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Ride more, eat less
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- Soli Deo Gloria -
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That's crazy. I love it.
-Tim-

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That was supposed to be a poke at all the people (no one who posts Here I am sure) who thinks all the pros ride slammed stems.
He's a big guy, maybe he likes a strong stem. Whatever. Exactly that, in fact ... if one can ride like he rode, one has certainly earned the right to ride whatever.
As for the general esthetics .... a pro bike is going to be compromised to please the sponsors. I think that is why we see so many commercial bikes slathered in manufacturer decals---they want to make sure that the pros' bikes clearly show the make from any possible angle. Then they sell bikes that look like the pros'.
Surprised he hasn't caught flack for gumwalls.
He's a big guy, maybe he likes a strong stem. Whatever. Exactly that, in fact ... if one can ride like he rode, one has certainly earned the right to ride whatever.
As for the general esthetics .... a pro bike is going to be compromised to please the sponsors. I think that is why we see so many commercial bikes slathered in manufacturer decals---they want to make sure that the pros' bikes clearly show the make from any possible angle. Then they sell bikes that look like the pros'.
Surprised he hasn't caught flack for gumwalls.


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if it were mine, and I had the option, I would run it with no decals .... and black saddle and tape. But if the decals were under clearcoat I wouldn't mess with them. They aren't too gaudy Well, no fan of the wheel decals ....)

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Ride more, eat less
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Newbie here...please be gentle...
Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?




Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?





Last edited by benjai; 05-31-17 at 02:30 PM.

In the wind
The reason your cables look strange is because you have your brakes set up left-rear/right-front which is fine if that's what you like but not how that frame and handlebar were designed to be used.

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Newbie here...please be gentle...
Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?
Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?
Fantastic bike, Should be totally hot. Familiarize yourself with the "rules" for photographing your bike. I see at least 4 major and 2 minor rules broken. Read here to start
Velominati ? The Rules
I'm not trying to be mean, I would love to have your bike!

Ride more, eat less
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Rid of the decals on seatpost, leave it nude carbon.
Replace black tape & saddle to white (or match the orange fork tips), match decals on frame.. it would look better, less boring.
Replace black tape & saddle to white (or match the orange fork tips), match decals on frame.. it would look better, less boring.
Last edited by cat0020; 05-30-17 at 12:09 PM.

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Spacers on top of the stem are fine. I tend to leave about 2-2.5 cm, so when I sell the frame later someone else can still use it (ie not cut all the way down), and this is a somewhat standard practice.
Your brakes are reversed (ie "moto"). Swap them to how they are generally run and the cables will naturally fall into place.
Your brakes are reversed (ie "moto"). Swap them to how they are generally run and the cables will naturally fall into place.

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Fiery-How you like your Palace R? I just pre-ordered a 56 of the new model coming in month or so. They get stellar reviews, geometry fit's me well, so thought I give one a shot on an impulse buy. That a 56 or a 58? If a 56 what's your saddle height?
Build looks great-not sure about that pink tape though but if it makes you happy and want to ride, why not!
Build looks great-not sure about that pink tape though but if it makes you happy and want to ride, why not!


King Hoternot
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Newbie here...please be gentle...
Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?
Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?
I'll be gentle here and since you are new, I'll remind you that this thread is strictly based on aesthetics and not all for purpose. So when someone says, your stem is too short, it doesn't mean its too short for your body, but rather that it would look better if it were longer. Most of us put a lot of thought into upgrading parts on our bikes, so its easy to get a bit butt hurt wen someone dislikes your set up. Try to take any "Not's" with a grain of salt. If you are looking for ideas on how to make it look better, be sure you are not compromising your fit to accommodate the look. We all know that at the end of the day, being able to ride your bike "X" amount of miles in comfort is much more important than getting a hot on this stupid forum.
First off, the reason your cables look weird is because you have your right side shifter controlling your front brake, which is reverse. It can be done, as I'm sure your bike is functional, but not a standard set up. Right brake usually controls rear brake which would allow your right shifter cable to have a more gradual line to the left side of your frame and your left side would cross over the right cable and into your front brake caliper.
second, I'd cut that steering tube above your stem 10mm or so. Again, this for aesthetic purposes. If you plan on keeping the bike for a long time, then cut that sucker down. If you plan on selling it in a year or so, keep it the way it is because it can make it more difficult for a buyer if the steerer is too short for their needs.
Third, I'd look at using acetone on the seatpost to take the white logo's off. Personally, I think that's an ugly seatpost anyway. Dont care for the offset design. You look fine as it sits now, but it is fairly far back on the rails. If you agreed with not liking the offset, you could look into something with smoother lines and a less offset such as the Deda superlaggero which has a 12mm offset instead of your current 20mm offset.
fourth, Get the Dura Ace or Ultegra pedals. I personally, dont care for colored pedals, but that's just my opinion here.
Fifth- The bars/shifters. Your hoods are pretty far up on the bar. Makes me think your reach is too long (Those bars have a long reach) and you are compensating by bringing the hoods up closer to you to make it more comfortable? Might be reading into that one, but generally that's what I see among those who have their hoods up that far. IF this is the case, I'd get look into getting bars that accommodate your fit better with less reach, which would then allow you to have the hoods lower and more flat (More flat, not necessarily flat). This can also make it difficult to reach the brakes or shift while in the drops. Speaking on behalf of the bars, I dont know anything about this bike, but it doesn't look like an aero bike to me. It may have aero features, but I dont look at it and consider it to be an aero frame. Aero bars always look odd to me on standard bikes. I personally think a more traditional compact bar would look better.
Sixth, The saddle. If it works, then dont worry about it. If you dont care for the stock saddle, then I'd toss it with the quickness and throw something else on that will fit your body better and hopefully will look better also.
OTHER (Broken rules):
-Line the logo of the tires up with your stem valve. The valve stem should be in the center of the logo's.
-When taking a photo of your bike, make sure the chain is always on the large front chainring and small in the back. Never...ever...EVER take a photo with the chain crossed. this means, no large to large or small to small. We will hurt you and call you bad names.
-Solid backgrounds that contrast from your bikes colors are generally best to show off all the details of the bike. If you had a solid white bike, a white garage door might not in your best interest. Same for a black bike against a black wall. But generally speaking, a garage door or light colored wall works best.
This is all just my opinion on how I think the bike could look better aesthetically. If you like how it feels and everything works for you, then dont change a thing.
But, it wont get a hot from me till you change everthing above


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Newbie here...please be gentle...
Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?
Reasonably fresh out the shop so still have a few things to add and not sure on (to make it look better).
Saddle/seatpost - This is the stock saddle. My old Arione was white which looked a bit weird so will have to get a black version. If the seat is in the current position, do I need a post with no offset?
Stem - I still have one spacer left, and its quite comfy. Any need to remove that as well? And do I need to cut the top off?
Pedals - these are my old ones which are pretty battered. I thought white ones would look really weird but they don't look too bad? Was going to get some Dura Ace ones but they only come in one colour.
Cabling - the cabling seems pretty tidy, but for some reason, something looks a bit strange at the front but I'm not sure what. Like maybe there's a big gap between them? The wireless dongle thing bugs me a bit but I don't think it can go anywhere else?
Anything other things I can improve?
I'm a form follows function guy, so that "colors" my response.
I like tube extending beyond stem. Not so much though. Find the fit and trim excess leaving a bit above. Yes - trim to 3 mm above stem and add 5 mm spacer.
Also, your stem is NOT slammed. Kudos! Most folks with slammed stems are Cat P12 or don't understand aerodynamics. I said most.
Chain should be on big ring, that would also fix RD chain wrap. No money to spend, unless chain is too short.
I think you ride motorcycles.
I like circles for rings, personal thing.
I don't get the white pedals. Buy Dura-Ace.
Chain catcher with electronic? Does not work. Adjust.
3T is not my fave, but it works fine. I think flat bars are what should be used.
I have the HB end Junction A. They are great. I internal routed the Di2. Still, yours is real clean.
One of the better bikes. Really nice.
Edit Add:
I wish I could find flat topped bars that sloped into the stem, rather than away from it. For the TT position forearms on bars, it is better to get arms in than out.
Last edited by Doge; 05-30-17 at 10:46 PM.

Senior Member
I posted a first-impressions sort of review here. I've ridden it a lot since then, but the impressions have't changed much. It's a sharp handling bike that responds best to steering from the hips. Once I got used to how it responds, I no longer have any problems riding it no handed. It's eager to corner, but it holds the line well both going straight and in corners. I does tend to oversteer a little in long, sweeping curves if you're not going fast enough. While it does feel planted on uneven and broken pavement, it is not really confidence inspiring on slippery and loose surfaces, such as pavé or gravel; I find it feels like it's about to wipe out if I the handlebar turns even a little bit, so I want to tense up. However, once I relax and let it work under me without trying to hold it in line by force, it actually becomes more stable and it goes through just fine. Even though it doesn't inspire confidence in those conditions, it does handle them well.
All in all, it's a racy, aggressive feeling bike. It's fine for more leisurely pace rides, but at its core it is the sort of bike that feels better the lower the handlebars are and the further over it is leaned.
Which colourway are you getting? What will you build it up with?
Last edited by Fiery; 05-31-17 at 03:06 AM.
