Sabby

Thanks...and thank you for your help. This has been a very informative process.

I'm going to update this thread with my initial impressions and then later after I've had a chance to ride it some, maybe a month later. Maybe the whole thread will help someone.

Sabby

Ah, yes, that kind of work I would either bring to a bike shop or to my friend Denton, who builds up his own motorcycles and who is the guy who taught me how to change the suspension on my minivan. He has the kind of equipment for this. I know he's had to cut parts when putting together a motorbike. If not, I'll bring it to a bike shop.

Campag4life

I will say this...what separates you from others is your keen mind and the action you have taken. You deserve what you have done in other words. Actually most of us deserve what we get...either with weak effort or the strong effort that you have invested.

Cycling is the same way...you get out what you put in. Weather has finally turned in the midwest and rode last night 50 miles with my friends. We hammered a good half of the ride....we were flying under the evening sun in very warm temps. There are very few things in life that feel as good as riding a road bike fast with friends. A natural high. You will love the experience Sabby and all the best in your cycling endeavors.

Sabby

Well, thank you, that's a nice thing to say!

I can't wait to get into long rides.

My bike comes tomorrow! And then I get to spend a day or so putting it together and getting it tweaked! It's going to be so much fun.

I also just bought a couple torque wrenches. I realized my toolkit didn't have them and I was getting a bike with carbon parts. I never needed that with my steel bike.

Campag4life

I use a torque wrench pretty exclusively on the seat clamp in particular...for both carbon and Ti bikes. 51 in-lbs. A tip is...use carbon paste on your seat post. It allows the post to stay in place with lower torque. Use a small piece of tape...I use a sliver of electrical tape to mark your seat post just above the clamp. That way you can easily keep track of your saddle height and also determine if it slips over time.
Other tip I will give you is, if you are serious about your cycling. Keep a journal aka chronical. Doesn't have to be elaborate but observations about your fit and condition. I generally track my fit and overall fitness. Again, short blurbs over time only.
As little kids, all of us were excited about a new bike. That never changes.

Sabby

Good tips. And I totally have a spreadsheet set up to document fit, etc.

As for kids and bikes. My son has a weekly writing assignment. He can write about anything but he has to write a paragraph about something, just to help his writing skills.

It's pretty serendipitous that he wrote this:

Campag4life

That is cool. No doubt you revel in the joy your sons feels and you will enjoy riding with him as he grows. I have seen some little kids on road bikes and some are quite good at it at a tender age. Don't think any of us forget our first bike. I sure remember mine. Freedom and speed.

Since so much has been written about fit in this thread I will share a nuance that may become blatant to you as you play around with adjusting your new bike to dial in your best position.
- Fit is very subtle. A 3mm change in saddle or handlebar height can spell the difference between comfort and pain.
Saddle tilt and setback are important.
Sabby, experiment with shifter position on the handlebars. Best to do this without bar tape.
Handlebar 'tilt' is very important to hand comfort. I endorse a rotated back position as shown below.
Saddle height is important.

Some pics to instill a visual to help you dial your fit...

robble

This thread has been a very intereting read. I am considering getting a le champion carbon bike from BD. 5'8".. 30" inseam.. suspect I'll want about a size 53...

Sabby

I'm not familiar with the carbon bike but if it has the same geometry as the Ti bike then I recommend going to try the Fuji Altimara to figure out which size is right. But, the carbon might be totally different than the Ti and, if so, then I recommend a similar strategy - find a bike with similar geometry and use it to test fit.

I'm going to pick up my bike from the UPS distribution center this morning! I'll post photos of the assembly process, etc.

Sabby

I remember mine, too - a blue bike with yellow mag wheels. I can't remember if it was a Schwinn or a Diamondback or what but I rode that thing everywhere! The BMX bike my son talks about is a Diamondback that's blue with blue mag wheels. It reminds me a lot of my old bike.

He and a buddy have plans to start a bike restoration business (right now, not as their adult vocation). Apparently they found 6 bikes that need new chains, new grips, tires/tubes and some minor service to get them back running. They plan to pool their money to restore them and then sell them and then use the money the make to do more.

Now, this is not the first time he's come up with a grand idea to make money but this IS the first time he's come up with one I think actually has a market AND he has a semblance of a business plan. *sniff* my little boy is growing up...

Anyway, as for fit...I do know with my mtb there are two things I need to fix and I'd like to avoid on my Moto. My wrists tend to get numb after a while on a long ride. And then, randomly, the pad of my foot, where it pushes the platform, will burn. It's very strange. Either it's a fit issue or I am developing a neurological problem.

After my son heads to the bus stop I'm going to pick up my bike!

Sabby

I just wanted to say I will be posting an initial impression ASAP. I just need to get my photos loaded to photobucket off my phone first.

But, so far so good. The tldr version is "I've had fun riding this super light bike despite a couple hiccups. Also, I need a shorter stem."