The most INSANE bike you will ever see

penexpers

As featured on bikesnobnyc, some guy found the owner.

http://www.bikeforums.net/showthread.php?t=503688

blorg

You aren't putting Zipps on your cargo bike then?

Chips Lovell

There's something perverse about putting a bike together like that. Almost like its calculated to annoy people.

blorg

I'd tend to agree with the posters who said "at least he's riding his bike"*, and the guy who said:

honestly, the guy was secure enough to spend his money on stuff that he liked and that suited his needs without worrying about what other people thought, i hope i'm that cool someday too

*a certain Pista Concept comes to mind

Knifey_Spooney

Oh I dunno If I had the money to build it as my commuting bike I certainly would. And ride it everywhere just to upset all the people who realized how much it must have cost me and how silly it really was.

I don't have 3-5k spare..... And if I did I'd use it to buy a nice bike, so in reality I'd need 7 - 10k to spare.... If I did thought I'd totally rock something like this.....

DirkVoodoo

Scrolling down the photos and seeing the guy unlocking it, I'm wondering what a sweet irony it might be if he was named "Fred Frederson".

I ain't a fan I have to say. Cost is irrelevant as well, i could spend $200,000 making myself into a cat man, doesn't mean the end result will look any good.

Gavin

AAiieee my eyes!!! The goggles, ze do nuthink

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

a certain Pista Concept comes to mind

Just because I'm not a lunatic who brings a track bike up the Dublin mountains doesn't mean it doesn't get ridden. And it's far more "suited to my needs" than 808 tubulars on a commuter.

Wez

But his fancy wheels are quick release.. That cable lock could easily be gotten through and it'd all be gone to waste!

Apart from the whole getting whipped scenario, I have to say fair balls! It's like the ultimate commuter (sans mirrors)!

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

Just because I'm not a lunatic who brings a track bike up the Dublin mountains doesn't mean it doesn't get ridden. And it's far more "suited to my needs" than 808 tubulars on a commuter.

I am only ribbing you, hope to try my hand at track racing myself this year, expect I will be at quite a disadvantage! I believe they are not too sticky about BB height/cranks at Sundrive but what is the story with brakes- do the levers have to come off as well as the calipers?

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

I am only ribbing you, hope to try my hand at track racing myself this year, expect I will be at quite a disadvantage! I believe they are not too sticky about BB height/cranks at Sundrive but what is the story with brakes- do the levers have to come off as well as the calipers?

As I am you.

They won't let you race with brakes. I'd ask in advance. I have some recollection about a guy being allowed to race who had his calipers disconnected, but I may just be misremembering something.

Raam

blorg wrote: »

I am only ribbing you, hope to try my hand at track racing myself this year, expect I will be at quite a disadvantage! I believe they are not too sticky about BB height/cranks at Sundrive but what is the story with brakes- do the levers have to come off as well as the calipers?

You can rent bikes there, but come on Blorg, you know you just want to buy a track specific bike.

blorg

Raam wrote: »

You can rent bikes there, but come on Blorg, you know you just want to buy a track specific bike.

I was thinking I might give it a go with my Bowery now that I have it replaced as a commuter with the Tricross I would have a choice between 82.8" (15t) and 88.7" (14t) with the current front chainring (46t).

Chips Lovell

88 would be the standard track gearing.

Explosive_Cornflake

Another crazy thing about it is that he stopped the bike in a high gear. That's something that really annoys me.

penexpers

So anyway turns out he has another bike



This is the guy who rides them

http://www.kaufin.com/staff-blk.html

Chips Lovell

Do you know what's even funnier than the bikes? The thread on Bikeforums. This is the difference between Americans and us. A man should have the right to spend his money in any damn way he pleases and no one should laugh at him.

CheGuedara

penexpers wrote: »

So anyway turns out he has another bike...

That sad abused soloist.

That made me cry.

And not in the 'ha ha' way.

That man must be stopped.

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

Do you know what's even funnier than the bikes? The thread on Bikeforums. This is the difference between Americans and us. A man should have the right to spend his money in any damn way he pleases and no one should laugh at him.

In fairness I think there was a pretty similar mix, half decrying the horror and the other half saying, why not, if he has the money, at least he's cycling. I'd be in the latter camp. To be honest my first reaction (after the inital WTF) was concern over clamping sharp-edged weight-bearing P-clips onto thin carbon seatstays to support the rack. Now to get those Bicygnals onto my Litespeed...

penexpers

I'm not doubting that he can spend his money on whatever he wants - just that there are better tools out there. Assuming he wants to commute he could get something like this

http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/853_commuter.shtml

which is probably as expensive, if not more expensive than either of his two bikes. At the moment, he just looks like an idiot with more money than sense.

blorg

Is it better though? I will wager that Kinetics weighs a metric ton, there is a certain commuter/tourist type that go for that sort of thing and it is better for _them_ but personally I want something lightweight! With a rack and mudguards. When touring I want to be able to yank the bags off and do a loop around the Pyrenees! When commuting I want to be able to do a loop around the Dublin mountains at lunchtime!

To be honest that Kinetics to me looks just as daft, particularly the handlebars, no brakes in the drops WTF! And the tyres, good god the tyres!

Raam

This thread makes my eyes hurt.

niceonetom

penexpers wrote: »

http://www.kinetics-online.co.uk/html/853_commuter.shtml
.

that bike. it disgusts me. waaaaaaaaay more than the trek.

essentially i read your argument as going something like this "that guy's an idiot for commuting in a ferrari (albeit with lounge seats and racing tyres), he'd be much better off with a humvee (complete with winch, solid tyres and hazmat suits). then he'd be sensible like me..."

i love that trek. it's batshit insane at first, but then you think, fukit, if i was a whimsical bastard, without a budget, what mostrosities would i come up with?

the only thing that bothers me about it is:

the lock. you can build the craziest, most over speced bike you want, but have the decency to look after it and value it enough to stick a decent lock on it (and its wheels). i'd steel it just to teach him a lesson.

Explosive_Cornflake

TBH, if I had his cash, it's exactly what I would do.

scottreynolds

I bet he has a commute of about 500m -- sorry American 1/2 mile. (I have never heard anyone say "a third of a mile")

scottreynolds

Explosive_Cornflake wrote: »

TBH, if I had his cash, it's exactly what I would do.

I get my own team kit as well for the commutes and paint job the bikes to match.

His bikes look pretty comfortable for a commute though.

petethedrummer

That trek bike would be the coolest thing in the world, if you were 8.

He's obviously still reeling over the fact his parents didn't get him a vektar.

blorg

I remember them. Possible fixie conversion (I believe it used a hub gear.)

DirkVoodoo

Wow, blast from the past! I remember really wanting one of those, and a hoverboard too.

Raam

Good lord, I had forgotten all about those Vektar bikes. Ahead of their time so they were.

TinyExplosions

niceonetom wrote: »

Quick release wheels too.... money must really be no object

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

In fairness I think there was a pretty similar mix, half decrying the horror and the other half saying, why not, if he has the money, at least he's cycling. I'd be in the latter camp.

But isn't it like someone getting a massive Ranger Rover just to drop the kids to school? Total overkill. You've got to admit, the bike makes no sense at all.

blorg

el tonto wrote: »

But isn't it like someone getting a massive Ranger Rover just to drop the kids to school? Total overkill. You've got to admit, the bike makes no sense at all.

Well it's probably nice and light and comfortable to cycle. I will grant you the Zipps make no sense, he would be better off with a lighter non-aero wheelset.

Chips Lovell

blorg wrote: »

Well it's probably nice and light and comfortable to cycle. I will grant you the Zipps make no sense, he would be better off with a lighter non-aero wheelset.

Light, I'll give you that. But comfortable? Buying a performance road frame and then trying to shoehorn it into a comfort bike, doesn't make a lot of sense. Of course, with that geometry, he'll probalby never get up to the speeds where 808s would begin to yield results.

blorg

I had a carbon Trek; it was a very comfortable bike! Say the man wants a light, relatively speedy hybrid that is load carrying.

Trek actually make a carbon fibre hybrid with all road race componentry, this guy's bike is just a little further on up from that

niceonetom

the more upright your riding style the more need you have of super-aero wheels. obviously.