Late Substitution

Spring is on the horizon and I have emerged from blogger hibernation to document the final stages of the Soma Smoothie build. An important question lingered in my mind over the months since the Fall. That question is this, "Why put all of the time, energy, effort and money into assembling a fine collection of Campagnolo components and then include with that group a budget brand bottom bracket?" I've been trying to keep the costs down with extensive shopping, comparison and seizing the moment when the price is damn near unbeatable. Since I already had an inexpensive BB which came with the Record crank set I figured using it was a sensible way of cutting my expenses. It is but really why not just scrape up the cash to upgrade to a quality Campy BB, and shop around just like I had for other parts? The answer was clear. So here I have a shiny, new Chorus bottom bracket and am I ever pleased because of it. It's only fitting to compliment the rest of the Campy drive train with more Campy. Am I right? The thought of having a ride equipped with a lesser quality version of a crucial component and whatever surprises it may have in store is one that would bother me every time I'm on the bike. So this was both an aesthetic and practical decision. Now, my ideal choice would have been a Phil Wood with titanium spindle, but that just wasn't in the budget and realistically this is a perfectly acceptable compromise. A welcome compromise for that matter. The Chorus BB has the reputation of longevity which is comforting knowing as long as I care for it, it will spin and spin for years to come. As well, the design of the Chorus is the same as the top-of-the-line Record except for the carbon housing sleeve that allows the Record to be lighter. Since saving a few grams is not a priority I believe I've made a wise selection. Quite.

A Praise Chorus: Campagnolo Chorus D Brake Set

Campagnolo Centaur Skeleton brakes, the decision had already been made for some time. They are in the right price range and offer the level of performance suited for my riding. From what I could gather they are similar in quality to the previous generation Chorus D brakes. Between the two I leaned toward the Centaur because of the updated design, although that was not a deal breaker. As it happened on the very day I was prepared to put down my money this Chorus D brake set appeared to me in the form of a sweet discounted sale price at Cambria Bicycle Outfitter. An amount I didn't need to consider more than once. From time to time Cambria offers 20% off of the already discounted "Hot Deals". This just so happened to be one of those deals. Goodbye Centaur Skeleton., hello Chorus D. I actually like the classic design of these very much, so it turned out for the best.