Building a bike
After getting back into biking last fall on an inexpensive Al bike and doing a few upgrades to it, I refurbished my old CCM Silver Ghost and took it for a few rides. Now I realize that I am an old fart that has no business dreaming about racebikes and I don't enjoy riding stiff, twitchy handling bicycles as much as I do compliant stable ones. I did some looking about at steel bikes from various companies and came to the realization that the only way to get one equipped just like I want it (within a budget) is to build it up myself. I played with the credit card last night and ordered a Soma Stanyan frame, Shimano R700 compact crankset ( on sale for dirt cheap) and Shimano 105 rest of the drivetrain. I will be using the Ultegra/Open Pro wheels that I bought this winter for my Motobecane and now I will be able to actually get the 25mm tires I put on it for ride smoothness through the brakes without having to open the adjusters every time. By shopping around I will be able to do the whole bike for around $1200 plus my wheels. (Chain Reaction Cycles has great prices on drivetrain stuff and the crankset is on sale at Jensen for under $100 with cups)