The Purist

[Nicensleazy]

Its a great shame that the art of road riding has been diluted over the years with Shimano and the like. Riding and keeping a road cycle is a sheer joy. Its a bit like a bespoke tailored suit, you must choose the cut and cloth accordingly. If you were indeed wishing to purchase such a suit, one might drop by Savile Row and visit Gieves and Hawkes or Henry Pool etc. Mention Chinese or cloth from Hong Kong, they would march you out of the shop which would be the appropriate course of action. They may even point you in the direction of that terrible outfitters ( I use the term loosely) called Next. Its very much like purchasing a fine cycle. One would need to consider such notable makers as Pinarello or the house of Colnago or a tailored De Rosa. Yes, the lower end bikes are made in far away places, but the top spec bikes are still made in Milan. Now, for me, its got to be Campagnolo, nothing else will do. Fine gearsets are a bit like a set of excellent cufflinks which complement a pure 100% cotton shirt. The look, the feel, the sound and the ride......Campag oozes charm and high quality. Remember, there is nothing wrong with being a Purist!

 

[TVC]

Snob!

 

[Dave5N]

This from the bloke that thinks this is a tasteful bike and this is a tasteful cycling jersey.

'nuff said.

 

[postman]

All well intended. It would be nice to afford the best everytime. A big but is ,can you afford it. I am looking for a bike and trying my hardest to find quality in a decent price range. Bikes do not come top in a family home. But to my rescue has come a fellow Chatter on an orange steed.Who has pointed me in the direction of Woodrups.Watch this space.

 

[Night Train]

My next suit will probably be from Asda and cost £18!

My next plane, on the other hand, will probably be a Lie-Nielsen No8.

 

[Cranky]

I only wear a suit at funerals.

I was most amused when an old timer on one of our club rides started slagging off "Shitmano" (as he called it) and then noisily clunked and clanked down his Campag gears as we approached a slight incline.

 

[Nicensleazy]

This from the bloke that thinks this is a tasteful bike and this is a tasteful cycling jersey.

'nuff said.

Ah, you know me so well.............

 

[dan_bo]

Blimey! 400 notes for a plane!

What's the difference between that and a £20 B&Q spesh?(sorry)

and don't just say 'quality'

 

[Night Train]

Blimey! 400 notes for a plane!

What's the difference between that and a £20 B&Q spesh?(sorry)

and don't just say 'quality'

Imagine Hoy's competition bike compared to a Toys R Us £60 BSO.

The blade is a very high quality steel that will hold an edge better. It is also a lot thicker so that it doesn't chatter in use. The plane body is also made of better quality steel and is machined and finished to a high standard to ensure it is both square edged and flat. The frog (the section that holds the blade at the correct angle) has a more secure mounting onto the body of the plane. Lots of little detail touches that improve the plane's ability to produce a fine and accurate finish on even difficult timbers.

A reasonable Stanley plane could be improved but the time it would take in labour would cost more then buying a good plane to start with.
My first (and last) new Stanley plane had a sole that was 2mm out of flat and by the time it was ground flat (and not even square yet) there wasn't much metal left to ensure rigidity. That was a waste of a day's work.

The planes I use are for producing the finish on a piece of work that the client touches. It isn't smooth from sanding but from planing. The shavings I get are so thin that you can read through them when placed on print, finer then a cig paper. I can even produce end grain savings that thin and that will hold together and not turn to dust.

 

[Saddle bum]

ShimoNo is OK for riding down to the shops, as you would in a Morri-Minor, but for the joys of the open road, it must be Campagnolo. I think policemen should be made to salute passing bikes with the Super-C, as they used to Rolls Royces.

 

[dan_bo]

You posted a link to your website not long ago didn't you?

 

[fossyant]

'Ere we go again.......

 

[Nicensleazy]

This from the bloke that thinks this is a tasteful bike and this is a tasteful cycling jersey.

'nuff said.

Just another thing, that bike is hand made in Milan, limited edition. OK, the paint job is quite loud, but the bike itself is a work of art. As for the shirt, it was worn by some of the finest riders in the world!

 

[Night Train]

Sometimes I wish I cycled enough to justify a really decent bike. I'm just not a good enough cyclist to warrent it. Paying over £400 for my Marin in 2000 was pushing value for money for use. With hindsight I should have got a better secondhand bike. Equally I don't know enough about modern bikes (anything post 1985) to be able to tell what is good and what is not either.
However, I am looking at road bikes on Ebay at the moment but still don't know what I am looking for!

 

[Nicensleazy]