Need help building a tough looking pavé bike (Pimp My Infinito)

[Shrike]

First post but been a lurker on and off for years. The roads where I ride are comically bad. Like an assault course! So when I started cycling again I was determined to build a reasonably light but comfortable bike. I'd like to get her down to around 7kg with pedals if possible, but getting the balance right between cost, strength, weight and looks has me running around in circles. Figured I'd get your help!

Looking for a brooding, butch sort of build. Nothing prissy.. just purposeful!



Originally was a compact Ultegra with FSA finishing kit. Moving to full Dura Ace mechanical, mid compact. Removed the FSA finishing kit and compact bars and replaced them with 3T and trad bars. Just placeholders for whatever I end up going for. Really want a chunkier sort of stem.

Was hoping for some ideas (has to be blacked out though) and the wheels I'm stuck on. Want deep section, but want them to be budget enough to feel happy using daily on crap roads. Sub £700 would be great, can even be alu rimmed like Red Winds maybe?

Thoughts appreciated!

Currently:

Weight: 8KG (with cages, K-Edge mount and Look Max 2 pedals)
Frame: Bianchi Infinito CV 2015 55cm
Wheelset: Fulcrum LG 5
Stem: 3T Arx II
Seatpost: 3T Ionic
Saddle: San Marco Aspide
Crankset: Dura Ace 52/36
Front Mech: Dura Ace 9000
Shifters: Ultegra
Brakes: Ultegra

[fa63]

You could change the seatpost/stem/handlebar, get new brakes (like the EE brakes), lightweight tubular wheels etc. to get closer to 7 kg. But you probably won't feel a difference, except your wallet will be a lot lighter

The Infinito is a great frame (I have an Intenso without the CV technology which rides great, so I can only imagine yours being even better) but not the best foundation for a lightweight bike. I suggest focusing on functionality, throw on some 28 mm tires like the frame is designed for to take the sting out of the crappy roads, and enjoy the ride!

[Shrike]

I guess you're right, maybe aiming for 7.5kg would be more realistic and in keeping with the frame's intent! Ordered new brakes about an hour before reading this post, but ordered the Dura Ace ones. Maybe get the rest of the DA set this week and be done with it.

I'm struggling finding a seatpost and stem combination that I like. Deda's Superleggerro black on black seatpost has a nice shape, but I don't like any of their stems as I want a chunkier looking one. Zipp and Enve do nice chunky stems, but was hoping to go Italian and keep the seatpost and stem the same brand.

What's the word on mixing up finishing kit?

[Shrike]

Some bar set ups that I think look pretty mean but not sure if they'll suit my bike (hard to find a lot of Infinito CV inspiration, most seem to be with FSA finishing kit on Google images and such).


Zipp cockpits






Zipp on a Bianchi. Think it could be pulled off?

[abrown3mtg]

You could always find a stem which has a shape you like and debage it (light sanding to remove paint and logos) than re clear coat it... Match the post and bars with Italian spec...

Personally I'd upgrade wheels first which will bring the biggest noticeable effect, second swap to a lighter pedal (rotational weight), than revisit the finishing kit...

Gorgeous bike!

[mrgray]

for brooding definitely go deep on wheels. 50 mm at least. i think such a frame deserves nice wheels. boras! 2nd hand here in Aust we tend to see them for around the 700 quid mark. very strong wheels so no issues there i reckon and light at around 1300g for the ultra 2. dark label would do it best of course. longest 3t team arx stem you can handle plus acetone and then you're onto it.

i agree with above too, big tyres. i'm running vittoria pave 27 mm and these are good. not too heavy (300 g) and lots of volume (in reality not much wider than the 25 mm on my 20 mm rims).

[Shrike]

Thanks guys... Campy wheels and Shimano groupset? I thought you'd be totally opposed to that! Love the look of Boras, maybe my all time fav design, but have been avoiding thinking about them because of the stigma there!

[fa63]

They look fine if you take the stickers off, in my opinion. I ran de-stickered Zonda clinchers on an otherwise Shimano build for several years. Campy does build great wheels indeed.

[Frankie - B]

With the platform you have, hitting the 7kg mark can be quite a hassle. As others have said, go for wide tires. You mention you want deep section wheels. Maybe you can find some tubeless ready wheels and use those with wide tubeless tires. The tacx tao cages seem a bit heavy, you could change those out as well.

[Shrike]

How are tubs for a daily training wheel? What can I expect putting out 100 to 200 miles a week on them? I have images of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way to repair a puncture!

[Frankie - B]

I took the liberty of taking your quote of me out of the above post. Please scroll a bit down and use the quick reply box in stead of the quote button. Esp when you are answering the text directly above.
Thanks

tubs is an abbreviation of tubulars or sew ups, (if my English is correct) this means that tire and inner tube are one construction and need to be glued to the rim.
Tubular tires on the other hand rely on a strong bead and rim interface to make sure no air is leaking. this can be aided with liquid latex that also helps in case of a puncture.

[fa63]

How are tubs for a daily training wheel? What can I expect putting out 100 to 200 miles a week on them? I have images of getting stuck in the middle of nowhere with no way to repair a puncture!

Some ride tubulars all the time, and good sealants will repair most punctures you might encounter on the road. Also, you could carry a pre-glued spare tubular with you. Perhaps most importantly on this board, tubular wheelsets are quite a bit lighter than their clincher counterparts.

That said, in this day and age, clinchers have gotten quite good; now they have comparable (or even superior at times) rolling resistance, especially when used with latex inner tubes, braking related heat issues are becoming a thing of the past, and of course you don't have to worry about gluing on tires.

In the end though, you have to decide what is more important for you

[mrgray]

i use tubulars for every ride, commuting racing etc. sealant has changed the game a bit. if you have a pump and some sealant you'll fix most issues. that said i carry a light spare tubular. it has glue on it and the residual glue on the rim means no issues there. in fact even if not pre-glued residual glue on rim will do the trick as long as the fit is OK. in my opinion people get a bit paranoid about the whole tubular thing when in reality it works out pretty great, albeit costing a $ because one tends to like the nice supple tubs and every now and then one gets a serious puncture and is trashed well before it wears out.

the way i see it tubs give best/lightest ride and so that's the way to go. of course being comfortable and non-anxious is important too. tubs can certainly work though and plenty of people use them full-time as far as i can tell (although higher percentage of people on this site versus what you'll find out on the street in your area i would dare say)

[Shrike]

Two things that also attract me to tubulars is that it's something new (always like trying new stuff), and you can get some nice deals on tubular wheels, really deep discounts occasionally, maybe because they're harder to shift? Not sure. Doing a bit of Googling to see how often the tubular rolls off and what sort of problems/crashes that causes people. Wasn't even aware of that issue until last night's reading!

[mrgray]

+1 for trying something new. totally agree.

i sold a guy some hyperons last week. rear was glued, front was a fresh tyre and not glued. i just put it on the rim for transport. thought he would spot that. he didn't. i messaged him to make sure he had picked up on that day after he got them. he replied saying he'd been riding them quite hard in the mountains. so that was an unglued tub but with residual glue on rim. my experience and others i've read has been tubs are very forgiving. apparently less so in cyclocross where alot of moisture can get involved.