Introducing the Cervelo R3

Picture gallery on Picasa: http://picasaweb.google.com/r.scott.tomassetti/Cervelo_R3_Build?feat=directlink

Friday was the Cervelo R3 build at Cycling Concepts in Rocky Hill, CT. Sondre and I , mostly Sondre, placed parts and adjusted the frame to get the bike ready for the final fitting and cabling of the bike. Unlike the Tommaso build which I did myself, I choice to have it done at Cycling Concepts, as messing it up would have meant to great an expense for me. Sondre is an outstanding mechanic who knows his business, and I really wanted to learn as much as I could from him during the build process for later consumption.
The build started with me unwrapping the frame, gathering parts and putting the shifters on the handlebars. I put the front and rear Derailleurs, brakes, seat post and seat. After that I was pretty much a bystander, student, or gofer.
Once this was done, Sondre added the headset, which connected the fork to the frame. Sondre then leveled and turned the bottom bracket so the cups would screw in smoothly and evenly for better performance. He also turned the outer ring of the BB so the cups would fit parallel to each other. Once those things were done the BB cups were installed and then the Crank. I placed the new Speed Play Zero Pedal on the crank, the stem on the handlebars, and then Sondre leveled the Shifters, seat, and handlebars. Sondre adjusted both sides so the hoods would lay flat and slightly turned in for a more comfortable fit.
Once this was done I put the Dura Ace 7850SL Wheels on as the final piece to the puzzle before fitting. They match very nicely but subtlety to the bikes frame colors (White, black and red). The red nipples of the wheels will match the red nipples of the cable housing nicely. The red pedals are also a nice touch. The wheels made the R3 look more like a bike than an unfinished project, and gave my spirit a lift. It also made me anxious and ready to ride.
I still have to wait some though, as the fitting with be on Tuesday. This will determine the actual stem length we will be ordering, a Thomson X2. Once this is done, we can them put the cables on, and adjust shifting and the like. For now I am going with bar tape I already had laying about, but later will be using Deda Tape. By this time next week, she should be up and rolling. I cannot wait to go riding on the NEW CERVELO R3.
Just want to thank Sondre, Dan, and Dave for their extreme patience, and understanding my need to be involved with the bike build. I was important to me to involved with the build mechanically to feel connected to the bike, and to learn as much as I could about it mechanics for trouble shooting, maintenance or adding new parts later. By the end I will have knowledge of the bike I could never had gained from just buying one from the floor.
I have researched all the frame geometries, research and purchased most of the parts, (with Dave's helpful hand and watchful eye), helped with the build and setup of the bike, and most importantly had the final decision on all aspects of the build. I am not sure what was more fun, the research and deliberation with Nick about various part combo's and frame combo's, the build, or whether it will be the actual riding of the bike. It all works for me! I will miss the chase though.

View the picture slide show below: