OK, I hate to gush but I'm loving this bike so far... Very planted and aero on descents (I hit a new top speed for me on one particular fast descent). Yet it climbs pretty darn well for a bike that isn't superlight (I weighed it at 18.5 lbs with the pedals, cages and computer mount). And I am very pleasantly surprised by how crisp the shifting is on the Ekar. Definitely take a little more push to shift but the clicks are very clear (there's never a doubt that it shifted). The 700x30 Continental GP5000s are super supple (tubeless) and roll very, very fast. Even the Arundel bar tape that TIME chose to use is very grippy without being sticky. The Deda gravel components really match well with the overall theme, and the Repente Quasar saddle (which I had never heard of before) is surprisingly comfortable. Overall, as you can tell, I am very happy with my decision... Here is the list of components (minus the tires) and a photo of the final build...
