A Good Bike Stands the Test of Time

[Fullylugged]

A WTB post  for a Roadini or a Road model on the list got me to thinking how good a bike my Road has been. I am, I think, the 4th owner. A pic of the original owner (I believe), and then a pic of my 1st build are attached. I've changed the crank to a double and put Suntour non aero brake levers on it since that picture. The 3rd owner (that I know of)  had it for a project that never came together. It's a 1995 Road prototype and I got it around late 2008 as a frame set.  My first logged ride was early 2009. Since then, I've added almost 11,000 miles (this is one of 4 regular rides hanging in my garage) to however many it had before. Last year, a frame builder replaced a chain stay that developed a crack, and re painted the bike for far less than a 1/4 the cost of a new frame. I'm running Michelin Megamiums now (courtesy of a nice list member who passed them along) and despite being only 32mm, this is seriously the smoothest fast bike I've ever been on. It handles quickly, looks still get comments of approval from other cyclists and goes all day long.  The frame is too big for me but with 650B wheels, I can stand over it. My smaller Waterford RS-12 with very similar geometry fits better. The Road was an affordable bike ("for people with bicycle priorities") when new, and even more so as a used frame set.   

Even more noteworthy is the 1983 Maruishi for Nashbar that I ride every Tues/Thurs for the club hill trainer rides. Also a 650B convert, Tange tubed and with a 26/36 low gear, it has also been a super performer. The parts on it came from a Saluki sold some years ago. The prior owner had it set up like an XO-1. I rode it that way for a while, but changed to make it a wider purpose bike. I climbed Lookout Mountain (near the corner of TN, GA & AL) on it last year for example. So, it's "Rivish" in set up, and due to its era, has longer chainstays than current fashion and wider clearances, but it does not have the slack seat tube and low BB that are usual to a Riv.

[Mark Roland]

Well that sure is a vintage photo of the OO (Original Owner), what with the saddle-to-bar drop, toe clips, racing bars, down tube shifters, and tires skinnier than 44mm!

[Joel Stern]

Very nice, I wish I still had any one of the Roads I had purchased.  

On Sunday, August 9, 2020 at 9:00:59 AM UTC-4, Fullylugged wrote:

[RichS]

Bruce,

Excellent topic that could generate similar reflections.
Wishing I could contribute but my rides are still to young to qualify as time tested. Maybe in ten years!

Best,
Rich in ATL