The family grows: Marin Team Titanium '97

[Obi-Juan]

I'm continuing with the bike a little longer.
While I'm receiving or looking for some parts, I've started another project, and in the end, too many things are piling up.

I have some nice TTP hubs, a historic Spanish brand, which were used by the ONCE team, among others. The front has 28 spokes and the rear has 32. It was hard to find a set of rims, but in the end, some 517 rims with those same number of holes arrived.
I also had to make the decals...
The bearings are perfect, so one less job.


The truth is, I'm feeling lazy about making the wheels, which is strange since it's something I enjoy and find relaxing, but I'm piling up too much!
In fact, to start the build, I'm using some I had lying around the garage.

 

[Obi-Juan]

When I started building the bike, I took the measurements correctly, and the titanium stem doesn't fit; it's just over 10 mm short.
Fortunately, I had a 120 mm Syntace.

Funnily enough, I'm going to have two bikes with the same Syntace F 99/Answer Hyperlite Carbon combo. At least the stem has different graphics.
ome Grip Shift DIRT Plasma, which I always liked a lot with its dry and precise feel and its harder rubber grip than the later ones and we finish the control area with some Bontrager XXX grips, with sufficient padding and a good grip

 

[Obi-Juan]

Well, the brakes.
The Machine Tech Zero Flex brake levers have always driven me crazy. This time they're paired with the rest of the set.
They're truly beautiful and make a beautiful combination with the frame.
It has its quirks, like everything valuable in life...
The brake pads seemed very heavy to me, and I really don't like them. They seem very unfinished considering the rest of the work.
I've bought other, more machined, and somewhat lighter ones. I also bought some blue brake pads to complete the set.

 

[Obi-Juan]

At the beginning of the build, I realized that the ergal bolt on the Tiso derailleur could be a source of future problems, so I decided to quickly replace it with a titanium one. I may have lost 1g, but it gives me more peace of mind.

Otherwise, as always happens when you put together different parts, the adjustment was slow, but it was finally achieved.
I won't cut the cables until I put the final wheels on, just in case I need further adjustments.

 

[stevet1]

Very nice, love this build with some more esoteric parts. Love the wheels and the brakes. Those Machine Tech levers really do feel great in the hand don't they,

 

[L-Note]

At the beginning of the build, I realized that the ergal bolt on the Tiso derailleur could be a source of future problems, so I decided to quickly replace it with a titanium one. I may have lost 1g, but it gives me more peace of mind.

Otherwise, as always happens when you put together different parts, the adjustment was slow, but it was finally achieved.
I won't cut the cables until I put the final wheels on, just in case I need further adjustments.
View attachment 983148View attachment 983149View attachment 983151View attachment 983152View attachment 983153View attachment 983154

Looks great! How’s the saddle feel? Not a lot of padding there!

 

[Obi-Juan]

Very nice, love this build with some more esoteric parts. Love the wheels and the brakes. Those Machine Tech levers really do feel great in the hand don't they,

Thank you very much.

The brake levers are absolutely beautiful. From what I've been able to test these days while adjusting the rear brake, they are very ergonomic and have a good feel.
Anyway, I need to try out some options: The levers have three positions (the "V" version, the "Canti's" only has one), and for now I've put it in the middle one. The brakes are a little taller and have three positions as well (and I've also started with the middle one).

That kind of magic roll it has is quite important because being taller and "attacking" the lever more at the beginning, using the usual tube is complicated; it sticks out a lot and hits the foot when pedaling. It could be put in front, although it looks strange.

Let's see if I can get some more detailed photos of the different positions.

 

[Obi-Juan]

Looks great! How’s the saddle feel? Not a lot of padding there!

Thanks for the comment.

Well, I've always liked "hard" saddles. In the '80s, I had an Iscaselle Giro d'Italia, and that was a real rock!

I currently ride a San Marco Superleggera on the Look Ti, although it has a bit of padding, but it's similar to this Aspide. I ride a Saevid (that one is all carbon) on my MTB. In fact, on the 2002 Rocky Mountain Element SC I just introduced, I ride another Saevid.

As an anecdote, the most comfortable saddle I've ever ridden was a magnesium San Marco Magma. It was just a sheet of metal (very nice, by the way). It broke in less than six months, and they gave me my money back because they stopped making it... I didn't want the money, I wanted my saddle!!! It was so comfortable!

A good friend gave me this Aspide and so it's staying, although when I start riding it we'll see what my butt thinks of the saddle.
P.S. I recently found a photograph of my Magman saddle, made from a sheet of magnesium. I'm sharing it.
re.