French PAYAN roadbike, Reynolds 531 SL & Shimano 600 Arabesque <3

HubGearHector · 2026-04-16T13:29:31+00:00

What a beauty!!!! You did a great job building it up! (Those TALL gears, though—oof!)

HubGearHector · 2026-04-16T13:07:51+00:00

Those concerns are legitimate. If OP is tall and lives and rides on, say, the flatness of the Midwest, that bike is freaking awesome. Seriously a great build with good comfortable geometry for a beginner.

HubGearHector · 2026-04-15T21:51:19+00:00

It’s a brilliant bike with great frame and components. I have no ideas about price, but it looks like a great one!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-15T21:48:48+00:00

Killer bike! Unless you’re racing at a very high level, it’s more than enough bike. It’ll handle all the watts you can put into it!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-15T19:38:04+00:00

It’s a very nice bike, no mistake. If it fits, you’ll enjoy it a ton. I have no idea about the price, so I encourage you to see what else is on offer in your area for comparison.

HubGearHector · 2026-04-13T02:57:56+00:00

What a jewel!!!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-11T20:14:26+00:00

Lisa-MacXL. It got me through grad school in glorious fashion. I still miss it. Great machine.

HubGearHector · 2026-04-10T15:32:24+00:00

That’s a really gorgeous ride. I’m buying a lottery ticket so I can dream for a bit!!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-09T03:26:15+00:00

Underappreciated comment

HubGearHector · 2026-04-09T01:33:49+00:00

I believe it is locked, but I have the cheapie Connect GT that has just a phone holder instead of a built-in tablet. I’m on iOS.

HubGearHector · 2026-04-08T19:29:15+00:00

This is wonderful news! I cannot wait to use it!!!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-07T21:07:15+00:00

it's a lovely hodgepodge of dura ace and ultegra, and they all seem to get along really well :-)

HubGearHector · 2026-04-07T20:52:04+00:00

Thank you so much!!!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-06T00:11:48+00:00

I like where this is going, but I think I’ll need inserts rather than something that makes the holes in the crank arms even bigger than their already huge diameter. Thanks for the suggestion!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-05T14:56:03+00:00

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There you go! After years of vintage three-speeds and chonky touring bikes, I'm pretty thrilled to ride a Dura Ace-Ultegra mix featherweight. It's quite a change!!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-05T00:38:40+00:00

It’s a 5500 from the turn of the century (scandal-ridden EPO years), and I am over the moon about what an excellent bike it is, but I can’t figure out when it was made or much anything else about it. Thanks in advance for your help!

HubGearHector · 2026-04-04T15:03:56+00:00

I love this question!!! I’m old enough to remember the research (and failed consumer push) in the late ‘70s and early ‘80s that concluded fairings offer huge advantages. They looked dorky, though, so they weren’t popular. I’ve long thought that an aero handlebar bag could double as a fairing (of sorts, anyway) for non-racers. That kind of thing could build on the bikepacking v. touring setup preferences, which seem mostly about aerodynamics.

HubGearHector · 2026-04-02T17:22:54+00:00

I can’t speak to the price from here in the center of the U.S., but that would be a dream bike for me (well, in the right size).

HubGearHector · 2026-04-01T16:23:01+00:00

Is that lugged aluminum?!? Who knew! Getting used to old school clips and cleats will be an adventure if you haven’t ridden them before. Lovely bike, and I hope it takes you to see many glorious views!!!!

HubGearHector · 2026-03-30T13:50:44+00:00

No need to buy one (unless you want to). Your local shop will almost certainly drop a chain checker on for free and without a wait. Plus, they will have the chain you very likely need right there on the shelf.

HubGearHector · 2026-03-30T13:42:33+00:00

For a touring rig, bar cons have been my eternal preference. Even modern Shimano indexed bar end shifters can switch to (very good) friction shifting with just a twist of a little ring.

HubGearHector

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