# 2012 Super Six build



## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

Ok, so I've been riding and playing with a 2012 Super Six for around 6 months now, and wanted to share some pics and impressions.

The bike started as a 105/Ultegra mix from Freshbikes in Arlington, Va. Got a decent deal on it, but more importantly, the support has been awesome. Fit services come with bikes they sell, and that was the single most important thing to me, as a new rider.

Bike started off:
RS10 wheels
105 Cassette
105 chain
Gossamer Crank
Ultegra 6700 shifters
Ultegra 6700 F&R Derailleurs
Thompson Masterpiece Seat Post
Tektro Brakes

From a previous fit on another bike:
3T 44cm Bars
C2 Stem
Look Keo Pedals
Specialized Seat

Ive added a few pieces:
Reynolds Solitude wheels
Conti 25mm tires
2012 Hollowgram crank and rings
Ultegra cassette
Skewers

The side shot
View attachment 272107


Controls
View attachment 272108


Rear section
View attachment 272109


Front Caliper
View attachment 272180


Rear Caliper
View attachment 272179


It was 16lbs exactly before the calipers. I'll weight it again after new years and think it will be down around 15.5lbs.


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

very nice, I have 2011. I want to switch out the tektro brakes but always spend the money on something else. 

Enjoy it


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

Nice built love the bar tape was that a 50cm frame?


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## metoou2 (Mar 18, 2009)

looks good,
what bar tape is that?


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## zamboni (Sep 11, 2003)

Lizard skin bar tape.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

Frame is a 52. Its the closest I could get fit wise- Id like a bit less reach to be honest.
Bar tape is Lizard Skin. Awesome stuff, and I wont go back to "regular" tape.

I replaced the brakes last evening with Planet X CNC Billet Calipers. Save about 125 grams. Going to get some images tomorrow if I have time.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

So, I weighed the calipers and replaced them with Planet X. 

Stock Tektro were 158 grams each
Planet X were 100 grams each

Came with good pads too.

View attachment 272180


View attachment 272179


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## umzzz (May 17, 2012)

Bike looks awesome. 

I was just at FreshBikes in Arlngton this past weekend getting a 3D fit with Clovis. Awesome fit services and general service form the shop has been superb.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

umzzz said:


> Bike looks awesome.
> 
> I was just at FreshBikes in Arlngton this past weekend getting a 3D fit with Clovis. Awesome fit services and general service form the shop has been superb.


Thanks- wish it just a bit warmer...

Clovis is the man. Ive improved dramatically as a rider, and I have to think that his information and help has played a real part in this. 
How did your fitting go? Was this for a new bike?


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## umzzz (May 17, 2012)

Full_Spectrum said:


> Thanks- wish it just a bit warmer...
> 
> Clovis is the man. Ive improved dramatically as a rider, and I have to think that his information and help has played a real part in this.
> How did your fitting go? Was this for a new bike?


This was for a bike I bought about 4 months ago. Since this was my first real road bike we just did a very basic fit when I purchased the bike with the idea that I would ride for a while and note where I was uncomfortable and what I would like to have adjusted. Last weekend I came back for a full 3D fit with Clovis. I was amazed at how thorough Clovis was during the fitting. Full physical assessment of my flexibility and habits. 3 hours later we had adjusted the seat forward and up slightly, added some insoles into my shoes, and adjusted my cleats.

I love that he explains every detail of what the is the effects of every change he makes. He really wants you to educate riders.

Anyhow didn't mean to hijack your thread...awesome bike!


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## metoou2 (Mar 18, 2009)

the calipers were a nice addition

keeping the red barrel adjusters from the Tektro's adds style points for sure


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## tone22 (Jan 5, 2010)

if you are trying to drop the weight go with 23mm tires, that will take another 1/2lb off


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

How are the planet X brakes?


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## r.shoemaker78 (Feb 23, 2012)

+1 on the braking performance of the Planet X calipers???


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

umzzz said:


> This was for a bike I bought about 4 months ago. Since this was my first real road bike we just did a very basic fit when I purchased the bike with the idea that I would ride for a while and note where I was uncomfortable and what I would like to have adjusted. Last weekend I came back for a full 3D fit with Clovis. I was amazed at how thorough Clovis was during the fitting. Full physical assessment of my flexibility and habits. 3 hours later we had adjusted the seat forward and up slightly, added some insoles into my shoes, and adjusted my cleats.
> 
> I love that he explains every detail of what the is the effects of every change he makes. He really wants you to educate riders.
> 
> Anyhow didn't mean to hijack your thread...awesome bike!


Not at alla a hi-jack. Clovis and the rest of the Freshbikes guys are really helpful, and played a role in building this bike. Im always happy to talk about that place.



metoou2 said:


> the calipers were a nice addition
> 
> keeping the red barrel adjusters from the Tektro's adds style points for sure


Thanks- still not sure if I want to keep it that way.



tone22 said:


> if you are trying to drop the weight go with 23mm tires, that will take another 1/2lb off


I doubt that, to be honest. I am already running lightweight tubes, and these tires are pretty light. Even if this were the case, the 25's made the ride much more compliant and removed a lot of harshness. Ive found this frame to be quite stiff...and that isnt always a good thing. I ran 23's at first and these tires were a huge improvement.



gus68 said:


> How are the planet X brakes?





r.shoemaker78 said:


> +1 on the braking performance of the Planet X calipers???


Well, just got back from my first ride with these brakes. Interesting.

I should always preface my comments by saying that I am a motorcycle roadracer, and am very sensitive to braking performance and feel. I also believe that pad choice and compound is usually the single biggest factor in brake performance and feel.
Its 40 degrees in DC, so I am not really doing much riding right now, nor am I riding hard enough to be able to notice how they work at my limit. 
So, the Planet X calipers require more lever pull than my Ultegra brakes or the Tektro's. I am using the pads that came with the calipers. After a few miles the pads bedded in and response was decent. I did not clean the brake tracks on the rims prior to changing brakes. My bad.
Outright power is good.
Very little noise.
Needed to be adjusted a little better. I am bringing the small allen key next time I ride to fine tune.
I should also change cables or at least lube these, as its been a few months.

So, yes they work. Decently, if not great. As I said, it is mostly a feel issue with brakes, and you may or may not like these.
They were $115 shipped and saved a lot a of weight, so I am going to keep using them.
YMMV.


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## gus68 (Oct 19, 2010)

thanks for the review, merry christmas


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## T K (Feb 11, 2009)

tone22 said:


> if you are trying to drop the weight go with 23mm tires, that will take another 1/2lb off


Nah, he'll gain weight because he'll do less miles. Nothing I've ever done to improve a bikes ride has done as much as switching to 25mm tires.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

T K said:


> Nah, he'll gain weight because he'll do less miles. Nothing I've ever done to improve a bikes ride has done as much as switching to 25mm tires.


Very true. This was probably the single best thing I did to this bike.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

So here are my thoughts about this bike, and this build.

Good bike for the money. I dont have a lot of money tied up in this build, as it is really not a bike that I am passionate about, and it was also the first road bike ive built. 

I found this bike does everything pretty well. Its light, stiff, nad the front end is amazing. It steers really, really well and allows me to push on corner entry. I like that a lot.
On the other hand, I feel that the ride is a bit to jarring. As I mentioned, it was much better with the 25's that I put on it, but it is still rather harsh.

Hollowgram cranks were a good upgrade. Not only were they much lighter and stiffer, the rings made shifting significantly better. I would not hesitate to do this again. I picked these up from my LBS. 2012 model at a great discount.

I also learned about the absolute importance of fit, and choosing the correct touchpoints- seat, pedals, and bars.

The wheels were 2011 which I got for $225 shipped. Great deal, but next time I am getting 23mm rims. Ive ridden with them on other bikes and they make a real difference.

Oh- I also picked up a chain catcher, which I highly recommend. K-Edge from my LBS.

So, if you are considering modding your base Super Six I have found that the low hanging fruit type stuff is really all you need:

Cranks and chain catcher
Wheels and 25mm tires

The other stuff I did had much less impact, and if you are on a budget you wont really notice the benefits.

I'll post the final weight when it stops snowing here.

Now I am off to start my Cervelo R3 build. 15lbs, Ultegra Di2. Totally reliable. 

Also- I have purchased most of my parts from my LBS. They have been really amazing at helping me find top shelf parts, maybe from last year, at excellent prices. It keeps them in business, and gives me a place to learn and get quality work done. This is the shop: Freshbikes Cycling | Northern Virginia & Maryland's Premiere Bike Shop


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## metoou2 (Mar 18, 2009)

Full_Spectrum said:


> Now I am off to* start my Cervelo R3 build.* 15lbs, Ultegra Di2. Totally reliable.
> 
> Also- I have purchased most of my parts from my LBS. They have been really amazing at helping me find top shelf parts, maybe from last year, at excellent prices. It keeps them in business, and gives me a place to learn and get quality work done. This is the shop: Freshbikes Cycling | Northern Virginia & Maryland's Premiere Bike Shop





> from Freshbikes in Arlington, Va. Got a decent deal on it, but more importantly, the support has been awesome. Fit services come with bikes they sell, and that was the single most important thing to me, *as a new rider*.


Wow, you're really diggin this road bike thing huh?
So you're a new rider. You just bought and then modded a Super Six and now you're off to build up your Di2 Cervelo.?
You're really going 'ALL IN'.

And what shop did you say your spending all this cash in, I don't think I heard you mention it in this thread. Oh wait, that's right, Fresh Bikes of VA.
Do you have a link to their shop? Oh wait, my bad, you already provided that for all of us. 
Sounds like Fresh Bike rocks!


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## Urico (Dec 17, 2012)

Full_Spectrum said:


> So, if you are considering modding your base Super Six I have found that the low hanging fruit type stuff is really all you need:
> 
> Cranks and chain catcher
> Wheels and 25mm tires


Thanks for recommendations on modding the base Super Six. I have a '13 in layaway (profile pic) and should be out by February. Good to know the other upgrades you did, while nice to have but on a budget, I won't really notice the benefits. Was planning on getting new wheels and good advice on the chain catcher. Thanks again.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

metoou2 said:


> Wow, you're really diggin this road bike thing huh?
> So you're a new rider. You just bought and then modded a Super Six and now you're off to build up your Di2 Cervelo.?
> You're really going 'ALL IN'.
> 
> ...


Ah. Well, yes I am a new road bike rider. I picked up the Super Six as I really wasnt sure that I was going to like road riding...and it went from there. Ive always wanted the Cervelo, and when I found a good deal on a frameset, I grabbed it, with the idea of getting it finished by July. 
I like building stuff almost as much as riding, so this is just my thing. I dont have the money to buy really high end stuff, but then a base SSix is already better than I am, so why bother to do any mods at all, right?

I also figure its a good idea to let people know when you get treated well by a business. You always hear about so and so screwing up, but it is not often that someone says anything positive. So yeah, I felt I would let people know who I deal with and that I get treated fairly. And yeah, a link to their website is always a good way for people to click through if they are interested, or are in this area.
If that somehow offended you, it really wasnt my intention. So, please accept my apologies.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

Urico said:


> Thanks for recommendations on modding the base Super Six. I have a '13 in layaway (profile pic) and should be out by February. Good to know the other upgrades you did, while nice to have but on a budget, I won't really notice the benefits. Was planning on getting new wheels and good advice on the chain catcher. Thanks again.


Congrats. First thing I would get would be a chain catcher. That is really the one thing that could save a frame.
Tires and tubes will make a big difference as well. Wheels after that. Cranks last.

Or put the chain catcher on it and ride everyday.


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## metoou2 (Mar 18, 2009)

not offended, your' exuberance for this shop began to sound exactly like you are employed by or own a part of the business.

And as such I began to have severe doubts about the sincerity of what you were posting.

If they are cool , that's great.
I will say that you provided a good review above and I for one enjoyed what you had to say. I have wondered about those calipers. However I wouldn't mount up any brakes that aren't a dual pivot design on my own bikes.

All seemed normal until later in the thread you once again began espousing how awesome that shop is.
Something to think about for future posts. 

As I said, good review and the Super looks great. Post up some pics with the Hollowgrams if you get a chance.


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## Full_Spectrum (Oct 30, 2012)

metoou2 said:


> not offended, your' exuberance for this shop began to sound exactly like you are employed by or own a part of the business.
> 
> And as such I began to have severe doubts about the sincerity of what you were posting.
> 
> ...


Wow. Just to be clear, I am a paying customer at the shop which can no longer be named.
I am not employed by, nor do I have any ownership in, nor any financial interest in that shop. Further, I am not being paid, either directly or in any other way by that shop, its owners or managers, in any way, for anything.

I simply choose to spend my money with local businesses which do good work. Further, I think that there is enough negativity on forums generally, that when a place treats a customer well, they should get mentioned for it.

I am only offering my personal experience here, and as ive said repeatedly, YMMV.
I'll be taking a break for the forums for a while. Time to get back to work. Happy New Years guys.


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