Moots - The Last Component

The last remaining component that I needed, or rather, wanted, arrived today. A Fi'zi:k Cyrano Carbon seatpost:

27.2 x 330mm for those keeping score

It's since been installed and is up to the task of supporting the saddle. With clean lines and minimal graphics, it looks quite nice clamping my Fi'zi:k saddle, plus the lower cradle is anodized in a shade not far from titanium. The branded rubber band was removed and set aside to get lost. Now I just need to give the bike a thorough cleaning and shoot some pix of it in it's dull grey glory.

Oh Happy Day

I've been fondling for the last hour it in ways that would likely get me arrested in most southern states. Or Utah.

And A Cherry On Top

Now where's my frame? And 110mm stem?

More Bike Bits Arrive

Here's what Santa-In-A-Brown Suit delivered this morning:

Easton EC90 stem, SRAM PC1091R chain and Force front derailleur. It's all coming together, I'm just waiting on two more shipments before the fun of building up the dream machine can commence.

UPDATE: And I goofed up and ordered too long of a stem. Damn. I should have followed the old saying - measure twice, order once. Or something like that.

Fork Yeah!

One more piece of the puzzle arrived today.
From China via Utah with love, I present the ENVE Components Road 2.0 fork. 1.125" steerer, 40mm offset. It should be a great match for the Vamoots CR.

Bike Build - It Begins

The first shipment of the bits to build the forthcoming Moots has arrived.

Most of the parts will come from the second cracked Plastic Bike, but some new cables, bar tape were among the necessary purchases.

Meanwhile, in Steamboat Springs, CO, progress on the Vamoots CR frame is coming along nicely:
I'm truly hoping that this is a "lifetime" frame for me, a bike that I'll still enjoy riding ten or fifteen years from now. It should be ready in a few weeks.

Coming Soon...

...the frame that I should have bought last year.



With my recent track record of riding PlasticBikes for all of four weeks before cracks start appearing, this titanium beauty should last a lifetime.

Building The Bike - Part I

Even though I'm several months and several thousands of dollars away from throwing a leg over my future dream ride, I've already started accumulating the shiny bits that will be integral to making this bike special.

I plan on transferring the handlebar, stem, saddle, pedals and bottle cages over from the plastic bike, meaning that I already have a small head start on the new bike. However, today marked the very first purchase of an elemental component.

Cane Creek 110 headset

A headset. Yes, a headset. Or more accurately, an A-Headset®. One that retails for $130. Ninety eight grams of 7075 T-6 aluminum, CNC machined in Fletcher, North Carolina and incorporating impeccably smoove bearings, a brilliant silver anodized finish and an unmatched 110 year warranty. Yessir, this headset is destined to become a family heirloom. I bet someday Celeste will hand it down to a grandchild for use on his HøverBike 3000®. But not before it's been used by me over tens of thousands of beautiful road miles.

Object of Desire - Moots Vamoots CR

When I accepted the gig with Electra, I was eager to ditch the past and to be able to ride whatever mountain, road and cyclocross bikes my little heart desired. In the past year I have sold off a couple of Mongoose mountain bikes and bought a stunning Pivot Mach 5 mountain bike and a Gunnar Crosshairs cyclocross rig.

I had prepped Allie for that I'd be buying a new road bike when we first placed our Monona home on the market. Well, fast forward 13 long months of it being on the market and watching the economy collapse, along with our home's asking price, thus delaying the inevitable purchase by a few more months.

I walked the floor at this year's Eurobike and Interbike trade shows with one eye looking out for different options for the new ride and have pretty much settled on a titanium or steel frame. I really like the "plastic bike" I'm currently riding but am looking for a frame with a bit more permanence. And with that permanence in mind, titanium is currently topping the wish list. Specifically:
A Moots Vamoots CR. I've lusted after a Moots since I first saw one in person about 14 years ago. Perfect welds, clean, simple and minimal graphics presentation and an enviable ride quality - all lovingly welded up by good people in Steamboat Springs, CO.

I haven't fully made up my mind on the drivetrain, but it's looking to be a Shimano Dura-Ace 7900.
And while it's going to be a pricey ride, it's one that I hope to have for a very long time. I've put over 10,000 miles on the plastic bike over the past three years - it's still a great ride overall, but the shifting is getting sloppy, the drivetrain is making some funny noises and I've kind of grown bored of it. But I'll continue to pedal it to work most every day and will likely rack up another 1,000 miles on it before I get a chance to throw my leg over some titanium.

Until then at least have a sweet new Moots Merino wool jersey to wear out on the road...