All City Mr Pink and Going down to 1 bike for all seasons

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photocycler
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:19 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

by photocycler

Wanted to get some feedback on the all city Mr pink. Some nice modern features, ability run larger tires and fenders as well as Columbus Zona tubing - really seems like a do it all bike.

I know its a QBP brand so not very unique but Im having a hard time steering away from this frame. Comparing to higher priced gunnar frames I'm struggling to see the benefit for a stock gunnar

I'm considering breaking down my carbon bike and moving the parts to a Mr Pink and riding it through the rest of winter and spring, and see if I could be happy with just one bike. I figure I can run a winter wheelset with 28mm tires and then take off the fenders and run 23mm for summer.

Would love to hear thoughts on this frame or anyone who has gone down to one bike for year round use.

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prendrefeu
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by prendrefeu

I bike for all seasons, all conditions?
As much as I love steel, I would avoid it for your purposes.

Since budget is a factor (and you are perfectly justified to have that as a factor don't let anyone tell you otherwise) you may want to consider a carbon frame, cyclocross disc set up. This way you can run fenders to your delight, no brake clearance issues, it will be perfectly fine for the road, you can run fat tires and nobbies if you want, and so on. It truly can and will be the "do it all any time of the year any weather" except for touring.

There are a number of companies that produce these. Since you're even going QBP, check out their in-house Whiskey brand frames. If you want to go pricey, look at Colnago. If you want an amazing deal and a surprisingly high performance frame, check out DengFu.

Carbon - light, repairable, won't rust, durable, and so on.
Steel - beautiful, classic, comparatively heavy, prone to rust in adverse conditions or poor care.

That's my opinion on your dilemma.
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Imaking20
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

I was just scouting this same bike and went with the Soma Smoothie instead. I'm not a big fan of BB30 in heavy weather, didn't want to run a steel fork (Mr. Pink doesn't sell as frame only) and I'm not hot on the red paint.

photocycler
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:19 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

by photocycler

Imaking20 wrote:I was just scouting this same bike and went with the Soma Smoothie instead. I'm not a big fan of BB30 in heavy weather, didn't want to run a steel fork (Mr. Pink doesn't sell as frame only) and I'm not hot on the red paint.



I'm going for the black frame and will possibly run the bb converter and run normal cranks

Didn't have interest in a carbon fork as I hear steel mates well to a steel frame

Thought about a soma but the zone tubes are much nicer IMO, bigger tubes which will be stiffer yet lighter

Also like the hidden fender mounts and cable guides..it also has an amazing paint job which in comparison to the soma's I hear is not the best quality


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bikedoc
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Joined: Thu Aug 16, 2007 3:16 pm

by bikedoc

1 bike for everything is a Cx bike with disc, there's a few around with rack and mudguard mounts as well, then in the summer lighter wheels and tires you have a road bike

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jipperd
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Location: Holland

by jipperd

You should go for the BMC GF02 Disc. A road bike with disc's and space for tires up to 35c
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http://www.bmc-racing.com/de-en/bikes/2 ... c/105.html

mattydubs
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Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:57 pm
Location: Denver

by mattydubs

Imaking20 wrote:I was just scouting this same bike and went with the Soma Smoothie instead. I'm not a big fan of BB30 in heavy weather, didn't want to run a steel fork (Mr. Pink doesn't sell as frame only) and I'm not hot on the red paint.

The Mr Pink is most definitely available as frame only (check the QBP catalog). Or get one here. Plus, IMHO Columbus tubing is far nicer than the Tange Soma uses.

Put a carbon fork on it. It will be fine. I ride a custom Columbus Spirit tubed frame with an ENVE fork and it works wonderfully. If you do any serious descents, discs suck (right now). It won't be the lightest, but you can pick smart parts and get it trim. Hell put money into an extra wheelset for nice weather.

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linus
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Location: Toronto, ON

by linus

FWIW, I ride all year round.

I ride steel bike in winter and love it. Don't worry, steel bike won't rust that easy. I lockup my bike outside even in cold snowy winter and never had an issue with rust.

I've seen a couple of All-City bikes and really impressed with them. Quality is amazing.

Go for it. :thumbup:

Imaking20
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by Imaking20

Well in my exhausting reading trying to find differences between Tange Prestige and Columbus Zona (which nearly seems like a name All City generated) i couldnt find anyyhing to state either material was considerably better than the other. And considerably lighter? Absolutely not. Ive had both frames in my hands

The Smoothie also has hidden rear mounts as well as a fender rack. The questionable paint on Soma is from years passed - i inspected them both side by side and would not give either frame an edge in paint finish (and at the time i was set on bringing home a mr pink)

Matty - you linked a frameset (from the place i handled a Mr. Pink in person, no less) The Mr. Pink is not available as a frame only.

mattydubs
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Location: Denver

by mattydubs

Imaking20 wrote:Well in my exhausting reading trying to find differences between Tange Prestige and Columbus Zona (which nearly seems like a name All City generated) i couldnt find anyyhing to state either material was considerably better than the other. And considerably lighter? Absolutely not. Ive had both frames in my hands

The Smoothie also has hidden rear mounts as well as a fender rack. The questionable paint on Soma is from years passed - i inspected them both side by side and would not give either frame an edge in paint finish (and at the time i was set on bringing home a mr pink)

Matty - you linked a frameset (from the place i handled a Mr. Pink in person, no less) The Mr. Pink is not available as a frame only.


Ah, I see what you mean. I thought you were implying it was only available as a complete. I've done the game of buying a frame and using a different for though, so I don't know that it's the worst thing.

I'm a sucker for internal routing and Italian steel which is why I'd have gone with the All-City. Though, if you're not sold on that, I'd look at Milwaukee Bikes Road or Disc CX frames. Semi-custom (paint, etc) and True Temper Platinum OX tubing made by Waterford. The road is more pricey but can be had with less fancy tubing if so desired.

mattydubs
Posts: 82
Joined: Mon Jan 14, 2013 10:57 pm
Location: Denver

by mattydubs

Oh and I will add this, I used a limited edition "black out" All-City dropout as my commuter/daily bike for two years through snow, etc and it is still in good shape (though retired in favor of a more old school steel track frame... say what you will but for bombing around town it's fun). The ED coating and attention to detail is much better than the Soma frames I've seen. The only complaint I ever had about that frame was that the integrated tensioner screws constantly bent, but you wouldn't have that problem with a Mr Pink.

I've seen the black Mr Pink frame built up with a Ritchey fork, Force, and such and it looks pretty good.

There's nothing wrong with the Soma frame, of course. Tange Prestige is not a bad tubeset, but it is older. Tange was selling it back in the eigthies and I don't know if it's changed much. There was a famous shootout between Columbus SL and Prestige back in 87 where the SL won. Zona is newer, but it is targeted at a different market.

Jeff, the man behind much of All-City, has said that the Mr Pink is designed to feel racy though that is such a weird statement... It doesn't have the shortest wheelbase and the angles are less sharp than I would want, but there you go. I'd hope that the BB30 and Zona make it feel stiffer, but who knows.

None of this may matter. The long and short of this all is that the Mr Pink is probably one of the better choices you could make for a "do it all" bike that won't break the bank.

Imaking20
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Joined: Fri Nov 18, 2011 5:19 am

by Imaking20

I agree that swapping the fork isn't the end of the world but it was a budget breaker for this particular build. I do really, really like the internal cable routing but the more weather resistant BB was more important to me on this bike (I've had 3 bb30 bearings rust this year in the PNW).

If the black Mr. Pink was available to me it would have made things more interesting.


Also, I'm sure ill own an All City at some point.

photocycler
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:19 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

by photocycler

linus wrote:FWIW, I ride all year round.

I ride steel bike in winter and love it. Don't worry, steel bike won't rust that easy. I lockup my bike outside even in cold snowy winter and never had an issue with rust.

I've seen a couple of All-City bikes and really impressed with them. Quality is amazing.

Go for it. :thumbup:



I really wanted to get the complete AC big block as it would be a cheap solution as I can get it for 650. Just wasn't sure how happy I would be with a track bike for a commuter.


Always wanted a track bike as I'm sure it's fun to zip around in, just with the hills on my commute wasn't sure SS was ideal

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photocycler
Posts: 108
Joined: Fri Feb 01, 2013 6:19 pm
Location: Portland, Oregon

by photocycler

Here is an update, decided to keep the carbon bike for now and started building a Midgrade Steel bike up

Here it is so far, the quality on the all city is really nice an the frame feels light

Image

motorthings
Posts: 344
Joined: Mon Nov 17, 2008 9:56 pm

by motorthings

and here i thought "mr. pink" was simply our nickname for our dog's willie. i was wondering why you were talking about it here, but now it makes sense... :oops:

by Weenie


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