My advice would be to try and get as much of the frame made of CroMo as fits within your budget and try to make sure that at least the back rim is a double wall rim if not both rims. It really all ends up being about what you can pay. I always suggest ... more »

I'm no expert but it looks to me like you are pulling your foot off because you are moving your lower body back to get clearance to throw the bars. Try bending at the knees and keeping your upper body straight up and down rather than hunching over.

This, although the rim strip sometimes doesn't help. I had a similar problem and when I actually looked into it, what had happened was a piece of metal shaving from the spoke hole drilling had gotten up in the tire. I noticed this because I saw that ... more »

I would advise against using steel wool on a tire. Scotch Brite is probably fine if you don't rub too hard for too long.

This is, indeed, a sweet bike.

Hey, us Chucks gotta stick together man! You're ride is sweeeet. The Wipperman chain is crazy looking. I think R32s will be the next stop on my bike, probably around this time next year.

Well, ended up going with black Madera Protocol HTs (essentially Profiles) and a Kink Bedlam sprocket in white. I'll update after I get them on my bike. I really like the Éclats, especially the Tibias, but didn't feel like changing over to a 22mm BB, ... more »

Yeah I forgot to mention that the Ezra Flats are the same as the Premium Slim PCs. The cages are slightly different but interchangeable between the two. They can both be had for the same price so it's just a matter of which style you like better.

I ride these and I'll tell you why they're great: really light, replaceable cages, sealed bearings and no pedal wrench needed just an allen key.

A 21" TT might be a little big for you. I'd seriously consider the Kink Whip. It's got a little smaller dimensions, 20.5" TT, 8" bars, etc.

I think that the brand is less important than other things like making sure you get the right size bike, especially when you are starting out. How tall are you? I'll assume a 21" TT is appropriate. I also suggest making sure whatever you get has at least ... more »