It took three months, seven parts orders and two Kona Brewing Co. six-packs worth of building time. But my lockdown projects are now complete!
I am well aware at this point that my blog is more an ancient artifact of triathlon history than a legitimate social channel. But this post is for the techy folks - those that like to dig into all of the finer details. And I simply couldn't convey that in emojis, 15-second Instagram stories or even with expensive cameras and editing software.
Having survived the first COVID lockdown by actually going completely bananas and becoming an ultra runner, I knew that when the inevitable second wave arrived I would need something more productive and less painful to get me through. All kidding aside, heading down into my workshop, putting on some good music and tinkering with my tools truly is a passion and, in a way, therapeutic for me.
I particularly enjoy the process of a new bike build; the challenge of choosing the exact components for the right fit, gear ratios and handling characteristics, the problem solving to perfect the aesthetic details, not to mention having an excuse to work with my favourite local shop (To Wheels) to source most of the parts, were all a great way to productively spend time during our recent stay-at-home order.
My last time trial bike build from scratch was my 2011 Cervelo P3, way back when I worked at Multisport Zone. At the time the P3 was already a legendary frame with the first alloy version coming out in 2004, and the carbon frame that first dropped in 2006 was still the fastest, best handling and most decorated TT bike in history. So when I got my elite racing license I picked up a P3 frame direct from Cervelo and built it up with a modest but efficient mix of components.
Over the years my beloved P3 got me through my brief elite racing "career", a handful of local race wins, tons of 70.3s and three Ironman summers. All the way to spring of 2019 when, unfortunately, the one-piece molded derailleur hanger snapped...on the trainer of all places. It was an extremely uncommon but fatal flaw in the frame design, in fact Mike at To Wheels had never seen it happen since becoming a Cervelo dealer. We tried to submit a warranty claim but ultimately it was difficult to argue a structural flaw in a frame that had 8 years of hard miles on it - it likely was weakened from a bad crash I had in a race several years prior. Cervelo offered a crash replacement which meant sending them my frame in exchange for a modest discount on a new P3, but I decided the sentimental value was worth more than the discount.
I ended up getting a BMC Time Machine frame at a great price from To Wheels and swapped all my components over for the 2019 season. It was a new-old stock frame from 2012, so although it rode a little more smoothly than the P3 and felt at least as fast on the road, I didn't benefit from the technological leaps in frame design from the past 7-8 years with my new purchase. Still, it was a beautiful bike and I had no intention of replacing it any time soon.
Then just before Christmas, Amanda and I impulsively jumped on a sale for a 2020 BMC to replace her 650c P3, which sold almost instantly, and I realized two things: new TT bikes are lightyears ahead of what I was using, and the used bike market is insane these days with such little new stock available.
After eyeing a frame on sale at Excel Sports out of Boulder CO, I decided to post my bike for sale just to see if I'd get any hits. It sold for full asking price in about an hour...and I had a new frame on the way that same night.
Based on that, Amanda and I also decided to post her Felt road bike for sale with the intention of upgrading her entry level Liv Avail AR to serve dual purposes as a race-ready road and gravel bike. Her bike sold in even less time. So I now had two new bike builds to fill my lockdown time, with the goal of spending less on the two than the proceeds of our sales...I almost accomplished that ;)
So here are the builds and some reasoning behind my choices, with as many photos and techy details as I can provide, for those who are (almost) as into the nerdy info as I am.
Cervelo P-Series - full custom build:
Of course the biggest change with this bike, and the main reason that I decided to take on this project...disc brakes. Why disc? Not for the braking if you still question why a TT bike would need disc brakes. It's about the total system...aerodynamics, rolling resistance, material shapes, etc. I'll try to explain as concisely as possible:
There is plenty of info out there now showing that a wide (28-30mm) tubeless tire at relatively low pressure (60-80psi) provides the best rolling resistance for road riding - depending on the exact models, approximately 2-7 watt savings per tire between a top end tubeless tire and a top end clincher with a latex tube. Close 15W of free speed just by changing an already fast set of tires...or 30+W over other popular tire choices that far too many people race on. Bike brands invest hundreds of thousands into R&D for a fraction of that improvement in new frame designs!
Wider tires can however present an aerodynamic penalty, unless they are mounted on a ~30mm rim width for a smooth transition from the tire to rim; according to Enve the rim width should be 105% the width of the inflated tire for optimal aerodynamics. But a tire and rim that wide simply do not fit in a road brake caliper. Disc brake bikes open up a whole new world of frame designs, rim shapes and widths, without being bound by rim braking surfaces and calipers in aerodynamically sensitive areas (or hidden away where they are impossible to work on).
Altogether, a good 28mm tubeless tire on a 30mm rim width offers a substantial reduction in rolling resistance with no aero penalty on the tire...AND more aerodynamic frame and rim designs. Oh, and stronger braking, better comfort and improved handling. That is why disc brakes belong on TT bikes!
And personally, I have always been a fan of Cervelo since first beginning to explore the world of triathlon way back in 2006, when they were still a relatively small company based in Toronto. I've owned a handful over the years and have spent countless hours checking out the vast resources of real, evidence-based information they publish online; quite the contrast to the cloak and dagger marketing junk most companies provide.
It's also worth noting that in 12 years of bike building, I've never seen a bike come with a 23 page, step-by-step build guide. This thing is a tech geek's dream; wisdom straight from the wisest source in the bike business, and its a saving grace for this frame. An experienced mechanic could certainly get through this build without it, but the book lays out all of the finest details, in sequence, to help bring this frame from an intimidating jigsaw puzzle to a masterpiece of engineering.
Wheels
I've covered most of my reasoning behind the wheels already. But I chose Reynolds AR41 DB for their combination of build quality, lifetime warranty, great value and modern rim design (41mm depth, 30mm external width, tubeless). At 1640g they're a touch heavier than similar depth offerings from Zipp or Enve, the latter I was strongly considering for this build. But I think they'll be stiffer and more durable than either of those options...and they were 1/3 the price.
One noteworthy point is the rim depth I chose. I went with the 41mm depth primarily for the practicality of having one good set of wheels for TT, road and gravel racing. But with advances in rim shapes and the reduced weight, there is a shockingly small difference in performance between a modern mid-depth rim compared to heavier, deeper options.
According to Best Bike Split's calculations, the difference between a ~40mm wheel or 60mm wheel that's 150g heavier is less than 20 seconds over a 5 hour Ironman bike split on a rolling course. My new setup as a whole is still estimated to be over five minutes faster than my previous Ironman setup, the P3 with 22mm tires on 60mm clinchers.
Even if money was no object I'd have a hard time justifying a second, deeper time trial specific carbon wheelset for a smaller time penalty than grabbing my special needs bag. Additionally, I've always preferred more challenging and technical courses...and there are few things more frustrating than listening to *cough Zipp* rims flexing and rubbing on your rim brakes up an alpine climb in a race. So the lighter, stiffer mid-depth rim is the the ideal all-around, all terrain race wheelset for my riding style.
Drivetrain
On some level it felt strange building a cutting edge TT bike and eschewing electronic shifting. But the reality is there is absolutely zero improvement in drivetrain friction or weight over mechanical shifting. So I simply could not justify the $2000-3500 price increase for funky buttons and servos.
I went with Shimano's workhorse R7000 derailleurs with BBB ceramic bearing jockey wheels, a Dura Ace chain and Ultegra crank (53/39 165mm) on a Rotor BBright bottom bracket. When comparing this setup to a stock Dura-Ace 9150 groupset, it's about 25% the cost, barely any difference in weight and actually very slightly more mechanically efficient, thanks to the upgraded jockey wheels.
Brakes
This is one area that some day I may choose to upgrade. But in these still relatively early days of disc brake TT bikes, full hydraulic bar-end brake lever options remain limited. Shimano only offers hydro systems with their Di2 groups. TRP does make a full hydro system but its ugly, expensive and wouldn't fit on my choice of base bar anyway. SRAM has the most widely available hydro TT brake option but its over $1,000 for the pair, they use DOT fluid instead of mineral oil which strips paint and is toxic... and personally I don't think their quality matches other brands.
I went with Profile Design cable actuated levers and TRP HY/RD calipers. While cable-to-hydraulic converter systems seem janky on paper, having used a similar system by Giant in the past, they work really well at a fraction of the cost of fully hydro. I used Jagwire's compressionless cable housing...I've never paid $40 for housing before, but that seemingly trivial upgrade is what brings cable disc brakes on par with hydro systems.
Ultegra R8000 160/140 rotors finish things off, mostly because they look good and provide outstanding cooling. But my intuition is the full disc shape might be very slightly more aero than the more common 5-6 arm spider designs. And for what its worth, despite the somewhat bulky look of the HY/RD caliper, apparently they test well in the wind tunnel compared to other disc brake calipers.
Cockpit
Pretty straightforward here, thanks to this frame being designed around a standard front end. Profile Design Sonic Ergo 4525 extensions have great adjustability and perfect hand position for my fit, and a Zipp Vuka Bull carbon base bar for class leading aerodynamics...and graphics that match the frame. Specialized Sitero to keep my caboose happy.
Finishing Kit
Vittoria Rubino Pro tires for now (will change out to Corsa Speed TL or Continental GP5000TL for racing), my trusty 105 pedals and Profile cages round out the build. Simple and effective with Cervelo's integrated storage and hydration keep it a clean and extremely fast package for any race distance.
It took many nights and Big Wave Golden Ales to finish this one off and I couldn't be happier with the end result. Custom builds are a lot of work and sometimes a bit of a headache...especially amid a global parts shortage! But the payoff is a bike that is perfectly dialed to your fit and riding style, something an off-the-shelf bike just doesn't match. I can't wait to get this out on the road...but first, I had another build to finish!
Here's Amanda's rebuild that brought her Liv Avail from an entry level road-bike-with-gravel-curiosities, to an all-surface racing machine.
Liv Avail AR 3
Having ridden my Giant TCX for two years, I was already a big fan of the quality and value of the brand (Liv is Giant's women's specific sub-brand). So last fall we picked up this bike for Amanda from our pal Alex Vanderlinden at Ziggy's in Kitchener as a well appointed entry level "all-road" bike. With most of the roads around our house being rolling gravel, she got it as an inexpensive option to join me on some fun multi-surface rides.
After realizing just how capable this bike was, she decided rather than dividing her riding between her TT bike plus dedicated road and gravel bikes, it was worth consolidating and upgrading this one to handle everything from epic gravel adventures to draft-legal Age Group Worlds. I stripped the bike down to the frame, sold the stock parts, and here's how it ended up...
Wheels
Amanda got these hoops by default as my dedicated road wheelset from my Giant. I built these wheels during our first lockdown last spring with DT Swiss R470 rims on DT350 hubs. 1670 grams, tubeless ready, bomb proof...what more could you want? And she will use the Reynolds wheels for racing.
Drivetrain
I went with Shimano R7000 for the same reasons as above. 50/34 crank and 11-28 cassette. Reliable, efficient, well-priced. If you add $100 in upgrades for sealed bearing jockey wheels and a Dura-Ace chain for race day, there's literally no good reason to pay more for anything else.
Brakes
I debated going hydraulic for this bike, but ultimately went for the best cable-actuated system instead. In part for the cost savings, but primarily for the ease of use when traveling, low weight, and the shifter ergonomics for her small hands. Plus they look super cool with the carbon actuator and satin finish, and the stopping power is very close to the hydro setup on my Giant.
Cockpit
3T Ergonova bars provide a mid-length reach, short drop, slight flare and flat top section for great comfort and performance on and off-road. And a Cobb saddle around back.
Finishing Kit
XT 160/R8000 140 rotors, 28mm Conti rubber for the road and Specialized Trigger Pro TL 38mm tires for gravel.
Deducting the proceeds from selling the stock parts it ended up costing right around $2,000 total for a fully customized R7000 build, which is a couple hundred dollars below MSRP on comparable stock builds...if they're even available in 2021. More importantly its the same weight as her old carbon 105 rim brake bike with far better versatility, braking performance and overall ride quality. Mission accomplished!
We've both got the fit dialed in on the trainers but the final test will be when we can get outside in a few more weeks. But these two builds were a great way to spend the winter when I was literally locked in my basement anyway.
I hope you enjoyed these details half as much as I did while I was busy putting these together. I'd love to hear your feedback, positive or constructive!
