# Just finished: 2006 Teramo project (pics)



## mwnovak (Feb 10, 2006)

I thought I'd post my Litespeed Teramo project, recently completed and Fred'ed up with bottles/cages, pump, tool kit, and all of about 3cm saddle-to-bar drop.










I'm not completely sold on the red-bits-everywhere aesthetic, but it's a nice change from the ubiquitous black and is easily swapped-out down the road . . .









Thomson 2X stem and 3T Rotundo Pro bar (love the non-ergo bends) . . . 









Easton EC90 SL originally spec'd for a Cervelo (less badging and a different finish than retail) . . . 









King sotto voce . . . 









Pretty welds, especially as the Teramo was a "low-end" Litespeed . . . 

















In addition to the parts mentioned above, the build is full Ultegra with Eggbeater SL pedals, San Marco Concor saddle, Thomson Elite post, Salsa collar, Ksyrium Equippe wheelset, and 25c Conti GP4000s. The only planned change is an Open Pro / Ultegra / DT Comp wheelset, once I make time for a wheelbuild. As it sits, the obligatory "bathroom scale test" reports 21lbs as pictured.

My first ride was encouraging: the position is a tad more stretched-out than my cross/commuter/light touring bike but is still quite comfortable, tracking and cornering felt crisp and predictable on the flatlands (we'll see how it feels in the hills), and the frame seems stiffer than my cross/commuter--a traditional chromoly frame--without seeming especially harsh. My only real surprise on the day was a considerable amount of toe-overlap, which I was not expecting on a Large/58cm frame. Obviously, observations made after 30mi may not hold up after 3000mi . . . but I'm looking forward to the more through investigation.  

Feedback is welcomed, and thanks for looking,

--MW


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## Tequila Joe (May 30, 2004)

Very nice looking Litespeed mwnovak. The red cable housing really completes the look. If you're feeling too stretchout, maybe try a zero setback seat post. I went with one on my ML Vortex and it not only fit the bike like a glove, it also improved its handling.

TJ


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## mwnovak (Feb 10, 2006)

Tequila Joe said:


> Very nice looking Litespeed mwnovak. The red cable housing really completes the look. If you're feeling too stretchout, maybe try a zero setback seat post. I went with one on my ML Vortex and it not only fit the bike like a glove, it also improved its handling.


Thanks for the feedback. The red bits may grow on me, too. 

My position on the bike isn't very aggressive by racer-boy aero standards . . . it's just a bit longer than my cross / commuter setup (which is quite upright). This was intentional, since I picked up the frame to build into a more "sporting" road bike than my other steeds. It may take a few weeks for my body to adjust, and could provide motivation to include flexibility and core exercises in my routine, but we're only talking about a couple centimeters here.

Incidentally, if I do eventually want to shorten the cockpit, I'd probably just go with a shorter stem and/or bar. I think I could drop 1-2cm off the overall front-end reach without suffering a dramatic change in handling . . . whereas going to a zero-offset post would have the added effect of moving my knees forward of the KOPS position. That's probably not the end of the world, but all things being equal I try to maintain KOPS on my road setups (which seems to have worked for my knees so far). 

--MW


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## Tequila Joe (May 30, 2004)

Yeah, KOP is important, a shorter stem would be a better place to start adjustment. I've found that I put out more power with my knee slightly ahead of pedal spindal.


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