joevella

Thanks - I like the STI on the aero bars - I feel much more confident being able to shift and brake without moving my hands from the aero position, where I do most of my riding - I have an auxiliary lever on the front brake so I can use it from the drops as well - this also increases the confidence factor. Lots of hills here, so constant shifting..
The leader frame is very nice. It has a smooth, secure ride, and the fit and finish were flawless - a little paint had to be removed from the headset seat, but that's all. It seems quite light for an aero aluminum frame - I didn't weigh it, except in my hand, but it felt like nothing. I hear it is less than 4 lb. Which might not make the weight weenies happy, but it made a great bike nonetheless.
One thing - I didn't get the horizontal dropouts ( I thought I was, but I didn't look at the picture close enough.. ) - I've been told however, that this one will ride/handle better, and I'm not disappointed so far - unless someone tells me that I should be..

I should note that the shifters are reversed, so that the rear derailleur shifts from my left hand -
for two reasons 1. this allows the shift cables to operate without interfering with each other as the
brakes are pulled, on the closely spaced aero bars and 2. I'm left handed .
The brakes are arranged conventionally.

BTW - what does the Zipp Beam frame feel like to ride?