timtak

Since the mechanics on my two main carbon bikes are getting old, and so am I, and because their geometry is relaxed, I bought an old school c2000 horizontal top tube carbon Look bike for only 400USD approximately. I bought some pedals from China that did not work (the seem to be Shimano seconds and I had problems clipping in) then some second hand Shimano 105 pedals which work fine.

But then I had to put the seat forward since while the "aggressive geometry" puts the handlebars down, it also puts the seat backwards, for a shorter wheel base and ability to ride in the peloton, which I never do, so I had to push the seat forward. I achieved this by rotating the rearward offset Look Eropost 2 seatpost 180 degrees but that left the saddle nose pointing up at the sky. I tried drilling out the seatpost clamps


Fast Forward by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
but that still did not provide enough adjustment. I then took my grinder to the carbon of the seatpost itself but that still did not work. I eventually reaslised that I could simply put a bolt into one of the unused rearward seatpost clamp holes so that the seatpost clamp is resting on the additional bolt and the seatpost nose. It does not look good but it does the job.


Bolt in #2 by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr
My saddle is now horizontal and I really like the ride quality of the Look, as well as its lowness. Its updated 105 mech changes gear effortlessly, and it came with a Lezine GPS computer.


Look with horizontal carbon saddle. Padding is for poets. by Timothy Takemoto, on Flickr

I slid some more standard grip foam onto my drops with the aid of gel type hand disinfectant (washing up liquid leaves stickiness. I had to use a lot of gel because it evaporates mid-slide. Hand cleansing foam is a good compromise) as I do from time to time. The grips do not last all that long especially on the side that I lean against walls, but it is almost free and very comfortable.

My stitched Selle SMP Evolution saddle in the photo in the previous post is still holding up but the epoxy is cracking. I am thinking of getting this Chinese hollow-saddle and removing the padding. There are some Chinese hollow-saddles without padding but the padded one has a Selle SMP resembling (copying?) drop nose style that I like. I have purchased four original, branded Selle SMP saddles in the past, and recommend them heartily, but the price for an unpadded carbon one is 1130 USD.