After riding the same road bike for over 20 years, it was finally time for a new bike. Long story short, I've put about 200 miles on my new Fezzari Empire since I got it 2 weeks ago. It's well-fitted, comfortable, efficient, fast, wide gear ratios, great brakes, smooth & quiet.
My old bike is a Trek 2200 I bought in '00. It's been a great bike and still runs like new with only normal maintenance. Why a new bike? (A) gearing, (B) comfort, (C) performance.
A. I wanted something with a lower bottom gear for my "over 50" legs, yet the same top gear. The Trek's lowest gear is 39-28, constrained by the front crank BCD and the rear derailleur. The new bike's low is 34-34. That's a 40% lower gear and it makes a HUGE difference.
B. The Trek's Al frame is stiff & efficient, but non-compliant and rigid. You almost need a mouthpiece for long rides. I installed a suspension seat post which helps, but I wanted a bike with the same efficiency yet with more compliance & comfort.
C. Who doesn't want higher performance? Carbon wheels, bladed spokes, internal cables for better aero. Disc brakes for better braking, and I consider them essential with carbon rims.
Why Fezzari? About 7 years ago I bought one of their top mountain bikes and I've put it through thousands of tough miles. It's been a fantastic bike with lifetime warranty and great factory support, so I trusted the company. For this bike they went off-menu and built exactly what I wanted: Ultegra mechanical with Vision Metron 40 wheels. About 14 weeks from order to delivery. Total cost about $4400 all-in with shipping & tax, a great value.
The bike wasn't perfect on arrival. In the rear hub, they omitted the critical spacer shim between the hub bearing & the freewheel driver. I discovered this on inspection, connected with Fezzari & Vision, and 3 days later I got the part and was ready to ride. They make fantastic bikes with some of the best warranty & support in the business. However, as the customer direct model cuts out the LBS middleman, make sure you can do your own quality & safety checks before riding.
My old bike is a Trek 2200 I bought in '00. It's been a great bike and still runs like new with only normal maintenance. Why a new bike? (A) gearing, (B) comfort, (C) performance.
A. I wanted something with a lower bottom gear for my "over 50" legs, yet the same top gear. The Trek's lowest gear is 39-28, constrained by the front crank BCD and the rear derailleur. The new bike's low is 34-34. That's a 40% lower gear and it makes a HUGE difference.
B. The Trek's Al frame is stiff & efficient, but non-compliant and rigid. You almost need a mouthpiece for long rides. I installed a suspension seat post which helps, but I wanted a bike with the same efficiency yet with more compliance & comfort.
C. Who doesn't want higher performance? Carbon wheels, bladed spokes, internal cables for better aero. Disc brakes for better braking, and I consider them essential with carbon rims.
Why Fezzari? About 7 years ago I bought one of their top mountain bikes and I've put it through thousands of tough miles. It's been a fantastic bike with lifetime warranty and great factory support, so I trusted the company. For this bike they went off-menu and built exactly what I wanted: Ultegra mechanical with Vision Metron 40 wheels. About 14 weeks from order to delivery. Total cost about $4400 all-in with shipping & tax, a great value.
The bike wasn't perfect on arrival. In the rear hub, they omitted the critical spacer shim between the hub bearing & the freewheel driver. I discovered this on inspection, connected with Fezzari & Vision, and 3 days later I got the part and was ready to ride. They make fantastic bikes with some of the best warranty & support in the business. However, as the customer direct model cuts out the LBS middleman, make sure you can do your own quality & safety checks before riding.