It's finally here! The build is done, and, after taking her out for an hour and a half ride, I'm happy! :) Still a couple of things to fix, such as the low seat and the upside down stem, but these are minor issues. I've been building this bike since Christmas bit by bit. I bought the frame second hand, but I have been collecting all the other parts new as I went along. I'll be adding the details in my gear section some time in the next couple of days.
The frame is an old Specialized Roubaix (2004 model). These bikes were made specifically for the Paris-Roubaix race, which is famous for cobble stone roads, so the idea of this bike is that it gives a more comfortable ride through absorbing shock, as well as still provide good handling and high speed. The idea sounded appealing to me, since I like the thought of feeling fresh off the bike and into the run in a triathlon. I thought I'd go for an old, used model before fully committing to spending a lot on a new one. I can also live with this one for a while...
I wanted to keep the bike weight at a minimum, and I also wanted to make sure I didn't have to upgrade more parts, so I went for the Shimano Ultegra brakes and mechs, and opted for a cool FSA K-Force Light Compact chainset. I put on a 12-28 cassette so that I can tackle steep hills, especially that I need to do more of those with the Kitzbuhel race being named the hardest bike course this year! I kept my old Shimano RS20 wheels for training, and a few weeks before my first A-race this year, I should get me some decent racing wheels (probably Zipp or Roval).
With the bike done, my gear should be fine for a while, apart from some small future additions, such as short aero-bars, the racing wheels, and maybe new bike shoes. Also, whenever I'm choosing anything that has colour choices, I shall get someone else to double check it, since my colour blindness struck this time when I was buying the handlebar tape online (I thought I was buying grey and white).
All that remains now is keep getting out there to get the work done!
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| My upgraded ride |
The frame is an old Specialized Roubaix (2004 model). These bikes were made specifically for the Paris-Roubaix race, which is famous for cobble stone roads, so the idea of this bike is that it gives a more comfortable ride through absorbing shock, as well as still provide good handling and high speed. The idea sounded appealing to me, since I like the thought of feeling fresh off the bike and into the run in a triathlon. I thought I'd go for an old, used model before fully committing to spending a lot on a new one. I can also live with this one for a while...
I wanted to keep the bike weight at a minimum, and I also wanted to make sure I didn't have to upgrade more parts, so I went for the Shimano Ultegra brakes and mechs, and opted for a cool FSA K-Force Light Compact chainset. I put on a 12-28 cassette so that I can tackle steep hills, especially that I need to do more of those with the Kitzbuhel race being named the hardest bike course this year! I kept my old Shimano RS20 wheels for training, and a few weeks before my first A-race this year, I should get me some decent racing wheels (probably Zipp or Roval).
With the bike done, my gear should be fine for a while, apart from some small future additions, such as short aero-bars, the racing wheels, and maybe new bike shoes. Also, whenever I'm choosing anything that has colour choices, I shall get someone else to double check it, since my colour blindness struck this time when I was buying the handlebar tape online (I thought I was buying grey and white).
All that remains now is keep getting out there to get the work done!
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