Further to yesterday’s post, I have now officially test-ridden the Spinergized Faggin:
With my rusty chrome and my worn bearings I was taking the Dirtbag Road lifestyle to new heights…or depths:
Funky appearance and rattly front wheel notwithstanding, the Faggin felt smoother and more refined than the ‘Noner despite the two bikes being very close dimensionally:
A lot of that probably has to do with the tired old Campy drivetrain versus the velvety-smooth shifting perfection that is Silver friction shifters with a like-new Dura-Ace derailleur, but who knows, maybe the Spinergys also have something to do with it:
For example, perhaps it’s the delectable souplesse of a thermally aged wheel that’s constantly on the verge of failure:
I guess I should squeeze the spokes together and make sure they’re tensioned. Granted, I have no idea how they’re supposed to feel, but if the wheel explodes while I’m squeezing it then I’ll know not to ride it anymore. I should probably also wear heavy-duty gloves lest I sever a digit, as well as safety goggles for protection from the crabon shrapnel.
As for the rear wheel, it’s still a bit off, but even without twiddling the dropout adjustment screws it’s more centered than it was on the LeMond:
I don’t know if maybe disassembling the rear hub helped after all, or if it’s just a simple matter of the ancient Faggin being out of alignment one way and the Spinergy being out of dish the other way and the two sort of cancelling each other out:
Regardless, it’s good enough for me, though my next project will be to replace the bearings in the front hub:
The bearings are easy to get, and I look forward to seeing how I manage to screw it up.
Otherwise the bike feels great, though given its retro-excessiveness I I think I may need an entirely new wardrobe in order to ride it:
Do I go with ’90s CD cover?
Office building lobby modern art?
Or ironic accidental gravel reference?
So many ways to reinvent myself! They say Spinergys explode. However, clearly when you welcome them into your life the real explosion happens from within.
