# new to the boards, century team purchase



## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

whats up guys,

I was thinking that I would start posting now as my bike is in route. I currently ride an old schwinn that I picked up for 30 bucks on craigs list. I added some new rims and tires and modern crank thanks to the truvative american to euro adapter. I work at a dealership so I had one of the bodyshop painters paint it peal white.

I got it because I wanted to do some type of research before spending my lifes savings on a bicycle. So after several organized rides and the pending ms 150 from houston to austin, I decided that I really enjoy this hobby, as i am to old an fat to become a pro racer. 

My bike is steel and heavy but exceptionally smooth of course i did not realize this fact till i test road an aluminum bike. I checked out a 2011 trek aluminum with carbon fork from bike barn, it was fast and light but as I rode, to me I could feel every vibration, of which i previously had not felt. 

So next test rode the 2011 trek madone cf with 105 group for 1799.99, for me carbon is where it is at. light and smooth.
http://www.trekbikes.com/us/en/bikes/road/madone/madone31/

I then went to performance bike and tested a scatante (sp) with exact same set up $50 dollars less. In my honest beginner opinion the scatante was better than the madone.

fast foward some. I decided on the bikes direct 2011 century team with duraace shifters and derailers. cf for 1499.99
http://www.bikesdirect.com/products/motobecane/centuryteam_08_carbon.htm

this bike has everything I need and more at a price that a nonpro rider would drool over. 

I am not a brand name guy and I like getting my hands dirty. the lbs offered me a ontime fit with adjustments till satisfied and lifetime adjustments of components, lets be honest how many times have you taken your bike in to tune up something that was not major. I am a diy kind of guy so i could not justify paying extra for a service i would not use. I set my self up fairly well on my schwinn on my own, so again I did not need the lbs there either. 

So thanks for taking the time to read and tomorrow I will follow up with pic of the old and new bike.


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## erwinrm (Feb 7, 2011)

Congrats!!! That's the exact same bike I ordered. It was scheduled for delivery tomorrow, but bad weather may have caused delays.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

yea it is definitely delayed, mine was expected today and no dice. 
so what are your thoughts behind your purchase?


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## erwinrm (Feb 7, 2011)

we're getting a duraace bike for $1500, how can we go wrong with that 

the ups site shows that it will be here tomorrow. can't wait to get my hands on it. i'll take plenty of pics and post them.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

thats true, they could be the duraace 7900 set but thats ok 7800 quality whould be the same.

I was reading lots of reviews on the mavic rims we will be getting, lots of mixed, should be good for me since it is a major upgrade from my schwinn. I just love to look at the picutres, like a kid at the candy store.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

thats true, they could be the duraace 7900 set but thats ok 7800 quality whould be the same.

I was reading lots of reviews on the mavic rims we will be getting, lots of mixed, should be good for me since it is a major upgrade from my schwinn. I just love to look at the picutres, like a kid at the candy store.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

wow is all I can say, this bike came in great shape, I would post pics but the pics online are better and my bike looks just like the pics. the seat post is full carbon with attachment being aluminum or plastic its dificult to tell. I did not find any cracks or defects in the carbon frame or anywhere else for that matter. I did find a chain gaurd which at first feel I thought it was a broken but after the initial shock i realized it was the chain gaurd.

of course I had to ride it at 11 oclock at night in the freezing cold, but man it was very light and quick when i compare it to my schwinn. I will have to ride it later today andy really push it, here i will be looking for flex, I read lots of negative reviews on the mavic race rims and slk hollow carbon crank so I hope to not be in that catagory.

The brake calipers are cane creek sc 6 instead of 5 like online so I thought that was nice. This frame is very close to the specialized tarmac for me. I say that because of the placement of the head set bearings and most notably the top tube into the seat stays . until I can think of something else to type....


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

i just did a quick 5 mile ride for an initial test run. 
I tested for flex in the frame and crank, shifting at my top speed, different hand positions, standing and two seat positions.

for flex I started from dead start in the big ring and 11 in the back. I did not feel any flexing to mention in either the frame or the crank arms. I did notice the float in my clipless pedals. I put on the big ring and 18 in the back stood and sprinted I could not feel any flex. keep in mind that this is my first year riding so it is possible that I do not understand what people mean by flex when they say it. So I took it literally and I did not feel anything. 
while in the same gears i was seated and on the front of the seat and in the drops I could easily reach the shifters with just a finger and shifted to 11 as fast as I could with not delay from what I could tell. 

The seat to me feels comfortable when on the back end and the front the tip when pedaling hard. 

the handle bars are a bit wider than my schwinn and this will take a little time to get use to it, especially standing. the hoods are very comfortable and i feel strong control when griping the hoods. I mean they did not feel bulky between my thumb and fingers. I could reach the levers and shift from the hoods and the drops equally, and with the ease of the shift in the shifters, the shift from the drops is no problem. the shift from the middle chain ring to the big ring was seamless and not what i am use to. I did not have to look to make sure it engaged, I could feel it. 

I will mention this, I think the scatante that I rode is still the better bike out of the four that I test rode and the one I know own. 

overall I would give this bike a 9 out of 10. from a beginners perspective. I forsee me having this bike for quite a while with upgrades in the chain, cassette and calipers and possible the crank to complete the group, but thats just wishful thinking. dreaming as some may say. I would have liked to see the cables run through the frame, that would make it a 10 out of 10. 

ranting: I love the way the carbon weave glares in the sun and I love how the word mavic rolls around the front hub. it looks cool. so if anyone would like me to test any particular item or thing for a specific result let me know.

every thing seems ready for a ride. I am going to do a group ride tomorrow so I will give some feed back on that distance. I will be looking for comfort in the saddle and in the hand position. thanks for reading.


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## erwinrm (Feb 7, 2011)

you're making me drool. ups got delayed and i won't get my bike 'till monday.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

ok folks here is my take on the 30 mile ride I just finished. this bike is well worth the purchase. In my previous bike, on long organized rides i could really feel the wieght of the bike once we got going again. the new bike helps to conserve energy in the legs which in turn will make for a longer fatigue time, or more time before fatique sets in.

In the wind this bike cuts like a knife making short work of wind, which is a another great plus for me. I used a camel back so i can not tell you about reaching down for water bottle. 

I found no negatives with this bike. Minor adjustments to the rear derailer are needed, I have some slipping.

The seat is good for me, I need to do some adjustments to get it just right but overall it is good. and some down tilting of the bars for a better comfort over the long ride. 

So after a 30 mile ride I am extremely pleased with my purchase thus far. I hope this helps anyone else still on the fence.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

I did notice when standing still if I lean my bike to the crank side and apply pressure to the left crank arm I can see flex, not sure if it is the crank or the frame but I could not feel it when taking off.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)




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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)




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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)




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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

Here is the opening of the box after seeing the outer damage.







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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)




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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

my entrylevel bike


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

the upgraded crank, no name just to get rid of the old steel crank


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

Finally the bike, the myth, the legend....










































last but not least from the ashes the phoenix rises.....


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

so here is a quick 100 mile update. I am still beaming with the fact that I did not over pay for my bike. aside from small fit tweaks the bike is smooth and great for me.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

so i rode a 40 mile ride this sunday. the bike is still holding up well. I read that people had issues with the brake rubber material. I have had no such issues, it could be that these are sc6 and not 5. 

for those that cask about flex of the carbon. while in the big chain ring and about 18 in the rear. going already at 20 mph I did a quick sprint to get up to 30. i did in fact feel flex I do contribute that to the gearing that I was in because I have been up to 30 while in the middle chain ring and did not feel like the previous notation. furthermore, while on the trainer and pushing side to side or leaning left and then back to the right I could see some flex. I would assume that this flexing is the same for all cf bikes based on my strength. 
needless to say that I still love my bike and again I am pleased with my purchase. 
waiting on the shimano flight deck head to come in so that I will be fully riding in style. for those that are not aware shimano flight deck are shifters that are integrated into the computer, i installed one on my wifes gravity with sora shifters and I was jealous i had to buy one for me.
eat your hart out, mother *****hhsss, I am such an over grown kid.


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## darth sidious (Feb 10, 2011)

wanted to post that i did a 77 mile ride on this century team bike. we were reaching steady speeds of 26 mph, averaged 20 mph for the total trip. completed the run on 4 hours and I am beat. My bike on the other hand is still in great shape.
I wanted to say that the saddle is actually quite good, now that I am used to it. 
I did notice that there is extra steerer tube then actually needed, I have moved the spacers around to lower the handle bars and it actually fits me better this way so I have to take in the bike to get about 2 inches cut of the steerer tube.


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