Build/fit/finish: It's a Lynskey. Enough said.

Ride: Just incredible. I just came from a CAAD8, which was well known to be one of the stiffest BBs/drivetrains at any price, so I was spoiled a bit. If there's any flex in the R230 on short climbs and sprints, it's so little as to be unnoticeable, even with my 210 lb carcass bearing down on it. I thought I may have heard the tiniest bit of FD chain rub on a 1200W sprint, but that was it. Handling/responsiveness are right there with the CAAD--not surprising since wheelbase and most angles are identical. Very confident in turns, stable and predictable, and the ENVE 2.0 fork is a nice match-- nice and stiff, tracks beautifully, has just the right amount of shock absorption to match the rear end nicely. Took a couple fast corners like I'd been riding this bike for years. Just beautiful.

I'm laughing even harder at the threads on here complaining about the poor shifting with Red. I must be doing something wrong because with normal tuning it's the best shifting I've ever experienced. Still that great combination of campy "clunk" and Shimano smoothness. The Red shifters are a definite upgrade from '09 rival--Shorter throws, lighter touch, and less "give" when initiating a throw of the shifter. Brakes are... well, they're high-end brakes. Nothing to complain about at all.

I'll save you the BS fest of trying to act like I can tell the difference in stiffness between my old bar/stem and the Zipp stuff. They're comfy and look cool as hell. The end. The seatpost uses Thomson-style 2-bolt adjustment and sets up very precisely and easily.

I was a little wary of the K10's, only because Ksyriums have this reputation of being unforgiving and more on the too-stiff side. If that's the case with the K10s, I can't tell on this frame. The wheels, like the frame, are quick, responsive, and light on the hills. The K10 tires are another VERY pleasant surprise--Identical to the Vittoria clinchers I've ridden in the past. Mavic will have to drop their prices on the K10 tires if they want me to buy a replacement, but for now the tires are soft, supple, sticky in the corners, and very smooth-rolling. Plus they look ridiculously good on this build. I owe it to Competitive Cyclist for talking me OUT of more expensive wheels and getting me on this wheelset. I was looking at $1300 SRAMS and Zipp 101s, and they talked me into the $799 closeout with tires included. Thanks, guys.

SO here's all my raving about this stiff, quick, agile, responsive bike, and it's the smoothest ride I've ever experienced. Smoother than my old steel Bianchi, smoother than my old Pinarello F4:13, and infinitely smoother than the CAAD (no big shock there). Seriously, it feels like a rear suspension. The closest CF equivalent I can think of is the Cervelo R3. It's just crazy that a bike this quick can have such a plush ride.

So there are the first impressions. I'm hoping that I'll have time this weekend to take some more pics, but for now I'll just keep grinning.