[hpv] Re: Birk tailboxes?
Jeff Wills
>. These bikes are made to order so the
> boom doesn't
> telescope for different leg lengths.
That's bloody silly. If I change my equipment (pedals, shoes, or cranks) or
gain or lose weight, I have to buy a whole new frame! Plus, I wouldn't be
sure of the seat/crank relationship until I'd put a few miles on the bike-
and even then I'd want some room for adjustment.
Phoo- I guess it's sour grapes. I wouldn't be able to afford one anyway.
The full-faired bikes look gorgeous, though.
Jeff
ZACH
I agree, I've been known to do quite a few minor boom adjustments during
the intitial break in stage and also when changing shoes and cleat
position. I recall the bottom bracket of the Berk being on a module which
can be unbolted from the main boom so it would be possible to at least get
a different piece for the end of the boom rather than a new frame. BTW, the
standard Leitra also has a non-adjustable boom and fixed position seat.
________________________
Zach Kaplan Cycles
235 Pacific Way
Muir Beach, CA 94965 USA
415-381-5723
zaka...@earthlink.net
http://www.bikeroute.com/zach
Mark Maier
> > boom doesn't
> > telescope for different leg lengths.
>
> That's bloody silly. If I change my equipment (pedals,
> shoes, or cranks) or
> gain or lose weight, I have to buy a whole new frame!
In fact, it's wrong. The Birk's boom is adjustable but the
carbon fibre finish and everything is so perfect you hardly
can see where one tube slides into the other. Those bikes
simply are a dream in carbon...
see (sorry, German only):
http://www.datacomm.ch/miche.graf/speedbikes/birk/birk.html
Regards,
Mark.
=====
. <\
\__ O __O
| O\ _\\/\-% _`\<,
'()-'-(_)--(_) (_)/(_)
email: DrMar...@yahoo.com
website: http://www.geocities.com/drmarkmaier/
__________________________________________________
Do You Yahoo!?
Bid and sell for free at http://auctions.yahoo.com
Dave Larrington
> The fully faired version is also quite nice looking but like the
> Vector has a large greenhouse so wouldn't be well suited to a long
> ride on a sunny day.
It didn't stop Walter Berger from coming second in the road race in
Denmark last year, in the pink one. OK, so he lost out to Ymte
Sybrandy on a low racer with a fibreglass nose and fairing of something
resembling neoprene, but then Ymte is about twice the size. 87.5 km
(54+ miles) at over 50.5 km/h (31.5 mph).
And Mark Maier comments:
> Those bikes simply are a dream in carbon...
I told Michael Graf that I wanted his unfaired Birk, and that he should
give it to me immediately, after he spotted me drooling over it during
a lull in the 200m sprints in Cologne. For some reason, he didn't want
to give it away :-(
=====
Dave Larrington
Editor - BHPC Newsletter
Jeff Wills
>In fact, it's wrong. The Birk's boom is adjustable but the
>carbon fibre finish and everything is so perfect you hardly
>simply are a dream in carbon...
>
>http://www.datacomm.ch/miche.graf/speedbikes/birk/birk.html
Oh, wow... now I'm really glad my wife keeps the credit cards and checkbook out of
my hands. ;-))
BTW- I looked at the other "Speedbikes" pages. I'm happy to see that my Varna images
are getting around.
Jeff
Dave Larrington
> I understand the price for a complete [Birk] bike with tail box is
> around US$7000
This made me recall an incident from the '95 World Championships. Some
of our party overheard a conversation between a Swiss gentlemen and
turbocharged Dutchman Walter "I Am Number One" Ising...
Walter, it transpires, has decided to give up racing. The Swiss chap
perks up when he hears this, as he has been lusting after Walter's
racer, a rather tasty carbon-fibre low racer with long pointy tail.
"Do you want to sell your racing bike, then?" he asked, hopefully.
Walter thinks a bit. "Yeah, alright" quoth he. "How much?" asks the
prospective buyer. "Ten thousand guilders" says Walter, naming the
first figure that comes into his head. At today's prices, this is near
enough three thousand pounds, or five thousand US dollars. "Done",
says the Swiss, reaching for his wallet. "You certainly have been,
mate!" muttered one cynical Brit in the background...