# My new Pinarello Paris



## Nicole Hamilton

I've posted an album of photos of my Paris at https://photobucket.com/2012PinarelloParis. I recommend viewing it as a slideshow.

Here are a few of the shots to let you know what to expect.


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## Cinelli 82220

The bell, the light, SPDs and the bag all make it look like a really well thought out daily driver.

It looks good too, almost understated by Pinarello standards!

What is the black thing on the outside of the left fork blade just above the quick release lever? Some kind of sensor?


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## Nicole Hamilton

Cinelli 82220 said:


> The bell, the light, SPDs and the bag all make it look like a really well thought out daily driver.
> 
> It looks good too, almost understated by Pinarello standards!


Thank you. Yes, it _did_ take more thought to put it together than you might guess. Okay, you want a headlight. But there are a bazillion of them out there! Which do you want? For a while, it seemed like all I was doing was reading Amazon reviews. It went on for days. And as the accessories started adding up, I was glad I hadn't stretched to get Record or Super Record, much less Pinarello's EPS Dogma. I had started thinking, probably 2 years ago, that I could perhaps budget $10,000 to getting the last bike I would ever buy. This ended up, even with the added bling, very comfortably under that and it's everything I could ask for.

Btw, I _*love*_ my bell. It's an Incredibell Brass Duet. It has a very musical sound. People can hear it from quite a distance and they seem much happier hearing the bell announce your presence as opposed to being yelled at about something on the left. (Which left?) If you ride a MUT, buy one. Really.

I agonized a lot over the fit. But after about 100 miles on the bike, I'm happy. I'm 5'9" and this 51.5 frame was a good fit for me. It came fit incorrectly with 172.5 cranks but those are being swapped today. (CC sent me the replacement 170 cranks and is reimbursing me to have the LBS do the swap.) The only thing remaining is to swap the saddle for the Brooks Team Pro when it arrives.



> What is the black thing on the outside of the left fork blade just above the quick release lever? Some kind of sensor?


LOL. It's a warning sticker that says, "WARNING. Before removing or installing wheels be sure to consult the owner's manual for proper quick release skewer operation. DO NOT REMOVE THIS LABEL." I didn't notice it until after I'd installed the wheels.


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## apn

Excellent write up and pics of a great looking bike, Nicole. Congrats on your purchase.

Can you post the external dimensions of the shipping box?

TIA.


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## Nicole Hamilton

apn said:


> Can you post the external dimensions of the shipping box?


48" x 35" x 11.5"

I got the bike back from the LBS with the 170 cranks and did 36 miles this afternoon. Wow. Who knew 2.5 mm could make so much difference. But it does. It's hard to tell from stroke there's but much difference but over the course of the ride, there's a lot. With the 172.5s, my knees were a little sore by the end. Today, no problem. My spinning felt much smoother. My lower back felt a lot better.

At this point, I'm totally satisfied that the 51.5 was the right frame size and 170 was the right crank arm for me. I still want my Brooks saddle, but this is pretty darn good.

Btw, the guy at the LBS was asking, did I notice how much stiffer the Paris than my Paramount. Well, funny thing is, no. There's a reason I could ride it for 38 years. It was the best bike in the world back then. It's all double-butted and lugged Reynolds 531 and steel hasn't changed. It's still a great steel frame even by today's standards and, yes, back when I bought it the standout feature was that there was no flex in the bottom bracket. All the "10-speeds" of the day always scraped the chainrings as you pedaled. The Campy Paramounts didn't do that.

What's so much better about the Paris is, #1, the Campy drivetrain and, #2, the lighter weight and shorter wheelbase. I just can't say enough good stuff about this Chorus 11 group. I amazed to realize you can change front and rear simultaneously, typically using both outside levers together to go to the bigger in front and back or both inside levers together to smaller in front and back. The effect is to get you onto the other chainring but avoid the big jump in gearing. Brilliant.

The lighter weight and shorter wheelbase speaks for itself. It's just a much more responsive bike, to say nothing of the fact that, sure, it's a lot of fun to ride a pretty bike.

I'll add that I love the Garmin 500 and I'm glad I bought the red version (because I wanted red, not because I cared about the HRM -- I didn't even know if I'd use it.) The Garmin is WAY better than any regular bike computer and the HRM is GREAT. I've known for years that my BP has always been good, usually about 105 / 60. But all I ever did was ride my bike, which never seemed that hard. I'm no Lance Armstrong, for pete's sake. What I discovered is that when I'm out riding, my HR averages about 130 over the whole ride but typically I'm in the high 150s / low 160s for about an hour through parts of the ride I'm not experiencing as hard at all. Turns out that's kind of unexpected.

The rule of thumb is that your maximum HR is 220 - your age. I'm 61, so that would be 159 for me. And you're only supposed to be exercising to about 80% of your max, which would be 127. But it turns out there's an even better measure of heart heath, which is your recovery. If you quit exercising, how far does your HR drop in 2 minutes? 22 or more is normal. Mine drops 50 beats. I'm guessing my low BP readings were right. I'm an athlete and never knew it! And I owe it all to my bicycles!

Heart Rate Recovery - Calculate Your Heart Rate Recovery Time - RealAge


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## aqualelaki

Nicole Hamilton said:


> I'm 5'9" and this 51.5 frame was a good fit for me.


This size of Pinarello really goes big. I'm 5'5" and I ride 51 frame in Orbea and size 52 in Cannondale. I was actually considering Paris before purchasing Orbea. I didn't have a chance to test ride Paris (Pinarello dealer in Seattle doesn't have size for me), but I test rode Orbea so I end up buying Orbea instead. Plus I got a really good deal because of an older model. Anyway, nice looking bike


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## Nicole Hamilton

aqualelaki said:


> This size of Pinarello really goes big. I'm 5'5" and I ride 51 frame in Orbea and size 52 in Cannondale.


Frame sizes have traditionally been measured C-T, from the center of the BB to the top of the seat tube. But 40 years ago, bikes didn't have seat tube extensions. The top of the seat tube was also the top of the top tube. Today, you buy a custom bike where the seat tube goes all the way to the saddle. No need even for a seat post. Also, top tubes were always level. Today, a lot of bikes have sloping top tubes. Finally, geometry matters. Today's bikes are much more compact, with smaller wheels and shorter wheelbases than 40 years ago, meaning the same person will take a smaller frame using a modern geometry than they would have 40 years ago.

So what used to be a simple measurement that could always be easily compared isn't so simple anymore.

Pinarellos are measured pretty faithfully. The top tube is fairly level and my 51.5 Paris measures 51.5 cm from center of the BB along the seat tube to the top of the top tube, where the seat tube would have ended on an old-style bicycle. My Paramount was 56 cm C-T but the fit is darn close to being exactly the same because the Paris geometry is so much more compact.

It's hard to tell what Orbeas or Canondale are doing. Referring to Orca GDi2 - Orbea, I don't see why they think a 51 frame should have a 46 cm C-C seat tube. Same thing with Canondale. Referring to SUPERSIX EVO ULTIMATE, I don't see why they think a 52 frame should have a 50 cm C-T seat tube.

To me, it looks like it's not that Pinarellos run big, it's that other manufacturers seem to be weirdly overstating their frame sizes.


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## aqualelaki

Thanks for a very through explanation. I just looked at your profile. I also live in Redmond, and my weekend rides are usually Redmond to Ballard (Sammamish River trail and Gilman Burke trail). I would think it will be easy to recognize you with Paris, so I may say hello


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## Nicole Hamilton

aqualelaki said:


> Thanks for a very through explanation. I just looked at your profile. I also live in Redmond, and my weekend rides are usually Redmond to Ballard (Sammamish River trail and Gilman Burke trail). I would think it will be easy to recognize you with Paris, so I may say hello


Please do! I'll bet we've seen each other but don't know it. I certainly recognize some of the regulars -- like the guy in the recumbent with the yellow film fairing completely surrounding it. It looks like something from the Bonneyville flats.


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## cambalache

Nicole,

Extremely educational posting. I'm in search of a Pinarello myself ... in between an FPQuattro and a Rokh (can't afford a Paris). Did you have a chance to look at those or you just went for the Paris? I ride 2-3 times during weekdays (22-24 miles each) and 45-65 miles on weekends. I did a century early this year and planning to do two more by the end of the summer, and I would like to do the Seattle to Portland ride one day. I read the Rokh offers a more comfortable ride than the FPQuattro, but I like the look of the FPQuattro better. Currently own a Scott CR1 Comp. Do you have an opinion that you want to share?


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## Nicole Hamilton

cambalache said:


> Nicole,
> 
> Extremely educational posting. I'm in search of a Pinarello myself ... in between an FPQuattro and a Rokh (can't afford a Paris). Did you have a chance to look at those or you just went for the Paris? I ride 2-3 times during weekdays (22-24 miles each) and 45-65 miles on weekends. I did a century early this year and planning to do two more by the end of the summer, and I would like to do the Seattle to Portland ride one day. I read the Rokh offers a more comfortable ride than the FPQuattro, but I like the look of the FPQuattro better. Currently own a Scott CR1 Comp. Do you have an opinion that you want to share?


I could do Seattle to Portland. I just need 4 days.

When I began thinking about a new bike about two years ago, I expected to do the ultimate custom bike with Super Record all the way. I only buy one every 38 years. So what if it does cost $10,000? When I realized EPS was on the horizon, that really looked interesting and I even briefly flirted with the $15,000 EPS Dogma. So I came at it from the perspective, imagine you can have anything, what do you want.

The only bikes I rode were the 2011 Dogma and the 2011 Paris. Most of that was spent on the much-too-big 54 Dogma. I got lost on Mercer Island and by the time I made my way back, it was getting late in the day and I had already done enough hills. So I didn't spend much time on the 51.5 Paris except just to confirm it fit much more like it should. I guess the Dogma was stiffer. I did feel more of the road, but I suspect a lot of the overall difference in feel was the carbon rims, which spun up really fast going uphill (but were awful braking going down.)

In the end, I decided the Paris Campy Chorus bike was a value proposition I just couldn't ignore. Chorus, Record and Super Record parts are all interchangeable and all function all function exactly the same. The only difference is a little bit of weight and a lot of cost. If I'd picked parts, I'd have chosen the Campy Shamal Ultra 2-ways, but there's nothing wrong with the Fulcrums and compared to any other combination, the package price saved a couple thousand dollars. And I liked the paint (even though I was surprised when it turned out to be matte finish.)

But earlier along the way, when I first started interviewing salespeople and vendors, I got a lot of "oh, you'll want the comfortable bike" stuff. I was being told I'd like the Kobh. Is it that if you were actually a candidate for the more expensive bike, you'd already know what was so special about it? Or is that they take one look at you and figure you need all the help you can get? I don't know.

If you're wondering, is there anything at all "punishing" about the Paris ride quality? No, not a bit. It's a good frame and as comfortable as anyone needs. I hope that's helpful.


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## cambalache

Very much so. Thanks. I'll be talking to some vendors soon but I want to be well informed. I really don't like sales people telling me what it is that I need ... as you said, you never know whether they are being straight with you or it's just that they found a candidate for that bike in the store. This may be an unfair statement for those good vendors out there; finding them is the problem. It's an entertaining search. Thanks again.


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## sd5500

The white looks great!


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## kbwh

Very nice and thought out bike, Nicole. I'd probably put Zondas on if it were mine because I don't see any benefit in the Al spokes. The R Zeros complement the frame very well, though.

That DO NOT REMOVE sticker text made me crack up. _Caution. Contents hot._


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## jogger1

you got a lot of gizmos on the hood, looks like my car cockpit


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## ontheroad

Nicole,

Wow! You have a really COOL and very well-thought out bike there! Thanks for sharing some pics, i really enjoyed browsing through them. It is definitely one of the coolest bikes i've seen! I am new in road biking but getting hooked to it pretty fast. Im curious, what kind of lights and bell did you pick? And why? I have been looking at different kinds and yess you're right it is soo mid-blowing the amount of choices out there! I know this is an unusual person but i am a very particular kind of person when it comes to gadgets, even little ones. It sounds like you are too. Congratulations on your new bike!


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## Nicole Hamilton

ontheroad said:


> Wow! You have a really COOL and very well-thought out bike there! Thanks for sharing some pics, i really enjoyed browsing through them. It is definitely one of the coolest bikes i've seen! I am new in road biking but getting hooked to it pretty fast. Im curious, what kind of lights and bell did you pick? ... Congratulations on your new bike!



Thank you very much. You're very kind. That's a Cygolite 400 and an Incredibell Brass Duet on the handlebars and a Cygolite Hotshot tailight. I chose the Cygolite 400 based on Amazon reviews and beam pattern photos (that I'm now having trouble finding) at https://reviews.mtbr.com. I liked that it's quite powerful for its size and weight and uses a USB-rechargeable Li-Ion battery. I chose the Hotshot taillight for the same USB-rechargeable feature and because it "went" with the headlight. The Brass Duet is a _wonderful_, very musical bell. I've had one on my Paramount for years.

Finally, I've added some new photos onto the end of my Photobucket slideshow showing what it looks like now with the new Brooks Team Pro Titanium saddle and a large Avenir Bigmouth seatbag. Here are a few of them.


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## nismo73

Pinarellos in person look great! Nice pics btw


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## crewman

*Bike Choice*

I see you have loaded your bike up for extended travel.

Why would you not have bought a Rohk instead of the Paris?.


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## Nicole Hamilton

crewman said:


> I see you have loaded your bike up for extended travel. Why would you not have bought a Rohk instead of the Paris?.


I liked the Paris better. The Rokh is a bit lower end, almost 2 lbs heavier, I didn't like the style of the Rokh's seatstays and there's no package deal with a Campy group.

And I'm not sure I'd describe my setup as designed for extended travel. It's not like I've got panniers on both wheels and a sleeping bag strapped to the back. All you're really looking at is a bike designed to be ridden rather than simply looked at. Everyone needs lights and lots of people have bike computers. And if you ride on a MUT, I'm telling you, a bell is the way to go.

What I think you're reacting to is the Brooks seat and the seat bag. But the Brooks Titanium only weighs 6 oz more than the Ocelot that came on the bike. And the difference is amazing. With the Ocelot, by 35 miles, my butt was killing me. This literally was a limiting factor in how far I could ride. With the Brooks, I'm not even conscious of my butt. (And, no, no matter what you've heard, there's no break-in that anyone needs to be worried about. A Brooks is comfortable from day one; it just gets better over time.)

Yes, the seat bag is bigger than most of you guys would want but I have no idea what's going on with all those teeny, tiny bags I see everywhere. Can you even fit a spare tube in them? I want something practical, meaning something big enough to hold the basic stuff I might want on any ride: A tube, levers, CO2, nitrile gloves and a multitool plus cellphone, ID and some cash and (depending on the ride) camera (no, I don't like cellphone camera quality) and sunglasses. Which of these should I leave out? With a smaller bag, even the red one I had on there earlier, which everyone hated because they thought it was too big, a lot of that won't fit.

But even this large bag is too small to stuff a jacket or a sandwich. (Is there anyone here who hasn't started out on a ride wearing a jacket, then wanted to doff it as the day warmed up?) For those days, I've ordered a couple of even bigger bags that I'm sure will horrify everyone. The saddle trunk will hold 400 cu inches if I need it!

Avenir Metro 2.0 Seat Bag (140 - Cubic Inches)


Banjo Brothers Waterproof Bicycle Saddle Trunk


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## Nicole Hamilton

Re: the Rokh, I'll add that I'm also just not that fond of black bikes or anything advertised as a frame designed for "comfort". There's absolutely nothing punishing about the Paris that I can think of as a reason anyone would need a more comfortable frame. What it needed was a good saddle, which is what the Rokh needs, too, because it also comes with that torturous Ocelot saddle.


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## LouisVuitton

Very nice. Awesome bike!


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## sd5500

Very Nice! How do you like the White? Are you disappointed it was not glossy? I'm considering the Paris, but was bummed to find out that it can only be bought in Black on Black or white. I really what the Red, but I don't think it makes a lot of sense to build up the Red frame set.


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## Nicole Hamilton

sd5500 said:


> Very Nice! How do you like the White? Are you disappointed it was not glossy? I'm considering the Paris, but was bummed to find out that it can only be bought in Black on Black or white. I really what the Red, but I don't think it makes a lot of sense to build up the Red frame set.


Thank you. Yes, it has TOTALLY grown on me. Seeing it as a complete bike, especially after the water bottle cages went on, made a huge difference. It's a LOT more striking and makes much more of a design statement in matte than if it were gloss, I've decided. It's very clean, very fresh and very modern, which is why you see car companies like BMW using matte finishes on their show cars. And in this color, as Cinelli kindly remarked earlier in this thread, it looks "almost understated by Pinarello standards".

I'm now convinced that if I had an otherwise identical gloss bike next to it, the gloss bike would look a little cheap and a bit dated by comparison. With all the black parts on every bike these days, the white gives a really striking contrast -- better, I think, than you can get with red.

Obviously, you should get the bike you want, never mind what I like. It's a lot of money; you're the one who needs to be happy. But, yeah, I've decided I _*really *_like this color. And I agree, the package price is too good to pass up unless this just isn't the bike you want.


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## sd5500

Thank you for your honest opinion. I'm pretty sure this is the way I'll have to go, if I go with the Paris. Configuring/building up the frame set with SRAM Red and remaining components, has me at like $6800 without Wheels. Just doesn't seem to make sense. How do you like the handlebars? They seem a little wide on the tops? Do they have internal cable routing?


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## hamsey

Nicole,

How are you cleaning it? I just got mine and am curious about the cleaning. Gloss finish is nice and easy to get clean not sure about the matte finish though. I know you mentioned it above but what are your real world experiences?


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## Nicole Hamilton

sd5500 said:


> Thank you for your honest opinion. I'm pretty sure this is the way I'll have to go, if I go with the Paris. Configuring/building up the frame set with SRAM Red and remaining components, has me at like $6800 without Wheels. Just doesn't seem to make sense. How do you like the handlebars?  They seem a little wide on the tops? Do they have internal cable routing?


That's the same analysis I went through before deciding the package deal was too good to pass up, even if not all the parts were exactly my choice.

The handlebars are fine. Unremarkable, I guess. I'm coming from the 1" plain Cinelli bars on my 1974 Paramount so to me, anything modern with more of a flat area for your palms is more comfortable, as is the shorter drop. With the tape on there, I have to go by feel, but it doesn't feel like the cables are internally routed; I think the tape is just wrapped over them. If I had picked parts, I'd have gotten a Cinelli Neo Morphe. Maybe I'll do that when the bar tape gets ratty and it has to be redone anyway.


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## Nicole Hamilton

hamsey said:


> How are you cleaning it? I just got mine and am curious about the cleaning. Gloss finish is nice and easy to get clean not sure about the matte finish though. I know you mentioned it above but what are your real world experiences?


Congrats on getting your bike! You got it before Easter. Good for you! I hope you're enjoying it.

Cleaning is easy. Just no wax. To get one little spot, I'll use a little 409 on a paper towel. Washing it is just any other bike: I use the Park chain cleaner and some Pedros Oranj Peelz on the chain and a toothbrush and a little more degreaser on any grease spots and a sponge and bucket of water with some car wash detergent for everything else. Rinse with the hose, blow off most the water with my air compressor, finish wiping it down with towel and the relube the chain.

I did look and there are some sealants in place of wax that can be used on matte paints but I have not bothered with them. It doesn't look to me like it's needed on this finish.


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## sd5500

I kinda hate the I can't research these MOst parts.


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## Nicole Hamilton

sd5500 said:


> I kinda hate the I can't research these MOst parts.


I understand. The way I looked at it, the most important component choices were the group and the wheels. Saddle and handlebars are $100 items, so if they're terrible (and I thought the saddle was), I don't feel too exposed thinking I may have them eBay them later -- or more likely, end up as one more dust collector in the basement. 

In my case, I got EXACTLY the group I wanted. I LOVE my Campy Chorus (though I still need to address a possible adjustment issue that's causing me to still have to click back to trim occasionally.) And while the wheels weren't the ones I'd have chosen -- I'd have gone with the Shamal Ultra 2-ways -- there was just nothing wrong with the Fulcrums. The differences were meaningless considering the cost savings. That package price made them about as close to being free Campy wheels as you could get without them actually being free and saying Campagnolo on the sides.


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## cda 455

Very nice set up!

Well thought out and very nice groupset!


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## sd5500

Nicole Hamilton said:


> I understand. The way I looked at it, the most important component choices were the group and the wheels. Saddle and handlebars are $100 items, so if they're terrible (and I thought the saddle was), I don't feel too exposed thinking I may have them eBay them later -- or more likely, end up as one more dust collector in the basement.
> 
> In my case, I got EXACTLY the group I wanted. I LOVE my Campy Chorus (though I still need to address a possible adjustment issue that's causing me to still have to click back to trim occasionally.) And while the wheels weren't the ones I'd have chosen -- I'd have gone with the Shamal Ultra 2-ways -- there was just nothing wrong with the Fulcrums. The differences were meaningless considering the cost savings. That package price made them about as close to being free Campy wheels as you could get without them actually being free and saying Campagnolo on the sides.


I agree totally. I can build it just the way I want it, but then I'm going without a $1200 set of wheels.


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## y2kcorvette

Nice set up and great pic


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## steiger1

Any news or new experiences regarding the cleansing of the matte white? Thanks!


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## Sighclone

Nicole - How very gorgeous! I'm in Spokane, been pounding the pavement like an addict (yup that would be ALL OF US) on my delightful Scott CR-1 Team with a 105 group, for two years - 150 miles per week. But I have been wondering about Pinarellos...actually not wondering, mainly just wanting . Until three days ago. I won an auction for a used 2012 Paris frame (red.) I pick it up at UPS tomorrow. I was very impressed that you picked the Chorus build. I have not bought the gruppo yet, and was leaning towards Record. Might edit that wish, based on your experience -- please elaborate: how did the last summer go? Would you do Chorus again? Would you step up to Record if the $ difference were only $250? (I'm a mechanic and will self-build with a little help from the LBS guys.) What a super job of sharing all your gear and reasoning -- thanks very much! Cool Beemer too!


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## Kenrow

Sighclone said:


> Would you do Chorus again? Would you step up to Record if the $ difference were only $250?


Check out the thread in the components wrenching forum:

http://forums.roadbikereview.com/components-wrenching/chorus-v-record-vs-super-record-249154.html


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## cfsd

Hi Nicole, Excellent post and very descriptive with photos. Thank you for sharing your insight. I am looking for my second bike, and start to narrow down with Pinarello manufacture. Paris seem to be ideal choice more bang for your bucks.


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