At 07:27 3/24/2001 +0000, Tom S. wrote:
>I have a 70's shorter wheel base International, with be bent RD drop out,
>damaged chain stay and it needs a paint job. My guess is it would cost
>about the same to repair the International as to buy a user Paramount
>P-15 frame.
>
>My question is how does the ride of a P-15 compare to the ride of an
>International? Is the handling faster or slower?
>
>I also have a Columbine touring bike, so I don't need a slower handling
>bike. I like comfortable bikes to ride on rough roads, any other
>recommendations?
>
>Thanks,
>Tom Stanford,
I had a 71 or so International. Two notes:
(1) I always felt that the Raleigh "round rapid taper" chain stays had the rigidity of al dente pasta -- but I have no measurements. I still don't care for the look relative to more robust chain stays, even when the latter require indents to clear crank and wheels. So, to me the P-15 (which I have never owned) will be better eye candy. Personal.
(2) I rode my International with the creme-de-la-creme wired-ons of its era. Pretty big section, even so. The fellow I sold it to changed to sew-ups, and changed stem length. Voila! The handling became much crisper. Heck it rode so much more sharply that I wondered why I hadn't thought to do that myself!
From that point on, more than 25 years ago, I've been real modest in my claims to understand how features relate to the joy of riding -- which, of course, feeds into my admiration for masters of the art who can produce bikes we love.
harvey "no relation" sachs