What is a "Montana Road Bike"?: Bikefanclub.com

For one thing.....a Montana Road Bike is mine and can be seen in the photo gallery on the Kirk site as photo number 16. It now has about 400 road miles on it and is built up with a 2002 Campy Chorus gruppo that includes a Chris King headset, Speedplay X2 pedals, Campy Proton wheels, and a Fizik Alliante saddle.

This is the first steel road bike I have had since I was a young teenager (Gitane 10 speed) and that was more than a few years ago since I am about Dave Kirks age (right around 40). After having my share of aluminum rigs (2 C'dales and a De Rosa Planet) since I took up cycling as an adult about 8 years ago all I can say is "Wow" after riding the frame/fork that Dave built for me.

My cycling friends will tell you that the question I always asked after they bought new titanium and carbon-fiber frames from renowned companies was "but is it the fit or is it really the materials" since I think it is an awfully expensive bet to put down thousands of dollars on a frame with a material that you have never really ridden for an extended period. I know that one should find a way to do extensive rides on a prototype of what is being considered but there are not many places to actually do that including my home town. Why do I say this? Because I also bought "blindly" and put my trust in Dave's ability to understand what I was looking for and transalate that into a ride that would work based upon the tubing and design that he incorporated. Also, I have a healthy sense of scepticism about price or pro sponsorship being an indication of what is best for non-professional riders like ourselves.

To be clear, I was looking for a modern day "racing" bike that I could train hard on and do fast club rides with while at the same time have the versatility to use a fatter cross tire for late fall/winter riding here in the Northland. My goal is to do 5,000 miles this year which realistically is about 8 months of riding. The decision to go with steel was in no way about nostolgia or retrogrouchedness but rather a gamble that modern steel in the hands of the right builder would create a ride that just feels right in a way that goes beyond scientific techno explanations (its stiffer, its lighter, the bottom bracket is more firm, its lighter, it looks cooler, its lighter and of course, that it's lighter which seems to be the mantra of modern day marketing types). I don't mean to belittle the weight issue but I am not a hardcore racer, my body fat is not at 5% or less, and my training regime is less than perfect given my family life and career demands so I am not going pay up for weight savings solely for the purpose of saving weight. I mean, the rest of the package has to work first and then I will consider the weight issue.

The result is a road geometry that has two modifications to accomadate wider tires; utilizing a 42 chainstay instead of 41.5 and the use of cantilever brakes. FWIW- I had a fitting with a renowned fitter on the east coast and must say that he trully nailed it. That fitting sheet was the basis for what Dave Kirk built.

Working with Dave was an absolute pleasure. He is a great combination of a master craftsman, a humble personality, a strong sense of customer service whereby he trully wants to create the bike you are looking for, and all around good guy. It may sound corny but there is something about the final product that is enhanced by the experience of working with a builder in what he allows you to believe is a collaberative effort of his listening to you and then responding with ideas for what he thinks is the correct way to build the frame/fork.

Of course, none of the above is important if the ride is anything less than great. What Dave built for me just feels right with a perfect balance of stiffness and resilience that provides a sense that the bike is working with you and not against you. It really is sublime and it feels like the frame, fork, and you are one cohesive unit. The aforementioned aluminium bikes that I had were certainly very stiff and race worthy but in comparison to the Kirk they felt like they were working against me and not with me. Steel, as Dave has built it, just feels right.

So what does this all add up to in terms of performance? An incredible feeling of "Oh my Gd...this is the way it is supposed to be".

FWIW- I haven't weighed it buy my guess is that fully built up it comes in around 19-20 pounds which is definatly heavier than my previous bikes. However, an unscientific survey using a computer would say that I am faster on this bike than my previous bikes including very definately being faster on the hills. Clearly, a big part of the reason is the dialed in fit but that is not all since I have ridden the exact same geo's on a ti rig. I really beieve that the other reason is the snap and responsiveness that Dave has built into the bike which is proven out in terms of performance.

So that is a Montana Road Bike in the words of a layman. Wow.