Alan K

I have never cared for radial lacing (front wheel) or the funky groups of 2 or 3 spokes close together followed by a large gap. It seems that weight reduction may have come at a risk of compromising strength.
My Lemond came with similarly laced wheels and the first change I made was to install a proper set of wheels.

seypat

I have to agree with this. I'm 5'8" so I can say it. Modern sloping frames with their 2 x 4 tubes and doughnut wheelsets in small sizes are goofy looking. Maybe with a level TT, but when the ST/TT junction sits below/even the top of the wheelset, not hot. It reminds me of some of the art in the old CARtoons Magazine BITD.(If anyone remembers that) I'm sure Sir Mix A Lot likes those bikes because they are thicc. I see more rhino and less cheetah.

t2p

so you are not fond of low ST / TT junctions ? lol

seypat

I don't ride MTBs so I don't look at them. But since you posted it, I'd say it's homely, mostly because of that saddle, the huge stem/handlebar mount and how much those crankarms stick out. Function over looks in those cases. Remember this is the Hot or Not thread. If it's not pleasing to the eye, it's not. That's what the thread is about. In the case of your bike it's made to go all kinds of terrain like a donkey or mule. It's not going to look like a thoroughbred or a quarter horse. That's not it's purpose. And, It doesn't matter if it's a brand new Christmas present you got for one of your kids. I've been through that. It doesn't matter. It's the Hot Or Not thread. That doesn't mean it's not a great present/bike. For my son it was a Fuji Sandblaster BITD. He loved that bike! It had a big, bulbous saddle also.

Eric F 

I would bet your Lemond came with Rolf wheels, which use a paired spoke design. The deeper rim profile provides strength that wasn't being provided by a higher spoke count. Lower spoke count (and bladed spokes), improves aero efficiency, too. I rode and raced on Rolfs for a few years, and they were excellent. 20+ years later, I still have those wheels, and they still ride great.

Winning on Rolfs in 2002...


That bike ^^^ is in post #1852 of this thread. It's still in my stable.

Eric F 

That's not a MTB, it's a BMX bike. The aesthetic is very different. If we use hot road bike criteria for judgement, a BMX bike will never be more than ice cold.

t2p

just included that micro bmx bike to get a laugh

I’m a sucker for classic steel - but I really (really) like sloping top tubes … fat tubes … oversized one piece stem / bar … etc etc … I think they are hotter than hot

if I had Turnin_Wrenches bike - I would be tempted to ride it to the nearest 7-11 or Sheetz - and fry a couple of eggs on it … it’s that hot ! lol … but then again - I’m a smurf so that look especially appeals to me

LAJ

Almost hot. My taste in cages and bar tape are different than yours.

LAJ

Hot. Correct use of white bar tape, cages and saddle.

LAJ

WTF is that, and why is it in this thread?

bampilot06

I had a vision, just didn’t quite make it. I even bought purple hardware for all the attachment points but in some areas the bolts were too long. Cool thing is, cages are not expensive and tape doesn’t break the bank so I can change it up in the future.

Alan K

Yes are correct.
My Rolf wheels did not fail or caused any problems but it was just an old habit based concern - to the point that I was reluctant to hop over the curb when riding on these wheels. I know, probably irrational.
It did not help matters when one my friend’s Rolf wheel developed a tiny crack in the rim at one spoke hole. [He was a little heavier than I, but not overweight by any means.]

Shadco 

This




and that




The Rona has me pinned down inside so couldn’t stage ‘em outdoors.

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Eric F 

Hot and hot.

That said, I hope the all-black bike trend is fading. I dig colors.

Tiny setup tip...Position the valve stems at the 6-o'clock position so the labels on the wheels read right-side-up. This is not true for all wheels, but it definitely is for those Campys. The Ultegra wheels are wonky in that regard because there are 3 labels. Tire label orientation also comes into play when deciding between 12-o'clock and 6-o'clock positions.

Eric F 

Some people had issues with Rolfs, probably most often related to the high spoke tension required for the structure, but it never seemed to me like they were any more or less fragile than any other wheels. I was not gentle with mine. They needed truing a couple of times, but nothing unusual.

Alan K

I think I have gotten somewhat stuck in time about wheels and feel comfortable only with 32H 2-cross lacing even when it comes at a weight penalty.

My Ti mountain bike came with Chris King hubs radial in the front. It seemed perfectly fine but when I started using it as a winter bike with studded tires, I got a set of 32H XTR hubs and did my usual thing… still ride it that way. During the summer, when I ride it, the old set of wheels go on and the bike gets significantly lighter but that has more to do with normal tires versus studded tires.

puma1552

FWIW, I haven't had any issues with my Zondas. In fact I thought I saw somewhere back in the day when I bought them something that said the strongest part of the wheels was the midpoint between the spokes on the rear wheel, but I don't recall. Either way, I'm not gentle on them at 185 lbs and I've never had any issues. They are fantastic wheels for $300ish.

Turnin_Wrenches

Interesting perspective. After reading your comments I can understand your point. It's definitely a small frame (50cm) with big aero tubes... but hey, I'm a small human and therefore must ride tiny bikes . The bike fits me very well, and the performance is excellent. If some folks think it looks like a fat, squatty bike I'm OK with that. All good. Thanks for the feedback.

Turnin_Wrenches

Look 765 = Hot... I'm a big fan of Look bikes in general. The 765 is not going to turn heads in the traditional sense, but it's a very well put-together bike. I dig!

As for the Specialized... The headset assembly is definitely not hot. I'm sure it's functional and serves its intended purpose, but it makes me cringe.

Shadco 

I get that, as my core strength improves it will go down another 10mm, at 71 I’m taking it slow and easy. It’s actually more comfortable than the Look and weighs 2 lbs less. I built both this year and have put about 1800 miles on each with the Spesh getting most of the miles lately. Don’t know if I’ll ever get to a slammed stem but the steerer tube will get trimmed some more. The stock headset cap split and the wolf tooth one wasn’t available in black when I needed it.

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bampilot06

I agree with Eric. Both are hot, I love the look, but I like color, even if it breaks LAJs golden rule.

bampilot06

How do the 2 ride? I don’t know much about Look, but too me it looks like you have 2 climbing bikes. Do you notice a difference in how they handle?

Shadco 

the Look is their endurance spin, the Spesh is their Dentist/Lawyer spin (I am neither, just an old fart).

The Spesh is more stable climbing at lower speeds, tracks better. Feels more secure descending at speed and seems to provide a smoother ride. It’s more nimble in a not twitchy way.

Both are more relaxing to ride compared to my previous ride which wanted my full attention.

I thought I would sell on the one that I liked least but I enjoy both and switch between them often. Something about that Campy feel.

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bampilot06

That’s a nice color blue.
I have a white bontrager stem that could potentially look good on that.

botty kayer

Done some updates on a couple of my old steelies that I'll post now while they looking all clean and fresh, which in January in the UK is a look that won't last long.

Domo Farm Frites Eddy Merckx MX Leader

Tig welded Columbus Max Somec painted by Mario Martini

Rowdy as all hell details from early 90s

Wild paint from any angle