Originally Posted by schnee
I have one. I have mixed feelings about it. I got it for 20% off MSRP, so it was a deal, but I wouldn't pay full retail for it.
Good:
The polished aluminum is trick, and looks sweet if you don't mind the chunky welds.
The black/silver combo looks hot.
It's sturdy as hell. The frame is a tank. The rims are high-profile, with 36 thick spokes. I'm 260lbs, and I have no fear about breaking it no matter how hard I ride it.
The flip/flop hub has been extremely useful.
All the stickers/logos are easily removable... nothing under the clearcoat.
Bad:
The bottom bracket is low, so pedal strike with long cranks is an issue.
The cranks, handlebars, seat post and brake levers are cheap. As a whole package, the bike looks fine, but sitting next to a Pista or an IRO the bike's lack of 'polish' is easily apparent.
The integrated headset means you have fewer options for forks unless you don't mind it looking a little weird.
Overall, hindsight, I wish I'd have just forked out the additional $200 and gotten an IRO, but then again, I'm a perfectionist nutball. The bike definitely turns heads, is a steady ride, and is durable. If you can get a deal, it's worth it.
Completely agree; I paid just under $500 for it - had I put a little bit more effort in shopping around I probably would have gone another route...but the $500 was the threshold that my wife would agree on for me to get yet another bike and I was itching to get one ASAP.
The no-name cheap-o components don't really bother that much, they're not glitzy and all-in-all I think the bike looks pretty damn good (once you remove the stickers)...the one issue I do have is the saddle; pain in the rear for rides longer than an hour...plan on swapping that sucker out one of these days.