Perhaps some direct comparisons to my existing bikes might put things into better perspective. The frame is pretty chunky & looks heavy duty compared to my 2008 Wilier Laverdo, with it’s smooth weld giving the seamless look, very much as if it is a carbon frame. I can’t really say it’s a CX specific layout either. The reach the ‘bars is the same as my roadie & there doesn’t seem to be any effort to reduce standover height. The frame is a medium & I’m 5ft 9inches (179cm) tall, and feels marked ably larger than my medium Wilier or Specialized frame sizes.
The Avid BB07 cable disk brakes provide better braking than calliper rim brakes could ever do (I believe). Although these BB07 do take some setting up, Goggle is your friend here & it pays to invest those anxious few minutes that you would rather be smashing it around the neighbourhood in setting them up correctly instead.
Personal set up from new came in the form of Schwable Marathon Extreme 700c/35 tyres in place of the Ritchey CX knobbies (700c/35). Even at max pressures (80psi) they are still meaty things & I can’t say they roll faster than the 700/23 Continental Four seasons I run on my Wilier Laverado. I’m banking on their reputation in wet going & puncture resistance to fit my role for this rig as my commuting junkie.
With the biggest difference being the drop ‘bars from my previous slick-shod MTB commuter, I approached the gutters & step downs on my first commute into work on it with some trepidation. But it filled the role with some grace & it was such a boon to be able to snick through the gears on a bike that rolled so much easier than my MTB commuter.
I’m thinking of dropping a couple of teeth off the front chainring to a 48tooth to tighten up the ratios around more of the kind of riding I’ll be doing with this bike & in the short term I’ll be looking at swapping out that white saddle & ‘bar tape for something darker, like black. Even though white bar tape is pretty ‘Pro’ .
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