Price Paid:
$1425.00
at from Company Rep Model Year:
2007 Favorite Ride:
mixed gravel, paved, hills Bike Setup:
105 shifters. FSA Gossamer CX crank (50-34), XT Rd (11-34), Avid Shorty 4 brakes,American Classic Hurricane Wheels, Aerus stem, bars, seat post. Summary:
This bike is thoughtfully designed with the competitive rider in mind. It is very stable at speed, even over washboard, yet it is also nimble. I opted for the build kit from Blue which I highly recommend. It is Shimano 105 drive train (FSA compact crank), Avid Shorty 4 brakes, and American Classic Hurricane wheels. When I looked at other cx brands, there was always some clunky component, badly designed fork, etc. which turned me off. The Blue is solid in every department. I use it as a year round trainer (studded tires in the winter) as well as for cx racing, and it performs well at both. With the factory build, it weighs 18.5 pounds without a saddle or pedals. I am 6' and weigh 157 pounds and I went with the large size which fits me well. I went through a rep to buy the bike because there is no local dealer. Blue is very good to work with. I like to use this bike for hill climb training. A local hill I train on is very steep. The gradient is 25% in some places. I put a Shimano XT rear derailleur with a 11 - 34 cassette on the bike and I can now go up pretty much anything that I formerly only went up on my mountain bike. Strengths:
solid, intelligent racing design. Light-weight. First-class build kit. Stable over the rough, but light on its feet in a cx race. Versatile use. Equally capable as cx racer, commuter, off-season trainer, and road bike. Beautiful paint. High dollar value. Weaknesses:
I can't really think of anything I would change. Similar Products Used:
Tested: Lemond Poprad, Trek XO1, Felt F1x, Specialized Tricross, Giant TCX 
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