Hi All,
So the frame is built up and really happy with how everything went. It all went smoothly. Di2 battery is stowed nicely in an internal clip in the downtube. I was nervous around seatpost slippage and headset play, but both areas have been spot on so far. A question was asked around could the seatpost be reversed to alter offset. This wouldn't be possible unfortunately. The build so far has been with 12speed Ultegra Di2. Still waiting on the new crankset. For now I have repurposed an R8000 fitted with Pas Quest 54/40 from Ali X.
I have done a couple of short rides so far. One pretty spirited with some sprints thrown in to gauge stiffness. For info, I am around 5ft 7 (on a good day), 72kgs, peak power of 1250w.
I must say, everywhere I want it to be stiff, it is stiff! Front end is spot on with no flex, as you would expect by the beefy forks and headtube. Bottom bracket, I can't detect any deflection under load. The rear triangle feels great also.
All very different to my SL7 clone. That is by no means a noodle, but it does feel like you are fighting with the bike when in a max sprint. The WR054, when sprinting, everything feels solid and planted if that makes sense?
I know this all sounds very positive, but at the minute I'm over the moon with it. It is a heavier bike.but that really isn't an issue for me as I race flat crits. It's currently sat at just over 8kgs. However that is with a heavy 1650g wheelset and a heavy alloy railed saddle. There is room to budge around 3-500 grams there alone if that is a concern. I will certainly be looking at CRW, Farsports, Magene etc. over the off season. Also considering 1x for races.
Will keep you updated over the coming months, on how I am getting on with the bike.
Kind Regards,
Mikey.