Love everything except the Specialized brand saddles.

Everything else on the bike is beautiful, boutique and thoughtful. It oozes obvious input from the Weenie Dali Lama (a.k.a. Madcow).

However, product from the corporate overlord "gee why don't we put a big fence around our exhibit because we're just so full of ourselves" Specialized is just out of place IMO...

But I digress.

Specialized is a proud sponsor of my team, and were helpful to keeping this bike from actually not nearly so Department of Defense expensive as what Road Bike Action speculates.

The Specialized Toupe is mentioned a lot (1267 matches) at Weight Weenies. I was going initially use the 142 gm Fizik (2522 matches) Antares, but the Toupe is lighter still (and this x2). So, the Toupe saves weight, Specialized was helpful (note the tires and water bottle cages as well), they sponsor our team, and so yay Specialized, I'm proud to have it adorn my bike.

Toupe SL Carbon Saddle

ULTRA-LIGHT PERFORMANCE ROAD
This sleek, lightweight, all-carbon design with patented Body Geometry technology is tuned for racing stiffness and minimal weight.

* Patented BG design is lab tested to assure blood flow to sensitive arteries
* "Medium" rated ultra-light padding for longer rides
* "Firm" rated fine-tuned carbon fiber shell for racing
* New oversized carbon fiber rails
* Tough, light and water-resistant Micromatrix cover
* Length: 270mm
* Width: 143mm approx. weight 112g (+/-5%)*
* Available in 130mm and 143mm widths *All sizes not available in all markets

Ritter -- no need to be defensive -- just remember, opinions are like a**holes -- and I am certainly one self-confessed opinionated pr*ck

And I can openly admit it!

(oh, and did I mention I work for one of the world's largest defense contractors?)

The saga of the Calfee Dragonfly Tandem continues. Calfee took it to display at Livestrong Austin, resulting in paint scratches that necessitated its refinishing. Since it was disassembled and at Joe's Bicycle Painting I thought it opportune to improve on the solid Cabernet Red clearcoat (which I thought too mundane), so I suggested to Calfee that it have a multi-colored design. All Calfee ever has had available is solid. Calfee stepped up, and commissioned a graphic designer, who completed a design, which will be available henceforth for new Calfee's.

So, the frame was stripped, and repainted. I replaced the stoker's Edge drop bar with a Profile Design Cobra Wing (as I proposed up thread). This too was stripped and repainted, along with the Edge captain's stem, the stoker stem, the Edge seatposts, and the Specialized water bottle cages. The drop, boom and chainstay tubes are 'naked carbon'. I don't know if that is a very light clearcoat, or indeed, naked.

This was all done so as to fluff the bike for NAHBS. Calfee discussed wheels with Rich at Wheelbuilder. They wanted to display a wheel that would be of more general utility than the Edge clinchers, which are problematic on a tandem due to rim heat issues. Rich built a set with Velocity A23 aluminum rims, which at around 1480 grams are lighter than the Edge 68's. They sport DT240 rear and ELF front hubs, with CX-Ray 28/32 spokes. I spoke with Rich about these. What with only 28/32 spokes and a shallow rim, these wheels are described as a light racing wheel. A general purpose tandem wheelset would need more spokes (which would involve different hubs, as the ELF and DT's max out at 28 and 32 respectively).

It weighs in the high 22 lbs. with the 4 bottle cages but without pedals.

Calfee had a professional photographer take some pics.










I'll finally be able to take delivery of this on March 12, after its triumphant return from NAHBS. We'll be taking it on the Solvang Century March 13th, so I hope it all works!

That is hot! Good job Calfee!

For the 1000 time: This is the most AWSOME TANDEM EVER BUILD!!!

And now with custom paintjob??? AWSOMEx6

_________________
MY YOUTUBE Channel - Helmet Cams, Notubes Working, XC Riding in Brazil.
My 9.050g Epic S-Works with custom paintjob & my CX bike

i'll echo all the other compliments--that is the most spectacular tandem i've ever seen. wow. just plain wow!

my wife and i recently rented a tandem, and we had a blast. now looking into possibly getting one. if you have any tandem-specific bike forum recommendations, i'm all ears.

congrats on your build and hope you enjoy many miles of smiles.

I'm wondering what people think about the sharp contrast between the white and naked carbon: not too sharp? That had been my initial reaction, but maybe in the flesh it looks really good.

_________________
http://djconnel.blogspot.com/
Fuji SL/1
Send your data to Weight Weenie listings!

I love it.

You MUST post pics of this bike in real life and tell us more about the ride.

Please?

_________________
Cervelo R3, Campagnolo Chorus/Record mix... pastatrails.blogspot.com
And you can call me Macktastik Honey Pete Kicks, thank you.

Thanks everyone for your comments!


What I like about this is that it isn't a custom paint job, but will be available for all new Calfee's. Before, you could have any pattern you wanted, as long as it was solid. And most people chose Cabernet Red, and so these were ubiquitous. Now, Calfee's have a design, and buyer's can choose their color schemes. The size of a tandem is such that it wants to be broken up. Also, with the Calfee's specifically, the joint wrapping build technique makes it somewhat bulbous where tubes join. This paint scheme cleverly breaks this up. It will be satisfying to see future tandems with color schemes, and that this started with my bike.


Well, the first is to not expect much tandem advice at the Weight Weenie forum. My tandem owes mightily to this forum, but not for anything tandem-specific. The BF Tandem Cycling Subforum is where you can find all about tandems.

For example, this recent thread, has a lot of specific information about purchasing a used tandem. I think that you'd not go wrong looking for a used Cannondale. These are priced well new, and have an aluminum frame from the same people that make the legendary CAAD-9. I think you should be able to get one for less than $2000, that will weigh about 36 lbs, should perform quite nicely, and should be a ton of fun. If you find the tandem isn't for you, it can be sold with no loss. But if you and your stoker demonstrate you've got it going on, then you can start ideating about a more definitive tandem.


Well, I have snapshots in which the naked carbon doesn't look nearly so nice as what this professional photographer was able to show. I think that in the flesh, I'll not be liking the naked carbon, and ultimately I'll be taking it to Joe's Bicycle painting to de-nakedify the bottom tubes.


We will take delivery of the bike on March 12th, and are signed up for the Solvang Century March 13th. So, there will be a report and in the field pics then!

There are a lot of things that I wonder about. Will the Campy 2006 triple FD shift with the 2009 SR levers? Will the SR 11 spd RD work with a triple (it supposedly needs a medium cage RD, that Campy doesn't make for 11 spd)? Will the Edge 68 rimmed wheels be stiff enough with only 28 spokes? How will the Edge 2.0 fork work, which is deemed a leading candidate for the now defunct AlphaQ tandem fork? And does that look like a big drop for the Captain?

NAHBS started today, and Urban Velo had a photo shoot of builders and their bikes.







Craig Calfee


My stoker is much better looking than this.

2010 Shimano NAHBS Award Winners

Calfee – Best Tandem



NAHBS cites its being lightweight, and it is lightweight because what I learned here at WW. So, score one for WW!

Edit:
Found a pic from the awards. The real reason I went with the weight weenie theme. So Craig Calfee can hold the tandem aloft with one arm, while holding the NAHBS 'Best Tandem' plaque in the other.

Way to go Ritterview! Excellent ride.

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-Deacon Doctor Colorado Slim

DAMN! This is cool! Now you just need Contador and Andy Schleck to set a new record on Alpe d'Huez

The bike was weighed at Calfee. 22.48 lbs (10.196 kg)




As depicted: