# My ultimate getting old fart bike is in the house.



## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

I'm not a spiritual or superstitious type but noticed we even share the same birthday.

High stack? Check.
Modest reach? Check.
Lives up to the hype? Check.

I haven't felt this good riding in the drops for decades. Now on to and feeling better about achieving some more riding goals. It's replacing a road bike and off road tourer - one too spindly, too long, too low and the other too stout and too 11 speed 1x.


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## Happybill68 (Feb 4, 2020)

Beautiful bike. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## Prognosticator (Feb 15, 2021)

Gorgeous! Close ups of those Moots welds, please!


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

bitflogger said:


> I'm not a spiritual or superstitious type but noticed we even share the same birthday.
> 
> High stack? Check.
> Modest reach? Check.
> ...


A piece of art with wheels. Enjoy it.


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## joeduda (Jan 4, 2013)

Thats a beauty! Have wanted a Moots since the late 80's.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

joeduda said:


> Thats a beauty! Have wanted a Moots since the late 80's.


To be honest, I'll have to say around 1980 - 81 and '81 for sure. When I was in college I was aware of a guy from WI in CO making off road bikes about when we were buying old bikes and riding them off road and fortifying them or finding better tires. Also when I found and got first catalogs with MTB stuff. In '81 I got the first StumpJumper in my city not sold to a shop employee, and I visited them in 1981 remembering the Moots Mounts for brakes.

Again, age showing but the titanium interest came from growing up in a metals business and being obsessed with the Teledyne Titan when I was a teen. After college I was a production manager in a machining and engineering firm so the millwrights, inspection and expediting materials, finishing and treatment only grew the obsession with great metal working.

In this instance I've been shopping for bikes and parts where I think most know its a challenge right now. The buyer at a favorite shop order customs and a stream of parts that always seem about perfect for me and what I want. I was in queue for the wheels regardless.

I was told everything about the bike is within millimeters of what I want and to actually ride it. It was kind of like being a 14 year old boy with a bikini girl in his lap.


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## JPSeuropa (Jul 12, 2010)

Nice Bike! I was expecting to see an eBike though with the "old fart" description...so not so very old!


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

bitflogger said:


> To be honest, I'll have to say around 1980 - 81 and '81 for sure. When I was in college I was aware of a guy from WI in CO making off road bikes about when we were buying old bikes and riding them off road and fortifying them or finding better tires. Also when I found and got first catalogs with MTB stuff. In '81 I got the first StumpJumper in my city not sold to a shop employee, and I visited them in 1981 remembering the Moots Mounts for brakes.
> 
> Again, age showing but the titanium interest came from growing up in a metals business and being obsessed with the Teledyne Titan when I was a teen. After college I was a production manager in a machining and engineering firm so the millwrights, inspection and expediting materials, finishing and treatment only grew the obsession with great metal working.
> 
> ...


 "... a 14 year old boy with a bikini girl in his lap" brings an image of confusion with no idea what the parts are for....

The Moots brings an image of perfection. Having owned a fully custom Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe hardtail until recently, I can appreciate the craftsmanship involved.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Rev Bubba said:


> "... a 14 year old boy with a bikini girl in his lap" brings an image of confusion with no idea what the parts are for....
> 
> The Moots brings an image of perfection. Having owned a fully custom Independent Fabrication Steel Deluxe hardtail until recently, I can appreciate the craftsmanship involved.


Well, sort of. It was wanting to grab the wallet but for what? I've had Campy or SRAM brifters so I did have to figure out how to move the parts and pieces.

If you had an IF, you'll maybe understand the emotion in selling my custom from Massachusetts Chris Chance - not the Serotta factory Chris - bike. IIRC, Moots smaller than I thought and survived all these years so maybe some similar heritage.

When I was thinking custom steel this time I was more interested in Waterford but I've met Richard Schwinn personally and know someone who has a line of bikes made by them.


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## chazpat (Sep 23, 2006)

JPSeuropa said:


> Nice Bike! I was expecting to see an eBike though with the "old fart" description...so not so very old!


I was expecting a cushy full suspension.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

chazpat said:


> I was expecting a cushy full suspension.


That's almost so. The bike is almost magical soft yet super responsive when you stand/stomp on it. I was tempted to cut those expensive carbon drop bars out but you can see they've got some flex. Traction strips on some elevated wood trail I cross often have gone from a nuisance to a whatever. Not doubt diminishing returns as you spend but there's something to it.


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## Rev Bubba (Jan 16, 2004)

bitflogger said:


> Well, sort of. It was wanting to grab the wallet but for what? I've had Campy or SRAM brifters so I did have to figure out how to move the parts and pieces.
> 
> If you had an IF, you'll maybe understand the emotion in selling my custom from Massachusetts Chris Chance - not the Serotta factory Chris - bike. IIRC, Moots smaller than I thought and survived all these years so maybe some similar heritage.
> 
> When I was thinking custom steel this time I was more interested in Waterford but I've met Richard Schwinn personally and know someone who has a line of bikes made by them.


I'm familiar with Chris Chance. As for my Indy Fab, I didn't sell it. I passed it on to my older son who converted it to a single speed and what he calls, "a big boy BMX." So the bike resides a few miles away and I still have access to it.

It was time for me to reduce the quiver to one mountain and one road bike because that is all I honestly need. Not what I would have said years ago.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Rev Bubba said:


> I'm familiar with Chris Chance. As for my Indy Fab, I didn't sell it. I passed it on to my older son who converted it to a single speed and what he calls, "a big boy BMX." So the bike resides a few miles away and I still have access to it.
> 
> It was time for me to reduce the quiver to one mountain and one road bike because that is all I honestly need. Not what I would have said years ago.


Same or similar boat. We're late age parents and for a while had 11 bikes used by 4 near or adult riders. 3 of 5 bikes already gone. I'm only keeping the dirt jumper for two paved pump tracks coming this and next year. Summer before last I had an painful experience on just how much hang time a sexagenarian should have with bikes and skis.


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## bitflogger (Jan 12, 2004)

Now with some local rides, trip to the cabin and caught in a downpour, I feel even better about the purchase. It will no doubt be a fine road bike replacement and is plenty fine for short bits of single track and bushwhacking I get in my anywhere or all over rides.

While you are always in diminishing returns land as you spend on sports stuff, this purchase over other nice bikes really seems to have some magic or special sauce. If you try to flex the fork, twist a wheel, bend/flex at the bottom bracket it behaves like a stiff bike. I'm riding same places with 40 mm instead of 48 and 55 mm tires. It's got a thinner saddle than my other bikes. With those characteristics hitting nasty hard pavement mess, roots, or rail crossings feel like a hyper confident luxury car compared to the road bike and steel tourer it replaces. With smaller tires on super stiff wheels my guess is that's from fork and frame.

I got spoiled by the minimal drop of some AL Ritchey Venturemax bars but am not sure I'll swap the Enve bars for less drop. They may well be part of the magic ride feel but that is only felt on hands, not butt or feet.


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