Finally.. A new bike ... Cavaletta

[mimitabby]

It has been several months since I ordered this bike, and even longer since I started on the quest of getting it. With Brooks leather wrapped Eva bars, a
new (slippery) Brooks saddle, velocity rims, continental 25mm tires, campy record components and a nitto stem... it's really pretty and it goes like butter.
It's more stable than the Bianchi, it's kind of strange, i got on it and it was easier to ride than the bike i've been riding for over a year.
Here's my first photos!

http://inlinethumb24.webshots.com/7191/2238261340054236199S500x500Q85.jpg


http://inlinethumb54.webshots.com/7797/2917643260054236199S500x500Q85.jpg


http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/4989/2549362180054236199S500x500Q85.jpg


http://inlinethumb62.webshots.com/4157/2291792860054236199S500x500Q85.jpg

[oxysback]

Niiiiiiice!! Love the colors you chose!

I'm sure you'll have many happy miles together. :)

[Aggie_Ama]

Finally! She is really gorgeous. Here's to many enjoyable rides. :D

[silver]

WOW!!!! she is lovely! (it is a she, isn't it?)

[Fredwina]

super duper!:)

[KnottedYet]

Wow, Mimi! How beautiful! Well worth the wait! I love the red trim/red fenders, gorgeous!

(and you're mighty fine lookin', too!)

[Starfish]

Wow, what a really, really pretty bike. And Campy Record. Wow.

[divingbiker]

Oh, Mimi, you've had such an ordeal getting your orange bike and now it's finally over! I'm glad Cavaletta is everything you dreamed she'd be. Beautiful!

[Triskeliongirl]

oooH, HOW PRETTY!! I love the way the brown leather complements the orange frame. Well worth waiting for I am sure. I am so glad you are happy with the handling and fit, that's always the scary part for us shorter gals! I think your builder did a great job!!! May you have many happy years/miles together!

[7rider]

Hooray! Glad the wait is over. Looks like it was worth it! Congratulations on a beautiful bike, and wishing you many, many happy years and miles....

[sandra]

She's a beauty! happy riding :)

[Thorn]

Absolutely gorgeous!

To quote the Paolo Bettini commercial, but is she "insano veloce"? (?sp?)

[DebW]

it goes like butter.
It's more stable than the Bianchi, it's kind of strange, i got on it and it was easier to ride than the bike i've been riding for over a year.
Here's my first photos!

The joy of a custom frame. :) Lovely bike. Have fun with it.

[SouthernBelle]

You have your orange baby! You'll need to matching jerseys. :p

Named yet?

[mimitabby]

Southern Belle,
I already have more than one orange jersey. Yesterday started kind of coolish, so I had on my Ibex red instead.

The name is Cavalletta which means grasshopper. or... little horse? and I misspelled it already.
it has 2 l's and two t's

[Trek420]

Wow!

[teawoman]

Congrats! Great colours! I love the pic with you in all the co-ordinating clothes! :D :D

[roguedog]

Awwww, Mimi. I've been wondering about the status of this bike.

I'm so happy for you. After doing that mountain of a ride you deserve this bike. Maybe you should revisit that ride and do a comparison? :)

I'm really glad this worked out for you and that the wait has been worth it.

Happy trails.

[mimitabby]

Every ride i do will be a comparison. I'm not ready for any mountain peaks right now. I'm going to start easy..
maybe a 20 mile round trip or something

[Tri Girl]

Wow- what a beauty!!!! Definitely worth the wait as it's not only unique in design, but simply gorgeous!!! :)

[Bad JuJu]

Ooooooooh, pretty! The Brooks leathers are such a nice accent to the orange.

I was just wondering the other day whether you'd got your new bike yet, since I remember all the heartburn you were going through, what? a couple of months ago? I'm so glad to hear it was worth waiting for and you've got it now.

But what happened to Aranciata?

[northstar]

Ooh, Mimi, I love it! :) Congratulations! I love the color combo with the fenders and the Brooks. It is sharp!

[LBTC]

Mimi, your new bike is absolutely gorgeous! How fantastic that it is made to fit you, too!!!

I can see you've got your built in orange and red butterflies already. :D

H&B
~T~

[short cut sally]

mimi, what a nice bike you have, 2 cool color combo's also. The brooks brown goes nicely. and it was nice to see that you coordinated for the picture:D ..enjoy!!!

[DirtDiva]

May every mile be worth the saga of getting her. :)

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

GORGEOUS!!!!!

[RolliePollie]

Ooooh, I just love the orange!!! I was drooling over orange bikes on the bike trail today. Yahoo for you Mimi! I hope you continue to enjoy her! :)

[bouncybouncy]

WOW...mimi that it just absolutely gorgeous!!!! I am an orange lover too and you have made orange just stunning!!! I love how you have it all matching...the fenders and the stripes and the brooks...oh I just can't say enough!!!

[Velobambina]

Very lovely. Well worth the wait! I love your color choices (and your campy components). ENJOY.

[tjf9]

Beautiful bike! Congrats!

[mimitabby]

thanks everyone for your kind words. had another pleasant ride on it today;
discovered i can do smaller circles on it too. (less toe overlap as well) who knew!

[rij73]

Beuatiful and elegant bike!

[sbctwin]

Absolutely a beautiful bike. It reminds of my orange Gitane (which I wish I still had) from so many years ago. I know you will have some very memorable rides with her....

[Eden]

Lovely Mimi! Davidson puts such nice paint jobs on their bikes. I love the matching fenders.

[Skierchickie]

Beautiful! I heard a rumor that you were an orange girl - I think the red really makes it look classy, too.

[Running Mommy]

holy smokes she is a beauty! Classy, VERY classy!
I bet all the biker boys will be whistlin' at her as you ride by...;)

[Ladyrunner]

I love the colors!! Congrats!

[GLC1968]

Wow, Mimi - She's just gorgeous! I'm so happy for you both! :)

[Ninabike]

Mimi, She is beautiful. The long wait was worth it.

[spokewench]

Mimi: Finally! You had quite a saga to get to this point, but it sure looks like it was well worth the wait!

Lovely bike and you don't look so bad yourself:D

[Starfish]

Lovely bike and you don't look so bad yourself:D

LOL this cracked me up...that's RIGHT. We are all so focused on bike beauty around here!

[Biciclista]

my new paint job fyi.

[Catrin]

Beautiful bike, and congratulations!

[Trek420]

Beautiful bike. I know the paint job is not exactly what you wished (see your LBS problem thread). But it is lovely. :cool:

[KnottedYet]

That really looks wonderful! They did a nice job, even though it's not what you wanted.

[Trek420]

Puhrty chrome, now it needs these :cool:

http://www.jitensha.com/eng/frfendr_e.html

[Biciclista]

:eek:

maybe next year when i can afford it! :eek:

[AllezGirl]

Gorgeous bike! Maybe not what you envisioned, but it is a beauty. I hope it works out to your satisfaction.

[NbyNW]

She looks great! I hope you'll be able to work out something with the LBS. Looking forward to seeing her built back up again.

[Tuckervill]

Oh, I really liked it the old way, better. But I know why you asked for the chrome on that one side. It must be very disappointing for you. Not to mention infuriating and expensive!

Karen

[Biciclista]

Yeah, it's going to be icky when i go back there on Wednesday to talk to the owner (he's been out of town) he's the one who screwed up.
as Lunabikes said; he should have taken out an order form and filled it out with me right there. and I should have insisted on it. But I've been in there dozens of times and said,
"please check my chain and there's a funny noise somewhere" and they fixed it.
... sigh...

NbyNW, I'll take a photo of it all built up shortly.

[MM_QFC!]

Hey Mimi,
I agree, it's beautiful - BUT, if it isn't what you asked for/ordered then I hope that you can come to some agreement to have it be redone the way you want it. Is it an option to offer to wait until the next off season? That way, you don't have to be without it for an extended period again right now when the 2010 season is just beginning.

I ordered my 1st upgrade bike in 1998; it's a custom steel road bike from the other frame-builder and custom paint shop in Seattle, and I had a beautiful 2 color paint job and asked for a shamrock decal on my seat tube. It was close to St Patrick's Day when I ordered it, so I offered to bring a card with a shamrock on it, so that the frame painter could make a stencil; he said that he didn't need it. I also confirmed the difference between a shamrock (3 leaves) and a 4-leave clover and remember him remarking that "they're both lucky, right?", so I stipulated again that I wanted the shamrock. NEVER did I think I'd see a 4-leaf clover on my seat tube when I picked up my beautiful bike, but there it was...beautifully done but wrong! The owner saw my reaction when I spotted it and asked me what was wrong...when I told her, she said that they'd fix it - no questions. However, she said that the whole bike would have to be repainted and it would take time; it was April and I wanted to ride it, of course, so she suggested that I enjoy riding it - with the 4-leaf clover - all season and bring it in to get a whole new paint job with the shamrock decal the way I wanted it, in Nov/Dec. That's what I did and it all worked out...so I hope your situation can get worked out just as well for you.
Mary

[roguedog]

Hey Mimi, I know it's not what you wanted but I kinda dig the new look. I think the chrome adds that classic look to the bike.

I can't see the details (more pix?) but I think the chrome on the seat stays, the fork crown and half the fork kinda give it a nice balance. But again, I can't see the details.

It kinda looks like the classic green Legnano bike on this page:

http://www.classicrendezvous.com/Italy/Legnano/Legnano_main.htm

Check out the history of the builder too.. interesting link w/ Bianchi :)

However, the extra cost for something you don't want is a bummer... Hope it works out for you.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I really like that new creamy orange. :)

[Trekhawk]

Beautiful!
I love orange bikes.:)

[Biciclista]

I had a stomach ache. sorry about the expression. bike is gorgeous

[malkin]

Both looking beautiful.

Sorry about your stomach ache.

[sgtiger]

Cavaletta is looking spiffy! Glad you got things worked out with the LBS.