TimothyH

The setting for this bike is sublime.

In stark contrast to the claw shaped monstrosities put on the vast majority of bikes today, the bottle cages on this bike are correct. What brand are they? Not Arundel but close.

Also, what bar is that?

Your attention to detail shows and you should be very proud. 10/10. Would ride.


-Tim-

DCwheeler

Cheers Tim!

Bars are Specialized S-Works Aerofly Carbon with a Pro Vibe 7 stem. Took me a while to find cages I liked - these are Boardman 3k gloss carbon items which are light and very strong! £18 each. I chose them as they have a gap between the mountings which on the down tube reveals the gloss "G" of Giant, on the seat tube allows the mech mount to sit between.

redfooj

8.5

Very valiant attempt. Do not like those general chainrings, the external cable routing, or tri-style aero seatpost / seattube

DCwheeler

There's not a round tube on this bike - Hydroformed angular tubing for stiffness, strength and lightness.

kbarch

Huh.
Seems to me they are all of a piece, though, so I imagine 8.5 is about as high a mark as a bike with this frame could get from you. Could have different chainrings, but the cable routing and seatpost shape are inevitable. Along those lines, I'm not a fan of the new four-arm chainset designs, but this might be a bike they'd look good on.

kbarch

Reminds me of a Bentley. Such a peculiar mix of luxury and thick-limbed homeliness.

robbyville

Ha! I suppose so...those Bentley’s must be an acquired taste, but I get your drift! Thing rides so dang nicely. Doing either 75 or 100 today (waiting for some friends near the start line as I type). Beautiful day will be around 85 by the end, sorry to those ensconced in winter!

mpath

Beautiful bike nontheless. I've been seriously thinking of ordering one for some time now, and thinkng about their "surprise me" livery....or go with titanium from Firefly.

Regarding your wheel choice - if you like how they ride, then that's all that matters. Besides, we can't see our wheels when we're riding.

maartendc

Undeniably a nice bike, but that bend in the top tube is really strange looking to me personally.

robbyville

Thanks for the kind words!

I almost did the surprise me theme, if I had ordered a year ago I definitely would have, this year’s wasn’t my favorite but still fun and well done. I rode a fast (for me) 50 miles today. Lots of opportunity to grind, crank, and stand. Sublime! If you’re still considering, pull that trigger.

I did get the carbon wheels set up with my tubeless tires yesterday afternoon. Smooth and felt great.

texascyclist

Thanks, that top tube is what drew me to this bike. No doubt, it seems to be a love or hate design, based on feedback I have read on forums. It is interesting that it is not at all controversial with those that are not into cycling, since thier tastes have not been influenced as much. I personally love it because it is distinctive and masculine.

It is actually a functional element since it is intended for cross. The top tube allows for plenty of room for shouldering, yet still allows a very long seat post for comfort, like a compact frame. The clamp is actually hidden where the seat stays first meet the seat tube. The seat post above that junction is unsupported and surrounded by a rubber sleeve. This results in an effectively very long and comfortable seat post.

Noctilux.95

A new addition to the family. Its a 2018 Trek Madone 9 H2, Project One.

robbyville

Oh my... please provide details, lovely to the umpteenth degree

Noctilux.95

Its a 2018 Madone 9, Series 600 (52CM), H2, Project One, with Dura Ace 9150 Di2, Zipp 404 NSW, and Bontrager XXX integrated bar. I bought the complete bike with Ultegra and some Bontrager aero wheels, stripped it down, and built it with my own components. The character is completely different than my Bianchi. The Oltre is lighter, more responsive, while you sit up higher, slanted down in a very aggressive geometry. The Madone feels like an aerodynamic endurance bike. Prefer the Oltre on climbs and flats, the Madone on fast descents or longer rides. Both are super comfortable and sexy as hell. BTW, don't even attempt to do any shift or brake cable work on the Madone. It is a effing nightmare!

kbarch

Hmm. I can see why some would say they are "hot," but if you saw my latest bike (a few posts up), I think you'd see how they aren't to my taste.
I do like the color, though, and it's definitely classier than similar offerings from Sporks.

TimothyH

The saddle looks lower on the Trek than on the Bianchi. Hard to tell but does the Trek have a significantly different bottom bracket drop from the Bianchi?

The Campy wheels are the hottest thing in that photo by an order of magnitude. .

The head tube/fork junction on the Trek looks like a mountain bike.


-Tim-

cycledogg

Cross chain X2

kbarch

Actually, even though they aren't set up photogenically, they're not cross-chained; it looks more like they're both on the little ring (even MORE shameful!).

cycledogg

Had to use the zoom to see the chain in small rings.

bianchi10

I wont go into depth, I'll just say not. Not ever (IMO of course)

jitteringjr

I love the Bianchi but I am not a fan of the curved top tube becoming one with the seat stays thing on the trek.

jitteringjr

I guess it’s a love hate thing then with the top tube there because I like it. It’s grown on me I guess. Although I think the bike would get more love with some proper cross 32C knobby tires over in the gravel cross hot or not thread instead of here.

bianchi10

Hey man, if you love it, that's all that matters in the end. To me, there's much more to it than just the top tube that I dislike, but again I wont bother going into it as I've already said it wasn't my cup of tea.

Noctilux.95

My buddy was riding my bike. I'm not talented enough to ride two bikes at the same time

indyfabz

The shape of the Trek reminds me of a buffalo.