Colnago build, the finale

[kenyonchris]

Well, here he is...finished! Campy Sirocco wheelset with Vittoria Corsa tires. Full Campy Chorus 53/39 in front, 11/27 cassette. Thompson seatpost, Chris King headset, FSA stem and Specialized bars, which will be changed here shortly....these are too wide for me. Colnago bar tape. Fizik saddle.

I brought him home yesterday but got home too late for anything but a quick spin to get myself used to the new shifting of the Campy vs. my old Shimano. This morning I headed out for a 40-50 mile ride in the unseasonably cool (if you can call 80 degrees cool, and in Texas we do) drizzle. The good? This bike rocks. I stand up to sprint, this bike responds. The 53/39 works for me way better than I expected. I had been riding a compact crank, but I was only out of the big ring once on a really serious hill. It fits me much better front to back, and felt much more stable on those fun downhills. And corners! I felt like Lance. The bad? My head nearly bobbled off over chipseal. I'm blaming the tires for this, but I am afraid I have sacrificed a degree of comfort for performance. Despite my hesitation, I let myself talk myself into handlebars that are too wide. They felt too wide, and the balls of my thumbs and my rotator cuffs felt it. I went by my LBS to look at 38s (I have 40s on there), they didn't have them, so I went to the big city bike shop, where I think they are rude and condescending, but they know their stuff. The guy there looked at me like I was crazy. I stood my ground, and he finally got a tape measure after me and said, "Yeah, you need a 38." Of course no one has them in stock. So hmmm.
The good far outweighs the bad, and I LOVE my sweet new ride. Any you should see the little crowd I gathered at the LBS!!