OK, Here We Go Again

Regular readers (is there such a thing here?) may remember that the Via Nirone 7 went through a heart transplant of sorts a couple of years ago.  I bought an identical bike, transferred all the components and then sold on the original.  Why bother?  Well the bike I bought was the next size up, and meant a much more comfortable ride.

So here we go again.  The Mutt is a 19.5" frame and has always felt a bit on the big side - especially the stretch from saddle to handlebars.  This makes it feel a bit bulky beneath me, meaning what feels like a sluggish response from time to time, and difficult to get off the back of the saddle over the back wheel.  On fast steep descents, hanging over the back wheel, the bars seem to be miles away, which kind of saps the confidence.

So I'm kicking in the transplant plan again.  Picked up a 17" bike on eBay today.  Not sure when I'll be able to pick it up, but I'll transfer all the components from one to the other then sell on the larger framed bike.  Hopefully it'll be a cost effective move.

19" Mutt

17.5" Mutt