Jamis Aurora vs. Aurora Elite vs. Something Else

[KnottedYet]

Oh, mama... look at that fork!!!!! <drool, drool>

[xeney]

I thought you'd approve!

It really is a gorgeous bike. And I think it is going to fit me fine now that we have spent more time pondering my fit on the two bikes that fit me best. The shallower seat tube angle should be good for me. I hope!

[dex]

The Speedster is really pretty. (Knott, there's one built up at Counterbalance on the Burke, if you're feeling the pull to drool in person.)

I'm a little confused, though. The geometry chart shows a 535mm effective top tube on it, and that doesn't seem to solve your top tube length problems. Am I reading that right?

I really, really hope it works out for you. You've been way too frustrated for too long over all of this.

[xeney]

That top tube length is exactly the same as the effective top tube on my Bianchi, but I have to use a seatpost on the Bianchi with a 3.5 cm setback in order to get my knee in the right spot over the pedal. It wasn't until I got the setback seatpost that I had trouble with the reach. This bike has a shallower seat tube angle so I think I can avoid the setback seatpost, and thus it will really be an effective top tube of 535.

We figured this out when we measured the reach on my new single speed build. That bike fits me really well and is super comfortable, but my husband had been riding it around without a problem and decided to measure the reach because he couldn't believe it was fitting him. The effective top tube on it is also 535, and I also have a 10cm stem on it. So I can ride a longer top tube than I was thinking I could; I just can't do it if I have to also have the setback seatpost.

Someone -- TriskelionGirl, I think -- explained this to me a couple of years ago, but I am not so good with the visualization and it never made sense to me. Now I get it.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Oh, mama... look at that fork!!!!! <drool, drool>

Beautiful bike, but....is there something unusual about the fork?

[KnottedYet]

Beautiful bike, but....is there something unusual about the fork?

The entire shoulder piece is chromed, and the sweep and taper of the blades just make me weak... sigh.

[elk]

izzat Xeney's bike?????

[KnottedYet]

i just made that bike pic the wallpaper for my computer screen.

Ooooh....

[xeney]

Would you believe that I just finally had a chance to see it in person today? It is beautiful, even prettier than the pictures. I finished paying for it and also paid for the new headset, which is on order and will be installed next week. After that we bring home the frame and J. will start building it up.

Hooray!

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

Would you believe that I just finally had a chance to see it in person today? It is beautiful, even prettier than the pictures. I finished paying for it and also paid for the new headset, which is on order and will be installed next week. After that we bring home the frame and J. will start building it up.

Hooray!

Yay!

Sure is pretty. What kind of headset did you order?

[dachshund]

The entire shoulder piece is chromed, and the sweep and taper of the blades just make me weak... sigh.

That is a a beautiful bike! I agree about the fork. I miss that style on the titanium bikes I've been looking at. I really don't care for the flat & wide look on forks.

Knotted, where'd you get that photo? I'm guessing that it's not xeney's bike, only 'cause she said it was getting built... anyway, very nice picture.

[elk]

i found the photo on the soma site...speedster photos....

it is sooooooo elegant

[sgtiger]

Xeney, that Soma is luscious! I now have bike-envy. Please tell me it doesn't ride very well or something.

[xeney]

Well, at the moment it is a TERRIBLE ride because it doesn't have wheels or brakes or handlebars or, you know, a seat. Does that help?

I just ordered the crankset and bottom bracket. I almost went with Shimano for this bike because Campy is becoming so impractical -- no triples, and I can't find a compact double with 170 crank arms -- but my husband has some new Veloce ten-speed shift levers he'll give me, and I really love the Campy components on my Bianchi, so I just found a new old stock triple Veloce crank and the right bottom bracket. He's also giving me a rear derailleur and cassette so I don't have much more to buy.