In with the new...

Previously on MondoBlahBlah...
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Okay, now you're up to speed. I bought a new bike from Cycles Toussaint that comes as a do-it-yourself kit. I'm documenting the entire process of choosing, purchasing and assembling the bike. Once it's ride-able, I'll share my thoughts on the completed bike as I transition from my mid-life-crisis carbon fiber racing bike to a gentler style of cycling.

If the thought of all that bores you into insensibility, I'm sure you're in good company. Feel free to move along to something more interesting. If you are only interested in my impressions of how the "finished" bike performs, you'll have to SKIP AHEAD. Once I've beat this horse into the ground I'll put together an index of the subjects so you can zero in on the part(s) you find interesting. Otherwise, let's continue onto the un-boxing! Speaking of boxes, there are three: the frame, the wheels and everything else.

Cycles Toussaint Velo Routier do-it-your-own-damn-self kit.

Yep, I'm short.

All the way from old Taipei!!!

Everything was pretty well packed, though the fork had a bit of hazing where the crown had obviously rubbed against the packing material in shipping. Not enough to bother me much and it'll probably gloss up with a bit of Pedro's Bike Lust. Otherwise, there's not a scratch on the bike. The fit and finish of the frame is really good. Welds are smooth, the paint is even, the workmanship seems top notch. The first impression is positive. 

As I have said, I am in a transitional phase of my cycling life. Evolving from the race inspired mindset of Bicycling magazine to a more comfort oriented, cyclo-touring approach, inspired more by Bicycle Quarterly. I won't be doing any formal randonneuring or fully supported touring, but I do a couple of centuries a year and hope to spend more time credit card touring. I want the bike to be responsive, but I'm more interested in the simple enjoyment of riding than being fast. And being comfortable usually means sacrificing the attributes racers cherish: lightness, stiffness, aerodynamics.

Weights and Measures

Frame Weight: 4 lbs, 5.2 oz
or 1962 grams

Even when I was buying racing bikes, I was never a complete weight weenie. But this is the first time I've ever built up a bike from scratch and, no doubt still in thrall to the slammed stem mindset, I couldn't resist weighing each part as I took it from the box. Purveyors of such bikes tend to be a bit cagey about their weight, since weight is not the most important characteristic. Plus, unless you're buying a J.P. Weigle, there's little chance your new Rando is going to be anywhere near the weight of a carbon fiber, titanium or even aluminum racing bike. So why invite such an apples to oranges comparison? Still, I couldn't resist.

I had no idea what to expect in terms of weight. The tubing is toward the thin side, but not the whippy standard dimension .7/.4/.7 chomoly. How close, I wondered, would this bike be to my racing bikes?

For those of you interested in the weight of all the bits and pieces that come with the DIY kit, I have listed them all below. Note that this is in no way scientific. I used our kitchen scale and offer no guarantees that it is correctly calibrated to International Bureau of Weights and Measures specifications. That said, here you go.

Not too bad, though remember this is without a saddle, pedals, bottle cages or a rack, all of which I intend to add. Not to mention water bottles, a frame pump and a lovely handlebar bag. Still, I'm pleased so far. My 2002 Trek 2000 weighed around 23 pounds when purchased and it is a TIG-welded aluminum racing style bike. And I note the new crop of "All Road" bikes being shilled in Bicycling magazine are coming in in the low 20s often without fenders and certainly without racks. My '86 Fuji weighed 26.7 pounds on the showroom floor without fenders, racks or bottle cages. So I'm probably looking at a much more useful bike at right around the same weight.

Okay, so now I have the bike, I've made sure it's in good shape and weighed all the parts. Let's have a good look at it and start assembling it.