Building my first road cycle - Page 2

Leland Pate · 06-06-2010, 01:03 PM

LOL, actually I'm not moving to CA, hence the bike project.

If I do end up going, you guys won't know about it until I am a card carrying member of the Red Army Faction. I've already cried wolf once.

Erin gave me a stay of execution at 11:59pm. We have come to the conclusion that it will do neither of us much good for me to move out there and loaf for another year. I'll be miserable and would probably make her just as miserable, if not more so. So, I am still gainfully employed here in PA... just waiting to see if the hiring freeze is lifted at my company in the next 8 to 10 months. If not, then it's off to CA for Weezy!

If so, or even if it looks real promising, the wife is ready to move to the East, providing she can find a job.

Leland Pate · 06-08-2010, 01:55 PM

"Check out the mother f*ucking wheelz!!!"

Tim Hancock · 06-08-2010, 02:37 PM

D@mn Leland.... you are giving me bad ideas.... must resist....must concentrate... must finish existing projects..........

Leland Pate · 02:30 PM

Just got it back from the LBS and took it on it's maiden voyage (a quick 15 mile ride) yesterday.

This thing is a blast to ride and the gear changes are absolutely effortless. I am a sad example of a cyclist and it's was upsetting to see how far my endurance level has dropped in the last year and a half. I've got a lot of work to do to get back to where I was.

porsche4life · porsche4life's Garage

Hell I don't even ride and I want that....

matthew-s · matthew-s's Garage

What group did you decide on? I can't tell from the pics. Nice bike.

Someone at my LBS told me it's getting really hard to get high end bikes right now, the manufacturers cut back production this year because they overbuilt last year. Lots of stuff is sold out already.

Nice work getting the frame.

David · David's Garage

I was just about to ask how the bike was coming along. What's the final weight?

I've been waiting a few weeks for a Trek 4.5 and it looks like I may have to wait til late July or August for the 2011's to arrive.

Leland Pate · 06-21-2010, 02:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by matthew-s

What group did you decide on? I can't tell from the pics. Nice bike.

Someone at my LBS told me it's getting really hard to get high end bikes right now, the manufacturers cut back production this year because they overbuilt last year. Lots of stuff is sold out already.

Nice work getting the frame.

LOL,
I was in a rush and used my phone camera in the basement... not exactly the right combo for a nice photo.

Here's one in the daylight:

Leland Pate · 06-21-2010, 02:26 PM

Full Dura-Ace component group.

The weight is unknown... I need to get it over to my buddies house to use his scale. Or grab one of the lab scales at work.

Leland Pate · 06-21-2010, 02:29 PM

My only gripe is the tech put the brifters awfully high on the bars. It's nice and comfy when riding the horns, but when I get into the drops I can barely grab the brakes.

I'll have to play with that some.

herr_oberst · 06-21-2010, 02:34 PM

Nice ride, Leland. I bet that thing accelerates like a funny car.

(future images will probably show a more muscular gear selection, ha ha)

Leland Pate · 06-21-2010, 02:49 PM

It's an 11-23 cassette.... don't know if it gets much more muscular than that.

greglepore · 06-21-2010, 02:57 PM

The high levers are a euro pro wannabe thing-the peloton started that a couple years back.

Are those the new DA brifters with the Campy-style hidden cables? Me want...always rode Campy until the latest bike, and never did like the exposed cables on Shimano shifters.

Must say tho that DA is sweet, even for a die hard Campyfile.

herr_oberst · 06-21-2010, 03:00 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leland Pate

It's an 11-23 cassette.... don't know if it gets much more muscular than that.

But your chain in the pic is on the 45/23, not the 50/11.

David · David's Garage

When I asked my LBS if they could put a smaller cassette on than the standard 11-28, they looked at me like I was crazy.

Granted it's been 20 years since I road seriously and most of my riding was in Houston, but I did do some riding in Austin. I never had anything more than a straight cassette on my road bike. Since we only had 5 or 6 speed cassettes, that means my largest cog was an 18. Couple that with a standard 42/52 chainring crank and we had some big gears.

The LBS wanted over $200 for a smaller Shimano 105 cassette so I ordered an 11-23 online for $95. It seems the only way to go smaller is Dura Ace titanium for $299 which I may get if buy some race wheels, but that still isn't a straight cassette.

nikita76 · 06-21-2010, 05:08 PM

Pete,

Beautiful bike!

One rule/guideline on shifter placement: take a ruler and place it on the bottom portion of the handlebar end. Slide the shifter down on the handlebar till the end of the shifter lines up with the ruler. OR, slide the shifter down so that the curve on the hood is flat or makes a "shelf" with the flat part of the handlebar.

Hope this helps!
Have a great riding season!

Nikita

Leland Pate · 06-21-2010, 05:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by herr_oberst

But your chain in the pic is on the 45/23, not the 50/11.

Hmmmm... you must hang out on bikeforums.net.

The groups set is the new Dura-Ace 7900 which is just awesome. I really dig the hidden cables too. The shifting is just as smooth as can be. I'm very impressed. This thing accelerates like a bat out of hell.

I hit 66mph on a local downhill with very little effort.

look 171 · 06-21-2010, 09:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by David

When I asked my LBS if they could put a smaller cassette on than the standard 11-28, they looked at me like I was crazy.

Granted it's been 20 years since I road seriously and most of my riding was in Houston, but I did do some riding in Austin. I never had anything more than a straight cassette on my road bike. Since we only had 5 or 6 speed cassettes, that means my largest cog was an 18. Couple that with a standard 42/52 chainring crank and we had some big gears.

The LBS wanted over $200 for a smaller Shimano 105 cassette so I ordered an 11-23 online for $95. It seems the only way to go smaller is Dura Ace titanium for $299 which I may get if buy some race wheels, but that still isn't a straight cassette.

I rode a straight stack freewheel for years. It was the logical thing to do because all the races were crits and there were only 5 gears then 6 and on to 7. 8 spd came out then I put on a 21. I rode the district road race in my last year as a junior on that 19 freewheel thinking it would be enough. I really needed a 21, I was suffering turning a too big a gear for too long. Dropped like a bad habbit on the final lap of a 3 lap race.

look 171 · 06-21-2010, 09:11 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by greglepore

The high levers are a euro pro wannabe thing-the peloton started that a couple years back.

Are those the new DA brifters with the Campy-style hidden cables? Me want...always rode Campy until the latest bike, and never did like the exposed cables on Shimano shifters.

Must say tho that DA is sweet, even for a die hard Campyfile.

Typical of Belgian riders. They have doing that for a while, just look at some of the older photos.

look 171 · 06-21-2010, 09:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Leland Pate

Hmmmm... you must hang out on bikeforums.net.

The groups set is the new Dura-Ace 7900 which is just awesome. I really dig the hidden cables too. The shifting is just as smooth as can be. I'm very impressed. This thing accelerates like a bat out of hell.

I hit 66mph on a local downhill with very little effort.

I kike hidden cables too, but the old fashion shimano cables where it enters the brake lever is great for your thumb.

How do you like the specialize so far? I am waiting for me Ridley. It should br here in the next few days. I will post some pictures.