I've been mulling over the new bike decision for some time. About 2 weeks ago, I finally plunked down the cash and pulled the trigger on a 2007 Argon18 Gallium road frame. Many, many thanks to my good friend and bike expert, Matt Simpson for helping me pick out the exact spec and frame. And thanks to a great deal on a previous model year's frame, I was able to save a boatload of cash.
I went with a combination of SRAM Red and Force for the components. Essentially, I went with Red everywhere there was a functional difference, i.e. derailleurs, shifters, and bottom bracket (ceramic bearings). Where the only real difference was weight (i.e. cranks, cassette, chain and brakes), I went with Force to save a few bucks. The net savings was about $400 by going this route and the weight penalty was about 200 grams. Not a bad exchange, in my opinion. On Matt's recommendation, I went with Easton for the stem, handlebars, seatpost and wheels. All except for the wheels are carbon... Easton stuff is high-quality, reasonably light and durable so this was a good choice. The EA70 wheels are solid, durable training hoops, nothing flash here. The wheels are wrapped in Vittoria Evo Open Corsa CX tires, I love the feel of these tires. A bit pricey, but I indulged a bit here.
As an aspiring home mechanic, I decided to build up the bike myself.
Total weight for the bike based on manufacturer's spec is about 16 lbs. Pretty light for a big bike!
Full spec list
- Frame - Argon 18 Gallium XL (58.5)
- Headset - FSA Orbit CF Integrated
- Stem - Easton EC90 Road Stem (120mm)
- Handlebars - Easton EC70 Wing Road Bar
- Shifters/Brake Levers - SRAM Red
- Front Der. - SRAM Red
- Rear Der. - SRAM Red
- Crankset - SRAM Force 53/39 175mm
- Bottom Bracket - SRAM GXP Team English
- Chain - SRAM PC-1070
- Pedals - Speedplay X5 (2)
- Cassette - SRAM OG-1070 12-26
- Brakes - SRAM Force
- Seatpost - Easton EC70 Carbon Fiber
- Saddle - Prologo Nago
- Wheels - Easton EA70 Clincher
- Water Bottle Cage - Specialized Rib Cage
- Computer - Cateye Strada Wireless
- Tires - Vittoria Evo CX Open Corsa