Imagine getting the burro mold and building a modern version out of carbon fiber!

[floyd]

Originally Posted by rabbit

Carbon fiber not as tasty as Jello. You are correct, Sir, that the materials and process are analogous. Polyester and silica glass are less expensive, discounting the labour cost advantage of Taiwan, Korea, and the Chinese mainland. I still have my Kestrel road bike but I put over 15,000 miles on a cheap (8C$US) Trek 1400. Aluminum kicks your arse but makes for a stiff bracket and efficient power transfer. Carbon likewise.

jack

I have a 1989 Trek 1400, in pristine shape. Like the 820 of the same vintage, it started at it's best, then went cheaper over time.
I just got this 1400 this year (glued frame aluminum). It is my first roadbike...Very fast, but I don't see getting used to the 3position bars. I'm thinking of trying bullbars maybe next year.
At any rate I'll keep my modified 1989 820 (definitely not waterpipe) along with the rest of the stable, four of the six are American made, the other two are novelties (a Revive and a DaHon).

[rabbit]

Gotta stretch that back, gluteus, etc. to ride the hooks and drops which takes time and miles. When I got back into club riding in '94 I was 47 and it took about two yrs. to get out of the sit up and beg and into a lower body position. Ti had a lot of cachet in the eighties and nineties. I had a Serotta Colorado Legend whose precise cornering and downhill handling put to shame anything off the shelf builders could produce at the time but the flexy bottom bracket gave a lot away to a production Trek or Cannondale in the climbing dept. I hated the butt pounding I got on aluminum but I liked the rigidity for power transmission. I've seen a lot of Dahons and BikeFridays but not many Revives. Sport tourists and commuters can be found on just about anything; there are better (and necessary) choices for fast club rides.

jack