Here's my 8 month update as I am just revisiting this forum after a long absence. The bike is everything I could have wanted, and more. It fits me perfectly and the ride is so smooth. It is positively maintenance free in almost every respect. Except for the weekly chain lube and occasional cable lube, I have no need to make adjustments to the bike.

I have since made some commuting related changes in the past few months:

- For a tour I took earlier this year, I switched out the Brooks Swift for a regular ole B-17. A handful of grams heavier but I don't really care, it's wider and slightly more comfortable.

- After the tour, I had much wider Marathon Supremes on the bike, wider fenders, and a rack. Although I loved the Marathons fully inflated, they liked to settle in to a 60 psi range after a few days, which was too soft for my liking. I have since switched back to 28mm road tires and jettisoned the rack and saddle bags in favor of a lighter Chrome commuting bag.

- I found the 10-speed cassette to be completely unncessary for commuting and it really didn't suit the gear range I wanted. I switched over to a Sheldon Brown 9-speed Century Special and haven't looked back.

- The disc brakes aren't the panacea that they're purported to be. They're a little loud in that you can audibly hear the brake pads on the rotor -- not a squeal or anything, but louder than some of the better cantis and v-brakes I've used. They're a bit finicky to adjust but I'm pretty comfortable with them now. Lastly, dry stopping power is really only the same as a good canti or v-brake setup. What's worth it to me in spades, is the noticeable lack of gunk (brake dust build-up) on my entire drivetrain and the wet stopping power, which is essentially the same as dry stopping power. For these two reasons, I'd do it again in a heartbeat.

What's not to love, I can't second guess any of the other decisions I made on the frame and components, it is really perfect for commuting, distance rides, and light touring.