UT_Dude

I chose the KMC because SRAM chains are quite loud, especially when you're near a cross-chain. The KMC's are much quieter, and seem much smoother. I'm not sure it really matters on shifting, though I'd say the KMC (which I now have on both my TT and Road bike) pops shifts a little smoother.

Swiss Stop pads... Also a serious win!

ericcox

A serious question -- does your team handle the name on the top tube, do you do it yourself, or do you have someone who does it? It looks nice.

UT_Dude

I did the name on the TT myself. Bikenames.com for like $5 I think? One side has my name, the other side has the blog address haha.

I have 2 days on the bike now and feel like I know it well enough to make a few comments.

First off, the KMC chain is seriously awesome. Well worth the (very little) extra it cost. Will be sticking with that for sure.

The Swiss Stop pads seem to modulate and grab a bit better than either the SRAM pads or DA pads. Not sure how much of this is because they're new, but either way, I'm impressed.

Using SRAM's cables instead of Nokons has made a huuuuge improvement in the shifting snappiness. I'm pretty much done with the Nokons except on the TT bike where I need the bendiness they provide for routing.

The Deda Newton Bar/Thomson stem is stiff. Really stiff. Noticeably stiffer than the old Ritchey stuff I had on the CR1. I haven't quite decided if I like the shape of the Newton bars or not. They're definitely different from anything I've ever ridden.

The bike itsself is nice. This is gonna sound weird, but it feels a lot more 'live' when I ride it than the CR1 ever did. You definitely feel a lot more of the road on the Felt than the CR1 (or the Tarmac before it), but I wouldn't say that's necessarily a bad thing. It felt like I was getting more feedback from the bike and could tell better how hard I could push it in turns. It was also definitely a bit snappier going up hill and out of the saddle. I also really liked the way it cornered better than the CR1. Only thing I wasn't thrilled about is that it seems a bit less stable (twitchier) than either the CR1 or the Tarmac. Still, very controllable, even at high-ish speeds. Just can't ride with my hands off the bars as easily on this one.

Overall, after the PITA it's been getting everything together, I'm happy I have a bike again, and happy with the bike!

bikeM3987

Didn't you say you were keeping the cr1 for a while?

UT_Dude

You missed the whole it broke thing

MONGO!

The Felt looks awesome, I may look for one at the end of the year...

carbonjockey

any problems with compatibility? we had a bike in the shop i work at which had dura ace cranks, fsa chain rings, chorus ergo shifters, utlegra rear derailleur... the strangest set up and it was a ***** to adjust. we never were able to truly get it dialed in, although it was pretty close

bdcheung

Interesting comment on the Nokons. I actually ditched the SRAM cables, went back to Nokons, and have noticed increased shifting performance.

prendrefeu

...so why, again, didn't you keep the Willier?

bikeM3987

judging by wr's post I am going to guess something with the rd hanger? From the msu crit?

hendrick81

sweet looking bike.

Johnny Rad

UT_Dude: Congrats on the new rig. Consider black hoods. Do a Pepsi challenge and see what it looks like, if you haven't already.

CCFISH81: Yep, KMC's X10SL is the "sweetness." Light and quiet.