Gorgeous and classy, just like her owner!
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Gorgeous and classy, just like her owner!
I can't wait until Kredo can go riding with her. I hope they get along, since they are so different...
Seriously, the bike looks gorgeous. Mazel Tov.
Bee-autiful!
What an elegant-looking bike. I like the lack of glaring logos.
Is the frame an Eclipse or an Orbit? Very nice.
How awesome is that?!?! What a gorgeous bike!
That is a beautiful bike Lisa. congratulations and may you have many enjoyable and safe riding miles.
~ JoAnn
Thank you. :)
It's an Eclipse (road)....sort of...I guess. Though Margo really just sort of made up a custom geometry that would fit my body measurements and my riding goals. It's part touring and part road bike. It really is a custom bike in every sense of the word. There was a lot of planning and somewhat challenging component coordination.
My Rivendell has the same gear range....but we had to do a lot of juggling and changing of parts to get it. That range does not come standard on Rivs. Running out of gears on a downhill?- has not happened to me yet. I figure by the time I hit 40mph I probably won't be pedaling anyway! :eek: ;)
The TA Carmina crankset provided the exact number of front ring cog combinations that we wanted, which was 24/36/48. A Shimano Ultegra triple would usually come with 30/39/52 (not a low enough granny gear for me). The TA is also adaptable to swapping rings later to change cog numbers --like if I get 'super quads' later on. ;)
Later I will be staining/sealing the cork tape in a nice coordinating color.
That is not only beautiful it is hot! That is one of the best bikes I have ever seen. Many happy miles to you.
She is georgeous! CONGRATS!!! I can't wait to hear the first ride report. ENJOY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Beautiful! May you have many happy years together...
I like that color. & the Brooks looks so good with it.
Beautiful bike Lisa. It should "turn some heads" among knowledgable bike folk you meet on the road. May you have many happy and safe miles together.
What a lovely retro bike
Lisa-
The is bee--you--tee--ful (sorry, I couldn't resist!).
Looking forward to your maiden voyage report:)
CA
Lisa, love the color of that bike. and at first i wasnt so sure about that matte finish, then i took a second look and decided i really like that. the color and finish is so different from what i've seen and i think that's what i like about it. i do have a question, with it being a matte finish, it should wash the same as any bike with the regular shiny finish correct? I am assuming it must have like a clear coat or something? enjoy your bike..hope you got to ride it today, it might have been near 50 today but man, are those winds out there today horrible, at least in my area of the state..
Well, had my first actual ride today- 16 miles on a beautiful sunny Spring day about 40 degrees.
There are things about this bike that are identical to my older bike (my Rivendell)- the saddle, handlebars, pedals, gearing range....those things were blessedly familiar and so they eased and diminished the 'oh how weirdly different!' factor for me.
The brifters are taking a bit of time to get used to from my old bar end shifters. I'm sure I will get used to them but I do already miss being able to zip through 3 or 4 cassette gears at once when confronted with a sudden steep altitude change. I'll get the hang of these things. :rolleyes: They remind me of click beetles. :cool:
The new bike is 4 pounds lighter (mostly because of lighter tubing more appropriate for my weight) and the top tube is shorter and the stem is 2cm longer. Overall this makes the new Luna feel a little quicker, smaller feeling, and more responsive. A little more 'get up and go'. It also turns better than the slightly longer Rivendell.
I am slightly more bent forward, but still I look way more upright than typical roadbike riders. Happily, I have no back or neck issues.
I do feel that I can get behind my pedaling a little more- meaning that I think my butt is further behind the crank. I always felt a bit too balanced on top of the crank on the other bike- felt I could never get far enough back to get more power, even though the reach was already too long. So I must be better balanced now. That was a major issue I was hoping to improve, so that's good.
The nasty left elbow pain/ache that I usually always get after 10 miles no matter what did not materialize today- only a very slight twinge happened but it never got any worse. I was very glad about that- it's been an ongoing biking discomfort for 2 years. Again this indicates to me that my weight is better distributed back (off my hands) and the reach is less long.
Another treat was being able to actually wrap my fingers around the brake levers for a change! Love those short reach levers with shims! :p
The first few miles I was not really sure if I was indeed more comfortable overall or not. Things were different enough to feel confusing, and there was no dramatic orgasmic "Oh My God this bike is incredible!" revelation like some people have. :rolleyes: But by the last five miles I just started feeling very natural on it and I felt connected to it. My Rivendell feels a little longer and heavier and I always feel a bit like I am riding on top of this great machine. This bike feels more like I am connected to it and I feel in control of it more. The differences are more subtle and complex than I thought they would be.
I really like this bike and was quite comfortable on it by the end of the ride.
I bet it will feel better and better every ride now. Already my two biggest problems seem much improved- the "elbow pain with weight on hands/reach" thing, and the "getting my center of gravity back more and getting power-behind-my-pedaling" thing.
It's a keeper. :)
It told me it's a 'girl', by the way. My Rivendell Rambouillet has always definitely been a 'boy'. :p
P.S. Shelly yes it has ClearCoat finish on top. It'll get the same dings and scratches as any other bike. I've come to terms with that concept.
One thing I noticed in the pic, is your bars seem tilted up at quite a high angle. You may have had to do that on the riv to shorten the reach, but maybe its making your positioning on the brifters sub-optimal. If the reach is correct, you should be able to angle the bars so the drops are either parallel to the ground, or pointed only slightly up. If you feel good with how your hands are contacting the brifters, then maybe you just need time to get used to the new shifting.
But overall from your description, it sounds like the fit is great, just that perhaps the fit of the riv wasn't as bad as you thought. Being one with the bike, and balanced over your bike is key, so its great that all feels right!
how does one come to terms with that?Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
Very Nice! Welcome to the world of STI, I think you'll come to love them in short order. Bike looks great, color blends nicely and carbon fork seems to fit in just fine with the classic features. Love the King headset and Thomson seatpost. Now I know why you went 9 - speed (to get that large cassette), and I understand.
Finally as a guy, I gotta say you need a smaller bag :)
Great Bike! Enjoy!
Congratulations on your new baby! You don't have to send them to college and if you spoil them rotten they are good to you.
Very classy.
Never! Step a-w-a-y from my Little Joe! :mad:Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. SR500
Madscot- you come to terms with little scratches and dings because it shows that it's a well loved and used machine (just like my beloved banjos with little dings and smudges). It's like how wrinkles give you character! Many models with flawless faces tend to look like they have no personality, cold and empty.
Ok, maybe I can use that to come to terms with my bike boo-boos.Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
That ding where I whacked my chainstay with the pedal wrench? Character, baby, it's added character.
Feng Shui or Wang Chung or Wabi Sabi or whatever it's called.
beautiful bike Lisa. Congratulations. Do you name your bikes? If so whats her name?
Beautiful! She looks like a lovely buttercup color, like the wildflowers that grow in New England.
Congratulations!
Lisa, your description of your ride is great. You describe very much how I feel on my Luna--as it (her) being an extension of me, or I of it (her). It's the first bike that I've ridden that I really feel like part of the machine, not perched on it, not fighting it.
My Luna is a persimmon-orange-red, and I named her Carmen Bacana (bacana means "cool" in Brazilian Portuguese), but I usually just call her Luna (sometimes Luanne when I've had a few!)
Congratulations on a beautiful ride made by a beautiful woman with a couple of beautiful dogs helping her out!
I suppose it will take me a while to find the right name for my bike- it is a girl bike though, so that narrows it down some.Quote:
Originally Posted by tulip
Isn't your Carmen persimmon-red Luna pictured on the Luna website gallery? Post a link here so we can all admire it! It's HOT!!!!
I have tried smaller saddlebags but have found I just can't make everything fit....sturdycable&lock, tube, small pump, patch kit, a couple of tools, extra wool shirt or a wind vest, wool glove liners (the weather quickly changes here and suddenly get cold or windy), snack for long rides, emergency bungee cord and a few bandages, a bandana, roadmap, ID and money, cellphone.....sigh. We ride typically 2-4 hour (sometimes up to 8 hour) rides in mostly rural areas so there is little chance of being near a gas station when you need any assistance. I need to be self-sufficient if a problem occurs when I'm out there in the middle of nowhere on a wooded road alone. If I was just riding up and down paved main roads dotted with stores I wouldn't need to bring much. Hey at least I don't have to pack any hair curlers! :D
I can see that. When you go from one high-quality, well made bicycle to another high-quality well made - and custom - bicycle...I would not be surprised at your statement. I felt the same way going from my stock Seven to my custom Seven. Improved fit...different ride, and yeah...better "connection" to the bike.Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
And, Mr. SR500...you are SUCH a guy! I was heavily influenced by guys at the start of my riding (even the women who influenced me were more "guy like" in their habits/styles), and consequently, I .. um.. travel light. Tiny Pedros bag. But 90% of the other women I see out there have great big honkin' saddle bags. Like they're going on an expedition. It's a girl thing.
Last time I looked, Margo still had it in the Photo Gallery of her website (www.lunacycles.com) way down at the bottom (I bought it in 2005). Yeah, she's hot; took a while for me to feel like I could keep up.Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
EDIT: I just looked at the photo gallery. ALL those bikes are hot! Love the simple single speeds.
Lisa, that is a gorgeous, classic bike. LOVE the bee!!
I dunno. I think it might be a personality type thing. My ex-husband always rode with a full trunk rack...he wanted to be uber-prepared for anything. But then, that was how he travelled in a car, too. Me, I can dash off for a long road trip with just a toothbrush. That said, my bike bag is not super big, not super small. I think it is a personality thing.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
Lisa, again...gorgeous bike.
I felt this exact same feeling when I went from both of my first two bikes to my current bike. Mine's not custom, but because I finally got a good fit, I'm amazed how I went from feeling like I was riding a machine to feeling like the machine was connected to me. I never could explain it right and I think you just did!Quote:
Originally Posted by BleeckerSt_Girl
Congrats! (and it does get better with each and every ride!)
Ditto. MY DH does the same thing and I much prefer to travel light...especially on the bike! :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Starfish
Lisa- Get your DH to take some action shots!! :D:p
My saddle bag is a mountain wedge, carries a tube, tire levers, CO2, tampon, small thing of sunscreen, eye drops and a tiny bottle of Aleve. My jersey pockets have cell phone, wallet and food stuff now plus arm warmers in the cooler months. DH is too proud to put one on his bike and carries everything in his jersey pockets. For a while my bike was nekkid (no bag) and looked great but I looked like a pack mule! I can't carry a big bag cause my bike is so tiny, I am going to have to find a handlebar bag before I ride the mountains this fall. :rolleyes:
Fair enough :) I use a little 25 cu in bag, and gave Kim a 50 for her new bike. Several of the guys I ride with go bag free and just stuff things into their jersey pockets, but I've also seen some handlebar bags - on womens bike, so maybe a girls thing. So far I've been good to go with my little bag: spare tube, mini-tool, patch kit, CO2 w/2 cartridges, tire lever, and a little cash. I carry my phone, food, and keys in my pocket.Quote:
Originally Posted by 7rider
I wish I could manage a super small bag. I can pack everything I need into a 45ci bag if I have to, but not much smaller (and I'm more comfortable with the large TImbuk2 bag which is something more like 80ci :o). Guess I'll just have to keep working on it...
Beautiful bike! Now let's hope your Riv doesn't get the displacement mopes.
Sweet bike BSG
I wish I had a seat bag like that? I would put a strap on it and pretend it was my purse when I went inside.
I just strap a bike on it and pretend it's my purse when I go outside. ;) :DQuote:
Originally Posted by madscot13
Now my Rambouillet is jealous because I swiped both the saddle AND the bag off of him to give to the USURPER. I can order a new Brooks easily, but I'll have to track down another Little Joe.
in addition to the bag you got me wishing I had a bike that, but I mean a unique one of a kind Luna that fits me perfectly because it was made by women who understand.
how did you order it? was it difficult to fill in the measurements online. you have made it sound personal but was it ever difficult not to try it out first?
oh and don't rush to answer, unfortunately, it will be another 10 years before I can get one.
That looks like a BeeLady bike to me!
Bee-autiful!