Just a small update:
I was feeling a bit of numbness and pain in my hands from holding onto the brake hooks, and this was only after the first 10km ride. I made the following changes in prep for the Gong ride last weekend:
Green - Saddle is now 1cm lower and also level to stop me from sliding forward and putting more weight onto the bars.
Blue - Bars are tilted up some more which in turn brings the brake hooks closer to me (I am less stretched out). It was suggested to me to point the bar ends toward the rear axle as a general rule of thumb.
Red - As a result from the changes, the brake levers are too far away for me when I use the drop bar position. Unfortunately no reach adjustment at all on these Suntour Superbe Pro levers.
The tweaks worked well and I was only feeling some slight tightness in my shoulders and neck in the last 20km's of the Gong ride. The bike was amazing going uphill out of the national park but the brakes were so bad that I basically had to do massive brake burners on every single downhill as I wouldn't have been able to stop at all if someone/something was to fuck up in front of me. It was more due to the lever action than the actualy rims/pads so it's something I might look into. All in all I loved it and was so glad I was riding the Paino rather than my single speed or Reign on slicks.
Matt (ukalipt) suggested Star Enamellers for painting frames ages ago. I called them in regards to the Reign but they spray, not powdercoat and I believe mountain bikes need a stronger finish that powdercoating gives. Since then I've had frames powdercoated on the cheap by Mr. Clean, and on the not so cheap by Grip Sports but the Paino is a roadie and doesn't need to be powder coated, she's getting the Royal Treatment (as Matt puts it).
The guys at MC Cyclery (formerly Maroubra Cycles) helped me take off the headset and bottom bracket (I didn't have the tools). Grant at MCC also said that I had no say in the matter at all, and that powdercoating it would be sacrilegious! He said I had to take it to Peter of Star Enamellers if I wanted to do it right (Grant has his own paint guy but still suggested Peter from Star Enamellers do the job).
I drove out to see Peter in Blacktown and was greeted by perhaps the nicest guy I've ever met. He instantly recognised the Paino, and said he knew Frank Paino but hadn't seen or heard of him in a long time. He also commented on how Frank Paino made amazing frames but the best bit of news after a bit of an inspection was that Peter thinks he was the guy who painted this very frame back in the 80's as he did a lot of work for Frank Paino back then!
I couldn't be happier, the frame is in great hands. It won't be cheap, or quick but I'm happy to pay and wait.
