Canuk
Old School Grand Master
I'm not quite there yet, but in another decade I daresay I'll be buying the 'last bike', the one that I'll ride every day into my dotage while the old knees will still carry me.
I've been thinking about it a bit lately as my cycling friend from work is just about to retire and he's on the prowl for a suitable candidate. His weapon of choice seems to be a Look carbon disc with all the fancy Look fittings.
My pick, at this point, will probably be a steel framed bike (no titanium, no thanks) with SRAM etap gearing, I'm not sure if I'll go with disc or rim brakes, but at the moment I can get great performance out of rim brakes. If disc brakes evolve to something more powerful, controllable and easier to maintain I'll think about that if and when the time comes.
So my frame of choice .. That's a hard one. I'm torn between an 853 fast tourer and a Colnago Master Xlight. I'm not one for loading up a bike for commuting, all my needs fit in a small frame bag or perhaps a front bag, and I never use mudguards so it's a toughie..
Good condition Master XLights can be had for reasonable money here, about half what they retail for. I've got some parts for it already, it pays to shop ahead of time! For a saddle I'll be using a trusty Flite Transalp, I've always liked them and never let me down. The only problem I forsee is rust to the lovely Italian chrome, as we live in quite a humid part of the country so getting it dry after damp days essential. The other option I have is a stainless 953, but they don't seem to get a good rep for longevity, and I want a build that will LAST!
What's your dream bike for the 'last bike'?
I've been thinking about it a bit lately as my cycling friend from work is just about to retire and he's on the prowl for a suitable candidate. His weapon of choice seems to be a Look carbon disc with all the fancy Look fittings.
My pick, at this point, will probably be a steel framed bike (no titanium, no thanks) with SRAM etap gearing, I'm not sure if I'll go with disc or rim brakes, but at the moment I can get great performance out of rim brakes. If disc brakes evolve to something more powerful, controllable and easier to maintain I'll think about that if and when the time comes.
So my frame of choice .. That's a hard one. I'm torn between an 853 fast tourer and a Colnago Master Xlight. I'm not one for loading up a bike for commuting, all my needs fit in a small frame bag or perhaps a front bag, and I never use mudguards so it's a toughie..
Good condition Master XLights can be had for reasonable money here, about half what they retail for. I've got some parts for it already, it pays to shop ahead of time! For a saddle I'll be using a trusty Flite Transalp, I've always liked them and never let me down. The only problem I forsee is rust to the lovely Italian chrome, as we live in quite a humid part of the country so getting it dry after damp days essential. The other option I have is a stainless 953, but they don't seem to get a good rep for longevity, and I want a build that will LAST!
What's your dream bike for the 'last bike'?
