Let me preface this by saying that I buying another bicycle will cause me more problems that this is probably worth, but when Will Martin listed this on Facebook Marketplace for $270 a month ago, I had to have it. Fortunately, I forgot about it and the price was dropped to $215 at which point I picked it up without even considering haggling.
Per Will, he was the second owner. He purchased from the original owner, put on new tires and handlebar tape and maybe rode it 500 miles.
It is an aluminum frame with an aftermarket Easton carbon fiber front fork. Mostly Shimano 105 components and very comfortable during my test ride in the Sam's Club parking lot. I am looking forward to giving it a proper ride soon. Aside from the classic Quattro Assi geometry, I was taken in by the color and the front triple chainring which is pretty uncommon now. The only must upgrades are the pedals. Everything else looked good.
Sean Kelly Unveils New Bike
Sean Kelly, the "King of the Classics", attended workshops held at six U.S. bike shops from California to Texas, August 15th-23rd. Hundreds of cycling enthusiasts experienced a once in a lifetime opportunity to meet and ride with this legendary cyclist.
During the Tour, Sean unveiled his new bike, a Quattro Assi Elite. Built from Easton Elite Select aluminum tubing and made in the U.S.A. Sean raved to Tour participants on the responsiveness of his Quattro Assi. He noted, one strong reason for the outstanding responsiveness lies within the frame's engineering. The Easton Elite Select tubing employs tapered wall butting. By tapering the tubing walls, not only is the maximum yield of strength increased by 5%, but also a 57% higher fatigue limit is achieved. Additionally, there is a 16% higher tensile strength.
Sean equally praised the surprisingly comfortable smooth ride, not usually found in aluminum frames. The harshness was eliminated during tig welding by using internally purged Argon gas. Externally, the frames are heat treated then aligned within a .5 millimeter tolerance.
Picked up a pair of Shimano PD6700 Road Pedals from Scott Millsapps for $20. He threw in cleats as well. He switched over to mountain bike pedals for his new Trek Fuel EXe that apparently set him back $6500, but now his wife does not need to wait for him.
Doing a quick add of my bicycle spend current value:
Pinarello (1987) cost = $750 (1987) current value = $300
Gios (2001) cost = $2000 (2001) current value = $400
Surly (2017) cost = $1700 (2017) current value = $400
Cervelo (2010) cost = $600 (2023) current value = $500
Mercier (20xx) cost = $50 (2024) current value = $100
Quattro Assi (199x) cost = $215 (2025) current value = $215
Nobody needs (6) bicycles, but a lifetime spend of $5500 is not ridiculous. This does not count a Specialized Rockhopper that I bought for $500 (in 1997) and sold for $125 (in 2007) or a Raleigh Road Bike that I bought for around $300 (in 1989), but was stolen (in 1991).
UPDATE: 5/26/2025
I came across a San Marco saddle on Facebook Marketplace (Brad Benefiel) and for $20 I had to have it. I love the San Marco I have on my Gios and decided to upgrade the very nice Selle Italia XO that came with the Quattro Assi. The Selle Italia is a period correct 1990's saddle that has plenty of life in it.
Over the course of 4 rides I also dialed in the saddle height and got the shifters leveled out. I could not help feeling that the handlebars were too narrow. I finally measured them and they were 40 cm center-to-center. I typically ride 44 cm center-to-center and I can now appreciate the difference handlebar width makes. Fortunately I had my old Cinelli Alterra handlebars (off of the original Gios build) that are 42 cm center-to-center. Swapping these out took a little over an hour, but even a short 1 mile test ride showed a world of difference in comfort. For a proper fit, I could probably use a short stem with more rise.
The original bars were unbranded aluminum which were fine, but nothing special. The stem has a 25.4 mm clamp diameter. Most new bars are 31.8 mm, which would be more comfortable, but I do not see myself buying a new stem and handlebars anytime soon.
Now I am itching to get new handlebar tape. I will likely order some from Amazon, but am not in a hurry to replace. I would love to say that I will stick with a classic black, but I may opt for a fun color. At least I am getting better at wrapping bars.
At a garage sale on Saturday (5/24) I picked up 5 inner tubes, 2 sets of tire levels, 3 patch kits, skewer and saddle bag (Bushwhacker USA) for $5. That is 5 year supply of tubes.
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