new bike! finally!

[Beane]

My new Gunnar Roadie is now finally complete... just as winter comes roaring in. Luckily we now have a trainer so I can at least ride it. Below is a pic of the bike all built up. The only asterisk to note is that the rear skewer is the one for use with the trainer, so just imagine the pretty campy record one in its place.. *Also the tape on the bar tape is hideous yellow electrical tape which I will (hopefully soon) replace with black tape.

p.s. if anyone wants to know the specs, I will happily rattle them off...

[sandra]

SWEET! Congruatulations! It's a beauty! Give us the specs!

[Zen]

What are those handlebars?

[mixie]

Very pretty! Hope you get to take her out some and not keep her on the trainer all winter

[Tri Girl]

Wow- what a beauty! Very, very nice!

[Beane]

thanks everyone for the kind words. here's the details:

-Gunnar Roadie 54cm
-Campy 2007 compact 2x10 centaur group; 13/29 in rear.. I'm a hill slug
-wheels are 2006 record hubs laced 3 cross to Mavic Open Pros, DT double -butted spokes.. conti tires (p.s. thanks for the wheels mom!)
-reynolds ouzo comp fork
-cane creek headset (wanted a chris king but alas...)
-look keo classic pedals
-bontrager carbon seat post, specialized jett saddle (ouch! -- will hopefully change for next year)
-handlebars are bontrager fit VR -- these may also change as I think I may want bigger ones
-the stem is this cool specialized one that my new fav bike shop recommended- it has this neat little shim thing so that you can do 16 OR 8 degrees + or - . very cool I think.

In the end a little more than half of the bike was new and the rest was gently used. so far so good!

[silver]

Very Nice!!!! Is it black or purple-y black? Which conti tires?

[sundial]

What a pretty bike and it looks great with the fall leaves.

[Beane]

Very Nice!!!! Is it black or purple-y black? Which conti tires?

It's technically called "candy plum over charcoal" and in brighter light/sunlight is much more purple/plum looking. The tires are conti ultra race... not GP4000 or attack/force, but beggars can't be choosers! .. and realistically for the riding I do, I doubt that I would notice a difference.

[silver]

The color is beautiful!!!!!

[Starfish]

Is the bike steel?

The bars look small. Are they made for small hands?

How big are the CR?

Is this your first bike with Campy? Tell me about how the hoods feel to you!

Questions, questions!

[Thorn]

Gorgeous! I like the color. You might still get a ride or two in before the snow flies! You can't just wait until spring, can you?

I have it on good authority that the first salt spraying weather in Wisconsin won't be for a couple of weeks...the day before I take delivery on my Waterford, of course So, you've taken it out, right? How does it ride?

[Mama Beane]

What a beautiful bike! You are very welcome for the wheels. As soon as I figure out how to insert a photo in a posting, my new bike can make its debut on TE. Thanks so much for introducing me to steel frames - I am so happy with my bike, and I never would have made the switch if you hadn't given me a little push. With a little bit of luck and a LOT of hard work, I should be ready to tackle Colorado with you next summer!

[Mama Beane]

OK - here she is!

[Beane]

Is the bike steel?

Yes! It is Waterford's blend which, I gather, is primarily True Temper OX platinum.

The bars look small. Are they made for small hands?

Also yes, which is why I may change them.. not enough places for me to position..

How big are the CR?

170.

Is this your first bike with Campy?

Yes. I had no problem with Shimano, but I really really liked the campy silver cranks and then after I did some reading found that campy can be repaired whereas shimano needs to be replaced. And I like the look of the campy parts. I found that it wasn't more expensive than shimano so I gave it a shot. So far so good. I've tried to shift with the brake levers a few times, but otherwise an easy switch.

Tell me about how the hoods feel to you!

So far I like them but feel a little less stable when standing on the pedals since there's less of a hood to grip. I hardly ever stand up (not sure if this is good or bad) so I'm not too worried about it. Also, since these handlebars only have single cable routing there's an awkward bump just before the hood (another reason I may want to switch them out).

Questions, questions!

No worries!