2010 Neo Ultimate (11.6lb)

[jerms]

now that is the sickest ride i've ever laid eyes upon.

thx for the inpiration, i'm gonna use this one as guide for my future projects.

[dadoflam]

Lovely bike - matte black is a great look - especially when mated witsome gloss detail like the chainset. I'm really not a fan of the FSA stem/bar combo graphically or performance wise - for an integrated combo I would look at a Pro Stealth Evo - the graphics are very easy to remove, they are lighter and stiffer than the FSA and with a gloss clearcoat they would be a great match for your cranks - but small detail and purely personal - well done!

[drPhilGandini]

Thanks, Dadoflam. The Evo lists at "starting at 350g" but I need a longer stem and a wider bar, so it will end up about the same as my FSAs (400g) I'm sure. The only way to lose 150g is to go with a super lightweight bar and separate stem, but I like the ergonomics of the integrated units (I had a Cinelli before). I can easily remove the graphics on the FSA if desired--I once removed all graphics off a Giant TCR, and having done that, I have no fear sanding CF...

[drPhilGandini]

Updated build list and photos in post #1, including new saddle, sanded bars, brake levers, rear derailleur, Emporelli cage. Just a little lighter, but still fantastic to ride.

[dunlinii]

Very very sexy

[andy2]

Again: Really, really nice ride doc!

How is that saddle treating your bottom?
Is it a NoRa?

/a

[drPhilGandini]

andy2: I am not familiar with NoRa, so I can't answer that question. But as to the ride of the saddle, it is very comfortable. I am a true believer that the best seats are supportive, firm and fit well. I run Sparco Evo II race seats in my car, and they are good for 11 hours of driving non-stop, makes me feel like I drove 2 hours on a regular car seat. The same is true for the AX saddle for me--that's why I use the same shape for the saddle I made. A good saddle needs to flex, but be firm. But saddles are very much a personal preference, too.

[andy2]

Agree.
My best seats and comfiest car so far: Carbon Race Recaros in the 911 gt3.
All day comfort & much nicer than the current Crème brûlé Disco III.

Here's a NoRa seat:



They make nice stuff.

[pritchet74]

Damn.....

Comfortable?

[drPhilGandini]

That's a beautiful looking seat. I wonder about the suspension mechanism--I have seen the seat before, but never figured out how it is suspended to ensure adequate flex between front and rear location points.

[dadoflam]

From a heavy rider perspective this seems to solve one problem I experience and why I like stiffer seats like SMP's with minimum flex between the rail connection points - namely that when the middle flexes under body weight the saddle nose moves upwards into the perineal area - just where you don't want it. On the other hand, unlike the SMP's, there is no rail to flex to soften the blows so to speak.

[Gumgardner]

Nice build Dr!
Did you decide on the low profile vs 45mm Edge wheels for weight purposes only or doyoudo a lot of climbing?

[drPhilGandini]

Gumgardner: I have both 25mm Edge (before they became ENVE) wheels and 42mm AX wheels. Both built on Extralite rear hubs, but different front hubs (M5 and Tune respectively.) I end up riding the AX wheels more often. They weigh 890g compared to the 780g for the Edge wheels.

[Gumgardner]

Agree.
My best seats and comfiest car so far: Carbon Race Recaros in the 911 gt3.
All day comfort & much nicer than the current Crème brûlé Disco III.

Here's a NoRa seat:



They make nice stuff.

Does NoRa have a website? I can't find one.

[Ypsylon]

i'm on the phone, so I can't link, but search for nordischer rahmenbau.