Parlee Z3SL

[frikinspit]

Just joined WW today and thought I would say hi.

Currently riding: 2007 Parlee Z3SL & 2008 Guerciotti Custom(my commuter bike)

Road Bikes I have owned:
1998 Specialized Allez Pro
1999 Specialized Allez Pro M4
2001 Specialized S-Works M4 Festina
2001 Specialized S-Works E5 Festina
2005 Colnago Dream HP
2006 Pinarello F4:13
2006 Colnago C50 HP
2007 Colnago Extreme-C
2007 Parlee Z3SL-currently riding
2008 Guerciotti Custom-currently riding

My Parlee is far and away the best bike I have ever ridden. It is as comfortable as the Colnago Dream HP, but is light and nimble. It sprints better than any bike I have ever ridden. All the reviews you read online are spot-on. This is the best bike money can buy.

Have been riding HED wheels for the last year+. The Jet 90, Jet 50, Hed H3C & disc. In 2005-07 Zipp 808's and 404's. Before that I rode Spinergy (Rev-X Team/Tillium/X-Aero), Rolf (Vector Comp/Vector Pro/Sestriere), Mavic (Ksyrium SSC/Cosmic Carbone/Cosmic Equipe), etc.....I am looking into getting a Lightweight Gen III Standard wheelset.

Check out my website.

Some pics of my Parlee. Scratched up the frame last year in a sprint (no carbon damage thankfully) and so I stripped the frame down and redid the decals and paint. Most I bought from Paree directly. The rest I desiged in Photoshop and had custom cut. Enjoy! Current weight with the HED 50/90 wheelset=6860grams (15.12lb). With Lightweight Gen III Standards weight will be 6059grams (13.36lb). Very light considering that all components/parts are race ready and tested. Many of the components have thousands of miles on them. No foo-foo-for-show-only parts.

NEW PICTURES/NEW PAINT JOB ADDED 7/8/08

[TheBugMan]

VERY nice bike! I'll be lookin' out for that bad ass bike on the streets.

[jipperd]

I hate to tell you, but I absolutly dislike your design, I think this 'ruins' the entire looks of the bike. I think there are way to much 'signs' on the bike and believe it's a 'bit of everyting but nothing together'. A complete cristmas tree but without the lights. The bike itsef is great but the colours and painting doesn't make me happy.

In the end I believe this is a great bike with great components but the combination doens't do it for me. but no matter what it's not my bike and it doesn't matter what I think of the bike. enjoy the ride and many same km's.

edit: I want to welcome you over here, hopefully you will have a good experience joining this forum. no way I'm willing ruin your day, it's just my opinion, again welcome over here, sorry for my kind of 'rough' welcom

[RTW]

But in the end, it's not my bike and it doesn't matter what I think of the bike. enjoy the ride and many same km's.

Precisely. Why ruin his day writing this? A fine welcome to WW. Be ashamed of yourself and your manners Jipperd.

[frikinspit]

A complete cristmas tree but without the lights.

Oooooh! Christmas lights! I didn't think of that. Anyone have any suggestions on some ultralight ones worthy of weight weenies??? Maybe LED's with carbonfiber housings???

No hard feelings.... Really. There are pleanty of bikes out there that I don't like at all. I usually keep those comments to myself unless, of course, someone is doing something that would cause problems. ie Using a Shimano 10 cassette with a Campy 10 drivetrain or a short cage derailleur with a 13-29 cassette.

My bike is not posted to make anyone happy. I know the wheels are a bit much, but they look great in a pace line at 30mph. Parlee and HED have helped me quite a bit over the last couple of years and so I have no problem doing a little free advertising on the bike.

Opinions are like asses. All of us have one. Some are nice and some just stink.

[BackRoadsBiker]

^^^ I LOLed

[Guy]

Very nice but I agree with de-stickering comment. However, if you like the look, then so be it.

[RollinOn27s]

Is that carbon fiber near the headset, uhhh, splitting?


There looks to be a distinct v-shaped notch under the aluminum of the headset race or whatever that is.

[frikinspit]

Is that carbon fiber near the headset, uhhh, splitting?

There looks to be a distinct v-shaped notch under the aluminum of the headset race or whatever that is.

It is a piece of clear frame protector. A clear vinyl. You can't see it in person. Even up close. The flash from the camera picked it up and magnified it.

The 'whatever' piece of aluminum is a titanium insert (top and botom) that all Parlee Z1, Z2 & Z3 frames have. Check out their website. www.parleecycles.com

[NS]

Welcome to the forum, not sure you'll want to bother staying .

You might like to try the Fair Wheel Bikes forum.

Nice bike BTW

[12-C]

Great bike! There is something fantastic about a Parlee.

Can you tell me about your experience with the carbon chainring? Thanks

[zooford]

is that lower pully on your RD....15t? blimey it's big.

[jmg3]

to each his own! welcome to WW - your rig is awesome!

Questions:
1) does your z3sl have a braze-on fr der ? mine requires a clamp >>>>
2) where is your complete build list, with weights?
3) what fork is that, do you like/dislike?

Your OS rear der. pulley is Cooooooooool

[frikinspit]

All Parlee bikes require a clamp-on front derailleur. Mine is a Parlee carbon clamp which weighs 7 grams. The complete build list is at my website. Just click the 'www' under any of my posts then go to 'road bike'. It doesn't show the weight of each part, but you can easily look up most all of the parts online. The Fork is an Easton EC90SL Straight Blade. I have had that fork for about 4 years. Approximately 20000 miles (32000km) on it. It is 100% full carbon with carbon dropouts. I absolutely love it. It is a perfect match to the Z3. So much so that starting in 2008 Parlee specs the fork (I don't know if it is the standard or straight blade model) on the Z1 and Z3 custom builds. Very light at under 300 grams. It has been several of my bikes.

The lower rear pulley wheel is 15t. From Fibre-Lyte. At first I had a problem with the chain jumping off, even though the Fibre-Lyte cage had a safety tab. I fabricated a new tab and haven't had any problems since. My son's bike has the same setup.

I had Fibre-Lyte full carbon chainrings on a previous bike, but the teeth wore out very quickly and chipped away little by little every time I shifted. After that I switched to a Carbon-Ti chainring (Carbon base with Ti teeth). That was a nice setup. I have since switched to campagnolo compact and no one makes carbon chainrings for them. The chainring shown is standard Campy Record chainring with a carbon fairing. The fairing is a (god forbid!!!) very heavy 3 grams. Looks nice.

[BmanX]

frikinspit - well done and I like the fact that you have gone a bit different on some of the parts. It is nice to see someone else take on what is cool. I tend to do things a bit different so I can appreciate your build for not following the norm.