TT Tuesday

Believe it or not, I only have one bicycle.  I have a road bike that occupies most of my time and budget but quite often people are surprised that I don't have a mountain bike, a cyclocross bike, a TT bike, a training bike, etc, etc.  Its not that I don't want to spend time with any of those other types of cycling activities, I just plain 'ol don't have it the budget.  I would love to have a quiver of bikes but bikes are expensive.  I actually sold my mountain bike a few years ago to buy more road bike stuff. Regardless, I've always been on the lookout for good deals.

A few weeks ago, I mentioned to Matt at The Bike Shoppe in Ogden to be on the lookout for a cheap time trial frame.  Turns out he had one sitting in the basement that was looking for a home.  I sent the owner of the frame a text and 2 days later I had a 2007 Fuji Aloha CF1.  One of the things I love most about cycling (and sailing, cars and skiing for that matter) is all the cool gear and equipment associated with the sport.  Even though the frame is a bit older, its is perfect condition and has a very sexy clear coat over the carbon weave.

My original goal was to see how much of this bike I could build with just parts from my garage.  While I have a ton of parts lying around I managed only to find a Dura Ace crankset, bottom bracket, aero bars and some brake and shifter cable that would be compatible with the build.  The derailleurs I had were 8 speed and the brake calipers were too ancient.  Brake levers and shifters for a TT build are pretty specialized, but I knew I would need those.  So, the search began for some cheap parts.

Matt manged to find some spare parts in the basement at the shoppe for a great price.  I've also scored some killer deals online finding a Shimano 105 front and rear derailleur for cheap.  Some brake calipers, shifters and a saddle are all I need now.  I've got my awesome 58mm Mercury Wheels but will get a 80mm or even a disk for the rear soon.

The real fun will be putting this thing together myself.  I have the tools but my wife may have an issue with me building the bike in the living room...its 30 degrees in the garage right now!

The Aloha CF1 is an interesting bike.  Its super stiff with aero tubing but Fuji made the bike with standard road bike geometry, namely a 73.5 degree seat tube versus a steeper 78 degree measurement found on most TT bikes.  The bike was stiff enough for pro sprinter Ivan Dominguez to spec the frame for his road set up a few years back.  This may make fitting the bike in the aero postition a bit more difficult, but luckily there's a forward-set seatpost available for the bike if I need it.

While there is no substitute for a good motor, having a TT bike will lob off a few ticks of the clock in time trials.  I'm stoked and I'll keep you posted on my progress on the build.

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