Pulled the trigger!

[jpr95]

I did it. I asked Mark Hickey of Habanero Cycles to go ahead with my order...near-dream bike on the way in a few weeks!

I must say that Mark has been incredibly helpful and quick to respond to my several e-mail questions, and very willing to work with me on some minor customizations with equipment. He was also willing to send it to me unassembled (except for the fork and wheels--I'm not ready to do that type of work), so that I can do my own assembly. I love to tinker and want to expand my repertoire of bicycle-specific tools (there are already not many car/truck repairs I can't/don't do), so I figured putting together one new would be a great way to learn more about how the various components work together. It's getting an Ultegra groupset, and Shimano has great online documentation, so it shouldn't be too bad, as long as I take my time.

So here's the scoop:

-57cm Habanero touring frame (I wanted the extra strength and flexibility of attaching "stuff" later on, like panniers if I decide to do a long tour sometime)
-Shimano Ultegra groupset: 52/39/30 front, 11-28 10-speed rear
-Surly Long Haul Trucker Fork (CrMo--one place I saved some dough, but I wanted durability, I just don't trust carbon)
-I had upgraded the stem, handlebars, pedals and saddle on my current bike, so those will get moved over.
-Mavic Open Pro wheels with 700cX25 tires (again--didn't want to get crazy with the spending, these could be upgraded later)

I'm hoping this will be a "lifetime" bike--the frame at least, other parts would likely get upgraded in the future.

Here's to snow melting and higher temps soon...

Jason

 

[kdelong]

Congratulations! I wanna see a picture!!! It sounds like a great mix of components. Are you going to have it all painted or just the forks? A Ti frame that is well taken care of should provide you with a lifetime of service.

 

[64Paramount]

Sounds like a sweet bike, Jason!

 

[jpr95]

Originally Posted by kdelong .

Congratulations! I wanna see a picture!!! It sounds like a great mix of components. Are you going to have it all painted or just the forks? A Ti frame that is well taken care of should provide you with a lifetime of service.

The forks are black from the factory, I think. As for the rest of the frame, even though I'm a painter by day, I want to leave the brushed Ti finish alone, at least for the foreseeable future.

As for a picture, I'll try to remember to post one up here once it arrives--I'm guessing it's a month out or so (the frames are built in China by aerospace-certified welders). In the meantime, here's a link:

http://www.habcycles.com/cross.html

I'm real curious to see what the final weight will be...with my current bike (1988 Schwinn World Sport), two water bottles and some gadgetry (iphone hooked to a 14.4V cordless drill battery), the bike comes in at 37 pounds or so. I'm guessing this one will be quite a bit less...

Jason

 

[Steve_A]

Congratulations, Jason. That does sound like a great bike. You are right to assemble it yourself. There's nothing like the feeling of accomplishment that comes from that, and you'll be very familiar with all the bits and pieces and how they work together. I have a Ti frame that's similar to the Habanero, and I know that you won't be disappointed with yours.