My Baum Corretto, GTR Grey Red

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BMurphy
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 4:39 am
Location: Melbourne & Kuching

by BMurphy

Hi All,

This is my new Baum Corretto!! This is a little write-up about my experience and a review of how it rides:

IMG00096-20111221-1846 s.jpg

http://www.flickr.com/photos/baumcycles/6348743831
http://www.baumcycles.com/bikes/corretto

Why Baum?
I first saw a Baum at a bike show in Melbourne and was amazed with how they look. I had always liked the thought of a Titanium bike, as I had read reviews and comparisons of different bikes and materials.

Over the last couple of years I have got back into cycling and have slowly built my fitness. I've been riding my Giant OCR C2 and as my fitness improved, I realised the shortcomings of the bike for the type of riding I was doing. So, it was time to upgrade. I didn't just like the Baum because it was titanium, I could also choose the components, wheels, colour and because it is custom; I could choose how it rode.

What I asked for
From the beginning I knew I wanted a Corretto with Super Record and all other details would come. I had a great day at the Baum factory when I went for my bike fit. Nick took me through everything, coffee, bike fit, factory tour, talking paint with Jared and finalising geometry with Darren.

I told Nick and Darren I wanted a bike I could race and discussed my riding style with Darren. When I was younger and lighter I was a strong climber, I'm not at that level anymore but it's coming back, so I wanted something that could climb. Due to my mountain bike experience, I'm a good descender and wanted this bike to be fast down hill. After Darren made some adjustments to the bikeCAD, he said 'this is going to be a Rocket'. I left there after about five hours with the feeling I was going to get everything I had hoped for.

The pick-up
The bike was fully built and ready about two weeks before my pick-up date. I've been working in Malaysia, so I couldn't get it early and only had the Flickr pics to look at. I couldn't believe the photos looked exactly as the colours I had planned with Jared a month earlier. Nick told me that all the visitors to the factory were all drooling over it and that everyone at Baum was really happy with how it turned out.

After flying back home to Australia and waiting for a couple of days, it was finally pick-up day. I arrived in the morning and Nick took me around to see my bike. I was shocked and amazed to finally see it, although the photos look great, it is truly beautiful in the flesh. I put my gear on and had my first ride; my first impression was that it really accelerates quickly.

How it rides
Each time I ride it, I appreciate something else about it and my muscles are still coming to terms with my new riding position. Though, in short, it is exactly what I wanted it to be. I will try my best to describe how it rides, I may not use the right words, but hopefully you can understand what I'm getting at.

The Corretto is very stiff and responsive; after a few stomps on the cranks, the bike surges forward and accelerates rapidly, with a different sensation to my carbon, aluminium and chromoly bikes of the past; I guess this is the titanium springiness people talk about. This springiness really makes you want to power around every corner and every hill you can find.

The Corretto climbs hills better than any bike I've ridden before. Of course this is a combination of a good bike fit, geometry and weight, but it is also just what I wanted. It is very easy to find a good rhythm when seated and standing and I haven't yet been searching for a lower gear that is not there.

The reason I look forward to climbing hills with the Corretto is because it usually means there is a down hill coming. As Darren predicted it is a Rocket down hill. I have done rolling comparisons next to a couple of other bikes and have either rolled away easily or had to drag the brakes to stay next to them. On a couple of hills I have ridden regularly on my previous bike, my max. speed on the Corretto has been about 10km/h faster.

On my Corretto you steer using telepathy. Although this means it sometimes requires concentration on rough roads, at all other times it will go where I want, as hard as I want and usually before I have made a conscious decision to go there. I really just look where I want to go and use my body, no hand steering required. So far my max has been 79km/h, which I was shocked to find after my ride, because it didn't stiffen up, it's balanced and nimble at all speeds.

Specs
Baum Corretto, with GTR paint
Campagnolo Super Record groupset, with Titanium Ultra-Torque Carbon Crankset
3T seatpost, stem, bars, bar tape and forks
Enve 65/45 carbon clincher wheels and DT hubs
Selle Italia SLR Kit Carbonio saddle
Chris King headset
Speedplay pedals
Weight: 6.84kg, without pedals


I wanted to write this review for anyone else considering a Baum. At Baum, titanium is not just an alternative material to the modern carbon bikes; it can be whatever you want it to be. Mine is a seriously fast and beautiful racer, where people notice how good it looks before they realise it's titanium. For me the cost was worth it for getting exactly what I wanted. I've looked at titanium in the past, but this time I didn't even bother to consider any other brand/make. I did not want titanium and consider a Baum, I got titanium because I wanted a Baum.

The guys at Baum were professional, friendly, relaxed, patient and helpful. Darren really knows a lot about bike geometry and is a great welder. Nick gave me great advice on components and took me though the whole journey of getting the Baum. Jared's advice and paint work has really finished it off beautifully and it is exactly as planned. Thanks to all at Baum for creating my beautiful bike, I love it!!!
Attachments
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by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
astranoc
Posts: 442
Joined: Sat Jun 26, 2010 11:43 am

by astranoc

This is amazing! Stunning bike, well done and happy riding with it.

thunderceptor
Posts: 9
Joined: Fri May 07, 2010 6:40 am

by thunderceptor

Help.... I need somebody to give me a hand picking up my jaw from the floor.

That is awesome.

musket

by musket

Nice paint, was that at Shifter?

Regarding it being a rocket, can you post the CAD, or at least TT, HA*, rake, BB drop, SA*, chainstay lengths?

RichTheRoadie
Tinker, Taylor, Tart
Posts: 2070
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:00 pm
Location: Sydney, Aus.

by RichTheRoadie

Welcome to Baum World.

My Corretto is absolutely awesome - yours looks flippin' lovely (I posted it as a Friday Bike Lust on my site recently too). If it rides half as well as mine does you're one lucky fella!

Your explanation of the ride couldn't be more spot-on too - I completely agree.

:thumbup:

RichTheRoadie
Tinker, Taylor, Tart
Posts: 2070
Joined: Sat Nov 29, 2008 8:00 pm
Location: Sydney, Aus.

by RichTheRoadie

musket wrote:Nice paint, was that at Shifter?

Baum do all their own paint - Jared is a genius.

User avatar
kac
Posts: 361
Joined: Sat Dec 04, 2010 5:31 pm

by kac

A very nice write up and magnificent bicycle: simple, elegant, understated and tastefully done. I'm sure this will be a bike you will enjoy for many, many years.

KAC

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kikkie
Posts: 102
Joined: Thu Apr 14, 2011 9:09 am
Location: the Netherlands

by kikkie

Very stilefully done bicycle. I love it, everything is just spot-on!

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kx_1
Posts: 155
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:52 pm
Location: Athens/Greece

by kx_1

Excellent choice, MY FAVORITE Choice, i think is one of the most beautiful bikes out there!!!! ENjoy it.
My Builds so far... C50,EPS Erik Zabel, C59 Di2.

User avatar
kx_1
Posts: 155
Joined: Thu Aug 23, 2007 6:52 pm
Location: Athens/Greece

by kx_1

How much time did you have to wait for the bike to be ready after the first meeting the you had?
My Builds so far... C50,EPS Erik Zabel, C59 Di2.

johnymac
Posts: 39
Joined: Sun Dec 20, 2009 4:08 pm

by johnymac

:thumbup: truly and utterly magnificent, Enjoy :mrgreen:

rajMAN
Posts: 211
Joined: Wed Mar 17, 2010 4:20 pm
Location: UK

by rajMAN

Great bike and fantastic paint job, it looks the business! :D

BMurphy
Posts: 7
Joined: Tue Nov 22, 2011 4:39 am
Location: Melbourne & Kuching

by BMurphy

musket wrote:Nice paint, was that at Shifter?

Regarding it being a rocket, can you post the CAD, or at least TT, HA*, rake, BB drop, SA*, chainstay lengths?


As Rich-Ti already said, Jared at Baum is the genius behind the paint. I wanted red with either silver, grey or blue and played around with a few options. Then Jared showed me Darren's personal matt grey and green bike, then he worked up the scheme for me. I pretty much said yes straight away and he did the rest.

Geometry:
TT=approx 550mm, HAng=73deg, Rake=53mm, BBdrop=75mm, SAng=73deg, CS=412mm

kx_1 wrote:How much time did you have to wait for the bike to be ready after the first meeting the you had?


Well I had spoken to them a couple of times before at bike expos and the World Champs in Geelong and was working in Malaysia at the time, so my first contact was by phone. I think it was July 2011, when I paid a deposit to secure the build date for completion in Dec 2011, so it was 6 months. I think I beat the Cadel inspired rush.

Rich-Ti wrote:Welcome to Baum World.

My Corretto is absolutely awesome - yours looks flippin' lovely (I posted it as a Friday Bike Lust on my site recently too). If it rides half as well as mine does you're one lucky fella!

Your explanation of the ride couldn't be more spot-on too - I completely agree.

:thumbup:


Thanks Rich!! Love yours too, I looked at it may times when trying to get ideas for my colours and to read about your experience. Didn't see your post, but there was a lot of Tumblr posts


thunderceptor wrote:Help.... I need somebody to give me a hand picking up my jaw from the floor.

That is awesome.


BTW, I am not responsible for any jaw hitting floor related injuries. Please view pics with caution :D





Going to take it for it's first Malaysian group ride this weekend, so may post some pics next week

Thanks to everyone for your comments. I am truly surprised by the response I have received at WW, on the road and even by non-cyclist friends and family. My fashion sense is not great, but at least with Baum's help the bike turned out well :wink:


by Weenie


Visit starbike.com Online Retailer for HighEnd cycling components
Great Prices ✓    Broad Selection ✓    Worldwide Delivery ✓

www.starbike.com



User avatar
kgt
Posts: 8749
Joined: Sun Jun 18, 2006 10:29 am
Location: Athens, Greece

by kgt

kx_1 wrote:Excellent choice, MY FAVORITE Choice, i think is one of the most beautiful bikes out there!!!! ENjoy it.

Are you going to import them in Greece? :D

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