It's been a busy month. Now that it is almost over I'll try to post more frequently.
April 15th, most years, is the income tax filing deadline. When I was single I always managed to file my tax returns early. With my wife, every year, it seems, we come down to the wire. This year was no different.
After the taxes are finally done it is time to start gearing up for the cycling season. This year, I bought a new bike from Performance Bike in Columbus, Ohio. Unlike last year, the bike is not a high-end ride, it is a basic model-- the Fuji Sportif 2.5 (2018). I picked this one specifically for the frame.
Descriptions of the bike have a conflicting list of features. According to the information Fuji gives to retailers the product information says this: "and the new Full-Carbon Monocoque fork makes this bike even lighter than before" --although the spec list says the fork is an "alloy integrated" one.
It looks like a carbon fork. It feels like a carbon fork and Performance Bike is not the only dealer with the phrase in italics above in their product information. Is it aluminum or is it carbon? Does it matter? Well, not really.
I bought this bike specifically to "build" one with the components that I really want on a Sportif frame. Since Fuji did not offer this bike with the Shimano 105 or Ultegra group, but, I want better quality derailleurs and shifters, cranks, and brakes, I decided to go this route. Why? Because the Sportif frame is a masterpiece. It has everything I wanted in a sport geometry with a more comfortable upright posture, and it is very high quality.
When I am finished this bike will have race-worthy components, a superb ride, and long-lasting durability. It will be the bike I've always wanted and no manufacturer would make. The only solution for me was to take matters into my own hands.
In the end, I will tell Fuji my story and see where it goes. If Fuji provides a custom-made option that mimics what I've done, then, that would be really cool. Likely, they won't. But either way, I'll be riding this bike with a big grin on my face and logging mile upon mile pedaling my way through the rolling hills of Ohio farmland.
Cheers.
