Price Paid:
$6995.00
at LBS (after waiting a Model Year:
2005 Favorite Ride:
Cantelow Loop out of Davis, CA Bike Setup:
Stock; which is to say mix of Dura Ace and top end Bontrager carbon components. Only change I've made so far is to put on a set of Continental GP 4000 tires, yellow, naturally. Summary:
I know this is supposed to be a collectible, but since I never thought I'd own one and received it as a gift, I decided to ride it. I figure only the low numbers out of the 600 numbered frames are truly collectibles anyway and mine is not a low number. Absolutely the correct decision, at least until I crash it. The ride is so smooth and responsive it's like tasting ice cream for the first time. On my 2001 Trek 5200 I'd been slowly bringing down my 10-mile TT time a few seconds at a time per component upgrade until I was upgraded out. First time out on this bike, and my time came down 2 minutes!! I was stunned! I still am. For comparison, best improvement ever on the 5200 was 56 seconds when I upgraded to a top end wheelset and most recent upgrade(pedals)netted only 8 seconds of improvement. Bottomline, I would have lived a lesser life had I treated this bike as a collectible. Strengths:
All the strengths repeatedly listed in the 24 reviews of the Madone SL 5.9, but with numbered, signed, gold leafed, cancer fighting etc "Specialness" as well... what my buddies have called bicycle pornography. Weaknesses:
The letdown that will be experienced when the inevitable confirmation of Lance's doping occurs. I don't believe in tooth fairy, and I don't believe Lance was the only clean guy at the front of the peloton either! That being said, this bike is really a tribute to the LiveStrong concept and all the good Lance has done for cancer victims worldwide and that in fact is something very real, and very good, regardless of whether it was ultimately self-serving or not. Lots of folks have doped, no others have also raised millions of $$ and priceless amounts of hope along the way. Similar Products Used:
2001 Trek 5200 w/ all upgraded components; Colnago Master Piu (Anybody old enough to remember the Piu?) w/ full Campy Record
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