Haha, I'm right there with you! The more perverse this bike gets, the more fun it is to ride. I was only halfway joking about a SRAM cassette, I think it might actually be my next mod, provided the tools are the same for removal. I'd like lower gears without sacrificing top speed.
Here's the finished product, for now:
I made sure to get the Dura-Ace cranks in there too, my score from last year that I paid about $30 for I think. I'm sure that seeing Campagnolo and Dura-Ace on a Denali will send someone into fits.
Honestly, as perverse as this bike is, I'm really enjoying it. I could buy a more expensive bike but I don't see the need for it just yet. I'm not saying that my bike or I could win the Tour de France anytime soon, but I have no trouble keeping up with the fastest riders of our local group on my Denali. The Sovereign is a little harder because of it's weight, but it makes up for it in smoothness. Speaking of which, it's holding up fine too. I'd like to get it a new wheelset and some improved gearing to make it a good long distance bike.
I used to think I wanted brifters, but the more time I spend with my friction bikes, the more I think I'll just stick with friction. It makes it super easy to mix and match good components when I find them at a good price and the end result performs really well. There's a pretty diverse mix of 9 and 7 speed components from a variety of different brands on the Denali that otherwise wouldn't work together. I've also noticed that on our group rides, my bike is the only one that never has shifting problems because of it's infinite adjustability!
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