Mine is 6 months old or so....I got it sometime in March if my memory serves me correctly.
I didnt do "ugrades" exactly...the parts I replaced were all fitment issues. I replaced 'em to make the bike fit me like a glove. I started to realize that I was adjusting my riding style to suit the bike, which isn't the best thing to do. I instead made the bike suit my riding style so that it feels more 'natural' to me.
I'm not really a "bigger and better" kind of person...I just want my bike to fit me as close to perfect as I can get. In my past experience, I have found that if you get a bike that fits you perfectly in all aspects, then you are capable of MUCH more than you are if you simply try to "get along" with a bike that doesn't fit as well. In all honesty, the best-fitting bike I ever had was an old Huffy Stalker. I did stuff on that bike that most people wouldn't even try on a FS bike...but i was able to pull it off because I knew my bike well, and the thing fit me like a second skin.
As far as the size, dont make me lie to you, but I THINK its a 17.
The single best change I have made is the shorter stem and bar ends. IMO, the riding position was a little TOO upright, so the shorter stem helps out, and with bar ends, I can really lean forward if I want to plus they make climbing much, much easier on the back.
I FINALLY took the bike in to the shop yesterday for the rear bearing noises. Turns out they installed the bearing cap too tight and caused a few of them to burnish. They replaced 'em for free, and replaced my stem for free at the same time as a "customer goodwill" thing for my trouble.
Overall, I really, REALLY like this bike. The paintjob is absolutely beautiful in the midday sunlight with its blue metallic pearl color. I like how it shifts from blue to slight purple.
anyhoo, I was debating on swapping the fork to a Fox FLOAT RLC, but I think I'll stick with the GranFondo for now since the new spring has taken care of the only issue I had with the fork: If I had the proper sag dialed in, the compression was too light and the fork felt way too squishy for my tastes. With the new spring, I have the proper sag set, and the fork is much stiffer and feels much smoother on travel than it did before.
Last edited by CrashVector; 09-23-06 at 08:39 PM.