i was at the bike shop (fietslab groningen) stressing about parts for my batavus sprint (1975 ish). the latter bike has been a struggle because finding anything that even fits, let alone new (vs used/nos) is hard to find.
shop owner said hey i’ve got some bikes that aren’t ready to sell but because you can work on your own bike let me show you what i’ve got.
and there was this kestrel. never heard of the brand. size 64 (i’m 193cm), which seems.. so big. she’s a carbon monocoque. what i’ve read is this was the first carbon road bike and they were very popular in the triathlon scene in 1988-1991 (i’m a triathlete and i’m working on getting back into competitive condition). it just seems.. like kismet.
so obviously i took her home with me, but she kind of needs nothing. i swapped my shimano road pedals and my specialized mimic saddle. did a 2h ride today. bike is so good.
my bike back in the us is a bike i built around sram red. now i own two bikes with friction/downtube shifters and.. i like them? i like everything about this bike if im honest. i’m looking forward to connecting with some group rides here and seeing if my 30+ year old bike can keep up with modern superbikes.
by Shoddy_Wrongdoer_559
3 Comments
Very nice!! Whatever you do, make sure not to post a photo of the drive side.😉
It is indeed the first production full carbon frame. Until then carbon bikes were carbon tubes glued to aluminium lugs. It’s a nice bike, but I really doubt that it will be even closely competitive with any modern bike. No hurt in trying tho’.
https://old.reddit.com/r/Vintage_bicycles/comments/fu9kqw/drive_side_drive_side_drive_side_if_you_can_only/