bustamove
11-03-2006, 01:36 PM
<o></o>Riding on a Dream
Handmade Walker Compact Roadbike test<o></o>
<o></o>
by Brett Darrington
<o></o>
Memories of my childhood desert upbringing came to me during this test ride straight up the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Santa Monica</st1></st1:city> mountains to Schwinn Flood. Lactic acid burns the quadriceps and he fragrant mountain air dries the lungs. This is not a ride of agony, but of ecstasy. The Walker Compact climbs effortlessly, almost magically. Every watt of output is pure ascension up the steepest roads in the Santa Monica Mountain Range. If a full custom, hand-built frame is in your future, this Niobium tube <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> is your chariot to the clouds. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> brazes tubes into timeless works of art.
<o></o>
FRAME/FORK
Glancing at the frame, the artisan in Don Walker is obvious. How long does it take to build one of these frames? We didn’t ask, but our much anticipated and late deliver was well worth it.
<o></o>
Don starts with the Columbus Niobium Life tube set. Columbus is one of the premier tubing designers/manufacturers in the world/ Based in Milan, Italy, the company was formed in 1919 and they have provide steel, aluminum, and carbon tubes to the finest custom frame builders in the world. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Columbus</st1></st1:city> manufactures three different Niobium tube sets – Zona, Life, and Spirit. Each tube set varies by the butting and shaping of the individual tubes. Niobium is a gray metal, atomic number 41, used as an alloying agent in steels. This improves corrosion resistance and high-temperature resistance, It also doubles the strength thus reducing the weight, and refines the grain of the alloy. Niobium is an ideal metal for bicycle frames. A life tube set weighs 1150 grams (2.5lbs) for a 54 cm road frame.
<o></o>
Don Walker fillet brazes his frames. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> cut his teeth as an aerospace mechanic and moved on to building frames after obtaining his welding certification.
<o></o>
The seat tube angle is a slightly relaxed 72.75 degrees, the head tube angle is a moderately steep 74 degrees. The effective top tube length of the compact frame tested is 57.7 cm. The frame was designed for a 6-ft 1-in rider. A Columbus Super Muscle Carbon Fiber fork is used. Custom painting is done by Cycledelic Designs.
<o></o>
THE BUILD
We are talking a serious dream build here. Campagnolo anchors the build with their 10-speed Record Carbon derailleurs, brake/shifters, and cassette. Stella Azurra supplies the cranks with the beautiful Guizzo model with 53/39 chainrings, Stella Azurra also supplies the seatpost, the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Monza</st1></st1:city> model. The separate rail clamp and seat tilt adjustments make it easy to fine-tune your ride. Stella Azurra guides the front end with the Viceversa, 4-bolt clamp stem and the Tirreno Carbon Fiber bar. This is the most comfortable and practical bar we have tested to date. Finger and thumb notches are molded into the carbon for perfect upright handholds.
A wider fore-aft profile of the cross bar makes long rides very comfortable and relieves hand numbness. The flat sections in the drops are well designed and feel natural, plus the bar is plenty stiff.
<o></o>
Stella Azurra designs eye candy for the bicycle. Case in point their H<sub>2</sub>Oasis carbon fiber water bottle cages which are super light and aerodynamic. The logo of Stella Azurra, or “Blue Star,” is very handsome.
<o></o>
The wheel set is a Zipp 202 full carbon aero profile for tubulars with double-butted and bladed stainless steel spokes. The seat is by FSA, a full carbon, super light racing saddle. It looks awesome, but is a little harsh on the backside.
<o></o>
THE RIDE
Riding the steel frame <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> uphill (including some very steep pitches) is surreal. At 16lbs and stuff, our expectations of this frame lie in the shadows of its towering performance. Compact geometry gives the frame cat-like agility and the climbing prowess of a scalded cheetah. The inherent strength of Niobium alloy and the special heat-treatment make these <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Columbus</st1></st1:city> tubes very light. One test rider owned a top-of-the-line Tomasini made from Columbus SLX CroMo tubing, which weighed 22.5 lbs. This was in the mid-1990s. The relatively steep head tube and stellar performance of the bars and stem give the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> really great instincts. The steering is not twitchy but very quick. The wheelbase of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> is slightly stretched, yielding a very comfortable ride. The steel flexes slightly under duress and instantly springs back giving the bike its lively feel. Climbing is the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city>’s raison d’etre. Sublime and lively firmness mesh with Ferrari-like instincts and lightness. The components are well matched to the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> frame. We especially like the stiff yet clamped feel of the all-carbon front end.
<o></o>
SHORT STORY
The ride is firm and very controlled. The Niobium tubes are the hottest in steel today, explaining why many high-end custom frame builders choose them. The Walker Compact road frame establishes Don Walker as an elite custom frame designer/builder. He builds them, one at a time, in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1>Texas</st1></st1:state> heartland. His frames aren’t cheap, but they are worth both the wait and the price.
<o></o>
###
Source:
Jodi Hall
<o></o>
Handmade Walker Compact Roadbike test<o></o>
<o></o>
by Brett Darrington
<o></o>
Memories of my childhood desert upbringing came to me during this test ride straight up the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Santa Monica</st1></st1:city> mountains to Schwinn Flood. Lactic acid burns the quadriceps and he fragrant mountain air dries the lungs. This is not a ride of agony, but of ecstasy. The Walker Compact climbs effortlessly, almost magically. Every watt of output is pure ascension up the steepest roads in the Santa Monica Mountain Range. If a full custom, hand-built frame is in your future, this Niobium tube <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> is your chariot to the clouds. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> brazes tubes into timeless works of art.
<o></o>
FRAME/FORK
Glancing at the frame, the artisan in Don Walker is obvious. How long does it take to build one of these frames? We didn’t ask, but our much anticipated and late deliver was well worth it.
<o></o>
Don starts with the Columbus Niobium Life tube set. Columbus is one of the premier tubing designers/manufacturers in the world/ Based in Milan, Italy, the company was formed in 1919 and they have provide steel, aluminum, and carbon tubes to the finest custom frame builders in the world. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Columbus</st1></st1:city> manufactures three different Niobium tube sets – Zona, Life, and Spirit. Each tube set varies by the butting and shaping of the individual tubes. Niobium is a gray metal, atomic number 41, used as an alloying agent in steels. This improves corrosion resistance and high-temperature resistance, It also doubles the strength thus reducing the weight, and refines the grain of the alloy. Niobium is an ideal metal for bicycle frames. A life tube set weighs 1150 grams (2.5lbs) for a 54 cm road frame.
<o></o>
Don Walker fillet brazes his frames. <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> cut his teeth as an aerospace mechanic and moved on to building frames after obtaining his welding certification.
<o></o>
The seat tube angle is a slightly relaxed 72.75 degrees, the head tube angle is a moderately steep 74 degrees. The effective top tube length of the compact frame tested is 57.7 cm. The frame was designed for a 6-ft 1-in rider. A Columbus Super Muscle Carbon Fiber fork is used. Custom painting is done by Cycledelic Designs.
<o></o>
THE BUILD
We are talking a serious dream build here. Campagnolo anchors the build with their 10-speed Record Carbon derailleurs, brake/shifters, and cassette. Stella Azurra supplies the cranks with the beautiful Guizzo model with 53/39 chainrings, Stella Azurra also supplies the seatpost, the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Monza</st1></st1:city> model. The separate rail clamp and seat tilt adjustments make it easy to fine-tune your ride. Stella Azurra guides the front end with the Viceversa, 4-bolt clamp stem and the Tirreno Carbon Fiber bar. This is the most comfortable and practical bar we have tested to date. Finger and thumb notches are molded into the carbon for perfect upright handholds.
A wider fore-aft profile of the cross bar makes long rides very comfortable and relieves hand numbness. The flat sections in the drops are well designed and feel natural, plus the bar is plenty stiff.
<o></o>
Stella Azurra designs eye candy for the bicycle. Case in point their H<sub>2</sub>Oasis carbon fiber water bottle cages which are super light and aerodynamic. The logo of Stella Azurra, or “Blue Star,” is very handsome.
<o></o>
The wheel set is a Zipp 202 full carbon aero profile for tubulars with double-butted and bladed stainless steel spokes. The seat is by FSA, a full carbon, super light racing saddle. It looks awesome, but is a little harsh on the backside.
<o></o>
THE RIDE
Riding the steel frame <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> uphill (including some very steep pitches) is surreal. At 16lbs and stuff, our expectations of this frame lie in the shadows of its towering performance. Compact geometry gives the frame cat-like agility and the climbing prowess of a scalded cheetah. The inherent strength of Niobium alloy and the special heat-treatment make these <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Columbus</st1></st1:city> tubes very light. One test rider owned a top-of-the-line Tomasini made from Columbus SLX CroMo tubing, which weighed 22.5 lbs. This was in the mid-1990s. The relatively steep head tube and stellar performance of the bars and stem give the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> really great instincts. The steering is not twitchy but very quick. The wheelbase of the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> is slightly stretched, yielding a very comfortable ride. The steel flexes slightly under duress and instantly springs back giving the bike its lively feel. Climbing is the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city>’s raison d’etre. Sublime and lively firmness mesh with Ferrari-like instincts and lightness. The components are well matched to the <st1:city w:st="on"><st1>Walker</st1></st1:city> frame. We especially like the stiff yet clamped feel of the all-carbon front end.
<o></o>
SHORT STORY
The ride is firm and very controlled. The Niobium tubes are the hottest in steel today, explaining why many high-end custom frame builders choose them. The Walker Compact road frame establishes Don Walker as an elite custom frame designer/builder. He builds them, one at a time, in the <st1:state w:st="on"><st1>Texas</st1></st1:state> heartland. His frames aren’t cheap, but they are worth both the wait and the price.
<o></o>
###
Source:
Jodi Hall
<o></o>