I knew the dark green would look epic with tan wall tires as I had built a touring bike in the same aesthetic vein a year or two prior--much too small a frame, but actually the only one that gave me enough room to try these 48's for the first and only time prior to this Tricross, and actually the bike that set me off in the bigger-and-suppler-is-better tire size direction thanks to Seattle's really crummy street quality. Talk about a full circle moment!
So yes, Dura-Ace 9000 was the plan all along. This is my favorite of the modern 11-speed+ groupsets and has been ever since it debuted. A lot of saving money and swooping in on good deals for this one. I had converted the standard short cage rear derailleur to a long cage using a 6800 long (GS) cage inner and outer plate. Works perfectly!
I will take mid-build weighings to get an idea for a bike's final weight. I'm not a weight weenie guy, but it's fun to see how light--in a practical effort and financial outlay sense--a build can be. Granted, the XL frame size, huge tires, a non-road build, non-full-carbon build, alloy bars instead of carbon, and a wider (and more comfortable) Prologo Scratch saddle meant nothing amazing was going to be had, but at below 19 lbs with not much left to put on, had me feeling good.
I'm a kg-and-convert kind of guy with bikes. What are ounces???
Resting for the day but excited and impatient to complete the build!
