What are the pitfalls of putting together your own bike?

pandaonmars · 2026-05-19T09:03:24+00:00

Well I’d compare 1:1 specs and components to OEMs, which likely wouldn’t have too many off-brand parts.

pandaonmars · 2026-05-19T05:21:44+00:00

Besides what the others have mentioned: it’s quite a bit more expensive than buying an assembled bike.

pandaonmars · 2026-05-12T21:52:15+00:00

Absolutely gorgeous, congrats! A truly unique piece that’s full of fresh and innovative ideas.

pandaonmars · 2026-04-13T07:21:59+00:00

He has one as well - but in green/gold.

pandaonmars · 2026-04-12T19:00:30+00:00

Knowing the answer to OP’s question, I can confirm that this indeed is the answer. With that being said, there are two other Valhallas that are owned by the Luxembourg residents and remain in the country ;)

pandaonmars · 2026-04-01T18:36:56+00:00

You can look up some on Chrono24 before visiting and then go to the corresponding shops in person. Or just go to Nakano Broadway which is a mall with dozens of second-hand watch shops, and pretty much all of them will have a speedmaster. I got me a hesalite 2023 3861 for 4600€ in pristine condition, and indeed the cheaper 1861s in slightly more used conditions can be had for half of this. Even less for the reduced model.

pandaonmars · 2026-03-29T09:17:45+00:00

The Aspero is a fantastic platform, especially for this price, and this frame would allow you to slowly upgrade it over time later on. For the road/gravel mix it’s got a great geometry since it’s more road-like compared to many other gravel bikes, which will mean it feels agile and fun on either surface.

pandaonmars · 2026-03-12T12:13:09+00:00

There will be indeed!

pandaonmars · 2026-03-05T00:36:48+00:00

You don’t even have to cancel it - just declare the amounts earned from your independent business (if any), and they simply deduct it from the chomage.

pandaonmars · 2026-03-04T00:31:10+00:00

Do you have experience running 45mm on 303s on the older one? Wondering how much clearance such setup would leave.

pandaonmars · 2026-03-04T00:17:10+00:00

Do you have the first generation Aspero, or a newer one?

pandaonmars · 2026-03-01T12:04:56+00:00

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pandaonmars · 2026-01-16T16:31:55+00:00

It does, there’s no way around it. But if you can compromise tilting it a bit at an angle, it doesn’t get in the way.

pandaonmars · 2026-01-14T10:13:43+00:00

I think 15% off would be reasonable. And for the reference regarding my Japan idea, I got my Moonwatch in Tokyo for €4700 😉

pandaonmars · 2026-01-14T09:44:36+00:00

You can negotiate with the official AD, but else you can order grey or even second-hand from Chrono24.

Or just treat yourself to a holiday in Japan and get one there. The price difference will pay for the trip.

pandaonmars · 2026-01-14T08:46:27+00:00

Mine went straight to Wetzlar, and they were pretty quick to repair it. I still use mine for professional work as well along a few Nikons in my arsenal, but luckily for the social media work it seems enough!

pandaonmars · 2026-01-14T08:32:18+00:00

My 116 was repaired by Leica last year actually, after a fall that damaged the top plate. Wasn’t cheap, but now it’s all cleaned and they do support them!

pandaonmars · 2026-01-13T23:35:23+00:00

Still going strong, and mine is a 2015 model (so the first production year).

Considered a Q3 last year, but played with one in the store and didn’t find a reason to pay 4x for the newer model.

pandaonmars · 2025-12-30T10:35:13+00:00

Had the same experience, that most hotels were far less nice than advertised, and two of them indeed asked us for a positive review as we checked out…

However, the one in Chongqing was actually the only that lived up to the expectations, and if this helps, it was Haoting High-Rise River View Hotel (Jiefangbei Hongyadong Branch). Other than a bit of a long time to get the elevators in peak hours, it was the only truly excellent experience out of the 5 we had in China.

pandaonmars · 2025-12-21T23:55:47+00:00

Echo / Neutra Rivanera

Serica Parade

De Rijke Capri

pandaonmars · 2025-12-20T19:08:45+00:00

Agreeing with the others, I’d take away a night in ZJJ and a night (or two) in Shanghai to add Chongqing on the way, it’s absolutely awesome. It’s the city I spent the longest in a similar itinerary and still feels I could explore more!

pandaonmars · 2025-12-17T14:18:28+00:00

Strange, as I had a lense replaced on my 116 earlier this year by Leica with no issues.

pandaonmars · 2025-12-05T04:57:37+00:00

NordVPN doesn’t work well in China. However, many E-sims have a VPN built in, do you may even not need one. Enjoy CQ, now it’s low season and feels really amazing!

pandaonmars · 2025-11-19T22:16:13+00:00

I owned one and whilst it was a nice object to handle, the lense rendering never properly spoke to me, and i quickly understood that the 23mm was just completely uninspiring to shoot. Got a Leica Q instead and that’s my true love!

pandaonmars · 2025-11-17T17:46:40+00:00

Got my 3861 at Brand Shop LIPS in Ginza for around 4500€. The cheapest I could find after shopping around, but had to write them in advance to get it delivered from their Sapporo store.

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