Looking good my friend - and I have no doubt she'll be done before the Tete.

You know, you are going to have to bring her to Portland, along with Trinity, for some "proper" photography.

55/Rad

I will be getting a rack for the Toyota, and I am thinking I may just get a two bike rack. Simple and easy to use. So, one bike for each of us.

Trinity may have to stay home. Especially if the Fast Attack Ti hunter turns out to be as good as it appears to be. I really like the panelling of the paint job. Better than lots of weird fading with an airbrush.

Wait 'til you turn 37. God, I feel like I'm 38.

Handsome paint job there, fella.

Navy and gold is a really nice color scheme, one of my favorites.

Looks fantastic. Blues do seem to be one of those colors that are hard to photo properly. I can tell the frame looks better than the photos show, I'd love to see some higher res photos of the job. Can't wait to see it completed.

Here's an update on the Ti machine. Aside of the fact that I am thwe worlds worst photographer, here's some pics. Just don't ever ask me to try and get a clear photo of bigfoot.

Today I had a mental meltdown. I shot a coat of clear on the frame, and the volume knob on my spray guun was wide open for some reason (kids), so I ended up with a bunch of runs on the top tube, but I will sand them out and shoot another coat next week.

Anyway, this is basically it. The frame is pretty much done with exception to a final coat of clear, and buffing/polishing.

Is your room green or is that a product of the photography?

This was your original inspiration right? Great looking paint... can't wait to see it all put together outside in the sun.

I've had one constant midlife crises since I was 11.

You're not accepted into the Middle Ager Club Patriot. If you were truly middle aged the bike would have "Seven" or "Serrotta" or "One Off Custom Made by Bavarian Craftsman" on the downtube, you would have flown out to the factory to have Hans spend a week discussing EXACTLY what you wanted from the bike, measuring your fit, and having Hilda fondle your nether regions whilst fitting you for a seat upholstered in some endangered species.

Face it, you're a middle aged wannabe

Ok, so it's midlife crisis on a budget.

55/Rad,

Yes, the room is green. It's my picture taking skills in general which lack a serious level of proficiency.

There isn't a photographer alive that can make a predominently blue bike look good in a green room.

But, we do get the idea. It's looks great....

55/Rad

Are you still in the Navy?

Am more than twice your age (73). Got rid of TI Merlin and got a custom carbon fiber . . . see what you got to look forward to?!
But happy birthday and enjoy the ride . . . eventually.

Heck, do what I am did. I've got carbon fiber too.

No, not in the Navy anymore. Got out back in '97.

Patriot - Great Looking Bike. My Dad was a 30+ year Navy man. Brings back lots of memories. I can't wait to see the finished project soon.

Well, here she is everyone...

FAST ATTACK

I got the final coat of clear shot last weekend. I now have the bike assembled. I tuned it up, and took it for a short spin around the block.

My initial impression of this bike is nothing short of impressive. I hate to say this, but Trinity has some serious competition here. Amazingly, the bike weighs only 16.8lbs with pedals, cages, and computer. I am thoroughly impressed, as I thought this machine would come in closer to 17.3lbs from all of my initial calculations.

The ride is unbelievably stable. It is actually more stable and feels less twitchy than Trinity (14.9lbs), and the frame is extremely stiff. The extra 2lbs gives it a sense of stability, yet feels just as fast. As a matter of fact, this bike feels faster on the flats than Trinity, yet it also has a slightly better low gear for climbing.

- The Trigon integrated bars are VERY comfortable, and the large tops really feel good with my larger hands.

- The drivetrain is a Chorus group, with a gorgeous chrome plated Miche Primato 11-23 cassette, and a Trigon 50/34 carbon compact crank with Ultegra BB.

- The brakes are the new '06 Mirage brakes w/Upgraded pads for less weight and replacable pads.

- The seatpost is 27.2mm Ascent carbon with Ascent carbon bottle cages.

- The Nashbar racing saddle is also a big surprise. I rode around for 30 mins with my thin tights (no chamois), and had no discomfort at all. This is very odd for me. It is shaped similar to my Selle SLR, yet it flexes a bit more, and forms around your sitbones better. The padding is also a little nicer than the SLR. An incredibly comfortable saddle that weighs only 187g for $30 on sale. The only thing that I am not so certain of, is that it's not leather, it's synthetic. No real big issue for only $30 though.

- The headset is an American Classic Ultra-Lite 1". Not much else to say there.

- The computer is a Ciclo Master CM414 Altimeter. Good computer.

- Now for the big cheese. The Wheels. They are a 16/20 wheel with a 30mm aero rim, weighing 1510g for only $192 shipped. They are adorned with Michelin Carbon 700x23's. Now one may ask, where to get these wheels. Well, these are the Formula Xero XR-1's I got a couple months ago off Ebay. I have only a few miles on them, so the jury is still out, but I will say this so far. For $192, they are quite the wheel. I am hoping they will survive my punishing rides. They are very stiff, and didn't give when I put the hammer down on a quick test sprint over 32mph.
As you can see, I pulled the red and white decals. I think they look much better stealth for a Navy blue and gold bike. And, the yellow striped Carbs match beautifully.

All in all, I am very impressed with the whole setup. My total investment was about $2000 with lots of shopping around for the best deals on parts. It is hard to find a Chorus equipped Titanium bike for under $3500 anywhere, let alone what I paid. But then, I did the paint job myself, and the build, etc.

And finally, the name. Some of you may wonder where I got the name. Well, I used to be in the Navy, and served in the submarine fleet. Those nuclear subs are called, "Fast Attack" submarines. The frame is also adorned with our ships creed, which I carried over to become the famous OCP creed, "Faith - Vigilance - Service". The name of the ship I served on, is also applied to the seat tube. That's it. Enjoy my sad pics.

I'll have to bring this one down to Portland when I go on my weekend trip in a few weeks. See you guys there.

Dude - take it outside and get some pictures - PLEASE. Or re-paint your room.

I can't see the true colors and the amazingness of this bike.

And I want to see it!!!

55/Rad

I can't. For some reason my camera is over-exposing outside, and I can't figure out why. All the outside pics keep turning up looking like bright white. ????

::drool:: Patriot, I love the bike.... heck! I love all of your bikes! what class sub did you serve on?

..... Rad, when do we get to see the tete!?

Well this is cool (an old thread that seems completely new to me that I didn't have to wait for)

Nice bike, Your paint work is very very nice. I like the parts group.

Now we only have to wait on 55/Rad's bike and Ziggurat's. I wonder which will be done first?

Hey Patriot, I must have had my head in the sand to miss this long running thread. Your results are stunning, congratulations!

Did you buy the new TST frame directly from them, or is this one of the older ones from Cambria?

It's the older one from Cambria. It was the last one they had in 58cm. The frame is actually the same as their new one on the TST website, only the new Stealth model has a sloping top tube, not a level top tube with traditional geometry. The new one is nice, and I think they attempted to make it even more stiff (and perhaps a little lighter) with the newer compact geometry, but I really wanted something with traditional geometry. I just like the look of it. And in all honesty, I think the old one was plenty stiff enough. I hammered down a few times now with sprints over 32mph, and it really is a hardcore frame. It just doesn't give.

After riding it a few times now, I can honestly say I think this frame is a smidgeon stiffer than TRINITY. Seriously. I also think the Forte fork with the steel steerer was a great choice. It is rock solid, and super strong and stiff. This bike is major hardcore in stiffness and stability, yet a surprisingly smooth ride. TRINITY now has some serious competition.

Nice build. She's gorgeous

Btw, isn't that too much spacer for a member of OCP

My mid life Crisis got me started back into this whole biking thing, and all I got was Aluminum. That was last year 41, Now you guys have given me so much to look forward to. I can't wait for another crisis. Happy B-day "late" and nice frame Patriot, Go Navy!