As promised,
here is my comprehensive mainstream publication review of the cutting-edge new Drysdale Special gravel/adventure/all-road bike!
Here's the TLDR:
Buy It If: You like to reach down to shift
Forget It If: You think "lug" is WASP for "schlep"
Get yours
here!
So when do you have to send back mr.drysdale's 1949 time machine?
ReplyDeleteUnless,it's a keeper,then,never mind.
I speak WASP and would like to point out that lug also means: "an uncouth, aggressive man"
ReplyDeleteLug Tenovo indeed.
i am undecided if i will keep my current old bikey build with the ancient DT shifting it came with in 1994 or bring it to the future (2013!) with some 105 5800 shifting since that is all on sale now that a newer version is finally out.
or maybe i'll just single speed it and put a foam pad on the top tube and call it a day.
I was sold until I got to the 48x23 part
ReplyDelete@BamaPhred- I’m not a bike mechanic but, if you brought it over to the Holiday Inn I could massage your gearing..
ReplyDeleteY'know TT, if you moved the family out here to Seattle you'd have easy access to Bainbridge. Just sayin.
ReplyDeleteI didn't think that frames made in the 50's had braze on shifter bosses or cable guides by the bottom bracket. Every frame I've seen had clamp-on mounts for both......At least the bike has large flange hubs...……(Many old frames were updated with braze on mounts in the 80's, and then repainted)
ReplyDeletePbateman@ 8:01pm, you’re threatening a two (2) decade time warp. AFAIK that requires a wormhole.
ReplyDeleteNew York Giddy - love visiting this city,
ReplyDeleteI take it that TLDR is not shorthand for “total low-down report”?
ReplyDeletejust looking at that cluster makes my knees ache.
ReplyDeleteNot Old, Classic
ReplyDelete(drank a cup of joe from it this morning - thanks!)
"think Surly, but attractive"
ReplyDeleteReally wish I had written that about one of my steel bikes.
BTW, the illustration seems to be showing excessive chain droop. I hate when that happens. Derailleur looks to have lost its bungee.
Sorry that I don't have time for a proper comment; I am too preoccupied with brawling in my neighbor's garden and choking out a prostitute.
ReplyDeleteApparently, this is the normal German response to poor cellular reception from T-Mobile.
ReplyDeleteMy dog informs me the women’s model is the Hathaway.
ReplyDeleteRide safe all!
I remember the days when we'd swap out the 12-21s for 12-23s if we were going for a ride in the mountains. But yeah, having a simple bike for riding around is a blast. Enjoyed the article.
ReplyDeleteAs far as bottle mounts go, didn't the racers of that era prefer a pair of bottles mounted on either side of the stem?
ReplyDelete@jan - its really no different than your old biking days on the ... you were on a lot of drugs
ReplyDeletejust behind another professional rider... they then gave you "the look" and proceeded to blow you away. understandable you'd be angry then as now.
my bikey is yellow. so help me LOB its yellow. some sort of specialist guy is dealing with all the decals this morning, then gets hit with the clear coat followed by the oven and should be ready by 5pm or so.
i may have an erection lasting more than 4 hours.
Pbateman, the greatest description of those Armstrong/Ullrich battles was:
ReplyDelete"Lance kept Jan just far enough behind that Jan could smell his farts."
One question about the Drysdale test: when did you wear a wool jersey in this weather?
ReplyDeleteIt seems odd, but I've found thick wool jerseys to be at least as comfortable in the heat as modern fabrics. (At least in lowish humidity.). You get a lot of evaporative cooling, at least while moving. (Standing around is another matter.)
Deleteleroy,
ReplyDeleteTuesday of last week.
--Tan Tenovo
It also metal handlebars(!) wrapped in cloth(!!!),
ReplyDeleteAnd also with bicycle of me it is so.
where can one get a "mega-power downtube" sticker? asking for a friend.
ReplyDeleteImpressive.
ReplyDeleteWhen I want to shed pounds, I wrap myself in foil before riding.
It's kind of crazy that we had bikes essentially figured out more than 70 years ago. Yeah integrated shift/brake levers are great, clipless pedals are nice, indexed shifting is convenient etc. etc. But a bike as old as the Drysdale still being usable as a daily ride? Amazing and awesome.
ReplyDeleteCameron Murphy,
ReplyDeleteI'm imagine the only real advantages to Lycra are it's easier to manufacture in mass quantities, it's easier to cover in sponsor logos, and moths aren't interested in it.
Okay, also the jerseys sag less when you fill the pockets.
--Tan Tenovo
Tan, one more important advantage to well-crafted lycra - it helps suck in your beer belly, kinda like spanx for men.
ReplyDeleteI've gone full Fred on my commutes the past two weeks. When I hit the air conditioning, I'm soaked.
ReplyDeletewishiwasmerckx,
ReplyDeleteYeah, keep telling yourself that.
--Tan Tenovo
do you eat foodstuffs that are era-appropriate when riding old bikes and coating yourself in wool? i would expect a lot of cutting edge (for the 50s) canned/processed foodstuffs would make sense.
ReplyDeleteand don't forget cigarettes..you'll want to pack some of those as well.
that's why i ride bikes of the late 80's and 90's...its all poptarts, crystal pepsi, fruit rollups and an 8ball to keep me focused.
I have a Swobo merino wool jersey, from the era when a certain other bieky blogger worked at Swobo.
ReplyDeleteIt now has about a half dozen moth holes in it. It hurt to see that when I pulled the jersey out of (cedar-less) storage this Spring.
Getting it fixed is on my ToDo list, which is only about 380 items long at this point. If anyone has any pointers for wool repair, I'm all eyes. (ears)
" It has clearance for wide tires yet it has the elegant lines of a bare-bones road racer. "
ReplyDeleteHow wide are we talking here?
ReplyDeleteJust a guess, but the profit margin on Lycra must be many multiples of that of wool. But you don't get to hang with the sheep.
How about those tubular sew-ups and spare on the Drysdale! Nothing beats them for a quick responsive ride and an easy change of tires in case of a puncture.
ReplyDeleteOne of my favorite parts of Breaking Away is Dave Stoller's cycling jerseys, which, I think, as a kid with no job living at home with mom and dad he could not have afforded but it's only a movie.
ReplyDeleteforego a multitool in favor of a single adjustable wrench : )
ReplyDeleteDid you know New Zealand, Scotland and Newfoundland recently codeveloped a new use for sheep? WOOL!
ReplyDeleteBSNYC, Will your children pick up where you left off with the evaluation of the Renovo after you retire from cycling due to age? It could be the longest bicycle evaluation in recorded history. Also, will "pre-riden" steel frames ever become a fad? I'm sure you could find a metallurgist to explain how age and number of miles improve the crystal grain structure of steel, which improves the ride quality.
ReplyDeleteOr you could buy the Pashley Roadster Classic, whose basic design has been unchanged since 1926. See:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.pashley.co.uk/bikes/bicycles/roadster-classic.php