NEW BIKE DAY! 2012 Felt DA4 with HED Jet9

Sometimes a bike direct from the manufacturer will do the job, sometimes it won't.  This bike was oh-so-close for it's new owner, but the wheels just weren't up to the spec he wanted.  The Shimano Dura-Ace 7900 derailleurs are tried and proven.  The Vision Metron shifters are new but really great, but when rolling on a $4000 bike one needs some nicer shoes sometimes. 

Since we knew he'd be racing on some HED Jet9's, the obvious choice for training wheels was the HED Ardennes.  With the exact same rim width and brake track, it's a simple swap from Adrennes GP to race wheels with nary a brake adjustment needed.

The final change this thing saw out of the box was the addition of a Quarq powermeter, which was transplanted from his previous rig.  Not bad, eh?

Here's the obligatory front glamour shot as I don't think too many people will see the front of this bike all that often.  The Bayonet 3 system on the new DA isn't the most user-friendly to set up, but it's solid and once the fit is dialed really does it's job.  The system allows a ton of bar adjustment as well, which is a huge plus for us from the fitting side.

Sexy profile view sporting her race shoes, this bike cannot be ridden slow.  If you aren't ready to push yourself in your next triathlon or TT, do yourself a favor and ride something else.  Going slow won't reflect well on you or your bike.

Here's a view more similar to what I expect competitors to have of this bike.  It's loud, it's screaming fast, yet it's still a great looking bike.

The HED Jet9 wheels were a compromise between my recommendation and the customers idea of fast.  I said "JET DISC JET9 COMBO!", he said "I don't want a disc", we ended with Jet9 pair.  Fine.  But at least he let me put super-fast Vittoria EVO SC tires and Latex Vittoria tubes on those Jets!

Profile shot with the training wheels.  A simple swap from race wheels, the brakes don't need adjustment, which is one less thing to stress about the night before the race when you pull the Adrennes off and put the Jet9's on.

Continental Gatorskin Hardshell tires make for a great training buddy as they are extremely durable, have excellent puncture protection, but don't ride like stones.  They won't be as plush as the Vittoria EVO SC on the race wheels of course, but they should last for thousands and thousands of miles.

Super-wild seat stay/seat tube junction.  When no brake is needed designers are allowed to run free with what will be the fastest design.  Felt came up with this awesome shape that even if it doesn't work, it looks great!

Dura-Ace rear shifting from Shimano is nice, but I wasn't impressed with Felt's choice of housing length.  This bike will be re-cabled with white housing shortly cut to the appropriate length.

UCI says this one passes snuff.  For most of us this doesn't matter, but it is nice to know if you find yourself in a UCI-sanctioned TT you'll be free to ride.

There it is, go-fast wheels on a go-fast frame.  All it needs is a crazy cardiovascular system to push it down the road!