Siu Blue Wind

Long story short. I have ordered my first road bike - in choosing components (which by the way, I have NOOOOOooo idea what I'm doing) I screwed up and gave the wrong part number and ended up buying a saddle that was more expensive than I expected to spend. Okay. My fault. I had decided to go the 105 route but found that I cannot get a 105 crank from any of the 12 distributors that he deals with.

SO

He went ahead and updated the crank to Ultegra, and that cost me more as well (of course). I hate to sound like a cheapo but I already went waaaaaaaaay over my alotted budget because of the frame I chose. I essentially told him to go ahead and put what he thought was best for my needs since I don't know jack about road bikes.

He emailed me and said that he changed my fork from the Reynolds Ouzo Pro to the Ritchey Pro Carbon. He said it is lighter but also less expensive - that way it sorta balances out my expenses.

My question: How much lower in regards to performance or rideablity did I go by telling him to go ahead and change the fork?

I would have asked him myself but this was through email and I know he is closed now.

Ironic Mullet

I doubt you will notice any difference.

DrPete 

Both are good forks, Siu. I don't think you're losing much of anything, at least nothing that you'll notice as long as the fork's rake, etc. are the same.

And welcome to the dark side.

-VELOCITY-

Don't know the answer to your question, but I love the title of this thread for some reason. Sorry. But congrats on your first road bike.

garysol1 

You are fine. You will love the Ultegra crank and you will never notice the fork change....

grahny

bike budgets.... 60% of the time, they work alllll the time

My guess on the forks is that the Ritchey Pro carbon fork will be a little stiffer than the Ouzo Pro, but thats just from reading some reviews on roadbikereview.com (only 1 review on the Ritchey). Ritchey makes some good stuff though and you probably won't notice much of a difference.

https://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/fr...5_2492crx.aspx

https://www.roadbikereview.com/cat/fr...5_2492crx.aspx

jyossarian

Don't huck it off 10' drops and it should be fine.

Chucklehead

the ritchey is an awesome fork. lots of pro tour teams ride this same fork with carbon dropouts. you aren't taking a hit in quality.

cal_gundert05

I am not knowing, either, but methinks you might need to change the words beneath your username

Snicklefritz

+1 Once you get bit by the bug you will realize (soon) that there is no cure. But that isn't bad thing.
Welcome to road biking. You'll love it.

What are your plans for rides etc.? Do you have local groups you can go out with on the weekends or are there some organized events you can do?

Siu Blue Wind

You guys are going to laugh at me. I am having 28's put on the rims, I have a WTB saddle, platform/clipless pedals (mtb style) and IF I do use the clipless side, I'll be doing the mtb shoes for walkability. I will be riding with my mtb shorts and I refuse to take the visor off of my helmet.

My bike will look funny. So I most likely won't post it here even though someone said I should.

v1k1ng1001

I'm guessing you'll want to ditch the shorts and the 28s eventually.

bmclaughlin807

I'm running 35's on my bike at the moment. And fenders. And a rack. I don't own a pair of ANY type of cycling shorts (Though I do now own a real, honest-to-goodness cycling jersey)

I bet I put more road miles on my bike than at LEAST 95% of the riders here.

Whatever makes you comfortable. Just get out and ride!

Oh, and I loved the 'campus' pedals I had on my bike... only took them off because they need to be overhauled. Made me EXTREMELY fast off the starts... I'd be way down the road while most everyone else was still trying to get clipped in.

Snicklefritz

Hey, when I first started road biking, I put shimano SPD mountain bike pedals and used mtb shoes on what was an otherwise all-italian bike. OCP faux-pas? Maybe, but it was comfortable and that's the way I rode. Do what makes you happy and comfortable.

Dick Rhee

Siu, when all is said and done, all of our bikes have gone over budget. Welcome to the club.

Regarding the 28mm tires, shorts, and platform/mtb pedals, go with what makes you comfortable! I used MTB pedals for a long, long while because the shoes were much easier to walk in around campus. It also took me a little while to rock the lycra, (although I must admit, when I made the leap it was like night and day).

That being said, it wouldn't hurt to try doing some test rides between bikes with 23mm and 28mm tires and see if you can notice much of a difference between it's handling/road feel. I had 32's on my commuter and they didn't corner better or feel any more secure than the 23's I have on my current bike.

So did your frame already arrive??? My Moots took something like 10 very, very painful weeks to get here.

Siu Blue Wind

Yes, the frame is at the shop. He said it came out wonderfully! We were just waiting on the cranks.

He is going to have it done and shipped out by early next week. It will take five days to arrive. (!!!)

You guys have all been very supportive. I thank all of you very very much.

srsly

i must have gotten really lucky. i came in $500 under budget after making a switch at the last minute away from a bike that was $400 over

before i got a pair of bike shorts i used padded underwear with hiking shorts over em and had bright yellow candies on my white/silver bike. it was rad.

gratz on the bike. you'll narrow down the tires sooner or later

old and new

Just to comment on two of the things you stated : Ultegra is a prettier crank(yes I'd say that to a guy), it's lighter, a WOW factor in an obvious place, hardest components to change so it's just as well you're startin' out with it. Carbon forks, because the models are changing, being up-graded all the time, the prices can seem to be "all over the place". Ouzos,depending on the model, can cost UNDER one hundred. RIchey's that I've seen START at two. The man may have "gotten a deal".. that's cool too. He probably IS lookin'-out for you. As much as a big-fat-know-it-all that I fancy MYSELF being, I still relent to the advice of shops quite often. Many folkes do, fewer admit they do, that's the biggst difference.

Patriot

Ritchey is a good fork. There are tons of good forks out there. Frankly, I think the Ouzo Pro gets way more recognition than it deserves. I think it's just because companies by them by the billions, because years ago they were the staple in the industry. Now, just about everyone makes a good fork, most of them just as good if not better for the same or less money. So, you have no need to worry.

Siu Blue Wind

I'm already going through size shock. My tires now are 2.5 inches.

Siu Blue Wind

Good points here, thank you.

I feel comfortable knowing that he is doing what he feels is right. I flew to Colorado to be fitted and to pick out this bike. With the time spent there I pretty much said to him "do what you think is best for me."

red house

Is it me or do the new 105 cranks look almost exactly like the Dura Ace cranks? And here I went and spent bank because I liked the look of the Dura Ace - and then they decide make a much less expensive version of basically the same crankset?? What is even the big difference between the two now? A few grams?

Siu Blue Wind

Thanks for the explanation. Makes sense.

red house

What kind of frame did you get Siu?

Siu Blue Wind