Letting the days go by (Berk content)

Who are you (no off-topic talk please)

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glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

So, there's this guy on here and Paceline that I've never met. We have a mutual affliction for weird stuff. I'm an old fart. 59, and I've been fast and I've been slow, but throughout I GOT bicycles. First "good" bike was a Poghliaghi, then a Tecnos, then...well, I forget or gotta pee.

Anyway, Justin has a set of g2 Lightweigts with a minor flesh
wound that he does't want to deal with. I get the deal of a lifetime and he gets to move on. Ain't it a grand old world. Love the wheels.

The spoke was still tensioned, easy repair if you're fearless. Riding them a year later.

Cut to August. I'm moving to my dream retirement spot in the Blue Ridge foothills, and i get an email about a wounded Berk. Shoot, I read the whole thread. Of course, of course of course, but let me check stack and reach against my ss evo (one of seven, but my favorite) ; f YEAH! So, stupid low money, love you Justin for real, and after a move to Va she gets built today with Justin's Thm brakes and his old Lightweights. Di2 9070 bluetooth. Build info to follow.

Anyway, after a short ride in the local Blue Ridge I can say that after 30 plus years of great bikes (GREAT bikes) nothing has ever expressed the builders vision and dare I say it soul like this thing. I'm not nearly fit enough to use it in anger but I still get it. Its a La Ferrari. Or a 312T. And yet it didn't beat me up. It wasn't a Mercedes, but it wasn't nearly as harsh as the response called for.

Jure, chapeau. It's not perfect, but damn, it has soul.

Dario would smile.
Last edited by glepore on Tue Oct 16, 2018 4:38 pm, edited 2 times in total.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

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glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

[url=https://flic.kr/p/2bYVSYP]Image

Build and weight tomorrow.

Once in Lifetime....
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

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dgasmd
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:10 am
Location: South Florida

by dgasmd

Nice, but you lost me on the “wounded Berk” part. Haven’t followed his thread in a while. Didn’t even know he was making frames now

kgibbo1868
Posts: 425
Joined: Thu Jun 21, 2012 6:36 pm

by kgibbo1868

Great story, love the bike as well.
2019 Baum Ristretto
Pain is my friend!

JerryLook
Posts: 305
Joined: Thu Dec 07, 2017 2:18 am

by JerryLook

Man that Berk looks pretty sweet. What was wrong with the frame that your friend wanted to sell it cheap?
2010 Orbea Opal 54cm
5.97kg

glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

The frame was purchased used and arrived to him with a crack in the area around the outer bb shell on the ds. The seller made things right with him with another frame ( a Crumpton). After investigating sending the bike back to Jure he decided to just move on. I bought it figuring on inspection/repair. After an inspection of the interior of the shell and the surface of the paint crack (I didn't want to remove the matte finish if unnecessary) I don't believe it a structual issue but rather a finish defect, probably due to flex in the area during a bb install. No undue noises in that area on the shakedown cruise.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

tabl10s
Posts: 754
Joined: Wed Aug 23, 2017 5:40 am

by tabl10s

glepore wrote:
Sat Oct 13, 2018 2:31 pm
The frame was purchased used and arrived to him with a crack in the area around the outer bb shell on the ds. The seller made things right with him with another frame ( a Crumpton). After investigating sending the bike back to Jure he decided to just move on. I bought it figuring on inspection/repair. After an inspection of the interior of the shell and the surface of the paint crack (I didn't want to remove the matte finish if unnecessary) I don't believe it a structual issue but rather a finish defect, probably due to flex in the area during a bb install. No undue noises in that area on the shakedown cruise.
Very nice. Reminds me of the military exchange store in Japan that had an electronic sale on return audio equipment because nothing worked.

A simple fuse swap was usually the fix.
2015 Pinarello F8: 13.13lbs/5.915kg(w/Roval 64's). Sold.
2016 Rca: 11.07lbs/5.048kg.
2015 Rca. 11.15 lbs(w/Roval CLX 32's)
2015 Rca/NOS(sold).
2018 S-Works SL6 Ultralight 12.03lbs(w/Roval CLX 50's)

Peeza21
Posts: 262
Joined: Tue Jan 03, 2017 5:00 pm

by Peeza21

Lovely looking bike! Enjoy watching the days go by!
Cannondale Systemsix Ultegra 2020 8)
viewtopic.php?f=10&t=160844

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dgasmd
Posts: 1953
Joined: Sun Apr 15, 2007 5:10 am
Location: South Florida

by dgasmd

Curious what the frame and fork weight

glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

dgasmd wrote:
Mon Oct 15, 2018 11:20 am
Curious what the frame and fork weight
I'll get a complete build list up later - been busy with fall cleanup here. Frame is 960 (including headset) so probably just sub 900 without, fork was 365 with expander (the fork is, I believe, and enve 1.0). Bike sits at 5.8 ready to ride without bartape.

Unrelated- Undecided on semi-synchro shift. Its very nice when anticipating a shift well in advance, but it seems counterproductive at times when you really need the big jump down at a downhill/uphill transition - we have lots of those here.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



glepore
Posts: 1408
Joined: Thu Mar 28, 2013 4:42 pm
Location: Virginia USA

by glepore

Finally got enough yard work done to post some build details:

Frame (w/ headset) 960g
Fork (w expander) 367
Crank (Red 22 d/s FSA slk light Stages non DS, Praxis 50/34) -551
Bars (bikein generic aero integrated 40x90) 329
Cap (generic carbon) 8
THM Brakes (w/ holders)141
Seatpost clamp 3g
Parlee fd clamp 4
Raceware junction holder 5
Hylix seatpost - 125
Romino evo carbon- ??
DA 9070 ?
Wheels radial contact pf 30 bb
Lightweight Standards G2 Veloflex Arenberg

5.8 total

A couple comments- first, the praxis/red combo shifts fine, but without the total positive feeling of a DA crank; acceptable compromise from a weight standpoint, but occasionally it will "miss" the ramp and cycle a revolution before an upshift. The odd crankarm choice was simply because I went to 165's on this build (67 cm saddle height, usually on 172.5's but wanted to try something different as my cadence has increased in the past couple years) and there was a new FSK carbon arm on ebay in that size for $250 (gen 3), and that with the stages spindle was still a hundred dollars or so cheaper than the sram option. I'd have been fine with a rival nds arm, its only a couple grams, but none available at a good price in 165.
I'll likely go to Berk's new shortnose saddle or a Shimano pro-the Romin is a carryover from the parts bin,
The bars are very nice, aero, and internal, but have a 60 g penalty over the Bontrager style ones that come it at 265. I did modify them to take a blendr mount, as I have a few of those already. Not sure whether they'll stay-I like the clean routing and the flat top, but its an easy 60g.

Ride impressions are above. Responsive, stiff, all of a piece, but not so harsh as to beat on you like a drum. Tracks well, a bit slower to turn than the supersix, but tracks well. Not jittery for the weight, which can be an issue over rough stuff with the Evo.

I'll get some better pictures of the build when time permits.
Cysco Ti custom Campy SR mechanical (6.9);Berk custom (5.6); Serotta Ottrott(6.8) ; Anvil Custom steel Etap;1996 Colnago Technos Record

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