RAAD-DAAD-CAAD + Tallboy + S-Works Crux

I always wondered what the 3 represented in 3T.

Yes, steeper on this.

To be honest the position on the 3T I didn’t have time to play with because I was scared the saddle would start to slip. I set it at 0 offset. I’ve got pretty long legs and should have probably run it with offset. But guess we’ll never know...

@hoops imagine if i had paid for custom paint 🙈

Custom paint is overrated anyway.

Steeper and longer? Interesting
If you’re changing bars and the reach is different I guess it depends on whether you just want the hoods in the same place or the tops

If this is accurate I'm all set...

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Ha, I know right. Yes, it's true. I will never buy a second hand carbon bike/frame that's for sure.

Merlin have been exceptional. Full refund inbound. Collection being arranged.

My brother is going to pop an order in for the Hope brakes + bar ends and chainring bolts. Black makes them easy to sell, but looking at this build I think Silver may be an excellent choice.
https://bikebox.ch/news/custom-aufbau/

Once I have all the new bits in hand first dibs noted on Blue RX4s. Your 3rd set, no? :)

Merlin have been exceptional. Full refund inbound.

Its really great to hear that Merlin aren't being difficult. I can imagine certain other retailers would try force the warranty replacement route and all the ball ache that comes with it.

I think silver would look excellent if you go for that green colour way. I seen a black set on ebay with silver bore caps that looked really nice. But full silver would stand out well on that frame.

Your 3rd set, no?

Will be my fourth set! I know that eventually my winter frame will eventually be replaced with something with flat mounts so I'm really planning ahead here!

Current status in an image....
3T stripped and on its way back to Merlin Wednesday.
Lost a Di2 cable and junction in the frame so the BB has had to come out. Sigh. I was hoping for a graceful extraction.

SL7 is ready to be shipped.
130mm stem not.
Hopefully they’ll both land here tomorrow.

Ordered/purchased
Hope threaded (yesssss) BB.
Hope RX4 Flatmount F+R.
Hope bar plugs.
Di2 junction for seatpost

Wanted/Need to buy:
Di2 cables of many lengths.
Di2 wireless and ridiculously priced thingy-ma-bob.
Bar tape. Ripping the old (new) off hurt, that’s for sure. At least I only need to wrap half on these fancy aero bars. 😎

I will comment on Specialized’ manuals; they’re exceptional. Step by step build on the Sl7! All cable lengths etc detailed too. Still, I’m going to see if I can make what I have work before I take the costly just buy all the correct cable approach.

I’m hoping an absolute max of 2 weeks and this will be rideable. 6-8 weeks for it to be finished. No current ETA on Hope callipers.

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I will comment on Specialized’ manuals; they’re exceptional.

I thought this too! Mine came with full installation manuals and two sets of axles, one with levers and one with out.

Looking forward to seeing this, did you go for the green frameset??

Surely needs a specialized saddle!?!
I’ve kept hold of a saddle in the vain hope I get an sworks 🤣

Saddle, perhaps actually.
I've got my eye on this: https://www.lfgss.com/conversations/360512/#comment15871695

I discovered wide saddles last year and it changed my arse life. But I'm kind of loathed to switch. With that said, the Power looks like it might be a good choice for me.
I'm sure my Aliant R1 Carbon Wide could net me £200 on eBay or £80 here, so i'm over half way.

But i'd then need big S bar tape. Because i like everything in at least pairs. ARGH.

@TotalShanner, yup. Snake Eyes it is. Would have been the perfect accompanying bike to the Purple CAAD eh... Can't afford a winter bike now and in the age of disks wheels aren't really what's holding me back here.
I might make a guest appearance at a local club ride in the winter on this and see what's said. "Hi, i'm new to cycling and wanted to learn more about the club" tsk tsk tsk.
I always enjoy blatting around down here on bikes because nobody knows who i am 😉 #solo

Yup, turn up at the club ride on an S Works ' I picked this up off Facebook, and wanted learn more about it' wearing flat shoes with Speedplays mounted on the bike.

Do it! I know saddles are kinda personal but the specialized ones really are great.
This is going to be soo good. You and @TotalShanner will need an sworks off once sorted!!

wearing flat shoes with Speedplays mounted on the bike.

I once did the local 20 Hilly TT on a borrowed bike in a pair of Globe skate shoes stood of a pair of Shimano SPD-SLs. Think I posted a 58 as well 😱. Oh to be in my early teens again. Ha!

I always had reservations about the seat tube / seatpost contact on these frames for teh bigg ladssss.

Seems my concerns were not entirely unfounded.

Absolute jokes.

Yeah its strange, from memory @yeahdext said he's 193cm tall and I'm I'd guess probably a similar weight to me around 90-95kg or so?

Obviously most folk riding 58/60 frames are on the larger end of the spectrum but we're hardly at the big fat bastard end. But great that the warranty is there and working the way it should.

I'm absolutely up for an sworks-off😂

I've been plauged by set backs and injury since getting the Tarmac built. Rode into a tree on my mountain bike last weekend and can't use my right arm much at the moment.

As soon as I'm able bodied and nice enough weather comes to take proper photos of the Tarmac I'm starting an s-works owners clubs and an hope rx4 posse

@Zed Yup. Hopefully the extra 14mm of seat tube the SL7 affords me will help. 😬

That said, I think much of this manifests in the seatpost / tube design. Sorry 3T, im sure it's great for a whippet, but not me.

Obviously most folk riding 58/60 frames are on the larger end of the spectrum but we're hardly at the big fat bastard end. But great that the warranty is there and working the way it should.

Give or take 1 KG / CM :)

Interesting that Specialized market this: "While other manufacturers do indeed make changes to the lay-up and tube shape of their various sized bikes, they make these changes to achieve those stiffness targets which are based off of the 56cm frame. What McLaren, and the new dynamic testing protocol has taught us is that these stiffness targets need to vary by size in order to achieve optimum performance.

So the real revolution that distinguishes Rider-First Engineered from size specific is not that there are changes to each frame size, but that the aim of these targets is not to achieve the same stiffness target — but different targets for each frame which have been established by the forces that the size rider of that bike will exert on it."

Get the excuses in early, good plan

Oh wow, I hadn't heard that before. I used to sometimes wonder about the claimed input from McLaren, I couldn't help think it was just a marketing exercise but it seems they really have used their knowledge.

Haha! My tarmac has honestly been ridden no more than three times since the build was finished. Embarrassing.
But it was winter too... ahem

I think the looser has to forfeit their bike to me 🤷‍♂️

I'm strictly #savetherimbrake so I have I have an S-Works Tarmac SL6 rim brake on the way...

Seems entirely fair.
I won't take part in the wager, though it would be hilarious watching you try and ride a size 49

Ooh what colour have you got coming?

I was close to ordering the white/dove tail or whatever its called

I'm strictly #letscancelrimbrakes tho