LGHT

Get rid of the 2 color grip tape either red or white, but not both and red tires? Seems like you really like the color red and are really trying to add it to the bike so it just comes off as desperate.

Has potential, but it’s a NOT as is.

Smokehouse

"desperate"? Nah, I don't think I'd call it that...it's a bike, I like having fun with it. The bar tape is something I can screw around with...I started out with white/black tires orgingally:


It just didn't pop much so I decided to have fun with it. I ran this tape last year:

It was "loud", I got a kick out of it.

This year was the Supakaz red/white transitioning tape...just for the heck of it. I'll probably go back to white next year.

LGHT

Wow that was so much better. I hear you on the make it "Pop" thing that seems to be the fad now and days. Lots of kids die their hair funny colors, and buy bright colorful clothes. Some even get jobs at clowns in a circus ;0)

Smokehouse

LOL...I don't take myself too seriously. I'm a 38 year old guy with slight man boobs that dresses in cycling clothes that may be illegal within 50' of a public grade school...I gave up on fancy cars years ago, my bike is my only real "toy" I can mess around with.

On a side note...while the Supacaz tape is really neat stuff (the red portion is actually a completely different material than the white so the drops have more grip/less pad then the tops), I won't get the red/white again...It's not my favorite.

SpeshulEd 

I'm not sure I'd all that a "plain" bike. Hot.

Also, regarding the specialized...the new crankset looks fantastic, the red tires not so much. I won't fault the bar tape because I'm a fan of the supacaz stuff myself (still, I might opt for the black with the red print option for next time).

growlerdinky

The wifes bike.

Fox Farm

I dig this! Hot!

johnyguy

Da bike☺

TenSpeedV2

I think this is hotter than hell. I wish it was mine, but it is just something I found on the interwebznet.

kbarch

I disagree.
It seems to me that the purpose of standardized, static and clinical photos like this is that they make for fair comparisons. They present the frame, wheels and components in a way that makes them as clear as possible in a single view, to facilitate scrutiny. However, these views often fail to capture a bike's overall appeal, and often make bikes look more plain than they would when experienced normally.
What we can tell from the photo above is that the bike has a finely constructed frame, expensive components, and gorgeous red paint. The set-up is classic, but frankly, aside from the paint, it's not the least bit eye-catching or charming. The photo may reveal it to be a high-quality bike, but it's far from 'hot.'
And by the way, the tires are misaligned a bit - valve aligns with 'M' in 'COMPETITION' in the rear, and is between the first 'T' and 'I' in the front - not centered in either case.

indyfabz

Not bad, but not hot. The bike, I mean.

Silvercivic27

He's from the Netherlands so that's actually a picture of his car.

TenSpeedV2

I like how the branding says Gazelle, when it is anything from light, fast and nimble. To each their own though.

kbarch

Maybe it weighs as much and is about as easy to ride as a gazelle.

SpeshulEd 

To be fair, it looks like a fun little bike to ride around town.

Bunyanderman

Try and ignore the mixed chainring bolts, eliminating the red ones soon, also useless stem spacers.

Doug28450

fail

Bunyanderman

I was hoping no one noticed.....

redlude97

Pretty close but why the mismatched cables? Also rotate the bars down

GlennR

The drops are huge.... not sure how long I could stay there.

Yes i do... zero seconds.

Bunyanderman

It's relatively difficult to replace these cables, not something I can do at home. Bike shop is a 2-hour round trip drive, seems pretty stupid to make a trip for only that.

GlennR

Agreed... wait till they need replacement.

1 hour away, time to get some tools and up your skills. It's not like if you run into problems you can't toss the bike in the car and get it fixed.

Bunyanderman

I actually do most of the work that needs to be done on my bike, ranging from easy stuff like using carbon paste and properly torquing bolts, to completely adjusting the drive train/swapping components. I have re-done cabling before, but I tried on this aero frame and it was impossible with out a huge magnet to pull the cables through (internally routed). But I have no interest in getting the tools/knowledge to build/adjust wheels, and I stay away from the Bottom bracket, especially difficult with this frame and crank-set.

GlennR

Before removing the old cable, tape a thin string to it and when you pull the cable out the string takes it's place. Tape the new cable to the engine and put the string to drag the new cable through.

Easy peasy.

SpeshulEd 

What about tying dental floss to the end of the cable and then sucking that through with a vacuum?

Also, totally random, but I read this week that if you only use one bottle you should put it on the seat tube because it's more aero. (Of course, I still think it looks better on the down tube).

All in all, not bad.