Equipment - Aero Benefits

In the past I've extolled the virtues of aero road bikes. I felt convinced that aero road bikes would sweep the peloton. In a few years I expected everyone to be using frames with internal cable routing, somewhat built-in stems, and integrated brakes.

I went as far as to order a frame from Tsunami Bikes that I thought would fulfill some of the things I thought important. I couldn't get integrated brakes on my budget, nor could I get some cool faired stem-fork deal, but I could do a few things.

First I got narrow tubing. I later realized that I have such a small frame that the tubing really wouldn't make that much difference but if I was going to get an aero frame I wanted the tubing to be narrow.

Second I got a rear wheel cutout. It may not make a huge difference with a direct headwind - in fact I highly doubt it - but it should make for a better sail in a crosswind. I figured that in a cross tailwind it'd be even better. As a bonus I could get really short chainstays because I wouldn't be limited to what room the tube left the rear tire.

Thirdly I got internal cable routing. I dealt with such things enough in the bike shop days so routing cables and such isn't such a pain (although I probably wouldn't have agreed with you the first time I installed a front derailleur cable. The shifter cables travel through the downtube and the rear brake through the top tube. I had no "through fork" method for doing the front brake cable (like for BMX bikes) so that cable hangs out in the breeze.

(I have to admit the main reason I got internal cables is that it's much, much, much easier to clean. I read somewhere that a foot of exposed cable housing costs about one watt. With my very small frame I have maybe 2 watts of drag due to cable housing. That's not a lot. If I had a 35 inch inseam I might have approached things a bit differently.)

Fourth I got an integrated seat post (or ISP). I knew and forgot that BH bikes "invented" it. I think it has its place but what I have is more of a style thing. I think that a shaped ISP has its place, able to significantly reduce shock while presenting a minimal profile to the wind. My ISP does neither but it looks cool so I did it.

Finally I had the frame built with only secondary consideration for the water bottles. I knew that my frame thoughts gave me only "fine" benefits. This is significant so I'll explain why.

In the early aero days things were so conservative that a 16 mm tall rim was considered "aero". Seriously! Nowadays a 32 mm rim would be called "really conservative". When disk wheels and then tall profile rims burst onto the scene they gave tremendous benefits over things like a 16 mm tall "aero" wheel. You could save many minutes in a 40 km TT by using a true aero wheel like a Specialized TriSpoke (with HED selling the wheel, with a slightly modified rear hub, as the HED3)

I call that a "coarse benefit". What's the point of quibbling over a second or two when you can save 4 or 5 minutes? Suddenly aero brake cables (some were still being routed up in the air) seemed kind of minor. Aero wheels would make a huge difference.

I realized this a long time ago and used the TriSpokes in races where I expected the pace to be flat out all the time. In tight crits I would use my normal superlight 28 spoke 280/330g tubulars, but by the mid 90s I had a slew of aero wheels at my disposal - the TriSpokes, Zipp 440s (pre-404s), Zipp 340s (pre-340s), Spinergy Rev-Xs, a rear disk wheel (17 mm wide rim prototype and extremely light), Campy Ventos (all aluminum rim aero wheels - they were tanks), and finally my first aero wheelset, the 16 mm tall Araya ADX-4s.

Not everyone seemed so openminded, especially at the pro level. That held true for a long time. Even in the mid-90s most pros didn't use significantly aero wheels. Spinergy made some inroads with the Mapei, Rabobank, and Polti teams, with some very, very good riders on the wheels. Next to those wheels the relatively primitive, full aluminum Campy wheels looked heavy and outdated.

Then Mavic hit the pro ranks with the Cosmic. Aero wheels were still not totally accepted but some of the better Classics racers used the Cosmics to great effect. Well that and doping apparently, but still, if they were all doping then the aero wheels would help make a difference.

Finally Zipp hit the big time with CSC. After a year or two of disasters (wheels breaking on the cobbles usually) Zipp could boast some major tough victories on their wheels.

Now everyone uses aero wheels. Not only that, everyone uses pretty tall aero wheels. A lot of riders use rims initially meant for time trials in road races - the 80 and 90 mm tall rims.

That's great except for one thing - now everyone had to have aero wheels just to be even with the others. This means that any benefit from one wheelset to another, if they're both aero, will be minute. The very coarse benefits of aero wheels, the minutes saved per hour, have now become, between similar aero wheels, mere seconds.

Now the benefits are "fine benefits", minute ones. Got it? Good.


So what's that got to do with aero road frames?

Well, aero road frames, at least ones reasonably well designed, offer a small benefit over non-aero frames. Within the aero frame market though the differences are barely measurable. Velonews found less than 10 g difference in drag, about 10 watts worth, spread across four frames (if my word problem logic skills are correct - 4.3 g spread for the 2nd - 4th frames, 5 g spread from 1st to 2nd frame.) They claim a 20 watt difference from their control bike, a wide tubed Masi with Cosmic wheels.

The benefit seems pretty small when you stick a rider on the bike, a computer on the bars or stem, and, wait for it, waterbottles on the downtube and seat tube. Suddenly you get a whole bunch of things that coarsely affect drag. Yes, a seat tube bottle has been show to be more aero than not having one at all, but if you have a rear wheel cutout and a very aero rear wheel, I think that a bottle won't help much.

Regardless it's beyond dispute that a bottle on the downtube really screws up the aerodynamics. Cervelo, in their top of the line time trial frames, integrated a bottle into the frame shape, essentially proving that sticking a bottle on the seat tube is not the ideal solution for frame aerodynamics.

Therefore, although I detailed all sorts of things I did on my aero frame, they were all "fine" benefits. Minute. Probably not measurable.

Except for the bottles.

I decided that I'd race with no bottles at all. Instead I'd use a CamelBak for that year (2011). I figured that the little hump on my back would help with aerodynamics, filling in the space behind my helmet, and the bare frame would be more efficient slicing through the wind.

I hoped for a somewhat coarse reduction in drag. Not a lot, not the 2 or 3 mph that I see at high speed with aero wheels, but maybe just enough to save me 5 or 10 or 15 watts average in a race.

My "aero" frame. Note no bottles - that was my "coarse" benefit.

The thing I wanted to do was to reduce my average wattage just enough to give me a sprint. All too often I'd waste myself in a race just hanging on for dear life. I'd get to the finish having averaged 190 or 200 watts and have absolutely nothing left.

On the other hand if I finish the race with an average wattage under 180 I've usually done quite well for myself. Under 170 and I probably did really well.

My goal was to bring the 190 watt races into the 180 watt range. This would allow me to contest the sprint and get a place.

Pause for a bit to catch your breath.

(Jeopardy theme song)

Okay, let's keep going.

Today I realized something. All this is "fine" benefit stuff. The bottle idea was a more significant fine benefit but it was still a fine benefit. I realized this because of a couple things.

First, I've noticed a lot, and I mean a lot of racers who look like they're on a 3 speed bike when they're in a race. They're up in the air, they're on the hoods, they look like they're rolling down the boardwalk to pick up the Sunday paper. I almost always hold my tongue when I see this because I was told a long time ago not to offer advice but to wait for someone to ask for it. People who spontaneously gave advice usually didn't get received well since the advisee wasn't necessarily ready to hear said advice. The problem with the 3 speed position is that it's really upright and catches a lot of wind. It's not aero, and it's way worse than having a non-aero frame. You can't buy your way out of an inefficient position, not with wheels or a frame or anything. It's just bad.

Second, the riders I fit have done well. I have never had the opportunity to fit someone using a powermeter but I did fit a few riders using a trainer to make sure I was in the realm of reality. The racers I fit showed immediate improvement. My fits tend to be the same kind of thing. I couldn't describe it technically but I always found I did the same thing for each rider - extend them, drop the bars, usually raise and move the saddle forward. Basically they went from looking like a rider going to pick up the Sunday paper to a rider that looked like a racer.

I knew each rider would be better but I couldn't tell you why.

Now I can, for a couple reasons.

First, I read somewhere that Michele Ferrari told Armstrong to raise his saddle 2 mm, in order to flatten his back a bit. I thought, okay, come on, 2 mm, that's nothing, that won't do a thing for your back.

Then I remembered that when I put the 170 mm cranks on my bike and raise my saddle 5 mm, it feels like a new bike. I'm much lower in front, my back is that much more comfortable, and I can roll along just a touch easier. I never really quantified it so I just dismissed it as a minor benefit to 170s (and it was a reason I tried sticking with the 170s for a year, then for a summer, before finally giving up and going back to the 175s. The position was great but the long crankarms were an even more coarse benefit.)

Second I had a chance to sort of quantify why the 170s felt better. I saw this site today, for the first time. Don't mind the 1995 graphics. What's important is the link to "Real Customers, Real Results + Improvements". Take a look at what the riders look like before and after. Before - they look like what I described above - a rider on a 3 speed.

Okay, maybe not that bad, but look at any random picture of you (meaning you, the reader) in some random ride/race this year. Look at the picture with a discerning eye. Look at your back, look at its angle toward the lower back area. See how your hips are sitting on the bike.

Now look at the "after" pictures on that site. See how low their torsos are? See how their arms extend forward? See how their hips are angled forward on the saddle a bit?

They look pro now. It's not just a look though. Look at the numbers, how much wattage they're saving, how much faster they can go. It's incredible, the changes. Even an experienced racer saw a huge improvement in performance. Body positioning gives you a tremendous benefit - it is the biggest of the coarse benefits.

Finally, I saw some article somewhere (forgive me for not linking, I've followed so many links recently I have no idea where this was) where someone gave the benefits of a time trial frame, helmet, and wheels. The main benefit came from the frame but not because of the frame itself but because of the position.

Aha!

This is where all this starts to come together. I know that I know how to fit a rider, within reason. I couldn't even describe what I was trying to do, I just did it. Now I know that I fit a rider in order to tilt their hips forward, let them open up their hip angle, get their back more flat, drop their shoulders and arms, and get their head tucked in a bit more. The pictures from that wind tunnel site really illustrate the kind of results I would go for when I fit someone.

Next, the wind tunnel site quantified for me the savings on the position. They even comment somewhere that aero helmets are aero helmets, probably like aero wheels are like aero wheels. Get something in the right family and they're really close to one another.

At the same time the site illustrated to me that aero frames aren't where it's at. Aero frames may help incrementally but without a good rider position the frame won't be significant. In fact it's probably more important to get aero wheels, maybe some other aero stuff - flattened bar tops, even more aero shoes - before the aero frame becomes important.

So it's position. And position, for most of us, is pretty easy to adjust.

For me, not so much. I have limiters - I have short legs so my preference for 175s means I end up with my saddle back just a touch more than I prefer. I end up with my hips tilted up just a touch more than I prefer. And therefore my back isn't quite as flat as I like.

(I should point out I have a bad back and the flat back really feels comfortable. The other week I got on the bike specifically to help my back, it was really hurting for a few days. The ride really helped it feel better, and I was on the drops virtually the whole time. Another thing for people to open their minds to - the idea that a flat back could be more comfortable than one that's elevated a bit.)

I have been thinking of a third Tsunami, primarily to explore the use of compact drop bars. I really like the FSA Compacts but they're 3 cm shorter in reach and 2 cm shorter in drop. To fit me properly I'd need a 15 cm stem (not happening) which drops 2 cm (especially like that). A longer frame by say 2 cm (and a 13 cm stem instead of a 12 cm, to keep weight over the front wheel) would be good.

The drop presents a problem. The headtube is already as short as possible. With the Chris King InSet headset I could drop the stack height just a bit but I'd want to drop it about 2.5 cm, 2 cm for the bars and at least 0.5 cm for the cranks (since I like it when the saddle is 5 mm higher). The only way to get this extra drop is to raise the rest of the bike, i.e. the bottom bracket. That's not ideal but it would definitely work. A track stem would give me about 1 cm drop.

It's definitely just a gleam in my eye but the idea with this third evolution frame would be to hone body position. It's not as important to have an aero frame (especially for a frame with a 9.5 cm headtube) but having my body position adjusted a bit would really help.

Because on my bike now even I look a bit like I'm out for a stroll to pick up the Sunday paper.

Equipment - Tsunami (Orange) Updates

I got word that the frame that I (finally) sent out arrived at Tsunami central, out in the warm Arizona. I wanted to do this ever since I first rolled up a hill on the black Tsunami, with its ultra short 39 cm chainstays.

Geometry-wise the two frames are otherwise identical, with the same reach and such. But with the orange bike I found the rear tire chattering when powering through even regular 90 degree turns, and sharper ones sometimes became a bit "interesting".

The rear wheel didn't have enough traction because of the unusually long front end, determined by the long top tube and steep seat tube angle (which in turn were determined by my long torso and short quads respectively). The combination of sticking the front wheel out an extra 5 or 6 cm meant that I unweighted the rear wheel a bunch, enough so that normal pedaling through a turn resulted in the tire losing traction.

I contacted the builder Joseph about altering the orange Tsunami. To his credit he didn't say "just buy another frame"; instead he said he'd work with the existing frame.

(On a side note I didn't think the frame very saleable because of its odd geometry and the fact that anyone that fit it would have the same problem with the back tire skittering around in turns.)

With some idea of my requirements (I train on a 23c tire, I want minimal tire clearance, and aesthetics is a non-issue), Joseph demurred on any plans of action until he had the frame in his hands.

He did point out that he wouldn't be repainting the frame. This meant I need to figure out a solution to the finish thing - I'll probably take the easy way out and spray the rear triangle black. If he has to heat treat the whole frame, I'll paint the whole frame black. If I get ambitious I may try and recreate the candy orange, but from previous experience I know that only automotive paint comes out looking real good, and I don't do that stuff.

Since I'd partially built the orange frame as a spare, it wasn't a matter of just tossing the frame in a box. I got lazy and left the "disassemble the frame" task for another week, another month, and finally, when it came to "another year", I drew the line.

I spent all of 30 minutes disassembling the frame (including removing the fork), boxed it up, and sent it out. I was amazed at how much I beat it up - one fall at 30 mph (dent in top tube) and a slew of packing-chips, where a cassette or some other edge thing jammed into the frame.

And once again I taught myself that waiting to do something doesn't accomplish much.

This time I have no sketches, no unusual ideas; it's just shortening the stays.

Of course I didn't think of what needed to be done. I defined the goal ("shorten the stays as much as possible"). Joseph came up with the plan.

This communication worked well.

Oftentimes, at work, I'll have someone describe exactly what they think they want to get. When I delve a bit into their project goals, it sometimes becomes painfully apparent that they need something totally different. Think of it in bike terms.

"Hi, I think I need a new chain."
"Okay, let me write up a work order. What's happening with the bike?"
"Well, it shifts into the spokes."
"Um... when you ride the bike does it feel like it's skipping gears at all?"
"No."
"How old is the bike?"
"Couple months."
"It may not be a chain. It might be just an adjustment."
"Really? I figured it needed a chain."

This is where a self-diagnosis (chain goes into spokes) and troubleshooting (needs chain), communicated well (I need a chain), could be totally inaccurate.

Likewise I could have asked Joseph to execute step-by-step instructions, steps that I think he'd need to take to shorten the stays.

And what would have happened is that I'd have ended up with a frame where the rear wheel wouldn't fit.

Because when the stays get shortened, the rear brake bridge would end up too close to the wheel.

So the plan of action, as Joseph let me know, is to cut off the seat stays completely, cut the end of the chainstay off, reset the chainstay (i.e. bend it a bit), and weld on new seat stays, a brake bridge, and dropouts.

At some point I'll be getting back my frame, trimmed down a bit. And hopefully I'll be able to do it some justice.

Equipment - Bike Timeline, Part 7 - Tsunami Bikes

Okay, it's been a while, and I apologize.

So, without any further delay, after all that stuff about all the different bikes I've had (series starts here), all the bikes I've raced, there's only one bike left: The Tsunami.

It's too bad there isn't a set of names for the Tsunami, like one for the road bike, one for a track bike, etc., but when you think about it, it makes sense. After all, they're all custom made. They're all just "Tsunami". My frame, in case you didn't know, is a road version.

For basics it runs a (2007) Record 10 speed kit (from my SystemSix), Cannondale SI BB30 SRM crankset (also from the SystemSix), a Ritchey 26.0 clamp stem, Mavic 315 crit bars (long discontinued - I bought the close outs in 1997), and a Thomson zero setback regular post.

For wheels I run HEDs - the Bastongnes, Jets, and Stingers.

My "load out" varies on the bike, depending on the ride, and, to some extent, how much time I have to prepare for the ride. I'll do a quick synopsis for each theme, along with notes on minor variations within each one.

Bike with all the HED wheels.

The front aero wheels are the Jets (training). The one in the middle and the other one off to the right are the Stinger6s (racing). The bike wears the Bastognes.

Racing Load Out

Sitting in Navone Studios early this year.
Note no Cane Creek bars at this point, but the new Stinger6s are on the bike.

With the race wheels, no saddle bag, no extraneous gear, the Tsunami tips the scales at about 17 lbs. It's about a pound and a half heavier than the SystemSix with similar gear (in fact the SystemSix donated most of its build kit to the Tsunami).

A huge difference is the 450-500 gram fork on the Tsunami, one that I borrowed off of another bike in the stable. With a "proper" fork in place, the bike could lose close to a half pound.

After that, though, I think the weight will be about what it is. I don't want to spend oodles of money to cut a pound off the bike, and I also don't want to give up reliability or ease of use/set-up to drop weight either.

A Rent race on Tuesday night. I must have been less serious - Bastognes, lights (and they're on).

General Training Load Out

Vail CO loadout.

I used to carry a minipump with me, but I prefer a full size pump when I actually need it. I carry a Park pump now, and it sits between the skewer and the Cane Creek Speed bars. You can see the line that seems out of place on the left side of the bike, up front. That's the pump.

I also carry a saddle bag, minimum size for what I carry - one or two tubes, two mini tools, a few tire levers, some money, and some cardboard for booting cut tire. The mini tools include an 8mm allen (pedals and cranks), a chain tool (used on a 10s Campy chain successfully), and the normal allen wrenches and stuff.

The Bastogne wheels work nicely. Light enough, durable (I haven't turned a spoke nipple on them). They don't clean that easily since the finish attracts dirt like flat paint attracts smudges. Reflective decals are a nice touch.

What I did earlier this year.

Still the same wheels and tires, but the mini pump hanging off the back. The Down Low Glow lights are on - this must have been an early season night ride.

Aero/Heavy Training Load Out

For "heavy" training, meaning on a heavy bike, not referring to "a lot of" training, the Tsunami rolls on a Jet 6 front wheel and a Jet 9 rear. I sometimes swap the Jet 6 for a Bastogne, especially if I don't feel like fiddling with valve extenders.

Fit with the heavier clinchers, the Tsunami weighs well over 19 pounds, and that's without bottles, bag, or lights. The Jets are pretty heavy, but once they get rolling, they roll nicely.

Aero wheels, all equipment on the bike.

Only thing missing is a big head light.

Goal

My goal in fitting a custom frame were to do a couple things:
1. Get necessary length in bike to "stretch out" properly.
2. Have all adjustment points "centered" in range.

The first is pretty obvious. I want a bike that fits my ape-like proportions - long torso, short legs.

The second is less so. I may have gotten a good saddle-pedal relationship on my bikes, but I got it by slamming the saddle all the way forward on a zero setback post. Since I'd already maxed out the adjustment, I couldn't even try moving the saddle more forward - I had no range of adjustment left.

It would be much nicer to be able to adjust from that point, rather than max out adjustment just to get to a perceived optimal point.

Initial Specs

When I first set out to get the frame, I gathered all my notes and thoughts on my own fit from the last, oh, ten years. I knew a long time ago, in maybe 1994 or so, when I sat on a 55 cm Merlin, that I liked a longer top tube. But since my feet dangled a couple inches above the pedals on that 55, I couldn't really ride the bike. Bar drop (i.e. height delta between bars and saddle) and stuff like handling was also untested.

But on the trainer, over a couple/several winters, I thought about exactly what I'd like. I knew that if I put pair of stacked plastic storage totes next to the bike, I could kind of lean on it and pretend they were the bars. As a bonus, since the totes were about three feet long, I could easily "adjust" my position fore and aft because I could just slide my arm back and forth on the tote.

With that "center of range of adjustment" goal in mind, I also used a straight ruler and a protractor to figure out that drawing a straight line from the BB to the center of the saddle rails took about a 76 degree angle. This made the top tube about 2 cm shorter than before (because the seat tube bisected it much more forward). If I got such a steep seat tube angle with the same top tube, I'd already be 2 cm further forward - a 53.5 cm top tube at that point would feel like a 55.5 cm top tube.

I started drilling down on specifics for the length. It seemed I could use another 5 to 6 cm of reach overall. I'd want to go to a 12 cm stem since, to me, that's the optimal "center of adjustment" range. 11 cm is a bit short, and 13 is fine. Based on a 53.5 cm top tube with a 13 cm stem (66.5 cm total length), I decided a 57 with a 12 cm would be reasonable (69 cm, plus the 2 cm gained from the steep seat tube angle, giving me 4.5 cm more length).

I went to the local shop and used their fit bike. 76 degree seat tube. Shorted possible head tube. 175 mm cranks. 14 cm stem (they had one on it already so I used that). It seemed long but okay. I took pictures and sent them to Joseph, the guy behind Tsunami.

He recommended taking the edge off of my numbers. 75.5 degree seat tube, 56.5 cm top tube. Otherwise things were a go, and I told him to start cutting.

Geometry/Fit

Other than the long top tube, the rest of the frame is pretty standard. 40.5 cm chainstay, although it seems longer than that. 73 degree head tube angle, just like the Cannondale because, frankly, the Cannondale was the best handling bike I'd ever ridden. Normal BB drop. Yada yada yada.

I didn't want a weird handling frame, just one that fit me.

The part that I can't emphasize enough is the custom geometry bit. The frame is built for you. No one else. Joseph even sends pictures of the frame in progress.

Frame Quality

When I got the frame it was beautifully wrapped, shipped next day (USPS so I got it on a Saturday). I did some paint clearing around by the head tube and BB (cutting it off with a sharp knife), just so that I wouldn't take more paint off than necessary when I installed the press fit pieces.

The welds are unfinished. You can see exactly what you're getting, not the ground down finish of some other manufacturers (like Cannondale). I'm a functional bike person so I don't care, but this was one area where I got pretty consistent criticism on the frame. Apparently people like their welds ground down.

Paint was a candy orange, so a layer of light base (silver?) followed by a layer of a metallic clear orange. After a year of use I have some paint coming off where I clamped stuff (front derailleur and seat post clamp). I had one chip from packing the bike in the car.

I've flown with the bike three times, in a soft case, with no adverse effects. I thumped the top tube pretty hard with my shoe, denting it, but the paint is holding fine there.

Ride

When I first saw the frame I thought for sure the seat stays were too thick. I gave Joseph carte blanche in the tubing selection, simply specifying that I wanted a stiff frame similar to my SystemSix. I also wanted a frame comfortable enough for a 6 hour ride.

I had doubts but they were unfounded - the bike has been great. He hit the mark in all respects.

My first few rides on the Tsunami were out in California. I went on a long ride, a few hours long, without thinking about it too much.

I was amazed at how comfortable the bike felt on the drops, how low I could get, and how the bike kind of sailed over bumps. Like other bikes in my stable, I still felt some jarring if I was sitting on the saddle and hit something unexpectedly, and the back end did respond to bumps and such, but overall it was much more comfortable. I think it's a combination of the longer wheelbase and the tubing.

When I went to the HED wheels, with the wider rims, the bike got very soft. Too soft. I now run the wide rims with "normal" pressures, about 105-110 psi. Based on some feedback I may experiment with different tires - apparently some tires don't like the wide rim base, others do.

Handling

The bike has been great so far. I felt the utmost of confidence bombing down Palomar Mountain, literally going as fast as I could go in the middle of a 5.5-ish hour ride. I ran FiR clinchers with full pressure Michelin Krylions at the time. It felt a hair less sure on the low pressure clinchers later, but once I started running normal pressure, it was fine.

In some earlier races on tubulars, I ran low pressures on the mistaken assumption that the wider tubular rims required this. When I thought about it though I realized that the wide rim was an aero thing, not something for tire pressure and such. I went back to running full pressure. I still think I have some cornering things to iron out but they're my issues, not the bike's.

I did make some hard moves to avoid crashed riders and stuff, and I have to say that the bike handled well under duress.

I didn't realize that the steep seat tube angle pushed me forward a bit more than I thought. I could feel the rear unweighting in fast turns, especially if I was really pushing hard. The longer front end meant that my weight shifted forward a bit, and although the rear wheel sat in basically the same place relative to my body, the wheel has a bit less weight on it.

Other Notes

I had some teething pains, mainly related to the BB30 (I kind of redid it myself when I got the frame and it's not well done). The cranks sort of indexed as they rotated, and I measured 7-9 watts of resistance on the SRM if I had no resistance on the cranks, 15 watts if I spun fast. They were tight!

The bearings eventually broke in (they're not indexed but they only spin 1/2 revolution before they stop) but my California trip was full of creaks and crunching emanating from the bottom bracket. Again, my issue, not the frame's.

For this frame I'd like to get a BB30 facing tool and redo the thing properly. I could use the extra few watts for 2011. Free power? Sign me up.

Future

Overall the frame's been good to me.

How good?

I'm putting in an order for another Tsunami right now. It'll have some updates relative to this one, although I expect the weight to be essentially the same. The one I'm comfortable sharing is the chainstay length - I'm going to go a bit shorter on the stays, to get the rear wheel tucked in a bit.

Other than that?

I got plans and ideas. Stay tuned.

Tsunami - Shakedown Session + To Do List

Heh.

"Defaced" was the word the missus used. She actually liked the SDC sticker, but she pointed at the USAC one when she said that.

Hm.

My first session on the bike, as preferred, happened on the trainer with a bike lacking bar tape (and full finger gloves on my hands). After finalizing any angle adjustments on the bars and brifters, I'll tape up the bars.

I have to admit that since the bar/brifter/stem unit came right off the Cannondale, it should be okay, but, you know, tradition dies hard.

So how'd the bike feel?

It felt just like the Cannondale, just longer. Without going on the road I can't tell how it'll ride, but it certainly feels longer.

Oh, in case you didn't know - this bike is a lot longer than my SystemSix.

I spent the first 15 seconds marveling that, hey, the hub is kinda obscured by the bars. Usually I see not just the hub but also the fork and the brake and even the brake pad mounting bolts.

Now it's just barely the hub.

Other than that, on a trainer anyway, not very much of a difference. Okay, it's way longer. But I'll need to ride it outside to see, and that won't happen until Wednesday at the earliest, Thursday being more likely.

Of course I refuse to test ride a bike in cold climates so I'll fly out to the San Diego area to properly test the Tsunami. Maybe I'll fly out Wednesday since I have a team meeting tonight and I figure I'll need a day to pack. I mean, this is what everyone does, right? I couldn't imagine riding a new bike on the salty, sandy roads around here.

Heh.

No tape, no second cage. Saddle is level, but the angle makes it look like it's pointing up.

The saddle is a bit beat, I may swap it before I leave for my outdoors test ride trip. Amazingly it's totally centered on the rails, not slammed forward like normal. I need to finalize the position but I have time to do it.

Reverse angle.

This is a loooong bike. I want some "L" stickers for it, like the Audi A8iL or BMW 750iL "L", for Limo or Long Wheelbase or whatever.

From the top. Slim tubes.

Comparison of the same stem on the Cannondale.

On the Cannondale the stem looked miniscule. On this one, it overpowers the front end. It's a 13 cm stem. I'll be bringing a 12 cm stem as well. The bike is that long.

Adjuster barrels from some old RapidFire shifters I had laying around.

I actually had the shifters in the box for some aerobar and/or recumbent bike shifter experiments. Those projects never materialized...

The threaded housing stops are a first for me for a long time. The Cannondale has just housing stops, no threads, so no adjuster barrels. The two Giants are the same, although they came with in-line adjuster barrels that work best with Shimano STI levers (although I used them with Ergo levers). The bike before that, the Specialized M2, had downtube mounts, and I used the STI adjusters (I really like the right side quick-adjust gizmo).

Anyway, I like the threaded boss feature.

Carpe Diem Racing. Dirty front brake. And some busted up Nokons.

Certain things make a bike look really sharp, and if those items look beat, it's hard to make the bike look anything but beat. New tires. New tape. New rims. And new cable housing.

I'm using beat up Nokons off the Cannondale, so the bike is lacking some of those final touches. The saddle isn't great looking either.

USAC decal. So sue me.

I need to get some stuff done before I consider the bike complete. Obviously the tape, but more subtle things include:

- Chainstay guard. I used a SRAM one I got at Interbike. I want to get a clear one.
- Frame protectors where the housing will rub. Clear ones.
- Figure out how to get two cages on there. With the Elite metal cages there's an "interference" fit. I think a good way to do this is to ride to various shops near the SoCal training camp area and browse the cages.
- Put a nicer saddle on, or at least one with better leather on it.

Tonight, team meeting. Tomorrow, a last trainer session plus packing for the test ride.

Wednesday, fly out for the test ride.

Tsunami - Arrival + Build

So... I have a new bike. It's worth three of my other bikes. Actually, it really is because it's replacing three bikes. Right now I have one new bike and three unrideable ones.

Where do I start?

A timeline may help.

Friday: Receive word that the Tsunami frame has shipped out and will arrive... tomorrow?!

Saturday: Check tracking, see that frame did arrive, and that... the place just closed. Rush over there, knock on the window, beg and plead and put "poor ol' me" look on my face and presto, I have a frame box.

Saturday night, into Sunday morning: Build. Think about how stressed I would have been had the frame arrived Monday or Tuesday instead of Saturday.

Sunday afternoon/evening: After recovering from the massive previous night's effort, finish the build.

Of course I let the cats check it out when I get home. I take the frame out...

Frame and Mike. There were two slabs of Styrofoam too.

Since the frame would look like a BMX bike, I had to take this picture (it's supposed to be a frame pad, like a BMX race bike would have).

Tiger, his feelings hurt by the comparison to him and a Creamsicle, attempts to chomp the frame.

Tiger's orange is a bit different from the Tsunami's so he forgave the comparison.

Note the very cool headtube decal on the seat tube - so you know what just blew by you. Or who you're drafting, whatever the case may be.

Skinny tubing compared to the SystemSix.

BB30 bearings. More on these later.

Replaceable dropout; I need to buy some replacements, just in case. Sorry about the tilted picture.

The first thing I did was to weigh the frame. I think the SystemSix hits 1150 grams or so, based on articles I read. With an all aluminum frame of unknown tubing, with a request for "a really stiff frame", I was hoping for something under 1600 grams.

1440 grams, give or take. I'll take it.

I also weighed the Reynolds Ouzo fork.

457 grams sounded really heavy, at least compared to the 275 gram ones in the catalogs, but then I thought about it. It's one pound. And it has a lot of material. I'll chalk it up to peace of mind.

But for next time I'll be thinking about lighter forks.

Speaking of forks... the headset took forever. I walked by the missus for the umpteenth time and all I'd been reporting is "I'm still working on the headset", she made a very astute observation.

"I don't think you're going to finish tonight."

To be fair, I think I was 2 or 3 hours into the build.

Part of the problem - I used a homemade headset press, one gathered together at a hardware store. I got some extra washers just in case, and pressed everything in.

A tip - real headset presses are better, but you can use a fake one. It just takes longer. A lot longer. I had to try a couple times, being careful not to damage the head tube. And later, not to damage the fork. I have no fake headset race tool - I used a plastic mallet, gently, holding the fork in my hand (not bracing it on the ground).

Another tip - pay someone you trust to install these things.

Finally...

The headset is a gift from the missus as spec'ed out by me. I wanted the shortest stack height, stainless body, and reasonable weight. At 68 grams, 21 mm stack height, and sealed bearings, the Crank Bros Cobalt fit the bill. The missus worried about the color (the top ring is blue) but it's okay - it's the last thing anyone will notice on the bike when I get done with it.

So those of you that see the bike in person, I don't want a lot of "Why is the headset blue?" chatter. Hear? It's cobalt.

A key part to Tsunami (other than their $600 custom aluminum frame base) is their BB30 offering. Part of the key is the fact that it's just $50 more. The other part is that the offer simply exists. Since I bought into a BB30 SRM system I wanted to keep them. The cranks, incidentally, are about 675 grams, making them lighter than most non-power-measuring cranks, and they're also narrow and stiff. Very nice.

Removing the spindle from the Cannondale. Ew.
Note SRM pickup sitting under BB housing.

I started to install the BB30 spindle, first removing them from the Cannondale. They didn't really fit well in the Tsunami's BB30 bearings (made by one of the big parts manufacturers). I tried spinning them - I was appalled at how tight they were. I checked the Cannondale - buttery smooth.

I decided to swap the BB30 bearings.

I had to figure out how to do that.

Step One: Read the instructions.

I actually reviewed the steps before requesting that some bearings be installed (I decided I wanted to skip the bearings thing). I forgot something though - when I spec out headsets or bottom brackets, those parts that lay deep within the bike, I spec out the best stuff I can afford (without getting idiotic). I'll go for seals, higher quality bearings (not ceramic, not yet anyway), and non-rusting metals. So the bearings weren't the best, and I opted to swap them out.

First, remove the bearings from the other frame.

I should point out that I spent about 30 minutes (!) locating a suitable bolt for the SRM-BB-pickup-slash-cable-guide for the Tsunami. It helps to have a bike shop handy. Again, I'd recommend having someone you trust do all this.

If I thought the stupid headset took forever, field-expediting a BB30 bearing swap was even worse. Granted, I had the BB30 tools - the bearing spacer things, for example - because they came with the bike. You really need those solid metal things. But it says to use a headset press, and as I mentioned before, I have a homemade headset press.

I got it at a specific length, really a specific usable length, based on my typical head tube lengths. See, the big bolt I use is threaded for only a bit, so it has a minimum and maximum length.

A bottom bracket shell, at 68 mm wide, is much shorter than even a 95 mm head tube.

I needed spacers, and I needed a lot of them. They had to fit an enormous bolt, they couldn't crush easily, and they had to take up a good 30 mm of space.

This took about 10 minutes of poking around the now-even-more-messy workshop. I considered cutting down a piece of left over steerer tube, but thought splintering carbon fiber would be bad. I looked at various cassette spacers but most of them were plastic or soft aluminum, and they wouldn't stack easily - too much chance of the tower of spacers toppling.

Eventually I found the solution. Mechanics, professionals, and other craftsmen, please don't look at the next picture.

No, this is not the new 11x10s drivetrain shot.

Told you it was homemade.

Yep. I stacked a lot of 7, 8, and 9 speed cassette cogs. They don't crush, they have a huge opening, they stack well, and they're pretty parallel (the flat sides). I put one pair of washers under the bolt head, another pair after the BB30 cup tools (above the cogs), and another pair under the cogs.

I'm glad I got that extra pair of washers.

Of course, when I first tried to put the nut on the bolt, it wouldn't thread. What the... I just used it to install my headset! Why wouldn't it thread?!

Then I realized.

My homemade headset press bolt was also the punch I used to drive out the BB30 bearings. The threads on the end were ruined.

Another 10 minutes with a file (with a handle even - if I have a tool I have it) and the end of the bolt was nice and rounded and had no squashed threads.

About 40 minutes later I had smoother bearings in the Tsunami.

The rest of the build went a bit easier, but it was still time consuming. I'd decided that instead of taking apart the two Giants, I'd just take apart the Cannondale. And as clean as I keep it (ahem), all the parts were mysteriously filthy.

On one of my many trips past the missus I went and got polishing compound from the garage. On another, rubbing alcohol. Another, more rags.

The bar/stem combo lifted over from the Cannondale. So did the nice Record brakes. The carbon Giant gave up its saddle and post, then back to the Cannondale for the rear derailleur, front derail...

Ugh.

The front derailleur had to be a clamp-on, and I just assumed I had all the different diameters of clamp-on front derailleurs.

Wrong.

So I went digging through my front derailleur box. Eventually found a braze-on adapter for the right seat tube diameter. A Shimano piece no less. It even had a Shimano front derailleur on it (I used to use Ultegra front derailleurs) and I actually considered using it for a while. Then I succumbed to the pressure and unbolted a Chorus 10 speed (it says so right on the side) front derailleur from the silver Giant and stuck it in the Ultegra's place.

Then, after some judicious eyeballing, I clamped the assembly onto the frame.

Note: Usually this means that if I ever need to move the front derailleur the paint under it will be ruined. I guess I'm using a 53T for the foreseeable future, and I'll have to save the 55T for another frame.

With cables dangling in place, at some insane hour on Sunday morning, I decided I'd stop for a break (i.e. sleep). But before I left, I had to weigh the bike. It had the same wheels, almost the same components (exceptions include the front derailleur and the saddle; the posts are all Thomsons on my bikes).

I'd already weighed the Cannondale before I started the project.

Cannondale SystemSix with DV46 clinchers.

I hadn't installed the tape, chain, nor bottle cages. I forgot about the bottle cages in my bleary state of mind, but I realized the chain wasn't free.

Weighing a bike that has no chain or bar tape - just put them on somewhere else.

I was thinking it should be close.

0.4 pounds heavier. It's close.

Poor Cannondale frameset.

Sunday, after doing some insulation work, eating a marvelous breakfast (made by the missus), and generally putting around until my brain started working again, I decided to tackle the cables on the Tsunami.

I still had to rig things up - new adjusting barrels on the downtube, lengthen the Nokon housings to make up for the extra 3 cm in the top tube (7 Nokon segments per derailleur - the rear brake cable housing had always been long so I actually removed 3 segments), and install a new rear derailleur cable.

I applied some personal touches ("defaced it"), put it on the trainer, and did a short ride.

Impressions on that next.

Tsunami Frameset - Base Coat - Ultrasound #4

Base coat means there'll be a top coat, and that means, usually, there will be two colors in one.

When the base coat is silver-ish, it usually means the top coat will be a tinting one, like a transluscent red.

That example would be called Candy Red.

I'm using that example because the frame will NOT be that color. I can't wait to see the frame when it's done. This should be pretty cool.

Shiny bauble. Precious.

A view from a bit further away.

Eagle-eyed readers may notice some weird fittings on the first picture - it's actually the bottom of the downtube and seat tube, so it shows the housing stops for the derailleur and brake cables.

Paint emphasizes any finish imperfections, and although I'm not necessarily looking for a jewel-like finish, this is a nice surprise.

One thing's for sure - I won't need to worry about the housing stops breaking off.

And another thing's for sure too. This anticipation is killing me. I feel like a kid again.

Tsunami Frame - Ultrasound #3

Okay, now we're talking.

I just got an updated couple pics on the frameset Tsunami Bikes is building on my request, and now it's looking a bit more like a frame, a bit more... BMX-like.

Tiny Bike, as christened by Hans.

Primer grey now. You can see a bit more, compared to the unfinished aluminum. I won't reveal the final color because, frankly, I'm leaving it kinda sorta up to them. It may be bright, or dark, or bright.

Some interesting things hanging around in the background.

Note how low the bottle cage is on the seat tube. This is a side effect of having a 40 cm seat tube (center to top of top tube). It'll be about 42-43 cm to the top of the mast.

The short head tube and the long front center become much more apparent here. It seems a long way from the original fit session, but, at the same time, it seems really quick. It's only a month since my fit session, and it'll be just a month until I see the frame in person.

To put things in perspective, if I had asked for a primer grey paint job I could have had the frameset pretty much right now.

In Florida I was thinking of the "new fit" all the time. I'd ride in the drops and think, "They're there now, but they'll be 6 cm further out in a month." Or I'd stand and think, "Okay, my knees can brush the bars now, but in a month they'll be missing by at least 5 cm."

It's like the little scene in American Flyers, where Muzzin is taunting the Russian leader Belov.

"Think about this, Belov. I may be behind you but I'm really two seconds ahead."

(You have to go to about 2:40 into the clip. And, yes, it's kinda cheesy but it's a bike movie, and you take it when you can get it. Oddly enough no one talks about American Flyers when they mention Kevin Costner though. Anyway...)

Like Muzzin tempting Belov, I can feel the Tsunami tempting me. The longer, lower front end, the steeper seat tube angle, a saddle that's actually centered on the rails (not perched precariously at one end of the saddle), a position that lets me stretch out naturally.

I'm not stretched out an extra 5 or 6 centimeters but I can feel it.

Of course these pictures don't do anything to make me any more patient.

I can't wait to get the frame.

Oh, and Happy New Year. May all your racing wishes come true.

Except when it comes to beating me at my target races :)

Equipment - Second Ultrasound

So appropriately, on Christmas Eve, I got a slightly early present from Tsunami Bikes; the second ultrasound. Santa Claus apparently jammed this into my email box, along with all the emails on 50% off of virtually everything ever sold in stores as well as warnings about all sorts of unauthorized access made to bank accounts I don't have.

Look towards the bottom of the picture - you can see the enormous bottom bracket shell.

Grown a bit since last time, right? Welds, a rear triangle, and, apparently, a sibling on the other side of the stand. Looks fast now, efficient, stiff. Not very "BMX-like" as I expected. More like a size small compact frame bike, or, more precisely, a long version of a size small compact frame bike.

You know, the L version of the BMW 750i or the Audi A8.

This bike will need an "L" at the end of whatever it ends up being called. I have no idea what to call it yet so I'll have to figure it out later.

The things I notice from these decidedly iPhone-like pictures include some interesting details.

First is the familiar downtube and top tube on both frames - it seems to be a standard (exterior) shape for Tsunami. As long as it works, right? I'm liking the short headtube and the resulting tube-traffic-jam just behind it.

And, remember, I want the stiffest, most efficient frame possible.

Second, the rear stays seems somewhat un-Cannondale-like. The seat stays are pretty beefy, the chainstays less so. Looking at other pictures of Tsunamis, part of the reason for the large looking seat stays is probably the camera fisheye lens - you'll notice the headtube angle looks really steep too, and it's more shallow than the seat tube.

Anyway, I'm not a builder, so I don't know how things affect the ride. As usual I defer to the builder.

You know the philosophy, right? You know what you know, and you know what you don't know.

I don't know frame building so I'm leaving it up to the pros.

(Of course there's the stuff I don't know I don't know, and usually that's what bites you in the buttocks, so I try and leave some leeway for that stuff. In this case I've left that leeway pretty thin.)

I'm really getting a bit antsy about getting this frame - I feel like I'm riding on borrowed time on my current frame, just waiting until this masterpiece shows up. It's all good, riding my Cannondale, but it's like wearing unhemmed pants or an unfit suit.

I know what I have now isn't quite right. More significantly, I've had the flavor of what it should be, and, more importantly, what it will be.

Sigh.

Equipment - The First Ultrasound

One of the cool things about a Tsunami custom frame is you can see your frameset "become".

Meaning you see its birth. I suppose this is like when you order some exotic car or if you're Jenson Button waiting for his new McLaren F1 car. Since I've never ordered an exotic car and the closest I've ever come to a McLaren is playing an F1 game, this is the next best thing - ordering a custom frame.

I suppose in the frame world the front triangle sets the tone for the bike. If you show someone a picture of a super aero front triangle, it has a different genre than a frame with, say, really skinny tubes, or even one with really large diameter tubes. The front triangle leads, and the rest of the frame follows.

And, apparently, the Tsunami gods have seen fit to start up my new custom frame.

Therefore, like a proud parent-to-be showing off an ultrasound, I'll play a proud Tsunami-owner-to-be: The First Ultrasound.

"You can see the bottom bracket shell over here..."

I won't go into sexes or names, because my bikes aren't gender specific, nor do I name them. I have an idea of what this one will end up looking like, even after I've received the frame (it won't stay stock), but that's for a different time.

I left tube selection totally up to the builders. I don't know anything about aluminum tubes, nothing about wall thicknesses, blah blah blah. I can tell you that Columbus SL used to be 0.9/0.6/0.9 mm for the down tube (unless you get the "stallion build" SP, then it's 1.0/0.7/1.0), that Prestige could get down to 0.7/0.5/0.7 for the top tube, and some other useless information about steel tubing.

Ask me about aluminum or carbon or titanium and you'll get one of those glazed-over blank stares.

However...

Based on the picture above, the downtube looks massive. Like Gibraltar massive, like it needs its own lighthouse massive.

This is a good thing.

Massive means a rigid front end, predictable steering, and responsiveness to pedaling input.

Booyah!

Next up is the critical head tube. 1 1/8" on both ends, since there isn't the 1 1/4" option (yet).

Head tube length?

Slammin', as they say. It should come in under 10 cm, a full 1.5 cm shorter than the SystemSix. Combine that with a headset (no integrated stuff here) and the full height should be about 10-10.3 cm.

Holy Sore Backs, Batman!

Yeah, I'm looking forward to finally being able to hunker down in the bars and feel totally and completely solid, no knee-elbow interference, no nothing.

The top tube looks pretty tall. I don't have any real reaction to that - I really don't know what it'll do. I figure if it keeps the bike from doing the shimmy I'll be pleased. My knees should be able to clamp that top tube on rockin' descents.

Or, since it's such a small frame, my calves'll do the clamping.

Heh.

Actually, come to think of it, the frame doesn't quite resemble an oversize BMX bike. But we'll see when the rear triangle makes its way into the picture.

And the seat tube looks, well, like a seat tube for a 27.2 mm seat post. Kinda sorta skinny. Round. Holds a front derailleur, a waterbottle cage, and an N-Gear Jumpstop.

Fine by me.

I have to admit that I've never been so interested in a frameset before. I've never felt quite so involved in the purchasing process, the research process, because of one very simple reason: Custom Geometry.

Selecting a stock frame is exactly that, selecting a frame. You look at some limited number of variables (like frame size, and, to get different geometries, frame manufacturer). You hone in on something that kinda sorta fits you, that you can kinda sorta afford, and you get it.

But when you buy a custom frame, you decide what you want.

You don't think, "Oh, the top tube is only 53.5 cm. I should be able to get by on that."

Instead, you think, "Wouldn't it be nice to have a 58 cm top tube?"

And the builder says, "Um, not really. Trust me on this one."

Then you say, "I really meant to say 56.5 cm."

And so on and so forth. Within certain boundaries you can do anything you want. Make the bike more comfy, less comfy, more rigid, super long, super short, slammin' head tube, whatever you want.

It's yours. Man, this is so cool. I feel like a little kid again.

How's that ad go again?

Cost of calls to order custom frame: $6.50
Custom frame: $650
Feeling like a little kid again: Priceless

Equipment - Frame Fit Session

As planned I made it to the local shop just down the street. Of course, as usual, I was running really late, and instead of getting there at 10 AM, I got there at about 1 PM.

I set up the fit bike thing myself, puzzling over the different settings and such. I brought my pedals, bars, shoes, saddle, and a kit.

For the record, my current bike is a SystemSix Liquigas Replica, 52 cm, with its standard geometry. To save you from flipping back and forth to the geometry page, the important numbers are as follows:

Seat tube: 52 cm, 50 cm to the top of the top tube
Top tube: 53.5 cm
Seat tube angle: 74 degrees
Head tube angle: 73 degrees
Head tube length: 11.5 cm

I look something like this on the bike:

On the green/black Cannondale. My arms hang straight down.

Okay, once you get past my doughy build (perceived 175 lbs on my optimistic scale, which was actually 185 lbs), you may notice that the bike seems really, really short in length. My goal is to get my bike a bit longer.

That other night I took to my bike with a tape measure.

First, I want my saddle to be in the middle of its rail adjustment, not shoved all the way forward. I held my tape measure to the center of the rails, and the line went 2 centimeters further forward than the present seat tube. This meant I needed a substantially steeper seat tube angle.

How much steeper I didn't know, but that's what a builder is supposed to figure out.

The steeper seat tube would move the whole top tube forward by 2 cm. However, based on my current set up, I figured I need at least another 5 centimeters in length - I could put my hands a full Ergo lever in front of the actual Ergo lever.

Based on that number, I figured a 58 cm top tube would work well. It would move me forward a total of 6.5 cm (2 cm from the steeper seat tube angle and 4.5 cm from the 53.5 current length to the new 58 length). This would let me play with a shorter stem, an 11 or a 12 cm stem, not always having to search for the longest possible stems out there.

I also want a short head tube, shorter than the current 11.5 cm, so that I can go buy an 80 degree stem. This would free me from just 73 (-17) degree stems. There are lots of 80 degree stems out there, not a lot of 73s.

And, finally, while I was at it, I wanted to get a short seat tube, something like the 44 cm seat tube (as I remember) on my size S Giant TCR aluminum frame.

Armed with this information, I emailed Joseph at Tsunami Bikes. His initial response seemed a bit hesitant - my ideal frame, after all, would resemble an oversized BMX bike.

We started talking and I described how I arrived at all the numbers. Again, he seemed a bit hesitant. He asked for some pictures of me on the bike, and ones of just the bike itself.

I sent pictures and called to follow up.

Now he seemed a bit more receptive to the whole "tiny frame" concept (as named by Hans). I told him that I'd want to do a sanity check, one where I actually have a regular bar to hold onto, not resting my hands on a plastic tote bin.

I strolled into the shop and got down to business. This new fangled gizmo was a new experience for me, so Hans would occasionally tell me "do this" or "do that".

Fit starts at the bottom bracket, goes up to the saddle, and then forward to the bars. Therefore I started with the seat tube at 75.5 degrees. I raised the saddle (that I brought into the store) to my right height, centered the saddle on the rails.

Then I got the top tube to a more reasonable 56.5 cm. I borrowed a 14 cm stem, a -5 degree stem and mounted a spare set of 3ttt crit bars (Gimondi bend, bars I got thanks to RTC's detective work).

Finally I put my Keos on, trotted off to the bathroom to change, and trotted back in my new kit. I even brought the long sleeve jersey because I didn't want to get cold in the shop.

I jumped on the bike and, BAM, it felt awesome.

I fiddled a bit with the stem height, played around, and realized that, hey, it's pretty much perfect.

On the tops. Left foot forward.

My arms are bent a bit, but outwards. I wanted to keep my arms out of the way of something, not sure what I was thinking. I'm sitting square on the saddle, and the saddle is square on the post. w00t!

On the "hoods". Foot at bottom.

My legs look bulky.

Reminds me of something. I made a comment at the track last summer - I was watching the As and watched as powerful looking racer rocketed off the front. He looked freakin' powerful - big legs, big arms, aero carbon frame, aero carbon wheels, and, man, he was flying.

"Holy smokes, look at that guy's legs."

The guy next to me looked at me and said something unusual.

"Don't underestimate yourself."

Hm.

Drops, and right foot sort of forward.

Imagine, my arms point forward. And my back is kinda sorta level. The position in the drops feels really secure, really good.

I thought I forgot my camera so Hans took a few pics and sent them to me.

I sent the pictures to Joseph and left him a message. An hour later he called back. He said the pictures really helped, and things looked good. He kind of laughed - I'm still not really forward, relatively speaking, and I'm sitting on a 75.5 seat tube angle.

We went over a few details, things like ride quality and such. I have no knowledge about tubing materials so I'm leaving it up to him. I just want a ride that's as rigid as the Cannondale - I'm good for 6 or 7 plus hours on the frame, and I don't want to have something more flexy.

Paint will be later, but I think some kind of a red. I haven't had a red bike since forever ago, and my first race bike, a Basso, was red. It would match the kit and it would look kinda cool.

The other choice would be a blue to match the blue car, but I don't have anything blue in my kit so that's out.

After our talk Joseph emailed one more question - one about seat tube length. I went and checked my two Giants, since I like the aluminum one a lot, and since the carbon one is "fine" (the Cannondale is a bit high for me).

Seems that I remembered wrong. The aluminum Giant has, get this, a 40 cm seat tube to the top of the top tube (44 to the top of the seat tube). The carbon Giant is 4 cm longer.

Whew. I sent my preferences (40 c-to-t, but 44 c-to-t is fine), along with payment.

And now it's up to them.