New Calfee
 

So a few of you may recall my search for a new bike I posted here a couple of months ago,, probably not many. I ended up buying a Moto Immortal Spirit because Mike offered me a great deal on one. Thanks a ton for that Mike. I knew at that time that my OCP nature would not be satisfied with the bike and I began watching eBay and craigslist for a frame that would scratch my ever present "keep up with the Jones" personality flaw. Being in SoCal I have run across a few Calfees over the last few years and always thought they were real nice, but I was really looking for a Monocoque frame, I just figured that was where the technology was heading. I rode Kuoto, Scott, Orbea, Cervelo R3, and a Litespeed in the meantime to try and narrow down my search for that great deal that would make me feel like I had saved some money. I pulled the trigger on this Calfee last week and feel like I got a pretty good deal on it. Of course the component switch out didn't go as smoothly as you always picture it and in the end I probably didn’t save much dough, but hey it was fun. The bike rides great, very very stiff and quick. It is rock solid on descents and weighs in at 15.4lbs as pictured with cages and pedals. OBTW the stem is already "flipped," I couldn’t use the 4axis ritchey that came on the IS and this was all we had laying around. I will put a zero rise stem on it when I make a final decision on stem length here in a week or so. And the Dura Ace crankset was put on because I was too impatient to wait for a longer BB shim for the FSA cranks. I am an impatient bastard.
[IMG]http://img339.imageshack.us/img339/4219/imgp0664mg3.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img376.imageshack.us/img376/2793/imgp0665ta7.jpg[/IMG]
Not sure why the bars look slightly up turned, I can assure you the top of the bar is parallel to the ground, must be the camera angle of the photo.
[IMG]http://img255.imageshack.us/img255/1513/imgp0666jt2.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img338.imageshack.us/img338/2643/imgp0667ne4.jpg[/IMG]

That is GORGEOUS. Well done! :D :beer:

Is nice!

Wow.

And I bet that didn't even take 5 years to ship. :D

Did I get most of the OCP requirements right in the photo? I couldnt remember them all.

Who the hell cares. It's hot.

Thanks, I tell you I was shocked on the first ride. I was a bit worried it would not measure up to the Scott and Cervelo but it was amazing. I am not sure how the guys at Calfee get it done an extremely light frame that feels more like a steel ride than anything I have been on in the last 10 years. I will tell you in all honesty that the best ride of all the bikes I have been on in the last few weeks was that Lightspeed. It was the first titanium bike I had ever ridden and I didnt really get to ride it much to feel how stiff it was...but boy it felt solid under me. Of course it weighed in at around 18.5 lbs so I guess it should have felt "solid" :)

Wow. I'd never seen a Dragonfly in the nude carbon weave finish before, that's pretty striking.

Though I gotta say, having spent much of the past couple months dreaming & drooling about a custom lugged steel frame, seeing Calfee's lugs nearly made my head explode.

Doesn't Calfee have a great warranty? I am sending my cracked frame BMC Pro Machine to Calfee for them to repair it. If I ever get a high dollar tandem, it would be a lateral tubeless Calfee Dragonfly.

http://www.tandemcycleworks.com/tandem/newdfly.jpg

+1

Beautifule bike. I love the gussets on the lugs, if that's what they're called. I hope you ride the wheels off that bike.

What saddle is that, Aspide?

[QUOTE=Ritterview]Doesn't Calfee have a great warranty? I am sending my cracked frame BMC Pro Machine to Calfee for them to repair it. If I ever get a high dollar tandem, it would be a lateral tubeless Calfee Dragonfly.

What happened to your BMC???

Calfee has a lifetime warranty and it is transferable as long as you send them the frame for inspection. The transfer costs $250. A couple of pics of the lugs, I have become enamored with them myself. I was surprised at how stiff the BB was given that it does not have the massive build up you see on a lot of carbon bikes these days.
[IMG]http://img265.imageshack.us/img265/2933/calfeebbfl6.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img74.imageshack.us/img74/4558/steertlugfk1.jpg[/IMG]
[IMG]http://img254.imageshack.us/img254/9881/ttstlugvo8.jpg[/IMG]

Oops huge pics
edit: ok resized photos. Whats up with that rear brake adjustment barrel.

hubba hubba....The BB is stiff on my bike as well but it is massive as you mentioned some carbon bikes have. Gorgeous bike dude.

Now I've got to wipe down my keyboard ............. again. :eek: Super sweet!

... Brad

Take a look at their web site. Some of the coolest paint jobs on the market. Never had the pleasure but looks like a great bike.

Since this thread is all about Calfee luv, I have a 62 Luna Pro frame for sale. If anyone is interested.

You'll now be returned to your previously scheduled program.

Yes it is the Aspide, with lousy name stitching.

[QUOTE=blindvelcro]I lost track of the bike path I was on, so I was drifting along in a parking lot at 8 mph (as documented on my Garmin) while looking to the right for the bike path. There was an island in the parking lot jutting out that I hadn't noticed, and I ran into the curb. Everything seemed okay, and I rode it for a month before I noticed a linear defect in clear coat at the juncture of the head tube and down tube. This had to be a crack in the carbon. I contacted my retailer and then BMC. It was designated a crash, not a warranty repair. BMC offered me a crash replacement frame for 30% off retail price of $3550. I purchased it. Then I heard from Calfee (who I had emailed a week earlier), and found they could repair the frame (it will cost about $300) So, I've kept the new frame, and am sending the cracked frame to Calfee to repair. When I get it back, Mrs. Ritterview is going to be suprised to find her aluminum Orbea transformed one day into a BMC Pro Machine SLC01, and we will have twin Pro Machines.

I don't know whether BMC should have offerered me something better than a 30% crash replacement for a an 8 mph curb smack. I might have to conduct a poll thread.

Wow, what a nice looking bike, congrats

[QUOTE=Ritterview]Wow, I am sorry about the frame, I cant believe that they didnt replace it under warranty (perhaps you should have told them that it happened after an easy ride, leaving out the bump :rolleyes: ). But hell, now you will have 2 Pro Machines!!!!! I love my BMC, I cant imagine riding anything else. (No offense to OP, your Calfee is HOTT!!!)

Hey I love those BMC's as well, but what are the chances of finding one one eBay or craigslist for 60% off retail, which is what I paid for the Calfee. In the end I have become a convert to the "classic" look of the frame instead of all those funky gimicks (jk) on the BMC :)

sweet! that seat looks a little tilted.

Yeah i noticed that in the photo as well,, moved nose up a couple of degrees this morning.. I swear it looked level to the eye.