Coming to London to buy an overpriced road bike : Where to shop?

what about the ex army guy who builds custom fitted carbon bikes?

Or you could opt for the Dura-Ace crankset and the shifters, go Ultegra on everything else.

It's fairly common for people to trick out the big ticket parts of the groupset (cranks being the most notable), and then to cut corners on the consumable parts (cassette, chain) and the parts that others may not notice (rear der).

The differences between the best and the one just below aren't that great, and none of us are professional riders likely to notice.

Invest in the frame and fork, everything else can be re-considered later.

If you have the cash, invest in the big ticket parts of the group, replace the cheap bits later if you ever feel the need.

I'd never want to cut corners on the consumable parts (cassette, chain, tyres etc) as they have massive impact on how a bike rides and performs. It would be no fun to ride a nice bike with mediocre tyres and heavy/poor quality cassette/chain. You may visually notice the Dura Ace cranks, but I seem to remember that the Ultegra cranks were right up there as one of the best/stiffest cranks on the market.

Well given the rate one goes through chains and cassettes, it's somewhere you can cut corners and change your mind later for very little cost.

It's not really possible to cut corners on the big tickets items and change that decision for little money at a later date.

Hence... if you're going to (and I figure price is why Yorgo hasn't Dura-Aced everything), then the lower price consumables is certainly the place to begin.

Performance wise I reckon you'd ba hard pressed to detect any difference between 105/Ultegra/DA.

I cannot tell the difference between my Ultegra or my DA cassettes, and the 105 is an Ultegra with a heavier lockring IIRC.

The price difference between a 105 cassette and a DA cassette is significant- if you are looking for best bang for your buck I'd get a 105 cassette and a KMC-S10/S11 chain (simply because I know and like the SL version).

I've tried 6770 Di2 back to back with 7970 and they work the same - although this was prior to the most recent software revision, which would give the 6770 a significant edge.

I have no experience of the 9000 Di2, but Hippy has- it appears to help you go quite fast for 24 hours, so I imagine he may be in a position to comment on it.

I went for those wheels:

The ENVE wheelset was nice but soooo much more expensive.

Also spent an obscene amount of money on moots stem and seatpost. Forks will be ENVE carbon.

Nice choice, I really rate the exalith rim coating.

They look cool, but they are also one of the older style narrow rims- 19mm outside-outside, according to a quick Google.

Received wisdom now is that a wider rim bed (such as the Velocity A23 has) gives a tyre profile closer to that of a tubular tyre, increasing compliance giving a better level of comfort and grip.

Personally, if going for clinchers (forgive me if those are tubs) I'd either go for a Firecrest/ENVE type wider rim in carbon, or if going for an alloy rim one of the HED range, or an A23, or indeed H+ Son Archetypes.

The exalith does make a cool sound when braking mind you- whilst it's still on the rim.

Something like this: http://www.stradawheels.co.uk/shop/h-plus-son-archetype/ which would have the side benefit of likely being a pound lighter than the Cosmics.

Le car, may I ask why you didn't go for moots forks if you've gone for moots everything else?

Not wanting to wish my life away, but if your's is anything to go by, I cannot wait for my mid life crisis.

And I'd agree with what Dammit said. Wider rims completely changed the ride experience of my bicycletta.

JB, I didn't go for a Moots fork as they're carbon painted to lool as Ti, and I'd rather have a "raw" aspect to all parts of the bike.

ENVE forks are painted flat black, I was disappointed to find- I'd have liked mine to have been bare carbon.

I'm having them painted the same colour as the frame.

JB, I didn't go for a Moots fork as they're carbon painted to lool as Ti, and I'd rather have a "raw" aspect to all parts of the bike.

I had no idea, I thought they were Ti. That's a shame. Still, Enve looks good on everything.

Yorgo, won't they do them in any colour? I have also seen white and black moots forks.

Also spent an obscene amount of money on moots stem and seatpost. Forks will be ENVE carbon.

If you want I can move this thread to Current Projects and you can share all of the design decisions and choices you make along the way and then the finished article.

Edit: dident c you allrdy bought a frame.

Seems to be a great bike! congrats.

I would like a Moots.

Ill let you know if the time comes! Or better yet, just do it!!

Yorgo, won't they do them in any colour? I have also seen white and black moots forks.

Older forks were painted black with white logos. Believe those were Alpha Q´s. Moots will do custom but dont think they do paint. But someone else will for sure if they dont.

Loving the front-facing fan...

I'd 2nd Condor cycles, grays inn road, lovely selection of bikes, or slightly outside of London is Shorter Rochford cycles in Potters Bar

finally:

Thanks for posting! I was waiting to get the final version just as I wanted it (it's meant to have a Moots stem, they put an Enve one by mistake, and a Fizik Kurve saddle)

Beyond these details the bike is amazing, dangerously fast, and a pleasure to ride!