Cafe

Ok so I got the box today, and there was a really big hole in it. Almost refused it in fear of damage, but checked the inside and looked ok. Upon opening the box, and pulling the bike out, nothing was damage where the hole was. Still haven't uncovered everything and done a detailed inspection.

Other than that hiccup, the bike was packed well and was well protected.

First thing I noticed is how nice the finish was. It looks like it is a gloss black, but when there is enough light you can see the fiber inlays. It has a really nice finish to it.

The down tube looks a lot thicker in person, and the chainstays look mammoth in comparison to the stick looking chainstays on those high performance road bikes. This bike must be nice accelerating on I'm guessing...? Hopefully the thick down tube and chainstays translates into durability and strength.

themishmosh

As far as Shimano goes, I would say that performance wise, not a big difference between 105-ultegra-duraace in terms of derailleurs. Rear derailleur matters much more than front derailleur. With flat bar shifters, alivio isn't any better than most stock shift/brake combos. R400 series (tiagra?) are nice. R700 series (ultegra) are great. All components, high and low end, will get the job done, but there is a difference in speed of shifts, smoothness, shifting effort, feel. That and weight are what you are paying for. My preference is for top end shifters (best you can find for your setup), respectable rear derailleur (tiagra on up) and really don't care about front derailleur. You'll find thoughtful manufacturers thinking similarly in terms of component selection.

DorkDisk

Shifter performance is but one component of drivetrain performance. Higher end shifters have bearings (vs. bushings,) more features (more cog dumps, increased adjustability + ergonomics, removable OGD+cover) tighter tolerances, lighter + stronger materials (less plastic,) and slicker cables.

By themselves these differences are felt in: minutely better but noticable shifting, better "feel," and increased longevity; however if you combine it with derailleurs with smoother pivots and stiffer+lighter cages, and cogs and rings that are stiffer and slicker, there is a substantial difference in shifting precision and durability from low end to high-end. Due to product placement and marketing, these differences are spread out minutely accross the product range hierarchy

Di2 is a game change - effortless shifting and the sequential shifting

ColonelSanders

Thanks for the info guys.

Cafe

I was thinking about upgrading the crankset to an Uletgra Crankset as I mentioned earlier. The existing FSA Vero crankset on there is actually quite light even though it's a triple crankset...just 100 grams heavier than an ultegra fc-6800 "11 speed" crankset. But the square taper bottom bracket adds weight. I could opt for a lighter Ti square BB, but thos are around $70...so really see no reason on upgrading to stay in line with older tech.

I'd like to upgrade to the newer fc-6800 ultegra crankset, but was wondering if it will work with a 9 speed ultegra cassette, and the current 9 speed deore rear derailleur on there. I know the rear deore derailleur is slightly heavier but I know it's a durable piece, and has good looks to boot. I suppose I could just get a 9 speed Ultegra cassete to make the bike even more lighter. I'd like to use it as a 2x9 speed bike basically right now. I don't really need that many gears in truth, and not upgrading the shifters saves $100 bucks...I've played with the R400 shifters and they feel perfectly fine. I might paint them black though, lol. I'm a pretty strong rider, and won't be climbing mount ventoux any time soon either. I'm inland in Sacramento so mostly flat around here any way. Most of the time I found myself only using 2 gears for riding around here unless in a severe head wind.

Edit: Bah NM. Think I will just go 2x10 and swap everything.

themishmosh

I hated my old triple. Never used the granny gear. Going to a double or in my case a 1x9 saved a lot of weight. I just don't like the square taper bottom bracket but don't know about the potential to convert to more modern hollow bb.

If it were my bike, I wouldn't mess around with the drivetrain at all. Get the seat you want. Consider carbon seatpost/handlebars to complete the benefits of carbon (both fairly inexpensive). Ride it for what it is. After a year, you will know what you like or don't like about the bike. The shifters on this bike are nice. Far better than the stock shifters on my $600 Trek. I actually upgraded to alivio (not happy with it) then R400 series. The triple crankset on my trek was very awkward. Wide spacing and heavy. A bottom bracket and new crankset later, and I was fairly happy. I think there is a drop bar version of the Cafe Century so no doubt it is closer to a road bike and you should not have this problem. My apologies if I seemed like I was dumping on this bike--it is nice, I just wish it had a different bb/crankset.

Cafe

No worries, didn't think much of it. Ya I'm definitely one that upgrades stuff right away. I had considered upgrading the crankset along with a bunch of other stuff actually. My justification is I can get more for the old crankset and other parts while they are new and have 0 miles on them. So it makes sense for me to upgrade now from a cost perspective. And it's going to take some time for me to learn and fashion some vinyl matte black decals to go over the existing stuff any way.

If the Cafe Century DX model is 17-18 pounds which sells for 1500, I see no reason why my bike won't be that weight after I'm done upgrading, and I will have a better crankset, cassette, etc. after all is said and done. And would probably have spent less hopefully after selling off the parts that will be upgraded.

eMats

How about just ride the darn thing?! Looks like a cool bike, I wouldn't touch a thing until you really feel you need to - not even the decals. Own it.

Cafe

Ok it's between Ultegra 5800 or 6800! Everything else is out the window...no more entertaining the idea of mounting flatbar shifters to drop bars, lol.

Cafe

Ok so most of the emblems covered, but I like the Cafe Century logos so will be leaving that alone. Here is the bike with the mavic SLs on it:



Drivetrain has been completely stripped down, and I am still deciding between Ultegra 6800 and 105 5800. I am probably going to go with 6800 just because there is barely a price gap.

ColonelSanders

Looking Good.

Cafe

^Thanks, and I finally got my drivetrain in. After much debate I went with a full Brand spanking new Black Shimano 105 5800 group retail group set in the box.



It was between Ultegra6800 and 105 5800. The full group set ran me $470 for the bundle...which came with Shimano 105 pedals as part of that bundle deal. It was between Ultegra 6800 and 5800. Seeing that shifting quality according to most people was the same...and the weight difference was a mere 170-200 grams lighter on the Ultegra, I opted to go with the complete 105 group. I'm not racing, and I'll even be touring a bit on this, so spending more on something a tad lighter doesn't make that much sense. I got the avid ultimate cantilever brake set coming in which ran me about $60 a pair. So I should be good to go pretty soon once those come in. I've installed cranksets before, and I've tuned a bike up before, but never really installed a full group from scratch. Should be a fun learning experience.

Bbike4ever

Couldn't you have gone with the MB Sprint CF Pro and saved some work? Could have gotten a yellow frame too...

Cafe

You mean this one?

Save Up To 60% Off Shimano Ultegra Full Carbon Road Bikes- Motobecane Sprint CF PRO

That's a road bike. I wanted a carbon hybrid that supports bigger tires...the cafe century frames support tires up to 40mm. Those frames seem to be typical road bike frames that will fit 23-25mm tires...maybe 28mm at the most.

Wanderer

If those stickers are above the clear coat, slight heat from a hair dryer will soften the glue, and make the stickers more pliable, and easier to remove in one piece. Don't use anything harder than your fingernail to get under those stickers.

Cafe

Stickers are under the clear coat. I'd recommend doing what I did to hide decals if your frame is black. Just buy a roll of matte black decal paper for like 5 bucks and that will cover everything you want.

ColonelSanders

Is your bike now fully assembled?

Would like to see a few photos of it from various angles.

Cafe

It is fully assembled and I've been riding the bike. It rides great and I thought the stem I had for it would be too short, but it actually works great for me. Bike is much lighter with the 5800 drivetrain. It must be in the 17-19 pound range I'm guessing with pedals. Was going to take pics but with the rain and bad weather as of late haven't found a good time to.

ChelanOrBust

My wife bought a 53 Cm Moto Cafe Century from Bikes Direct about a year ago. Great bike ( we have 15 bikes between us ) and after a swap with parts we had gathering dust , it is a sweet ride. We swapped to Reynolds wheels, shorter stem, her favorite saddle and had our LBS dial it in. Around town I ride my trusty 1990 Bridgestone MB1 which I love but I may get myself one of these.

Bbike4ever

My wife had an opportunity to ride my Café Century and now I am out the funds for a Café Century Pro for her! Good thing I like her a lot...

Bbike4ever

Got my wife's Century Pro last evening and put it together. She hasn't had a chance to ride it yet due to Tropical Storm Bill screwing up our weather but it is a really nice bike. I was wondering if it was worth the extra $500 and I would say definitely so better seat, brakes, gears, stem, post and flat bars. I had them drop the box off at a neighbors and when I went to get it I about yanked it through the ceiling it not expecting it to be so light. She is loving it so far....

Bbike4ever

And here they both are:

Lazyass

Sorry to revive a thread after 3 years but I have a question about this bike. BD has the Century Pro in only a few sizes left but their geometry chart is weak. Is the seat tube measured c-c or to the top?

Save up to 60% off new Hybrid Carbon Bicycles | Road Bikes Cafe Century PRO