I've been a long-time lurker in these interwebs. Yet despite having been a WW forum member since 2012, I have yet to properly introduce myself, through the bikes I ride. So here it goes!
I have been riding the road bike since June 2010, mostly during weekends. In mid-2013, I decided to try out triathlon but had no enough money to buy another frame; a few months before that, I splurged all my savings to get myself a 2013 11v Campy Chorus groupset. Also, I have always believed (having read it here somewhere) that you only buy what you can afford to replace, hence as much as I would have wanted to splurge for a carbon triathlon frameset, I resisted. On the other hand, I was always interested to try out a steel frameset (my two previous frames, a Fuji ACR 1.0 and a CAAD9 BB30, were aluminium); fortunately, I was able to meet an excellent local framebuilder here in Manila who specializes in fillet-brazed steel frames, Sir Ave Maldea.
So I bought Columbus SL tubing from the local distributor and brought to him the tubes last December. I copied the geometry of a Lynskey T230 frame (size small) and let him do his magic. After four months of waiting (yes, that's how long the queue for his framesets!), I finally got the finished frame and had it painted in pearl white from a nearby auto paint shop. Although the paint workmanship is good, it could have been better. Hence, the next time I have it repainted, I'll go to a proper bike painter. Haha
With no further ado, I present to you my fillet-brazed Columbus SL triathlon bike:
Frame: Columbus SL tubing, fillet-brazed
Fork: Columbus SL tubing, fillet-brazed
Headset: Chris King NoThreadset, 1 1/8"
Handlebar: FSA Wing Pro, 42cm
Stem: Giant Connect, 90mm (w/ stainless steel bolts)
Seatpost: Thomson Elite, 27.2mm
Saddle: Fizik Tritone
Groupset: Shimano "Ultiagra" 11-speed*
Wheelset: Fulcrum Racing 3 w/ Chorus 12-27 cogs
Tires: Michelin Service Course Pro 4 25mm (F) / Vittoria Rubino Pro 23mm (R)**
Pedals: Look Keo 2 Max
*There is a slight problem on the FD cable routing. The chainstays were a tad too short to accommodate FD-6800. So the bike mechanic decided to install a 10-speed FD-4600 instead. Yes, the shifting effort is a bit higher than the usual, but it isn't a deal breaker for me.
**The bike can't accommodate the 25mm Michelin clinchers on the back. I retained the wider tire up front for better handling (lots of road debris on the route I typically ride) and comfort.
Weight: I didn't bother weighing it, as I knew it's much heavier than my road bike (a Giant TCR SLR). Speaking of which, here it is:
Thoughts on the steel frameset:
Simply magical. What they say about steel framesets, that "steel is real", is indeed true. While it is heavy like a pig and doesn't accelerate as snappy as my aluminium bikes (present and past), its vibration dampening wonders can't be praised enough. I don't feel as tired as before; this is a big plus for triathlon events, when you still have to run after cycling for oh-so kilometers.
On the Ultegra 6800 groupset, I have been surprised by how smooth and functional it is. I've been a Campagnolo user for the past three years and have *occasionally* lambasted Shimano's road offerings even though I haven't tried them before. Now, I eat my words: 11-speed Shimano is bonkers. Yes, the Campagnolo shifter hoods are still more comfortable. Yes, I still prefer the more tactile feel of Campagnolo shifting. But Ultegra 6800 is growing one me. I won't be surprised if, sooner or later, I'll dispose the Campy Chorus for another Ultegra 6800 set or, better yet, a DA 9000 set for the road bike.
Thanks WW!
