Slowman
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Now there's an era gone by! Frank could be a really nice guy and I got along with him OK but I heard some great stories!
Post your Roadie
- Thread starter snow_rider
- Start date
Justin Fox
pedal porn peddler
Now there's an era gone by! Frank could be a really nice guy and I got along with him OK but I heard some great stories!
Meeting Frank Paino.
I dropped in to Retro Day 2025 at Heffron Park and displayed my 80’s Neo Retro Paino in the Show and Shine. The Paino got more than a few odd stares, the best reactions came from people that spotted the UCI Illegal sticker and lifted the bike up! Managed to catch up with a few old bike friends, as well as meet new ones, but my day was made when I got to meet Frank Paino himself!
Was pretty hot under the sun, and I was feeling pretty rough from last night’s boozy adventure so I decided to bail out of the show early. As I was leaving this guy came up to me, pointed at my carbon forks, and wanted to know why I chose to replace the steel forks with carbon forks. I explained that I was going for the lightest steel bike I could build, and the carbon forks were a lot lighter than the original forks. I also suggested that the bike felt a lot stiffer with the carbon forks. He looked me up and down, grabbed the bike off me, put his foot on the pedal and proceeded to flex test the frame. He let me know that at my size he doubted I could even begin to flex the frame!
I expected to ruffle some feathers with my build, but I wasn’t quite prepared for in-my-face trolling!
I proceeded to explain that the bike has been with me for many years, and that I found the guy who originally painted the frame for Frank Paino (Peter at Star Enamelers) and on that note the guy who was standing next to the guy who was drilling me said “this IS Frank!”. Holy shit! I asked him for a photo, but he refused lol! But hey I’ve got the gift of the gab, right? So I went on about not riding the bike for many years, but late last year this bike got me riding again, and over this year I decided to transform the bike to re-spark my passion for building and riding bikes.
I let Frank know that people who acquire a Paino find my build online and reach out to me to find out more about him. I also let him know that all I’ve read on him being a colourful character is true (to which he said only half of what I hear is true haha!). In the end Frank warmed up to me, and said that despite not liking all the carbon bits on the bike he now understands what I was trying to achieve, and that ultimately he’s no-body to tell anyone what they can’t and can’t do with their bikes. We had a few laughs, shared a few stories and then he let me take that photo with him!
DAY MADE!
Slowman
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Nice story. Yep that's Frank! He had some, and obviouly still has, strong ideas and opinions about bikes and building them. He did make some beautiful bikes in the days of steel frames. His shop used to be at Miranda and they had another at Caringbah which his brother ran. I can't recall why, but I used to drop into his shop a bit buying spares and the like and bought a bike from him for my wife.
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silentbutdeadly
has some good things to say
The last time I weighed my road bike, it came in north of 11 kg. Don't make me buy another one...one is enough.
Slowman
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Then I'd want it to be at least be sub 9
You want it to feel much lighter and easier to go faster compared to your mountain bike when you ride it. Otherwise there's not muchmotivation to go out for a road ride. Yooo orta....My lastest project... waiting for this frame to arrive
caad9
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Make that a sub 9kg gravel bike and you don’t even have to ride on the road, of course you still can if neededThen I'd want it to be at least be sub 9
silentbutdeadly
has some good things to say
That's not a problem. The MTB is a steel hardtail...so it's even heavier!!
fjohn860
Alice in diaperland
Needs DH tyres though
Mr Crudley
Glock in your sock
Ohh, Roadie bike pimping.....I missed this when RB 404'ed.
Here is the Daccordi in Columbus SLX that the dearly departed Uncle Grumpy mostly put together.
Have mix and matched a few bits 'n pieces but it mostly just as it should be.
It is a really nice bike to ride not that I have much road bike experience to compare.
The speed of road bikes is hard not to like.
Here is the Daccordi in Columbus SLX that the dearly departed Uncle Grumpy mostly put together.
Have mix and matched a few bits 'n pieces but it mostly just as it should be.
It is a really nice bike to ride not that I have much road bike experience to compare.
The speed of road bikes is hard not to like.
jaseyjase
Likes Bikes
Lovely, speaking of pimping, EPS on the cards??
Mr Crudley
Glock in your sock
Thank you.
No EPS mainly to due to trying to keep it CF free and I cannot be trusted in keeping things charged and ready to go. An alloy compact crankset would be nice to have on hand since I'll be needing it one day.
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fjohn860
Alice in diaperland
The Duckmeister
Has a juicy midrange
I got my first bike for my 6th birthday. Wasn't too long after that I started learning how to fix a bike.
birddog69
Likes Bikes and Dirt
I here ya' brother. I was 8 years old.I got my first bike for my 6th birthday. Wasn't too long after that I started learning how to fix a bike.
beeb
Dr. Beebenson, PhD HA, ST, Offset (hons)
Wow, I should've learnt from a lot of "dialogue" with a mechanic before I started fixing my bike.
These Instagram posts where the author pumps out a bunch of drivel about freedom and "great simplification" but actually spend more time on their 'impromptu' (multi-location) photoshoot and vintage filter selection than it would've taken to just have a crack at fixing the bike shit me up the friggen wall.
Same type of motherfucker that would talk about the "intentionality" and "design choices" of the architecture in their bedsit apartment.
These Instagram posts where the author pumps out a bunch of drivel about freedom and "great simplification" but actually spend more time on their 'impromptu' (multi-location) photoshoot and vintage filter selection than it would've taken to just have a crack at fixing the bike shit me up the friggen wall.
Same type of motherfucker that would talk about the "intentionality" and "design choices" of the architecture in their bedsit apartment.
Slowman
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Frame has arrived, so the build has begun, it takes 32mm wide tyres. Looking at the clearance I reckon it might even take 35mm. Anyway these were the spare set of road wheels I used on the gravel bike, but this was their ultimate purpose. Now I just have to decide whether I'll go mechanical 12 speed or di2. My only concern with di2 (because it will probably be an easier install) is if I don't ride it for periods of time the battery drains and Lithium Ion batteries will die if you let them discharge fully, so I'd have to top the charge up every 6 weeks or so.
PJO
in me vL comy
Do the cables all run through the headset? Id so, Di2 would be much easier. Actual Sram etap or LTWOO eR9 wireless groupsets would be easiest.
Slowman
Likes Bikes and Dirt
Yes they do. Not sure about SRAM the front shifting used to be nowhere near as good as Shimano (and lots of chain drops - remember Andy Schleck) but wireless would certainly save a lot of trouble, then it's just the brake cables that need to routed.
I just found this system, the Wheeltop EDS TX https://www.bicycling.com/bikes-gear/a62953086/wheeltop-eds-tx-review/
Looks clever you can set it up for any speed cassette from 3 to 14 cogs!
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