Thanks! On display in my living room :) Possibly looking for a good home...

Giant is Hot!

but you are missing the point. its not about money spent. It is on pure aesthetics. you could have a $1000 bike, but if set up nicely and colors/parts coordinated can equal a hot.

"set up nicely" FOR ME means:
-good saddle to bar drop
-bar tape color flows and is coordinated with bike
-color/type of crankset that works well with the bike. staged at 3 and 6 'O clock
-hoods are in good position, usually level depending on the bars.
-bars are in good position, usally bar ends pointing to rear caliper. I dont like large ergo or deep drops
-wheels compliment bike. meaning stickers aren't overwhelming. doesn't always have to have deep carbon wheels, but usually helps.
-Stem flipped down, generally speaking acceptable degrees are -6, -10, -17 degree and usually nothing less than 90mm
-Seatpost color matches stem (usually)
-no high stack of spacers
-Tires match and logo's equally spaced on wheels, generally over the valve stem.
-Too many logo's on frame, wheels, stem, seatpost and anything else makes for a very busy and distracting billboard.
-No saddle bags in photo
-No lights in photo
-No bottles in photo
-chain on large front ring and smallest rear cog
-Wheels staged in photo so that decals (if have any) are equal, generally speaking valve stems at 6'o clock

I also dont like when people try to add accent colors by adding colored cages or cables. If one wants accent colors they should get a bike that has accent colors in it already. Dont try to create color in a boring bike.

A fair amount of the presentation is the photo also. Plain background (Doesn't HAVE to be a white garage door) helps show off the details of the bike and isn't distracting for the eye to follow all the lines of the bike. Picture taken level with the bike. Good lighting.

Seems like a lot but it is a general rule of thumb for others as well. As said before, it is all subjective. Some will break the rules and still be hot. Get a majority of those boxes checked and it will usually end up with a HOT for me.

Giant is Hot, would like to see decals on wheels taken off though.

http://i.imgur.com/8tGyJGo.jpg

New to me. Not too many of these around here.

i like the lapierre
have you tried black bar tape?

Love it. What's up with the seat post?

Very nice. Compact crank?

It's a Thomson. That's just how they engineer their setback.

Nope, running standard crank with 11-28 cassette.

Not yet, I'll probably run the cinelli stuff until it wears out. It's feels nice, but black will be the color of choice when it wears out. That caad9 looks solid!

LaPierre is hot.

As others noted, definitely hot.

Will be looking for a Ridley frameset late summer for a build......

Enjoy the new ride. Definitely HOT. I like contrast from the handlebar tape; I say leave it as it is.

The Giant is definitely HOT and ready to roll. Although as Bianchi noted those wheels don't look bad with decals removed. And you might consider getting a black or blue cover for the Garmin (if that's what it is). The 9000 crank is growing on me, especially when there is alloy/metal elsewhere on the bike.

A big part of what formulates my H-r-N opinion of stock bikes is whether or not I see millions of them on the road....typically passing me...

Near hot. Saddle looks too far forward. May want to try a zero off-set post to help compensate that issue. Wheels not staged. May consider black bar tape. Check the cable lengths at bars when re-taping, looks a little excessive.
Cheers

let's assume you meant to say "off-set" and not "zero off-set"....?

http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=324308http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=324309http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=324310http://bikeforums.net/attachment.php...hmentid=324311 Sorry for the Cheap components, I spent (over) my budget just for the frame and fork! Still super happy, and saving for a new group and wheels.

doesn't get much prettier than the Landshark - HOT!

...I may have found my next overpriced frame that I don't deserve!

This is what I was referring to:
http://www.pricepoint.com/Brand/East...FWYV7Aodfj4AOg
Just an example, not insisting you buy this brand.
Cheers

Let's give it a shot with new frameset and wheels but same old triple mismatched group:

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v4.../DSC_0013_.jpg

All those bikes are nice, especially compared to this .....thing.

http://pic40.picturetrail.com/VOL383.../407003543.jpg

sorry for the crap quality, it's from my phone and on a short ride.

1996 Giordana titanium
 

This is my 1996 Giordana titanium frame , fully updated .