New Trek

[93legendti]

I hope this post doesn't violate any rules. Just saw an article on a sloped TT Trek.

http://www.cyclingnews.com/photos/2004/tech/shows/?id=eurobike/part1/eb04-trek3

[Bill Bove]

It's the Pilot 5.9, 110 carbon with a new fork and seatstay with a woven in damper. Head tube is taller to accomadate a hifher bar position. The picture in the link shows it with a DA crank but it will ship with a carbon Bontrager compact crank. There is also a 5.2 and 5.0 built 120 carbon and an AL model with the VC carbon seatstay. They look like great randouneering bikes.

[93legendti]

do you know weight and/or price yet?

[Bill Bove]

Trek doesn't have any total bike weights in the catologe and I'm at home (for the last time?) right now, I'll post prices in the morning when I get to the shop. Offhand, I think the 5.9 is around 6K and has a project one option.

[Climb01742]

bill, any idea how it rides?

[dbrk]

They look like great randouneering bikes.

All of the features cited make for a more comfortable bike, that is, a non-racing bike or some such thing but this is nothing like a randonneuring bike. I suppose we could stretch that definition and people use all sorts of things for randonneuring but where are the eyelets for fenders and any nifty way to mount a light? Where is the room for a bag support or even a rear bag like a Carradice? For real randonneuring bikes of the modern ilk (leaving aside my own feelings about how vastly superior the older designs are...), have a look at Mercian or Thorn from SJS. The Brits get randonneuring just like the French do. We Americans think it is a race, at least that's my experience, so I guess this bike would fit that bill. Don't mistake me, I like this Trek Pilot, just like I like the Specialized Roubaix Pro, but these are actually cyclo-sportif, just less aggressive race bikes, imho.

dbrk

[Smiley]

When you say new seat stay , the photo shows the old style uni stay and not the split stay of the Madone ? So whats new, a different carbon wrap ? Thanks and are you getting out of Dodge soon ?

[Bill Bove]

Doug, you are right, I meant an American style rando bike. There are eyelets and clearence for fenders with 28c tires. A third set of bosses for a battery under the down tube would be nice but I'd us a Schmidt generator front hub anyway. One thing I don't understand about riding brevet's, is why do people load their bikes like they are refugee's? In everyone I'v done the longest stretch between checkpoints has only been around 80-100 miles, and there's usually at least one 7-11 along the way.

Smiley, the rear stay and the fork have a vibration damping layer woven into the carbon. No word on ride quality or weight yet. I'm expecting deliverary in November.

I'm riding out the storm here in Lake Worth. Right now I'm at home but I'll be going to the shop later, only two miles to get there. The two cats that live at the shop have never met the two cats that live at home, there may be some fur flying too. It looks like Port St. Lucie or Vero Beach are going to bear the brunt of it. We are getting gusts up to 80 mph now with 100+ predicted for later tonight. Yeehaw. FEMA moved trucks of ice (portable morgues) into town last night but it is not going to be that bad here. I'll lose my power soon and a couple of trees but Frances the bi%^& will have to work a little harder to take my roof. So if you don't here from us down here for a few days it's just that we've got no juice to fire up the computers. Oh by the way, Dan Rather was reporting from a couple of blocks away last night, what an idiot, my whole life is here, I've got to stay.

[Keith A]

Hey Bill,

So you live in Lake Worth? We evacuated from our house in the Melbourne area to a friend here in Lake Worth. It's blowing outside, but not too bad. It looks like the area where I live will get the brunt of the storm as it moves on shore. We have lost cable (video & internet) at the house I'm at, but still have phone and power.

Keep safe.
Keith

[dbrk]

One thing I don't understand about riding brevet's, is why do people load their bikes like they are refugee's? In everyone I'v done the longest stretch between checkpoints has only been around 80-100 miles, and there's usually at least one 7-11 along the way.

All this seems trivial in light of the storm and its potential, so first of all, good luck and godspeed.

In answer to your question, if it were meant to be as much, it is true that modern randonneuring doesn't much demand the kitchen sink approach to self-sufficiency and even in the traditionalist sense I have not ascribed to that. However, the randonneur tradition is rooted in self-sufficiency and exigency, as you well know, rather than the take-out-the-cell-phone, sag wagon, or hobble to the next stop alternatives. Even more important was the tradition of trials (not to be confused with anything we speak about in American cycling or with BMX or some such), that is, those rides in which the bike too is evaluated for fitness as part of the whole of the randonneur's score. In these trials the bikes are built to be bullet-proof and the riders are determined to fix them should anything go amiss before they reach the controls, hence the spoke wrenches, extra tires, you name it. The object is to bring the bike to the control/stop in perfect order or face the consequences of losing "points" for the brevet.

Today I will wander about the Finger Lakes---wishing you, KeithA, Russ, FlaRider, and all our pals a safe weekend---on my Mariposa Audax. It's in the Custom gallery, I believe, and there you will see a most traditional but also updated randonneur (Honjo fenders, Litespin generator which I much prefer to the Schmidt hub, using the latter on another bike, but also Ergo shifting). It is just the ticket for the sort of day I plan: a few hours going nowhere slowly, taking out the camera in amateur natural philosophy, and spending as much time as I can _not_ coming home anything like too soon on this beautiful day. I'll have you in thoughts and spirit today! Take care!

dbrk