Thinking of Selling my RB-1
So maybe I'm just in another funk from not being able to ride this past weekend (spent painting the living/dining room instead), but...
Weekend before last, I was able to get out on a short, 20-mile ride on my RB-1. I hadn't ridden that bike since the SFR 200k brevet in January, and although I had a great ride then, while I was cleaning up the bike afterwards I found several spoke-hole cracks in the rear rim. It's taken me this long to get around to rebuilding the rear wheel using a Mavic MA-2 rim I had on hand, and getting the bike back in service. At any rate, that 20-mile test ride left me kinda flat. Normally when I ride the RB-1 after spending time on any of my other bikes, I feel extra fast -- but that feeling didn't return that day. I dunno if something's different/wrong with the rear wheel or not -- I suspect it's more mental than anything, my subconscious knowing that a major/critical original component of the bike is now different/gone. I did some cogitating and realized that the first bike I grab for any major century or brevet is my Austro Daimler -- that one is really my go-to bike -- while I vainly attempt to keep the RB-1 the "pretty bike". Due to my pending move at the end of this month, bike-storage-space is becoming critical and I'm not sure I have room for "pretty" bikes...only hard riders. Maybe the time has come?
Of course, if I do sell the RB-1, I will reinstall all the original components on it
(even the tires!) and include the original manual, unused front-fork lawer tabs, and even the original bike box.
Hmmm. Someone talk me out of this!
Weekend before last, I was able to get out on a short, 20-mile ride on my RB-1. I hadn't ridden that bike since the SFR 200k brevet in January, and although I had a great ride then, while I was cleaning up the bike afterwards I found several spoke-hole cracks in the rear rim. It's taken me this long to get around to rebuilding the rear wheel using a Mavic MA-2 rim I had on hand, and getting the bike back in service. At any rate, that 20-mile test ride left me kinda flat. Normally when I ride the RB-1 after spending time on any of my other bikes, I feel extra fast -- but that feeling didn't return that day. I dunno if something's different/wrong with the rear wheel or not -- I suspect it's more mental than anything, my subconscious knowing that a major/critical original component of the bike is now different/gone. I did some cogitating and realized that the first bike I grab for any major century or brevet is my Austro Daimler -- that one is really my go-to bike -- while I vainly attempt to keep the RB-1 the "pretty bike". Due to my pending move at the end of this month, bike-storage-space is becoming critical and I'm not sure I have room for "pretty" bikes...only hard riders. Maybe the time has come?
Of course, if I do sell the RB-1, I will reinstall all the original components on it
(even the tires!) and include the original manual, unused front-fork lawer tabs, and even the original bike box.
Hmmm. Someone talk me out of this!
Labels: rb-1
posted by jim g at 1:45 PM
3 Comments:
Dunno if I can talk you out of that - or if I should try...
But, rims are like chains and sprockets - they are with us for a while and then they are gone. They supply the miles and the wonder, but eventually wear out. Think of the miles that they have given to you. Rear rims have the harder time of it, unequally stressed and bearing the brunt of potholes while carrying most of the weight.
The frame is the heart and soul. You can build up better wheels than you have now, and refine the other systems, but if the frame is not right, nothing you can do will change it.
That's the core issue, eh?
And never, but never make bike winnowing decisions after bouts of extreme home makeovers... ;^)
We installed hardwood floors about a year and a half ago... still haven't finished all the new baseboards. I know that home&garden funk all too well.
On the other hand, if the bike isn't doing it for you, sell it! Cut that puppy loose, and move on. It always feels good to shed skin, and there are so many bikes we've yet to ride!
hmm...i would never talk you out of it...what size is it?!!! :)
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