Rims, Bar & Stem 02.27.08

Something about the machining and craftmanship of Thomson just sets them worlds apart from any other manufacturer. They produce only stems and posts but I sure wish they expand operations into handlebars. The L.H. Thomson Company, Inc. is located out of Macon, GA. Another "made in USA" product which exudes quality.





For now hoops are Mavic Crossland UST 26". Maybe some Crossmax SLR's in the future, we'll see. I remove all stickers from wheels since they're going to peel at one point down the road anyway. I figure I'll 'beat it to the punch,' plus I like the look of pure stealthy black. Hubs are centerlock which will need an adaptor to mate with standard 6-bolt rotors. These rims are capable of using a UST tubeless tire or traditional tire + tube. I liked having the option. Mavic designs hubs to incorporate straight-pull spokes rather then the traditional j-bend. This feature alone commits me as a loyal follower for the obvious mechanical advantages. Not to mention sealed cartridge bearings and FTS-L (Force Transfer System - Light) hubs. Yeah, you could say I've had excellent experience with Mavic.

Here's a pic of the real GI in 110 mm.

I thought of a riser bar at first but then decided that risers don't dress right with bar ends and I prefer bar ends, especially when out of the saddle and climbing. This is the EA70 aluminum bar with 3 degree rise and a 31.8 oversized clamp diameter for lots o' stiffness. I'm hoping the yellow and reddish "E"/"EA70" emblems match up with the Attitude's paint.

Wrong Frame 02.22.08

The frame arrived on February 16 and immediately upon opening it noticed it had mounts for both v-brake and disc. I did not want the v-brake mounts since when not in use they make the frame look 'dirty' or 'busy'. I ordered it under the impression that it was disc mount only so now I have to ship this back to WI and have another shipped from Albuquerque, NM. Trek will not ship directly to the customer, only to a dealer. Who makes up these dumb ass rules? They must sit arouund in a board room somewhere thinking of how to f_ck up the company and kill sales! Luckily I have a great uncle there who picked it up for me and shipped it home. My other option was to drive to the nearest dealer in Chick-ago. 12 hours... roundtrip... $150 + in gas... nah! eff that! But they (who is they anyway??) got me on shipping charges so I didn't really save anything except 12 hours and wear 'n tear on the Honda.

I just received word from Marv at Trek bikes that the new frame will be painted either today or Monday. It sounds as though they're making this on the spot. I think that is P.H. phat, right next door in WI!

The handlebar and stem are in shipment. I chose the Thomson Elite X4 which to me is by far one of the most self-righteous looking stems on the planet right along with their seat posts. I also plan to use the 31.6 mm T.E. post. Pics to follow. Klein done right by using large diameter tubing as ass support, no mistake there. For a bar I just couldn't conform to the 'zoot suit' of carbon. That stuff is so overpriced, people want it because other people have it, and it cracks rather than bends. So back to Al, good ole 13 on the chart. Easton seems to have always spit out some of the best handlebars and I pressed the button for the EA 70 with the 31.8 mm oversized clamp diameter. Ultra stiff, you know, and should interface nicely with the extra wide 48 mm clamp width of the X4.



Take note of the the massive seat tube, the beefy chain-stays, the voidless welds and beautiful paint. Yes, American quality does still exist.

I just love the butted head tube and internal cable routing, one of a kind in the world of mountain bikes. As Andre 3000 from OutKast would put it, "so fresh, so clean!"

The Day The "House" Was Created 02.06.08

Not much to say today other than "hey, you, I created my first blog ever today, wheeeeeeeee!"