I was back home for a summer in '08 and Campy parts were/are a bit harder to find. My experience is that the bicycle walmarts tends not to have campy stuff it's that old dude with the hole in the wall shop that has those kinda things.

Shimano went all technogeeky ugly, I don't think Sram could put bigger stickers on the stuff but it's generally nice (my Blur is all Sram) and there is nothing not hot about Campy but I do wish they'd make more Alu/Ti groups.

This thread is a fat wallet/beauty contest so I assume that everyone in here buy's what they like and are emotionally attached to but so far nothing here is a heart string tugger that's why I took umbrage to what could have been a beautiful Parlee but it's not my money sooo.

Dan, agree, the wheels are shoddy and heavy...This is a budget project, hence chose those wheels...Will eventually upgrade to better wheels.

There have been one or two budget builds buried in this thread that got a 'hot' from most folks. They were just extremely well set up and presented. My black centurion got a resounding hot and I only had a couple hundred in it, but I did photograph it with my Zipp 404's from my race bike. I'm sure that didn't hurt. :D

You do wield a camera with skill :thumb:

Du Kommst aus Baden Wuerttemberg?

Posted drive side photos.

you can say ass

Na, I'm from Florida by way of Michigan. My wife is German my home is in Bavaria but I work in Stuttgart. I Met her in 2002 on the way back to NY from Afghanistan.

Sorry for using German then!

You can use all the German you like it won't bother me a bit :thumb:

Oh, I've long known that. I just like to make people use their noggin from time to time. I'm pretty much a brilliant donkey. ;)

Gracias - although I have to admit I was a little lazy with my photos here. I usually just threw it up against the garage door, positioned the cranks and snapped a few. ;)

Thanks! For the most part I prefer the aesthetics of "classic" shaped bars, but I'm finding for myself the ergo type bars are just a little to comfortable to pass up.

Possibly on the seat height, haven't ridden this on much yet. I do tend to like frames a little on the large side for some reason.

I followed the linkys in your sig

Ooops - forgot about that. :)

Would you buy a bike that has been ridden by Ashton? Haha, even if he never crashed.

I've been out of commission for a bit so I'm a little late with this, but, haaaaught!

It's clean and sharp, but not hot. It's very bland and boring.

I think "bland" and "boring" is what makes it hot. You see it and you think, "meh, cheap gray bike" and then you look at it closer and realize its a damn nice bike.

I agree. Its a nice bike, but nothing screams hot

I think the Parlee is hot. I like the graphite/black combo. I'd have no reservations owning/riding it. It reminds a little of the Colnago C59 Nero I like so much.

I think that Parlee is probably one of those bikes that photos don't do any justice.

I dislike how much the head tube goes beyond the top tube, but its still a hot bike IMO

Some of us older guys need the extended head tube option for all day riding, but I agree that it distracts a little from the classic look..

From a looks perspective I obviously prefer subtle and muted paint schemes, but gray and black bikes are hard to get pics of with my amateur level of photography skills.