New IF website: Bikefanclub.com

First, a comment on aesthetics. I've now gone over the bike very carefully: the welds are very clean, the paint is clean, even, and proper. A word to those thinking about an IF: the upcharge for pearl paint is significant and I wouldn't do it again. This is a lovely pearl white but I was under the impression that the white was not an upcharge. I am not at all "blaming" IF and assume every reesponsibility. Next, I was very clear about ordering OS tubing, especially the chainstays. As I see it, the chainstays are the "normal" sized Reynolds, not the OS. This is quite disapppointing. I got a story today from IF about how these are the right ones for this bike. Okay. It was more an aesthetic choice with some consequences for the ride, but it was an aesthetic choice primarily. I feel like they might have listened more carefully to what I specifically requested but these are exactly the sorts of things that happen with just about every custom builder. I could "send it back" or raise a stink but instead I've chosen just to note that it is a minor disappointment, again only on the aesthetic front. I suppose I will get over it. Lesson here: be very, very clear, and say it loudly. Leave nothing to the discretion of the builder if you have strong preferences. I am the sort with very strong preferences.

I had a great deal of input in the geometry and design of the bike and today's quick 33 mile ride confirmed that the fit is perfect. Just right for a threadless forked bike for me. I like a tall front end, an uncramped cockpit, very little saddle to bar drop. The most important ride quality measure to me is how a bike descends and how it feels with hands off the bars. I like very, very stable descenders and bikes that are very easy to control with hands off the bars. I am less concerned with "climbing" since I think that that is mostly in the motor, not in the frame. I like a bike that is very compliant, even soft on the road but one that will not let me rub the bb out of the saddle and when I am humpin' a climb. I want a very stiff bb but a very soft overall ride. In carbon forks I like a feeling of being direct but very, very steady, stable, and never sketchy. I like the fork soft too, never too harsh or even harsh at all, but when the bike descends I like to feel like the fork and the bike are together: nothing much to pay attention to, just go as fast as you can.

Today's ride was over the usual rolling terrain that characterizes the hills and dells of western New York's Finger Lakes. There are no flats, so you are either climbing hard or easy; you shift a lot; there are descents that are very, very fast; many of the turns have gravel and other dangers; there are no cars to speak of; plenty of shoulder, plenty of room to ride in the middle of the road or anywhere you want. I had less than two hours and it's _hard_ around here, I tell you, so 33 miles is not yeraverage33miler.

The Crown Jewel not only fits me brilliantly, it meets every mark I have set forth here. This is a genuinely _great_ riding bike. It is a fantastic descender. I took two descents at well over 50mph. The bike was steady as a rock. This Reynolds Ouzo Pro is a stellar fork. On the climbs the bike responded nicely to input and never once could I rub the bb or front derailleur. I tried really hard to get the bike to do something untoward and it would not. I pounded on the false flats and really pushed hard on the mild descents. I pushed three times hard into corners but you have to be careful here for the nasties of gravel and road dust this early in the spring. In every case, the Crown Jewel excelled. I am not easily impressed. I am often, to be honest, not excited by a bike even when I am content. This is a great rider.

It is not particularly light and I wonder what makes it so. The build is really intended to be light but I'd say the bike weighs 20-21lbs. Here's what it has:
HS CK 1.125"
bb Ultegra
crank DA with Stronglight 53/38 rings (too big a big ring for me)
f/r ders Record 9 with Rec 9 Ergo
bars and stem Ritchey WCS Pro
saddle and pillar Regal (here's some weight) and Thomson
wheels are DA hubs to 28h Open Pros, DA 12-27 cassette
tires Hutchinson Gold somethings, the good ones

Everyone knows that all 9 works perfectly with all other 9, just match shifters to rear der., use whatever crank/bb and hubs/cassettes you want, it all shifts perfectly. Everything on this bike functions perfectly. You can come over and ride it yerself to see. The really interesting thing is that these are light wheels and still the bike is not really a featherweight. The conclusion I draw is simple: when a bike is well-designed and made and the fit is this correct then you don't notice or care about the weight. To wit, a bike that fits and is well-designed simply does NOT feel heavy in any way. This is why Singers feel perfect too and they are all more than 22lbs. This bike has balance, even temper, a sweet, soft ride, and answers the call to descend and take the pressure of hard riding. I have no complaints about the way the chainstays ride or anything about the tubes. It's just perfect as a rider. My one quirk is that I was looking for a Small Legged Emma, sort of a Dario-near'tobe and its got just normal looking legs. Okay, that's fine, the ride is wonderful and Dario will build me an Emma with Big Legs (hopefully, someday, if he ever gets the tubes...)

That's it for now. Questions? I hope this wasn't too tedious.

dbrk