I would have to say that my bike of the summer has been my Davidson Impulse. I had picked it up on a rainy night in February, ecstatic to finally have a Davidson (a custom/hand made bike shop bearing the owner's name). It had been ridden, but still presented very well. Built it up immediately with 2x10 down tube Dura-Ace. I liked it well enough but something just wasn't truly connecting. The parts went to another bike and the Impulse sat. The owner, upon parting, said that he hoped to see me around on the bike over the summer. I built the bike with Campagnolo Chorus/Record--a 13-29T 10s cassette out back, and a 34-50T compact FSA double in front. Slated it for sale, but couldn't get rid of a flippin'
Davidson so easily and so shortly, could I? Were we really not connecting?
Got in a mood to get things ready to post for sale a few months after the Campy build-up; the bike just sitting in the corner all that time. If I'm not riding or using it, time to see it to someone who will. So I air up the tires, check the tuning of the bike, and go for a test ride to make sure it's worthy of selling. I had a stem/handlebar conversion (what you see in the picture) on it already, so it was a matter of seeing how everything else felt. Well, it handled the slow putting around section of the test ride like anything else. It's gearing helped it climb, and then I got out of the saddle to summit the small hill. Well....that felt pretty good! Ok, now to the first fast, smooth part of the test ride area. Spool it up, then get out of the saddle and see what she's got. Wow, still good! What's going on here?
....a devilish idea. What...if I KEPT IT??? But I don't want Campy on it...well what about 10s Dura-Ace STIs etc? Well then I'd have to have the perhaps-harsh-depending-on-the-frame Vuelta wheels with Vittoria tires. Well...let's put those wheels on and give it a shot! If it's harsh and bad, the Impulse's fate is sealed and the bike isn't for me. If it's good, then, heh, we ain't giving this thing up. And so the test ride with the Vuelta wheels goes splendidly. So between the seller wishing to see it under my stewardship as well as the different wheels and tires, the frame made it through the dark night of mental wrestling.
So why was I 'meh' or down on the frameset in the first place? What changed? Tires. I had old Continental Grand Prix 24mm units on nice wheels. The Campy-equipped setup had standard Vittoria Rubinos on wider rims, but the tires really worked with the frame's characteristics. I know, really? Rubinos making the difference? Yup. Those Continental tires were the party poopers! I thought they were my friends! Alas, betrayed, and almost taking a bike away from me! Needless to say, the Vuelta wheels/Vittoria Open Corsa tires combo with the Shimano cassette were even better than the Rubino-shod Campy wheelset. We were back in business!
Off I went, building up with all the 7800 I could throw at the thing (and all of it from my much newer Trek Emonda). And voila! MAGIC! Right to the top of the fleet. So fast, so solid feeling, so springy and out-of-the-saddle enthusiastic. Quick and smooth handling (as before, but even more fun). I love it! It's now basically signed up for any dry weather commute/ride duty, overshadowing pretty much everything else. My Prologue is under the knife as I replace a front wheel spoke and lube up the spoke contact surfaces in the rear. It is the Davidson's playful equal, and needs its repairs to once again square off for certified co-supremacy. Anyway, out of the mental metaphorical ashes and to the sky, let's ride until the rain stops me!
