Northern California - New bike, built up

Here it is:
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee39/jonathanb715/IMG_1457.jpg

The one component I spent a bunch on - an Edge 2.0 fork:
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee39/jonathanb715/IMG_1459.jpg

SRAM Rival group - I'm already getting used to the shifting, but may need a bigger cassette in back!
http://i235.photobucket.com/albums/ee39/jonathanb715/IMG_1460.jpg

Right now , the drivetrain is a strange mishmash of SRAM crank, KMC chain and an old Shimano cassette - the shop didn't have the cassette I wanted (an 11-28), so for now I'm using a loaner 12-27. Strangely, this combination works really well together - not noisy at all, and the shifts are very crisp and positive.

Chris @ Robinson Wheel Works did the fitting today (yes, he'll make appointments on Sundays - even Easter!), and changed it pretty dramatically from what I had on the old bike. The saddle is at about the same height, but is much further forward (I had it shoved all the way back on the Kestrel). We didn't worry too much about bar height or reach yet - just roughed them in. Even on today's 20 mile spin, I felt like the bar could be lower and a touch further away. However, Chris wants me to take the time to make sure the new saddle position works for me before spending time messing around with the stem and spacers, etc.

BTW, the Bontrager shallow drop handle bars do not work for me. My hands aren't that big, but they don't fit in the drops at all - they get kind of squished up trying to fit in there. My old FSA compact bars fit much better (and may soon move over to the new bike).

New toy!

JB

Very nice looking build there JB. I'm curious, do you think you'll get a perceptable difference going from 12-27 to 11-28?

Wow, that's gorgeous. I've got some similar stuff. I should post pics. Nothing like getting a bike just the way you want it.

How does it (she?) ride? I recently got a used Merlin, and am liking the titanium.

What are you going to use the 11-28 for? Climbing?

Thanks for posting. :)

Beauty!!!!! Nice going!

Very nice looking build there JB. I'm curious, do you think you'll get a perceptable difference going from 12-27 to 11-28?


Wow, that's gorgeous. I've got some similar stuff. I should post pics. Nothing like getting a bike just the way you want it.

How does it (she?) ride? I recently got a used Merlin, and am liking the titanium.

What are you going to use the 11-28 for? Climbing?

Thanks for posting. :)

No, no big difference - but when I'm climbing every little bit helps! Actually, Chris is thinking I should consider an 11-30, which would give me a lowest gear almost exactly the same as my current triple with a 12-27 combo. The 11-28 was supposed to be part of the Rival Group, but was missing when the bike was delivered.

I only had it out for 20 miles, so hard to say much yet. However, new bikes are nice:) The fork seems to dampen road buzz better than the Kestrel fork, and somehow the whole front end just feels a little more solid and more connected (which makes me think something may not be quite right with the Kestrel). The Kestrel definitely did a little better at damping out road buzz from chip seal roads - more comes through to the saddle on the Lynskey. This is kind of a subtle difference, but it is there. The flip side is that the Ti bike is a bit more alive feeling, like it wants to play, while the Kestrel doesn't really give feedback of any kind (I never really understood what people meant when they described certain carbon bikes as "dead feeling" until now). I suspect that if the road buzz becomes an issue, I can probably adjust tire pressures a bit to take care of it.

All in all I'm happy - particularly since I only spent a little more than $2k pulling this together (not counting the wheels, which I already had). And before anyone asks:rolleyes:, I need all those spacers on a custom frame because it was not custom built for me - the frame was on display in a bike shop since '06, but had never been built up.

JB

Excellent! :thumb:

That's a beautiful bike.

Niiice!

I got the edge fork on my new Cannondale. Feels good so far.

Velly nice indeed. :love:

Jonathan,

That's an awesome bike! I hope to see it (her? your gorgeous redhead?) in person (in bike?) at the Half Moon Bay training ride in a couple of weeks.

- Mel

Jonathan,

That's an awesome bike! I hope to see it (her? your gorgeous redhead?) in person (in bike?) at the Half Moon Bay training ride in a couple of weeks.

- Mel

Thanks, guys - I'm really enjoying the bike a lot. Spent a couple of hours on and around Mt. D. at lunch today, and it is very very nice. The bike really tracks well through corners - like it's on rails, as they say. Maybe because of the fork? A couple of times I found myself hardly braking at all for hairpins that I usually scrub off a bunch of speed for, and it held the line effortlessly through the corner. Nice.

The SRAM brake pads leave a bit to be desired, though. Definitely a step back from the KoolStops I have on the Kestrel. At least that's an easy and cheap fix. Another nice change is that the wind doesn't catch these wheels like it did with the Ksyriums. Cross winds on the descent on Mt. D can be a bit eye-opening, and it was pretty windy today, but while I knew it when a gust hit, I never felt like the front wheel was going to sail on me. I was thinking of moving the Ksyriums over, but I think they can just stay on the Kestrel for now.

And yes, Mel, I'll be there for the Half Moon Bay torture fest (oops - did I say that?!!) in a couple of weeks. By then, I should have an 11-30 cassette, which will give me pretty much the same gearing as my current triple. We'll find out on Tunitas Creek (among others).

JB

Very nice! I love the Sotto Voce graphics on the new King headsets. The giant white lettering on the old ones was my only quibble with them.


Thanks, guys - I'm really enjoying the bike a lot. Spent a couple of hours on and around Mt. D. at lunch today, and it is very very nice. The bike really tracks well through corners - like it's on rails, as they say. Maybe because of the fork? A couple of times I found myself hardly braking at all for hairpins that I usually scrub off a bunch of speed for, and it held the line effortlessly through the corner. Nice.Heh, this was one of the first things I noticed with my new bike. Cornering went from mildly terrifying hard braking and taking curves slowly to just blasting around them.

I think the head tube angle might be slightly more aggressive which could add to the better handling.

Very nice built. I love the frame color and graphics. And it's TI...

I think the head tube angle might be slightly more aggressive which could add to the better handling.

Actually, the geometry is real close on the 2 bikes. The angles are identical, the head tube on the Lynskey is a bit taller and the top tube is not as long. I think it's a keeper!

JB

That is lovely!! Can't wait to see it!

And yes, Mel, I'll be there for the Half Moon Bay torture fest (oops - did I say that?!!) in a couple of weeks. By then, I should have an 11-30 cassette, which will give me pretty much the same gearing as my current triple. We'll find out on Tunitas Creek (among others).

JB

Hmm. 11 - 30...

I finally caught on about Ascent, and found that up Bohlman I was averaging a 47 cadence in a 34/28 combo. 34/30 would at least get me to 50 rpm on the worst climbs. How big of a granny gear would fit without having to change the chain length?

Hmm. 11 - 30...

I finally caught on about Ascent, and found that up Bohlman I was averaging a 47 cadence in a 34/28 combo. 34/30 would at least get me to 50 rpm on the worst climbs. How big of a granny gear would fit without having to change the chain length?

I think I'm going to need to add a link to go from the 27 biggest cog to the 30. I go through a couple of chains a year anyway, so it's hardly the end of the world. What your derailleur can handle is more important. The SRAM is rated for a 28 tooth rear cog, but the mechanic says he has made 30's work with SRAM before, so we'll give it a shot. I have friends who have a 34 in back, but they had to use a mountain bike derailleur to make it all work.

I honestly don't expect much of a difference - there are plenty of times with my Kestrel (triple with a 12/27 in back) that I'm in the 30-21 or 30-24 and think I'm in the shortest gear already. I think it's getting to be more mental than anything with me - just knowing I have that bail out gear on long hard rides.

JB