After spending most of the weekend getting steamy with a stripper, I finally found some time late on Sunday to build my new BeOne Storm 1.0 road bike that I’d bought a couple of weeks ago.
Shots from building the BeOne Storm 1.0
More photos are available in my BeOne Storm 1.0 Picasa album.
The front brake is held on with a single bolt and it’s still possible to rotate the whole brake unit around this bolt. I can’t tighten it any more than it is already and the whole assembly seems a little odd to someone like me used to the heavy duty fixings of mountain bike brakes. Still, they seem to work, so I shouldn’t complain.
The back brake gave me some trouble too. They didn’t seem to give enough cable to reach the back brake unit so I had to trim down the final section of cable outer a little. I think I overdid it a bit though and it now looks a little odd. I’ve ordered some new outer cable and will replace the too-short section soon enough.
I also managed to unravel a single strand of the cable and stab myself with it. There was no way it was going back into the outer so I just had to snip it off. I considered replacing the whole cable, but I would have had to undo the bar tape I think, no way was I starting into that at 10.30pm on a Sunday!
There were some leftover parts too. I hope they’re not important!
You can't build anything it seems, without some parts being left over.
I still need to fit the little cable crimp ends, a computer and the back brake needs tightened, but basically it’s done and ready for action.
It’d need non-quick release skewers and bolts, mudguards and some lights for commuting duties. I don’t think I can bring myself to fit the hose clips to mount my Tesco torches though, it’s too pretty for that. A summer only commuting bike then, I think, if at all.
Upgrades … want … wheels … tyres … precious carbon things … must … resist.
It was late when I finished so I just went on a little shakedown ride along the streets. The gear shifting of the Shimano 105 drivetrain is spot on and precise, straight out of the box, though I miss being able to drop two or three gears at once like on the mountain bike. Brakes are good (I was expecting a lot worse) and I’m surprisingly comfortable with the riding position on the hoods and drops and with the handling.
But the major difference that I’ve noticed already is the feeling of easy power, cruising along the tarmac in the big ring. The difference, even to the slicked mountain bike is … wow.
Unfortunately I have a busy week ahead and it’s not likely I’ll be able to get out for a maiden jaunt until next weekend. I couldn’t wait for it to arrive, I couldn’t wait to build it, and now I can’t wait to get it out on the open road…
