Bike Build Phase

Nude Carbons

The intricacies of bike building, gotta love it!

No you can't just buy any old part and slap it on. There's is always the complex undocumented exceptions to rules with regards to compatiblity, one-off screwed up sizes and of course non-standard designs. Bike building is a science.

With plenty of experience I made sure to factor in the 'other' costs when building Mrs LoTC's bike. I carefully spec'd the parts and compatibility ahead of time but there is always a 'gotchya' that forces you to re-order the part or source it from a local bike shop at 5 times the online prices.



Cartridge BB



Gotta use that tool 3 times to get mah moniez worth



I hate this part



With the majority of the parts here, I started to assemble the stealthy beauty. I've been tooling my own bikes for 15 years now and I have the majority of 'special' tools but of course with every fix there is always that one tool you do not have. It's always a dillema. Do you  spend the extra money and buy the actual tool to do it yourself for this job or do you pay the labour to have the bike shop do it? Of course it is some special tool that you only need once in a blue moon so is it worth it at 3 times the cost of the labour? Will I actually get to use this tool three times, ever? Will I lose said tool before the next time it is needed? Tough choices. I am the kind of guy that believes you buy the tools, not the labour.



Dont breathe the dust. Its deadly.



Ohhh baby - PERFECTION! Best cut I've ever made!!!!!



Integrated headsets are sexxy



Screw ups worth mentioning. The wrong clamp size on the front derraileur. How did I screw that up? I suspect my eyes went wonky looking at so many numbers and somehow I wound up with the wrong one. $5 mistake and only $25 to correct it. This turned out for the best since the FD matches the drivetrain now whereas the part I ordered was oddball. The other screw up was the Headset type. The specs for the frame listed the wrong type and thus I ordered an incorrect headset. That was a costly error at $55 to correct it and $15 on a useless part. This was the most expensive mess up of the whole build which is still under my $200 allowance in 'other' costs. The last screw up was the installation of the star-nut in the head tube. I dont have that tool, I've always managed to install it using creative methods. Except I've never done it with a carbon steerer tube before so it did not end well. I gave up and sent Mrs LoTC to the bike shop to have them do it. It's better to send the wife for these types of things. Bike mechanics are more willing to help the customer that flashes cleavage, fluttters the eye lashes and asks nicely. They installed the nut on the spot, no work order or a few days wait needed.



I guess she'll need to slow down eventually



Oh sweet - while writing this another package just arrived! We've been waiting on the seatpost clamp for her bike, and I was waiting on my carbon aero water bottle & cage. I'm surprsied we received this on a government holiday.

Anyhow, I still need to cable her bike, tune it and fit it. I also have to wrap the handlebars in a "different color" because I'm told the current color is not pretty enough. Go figure.



Relax, I'll flip the stem cap



 

Gas Pedal




Getting there..



Clickety Click



Before getting the 'right' FD





Fixed.



Got Carbon Black bar wrap to install yet



Instructions - pfft who needs them!?





Shoes built!



Mostly done Now





Tune, Test, Fit, Wrap to come yet