Leader LD-736R Road 58cm
Shimano Ultegra 20speed 12-25 cassette 175mm crank
Carbon Seatpost and Stem
Deda aluminum bars
Bontrager Race Lites
Fizik Arione saddle
Time RXS Carbon pedals
Cateye Double Wireless CC-CD300DW Computer
(I couldn't find a cool, new, white garage door like everyone else photos their bike in front of, so I went for the ghetto-look garage door. Apologies for the picture quality and/or content...I'm practicing with a new camera)
Spec'd and ordered from Leader's (in San Diego, CA) website and shipped to my door in 100 pieces. I went to a LBS recommended for the mechanics (Manuel) and the owner, Ted Ernst, for build-out and professional fitting afterwards. Refer back to the thread about asking a bike shop to build-out your bike that you didn't buy there....they are hapy to do it. Ted has had a bike shop in Manhattan Beach since 1960.
Here is a little about Ted: http://easyreader.hermosawave.net/news1999/july08/SportsTed Ernst.html
Ted created a little race in Manhattan Beach, CA in 1962 called the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix: http://www.mbgp.com/2004mbgp/overview.htm (this year's race is next weekend.)
I was told he'd spend 2 hours with me to get the bike and I fit as one and then have me come back in a few weeks (60 days or so) and do it again...no charge. Ok, I'm in!
Sure enough, he spent 2 hours with me. I gotta tell you, if I have 1/10th the passion and excitement, knowledge and expertise about anything other than just having regular bowel movements and fighting off alzheimer's at 75 years old like Ted does about life and especially cycling, I'll be a happy m'fer. Ted rocks the house and is one of the most genuine and funny dudes ever. He has all the tools, carpenter levels and protractors, measuring devices and skills imaginable. There is no stress or strain on any part of my body while I am on the bike....AWESOME. He even measured my bike from stem to stern and wrote down all the lengths and angles on a chart and gave me a copy, put one in my personal file at the shop so when I come back for a re-fit or change the bike in anyway we know from where we started. He rides a Calfee Custom Carbon and sells Bianchis, KHS, Corima, Look, Merlin and few other high-end bikes in the shop...it is newly re-opened and is going to be geared more toward racing than anything....of course, being in Manhattan Beach he has the requisite beach cruisers and some mountian bikes.
I was charged, of course, for the build-out and the personal fitting, but to show a little more love and support for my LBS I bought a seat bag, two tubes, tire levers, CO2 cartridges and inflator, a Topeak multitool and some Hammer Gels from them before I left to complete the whole package. I'll be back to that shop for anything related to my bike.
First ride tomorrow....I couldn't be more stoked.
Shimano Ultegra 20speed 12-25 cassette 175mm crank
Carbon Seatpost and Stem
Deda aluminum bars
Bontrager Race Lites
Fizik Arione saddle
Time RXS Carbon pedals
Cateye Double Wireless CC-CD300DW Computer
(I couldn't find a cool, new, white garage door like everyone else photos their bike in front of, so I went for the ghetto-look garage door. Apologies for the picture quality and/or content...I'm practicing with a new camera)
Spec'd and ordered from Leader's (in San Diego, CA) website and shipped to my door in 100 pieces. I went to a LBS recommended for the mechanics (Manuel) and the owner, Ted Ernst, for build-out and professional fitting afterwards. Refer back to the thread about asking a bike shop to build-out your bike that you didn't buy there....they are hapy to do it. Ted has had a bike shop in Manhattan Beach since 1960.
Here is a little about Ted: http://easyreader.hermosawave.net/news1999/july08/SportsTed Ernst.html
Ted created a little race in Manhattan Beach, CA in 1962 called the Manhattan Beach Grand Prix: http://www.mbgp.com/2004mbgp/overview.htm (this year's race is next weekend.)
I was told he'd spend 2 hours with me to get the bike and I fit as one and then have me come back in a few weeks (60 days or so) and do it again...no charge. Ok, I'm in!
Sure enough, he spent 2 hours with me. I gotta tell you, if I have 1/10th the passion and excitement, knowledge and expertise about anything other than just having regular bowel movements and fighting off alzheimer's at 75 years old like Ted does about life and especially cycling, I'll be a happy m'fer. Ted rocks the house and is one of the most genuine and funny dudes ever. He has all the tools, carpenter levels and protractors, measuring devices and skills imaginable. There is no stress or strain on any part of my body while I am on the bike....AWESOME. He even measured my bike from stem to stern and wrote down all the lengths and angles on a chart and gave me a copy, put one in my personal file at the shop so when I come back for a re-fit or change the bike in anyway we know from where we started. He rides a Calfee Custom Carbon and sells Bianchis, KHS, Corima, Look, Merlin and few other high-end bikes in the shop...it is newly re-opened and is going to be geared more toward racing than anything....of course, being in Manhattan Beach he has the requisite beach cruisers and some mountian bikes.
I was charged, of course, for the build-out and the personal fitting, but to show a little more love and support for my LBS I bought a seat bag, two tubes, tire levers, CO2 cartridges and inflator, a Topeak multitool and some Hammer Gels from them before I left to complete the whole package. I'll be back to that shop for anything related to my bike.
First ride tomorrow....I couldn't be more stoked.