Calfee seen on today's ride
Chap seemed to be enjoying himself and his new ride.
I haven't seen such large tubing on one of these before. It looked great I person and he said he loved the rear shock.
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161127/16ea5ee8b90af4a001577b3d80c38167.jpg
http://uploads.tapatalk-cdn.com/20161127/4ebabcac4a51f79678b230206ae20e04.jpg
pdmtong
11-27-2016, 12:23 PM
The down tube on the manta is HUGE. The rear shock is moots YBB ish and actually works nicely to dull out road imperfections. I rode one around a parking lot and could immediately notice the effect. The killer is the price.
AngryScientist
11-27-2016, 12:31 PM
i'm sure it's a nice bike, and the owner clearly spared no expense, but i gotta say: that massive headtube, proportionally skinny steerer tube, stack of spacers and enve stem is an aesthetic trainwreck.
someone needs to come up with a more elegant transition.
where was this, park ridge area?
i'm sure it's a nice bike, and the owner clearly spared no expense, but i gotta say: that massive headtube, proportionally skinny steerer tube, stack of spacers and enve stem is an aesthetic trainwreck.
someone needs to come up with a more elegant transition.
where was this, park ridge area?
Alpine, by the Ranger Station. Top of the climb.
I think that if the stem is slammed, it lends to a better transition. Doesn't deda make spacers with a larger outer diameter?
The oversized headtube and gigantic down tube really caught my eye, fwiw.
bobswire
11-27-2016, 02:43 PM
Alpine, by the Ranger Station. Top of the climb.
I think that if the stem is slammed, it lends to a better transition. Doesn't deda make spacers with a larger outer diameter?
The oversized headtube and gigantic down tube really caught my eye, fwiw.
Then you would need a stem that equals the width of the spacer transition. I have to agree with pissed off scientist,I like the bike but I'm not fan off 44m HT.
Then you would need a stem that equals the width of the spacer transition. I have to agree with pissed off scientist,I like the bike but I'm not fan off 44m HT.
Enve is pretty beefy.
Cicli
11-27-2016, 02:48 PM
Enve is pretty beefy.
And ugly too. Nice bike though.
In all honesty: I think that the Deda stems (especially the superzero and even the superleggero) mate pretty well with 44mm headtubes.
lhuerta
11-27-2016, 03:02 PM
...nothing worse then seeing a $2K Lightweight carbon wheel parked in a bike rack....oye!!! I think that specific bike rack at Alpine Station probably swallows several thousands of $ every weekend when people carelessly bump or trip over bikes on the rack.
johnniecakes
11-27-2016, 05:21 PM
I often wonder why people spend thousands of dollars on a frameset and don't get the head tube length right. If you going to add 25mm of spacers, add it to the head tube.
estilley
11-27-2016, 05:38 PM
Alpine, by the Ranger Station. Top of the climb.
Love that spot! Used to be my "do I keep going or turn back?" Spot when I rode out from Brooklyn on the weekends after staying up too late doing the New York City thing.
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
FlashUNC
11-27-2016, 05:43 PM
The Manta Pros are gorgeous in person.
franswa
11-27-2016, 06:39 PM
All that bike with an interesting choice in pedals.
R3awak3n
11-27-2016, 07:46 PM
...nothing worse then seeing a $2K Lightweight carbon wheel parked in a bike rack....oye!!! I think that specific bike rack at Alpine Station probably swallows several thousands of $ every weekend when people carelessly bump or trip over bikes on the rack.
I never had problem with my enves on that rack, just gotta be careful and its fine. Carbon is not that fragile.
Also that calfee is awesome and probably one of the nicest ones I have seen, love the matte carbon with the shiny carbon, funny though I think calfees are damn ugly but I would love to have one and ride one. Something about them speak to me.
John H.
11-27-2016, 07:53 PM
Strongly agree- Likely a 12-15k bike and they did not optimize the sizing.
Pains me to see a "custom" bike with 30mm of spacers.
I often wonder why people spend thousands of dollars on a frameset and don't get the head tube length right. If you going to add 25mm of spacers, add it to the head tube.
Bob Ross
11-27-2016, 08:45 PM
Pains me to see a "custom" bike with 30mm of spacers.
Maybe that's his winter position, and come May he'll have all 30mm of spacers above the stem? :::dancingbanana:::
Kirk007
11-27-2016, 09:18 PM
Tough crowd here. That bike already has an extended headtube. Maybe a larger frame, at least seattube and headtube would be better aesthetically but as someone with a 84 cm seat height whose old body is happiest with 7 cm drop, I'll never criticize the use of spacers unless its to an unsafe degree.
There's only so many tricks to getting the aesthetics acceptable on some bikes, and for some of us slammed stems are never one of them. Bikes are made to be ridden not to be stared at on the internet. Looks like a nice bike.
bitpuddle
11-27-2016, 10:50 PM
Alpine, by the Ranger Station. Top of the climb.
Ha! I thought this looked like Alpine, then thought I was being provincial.
Cool bike. I'd like to see it in person.
d_douglas
11-28-2016, 01:16 AM
Looks awesome to me. Calfee will likely make my next road bike.
fuzzalow
11-28-2016, 08:34 AM
Lotta seatpost showin', lotta stem spacers because the bike was sized down too much to crank up all of that seatpost. But I'd guess the driver here was toptube length: didn't wanna size up because that increases the toptube length which means the aesthetic is ruined in running a shorty stem. Even though to me, that already is a shorty stem.
Assuming this bike is not a custom geometry. Fitting into stock geo is all about where the rider's priority is and the trade offs necessary to get there.
Not a criticism but an observation. It is all good and all done in service of the ride.
edit
I like the bike but I'm not fan off 44m HT.
There is a conflict. Massive, stiff head tube/steerer assembly and rear suspension.
I'm not a fan of 44 mm straight headtubes either. If one needs a stiffer front end then I think a tapered (1 1/8 - 1 1/4) headtube is a better compromise.
fuzzalow
11-28-2016, 08:56 AM
I like the bike but I'm not fan off 44m HT.
I'm not a fan of 44 mm straight headtubes either.
Dunno. What's wrong with 44mm headtubes? It balances out with the proportions of beefier frame tubing used elsewhere in the frame.
My Eriksen with a 44mm headtube and the Enve 1 1/4 to 1 1/8 fork just like the Calfee under discussion.
http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VcoB8vWjmyE/V9ga7zRW3lI/AAAAAAAABZ4/gBdYIs7-RkkTRQC19ChRNMWd6d2CmuirwCHM/s1024-no/DSC01084.JPG
Fuzz - he mentioned he was working closely with Craig on choosing the lugs and deciding on the shock in the rear - all to say, I think it was custom.
bobswire
11-28-2016, 09:04 AM
Dunno. What's wrong with 44mm headtubes? It balances out with the proportions of beefier frame tubing used elsewhere in the frame.
My Eriksen with a 44mm headtube and the Enve 1 1/4 to 1 1/8 fork just like the Calfee under discussion.
http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VcoB8vWjmyE/V9ga7zRW3lI/AAAAAAAABZ4/gBdYIs7-RkkTRQC19ChRNMWd6d2CmuirwCHM/s1024-no/DSC01084.JPG
Fuzz,your bike is beautifully proportioned , no pencil neck. :)
FlashUNC
11-28-2016, 09:15 AM
44mm head tubes are also fairly freeing. You can run whatever fork you want within the confines with the right bearings and crown race.
fuzzalow
11-28-2016, 09:21 AM
Fuzz - he mentioned he was working closely with Craig on choosing the lugs and deciding on the shock in the rear - all to say, I think it was custom.
Oh. Then more power to him, he's the client and he spec'd what he wanted.
I've been down the custom road many times and I think you get closer to what you, as a client, really want when you know what you really want. Which is not to talk in riddles but to say that a custom builder will always shade a client towards a more stock-like geometry if the client is hesitant or sounds unsure as to what he wants. Because going custom to get exactly what you want can be a dangerous thing if there isn't knowledge & experience for what is being asked to be built.
That's why the more unsure the client is the more stock-like a custom bike geometry becomes.
The builder doesn't want the client to hang himself while also protecting himself from dealing with an unsatisfied client.
The client thinks he knows but he doesn't really know much other than he's going custom and can now get what he wants, or thinks he wants, or wants what he heard talked about bike forums for a custom bike, yada yada yada.
As long as the client is happy, that's all that counts. But I think most clients would be better served in working with a good builder if the client listened more and talked less. Unless the client knows what he is talking about and what he wants - then he could tell the builder in the most clear, succinct and unverbose language because he knows.
Sorry for tattling on like this. I'm a New Yorker. I got opinions.
Oh. Then more power to him, he's the client and he spec'd what he wanted.
I've been down the custom road many times and I think you get closer to what you, as a client, really want when you know what you really want. Which is not to talk in riddles but to say that a custom builder will always shade a client towards a more stock-like geometry if the client is hesitant or sounds unsure as to what he wants. Because going custom to get exactly what you want can be a dangerous thing if there isn't knowledge & experience for what is being asked to be built.
That's why the more unsure the client is the more stock-like a custom bike geometry becomes.
The builder doesn't want the client to hang himself while also protecting himself from dealing with an unsatisfied client.
The client thinks he knows but he doesn't really know much other than he's going custom and can now get what he wants, or thinks he wants, or wants what he heard talked about bike forums for a custom bike, yada yada yada.
As long as the client is happy, that's all that counts. But I think most clients would be better served in working with a good builder if the client listened more and talked less. Unless the client knows what he is talking about and what he wants - then he could tell the builder in the most clear, succinct and unverbose language because he knows.
Sorry for tattling on like this. I'm a New Yorker. I got opinions.
He mentioned that before he got these, and even for a while once he was riding the bike, he didn't know what lugs were, and didn't care for their appeal. This was not a younger gentleman - probably upwards of 55.
He relayed to me that he had a very different idea for the shade of blue, but that grew on him as well. He specified the shock because he had heard firsthand from others who really enjoyed the ride quality but didn't even notice it himself once he was on it.
I made a point of talking about the size of the head tube and huge downtubes (my friend and I are in the process of having 44mm-ht-spec'ed bikes built right now, and I wanted to show him how it would look) but the owner didn't speak about the headtube at all. Perhaps the oversized headtube was Craig's input? I have no qualms there.
I thought the bike was really nifty, and the polished lugs just looked stellar.
fuzzalow
11-28-2016, 09:37 AM
I thought the bike was really nifty, and the polished lugs just looked stellar.
Yeah, I like the bike too. Talkin' about aesthetics in the abstract is different than criticism on somebody's actual ride. I'd never have a bad word to say about anybody's ride.
It's all good and all done in service of the ride.
Nice talkin' to you.
AngryScientist
11-28-2016, 09:43 AM
Yeah, I like the bike too. Talkin' about aesthetics in the abstract is different than criticism on somebody's actual ride. I'd never have a bad word to say about anybody's ride.
agreed!
the fact that it's turkey day week and the guy is out there pounding miles makes any bike he's riding A-OK in my book.
Satellite
11-28-2016, 09:49 AM
He mentioned that before he got these, and even for a while once he was riding the bike, he didn't know what lugs were, and didn't care for their appeal.
He specified the shock because he had heard firsthand from others who really enjoyed the ride quality but didn't even notice it himself once he was on it.
Yep just a guy with money to spend on a bike. Just my kind of guy my bikes are way to nice for my old arse.
My wife has a Moots VaMoots YBB and she always asks me if it's even working? It's always the same answer yep it's bouncing up and down. She pedals in huge squares but atleast she is riding. It's amazing to watch the YBB it must cycle close to 50 to 60 cycles per minute. I don't mean bottom out it just bounces. It's crazy to think she can't even tell it's working.
As for the pedal choice on this Calfee. I ran mountain pedals for years simplely for ease of walking.
Nice bike wish it was part of my collection.
mcteague
11-28-2016, 01:06 PM
Dunno. What's wrong with 44mm headtubes? It balances out with the proportions of beefier frame tubing used elsewhere in the frame.
My Eriksen with a 44mm headtube and the Enve 1 1/4 to 1 1/8 fork just like the Calfee under discussion.
http://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VcoB8vWjmyE/V9ga7zRW3lI/AAAAAAAABZ4/gBdYIs7-RkkTRQC19ChRNMWd6d2CmuirwCHM/s1024-no/DSC01084.JPG
Short people bikes seldom have HT appearance issues. Six footers often have to deal with HTs that seem odd just to make the frame fit. Either that or lots of spacers.
Tim
alexstar
11-28-2016, 01:09 PM
Love the bike. I've wanted a Manta since I first heard about them, it looks like Calfee put a lot of work into the concept. As for the stem spacers, they allow for positional changes over the years. The whole "Slam That Stem" thing is fun but it's not for everyone and it shouldn't be taken seriously. As long as there aren't 60mm of spacers I don't see the problem. I bet that bike is super fun to ride :beer:
Matthew
11-28-2016, 03:15 PM
I think the bike looks great. Would love a Calfee.
fuzzalow
11-28-2016, 05:58 PM
Short people bikes seldom have HT appearance issues. Six footers often have to deal with HTs that seem odd just to make the frame fit. Either that or lots of spacers.
Tim
Short people bikes, huh?
Check your enlenthen-ment. You wouldn't want anybody to mistake you for a height supremacist. SLM.
Short people bikes, huh?
Check your enlenthen-ment. You wouldn't want anybody to mistake you for a height supremacist.
Not bad.
fuzzalow
11-28-2016, 06:59 PM
Not bad.
Naw, I blew the punch line because I didn't think of it until after I submitted the reply. So I added it n just now.
pdmtong
11-28-2016, 07:46 PM
Naw, I blew the punch line because I didn't think of it until after I submitted the reply. So I added it n just now.
well played!
I man be the only one here who has ever ridden a Manta...the LBS had frame #2 and I blasted it around the parking lot over the up lifted pavement sections where tree roots had caused damage. hitting those things at speed...what bumps? it's very strange feeling having the back end smoothed out. liked it a lot.
I have a full-suspension mountain tandem with even bigger tubes. what looks weird to me is seeing skinny steel tubes from yester year....too small!
beeatnik
11-28-2016, 07:52 PM
http://www.ebay.com/itm/CALFEE-Manta-Pro-suspension-56cm-L-complete-carbon-road-bicycle-Di2-11-ENVE-3-2s-/172426955777?&_trksid=p2056016.m2516.l5255
oldpotatoe
11-29-2016, 05:37 AM
Fuzz - he mentioned he was working closely with Craig on choosing the lugs and deciding on the shock in the rear - all to say, I think it was custom.
Says 'custom' on the top tube. When I wrestled with Craig, the only ones marked 'custom' were custom.
Big fat headtubes are one of the parts of the 'standard set' these days. Builders love them because it's easier to hook fat(downtbe) tubes to fat tubes. I think pretty essential these days on MTB/Disc bikes..regular road bike?..doubt it's really 'needed'. Gee, not too long ago fork steerers were 1 inch..how did guys like Cipo even ride the things??;)
mcteague
11-29-2016, 07:07 AM
Naw, I blew the punch line because I didn't think of it until after I submitted the reply. So I added it n just now.
SLM is a punch line? Can you explain? So, short people is now an epithet? Vertically challenged sounds much worse. I love how every perceived slight, intended or not, cannot go without a remark. I seem to have lost an inch in height over the years so, if I live long enough, maybe I can get a bike with a shor....uh, not overly tall head tube.:D
Tim
http://forums.thepaceline.net/attachment.php?attachmentid=1697857017&stc=1&d=1362919254
SLM is a punch line? Can you explain? So, short people is now an epithet? Vertically challenged sounds much worse. I love how every perceived slight, intended or not, cannot go without a remark. I seem to have lost an inch in height over the years so, if I live long enough, maybe I can get a bike with a shor....uh, not overly tall head tube.:D
Tim
Short Lives Matter.
fuzzalow
11-29-2016, 07:47 AM
SLM is a punch line? Can you explain? So, short people is now an epithet? Vertically challenged sounds much worse. I love how every perceived slight, intended or not, cannot go without a remark. I seem to have lost an inch in height over the years so, if I live long enough, maybe I can get a bike with a shor....uh, not overly tall head tube.:D
Tim
Easy Tim. I'm curious as to what you thought "SLM" meant because it is not a standard acronym other than as a play on "BLM" which I am sure you have seen abbreviated in coverage of protests and marches. Recently for example in Charlotte NC and in various cities post-presidential election.
Like the old sayin': if a joke's gotta be explained either it was a bad joke or you didn't get the joke. I could have written it out but it read better as simply "SLM" to force the reader to make the connection to get the joke.
Or did I miss getting your response: this is mock outrage intended as a humorous response? If so, meh. 'Cos that kinda humor never reads well and is pretty bankrupt anyway.
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