I've made yet another change to the Axis. Added a new wheelset and moved the Mavic set to the Grandis. The new set (pics forthcoming) has a Sturmey Archer S2C duomatic hub with a coaster brake no less! Its laced to Weinmann Zac19 Rims. Very curious to see how it performs around town. They were a local craigslist find and unusual enough to give it a go.
Another change to the Bianchi. Swapped out the Origin8 wheelset with the Mavic MA40 set from the old Masi but kept the same gear ratio. Thats pretty much a done deal since the bike has vertical drops. I'm stuck with a 46:16, which actually works fairly well around Charlotte. I always forget how much weight is in the wheels. It feels pleasantly lighter than the deep v's. I added some MKS Sylvan pedals, which work great for most any condition or shoe style. An important trait (for me) when commuting.
I also took a leap on ditching the bullhorns and crosstop brake levers for a Velo Orange Postino bar and brake lever combo. It required me to put on the longer, more elegant 3t stem from the Pinarello, which worked well for both bikes and I love the results....#stayclassy.
V3.0: Well, I was bored this cold wintery February and decided to convert the Bianchi Axis into a single speed. Picked up a used set of Origin8/Wienmann Dp18 wheels and tried a 46x16 gear ratio. The Mavic G40 wheelset moved to the Cinelli. The black Brooks B17 has been on it a while and works well now that its broken in and soft. The 32c tires have proven to be bombproof on any surface of road and accompanied with the SKS fenders its suited for poor weather too. I was limited in the available gear combinations since the frame has vertical dropouts. Not as easy as you would think trying to match two gears and a chain length. It should be sufficiently stout to keep some speed on the flatter areas but not too tough on the hills.
V2.0: I broke down and totally tricked out the Axis as a full commuter but way better looking than when I picked it up. Flopped and chopped the bars and then added bar end shifters on the bullhorns with a 3T stem. Found a Campagnolo Chorus rear derailleur and a C-Record front derailleur. Magic G40 wheels with Campy Record hubs and 32C tires. A nice set of SKS full front and rear fenders and an Axiom rear rack. I ride this bike back and forth to work most days. Fun but HEAVY as hell!
 |
| With the very useful Avenir grocery bag on the back rack |
