First Ride on CSI in a loooong time

[csi & legend ti]

Took my 1996 CSI out for the first time in a number of years. Wow! I forgot how nice this bike rides.

I was a professional couch potato for a number of years and did no riding. Or anything else for that matter. Then I retired. And found the religion of the "Wheel" once again. The Legend Ti was my prize for dropping close to 90 lbs. I now weigh 150 lbs. The CSI just hung there. Forgotten. Till today.

The ride of the CSI was sublime. Smooth, quick, and fast. The F1 fork felt smooth while going over the rough roads. Climbing was fun. No bottom bracket flex. Just pure joy.

This is not a comparison between the CSI and the Legend Ti, just reflecting on what a really nice lugged steel frame feels like after not riding one for quite a few years.

Happy riding,

Jim

[Pete Serotta]

Thanks Jim and congratulations on getting back into shape and losing all that weight....


Yes the CSI is a wonderful ride...I took mine out on SAT for we finally had sun. It was built about two years ago by Kelly Bedford and puts a smile on my face every time I ride it.


Post a picture of your two "motivators"> PETE

[Ozz]

It must have been CSI Saturday....I dropped off my Legend at the shop on Friday, so I rode my CSI for the first time in over a year....I have forgotton what a great ride it is. It was the best ride I've had all year....of course being 60 degrees and sunny helped!

I also had my nice tubulars on rather than the crappy winter wheels I've been riding for the past couple of month. They are a perfect match to the frame.

I need to ride it more often.... :beer:

[johnnymossville]

Welcome back from CouchWorld! I spent some time there too years ago, but am glad to be back. :) I've been snooping around at CSI frames recently myself, but finances don't allow for even a modest cycling investment at the moment.

[93legendti]

Another CSi fan here. It is interesting that CSi frame/framesets can be had used for as low as $500-600 and other builders' used lugged frames will go for ~$2,000.

[jlwdm]

You guys are making me think I should be building up my CSI. I bought Kelly Bedford's lightly used CSI, the last one made, about 4 months ago, but I have been waffling about building it up.

I don't have a lot of bikes but after being on this forum daily for over a year it is easy to think you need a whole bunch of bikes.

Sooner or later I need to build up the CSI or get rid of it.

Jeff

[palincss]

FWIW, sc53 has a 1996 CSI and a fairly new Ottrott. Most of the time I see her, she's riding the CSI.

[Hardlyrob]

jlwdm - BUILD IT UP!!!

I split my time between a new Kirk Terraplane and my '96 CSI. The Kirk is sublime, but every time I get off the CSI I say "Dayum that's a nice ride!"

Great bikes from a great builder.

Cheers!

Rob

[Ozz]

...I bought Kelly Bedford's lightly used CSI, the last one made, about 4 months ago, but I have been waffling about building it up....Sooner or later I need to build up the CSI or get rid of it.

Jeff
You're kidding right? ;)

Build it up! :beer:

[csi & legend ti]

Thanks Jim and congratulations on getting back into shape and losing all that weight....


Yes the CSI is a wonderful ride...I took mine out on SAT for we finally had sun. It was built about two years ago by Kelly Bedford and puts a smile on my face every time I ride it.


Post a picture of your two "motivators"> PETE

Pete,

I plan on posting some pics of both bikes soon. If this darn rain stops here in Western MA :crap: .

Jim

[jlwdm]

Ozz

I am not kidding.

I got my custom Nove just over a year and one half ago. I ride a 63cm (61 ctc after 4 degree slope) with a 57.5 top tube and a 72 degree seat tube angle. It is great.

I have a 1995 Colnago Tecnos 60 cm that has some fit issues, weighs a ton with the chromed fork and that I have tried to make fit as close as possible to the Nove. It looks terrible with a large stem extender but it has sentimental value. I took it on Tour de France trip in 2003 and rode some of the climbs in the Pyrennes. It is built up with silver 2009 Centaur and open pros.

In a weak moment I bought the CSI. The seat tube and HT are perfect but the top tube is 58.5 and the seat tube angle is 73 degrees. So I end up with about a 2 cm longer reach. I don't worry about a cm here and there as much as some people on the forum and I think I can make it work well through using the right stem and handlebars.

I was thinking of taking the Colnago up your way to Bellevue as my wife and her sister have a house there. She spends summers in Seattle while I survive the heat.

I would like a rain and night riding bike and the Colnago would work for that. The CSI seems too nice for a rain bike. Or I could cut the Colnago loose and put the Centaur and OPs on the CSI.

My other thought is that it would be nice to have a bike that can handle a little bigger tires to provide more versatility.

I have never ridden a CSI so I don't know what I am missing.

Jeff