It's done ! Well...actually it's been done for a while : )

Midway through May I purchased the last piece of componentry required to build up the bike. I received the SRAM Red shift levers in the mail at work on a Friday and set to it that night to begin building the bike. I got most everything together, but as it was getting late, so I left the fine tuning portions such as cable running and bar tape, etc for the morning. After that, it was off to the local bike shop to cut the steer tube off and voilà the bike was done.

So this blogging thing isn't always the easiest thing to keep up with. There's just one thing about finishing a bike build. You start riding the bike !!! And when you get to ride a bike as awesome as this one has been for me, well...you don't spend much time writing about it. Can you blame me?

So here we are, it's now early October and a lot has happened since I started riding my bike. I raced the local Thursday night crit at Seward Park all this last spring and summer. Things went well so I went out for the weekend races. Over the spring and summer, I got to race in 6 sanctioned races; finishing 5 of the 6 and winning the races I finished. Keep in mind this is only category 5 at this point. I had my first crash. The bike and I survived, well the bike managed better than I did, but I feel lucky since it was in the rain which made the pavement much more forgiving than it would have been when dry. So I've experienced my first bit of road rash and ripped cycling shorts...I don't recommend it for those that don't like pain, but it's just part of racing.

Throughout racing, I got to meet a lot of cool people! The bike riding / racing community is an excellent bunch of people who love to better themselves and who love to get out and just be competitive. Among the people I got to meet, were a number of members of different Seattle based cycling teams. One of which was called Lenovo cycling, but this next year is named Kryki Sports Cycling Team (www.krykisports.com). They are a highly competitive group of riders who is headed up by a guy named Mike Hone. It's been around for I think 4 years now and well, in my mind, they were the team to be on. I got in touch with Mike, who encouraged me to race in the weekend races and I gave him updates on my performances. After he returned from photographing the Tour dé France, we spoke again and he was happy to have me join up with the team.

So that's pretty much where I am now. For now, the team has Saturday relaxed winter rides. We'll start training up for the 2011 season in January. I was able to upgrade to category 4 at the end of this last racing season and I'm excited for this next season to move up categories as quickly as possible to get challenged by more experienced riders and help out the team however I can.

This is basically the end of this particular blog site, but I plan on starting up a racing blog to keep whoever cares to read up to date.

Thanks for reading! Enjoy the build pics and see you later - Jeff

Phase II Complete

This last Sunday I took my old beat wheels into Recycled Cycles over in the U-district. It's a bike shop that sells new, but also used old bikes and they buy used components too! I thought I'd take my wheels down to see what they might offer for them. I wasn't expecting much....and I was right...haha. I handed the wheels to them and they handed me a couple of inner tubes. Not much right, but hey free is free.

So I had my tubes in hand and the last piece of phase II was on the way...in the mail I mean. I ordered the Vittoria Open Corsa Evo CX tires. I got them off ebay for about 65% of retail and they are sweet! The Cervélo test team races on them and they feel super grippy.

Now I have a rolling chasis!! Doesn't do much good without the cranks and brakes and chain and derailleurs and shifters and....yes I still have a ways to go : ) Making progress though and all thanks to my generous wife and family who gave b-day gifts for the bike fund. We enjoyed a great italiano feast (my favorite) and an excellent cake tonight! I love you all and thank you all so much!!

P.S. I revised "The List" (see below)...take a look

Phase II Underway

So I switched up the phasing a little bit. I randomly found the exact wheelset I was looking for, the Reynolds Assault Clincher, on Craigslist for a steal. Not only are they new out of the box, but they were purchased from a woman in Greenlake. She decided to get some other rediculously expensive wheels and give up my dream wheels for a sale! Look online and you'll probably have a hard time finding a bad review of these wheels. They are 46mm deep so they will do very well in the flats where aerodynamics are important, but they are still just over 1500g in weight. The low weight and deep cross section will translate into good acceleration and stiffness for climbs as well. I cannot wait to get these out on the road!

Phase I Complete

So here's what the bike looks like so far. Yes it's obviously missing some parts, but we'll get them eventually.

Phase I: The Chasis: Part b

Beyond the frame set, there are a few other non-moving parts of the bike which I consider and label as parts of the chasis. These parts include:

The Stem...The stem is the connector between the handlebars and the steerer tube. I chose the all aluminum ARX-Team stem made by 3T. This stem is used by pro level teams and is very stiff and light.

The Handle Bars...The handle bars are the aluminum Ergonova Pro bars made again by 3T. These bars have a slightly flattened top of the bar (Ergo) which increases the surface are to rest your hands on. They also have shallower drops than other typical bars which will allow easier access to the shifters when in the drop position.

The Compression or Top Cap...
The compression cap is the Compressor Pro by FSA. It is an important piece which has two parts. The first part (silver part) compresses itself into the inside of the steerer tube. The second part (carbon fiber) screws into the first and holds the fork, headset and frame all together.

The Saddle...The saddle is the Carbon Braided Arione CX by Fi'zi:k. Fi'zi:k is the majority provider of saddles to the pro level teams. The carbon braided part of the name refers to the saddle rails (bars) which attach the saddle to the seat post. Typically these bars are metal, but in this case they are braided tubes of carbon fiber.

The Saddle Bag...The sadde bag is the Saddle Pa:k by Fi'zi:k. Typically a saddle bag will attach with velcro around the seat post and to the under side of the saddle. What's cool about this bag is that is has a single point of connection which Fi'zi:k calls ICS (integrated clip system). The bag simply clips strait into the frame of the saddle itself.

Last but not least...the Bottle Cages...The cages are the carbon fiber Patao bottle cages by Elite. I have purchased two of these and aside from looking amazing, they weigh next to nothing and keep a strong hold on the bottles.

Phase I: The Chasis: Part a

The parts are in, the list has been updated and the check marks are in their rightful place. The build has officially begun. Let's start with the frame:

The frame is one of two pieces actually manufactured by Cervélo. It is all high grade aluminum and although carbon fiber would be lighter, it feels deceptively light as well. The "frame" is actually purchased as the "frame set." It's all the pieces which actually come from the Cervélo factory when you order the frame. These parts include the frame as seen above and the following parts:

The fork...
The fork is the all carbon fiber Funda Pro and is made by 3T for Cervélo specifically in this case. 3T has been providing forks for the Cervélo S series bikes for a couple of years now.

The headset...The headset is the set of bearings and compression pieces which allow the fork to rotate smoothly within the frame. The stock headset is made by FSA or Full Speed Ahead. FSA is a major provider of low to pro level components and in this case provides Cervélo with their IS-2 headset for the S1. The IS-2 is called an integrated headset since the bearings rest in cups which are integral to the frame. These bearings are sealed steel ball bearings.

And...the seatpost...
The seat post is the carbon fiber Aero SL and is the second of two pieces made by Cervélo. One of the cool things about this bike and about Cervélo is that they make what they call an aero rode bike. This seat post is a perfect example of the aero-ness. You can see the profile shape of the seat post which has an air-foil shape to help cut through the air. This shape is incorporated to the other parts of the bike as well. This is typically found just in time trial bikes, but Cervélo has designed their road bikes to incorporate these profiles without sacrificing stiffness throughout the frame.

The List

So here's the list. I'll be updating this particular posting as pieces are purchased so keep an eye out.

So It Begins...the frame has been ordered

So after all my forum reading and YouTube watching it all came down to two bikes. The Cervélo S1 and the Cervélo S2. The two bikes are identical in geometry and everywhere else except for their main frame material. The S1 is an all aluminum frame whereas the S2 steps up to an all carbon frameset. So what to do....ride them.

During Christmas break I went down to Gregg's and finally took the two out on test rides. They are both awesome bikes! So how would I choose? Most people would assume that somebody building a high end bike would go strait for the carbon. But after all my research and more so my test riding, I definitely discovered the deciding factor.

Both frames felt nice and stiff under acceleration and hill ascents, but after my first carving turn on the S1 my mind was made. I found the aluminum frame and overall design more responsive and exciting for my type of riding. The S1 frame just felt more "right" and it put a bigger smile on my face than the S2 did. The other benefit to this conclusion is the padding it adds in my wallet. The S1 is almost 1/3 the price of the S2.

So here I go...2010 Cervélo S1