[vranko]

So sorry to hear that. Best wishes to him Martin.

[Dr K]

Hope he heals quickly. And thanks for the warning - I'll be more careful than I would have been a week from Saturday (>1000 riders).

[Uncle ENzo]

http://theradavist.com/2014/09/giro-...nger-porsches/

[vranko]

^ That's some great bike porn!

[Vicegrip]

Scored a new in box proper size Specialized Tarmac SL-4 pro frame off craigs list. The ride is not plush but not punishing like some other full on racing frames. The Tarmac is a race bike that can be ridden on Sunday too.
Specialized is real tight about pricing and internet sales and their pricing tends to stay "retail". I have been looking at race/performance frames for a bit and all the aspects I was looking for kept leading to the Tarmac except for the retail pricing. A built Di-2 Tarmac pro was as something north of $7000 and the disk brake version was $7600. Stiff, light and handles like a light weight track car but for that kind of scratch I can get a real track car that comes with a less than 50 something year old motor that was not maintained all that well. Along comes this frame for sale at a still too rich for me price. A few weeks later it comes back and a bit less in price and I skip it again. a week later it is back with yet another price drop I smell blood and send a lowball over the plate. (Specialized came out with the 2015 and started to slightly discount the 2014 frames) He hits the ball. Pound for pound I suspect it is cheaper to buy pot than good carbon bike frames.

First thing to do is base line measure the existing bike as I am going to strip it and transfer almost everything to the new frame. Once it was stripped down the parts that came off were cleaned and refreshed. The Fuji will be rebuilt with the original drive train and become the winter and bad weather bike. For as stiff as the Fuji SST is built to be it is a noodle next to the Tarmac.
The Tarmac comes with an integrated bottom bracket so it gets setup installed and then the new crank set is installed. Then the derailleurs were installed and the wiring fished through the frame. (Odd to be wiring a bicycle) Then comes the no going back part measuring and cutting the steerer tube on the fork. I cut it on long end of the expected adjustment range so I can ride test and adjust the stem height as needed then recut to the final length. Bolt on the brakes, string the cables, put some new tires and tubes on the wheels install the handlebar. Once the brake and Di-2 cabling is dialed in tape up the handlebar and install the chain. Tune in the derailleurs and brakes and ready for a test ride. One evening of work and one afternoon tuning and fiddling with things that most people would not bother with and it is good to go. Re-tubbing a car takes at least twice as long and bikes don't have heavy stuff to drop on feet and the like.

I am digging this bike. As little but the frame was changed I can get a good feel of the strengths the Tarmac frame brings. It is a new bike in almost all aspects with clean tight tracking in turns and a stupid strong bottom bracket. The bike responds well and feels like it just wants to go.

[Cliff Claven]

great bike! i love my tarmac pros. (make sure it has had the recall work, if applicable)

[Dr K]

Nice! That clearly is not the fork from the Fuji - why did you have to cut it? Or is it a new fork and they just come long. I can't tell well from the photos, but did you cut it long enough for spacers so you had more adjustability as you get used to the bike?

[Vicegrip]

Originally Posted by Dr K

Nice! That clearly is not the fork from the Fuji - why did you have to cut it? Or is it a new fork and they just come long. I can't tell well from the photos, but did you cut it long enough for spacers so you had more adjustability as you get used to the bike?

New frame/fork bikes come with uncut steer tubes on the forks. This lets the builder cut to fit the rider. With this bike you can stack about 1.5 inches of spacers under the stem to raise the handlebar in relation to the top tube. This would be good for a long leg short torso rider or someone that wants a more relaxed position. If you want to you can take spacers from under the stem and replace them above and the stem moves down. This leaves what "Those that care of such things of which in cycling there are many" consider an unsightly stub sticking out above the stem. I plan to ride this build for a couple of weeks before making any final cuts to the tube. Looks like I will drop it another spacer and then cut the unsightly periscope off the top. This frame is on the edge of small for me by intent and a single spacer is an agressive position. I rode the Fuji in the drops most of the time and am trying to build this one so I tend to ride the bar top and hoods more. This puts the drops in just the right position for fast riding in free air.

[cmartin]

cut the unsightly periscope

No going back now! That's commitment.

Nice build on a badass frameset. It's funny how this stuff comes full circle. One of your photo's could have been (be it with much lesser equipment) in my parents basement. Then I could afford playing with cars and didnt tear down a frame for years.

Well done.

[vranko]

Thanks for sharing. I need to cut down my steer tube sometime soon. Bike looks a little to "aroused" right now