Originally Posted by
RubeRad
That's a pretty trick ride MEversbergII! I like that headset-stack accessory mount!
I'm also diggin on the all-black theme. I don't know why you would go from stronger matching black brass nipples to non-matching weaker alloy nipples. If I were you, I would try to complete the blackification at least by taking the stickers off the rims, and getting a black water bottle cage, if not looking for a black crankset. Also, if you feel you need to replace the rack, why not stick with black? As it is, the black theme is so comprehensive, the few silver elements you have are sticking out (visually)
Also, looking closer, what kind of crazy stretch cage is that? Is that a rail that a top-clamp can slide up and down to adapt to whatever length bottle? Pretty *****in (especially if you could've gotten a black one!)
Have a black crank on my Sirrus... don't like how it looks after a few thousand miles on it, with bright silver scratches all over it, and a bare spot in the anodizing from regular rubbing from the toe straps I used for years. In short, while black cranks look awesome when they're new, I think they look like crap after they've been beaten on for a couple of years or more.
Originally Posted by
Wits_Of_Fury
I was just in American Cyclery this afternoon test riding this bike and a couple others. I also rode a Saga and an ES. Wasn't big on the ES, but I did really like the Saga. What made you choose this one? I stopped in at Avenue Cyclery a couple blocks away afterwards and rode a Long Haul Trucker, which I also really liked. That and the Saga are the my favorites of the seven or eight I've tried out.
Besides the wheels, is everything else stock? Looks like the SRAM setup, so I'm guessing yes. I'm thinking about building mine up to tailor it how I'd like. Not a big fan of bar end shifters, especially if I also have to pay attention to dodging the traffic on Market!
I really like the look of the tan ES with the black Apex group on it, but the geometry just doesn't fit me that well. The Saga was too slack for my tastes for commuting; I prefer the sportier geometry of the DCD. The DCD also has a longer top tube which fits me better than the ES or the Saga. I rode a Long Haul Trucker at Missing Link and didn't like it at all; felt like a brick and the rear end was too slack. The plain 4130 cro-moly in the LHT just doesn't compare to the Prestige in the DCD IMHO.
Everything else is stock except for the bar, which is a Cowbell 2 instead of the stock Soma Highway One. A friend of mine has a Cowbell on his commuter bike and after trying it, I fell in love with it. The one I have on my Soma is a 42 and it fits me perfectly. I'm planning on switching my Fuji Sportif 1.1 over to a Cowbell eventually too; comfiest drop bar I've ever used.
With respect to the spoke nipples, I like the look of the silver offsetting with the black rims, and I've had only very minimal durability problems with alloy nipples. I'm an accomplished wheel builder (built over 100 wheels in my life) and know how to prep a wheel so there's minimal strength lost with alloy nipples. (I once built a wheel and lived for 5,000 mi. that only ever needed the slightest truing now and again.) I also want them for the weight savings... I commute in traffic in San Francisco several times a week, where being quick off the line is very helpful, and lighter wheels will help with that a lot. At least that's been my experience.
I got used to the double-tap shifters pretty quick; I like how crisp and clean their action is. (I don't see how anyone could successfully use bar-end shifters in downtown SF!) At the same time, I'm more familiar with / used to the 105 STI shifters on my Fuji, so I'm going to swap them over to the Soma, along with the 105 rear derailleur, and put the Apex shifters and rear derailleur on the Fuji. I'm doing it primarily for weight-weenie reasons; I want to shave grams off my Fuji and detail it out because it's my Ferrari, so to speak, while my Soma is my station wagon, if that makes sense...
Anyway, thanks for the compliments on my new ride... I'm very happy with it. I do have some other pics of it, which I'll post in a bit.