Guess we have similar interests. I picked up a 1.4 for my Nikon this year. Love indoor photography without flash. Flash would've killed these shots. Nice work.

Do you have enough mileage on the bike to comment on the Shimano brakes yet?

I'm looking for feedback on lever travel. I'm looking for a possible alternative to the Avid road discs for a future build.

what an absolutely gorgeous machine! :love:

what kind of commute do you have?

Very nice!
tsl is right about moving the battery to the stem.

That's really really pretty.

Pity it's black and not brown though.
Because then it would be, like, Waterford Chocolate.

I just recently e-mailed Erik about a fitting and when he would be moving to Seattle proper. He's planning to be open in Seattle by May.

Very beautiful bike!

I second that. WOW!!! Very nice.

Paul B

Since the thread is alive again - How about a commuting update? Hows the last 6 months commuting worked out?

That bike is gorgeous.

Very nice indeed. Congratulations.

Do you need to do anything with the steerer? Looks fine and I like adjustability, I guess it would look even neater trimmed though.

Looks very custom (der...) and theft-worthy, as I'm sure you're aware.

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.

Wow.....great bike porn. I'll....er...um be back in a few minutes. :o

I left the steerer as it was cut, with a little extra room in case I want to raise the bars. No issues so far...

Theft worthy indeed and I picked up a beast of a chain lock in the Netherlands while I was there. I also own a Kryptonite NYFU but the bike sits across from me in my office every day and I'm really reluctant (read: never) to park it outside in Seattle. The bike gets thoroughly babied.

just lovely!

I think I just died, that's one hot bike.

Sooo jealous lol ;)

greenstork,

I typically don't peruse the Commuter forum, but I caught your link to this thread in the Mechanics forum. Let me just say I may have had a minor stroke when seeing your bike. Beautiful.

In another recent thread about dream bikes, I said mine would be a custom Waterford, and the paint scheme I had in mind was much like yours. I like the stealthy, shadowy look. I've got three Gunnars right now, but someday...

Anyhow, great bike.