Here is my custom KVA MS2 stainless steel beauty built by Alchemy for Blacksmith Cycle...

Frame: KVA MS2 stainless, graphics designed by me
Fork: Enve 2.0 - simple, stiff and light
Group: Shimano Di2 with Icarus hidden battery and Mini-USD charger plug
Wheels: Tune Schwarzbrenner Tubular wheels
Bar and Stem: 3T Rotundo LTD with Tune 4-bolt
Saddle: Tune Kom Vor full carbon
ISP capper: Tune Cappy
Cages: Arundle Dave-O
Weight: 14.1 lbs in a very tall size

This bike was actually t-boned by a d1ck-head on a commuter, and I'm lucky to be in one piece. Even luckier that Alchemy was able to replace the top-tube for me, which was taco'd, and get me back on the road. I've since switched to a Pro Vibe carbon front end, since the 3T was destroyed, but otherwise she remains pretty much as is. Great thing about stainless is you can ride all winter - Toronto winter is the real deal - without any worry about the finish getting ruined.



I am seriously impressed by the stiffness and ride quality...much snappier than any steel bike I had ever ridden previously. Geometry was my own design, so I basically looked at all the bikes I've enjoyed in the past and came up with my ideal numbers. All in, I have been very pleased. Given that we sell these framesets for under $3-k with custom geometry in my shop, our customers have had good things to say about the overall package. As you can see, I am really the ideal custom geometry candidate...this bike has a 55 cm top-tube with a seat-tube and head-tube befitting a 61 cm bike. I am weird, but this bike fits me to a T.

Happy to field any questions here, or just email me!

Best,
Mike

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Blacksmith Cycle - bespoke bicycles - info@blacksmithcycle.com
Alchemy - Baum - Cyfac - I.F. - Parlee - Passoni - Scapin - Storck
Website: http://www.blacksmithcycle.com

I like it.

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Storck Fenomalist 6.3kg.
BMC Teammachine SLR01

If it wasn't for the mayor (joke) :

http://www.cyclismas.com/2012/12/embatt ... -the-year/

Nice bike BTW

Louis

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http://www.ccsalma.com

Man I would be worried about road salt on everything else! I am out in Milton but can't bring myself to bring my ti bike out on the salty roads.

Beautiful! Love my Alchemy as well. Super product out of those guys.

Thanks, guys...yeah, our FORMER mayor is a real a-hole, and the primary reason I didn't vote for him was his anti-cycling stance. Luckily Toronto remains a cycling hotbed nonetheless.

As for road salt, Di2 is pretty damn robust, as evidence of its regular use in CX racing.

Not only do I love the ride of this bike, but I also dig steel's lower carbon footprint as well, something I've been thinking more and more about lately.

Best,
Mike

_________________
Blacksmith Cycle - bespoke bicycles - info@blacksmithcycle.com
Alchemy - Baum - Cyfac - I.F. - Parlee - Passoni - Scapin - Storck
Website: http://www.blacksmithcycle.com

Definitely a dick mayor. I was very happy to get out of the city!

Beautiful. Though the 7900 Di2 is almost 1.5 lbs heavier than SRAM Red, isn't it? Worth it?

http://www.totalcycling.com/component-weights.html

Well, that's a tough question, especially on weightweenies!
I would say that I do prefer Di2 to Red, even the newer version of SRAM's group.
Why? Better shifter ergonomics, cleaner rear shifting, and more definitive front shifting.
But I am also not as weight obsessed as I used to be.
I know, sacrilegious to say around here, but at my height, if a bike is sub-15, that's about light enough for me.
Am I going to be run out of here with pitchforks now?
If I was going to go mechanical, I'd go Campy Record, btw...I prefer the feel to the other mechanical groups. New Dura Ace would be a very close second, in a virtual tie with Red.
But this is way off topic now, isn't it...don't mean to start a groupset flame war!

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Blacksmith Cycle - bespoke bicycles - info@blacksmithcycle.com
Alchemy - Baum - Cyfac - I.F. - Parlee - Passoni - Scapin - Storck
Website: http://www.blacksmithcycle.com