Roasting Our Worst Old Bike Setups

[@JKPwaka]

Shoulda brought bike fit James in to co-roast these set ups 😂

[@Fango925]

I feel like you guys could expand on this, roast friends and even pro team's bikes. Might be a fun, occasional video idea

[@Avioto]

"I'm a helvetica fanboy through and through" might just be the nerdiest sentence spoken out loud in the history of mankind.

[@binkzera2777]

You have very low standards, if that's the best you've seen

[@banjo7127]

Niche AF

[@RobadobaChannel]

you should have a chat with a graphic designer, they get much worse and nerdier than this

[@martinwarne]

Can't claim to be a true Helvetica fanboy unless you've seen the movie. Seriously, it's great - en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helvetica_(film)

[@RobadobaChannel]

It was required viewing for my first semester of Design school, and it's fantastic@@martinwarne

[@edwardsjohnpaul]

Oh my god that Cannondale cross bike with the "road tar splatter" paintjob, absolutely horrible! Great video LOL.

[@Eramsay121]

What's really horrible is that Canyon does the same thing now

[@TheCryingMonkey]

I have an S-Works Allez. They made a special edition in 2015. It’s still my main bike, which I’ve pimped out throughout the years as I much prefer an aluminium frame. I love it.

[@PhilRotz]

I think they put an S-Works Allez out in modest quantity in 2013-2015 window. Whoever bought them seems to hold onto them - rarely see those bikes on the used market.

[@taxi9554]

Yes! There are a few

[@sbccbc7471]

What's the bike's maximum tire clearance on wheels with a 19 - 21 mm internal rim width?

[@StephHall95]

"Is that a dog?? Oh no, just a bottle" 😂 Story of my life!!

[@hananas2]

My objectively worst bike is also the one I have the most fond memories of! A steel framed singlespeed city bike converted to drop bars, it had absolutely nothing on it, not even a rear brake, yet still weighed more than 10kg. It was also a super harsh ride yet the frame was laterally as stiff as an overcooked spaghetti. But it took me everywhere including a 210km day ride and I love it.

[@joshjaren5408]

I respect Jimmy's clear quest for adventure through the pursuit of colour and aesthetics. Francis' bikes appear to age better, as they are quite standard, but for the moments in time when Jimmy was riding those bikes, I'll bet they were pretty TIIIIGHT, brah. Personally, never had a bike I didn't like. Sometimes I get bored and repaint a bike. My most recent winter bike (for the snowy, freezing US Midwest) is black with metallic fleck gold, with tasteful gold bling-parts. I believe Jimmy would approve.

[@Jimmidoesstuff]

Sick.

[@jonburnell532]

I really like Jimmy's red & gold Cannondale 👍 I wish more frames came in interesting colourways like that.

[@Jimmidoesstuff]

Perfect winter/commuter.

[@DaveCM]

They did have S-Works Alez. My brother had one. I am not sure what the difference between a regular one and the S-Works was other than price and the logo on the downtube.

[@DC-lu5qs]

6:34 The fact that Francis has such strong opinions about Helvetica font somehow reinforces my confidence in the reality and goodness of the universe.

[@dblissmn]

It's a shockingly bad rebrand by Cannondale. I genuinely don't think I could buy a Cannondale with this on it. Hard for me to take too as I have a US-built 2007 Synapse.

[@NeilXDavis]

FYI Spesh did actually make an sworks allez…prob around 2015. I’ve still got one on my turbo.

[@rossantonsen]

Specialized DID make an S-Works Allez. I owned one. I think they only made it for one year, back in 2015. It was seriously impressive for an aluminum bike.

[@questgivercyradis8462]

The first bike I got myself before I was fit was a $75 CAD used one. "Chloe the Clunky". It was HEAVY. It didn't shift particularly well. I was a wimp, and it was heavy, so I couldn't go far. I shelved it for a year and a half until covid hit (and I'd been exercising). I didn't know I needed to inflate the tires with more than a tiny hand pump after it had been waiting that long. I went 2mo on nearly flat tires wondering why it was so hard to ride. When I did pump up the tires it was a lot better until a sudden totally flat tire.... all the nearly flat riding had twisted the tube inside. The shifting was still barely manageable. A few months later I got my current commuter ("Betty" - a Brodie Dynamo) which I adore :)

[@zieluch]

I won't drill drain hole for the water but I will ride with stem tighten on one bolt, need to say i am impressed - smart choice.

[@larsbevers]

A second hand 90´s Pinarello with a blue to black fade, chrome forks and rear triangle )with rust/oxidation underneath and a old base level Campagnolo groupset with downtube shifters. That bike was to small and to long for me at the same time. Gears never worked good. Had that bike for a year and bought a Cube Peleton with Shimano 105 on it and loved every km on it.

[@manchetajr]

Thanks for this blast from the past. My first road bike I bought with my own hard earned money was a blue Trek 1.1, which was a tier lower than yours Francis. It didn’t have a carbon fork. I wouldn’t call it the worst bike since it’s what I started with and pretty much got me into cycling

[@Mankind-Journey]

I remember my first rodie a Felt Z 100 with non-integrated cabling and slightly angled top-tube.

[@stevennorth6484]

That bottle & cage did look a bit 'doggy' on first glance 😂

[@Citizenvelo]

I did a 3-month tour, fully loaded with panniers, on a PROTOTYPE Van Dessel WTF (early gravel bike with a curved/split top tube). At the time I was obsessed with the Klunker bike look and jumped at the opportunity to ride a bike with that style but with modern components. Turns out it was wayyyyy to flexy and also very hard to shoulder to go over logs etc. it was fun enough without bags but turned into a wet noodle when loaded. No shade on Van Dessel at all though, this bike was def not meant for loaded touring and it was a prototype on top of that so they hadnt quite worked out all the frame quirks.

[@grahambell9831]

Aaah memories ! 😅 good ones though. Still have my one piece PRO stem handlebar. Sold last year the caad x. Thanks guys for the prompts! 👏......fashion from not that long ago.....how time changes things !

[@stuartgrady2567]

My worst bike was a boardman cx comp that I bought to use as a winter bike. I put Mudguards and pannier rack, with matching hi viz black/green pannier to go with the paint job. It was heavy as hell and a cycle tour to Oban with a group of friends I was out the back on every hill. When I got home I stripped the Groupset off it and put it on a carbon frame set. Never used the boardman again.

[@abedfo88]

Woah I've still got the cx team, the metallic chrome one. Still my absolute beast of a gravel/cx bike.

[@kylegoodson729]

I had the same trek 1.2 and still have the Allez with original paint and parts

[@simonguard5087]

Brilliant, this will tell you how old I am - looking through the photo album at previous bikes….

[@JordyJayHomer]

I had an old alu Specialized Allez Comp (I think 1999), and it was one of the nicest frames I've had

[@masnolmn]

Every bike is a good bike as long it works. You can get out and have fun. Ugly, astonishing, fast, slow. It does not matter in the long run. Just use it, get tired and have fun! Love from Sweden

[@MaxRevitt]

2T with the additional plates for back/forward - managed to pick up for 1199 and that’s pretty much the 3M minus the handle!!!

[@JSC131]

Absolutely enjoyed this video the Speacialized Sprint looked beautiful great content.

[@charlesblithfield6182]

My worst bike was a very well used 86 Specialized Rockhopper (amazing frame) I turned into a fixie with moustache handlebars, hand spray painted it fluorescent orange and added thin slick tires. It was impossible to steer and the brake levers had the wrong pull so it was dangerous and ugly. Now the same bike is powdercoated black and has quality components, Schwalbe Marathon Supremes, Jones HBars and a Swytch ebike kit and I love it.

[@JakeMay]

Quality format - could definitely do more of these reaction videos

[@LeeGo121]

My first modern road bike was a Carrera TDF, Alu frame, steel fork and bomb proof wheels. It was a great bike and completed LEJOG with me.

[@palicar]

My first geared bike was a fluoro yellow Raleigh gravel with garish wheel decals. Some Rapha type roadie laughed at me riding it one day which cemented and reinforced my natural distaste for snobby clones. He was right though - the bike looked ridiculous.

[@msPaulaA1]

The worst bike I ever owned was an old steel 24 inch BMX style bike, mismatch parts, broken, welded and gusseted at every corner. That bike was so heavy and I took it off everything; jumps and short cliffs tried racing on a BMX track. I love that bike, and I hated it at the same time. Everyone was riding a mongoose with alloy wheels and rim brakes at the time and here I was with this thing that I dragged out of the dump and put together with any parts I can get my hands on. I was using coaster brakes and in order to keep up and just learned to not use my brakes. 😮 peddle and pray. Lol. Fun times and the only thing I have as a memento are the scars.

[@danridesbikes]

I had the same alley sprint, in the same size, with a 130mm ENVE aero stem stem, and ENVE SES aero bars, with Zipp 808's, and elite chrono aero bottles which I did the Yorkshire Beast 200 mile, 5000m climbing on 😂 which was all good until a proprietary bottle killed itself in the first 50 miles on a cattle grid, it was mid 20's most of the day, with 500ml water capacity 😩

[@swordmonkey6635]

I had a Trek 1.2. Great low end bike for the time.

[@brockjennings]

My most Frankenbike was a 1990s Giant Innova hybrid with an Scott AT4 Pro aerobar and biopace triple chainrings.

[@christeschke9844]

I noticed you did not point out that you were also missing a bolt on the v02 bike bottle cage :) was that for water drainage :)

[@kimrice394]

Great video. Steel Redline CX bike with a 1x9 as my first dropbar bike/gravel bike. Bought from a guy that was 6-2…. I’m 5-8…

[@GNerdful]

I bought a brand new shanghai phoenix bike for about 860元 (£90). Very heavy, 3x9 Shimin gears, dodgy front suspension. It was fine for commuting to work though sadly the shimin gears didn't last. I still have it and plan to change the whole drivetrain as a way to learn more about bike maintenance

[@mcspikesky]

Unless you like the look of it, probably not worth the time. Buy some cool old parts to refresh and build up! Still not worth it but you may have a better bike at the end :D

[@hawkeye2816]

It's a good thing Jimmi told us who manufactured that CAADX. Looking at it, I would never know.

[@stuartguy4479]

I’ve still got my CAADX 105, the Ultegra model colours were so much better. Too many cannondale logos everywhere, swapped the wheels and made a great commuter bike for a good few years, the worldwide front forks recall gave the bike new life

[@iainhampson3442]

I had that exact same Cannondale CAAD X, it was a great bike at the time, 11 speed 105 when it was first released and cost me £899 brand new in Evans Cycles sale, shows just how badly prices have increased. Also like Jimmy I was faster on my road bike than my TT bike and constantly messed with the position, my TT bike was a Scott Plasma, I still have the frame and just rebuilt it as a Zwift bike.

[@d7jab]

Halfords Carrera Virtuoso - White and cyan. It was my first road bike and it was like riding a clothes horse...a really heavy clothes horse. Stock tyres were paper thin and lasted 1 ride before I could see through them. Sold it to some poor unsuspecting guy for nearly what I paid for it. Kudos for the 'Fire' CGI

[@Enukia]

I currently ride that yellow and orange specialized allez as my road bike.

[@marvinsmall5002]

Hey don't forget. Specialized did make a s works alliez model..real good bike. Could it have been one painted.

[@sjmclean0]

Great video, good to see we all did weird bikes. Jimmy where's your shirt from?

[@Jimmidoesstuff]

Uskees.

[@daredemontriple6]

I've had quite a narrow experience when it comes to bikes, only 4 that I can think of from the very first bike on which i learned, to the one I ride today, and dare I say it they were all reasonable bikes too. Had a Giant MTX 150 when I was about 6 or 7 and loved it to bits. That's the bike I learned to ride on which is perhaps why even now I look back on it with such fondness. Following that I had a red frame GT as a young teen, though no idea what make or model as it was bought second hand and has long since been passed on again. I was quite bitter to have missed out when my younger brothers got matching Islabikes, Luath 700s as I recall. At the time I had still yet to ride a drop-handlebar, thin tyred, 'road racer' and was a bit jealous. For a while during this time as the previously mentioned GT got too small for me, I rode my dad's grey Dawes (discovery?) hybrid, thoroughly boring by comparison. Later, about the time I was finishing school and going to sixth form, I finally started riding drop-bars in the form of my dad's old Raleigh Record Ace, of about 1980's vintage. That bike had gone half way around Europe twice and I still hear new stories occasionally involving cheap Spanish beer, a general disregard for advanced planning, and that record ace. I really ought to have refurbished it - since my dad had long stopped riding it owing to age and geometry disagreeing with one another - but I never did and it still has mismatched, ripped, and in several places taped bar tape. it still has a bent fork from an 'over-the-bonnet' crash. It still has the baseplate of a bottlecage, the rest of which was snapped off in a different crash. But that bike was where I really discovered road cycling. I rode it for a good 4 or 5 years during my sixth form/college days, despite growing too big for it, until finally... I bought what I ride today, a Cannondale SuperSix Evo 105 (what a mouthful!). With the purchase of it I started really getting into cycling, watching the tour, reading about past legends, and discovering youtube channels like this one. That in turn led me to believe that perhaps I'd wasted my money, as lots of people seemed to sling around the 'Crappendale' insult. I think I escaped that period of poor form as mine is a 2022 model, so just at the start of the 'new dawn' of Cannondale (Although i still don't know for sure, the more I look the more I'm convinced there aren't actually any good bike manufacturers anywhere :D). Who knows what I'll ride in the future, I'm sure this won't be the last bike I ever ride, not if I can help it anyway. Plenty of time to make terrible fashion choices and buy into hot new tech only for it to be rendered a disastrous idea a few years later! That's the problem with being an adult, I can afford now to make the stupid decisions I wanted to as a kid.

[@carl90210]

S-Works Allez looks mint 👍 I’d pimp that up with Dura Ace.

[@npc4188]

funny thing how we sometimes laugh at the bikes that were hot topic years ago, same thing we will be doing for some current bikes and trends

[@kpblasko]

This was such a good idea for a video!

[@monkmchorning]

Perhaps it's a function of my age, but I never had a truly embarrassing bike. The dorkiest thing I ever did was put an old-style handlebar-mounted bidon carrier on my Charles Roberts. Because I didn't want to scratch the paint or cover the logo with a down tube clamp. But that didn't last long.

[@ahhh6201]

There actually was an s works specialized allez. Really cool limited run bike.

[@JonPaul]

No doubt - worst bike for me is a GT Grade, the first aluminum version, I think 2015. I wanted to try gravel, and GT advertised this as it's new "gravel bike". But it's not really a gravel bike, it's not a cross bike. It's not a road bike, it just sucks at everything. It's heavy, stupid SRAM Rival 1X, barely any attachments for racks\fenders, 32mm tires max. I really failed on that purchase. Still have that stupid thing.

[@owensnicholas]

In high school, I worked as a mechanic at a shop. I was largely unsupervised, so I made a number of hideous modifications to my road bike. I filed down the ends of my drop bars to fit mountain bike bar ends. Then I fitted mountain bike brake levers to those. Then I made a dual brake lever setup on my own by crafting a bracket that spliced two brake cables into one out of a wrench. I wish I had pictures.

[@alissandrobautista5874]

I'm curious what is that thing hanging under the top tube of Jimmy's bike?

[@Jimmidoesstuff]

Frame pump?

[@alissandrobautista5874]

@@Jimmidoesstuff thanks! It's just that I rarely see a one like that

[@andrewschirmer3849]

"Is that dog?" pure gold btw I saw it too!

[@IsaacRC]

I had the smallest size of a Specialized tricross with cantilevers brakes which, little calculation error, the heels kept smashing the rear brake 😂climber's hell

[@christopherrichards387]

Is Francis' saddle position way higher and slammed forward on those old bikes?

[@jamesmckenzie3532]

2005 Trek 7.2. Was going to use as a commuter bike but it was way too slow to outrun a bike thief in trainers.

[@mikea7174]

Made my day watching this. Guess we all have a roast story bike. Haha.

[@daevion5585]

Now do all the bikes that you have and the ones in the Studio.

[@plantsofwar8834]

Completely agree about helevetica looking out of place on a bike. And the "C" logo looks like a loading spinner. Cannondale branding feels like it belongs on an smartphone, not a bike.

[@tomrachellesfirstdance7843]

Sam from Cycling Weekly has an S Works Allez. Super nice bike too

[@anthonykidd6595]

Forme edge, I bought it half price for £800 because it had ultegra 6800 groupset and Mavic ksyrium wheels. It rode like shite. Best thing about it was i put the groupset on a focus cayo that was amazing and I almost made my money back by selling the forme with a tiagra groupset so pretty much got the ultegra groupset for nothing.

[@timtaylor9590]

All those bikes were really cool

[@nkantar]

“Is that a dog? Oh, it’s just a bottle in the bottle cage.”

[@lukesanders768]

Jimmy's last cannondale was fire!

[@brianferry9217]

The worst bike I’ve ever owned wasn’t a terrible bike, it was a Specialized Secteur. I believe it had tiagra components on it so not bad for a first road bike. The problem is I didn’t know wtf I was doing and bought a 58cm bike when I actually ride about a 52! I was doing these long rides and couldn’t figure out why I couldn’t get comfortable

[@gmivisualsjason3729]

Really enjoyed this

[@williamforbes7156]

old petals or new petals, i'm not settled in look time Shimano or wahoo and looking for some feedback?

[@sbccbc7471]

It depends on how much float you want as all four brands you mentioned have varying amounts of float. Look: 9°, 4.5° and 0° (fixed) Time: 0° (fixed) and 5° + 2.5 mm lateral (sideways) float Shimano SPD-SL: 6°, 2° and 0° (fixed) Wahoo Speedplay (formerly Speedplay): 0° - 15° (infinitely adjustable at the cleat) I personally run Shimano SPD-SL for the following other than Shimano being one of my favourite brands: Minimal float (I started with Look Keo in mid-2019, then felt 4.5° of float was a little too much as I got more comfortable with clipless pedals, I'm on 2° of float since 2021) Larger pedal platform + wide cleats (better foot stability when I have to walk, less likely to roll my feet) Good serviceability (the cup-&-cone bearing construction allows me to degrease and wash every nook and cranny of the internals)

[@chrismadge7292]

Worst bike was a second hand Henry Burton 753 frame built up with campag. Unbelieveably uncomfortable, yet not that stiff.

[@EstebanPelota]

If you take a bit of every colour of paint and mix them together, it'll come out brown. I reckon that guy used the dregs of all his tins that were nearly empty

[@klx-y]

so what's wrong whit a specialised allez. I've got a allez sprint rim brake I whit sram reed wireless groups I wouldn't change that bike for a work tbh

[@sbccbc7471]

Since you have that Allez Sprint, get a spare headset if you haven't already as it's proprietary.

[@thepandaman]

When I saw the red frame and gold forks I honestly thought Jimmy had told them "Make it look like Ironman".

[@dan44zzt231]

My worst bikes were definitely the old Ribble Winter Trainers (the blue one everyone used to have) and the original Dolan Preffisomo, which i think was same frame with different paint. Both rode like cr4p (all the bad stereotypes about aluminium), tyre clearance wasn't great and the geometry was too racy for me. I'm glad that entry level bikes have more upright geo and way better tyre clearance now 😅

[@a1white]

Is that a dog. Hahaha I was wondering the same for a second 😂

[@burgess_and_his_bike]

Fit TT Jimmy just looks like a hybrid between current Francis and Jimmy

[@BrianRPaterson]

I had a Raleigh Chopper Mk1 back in the day. My dad tried to talk me into a steel 10 speed, but I was 12 or 13 and I thought the Chopper was the coolest thing on the planet. Turned out dad was right. The Chopper was a pig to ride. Cool looking, but porky as feck.

[@oscarvasquez5431]

My dad gave me a mongoose frame that he had repainted and labeled Eddie Merckx. I ride that thing for 10 years. 😅

[@greengonzonz]

I'm still riding my Allez. Looks exactly the same (bar the SWorks) 😂

[@alethearobinson8132]

Fun times. We all have had bikes that we look back on. Thanks for another fun video. Cheers 🌞🚴‍♀️🖖

[@Chris-gv5nt]

Great video!

[@andrewcalladine2507]

Lol. I actually have an S-Works Allez on my Wahoo KickR trainer in my loft if you want a genuine S-Works Allez? ;-) I also have an Venge 1st generation as my race and still summer bike, an immensely fast and surprisingly comfortable bike.

[@johnsfulton]

Jimmy I thought the bike you rubbed down was repainted like a bike tattoo?

[@poxcr]

Wow! Graphics looked so busy and overpowering back then!

[@jackhammer40k_]

There was a Spesh SWorks Allez. Was fkn sick

[@jackhammer40k_]

And don;t beat yourself up Jimmy, we all went through a fluoro yellow phase...

[@kramrenrut950]

Should be an episode dedicated to tub folding technique, my eyes

[@rok1373]

This was a brilliant upload👍👌

[@dblissmn]

Jimmi's first bike looks like a torture device. At least put a 110mm stem and position the seat right. Maybe lose the seat offset too! Francis's bikes seem to make more sense apart from the O-rings masquerading as cranksets. But horrifying he was racing on a one-bolt stem.

[@Trailchaser-NE]

Just bought a Specialized Sirrus X 2.0 hybrid off a bloke in Newton Aycliffe for £100 - because he'd stripped the pedal thread somehow on one crank and didn't know how to fix it. So technically it's the worst bike I've ever bought - HOWEVER - I put on a 1* set of cranks I had lying around with a Hope 40T narrow wide chainring, some Surly Corner bars and the bike is now the coolest looking hipster gravel bike running Specialized pathfinder 42mm tyres (where have they been all my life?) and Hydraulic disc brakes (as standard). What a result - shit to shit hot! It's all black BTW.

[@dcv9460]

Love this Vid! 😎👍💯

[@Jimmidoesstuff]

I still have the Moss Bike (although it's no longer red), and the flat bar green Cannondale. Cade has none.

[@donavinnezar]

where can i send my bike so yall can roast it brand is cyclone frame is alloy , its a mtb , stock it came with suntour xcm 30 , shimano deore 3x9 shifters and deraileurs , sunringle inferno 25 wheelset , truvativ bar and stem , shimano altus crann (44 , 32 , 22) and a shimano hg 200 casette , swapped out the for for a rockshox recon and that pretty much all i changed, riding it for 7 years now but i have been craving getting back on a steel bike

[@icarogoes1275]

No Fixie!?

[@geoffersmaher]

sorry jimmys paint jobs are on point. keep doing your thing

[@Carftymk]

does anybody know how tall francis is? he doesn't look short but always rides small frames

[@malcontent_1]

I think he has said he's ~5'9"

[@jamescoveney3754]

I just brought a Trek domane 2022 for the indoor trainer, it cost £600-granted in a sale...... absolute bargain as far as I am concerned!

[@leedorney]

Well interesting seeing Jimmy in condition and fit compared to now.. 🤪

[@Greeniykyk]

Fisher HooKooKaChoo, or whatever it was called, mountain bike from 1987. My god what a dog! BB mounted rear brake, way too short of a top tube, snot green paint. I was practicing my feeble bunny hops and the fork bent forward about 4 inches. This was before suspension forks. Despite being in warranty, Fisher refused to replace the fork because, apparently, ever letting your wheels leave the ground is abusive riding and not covered!

[@gregschramm8180]

It was an89 aluminum cannondale made in USA