My first road bike: B'twin Mach 720 57cm, bought almost brand new for 1280SGD (~914USD), sold for 1650SGD (~1178USD), made a tidy profit after getting acquainted with road cycling, about 500km
Btwin 2 by Justin Chew, on Flickr
Btwin 1 by Justin Chew, on FlickrMy second road bike: Canyon Ultimate CF SLX size L with Sram Red and Aksiums, bought for 2500SGD (~1785USD)
Canyon 1 by Justin Chew, on FlickrI'm in the process of selling my Ultimate and I'm planning for my next bike. I'm 181cm and the two bikes I bought were slightly too big for me. Well, I'm young and flexible so I just adapted. And i like riding stretched out and in the drops most of the time anyway. I really like the Ultimate but the 1 1/4 fork makes finding a shorter stem difficult to be less stretched out on the bike. For my next bike, I am considering a fixed gear. Singapore is pretty much flat and there are only some short steep hills so riding fixed is doable. Also, I think I can build one under 6kgs quite easily within my budget, 2500SGD (1785USD).
Frame Dolan Pre Cursa 54/56cm GBP286.65(with fork) (includes shipping) 1780g
Fork Pre Cursa ???
Headset
Topcap
Stem Kalloy Uno 120mm Ebay USD25.84 117g
Handlebars Pro PLT compact 40cm bike-components.de EUR36.09 ~255g
Seatpost
Seatpost clamp
Saddle
Brake calipers Sram Rival CRC GBP27 144g
Brake lever
Brake cable
Bottom Bracket see below
Crank Sram Omnium Silver 165mm bike-components.de EUR133.61 + shipping EUR19.95 825g
Chainrings see above
Chain
Sprocket
Lockring
Pedals
Front Rim Farsports 38mm deep 25mm wide U-shape tubular USD266 (include shipping and fees) 360g
Rear Rim Farsports 38mm deep 25mm wide U-shape tubular 360g
Front Hub Mack Road Front Silver 20H mackhubs.com EUR110 66g
Rear Hub Mack Track Low Flange Silver 24H w/ bladed spokes mackhubs.com EUR126 + shipping EUR8 190g
Spokes Sapim CX-Rays
Skewers KCNC Ti Road Skewers bike-components.de EUR35.25 46g
Tires Continental Sprinter Gatorskin Tubular 25c bike-components.de EUR70.50 / probikekit.com USD92.98 / CRC GBP66.98 / Wiggle USD85.72 600g
I think a Dolan Pre Cursa is a solid choice though it looks a bit meh. I am also considering a carbon fixie frame from Lightcarbon which is a Chinese frame manufacturer associated with Yishun bikes. I might also consider getting the rims from Yishun bikes as the price, weight and profile of the rims are almost identical. The carbon frame will cost 389USD and is much lighter as well, around 1050g for the frame and maybe 350g for the fork. Just based on weight savings alone, it seems quite worth it. Its just whether I can trust a Chinese frame manufacturer, at least its their own model and not a knock off. I think I will get the Sram Omniums. They seem quite durable and stiff considering the weight and price. If i get the Omniums, I will get matching 1/8 sprockets and chain. However, if i get a different crank or just change the chainrings of the Omnium to a 3/32 one, I think i can get the whole set up to be much lighter. Fibrelyte chainrings seem quite good value. Also, i don't really need that much stiffness as the most I'll be doing is sprinting from the traffic light. Regarding the wheels, I have some questions regarding the rim depth and spoke count. Is getting a higher spoke count really that important? I'm only 70kgs, I think 20/24 should be ok? If I dont build my own bike, I'm considering getting a Bombtrack Needle or Script. A local dealer is selling them at a reasonable price, 1300SGD (928USD), and they come with the Sram Omniums too. However, the weight would be around 8.5kgs. If i get carbon wheels, it will probably drop by 700g, but its still quite heavy. Failing that I dont get a fixie, I'm considering building a R066 with ultegra and carbon wheels. A road build will be more straightforward I think and it will probably end up just below 7kgs. With the falling euro and pound, I think its rather a good time to get a new bike!
In conclusion, can I get opinions on the following:
1. Which frame to get? especially should i trust a less known chinese carbon frame?
2. Should i use 1/8 stuff or 3/32 stuff?
3. What spoke count should i get?
4. Help me fill up the rest of the components list?
Thanks guys!
P.S. Sorry for the poor pictures (non drivetrain side, chain not on big ring).
