Dachshund gets a Seven

[dachshund]

OK, here she is!

When I started riding again this year I decided it would be fun to get a custom bike. I have a very nice Bianchi that I do like, but it's too small for me. So I thought, hmmm, I could spend the summer test riding bikes again. This didn't exactly get me a good fit the first time, but maybe if I spend a lot more time at it.... Or I could wander over and see what Chris at Robinson Wheel Works has going on. If that works out, I could order a bike and then ride the Bianchi all summer. Hmmm...

Needless to say, I liked the custom idea. Chris is great to work with and a fun guy. He put up with my demanding gearing ideas admirably.

We just finished with the setup of the crankset - a TA Carmina crank with Zephyr rings, which SadieKate recommended. (thank you ever so much!) I was determined to keep the Campy brifters but wanted mountain gearing. The combo is 24-34-46 / 13-29, which isn't too shabby for this hilly area. The front derailleur that played best with this setup is an IRD Alpina-d.

So now that the shifting is working well, I can go out and start falling in love with my new bike. Yay! It really does handle well, and it's very light, fast, and smooth! Part of that is due to the wheels, which are Velocity AeroHead rims, White Industries H2 hubs, and Sapim CX-Ray spokes, 28 / 24. Jobob and SadieKate both steered me in the direction of these wheels. Excellent advice!

In case you're wondering about the orange bar tape, I will be getting the frame painted orange during the winter. Then it will make more sense.

-Amy

[maillotpois]

Excellent! You'll be ready for . . . anything!

[dachshund]

Excellent! You'll be ready for . . . anything!

Yes, I certainly hope so. Thanks!

[TxDoc]

Gorgeous bike!!!
CONGRATS!

[aka_kim]

Very nice! I like that crankset a lot - both from an aesthetic view and an "I'm walking way too many hills lately" view.

[Veronica]

Most excellent! Enjoy your new ride.

Veronica

[Blueberry]

Drool.....

She's very pretty!! What Brooks do you have on her?

CA

[7rider]

Excellent!!
She looks lovely. May you have many long and wonderful adventures together!

[Triskeliongirl]

She is beautiful!! You may want to reconsider having her painted. I learned the hard way that titanium does not hold paint well. My terry titanium isis came with a lovely paint job, however, it chipped very quickly. I am hoping to find out if I can get it stripped rather than re-painted some day.

[sheri]

Beautiful! I know you'll enjoy it.

I love the look of raw Ti, and I like the ease of maintenance.

Sheri

[dachshund]

Thanks everybody!

CA_in_NC, the Brooks is a B17, the TI version. It's a couple of years old.

aka_kim, yeah no kidding! There's a certain part of Palomares that I'd like to climb ON the bike. I mean I'm glad I have comfortable mtn bike shoes, but that's not exactly why I bought them..

Triskeliongirl, I imagine I'll have to live with paint chips. I'm going to have Seven paint it, then hope for the best. The raw titanium is nice, but I just have this thing about orange. Who knows, maybe I'll get over it.

[indysteel]

Beautiful bike. Congrats. Can I ask how expensive the TA Carmina crank/setup was? I was interested in something similar until I saw the prices on Peter White's website. Then, not so much. Now I'm leaning toward a Campy Centaur compact with a 13-29 in the rear as a much more economical way to go.

[dachshund]

Beautiful bike. Congrats. Can I ask how expensive the TA Carmina crank/setup was? I was interested in something similar until I saw the prices on Peter White's website. Then, not so much. Now I'm leaning toward a Campy Centaur compact with a 13-29 in the rear as a much more economical way to go.

Unfortunately, I don't have an itemized bill for this. It's wrapped into the full price of the bike. I would go with Peter White's prices for starters. Also note that at least one of the chainrings must come with the ramps & pins. We found out the hard way that shifting doesn't work without them. After that experience, I'm not sure why any distributor would send out a triple without them on at least the middle ring.

But the full changeover would require a different bottom bracket, crank & chainrings, and chain. In my case the Campy derailleur didn't work so he went with IRD.

A compact double is certainly worth considering.

[indysteel]

Unfortunately, I don't have an itemized bill for this. It's wrapped into the full price of the bike. I would go with Peter White's prices for starters. Also note that at least one of the chainrings must come with the ramps & pins. We found out the hard way that shifting doesn't work without them. After that experience, I'm not sure why any distributor would send out a triple without them on at least the middle ring.

But the full changeover would require a different bottom bracket, crank & chainrings, and chain. In my case the Campy derailleur didn't work so he went with IRD.

A compact double is certainly worth considering.

That's what I'm thinking, too, unless SadieKate has some words of wisdom for me. I priced the TA Carmina on Peter White's website, and with everything I'd need (I have plans to build up a custom Moots this winter), it was just beyond my budget. The Campy compact will work, but they don't offer a 12-27 in the rear, which is what I'd prefer. I'll have to go with a 13-29, which is fine, just not my first choice. That'll give me the climbing gears that, at least from experience, I tend to need on the steep hills we have in southern Indiana, unless the decrease in weight from my current steel Bianchi to a Moots makes that BIG of a difference in climbing (which I'm not counting on). I've thought about going with Shimano or Sram, but all other things being factored in, I prefer Campy.

In any event, the TA Carmina is a darn pretty crank. I just wish it wasn't so expensive.

Sorry for the thread highjack. Congrats again on your new bike!

[SadieKate]

Tell me about the cost of the Carmina! Oy, but it's been so worth it.

Another option is a beautifully polished Sugino. I have one on my Kelly Bonestock. Jobob and V use them on their Rivs. It's a great choice also.

I'm confused by why the Campy front der didn't work for your bike, dachsund, but one other question I just thought of: are your TA rings the Zephyr 9/10 rings? One other note, we install front derailleurs very low to the large ring, lower than many mechanics.

The middle ring should be ramped and the outer two should be pinned (the little stubby ones). The outer ring will also have one long pin pointing toward the crank arm though this ring has nothing to do with shift quality.

Your bike is gorgeous as is! No paint necessary.