I'm in the market for a new carbon bike. Narrowed it down to Calfee Tetra and Parlee Z1x. Never road the Calfee, but from the legions of loyal fans I have to believe it's a solid choice. However, I had the chance to ride a Parlee for 3 days (150+) miles a few weeks back and I loved the way it responded and handled under my 200lbs. I've decided to go with the Parlee since I know exactly how it rides.

So, now the question is what do I deck it out with. I really like the look of the Stella Azzurra stuff...fork, crank, post, bar/stem (rest will be Record carbon), but can't find much in the way of Stella product reviews. Does anyone ride this stuff who can offer their opinion? I'm particulalry interested in hearing about the fork and crank (and best BB to pair it with). I'm aware that the Tirreno bar is similar to the IRD and Winwood, but am willing to pay a few extra bucks to keep it all blue. If Stella is no good, next choice is Alpha Q w/ Record carbon, FSA SLK or Stronglight crank. There is just way too much to choose from these days to make this a simple choice.

I ride Stella Azzura Vice Versa OS stem, 120mm length and the SA Profi 46mm wide bars, with their synthetic Eleganza bar tape.

So far, the bar/stem combo has worked well for me. It's stiff, compliant and comfortable. I live in College Station and the roads I ride on are not well paved. They're mostly highway shoulders littered with debris. The bar/stem does a good job of maintaining a firm and in-control feel while aiding in the damping of road vibration.

The bar is compatible for both Shimano and Campy housing. The Vice Versa stem uses a 4-bolt faceplate with Alu bolts. However, I personally would stray from the SA Gpa 4.8 "carbon" stem. I saw one in person and quality seems mediocre in relation to the price. The Gpa 4.8 "carbon" stem has an Alu shell, bonded with lots of adhesive/resin.

I wrapped my SA bars with their Eleganza perforated tape. It's made of synthetic foam with stitchings. The tape works well in dry and wet conditions. I was surprised when the tape was still grippy during my run-in with a rainstorm. Overall, I think the tape is comfy, grippy, and more durable than cork. It is a bit harder to wrap since it is not as elastic, but will not fray around the overlaps. The wide adhesive backing makes wrapping a cinch.

Overall, my SA bar/stem combo has worked well thus far. I feel confdent when I ride. The components are strong but not too heavy. It's very comparable to more established brands such as Dedaccai (Deda).