Wheels Turning Round and Round

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 Sunrise wounds orange

Through the bruised Topanga sky

As the fires smolder.

Friday, September 11, 2020

 The bike I was given a few weeks ago is now just about going to cost me as much as a new bike.

 That’s because it’s rare for a straight-out swap of components and wheels from one bike to another. I was hoping to get away with just a bar and stem purchase, but I was just informed that I would at least need to purchase a front wheel as the frame I bought (Cervelo R5) is thru axle whereas the bike I was given (Mosaic) has a traditional quick release axle.

 Now I’m not going to put together a bike with two different brands of wheels. That’s gauche. So it’s a new carbon disc wheelset I go. I was considering alloy, but what the hell, for a few hundred more I believe I can get a decent carbon wheelset.

 As per this moment the brake down of costs looks like this:

 -Mosaic bike equipped with Shimano Dura Ace electronic shifting, hydraulic brakes and Fulcrum Quattro Racing wheels; FREE!

-Cervelo R5 frameset; 2100

-Enve handlebar and stem; approximately $500.

-Bontrager Aeolus 37 Pro carbon wheelset; $1200

-bar tape and bottle cages; about $100

-Wahoo computer; $250

-Labor; about $250

 Total so far - $4400

 *(I decided to get a little smarter and cheaper and checked out if Fulcrum made a front wheel that would reasonably match the rear already on the Mosaic and they do. The DB 40 Wind is a very clean looking wheel with just a touch of red that should go nicely with the rear Fulcrum Quattro. The DB front wheel cost $725.)

 Bringing the new total so far to $3,925.

 
That, at the moment, seems like a very reasonable deal for a top of the line frame with very good components. But we’re still in the build process so cost could go up. And as anyone who builds a bike knows, costs will definitely not go down.